The situation Ye Huohuo and the others faced was not optimistic. Although the enemy was not numerous, with about a dozen people, several of whom were injured, fewer than ten were capable of fighting.
However, they were holed up in seven rooms, and Ye Huohuo and her companions did not know which specific room held the enemy, or if they were in every room. Most importantly, the enemy possessed crossbows, making a direct assault difficult and risky, with a high chance of being hit by their bolts.
What should they do?
Ye Huohuo glanced at the sky. It was the fifteenth of the month, and the moon was large and bright, which was disadvantageous for their operation. If the light were dimmer, they could have used the poor visibility to conceal themselves, arranged a diversionary attack to draw the enemy's attention, and then had two people sneak over to rush into the rooms and subdue them.
But the current situation clearly wouldn't allow for that.
Suddenly, her gaze fell upon the moon, like a silver plate, and her brow twitched. A smile slowly curved upwards at the corners of her lips.
These individuals had spent some time with Ye Huohuo, and some had faced life and death situations alongside her. They understood her expressions well. Seeing her expression, they knew she must have an idea.
Nie Ming, in particular, perched on a branch, had the advantage of a higher vantage point. He captured all of Ye Huohuo's expressions and, at the same moment, thought of the same thing as her.
Indeed, they were taught by the same master, but their subsequent approaches to handling the situation were completely opposite.
"No, your body won't allow it!" Before Ye Huohuo could speak, Nie Ming preempted her.
"I can do it. It'll be fine for a short while!" Ye Huohuo pleaded.
"I said no, and that's final. Your seals are fully released, and you even attracted heavenly lightning earlier. Not to mention the impact of your fully released seals on your body, if those old monsters detect your location, even one of them finding you would put everyone here in danger trying to protect you.
Using good deeds to accumulate merit and ward off your misfortune is acceptable, but you cannot drink poison to quench your thirst. Be good. We'll abandon this for now! At the very least, you've done a lot tonight. If Elder Brother Two and the others return with reinforcements, we can launch a full assault then."
However, in front of Nie Ming, Ye Huohuo raised her right index finger and began to move it rapidly, calculating something. Her finger movements were skillful, dazzling everyone except Nie Ming. They could only see her fingertips dancing in an extremely brilliant and beautiful manner.
After half a minute, Ye Huohuo's fingers finally stopped. She showed the final hand seal to Nie Ming. "Senior Brother, you're not unfamiliar with this, are you? I've calculated it. If we cannot find Du Lihua's body tonight, she will never be able to reincarnate.
She will forever drift in this Avici Hell, neither human nor ghost, neither immortal nor deity. She hasn't done anything wrong; she even saved Fang Fang, indicating she is a kind-hearted girl. Such a person should not meet such an end.
Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs. If I hadn't encountered this, it would be one thing. But since I have, how can I stand by and watch without helping, or ignore injustice? If my Master had also ignored me because I was just an unknown child, I would have died long ago and never had the chance to meet my senior brothers and sisters.
I've always felt that every day I live is a gain, so I strive to make my life more meaningful every day. Senior Brother, wasn't it the same for you back then? Knowing it would offend those people and bring about the peril of your life, you still couldn't turn a blind eye to those who were harming others.
You have always been my role model. If you can do it, why can't I? I believe the most meaningful thing to do now is to help Du Lihua, find her body, and allow her to reincarnate."
Ye Huohuo's words left Nie Ming speechless. He was already unable to out-argue Ye Huohuo, and at this point, he was also in the wrong, leaving him even more at a loss for words. Finally, he could only shake his eight-character head and sigh deeply, "Fine. We'll deal with whatever comes. If you truly encounter danger..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: he would risk his remaining half-life to protect her.
A flicker of tears appeared in Ye Huohuo's eyes, but she covered it with a smile. "Senior Brother, don't underestimate me. If we really encounter those old monsters, it's not certain who will end up dead!"
"Don't worry, I'll protect her!" A deep voice, as if striking directly at the heart, rang out.
Everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice—Li Mohan.
He stood in the shadow of a large tree, his head slightly lowered, with more than half his face obscured by darkness, revealing only his thin lips and a small section of his jaw.
He remained as cold as ever, yet there seemed to be a subtle difference from his usual demeanor, though it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what it was.
Ye Huohuo's heart, which she had already decided to seal away, couldn't help but tremble when she heard Li Mohan say he would protect her.
"Heh, if you're going to make a move, there truly aren't many who can match you!" Fang Fang chuckled beside them.
Ye Huohuo glanced at the sky. It was getting late, so she no longer delayed.
She poured all the talisman paper from her backpack onto the ground. The scattered blank yellow papers looked like joss paper burned during the Ghost Festival. However, each sheet had a small hole in the same position.
"Didn't you say these talismans were all ruined?" Fang Fang asked doubtfully.
Ye Huohuo tilted her chin upwards, replying with arrogance, "The usual me couldn't use them, but now that my seals are fully released, even if they were riddled with holes, I could mend them."
After speaking, she stepped in a Big Dipper formation, her hands forming seals. The air in the sky seemed to be drawn by her fingers, coalescing into visible air currents, much like flowing water. These currents slowly formed a line, drawing a peculiar pattern in the air following her fingertips.
Simultaneously, the previously still surroundings began to stir with wisps of wind, which grew increasingly strong, whipping up the yellow talisman papers on the ground. The papers, initially scattered haphazardly, gradually became organized, quickly forming a magnified version of the talisman Ye Huohuo had drawn in the air.
Immediately after, the small holes on each talisman began to glow, and after a flash, the papers appeared intact.
"Hiyah!" Ye Huohuo let out a clear shout. The talisman formed by the air current guided by her fingertips transformed into countless small talismans that flew towards the talismans in the air.
Almost simultaneously, nearly a hundred talisman papers were inscribed with the same peculiar pattern.
A smug smile flashed across Ye Huohuo's lips, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. Then, she reached out and grabbed the air, "Sword, come!"
To everyone's astonished gaze, the talisman papers flashed with a beam of light, transforming into a golden sword that flew into Ye Huohuo's hand.
As Ye Huohuo gripped the sword hilt, her entire demeanor became solemn and dignified. Her black hair cascaded down her back, fluttering in the wind as if an ebony wing had been attached behind her.
She stood with the sword held in one hand, murmuring incantations with her eyes slightly closed. After a moment, she abruptly opened her eyes, and the tip of her sword pointed directly at the bright moon in the sky.
Instantly, everyone felt as if their vision blurred. Then, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Only Ye Huohuo's forehead and temples were covered in sweat, her breathing heavy. However, her expression had become much more relaxed. Her pale, thin lips parted slightly, and she softly uttered two words, "It's done!"