The feigning-dead black python instinctively dodged the razor-sharp blades Yun Qingxue had previously unleashed.
“Hiss—” A glint flashed in Adai’s eyes as he swiftly darted out to save his master.
Yun Qingxue took a step back, her hand now gripping a whip-like vine covered in thorns. With a flick of her wrist, the vine lashed out nimbly toward the supposedly dead black python.
At the same time, the thorny vine and Adai’s venomous fangs struck the python simultaneously.
Under this deadly dual assault, the black python collapsed heavily to the ground without even a sound, its life extinguished.
Having dealt with the deceitful serpent, Yun Qingxue coldly surveyed the corpses of the black pythons. To ensure no surprises, she waved her hand, releasing dozens of invisible blades that sliced through the pythons’ vital spots with eerie precision.
“Adai, go!” Yun Qingxue said, her face pale.
Adai swiftly slithered over, rummaging through the pythons’ vital spots in search of their inner cores.
“Chirp chirp~” Liuli watched enviously, unable to suppress a whimper.
After swallowing one inner core, Adai glanced at Liuli, who hesitated to approach, then crawled into another python’s vital spot. With a flick of his tail, he sent the extracted core flying toward Liuli.
Liuli leaped up, catching and swallowing the core in one gulp.
Adai shot her a proud look—*This snake doesn’t hog all the goodies!*
Yun Qingxue smiled faintly at the interaction between the snake and the fox before sitting down to meditate.
The recent battle had drained much of her energy, and her body was inexplicably faltering. With an uncertain path ahead, this cave—now cleared of enemies—was the safest place to recuperate.
Meanwhile, Luoyun Mountain, the site of the earlier clash between masters, lay in ruins.
Purple Melody Sage had taken the severely injured Yun Ye and Jin Lin back to his residence—Zikun Garden.
Inside, Yun Ye and Purple Melody Sage sat cross-legged on opposite sides of the bed, while Jin Lin stood before them, watching silently.
“You must be burning with curiosity right now,” Purple Melody Sage remarked lightly, not rushing to heal himself but instead smiling at Jin Lin.
“Master, your health comes first,” Jin Lin replied deferentially.
Purple Melody Sage chuckled and turned to Yun Ye. “Jin Lin has good character.”
Yun Ye, who had been studying Jin Lin, nodded slightly. “No need to drag an innocent into this mess.”
Understanding, Purple Melody Sage said to Jin Lin, “You may leave now.”
Jin Lin frowned. Though his master and the Demon King had exchanged only a few words, he felt deliberately excluded.
An intuition told him this involved something monumental—and that Xuexue was somehow part of it.
Rooted in place, Jin Lin met Purple Melody Sage’s gaze. “If I walk out that door today, will I forever be an outsider in your eyes?”
Purple Melody Sage and Yun Ye exchanged glances before refocusing on Jin Lin.
After a long pause, Purple Melody Sage sighed. “Jin Lin, though our time as master and disciple has been short, I know you’re a man of deep loyalty. That’s precisely why I don’t want you entangled in this.”
Jin Lin smiled coldly. “The ‘mess’ you speak of—hasn’t Xuexue already been dragged into it?”
“*Your* Xuexue?” Yun Ye, who had been silent, raised an eyebrow, eyeing Jin Lin with disdain. The thought of his precious “cabbage” being eyed by this “pig” irked him.
Ignoring Yun Ye’s expression, Jin Lin pressed on, “If Xuexue can walk away unscathed, I’d gladly stay out of it. But if she’s involved, so am I.”
Purple Melody Sage sighed inwardly. *Maybe the first lesson for future disciples should be respect for their elders!*
The atmosphere grew tense.
The earlier gratitude Purple Melody Sage and Yun Ye felt toward Jin Lin for risking his life to protect them had now soured into displeasure.
“Ahem.” Purple Melody Sage cleared his throat lazily. “My disciple Qingxue isn’t someone just anyone can claim.”
“So, kid, scram!” Yun Ye added, his disdain for Jin Lin growing.
“I said—where Xuexue goes, I go. I won’t let her face danger alone.”
Jin Lin’s voice was firm. “Today, the Celestial Emperor descended from the heavens to attack Luoyun Mountain. After being gravely injured, your first concern wasn’t your daughter Yun Sisi but Qingxue. None of this is normal!”
“Your secrets are vast, and I have no desire to pry. But if Xuexue is involved, I won’t stand aside.”
“You love Qingxue?” Yun Ye asked, his tone odd.
“Yes.” Jin Lin met his gaze squarely. “From the moment I saw her.”
“Love at first sight? How fickle dragons are,” Yun Ye scoffed.
“Some people leave an indelible mark with just one glance,” Jin Lin replied evenly.
“Does Qingxue love you?”
A shadow flickered in Jin Lin’s eyes, but his smile remained steady. “I love her, so I’ll treat her well. As for her heart—she’s free to choose. Until then, I won’t give up.”
“And if you pour your heart out only to lose her?” Yun Ye’s voice carried weight, the tragedy of his past with Xuecheng—born from the Celestial Emperor’s obsessive love—haunting his words.
“To have her would be my joy; to lose her, my fate. If we’re meant to be, I’ll rejoice. If not… I’ll bless her.” Jin Lin’s eyes dimmed at the thought of Xuexue loving another.
Yun Ye and Purple Melody Sage exchanged a glance.
“What if Qingxue is a princess of the demon race? Would your feelings remain?”
*A demon princess?*
Though he’d suspected something, Jin Lin was still taken aback.
“If feelings could shift so easily with status, they’d be worthless,” he retorted, lifting his chin defiantly.
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