“Thud!” The dagger pierced through flesh with a muffled sound.
Everyone saw Yun Qingxue charging toward Chen Qing and getting injured, but no one noticed the dagger in her hand. Everyone saw her seemingly pounce onto Chen Qing, yet no one caught the moment she drove the dagger into his body.
The excruciating pain of being stabbed twisted Chen Qing’s face into a snarl—he didn’t even bother to hide it. Gathering strength in his hand, he raised it to strike Yun Qingxue, who was leaning against him.
Yun Qingxue swiftly pulled out the dagger. She didn’t know if she had hit a vital spot, but her hand trembled.
Yet, the thought of A’dai, who might have been reduced to nothing but bones, instantly filled her heart with hatred. She didn’t dodge Chen Qing’s next attack—instead, she raised the dagger and stabbed at him again.
A snow-white figure lunged at the two—or rather, at Chen Qing. At the same time, the attack Xiao Xiaoxiao had just unleashed also struck him. The wolf demon’s pounce knocked him to the ground.
The wolf’s attack served as a cover for Xiao Xiaoxiao’s strike. Though it landed squarely on Chen Qing, everyone assumed the wolf demon had dealt the fatal blow.
Blood gushed from Chen Qing’s wound, but since Yun Qingxue had her back to the crowd, no one saw the dagger in her hand. All his injuries were blamed on the wolf demon.
“Grand State Preceptor! Guards! Protect His Majesty! Hurry!” Prince Ning screamed at the sight of the severely wounded Chen Qing.
The wolf demon stood dangerously close to Chen Qing, as if it could make a meal of him at any moment.
Most onlookers believed Chen Qing was doomed. Even Chen Qing himself, lying on the ground, began to despair. He glared at Yun Qingxue in the distance, consumed by bitter resentment.
Some deaths are lighter than a feather, others weightier than Mount Tai. Chen Qing wasn’t afraid to die—but he hated it. He would die without having rid the world of the scourge that was Yun Qingxue.
“Ugh!” Overwhelmed by rage and his grievous injuries, Chen Qing spat out a mouthful of blood.
And at that very moment, something dramatic happened.
The white wolf, which had been standing close to him, suddenly leaped backward, putting a wide distance between them. Its icy blue eyes were filled with unmistakable disdain for Chen Qing.
With a cold, imperious gaze, it turned its attention to Yun Qingxue.
Once again, human and wolf locked eyes.
The wolf’s shift in focus delighted Chen Qing. If not for his injuries, he would have raised his head and shouted to the heavens, “Justice has been served!”
Yun Qingxue stood firm, her clear eyes meeting the wolf’s.
Predators craved blood. She had thought that even if her strike didn’t kill Chen Qing outright, his blood would drive the white wolf into a frenzy.
But now, it seemed the wolf despised Chen Qing’s blood. Yes—despised! A carnivore, faced with fresh blood, had reacted with revulsion.
Yet the way it looked at her now was brimming with amusement…
Yun Qingxue tightened her grip on the dagger. Chen Qing lay on the ground, gloating, fueling the fire in her heart.
She refused to accept this fate—refused to die like this.
But the white wolf clearly wielded magic. Even Chen Qing had been no match for it.
After a long stare, the wolf calmly strode toward her.
Was this truly where she would meet her end? Yun Qingxue’s eyes burned with defiance. She clenched the dagger harder. She was not one to surrender easily.
Even in the face of overwhelming odds, she would never submit—never wait meekly to become the wolf’s meal.
If death was inevitable, she would fight with everything she had until her last breath.
The wolf advanced step by step. Yun Qingxue held the dagger in a death grip…
“Qingxue!” Xiao Xiaoxiao panicked. Watching the savage wolf close in on her friend, she couldn’t just stand by and flee.
“At worst, I’ll die too!” Muttering to herself, she pushed off the ground and flew toward Yun Qingxue.
The wolf was already too close. Xiao Xiaoxiao knew she wouldn’t make it in time.
In desperation, she summoned her treasure mid-air—the Soul Shackles of the Underworld.
As the name suggested, the chains could bind the souls of the dead—or capture the living.
Once ensnared, unless one’s power far surpassed that of a hellguard, escape was impossible.
The black chains exuded an eerie chill, coiling like a serpent as they lashed toward the wolf.
“Awooo—!” The wolf let out a frustrated howl, leaping into the air to evade the chains, retreating from Yun Qingxue.
“Qingxue.” Xiao Xiaoxiao landed beside her, calling her name with concern.
Yun Qingxue turned, her clear eyes filled with gratitude. Whatever her initial motives for befriending Xiao Xiaoxiao, from this moment on, Xiao Xiaoxiao was her sworn companion in life and death.
P.S.: As the new year approaches, Shaohua wishes all friends happiness, prosperity, and good health. Thank you for your unwavering support and companionship. May the coming year bring you boundless joy and success! (◕‿◕✿)
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