Chen Qing’s momentary hesitation made Yun Qingxue feel as if she had glimpsed a ray of light—a glimmer of hope to survive.
It seemed the temporary alliance between Chen Qing and Tong Yun was not as solid as it appeared. Could she exploit this weakness?
“Why hasn’t the Grand State Preceptor of the human race made a move yet?” The envoy sent by Tong Yun, seeing Chen Qing halt her attack, immediately questioned with displeasure.
The hesitation in Chen Qing’s eyes did not dissipate at the envoy’s words; instead, it deepened. The Flower King stood alone, unlikely to escape. Yet these foreign races were notoriously cunning. Chen Qing wanted to slay the calamitous demon foretold by divination, but she also refused to be manipulated as a pawn by these outsiders.
“If it was Tong Yun who sent you to assassinate me, why don’t you come and do it yourselves? What’s the point of having the human Grand State Preceptor do your dirty work?” Yun Qingxue mocked with a cold laugh.
The questioned envoys exchanged uneasy glances. At that moment, Chen Qing withdrew her attacking stance.
Silence. An eerie silence settled over the scene.
The mortals who had knelt upon Chen Qing’s arrival dared not even breathe. Initially, they had been thrilled at the rare chance to witness the revered and powerful Grand State Preceptor of the human race. But the unfolding events had filled them with a growing sense of dread.
Three factions stood in a tense standoff, each calculating their next move.
Yet the silence lasted only moments before one of Tong Yun’s envoys spoke to Chen Qing: “Since the Grand State Preceptor has reservations, let us act together!”
Yun Qingxue’s heart sank.
After a brief hesitation, Chen Qing nodded decisively. “Very well. We strike together!”
The fragile rift between the other two factions had been mended, reforging their alliance. The situation had turned utterly dire for Yun Qingxue.
With Chen Qing and Tong Yun’s envoys now united, any attempt to dismantle their alliance with words was futile.
As for Mo Changxing…
He had been gone for so long that Yun Qingxue no longer held any hope of his return.
Was today truly the day she would die here?
Yun Qingxue bit her lower lip. Trapped in this hopeless situation, she could think of no way out.
She placed a hand over her wrist, where A’dai lay coiled.
A’dai had already tensed, ready to fight to the death for Yun Qingxue against Chen Qing and the others.
With gentle, soothing strokes, Yun Qingxue tapped A’dai’s tiny head.
She had only A’dai, and even with his abilities, he stood no chance against both Chen Qing and the flower spirits sent by Tong Yun.
Taking a deep breath, Yun Qingxue accepted that if her life was fated to end here, there was no need to drag A’dai down with her.
As if synchronized, Chen Qing and Tong Yun’s envoys launched their attack simultaneously.
Instead of dodging, Yun Qingxue swiftly turned toward the window, exposing her back to her would-be killers.
Before A’dai could react, Yun Qingxue grabbed his tiny body and hurled him outward with all her strength.
In one fluid motion, A’dai was torn from his perch on her wrist and sent flying through the window toward the lake outside.
“If you still acknowledge me as your master, do not return!” Yun Qingxue shouted with all her might as she flung A’dai away.
If she was destined to perish today, it was better that only she died rather than both of them.
Watching A’dai’s tiny form disappear into the river, Yun Qingxue smiled faintly and closed her eyes.
Farewell, A’dai. Farewell, Jin Lin.
“Ah—!”
A piercing scream tore through the air just as Yun Qingxue braced for death.
Her eyes flew open in shock, only to be met with utter darkness.
In the span of a blink, the bright, sunlit world had plunged into night.
The sounds of battle—grunts, clashes, and cries of pain—echoed around her.
Before she could process what was happening, an arm wrapped around her waist.
Mo Changxing’s voice, melodious as a plucked zither, whispered by her ear, “Fear not, little junior sister. Your senior brother will take you away.”
He had actually returned!
Yun Qingxue couldn’t describe the emotions swirling inside her—it was too complex.
Just when she had believed Mo Changxing had abandoned her to die, he had descended like a divine savior to rescue her!
They burst through the unnatural darkness that had enveloped the tavern, emerging back into the bright daylight.
A streak of purple light shot from the river outside the tavern, initially heading toward the black mist before abruptly changing course and darting toward Yun Qingxue.
A cool sensation brushed her wrist.
“Little junior sister, you’ve suffered. Rest assured, your senior brother will avenge you,” Mo Changxing said, looking down at her with a charming smile. His star-bright eyes seemed to hold a pool of tender spring water, brimming with unspoken affection and indulgence.
*Demon!*
Yun Qingxue averted her gaze after a single glance, barely stopping herself from blurting the word aloud.
She turned back toward the tavern, now shrouded in swirling black mist.
“Did you create that darkness?” she asked, frowning.
Mo Changxing arched a brow, his eyes glinting with icy sharpness. “Yes.”
“Do you know Chen Qing?” Yun Qingxue pressed, voicing the question that had plagued her since the tavern.
“No,” he answered bluntly, then added without prompting, “But my identity is not something I can reveal openly yet. That’s why I stepped away temporarily.”
Yun Qingxue studied him with keen eyes. If his identity had to remain hidden, just who was he?
Was he truly a disciple of the Purple Song Sage?
—
**The Tavern**
After Yun Qingxue’s departure, the black mist gradually dissipated, revealing a scene of devastation.
The once-bustling tavern now lay in eerie silence, strewn with overturned tables, shattered dishes, and spilled food and wine.
The patrons, along with Chen Qing and the flower spirits, had vanished without a trace—swallowed by the darkness as though they had never existed.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage