“Innocents attract trouble when carrying precious things. You may be ordinary, but your blood and flesh are like natural elixirs. If a fiend sought you out today, it won’t be the last. With no means to protect yourself, you’re better off as a mortal.”
“As long as I stay on Miao Miao Island, I’ll be perfectly safe,” Bai Shuo grumbled.
“Foolish.” Fan Yue dismissed her with a cold wave, turning to leave, but she grabbed the hem of his robe.
“Lord Fan!” she called out.
He scowled, his icy gaze falling on her hand. She trembled but didn’t release her grip, lifting her head to look up at him with an odd, hopeful glimmer in her eyes.
Something peculiar stirred within him, and he found himself meeting her gaze.
“I… I have a small request…” Bai Shuo stammered, looking bashful. “Lord Hall Master, it must be fate that brought us together…” She raised a single finger and quickly added, “Could you help me one last time? I exhausted all my celestial power saving you just now. Would you, uh… maybe give me a ride back to Miao Miao Island?”
An awkward silence filled the air, and Fan Yue’s expression grew darker. Bai Shuo looked up at him, puzzled, wondering what she had said wrong.
“Lord Fan—”
“Find your own way back,” he cut her off, striding away without looking back.
This woman is shameless beyond belief!
“Hey! Lord Hall Master!”
“Bai Shuo!” Before she could go after him, several streams of celestial light flashed, and a dozen disciples of Miao Miao Island descended before her, approaching quickly. She felt a twinge of alarm, but Fan Yue had already vanished. She exhaled in relief, but barely got a word in before the head disciple fired off questions.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to gather herbs for elixirs. Senior Brothers, why are you—”
“Have you seen Senior Sister Er Yun or Junior Brother Chong Zhao?”
Her face paled. “What? A-Zhao’s on this island too? What is he doing in a place like this?!”
“There’s trouble on the island, Bai Shuo. Return to the mountain gate at once. We have our orders and can’t delay,” one of the twelve disciples said gravely, without further explanation. They transformed into streaks of light and rushed deeper into the island.
Two more beams of celestial light darted down, landing where Fan Yue and the dark energy had clashed moments before. Chong Zhao and Er Yun appeared, surveying the battle-scarred ground where a bamboo flute lay.
“A-Shuo!” Chong Zhao rushed forward, snatching up the flute, his face etched with worry as he called out, “A-Shuo! A-Shuo!”
Seeing him so agitated, Er Yun tried to calm him. “Junior Brother, Bai Shuo is clever; she’ll be fine. We should find that fiend…”
“This flute is one I gave her; she’d never abandon it. Something must have happened!” Chong Zhao was interrupted as the peach grove behind them sprang to life. Countless branches extended and reached out toward them, as if alive.
“Ah!” Er Yun cried as a branch wrapped around her, dragging her deeper into the grove.
“Senior Sister!” Chong Zhao roared, slashing at the branches with his sword to free her, but the roots quickly wrapped around them both. Summoning his celestial power, he severed the branches binding them. Just then, a surge of dark energy shot from the forest, striking Er Yun and sending her sprawling to the ground. Chong Zhao rushed to catch her.
But then, the dark energy took shape and appeared behind Chong Zhao. He turned, his face frozen in shock as he recognized the fiend’s face. Momentarily paralyzed, he didn’t react in time as the fiend struck with his staff, sending Chong Zhao crashing to the ground with a muffled groan.
A dozen beams of celestial light sliced through the sky, and the Twelve Disciples of Miao Miao arrived in the grove. Streams of dark energy immediately engulfed them, and amidst a chorus of anguished cries, each disciple fell to the ground, their faces withered and their celestial power drained.
“A-Zhao!” Bai Shuo heard the cries from the edge of Fire and Ice Island. She didn’t hesitate to turn and sprint back toward the island’s heart.
Fan Yue blocked her path with a frown. “I only wounded a fragment of his form. Going back now is suicide.”
“That’s none of your…” she started to say, but trailed off, then pleaded, “Lord Hall Master, A-Zhao isn’t strong enough to face that fiend alone. Please—”
“The life or death of a disciple is none of my concern,” he cut her off coldly. “If you want to die, that’s on you.”
He turned to leave.
“If you’ll help, I’ll tell you his weakness!” she blurted out, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “Lord Hall Master, you came here for that fiend, didn’t you?”
He paused, his gaze slowly turning back toward her.
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