The hurricane talismans squeezed out of Jiang Qiaoqiao were truly useful, Jian Huan thought dizzily as she lay on her back, gazing at the blood-red moon above.
Unfortunately, they were all used up now. The horde of demons that had swarmed from all directions was too overwhelming. Jian Huan didn’t dare hold back and immediately unleashed the two hurricane talismans she had on her.
Being the closest to the talismans, both she and Shen Jizhi bore the brunt of the impact. The hurricane swept them up, spinning them through the air countless times before the wind dissipated, leaving them to crash-land in this unknown place.
The dizziness from all the spinning was overwhelming. The moon and the shadows of the trees above still seemed to swirl endlessly.
Her limbs felt weak, and she couldn’t move for the moment.
Jian Huan tried to sense her surroundings.
The ground beneath her was soft, and the damp, rotting smell of leaves filled her nostrils. She must have landed on a pile of decaying leaves. The sound of rushing water echoed in her ears.
She opened her mouth with some difficulty and called out, "Shen... Shen Jizhi?"
"I’m here," came the weak voice of the young man, low and to her left.
Jian Huan let out a sigh of relief. She fished out a handful of spirit pills from her Mustard Seed Pouch, swallowed them, and began circulating her spiritual energy to restore the chaotic flow in her meridians caused by the hurricane.
Before long, both of them were back to full strength.
Shen Jizhi walked over, his eyes scanning the blood-red moon and the surrounding environment. He casually adjusted his black night-cloak, crouched in front of Jian Huan, and said, "This place isn’t safe. Let’s find a hidden spot to rest until dawn."
Their intrusion would surely prompt the demons to send out search parties.
It was nighttime, and the blood-red moon enhanced demonic powers. Shen Jizhi had once overheard his master and others discussing how the demons of the Dark Abyss worked under the moon and rested when it set.
Hearing this, Jian Huan blinked, her lively eyes darting around before she softly acknowledged with an "Oh," and climbed onto his back.
Though they had slept together multiple times, for some reason, she felt a belated shyness over such small matters.
Shen Jizhi carried Jian Huan on his back, his long legs lightly stepping over the decaying leaves. Not daring to summon his sword and risk attracting the demons, he had Jian Huan stick an invisibility talisman on him and used his qinggong to leap through the forest and cliffs, searching for a safe spot.
Jian Huan wrapped her arms around his neck, thought for a moment, then poked his soft cheek and called out, "Hey, Shen Jizhi."
Shen Jizhi replied calmly, "Don’t talk." He had a feeling about what was coming.
Jian Huan: "..."
She hesitated, holding back her words, then muttered indignantly, "But I want to. It feels like I’m halfway through using the restroom, and you’re telling me to stop..."
Shen Jizhi resignedly interrupted, "Fine, go ahead."
Jian Huan brightened and continued, "I was just thinking, I have legs too, you know."
"..." Shen Jizhi paused, "I know."
Jian Huan added, "And I just ate a bunch of spirit pills. I’ve got plenty of energy now..."
Shen Jizhi sighed inwardly, mimicking her tone, and muttered, "But I want to carry you."
"..."
For a while, there was no sound from Jian Huan behind him.
After crossing a mountain, the girl finally chuckled and said, "You should’ve said that earlier. I wouldn’t have walked all this time. From now on, I’ll just let you carry me."
Hearing this, Shen Jizhi stiffened slightly.
Understanding the meaning behind her words, the corners of his eyes couldn’t help but curve upward. He whispered in a serious tone, "Alright."
Somehow, the girl on his back, who was so light and soft, now felt incredibly weighty.
It was as if he was carrying his entire world on his back.
His heart, no longer empty, felt as if it were filled with clouds, so full that they might spill out.
For the rest of the journey, neither of them spoke.
Jian Huan lazily hung onto Shen Jizhi’s back, her eyes alertly scanning the dark surroundings.
After a while, she remembered something and took out the Xuantian Mirror to check. As expected, the mirror was unusable within the Dark Abyss.
Jian Huan put the mirror away, gently hugged Shen Jizhi’s neck, and murmured worriedly, "I wonder how things are outside..."
Shen Jizhi comforted her in a gentle voice, "Everyone has their own fate. Don’t worry too much. If you’re going to worry—"
The young man landed on a rocky ledge, half-turning his head, his voice low and slightly teasing, "Worry about me instead."
Jian Huan: "..."
She pursed her lips, poked his spine, and grumbled, "You’re really shameless."
As she spoke, her warm breath brushed against the nape of his neck.
Shen Jizhi adjusted his grip on Jian Huan, smiling faintly, and with a gust of wind, he dashed toward a small cave not far away.
"Useless!"
With a loud crash, the purple-gold inkstone on the desk was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces. Black ink splattered everywhere, staining the faces of the two men kneeling on the floor.
But neither of them dared to move, pressing their bodies even closer to the ground as they trembled and pleaded, "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty..."
Jiang Wei took a deep breath, his eagle-like eyes falling on the well-keeper, whose eyes were festering and bleeding, and half of whose body had been charred. He asked in a low voice, "Who were the two intruders?"
Black, putrid blood dripped continuously onto the floor. The well-keeper was in so much pain that his entire body shook, but he dared not cry out. He replied, "Your Majesty, a few people saw their faces and drew their portraits. The steward said they were the eldest brother and younger sister of the Jin Trio Chefs."
The steward kneeling beside him quickly presented the portraits, "Your Majesty, please see."
Jiang Wei raised his hand, and the scroll floated before his eyes. He glanced at it.
The steward respectfully added, "Your Majesty, this is clearly a false identity. The Jin Trio Chefs have extremely low cultivation, and none of them are talisman masters! Ran Mu'er infiltrated the manor using the identity of the second sister of the Jin Trio. These two must be Ran Mu'er’s accomplices!"
Jiang Wei leaned back in his chair and grunted in acknowledgment.
The steward, who had been by Jiang Wei’s side for a long time, immediately turned to the well-keeper and asked on his behalf, "Did you hear them talking? What did they say?"
The well-keeper didn’t dare hide anything and recounted everything, "I heard the woman call the man 'Senior Brother Chen.'"
Senior Brother Chen?
The surname Chen?
Jiang Wei’s hand rested on the armrest of his chair, idly stroking the golden dragon head carved into it. His mind flashed to the demons within the Jade Clarity Sect.
Without a demon guide, outsiders couldn’t enter that forest of withered wells. One of the two intruders must be a traitor from his demon ranks!
The Jin Trio Chefs came from Linxian City, which was closest to the Jade Clarity Sect.
But there was no one surnamed Chen there.
Wait, Chen, Chen, Zheng?
Jiang Wei suddenly sat up straight, his sharp eyes glaring, "Repeat what you heard word for word. Don’t leave out a single word!"
The well-keeper hurriedly replied, "Yes... yes..."
He thought for a moment, then recited in his hoarse, dry voice, "Quick, quick, quick, Zheng—Senior Brother Chen, jump now! Senior Brother, hurry, hurry..."
"Enough!" Jiang Wei impatiently cut him off, slamming his hand on the table. He spat out two words, "Zheng Yi!"
The well-keeper and the steward’s hearts skipped a beat. They pressed their foreheads to the cold floor, not daring to utter another word.
Jiang Wei stood up from his chair and walked to the window of his study. He gazed out at the night, his hands clenched tightly behind his back, veins bulging. Darkness filled his eyes.
Another problem with the Jade Clarity Sect! Again, the Jade Clarity Sect!
First, it was Gu Shan and Yu Qing from the Jade Clarity Sect, who had infiltrated the demon realm using the worthless Ning Hui, nearly destroying the Bodhi Demonic Heart Array. They were now imprisoned in the Dark Abyss dungeon, undergoing torture.
Then there was Yin Yusheng, Ran Mu'er’s brother, also from the Jade Clarity Sect, who had deceived the demons with a fake Bodhi Pagoda!
And now, Zheng Yi from the Jade Clarity Sect was causing trouble.
Jade Clarity Sect, Jade Clarity Sect.
That miserly old thief Dao Xuan must already suspect him, right?
On the surface, they acted as close as brothers, but when he sent his daughter to study under that old thief, he didn’t even receive the rare wind-element treasure, the Wind Chime Bell, for Qiaoqiao.
Instead, it was given to the woman who had entered the Dark Abyss with Zheng Yi.
Well done, well done.
Jiang Wei sneered.
Once the demonic grand plan was accomplished, the Jade Clarity Sect would be the first to fall!
A man hurried into the study, standing respectfully at the door, "Master."
Jiang Wei turned from the window and called out, "Enter."
Jing Chi pushed the door open, knelt on one knee, and clasped his fists, "Master, everything with Ran Mu'er has been arranged. The Xuantian Mirror and other items are now in our possession. However, two disciples from the Harmony Union Sect’s Plum Peak are guarding the cell, so we can’t take action against Ran Mu'er yet."
Jiang Wei exhaled deeply, "Harmony Union Sect..."
The Harmony Union Sect has always acted without restraint, and those peak masters are particularly troublesome.
Fortunately, Ran Mu'er was dealt with by his own hands, and she won't wake up for at least three to five months.
By then, the situation will have already reached its conclusion, and whether Ran Mu'er wakes up or not will make little difference—she might as well be dead.
"Find an opportunity to act, but don't expose yourselves," Jiang Wei said thoughtfully, his tone softening slightly as he addressed Jing Chi. "Did you find anything in her Xuantian Mirror?"
"There isn't much information in the Xuantian Mirror, but we can make some rough deductions," Jing Chi paused, then continued, "The two intruders are disciples of the Jade Clarity Sect."
As expected.
Jiang Wei sneered for a moment before sitting back down in his chair. In a low voice, he ordered, "Jing Chi."
Jing Chi bowed his head. "Your subordinate is here!"
"The Jade Clarity Sect's people are no longer of use," Jiang Wei closed his eyes, the flickering candlelight casting shadows on his stern face, making him appear like a loyal minister concerned for the nation. "Lure them into the secret realm and kill them."
Jing Chi's expression turned grave, but he didn't question the order. "Understood!"
Jiang Wei turned to the steward. "For the time being, all entrances to the Dark Abyss are to be sealed—no one leaves. Search every corner of the Dark Abyss. I want those two found, dead or alive!"
The steward hurriedly replied, "Yes, my lord!"
"One more thing," Jiang Wei's gaze turned icy. "Any news on Shen Jizhi?"
Drip, drip. Beads of sweat rolled down the steward's face and splattered onto the ground. Trembling, he stammered, "M-my lord, there are clues suggesting he went to a secret realm, but we haven't yet determined which one..."
"You must understand," Jiang Wei's voice grew quieter. He raised his hand, and a black sphere of demonic energy coalesced in his palm. He gazed at it, then gently blew on it. The sphere floated away and instantly reduced the well-keeper to nothingness, as if the person had never existed. "Whether it's Ran Mu'er or those two rats who sneaked into the Dark Abyss, none of these matters are as important as the whereabouts of the Demonic Origin Stone."
"Investigate thoroughly. You must find Shen Jizhi as soon as possible!"
