Chapter Eight: Riddled with Traps

Fuyao sat quietly in the shadow of a massive boulder, her eyes glazed as she watched Zisheng, who was vigilantly observing the surroundings.

The area was enveloped in a profound stillness, one that made her feel somewhat ill at ease, a stillness that forced her to recall the events of the past few days. Only a few days ago, she had been a proud, carefree maiden full of bright aspirations for the future. Now, she had become a pariah in the demon realm, hunted by all, while her grandfather had suffered grave injuries and vanished without a trace. Her peaceful life had completely collapsed in a single instant; she did not even know whom she should hate or whom she should blame.

At this thought, Fuyao felt tears threatening to well up once more. She bit her lower lip, forcefully holding them back, and silently muttered to herself: *No, you must not cry.*

A-Li sat quietly a short distance away, watching the desolate expression on Fuyao's face. It let out a low sigh and averted its gaze.

Having patrolled the perimeter and found nothing unusual, Zisheng returned to the side of the great rock. Standing with his hands behind his back, he looked thoughtfully at Fuyao and asked gently, "What is the matter?"

"It's nothing," Fuyao hastily forced a smile, stood up, and said, "Big Brother Zisheng, I want to take a walk by the lake."

Zisheng frowned. "This..."

Fuyao reached out and gently shook Zisheng's arm. "Don't worry, I'll have A-Li accompany me. Nothing will happen."

"...Very well. Be careful in all things."

A-Li was startled, wanting to voice its concern that the situation was indeed far from safe, but it saw that Zisheng had already turned his back, fixing his gaze toward the dense forest, while Fuyao was already walking away on her own. Hesitating for a few seconds, A-Li hurried after Fuyao, maintaining a certain distance, carefully observing the surrounding movements as it walked.

Fuyao paid no attention to A-Li behind her, pressing forward in a dogged march. Before she knew it, she had put a considerable distance between herself and Zisheng. It was only when she heard A-Li's light footsteps and low, calling voice from behind that she finally slowed her pace.

Although it was dangerous here, Fuyao felt no fear; deep within her heart, there even lingered a faint sense of utter despair.

*If I cannot find Grandfather, what shall I do in the future?*

*Perhaps death truly is the best ending of all?*

The mere thought of leaving the demon realm behind to embark on an unpredictable and treacherous path filled Fuyao with involuntary terror. Deep inside, she even harbored a vague resentment—resentment toward this bizarre lineage and this helpless fate.

Everything she originally possessed had been destroyed in an instant by the capricious hand of fate. What did she have left now?

Fuyao finally came to a halt. Slowly turning around, she looked at A-Li and murmured, "A-Li... A-Li." In the eyes of this loyal servant who had accompanied her ever since her birth, Fuyao saw only concern and worry, and a surge of gratitude warmed her heart.

***

A-Li paused, then slowly stepped closer. Its two round little eyes gazed silently at the tearful Fuyao. For many years, it had grown accustomed to silence. Watching this normally uninhibited and carefree maiden burdened by such an unbearable weight, it had brewed countless words of comfort in its heart, yet in the end, it failed to utter a single one. Instead, it merely reached out a tentacle to wrap around her waist, gently pulling her back to signal that she should return with it.

Unfortunately, it was already too late. A gust of fierce wind swept past their side, and suddenly two figures appeared.

"Little sister, you really are here. Your elder sister has searched for you so bitterly." This soft, husky voice was laced with an indescribable, venomous malice. The speaker wore a trailing black dress, her red hair scattered loosely, and her cat-like eyes—once brimming with a captivating allure—now held nothing but bone-deep hatred.

Once tainted by hatred, even the most beautiful of women would inevitably become ugly, would they not? Fuyao silently stared at the suddenly materialized Chunniang. Following this, she experienced a jolt of astonishment upon discovering a tall, hemp-clad middle-aged man standing right behind Chunniang, sporting a head of striking, dazzling red hair. Fuyao instantly recognized him as Chunniang's uncle, Qihe, one of the six great protectors of the Blood Blue Clan.

Within the clan, Qihe had always been renowned for his bold chivalry. Highly popular and deeply cherished by the clansmen, he had lived a solitary life, and the one person he loved and doted on most was Chunniang, his only niece. Chunniang, having lost her parents at a tender age, had remained by Qihe's side ever since, the uncle and niece depending upon one another.

Seeing Fuyao now, Qihe—who had always treated her quite well—felt a trace of pity flash across his face. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing, turning his head away to avoid meeting Fuyao's gaze.

*Uncle Qihe, why would he appear together with Chunniang at a time like this?* A shred of ominous premonition suddenly took root in Fuyao's heart. Knowing full well that Qihe was incapable of putting on a false front, she immediately asked, "Uncle Qihe, why are you here?"

Hearing Fuyao address him as uncle, Qihe finally turned his head back, still dodging her gaze. His Adam's apple bobbed as he said in a deep voice, "I... am accompanying the new clan chief... here."

"The clan chief?"

Chunniang gave a shrill, alluring laugh. "Little sister, aren't you happy for your elder sister?"

Fuyao raised an eyebrow, a look of profound astonishment on her face as she asked, "Did no one tell you that if you fail to take the antidote within twelve hours of contracting the *Lihuan San* poison, your body and soul will perish? Or what, do you wish to experience the thrill of being clan chief before you die? Truly pathetic... Even if Lutu helped elevate you to this position, what of it?"

The smile vanished from Chunniang's face in an instant. Her expression turned icy, and fire practically speouted from her eyes, wishing she could hack her opponent into a thousand pieces. Yet, recalling something, the dark clouds across her face suddenly dispersed, replaced by an expression of extreme triumph. "Little sister, don't be in such a hurry to rejoice, alright? Actually, elder sister has come to find you for a joyous occasion."

Fuyao had no mood to listen to Chunniang's nonsense here. Looking at her artificial, hypocritical smile, a mix of old grievances and new hatred suddenly surged within her. Pressing a slender hand to her waist, two silver whips materialized in her grasp. She said coldly, "Cut the crap and let's fight!"

A trace of fear flickered in Chunniang's eyes, clearly revealing her deep apprehension toward Fuyao. Subconsciously, she retreated a step toward Qihe while her mouth kept right on smiling triumphantly. "Little sister, that fiery temper of yours is going to get people killed, you know!" As she spoke, she smugly extended a snow-white wrist, cradling some sort of object in her palm, though it appeared quite blurry under the faint moonlight.

"Stop!"

"Young miss, absolutely not!"

Two low shouts rang out simultaneously, coming from Qihe and A-Li respectively.

The unease in the depths of Fuyao's heart grew even more intense. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Chunniang's hand—was that... was that not Grandfather's most treasured Deep Well Crystal?

***

...So that was how it was. After listening to the Tower of Babel's endless nagging, Shi Buyi finally understood why the tower was so enthusiastic about dragging Xiaotian along to expiate its sins with death. Before he could even devise an optimal solution, he heard a "thud-thud" impact sound from outside. Directing his spiritual sense to "look," he saw Xiaotian desperately crashing against the heavy doors, and could not help laughing heartily. "Xiaotian, what's wrong? Want to commit suicide?"

At this moment, the Tower of Babel looked upon Shi Buyi as if he were a madman—albeit an unprovokable madman. Hesitating for a moment, it still decided to speak the truth. "Well... it was worried that you might meet with danger, Hero, and wanted to come in to find you. However, that doesn't prove anything..."

"Cut the crap!" Shi Buyi bellowed, putting away the *Juesha* Yin Fire and rubbing the bumps on his forehead while pondering what to do next. After a good long while, he let out a "hum," flicked his sleeve, and flew toward the lower level. No sooner had he arrived than the tightly sealed doors were breached with a resounding *bang*, and Xiaotian's body came hurtling inside. Instantly consumed by fury, Shi Buyi rushed forward with fists flying...

...

Clutching his head, Xiaotian cowered in a corner with a miserable expression, listening with trembling heart to Shi Buyi's shrill cries—

"...Huff, huff... What sort of ghostly thing is this body of yours, it's hard as iron and utterly detestable, it's hurting my hands!"

As it turned out, Xiaotian's true form, the *Danyan* Gold, was incomparably tough. In his sudden rage, Shi Buyi had attacked with both fists and kicks without thinking much of it; now that he had finally calmed down a little, he immediately discovered that his two little fists were aching terribly.

Beating someone and then complaining that their body was too hard—what kind of logic was that? Xiaotian felt like crying without tears. Pouting his lips, he grumbled bitterly, "I wasn't doing it on purpose, you didn't have to hit me, you know! I was worried you were in danger so I ran in, and yet you're still so fierce..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a roar echoed through the space: "Worried about me? Humph, I already said it just now; since the Tower of Babel couldn't beat me and wanted lenient treatment, it confessed all your little plots long ago! You unprincipled scoundrel, while calling me master to my face, you were racking your brains behind my back to scheme against me—you son of a bitch, you really are no good!"

*Of course I'm no good, I'm the illustrious Danyan Gold!* Xiaotian rolled his eyes.

"Got a little bit of color and you're already trying to dye the whole fabric, aren't you? Think I'm as easygoing a pushover as that fellow Shi Jun? Daring to play tricks on me, tired of living, are you?" Grimacing in pain, Shi Buyi rubbed the bruises on his body and the bumps on his forehead, shouting loudly in accusation, "Look! All of this was caused by you! Just you wait and see how I deal with you in a moment!"

"What?" Xiaotian suddenly stretched out his neck and asked in surprise, "You aren't Shi Jun? Then who are you? Why are you impersonating my master and running in here to beat me up?!" The Tower of Babel also perked up its ears.

Shi Buyi yelled angrily, "Who says I'm impersonating anyone? You idiot! Didn't I tell you already? I am the avatar of Shi Jun's primordial spirit, which naturally makes me your master! You harbored malicious intentions and plotted treason against your master, if I don't beat you, who should I beat!"

Xiaotian rolled his eyes, having already believed seven or eight parts of it. He thought to himself: *Oh wonderful, one master wasn't enough and now another avatar pops out, what kind of joke is this? And the temper of this avatar is even fiercer than the master's, truly hard to serve!* But then again, he had suffered quite a bit himself; looking at the injuries on those little arms and legs of his, he was certainly much more pathetic than he currently was... *Hehe, the Tower of Babel treated us equally after all, giving this short-tempered fellow a little lesson.* He chuckled inwardly, but outwardly said with a sweet expression, "Ah, so it's... Little Master, please don't be angry. I told you long ago that the Tower of Babel is a place for practicing martial arts, Xiaotian only did it for your own good!"

While buttering him up, Xiaotian thought with secret delight: *It seems this Little Master's spiritual power is strong enough too, even his avatar is this formidable, I really did follow the right person!*

"Bullshit!" Shi Buyi snarled hatefully. "If I weren't brilliant, martial, and infinitely resourceful, I would have been killed by you long ago. And you dare claim it was for my good?"

With a mournful face, Xiaotian said, "I truly had the best intentions..."

Before he could finish, he received another heavy kick from Shi Buyi. "Still lying! I told you long ago that we aren't that familiar! Don't think I don't know anything, I'm telling you, there's probably nothing in this world that I don't know. From now on, you'd better behave yourself, or else..." He threateningly extended a finger and forcefully poked Xiaotian on the forehead, immediately followed by another shriek: "You! You actually dare to hurt my hand!"

"I wouldn't dare, Little Master, you are the greatest, I—admire—you—to—death!" Xiaotian squeezed these words out through gritted teeth.

To his dismay, Shi Buyi took it all in with a look of supreme smugness. "That's more like it. I'm telling you, if it comes to cleverness, wit, and surpassing wisdom, you won't find many who can compare to me. Remember, don't call me Little Master in the future, it sounds hideous! Call me Boss; only that fits my status!"

"B—Boss!" Xiaotian had never encountered a master so thoroughly pleased with himself. For a moment, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Wanting to laugh but fearing the little wooden figure's fists, he could only lower his head, put on an obedient expression, and call out sweetly, while his internal agony remained unspeakable.

***

Lie Jin entered the cavern and immediately spotted Yinyan glaring at him with hostility. Immortals and demons had been mortal enemies since ancient times; whenever they crossed paths, strife invariably ensued. Although Yinyan had long since left the immortal realm in the company of Chiyang, its instincts still caused it to feel wary of Lie Jin. However, Lie Jin paid this minor, obsolete immortal spirit no mind at all. Sweeping his gaze across the surroundings and finding no other movement, he felt a brief flicker of doubt. Watching the myriad Azure Souls buzzing and darting with wild excitement around a tall little mound of earth in the center of the cavern floor—with some already plunging headfirst into that chaotic heap of mud and stone—his heart stirred.

Due to a momentary lapse in judgment, Shi Jun had been buried alive by a pile of "garbage" of his own creation. Immediately afterward, sensing someone enter along the massive tunnel he had blasted open, he had projected his spiritual sense outward. The first person he saw was Lie Jin, which naturally filled him with pleasant surprise. However, besides the Azure Souls, there were no other companions by Lie Jin's side, which gave him an ominous premonition. Without further ado, he straightened his body, slowly lifted off the ground, and pushed his way up through the thick layers of mud.

Seeing a mud-caked figure suddenly burrow out of the earth mound, Lie Jin didn't hesitate for a second. He stepped forward, reached out to grab the fellow by the shoulders, gave him a couple of hearty slaps, and laughed, "So you brat was hiding here all along!"

Naturally, that mud-figure was none of other than Shi Jun. Having straightened his posture and stepped down from the earth mound, he immediately cast a spell to summon a rain shower directly above his head, stripped off his outer garments, and washed away the clinging mud. Upon spotting Shi Jun, the Azure Souls were overjoyed, fluttering up and down through the rain around his body in a most affectionate display. After a good long while, Shi Jun stood before Lie Jin, dripping wet, and asked with a grin, "Big Uncle, how about it? Want to try one yourself?"

Lie Jin knew that Shi Jun had no wish to dwell on his unauthorized escape. His initial efforts to stop Shi Jun from coming to the demon realm had stemmed purely from concern for his nephew's safety; now, reunited with Shi Jun after surviving a calamity, the sheer joy in his heart was indescribable—how could he possibly care about such trivial matters anymore? Furthermore, he remained preoccupied with Shi Jun's injuries. Seeing the lad's cheeky grin, he forced his face to harden and shook his head, scolding, "Your injuries haven't even healed yet, why are you acting so reckless?"

Shi Jun shrugged. "They're all healed, don't worry. Right, Big Uncle, where are Chiyang and the others?"

Lie Jin's sharp gaze swept over Shi Jun, and sure enough, he found that the wounds on the youth's body had vanished. He hastily pursued the question: "I'm asking about the poison of the Weak Water inside your body!"

Shi Jun raised his head in surprise. "Oh?" He hadn't expected his uncle to know even about this. Surmising that Big Brother Zisheng and the others must have mentioned it, he answered with certainty, "They're all better, even the poison has been neutralized."

Lie Jin scrutinized Shi Jun's face, finding none of the faint blue-purple hue Fuyao had previously described. He probed with his demonic spirit, yet detected no abnormalities within Shi Jun's body. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief, while secretly marveling at the miracle. He had long suspected that Shi Jun would ask about Chiyang within three sentences, and consequently felt a twinge of displeasure. After a long pause, he said in a deep voice, "She's waiting outside."

A flash crossed Shi Jun's eyes. "Waiting outside? Is her injury very severe?"

"Whether her injury is severe or not, is that something you and I need to care about?"

Hearing the two exchange words, Yinyan had long since grown impatient. In any case, the cavern exit was now open, so it spread its wings, took to the air, and darted toward the exit.

***

Lie Jin raised an eyebrow, intending to stop Yinyan, but paused when he heard Shi Jun say, "Yinyan is Chiyang's pet, let it go." As he spoke, he watched Lie Jin's expression, his eyes rolling before he vigorously shook out his wet clothes and said, "Big Uncle, do me a favor. Otherwise, with my fresh wounds not fully recovered, being invaded by dampness is bound to make me fall gravely ill."

Getting one of the premier Arch-demons of the demon realm to iron his clothes—such an idea was probably something only Shi Jun could conceive of, and only he would dare voice it aloud. And perhaps Lie Jin was the only one who would humor him.

Lie Jin let out an internal sigh, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement. He had intended to give Shi Jun a proper tongue-lashing, but the moment they met, this little fellow was all grins and idle chatter. Unable to keep a straight face, he gave a muffled "hum" and muttered, "Where is it as serious as all that?" Yet, seeing Shi Jun's seemingly sincere expression, his heart finally softened. Extending his palm, he gave a gentle swipe; a sheet of pale red flame instantly blossomed from his hand, automatically flying toward the damp clothes on Shi Jun's body. It passed right through the thin fabric without scorching it, circled around once, and returned to Lie Jin's hand.

Shi Jun had actually been playing for time on purpose; with his current power, drying clothes was a trivial matter. Seeing that Lie Jin's dark expression was finally clearing up, he quickly put his clothes back on and offered repeated expressions of gratitude.

"What kind of things did you encounter beforehand?" Judging from the aura radiating from Shi Jun—one that differed from his previous presence—Lie Jin deduced that the youth must have been through some extraordinary experiences.

***

Shi Jun had originally intended to recount everything properly to Lie Jin, but on one hand he was worried about Chiyang, and on the other hand, so many things had happened that he couldn't possibly explain them all in a short time. Moreover, he feared Lie Jin would launch into a lengthy critique of his "running away from home" behavior. Opening his mouth, he swallowed back a bellyful of words, instead putting on an anxious look. "Big Uncle, it's a long story... Why don't we go out first and reunite with everyone before we talk? Alright, Big Uncle?"

"...Very well." Touched by Shi Jun calling him Big Uncle over and over again, Lie Jin felt a warmth in his chest, and his stern expression involuntarily relaxed.

Without further ado, the two of them flew out of the cavern with the Azure Souls. After all that tossing about, Shi Jun finally saw the light of day once more, only to discover that he was in the middle of a dense forest. Astonished, he asked, "Strange, where is this?"

Lie Jin briefly recounted what had happened after Shi Jun fell into the lake, and then said, "We originally just wanted to try our luck, but who knew these Azure Souls were so clever, finding you in a single breath."

Shi Jun was stunned, then realization dawned upon him. No doubt, after the potent poison within him was cleansed, his sealed mind's eye had reopened, re-establishing his mental connection with the Azure Souls. He hastily asked, "Could it be you didn't detect the light of my mind's eye?"

Lie Jin had also found this matter rather strange all along. Hearing the question, he shook his head. "Ever since you left home, I haven't been able to sense the light of your mind's eye at all. Is something amiss?"

Shi Jun was overjoyed. "You really couldn't see it? Then I'm completely safe now!" He thought to himself: *It seems I've been blessed by misfortune this time. Who would have thought that while curing my poison, Nisu would also seal away the light of my mind's eye?*

Lie Jin did not look particularly pleased. Standing in the forest to survey his surroundings, he suddenly frowned and said, "This isn't right. How come everyone is gone?"

What? Shi Jun was startled and quickly grabbed Lie Jin's sleeve. "Didn't you just say Chiyang was waiting outside?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the faint sound of a skirmish—a distant clashing of arms—drifted over. Without a second thought, the two of them took flight simultaneously, shooting with lightning speed toward the source of the noise.

Before long, they arrived at the site of the battle: a vast clearing outside the boundary of the Chaotic Stone Mountains.

However, by the time they reached it, the place was completely deserted. Only the pure wind and bright moon shone coldly down upon the empty grassy meadow, while the intermittent chirping of insects lent an eerie sense of familiarity to this strange place.

Judging from the craters, the splatters of blood, and the campfires that had yet to be fully extinguished on the grass, the battle that had just taken place here must have been intensely fierce.

Shi Jun bent down and picked up a long, slender black ribbon from the ground—was this not the ribbon Chiyang usually used to tie up her braid? His heart began to pound uncontrollably, yet the look in his eyes instantly froze into ice. With his face set like a mask, maintaining absolute composure, he turned around and scanned his surroundings, locking gazes directly with Lie Jin.

"How could it be her?" Upon sensing the aura Shi Jun was currently exuding, Lie Jin experienced an ill-omened premonition. He held no fondness for Chiyang, and her disappearance caused him no particular anxiety; yet Shi Jun's current demeanor was genuinely terrifying. The most crucial part was that he couldn't even pinpoint what made it terrifying. Shi Jun wasn't screaming or shouting, nor was he panicked, nor was he beating his chest or stamping his feet in fury—on the contrary, he appeared completely normal. But it was precisely this unnatural normality that made him terrifying.

Watching Shi Jun's tranquil, unruffled expression, Lie Jin suddenly felt as though this young nephew of his had matured in a single instant. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he felt joy or sorrow.

***

Chunniang and Qihe walked ahead on their own, while Fuyao followed silently behind them. In this manner, the four of them walked onward for goodness knows how many miles.

A-Li repeatedly tried to persuade her in secret not to act rashly and that they should notify Zisheng and the others first, but Fuyao flatly rejected her. "No, I can't take that risk. If they really have captured Grandfather, I... I can't even bear to imagine it!"

"But with just the two of us, going there is nothing more than throwing our lives away!"

"They targeted this exact weakness, which is why they chose to ambush me when I was alone. If we were still with Big Brother Zisheng, do you think she would have shown herself?" Fuyao smiled bitterly. "Besides, now that foolish woman has been poisoned with *Lihuan San*, and the antidote is entirely in my grandfather's hands, she wouldn't dare act recklessly!"

A-Li attempted to persuade her further, but Fuyao cut her off resolutely: "Say no more. If we truly can't defeat them, we'll just die together. At any rate, living right now is more painful to me than death." With that, she flicked the long tail at the base of her spine and followed Chunniang as they left the Chaotic Stone Mountains, heading in the direction of the Weeping Tree Forest.

"A-Li, stop following me. Go find Big Brother Zisheng, he'll know what to do." Fuyao halted, turning to look at A-Li, who was still trudging along behind her, a trace of reluctant sorrow flashing across her pale face as she spoke softly.

A-Li slowly stepped forward, its soft tentacles gently brushing the top of Fuyao's head, and said warmly, "...Ever since you were old enough to understand things, you've never let me touch your head like this, always saying you didn't like it."

Fuyao murmured softly in response, not understanding what this servant who had accompanied her since childhood was trying to say.

Yet A-Li did not continue. Instead, using its tentacles, it caught hold of Fuyao's hand, raised its head slightly, and sighed, "What a pity there is no moon."

In the pitch-black gloom, a gentle night breeze carried the fragrance of nameless grasses. The Nisu Forest under the night sky loomed like a colossal beast, stretching out before them in absolute silence. From afar, one could see the gigantic barrier deep within the forest pulsing with a faint blue halo.

Fuyao and A-Li exchanged a glance, and side by side, they stepped inside.