Song Yao: “...”
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have stayed to watch the show. She should have run far away.
She tried to negotiate with them. “I'm not some sword cultivator or spiritual cultivator. I'm just a pill cultivator with a weak constitution. How about this? I'll go outside and find a few strong and healthy ones to bring back to you...”
Hearing this, the boy at her feet completely shed his pitiful act, leaving only a sinister, vicious expression.
Digging his fingernails hard into her ankle, he shrieked, “Stop putting on an act! Your body has such pure spiritual energy—it's the perfect vessel!”
Possessed by the wraith, Jiang Jin closed in step by step. His long sword was shrouded in thick, black resentment, its tip pointing straight at Song Yao's throat.
The voices of the brother and sister overlapped, bone-chillingly cold. “We'll give you two choices—either hand over your body willingly, or don't blame us for being ruthless!”
Song Yao let out a soft sigh.
Oh well.
It was impossible to count on that group of old, weak, sick, and disabled people outside to save her.
Lowering her eyes, she wrapped her fingers around her hilt. The pristine blade unsheathed with a ring, its cold gleam tracing a sharp arc of light through the dim cellar.
“Come.”
The moment the word left her mouth, the boy's figure vanished from where he stood.
The wraith possessing Jiang Jin only felt a blur before his eyes. In a panic, he slashed out wildly with his sword wrapped in dark resentment, but he struck nothing but air.
The boy howled and lunged, his claws swiping at the pale green afterimage, only to grasp empty space.
The pupils of both wraiths contracted in shock.
—They couldn't even track the girl's movements!
This made no sense. Her spiritual energy was clearly very weak, and her cultivation level should have been lower than even this possessed boy!
Yet this speed, these sword techniques...
It was far too bizarre!
In the next second, Song Yao's sword cut through the air, weaving a web of sword Qi around the two of them.
Amidst the flashing cold light, overlapping sword shadows blurred together, making it impossible to distinguish the real strikes from the illusions.
The siblings swung their swords with all their might to parry, but the fierce sword wind sent them stumbling backward instead.
Black mist leaked frantically from their wounds, and within a few breaths, they could no longer hold on.
The wraith possessing Jiang Jin was forcibly expelled by the sword web. The siblings collapsed onto the dirt ground as two translucent silhouettes.
Jiang Jin's body went limp, and he fell flat onto the floor.
Song Yao lowered her sword and walked slowly over to the silhouettes. With her sword tip pointing to the ground, the cold light reflected their defeated, distorted faces.
She let out a soft sigh. “I told you, I'm just an ordinary pill cultivator.”
The siblings were scared out of their wits. Scrambling to their knees, they kowtowed frantically and begged for mercy. “Mercy! Spare us, young hero! We know we were wrong! We swear we will never step foot into the territory of Nine Saints Hall again, nor will we ever harm cultivators or cause trouble! Please show mercy and spare our lives!”
Song Yao keenly caught the phrasing. “The territory of Nine Saints Hall? You two wraiths have been to places outside of Nine Saints Hall's territory?”
The two wraiths grew visibly more panicked. “N-No, we haven't...”
Song Yao rested her sword tip steadily against the boy's neck. “Not telling the truth?”
The boy gasped in terror. The girl's eyes darted around before she hurriedly threw herself forward, begging in a soft voice, “Spare us, young hero! I'll speak, I'll speak! W-We indeed moved here from another place...”
Song Yao looked at her.
In the next second, her voice abruptly cut off. She lunged forward along with her brother, their claws aiming straight for Song Yao's heart. “Go to hell!”
Song Yao didn't even bat an eye. With a light flick of her wrist, her blade traced a pale green arc.
Two shrill, agonizing shrieks cut short as soon as they began.
The silhouettes of the wraiths were instantly shredded to pieces by the sword Qi, leaving behind not even a shred of a remnant soul.
At the same time, a gust of wind swept past, and the thin layer of mist that had hung over the area completely dissipated.
The demon realm was broken.
...
“Oh, my dear disciple, how are you? Are you hurt?”
“Did you lose weight? You weren't even chubby to begin with, and now you must have lost quite a few ounces of flesh!”
“What on earth is wrong with them? How did they protect you?”
“Sixteen! What are you doing? Why haven't you come to check on my disciple yet?!”
In a side room of the Ward-Off-Illness Pavilion, several severely injured, unconscious disciples lay in neat rows.
The Sixteenth Elder was frantically treating the patients. Losing his patience, he glared at the Seventh Elder. “Get out! Even if they all die, your disciple won't have a single scratch on her!”
Out of all the disciples who had returned, she was by far the healthiest.
“Master, I'm fine.”
Song Yao gulped down the nourishing medicinal soup in her hands, hopped off her couch, and ran over to Jiang Jin's bed.
Although she had quickly driven the wraiths out, toxins still remained in his body.
Furthermore, since he hadn't broken through to the Golden Core Stage like he did in the novel, Song Yao was very worried about his safety.
She looked eagerly at the Sixteenth Elder, pleading, “Could you save him first? He looks like he's about to die.”
The Sixteenth Elder was currently treating a puncture wound on a disciple's waist. Hearing this, he turned to glance at her.
This little girl hadn't shown much of a reaction even when she found out she was missing parts of her soul, yet now she was so anxious and concerned about a fellow disciple?
Well, they were a handsome youth and a beautiful girl at such a wonderful age. It was only normal, perfectly normal.
He smiled, while the Seventh Elder beside him widened his eyes, clearly misunderstanding as well.
The Sixteenth Elder comforted her, “Don't worry. Although the poison is a bit strange, I've already applied acupuncture to him. His life isn't in danger for now. Once he wakes up, I will guide his energy through him to see if we can completely expel the poison.”
Song Yao asked, “Really? But a wraith possessed him just now.”
The Sixteenth Elder chuckled. “Rest assured, rest assured. This old man has never made a mistake.”
Song Yao breathed a sigh of relief. “That's good then.”
As she spoke, she casually tucked in his blanket.
The moment her cool hand brushed against his cheek, Jiang Jin's consciousness stirred slightly.
Although he had been unconscious, he had heard everything Song Yao said clear as day.
She always seemed so indifferent, caring about nothing and no one, yet she was actually this concerned about him.
Someone had once said that a maiden's mind was the hardest to read.
It turned out to be true.
His lips curved up slightly in an unconscious smile, and he felt as though his body was even feeling a bit better.
Song Yao didn't notice his subtle movement. She relaxed slightly.
Anyone could die, but Jiang Jin absolutely could not.
He had consumed so many of her pills; he had to pay his bill before he could die.
Otherwise, she would be saddled with a massive debt again.
After confirming he was safe, Song Yao went into the inner room to check on Zhu Zhao.
Even though the poison had already been neutralized, Zhu Zhao's face remained deathly pale. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her breathing was weak.
Frowning, Song Yao hurriedly ran out and dragged the Sixteenth Elder inside. “Why is Second Senior Sister like this? Can you save her first?”
Second Senior Sister had also eaten quite a few of her pills and hadn't paid yet. She couldn't die either.
The Sixteenth Elder didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
What was wrong with this child?
First worrying about one, and now worrying about another.
He shook his head helplessly and said, “Ah Zhao is simply too stubborn. She was already injured, yet the moment she returned to the sect, she went straight to the Discipline Hall to receive punishment, claiming she had made a misjudgment and failed to protect you all. As a result, she made her injuries worse. She'll likely need to recuperate for a long while.”
Zhu Zhao was indeed that kind of person.
Even though she wasn't the one who had made the scouting error, nor was she the one who ran around and fell into the demon's illusion, as long as she was present, she would shoulder all the blame.
No wonder she was a positive character in the story.
Song Yao stood by her side and spoke in a soft voice, “You absolutely must not die.”
Over three hundred thousand spirit stones of hers were riding on her life.
Even if she had to die, she had to pay back the spirit stones first.
She turned and left after saying that, not noticing that on the bed, Zhu Zhao's eyelids fluttered open slightly, her eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.
Rate on N.U.
