Du Qi smiled brightly. A half-step Void Refinement bodyguard was hard to come by, after all. He closed his fan, tapped it against his palm, and tilted his head to look at Su Li. His gaze didn't resemble one directed at an enemy, but rather one inspecting a newly acquired piece of cargo. “How can you call this underhanded? This is simply to guarantee our contract~”
Su Li's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water. She squeezed two words through her teeth in pure resentment: “Despicable!” She could feel an extra shackle inside her body. Now, her cultivation level was entirely at Du Qi's mercy; with a single thought from him, her cultivation would be locked away, turning her into a helpless cripple at the mercy of others. She gritted her teeth, her fingernails digging into her palms until they bled. Du Qi leisurely fanned himself, but after two strokes, he realized the weather wasn't particularly supportive of this action—the snow was falling heavier, the wind was blowing colder, and the air he fanned was entirely freezing. With a snap, he closed his fan again and stuffed it back into his sleeve.
Du Qi frowned; they had to retreat quickly. He could already see the silhouettes of the vanguard Ice Spirits. They were no longer a blurry blue glow in the distance, but distinct, individual humanoid figures. With deep blue crystalline bodies, they had no facial features or expressions, only pairs of hollow eyes. They didn't walk fast, but they never stopped, each step treading on the frost-cracked stone slabs with a faint, crunching sound.
“The contract is sealed. If Fellow Daoist Su behaves and abides by it, the contract will naturally dissolve. If you don't, it's simple—your cultivation will be locked down permanently. You can decide for yourself.” He spoke casually, as if mentioning a trivial matter. At this point, Su Li had no other choice but to swallow her anger and accept her fate.
“Du Nan of the Du family, I will remember you. I will certainly pay you a visit in the future!” She spat out the words “pay you a visit” with heavy emphasis, meaning “just you wait.”
Du Qi waved his hand, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather. “I was removed from the family registry a long time ago. If you're willing to cause some trouble for them, I'd actually be quite delighted.” Su Li froze for a moment. Looking at Du Qi's still-gentle face, she suddenly felt that this man was far more difficult to deal with than she had imagined. It was as if he had absolutely no weaknesses.
The Ice Spirits were spreading. No one could stop them. Even with the phoenix fire burning on her body, she couldn't dispel the chill seeping deep into her bones. The firelight could only illuminate a few feet around them; any further was nothing but a deep blue, deathly silence.
“Retreat! Back to the Abandoned Guest Hall first!” Du Qi's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly. He turned and walked toward the Abandoned Guest Hall. After a couple of steps, he realized no one was following. Looking back, he saw Lu Yan still standing in place, facing the direction of the inn.
Lu Yan couldn't hold back. “Jiang Ci and Hong Jiu are still at the inn. I'm going to get them.” His voice was tight, as if his throat were being squeezed. Du Qi glanced back at him. Lu Yan, supported by Yao Wu, was as pale as paper, his hands still trembling. How are you going to find anyone in this state? Du Qi felt a bit amused, but he didn't laugh, nor did he discourage him.
“I told Hong Jiu to bring Jiang Ci back to the Abandoned Guest Hall immediately once she found her. They should have arrived by now.” As if injected with a sedative, Lu Yan's shoulders dropped half an inch. Since this sudden raid began, his heart had been in constant turmoil. Even though Nannan was injured, Yao Wu at least had her right in front of him; he could see her, touch her, and know she was still breathing. But what about him? Jiang Ci was at an inn far away—unseen, untouched, and he had no idea what her situation was. Even though Du Qi had told him Hong Jiu went to help, his mind couldn't settle. The same few images kept looping in his head—the inn's door, the inn's window, the way Jiang Ci leaned against the headboard... and then the Ice Spirits rushing in, shattering those images to pieces. He shook his head, forcing those scenes out of his mind. Now that they were about to meet, the heavy stone hanging in his chest finally eased significantly.
Du Qi fished a bottle of pills out of his storage bag and tossed it to Su Li. “Spirit-Restoring Pills. With the tiny bit of spiritual energy you have left, how long do you think you can last?” Su Li caught the bottle but didn't move. She looked at Du Qi, then at the dusty gray pills inside the bottle, hesitating. Before she could speak, Du Qi poured one out, popped it into his mouth, swallowed it, and even opened his mouth to show her. “Don't worry, it's not poisoned.” He didn't ask Yao Wu to treat her. He had seen how badly Nannan was hurt and knew the little girl was Lao Wu's lifeblood, but right now, he had to utilize every ounce of strength available. Su Li's injuries were severe, her spiritual energy was depleted, and she had just used a calamity seed. If they didn't replenish her strength a bit, she might not even make it to the Abandoned Guest Hall. It wasn't out of the goodness of Du Qi's heart; if she died, the contract would have been signed in vain.
Seeing Du Qi eat one, Su Li no longer hesitated. She poured out a pill, put it in her mouth, and swallowed. A bitter taste bloomed at the back of her tongue—no sweet aftertaste, no cooling sensation, just pure bitterness. The spiritual energy in her dantian slowly gathered, like water seeping back into a dried-up riverbed; it wasn't much, but it was enough. There were no side effects. She glanced at Du Qi, then at the pill bottle, and stuffed the bottle into her sleeve. Du Qi saw this but said nothing, pretending he hadn't noticed.
“Feed one to your phoenix. We need it to carry us.” Du Qi pointed to the listless phoenix nearby. Its wings drooped, its head was buried under its wing, a large portion of its feathers were scorched, and its aura was weak, looking as if it might fall from the sky at any moment. Su Li's eyes widened in utter disbelief. Carry everyone? Is this guy insane? The phoenix was already struggling to fly on its own, yet he wanted it to carry so many people? There was no way she would agree to such an unreasonable demand, absolutely no way.
The phoenix took to the sky.
Seated on its back were Su Li, Lu Yan, and Yao Wu, who was holding Nannan. Clutched in its two talons were Du Qi and Chen San. Chen San's twin axes were still hanging at his waist, and as he dangled in midair, the wind rushed into his sleeves, billowing them out like two flags. He wasn't afraid at all, looking down at the Ice Spirit tide below to count how many there were. But no matter how he tried, they were countless.
“Screeech—” The phoenix let out a long, shrill cry, flapping its wings frantically just to keep from plummeting from the sky. Dangling below, Du Qi swayed wildly, tossed about by the wind like a tattered flag. He bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Can you make it a bit steadier? And tell your bird to stop screaming!” A vein throbbed on Su Li's forehead as her fingers tightened around the phoenix's feathers. Do you seriously not know why the bird is shaking and crying out? She glanced down at Du Qi, who was squinting against the wind, his mouth still wide open as he shouted. Ignoring him completely, she flew toward the Abandoned Guest Hall.
The snow continued to fall, hitting the phoenix's wings, melting into water, and then freezing into ice. The phoenix flew slower and slower, a thin layer of ice forming over its wings, with shards of ice breaking off with every flap. Lu Yan looked down. The blue light of the Ice Spirits was closing in from all directions, like an overflowing sea, submerging streets, swallowing houses, and engulfing those who hadn't had time to escape. He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms. He didn't know if the Ice Spirits would arrive first, or if they would. He glanced at Nannan in Yao Wu's arms; the little girl was still asleep, her face flushed red by the glow of the fire, her breathing steady.
He wondered if she was dreaming of anything. Hopefully, not tonight.
Rate on N.U.
