Chapter 98: Afraid

Just as the sheep demon and the two snake demons lunged forward, a sudden change occurred. With a flash of yellow light, shrill screams instantly filled the entire battlefield.

Among the three, the leading woman, her face veiled, slowly revealed a yellow crescent moon in her hand. As the light faded, the moon took shape, revealing itself to be a yellow curved blade shimmering with a spectral glow.

Caught off guard by the blade's strike, the three already heavily wounded demons were decapitated. Their heads parted from their massive bodies and tumbled over the edge of the convoy, falling into the bottomless abyss behind. They were dead beyond all doubt.

A night breeze blew, lifting the veil on the woman's face and revealing a delicate, jade-white chin. A tiny beauty mark at the edge of her nostril accentuated her flawless, pure complexion; far from being a blemish, it lent her an air of unique allure. Though only a glimpse was caught, it was clear she was an absolute beauty.

"Heh, Mistress Gong, I didn't expect to meet you here. When we parted last time, I, Shen, said that fate would bring us together again. You didn't believe me then, but what do you think now?"

Facing the yellow aura surging from the woman, the young master surnamed Shen stepped back slightly, though he had anticipated this. Once the three demons lay dead and he assessed her true cultivation level, he could not help but feel a sense of relief.

It was fortunate; while her appearance and cultivation exceeded his expectations, she was still lingering at the seventh level, keeping the situation within his control. The mere thought of what she held made every cell in his body restless.

"Greetings, Young Master Shen. I only wish to leave Tianluo Stronghold and have no intention of interfering in other matters. For the sake of our past acquaintance, I ask you to show mercy and let us three go. I guarantee that I will keep this matter secret; I will never tell a second soul. If I break this oath, let me be struck by lightning and die a miserable death."

The veiled woman lifted her veil, revealing a face of exquisite beauty that seemed capable of both anger and delight. She looked at Young Master Shen with such resentment that she no longer appeared to be the decisive, high-level expert from moments ago; she was merely a charming woman smitten by love.

"Mistress Gong, you are as graceful as ever, which is truly gratifying. If you can explain how a woman of the demimonde possesses the cultivation of a first-class expert at such a young age, I might—not being a man who lacks appreciation for beauty—find it in my heart to spare you, given our history."

At these words, Mistress Gong's expression shifted slightly before she laughed coquettishly. "To be honest, I am a disciple of the Hundred Joys Sect, out on a mission from my master to gain experience. With the current chaos at Tianluo Stronghold, I have received orders to return to the sect. If you do not believe me, please look at my Sacred Sect golden token."

As she spoke, one of her handmaidens tossed a token over. Young Master Shen caught it with his fan and examined it closely. It was a palm-sized golden plaque engraved with numerous images of men and women in intimacy, which collectively formed the characters for "Hundred Joys Sect."

"Well? Is there a problem with the token? My sect has no intention of being enemies with the demon race, but we are not afraid either. I ask you to show mercy, and Gong Sha will certainly repay you in the future."

"Hahahaha, it truly is a disciple token from the inner sect of the Hundred Joys Sect. I must say, Mistress Gong, you always manage to provide surprises."

Young Master Shen withdrew his gaze from the token, waved his fan, and tossed the plaque to the ground. As the three women's faces turned deathly pale, he sighed. "The token is genuine, but this identity? Pray forgive my ignorance, but I know not when our sect added a celestial beauty like you as a junior sister? If that were the case, wouldn't I, 'White-Clad Scholar' Shen Fang, have wasted all these years?"

At these words, the faces of the three women turned leaden.

"You... you are 'White-Clad Scholar' Shen Fang, the 'Bone Young Master' of the Hundred Joys Sect?"

"I believe that in this territory, no one dares to impersonate me and still lives to tell the tale."

Young Master Shen smiled faintly, unbothered by the caution displayed by the three women. He suddenly said in a soft voice, "Mistress Gong, let us speak plainly. We both know who you are. To be frank, not even a fly will escape Tianluo Stronghold this time. I advise you to see the bigger picture."

"As long as you hand over the True Essence Flower and submit to me, I can plead with my master to spare your life, and perhaps even consider your father's case. Once my master achieves his great cause, I will assist him in restoring the glory of the ancient imperial dynasty. As my woman, you will have endless benefits. When we all achieve immortality and ascend to the heavens, won't that be wonderful?"

"Why risk your life for that old fool in the capital? Do you truly believe that if you manage to send word back, that old fool could stop my master? A wise man knows when to submit. I see your cultivation is hard-won, which is why I am offering this mercy. Do not be ungrateful."

"Hmph! Though I, Gong Sha, may come from the demimonde, I still possess a sense of honor and shame. For wretches like you who collude with the demon race to dream of restoring an imperial dynasty is pure delusion. Once your actions are exposed, you won't even need the King to act; the immortal sects of the kingdom will wipe you out entirely for your dealings with the demons."

The woman's face turned cold. Giving up the pretense, she signaled her two handmaidens and shouted, "As for the True Essence Flower, even if I had it, do you think I would hand it to you? Such a heavenly treasure is not meant for the likes of the faithless and treacherous!"

"Xiao Qing, Xiao Lan, help me kill these traitors!"

At her command, yellow energy flickered around her. Wielding her curved blade like a yellow ribbon, she drifted lightly toward Young Master Shen. Simultaneously, her two handmaidens drew their silver blades and attacked from the sides.

"The Graceful Yellow Sands Dance—very good, very good. It seems I truly came to the right place today."

Facing the two fierce sword lights, Young Master Shen showed no reaction, but against the seemingly slow and harmless yellow ribbon, his expression turned grave. A flash of white light erupted from his body as the phantom of a giant skeleton flickered behind him.

His aura changed instantly. As he opened his fan, streams of white energy surged forth. With a light tap, he parried the two incoming sword strikes and lunged directly into the yellow ribbon.

While the battle raged there, the struggle between Hu San and the giant bear had circled back. Hu San had been watching the scene clearly, but his indifference vanished the moment he heard the name "True Essence Flower."

This was the spirit flower from the Qilian Mountains that had been auctioned by the Tianluo Chamber of Commerce. According to what he had heard, it was a rare treasure that could elevate a warrior's energy rank by a full level. For Hu San, he simply needed to consume it to convert it into a warm current, requiring no complex rituals.

His priorities shifted. He no longer cared who won or lost; he only wanted that flower. He abandoned his previous plan of wearing the bear down and decided on a quick resolution.

"Roar!"

The purple bear swung a paw, hitting nothing but air. Despite its immense physical strength, the constant pounding on the rocky ground left its limbs aching. Expecting Hu San to retreat and resume his archery, it was stunned to see the formidable marksman sling his bow over his back and draw a pitch-black long blade.

"Is his mind broken?"

The bear was bewildered. Through its blurry vision, it saw the archer charging forward to engage in close-quarters combat.

"Roar!"

After a thunderous bellow, the bear's dimmed purple eyes were filled with bloodshot rage. If the enemy sought death, it would gladly oblige. It abandoned its plan to flee; it believed that without the bow, ten Hu Sans would not be enough to handle its fury.

"My close-quarters combat is no weaker than my archery, you brute!"

Seeing the giant purple paw descending, Hu San noticed the glimmer of triumph in the bear's eyes and allowed a smirk to tug at his lips. With a slight shift of his feet, his terrifying Green Wood energy erupted, and he dodged the blow at the very last moment.

Ten Strikes of Destruction!

Now at the eighth level of the energy-refining stage, with the strength of sixteen men, Hu San unleashed this peerless blade technique with full force.

Coated in green energy and fueled by his immense strength, Hu San’s figure vanished, as if he had become one with his blade, transforming into a streak of green light.

Despite the bear's desperate attempts to use its earth-element armor and binding spells, it could not catch a single hair of the green light. Within a few breaths, the purple light on the bear was replaced by a dim green glow. The speed of the green blade was such that it appeared to be an infinitely extending rope, binding the giant bear from head to toe.

Feeling the blade intent eroding its armor, feeling its earth-shell shattering like chaff, and feeling its own flesh slowly giving way, the bear’s previous joy vanished, replaced by a deep, hollow terror.

It was afraid.