Unexpected Interruption

Facing Xiao Yao at this moment, Xu Qingzhu privately conceded that his chances of a decisive victory were slim. It wasn’t that his early Foundation Establishment cultivation rendered him incapable of defeating Xiao Yao; rather, unleashing every technique at his disposal, he was confident he could utterly suppress his adversary. Yet, mere suppression was insufficient to truly end Xiao Yao. His luck was terrifyingly potent, a fact Xu Qingzhu had personally experienced in his previous life. Even when he managed to prevail in direct combat, an array of bizarre coincidences would invariably arise, plunging Xu Qingzhu back into a disadvantageous position.

“Dangyang County has a Golden Core cultivator. Should a fight erupt with Xiao Yao, without discerning right from wrong, I would undoubtedly be thwarted by them,” Xu Qingzhu mused, narrowing his eyes as he temporarily reined in his murderous intent. To truly eliminate Xiao Yao meant he needed the capacity to confront any unforeseen circumstances, even to the extent of simultaneously engaging all the powerful cultivators within an entire region. One could never predict how many hidden masters might emerge, nor how various unexpected events could conspire to pin the ‘blame’ squarely upon him.

Would Xu Qingzhu, then, abandon Su Mo? Absolutely not. Even if it meant formally antagonizing Xiao Yao, it merely seemed to hasten an inevitable confrontation. But it wasn’t for Su Mo.

Even as Xu Qingzhu raced against the clock, Su Mo was already contemplating escape.

‘Foundation Establishment stage,’ she thought, ‘I’ve accumulated no advantages whatsoever. Am I supposed to confront him head-on?’ She took a step back, only to collide with a handmaiden.

The handmaiden, who had appeared perfectly normal moments before, now stood with a blank expression, her eyes glazed over with white pupils. A strange, potent force surged through the handmaiden, physically restraining Su Mo from departing.

“Xiao Yao’s methods,” Su Mo thought, her brows furrowing. ‘A puppet art specifically targeting females, capable of empowering ordinary people into monstrously strong puppets… Did he truly possess such a technique already?’ She turned, her gaze falling upon Xiao Yao, who was casually strolling towards her. The information discrepancy was useless; the timeline in the book regarding Xiao Yao’s abilities didn’t necessarily mean he had only acquired them at that specific juncture. Perhaps he had long possessed them, merely choosing not to use them, a detail the book had simply omitted. A shiver of dread ran down her spine. Were those other eerie, potent dark arts also within Xiao Yao’s repertoire?

Clinging to a sliver of hope, Su Mo offered a faint smile:

“Might Young Master Xiao be lost?” she inquired with a light chuckle. “This hardly seems the way out of the estate.”

Taking unhurried steps, Xiao Yao approached, a glint of amusement in his eyes, his lips stretched into a mocking grin. Yet, beneath this facade of languid indifference, his hand remained subtly clasped around the hilt of the sword at his waist.

“Madam Su?” Xiao Yao purred, drawing closer until he stood directly before her. “How truly fated we are.”

“You are my husband’s senior brother, aren’t you? In that case, I suppose I could address you as…”

“Silence!” Xiao Yao roared abruptly, his eyes widening, now thoroughly bloodshot with fury.

Her body involuntarily trembled from the sudden outburst. It was only then that she truly grasped the depth of ‘Su Mo’s’ inherent terror towards Xiao Yao. Yet, a single phrase had managed to enrage the smiling tiger, Xiao Yao himself?

Though she maintained her vigilance, Su Mo hadn’t anticipated that the peak Foundation Establishment cultivator’s strike would be utterly imperceptible to her. In an instant, a blurred shadow flickered past, and a large hand clamped around her throat.

“Mmmph…” Su Mo struggled, her hands clawing desperately at the large hand, yet unable to budge it in the slightest. Amidst the agonizing suffocation, she felt herself lifted upwards, her feet dangling above the ground, only the tips of her toes occasionally brushing the stone beneath. She was utterly unable to exert any force.

“So you enjoy calling him ‘husband,’ do you?!” Xiao Yao raged, his hair swaying wildly behind him without a breeze, making him appear utterly deranged. “When I’m done with you, let’s see whose ‘husband’ you’ll be calling then!”

“You…” Su Mo managed to gasp out a single word, desperately trying to summon strength from her body.

“What was that?” Xiao Yao scoffed, a slight smirk playing on his lips, presuming she was about to apologize. He loosened his grip ever so slightly.

A trickle of air rushed in, and Su Mo greedily gulped down a few desperate breaths. Suspended in the air, her gaze, now looking down upon him with a hint of disdain, curved into a mocking smile.

“In your dreams!”

“Don’t push me to kill you!” Xiao Yao snarled, violently tightening his grip until her neck turned a vivid crimson, as if bruised to bleeding. Just as he was about to further brutalize Su Mo, a surge of purplish-blue light erupted, enveloping her entirely.

“A mere parlor trick,” Xiao Yao scoffed, releasing his grip to evade the scorching arcs of electricity. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword soared into the air, instantly manifesting a small spirit-nullifying array. Within the confines of this array, Su Mo felt her spiritual energy rapidly draining from her body, leaving her vulnerable and weak. Without a moment’s hesitation, she willed the Yin Thunder Bow into her hand. Her fingers, crackling with lightning, swept across the bow’s surface, igniting the intricate patterns of the Yin Thunder Bow into a dazzling display. The fierce auras of various thunder beasts erupted forth, surging towards Xiao Yao.

Xiao Yao, however, merely smiled. Having once faced the onslaught of nine dragons, he felt this assault was no more than a gentle breeze caressing his face.

“…” Gritting her teeth, Su Mo ignited every last shred of her remaining spiritual energy, unleashing a powerful wave of qi. The surrounding flora swayed violently, and tiles tumbled from the rooftops, shattering upon impact. A solid arrow, coalesced from pure lightning, materialized, drawn back by her slender fingers. Turning sideways, her eyes reflecting the raw power of the thunder, Su Mo focused intently, then released the bowstring.

“CRACK!!”

A blinding flash of lightning illuminated the entire secluded courtyard in an instant.

Shaking his head, intent on crushing her final act of defiance, Xiao Yao casually raised his hand, sweeping his longsword through the air. Sparks flew where steel met lightning, but the arrow was deflected, soaring harmlessly into the sky. Witnessing her attack effortlessly deflected by his sword, Su Mo felt all strength drain from her, and she sank to her knees on the cold stone slab.

“Given up already?” Xiao Yao shook his head, a flicker of boredom crossing his features. Truth be told, having always deceived women into falling for him, encountering one who dared to resist actually stirred a strange excitement within him. A wicked smile played on his lips as he gazed down at Su Mo’s delicate figure, deliberately remarking:

“I was the one who killed your parents, you know. To be honest, your mother also possessed the Nine-Tailed bloodline; it was quite a shame she died so abruptly… A pity the timing wasn’t right, otherwise your mother would have made far better material. That alluring physique…”

“…” Su Mo pressed her lips together, silent, her gaze fixed on the sky, though not as if admiring the view.

“Don’t bother thinking,” Xiao Yao said dismissively. “All the servants have either been lured away or cursed, and a detection-blocking array is in place. By the time any cultivators notice, I’ll already be finished.” His amusement now gone, he intended to simply seize Su Mo directly. However, the moment he took a step forward, he saw Su Mo smile. Above, the sky erupted with a blinding flash of blue-violet electricity, briefly illuminating the world as if a second sun had suddenly appeared.

“Boom…” By the time the sound reached them, the initial roar had already significantly diminished. Nevertheless, it was enough to make Xiao Yao’s expression shift abruptly. Within his spiritual perception, an entirely unexpected individual had arrived… He instantly wiped all emotion from his face, turning to gaze at the man now standing upon the wall.

“It’s actually you? I hadn’t anticipated that,” Xiao Yao remarked, narrowing his eyes as his entire demeanor abruptly grew cold.

“Senior Brother,” Xu Qingzhu said, his hands clasped behind his back, his long hair swaying gently in the wind. “To snatch my wife away… that truly is improper.”

“Why bother with such trivialities?” Xiao Yao countered, subtly shifting his stance as spiritual energy secretly surged within him. “There are countless women in the world; what’s the harm in ‘gifting’ one to Senior Brother?”

Raising his gaze to the sky, Xu Qingzhu offered a wry smile.

“I once thought the same,” he admitted. “Who could have known it would only push her further into the mire?”

“What precisely do you mean by that?” Xiao Yao asked, barely restraining his murderous intent.

“You already knew,” Xu Qingzhu replied vaguely.

“Hahaha…” Xiao Yao laughed, shaking his head. Then, with a sudden, violent motion, he spun around, his sword arcing down towards Su Mo. It was a fierce, devastating strike. In a daze, Su Mo felt as if entire mountains and rivers were bearing down upon her, utterly capable of pulverizing her flesh and bone. She desperately tried to brace herself, to fling herself away from the impending blow. She barely managed to half-rise before the sword’s gale descended upon her back, tearing through her dress and sending a sharp, stinging pain through her skin. ‘He actually wants to kill me…’ In that fleeting moment before death, this was the only thought that registered.

****

Until…

“CLANG!!” With a resounding cry, two longswords met, colliding with a deafening roar. Though her ears rang from the shock, Su Mo still managed to raise her eyes, watching Xu Qingzhu appear before her. Without a word, her raised hand was gently taken by Xu Qingzhu, who pulled her to her feet. Falling into his embrace, Su Mo felt no repulsion for the first time. Only a profound sense of peace.

Leaning weakly against him, her chin resting on his shoulder, Su Mo smiled, a touch of sweetness in her voice:

“I thought you wouldn’t find me.”

“Oh? So you were waiting for me?” Xu Qingzhu murmured, a hint of surprise in his voice at her whispered words. When had she begun to place her ultimate hope in him?