Chapter 342: Protagonist, please enlighten me
The large dark clouds gradually rolled into Tianan from the west, accompanied by deep thunder,
Rumble…
The streets fell silent, and Liang Zhu, Ye Wan’er, and others gazed eagerly at the palace enveloped in Hu Mu’s mystical power. No sound or movement could penetrate Hu Mu’s mystical barrier, leaving them clueless about the situation inside.
The clashes between cultivators of the void realm were documented in history, where cultivators like Immortal Danyue and the Central Domain Emperor could turn vast areas into scorched earth in an instant.
Liang Zhu couldn’t help but worry for Ye Anping and Pei Lianxue. The two cultivators in the foundation-building stage were currently at the mercy of the two void cultivators, risking not even leaving behind a complete corpse if they were not careful.
Ye Anping had promised to safely rescue the empress from Nangong Cheng’s clutches.
Boom–
A beam of golden light pierced through Hu Mu’s demonic shield, like a reverse meteor, heading straight for the silver moon in the sky, leaving a trail across the night sky.
A burst of smoke and dust erupted on the moon’s surface, visibly shifted by the golden light.
Beside Liang Zhu, Xue Tianqiao tugged at his sleeve, her fox ears standing erect as if startled. She widened her eyes and shouted to their master in the sky,
“Wow, Master!! Your shield got shattered in an instant!!!”
“… …”
Floating in mid-air, Hu Mu’s tail swayed lightly in the wind. Upon hearing the shout below, he cast a stern glance at his obedient disciple, as if to say,
—Master is not blind!! Can you please refrain from stating the obvious? It makes it seem like the master’s shield is so fragile.
Hu Mu took a deep breath, extinguishing the idea of stewing his disciple. He glanced towards the palace and decided not to mend the shield pierced by the golden light. Instead, he retracted his mystical power, descended from the sky, and stood with his hands behind his back.
“That golden light just now was Nangong Cheng’s natal spiritual spear. By using his natal spiritual spear, it indicates that he’s reached the end of the line, and the matter is settled.”
He directed these words to Liang Zhu and Ye Wan’er, implying that it wasn’t a matter of his shield being inadequate, but rather that Nangong Cheng’s attack was a culmination of his lifelong cultivation, beyond anyone’s ability to block with spiritual power.
Liang Zhu, upon hearing this, and seeing Hu Mu’s menacing gaze, promptly extended his gratitude and performed a quick salute,
“Many thanks for your assistance, Your Majesty. I must obey orders and still have tasks at hand, so I’ll take my leave now.”
“Thank you, Lord…” Ye Wan’er returned the courtesy, withdrawing her gaze from the distant palace.
Once Hu Mu nodded in agreement, the duo summoned their flying swords and hastened towards the palace.
After watching them depart, Hu Mu turned his attention back to Xue Tianqiao, slowly rolling his eyes before seizing her by the head and lifting her,
“Shut your trap or else…”
As soon as he uttered those words, Xue Tianqiao recoiled, hastily drawing a cross over her mouth and emitting a whimper,
“Woo… woo woo…”
Hu Mu’s eye twitched. His suddenly compliant apprentice signaled trouble, she likely had something important to say.
Studying Xue Tianqiao’s clear, water-blue eyes for a moment, he demanded, “Speak.”
“Hehe…” Xue Tianqiao, as if reveling in mischief, stuck out her tongue and grinned. “Master, I smell roast chicken. I want some.”
Hu Mu gritted his teeth, but before he could respond, Xue Tianqiao dropped another bombshell,
“I also smell the scent of the Heavenly Scrolls.”
“…Where?” Hu Mu inquired, his interest piqued.
Xue Tianqiao, still held by her collar, lifted her hand and pointed ahead,
“Over where the roast chicken is.”
Following her gesture, Hu Mu’s eyes narrowed. Using his distant vision technique, he swiftly scanned the streets, making two turns before arriving at a small pavilion beside a river in Tainan City.
The black clouds from the west slowly moved across the city walls and loomed over Tainan City, accompanied by distant rumbling thunder.
Boom——
Xiao Yunluo gripped her spiritual sword and stood beneath the pavilion’s eaves, watching two flying swords head toward the palace. She understood that the situation in the palace must have settled.
Liang Zhu and Ye Wan’er were rushing to the Emperor Sect’s secret warehouse to move belongings. While it was a relief that things had settled down, Xiao Yunluo couldn’t help but feel a bit dissatisfied. She hadn’t helped Ye Anping at all this time. She had mostly been idle.
When Hongyu arrived at the inn to explain the Empress’s capture, Ye Anping asked Xiao Yunluo to assist her mother. However, upon arrival, she found only a barely conscious imperial guard lying on the ground.
Later, when Ye Anping, Lianxue, and Feng Yudie went to Xingtian Pavilion to help Yue Xuanming escape, Xiao Yunluo waited outside the palace.
After finally meeting up with the others and preparing to take action, Ye Anping assigned Xiao Yunluo to accompany Feng Yudie to buy roast chicken while he and Lianxue snuck into the Emperor’s Secret Treasury.
Xiao Yunluo glanced disdainfully at Feng Yudie, who sat in the pavilion holding a large roast chicken, her mouth smeared with oil.
Seeing Xiao Yunluo’s gaze, Feng Yudie thought she wanted some chicken too. She hesitated, then reluctantly tore off a drumstick and offered it to her.
“…Senior Sister Xiao, want some?”
Xiao Yunluo looked at the offered chicken leg, took a deep breath through her nose, and allowed her plain expression to slightly contour into annoyance.
Everyone else was busy. What about her?
Bring the second fool here! Have roast chicken here with her!!
It would be better to have him accompany Liang Zhu to move the Emperor Sect’s secret warehouse. Even though as the young master of the Xuanxing Sect, it was a bit odd to move things in someone else’s secret warehouse, it was more comfortable than hanging out with the second fool here.
“No!”
“Oh…”
Feng Yudie shrugged her head, not sure why Xiao Yunluo suddenly got mad. She didn’t do anything, but she didn’t mind. She quickly picked up a chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth.
Xiao Tian, floating above her head, sighed suddenly,
“Yudie, Xiao girl just feels that everyone else has something to do, and she’s the only one here taking care of the kids, which makes her feel a bit unbalanced.”
“Taking care of the kids…” Feng Yudie nodded, but felt something off, quietly asking, “Where did the kids come from?”
“Yudie baby.”
“…Go away!”
Feng Yudie waved her hand in annoyance, trying to shoo it away, but Xiao Tian was like a mosquito, dodging around as if it was fun, roaming around the pavilion.
Xiao Yunluo turned her head slightly and looked back, seeing Feng Yudie swatting flies there, and suddenly felt a bit tired again.
Just then, suddenly a lightning bolt flashed across the sky.
Boom–!!!
The sudden thunder above the dark clouds was deafening. Xiao Yunluo and Feng Yudie both instinctively straightened their backs, even Xiao Tian reached to cover its ears, glancing up at the sky.
“That’s a big thunder, it’s going to rain heavily.”
As it spoke, a drop of water as big as a finger suddenly fell into the nearby river, causing ripples. Big and small drops followed one after another, gradually falling onto the dimly lit street.
Feng Yudie furrowed her brows slightly as if sensing something amiss. She rose from the stone bench and scanned the area around the pavilion, calling out, “Senior Sister Xiao…”
“What’s the matter?” Xiao Yunluo inquired.
“I sense trouble,” Yudie replied.
“Trouble…” Xiao Yunluo echoed, slightly puzzled. However, seeing Yudie’s expression, she quickly retrieved the new spirit sword she had purchased a few days prior from her storage bag, remaining alert to their surroundings.
Yudie promptly retrieved the emerald green spiritual sword belonging to Xiao Yunluo and placed it beside her.
Upon closer inspection of the sword in Yudie’s hand, Xiao Yunluo’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Where did you get this sword?” She demanded.
Yudie hesitated for a moment before responding, “I bought it from Young Master Ye. If you have an issue, take it up with him. I paid for it, so it’s mine.”
Confusion clouded Xiao Yunluo’s expression for a moment before realization dawned on her. “You mean this sword is mine…”
Suddenly, lightning flashed, and two figures appeared ten feet away from the pavilion.
One tall, one short, each with a pair of furry tails behind them and pointed velvet ears atop their heads.
Crash–
As the rain poured down, it seemed to avoid the two figures, leaving their clothes dry.
Xiao Tian squinted at the newcomers, then widened his eyes, alerting, “Yudie, that’s the Demon Emperor Hu Mu. The little fox demon beside him should be the cunning fox Anping mentioned.”
“…”
Listening to those words, Feng Yudie couldn’t help but furrow her brow slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled. Ye Anping had repeatedly told her to conserve her spiritual energy to deal with a fox spirit, and he assured her that she could handle it.
So, as she was enjoying her roast chicken, she waited for the fox spirit to come to her. After all, Ye Anping had mentioned that the fox spirit would seek her out.
But… why was it the Demon Emperor who showed up at her doorstep?
Surely Ye Anping wouldn’t expect her to deal with a fox who was close to reaching the Void Stage of cultivation! How could she possibly handle that… Even if she invoked the Holy Emperor’s dragon body, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
Pressing her neck, Feng Yudie quickly looked at Xue Tianqiao, thinking that she should be able to handle this little fox, but why?
Hu Mu’s vertical pupils stared at Feng Yudie as he stepped forward with his hands behind his back. As his foot touched the ground, a black mist suddenly expanded, causing the waves in the river to go still and the beads in mid-air to freeze.
A black figure emerged from behind Hu Mu’s tail, transforming into a giant fox several times larger than Feng Yudie. It opened its mouth and swallowed Feng Yudie whole, then retracted back into Hu Mu’s tail.
Xiao Tian was momentarily stunned, then panicked, and immediately rushed to Hu Mu’s head, punching and kicking him on the ears and head,
“Spit her out!! Don’t eat Yudie! She’s not tasty!!! Spit her out, you stinky fox!!”
With a crash, the plate of roast chicken that Feng Yudie was holding fell to the ground and shattered, snapping Xiao Yunluo out of her stupor.
She looked at the broken pieces on the ground, her pupils narrowing slightly to a dot, and tentatively asked,
“Second idiot!”
Clang!
A streak of lightning slashed through the dark clouds looming over the city, with numerous twisted electric tendrils spreading toward the skyline.
Jade beads the size of soybeans pelted the roof of the pavilion, then slid down the eaves, emitting crackling sounds.
Xiao Yunluo gazed ahead at the two fox demons standing in the rain, their garments untouched by the downpour. It took her a while to realize that the male fox demon was the Demon Emperor.
Simultaneously, she understood that Hu Mu had swallowed Feng Yudie whole with his tail spirit in that instant.
“Huh…”
She felt a bit overly anxious, her right hand gripping the sword trembling slightly. Suddenly, she remembered what Ye Anping had told her that night.
—”When the Demon Emperor and Senior Sister Feng are dueling, you have to assist Senior Sister Feng.”
At the time, she hadn’t dwelled on it too much, assuming that since Ye Anping had told her, it meant he believed she was capable, and she didn’t need to overthink it.
But now…
In just an instant, the two fools were consumed, and she hadn’t even seen Hu Mu’s tail spirit, let alone stopped it.
How could she help?
Xiao Yunluo shook her head, forcing herself to calm down.
Questioning the Demon Emperor was futile now. Even if she charged forward with her sword, she couldn’t rescue the two fools. The gap in cultivation was too vast.
Before the second fool was fully digested, she had to figure out a way to make Hu Mu regurgitate him.
“I am Xiao Yunluo, the young master of Xuanxing Sect. I have met Your Majesty and requested the return of my junior sister. Otherwise, I will report this matter to the Sect Master. The person whom Your Majesty swallowed is the Sect Master’s direct disciple…”
Upon hearing this, Hu Mu’s brow furrowed suddenly, and his previously gentle gaze turned into a hint of murderous intent, causing Xiao Yunluo to involuntarily take a step back with a pale face.
Why does everyone enjoy using Mrs. Danyue to pressure him?
On the side, Xue Tianqiao heard the conversation, covered her mouth, and let out a light, bell-like laughter, saying,
“Master, everyone recognizes your reverence for the elderly and care for the young…”
“…”
Hu Mu glanced at Xue Tianqiao, took a deep breath, and refocused his gaze on Xiao Yunluo’s face. After scrutinizing it for a while, a realization dawned on him, forming a Chuan character between his eyebrows,
“Xiao! Young Master! Are you Xuanlong’s daughter?”
“Xuanlong!”
This was the first time Xiao Yunluo had heard this term. Her eyes betrayed a hint of confusion. She wasn’t sure if Xuanlong was a name or something else, but she quickly regained her composure.
Now wasn’t the time to ponder over this. She didn’t know how long Second Idiot could hold on inside Hu Mu’s tail spirit body, but they couldn’t afford to delay. The sooner Hu Mu spat her out, the better chance Second Idiot had at survival.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yunluo tightened her grip on the sword and stepped forward, proclaiming,
“Your Majesty!! I won’t repeat my earlier words. Please exercise caution. If my junior sister suffers any harm…”
Just as she spoke, a golden glow suddenly appeared on Hu Mu’s once pitch-black furry tail. Xue Tianqiao quickly pointed it out, exclaiming,
“Master, your tail is glowing!”
Hu Mu paused for a moment, then turned slightly to look behind him. His gaze landed on a small golden light at the tip of his tail. In the next instant, an emerald-colored spiritual sword emerged from his tail, aimed directly at the center of his eyebrows.
Hu Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly as a dark aura instantly enveloped the sword tip. However, a burst of golden light erupted around the sword, breaking through his protective aura.
Swish—
The sword light flashed, a strand of hair falling from Hu Mu’s ear. Simultaneously, Feng Yudie shot out from his tail. After rolling on the ground for several rotations, she managed to stabilize herself by plunging the spiritual sword in her hand into the ground.
“Phew…”
Feng Yudie looked up at Hu Mu, who was ten feet away, spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva to the side, and took a deep breath to steady her somewhat erratic breathing.
Seeing Feng Yudie emerging on her own, Xiao Tian, who had been pulling Hu Mu’s ears and shouting, quickly flew over, grabbed her shoulder, and shouted to the sky,
“Lao Jiu!”
Golden spiritual energy burst forth from Feng Yudie’s body, transforming into a shimmering golden dragon that coiled above her head.
Hu Mu raised his gaze slightly, casting a glance at the golden dragon, but he appeared indifferent, saying coldly, “Give me the celestial scroll, or face death.”
Hearing this, Feng Yudie understood that he hadn’t intended to kill her before.
If the Demon Emperor had truly wanted her dead, she wouldn’t have sensed it. It dawned on her that his sole purpose was Xiaotian.
But then the question arose–How did the Demon Emperor know she had the scroll?
Since she ventured out, she hadn’t encountered anyone seeking the scroll until now. Even during the incident at the Moon Shadow Sword Sect, Yun Kunwu hadn’t been aware of the celestial scroll, he had merely mistakenly taken Xiaotian.
Feng Yudie felt puzzled but didn’t show it. Instead, she feigned fear and whispered, “What celestial scroll?”
“… …”
“Your Majesty, I truly don’t possess any celestial scroll. Are you mistaking me for someone else? I…”
Xiao Yunluo hurried to Feng Yudie’s side, shielding her, and said, “Your Majesty, the celestial scroll is a matter of karma. How could it be with my junior sister? She’s naive and only good for eating roast chicken. If she had the celestial scroll, would she be that clueless?”
Feng Yudie paused, feeling a bit annoyed for no reason. However, she quickly nodded and said, “Yes, Your Majesty… If I had the celestial scroll…”
Listening to their exchange, Hu Mu furrowed his brows slightly, glancing at the half-eaten roast chicken on the ground, then turned to Xue Tianqiao beside him, seemingly asking—Did you fabricate the scroll just because you wanted roast chicken?
Meeting his master’s gaze, Xue Tianqiao shook his head slightly and said earnestly, “Master, it is on her.”
Hu Mu looked into Xue Tianqiao’s eyes, fell silent for a moment, then turned back to Feng Yudie and Xiao Yunluo, saying, “Hand over the celestial scroll. For the sake of Xuanxing Sect’s leader, I will give you one last chance.”
Feng Yudie witnessed the interaction between the two individuals and glanced incredulously at Xue Tianqiao beside her. Xiao Tian also appeared surprised and hurriedly approached, waving in front of Xue Tianqiao and making a goofy face. However, Xue Tianqiao seemed unable to perceive it as well as Ye Anping.
Xiao Yunluo continued to defend Feng Yudie, saying, “Your Majesty, my junior sister spends her days practicing swordplay or engaging in leisure activities. I’ve never seen her read a book, and I’ve checked her storage bag, there isn’t the Heavenly Dao scroll you’re seeking.”
Hu Mu slightly tilted his head and stated, “Princess of Xuanlong, this matter doesn’t concern you. As long as she hands over the Heavenly Dao scroll, I’ll leave immediately.”
Upon hearing Hu Mu’s certainty, Xiao Yunluo was momentarily at a loss for words, hoping only to delay until her mother arrived.
Now, only her mother could control this fox. Raindrops fell from the sky, gradually dampening their hair and clothes. Feng Yudie, with her sword in hand, took a step forward, positioning herself in front of Xiao Yunluo, and decided to speak frankly, “Your Majesty, indeed, the Heavenly Dao scroll is in my possession. However, it’s not something I can simply give away.”
Xiao Yunluo, hearing this, was surprised but realized that Feng Yudie was buying time and remained silent.
Hu Mu remained silent for a while, then allowed Feng Yudie to continue—”Go on.”
“The Heavenly Dao scroll is a spiritual entity that accompanies me. Besides me, no one else can see it. It’s not that I’m unwilling to give it, I simply don’t know how,” Feng Yudie explained.
Hu Mu looked at Feng Yudie coldly and said, “If it accompanies you, then the Heavenly Dao scroll has chosen you. The heavenly root, the bloodline of the Holy Emperor…”
After a moment of contemplation, Hu Mu made a sword gesture with his hand, and a black mist enveloped him. Feng Yudie immediately became alert, signaling Xiao Tian to prepare the golden dragon above.
However, when the black mist dissipated, Hu Mu’s figure was cut in half, transforming into a young man of the Fox clan, with a fierce gaze.
Xue Tianqiao saw her master become as tall as herself and exclaimed, “Wow, Master, you’ve become my junior brother…”
Before she could finish, the rainwater, which couldn’t touch them before, suddenly drenched them both, turning them into soaked foxes.
Xue Tianqiao shook her head, rushed towards the nearby pavilion, and began to wring out her tail.
When Xiao Tian, floating beside Feng Yudie, saw Hu Mu in this state, he quickly remarked,
“Yudie, he seems to have significantly suppressed his cultivation.”
Hu Mu, with a touch of nostalgia, looked up at the rain dripping on him, then turned to Xue Tianqiao in the pavilion and said, “Qiao’er, lend me your spiritual sword.”
“Master, could you please give me a heads-up next time… my tail is completely soaked,” Xue Tianqiao complained, puffing up her cheeks. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a curved spiritual sword from her storage bag and handed it to Hu Mu.
Hu Mu grasped the hilt of the sword, swung it to his side, and pointed diagonally at the street.
Raindrops fell densely on the blade, sliding down its edge and forming a water line at the tip.
Feng Yudie paused for a moment, then became unusually serious. Stepping forward, she swung the spiritual sword in her hand sideways and said, “Senior Sister Xiao, wait on the side…”
“Oh…” Xiao Yunluo’s eyes widened, “You don’t mean to…”
Feng Yudie nodded and replied, “Young Master Ye said I could handle it. I suppose he must have anticipated it would come to this.”
Then, she took a deep breath, bowed to Hu Mu, who held the spirit sword behind his back and said, “I am Junior Feng Yudie, a disciple of Master Taixu. Please enlighten me, honorable senior.”
