Chapter Thirty-Six: A Daytime Excursion

Wan’er’s voice was hoarse, and the look she cast at Master Xuanyang was filled with dread.

“Hmph!”

Master Xuanyang’s expression did not change; he merely let out a heavy, cold snort before continuing, “Cease your stubbornness. I see that you still harbor goodness in your heart and have not been corrupted by evil. That is why I am willing to give you a way to live. Yet you persist in your defiance, hiding Chen Qingwen here.”

“I will grant you one last chance.”

“Leave Chen Qingwen, never see him again, and I can pretend none of this ever happened. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to claim another soul beneath the Dragon Abyss Sword!”

Wan’er’s expression grew complicated. She had long heard of this odious priest from Jade Void Monastery, but she had not expected him to be so devoid of compassion, giving her no room for choice.

Moreover, his strength left her with no thought of resistance.

But she could not let go. Never. Even if she had to shatter her body and soul, she would not flinch!

Perhaps many would call her foolish, but she did not care. Since the day she came to know Chen Qingwen, her heart could hold nothing else.

Why, then, must there always be someone trying to stand in their way?

What wrong had they committed?

Those who claimed righteousness only sought to tear them apart, never caring for right or wrong.

Wan’er let out a bleak smile. “Master, at first, I did mean to leave Qingwen. But when I saw him, unable to eat or sleep, fading away day by day, I simply could not harden my heart. Do you understand?”

“In those days, it felt as if my heart was pierced a thousand times over.”

“I realized, if he cannot live without me, and I cannot live without him, why should we make each other suffer? Better to love fiercely, even if it means dying together, we would have no regrets.”

In truth, after returning Chen Qingwen to the Chen family that day, she had not left, but remained hidden in the surroundings, quietly watching over him.

Only after ensuring his safety did she intend to leave.

Yet fate had other plans. Chen Qingwen’s body grew weaker by the day, and at this rate, even an ordinary person untouched by demonic energy would not survive, let alone the already frail Chen Qingwen.

Master Xuanyang’s face grew cold. He summoned a flying sword, forming several seals with his fingers, commanding the sword to circle through the air, leaving afterimages. A flash of crimson light arced toward the fox demon.

“Stubborn to the end!”

“If you insist on this path, you have only yourself to blame. Demon, face the Dragon Abyss Sword!”

“Yi’an, go save him at once.”

Seeing Master Xuanyang attack without hesitation, Wan’er immediately returned to her true form. Only as her authentic self could she wield her greatest power.

The fragile beauty of a moment before transformed in an instant into a fearsome fox demon with a blue-tinged face and vicious fangs, enough to chill the heart.

Seizing the moment as the two clashed, Yi’an slipped inside and swiftly carried Chen Qingwen out.

“Wan’er…”

Watching Wan’er locked in desperate combat with Master Xuanyang, Chen Qingwen was frantic, his face etched with worry and fury.

Yi’an asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”

In truth, the steadfast love between Chen Qingwen and Wan’er left him quite troubled. Indulgence would not do, but forcibly separating them was also unseemly—a troublesome affair indeed.

Let Master Xuanyang fret over this, he thought.

Chen Qingwen shook his head, saying, “Wan’er may be a demon, but she has never harmed a soul. Why should I be afraid?”

No sooner had he spoken than he fell to his knees, pleading bitterly to both Yi’an and Master Xuanyang:

“Master Yi, and you, Daoist priest, I beg you, show mercy. Please do not make things harder for Wan’er.”

“We love each other truly. If you will not let us be, you may as well kill me too.”

Wan’er had already seen Chen Qingwen being taken away by Yi’an, but she could not spare herself from the battle, forced to watch helplessly as he fell into their hands.

Fortunately, they meant Chen Qingwen no harm. From the start, Master Xuanyang’s ire was directed at her and her alone.

“Qingwen, get up, do not kneel to them!”

“Even if I die, you must live well. Remember, you are a man—a man who stands tall. Do not kneel before others. Do not disappoint me!” Wan’er screamed, her voice hoarse and desperate.

At that moment of distraction, Master Xuanyang’s flying sword struck. Wan’er leapt left, narrowly avoiding a deadly blow. Undaunted, she sprang up, her claws flashing toward Master Xuanyang’s throat.

“Hmph!”

Master Xuanyang did not dodge, instead recalling his sword. The keen edge of the Dragon Abyss Sword clashed with the fox demon’s claws, filling the air with a shrill screech.

Bang!

Wan’er was ultimately no match. The sword’s aura sent her flying, her massive demon form careening backward like a severed kite, slamming into the wall behind. The aging house could not withstand such a force; it shattered instantly, sending rubble flying.

As Master Xuanyang prepared to press his attack, a massive white tail descended from the heavens, sweeping the Dragon Abyss Sword from his grasp.

Master Xuanyang was stunned, fear flickering across his face.

A moment ago, he had sensed a powerful threat of death. He was certain that if he had taken another step, that fox tail would have smashed down upon his head without mercy.

“Shen Baiyu…” Yi’an, seeing the newcomer, knew that Master Xuanyang would leave empty-handed today.

“Hmph, Master Yi, I once thought you a gentleman, but I never expected you to collude with this odious priest, persecuting my poor Wan’er without regard for right or wrong.” Shen Baiyu first voiced his displeasure at Yi’an, then turned his gaze to Master Xuanyang, his expression unfriendly.

Master Xuanyang instantly felt as though he had been locked in place.

What surprised him even more was that Yi’an seemed to know this powerful demon.

Truly, those favored by fortune are extraordinary. No matter where they go, they attract notice.

But now was not the time to dwell on such things. From his observations, this demon before him had at least reached the level of Day Wandering, that is, a True Yang Spirit.

At that stage, the soul fears not sunlight; even in broad daylight, it cannot be weakened, though it remains formless.

Master Xuanyang steeled his heart—fortune or calamity, one cannot escape it. He met Shen Baiyu’s gaze and asked:

“Sir, I know you are not a wicked demon. Why then do you allow your disciple to fall in love with a mortal?”