Chapter 57: Demoness… Save Me!

`Crap! Why’s he gotta mention me now of all times…?!` He Yimo muttered internally, hiding behind the crowd of cultists. Watching a Wuji Sect disciple get brutally murdered and tossed aside right in front of him… yeah, keeping a straight face was getting real tough.

And just as the tall cultist barked the order, the others eagerly brandished their blood-red scythes, unable to contain their frenzied killing intent any longer. They surged forward from all directions, engulfing the campsite.

Chaos erupted. A pure, unadulterated slaughter fest. These were evil cultists, after all. Once the bloodlust hit, discipline went out the window. It was basically an all-you-can-kill buffet – whoever gets the kill first, keeps the… well, you get the idea.

“Brothers! Hey! Don’t get too carried away! Remember what the Lady told us!” suddenly yelled a voice from the back of the cultist mob.

“She said give that show-off kid with the sword some special attention!”

“I see him! Over there, behind the bonfire! Still trying to play hero and save the damsel! Get hiiim!”

He Yimo, blending seamlessly into the back ranks, had snatched a burning torch from the edge of the campfire. With a sharp yell, he hurled it towards the rear of the campsite, right where Chen Jianxin was desperately trying to defend Yun Jin with his sword.

Instantly, the flickering firelight drew the cultists’ attention. Remembering their orders, their bloodshot eyes snapped towards Chen Jianxin, a renewed, vicious focus gleaming within them.

Suddenly, Chen Jianxin was the star of the show. The desperate resolve on his face crumpled into stark white terror. “Ah— No!”

“S-Senior Sister Yun! Don’t be afraid! Just stay behind me and focus on healing me—!” He yelled, bracing himself as the horde surged towards him. He had no choice but to draw his sword and meet the charge head-on.

But before his words even faded—WHOOSH!—the tall cultist charged in from the side like a runaway bull, slamming an elbow hard into the much smaller swordsman, sending Chen Jianxin flying through the air. “OOF— GACK!”

“Heheh…” the tall cultist sneered, cracking his knuckles. “Still tryin’ ta protect others when you’re about ta die? Watch closely, kid! I’ll kill this little chick first, just for you!” He laughed cruelly, swinging the chain of his blood scythe menacingly as he stalked towards the terrified, pale-faced Yun Jin.

“Cough! Cough-hack!” Chen Jianxin choked, spitting out a mouthful of dark blood. He tried to push himself up, but waves of agony wracked his body, paralyzing him on the snowy ground. Can’t… move…

Behind the main fray, Yun Jin, though terrified, raised her hands before her chest. Fingers pressed together, her left hand activated the glowing blue seal on its back, while her right hand desperately clutched the ink-wash jade pendant hanging at her neck.

“Y-You… You killed Young Master He…” she whispered, biting her lip. Fear made her step back instinctively, yet a spark of fierce anger ignited deep within her eyes. As the towering cultist advanced, Yun Jin stopped retreating. With a sudden, determined cry—”Hyaaah!”—she thrust her left hand forward, summoning her Blue Crane, which materialized in a flash of jade light and charged!

“Heh! Pathetic parlor trick!” The cultist scoffed. His scythe flashed—SHING!—and in an instant, the jade crane exploded into dissipating spiritual energy. Poof!

Smirking, the cultist strode confidently through the lingering wisps of energy to finish her off… only to find the white-haired girl had vanished. Completely.

“Huh?! Where’d she…?” He looked around, utterly bewildered, scratching his head in confusion. Did… Did I imagine her?

A moment of stunned silence.

“Dammit! What kinda trick did that little brat pull?!” he growled in frustration. “Tch. Fine! Forget her for now! I’ll kill that show-off brat first! Once I start sacrificing his buddies one by one, I bet she’ll come crawling back to save ’em!” The cultist spat, sneering. He hefted his scythe onto his shoulder and charged back into the main battle.

Meanwhile, not far away, hidden deep within a patch of snow-dusted bushes near the edge of the clearing… He Yimo leaned against a sturdy pine tree, a dagger held ready in his left hand, his right clamped firmly over the mouth of the girl huddled against him.

Meeting the ahoge girl’s wide, terrified eyes, He Yimo quickly glanced back at the chaotic battle, ensuring they weren’t spotted. Safe for now. He pulled down his hood, revealing his face.

“He—Mmmph!”

“Shhh! Be quiet!” He Yimo hissed urgently, clamping his hand back down as Yun Jin gasped in relieved surprise, about to cry out his name.

Hidden behind the tree, Yun Jin stared at the boy, feeling the warmth radiating from him in the cold air. After a moment, she gave a small, obedient nod. He Yimo cautiously removed his hand.

Yun Jin didn’t say a word. She just turned, threw her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his chest, hugging him tightly, silently.

They stayed like that for a few moments.

“Alright, alright, stop crying,” He Yimo murmured gently, pulling her back slightly. “We need to go save the others.” He drew a plain, black Profound Iron Sword from his waist sheath.

Yun Jin knelt before him, gazing up at him, her eyes still a little dazed. She opened her mouth, shaking her head slightly, fear evident in her expression. But when her eyes met He Yimo’s steady, resolute gaze, she remembered the other Wuji Sect disciples still fighting for their lives out there.

“They’re our fellow disciples, after all,” He Yimo said with a resigned sigh. “We can’t just leave them to die.” He glanced up at the silvery starlight visible in the night sky, a confident, knowing smirk playing on his lips.

“B-But… But don’t be reckless! P-Promise me!” Yun Jin stammered, her voice trembling slightly. “I’ll cover you! I c-can heal you…” Having faced death so closely herself, Yun Jin, while nodding obediently on the surface, couldn’t help but fixate on He Yimo. Deep down, the fate of the other disciples barely registered anymore. She was only a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator; these cultists were at least late-stage. No matter how much she cared about her sect mates, saving everyone from these vicious killers was impossible. It was suicide. Yun Jin wasn’t stupid; having barely escaped, she wasn’t selfless enough to run back into the fire.

But… it was He Yimo suggesting they go back.

At first, Yun Jin thought he was crazy. But then she saw the certainty in his eyes. It wasn’t the blind recklessness she’d seen in Chen Jianxin. Coming from He Yimo, the same words somehow inspired confidence. She believed he wasn’t just being impulsive. If he dared say it, he must have a reason, a plan, some hidden strength!

So… If it was for He Yimo… maybe Yun Jin could find the courage to fight one more time! After all, he’d saved her life. How could she possibly hold him back now when he wanted to save others?

“Young Master He,” Yun Jin said earnestly before he left, grabbing his arm. “Take this… my Resonance Blessing. If… if your spiritual energy runs low, it can share some of mine with you!” She pressed her palm, glowing with a faint spiritual seal, firmly against his chest.

He Yimo looked down, feeling the surge of pure energy from the girl, and smiled genuinely. “Okay. You stay here and recover. I’ll cover the others while they retreat.”

“Mm!” Yun Jin nodded firmly.

With the simple plan set, He Yimo wasted no more time. He shot up, becoming a blur of motion, and like a gust of wind, vanished into the forest, leaving the ahoge girl staring after him with reluctant, worried eyes.

(Elsewhere, on a dark forest path…)

“Seriously, where the hell did He Yimo run off to?! Ugh!” The fox girl strolled casually through the woods, looking distinctly unconcerned.

Less than a hundred meters ahead, the sounds of fierce battle raged from the hot spring campsite – screams and cries of dying disciples echoed frequently through the trees. But the girl ignored it completely, her enchanting eyes narrowed in concentration, preoccupied with her own thoughts.

CRUNCH! CRASH— THUMP!

Suddenly, a loud impact came from the side. The fox girl glanced over just in time to see a figure sent flying horizontally, slamming hard into the pine tree directly in front of her.

“Tsk. Do these Miyue cultists have any professionalism?” she muttered in annoyance, tilting her head. “They’re just killing a few Qi Refinement weaklings! Do they really need to make such a racket?”

“Don’t they know there might be other Wuji Sect investigators in these mountains?! What if they alert outsiders?!” She rolled her eyes, exasperated. Silently, she flicked a dagger out from her sleeve, spinning it deftly between her fingers.

“Useless. Looks like I have to clean up their mess myself!” The fox girl scoffed. She started walking towards the vibrating pine tree, intending to quickly finish off whichever unfortunate disciple had been thrown there.

But just as she approached—THUD!—a figure wrapped in a black cloak dropped heavily from the branches above, landing in a crumpled heap at the base of the tree. The sight made the fox girl, previously bored and annoyed, suddenly freeze, her eyes widening in shock.

“M-Monster… It’s a monster… Aah…” The figure on the ground, revealed to be the tall cultist from before, choked out the words, blood bubbling from his mouth. He lay sprawled helplessly, his pupils dilated, eyes filled with overwhelming terror and despair.

The fox girl stood rooted to the spot. Looking closer, she realized with horror that there was a massive, gaping hole punched clean through the cultist’s back, right where his heart should be.

“Wh-What… is this…?” The fox girl felt a surge of panic, quickly scanning her surroundings.

But just then—SHINK!—a plain black Profound Iron Sword whistled through the air, tracing a graceful arc before embedding itself squarely in the top of the fallen cultist’s skull.

“AAAAAARRRGHHH!!!” The cultist let out another bloodcurdling, agonizing scream. The sword, clearly dulled from previous use, wasn’t sharp enough for a clean kill. It just stuck there, prolonging his suffering, making his final moments even more excruciating.

Jiang Jinyue broke out in a cold sweat, stumbling back a step, thoroughly horrified by the gruesome scene. She instinctively looked towards the direction the sword had flown from… and saw a youth dressed in Wuji Sect robes walking calmly towards them through the snow.

His steps were unhurried, almost leisurely. Passing the corpse of a Wuji Sect disciple lying nearby, the youth casually bent down and picked up a newer, presumably sharper, Profound Iron Sword from the dead disciple’s hand.

Hearing those chillingly steady footsteps, the dying cultist on the ground suddenly regained focus in his terrified eyes. He locked onto the approaching fox girl, desperately trying to crawl towards her, clawing at the snow.

“D-Demon…! Milady…!” he rasped, blood gurgling in his throat. “Save me! P-Please, save me! That guy… he’s not human! He’s the real demo— GACK!”