Chapter 52: Encounters
Far away from the chaos that was unfolding, Xi Na stood amidst a group of demonic cultivators, her expression calm yet firm.
Hidden deep within her sea of consciousness, Glock'Nine remained silent but ever-watchful, concealed from the prying senses of the others.
She had mastered the art of hiding him, suppressing his presence so thoroughly that even the most perceptive among them would not notice the anomaly within her mind.
Before her lay the severed head of the Beauty Deva Squad's leader, its vacant eyes still frozen in shock, lips parted as though the man had been attempting to utter his final curse before death claimed him.
Blood still dripped from its ragged edges, pooling at her feet.
The sight was a statement, an irrefutable testament to her power and the fate that awaited those who dared challenge her and her group.
The assembled demonic path cultivators listened intently as she spoke, her voice clear yet tinged with the lingering echo of battle.
She recounted in chilling detail how the Beauty Deva Squad had ambushed her and her companions, their intention clear: to eliminate them and wipe them out from influence within the demonic path.
Their arrogance had been their downfall, and now their leader's lifeless head was all that remained of them.
One of the demonic cultivators, a gaunt man with crimson robes and eyes that gleamed with malice, stepped forward, his lips curling into a smirk.
"So they really made their move despite our warning to not engage against each other, did they? Pathetic." His voice was a low hiss, laced with amusement.
Another cultivator, a woman clad in tattered black robes that barely concealed the writhing tattoos on her skin, crossed her arms and scoffed.
"They always thought themselves above us. They claimed to be superior, yet look where their arrogance has led them."
Xi Na nodded, allowing the moment to sink in before shifting her gaze to the one who held true authority here—the high-ranking elder of the demonic path cultivators.
The elder was an enigmatic figure, his presence alone radiating dominance.
He was clad in deep violet robes lined with golden embroidery that shimmered ominously under the dim moonlight. His face, ancient yet unyielding, remained unreadable as he regarded the severed head with mild interest.
After a long moment of silence, the elder finally spoke, his voice carrying the weight of countless battles and betrayals.
"I see. So they thought they could eliminate you all in secret and act like nothing happened." He exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "Arrogant disgusting fools."
Xi Na inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment. "They underestimated me. They underestimated all of us. Do I have to explain how I did it?"
The elder let out a quiet chuckle before his expression turned serious once more.
"No, your victory is commendable, but we do not have the luxury of celebration. The Autumn Dragon Sect will not ignore what we've done here. They will retaliate." He lifted his gaze to the horizon, where the looming presence of the sect still cast its shadow. "We must leave now before the high-ranking members descend upon us."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group.
The air was thick with tension, yet not one among them dared to question the elder's wisdom.
They had no illusions about the strength of the Autumn Dragon Sect's elites.
Staying any longer would be an invitation to death.
As the group began their swift departure, Xi Na found herself glancing back at the battlefield, where bodies lay strewn like discarded puppets, their strings severed.
A cold wind blew through the clearing, rustling the blood-stained grass beneath her feet.
Deep within her consciousness, Glock'Nine stirred. His voice, though unseen to all others, resonated within her mind. "Something bad is happening out there."
Xi Na's eyes narrowed slightly at his words. He rarely spoke with such certainty unless he was absolutely sure. "What do you mean?" she asked internally, keeping her expression neutral.
"Something… unnatural. I can feel it. Wei Long… and Red'Ribbon… I hope nothing bad happens to them."
At the mention of those two names, an inexplicable unease settled within Xi Na's chest.
Without realizing it, her fingers tightened around the hilt of her scyte weapon. Whatever was happening, it was not something she could ignore.
And yet, she had no choice but to move forward as per Wei Long's, leaving the battlefield behind.
…
Red'Ribbon soared through the sky, his powerful wings slicing through the wind as he followed the direction Wei Long had instructed.
His heart pounded in his chest—not from fear, but from urgency.
Wei Long had given him a mission, and he needed to complete it to get out and see the vast world he promised to both of them.
He needed to find that human. But the vast expanse of the savanna stretched endlessly, and time was slipping away.
As he glided lower, Red'Ribbon's sharp eyes caught movement below.
A group of demonic path cultivators had surrounded a lone human.
The human was dressed in ragged robes, his dark hair disheveled, and his face contorted in an expression of sheer terror. But despite the situation, he wasn't silent.
No, this human was loud—so loud that Red'Ribbon momentarily forgot about his mission just to observe the sheer ridiculousness of what was unfolding.
"Gentlemen! Friends! Fellow practitioners of the grand Dao!" the human wailed, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Surely, we can talk about this! There's no need for violence, right?"
One of the demonic cultivators sneered, stepping forward with a blade that gleamed in the dim light. "You trespassed in our area and now you know who we are, Zou Fang. You know what will happen next, do you?."
Zou Fang gulped audibly, his knees shaking. "T-Trespassed? Me? No, no, no! You see, I was merely—uh—taking a shortcut! Yes! A shortcut to, um… my sect! I'm a law-abiding cultivator! A scholar of peace!"
He clutched his chest dramatically. "I would never dream of offending the esteemed members of the demonic path! I will zip my mouth and not tell anyone about it, and I can even plead to the heavens that I, respectable Zou Fang, wouldn't betray any of you my fellow daoists."
Red'Ribbon, watching from above, nearly burst out laughing.
This human—Zou Fang—was utterly shameless.
He reminded him of Glock'Nine, always loud and full of excuses. But despite his words, the demonic path cultivators weren't buying it.
"You were found sneaking around our grounds, Zou Fang," another cultivator growled. "No matter what you say or do, we don't have a choice but to keep your mouth shut for sure… After, ever since you entered the sect, you just couldn't make your mouth shut…"
"Spy?! loud?! Preposterous!" Zou Fang gasped as if he had been struck in the heart. "Look at me! Do I look like someone who could say anything to anyone? I can barely talk to my own fellow disciplesI swear upon the heavens, I Zou Fang, an introvert—yes, introvert! I have a terrible sense of communication! My master used to say I could get lost in my own world sometimes! You wouldn't harm a man with such a tragic condition, would you?"
One of the cultivators brandished a talisman, his patience worn thin. "Enough. Let's just kill him and be done with it."
Zou Fang immediately dropped to his knees, slamming his forehead onto the ground repeatedly. "Please! I beg you! Have mercy on this poor, unfortunate soul! I swear, I'll never—"
His pleas were cut short as a strange sound filled the air.
The demonic path cultivators staggered, their faces contorting in pain.
One by one, they began to drop to their knees, clutching their stomachs as if something was eating them from the inside out.
Zou Fang blinked. "Huh?"
The cultivators groaned, their skin turning an unnatural shade of green.
Their bodies convulsed as their breathing grew ragged. One of them let out a strangled cry before collapsing entirely.
Red'Ribbon, still watching from the sky, narrowed his eyes. He knew this phenomenon.
He had seen it before—this was the result of poison.
A very specific kind of poison.
Then his eyes widened.
Zou Fang, however, was no longer cowering. He dusted off his robe, standing tall with a smug expression. "Ah, how unfortunate for you all," he sighed dramatically. "To think, you had the great Zou Fang on his knees! But, alas, I am not so easily defeated!"
He smirked, kicking over one of the barely-breathing cultivators. "You fools really thought you could outmatch me? Me? Zou Fang? The future legend of the cultivation world?" He stepped on the back of another fallen cultivator. "Next time, think twice before offending me, you lowly scum! Hmph!"
Zou Fang took a deep breath and stretched his arms, his entire demeanor shifting from a coward to a conqueror. "Ah, what a workout! But enough of that—now, let's see what treasures you all have!"
He crouched down, rummaging through the unconscious cultivators' belongings, occasionally muttering complaints about their lack of riches.
Red'Ribbon was speechless. This human… was he truly that shameless?
Just as Zou Fang was about to pocket a particularly shiny talisman, a sudden shadow loomed over him.
He froze, his body going rigid as an enormous creature descended from the sky.
Red'Ribbon landed with a powerful gust of wind, his massive talons digging into the ground. His golden eyes glowed with intensity as he peered down at the human.
Zou Fang let out a strangled yelp, dropping the talisman. "O-Oh? A bird! A very large, very terrifying bird! H-Hi there, magnificent beast! Please don't eat me! I don't taste good, I swear!"
Red'Ribbon tilted his head, his beak opening slightly. "Are you Zou Fang?"
Zou Fang's face went pale. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
The only thing he could do was stare, completely speechless.
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