Chapter 18: Encirclement and Annihilation

  Endless sorrow filled the carriage, and the joy in Chong Yao's heart was also diluted. Indeed, heaven would never sympathize with him; before he could savor the warmth for a while, reality had already awakened him.

  "No matter what, the fact that you saved me won't change, as long as it's your wish, I, Chong Yao, will do my best to fulfill it." With his sect's power, there's nothing in this world that he can't accomplish.

  If anyone from the Spiritual Origin Continent heard this, they would probably be overjoyed to the point of ascending to heaven! The personal promise of the Sect Master was no different from an iron tree blooming with flowers. Since his rise to fame, no one had ever been able to get any benefits from him. Unfortunately, such arrogant thoughts were not present here at all.

  A slight pain came from the back of the neck, and only then did he calm down. He touched it and found that the skin was broken in a small area, with a sharp stinging sensation.

  "We're going back to the sect now, come with me. There might be a lot of trouble lately, it's safer for you to stay with me." He was lucky enough to meet a noble person and was able to see the light of day again, but those people wouldn't let him off so easily.

  She doesn't go anywhere, her husband hasn't been found yet!

  "Pull over!" After that dizzy spell passed, Qing Kuang finally sat up and said.

  "Are you not going back to Chongmen with me? It's very dangerous outside..." In his eyes, it was a beautiful misunderstanding, but in the eyes of those who didn't know the truth, they could be considered to be in cahoots. Hmph!

  "Didn't you hear me telling you to stop the car?" The angry breath had a tendency to rise, and he suddenly turned his head to look at Chong Yao.

  "Your Majesty..." The carriage slowly came to a stop, and outside, the voice of the Poisonous Princess was heard. She didn't dare to get too far away, so she naturally heard every word of the conversation inside. What an ungrateful person, actually offending Your Majesty's face! But what surprised her even more was that Your Majesty wasn't angry at all, instead speaking softly and trying to comfort him. Could it be that just because he saved his life, he would look up to him? Then what about her long-term efforts to rescue him?

  "Who told you to stop? Keep going!" But it was just a dog he raised, how dare it act on its own initiative?

  "Are you looking for death?" This person, who had nothing to do with her and was the one who shattered all her hopes, refused to let her go. With a heart full of resentment aimed at the person in front of her, she struck out recklessly without any regard.

  Inside the small compartment, two large red figures suddenly entwined together for a moment. The delicate pastries and warm tea were all swept to the ground, cups and plates scattered everywhere, in a state of utter chaos.

  "Your Highness!" With a swish, she lifted the curtain and glared at Qing Kuang with malice, ready to strike at any moment.

  "Get out!" The mole at the corner of his eye was even more vibrant, but his peach blossom eyes were full of coldness. It's not for others to intervene in his affairs!

  Beautiful eyes seemed to have been poisoned, the poisonous girl reluctantly retreated with a unwilling heart, but her slender hand touched the position on her waist.

  Her hands paused for a moment, still insisting on her determination, with only one thought left in her mind - to kill! To kill all those who stood in her way.

  With a loud crash, the carriage couldn't withstand the two people's pulling and tugging of spiritual energy, and it shattered into pieces. The wet pastries scattered everywhere, and the shredded paper flew all over the sky. The frightened horses also ran away without a trace... Only Qingkuang and Chongyou stood facing each other, neither giving an inch.

  Just as the red-clothed woman was about to take action, Chong Yao hastily called out to stop her, saying that he couldn't expose himself. "Are you looking for someone? I can help you, it's also a way of repaying your debt of gratitude for saving my life."

  The dagger was always circling around, staring at the seductive man with a "tiger's gaze", waiting for a slight order to launch another attack. Looking at the person in front of her, a bright light flashed across her red pupils and disappeared instantly. Help her find someone? Can this person do it?

  "Don't doubt me, the power of our sect is spread throughout the entire continent. Finding someone isn't a difficult task. Since I promised to help you, I will definitely keep my word. Right now, the most important thing for us is to hurry along!"

  Hesitantly looking at Chong Yao, her mind was racing with thoughts. No mistake, what she lacked most now was manpower and resources, and if she were to cultivate from scratch, it would be too late. It's better to use the existing forces that are readily available. Moreover, judging from recent observations, this person seemed to be a remarkable individual. Good or bad, she had never cared about that; as long as the outcome met her expectations, that was all that mattered.

  "Your Highness... we should leave as soon as possible!" With a cold glance at Qing Kuang, Du Xi transmitted the message to the nearest town, waiting for another horse carriage to arrive.

  "How's your consideration?"

  "Five days! Only five days, if I don't find anyone, I'll leave immediately!"

  His brow furrowed, and even Zhong Yao couldn't say for sure. After all, five days was too short a time, and Zhong Men still had more things to attend to recently.

  "Hey, don't be greedy, the master has already agreed to help you, what more do you want...?" The Poisonous Maiden had always disliked Lightness, and before she could even finish speaking, despite dodging, a bloody mark appeared on her face.

  "I'm talking to your master, when did it become your turn to interrupt?" Did she really think that murderous intent went unnoticed? Now she can show mercy, but there won't be a next time! It's unknown how ugly her death would be if Qingfeng found out about the little movements of the Poisonous Maiden before.

  "Poison Maiden, it seems punishment is not enough for you, huh?" Since this red-clothed girl took matters into her own hands, he naturally wouldn't do anything else. Withdrawing his hand, Chong Yao's mouth curled up in a cruel smile, without any anger at all towards the injury of his subordinate.

  "Your Majesty..." covered her face, the resentment in Duji's heart grew wildly like weeds.

  "Hmm~ Do you still have objections? Is this how our sect is so uncultured?"

  "Poisonous girl... I know my mistake!" Feeling the warning in his words, the sweet-looking young girl fell to her knees with a thud, blood flowing from between her fingers but not daring to wipe it away.

  "If there's a next time, you don't have to appear in front of me again!"

  "Exactly!"

  The sound of horseshoes came, breaking the cold atmosphere. Two tall sorrel horses stopped in a hurry, obviously galloping all the way, panting heavily.

  "See the master!" The groom jumped down nimbly and knelt down in front of the seductive woman, not daring to lift his head at all.

  "Let's go, the trouble will probably catch up soon." He stepped into the carriage first and looked at the things inside, which were exactly the same as before. Only then was he satisfied, his subordinates had done a good job this time.

  After Chong Yao left, Du Xi finally stood up and suppressed the resentment in her heart, carefully bandaging her own wounds.

  "Please get on the bus~" Relying on the carriage, the lazy and indulgent person picked up the letter next to him, his clothes inadvertently pulled, revealing a white chest, countless scars faintly visible, although it ruined the beauty, but added a few points of cruel flavor.

  She doesn't care about anything else, she just wants to find someone, but for now the most important thing is her own body. That old monk and that nosy man, what a nuisance!

  The curtain was pulled open, and Chong Yao glanced at it lightly before returning his gaze to the letter. Ha! Surrounding the Chong Gate, rising up to attack? It's all an old trick, yet they still want to reuse it? He thoroughly destroyed the letter in his hand, and he wanted to see who would ultimately die in whose hands!

  "Where is Chongmen?" He stroked his neck and asked lightly after spinning around twice.

  "In the place where four countries meet." Pouring a cup of tea, Chongyou pushed it to Qingkuang's face. Yet he only mentioned a location that everyone was familiar with.

  "How long will it take?" Everything has its pros and cons. Although being at the intersection of four countries allows for influence to seep into all four, once attacked, it also means gathering the strength of all four countries, unless there is enough power to counterbalance it.

  "With a fast horse and a whip, three days!" Doubt arose, hadn't this person ever traveled far before? Otherwise, how could he not even know the distance of the road?

  Three days is too long, she can't wait that long. "Find someone for me now!"

  "We'll have to wait until we reach the next town to send out a message. But you should first tell me who the person is, what they look like, so I can conveniently ask around for information. And if you don't mind, could you also tell me your name? We can't just not address each other at all!" Although he had an idea in his mind, he still asked it out loud.

  Thinking of her husband, the air around her changed instantly, soft like water. "My husband, the best person to me in the world..."

  As expected, that one sentence of thought hidden in the darkness contained what kind of deep feeling, he had not yet experienced, and it was already fleeting.

  "What's his name..."

  "Don't worry about what it's called, I'll give you the portrait later and have your people find it in some mysterious place." For an instant, tenderness flashed like a fleeting flower, but she quickly regained her cold composure. Could the name of the man from her household be casually mentioned? Wait! He was a recluse, not even deigning to be among humans, and never allowed humans to see him. If no one could even see him, how were they supposed to find him? She really was getting more and more muddled with age, resorting to desperate measures in her illness.

  "What's wrong?" Not ignoring the change in atmosphere, Chong Yao couldn't help but look up at her, his curved eyebrows furrowed, and a hint of fear also appeared in his red eyes. Red eyes, no matter how many times he looked at them, still thought they were very beautiful!

  "It's okay......" Calming her mind, she repeatedly told herself that it was possible to find him. Maybe by chance, they would meet again, and even if the opportunity was slim, it was still better than being alone.

  For a moment, they looked at each other in silence. Chong Yao felt a bit frustrated that he still couldn't get the name out of him, but it didn't matter. There was plenty of time ahead, and one day he would find out.

  All along the way, all kinds of rumors could be heard everywhere, and the key figure was naturally this somewhat enchanting man beside Qing Kuang.

  "I heard that the big devil is making trouble again, it's getting out of hand..."

  "What's there to fear? The various empires and countless powerful individuals aren't just people who only eat without working..."

  "You know what I've heard that demon lord kills people like flies, specializes in sucking human blood, and in the end, not even a single bone is left... tsk tsk..."

  "Alas... wasn't it said that this demon was caught earlier? How did it come out and wreak havoc again?"

  "I heard that someone rescued him, but I don't know who would do such inhumane and cruel things..."

  "I saw it, I saw it, a red-clothed girl, how formidable! And there's another secret too......"

  When the word "secret" was mentioned, everyone cautiously drew closer, after all, who doesn't have a curious mind? However, the noisy crowd naturally ignored an ordinary horse carriage passing by slowly beside them, and even more so didn't notice many insects crawling down from it.

  "Never mind that for now, you all know Foyuan Mountain, right... Do you know Master Wisdom..."

  "Of course I know, no need for you to say..."

  "Come on, come on, what's the secret?"

  "This secret is that the Great Wisdom Master has passed away, and such a high-ranking monk has passed away, how can there be no relics left behind? It's said that this relic is on that demon's body..."

  "If I had to say, it was definitely this demon who killed the Great Sage of Wisdom. Such an evil and vicious creature should be killed as soon as possible!"

  "That's right, that's right..."

  "Ahhhhh..." The crowd erupted in a commotion, with people staring at the two who had spoken the most, their bodies covered in festering sores and foaming at the mouth, a truly terrifying sight.

  Hearing the voice from behind, Du Niang smiled with satisfaction. Who dares to be disrespectful to His Majesty? Looking for death!

  If it's about strength, Du Niang can hear it, how could Qing Kuang and Chong Yao not know? The difference is that Qing Kuang obviously didn't take those words to heart, closing his eyes to calm his mind and soothing the violent dark spiritual power; Chong Yao, on the other hand, focused his attention on the Sarira. That man's words were still vivid in his mind - was he going to use the Buddha's Sarira to heal this girl's body? But he couldn't see any problem with it! Maybe wait until they settle down and let Du Niang take a look.

  Thinking of what was said earlier, Chong You Xiao smiled evilly and indeed they were right, the Buddha's relic was really in his hand. As soon as he took it out, before he could even take a good look at it, Qing Kuang loudly stopped him.

  "Give it to me and throw it away!" The dark spiritual pearl, which had just calmed down slightly, began to rage again. For a moment, the already unsightly complexion became even paler, with a hint of greenish tint.

  "What's wrong?" Chong You couldn't care about the relic in his hand, he patted it down and sat up straight, looking at the person with a changed expression with concern.

  "Didn't you hear me telling you to throw it away?" Panting heavily, his eyes, red with rage, stared at the sarira, as if he wanted to bore a hole into it.

  "Alright, I'll put it away immediately..." Mingming was fine just before, it seems the problem lies with this sarira. Quickly putting things in order, Chongyou poured a cup of tea and handed it to Qingkuang. "How are you? Are you alright?"

  She let out a sigh of relief, as long as the Buddha's relics were not there, she would be much better off. Killing and cruelty, sometimes the more they are suppressed, the more they are provoked, especially when the strength is not in the same league, this approach will only have the opposite effect. It's like a tiger and a monkey, the monkey provokes again and again, if it really angers the tiger, then what awaits it is only extinction.

  Looking at the girl's intense gasping, Chong Yao tried to keep his voice down, "Do you want to lie down and rest for a bit? I think your face doesn't look too good, don't worry! I'll be guarding by your side."

  The turbulent spiritual pearl, the exhausted body, and the tense nerves, all of which made her feel like she was getting worse by the day. She slowly lay down, the red-clothed girl's face turned inward, curling herself up into a small ball, then soothing the irritated spiritual pearl. A small, pitiful figure, an atmosphere of sorrow, it was a sight that inspired sympathy.

  "Poisonous girl, slow down, steady!" He covered the neatly stacked brocade quilt over Qing Kuang and whispered orders to those outside.

  "But... " They are now short of time, how can they afford to waste it, all because of that dead woman!

  "How dare you have an opinion? Hmm~"

  "Poisonous girl doesn't dare!" Pulling the reins, Poisonous Girl always has a big fire in her heart, but she also doesn't dare to go against Chong Yao's intentions.

  As the carriage slowed down, Chong Yao finally put down the letter in his hand and instructed his subordinates on what to do next. Occasionally, those peach blossom eyes would glance over at Qing Kuang.

  At night, the horse carriage finally stopped in a forest outside the city. Only Qing Kuang was still lying inside the carriage, while Chong Men San Ren had already started a fire and begun eating.

  "Your Majesty, at the speed we're going today, we'll be delayed on our journey." They are in danger at any moment and shouldn't stay outside for long. It's better to return to Chongmen as soon as possible.

  "Hmm~" He leaned against the tree, narrowed his eyes, and everyone thought that as soon as Chong Yao ran out, he would hastily escape. It was likely that many powerful people had already blocked his way. But he deliberately did the opposite, taking an unremarkable horse carriage and proceeding at a leisurely pace, which wouldn't attract anyone's attention at all.

  "May..."

  A rustling sound came, and Liangzi jumped down from the car, slowly approaching the firelight.

  "Are you awake? Have something to eat!" He handed over the remaining warm food, and Chong You raised the corner of his mouth. The poisonous girl watching from the side felt extremely suppressed, this master was completely unlike the usual master.

  Whoosh! Just as Qing Kuang was about to take the dishes, fortunately he dodged quickly, otherwise it wouldn't have been just the lunchbox that got shot through.

  "You dare to defy me? Now, where can you escape?" The figures flashed by, and it was those five Tianxuan realm cultivators again, along with many old and young people of all kinds, who rushed up and surrounded them.

  "Haha, who do I think it is! It's actually the defeated general, He Daxia from the Bingqi Gate. I wonder if you've found your younger brother yet? Do you need my help? Don't worry, I won't charge you a penny~" His eyes were filled with cruelty, but Chong Yao smiled in an enchanting manner.

  "Damn it! You demon, how dare you be so arrogant, killing my brother and now even humiliating me!" As soon as he mentioned this matter, he wished he could kill the person in front of him. His brother was indeed a bit of a rascal on ordinary days, but it wasn't worth taking his life, was it? This demon actually had the audacity to lay a vicious hand, sending his brother back piece by piece. He vowed not to rest until this grudge was avenged!

  "Humiliate you? Sorry, I've never even considered you worthy of my attention. What makes you think you're anything special?" Xiao Xin carefully blocked the way in front of Qing Kuang, while Chong Yao let out a soft laugh, but her upturned peach blossom eyes didn't hold any amusement.

  "Hey!" He Dahai's face turned red with rage, and he began to speak recklessly. "You demon head, you think too highly of yourself! Tsk tsk, look at you, not even a bit like a man. I wonder what kind of tricks you used to become the master of this household? That ghostly place is full of men and women, who knows how many are your concubines? So many people, can your small body handle it? Ah? Hahaha..."

  The killing intent grew thicker, and the smile at the corner of Chong Yao's mouth suddenly disappeared. He hated it when people made a fuss about his appearance, because it reminded him of those dark past events.

  "Hmph, you evil demon, no matter how well you hide, your tracks will still be exposed! Today, we'll take justice into our own hands and get rid of you, the root of all evil!" As he said this, He Dahai couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of several mysterious deaths in a nearby town due to poisoning, they wouldn't have attracted attention and come here.

  The footsteps grew louder, and more and more people rushed over. Looking at the food on the ground, her anger rose continuously in her heart. Other people's grudges had nothing to do with her, but they shouldn't have ruined her meal! Whether she wanted to eat or not was up to her, and even if she didn't want it, no one else should "interfere".

  "Hand over the Buddha relics of the Great Wisdom Master at once!" Jin Xitian's voice was urgent. Looking at the red-clothed girl, they were indeed in cahoots!

  "Tsk, tsk, tsk, bullying the few with the many again, you guys really don't have any new tricks, huh?" As soon as these arrogant words left his mouth, Chong Yao took the lead and made a move. He had been holding in his anger for a long time, and since these people came to seek death, how could he not fulfill their wish?

  The strong clashed, and more than half of the people surrounded Chong Yao, while those who came later, not knowing the truth, naturally focused their attention on Qing Kuang. If they knew that the sensation of Foyuan Mountain was caused by this girl in front of them, they would probably not bring about their own destruction.

  This night is destined to be a river of blood, and countless souls will report to the King of Hell.

  Looking around at the ten people, the pale face with a hint of madness had a bloodthirsty intent to kill, scarlet eyes scanned the crowd, no one dared to meet his gaze, the dark flames suddenly rose, setting off that face like a ghost, making people feel terrified.

  "Kill!" The dagger rose with a flourish, flying in a circle through the air. The wounded person let out a pained cry that wouldn't stop, their wound covered in a layer of frost, their teeth chattering from the cold, yet not a single drop of blood flowed out.

  "Never to be extinguished!" A large amount of dark spiritual energy was unleashed, and a circle appeared in the void, with a hint of bloodiness, smashing towards the ground. With a loud crash, the powerful dark spiritual energy engulfed everyone who had surrounded her just moments before, disappearing bit by bit until not even a speck remained. As for those who failed to dodge in time, they too suffered severe injuries, and cries of anguish filled the air.

  Everyone looked at her in horror, hesitating and not daring to come forward. If she did that again, whoever was closer would be the one to suffer!

  Her foot slipped, and she instinctively covered her mouth in shock. Had she been too careless? When had someone secretly plotted against her without her even realizing it? The surrounding noise couldn't affect her at all. She cut her finger with a dagger, took out a pellet of medicine, and dripped some blood onto it. In the blink of an eye, the medicine was completely dissolved. This medicine was something she had made in her free time using only the best herbs and precise quantities. However, as soon as it came into contact with anything poisonous, it would instantly be neutralized by the toxin. Upon inspecting herself internally, she found that a small part of the crystal near her heart had turned blue. So who was behind this? She recalled the almost imperceptible wound on her neck, which hadn't been there before. It wasn't possible for someone else to have given it to her. Thinking back to the people she had met since waking up from her coma, it was that woman with murderous intentions! How could her petty tricks have escaped her notice? Was it just because she didn't bother to care about them at the time? Now, it seemed like those schemes were being used against her instead. Looking over at the woman who had thrown out a large amount of poisonous powder and turned some dead people into living corpses, Leng Qiu walked towards her step by step, with the surrounding people also moving cautiously along with her.

  "You're looking for death!" The sound of death came, and the wooden spiritual power directly bound the Poison Princess's neck.

  "Cough...cough...you...did...", she fell backwards, the Poisonous Maiden landing in a sorry state, staring at the person before her in disbelief.

  One kick sent a person flying, and with a loud crash, a large tree fell to the ground. The Poisonous Maiden spat out a mouthful of blood, giving a fierce glare at Qing Kuang.

  Everyone exclaimed in surprise at this scene. Is this... infighting? The other side's Chong Yao also took a glance over here, and couldn't help but furrow his brow.

  "What are you, daring to lay a hand on me? Are you worthy?" With a body full of killing intent, the demonic charm's heavy tone, and with a light kick, he sent the person flying again, controlling the wood-elemental spiritual power to pull them back.

  "Cough...I don't understand what you're saying..."

  "Die without admitting?" With a dagger in hand, he gave a sly and eccentric smile, stabbing at the scorpion tattoo on his shoulder.

  "Ah...ah...!" A mournful cry, the Poison Maiden rolled about on the ground in agony. How did this person know that was her weak point?

  "But isn't he just a clown, the Medicine Saint? The Medicine Ancestor? Or is it the Medicine Venerable?" Changing to another angle, the lightly insane scorpion was dug into again and again, instantly causing blood to flow like water.

  Her whole body ached and trembled, Du Xi stared at the devil in front of her with wide eyes, looking unbelievable.

  "What's with the big eyes, heh? Are you scared? Then why did you try to poison me? This body is his treasure, no one can touch it. What are you, daring to lay a hand on me?" Tightening the wooden spiritual energy, a slight and unintentional raise of her head sent the people around her retreating in fear.

  When she heard this, the Poisonous Empress never thought that someone would actually discover her poisoning. Previously, countless women around the master had died, and it took a lot of effort for her to climb to today's position. How could she allow others to occupy the master's line of sight? But somehow, she was discovered. Who is this person after all? No matter who it is, preserving her life is the priority at the moment.

  With a sizzling sound, the smell of burnt offerings wafted through the air, and all the venomous insects were scorched clean. Seeing this, Qingkong's hands moved even more ruthlessly.

  "You know, you reap what you sow. Don't blame me if you die. Who told you to mess with the wrong person?" A dark flame rose up, and the Poisonous Maiden tried to build a barrier to resist it, but it was all in vain.

  "Ah... Ah... Ah..."

  She was a beautiful woman, but she just disappeared like that. The onlookers felt a chill in their hearts, it's really true that when you're gone, you're gone! She was swallowed up without even leaving any residue behind, only the sound of wailing remained, which was truly frightening!

  Hehe, play with poison? She's the ancestor of poison! Scanning around in a circle, every time she takes a step forward, the crowd retreats one step. If it were just a earthly boundary, they wouldn't be afraid, but they're afraid of that fire! Others who got burned to death at least left behind a corpse, this black fire is too eerie!

  "Who else dares to come!" The dark energy swirled around, his robes were blown and fluttered loudly, Ling Xiao stood there lightly, yet forcing the crowd not to dare approach.

  Digression

  Bamboo has something to confess, waaah... Bamboo's brain is messed up, and I actually got the levels wrong, and it's been going on for so long. No wonder some friends said they couldn't understand, clearly I was following the Tiandi Xuanhuang arrangement, what was I thinking?! I actually mixed up the Dikun Realm and the Xuanyu Realm, okay... Bamboo will correct it, crying blindly~ Where did this mistake start from?!

  Besides, Qing Kuang's current level is Earthly Boundary Six Stars, not Mysterious Abyss Boundary Six Stars.

  Finally, Bamboo knows that it has many shortcomings, the plot is not compact, there are problems with expression, and logical thinking is chaotic. However, Bamboo still wants to thank its tolerant and supportive family for accompanying me until now! Bamboo bows once, twice, thrice, ceremony completed! Sent into the bridal chamber... Hmm? It seems like I've gone off track... In short, love you all, muah muah~