The girl in military uniform was sixteen this year, and she was used to getting whatever she wanted. If she wanted wind, it was windy. If she wanted rain, it rained. She’d never encountered someone as stubborn as Su Yi before.
She was well aware that the people clustered around her weren’t afraid of her, but rather, the authority of the clan behind her.
But she never would have guessed just how awful it would feel to meet someone who truly wasn’t intimidated by her, and worse, who dared talk back on multiple occasions.
Especially since, judging from Su Yi’s attitude, he disdained arguing with her. This dealt an enormous blow to her sense of self-respect.
Still, when she heard the guard’s suggestion, she nevertheless clenched her teeth and refused.?Her conceited pride made her unwilling to let others do her dirty work like that!
She took a deep breath, then ordered, “Going forward, no matter what dangers that guy runs into, don’t do anything to save him unless he lowers his head and begs!”
She made no attempt to lower her voice, as if she disdained the secrecy, or as if she wanted Su Yi to hear her.
Unfortunately, all she saw was his back. He didn’t so much as turn to look at her. It seemed he didn’t take her words the least bit seriously.
This left her gnashing her teeth in anger. She took several deep breaths for fear of losing control of her temper, charging, and cutting Su Yi’s head clean off.
“Miss, you mustn’t be angry. Our family’s son-in-law is no ordinary person either.” Guo Bing seemed to have picked up on the strange atmosphere. He smiled apologetically and explained in an attempt to alleviate the hostility between her and Su Yi.
“Is he that tough?” She snorted coldly.
Guo Bing didn’t seem to pick up on her disdain. He said proudly, “That’s only natural! At the Dragon’s Gate Banquet two nights ago, our family’s son-in-law suppressed every other challenger and seized the top spot! This incident shook both sides of the Great Azure. They’re discussing our family’s son-in-law even over in Cloudfall City!”
The girl was briefly stunned. Then, she stared at the distant Su Yi, seemingly enlightened. “So that’s why! No wonder he’s been so haughty. He took first place in the Dragon’s Gate Banquet and now he thinks he’s got stuff!”
This time, Guo Bing finally picked up on the mockery in her words. He couldn’t help but feel a bit displeased.?She might be young, but how can she be so blind??Does she think taking first place in the Dragon’s Gate Banquet is an ordinary feat?
Guo Bing shook his head, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain any further.
Little did Guo Bing know, in the uniformed girl’s eyes, taking first place in an event as paltry as Guangling City’s little Dragon’s Gate Banquet really was nothing at all!
……
Rumble!
Low thunder rumbled over the horizon, shaking the tiles of the dilapidated temple. Clumps of dust fell from the rafters.
The uniformed girl was stunned. She immediately looked outside the hall.
“Miss, it’s about to rain.” Uncle Yong furrowed his brow.
Martial artists were the most sensitive to changes in heaven and earth. Just as the thunder rumbled overhead, Uncle Yong picked up a hint of moisture in the air.
As expected, shortly after that distant rumbling, rain started pouring down in buckets, plunging all of heaven and earth into darkness, as if night had fallen already. Raindrops clattered against the temple roof in rapid succession.
The rain and dark clouds enveloped the distant, towering white pine forest. The intermittent flashes of lightning within the clouds lit up the trees. Amidst the fierce winds and rain, they looked like a pack of ghosts and goblins baring their teeth and swinging their claws.
Cold, dark, and imposing
Guo Bing cried out in alarm, “Hurry, light a fire! Mother Ghost Ridge is most dangerous when it rains. Whatever you do, you cannot go out. Otherwise, you’re surely doomed!”
His hideously contorted, perpetual grimace filled with sheer terror.
Uncle Yong instantly grew solemn. Not daring to be negligent, he ordered the others, “The few of you are to get a fire going. The rest of you, dispose of the corpse, then stand guard outside the grand hall. Make absolutely certain none of those villains sneak in under the cover of rain.”
The guards hurriedly got to work.?Before long, they’d built a blazing fire, which dispersed the dark, sinister atmosphere of the grand hall.
The girl and her guards sat around the fire. Some of the guards were carrying food with them, which they offered to the girl. There was wine, meat, and light refreshments. It was actually rather sumptuous.
The girl took some of the wine and meat and passed them to Guo Bing. “Eat up!”
He gulped, then gazed outside the great hall, looking a bit hesitant. “Sir, it’s likely already noon. How about you come eat with us too?”
Su Yi simply stood beneath the eaves, staring into the distant rain. “Don’t worry about me.”
The uniformed girl snorted. “This food wasn’t for you in the first place!”
Time slipped by.
The girl and her entourage were soon fully sated, but it was still pouring outside, and the rain showed no signs of letting up.
Su Yi had long since returned to the hall. He sat alone, facing away from the statue before the gates, his eyes closed in silent meditation.
The statue turned away from the populace.?And Su Yi? He turned away from the statue. The two rather complemented each other.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The rain fell against the roof, and mists rose within the darkness.
Outside, it was pouring, and the winds were fierce, but within the great hall, the campfire was toasty warm.
Uncle Yong had the saber he usually kept strapped on his back across his knees. He faced the gateway, his back perfectly straight. His eyes were closed as he recovered his energy.
The other guards were quietly talking amongst themselves.
Guo Bing was curled up on one side of the fire, looking fretful. He could tell that rain of this intensity was unlikely to let up by nightfall.
This meant it was highly likely they’d have to spend the night in the abandoned temple.
The uniformed girl was already a bit impatient. She muttered, “It’s been so long! Why haven’t those villains of the Deathbringer’s Gate shown up yet?”
Almost as soon as she said that, Su Yi’s eyes popped open.
Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!
The ambient yin energy suddenly surged like a whirlwind, popping the tightly sealed door to the grand hall right open.
The blazing campfire surged, scattering countless sparks, but within a few seconds, it had fizzled out completely.
This plunged the entire hall into complete darkness.
“Protect the young miss!”
“Careful! That’s a swarm of Ghoul Worms!”
….The interior of the hall was in complete chaos. The guards’ shouts and the sound of weapons leaving their sheaths echoed throughout the pitch-black great hall.
At almost the same time, Guo Bing felt himself lifted into the air; someone had grabbed him by the back of his shirts.
One sudden development after another had already scared him almost out of his wits, but just as he was about to scream and struggle, Su Yi’s calm voice whispered into his ear, “Elder Guo, don’t panic.”
Guo Bing paused, stunned. Then, he exhaled and stopped struggling.
The hall was so dark that they could see practically nothing at all.
Yet Su Yi walked as calmly as if he were taking a stroll, carrying Guo Bing and returning to the statue.
The darkness restricted his vision, just like it did the others’. He could see only dimly.
But this didn’t hinder his movements.
On the contrary, this type of atmosphere heightened his sensitivities.
Fighting had already broken out throughout the hall. The sound of slaughter and clashing weapons rang out alongside hurried, changing footsteps and low, heavy breathing.
There was also the sound of crunching and something shooting through the air. ．
The entire great hall was in chaos, plunged into incomparable peril. It was enough to make one’s heart jump.
Clang!
Suddenly, Su Yi shook his wrist, and Mortal Edge shot from its bamboo sheath. With a flash of cold light, he stabbed each of the ten or more Ghoul Worms hurtling towards him. Their bodies burst into pieces and scattered.
Guo Bing broke out into cold sweats.
He hadn’t sensed this sudden, impending danger in the slightest!
The ominous winds howled, repeatedly slamming the main gates. An unknowable number of Ghoul Worms surged into the building, riding the bone-chillingly cold air currents.
The battle continued.
Su Yi just stood there. Every time he sensed impending danger, Mortal Edge struck as if it had eyes of its own, slaying the worms with impeccable accuracy. It didn’t miss, not even once. Su Yi seemed perfectly relaxed.
This was enormously reassuring for Guo Bing, whose heart gradually calmed down. Before long, he wasn’t nearly as panicked.
Fifteen minutes later.
The piercing sound of a bone flute rang out in the rain and darkness outside the hall.
It acted like a signal. The sinister winds instantly ceased their rampage, and the remaining Ghoul Worms reacted as if they’d been summoned, all of them rushing outside.
“Don’t chase them! Start a fire first!” Amidst the darkness, Uncle Yong called out, his voice like iron.
Before long, they’d lit a new campfire, its warm glow dispelling the darkness.
When they recovered their field of view, they saw that the interior of the hall was covered in rubble. Uncle?Yong?and the other guards stood protectively around the young woman. Without exception, their expressions were grave and fearful.
The corpses of countless black worms littered the floor.
Su Yi looked around, then said to Guo Bing, “We’re safe for now.”
But suddenly, Uncle Yong’s expression shifted, and he dashed out of the hall.?When he returned, his expression was unsightly. “Miss, Hu Jiu and Zhang Tong have been murdered.”
They were the two he’d first assigned to stand guard outside the main gate.
But when Uncle Yong went outside to check up on them, they were already lying on the ground, dead, more than half of their flesh devoured. The sight was brutal and terrifying.
The uniformed girl’s eyes were wide, and the blood drained from her pretty face.?In all her years of life, she’d never seen anything so brutal before. For a moment, the combination of rage and grief left her at a complete loss.
“Miss, to martial artists like us, life and death are commonplace. There’s no need to be overly upset.” Uncle Yong walked up to her and said gently, “Your father agreed to let me lead you here because he wanted you to experience more of the world. Only then can you truly mature.”
The girl seemed somewhat dejected. She sighed, “But I didn’t think anyone would die on this expedition.”
“This is just the beginning,” Su Yi suddenly interjected. “If I’m not mistaken, this night won’t be at all peaceful. The task at hand is preparing for battle. We don’t have time for grief.”
“What does my business have to do with you?” snapped the girl. “In the battle just now, you didn’t seem so skilled! On the contrary, you hid faster than any of us!”
Uncle Yong whispered, “Miss, he’s right. It’s highly likely that we’ll face brutal combat soon.”
His expression was grave. It seemed he’d sensed how perilous their situation was too.
The girl’s expression shifted. “Will anyone else die?”
Uncle Yong was silent for a moment. “I’ll do my best not to let anything like that happen again.”
She fell silent for a moment. She trusted Uncle Yong more than anyone else here. For even him to say that, just how perilous would this night be?
It was then that Su Yi’s eyebrows shot up, and he glanced outside the hall.?What he saw was—
A figure strolling leisurely through the temple’s main gates.?Despite the darkness and pouring rain, he seemed confident and utterly at ease.