Powder Bone's Peril

A killing aura permeated the sky above the mountains and forests; even the wind seemed frozen.

Powder Bone hovered before Chen Ping'an, her condition so miserable it was heartbreaking.

Both her legs had been severed cleanly at the knees, the cuts smooth as mirrors, yet strangely not a trace of blood seeped from them. Her left arm was gone as well, leaving only an equally smooth wound at her shoulder.

Her body was covered in wounds of varying depths, as if countless sharp blades had carved her apart. Her clothes had long been soaked in dark red scabs and dust until their original color could no longer be seen. Her aura was at its weakest, yet she stubbornly maintained her position in the air, shielding the barely conscious Chen Ping'an behind her.

Chen Ping'an struggled to raise his head. His voice was hoarse and weak, carrying a trace of reluctance. "Fellow Daoist Powder Bone, you needn't do this. We only met by chance. You should leave on your own."

"Shut your damn mouth!"

Powder Bone suddenly turned her head. Her bloodshot eyes held an almost crazed stubbornness, and though her voice was hoarse, it was utterly resolute.

"My master told me to protect you. As long as I'm not dead, you will not die!"

But she had another calculation in mind. If this burden dies before I do, with my master's methods, I won't escape death either! I'll die either way, so I might as well gamble my life! If I somehow survive, that's a great blessing; if I die here, at least I'll have been loyal and righteous. Better than being punished like some useless coward!

"Good, good, good!" A coquettish laugh filled with mockery and cruelty rang out, breaking the oppressive silence.

Not far away, a red-haired woman