Fox-like Woman, Striking Directly at the Dragon's Den

"Miss Hua, your gaze is quite sharp~"

The Fox-like Woman chuckled, covering her mouth. A hint of amusement flickered in her crimson eyes. "Do you really think your meager skills just now are enough to contend with me?"

Without a word, Hua Shuya stepped forward, her movements agile and her momentum fierce as she charged.

"Hmph, truly ignorant of your own limits." The Fox-like Woman gave a sinister grin. As the sharp blade neared, she merely flicked a finger. The sword vibrated violently as if struck by a heavy blow, its sharp edge forcibly deflected.

The Fox-like Woman's smile widened. Her fingers, like blades, hooked and slashed fiercely towards the girl's unguarded chest.

"--Huh?"

This attack, however, missed.

The Fox-like Woman's expression flickered. She quickly dodged the sword aimed at her head, her red eyes scanning and discovering with surprise that Hua Shuya had already appeared behind her.

The sword thrust directly at her chest, but the Fox-like Woman's long, dark hair, as if alive, quickly wrapped around the blade, holding it fast.

Hua Shuya let out a low shout, channeling her energy. Strands of qi erupted from her body. Her pure internal energy even forcibly shattered the strands of hair, and the blade silently grazed the Fox-like Woman's neck.

Squelch!

A wisp of gray energy seeped from the wound.

The Fox-like Woman's face changed slightly. She quickly retreated, her heart filled with astonishment.

This woman could not only kill the yin corpses she controlled and dissipate yin energy, but she could even wound her own body?!

When they first met, she hadn't even reached the Pure Yang Realm of a mortal martial artist, yet now she was approaching the Azure Spirit Realm?

No, a martial artist in the Azure Spirit Realm, unless using special means, absolutely could not injure her!

While she was in shock, Hua Shuya's sword momentum did not falter for a moment. The swift sword winds struck layer by layer, like an impenetrable sword net, blocking all her escape routes, revealing her killing intent.

The Fox-like Woman's delicate eyebrows furrowed. Her hands danced continuously, forcefully batting away the long sword, but she dared not meet that strange sword edge head-on.

This woman... is truly bizarre!

The sword techniques themselves seemed like ordinary mortal martial arts, but why did they emanate a sword intent that made her heart tremble?

With the yin energy she controlled, eliminating this girl should have been easy. Yet, this sword intent made it difficult for her to fight freely, leaving her constrained at every turn.

It seemed force wouldn't work; she'd have to employ some minor tricks.

With this thought, the Fox-like Woman couldn't help but curve her red lips. She forcibly dispersed the yin energy, pushing the girl back. Her figure lightly drifted into the courtyard. With a casual sweep, the severed strands of her dark hair instantly returned to their original length.

"Miss Hua's skills are truly formidable. May I ask which master you learned from?"

Hua Shuya subtly moved her slightly numb wrist and said sternly, "I'd rather know who you are."

The Fox-like Woman spread her arms with a charming smile, openly displaying her beautiful face and body. "Naturally, I am the only mistress of this Li Manor, the... pitiful concubine I mentioned to you earlier."

Hua Shuya's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Hee hee~ Miss Hua, are you surprised that this neglected and disliked concubine is so beautiful?" The Fox-like Woman lewdly stroked her own body. "This is the benefit of being a demon ghost. By simply stealing the life force of those women and using it for myself, I can nourish and beautify my skin and appearance. Unknowingly, I've become this stunning."

"Why did you also take the faces of several women from the manor?"

"Naturally, to give them a little punishment."

A hint of cruelty appeared in the Fox-like Woman's smile. "I mercifully let them live a few extra days. To let them witness a woman with their own appearance, but with a more alluring aura, being intimate with Li Yu. Their twisted expressions before death were truly delightful!"

Hua Shuya's expression grew even more somber.

Li Yu was Steward Li of this manor.

This woman had committed such a heinous crime for her own selfish desires, causing countless innocent women to suffer.

And in the end, it was all for revenge--

"Miss Hua, at such a young age, you possess such impressive martial arts and are also so delicate and beautiful. It almost makes me reluctant to make a move." The Fox-like Woman changed her tone, her voice soft and seductive. "How about we temporarily call a truce? Miss Hua can pretend today never happened, and I... can give Miss Hua a tremendous benefit, enough to maintain her peerless beauty forever."

"What do you say?"

The Fox-like Woman lightly touched her own face and said charmingly, "For women, appearance is ultimately the most important thing. No matter how beautiful they are in their youth, as they age, they cannot escape the pitiful fate of fading beauty. Miss Hua, you and I cannot determine a winner. Why not..."

"You, truly deserve to die."

Hua Shuya raised her sword, pointing directly at her. Her pretty face was as dark as ink, and she said decisively, "I will definitely kill you!"

The Fox-like Woman sighed mournfully, "Alas, I have to witness another beautiful woman perish."

"You, this--"

Hua Shuya was about to draw her sword to fight again, but she suddenly felt a strange chill surge into her heart. She quickly dodged to the side.

The fabric on her shoulder had been cleanly cut.

She retreated repeatedly, holding her sword, and looked at the spot where she had just stood with surprise and uncertainty.

At some unknown time, a small girl with flowing black hair had appeared, holding a sword. She wore a flowing, immortal-like robe and skirt. Though her figure was still youthful, it already held a hint of grace. However, her delicate face, hidden beneath her bangs, had a greenish hue, and her eyes were filled with sinister hatred.

This girl is...

"My luck is quite good. I happened to encounter this little lass a few days ago." The Fox-like Woman crossed her arms and chuckled. "Her martial arts are extraordinary, but her state of mind seems unstable. With a little trickery, I gained control of her. However, I didn't kill her directly but refined her into a half-yin corpse, to be used as a death warrior in combat."

"It's a shame. If Miss Hua hadn't dodged that sword just now and died here cleanly, the outcome would have been much simpler."

The Fox-like Woman walked with light steps to the side of the black-haired girl, tilting her head with a seductive smile. "As for now, I don't need to get serious with you. I'll just have some fun with this little lass and see how long you can last."

"But please rest assured, Miss Hua's pretty face, I definitely won't ruin it easily."

The Fox-like Woman licked her red lips, a red glint flashing in her eyes: "Such a perfect specimen, I must keep it well."

Outside the gates of Li Manor.

Lin Tianlu looked around, confirming there were only two gate guards. He then turned his head and whispered: "Is this the place with the anomaly?"

"Yes, yes! Mister!"

The child beside him turned pale. He glanced at the two men guarding the gate with staffs not far away and nodded repeatedly: "I happened to pass by here earlier and suddenly felt a chill down my spine. When I looked back, I saw the gatekeepers of this Li Manor suddenly start bleeding from all seven orifices. It was terrifying!"

"Did you see Miss Hua at that time?"

The child pursed his lips: "I, I'm not very sure. I was so scared I just ran. I vaguely glimpsed from the rooftops of the houses along the street... it seemed like Sister Hua was heading towards Li Manor."

"It seems Miss Hua has fallen into a trap?"

He pondered for a moment, then quickly showed a gentle smile and lightly patted the child's shoulder: "Stay here and don't move. I'll be back soon."

"Okay!" The child quickly and seriously replied.

Lin Tianlu's expression gradually grew serious as he walked towards the main gate of Li Manor with his hands behind his back.

At the same time, a servant of Li Manor with a solemn face approached, carrying a wooden staff: "Master Lin, it is already late at night, and Li Manor is temporarily unable to receive guests--"

"You are already dead."

Lin Tianlu said calmly: "Rest in peace as soon as possible."

The servant's face showed surprise: "What are you talking abou--"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Tianlu pointed a finger with clean and neat movements.

"..."

After a moment of silence, the blood drained from the servant's face, his pupils dilated, and he immediately turned into a dried corpse, falling backward onto the ground.

The other servant, seeing this, was greatly horrified and immediately swung his wooden staff with all his might.

Lin Tianlu flicked his finger, and a gust of wind instantly pierced his chest. He froze in place, maintaining the posture of swinging the staff.

He calmly walked past this servant, step by step ascending the stairs of Li Manor, until he raised his hand and slowly pushed open the dusty door.

Immediately, he saw Hua Shuya fiercely clashing with a black-haired girl.

And--

A seductive woman, completely naked, standing with her back to the entrance.

"...?"