Fox-like Woman, Charging Straight into the Heart of the Enemy

"Miss Hua, that gaze of yours is awfully sharp~"

Fox-like Woman covered her lips and giggled, a trace of teasing glimmering in her red eyes. "Could it be that you think that little display of skill just now is enough for you to fight me?"

Hua Shuya wasted not a word. She immediately shifted her steps and charged straight at her with fierce momentum!

"Hmph. You truly don't know whether you're dead or alive." Fox-like Woman gave a sinister laugh. Seeing the sharp edge about to reach her, she merely flicked a finger, and the sword trembled violently as though struck by a heavy blow, its keen blade forcibly knocked aside.

Fox-like Woman's smile deepened. Her five fingers curled like blades, suddenly raking toward the girl's completely undefended chest.

"—Huh?"

Yet the blow struck nothing but air.

Fox-like Woman's expression froze for an instant. She hurriedly bent down to evade the sword descending over her head. Her red eyes swept around, and she was astonished to find that Hua Shuya had already appeared behind her.

The blade stabbed straight toward her chest, but Fox-like Woman's full head of dark hair writhed like living creatures, swiftly wrapping around the blade and wrenching it to a halt.

Hua Shuya gathered her strength and shouted low. Threads of force burst from her body, and that pure inner breath forcibly snapped strand after strand of dark hair. The blade silently grazed across Fox-like Woman's neck.

Pfft!

A wisp of gray air leaked from the wound.

Fox-like Woman's expression changed slightly. She hurriedly withdrew and retreated, her heart filled with astonishment.

This woman could not only forcefully kill the yin corpses she controlled and wear down their yin energy—she could even injure her own body?!

When they had first met, she had clearly not even reached the Pure Yang Realm of a mortal martial artist. Yet now she was already approaching the Azure Spirit Realm?

No, that was wrong. An Azure Spirit Realm martial artist could never injure her unless they employed some special method!

While she was still astonished, Hua Shuya's sword momentum did not pause for even an instant. Swift sword winds came in successive layers, sealing off her paths of retreat one by one like an airtight encirclement of blades, murderous moves fully revealed.

Fox-like Woman's willow brows furrowed. Both hands moved in succession, repeatedly batting the long sword aside by force, but she no longer dared to meet that strange blade head-on.

This woman... was truly bizarre!

The sword techniques looked like nothing more than ordinary mortal martial arts, but why did they carry a Sword Intent that made her heart tremble?

With the yin energy under her control, killing and torturing the girl before her would clearly not be difficult. Yet this Sword Intent made it hard for her to fight without restraint, leaving her restricted at every turn.

It seemed brute force would not work. She would have to use a few little tricks.

With that thought, Fox-like Woman could not help curving her red lips. She forcibly swept out her yin energy and drove the girl back, then drifted lightly into the courtyard. With a casual wipe, the severed dark hair had already returned to its original length.

"Miss Hua's skills are truly impressive. May I ask which eminent master you studied under?"

Hua Shuya discreetly flexed her aching, numb wrist and said in a low voice, "I would rather know who you are."

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

Hua Shuya's gaze narrowed slightly.

"Ehehe~ Are you wondering why this neglected and despised concubine is so beautiful?" Fox-like Woman smiled seductively as she lightly stroked her own body. "That is the advantage of being a demon ghost. All I need to do is seize the vitality of those women and make it my own. It nourishes and beautifies my skin and appearance. Before I knew it, I had become this captivating and alluring."

"Why did you tear the faces off several women in the Household?"

"Naturally, to give them a little punishment."

A trace of cruelty surfaced in Fox-like Woman's smile. "Out of mercy, I let them struggle on for a few more days. I let them watch with their own eyes as a woman with the same appearance as them, but far more alluring, turned somersaults in bed with Li Yu. The twisted expressions on their faces before they died were truly exhilarating!"

Hua Shuya's expression darkened further.

Li Yu was none other than Steward Li of this Li Manor.

This woman had committed such a monstrous crime for her own selfish desires. Who knew how many innocent women had suffered her cruelty?

And in the end, it had all been for revenge—

"Miss Hua, you are so young yet already possess such astounding martial skills, and you are also so delicate and breathtakingly beautiful. I almost cannot bring myself to hurt you." Fox-like Woman changed her tone, her voice soft and seductive. "Why don't we make peace for the time being? You can simply pretend that nothing happened today, and I... can give you a tremendous benefit—enough to preserve this peerless beauty of yours throughout your entire life without growing old."

"How about it?"

Fox-like Woman gently brushed her own face and said sweetly, "To a woman, appearance is ultimately the most important thing. No matter how beautiful and captivating she is when young, once she grows older, she will never escape the pitiful fate of fading beauty. Miss Hua, you and I are evenly matched in battle, so why not..."

"You truly deserve to die."

Hua Shuya raised her sword and pointed it straight at her. Her pretty face was dark as ink as she declared with iron certainty, "I will cut you down!"

Fox-like Woman let out a faint, sorrowful sigh. "What a pity. I will have to watch yet another beautiful woman wither away before my eyes."

"You—"

Hua Shuya was just about to raise her sword and fight again when she suddenly sensed a strange chill surging into her heart. She hurriedly shifted aside and dodged.

The clothing over her shoulder had already been sliced clean through.

She retreated repeatedly with her sword in hand, staring in alarm and uncertainty at the place where she had been standing.

At some unknown point, a petite black-haired girl had appeared there, standing with a sword in hand. She wore an immortal-style robe and skirt. Her figure was still youthful, yet already possessed a hint of graceful curves. But beneath the bangs covering her exquisite face, a faint blue hue spread across her skin, while her eyes were filled with sinister hatred.

This girl was...

"My luck has been fairly good. A few days ago, I happened to come across this little girl." Fox-like Woman folded her arms and giggled. "Her martial skills were extraordinary, but her state of mind seemed unstable. With just a little trickery, I brought her under my control. I did not kill her outright, however. Instead, I refined her into a half-yin corpse, making her a death soldier to fight others."

"What a pity. If Miss Hua had not dodged that sword just now and had simply died here, things would have been much easier."

Fox-like Woman took light, leisurely steps to the black-haired girl's side. Tilting her head, she curved her lips into a bewitching smile. "As for now, I still do not need to get serious with you. I only need to play with you properly for a while alongside this little girl. I would like to see how long you can hold out."

"But rest assured, Miss Hua. I absolutely will not casually ruin that pretty face of yours."

Fox-like Woman licked her red lips, red light flashing in her eyes. "Such a superb specimen deserves to be carefully preserved."

Outside Li Manor.

Lin Tianlu glanced left and right several times, confirming that there were only two guards outside the manor gate. Only then did he turn his head and ask softly, "Is this the place where you sensed something strange?"

"Yes, yes, sir!"

The child beside him went pale. He glanced at the two men standing guard with staffs in the distance and nodded repeatedly. "I happened to pass by the entrance before, when I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. When I looked back, I saw the Li Household servant guarding the gate suddenly bleeding from all seven orifices. It was terrifying!"

"You also saw Miss Hua there at the time?"

The child pursed his lips. "I—I'm not entirely sure. I was scared out of my wits and only thought of running away. In my haste, I vaguely glimpsed from the rooftops along the street... It seemed Sister Hua was heading toward Li Manor."

"From the looks of it, Miss Hua seems to have fallen into a trap."

He pondered briefly before quickly revealing a gentle smile and lightly patting the child's shoulder. "Stay here and do not wander off. I will be back shortly."

"Mm!" The child promptly answered with a solemn expression.

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

At the same time, a Li Household servant came over with a solemn face, carrying a wooden staff. "Master Lin, it is already deep into the night. Li Manor is temporarily unable to receive out—"

"You are already dead."

Lin Tianlu's tone was flat. "You should rest in peace soon."

The servant looked bewildered. "What are you talking ab—"

Before he could finish, Lin Tianlu cleanly pointed a finger.

"..."

After a moment of silence, all color drained from the servant's face. His pupils widened, and he immediately transformed into a dried corpse and fell backward.

Seeing this, the other servant's face filled with terror. He immediately swung his wooden staff and smashed it down with all his might.

Lin Tianlu flicked a finger. A thread of forceful wind instantly pierced through the man's chest, and he froze in place while still maintaining his swinging posture.

With a calm expression, he walked past the servant and climbed the steps of Li Manor one step at a time, until he raised a hand and slowly pushed open the dust-sealed gate.

Immediately afterward, he saw Hua Shuya engaged in a fierce battle with a black-haired girl.

And—

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

"...?"