At the sound of the zither, Bai Qiuran muttered under his breath, and Cuiluo's expression changed.
"I'm only using a tenth of my strength, but even that's enough to sweep across the Demon Realm. You little demoness—never mind you, even if that old Demon Emperor came here, I'd send him back to the Demon Realm dead and on his back."
Cuiluo gritted her teeth and glanced at Bai Qiuran before transforming into a vine. She slipped beneath the earth and vanished.
"The County Princess already told you..."
Her gaze swept across the scene. It paused almost imperceptibly on Tang Ruowei in the distance, then settled on Bai Qiuran and Cuiluo. Even Zuo Yanfei and Tang Ruowei blushed under that gaze, to say nothing of Pei Shan and Pei Dao, who were already parched and drooling without even noticing. They'd completely lost the bearing of Cultivators.
Bai Qiuran picked his nose. "You're not calm enough, Cuiluo. The worst I'd have to do is break through another layer of Qi Refining. I'd be more than happy to use you as a punching bag. Besides, I don't remember you coming to the Ten Lands of Jiuzhou this time to get revenge on me."
"County Princess?"
If anyone else had said that, Cuiluo might have scoffed, but Bai Qiuran had proved two thousand years ago that he had the strength to back it up. Gradually, her mind cleared, and fear began to overwhelm her anger and hatred.
Bai Qiuran withdrew his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The green life force on his palm turned into specks of light and returned to the earth.
"Though you're a plant-type Pokemon, I was born with a Wood Spirit Root of the Heavenly Spirit Root grade."
"You may be an old demoness now, but you're still too young in front of me."
Cuiluo gave Su Xiangxue a complicated look. "I'm leaving, County Princess. Take care."
He lifted his hand and reached out. Boundless green light surged from the vine-woven Giant and gathered in his palm. The Giant's iron fist came hurtling toward Bai Qiuran, but just before it reached his face, it turned pale and crumbled into ash.
"And I saved her when her master forced her to become a tool for harvesting yang energy. I helped her kill her master and become the Hehuan Sect's Sect Master. I helped her carry out her reforms within the sect and improve relations between the Demonic Sect Alliance and the Righteous Path Alliance. At a time like this, of course she'll help me!"
"She's under my protection."
But faced with a punch powerful enough to shatter a mountain, Bai Qiuran merely laughed softly.
"Then go."
She looked at Cuiluo and parted her lips.
"Does the County Princess also want to preach those bald-headed monks' Great Dao at me?"
"Enough, Cuiluo. Let's stop here. Young Master Bai, don't provoke her any further."
"And besides, even if you could withstand a tenth of my strength—which you can't—I could immediately retaliate with two tenths, or three tenths."
Cuiluo stubbornly replied.
"No, I'm a Demonic Cultivator. Of course I believe in repaying every grudge. But this is one you'll never be able to avenge, even if you die trying."
"Finally decided to show yourself."
"Ha. Of course she told me everything."
"Cuiluo."
Cuiluo's eyes shifted. She asked coldly, "Where's Princess Bailing?"
"Bai Qiuran, you..."
"Go, Cuiluo. It may be useless, but I'll still urge you to let go of your hatred."
Cuiluo stared fixedly at him in silence.
She straightened up, wanting to say more, but a zither's music suddenly rang out through the woods, interrupting their standoff.
A fierce gale swept across the ground. The punch's wind pressure was so strong that even Tang Ruowei and the others, hiding in the distance, couldn't keep their eyes open.
The green-haired woman sneered. "Qingming Sword Ancestor, you really are a hypocrite. Lies roll off your tongue."
Bai Qiuran looked at Cuiluo with disdain and continued, "Of course I'm on her side, too. I know what that dog of a Demon Emperor is scheming. Does he want his bloodline to return and help pacify the Demon Realm? Or does he want to start a war and shift the blame for his internal troubles? Unless Su Xiangxue agrees, you can forget it. Listen closely: this time, Baiyue Temple brought this on themselves. You killed half their sect, so I'll let you off this time. But there won't be a third time. If you try it again, I'll go to the Demon Realm myself and help the Demon Emperor meet his end!"
Su Xiangxue nodded without hesitation. "If war breaks out between humans and monsters, I'll stand with Young Master Bai without a doubt. Go back. Do you really think the Demon Emperor has no idea what's going on?"
A voice as lovely as an oriole singing from the valley rang out. Just hearing it made one's bones go soft.
Cuiluo asked hesitantly, "Was what Qingming Sword Ancestor just said true?"
"Ha ha."
Bai Qiuran held up two fingers and sneered. "Who do you think you are? Do you think I need to resort to such a low trick as lying to beat you?"
"Don't worry. I'm not about to lay a hand on the White Fox King's daughter, not at a time like this. Once the Demon Emperor dies, the ten Monster Kings of the Demon Realm will fight over the throne. The harder you fight among yourselves, the happier our human race will be. I wouldn't interfere in the Demon Realm's internal affairs."
The green light gathered in his palm, and the entire vine Giant crumbled into ash. The ground beneath it collapsed. A green-haired woman in a green dress tumbled out of the Giant's body, clutching her chest. Her face was pale as she looked at Bai Qiuran.
As she turned to leave, Bai Qiuran suddenly spoke. "There won't be another time."
He raised his chin slightly and looked down at Cuiluo.
"Remember that."
Cuiluo's face fell.
Su Xiangxue shot Bai Qiuran a sidelong glance.
"It's true."
Tang Ruowei and Zuo Yanfei clearly saw Pei Shan and Pei Dao shiver all over, as though a current had passed through them, the instant they heard that voice.
Su Xiangxue spoke softly to Cuiluo. "I've brought Princess Bailing and her maids here. Take them with you. The world is full of dangers. When you return, please tell the White Fox King to keep a closer eye on her. If she comes to the Ten Lands of Jiuzhou again, our human race won't be obliged to search for his daughter a second time."
Su Xiangxue sighed. "Princess Bailing is on the road you took here. Go safely. Goodbye."
As she spoke, a white figure arrived in a graceful drift. A breathtaking beauty appeared before them. A white veil covered her face, revealing only her exquisite phoenix eyes. She wore a plain white dress, simple to the utmost degree, yet on her it held a unique, enchanting charm.
Bai Qiuran glanced at Cuiluo's expression.
"Typical."
"Cuiluo's lived this whole life for revenge."
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