Demon Immortal Fruit (Part 2)

Yan Chihuo hurriedly said, "Many thanks, Manor Lord. I truly do not deserve such praise; without your cultivation, how could I be where I am today? Once I reach the Cloud Soaring Sect, I will certainly not fail your expectations and will fully obey the Young Master's arrangements."

Although he spoke these words, he still felt some doubt in his heart. As he hesitated, Ping Fei said, "Take it now. Yun'er is well aware of the symptoms that appear after consuming this Demon Immortal Fruit; otherwise, if you were to take it alone, I fear you might remain suspicious."

Hearing the words "suspicious," Yan Chihuo knew he could not refuse. He had no choice but to take the fruit, put it in his mouth, and chew it a few times before swallowing. The fruit was extremely sweet, a delicacy he had never tasted before. After consuming it, he felt a warmth in his abdomen and suddenly felt as though he did not want to move a muscle.

At this moment, he caught sight of a five-colored mist rising outside the manor and wanted to tell Ping Fei, but he suddenly realized he could not utter a single word. Then, the world began to spin, and he collapsed to the ground. In the instant before losing consciousness, he heard Ping Yun sigh, "So the Demon Immortal Fruit really is poisonous."

Seeing Yan Chihuo lying on the ground, Ping Fei also shook his head and said, "Bury him properly; what a pity." He looked up and couldn't help but be startled, seeing that most of Tiger Roar Manor was shrouded in five-colored mist. He shouted, "What is this?"

Ping Yun also looked up, his face changing drastically as he cried, "The Five Poison Cloud Smoke Cover! Which member of the Giant Dharma Sect is this?" Having said this, he began to chant, formed a hand seal, and a green light rose from his body, enveloping him completely within moments. He was just about to pull Ping Fei over when the five-colored mist arrived with terrifying speed, engulfing the entire Tiger Roar Manor. Ping Fei swayed once and collapsed to the ground.

Ping Yun was horrified, for he knew the lethality of the Five Poison Cloud Smoke Cover. He attempted to dash out of the manor, but after running only a dozen steps, the green light on his body dimmed significantly, and more than thirty percent of his internal dharma power had been consumed.

Meanwhile, at Cloud Sun Manor, Zhou Fang was resting in his room when he heard a commotion outside and barked, "What is the matter?" Suddenly, with a loud bang, four burly men flew into the hall and crashed to the floor, blood gushing from their throats. Shortly after, a man in yellow robes walked in leisurely, holding a long sword.

The moment Zhou Fang saw this man, for some reason, he immediately thought of Gao Kun, yet the feeling this man gave him was far beyond that of Gao Kun. He flicked his hands, and over a dozen flying knives shot out. Without even making a move, the man in yellow retreated rapidly, and the flying knives could not catch up to him. He danced his long sword, instantly slaying three more men.

Zhou Fang was terrified and turned to flee, but a flash of golden light streaked past, and he knew nothing more. After killing Zhou Fang, the man in yellow went through Cloud Sun Manor, killing everyone he saw; not a single person was a match for even one of his strikes. A moment later, he broke into a secret chamber. It was a prison, but only one cell held a woman, while the others were empty.

The woman was disheveled, being held down on the ground by a burly man. Upon seeing the man in yellow, the brute was startled, but before he could speak, he was slain by a single strike of the man's sword.

The man in yellow glanced at the woman; she was no longer young, but her charm remained, and she was still a rare beauty. He asked, "Who are you?"

This woman was Hua Ling. After she had led Zhou Fang to retrieve the silver that day, Zhou Fang had lusted after her beauty, but after enjoying her for a few days, he had thrown her into the prison to be abused by the manor guards.

Covering herself with her clothes, Hua Ling wept, "This humble one is Hua Ling. I was detained by the people of Cloud Sun Manor and suffered all manner of humiliation. I thought I would surely die, but fortunately, I have been saved by the Immortal Master."

The man in yellow was startled and said, "How did you know I am a cultivator?"

Hua Ling replied, "Some days ago, the Young Master of the Golden Sword Gang broke in here, and he was just like the Immortal Master. I saw him then, so I recognized it."

The man in yellow nodded and said, "The people of Cloud Sun Manor have all been killed by me. You should leave quickly."

Hua Ling dressed herself and thanked the man in yellow before hurrying away. However, as she brushed past him, the man in yellow caught sight of a red mole near her ear and suddenly exclaimed, "You are called Hua Ling? Could it be that you are a descendant of the South Capital Hua Family, famous for the Falling Flower Sword Art? What relation is Hua Sheng to you?"

Hua Ling was stunned and said, "Hua Sheng is indeed my father, but the Hua Family was long ago removed from the martial arts world, and he has already passed away."

The man in yellow said, "It seems that saving you was fated. Forty years ago, I was nearly frozen to death on the road when your father saved me. You were still in swaddling clothes then, and you already had that red mole by your ear."

Hua Ling had never expected to have a connection with this person. Yet, he looked only about thirty years old; according to his story, he should be at least fifty. It seemed that those of the immortal path all possessed techniques to preserve their youth.

She knelt gracefully and said, "I beg the Immortal Master to take me as your disciple and teach me immortal arts so that I may avenge this grudge."

The man in yellow shook his head and said, "The people of Cloud Sun Manor have all been killed by me, and my Senior Brother has gone to Tiger Roar Manor; I expect it is the same there. As for taking a disciple, in my current status, I have not even finished my own apprenticeship, so how could I dare to take one? Furthermore, you are already of advanced age; there is basically no hope for cultivation."

Hua Ling would not give up, kowtowing and pleading, "I beg the Immortal Master to grant my wish. Even if you cannot take me as a disciple, you could take me as a servant. I can endure any hardship."

The man in yellow shook his head again, but suddenly remembering something, he said, "I cannot keep you, but it is not impossible for you to learn daoist arts. However, given your age and aptitude, I can only recommend you to Red Glow Manor. The Manor Lord, Lady Red Glow, has a slight friendship with me, though I cannot be certain if she will accept you. Furthermore, the daoist arts she practices form their own school and are called by many 'heterodox paths,' and the methods of cultivation are somewhat unseemly. Are you willing?"

Hua Ling hurriedly said, "I am willing. As long as I can learn daoist arts, I am willing to do anything."

The man in yellow sighed and said, "Follow me. We shall pick some treasures from Cloud Sun Manor; firstly, as a gift for your introduction to Lady Red Glow, and secondly, you have not a penny to your name—how could you go to Red Glow Manor otherwise?"

The two left the prison, and the man in yellow selected some treasures and silver from Cloud Sun Manor. He possessed some kind of bag, and he managed to pack away all hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. He only let Hua Ling carry a hundred taels of silver and a few bank notes worth tens of thousands, along with some rare gems and coral. He then took out a jade slip and said, "When you see Lady Red Glow, give her this jade slip. If she still remembers the friendship of those years, she will take you in. But she has achieved great cultivation now, and I cannot be sure if she will remember the past."

Then, he pointed out the road to Red Glow Manor, let Hua Ling depart on her own, and set a great fire, burning Cloud Sun Manor to the ground.