The man moved as fast as lightning, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. In a desperate final struggle, he intended to take Bai Muyao hostage to force his escape.
Bai Muyao, however, was already on guard. With a light and graceful movement, she flicked to the side, narrowly avoiding his sudden assault.
Shi Shuyan reacted with equal speed. With a wave of her hand, a rope of spiritual energy manifested out of thin air, tightly binding the man’s body and pinning him in place.
“Hmph, still trying to resist?” Shi Shuyan sneered with utter disdain.
However, with a violent twist of his body, the man actually broke free from the spiritual restraint! A concealed weapon appeared in his hand, and he launched it directly at Bai Muyao. He intended to wound her first, then seize the opportunity to capture her.
Bai Muyao’s heart skipped a beat. Just as the projectile was about to strike, the Youlan Spirit Jade at her waist suddenly burst with a radiant light, forming an invisible barrier that steadily deflected the weapon.
Seeing this, the man’s expression grew even more twisted. He had assumed Bai Muyao was the weakest link in the area, never expecting her to possess the means to block his full-strength strike.
He was out of options. That concealed weapon had been his last chance.
Turning his hands into claws, he lunged at her. This strike was his final offensive; even if it landed, it would only wound her rather than capture her. But that wound would be enough to leave a permanent mark on her face. Driven to the brink of insanity, the man abandoned all reason, attempting a final, suicidal frenzy.
“Oh no!” Shi Shuyan realized she couldn’t intervene in time.
It seemed Bai Muyao had no way to dodge!
“Hahaha!” The man laughed maniacally, triumph flashing in his eyes. He saw that she was trapped, and he relished the thought of dragging her down into the abyss with him.
At the exact moment he thought he had succeeded…
A cold light flashed faster than a lightning strike!
The man’s laughter froze instantly, replaced by a look of sheer bewilderment. He realized his hand had lost all sensation. A second later, blood sprayed as his wrist was cleanly and precisely severed.
“AAAAHHH! MY HAND!!” His blood-curdling scream echoed through the surroundings.
The man collapsed, unconscious from the agonizing pain. His severed hand rolled away, leaving a gruesome scene behind. The cut on his arm was perfectly horizontal and impossibly precise.
Everyone present was shocked. Their gazes simultaneously shifted toward the unexpected “assailant.”
It was a silver fox.
The little fox stood in the center of the crowd, gazing coldly at the unconscious man. She then cast a quiet glance at Bai Muyao to ensure she was unharmed.
Xu Qing knew she shouldn’t have intervened. Even if Bai Muyao had taken the hit, it would have only been a minor injury perhaps a scar on her face. But for some reason, Xu Qing found she couldn’t tolerate that outcome.
However, if she had used spiritual energy to block the attack, her identity might have been exposed. In her urgency, Xu Qing chose to manifest physically and sever the man’s arm.
Now, facing the collective stare of the crowd, Xu Qing felt momentarily unsure of what to do. Due to the restrictions of the nearby barrier, she couldn’t escape through pure physical speed without using spiritual energy.
Shi Shuyan acted first, using her power to bind the man once more before removing his storage ring. As expected, all the stolen goods were inside. The victims hurried to reclaim their items, and some even took the opportunity to pocket the man’s personal wealth. Shi Shuyan turned a blind eye to this, simply stating, “We will hand him over to the Supervisory Envoy later.”
Though the man had lost an arm, his life was not in danger.
While the other cultivators were busy dividing the spoils, Bai Muyao did not join the fray. Instead, she stared blankly at the silver fox. She knew the little fox had saved her.
She immediately stepped forward and cupped her hands in a respectful salute. “Many thanks to Senior… Senior, for your assistance.”
Not knowing how else to address the creature, she settled on “Senior.”
The little fox simply turned her head away, completely ignoring the thanks. She was busy calculating when she could leave. Xu Qing was surprised that Bai Muyao had handled the situation so well; she had thought the girl would need her help.
It seems I overthought it, Xu Qing mused. She thought that if she were in her human form, she might have actually praised Bai Muyao. But for now, that was out of the question. A little fox doesn’t give out compliments. Besides, even as a human, she wasn’t fond of praising others.
At that moment, Shi Shuyan finished her business and walked over. Seeing the silver fox, she asked, “Is this your spirit pet?”
“No…” Bai Muyao shook her head. She remembered seeing this silver fox when she first entered the town. Technically, she had no relation to the fox, yet for some reason, the denial felt difficult to voice.
Shi Shuyan waved it off. “Forget it, I won’t pry. We’ll be heading into the Monster Beast Mountains shortly.” She added, “You’re quite impressive. Is this really your first time out for training?”
Bai Muyao had mentioned earlier that she had just left her sect for experience.
“It was just luck,” Bai Muyao replied.
Seeing this, Xu Qing thought to herself: This wasn’t luck. Being able to handle a false accusation with such calm was a rare trait.
Shi Shuyan seemed to share Xu Qing’s sentiment. “I can tell. You managed to catch the culprit by creating chaos and remained composed in the face of danger. Given time, you will surely achieve great things.”
Shi Shuyan was not stingy with her praise, causing Bai Muyao’s face to redden slightly.
Watching this scene, the little fox flicked her tail in annoyance. If she weren’t in fox form, she could have praised Bai Muyao like that! How irritating. Why couldn’t she be the one standing there like Shi Shuyan? Feeling disgruntled, the little fox turned her face away entirely.
“Senior Shi, you flatter me,” Bai Muyao said. “It really was just luck.”
“You are so intelligent,” Shi Shuyan continued, “did your Master teach you all this?”
Upon hearing this, the little fox’s pointed ears perked up. Master? Having spent all these years by Bai Muyao’s side, she could certainly be considered her Master.
But Bai Muyao replied, “I do not have a direct Master.”
She wasn’t lying; she was simply telling the truth. In the sect, a disciple from a minor branch like her especially one seen as lacking talent—wouldn’t have a specific Master to guide them.
Xu Qing frowned. Why is Bai Muyao so slow-witted at a time like this? She should have just dropped Xu Qing’s name. If she had, no one would dare mess with her. That man only tried to frame her because he thought she was an easy target. Xu Qing wasn’t that stingy about her reputation. I should have just made her my official disciple years ago, she thought.
Shi Shuyan found it strange. “You’ve reached the Golden Core stage at such a young age, yet you have no Master? How odd.”
Bai Muyao smiled but didn’t offer a direct answer.
Shi Shuyan had other matters to attend to and took her leave. Now free, Bai Muyao looked back at the little fox and saw she was still there.
Xu Qing was waiting for the exact moment the barrier would deactivate so she could vanish. But before Bai Muyao could decide whether to offer more thanks, another woman approached. It was the woman who had lost the Spirit Pearl, which Bai Muyao had recovered for her.
“Thank you, Miss Bai. I apologize for my behavior earlier!” she said.
Bai Muyao signaled it was no problem. The woman’s gaze then fell upon the silver fox. “Is this your spirit pet?” she asked curiously.
Bai Muyao hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
A flash of excitement crossed the woman’s eyes. “Since it hasn’t been claimed, then this cute little thing is ownerless!” She stared at the fox with greed. In the next heartbeat, she released her spiritual energy to pin the fox in place.
Xu Qing cast a freezing glance at the woman. If she weren’t trying to hide her spiritual signature from Bai Muyao, she wouldn’t be caught by such a low-level binding. However, if this woman pushed her luck, Xu Qing had a thousand ways to kill her without using a drop of spiritual energy.
The woman, oblivious to the danger, looked triumphant.
“Senior, what are you doing?” Bai Muyao asked urgently.
The woman laughed. “Since it’s an unclaimed spirit beast, I might as well take it. Better than letting it wander aimlessly!” She pulled out a contract talisman, preparing to bind the fox.
Just as she locked her spiritual energy onto the fox, a cold light flashed in Xu Qing’s eyes. She was about to strike back when she felt a soft, warm sensation envelop her. A familiar, faint fragrance filled her nose.
It was Bai Muyao.
Bai Muyao shattered the binding energy, rushed forward, and pulled Xu Qing tightly into her arms. Protecting the little fox, she glared coldly at the woman. “This senior saved me. I will never allow you to hurt her!”
“Senior?” the woman scoffed. “It’s just a spirit beast!”
Bai Muyao’s expression was icy and unyielding. “If you try to touch her again, you make me your enemy.”
Seeing her resolve, the woman decided not to press further. After all, she had wrongly accused Bai Muyao before, and the girl had helped her. “Fine, keep it if you like,” the woman muttered, turning away in annoyance.
Bai Muyao breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to cause trouble now. She looked down at the fox in her arms and found the creature staring back at her.
So cute! Bai Muyao couldn’t help but think.
However, the little fox just gave her a look and turned her head away again. Bai Muyao felt a bit disappointed, but the fox didn’t struggle; she stayed nestled quite obediently in her arms.
“Senior, let me put you down.”
Bai Muyao suddenly realized that holding the creature like this might be inappropriate. Just as she was about to set the fox down, another woman appeared in front of her. Still wary from the previous conflict, Bai Muyao tightened her grip on the fox.
Xu Qing felt the hold on her become slightly firmer.
The newcomer arrived with a cold smile and a mocking tone. “Not bad. I thought you were done for.” She was referring to the framing incident.
“It was just luck,” Bai Muyao responded.
The woman cocked an eyebrow. “You noticed me a long time ago, didn’t you? Don’t worry, I don’t plan on targeting you. You can relax.” She laughed with an easy confidence.
Bai Muyao looked confused. “Pardon me, Senior, but what do you mean?”
“Huh?” the woman grumbled. “I’m Shi Hua! You don’t recognize me?”
Bai Muyao apologized quickly. “Please forgive me, Senior Shi, but I truly haven’t heard of your esteemed name.”
Shi Hua nearly jumped in frustration. “Me! Shi Hua! In the sect… you haven’t heard of me? The one who was… pur… pursuing Xu Qing…”
Her voice trailed off and became smaller and smaller. Before she could finish, she shut her mouth in embarrassment. Clearly, this wasn’t a successful self-introduction.
Realization dawned on Bai Muyao. “So you’re a fellow disciple! Sister Shi, I am so sorry I didn’t recognize you!” Still clutching the little fox, her movements were awkward; she couldn’t perform a proper bow, so she settled for a deep nod.
Xu Qing felt the posture shift and felt a bit helpless. Shi Hua, meanwhile, was red in the face with anger. She stomped her foot. “Fine! I just came to tell you not to get too full of yourself. I’ll be watching you!” With that, she stormed off, leaving a bewildered Bai Muyao behind.
Watching her? What does Sister Shi mean by that?
Bai Muyao didn’t have time to ponder it. The little fox in her arms began to squirm gently. She quickly crouched down and carefully placed the fox on the ground. “Senior, I’m sorry!”
Xu Qing’s four paws hit the ground. She looked up at the now-deactivated barrier, debating whether to leave. Before she could decide, a young girl came skipping up to Bai Muyao.
“Wow! So cute!” The girl showed her little tiger-teeth, her eyes sparkling as she looked at them.
Bai Muyao looked down at the fox and agreed she was adorable. But unlike the previous woman, she had no intention of claiming her.
The girl blinked and asked expectantly, “Can I touch?”
“I’m sorry, Senior,” Bai Muyao began to explain, “she isn’t mine to”
Before she could finish, the girl’s hand reached out. However, it didn’t go for the fox. Instead, it landed directly on Bai Muyao’s head.
“So cute, I couldn’t help myself!” the girl said dreamily.
Bai Muyao froze as her head was patted. It took her a moment to realize: Was the “cute” one supposed to be me?
Before she could react, the silver fox leaped onto her shoulder and swiped the girl’s hand away with a paw.
“Aw, no touching?” the girl laughed. She smiled at Bai Muyao and said, “Hello! My name is Zhuang Youbai!”