Gu Zhaoyan pulled back the bridal veils, feeling a great sense of relief when he saw that one of the men was indeed Yan Wenqing. Without further delay, he produced a long rope woven entirely from talismanic paper, stretching it tightly from the head to the foot of the bed to securely fence the four grooms in and ensure they would not fall victim to evil spirits.
Afterward, he plastered numerous talismans across various parts of the room to guarantee its safety. For now, he needed to head to the front courtyard to check on Bailang and see if it was a match for Seventh Granny. With no time to spare here, he could only set up these hasty precautions to prevent any blind, stray little demons from breaking in and causing trouble.
When Gu Zhaoyan returned to the front courtyard, he was momentarily taken aback. The courtyard had long since been reduced to a scene of ruined walls and shattered rubble, and the little demons who had come to offer their congratulations had already fled far away without a trace. All that remained were weasels scattered across the ground, some killed and reverted to their original forms, while others rolled around and wailed in agony.
Bailang and Seventh Granny were locked in a fierce, blazing battle, clearly having fought with true fury. Bailang’s ice-blue eyes gleamed with a chilling light, and its silvery-white fur was stained with bright red blood that dripped continuously. Seventh Granny’s eyes also glowed with a crimson light as she stared fixedly at Bailang.
Grasping a white-bone whip tightly in her hand, Seventh Granny glanced sideways toward the back upon hearing movement, a cold sneer curving her crimson lips. “Good! A brilliant feint to the east while attacking in the west! I wonder in which immortal cave the two of you fellow cultivators practice?”
Gu Zhaoyan drew his sword and pointed it straight at Seventh Granny. “We are merely rustic, wild demons, quite incomparable to Seventh Granny’s blessed paradise of a cave!”
The moment the words left his mouth, he slashed forward with his sword, transforming dazzling light into a sharp blade that lunged straight toward Seventh Granny! With a flick of her wrist, Seventh Granny cracked her whip, and a pale glow crashed against the blade with a metallic, ringing clash. Raising her slender hand, the white-bone whip lashed out toward Gu Zhaoyan like an agile dragon, carrying surging demonic energy as it whipped directly at his face.
At that instant, Bailang leaped forward, its sharp claws springing out to rake across Seventh Granny’s back. Yet as if she possessed eyes on the back of her head, Seventh Granny twisted her waist and spun around, narrowly dodging the blow.
Individually, neither Bailang nor Gu Zhaoyan was a match for Seventh Granny, but combined, they managed to fight her to a relative standstill.
Seventh Granny’s pretty face turned frosty, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury. Ever since she attained human form, she had been the undisputed overlord of Huangtu Slope, and no one had ever dared to raise a hand against her. Yet now, two reckless whelps from god knows where had the audacity to come stir up trouble, they were simply tired of living!
“How are you holding up?” Gu Zhaoyan asked, breathing slightly heavier than before. He hadn’t expected this Seventh Granny to be so tricky to deal with, no wonder the rat demon’s personal treasury was completely empty, yet he still didn’t dare skip out on coming here.
Bailang’s eyes remained ice-cold as it replied flatly, “I won’t die! Remember to pull out whatever ultimate trump card you’ve got left later.”
Gu Zhaoyan tightened his grip on his sword. “Don’t worry. Opportunities like this are rare, so let’s use her for practice first.”
Hearing Gu Zhaoyan speak as though treating her as a mere practice dummy fueled Seventh Granny’s rage even further. Consumed by fury, she sneered, “I want to see just what kind of tricks you have!” With that, she lashed out fiercely with her bone whip, tearing through the air with a sharp, piercing shriek.
Gu Zhaoyan raised his sword to block, but the white-bone whip tightly coiled around the blade as the two locked in a tug-of-war. Seventh Granny pulled with all her might, while Gu Zhaoyan dug his feet firmly into the ground, quietly tightening his grip on the hilt. What on earth was this old witch raised on? Her strength is terrifying! No wonder she could entertain four husbands in a single night, truly extraordinary!
“Boy! Out of strength?” Seventh Granny mocked with a sneer, her face filled with utter disdain.
“Indeed, I lack Seventh Granny’s stamina. Entertaining four husbands in a single night is truly effortless for you!” How could Gu Zhaoyan possibly let such a remark go unanswered?! He secretly exchanged a glance with Bailang, who caught the cue, leaped into the air, and spat out an icicle that charged toward Seventh Granny with blinding speed and a biting, razor-sharp edge.
With a look of profound shock, Seventh Granny hurriedly retracted her white-bone whip, crossing her arms to fend off the incoming icicle. However, this icicle had been formed using more than half of Bailang’s primordial spiritual power, hurling itself at her with absolute, desperate momentum, not something easily evaded.
Seventh Granny was sent sliding backward out of control across the ground. Even so, she only knitted her delicate brows slightly without any sign of panic. Seeing this, Gu Zhaoyan calculated that it was time to unleash his ultimate move, if they messed up and capsized in the gutter, it would be a disaster, especially since this Seventh Granny was no pushover.
With that thought, Gu Zhaoyan locked his gaze onto Seventh Granny with piercing sharpness. The red lotus mark between his brows suddenly began to flash, and the next moment, a bright red flame burst forth from the mark. Gu Zhaoyan’s complexion instantly turned pale as he gave a sharp shout: “Go!” The flame darted straight toward Seventh Granny.
Seventh Granny, having just suffered internal injuries from the impact of the icicle, watched as a tiny flame sped toward her. Though she didn’t know what it was, before the flame even drew close, she felt an intense, scorching heat, a searing temperature that made her heart flutter with dread and filled her mind with deep, unsettling panic.
Run! I must run far away! That thought suddenly popped into Seventh Granny’s head. Always trusting her instincts, she whirled around to flee, but the flame arrived in the blink of an eye, plunging directly into her body. Following that, she had only enough time to let out a single miserable scream before turning into fine ashes that scattered into the void.
Bailang stared in absolute astonishment. But seeing Gu Zhaoyan’s weak tone, pale complexion, and unsteady stance, it instantly realized this must be his ultimate trump card! It hurried to Gu Zhaoyan’s side, its tall frame propping up his slightly weak and powerless body. “Many thanks. How are your injuries?”
Bailang glanced at its own still-bleeding leg and shook its head. “I’m fine. Just some superficial flesh wounds.” It turned its gaze toward the weasels scattered across the ground, its eyes turning icy. “Weasels hold deep grudges, and they are all Seventh Granny’s minions. We cannot leave them alive.”
“Mn.” Gu Zhaoyan was no saint either, following a matriarch like Seventh Granny, what good sprouts could they possibly produce? After scanning the area, he confirmed that nearly all these weasels had consumed human flesh and blood as sustenance, so executing them posed no moral dilemma.
“I’ll go bring Yan Wenqing and the others over. You handle cleanup here.” Gu Zhaoyan shuffled with weak footsteps toward the back courtyard. Seeing this, Bailang exhaled a breath toward the remaining weasels, flash-freezing them all into solid ice sculptures before shattering them instantly into tiny ice crystals with a sweep of its paw. Afterward, it used its own body to support Gu Zhaoyan as they slowly made their way to the back.
Gu Zhaoyan withdrew his paper talismans and notes. With a single touch of spiritual light, the vacant, lifeless gazes of Yan Wenqing and the other three returned to clarity. When Yan Wenqing spotted Gu Zhaoyan, he looked at him in utter bewilderment. “Master? Why are you here?” Recalling the events prior, he said urgently, “Master, go save people quickly! A young woman wandered into the fog!”
The other three wanted to ask questions as well, but upon seeing the towering white wolf by Gu Zhaoyan’s side, they swallowed all their words back down, huddling together in terror as they squeezed close to their “comrade” Yan Wenqing.