The girl on his back slowly fell asleep, her breath sweet, her face serene. Zhong Minyan, however, sighed to himself relentlessly.
He had always been a proud child, yet among the Shaoyang Sect's disciples, he was the youngest. Even if he gave it his all, he couldn't surpass his senior brothers. He was truly elated to be part of the Flower Pinning Conference's Demon Hunting task, eagerly hoping to take this opportunity to perform well and gain the favor of his master.
Yet here he was, carrying someone— he looked back at Xuanji, her face rosy-cheeked, eyelashes trembling slightly, lost in a dream. Sigh, if Linglong had been the one to come, everything would have been different. Perhaps he could have teamed up with Linglong for a session of Dual Swordsmanship, and sparred with the demon for a few moves!
Why did his master make him write Xuanji's name, and why was it that Xuanji, who seemed so useless, was the one who got picked?
He had always looked down on her, but now his disdain was mixed with a bit of pity and some indescribable complex emotions. She was like an injured little dove, warm and soft, quietly leaning against his back, making him unable to utter a harsh word.
Linglong, Linglong... she was better after all. That girl must be throwing a tantrum right now at Shaoyang Peak since she wasn't able to come for the Demon Hunt, mustn't she? Thinking of her vivacious appearance, he couldn't help but want to laugh, and his gloomy mood seemed to lighten a bit.
Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a sharp wind cutting through above his head— swoosh— leaves whirled through the air, and suddenly the moonlight dimmed.
"Not good!" Chu Lei called out in a low voice. Battle-hardened with seasoned experience, he immediately flipped his wrist, a red light flashed from his sleeve, zipping swiftly, emitting a sharp cry and darting out. A streak of red light traced across the sky, leaving a chain of lingering glow.
That was his spiritual beast— Red Bird. Those from Shaoyang Peak who had cultivated for over ten years could tame ordinary demons, feeding them daily with water from the Spiritual Spring in the back mountain and Kunlun Mountain Jade Branch Grass Fruits, converting their demon energy into spiritual energy to be used at their command.
Chu Lei's Red Bird had been raised for over twenty years, indeed incredibly fierce. It shot out from his sleeve, emitting a piercing cry, and the crowd only saw the red light striking a dark shadow in the sky. The two collided and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Zhong Minyan was still dazed when he heard someone reminding him, "Quick! You two take Xuanji and hide in the cave ahead!"
He was jolted into alertness, realizing a demon had appeared. Seeing a cave just a few steps away, he wasted no time in thoughts, and quickly carried Xuanji towards it. Just as he was about to put her down and go out to check the situation, Yu Sifeng ran into the cave entrance.
"Don't go out!" he said sternly.
Zhong Minyan, feeling irritable, responded coldly, "Mind your own business!" After pushing him aside, he attempted to leave, but Yu Sifeng suddenly made a move. Like lightning, he grabbed Min Yan's wrist, flipped and twisted it, and tightly pressed down on his pulse point.
"I said, don't go out!" Yu Sifeng's voice was colder, "You, are not, their match!"
Zhong Minyan didn't respond, his other hand subtly reached up, his middle finger lightly touching the back of Si Feng's hand and was about to press down when Si Feng, as if shocked by electricity, let go and retreated several steps.
"Shaoyang Sect's Million Finger Skill!" He was somewhat surprised, "You actually, know this!"
It was said the cultivation method of Million Finger Skill was extremely brutal, requiring daily practice in boiling and ice water. Most people couldn't grasp its essence and ended up stripping the skin off their palms after one session, experiencing unbearable pain. Only those unafraid of suffering and persevering in practice could reach the state where their moves were as fast as lightning and as soft as cotton.
He had always considered Zhong Minyan to be just an ordinary disciple, but it seemed he had some skills of his own.
Zhong Minyan's touch missed its mark, and he turned around, deliberately stroking the cave wall. With a pop, a protruding rock gently cracked, and several small stones rolled onto the ground.
He didn't speak, just looked at Yu Sifeng.
After a moment of silence, Yu Sifeng said, "You might as well, save your strength, to help your, master. Fighting me, serves no purpose!"
"Then don't stop me!" said Zhong Minyan, frowning.
Yu Sifeng spoke indifferently, "What use is it, for you to go out now? It will only, distract, them, make them lose focus, and have to look after you. It's not too late, to go out, after the Heavenly Dog is captured."
No sooner had the voice faded than a piercing cry came from outside the cave. It sounded like millions of cats gathering in heat, like a pack of dogs begging for attention, and even more like the cries of babies wailing through the night. The voice was coquettish yet bloodcurdling, causing one to get goosebumps upon hearing it.
"Gu Diao!" Yu Sifeng called out, and with a gust of wind, he ran to the entrance of the cave. Zhong Minyan, not to be outdone, followed suit.
Outside the cave, the fires blazed brightly. The hunters had followed instructions, placing numerous torches at the entrance to prevent demons from rushing in and harming the three juniors. Red Bird was in the air, pecking and clawing at a huge shadow, and black feathers kept falling from the sky.
Yu Sifeng picked up one of the feathers to find that it was even harder than an ordinary tree branch, every single one shiny black and sleek, emitting a cold, metallic glint. The feather was twice as long as both his palms from tip to root.
He could not help but say, "This is…! Almost a spirit! Such an old, Gu Diao! There must be, danger!"
Zhong Minyan was already extremely anxious, and listening to him stutter made him even more irritable. With a stern face, he said, "Can't you speak properly? Speaking like that is exhausting, and so is listening!"
Yu Sifeng choked on his words, wanting to retort, but since he really wasn't fluent in the Central Plains language, he would only end up being laughed at, so he pretended to be deaf.
Red Bird had been chasing the giant Gu Diao for a while and was gradually losing strength, its movements not as agile as before. Before long, the Gu Diao capitalized on a weak spot. It suddenly spread its wings, which spanned more than thirty feet, covering the sky and casting the moonlight into shadow. Red Bird was forced into a corner by the force of its wings and was unable to turn over in time, just as the Gu Diao's huge, hook-like claws were aimed and coming down at it.
Chu Yinghong urgently said, "Not good! Sect Leader, quickly recall it!"
Chu Lei was about to harness a spell when he suddenly saw Red Bird agilely perform a roll, narrowly avoiding the grasp. Everyone had just let out a sigh of relief when they felt a gust of wind from behind and a black shadow leaped out from the woods. In the dark of the night, it was unclear, but it seemed to be the size of a leopard. It moved as swift as the wind, leapt over everyone's heads, and, with the help of the wind, pounced towards Red Bird.
Red Bird was already struggling mightily against the Gu Diao, and unexpectedly another demon attacked from behind. It couldn't dodge in time and was forcefully brought down, with red feathers scattered all over the place.
Dongfang Qingqi couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "It's a Heavenly Dog! This is bad!"
They hadn't even had a chance to act according to the plan, as the two demons appeared too quickly, making the salt bags and vinegar almost a waste of effort. For three people to take on two demons was indeed strenuous, especially since that Gu Diao, it seemed...
"Yinghong!" Chu Lei called out, and Chu Yinghong, ever so clever, immediately understood his intent. With a flip, she reached into the scattered goods on the ground and grabbed two jars of vinegar, hurling them towards the head of the Heavenly Dog, which held onto Red Bird without letting go.
Hearing the sound, it leapt up. The vinegar jar smashed on the ground with a clang, breaking open and diffusing a pungent sour scent. The Heavenly Dog seemed to be quite averse to the smell of vinegar, cried out loudly, and the grip on Red Bird in its mouth instantly loosened, dropping it.
Chu Lei stepped forward swiftly, scooped Red Bird in one motion, and tucked it back into the sleeve. Looking up again, he saw that the Heavenly Dog had already lunged towards Chu Yinghong.
This Heavenly Dog looked young, its fur still a light shade of yellow, baring its teeth and almost seventy to eighty percent resembling a leopard. Chu Yinghong saw it lunging over, with the Gu Diao behind it, and immediately leaped to one side to dodge, while tossing the jar of vinegar in its direction.
The Heavenly Dog, knowing the potency of the object, quickly dodged. The vinegar jar shattered under its feet, and with a leap, it was caught right in the midst of Dongfang Qingqi who had been waiting on the side. He let out a hearty laugh and shouted, "Grow!" The treasure sword in his hand stretched out like a silver dragon, swiftly extending. The Heavenly Dog, unable to dodge in mid-air, was struck by the sword, letting out a mournful cry before tumbling down.
Chu Lei had already picked up another jar of vinegar, waiting by the side. Seeing it fall, he quickly opened the jar and with a "whoosh," the vinegar inside hit the target, splashing over its head and face.
The Heavenly Dog let out a strange whimper, slumped weakly to the ground, twitched its paws twice, and then it could no longer move.
All three were overjoyed. Their linked actions could be described as lightning-fast, their cooperation as seamless as a garment. Had there been any slip-up in between, Chu Yinghong might have been severely injured.
Dongfang Qingqi used the Demon-binding Rope to tie up the Heavenly Dog securely, and only then did the three look up together at the Gu Diao in mid-air still emitting cries like a baby.
A Heavenly Dog might be a small problem, but the real issue was, how were they to deal with this Gu Diao that was close to becoming a spirit?