The girl in military attire was sixteen years old this year. Having lived for so long, she had encountered various challenges and obstacles. However, Su Yi was the first person she had come across who was so unyielding and refused to listen to reason.
She understood that throughout her life, it wasn't herself that people feared, but rather the power and influence held by her family behind her.
However, she never expected that when she encountered someone who truly didn't fear her and dared to argue with her repeatedly, it would be such a frustrating feeling.
Especially Su Yi's disdainful attitude and his refusal to debate with her made her feel as though her pride had been wounded.
But when she heard the guard's suggestion, the girl in military attire gritted her teeth and rejected it.
Her pride and self-esteem prevented her from seeking help from others in this matter.
"From now on, no matter how dangerous that guy gets, don't go and save him unless he lowers his head and asks for help!" she instructed, taking a deep breath.
She didn't bother to lower her voice, seemingly both disdainful and intentional, as if she wanted Su Yi to hear her words.
Unfortunately, Su Yi only left her with his back and didn't even turn his head, as if he didn't care at all.
This infuriated the girl in military attire. She took a few deep breaths in an attempt to control her temper, fearing that she couldn't restrain herself from rushing up and splitting Su Yi's head with a knife.
"Young lady, please don't be angry. My young master is no ordinary person," Guo Bing, sensing the unusual atmosphere, approached the girl in military attire, trying to explain with a forced smile, attempting to ease the tension between her and Su Yi.
"Is he really that impressive?" the girl in military attire coldly snorted.
Guo Bing seemed oblivious to the disdain in the girl's tone and proudly said, "Of course he is. At the Dragon Gate banquet two nights ago, my young master's skills surpassed all others and he took the first place in the Dragon Gate competition! This event caused a sensation on both sides of the Da Cang River, and even in the Falling Cloud City, people are talking about my young master's reputation."
The girl in military attire was momentarily stunned, seemingly realizing something. Her gaze fixed on Su Yi's distant figure as she said, "I see. No wonder he's been so arrogant on this journey. Turns out he won first place in the Dragon Gate competition, and now he thinks he's invincible!"
Upon hearing the sarcastic tone in her words, Guo Bing finally detected it and couldn't help but feel displeased. How could this young girl, at such a tender age, be so ignorant of the situation?
Did she consider winning first place in the Dragon Gate competition as something ordinary and commonplace?
With these thoughts in mind, Guo Bing shook his head and decided not to say anything more to her.
Unknown to Guo Bing, in the eyes of the girl in military attire, winning first place in the Dragon Gate competition in the small city of Guangling was nothing significant...
Boom!
A muffled thunderclap echoed from the distant horizon, causing the broken temple's roof tiles to tremble and dust to fall from the rafters.
The girl in military attire was startled and looked up towards the entrance of the main hall.
"Miss, it's going to rain," Uncle Yong frowned.
Warriors were the most sensitive to changes in the atmosphere between heaven and earth. At the same time as the thunderclap, Uncle Yong could already sense the slight chill and dampness in the air.
Sure enough, accompanied by repeated thunderclaps, a torrential downpour suddenly poured down like a deluge. The world seemed to plunge into darkness, and the temple's eaves resounded with the incessant patter of raindrops.
The towering white pine forest in the distance was shrouded in dense darkness and the curtain of rain. Occasionally, lightning flashed through the clouds, illuminating the white pine trees standing tall in the fierce wind and rain, resembling a group of menacing monsters.
Gloomy, gray, and cold.
Guo Bing exclaimed in panic, "Quick, light the bonfire! Rainy days are the most dangerous time in the Ghost Mother Ridge. We must not venture outside, or we will undoubtedly meet our death!"
A profound fear appeared on his twisted and ferocious face.
Uncle Yong's heart skipped a beat, not daring to be negligent, and ordered, "Some of you, light the bonfire, and others, take care of the corpses. Then guard outside the main hall and be vigilant against any thieves trying to sneak in during the rain."
The guards quickly went into action.
Soon, a roaring bonfire blazed, dispelling the dark and chilling atmosphere inside the main hall.
The girl in military attire and her companions gathered around the bonfire and sat on the ground.
Some guards took out food they carried with them and presented it to the girl in military attire. There was wine, meat, and snacks, quite abundant.
The girl in military attire took some wine and meat and handed it to Guo Bing, saying, "Eat."
Guo Bing swallowed his saliva and glanced towards the entrance of the main hall, hesitating, "Young master, it's already noon. Why don't you come and have some food as well?"
Su Yi stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves of the main hall, gazing at the curtain of rain in the distance, casually saying, "No need to bother about me."
The girl in military attire snorted and said, "This food wasn't prepared for you in the first place!"
Time passed.
The girl in military attire and her group had eaten and drunk their fill, but the rain outside showed no signs of weakening.
Su Yi had long since returned to the main hall, sitting alone facing the statue with his eyes closed, meditating.
The statue had its back turned to the world.
And Su Yi had his back turned to the statue, creating a peculiar contrast.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The rain pounded on the eaves, and mist steamed in the darkness.
Outside, the wind and rain raged, but inside the hall, the bonfire provided warmth.
Uncle Yong placed his battle sword horizontally in front of his knees, facing the entrance of the main hall, his spine straight, and his eyes closed, replenishing his energy.
The other guards were engaged in whispered conversations.
Guo Bing huddled by the bonfire, his face showing concern. He could tell that with the current rain intensity, it would be difficult for it to stop tonight.
This meant that they were likely to spend the night in this broken temple.
The girl in military attire seemed a bit impatient and muttered, "It has been so long, why haven't those demonic beings from the Yin Sha Sect arrived yet?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Yi's closed eyes suddenly snapped open.
Wuwuwu!
A burst of intense Yin Qi, like a whirlwind, forcefully burst through the tightly closed doors, wreaking havoc.
The roaring bonfire was lifted up with a bang, scattering countless sparks, but they extinguished in an instant.
The entire hall plunged into darkness.
"Protect the young lady!"
"Be careful, these are swarms of ghoul corpse insects!"
... The main hall descended into chaos. Amidst the clamor of angry shouts and the sound of unsheathed weapons, the dark hall resounded.
Almost at the same time, Guo Bing felt a lightness in his body as someone lifted him up by his clothes from behind.
These sudden and shocking changes frightened him to the point of nearly losing his composure. Just as he was about to struggle and scream, he heard Su Yi's calm and indifferent voice by his ear:
"Don't panic, Guo lao."
Guo Bing was stunned for a moment, immediately relieved, and stopped struggling.
The main hall was pitch black, barely visible.
However, Su Yi moved as if strolling in a leisurely garden, swiftly carrying Guo Bing and returning to the statue.
His vision was also affected, only able to see some blurry scenes.
But that didn't hinder his actions.
Instead, in such an atmosphere, his senses became extraordinarily acute.
The hall erupted in combat, filled with the sounds of blades clashing, the quick footsteps changing directions, and the faint, deep breaths.
There were also bursts of rapid, fragmented sounds of breaking through the air.
The entire main hall was in chaos, but it was also extremely perilous, making one's heart race.
Clang!
Suddenly, Su Yi's wrist flicked, and the Dusty Sword emerged from the sheath hidden within the green bamboo staff. With a cold flash, it swiftly pierced through the air, striking down over a dozen ghostly corpse worms. Their bodies exploded into scattered powder.
Guo Bing broke out in a cold sweat.
He had completely failed to perceive this sudden danger beforehand!
The howling wind roared, causing the doors of the hall to bang loudly. Taking advantage of the chilling and bone-piercing cold stream, countless ghostly corpse worms seized the opportunity and rushed in.
The battle continued.
Su Yi remained vigilant, always guarding the area. Whenever he sensed danger approaching, the Dusty Sword seemed to have eyes, accurately piercing through every ghostly corpse worm without a single miss. He appeared effortlessly calm and composed.
This gave Guo Bing a great sense of security, gradually alleviating his previous fear.
Half an hour later.
In the dark curtain of rain far away from the hall, a piercing bone flute suddenly sounded.
It was like a signal, causing the raging gloomy wind to abruptly dissipate. The ghostly corpse worms in the hall seemed summoned and swiftly fled outward.
"Don't chase, ignite the fire first!"
In the darkness, the resonant and firm voice of Uncle Yong echoed.
Soon, the bonfire was reignited, dispersing the darkness with its light.
As the vision restored, the hall was in a mess. Uncle Yong and the other guards surrounded the young girl in military attire, their expressions filled with shock and solemnity.
On the ground, there were numerous black worm corpses scattered around.
Su Yi glanced around and said to Guo Bing beside him, "It's temporarily safe."
However, at that moment, Uncle Yong's expression changed drastically, and he rushed outside the hall.
When he returned, his face had become rather grim. "Miss, Hu Jiu and Zhang Tong have fallen victim to poison."
These two were the guards who had originally stationed outside the hall.
When Uncle Yong went to investigate outside the hall, their bodies were found lying on the ground, their flesh and blood mostly devoured, a tragically gruesome sight.
The young girl widened her eyes, her face pale.
She had never encountered such a brutal incident in her entire life. She was momentarily filled with grief and anger, at a loss.
"For a warrior like us, life and death are ordinary matters. Miss, please don't be too saddened," Uncle Yong stepped forward and said in a gentle voice. "The reason your father agreed to let me bring you here was also to let you experience more and truly grow."
The young girl's mood became somewhat gloomy, and she sighed, "But I never thought that people would die in this operation."
"This is just the beginning," suddenly, Su Yi, who was standing in front of the statue, spoke up. "If my speculation is correct, this night is destined to be far from peaceful. Now, the most important thing is to prepare for battle, rather than be saddened and overwhelmed."
The young girl angrily retorted, "What does it have to do with you? During the fight just now, I didn't see you, this guy, show any remarkable skills. Instead, you were the fastest to hide!"
Uncle Yong spoke softly, "Miss, what he said is true. We may be facing a fierce battle ahead."
His expression grew solemn as he sensed the danger of the current situation.
The young girl's face slightly changed, "Will there be more casualties?"
Uncle Yong fell silent for a moment and replied, "I will do my best to prevent such incidents from happening again."
The young girl's heart sank instantly.
Even Uncle Yong, whom she trusted the most, said this. How dangerous could the situation be tonight?
Just then, Su Yi raised an eyebrow and glanced towards the outside of the hall.
And there, they saw—
A figure leisurely walking in through the temple gate.
Amidst the pouring rain and strong winds, the darkness seemed to pose no obstacle to this figure's casual stroll.