Chapter 107: Trapped
Bai Jingxue and the others were trapped. They had tried to leave, but the moment they stepped outside the Demon Palace’s protective formation, they were bound by shadowy chains.
They had even tried escaping in different directions, but the chains seemed to possess a sort of sentience, always targeting Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan first, then He Rong and Fu Yuan. Jwan Jwan and the left envoy, however, faced the least resistance.
Bai Jingxue, watching the Demon Palace’s formation flicker, its light dimming, wondered if this was Er Ya’s doing. But this place was dangerous. Er Ya shouldn’t be risking her life.
Lü Qingyan, frustrated, tried to teleport, but the moment she escaped the formation, the chains would appear, their movements swift and precise, their grip inescapable, forcing her to abandon her attempt.
Their situation was dire, then it became even worse. The statues in Bai Jingxue’s spatial ring had merged, forming a single, larger statue.
Then, the spatial ring shattered, and the statue emerged, hovering before them.
Its features were clear now, resembling Er Ya, but Er Ya had never smiled like this, her expression cold and predatory, like a hunter admiring its trapped prey.
Bai Jingxue, without hesitation, unleashed her flames, but a vine suddenly wrapped around her neck, silencing her, its grip tightening.
Lü Qingyan, watching in horror as He Rong attacked Bai Jingxue, her voice filled with a mixture of shock and anger, shouted, “He Rong, what are you doing?!”
But He Rong simply looked up at her, then her face mirrored the statue’s cruel smile.
Fu Yuan, sensing the danger, her reaction swift, drew her sword, severing the vine.
The moment the vine was severed, He Rong’s eyes rolled back, and she collapsed. Fu Yuan quickly caught her.
But to her horror, He Rong’s spiritual energy was rapidly fading. She panicked, rummaging through her spatial ring, retrieving every pill she could find, but even those couldn’t stop the drain.
She channeled her own spiritual energy into He Rong, but it wasn’t enough. He Rong’s energy was fading too quickly.
Bai Jingxue, her hand clutching her throat, stumbled, then Lü Qingyan caught her, supporting her.
The space around them distorted, and Bai Jingxue, assuming another enemy had arrived, stepped in front of Lü Qingyan, shielding her.
A rift appeared, and two women in Ejian Sect robes emerged. They were identical, clearly twins.
Judging by the number of swords embroidered on their robes, they were two of the Ejian Sect’s ten elders.
Bai Jingxue, seeing that they weren’t enemies, relaxed slightly. “Did the Sword Saint send you?” she asked.
The twins exchanged a glance, then shook their heads. “No,” they said in unison. “We’ve been with you all along.”
He Rong had been under Luo Nianshang’s protection. After the whale demon’s resurrection, Luo Nianshang had assigned these two elders to guard He Rong.
That was why she hadn’t been worried when she had received Bai Jingxue’s message.
The twins were identical, their clothes, their hairstyles, their features… the only difference was the color of their sword tassels: one yellow, the other blue. The one with the yellow tassel was the elder sister, Ning Kexin. The one with the blue tassel was the younger sister, Ning Kemin.
Ning Kexin took He Rong from Fu Yuan, then, after a brief examination, she cast a sealing spell.
A red light flickered on He Rong’s forehead, then the drain on her spiritual energy stopped.
The statue, seeing this, its expression turning furious, flew towards Ning Kexin, but Ning Kemin intercepted it, swatting it away with her sword.
The statue, its anger intensifying, its gaze fixed on He Rong, then it flew towards the edge of the formation, disappearing into the shadows below.
The shadows churned, their darkness deepening, their corrosive power intensifying, the formation weakening.
The left envoy, her gaze fixed on the Ning sisters, her heart sinking, felt a surge of frustration. She and the right envoy were the most powerful individuals in the Demon Palace, yet she couldn’t even sense these twins’ cultivation levels.
She felt like she had failed the Demon Lord. She had boasted about being able to handle anything, but now, she was helpless, her power inferior to even Luo Nianshang’s subordinates.
Ning Kexin, holding He Rong, sensing the left envoy’s hostility, glanced at her, then said, her voice laced with amusement, “Princess Ying has good taste.”
The left envoy’s face hardened. Why did everyone keep saying that?
“Are all the Ejian Sect disciples this obsessed with gossip?” she asked, her voice cold.
Ning Kemin, seeing her sister being insulted, unleashed a wave of pressure, and the left envoy felt a crushing weight on her shoulders.
But this was the Demon Palace. She wouldn’t be humiliated on her own territory. She gritted her teeth, resisting the pressure.
Lü Qingyan, seeing her struggle, rushed forward, her voice pleading. “Elder Ning, please forgive her,” she said. “She’s just shy.”
The pressure vanished.
The left envoy, her body drenched in sweat, her heart pounding, felt a surge of resentment.
The Ning sisters would be delighted to see the Demon Palace destroyed. They had simply been restrained by their fear of the Demon Lord. Now, it seemed, was their chance.
The Demon Realm had been weakened by the Sword Saint’s repeated attacks. Aside from the Demon Lord herself, there were no powerful demon cultivators left.
But they couldn’t act yet. The Sword Saint hadn’t intervened, which meant she had a reason for preserving the Demon Palace. Attacking now might disrupt her plans.
They decided to take Bai Jingxue and the others back to the Ejian Sect. As for the demon cultivators… they would leave their fates to the heavens.
Meanwhile, at the Ejian Sect, Luo Nianshang, watching Yao Yue chasing Cai Lian around the courtyard, her pipa now a weapon, her expression a mixture of confusion and annoyance, wondered if she was hallucinating.
They had been getting along so well. What had happened?
She was annoyed. She grabbed them both, stopping their fight, her voice sharp. “What is the meaning of this?”
Cai Lian couldn’t speak, but Yao Yue, her voice filled with a childish indignation, said, “Little Sister is a bully! We were playing a game, and she cheated!”
Cai Lian, though her crime had been exposed, simply grinned, her expression smug.
Luo Nianshang, her curiosity piqued, once she was sure they wouldn’t start fighting again, released them, then asked, “What game?”
Yao Yue’s anger hadn’t completely subsided, but seeing Luo Nianshang’s interest, she calmed herself, setting aside her pipa, her voice regaining its usual calmness. “Follow me, Master,” she said.
Luo Nianshang, carrying Cai Lian, followed Yao Yue to Hong Ying’s room.
Several cards, their patterns, numbers, and colors all different, were arranged on the small round table in the center of the room.
Hong Ying sat at the table, her expression sullen. They had been playing a game, but everyone had run away.
Luo Nianshang and Hong Ying exchanged a look, then Hong Ying, her smile sweet, said, “Master, you’re back.”
Luo Nianshang nodded, suddenly feeling a pang of guilt. She had been neglecting her eldest disciple since taking on more disciples.
She decided to spend some time with Hong Ying. She entered the room, searching for a topic of conversation.
This new game seemed like a good starting point. She settled down at the table, Cai Lian still in her arms. “What is this?” she asked.
Hong Ying, accustomed to her freedom, had forgotten her usual persona, but being polite was always a good idea.
She smiled, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Sister Qingyan taught us this game,” she said. “Would you like to try it, Master?”
Luo Nianshang, though she wasn’t interested in games, didn’t want to appear too rigid. It would create distance between her and her disciples.
She nodded.
Cai Lian had also wanted to play, but after her cheating incident, she had been banned. She could only watch.
Hong Ying explained the rules, which were simple enough. They were no challenge for Luo Nianshang, who had lived for millennia.
She nodded, indicating that she understood.
Hong Ying and Yao Yue exchanged a look. They decided to impress this newbie.
But after several rounds, they hadn’t won a single game.
Luo Nianshang’s luck was incredible. And she seemed to be able to memorize the cards.
Hong Ying and Yao Yue, their foreheads beading with sweat, had assumed they could easily defeat a beginner, but they had been soundly defeated.
This was humiliating. As the Demon Lord’s body doubles, their personalities mirrored hers. They were just as competitive.
A voice in their minds whispered, “You have to win, even just once.”
Hong Ying wiped the sweat from her brow, then exchanged a look with Yao Yue. They both knew what the other was thinking.
Yao Yue discreetly pulled a card from her sleeve, about to add it to her hand, when Cai Lian, who had been watching intently, her sense of injustice flaring, tugged Luo Nianshang’s sleeve, pointing at Yao Yue.
Yao Yue, caught red-handed, chuckled nervously, then slipped the card back into her sleeve, her gaze downcast.
But Yao Yue’s actions had diverted Luo Nianshang’s attention, and Hong Ying, seizing the opportunity, also pulled a card from her sleeve.
Cai Lian, seeing this, her eyes widening in disbelief, realized that she wasn’t the only cheater. None of them were playing fair.
She tugged Luo Nianshang’s sleeve again, pointing at Hong Ying.
Hong Ying, gritting her teeth, also slipped the card back into her sleeve.
Luo Nianshang set down her cards, the atmosphere in the room instantly turning cold.
She didn’t move, but her voice was no longer gentle. “Show me what you’re hiding,” she said.
Hong Ying and Yao Yue exchanged a look, then revealed the cards they had hidden in their sleeves.
Cai Lian wanted to laugh, but she couldn’t speak.
But she was too smug. As she trembled with suppressed laughter, the cards she had hidden in her own sleeve slipped out, falling to the floor.
The sound was faint, but Luo Nianshang heard it.
She turned, her gaze falling upon the cards, and she was silent for a long time.
She rubbed her temples, a headache forming. She felt like she had failed as a master.
What was happening? Why did all her disciples become like this?
Had the feng shui of this place changed?
She needed a moment to herself. She left the room, pausing at the door to Xiao Xia and Fu Ren’s room.
Then she felt even worse.
Those two were genuinely stupid.
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