Chapter 17: Escape
The courtyard gate wasn’t closed; it was still half-open.
Dim lanterns illuminated the night within the courtyard, and the rooms were brightly lit, with faint shadows of small figures visible.
Two stiff-faced puppet maids stood guard in front of Luo Xue’s room, not moving an inch.
Everything was exactly as it had been when Luo Xue left.
“As expected…”
Seeing this, Luo Xue felt much more at ease.
The puppet maids hadn’t changed at all due to the situation with Daoist Ziyang, which meant there was no spiritual or soul connection between the puppets and him.
In other words, they were more like objects.
Although… they were once living people.
Luo Xue recalled everything that had just happened, and Daoist Ziyang’s mad ramblings, a flicker of pity in her eyes.
But she also knew that these maids had actually died a long, long time ago, not even their souls remaining.
There was… no point in saving them.
Of course, Luo Xue hadn’t rushed back to lament this, but to take Su Yiyao away from this dangerous place immediately.
Daoist Ziyang’s plot had been completely exposed. If they didn’t leave now, Li Zining’s fate would be their future.
As for Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya…
Luo Xue knew very well that no matter how she explained it, they would never believe her.
Especially since this matter involved Daoist Ziyang. Before witnessing the truth with their own eyes, Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya’s trust in the immortal who had bestowed upon them immortal destiny would naturally far outweigh their trust in Luo Xue.
She wanted to save them, but she could only save those who could be saved.
“Xiao Yao…”
Luo Xue quickly stepped into the room, and Su Yiyao immediately awoke from her meditation.
The moment she opened her eyes and saw Luo Xue covered in blood, her expression turned to panic.
“Ah Chou, you… what happened to you?”
Luo Xue’s clothes were tattered, her body covered in blood, not to mention the dried blood around her seven orifices. She looked truly frightening.
“I’m fine.” Luo Xue casually wiped away the blood, gesturing for Su Yiyao not to worry, then said in a serious tone, “We have to leave Mount Ziyang immediately!”
“But, but…”
Su Yiyao panicked. She knew Ah Chou had been investigating Daoist Ziyang’s plot, the truth behind everything from the dim carriage to Mount Ziyang.
But she didn’t expect a crisis to arrive so soon.
“Daoist Ziyang is being held up and won’t be back for a while. Now is our best chance!”
Luo Xue spoke quickly, then bent down and pulled out two cloth backpacks from under the bed. Inside were enough rations for seven days.
Luo Xue had been preparing these things, waiting for the moment when Daoist Ziyang would lower his guard or be preoccupied.
The chance to escape was fleeting; there wouldn’t be much time for her to pack.
Seeing Luo Xue’s agile movements, not looking like someone who had been seriously injured, Su Yiyao calmed down a bit, but then became nervous again.
“Ah Chou, did you see Daoist Ziyang… doing something?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Luo Xue quickly changed into a spare set of clothes, washed her face, then took Su Yiyao’s hand and walked out.
But before they could take a few steps out of the courtyard, Huang Xinya’s voice came from behind,
“…Where are you going?”
Turning around, they saw Huang Xinya and Yu Yiling standing behind them.
Luo Xue was already used to their disdainful and scornful gazes.
“It seems the noise I made when I came back also alerted them…”
Luo Xue thought to herself. Since that was the case, she might as well tell them the truth.
But whether they believed it or not…
“Daoist Ziyang is going to kill us all. You should run too.” Luo Xue whispered, then turned and left.
She didn’t have much time and couldn’t afford to waste it arguing with these two little girls. A single warning was her limit.
Su Yiyao naturally followed closely behind Luo Xue. They hurried away, their figures quickly disappearing into the night.
Only Yu Yiling and Huang Xinya remained, their faces filled with disbelief, unable to react for a long time.
It was understandable. Unlike Luo Xue and Su Yiyao, who were always wary, the other three girls regarded Daoist Ziyang as their most respected master.
Otherwise, Li Zining wouldn’t have been able to believe until the very end that her master would kill her, thinking it was because she hadn’t cultivated diligently enough.
Now, with Luo Xue’s abrupt words, they naturally wouldn’t believe her, only finding it absurd.
“What a joke, Master wants to kill us?” Yu Yiling sneered. “I’m afraid they’ve gone mad from their cultivation!”
“After all, they’re just two pieces of trash, forever unable to enter the immortal path, and they’ll never earn Master’s favor.” Huang Xinya said disdainfully. “Unlike us, once we enter Spiritual Insight and reach the Post-Heaven Realm, we can become Master’s official disciples.”
“Then… we will be true immortals.”
Thinking of this, both of them smiled.
“However, they seem to be trying to escape?” Yu Yiling frowned slightly. “Why would they run away?”
“Perhaps they did something wrong and angered Master?” Huang Xinya said uncertainly. “Thinking about it carefully, it’s certainly possible…”
“No wonder they said Master wants to kill them.”
Looking in the direction Luo Xue and Su Yiyao had disappeared, disgust flashed in Yu Yiling’s eyes.
“If that’s the case… then let’s remember the direction they went, and when Master returns, we’ll tell him everything!” Huang Xinya suddenly brightened, clapping her hands.
How could she be so clever!
This way, Master might even praise her, and perhaps even reward her with an immortal pill…
Hearing this, Yu Yiling’s expression changed slightly, annoyed that she hadn’t thought of this herself.
However, since Huang Xinya had already said it…
“As soon as Master returns, I’ll be the first to tell him!”
Yu Yiling secretly made up her mind, then smiled and complimented Huang Xinya,
“Sister Xinya is so wise, you’re absolutely right.”
“Naturally.”
Huang Xinya puffed up with pride.
…
“Li Zining… is dead?”
Su Yiyao murmured softly.
“Yes, a gruesome death. Daoist Ziyang even ripped out her heart.” Luo Xue said, then hesitated for a moment. “Oh right, this blood on me is from her.”
She couldn’t possibly say she had the ability to instantly heal, could she?
Besides… even if she said it, it would be difficult to explain in a short time.
“As long as Ah Chou is fine.”
Su Yiyao turned slightly to look at Luo Xue’s scarred face, a happy smile appearing on her lips as she tightened her grip on Luo Xue’s hand.
“Fortunately, those two trafficker guards who were refined into puppets suddenly appeared. It turns out it was a trap set by other cultivators. They fought with Daoist Ziyang, and I had the chance to escape.”
Luo Xue sighed. Her mind was in turmoil, but she didn’t notice the look in Su Yiyao’s eyes.
A look that seemed to hold a hint of innocent affection.
Meanwhile, they had almost reached the water’s edge.
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