The smell of burnt flesh almost made Luo Jinxi gag. She took a couple of steps back, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety, but at least she was certain Qu Weiyin didn’t intend to harm her. Qu Weiyin noticed the wariness in her eyes and scoffed, looking up at the sky. It was near dusk, the fiery sun hanging low, casting its last rays.
“Can’t walk anymore?” Qu Weiyin suddenly asked, stepping over to Luo Jinxi. She bent down to check Luo Jinxi’s pulse, startling her so much that she fell back onto the ground with a jolt.
Luo Jinxi gasped, her face scrunched up in discomfort. Qu Weiyin watched her coldly, then firmly grabbed her wrist, twisting it to the side, rendering Luo Jinxi immobile with a soft cry.
“Nothing there, so what are you afraid of?” Qu Weiyin remarked disdainfully, sitting cross-legged to clean her hands on her clothes.
Luo Jinxi noticed her disdainful actions and puffed her cheeks, muttering under her breath, “Not afraid to wear my clothes, but touching me is too much.”
Qu Weiyin glanced at her and couldn’t be bothered to respond. Even when using someone, it’s important to understand their limits. This little fool was injured and, like caring for a horse, she needed rest and nourishment. They couldn’t keep traveling endlessly.
The earlier fight had reopened Qu Weiyin’s wounds, and she felt warmth spreading across her chest. Finding a sufficiently hidden spot, she quietly removed the garment from her shoulder, letting it fall to the ground.
The cloth wrapped around her chest was soaked in blood. Without showing any pain, she silently untied it and burned the bloodied cloth.
Luo Jinxi, who had been watching her, lowered her gaze at this point. Despite Qu Weiyin’s fierce demeanor, she possessed a strikingly alluring figure, delicate and soft in all the right places, accentuated by the earthy surroundings.
Luo Jinxi dared not look. Qu Weiyin wiped away the blood, frowning slightly at the pain.
“Little fool,” she suddenly spoke, her breath heavy from the pain, causing Luo Jinxi to flinch and look up.
“Come here,” Qu Weiyin said, using one hand to support herself and beckoning with the other. “Do you have any healing herbs?”
Luo Jinxi glanced at her wound, more grotesque in the light, with flesh torn and bleeding. She scratched her head awkwardly and said cautiously, “I don’t have any. Besides, this was caused by a divine weapon; ordinary herbs might not work.”
Qu Weiyin frowned, “Nonsense, of course I know that. As long as it helps me make it back to the Demon Realm, anything will do.”
After a few labored breaths, she added, “If nothing else, tear your clothes to bind the wound and slow the bleeding.”
Though she masked her vulnerability, such severe injuries were hard to endure. Seeing this, Luo Jinxi’s heart softened a bit. She hesitated before quietly pulling out a bottle of medicine and approached Qu Weiyin.
Qu Weiyin’s lips were pale. Seeing the medicine in Luo Jinxi’s hands stirred her anger. “How dare you deceive me?” she demanded, looking up.
Luo Jinxi stuck out her tongue, remaining silent. She knelt down and carefully dripped the medicine onto Qu Weiyin’s wound.
Qu Weiyin gritted her teeth against the pain, having no time to scold Luo Jinxi. She turned her head to the distant valley, biting her finger to stifle any sound. Frustration surged within her; how had she, a Demon Lord, come to trust a slip of a girl?
The medicine worked quickly, stopping the bleeding. Luo Jinxi put the bottle away and gently pressed a torn piece of cloth against Qu Weiyin’s chest. The faint scent of Luo Jinxi mingled with the blood, causing her hands to tremble as she tied the cloth around Qu Weiyin’s body. She silently repeated to herself, “This is just a tree, just a tree,” before securing it with a knot at her back.
Qu Weiyin looked at Luo Jinxi in surprise but remained silent as Luo Jinxi retreated to a safe distance, still visibly shaking.
After a moment, Qu Weiyin picked up her outer garment and draped it over her shoulders. Suddenly, flames erupted around Luo Jinxi, and she nervously fanned the ashes away, asking, “I’m too tired to run now. Can you remove these flames? What if I move in my sleep and touch them?”
“If you touch them, you die. Do I need you?” Qu Weiyin replied indifferently, crossing her hands as a faint golden light began to heal her internal injuries.
Hearing no response, Luo Jinxi muttered under her breath and turned her back to Qu Weiyin. As night fell over the valley, the sounds of birds and insects filled the air, occasionally pierced by the cries of beasts, sending shivers down her spine.
Only by resting could she gather the strength to escape. Rubbing her goosebumps, Luo Jinxi closed her eyes to sleep. But the night was restless, and by midnight, thick clouds obscured the moonlight.
Qu Weiyin, who had been meditating, suddenly opened her eyes, her red eyes glowing in the darkness. She swiftly extended her hand, summoning the Crescent Star Sword before Luo Jinxi.
Startled awake, Luo Jinxi saw the gleaming blade and screamed. Glancing at Qu Weiyin, she watched as the Demon Lord deftly flipped her hand, slicing something in half.
Focusing her gaze, Luo Jinxi realized it was a ravenous beast, bird-like but with a monstrous visage. She clutched her chest and exhaled shakily, acknowledging that the Demon Lord’s reflexes far surpassed her own.
Retrieving her sword, Qu Weiyin casually ignited a small fire. “This valley is full of beasts; it’s not a safe place. Go back to sleep.”
Luo Jinxi hesitated, then asked softly, “What about you…?”
“I’ll be fine. You need to be ready to travel tomorrow,” Qu Weiyin replied, her tone steady and assured.
Luo Jinxi nodded and curled up, though sleep eluded her after the fright. She stole glances at Qu Weiyin, her mind racing with thoughts of escape.
People said the Demon Lord was ruthless. If she really took her back to the Demon Realm, would she turn around and incinerate her to ash?
Sensing Luo Jinxi’s gaze, Qu Weiyin frowned and looked up. Her phoenix eyes sparkled like jewels in the firelight, softening their usual coldness.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” she asked.
Luo Jinxi shook her head, indicating she couldn’t sleep.
Qu Weiyin chuckled softly, idly poking at the fire with a lazy expression. “At your age, were you among those chasing me?”
Luo Jinxi shook her head vigorously, struggling to find the words to explain her situation. She had only come down the mountain on her master’s orders to retrieve something, not expecting to stumble into a battleground full of skilled fighters.
“An accidental intruder, then?” Qu Weiyin inquired, her hostility waning slightly.
“Of course, an accident,” Luo Jinxi nodded fervently. “I almost lost my life and ended up captured…”
Qu Weiyin didn’t seem bothered by her complaint, nodding before continuing, “You mentioned you’re a disciple of the Wuhui Sect?”
“Yes.”
“Wuhui Sect, Wuhui Sect,” Qu Weiyin murmured, gazing toward the horizon as if recalling something distant. Luo Jinxi, taking advantage of the firelight, stole a glance at her. A strange thought crossed her mind: perhaps this legendary Demon Lord wasn’t as terrifying as the stories claimed—at least, not when she wasn’t recalling the earlier bloodshed.
Suddenly, Qu Weiyin became alert, extinguishing the fire with a wave of her sleeve. She stood and pulled Luo Jinxi up, sweeping away the circle of flames. Climbing onto Luo Jinxi’s back, she whispered urgently, “No more rest. You cultivators cling like leeches.”
Under her threat, Luo Jinxi hurriedly flew into the air on her sword. Though her spiritual energy had somewhat recovered, the effort was still taxing. The cool night wind whipped her sleeves as she began to sense presences all around them, closing in from every direction.
Luo Jinxi’s understanding of demonkind came mostly from hearsay, and the Demon Lord had always been just a name to her. She wondered why Qu Weiyin was considered so vile that so many experts pursued her relentlessly. But there was no time for such thoughts. She focused all her energy on zigzagging through the sky, following Qu Weiyin’s directions like a frantic fly.
Though Qu Weiyin’s voice remained calm, her breath was weakening, prompting Luo Jinxi to consider if she could escape by abandoning her now. She quickly dismissed the thought, knowing that even in a weakened state, Qu Weiyin could likely kill her with ease.
“Demon Lord, there are more people ahead. What do we do?” Luo Jinxi was on the verge of tears from exhaustion.
“They’ve surrounded us. Who knows how many there are?” Qu Weiyin replied through gritted teeth, her grip on Luo Jinxi’s shoulders weakening. “Head down.”
Following her instructions, Luo Jinxi descended rapidly, heading toward a river below. Several dozen people had already formed a formation in mid-air, waiting for them.
The wind roared, contorting their faces as Luo Jinxi approached the formation, panic rising in her voice. Qu Weiyin whispered something from her back, and suddenly, a brilliant golden light descended with a crash of thunder, shattering the formation and scattering its members.
The residual energy plunged into the river, creating towering walls of water that drenched everyone thoroughly. Luo Jinxi was soaked by the spray, the cold piercing her lungs. Her grip slipped, and with a splash, she fell into the water, swallowing several mouthfuls before she could utter a water-repelling incantation.
In the icy depths, a hand reached from behind, pulling her further into the water. Luo Jinxi struggled briefly but soon became immobilized. Light flickered above as she felt herself being dragged along the riverbed, bumping into rocks.
Most of the impacts were absorbed by another, who kept her encircled in an arm. Overwhelmed by the lack of air, her vision darkened. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally coughed up water, collapsing onto the shore and coughing violently.
Her nose and ears burned with discomfort until she recited the water-repelling incantation to ease her suffering. It would indeed be shameful for a cultivator to drown. Feeling somewhat recovered, she remembered Qu Weiyin and looked around urgently.
Qu Weiyin lay on the bank, her outer garment swept away by the current, leaving her pale shoulders and back exposed, covered in bruises and scars. Luo Jinxi took a couple of steps toward her, then stopped abruptly.
This was the perfect opportunity—a chance to escape. Qu Weiyin couldn’t be weaker than she was now. She was the Demon Lord, and Luo Jinxi was merely a captive. Fleeing was paramount.
Luo Jinxi began to inch backward, her heart pounding. Qu Weiyin appeared severely injured, unable to move, her black hair like seaweed, swaying in the water. Her arms stretched upward, as if in the act of pushing someone onto the shore.
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