Demoness's Art of Vengeance

Qin Lingyu’s heart was not filled with elation even though he had just averted certain death. This was because he felt that the only people in this god-forsaken place who could possibly restrain Situ Cang’s attack with one move must be that little packrat’s family members.

Qin Lingyu had thought that old man Chi and his grandchildren had returned. Truth be told, falling to old man Chi was not far better than falling to Situ Cang. In fact, falling to Situ Cang might be quicker and cleaner.

Thus, Qin Lingyu shuddered as he looked back into the sky where the attack had come from. Then when he finally saw who had come, his eyes were instantly filled with jubilation, and the earlier uneasiness in his heart had dissipated completely –

“Martial uncle Jun!” Qin Lingyu called out to the man standing in the sky right now, worrying that his martial uncle had not noticed him.

The man standing in the sky was indeed none other than Jun Linxuan and Liu Qingmei who had left the Sect and made their way to the Mystic Woods in order to search for their daughter, Jun Xiaomo. Within moments, they descended from the sky and landed, each in front of Qin Lingyu and Yu Wanrou, just in time to block Situ Cang’s second wave of attacks.

Situ Cang’s cultivation had already fallen to the advanced-tier Nascent Soul stage, while Jun Linxuan’s cultivation was still at the secondary-tier Immortal Ascension stage. Thus, the latter was able to block Situ Cang’s attacks with hardly any effort.

Qin Lingyu finally saw hope. He crawled on the floor and made his way to Jun Linxuan’s side and grabbed onto the corner of Jun Linxuan’s clothes as he pleaded, “Martial uncle Jun, save me!”

Jun Linxuan turned his head around, but his voice was icy cold and distant as he questioned, “Where’s Xiaomo?”

Qin Lingyu’s expressions froze. His was immediately reminded of how he had just a little while ago been leading the other Dawn Sect disciples in their efforts to kill Jun Xiaomo and Ye Xiuwen.

As he suppressed these thoughts and recomposed himself, Qin Lingyu pretended to look extremely sorrowful as he replied Jun Linxuan and Liu Qingmei, “Martial sister Jun and martial brother Ye have been running from the Inferno Kingdom’s Grand Vizier, Situ Cang. Regrettably, amidst all the chaos, we found ourselves separated from each other after some time…”

Qin Lingyu could hardly be considered to be lying because Jun Xiaomo and Ye Xiuwen had indeed vanished with the assistance of a Teleportation Scroll earlier. But Qin Lingyu had conveniently omitted one small detail from his report – he had also formed part of Situ Cang’s persecuting party.

If not for Ke Xinwen’s earlier letter of complaint to the Sect’s Elders, Jun Linxuan might have wholeheartedly bought Qin Lingyu’s pretense right now. However, Qin Lingyu had undoubtedly also affixed his name and seal on the bottom of that letter of complaint.

No matter what, Qin Lingyu’s words must be taken with a pinch of salt.

Regardless, Jun Linxuan could hardly be bothered whether Qin Lingyu was truly sorrowful or putting on a show right now. He had managed to glean from Qin Lingyu’s report that his daughter was still alive, and that was all he needed to know.

In any event, he was not going to let the person who had hurt his daughter go off scot-free!

The aura around Jun Linxuan’s body surged instantly, and he directed his boundless pressure gushing towards Situ Cang. Situ Cang’s body had not even come close to fully recovering from his earlier grievous injuries, and it was only because he had experienced a demonic upheaval that he had clambered up and begun to murder everyone around him. Furthermore, his cultivation level was two qualitative levels lower than Jun Linxuan’s right now. Thus, under the immense oppression of Jun Linxuan’s aura, Situ Cang’s bones shattered once again, and he collapsed back down onto the ground.

Situ Cang’s mouth sputtered and gurgled with blood, and he lifted his head in astonishment.

Having been afflicted with yet another round of grievous injuries, Situ Cang had once again returned to his senses.

On the other side, Jun Linxuan raised his sword and began to consolidate his roaring sword intent onto the surface of his sword –

His intention was to kill Situ Cang once and for all.

Situ Cang’s pupils constricted immediately as he yelled out, “Fellow cultivator, why do you seek my life with such fervor?!”

He had earlier been experiencing a demonic upheaval and lost all of his senses. Thus, he was completely unaware of the contents of the earlier conversation between Jun Linxuan and Qin Lingyu.

Jun Linxuan’s face grew more frigid, but he remained taciturn as he continued to consolidate the sword intent into his sword.

Instead, it was Liu Qingmei who replied with incisiveness, “When you decreed the death of our child and our disciple, have you ever considered the fact that we would do anything to get vengeance for them?!”

Child…? Disciple…?

Then, Situ Cang finally recalled Jun Xiaomo’s identity – she was the daughter of the Heavenly Peak’s Peakmaster!

Situ Cang’s eyes widened in shock. Yet in that moment that realization dawned upon him, Jun Linxuan’s attack also fell from the sky –

Hong! An earsplitting tremor rang out, and a cloud of dust and dirt instantly scattered into the air. Beginning from where Jun Linxuan stood, an enormous fissure extended towards Situ Cang’s direction and into the distance.

Qin Lingyu’s heart quivered thrice as a result of this incredible tremor.

Jun Linxuan’s abilities seem to have risen again. Will master still be able to successfully scheme against Jun Linxuan as things stand right now?

Qin Lingyu’s heart was filled with unease.

Once the dust began to settle again, the surrounding scenery began to clear up once more.

“Dead…is he dead?” Qin Lingyu looked towards where Situ Cang had been as he thought aloud.

He should be dead, right? That was such a powerful strike! Qin Lingyu thought with elation and relief in his heart.

Finally, once the dust had all settled, the depths of the fissure finally became visible to them. Yet Situ Cang’s corpse could not be located within the heart of the fissure. There were only traces of his blood.

Could Situ Cang have been so thoroughly obliterated that not even a corpse had been left behind? Qin Lingyu exclaimed to himself in astonishment.

Jun Linxuan walked over to the traces of blood within the fissure. After observing that remnant puddle of blood, he snorted, “Hmph. He’s quick to escape!”

In that split second that it took for Jun Linxuan’s attack to reach him, Situ Cang had been able to retrieve an Escape Scroll and activate it, thereby barely escaping with his life.

“Hmph! With that kind of injury, he’s not going to be able to live for long regardless.” Liu Qingmei remarked contemptuously. Then, she added to Jun Linxuan, “Linxuan, let’s make haste after Mo-Mo.”

Jun Linxuan nodded his head. Then, just as he was about to step into the air and take off, Qin Lingyu scrambled over and flopped down on his knees in front of Jun Linxuan and Liu Qingmei as he pleaded wholeheartedly, “Martial uncle Jun, I beg you to take us with you! With our condition right now, there’s no way we will be able to leave these woods at all…”

Liu Qingmei furrowed her brows as she glanced over at Qin Lingyu. Qin Lingyu had abandoned his dignity, and he looked incredibly tragic. Her impression of this son-in-law of hers was now at an all-time low.

Truth be told, none of the disciples of Heavenly Peak would have abandoned their dignity so readily – not even in the most hopeless and despondent of situations. Yet despite the recent upturn in their circumstances, Qin Lingyu had forgone his fighting spirit and resilience, and was even begging for mercy.

If, in the past, Qin Lingyu and Ye Xiuwen could be considered as equals among their contemporaries, this revelation as to the extent of their resilience would be the very difference that sets them worlds apart from each other.

Nevertheless, Liu Qingmei knew that this was the person whom her daughter was fond of. Therefore, Liu Qingmei knew that she could not stand idly by as he perished before her eyes.

“Take these.” Liu Qingmei retrieved several bottles of recovery medicine and a scroll from her Interspatial Ring and tossed them over towards Qin Lingyu as he remained kneeling on the ground.

Qin Lingyu anxiously received these items. However, he did not know what Liu Qingmei meant by this gesture of hers.

Liu Qingmei explained, “The only reason why we had made this trip out is to locate Xiaomo. You haven’t completed the Sect’s mission, and your cultivation level hasn’t even broken through to the Foundation Establishment level. Thus, there’s no benefit in following us back right now. You might even find your cultivation being stuck at the twelfth level of Qi Mastery for many years to come. That scroll is a Teleportation Scroll. You can open it during an emergency, and it will automatically teleport you back to the Sect. There are also sufficient medicinal pills for the both of you to use for some time. With these, your life won’t be in any danger in the near future. Alright, I’ve said enough now. It’s really up to you whether you still wish to follow us back.”

As he held onto the items that Liu Qingmei had handed to him, his face turned a sickly green and a pale white.

Liu Qingmei had explained everything with a calm and indifferent tone, as though she were expounding the truths of the world. Yet despite the fact that Liu Qingmei had not been mocking him, Qin Lingyu felt as though he had been verbally slapped on the face time and again, and his face instantly burnt up with a hot, prickly sensation.

Quite apart from the fact that only two people of their entire entourage had survived these travels, he had not even fulfilled the missions entrusted to them by the sect. Most importantly, his cultivation level was still stuck at the peak twelfth level of Qi Mastery.

If he decided to follow Jun Linxuan and the rest back right now, there was a very high likelihood that he would no longer be able to hold his head up high among his martial brothers and sisters within the sect!

Previously, Qin Lingyu had been so petrified by the series of unfortunate encounters that he had been unable to think straight. Now that Liu Qingmei had broken down the situation for him, and his rationality had begun to return, he was naturally unwilling to return to the Sect empty handed just like that. At least, not with that prideful, ambitious personality of his.

He drew a deep breath, suppressed the roiling emotions in his heart, and he looked straight back at Liu Qingmei as he made up his mind, “I understand. Junior thanks martial aunt.”

“It’s good that you understand. At least you’ve got some backbone. Otherwise, I would be truly reticent to entrust Mo-Mo to you.” Liu Qingmei remarked bluntly.

In other words, the earlier Qin Lingyu had no backbone at all – just like a pitiful little worm!

Qin Lingyu hung his head low, hiding his expressions that were filled with shame and indignation.

As expected, Jun Xiaomo’s mother is just as hateful as she is!

Liu Qingmei glanced nonchalantly at Qin Lingyu again as she furrowed her brows. Nevertheless, she held her tongue and remained taciturn. There was no need to say anymore. She turned back towards Jun Linxuan and caught up with him as they took their leave together.

Qin Lingyu watched their backs with a sullen expression on his face as they slowly departed from his line of sight.

All this while, Yu Wanrou had remained absolutely silent. Truth be told, she had been hoping from the bottom of her heart that Qin Lingyu would not choose to follow Jun Linxuan and Liu Qingmei. Even though leaving with them right now would guarantee their safety, Yu Wanrou just couldn’t find it within herself to look beyond their identity.

Those two people were none other than Jun Xiaomo’s parents!

Whenever Qin Lingyu had sought something from Jun Xiaomo in the past and thus curried favor with Jun Xiaomo, Yu Wanrou would invariably find her heart stirring with tremendous, stifling jealousy.

She hated it all. She hated how she was not as fortunate as Jun Xiaomo to have been born into a position of stature, where she could simply ask and instantly receive a shower of countless blessings.

At the same time, Yu Wanrou despised Jun Xiaomo’s naivete and simplemindedness. If she could just swap identities with Jun Xiaomo, she was certain that she would be able to securely win over Qin Lingyu’s heart. Yu Wanrou would never have let things fall into such a state where she would have to rely on her parents’ efforts to secure a man’s promise.

Besides, all Jun Xiaomo had managed to secure was nothing more than a false promise.

But now that Qin Lingyu had decided not to depart with Jun Linxuan and Liu Qingmei, Yu Wanrou heaved a huge sigh of relief in her heart.

Then, when she turned her thoughts to how Qin Lingyu had protected her earlier during their confrontation with Situ Cang, Yu Wanrou found herself slightly moved.

Qin Lingyu still cares for me! Yu Wanrou exclaimed in her heart.

She bit down onto her lower lip and tugged at Qin Lingyu’s sleeve as she softly muttered, “Lingyu, it’s alright. I’ve still got quite a bit of the spirit waters that I had given to you earlier. You’ll definitely be able to recover quickly. We can turn back to the Sect’s missions once you have fully recovered again!”

A bright gleam instantly flashed across Qin Lingyu’s eyes!

He forcibly suppressed the surging emotions in his heart as he replied to Yu Wanrou with a calm, peaceful voice, “Did you say that…you still have some of that spirit water with you?”

He had earlier consumed approximately half a bottle of spirit water, and he could already tell for himself that these waters possessed incredibly strong recovery abilities. After all, it had only taken half an incense of time for his body to recover so substantially.

More importantly, these spirit spring waters even possessed the ability to restore one’s Dantian and meridians, and its effects were better than some high-grade Energy Recovery Pills!

Who would have known that there would be such incredible treasures hidden in Yu Wanrou’s Interspatial Ring?

Thousands of contemplations and calculations ran through Qin Lingyu’s heart right now, but he maintained a completely cool and composed look on his face as he continued to smile gently at Yu Wanrou.

Yu Wanrou lowered her head bashfully as she responded affirmatively with a soft, “Mm.”

It had to be said that Yu Wanrou’s entire body was covered in blood, her hair was completely disheveled, and her face was covered in streaks of red and black from all the blood and dirt. With her looks in such a mess, no matter how much she tried to look pitiful and bashful, it hardly did a thing to stir the sympathy in Qin Lingyu’s heart.

But all these things mattered not to Qin Lingyu. To him, it sufficed that what Yu Wanrou possessed was valuable.

Thus, his expressions softened, and he pulled Yu Wanrou into a warm, tender embrace as he whispered, “Fortunately, you’re still by my side…”

This simple gesture from Qin Lingyu touched Yu Wanrou’s heart even more, and her emotions began to stir from the bottom of her heart. At the same time, she began to think about their blissful prospects together.

So what if Jun Xiaomo had that huge mountain of backing behind her? I’ve got my spectral demiplane! I’ve got my spirit spring! It’s only going to be a matter of time before I trample you underfoot, Jun Xiaomo!