Chapter 77: Commandant Qing She

"Little wench, you seek death!" the green-robed man flew into a rage. "I am Commandant Qing She, Bi Xing, the Water-Splitting Commander of the Biying Palace. Dare you insult me?"

"I am insulting you. He He Xiuniang, attack!" Bai Ke giggled, her small mouth opening as a Sky Fox Nail flew out, heading straight for Commander Bi Xing's face.

He He Xiuniang gathered her spirit, raised her small hand, and another Sky Fox Nail sliced through the left side in an arc, joining Bai Ke in a pincer attack against the opponent.

"Swish!"

Commander Bi Xing flicked his right hand, and a soft whip shot out from his sleeve. With a wave of his arm, the thirteen-foot-long whip knocked Bai Ke's Sky Fox Nail away, then he sidestepped the other nail while his soft whip coiled toward He He Xiuniang.

He He Xiuniang's jade face grew serious as her figure darted aside. She pointed repeatedly with her fingers, causing the Sky Fox Nail to trace an arc and strike again from the side.

She and Bai Ke coordinated to pin him down; the two Sky Fox Nails crisscrossed and darted back and forth, maintaining distance between themselves and Commander Bi Xing. One human and one fox fighting one snake, they actually kept him from getting close for a time.

In the darkness, Gu Zhao and the other two were watching the battle.

He held a yellow talisman in his hand, Daoist Yan Song rested his hand on his sword hilt, and Zhu Qingyan also gazed at the battlefield, idly playing with a jade flute, ready to strike at any moment.

"Their coordination is quite good," Daoist Yan Song said with a smile.

Zhu Qingyan glanced at Gu Zhao. "He He Xiuniang cultivates without ceasing every day, and often takes time to practice coordination with Bai Ke."

Gu Zhao nodded, able to see He He Xiuniang's efforts as well.

Just now, while they waited at the inn, they happened to witness Commander Bi Xing emerging from the water. Sensing the aura he revealed when manifesting his form, they felt it was not even as strong as the Guardian of the Golden Wind Sect, so they decided to let He He Xiuniang test her skills to gain some practical combat experience.

Of course, He He Xiuniang definitely could not defeat him; she would likely only hold out for a while. Thus, the three naturally did not stay at the inn to watch the show, but instead came to the battlefield themselves, hiding in the darkness ready to assist at any moment.

On the battlefield, the whip in Commander Bi Xing's hand whistled through the air. The whip tip cracked loudly in the sky, shaking the lamps near the town entrance so that they trembled and flickered between light and dark.

He He Xiuniang and Bai Ke were equally unyielding. As they wielded the Sky Fox Nails, the sound was at times sharp and piercing, at times silent, at times shining with Bai Guang, at times vanishing into darkness, and at times carrying a faint fragrance, changing in myriad ways to disturb the five senses.

With such a commotion, people in Anlin Town were naturally awakened. Some shivered under their quilts, while others with more courage leaned out of windows, only to witness a scene they would never forget in their lives.

Two white figures darted and leaped, manipulating two points of Bai Guang to shuttle back and forth, besieging a green figure wielding a whip in the center, fighting a fierce battle at the town gate.

After a bout of intense fighting, Commander Bi Xing feigned a flaw, allowing He He Xiuniang's nail to come close, then raised his right hand. The snake whip twisted strangely in a loop and actually wrapped around the Sky Fox Nail, before he flicked it downward.

"Crack!"

The Sky Fox Nail was driven into the ground. Commander Bi Xing stepped on the nail with one foot, sneering at He He Xiuniang. "With such little skill, do you dare to obstruct this Commander from carrying out his duties?"

He He Xiuniang tried to retrieve the nail, but no matter what she did, she could not.

Bai Ke manipulated the Sky Fox Nail to harass him, but Commander Bi Xing kept knocking it away. She could not help but urgently call for help. "Gu Zhao, help quickly!"

Hearing this, Commander Bi Xing froze. "There are helpers?"

The next moment, a dense and leisurely melody suddenly sounded in his ears. The music was clear, tranquil, and elegant, carrying a calming peace that soothed the heart, making Commander Bi Xing unable to help but feel a wave of drowsiness.

Alarm bells rang loudly in Commander Bi Xing's heart. He tried to break free from this drowsiness, but his entire mind and spirit were involuntarily sinking into it.

This situation terrified him. Knowing he had encountered a master, he dared not linger. He retracted his whip with a backward motion, turned around, and prepared to flee.

But just as he turned, he saw a figure appear between himself and the An Quhe River. The figure raised his left hand slightly, and then a magnificent and vast aura rushed toward him.

"I am..."

"Boom!"

Purple light flashed and vanished, followed by the explosive roar of Lei Ting.

The whip in Commander Bi Xing's hand was blasted apart, sending snake scales flying, with half of it charred black. His body could not help but tremble in the thunder, and then he saw a spark of fire fly toward him, gently touching his body.

With a "whoosh" sound, the spark instantly transformed into a net of fire, enveloping him as if trying to penetrate his body.

Commander Bi Xing activated his body-protecting true qi, resisting the fire net's assault with all his might, trying to escape into the water.

But he suddenly discovered that under the cover of the fire net, he could not increase his speed. A distance that usually took an instant now seemed as difficult as climbing to the sky.

"Three Origins, Three Officials; Nine Rivers, Nine Streams. Transform into iron chains, binding your entire body."

After a clear and resonant voice, Commander Bi Xing felt an iron chain suddenly enter his body through the fire net. In an instant, it locked his dantian and sea of consciousness, his magic power and spirit, even making it difficult for him to exert his strength.

"Thud!" Commander Bi Xing fell headfirst. Then he heard a voice that was old yet light and cheerful. "This Shangqing Great Forbidden Dragon-Binding Talisman is quite useful. Give me a few to study."

"That is easy to discuss. First, take this snake back and ask him to clarify exactly what happened," a young voice replied.

Hearing this, Commander Bi Xing was shocked. "Shangqing Great Forbidden Dragon-Binding Talisman? I am just a small green snake. Is it necessary to use dragon-binding spells against me?"

He He Xiuniang approached the group. "Young Master..."

"Fought well!" Gu Zhao rubbed He He Xiuniang's hair. "This fellow is not much worse than that black-clothed ghost of the Golden Wind Sect. You are already very impressive."

He He Xiuniang's small face instantly lit up. "Really?"

"Of course." Bai Ke jumped onto He He Xiuniang's shoulder. "In a few more days, even if we meet a Divine Consort of the Golden Wind Sect, we can spar with her!"

Bai Ke and He He Xiuniang's souls were perfectly aligned. Their combined cultivation yielded twice the result with half the effort, with a cultivation speed at least several times faster than cultivating alone. No wonder the beings standing at the top of the pyramid in this world were demons and ghosts, yet the main body of society was still human.

Gods of the Divine Path require incense offerings. Ghosts and Spirit Lords wishing to cultivate quickly also need to find someone to form a pact with. This created a certain balance with those demons and ghosts that treat humans as blood food.

Commander Bi Xing, doubly bound by the Dragon-Binding Talisman and the Fire Shield Method, was brought back to the inn.

Besides the young woman and the white fox he had seen earlier, he finally saw the other three people.

One was a young man who looked gentle and refined, seemingly very polite, yet the two spells on his body that were life-threatening and constantly tormenting him were cast by this very person.

One was a woman who looked cold and breathtakingly beautiful, but she radiated a chilling aura. Holding a jade flute in her hand, Commander Bi Xing knew immediately who the master was that had nearly hypnotized him mentally just now.

There was also an old man looking at him, smiling on his face with curiosity in his eyes, but Commander Bi Xing only felt the other's terror. This was perhaps the most powerful existence on the opposing side.

Gu Zhao clapped his hands, opening a small gap in the chains binding Commander Bi Xing's body. "Speak now. What strange schemes is the Biying Palace up to?"