Chapter 214: The Path Ends, the Shrike Cries

Long Qi examined Lingxiang carefully, his face full of tension; he did not know if Lingxiang had been injured, but with Zhao Wuyang and Adao present, he dared not overstep his bounds.

Lingxiang did not look as she had before, her expression having returned to normal, but while she comforted the deeply worried Long Qi, she was simultaneously listening closely to Zhao Wuyang's pulse.

Zhao Wuyang had expended a great deal of Spirit Power on Pacing the Dipper, and although he had later taken a Gathering Spirit Pill, he had ultimately been forced to perform the Pacing once more.

In truth, Zhao Wuyang was already fine; Lingxiang's Pill would naturally not go wrong, yet she remained very uneasy, for that resolute look in Zhao Wuyang's eyes lingered in her heart.

She had never imagined anyone would die for her, never. Yet at that moment, Zhao Wuyang had clearly been holding a determination to die!

Long Qi stared at Lingxiang with his sword-like brows locked tight; he had never seen Lingxiang reveal such concern for another as she did today. It was not that Lingxiang did not care about others, but she always managed to plan things for people unobtrusively amidst her laughter and scolding.

Looking at Lingxiang like this, Long Qi's eyes dimmed, recalling the moment just before; the expression Lingxiang had worn then was one he had never seen before—that look filled with fear and deep self-reproach...

If he and Xinyi had not returned in time, Lingxiang and Wuyang would likely have perished at the hands of that old demoness.

At the thought of this, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Long Qi's eyes.

This Guihua had caused the death of his family, and now she wanted to snatch Lingxiang away from his side. It was a pity she had run so fast; if he met her again, he would surely make her suffer eternal ruin!

Just as Long Qi was lost in thought, Lingxiang had finished examining Zhao Wuyang. Zhao Wuyang brushed off his robes, stood up, and looked outside the cave, his eyes full of worry.

"Xinyi Dage, he..."

Though the words were left unfinished, everyone knew what he wanted to say. Long Qi sighed and said nothing.

"I suppose Lady Lu is saying goodbye to him right now!"

As Lingxiang spoke, she took hold of Long Qi's hand, and Long Qi gripped back, though his gaze remained fixed outside the cave—he was also very worried about Xinyi.

"Goodbye?" Zhao Wuyang was greatly puzzled. "What goodbye?"

Lingxiang sighed, thinking of the Kunwu Sect's Zhu Huang; that was still just a child.

"That is Guihua's method: detaining a person's soul within their skin, so that one can know everything about that skin and better deceive others."

Hearing this, Zhao Wuyang's eyes widened. To peel off a person's skin was already cruel in the extreme, but to also trap their soul within the skin, this... this was simply...

"Inhuman!" Zhao Wuyang said with a hateful frown.

Lingxiang smiled, though the smile looked somewhat sorrowful: "She is of the Demon Race, so where would there be any Human Dao?" She hadn't even mentioned the crueler parts!

If one wished to detain a soul within a skin, one had to skin the person alive. Lingxiang had only seen this later in *Demon Human Strange Tales*.

However, looking at the mist outside the cave, Lingxiang did not say these words. Zhao Wuyang was a simple child, simple and kind; at his age, it was better not to let him know of such dark things.

She truly could not forget that look, that trace of a smile, and...

And Long Qi.

Although she had lost her composure at the time, she had not been out of her mind.

Guihua roared and raised her pincers to smash down, while Zhao Wuyang shouted the names of the Big Dipper, and Lingxiang pulled at Zhao Wuyang with all her might.

A loud boom, wood shattered and flew, the pear-wood table and chairs were smashed to pieces...

Yet it was only the table and chairs; not far away, Long Qi was holding Lingxiang, his back to Guihua, while Zhao Wuyang was being carried on Xinyi's shoulder with one hand, the other hand holding a tray with a teapot and Tea Cup.

"After running all this way, tea is indispensable," Xinyi said, setting Zhao Wuyang down.

Only then did Zhao Wuyang recover from his astonishment; seeing it was Xinyi, tears welled up in his eyes. He had thought this was a dead end, and he had already held the determination to die.

Seeing him like this, Xinyi smiled and patted his head, handing him the tray: "It was hard on you, leave the rest to us."

Zhao Wuyang took the tray, tears rolling down from his eyes.

Long Qi also gently set Lingxiang down, but Lingxiang felt that Long Qi was somewhat different; she could sense a surge of baleful energy throughout his body.

Lingxiang looked up at Long Qi, but Long Qi had already charged out, sword in hand. The Longyuan Sword glowed with a red light, steaming the surrounding moisture, and was swung violently by Long Qi; every strike was exceptionally ruthless.

Guihua was unable to fight back under Long Qi's fierce Sword Technique, and could only defend with her giant pincers.

Even so, Long Qi could not do anything to her. Even if Guihua had drunk Lingxiang's tea and her body was weak and unable to attack, she was still at the Demon General level, and with Long Qi only at the Foundation Establishment stage, the disparity in strength meant he had only added a few shallow wounds to her.

But Long Qi did not stop; his sword moves looked devoid of any pattern, as if he were hacking wildly.

No! He *was* hacking wildly! Long Qi was not treating the Longyuan as a sword at all, but hacking with it as if it were a blade!

Seeing Long Qi in this state, Lingxiang suddenly remembered last year in Liangcheng, when Long Qi had also fallen into such a state; she hurriedly said to Xinyi: "Stop him quickly! Otherwise, he will suffer Qi Deviation!"

Xinyi naturally saw Long Qi's abnormality, but he could not intervene for the moment. Long Qi's Spirit Qi was chaotic and his sword energy was rampant; to stop him, he had to find an opening, otherwise, he might be dragged into it himself.

And just then, perhaps because Guihua had gathered enough strength, she turned, exposing herself to Long Qi, then caught the Longyuan Sword with one claw, while the other claw, wrapped in poisonous gas, prepared to strike at Long Qi's chest.

In a flash of lightning, Xinyi flicked his finger, then his figure flashed behind Long Qi, restraining him and dragging him backward.

"Long Qi! Calm down! You are scaring Lingxiang!"

Upon hearing Xinyi mention Lingxiang, Long Qi finally came to his senses, and immediately felt his whole body lose its strength. It was at this moment that Guihua flashed and disappeared without a trace.

Lingxiang glanced at Long Qi, her eyes full of worry. This was not the first time Long Qi had lost his mind; last time she had been able to suppress him with a Clear Heart Talisman only because her cultivation was higher than his. Now that their cultivation levels were equal, if it happened again, she feared she would be unable to suppress him.

That Long Qi would become like this must have to do with his childhood experiences; this was a heart-wound that ordinary medicine could not heal.

Lingxiang rubbed Long Qi's palms, thinking of how to keep him from falling into that state again. The calluses on his hands were much thicker than before; it must be from holding the sword too much.

Lingxiang looked at Zhao Wuyang again and decided on something; just as she was about to speak, she saw Xinyi walk in from outside.

Zhao Wuyang had wanted to offer some comfort, but after walking up, he could not say a word. Seeing him like this, Xinyi only smiled and rubbed his head; the smile did not look very sad, but rather one of relief.

"Lady Lu... has she been sent off?" Lingxiang asked.

Xinyi nodded; his eyes were a bit red, clearly having cried, but he did not follow up, instead saying something else: "This place is not suitable for a long stay, let's pack up and leave quickly!"