Chapter 8: The Lotus Emerging from Water Personally Ventures into Danger

"A cousin of the Liu family arrived a few days ago. It is said she looks like a celestial being, and it seems she has come to get engaged to Liu San Gongzi!"

"Hasn't this Liu San Gongzi gone missing? Whether he is dead or alive is still unknown; how can the cousin come to get engaged?"

"Heh~ This marriage is a command of the parents. Since their relative has become an official, they are just rushing to curry favor. It's just a pity for this innocent maiden; she hasn't even crossed the threshold yet, and she might end up a widow waiting for a husband who never returns..."

It must be said, after the maidservant finished dressing Lingxiang, she was truly different from her usual self: her brows were like distant mountains holding black ink, her skin like fine lard congealed into jade, her hair like flying water and floating clouds, and her eyes held stars, lakes, and seas. Her attire was even more so: the cloud-patterned hairpins clicked and shattered, and the jade rings returned empty with the soul of the night moon. The wind blew her immortal sleeves, lifting them high, as if she were dancing in a feathered garment of rainbow colors.

As soon as she stepped out, everyone was stunned, and Long Qi was even more wide-eyed: This woman is truly... beautiful...

Before the crowd could recover, they saw Lingxiang "thump" and fall down, instantly ruining the mood.

"This damned dress is so troublesome!" she complained while rubbing her knees.

That night, the "cousin" of Liu Fu went to rest early.

Around the second watch, suddenly dark clouds obscured the moon and a demon wind arose. Before long, a white figure stood inside the cousin's room in the darkness.

They had agreed to send a signal as soon as there was a situation, but after waiting for a long time, no movement came from inside. Long Qi grew anxious and wanted to rush in, but was held back by Chiyanzi.

"Old man! It's been an incense stick's time already, why won't you let me go in!"

"Wait a little longer! Do not startle the Snake."

"Isn't the demon already here?"

"If we go in now and startle him away, making him wary, it will be difficult to lure him out again! We must wait for Lingxiang..."

Before he could finish speaking, the demon wind rose again. A moment later, the moon that had been obscured revealed itself.

"Oh no!" Chiyanzi was greatly alarmed.

Long Qi hurriedly jumped out and pushed the door open to enter, but the room was completely empty!

"Look, old man! I said to go in, but you wouldn't let me. Now it's done, even that wicked woman has been abducted!"

"Do not panic. Lingxiang is a person of deep foresight; she must have some plan. Let's search around, perhaps she left something behind." Chiyanzi said as he began to search everywhere.

Long Qi followed his instructions and searched carefully as well.

"What is this?" He held a Yellow Talisman in his hand.

"A Child-Mother Talisman!"

The so-called Child-Mother Talisman has the child follow the mother, used for leaving messages and tracking people. Lingxiang was naturally not stupid; she simply had other intentions.

To avoid the demon using the Soul Bewitching Technique, Lingxiang had specifically pasted a Calm Spirit Talisman inside her clothes. After a bout of dizziness, she was brought into a cave.

This cave was deep, winding, and tortuous. After drifting with the demon wind for a while, it suddenly opened up.

The cave actually contained a world of its own; the top of the cave was hollowed out, moonlight poured in, and there were green tiles, red pillars, and carved beams—it was a villa inside a cave!

Lingxiang was just marveling at such exquisite craftsmanship when she was caught off guard and thrown down.

"Young Master~ You've returned!" As soon as the demon wind took shape and sat down, a group of women surrounded him.

The demon's body was thin, his skin white and bewitching. Looking closer, his phoenix eyes were long and narrow, and his mouth held a smile.

For a male demon to be so alluring is truly outrageous!

"Since you were not bewitched, stop putting on an act."

The male demon's voice was extremely seductive. Lingxiang hurriedly recited the Heart-Clearing Mantra to steady her mind.

"Since you know your charm technique cannot affect me, don't waste your effort. Put away those thoughts of yours!"

Since she had been discovered anyway, Lingxiang simply sat down cross-legged.

"Young Master~ This person is so rude, daring to offend you like this. You should teach her a good lesson~" A woman leaned on the demon's lap, her voice soft and boneless, her eyes seductive as silk.

Looking at the other women, they were all the same. It seemed they had all fallen under this fellow's charm technique.

"To be able to use a charm technique to this extent, you must be of the fox kind." Lingxiang pinched a seal with her hand and quietly activated the Child Talisman.

"Yo~ You're young, but you know quite a lot. What, you set a trap for me but didn't bring anyone along? Could it be that you've taken a fancy to my looks?"

"Don't try this on me again. Since you know what I've done, let's speak plainly. What are you trying to do by abducting these women?"

"All women in the world are fickle. Leaving marriage ties with them is only a disaster. What I am doing is merely a small favor." The fox demon rested his face on his right hand and said lazily.

"A small favor? Don't spout nonsense! Is destroying people's marriages a good deed?"

"You little girl, what do you know!" The fox demon's eyes suddenly split open, his fierce nature revealed, and with an invisible force, he blasted the women beside him far away.

"Marriage? Do the women of the world deserve such a beautiful thing!" The fox demon instantly arrived in front of Lingxiang and grabbed her throat.

The Mother Talisman led Chiyanzi and the other to the entrance of the demon cave before burning into ashes. Long Qi ran into the cave without a second thought. Chiyanzi hurriedly followed, but the demon cave had nine twists and many forks, and was filled with demon Qi, making it very difficult to find Lingxiang.

Just as they were at their wits' end, they suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar. The two hurriedly hid in the shadows and took up positions. When the person was within reach, they attacked simultaneously with lightning speed, catching the person off guard.

Unexpectedly, the person was agile and dodged it, then instantly turned around to counterattack, wielding a three-foot long sword with fierce, whistling force.

A demon can use a sword?

Chiyanzi hurriedly withdrew his hand and stepped back, asking, "Is the person coming a human or a demon? Why have you come here?"

"Naturally a human, here to save people." The person dodged a move from Long Qi and also stepped back.

"Save people? Save whom?" Upon hearing it was a human, Long Qi withdrew his stance and asked.

"To save my sister."

"Is the person coming the third son of Liu Xian, the Inspector of Cangzhou?" Hearing the person's reply, Chiyanzi asked again.

"It is indeed Liu Xia. Who are you?"

"A wandering Daoist, Chiyanzi."

It was his benefactor. Liu Xia hurriedly stepped forward and bowed with cupped hands.

He had always heard his mother talk about what happened back then when he was a child; the reason he was so devoted to cultivation was largely because of this.

I never imagined I would meet an Immortal Master in a place like this.

"If not for you, Immortal Master, this young one would certainly not be here today; your great kindness, I shall never forget!" Liu Xia said, bowing solemnly once more.

"Oh, for a practitioner of the Dao, it is only right and proper; it is not worth mentioning." Chiyanzi hurriedly helped him up.

"Enough, are you here to save people or to reminisce? We haven't even finished traversing this demon cave, yet the two of you have started chatting." Long Qi said impatiently.

"And this is?"

"I am called Long Qi, a wandering hero."

"Are the two of you here to subdue the demon?"

"This demon can take human form and ride the clouds, obscuring the moon; it likely possesses the power of a Demon Immortal and is not something we can subdue." Only now did Chiyanzi remember that rushing in like this, given the demon's cultivation, would likely be difficult to handle.

"Lingxiang said that the techniques used by this demon contain no Evil Qi, so it should not be an evildoer."

"Lack of evil does not mean it is good; if we are truly forced to fight, I fear..."

Just as Chiyanzi was speaking, he suddenly sensed a fluctuation of demonic power from deep within the cave; he feared Lingxiang had been discovered!