Chapter 70: The Strike

Bai Hang clenched her fist, her nails almost embedding into her palm.

She could imagine Xing Na's eyes, which always flickered with steadfast light, burning fiercely when he voiced that crazy idea; she could also imagine Dan Feng, beneath his cool exterior, bearing the whole Chi Ming Tribe's expectations and tangled friendship, wrestling with inner struggle and resolve.

But how could they... how could they commit such reckless, consequence‑free folly?!

An indescribable Rage and heartache intertwined, nearly choking her.

She longed to rush before them, landing a hard punch on each, and loudly demand what on earth they were thinking!

For a The Dead, is it worth it?!

To end up disgraced and ruined, is it worth it?!

And then... Jing Liu.

Her once most trusted friend, the sword‑mastering Luofu Swordmaster, she... fell into a demonic shadow body.

Bai Hang could barely link the memory of Jing Liu, cold as the moon with a crystal‑clear sword heart, to the terrifying phrase "demonic shadow body."

What kind of agony and torment could cause a person whose will was as steadfast as a rock to be devoured by the destiny of the Long-lived Race?

And in the end, the one ordered to subdue Jing Liu and "expel" him... was Jing Yuan.

The very Jing Yuan she had just felt proud of as he grew into a reliable general.

(Jing Yuan... what were you feeling back then, when you raised your weapon against your former master?)

Bai Hang's heart felt gripped by an icy hand, a sharp, painful sting.

She could picture the battle's brutality, and even more so the gut‑wrenching helplessness and sorrow in Jing Yuan's heart.

The once inseparable Cloud‑Five Heroes had ultimately reached a point of master‑and‑disciple slaughter and complete fragmentation.

Dan Feng faced punishment, Xing Na's end was likely bleak as well, Jing Liu vanished, his fate unknown...

Only Jing Yuan remained, bearing all the past, sitting alone in the Shen Ce Fu that symbolized power and responsibility.

The bustling market still teemed with people, its clamor seeming to pass through an invisible Barrier, becoming hazy and distant.

Bai Hang leaned against the wall, the image of Jing Yuan in her hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Her snow‑white Fox Ears drooped helplessly, and behind the Eye Mask, her eyes swirled with sour anguish.

She had returned, in this manner.

But all old friends had scattered, the past turned to clouds of smoke.

The era she knew, the one belonging to the Cloud‑Five Heroes, filled with laughter, camaraderie and hot‑blooded zeal, had already collapsed with a thunderous crash at the moment of her "death," leaving only wreckage and a series of lamentable legends.

She didn't even know what face she should present to the now Luofu General Jing Yuan, nor how to search for Jing Liu's lost traces.

After a long while, Bai Hang finally straightened her body slowly, carefully putting the image away as if preserving a shattered old dream.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the surging emotions within.

(Now is not the time to indulge in the past.)

She said to herself.

(Xi Lian is still waiting for me, the Task the lady assigned has not been completed.)

She resumed her steps, entering the crowd, her black silhouette still mysterious and low‑key.

Only that silhouette, compared to the ease when she previously procured furniture, inexplicably carried extra weight and loneliness.

Just as Bai Hang trudged heavily along Luofu's bustling streets.

Suddenly, screams and commotion ahead snapped her thoughts back to reality.

She lifted her gaze, hidden by the Eye Mask, and saw not far away three twisted soldiers with ominous red glints in their eyes, demonic shadow bodies emitting inhuman roars, flailing their malformed limbs toward the crowd!

The target they fixed on was, astonishingly, the little girl she had once briefly met, retreating in panic—Bai Lu!

(That gluttonous little brat!)

The situation was critical, leaving no room for hesitation!

Bai Hang's eyes hardened, the lingering gloom accumulated from old friends' memories seeming to find an outlet for release.

She didn't even aim deliberately, simply raising her hand instinctively to draw the bow—her motion as fluid as breathing!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three arrows made purely of energy left the string almost simultaneously, tearing the air with a sharp, fierce howl!

Their precision was jaw‑dropping, like the coldest surgical strike, instantly piercing the shoulder blades, knee joints and other joints of the three demonic shadow soldiers, slamming them hard into the wall behind with massive impact.

The strange force attached to the arrows not only restrained them but seemed to freeze their bodies, making even a struggle extremely difficult, leaving only futile hissing sounds.

This flash of action silenced the terrified crowd in an instant, which then erupted into louder exclamations:

"My god! So, so amazing!"

"Who made the move?!"

"In an instant… subdued three demonic shadow bodies?!"

Just as Bai Hang lowered her bow, a fierce sword flash streaked down like a meteor, and a bright‑haired youth in Cloud Cavalry garb landed lightly, his long sword humming, evidently drawn by the commotion.

However, the battle he expected never unfolded; he only saw the three demonic shadow bodies nailed firmly to the wall by the arrows.

Yan Qing's sharp eyes flashed a clear surprise; he looked toward the direction of the arrows, his gaze fixed on the fox‑person woman wearing a black Eye Mask and mysterious black attire.

(What precise archery! Not ordinary… when did Luofu produce such a person?)

Yan Qing silently praised, yet his vigilance as a Cloud Cavalry guard also rose.

Bai Hang, seeing the danger cleared, unwilling to linger, turned to slip silently back into the crowd.

"Miss, please stay."

The clear‑toned youth's voice rang back, carrying an undeniable tone.

Bai Hang's steps halted, a slight sigh in her heart, knowing trouble had arrived.

She slowly turned, facing Yan Qing; the black Eye Mask concealed her gaze, revealing only the graceful lower half of her face and the faintly trembling white Fox Ears, exuding a "no‑one‑approaches" mysterious aura.

"What business?"

Bai Hang spoke, deliberately keeping her voice low and flat.

Yan Qing clasped his fists in salute, his manners thorough, but his gaze examined Bai Hang like a hawk's: "I am Yan Qing, Cloud Rider Elite Guard. Thank you, miss, for stepping in just now, averting the crisis and protecting the people of Luofu."

He shifted tone and asked directly, "Observing your extraordinary skill and peerless archery, how should I address you? Are you new to Luofu?"

(Cloud Rider Elite Guard?)

Bai Hang felt something stir inside, yet showed no hint on her face.

"Just passing through."

She spoke concisely, unwilling to reveal any information, "My title is not worth mentioning."

Yan Qing slightly furrowed his brows.

The other's dismissive attitude, combined with the clearly unassuming attire and a skill far beyond ordinary archers, deepened his doubts further.

(Acts low‑key, skill unmatched, yet refuses to reveal origin… Could they have ulterior motives?)

Though youthful, he respects the strong yet also bears the duty of protecting Luofu, so he would not easily let any suspicious person go.

"You are being overly modest, miss."

Yan Qing's face bore a slightly greenish yet sincere smile, and his words carried a stronger probing tone, "Such archery, even on Xianzhou is rare. I am unskilled, having practiced sword since childhood and being quite interested in various martial arts; may I ask where you learned your skills? Perhaps there is some connection with your master."

He attempted to use "master lineage" to get friendly, and pointed out that he also had a background.

Bai Hang smiled inwardly, (Little brat, trying to bait me?)

She still responded in that flat, unruffled tone: "Self‑taught, a wild path. It has nothing to do with your sect."