Chapter 236: The Fire Phoenix Ignites the Horizon (Revised)

The sky darkened, and howling cold winds swept through snowflakes like goose feathers, dispersing the green mist drifting through Sword River.

Lu Yan’s black-and-yellow Daoist robe fluttered in the wind as he hovered above the ravine littered with battle scars, his brows knitted tight.

After receiving his senior brother’s message, Lu Yan had rushed to Lizhou; not knowing Xie Jinhuan’s exact location, he had circled the skies searching, until he detected unusual celestial disturbances near Baihua County and hurried over.

But he never imagined it was truly Xie Jinhuan who had acted here—and that the scene would be so brutal.

As the familiar green toxic mist scattered, the shattered ice river and sword marks below came into view.

Beneath the hundred-zhang cliff, the rock face was riddled with spiderweb-like cracks, with a sunken hollow at its center.

Inside the hollow lay an elderly man with flowered hair, drenched in blood; his chest stained crimson, his lower body twisted and bent, his face sunken inward by more than an inch, his original features unrecognizable—only his dim, dying eyes still held a flicker of spiritual awareness.

Lu Yan did not recognize him, but from the sword scars, he deduced this was the Sect Master of Lishan Sword Cottage.

Li Huaichuan’s death in Sword River was no less shocking than Lu Yan’s own death in Wu Ling Mountain; the killer was a Southern Dynasty cultivator, and any Northern Zhou cultivator witnessing this scene would be filled with righteous fury—let alone Lu Yan, who was already seething.

Lu Yan first scanned the Fangyuan dozens of li from high above, confirming no fleeing figures remained, then descended slightly and asked:

“What happened?”

“Huh…”

Before arriving, Li Huaichuan had envisioned many scenarios: silently striking without notice, exposure and imperial reprimand, failing to kill and making an enemy, even Southern Dynasty cultivators coming to settle scores—but he never imagined he would die beneath this blizzard.

Li Huaichuan still wished to live, but the gravely wounded opponent had delivered the final blow—he was beyond saving. The fact he had held on this long, still breathing, was only because, just before his spiritual sense scattered, he had glimpsed a glow on the horizon; now, with his last strength, he rasped:

“Old… old man was patrolling for demon bandits when Xie Jinhuan ambushed me… there was a super-grade poison witch beside him… Brother Lu… beware…”

He said this because, though he was dying, he still had Lishan Sword Cottage behind him.

He could not admit he had come to kill and steal treasures—that would be suicide. He had lived in obscurity; he must die with dignity.

Besides, this wasn’t even a lie: he had merely been strolling near his own home, hadn’t even moved to act, when Xie Jinhuan struck first—wasn’t that an ambush?

Thus, Li Huaichuan’s eyes held a flicker of calm before his spiritual light faded entirely.

Lu Yan hovered midair, his brows tightening at the words.

Having encountered Xie Jinhuan in Fire Phoenix Valley, he understood this cunning brat well.

Xie Jinhuan was cunning, yes—but his mind was clearly intact.

Xie Jinhuan had no grudge against Lishan Sword Cottage; Li Huaichuan was no demon or heretic; this place held no heavenly treasures.

Yet this Southern Dynasty brat had ambushed and killed Li Huaichuan here, exposed his own position, and now faced retribution from Northern orthodox cultivators—what did he hope to gain?

Could it be he coveted Li Huaichuan’s Listening Snow Sword?

Lu Yan pondered briefly: only that famed sword was worth Xie Jinhuan’s attention. Though the deduction was weak, this was Northern Zhou territory—Lishan Sword Cottage’s backyard. Li Huaichuan, entrusted by the court to guard Lizhou, had been murdered in his own home by a Southern Dynasty cultivator!

As one of the Northern Zhou orthodox leaders and as Vice Minister of the Tai Chang Temple, Lu Yan had to settle this account.

Otherwise, what remained of Northern Zhou’s prestige? How could he explain to Northern Zhou cultivators? How to answer the court and the people?

Besides, this cunning brat had not for the first time treated Northern Zhou orthodox cultivators as mere insects.

Seeing Li Huaichuan’s life ebb away, Lu Yan’s face hardened with lethal intent; he rose higher, scanning the wilderness for dozens of li—but found no trace of Xie Jinhuan—then declared loudly:

“Cunning brat! I may overlook your wolf-devouring tiger scheme in Fire Phoenix Valley, but this is Da Zhou territory!

“As a Southern Dynasty cultivator, if you entered under diplomatic escort, you must not leave your delegation; you must not protect your envoy nor draw weapons within Da Zhou’s borders—any violator may be executed on the spot.

“If you entered alone, a cultivator may act as a single army—but here, you assassinated the Sect Master of Lishan Sword Cottage, who is neither demon nor bandit—this is equivalent to the Southern Dynasty breaching our border. As Vice Minister of the Tai Chang Temple, I bear the duty to suppress demons and eradicate bandits—and may execute you on the spot.

“Best come out now and explain why you committed this atrocity. If I find you myself, I will not listen to a single word of your excuse.”

His voice rang like a bronze bell, calm yet carrying dozens of li, seeping into every corner beneath the snowstorm.

But amid the snow-covered mountains, there was no reply—silent as a dead realm.

Seeing this, Lu Yan spared no more words; he signaled the Zhan Yan Sect’s aura-reading technique to meticulously scour the vast wilderness.

And beyond ten li, within a snow-covered tree hollow.

The hollow was cramped; two people lay inside, legs bent to fit.

Bu Yuehua, gritting her headache, heard the distant booming voice and turned pale:

“What do we do?”

Xie Jinhuan knew the situation was dire—but Lu Yan had just given him a legal justification for “execution on the spot.” If he stepped forward to surrender, claiming self-defense, what if Lu Yan simply found an excuse to kill him?

They had old grudges; he couldn’t stake his life on Lu Yan upholding the law. He swallowed his healing medicine, one arm wrapped around Bu Yuehua, carefully examining her wounds:

“Don’t worry—he won’t find us soon. Let’s heal first.”

Bu Yuehua had taken a sword wound to the chest, untreated; blood had soaked her robe. She was about to channel qi to heal when Xie Jinhuan suddenly raised his hand:

“Don’t.”

“...”

Bu Yuehua immediately suppressed all her spiritual energy, as if facing a deadly foe.

Ye Hongshang, ever at her side, watched outside and whispered a warning:

“The Zhan Yan Sect can read auras. Any cultivation or qi movement will reveal your location.”

Xie Jinhuan repeated it softly:

“Don’t stir your qi. Use the healing medicine to cover the wound.”

Bu Yuehua remembered this wasn’t Phoenix Tomb—Lu Yan could read auras, his perception was terrifying. She suppressed all energy, reached up to press the wound—

But the hollow was too small; Xie Jinhuan held her, forced to twist sideways, and her robes obstructed access.

Bu Yuehua glanced at the man beside her: her life hung by a thread; every bit of strength mattered. She couldn’t ignore it. She reached up, gently attempting to unfasten her robe.

Xie Jinhuan lay on his side, ears tuned to the outside, unable to turn. Night had fallen; deep in the forest, hidden in the hollow, darkness reigned—even close up, nothing was visible. Ssshh~

As the robe unfastened quietly, the black soft armor emerged.

The armor clung tightly, outlining her magnificent chest curve; the wound lay slightly below the left breast. Thanks to the armor’s fine quality, only a tiny puncture remained.

Bu Yuehua couldn’t tear it off bare-handed; she could only lift it minutely from her lower abdomen—until her elbow brushed the tree trunk, emitting a faint sound.

Click~

Bu Yuehua froze instantly.

Xie Jinhuan lay beside her; he could have pulled the armor up more easily. Hearing the noise, he didn’t hesitate—slid down slightly, reached out, gripped the armor, and carefully pushed it upward beneath her neck.

Thump~

??

Bu Yuehua felt her chest sway slightly—her serene face flushed crimson!

She had meant to lift the armor only to her chest—barely exposing the lower half. The wound was below; it could be treated easily.

But this brat had shoved it all the way down to her neck—leaving her completely exposed to the freezing air; her delicate skin even felt his breath…

Fortunately, the hollow was pitch-black; she comforted herself by assuming he couldn’t see—and reached for gauze from her waist, handed it to Xie Jinhuan, then poured healing powder onto the wound.

Xie Jinhuan couldn’t see, but with his perception alone, he sensed the scale of what lay before him. Yet now was no time for distraction. His arm pressed against Bu Yuehua’s slender back; he used one hand to take the gauze, pressed it firmly onto the wound after she sprinkled the powder.

But as they worked, sudden firelight flared outside.

Golden-red light illuminated the field, piercing through the thin snow covering the hollow’s entrance, revealing the surroundings more clearly.

And then, her pale, unblemished waist and abdomen lay fully exposed before them…

…

(⊙⊙)!

?!

Bu Yuehua, caught off-guard, quickly covered herself—but her small hands couldn’t conceal it all…

Xie Jinhuan blinked, momentarily stunned, then his expression shifted—he turned toward the outside:

“What’s this old bastard doing? Burning down the mountains?”

Whoosh~

Gales of scorching heat swept across the wilderness; distant crackling sounds echoed. Through the snow covering the hollow’s mouth, they could see the raging flames outside.

Bu Yuehua’s heart turned to ash; she gritted her teeth:

“We can’t withstand Yan Yan True Fire. Lu Yan burns entire stretches—we won’t hide.”

Xie Jinhuan knew time was short. With ambient noise masking them, he no longer held back—pulled out bandages, caught them with his left arm pinned beneath her, and wrapped them once around.

Bu Yuehua, to help, lifted her chest high, reached back with her left hand to grasp the bandage passing behind her—no strength left to cover herself. The hollow was too small; the bandage nearly reached Xie Jinhuan’s mouth. Her face burned redder than the flames outside, but she bit her lip and stayed still.

Xie Jinhuan thought Sister Bu had incredible willpower—under these circumstances, she still prioritized the mission. Though he could have easily taken the bandage in his mouth, he didn’t dare. He moved swiftly, tied the bandage tight, then pulled the armor back down, concealing her defined waistline.

Bu Yuehua exhaled in relief, stole a glance at Xie Jinhuan—found the boy utterly focused outside, not giving a thought to the awkwardness—and softly bit her lip, pretending nothing had happened, quietly regulating her inner qi, listening to the outside…

——

The sky vanished completely; the towering mountains were shrouded in snow and wind, now lit as bright as day by golden-red flames.

Lu Yan flew through the air, his imperial fire token glowing with a flaming bird’s phantom, pouring torrents of fire downward—seen from afar, like a river of stars inverted, or the Supreme Elder overturning his alchemy furnace. Several peaks became seas of fire: first snow vaporized into mist, then dead trees turned to ash, until only blackened earth remained.

Lishan and Sword River were Lishan Sword Cottage’s sacred grounds. Normally, outsiders burning here would face resistance—but Li Huaichuan was dead, and the rest dared not approach this zone of fierce combat.

According to estimation, Xie Jinhuan couldn’t have fled far—he must still be hiding nearby. Since aura-reading failed to find him, Yan Yan True Fire would surely burn him out.

Good news: Lu Yan’s judgment was correct. Xie Jinhuan hid on the shaded slope ten li away. Though still unseen, as long as Lu Yan hovered above, he couldn’t escape beneath his gaze.

Bad news: Lu Yan didn’t know which direction Xie Jinhuan hid. He assumed the brat had fled opposite his own approach—and advanced westward.

But in truth, Xie Jinhuan had killed too fast; he only realized Lu Yan was coming halfway there—and had actually fled in the opposite direction. Burning here now would yield no results.

But this tormented another group of onlookers.

More than twenty li away, seven figures lay prone along a mountain ridge, watching the apocalyptic firelight advance toward them—faces drained of color.

Though Lu Yan burned carefully, constantly scanning the surroundings with aura-reading, his pace slowed.

But if Lu Yan persisted, he would inevitably reach them. If they weren’t spotted by Old Devil Lu first, they’d all be roasted chickens!

He Can sensed disaster looming and turned to ask:

“Was this part of your plan?”

Chu Xing’s face turned green—he’d come as a lookout, to observe the outcome, hiding on a ridge over thirty li away, precisely to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

But who could have guessed that Lu Yan hadn’t caught the target, and instead planned to burn them out? He’d likely seen Xie Jinhuan flee northeast, but as a true-blooded bandit, he dared not warn anyone!

What do we do now…

If Chu Xing showed his head, Lu Yan would spot him—he could only hold his breath, condense his qi, and pretend to be dead, whispering:

“Ten li away—Lu Yan won’t search that far.”

“He’s in the sky—how far is that? What if he sets it on fire here?”

“Uh…”

Might as well die together—what else can we do…

Chu Xing had no options—he could only gamble that the distance was enough, that Lu Yan would never find this spot…

(End of Chapter)