Chapter 205: Alliance of Interests

Time slipped by unnoticed as they stared intently at the crowd in the heart of the battle; while the others felt each day like a year, with the situation still unclear, they were constantly worried that Xuanqing Daozhang might meet with an accident.

Hu Meiniang seemed unusually relaxed!

She acted as if she didn't care at all about this life‑or‑death fight, who wins or loses; she kept patting her hands and praising Xuanqing Daozhang's performance under the assault of generals and soldiers.

But as Hu Meiniang's compliments rang out, the expressions of Dai Zhishang standing beside her, Luo Taiqing, Liu Dongzhu, and even Wang Ping'an cradled in Liu Dongzhu's arms, changed repeatedly.

They felt not a hint of ease, but an increasing sense of danger.

Who would have thought that while praising Xuanqing Daozhang, Hu Meiniang would also comment on his situation.

From Hu Meiniang's mouth, everyone learned that Xuanqing Daozhang's situation was far from optimistic.

Only by hearing Hu Meiniang could one roughly grasp Xuanqing Daozhang's condition in the battle; Wang Ping'an, using his Dharma Eye, could clearly see that his master's situation was even worse than Hu Meiniang described.

Facing wave after wave of generals and soldiers' attacks, although his master destroyed them one spell after another, those same generals and soldiers still inflicted serious injuries on his master.

Among them.

Many times his master was dancing on the knife's edge, with half a foot stepping into the King of Hell's hall, startling him to the point of almost having to command the Sword Apparatus within his body to aid his master.

Fortunately.

His master was still very capable, slipping away from mortal danger again and again before he could act.

Nevertheless, more or less, he left one scar after another on his master.

At this moment, his master was covered in wounds with no part intact; the pristine Dao robe had already been torn into strips, stained with his master's blood, fluttering in the wind.

His master's face was death‑pale, without a hint of color; even the inner magical energy, continuously expended spell after spell, had long been depleted.

Yet his master, during the life‑or‑death struggle, took out bottle after bottle of Chain‑Qi Pills from his satchel, swallowed them to replenish his magic, and only then could barely endure.

However.

He looked at his master's current state and knew his master could not hold on much longer.

'It seems the exposure is inevitable…'

Wang Ping'an, bearing the complex circumstances, was about to command the Sword Apparatus within his body to manifest, to deal with Shu Mu not far away and to quell this danger for his master.

Just as his peripheral vision caught sight of Shu Mu searching for the optimal attack position, Shu Mu suddenly spewed a mouthful of fresh blood and then fell straight to the ground.

His fate unknown!

Obviously.

Shu Mu could not survive Xuanqing Daozhang!

The next instant.

Within the battle, wave after wave of generals and soldiers attacking his master, without Shu Mu's support, instantly turned into plumes of smoke.

"I thought Shu Ju Ren could hold out longer; maybe I'd get to see an even bigger spectacle!"

At this point, Hu Meiniang's words halted; she looked down at Shu Mu lying on the ground, his fate unknown, her face showing no hint of compassion, but full of disappointment, and said:

"I didn't expect him to last only this short a time; just as useless as his bedroom skills!"

Beside them.

Dai Zhishang was about to ask whether Shu Mu was in mortal danger, but Hu Meiniang's remark caught him off guard, leaving his face full of embarrassment.

Although this era is extremely liberal, male‑female love is a particularly common matter.

However.

Hearing Hu Meiniang bring it up made him somewhat uncomfortable.

Hu Meiniang, from the corner of her eye, saw Dai Zhishang's uneasy expression and offered no comfort.

On what grounds are men allowed to linger in flower‑streets and willow alleys, treating it as a romantic boast, while she cannot?

She is not human; though she has lived among humans for many years, she never developed human morals, having seen too many male thieves and female prostitutes.

What she says sounds pleasant, but what she does behind the scenes is probably even more disgusting than anything a monster would do.

Of course.

Her flirtatiousness is not for simple pleasure; it is largely cultivation. She possesses a unique practice, a top‑grade Yang‑Collecting Yin‑Replenishing Technique.

That is one reason why, despite her youth—compared to other Fox Demons of her kind—she can wield such terrifying abilities!

"Xuanqing Daozhang, are you alright?"

As Shu Mu spewed blood and fell, the generals and soldiers he had conjured vanished instantly, and Luo Taiqing could no longer restrain his inner worry; he hurried forward, intending to check Xuanqing Daozhang's safety.

He and Xuanqing Daozhang had little acquaintance, let alone any kinship; at most they were merely familiar, their previous relationship being quite ordinary.

The reason he suddenly cared about Xuanqing Daozhang's safety is that they had formed a benefit alliance.

This novel you...

He helped Xuanqing Daozhang persuade Luo Quan, making Xuanqing Daozhang Wang Ping'an's mentor, so that Wang Ping'an could learn all of Xuanqing Daozhang's skills, which is why Wang Ping'an went to the Luo family to become a disciple of Luo Quan.

Learning from Luo Quan, he enjoys the Luo family's benefits!

Xuanqing Daozhang hopes he can help persuade Luo Quan!

Likewise.

Xuanqing Daozhang agreed, helping to arrange a marriage between Wang Ping'an and his family's young lady.

After forming the benefit alliance, he naturally worried extra about Xuanqing Daozhang's safety.

"If you want this Daoist to break through his bottleneck and advance his cultivation, I suggest you best not disturb him!"

Luo Taiqing rushed to Xuanqing Daozhang's side; as the attacking generals and soldiers vanished like smoke, Xuanqing Daozhang collapsed like a puddle of mud.

His fate unknown!

Because Xuanqing Daozhang was covered in countless scars, his condition was evidently more serious than Shu Mu's.

As Luo Taiqing prepared to lift Xuanqing Daozhang, checking for pulse and breath, a delicate feminine voice sounded beside his ear; turning his head, he saw—

He saw Hu Meiniang and Dai Zhishang walking forward one after another!

Luo Taiqing, suppressing the complex emotions within, said, "Madam Hu, what do you mean by that?"

He vaguely sensed the meaning in Hu Meiniang's words, but still couldn't believe it.

Between life and death, seeking opportunity, breaking through one's cultivation — that's something only found in biographies of notable figures and historical romance tales.

Hu Meiniang did not answer Luo Taiqing's question; instead, she lowered her head to look at the nearby Xuanqing Daoist, who looked like a corpse.

If it weren't for the faintly audible heartbeat and breath, the Xuanqing Daoist's appearance would truly seem like he was dead.

"Really didn't expect that someone could actually rely on the great terror between life and death to shatter the bottleneck and break through their cultivation!"

In Hu Meiniang's eyes, a gleam flashed, but seeing the aged face of Xuanqing Daozhang, she said disappointedly, "It's a shame he's still too old!"

Originally Luo Taiqing had been preparing to hear Hu Meiniang's answer; he hadn't expected her to say such things. She had also roamed the prefecture city, but unfortunately, being utterly ordinary, she lacked the qualifications to be Hu Meiniang's guest attendant.

But he still knew what kind of person Hu Meiniang was, and even more so, he knew about her romantic escapades.

I never expected…

She actually developed feelings for Xuanqing Daozhang!

(End of chapter)