Chapter 579

Pan Yun frowned: "Why hasn't she come back?"

Seeing Miao Zhen said: "A dragon trapped in drought now finds water—still trapped, but with danger averted, awaiting only an opportunity to soar free. This is an excellent omen."

Pan Yun rubbed her chin: "Cast another divination. Ask which direction they're in now."

Seeing Miao Zhen cast another divination, then said: "Southeast."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow.

Seeing Miao Zhen also raised an eyebrow, lifting her head: "The image of water's edge."

Pan Yun: "The largest body of water to the southeast—isn't that exactly where we're headed next?"

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Then should we still urge them to return?"

Pan Yun shook her head: "I'll send them another message. Tell them to find us in Quanzhou."

Without delay, Pan Yun pulled out a message talisman, dipped her brush, and channeled Qi to write on the paper.

"Quanzhou. Training."

As the final stroke landed, the talisman shot upward and burst into flame. Moments later, only a small pile of incense ash remained on the table.

Pan Yun gathered the ash. Meanwhile, in a house five or six hundred li away, Hong Yan and Xiao Hong huddled together, trembling.

Hong Yan suddenly felt something, and immediately pulled a talisman from within her own body.

The yellow talisman unfurled, revealing four characters appearing out of thin air: "Quanzhou. Training."

Hong Yan nearly wept with relief: "Xiao Hong, look! The message talisman still works!"

Xiao Hong: "... We received it. But can you now use Qi to write on the talisman yourself?"

Hong Yan's tears fell instantly. She whispered sadly: "No."

Xiao Hong spread her hands: "Then isn't that settled?"

Hong Yan kicked at the door: "You damn Daoist Priest, let us out! Do you know who we are? We know Pan Yun of Long Hushan—we've got connections!!"

Xiao Hong: "... Stop shouting. Pan Yun isn't famous yet. If you're going to name-drop, say you know Pan Sanzhu."

Hong Yan: "Aren't they the same person?"

Xiao Hong: "We know they are. But people outside don't."

Hong Yan conceded it made sense, and began pounding on the door: "Remove the array immediately! I'm good friends with Pan Sanzhu of Long Hushan—I've got connections!"

Footsteps approached outside the door: "Stop yelling. If you're friends with Pan Sanzhu, then Zhang Zhenren of the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion is my father. You believe that?"

Hong Yan perked up, pressing against the door: "You know Pan Sanzhu?"

"Of course I do. She slaughtered Japanese pirates in Quanzhou, aided victims of their atrocities, and became the youngest Marquis of the First Rank. How could I not know?"

The voice outside sneered: "And you two—a demon and a ghost—think you can claim ties to my sect's rising star? I'll capture you, burn you with holy flame, and see if you dare fabricate kinship again."

Hong Yan: "... Are you stupid? I'd say it only because it's true!"

Hong Yan shouted: "We don't just know her—we lived with her, ate with her, faced death together!"

"Silence! How could my sect's rising star consort with a demon and a ghost? Even if you're lying, at least pick a plausible excuse!"

Hong Yan yelled through the door: "Narrow-minded! Stubborn! Your sect's rising star doesn't just consort with me—she adores me. She holds me close, unwilling to let go!"

"Insolent! Clearly you're lying! Pan Sanzhu is female—not some lustful man!"

Hong Yan: "You said those lustful men act on desire. Then why are you arresting me?"

The man outside fell silent, then said: "They act on desire—but that's no excuse for you to harm others."

Hong Yan: "How have I harmed them? They kidnapped me. Isn't it right for me to flee? Should I lie there and let them rape me? I'm a fox spirit—I can fight back. What about a beautiful woman with no strength at all?"

The man outside fell silent.

Hong Yan continued ranting: "You're a lowly Daoist Priest, weak in skill and clueless in justice. Do you even understand 'uprooting the strong, aiding the weak'? Xiao Hong and I are helpless girls who were kidnapped and harassed—we're the weak ones! And you're arresting us? What the hell?"

The Daoist Priest outside: "... You've left people half-paralyzed and stolen vast sums. How dare you call yourself a victim?"

"I didn't keep a single coin—I gave it all to the righteous. Go ask the slums and the orphanages—they've all received gifts from the Fox Immortal!"

Hong Yan rattled on: "And the tenant farmers under his estate—they secretly received money. That was me!"

Outside, silence.

Hong Yan pressed herself against the door, straining to hear—nothing. She shoved hard. A flash of spiritual light erupted, sparks flew, and she yanked her hand back with a hiss. The air reeked of burning flesh.

She stared at her blistered, raw palm and burst into loud sobs.

Xiao Hong rushed over, embracing her: "Don't cry, don't cry—I've got medicine from Miao He."

!

Hong Yan sobbed into Xiao Hong's shoulder: "I regret it so much—I shouldn't have fallen for his trick..."

Xiao Hong: "It's not your fault. They're evil—they pretended to be rich men to trap you!"

Hong Yan: "They were evil anyway!"

"Yes, yes, absolutely."

Footsteps returned outside, then faded away. Soon, complete silence.

Hong Yan and Xiao Hong knew the man had left.

Both slumped. Hong Yan blew gently on her palm—the wound slowly healed. She sighed: "Looks like the self-harm trick didn't work."

Xiao Hong: "I think it did. As long as they don't kill us right away, we have a chance to escape."

She added: "Pan Yun sent us two messages already—they're desperate to find us. Wait a little longer. Maybe they'll come themselves."

Hong Yan: "But they don't know where we are."

Xiao Hong: "Seeing Miao Zhen can divine. And didn't you leave your shed fur with Pan Yun? I think if they want to find us, they will."

Besides, she left us a message—they're heading to Quanzhou for training."

Hong Yan: "Fight Japanese pirates?"

Xiao Hong nodded: "They've been talking about it for ages. Don't you remember that letter we saw in Jingcheng?"

Hong Yan's eyes darted: "You mean...?"

Xiao Hong nodded, tilted her chin toward the outside and said, "They're all Daoist Priests. The Wu Lin Alliance and the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi Mansion are cooperating — this can't be a secret in the jianghu. Don't they want to make a name for themselves?"

"Find a chance, lure them to Quanzhou too. Maybe we can rendezvous there."

Hong Yan excitedly clapped her hands: "Great idea! But…"

Hong Yan pointed at the room plastered all over with yellow talismans and said: "What about this? We can't get out."

Xiao Hong twirled her hair in thought, then finally looked down at herself and said softly: "Actually, when I was alive, I was a person too."

Hong Yan: "…That's nonsense — when a ghost was alive, could it possibly have been a ghost?"

The corner of Xiao Hong's mouth lifted slightly. "So I can give it a try."

(End of chapter)