Chapter 117: A Farce

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: A Farce

Cuihe had been rescued, but her internal organs were completely shattered. Her breath was as frail as a gossamer thread.

Even with a Fourth-Grade Creation Pill, it would likely be impossible to save her.

In truth, the moment she was pulled to safety, she let out her final breath, and the last traces of life slipped away.

In the blink of an eye, she was dead.

Su Wan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

The maid had died protecting her. Even though she hadn’t actually needed the protection...

"Lingche! Are you all right? Lingche!" Chang Xiu ran up to Mu Lingche, looking him up and down with eyes full of concern. "Lingche..."

"I’m fine," Mu Lingche said, dodging her touch. She was a clingy nuisance, and he disliked her immensely.

Having recovered slightly, Mu Lingyan walked over. "Chang Xiu!"

"Did you order someone to drive those three Demon Lions over here?"

"What? How is that possible? Why would I? I’d never do such a thing!" Chang Xiu shook her head, but her eyes inadvertently darted away in guilt.

"Say it again!" Mu Lingyan’s gaze was as sharp as lightning, locked fiercely onto Chang Xiu.

Chang Xiu shrank back timidly. "You don’t believe me? Why would I lie? Besides... aren’t you all fine? As long as everyone is fine, that’s what matters! Why dwell on it?"

"Chang Xiu!" Mu Lingyan took a deep breath, her eyes turning slightly red. "Do you know how many people you killed this time? How many guards and maids died?"

"It wasn’t me! I said it wasn’t me!" Chang Xiu suddenly puffed out her chest and shouted.

Mu Lingyan turned and called out to the middle-aged swordsman. "Chang Jian, get over here!"

SWISH.

The middle-aged swordsman’s figure blurred, instantly appearing before Mu Lingyan.

"Second Miss Mu."

"Tell me, did you drive those three Demon Lions over here?" Mu Lingyan interrogated. "If you dare lie to me, I’ll have you executed!"

Chang Jian hesitated.

He was indeed the one who had done the deed, though he hadn’t driven them—he had lured them. But if he confessed, the Mu Family would never let him off, and the Chang Family wouldn’t be able to protect him.

"I was the one who ordered it! Are you happy now? Always falsely accusing me—fine, pin it all on me!" Chang Xiu stepped forward. "So what if a few servants died? What’s the big deal? Why make such a fuss..."

SLAP!

Mu Lingyan slapped Chang Xiu hard across the face. The force made the girl stumble, nearly sending her flying.

"Mu Lingyan! You... you actually dared to hit me?" Chang Xiu covered her cheek in disbelief. "You... just for a few lowly servants?"

"Miss!" Chang Jian quickly intervened to stop her from speaking further.

They had arrived a step too late this time, and Second Miss Mu had even been forced to draw her Spirit Sword. Otherwise...

"It’s not fair! What right does she have to hit me? Why did you hit me?" Chang Xiu stomped her feet. "How can the lives of a few servants compare to mine? Even my father hasn’t laid a hand on me since I was born!"

"If you weren’t Chang Xiu, I’d make sure you learned a harsh lesson!" Mu Lingyan pointed a warning finger at her nose before turning to leave.

Chang Xiu scoffed, covering her face as resentment flared in her eyes. If it weren’t for Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion, and if it weren’t for Lingche...

"Chang Xiu!" Su Wan marched over, rolling up her sleeves.

"What are you doing?" Chang Xiu hastily backed away.

"What am I doing? I’m going to beat you up!" Su Wan threw a punch right at her.

"You dare?" Chang Xiu swiftly dodged. "Are you crazy? I didn’t even offend you!"

"You didn’t offend me? You almost got me... I just want to hit you!" Su Wan was furious. She had been terrified just moments ago, and it had even cost her a strand of Primordial Qi. But the hardest thing to shake was the sight of Cuihe dying to save her.

"I’m not afraid of you. Touch me and see! I’ll fight back!" Chang Xiu drew her weapon.

Su Wan was different from Mu Lingyan. The Chang Family also had a Third-Grade Grand General’s Mansion, and they boasted two Third-Grade Grand Generals. The Su Family only had one. She might be afraid of Mu Lingyan, but she wasn’t scared of Su Wan.

"Even with a weapon, you can’t beat me!" Su Wan sneered. Her Cultivation was a tier higher than Chang Xiu’s. However, after a moment of thought, she ultimately stayed her hand. Now wasn’t the right time or place. She would settle this once they returned.

The members of the three families quickly cleaned up the battlefield—tending to the wounded and collecting the bodies. In total, five people had died—three men and two women—and many others were severely injured.

Fortunately, none of the three families lacked Top-Grade Healing Pills. As long as a person wasn’t dead, they could generally be healed without an exorbitant cost.

Lu Yuan and Lin Siyao walked over, leading their horses. Lin Siheng followed on foot.

Lin Siyao felt slightly unwell. This was the first time she had witnessed such a bloody scene.

"Tie this handkerchief over your face," Lu Yuan said, handing one to her. It would at least block out some of the metallic stench.

"Okay," Lin Siyao nodded. In truth, the Black Water Profound Snake could filter out the smell of blood for her.

"Lu Yuan, were those arrows shot by you just now?" Su Wan approached, accompanied by two maids.

"Yes," Lu Yuan nodded faintly.

"You’ve got some skills. You’re a bit better than me," Su Wan acknowledged.

[Warmth has blossomed between you and Su Wan. Intimacy +20]

"Heh," Lu Yuan chuckled.

Su Wan rolled her eyes. What was that laugh supposed to mean?

[A crisis has occurred in your relationship with Su Wan. Intimacy -5]

Mu Lingyan stood before Cuihe’s corpse. She glanced at Lu Yuan, her emotions somewhat complicated.

She hadn’t seen exactly what had happened, but if Lu Yuan had helped with all his might—if he had drawn his bow to fend off the beasts—Cuihe would likely have had a high chance of survival. After all, Cuihe was no weakling; with even a sliver of an opportunity, she could have survived.

But she also knew that Lu Yuan and Cuihe had unresolved conflicts and didn’t get along. Therefore, she had no right to say anything if Lu Yuan had chosen to hold back and not help in that critical moment.

Or perhaps he had genuinely been too preoccupied with other dangers to intervene in time?

No one could say for sure.

If she had to lay blame, why hadn’t she activated her Spirit Sword sooner?

Lu Yuan led Lin Siyao a bit further away. The stench of blood was too overwhelming. Even he felt slightly nauseous, especially since the metallic tang of Demon Beast blood was so pungent.

"Is it hungry?" Lu Yuan noticed that Ink Jade, coiled around Lin Siyao’s wrist, was growing restless and eager to move.

"Um, I think so," Lin Siyao replied, naturally understanding the snake’s intent.

Ink Jade had communicated that it wanted to eat the corpses of the three Demon Lions, but it was inconvenient right now. She wasn’t yet ready to expose the snake’s true identity and strength.

So...

"Generate some fog, then finish it quickly. Don’t let anyone see you," Lu Yuan murmured, offering an idea to Ink Jade.

Ink Jade immediately nodded repeatedly.

"Huh?" Lin Siyao looked at the man and the snake in confusion. "Brother Yuan, you..."

"I wasn’t far away when your father caught it," Lu Yuan replied with a smile.

"Oh," Lin Siyao said awkwardly. So that was it. No wonder...

"Go ahead then," Lin Siyao said, lowering her wrist slightly.

SWISH.

Ink Jade flashed and vanished without a trace.

Soon after...

WHOOSH!

A massive cloud of fog drifted over from a distance. At the same time, thick plumes of water vapor burst from the ground, spreading rapidly.

"Why is there suddenly heavy fog?"

"What’s going on?"

"It’s a Demon Beast!"

"Watch out for the Demon Beast!"

Where there were anomalies, there were bound to be demons! And they were all too common in the mountains.

"Form a defensive array!"

"Defend!"

Everyone tensed up. Any creature capable of producing such a large-scale effect had to be at least a Sixth-Grade Demon Beast. Even a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist wouldn’t have an easy time fighting it.

But the mist disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived, soon vanishing completely.

"The Demon Beast corpses are gone!"

"The corpses!"

Mu Lingyan, Mu Lingche, and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Then, realization dawned on them—a wild Demon Beast had been attracted by the scent of Demon Blood.

Fortunately, it hadn’t intended to fight. Although they had a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist in their ranks and various hidden trump cards among the group, avoiding conflict was always preferable to prevent further casualties.

While the Demon Beast corpses were highly valuable, none of the three families were strapped for wealth.

Meanwhile, Ink Jade silently slithered back onto Lin Siyao’s wrist and let out a satisfied burp.

"Let’s pack up and go home."