Chapter 21: Flying to the Branch to Become a Phoenix

"Listen to me!" the latter murmured, her lips pressed thin. "Everything will be lost sooner or later, so why care so much? Do you really intend never to marry in your entire life?"

The woman with the oval face replied, both angry and exasperated, "Is that even the same thing?"

"How is it any different? You’re just pining after that poor scholar, aren't you? What can he possibly give you?" the latter retorted with a sharp tongue.

"You are simply unreasonable!" At the mention of the scholar, the oval-faced woman's expression darkened further, and she said coldly.

"Do you have any idea how many people dream of this? You are about to soar to the branches and become a phoenix; aren't you satisfied yet? I’ve given up on you," the latter sighed, shaking her head.

The oval-faced woman ignored her, struggled to her feet, and threw herself against the stone pillar of the pavilion.

*Bang!*

A dull thud echoed, and as the sound faded, the oval-faced woman slowly collapsed to the ground. Blood trickled from her forehead, staining the earth. The latter stepped forward and checked her breathing; it was clear she had passed away.

She shook her head and muttered to herself, "Why bother? Would life with Master Xiao really be so bad?"

Xiao Yunchao’s cold face was filled with murderous intent. He said coldly to the man in black beside him, "Go—kill everyone in that cur's family from yesterday."

A flicker of hesitation crossed the man in black’s eyes, but he quickly composed himself and said, "Yes, I shall see to it at once."

Xiao Yunchao then instructed another man, "Dispose of those two wretches from just now as well. I cannot have such stains on my reputation."

"Yes," the man in black replied and left.

Before long, screams rang out from the pavilion’s corridor, ending without any struggle. To be precise, there was no chance to struggle; to a martial artist, killing a defenseless woman was no different from crushing an ant.

A long while later, inside a courtyard in Nanyang City, the man in black walked in slowly, followed by a family of seven. He did not harm them but instead told them to flee Nanyang City. The family, having learned that their breadwinner was dead, wept uncontrollably.

The man in black said coldly, "Leave at once! If Xiao Yunchao finds out, no one will be able to save you."

"Thank you! Thank you!" a woman kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude.

Standing beside her was a boy of about five or six, gritting his teeth and clenching his small fists tightly.

In Qinghe Town, large, goose-feather snowflakes began to fall, draping the earth in a white garment. A woman, covered in blood, stumbled out of a dilapidated temple, looking completely lost. She staggered along, asking everyone she met about a blind man.

"A blind Taoist? I don't know, I don't know."

"Never seen him, keep moving."

"What blind man? Get going, keep moving, never heard of him."

Though she received no answers, she did not give up and continued to ask everyone she encountered. Her feet moved with difficulty across the thick snow, and her delicate body shivered, though it was unclear whether from pain or cold. She left uneven footprints behind, accompanied by spots of blood that were quickly covered by the falling snow.

Passing a steamed bun stall, she smelled the fragrance and could not help but swallow hard. She asked in a soft, faint voice, "Sister, have you seen a young blind Taoist?"

The woman was startled. After a moment of thought, she replied, "In the third courtyard around the corner ahead, there is a young blind man. You can go and see if it is him."

"Good! Thank you, sister," she said, her voice weak.

"It’s nothing. I’d take you there myself if I weren't so busy," the woman said, sounding hesitant.

"Thank you!" she managed to squeeze out a smile.

Meanwhile, she lifted her feet with great effort and walked forward slowly. Soon, Lin Chen looked at the doorway and saw the blood-soaked woman, sensing that her breath was extremely faint. He said with a look of worry, "Xiao Yunyao, what happened to you? Come in quickly."

Seeing Lin Chen, a faint smile finally appeared in Xiao Yunyao's eyes: "I finally found you."

Before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed into the snow as if relieved of a heavy burden, falling unconscious. Lin Chen hurriedly rushed forward, caught her, and carried her inside, telling Hu Mei'er to treat her wounds.

Hu Mei'er looked at the injuries on Xiao Yunyao's body, her expression grave as she drew in a sharp breath. She peeled away the blood-drenched clothing layer by layer, ignoring the presence of Lin Chen standing nearby.

Afterward, she instructed, "This girl's clothes are ruined beyond repair. You should go buy some new ones."

As she spoke, she produced a tael of gold from thin air and added, "I will pay for it. Go quickly!"

Lin Chen asked with concern, "Is she... going to be alright?"

Hu Mei'er shook her head and said, "She won't die. Go on now."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen hurried off toward the town. After he left, Li Baoping walked in, and seeing the wounded person on the bed, she couldn't help but gasp. After a long while, she frowned slightly and asked curiously, "Sister Mei'er, who is she?"

"She—she is a good friend of your Brother Lin, I suppose!" Hu Mei'er said after a moment's hesitation.

"She is so badly hurt. Can you save her, Sister Mei'er?" Li Baoping asked.

Hu Mei'er thought for a moment, then nodded, responding softly, "Of course, she will be fine."

Hu Mei'er had the ability to perceive the pasts of others, so once she knew of Xiao Yunyao's plight, she had decided to save her. Even if it took some effort—costing her a few years of her life—for a thousand-year-old fox spirit like her, lifespan was the least valuable thing she possessed.

That day, many strange men in black arrived in Qinghe Town. According to the shop assistants at the clothing store, they seemed to be inquiring about a woman. Lin Chen guessed the situation and, without lingering, quickly bought a set of clothes and hurried home. If those men in black discovered Xiao Yunyao’s presence, a bitter battle would be inevitable.

When Lin Chen arrived home, Xiao Yunyao had already regained consciousness. Seeing Lin Chen walk in with long, steady strides, she subconsciously covered her lower body, as she was currently unclothed. She tried to sit up and pull the quilt over herself, but her body felt as if it were pinned down by a ten-thousand-pound boulder, and she could not move.

Instinctively, she blurted out, "Lecher! Get out!"

Lin Chen paused, then laughed, "You still have the strength to curse; it seems you won't be dying after all."

Only then did Xiao Yunyao remember that Lin Chen was blind. A look of embarrassment appeared on her delicate face as she parted her lips to say, "Thank you."

"You shouldn't be thanking me; I didn't really do anything," Lin Chen said in a calm tone.

At the same time, Hu Mei'er walked in. Seeing that Xiao Yunyao was awake, she smiled, "No need for thanks, just focus on recovering."

When Xiao Yunyao saw Hu Mei'er, a chill ran down her spine, and her mood plummeted. Isn't this that demoness who can change her face at will? What is going on? She had been scared to death by this demoness before—has she followed her all the way to Qinghe Town?

Last time, she hadn't had the chance to warn Lin Chen, but this time, she could not hesitate.

And so, she shouted in a panicked frenzy, "Ahhh... there’s a ghost! Lin Chen, run! There’s a ghost right next to you!"