Chapter 22: A Trap Within a Trap, Part 2

“No, it’s too late—if I don’t return now, there won’t be any time left! Take me back immediately; there are people outside waiting for me to rescue them, and I fear their situation has become extremely perilous!” Hao Dan’s words were no exaggeration; outside, events unknown to them were unfolding.

The hurricane still raged wildly, the tornado had not wrought much devastation on its surroundings. Instead, it granted Duna and Ba Shizhu enough time to deal with Su Su and Old Hei. The situation outside was truly brutal: Old Hei and Su Su were being pursued by a giant monster. This time, the creature summoned by Duna was unlike any before—an enormous spider with a human face, capable of speech and of spewing countless fist-sized spiderlings to chase them. The scene was revolting, chilling, and terrifying. Su Su was enmeshed in the silky web cast by the giant spider, her petite body cocooned, only her small head exposed; her limbs were tightly bound, unable to move. Old Hei’s predicament was even worse. The witch Ba Shizhu moved with remarkable speed, leaping forward and pulling out a hidden seed of Gu spirit to force-feed him. Old Hei resisted desperately, refusing to open his mouth, but Ba Shizhu was unfazed: she pressed a foot on his body, watching Su Su with a mocking gaze. Old Hei, realizing Su Su’s imminent danger, cried out with a trace of tears, “I beg you, don’t harm our clan’s Empress! You’ve already inflicted such suffering upon her; I implore you, spare her. I’ll do anything you require!”

“Hahaha! Anything, you say?” Ba Shizhu sneered.

Duna, having just finished her spell, suddenly flashed before Su Su, her fair hand gently caressing Su Su’s cheek as she looked her in the eyes. Duna spoke coldly: “Though our teacher hasn’t ordered her death, it’s not forbidden to kill her. After all, ‘Garo’ is about to complete the task, and we mustn’t show mercy. Let’s resolve the trouble here quickly, then return to check on that boy. If we can’t handle it, I’ll report back immediately.”

Clearly, Duna was speaking to Ba Shizhu. Without anyone noticing, Duna’s fair hand now held a black witch’s dagger; her other hand gently closed Su Su’s bright eyes.

Old Hei, seeing this, feared Duna was about to kill Su Su and cried out in despair, “No!”

At that critical moment, a figure appeared from nowhere. The massive tornado still howled, but it was odd—why did Hao Dan arrive just now, when by logic, his arrival should have dispelled the tornado? In truth, Hao Dan had no control over the situation; after his soul returned to his body, he failed to connect with the spirit of the artifact, Dong Jun.

Upon appearing, Hao Dan wasted no time and cast the Divine Nine Words Incantation. Nine golden characters transformed into a silver jade rabbit that sped toward Su Su. This spell was called “Jade Rabbit Enters Heaven’s Gate.” Hao Dan controlled the rabbit, which nimbly destroyed the roots anchoring the spider web, causing Su Su to fall just as Duna hadn’t yet reacted. The rabbit then grew large, caught Su Su as she dropped, and with its powerful hind legs kicked the giant spider monster far away before rushing back to Hao Dan. Old Hei’s despairing expression froze; he could finally breathe again. The giant spider crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound and vanished.

Ba Shizhu was stunned. Duna, agile as ever, steadied herself with a few leaps off nearby trees. Old Hei, having swallowed Ba Shizhu’s Gu seed, steeled himself for a fight to the death, sensing imminent danger. Ba Shizhu quickly withdrew.

“Let’s fight!” Old Hei’s form blurred, a plume of green smoke rising. Suddenly, a fierce, jet-black wolf-shaped giant dog leaped from the smoke, charging at Ba Shizhu and Duna.

Hao Dan seized the opportunity, lifted Su Su from the giant rabbit and placed her gently on the ground, then prepared to use his divine powers. Suddenly, a golden holy light shone from the hurricane in the forest. Facing it, he saw an old man with white hair riding a large blue ox, approaching at a seemingly slow pace but appearing before Hao Dan in a blink. Before Hao Dan could react, the old man grinned, “Don’t panic, young friend. I offer you a gift—keep it safe!”

A golden gourd, inscribed with celestial Eight Trigrams patterns, flew from the old man’s hand toward Hao Dan. Hao Dan caught it, examined it, and found nothing remarkable.

“Celestial Eight Trigrams Gourd—demons subdued in an instant.
If used wisely, all heaven and earth enters the gourd.”

Mounted on the blue ox, the old man recited these lines, then vanished without a sound. The holy light lingered briefly before fading along with the tornado in the forest.

Meanwhile, Old Hei fought fiercely against Duna and Ba Shizhu. His body was soon covered in horrifying wounds. Ba Shizhu, not skilled in close combat, struggled against the old dog; only Duna, cold and ruthless, excelled at close quarters, her specialty evident: “Summon monsters, assassin at close range.” Ba Shizhu was flustered, her traps and spells exhausted, now forced to fight directly.

Hao Dan gazed at Su Su, who remained unconscious, unsure what Duna had done to her. Just as Hao Dan prepared to use the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger to aid Old Hei, the dagger was unexpectedly absorbed by the golden Eight Trigrams gourd in his hand. He stared in astonishment as the dagger shrank within the golden light and was swallowed up, vanishing.

The three figures tangled together—Old Hei’s furious howls, the witches’ angry breaths. Suddenly, Duna’s icy face flashed with a cold gleam; she swung her black witch’s dagger, sending several chilling blade shadows at Old Hei, striking him with an unbearable icy force. Blood sprayed violently, a mist of crimson enveloping the scene. Old Hei vomited blood, his body drained, his wounds deep and shocking, all in a blink of an eye.

Hao Dan watched helplessly as Old Hei, battered and bloodied, fought on. Old Hei’s vitality faltered, his massive form riddled with wounds that cut to the bone. Just as he was about to collapse, Hao Dan’s golden gourd burst forth with another golden beam, releasing the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger. Now transformed into a golden blade, it shot straight at the two witches.

As the blade neared Ba Shizhu, Old Hei bit Duna’s leg and refused to let go, even as the golden flying dagger approached. In desperation, Duna struck Old Hei’s head with her dagger, while Ba Shizhu kicked Old Hei, sending him flying and nearly lifeless to the ground. But when Ba Shizhu turned back, she was so terrified by what she saw that she fled in panic.

For before her eyes, the golden flying dagger pierced Duna’s delicate body repeatedly, in and out, blood spraying everywhere. Duna’s beautiful, icy face stared ahead in death, refusing to close her eyes. Blood splattered onto Ba Shizhu’s pale, delicate face, terrifying her to the verge of collapse. Driven by instinct, she used some unknown spell to escape at speed.

Old Hei, barely alive, reverted to human form, his old face weak as he watched the golden flying dagger utterly destroy Duna. Duna was nearly shredded, her soul emerging and sucked into the Eight Trigrams gourd.

Hao Dan did not pursue Ba Shizhu; his concern was for Su Su and Old Hei’s safety. Su Su remained unconscious, Old Hei gravely wounded and at death’s door. Hao Dan hurriedly offered him a silver vial of elixir, but Old Hei waved it off. “Thank you, young friend, but I can’t hide the truth any longer. My lady Su Su is the current Empress of the Nine Yi Clan, the Queen of Qingqiu!”

“I fear I can no longer protect her.”

Before Old Hei could react further, Hao Dan insisted on pouring the elixir into his mouth, but Old Hei’s condition did not improve; his vitality was fading fast. Sensing Hao Dan’s intent, Old Hei summoned his last strength to grasp Hao Dan’s arm, urging him not to waste any more medicine. With great effort, he reached for Su Su’s small hand. Hao Dan took her hand and gave it to him. Old Hei looked at Su Su with sorrow and tenderness. “I remember when she was young, not yet human, always chasing after me, begging to learn transformation magic. She was so small then, obsessed with beauty, vowing to grow up to be as lovely as her elder sister. Every day she would say she wanted to be a beautiful, cute little fox.”

“She had no idea she was destined to be the Empress of Qingqiu—a rare emerald fox, unmatched in a millennium. No other fox in our clan’s history rivals her talent. She was born with striking red eyes, whose power only awakens in mortal danger to protect her, and carries a petrifying force. Because of this, she had no friends, only me to care for her. Even her brother, Su Moran, grew distant.”

“When she became Empress, few celebrated. The Nine Yi Clan has been wracked with conflict for years. Even without interference from the Seven Star Tower of the witch clan, we’d still be in turmoil. When Emperor Taiyi fell and the gods’ war ended, the demon saints migrated to the Nine Yi mountains, while the witch clan moved east. Lately, the witch clan’s return suggests a resurgence. I saw the golden bell on you before, and realized something. Now, I must tell you Su Su’s story. She is pitiful—so pitiful. She’s been isolated since childhood, shunned and feared for her petrifying red eyes. Only I was unafraid. If I could live on, I’d always protect her! My greatest wish is to see her unite the Nine Yi Clan, revive the Eastern Yi, and reign over the land. Please, young friend, take care of my lady and let no harm come to her!”

Hao Dan was already weeping uncontrollably. Though they’d only known each other a few days, their shared trials had forged a bond. He now understood Su Su’s tragic past, and seeing her unconscious, so lovable and vulnerable, he vowed, “Rest assured, Elder Hei. As long as I live, Su Su will be safe—I will protect her!”

“She was mischievous as a child, always riding on my back, sleeping there in every season. She’s always been lonely and afraid, though the clan fears her—only I understand her fragility. If her siblings hadn’t pushed her to the throne, she’d never have become like this. Years ago, a great upheaval struck the Nine Yi Clan—a conspiracy by Seven Star Tower. Among them was a terrifying witch named ‘Garo in Profile,’ who could invade minds and seize control of the spirit. If you meet her, be cautious!”

“Perhaps I’ve spoken too much… cough…”

Hao Dan comforted him, “Don’t rush, Elder. I’m listening.” Seeing Old Hei’s end approaching, Hao Dan held back tears and listened quietly.

“In those days, the Nine Yi Clan elected the Emperor of Dongyi. Only the Qingqiu lineage had the power to lead; other chiefs were corrupt, unable to unite the clan. Our Qingqiu dog clan, descended from antiquity, holds the most complete magic. But Su Su’s twelve siblings had no interest in leadership, leaving all affairs to her—who couldn’t even transform or speak. When she awakened her powers, the clan began to fear her, but before that, she was bullied. I remember when she first became a child, running to play with the others, only to be beaten by a crowd. I neglected her then; she almost died. After I rescued her, she became withdrawn, often sitting alone on the cliffs. It took me ages to heal her heart, and since then, she always slept on my back. Only I knew why—she feared being bullied in her sleep. Even now, her trauma lingers; the ‘healing’ was only getting her to speak again.”

At this, Hao Dan’s soul was deeply shaken. He cradled Su Su tenderly, smoothing her hair and listening to Old Hei’s final words.

“In the future, if you meet her twelve brothers—especially Su Moran—he’s the only one who might truly help her. If he comes forth, he’ll support her great ambition. If you really are the reincarnation of that legendary emperor, perhaps you can help her even more. Cough… I fear my time is short…”

With a fit of coughing, Old Hei summoned his last strength, gently pushed Hao Dan aside, and transformed into a black dog. The once smooth fur was now wrinkled and scarred, his body frail and thin. He said nothing more, only looked lonely, then slowly walked to a tree and began to dig weakly at the earth.

Hao Dan did not understand why. Old Hei, in a feeble voice, said, “Don’t come near this dying body.”

Hao Dan respected the old warrior and watched silently. After a while, Old Hei finally dug a pit large enough for his body. He cast a loving glance at Su Su in Hao Dan’s arms, then quietly leaped into the pit and died alone. The world seemed utterly silent; not a sound stirred. The area was so quiet that Hao Dan could hear the questions of his soul. This scene deeply shocked Hao Dan’s still immature heart. What a noble elder—his love for Su Su surpassed even that of her parents. His guardianship was flawless; his thoughts always centered on her. Yet in the end, he died alone, in a way Hao Dan couldn’t comprehend. Why did Elder Hei choose such a solitary end? The forlorn leap into the pit struck Hao Dan’s soul—why did he treat himself so harshly?

“Ah!” Hao Dan broke down, grief for Old Hei pouring from his soul. Tears flooded his handsome face; he became a man of tears.

Scenes from their journey together, memories of their first meeting, replayed before his eyes, overwhelming him with sorrow. The image of Old Hei’s frail, wrinkled body leaping into the pit and never moving again etched itself into his soul.

After some time, Hao Dan’s tears had not dried. In his arms, Su Su began to stir. Under Hao Dan’s anxious gaze, she slowly opened her bright, watery eyes—he saw tears glistening within them.

Even in her sleep, she seemed to sense Old Hei’s passing. Her eyes now shone with a spark of spirit, no longer dull as before. She gently slipped from Hao Dan’s embrace, sat up, and did not look anywhere else.

Upon standing, her petite form walked toward the pit where Old Hei lay.

Hao Dan was deeply moved by the bond between Su Su and Old Hei. Su Su, unconscious, knew nothing of what happened, yet upon waking, went straight to Old Hei. In the moment of awakening, tears welled in her eyes; Hao Dan saw it clearly.