Chapter 33: There are stupid teammates

She came looking for Senior Brother?

Xia Xiaochan was about to get up, but she hadn’t noticed that she had been sitting completely still all night, and the blood in her legs had already gone numb.

With a “plop,” she collapsed face-first onto the floor, clutching the table.

“Hmph, I knew you were in there!”

Outside, Li Xingyao shouted again, evidently having heard the noise inside the room.

Xiao Chan rubbed her legs, slowly recovering a bit. Just as she was about to stand, the door suddenly swung open with a loud creak.

A petite figure stood in the doorway, blocking the glaring sunlight.

“Xia Xiaochan?”

Li Xingyao’s voice was tinged with surprise. “Why is it you? Where’s Lin Ci?”

“Why are you looking for Senior Brother?”

Xia Xiaochan got up, her eyes filled with caution.

Li Xingyao crossed her arms, puffed up her chest, and said with righteous indignation:

“Hmph, we agreed that he would come to my house to teach, but two whole days have passed and he hasn’t come even once. I had no choice but to come and get him myself.”

“Ah?”

Xiao Chan was stunned. Li Xingyao actually wanted to force Senior Brother to teach her?

Is Senior Brother going to be taken away?

That made her angry…

“Your family is so powerful, why don’t you go find some other master? Why must you keep bothering my Senior Brother?”

“You… who do you think is bothering him! I don’t have to have him, okay!”

Li Xingyao’s face flushed. “I just can’t accept his breaking his promise, so I came to get an explanation, that’s all.”

“Then come back in a month!”

Xia Xiaochan scoffed lightly. “Senior Brother went down the mountain on some business. He won’t be back until next month.”

“What?”

Li Xingyao was stunned. “Then why didn’t he tell me?”

“Why should he notify you?”

“Because… because…”

Li Xingyao couldn’t answer. That was right—what did he have to do with her? Why would he have to notify her?

A brief silence fell, the air turning quiet.

Xiao Chan frowned slightly:

“Why are your eyes red?”

“Hmph, it’s natural for me…”

Li Xingyao rubbed her eyes and changed the subject. “Xia Xiaochan, do you know how to play Five-in-a-Row?”

“Senior Brother even taught you that?”

Xiao Chan’s heart suddenly went hollow.

“Do you know it or not?”

“Of course I do. Not just Five-in-a-Row, Senior Brother also taught me Aeroplane Chess, Chinese Checkers, Fight the Landlord…”

Xiao Chan answered with a hint of pride.

“Then play a game with me…”

Li Xingyao said softly.

“You…”

Xiao Chan glanced at her, feeling like something about Li Xingyao had changed, though she couldn’t say exactly what.

Suddenly, she recalled Senior Brother’s words…

‘Xiao Chan, remember, there are no eternal friends in this world, nor are there eternal enemies.’

At this moment, Xiao Chan somewhat understood the meaning of that sentence.

“Alright then, I’ll play a game with you.”

She nodded. Although she hadn’t fully grasped Dunshu yet, it could wait a while longer.

“But I won’t go easy on you.”

“Perfect!”

Li Xingyao’s tone was equally determined.

Gu Ta Town.

Night deepened gradually.

Lin Ci leaned against a tree trunk, holding his long sword, eyes closed as he rested.

His spiritual power circulated continuously, keeping him in a half-sleep, half-awake state so he could detect any disturbances nearby immediately.

At the city gate entrance, the torches on the wall flickered out one by one, and the soldiers on guard atop the wall, clutching their spears, nodded off bit by bit.

Before long,

Between sleep and wakefulness, a pungent smell suddenly invaded Lin Ci’s nostrils.

He shot his eyes open sharply, alarm rising in his heart.

Something was wrong!

White, dense smoke billowed in from outside the city, gathering near the gate.

He had inhaled a bit just now, feeling unbearable nausea, so he immediately forced the blue smoke away with his spiritual power, feeling much better.

“Uwaaahhh—!”

A wail came from the city wall.

The soldier on duty had inhaled some of the white smoke, his face twisted in pain as he clutched his throat and collapsed to his knees. Moments later, blood poured from his orifices, and he died in agony.

After his death, his soul drifted out of his mouth and nose. From the white smoke emerged a bony, skeletal hand that grasped his soul.

A black banner waved, and the hand shoved the soul into it.

Lin Ci calmly hid in the shadows, motionless, watching.

From within the white smoke came voices:

“Tsk tsk tsk, Ancient Celestial Master’s ‘Muddy Blood Smoke’ and ‘Ten Thousand Mile Soul-Devouring Banner’ really open our eyes. Impressive, impressive!”

“Heh heh heh… you young ones sure are slick with words. Just now, I was merely toying with a mortal. What’s so impressive about that?”

“Sigh~ Ancient Celestial Master, don’t be modest. Your murderous techniques would easily handle even Golden Core cultivators. And your Soul-Devouring Banner seems to have improved, no?”

“The refinement isn’t fast enough.” A grating old voice sighed. “It’s been decades since I refined a Golden Core cultivator’s soul. Achieving perfection with this treasure is indeed distant…”

“Today is a great opportunity! The Great Void Sect’s top disciple is in the city right now. If the Celestial Master refines her, plus all the mortals in Gu Ta Town, the banner’s completion will be within reach!”

“Heh heh heh… I love to hear that. Once I refine that young Bu Liugu, I can command the Divine Sect at will!”

“Don’t forget to promote us then, Ancient Celestial Master!”

“Heh heh heh, no problem. When you come into my banner, we’ll be one big family!”

“Uh, this might be a bit…”

“No need to say more. You young ones stay here, the rest follow me. We’re going to find someone!”

With that, a gaunt old man stepped out from the smoke, followed by several sinister-looking cultivators, heading into the town.

In the mist, seven or eight figures remained.

Nearby, behind a tree,

Lin Ci took in everything, his gaze sharpening.

These were demon cultivators!

And they were coming for Bu Liugu!

So, there really were demon sect spies inside the Great Void Sect…

Lin Ci pondered deeply.

Then he considered whether he should just run.

Just kidding… what if he didn’t run? Would he just go up and hand himself over?

Only running was the right choice.

As for Bu Liugu and Ruan Huoying, Lin Ci could only wish them luck.

Besides, these demon cultivators hadn’t detected his hiding place yet. Even if he fled now, they probably wouldn’t catch him… right?

They would catch him…

Lin Ci sighed helplessly at this thought.

He didn’t know Sword Riding, nor Dunshu. Even if he managed to create distance with surprise, a group of them riding swords could easily catch up.

The Spirit Boat was in Bu Liugu’s hands…

Lin Ci realized his predicament was rather awkward.

Running risked being caught.

Fighting meant one against many.

Their cultivation levels were unknown. If they were all Golden Core stage, one-on-one might be okay, but one against many… even with luck, victory was nearly impossible.

He could only wait for Bu Liugu and the others to win, then come out and save him?

Lin Ci recalled those demon cultivators entering the city, especially that Ancient Celestial Master. Their aura was terrifying. They might be Nascent Soul Realm cultivators!

Even with Bu Liugu and Ruan Huoying together, two Golden Core cultivators, defeating a Nascent Soul was a slim chance…

But for now, he had no choice but to believe in them.

Don’t let me down, Ruan Huoying!

I know you actually know Flying Thunder God and Corpse Ghost Sealing, and that you have a Red Giant Lizard sealed inside you, right? If worst comes to worst, a fifty-fifty fight is good enough!

Lin Ci shrank back behind the tree, completely still, patiently waiting for the outcome.

However, what he never expected was another twist at this moment!

A graceful figure strode out from inside the city gate without a care:

“Li Feiyu, where have you been?”

“Sister Yueyue bought some snacks and asked me to bring you some. Do you want some?”

“I’m dead tired. Just put them down and I’ll go back to sleep… huh? What’s with all that smoke?”

Lin Ci’s face turned pitch black…

Damn it!

Damn damn damn!

What kind of terrible teammate is this?!