Chapter 56: Battle in QiaoZhu

"Wh-Who?"

"ZiJiang? I've never heard of such a name."

YingLuo was befuddled and so as FeiXian. Wei Yue was also puzzled as they are but looking at the woman, her eyes does not lie about everything. The way that she stares at FeiXian, it seems like she does knew him for a very long time.

The pale woman's hands shook. Her eyes were wet with tears.

"ZiJiang... It's impossible... But I saw you die- I..." The pale woman stopped talking. She looked at FeiXian but judging by his reaction, he seem to have met her for the first time. She lowered her weapon slowly and flew at a nearby window and disappeared into the night.

Wei Yue was still rooted from where he stood by shock. His mouth was wide open. FeiXian shook his head and lifted up Wei Yue's jaw to close his mouth while YingLuo looked outside the window to find the trouble maker yet she could not find her no matter how hard she tried.

"Did you see where she went, YingLuo?"

"Even with my eyes of the phoenix, I couldn't see her anymore. She must've went far. Say FeiXian, did you know that woman?"

YingLuo stared daggers at FeiXian.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"In your kingdom, you are famous as a 'playboy' general... How can I guarantee that you didn't disguise yourself by another name just to trap that poor woman?!"

"Wh-what? Na YingLuo, I maybe a playboy once, but I won't get that far just to deceive a woman!"

"Fine. I believe you..."

Wei Yue finally spoke after a while. He sat at a nearby chair and stretched his hands at the table wriggling every finger he has. Wiping sweat from his head, Wei Yue narrated everything that had happened before the woman had shown and tried to kill him.

"That woman gave me a weird vibe. I was just writing my daily report from the kingdom's statistics and she appeared out of nowhere and tried to kill me. Luckily, if it weren't for YingLuo, I would've been a dead bird right now."

"Your highness, what vibe do you speak of?"

"FeiXian... She's... She was as if... One of the-"

YingLuo cut between them. A hint of seriousness glistened in her eyes. Holding her fan in her hands, she smacked it on the table.

"If I'm not mistaken... That woman is a demon."

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Without consuming any human or immortal sacrifice, Lu Jie's magic weakened as she headed back to the Nether Shade. Her magic has been half empty when she conjured a portal directly to TaoYan city.

Struggling to keep her remaining magic on her body, she threw herself at the main hall where XueCao sat before her.

"Elder brother XueCao..."

"Lu Jie... Have I not told you to never ever directly go where immortals might gather?"

"Yes brother. I'm at fault. But... Only one of them is a pure immortal."

Hearing her statement, XueCao flew in a sheer rage. His eyes reflected a devious aura which made Lu Jie lower her head.

"Do not take those petty half-immortals lightly. Have you forgotten who had put our master into eternal slumber?"

Lu Jie lowered her head which touched the stone floor.

"I apologize, brother. It won't happen again."

"By the way Lu Jie... I heard that you made a scene back at the mortal realm..."

"Brother I can expla-"

"No need to explain. Right now, my army of demons, QiuShan Li, Qing Luan and Zhao Min are on it's way to QiaoZhou."

"But brother... You told me that you won't harm everyone in QiaoZhou?!"

"Because of your imprudence, I had to let you witness the extent of my mercy... Watch as your beloved QiaoZhou falls."

"Y-You... You..."

"The moment you shed tears for ZiJiang... You crossed the red string Lu Jie... HAHAHAHA."

"The ninth heaven will never let you get away with this!"

"The ninth heaven will never meddle with the qualms of the mortal realm..."

"Brother XueCao!"

Her hands clung on XueCao's leg yet he shook it off and turned his back on her.

"You should've looked before you leaped."

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Having fierce eyes and merciless look, Zhao Min, Qing Luan and QiuShan Li arrived at the entrance of Qiaozhu.

"Pfft. This city isn't even worthy of consuming." Qing Luan scoffed as she tugged her hair.

"We'll do what master wants us to do. Consume everything. Do not leave any survivors."

"Understood sister."

Qing Luan and QiuShan Li then transformed into swarms of Cicadas while Zhao Min drew her daggers tearing through every flesh of imperial guards that are assigned at the city gates.

Qiaozhu was a distant city belonging to the Dragon Blades' Kingdom. However, King Fu does not fail appointing guards to cities that are included along the borders of Dragon Blade.

Dao SuZhi, the head guard of the city called his men to retreat along with the civilians.

"Run! Retreat along with the citizens! Send a message to King Fu."

"Yes General!"

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Back at the Dragon Blade's Kingdom, Wei Yue paid a visit to King Fu. As a customary practice of visitation, King Fu challenged Wei Yue to play imperial chess with him.

Faced with each other, they sat at a nearby pavillion where it was peaceful and quiet. The match of chess began by King Fu moving his piece along the board first.

"This is my first time playing imperial chess with his highness Wei Yue. Please go easy on me."

"Do not fret King Fu. I bet your decision-making skills are far more superior than mine."

"Haha. Hear hear. By the way, why have you come to visit me? Do you have something important to tell me?"

"Yes. Last night I was almost assailed by a she-demon. If it weren't for YingLuo, I might have been dead now. Thank you for sending YingLuo to safeguard me at my kingdom."

"I'm honored, his highness Wei Yue. Rest assured, the kingdom of Dragon Blade will always be in alliance with the Jade Phoenix's."

Their game was on halfway with four pieces left on each sides. Yet, a white falcon screeched and swooped down on the chessboard. King Fu removed a written letter from the falcon's claw. As he read the small parchment, his eyes grew.

"T-This... QiaoZhu is attacked."

"King Fu. Let me repay you. I'll send General Hua to assist YingLuo and MoXiao in the battle."

"Hao. I am glad that you have visited me in such a crucial time your highness."

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When MoXiao and YingLuo heard the news about the attack on QiaoZhu, they prepared the Dragon Blade's imperial army armed with weapons endowed with King Fu's enchantment that repels demonic auras.

FeiXian joined them as they have reached the outskirts of ChuanXi.

"YingLuo... His highness Wei Yue commanded me to assist you in QiaoZhu."

"Hao. General Hua, but if you should give me problems this time, I will not let you go off the hook."

YingLuo rashly saddled her horse ahead. MoXiao shook his head while looking at the shunned Hua FeiXian.

"Bro Fei Fei... You shouldn't have offended sister last night."

"What else could I say? That woman looked like she knew me."

"You could've told that woman that she have mistook you for someone."

"Uh well... She's-"

"Heh brother FeiXian. You sure are shrewd. That's why sis YingLuo was very angry."

"B-But..."

"Try not to give her problems this time General Hua. Do not add fuel to the fire. HAHA."

"MoXiaoooo!"

Leading the whole army of Dragon Blade, they have reached the town of QiaoZhu.

In a nick of time, YingLuo led the army to defeat the demons servisitors while she leapt off and crossed swords with Zhao Min.

"Sis Min it's YingLuo! Snap out of it!"

"Enemy of master is enemy of mine."

"No! Min'mei... Min'mei! Snap out of it! You're in some kind of enchantment!"

"I am not. I am forever faithful to master. Master is willing to bring back Shura Asuro. I will not fail master."

MoXiao did not spare time and transformed his sword into a poleaxe matching QiuShan Li's every move.

"You got great footwork boy. But not great enough to defeat General Li."

"You should've stayed dead."

"You got a gluteus mouth boy. Prepare for you death."

FeiXian was left to fight off with Qing Luan. Without a word, he took off with his sword and aimed at at her.

"Young man you sure have a good physique. Have I met you somewhere?"

"Thank you but I think this is the first time that I've met you. I would've wanted to un-meet you."

"BASTARD!"

Qing Luan kept hitting FeiXian and casually turned into swarm of cicadas. She never anticipated FeiXian's moves. His sword was aggressive like a tiger's. At last, she felt powerless as she felt that her soul siphon is melting away due to exhaustion. FeiXian's blade was at the tip of her neck as she let go of her sword and knelt in front of him.

"I- I never wanted to be resurrected. Please... Kill me."

FeiXian raised his blade and was about to chop off Qing Luan's head. He took one last glance at her face. She was willing to die. Her eyes were closed and her arms are wide open.

"I am sorry Qing Luan."

FeiXian's blade swished and half of the cicada's swarm vanished from the city. Noticing the anomaly, QiuShan Li searched for his lover and found her dead with her head severed from her body.

QiuShan Li saw this and ordered all of the demons to retreat. Zhao Min refused to retreat with them as the portal was almost closing.

YingLuo opened her divine weapon and abruptly swished it in the air making Zhao Min trapped into some kind of air prison. She was immobile yet she can freely talk inside the barrier.

"Zhao Min... This is not you..."

"Master is important. I must protec-"

MoXiao shook his head. He took a small needle from his pouch containing acupuncture needles and flicked it burying into Zhao Min's head on the left side.

The curse marks from the right side of her body subsided and her left eye and face started to lift itself from the enchantment however the left side wasn't affected by the needles.

"Sis- Y-YYingL-Luo.."

"Zhao Min! What have they done to you?"

"Sister Lu Jie... She made me drink some kind of elixir that was made from the ancient evil tree. And... AaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHRRRRRGHHHH!"

"Zhao Min!"

"Sis YingLuo... P-Please... Kill me now... Before I kill you all."

Visible tears started flowing from Zhao Min's eyes. YingLuo could not help but also wet her eyes.

"I couldn't possibly kill an Emei disciple... Zhao Min... Is there some way to turn you back to normal?"

"There's no time sis! ARRRRGGHHGHH! Kill me! Kill me now!"

YingLuo shed tears as she lowered the air prison with her fan.

"If...

If this is what you desire sister..."

YingLuo fanned her weapon three times and the air from inside the prison turned pressurized. The air from inside is like a poison draining away Zhao Min's life force by asphyxiation. As her eyes turned red due to lack of air, Zhao Min still managed to let out a smile and whispered...

"Thank you sis."

YingLuo's heart sank by hearing those words. Finally, Zhao Min closed her eyes. Her eternal repose came as bells rang at the city's nearby shrine of Goddess Da Qiao.

MoXiao took care of Zhao Min's dead body as FeiXian went beside YingLuo to comfort her grief. As Zhao Min's dead body passed by her, she passed out unconscious in the arms of FeiXian.

They all decided to return back to ChuanXi city and went to the Dragon Blade's palace for them to bring Zhao Min to her internment and lay the unconscious YingLuo on a bed.

MoXiao felt pity as General Hua laid YingLuo on the bed.

"Do you think sister would be fine brother FeiXian?"

"She will. She's a strong person."

"But she's pregnant while witnessing her best friend being killed by her own hands how would that make her fine?"

"I've known her. She's stronger than anyone else in this room. She'll get through her grievances. But not now..."