Outside Yuanyang City, atop a barren mountain filled entirely with withered trees.
Several women dressed in different styles all wore expressionless faces. Stepping on the dew, as if guided by something, they walked toward the depths of the barren mountain.
Chao Jinsui followed at the very end of the group.
Her footsteps were extremely light, her expression perfectly controlled, almost no different from the strange-looking women around her who seemed to be under the control of gu insects.
About forty or so women—there were even a few female cultivators in the Golden Core stage, but judging by their attire, most were probably courtesans from within Yuanyang City.
Courtesans from pleasure houses.
And thinking of the coffins being carried out at the city gates, they were likely men who lusted after beauty, believing they were going to indulge themselves in the pleasure quarters—
Who knew they would be drained of their yang energy and lose their lives like that.
Dying on a courtesan’s bed was hardly an honorable way to die; most families would not publicize it. As a result, even though so many male cultivators in Yuanyang City had suddenly died, no one realized anything was wrong.
If Chao Jinsui had not come, or if she had already been controlled, Madam Zi would probably have accomplished her goal without anyone noticing.
Very soon, light appeared not far ahead.
Disciples and maidservants of the Su family stood like wooden stakes, holding torches and quietly guarding the sides, clearly having waited a long time.
Su Baishan: “Madam, forty-five in total. All have arrived.”
A group of Su family disciples carried up a coffin. In the hazy dimness, one could only make out a man lying inside with a build similar to Su Liuyun’s. He lay motionless, as if dead.
Su Baishan said regretfully: “The body I found for Liuyun isn’t the best, but we were in too much of a hurry. I couldn’t find anything better.”
A gentle female voice laughed softly. “It doesn’t matter. If my son doesn’t like this body after returning to life, we can change it again.”
Su Baishan said, “That’s true.”
He glanced at the sky and said, “Madam, the auspicious hour has arrived.”
It was already midnight. Not a trace of light remained on the horizon.
Madam Zi set down her teacup and looked toward the women deep in the forest, a satisfied smile curling at her lips.
The moment she saw the coffin, Chao Jinsui had already vaguely guessed what Madam Zi intended to do.
Absorb yang energy, borrow a corpse to return the soul—was this the Hehuan Sect’s forbidden technique?
The gu inside these women’s bodies had already absorbed their fill of yang energy. As long as that energy was extracted and Su Liuyun’s soul summoned back, Su Liuyun could return to life by borrowing the corpse.
After figuring it out, he could not help frowning.
As expected of the Hehuan Sect, an existence condemned by everyone in the cultivation world—even such inhuman forbidden arts existed.
—Just how many people had to be drained dry to exchange for a single life?
Then, a woman controlled by gu stepped forward in a daze.
Next came the second, the third…
Every woman who stepped forward had a rosy complexion and radiant vitality. But when they left, it was as if their essence had been drained in an instant—the color vanished completely from their faces, and their entire bodies seemed to have aged ten years.
They collapsed limply to the side. They were not dead, only fallen into sleep.
Chao Jinsui did not act rashly. She observed the surroundings without revealing anything, but soon, her ear twitched.
Among the crowd, a round-faced girl had awakened!
That round-faced girl wore plain green clothing completely different from the others around her, and there was even a sword at her waist—clearly a sword cultivator as well.
Her face was deathly pale. She forced herself not to scream, trying desperately to calm down—but who could wake up and find themselves in such a bizarre scene without feeling afraid?
The more she tried to stay calm, the more she trembled like a sieve.
If this continued, she would soon be discovered!
Just as the round-faced girl was trembling enough to attract attention, Chao Jinsui quietly stepped forward and blocked her.
But that single step also placed her in the very front row.
Madam Zi’s gaze, as though laced with poison, was searching for something—
At last, her gaze froze.
She suddenly laughed. “It’s Suisui.”
That eerily gentle voice rang through the night sky, and the Su family disciples and maidservants around her all shuddered in unison.
She smiled. “Look, our main course has arrived today.”
Madam Zi rose and walked over with swaying grace. Her face suddenly came very close, her long purple nails brushing across Chao Jinsui’s cheek, bringing a faint shiver. “What a coincidence. I thought you would come later.”
Chao Jinsui’s pupils were unfocused, her expression blank. Madam Zi watched her for a long time, finding no trace of anything unusual, before finally turning away.
Chao Jinsui felt the guidance of the gu insect and followed.
—Behind her, the round-faced girl made no more movement.
At this moment, everyone’s attention was on Chao Jinsui. No one noticed that among the group of women, someone had already awakened.
Chao Jinsui also lay down inside a coffin.
Madam Zi stared at her, her gaze full of venomous resentment, and demanded:
“Jinsui, have I not treated you well enough? Since childhood you had no mother, and I was willing to be your godmother; every time you came to Yuanyang City, when did I not treat you kindly?”
“Liuyun has been deeply devoted to you—what has he ever done to wrong you? I even intended for you to become Liuyun’s wife! Why would you do something that hurts my heart like this!”
Madam Zi rebuked sharply, “Speak!”
Chao Jinsui could clearly feel it—upon receiving Madam Zi’s command, the gu insect began forcing her to open her mouth.
She had already felt that Madam Zi’s words sounded strange, and now she finally understood why—
Madam Zi genuinely believed she had treated her quite well, and also believed Su Liuyun’s feelings were sincere.
So when Chao Jinsui resisted and even injured her son, Madam Zi was extremely furious. She even seemed to feel emotionally deceived, her tone as if treating her like an ungrateful wretch.
But in reality, Chao Jinsui recalled the first time she visited—Madam Zi’s gaze circling between her and Chao Xiaotu, like she was evaluating merchandise—
And in the end, she chose her.
Madam Zi had probably always regarded her as an object that suited her preferences.
Others likely did not dare speak the truth to Madam Zi. After all, Su Liuyun, merely at the Golden Core stage, being matched with a sword cultivation prodigy at the Nascent Soul stage—anywhere, that would be considered reaching far above his station.
Yet Madam Zi wholeheartedly believed her son was excellent in every way. Since Chao Jinsui did not fancy him, she thought her ungrateful, even found it incomprehensible.
Since Madam Zi was forcing her to speak the truth, Chao Jinsui sincerely answered:
“Not familiar.”
“Too weak.”
Just four words made Madam Zi’s eyes widen.
Chao Jinsui was not a harsh person and was usually very tactful, but didn’t she want to hear the truth?
She added:
“Ordinary looks.”
“Corrupt morals.”
Yan Xueyi behind her seemed to laugh softly.
But her truth had already shattered Madam Zi’s heart.
Madam Zi’s voice was nearly shrill. “Shut up!”
Chao Jinsui calmly lay back down. She had known it would be like this.
How could Madam Zi possibly accept that, in others’ eyes, her precious son was utterly worthless?
Su Baishan sighed. “Madam, it is she who does not know what is good for her. Using her blood as a sacrifice to welcome my son back—that is what should be done.”
Madam Zi’s gaze was filled with venomous hatred. “No!”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“A’Shan, didn’t you say the body you found for Liuyun has only average talent? She was born with sword bones—if we carve them out and give them to Liuyun, it will count as a fitting death!”
Madam Zi’s resentful gaze swept over, her expression turning ferocious.
She took the dagger handed to her by Su Baishan. Black qi coiled around its blade.
Madam Zi’s face twisted, and the knife plunged down!
The next second, the Kunlun Sword suddenly rang out with a sharp hum, whooshing from its sheath and blocking Madam Zi’s dagger!
Golden light burst forth from the Kunlun Sword. With a violent tremor, it knocked Madam Zi away!
Caught off guard, Madam Zi staggered back several steps before stopping.
Chao Jinsui opened her eyes and sat up from inside the coffin.
Madam Zi was utterly shocked. “You! You weren’t poisoned by the gu?”
But she quickly reacted—impossible. She could clearly sense that the gu inside Chao Jinsui’s body was still there!
Dark qi solidified in her eyes as she prepared to activate the gu insect!
But the next second, Chao Jinsui’s hand moved—her palm struck out with a roaring force!
Madam Zi seized Su Baishan beside her and used him to block that terrifying blow, then rapidly retreated!
Su Baishan was blasted away, his whole body wracked with pain as he spat out a mouthful of blood!
“Do you want to know why she doesn’t fancy Su Liuyun? Because you and your son are both—”
From the darkness stepped a handsome fiend, his eyes mocking, his words even more cutting:
“Ugly, yet full of beautiful fantasies.”
Madam Zi’s expression twisted for an instant. Warily, she asked, “Who are you?!”
Around her, the Su family disciples hurriedly drew their swords.
Yan Xueyi said lazily, “Do you want to know how your son died?”
Chao Jinsui leaned slowly against the coffin lid. “I killed him.”
Yan Xueyi raised a brow. “I burned his soul.”
“—He died cleanly.”
“What did you say?!”
Madam Zi’s expression froze. Su Baishan was also stunned.
Madam Zi flew into a rage, her voice shrill. “You killed my son? Just because of that love gu?”
Madam Zi shouted, “It was only a mere gu insect! That was his deep love!”
Madam Zi roared, “All of you—attack!”
Hearing of his son’s death, Su Baishan, who had been lying on the ground, didn’t even care that he had just vomited blood from Yan Xueyi’s palm strike. Seeing Madam Zi and Yan Xueyi entangled in combat, he climbed up from the ground, sword in hand, and charged toward Chao Jinsui:
“Give me back my son’s life!”
Chao Jinsui had just grasped the Suixin Realm of the Kunlun Sword Art. Facing the now-injured Su Baishan was perfect!
Her sword moved like a gale, almost becoming an afterimage in the air, crashing fiercely against Su Baishan.
Yet she herself sat inside the coffin and even closed her eyes.
She let her connection with the Kunlun Sword grow unprecedentedly intense, as if entering an extremely subtle state.
As if responding to Chao Jinsui, the Kunlun Sword let out an extremely excited hum!
The round-faced girl who had already awakened and hidden among the crowd had originally wanted to rush forward to save her, but now her eyes widened.
She was also a sword cultivator—
But were sword cultivators nowadays all this terrifying? Even fighting with their eyes closed?
Chao Jinsui’s Gale Realm had already been trained when she faced the Grandmaster. In the Grandmaster’s little lessons, she had been able to block his sword so tightly that not even wind could pass through.
Now, with the Gale Realm of the sword art combined with the Suixin Realm—
It was simply a net that covered heaven and earth.
Su Baishan was completely sealed in by the Kunlun Sword, unable to find even the slightest opening, furious beyond measure!
And he had just been struck by that fiend’s palm, his internal organs in searing pain.
