The bright, round moon hung high in the sky, enveloping the world with its stifling, desolate and frosty glow.The eerie silence in the surroundings were only broken up by the occasional rustling leaves with a gentle, pa.s.sing breeze that sounded almost like the stirring of footsteps.“Master, do you think that Jun Xiaomo and the rest will really return tonight?” Zhang Shuyue"s gaze remained transfixed on the trap that they had already laid out for Jun Xiaomo and the rest, as though she were a hunter waiting expectantly for her prey.“If what Dai Yanfeng said was true, Jun Xiaomo will most certainly return tonight.” Xiang Guqing calmly responded.“She might return, but what about the others? They"re not related to Jun Xiaomo"s lover; would they return as well?” Zhang Shuyue asked with a glint in her eyes.“Hmph. Jun Xiaomo is their Little Martial Sister, and she"s also the daughter of their master. If Jun Xiaomo is truly determined to return, there"s no reason that they would sit idly by either. Otherwise, how are they going to account to Jun Linxuan if anything happened to Jun Xiaomo?” Xiang Guqing snorted.“That"s good then…” Zhang Shuyue acknowledged cautiously.“I"ll say it again – you"d do wise to set aside those unnecessary feelings for Ye Xiuwen. How can you still be coveting a tattered shoe that"s already been worn by Jun Xiaomo? You"re doing nothing more than degrading yourself right now. I don"t relish having such a useless disciple.” Xiang Guqing chided Zhang Shuyue with some measure of resentment.Zhang Shuyue bit down on her lower lip with some measure of reluctance, “I know, Master…”Just then, they heard some rustling sounds echo out in the distance. When they looked up, they vaguely noticed a slender figure stepping out from the shadows.“Jun. Xiao. Mo! She"s really come back!” A mult.i.tude of complex emotions instantly surged into Zhang Shuyue"s heart when she saw Jun Xiaomo"s figure. Zhang Shuyue"s gaze grew frigid and vicious, as though she couldn"t wait to tear Jun Xiaomo to shreds.“Yue-er, hang on a minute. The others haven"t appeared yet.” Xiang Guqing held Zhang Shuyue back.“Others? That"s right, where are the others?” Zhang Shuyue furrowed her brows, before she suddenly smiled coldly, “Seems like Jun Xiaomo"s promiscuous behaviour has attracted the ire of her martial brothers. None of the others were willing to walk right to their death after all.”“Disciple, don"t jump to conclusions just yet. Something tells me that this little gal isn"t someone we should underestimate. She"s crafty and cunning. Perhaps she"d already instructed the rest to hide in the shadows, waiting for us to make a move.” Xiang Guqing reminded her disciple.Just then, the svelte figure in the distance spoke aloud, “Sect Leader Xiang, Elder Dai, I"m here as you"ve instructed. Tell me what you want in exchange for Brother Rong.”Then, before Xiang Guqing could even respond, Dai Yanfeng stole the limelight and chuckled coldly.“Want us to release Rong Ruihan? Sure. Take your own life before our very eyes, and we might just consider releasing Rong Ruihan.”The svelte figure standing in the distance was ostensibly taken aback by the terms of offer. Then, suppressing her speechlessness, she uttered, “Very well. Then it seems we"ve got nothing more to talk about.” After she finished speaking, she turned around and began to walk away!Shk! Shk! Out of nowhere, two ice arrows immediately struck the soil in the ground inches away from where the svelte lady was walking towards.“Jun Xiaomo, where do you think you"re doing? Aren"t you going to rescue your lover anymore?!” This time, the person who cried out to stop Jun Xiaomo in her tracks was Zhang Shuyue.“Since you"ve not got any intentions of releasing Brother Rong, then there"s no meaning in remaining here either. That said, let me put this out there – if anything happens to Brother Rong, I"m going to personally see to it that none of you are going to live to see the light of day! You"d best make the necessary preparations for others to come here and collect your corpses.” In the eyes of Xiang Guqing and the rest, the svelte lady"s threats were completely preposterous.“Collect our corpses? Hahahaha…Jun Xiaomo, have you gone mad? Do you actually think you"ll be able to leave this valley alive tonight? Perhaps the person who should make arrangements for others to collect your corpse is you!” As Zhang Shuyue finished speaking, she leapt straight towards the svelte lady in the distance. This time, Xiang Guqing no longer obstructed her movements. Instead, she made another gesture, signaling for several other disciples to dash straight towards Jun Xiaomo together with Zhang Shuyue.That said, Xiang Guqing remained where she was, hidden in eaves of the trees as she cast a soulless gaze at the sight unfolding as distance away.“Shouldn"t you make a move as well? Jun Xiaomo is already in the elementary-tier Nascent Soul stage of cultivation. Those few disciples of yours might not be enough to deal with her.” Dai Yanfeng sneered.“It"s not my intention to crush her immediately. After all, if we crush her right here and now, how are we going to lure out the other Heavenly Peak disciples that are hidden behind her?” Xiang Guqing coldly retorted, “In fact, I"m going to bide for time and make my move only after Yue-er and the rest whittles down Jun Xiaomo"s abilities. I don"t believe that the others will still remain hidden in the shadows when they see Jun Xiaomo facing the very real prospect of death later on!”“That makes sense. Let"s wait and see, then.” A vicious smile crept up the corner of Dai Yanfeng"s lips as he took an interest in Xiang Guqing"s ploy to lure the rest out of hiding.Over the next few moments, it became more and more apparent that the person battling with Zhang Shuyue and the others was getting increasingly pushed onto his backfoot.Had the person not been an imposter Jun Xiaomo, there was no way he would have been pushed onto the backfoot like this. After all, Jun Xiaomo was already in the elementary-tier Nascent Soul stage of cultivation, and even if she were surrounded by several a.s.sailants at the Golden Core stage of cultivation, she would still have a reasonable chance of defeating them. However, this person was not Jun Xiaomo; he was merely one of Rong Ruihan"s clansmen, and he was only at the Golden Core stage of cultivation. The fact that he could still hold his ground against several other a.s.sailants at the same cultivation as himself was in and of itself a pretty impressive feat to boot.Unfortunately, he knew that he could not afford to fall right now. If he fell, the jig would be up, and everything that Jun Xiaomo had prepared in store for Xiang Guqing and the rest would be completely wasted.After all, the real Jun Xiaomo would never be so weak as to be felled by the concerted attacks of several cultivators at the Golden Core stage of cultivation. Therefore, if he collapsed to the relentless attacks in such a short span of time, his ident.i.ty would most certainly be exposed.Fortunately, Jun Xiaomo had provided him with some defensive talismans beforehand, and he was barely able to hang on with the aid of these talismans.Then, just as the imposter Jun Xiaomo drew close to his limits, Xiang Guqing finally made her move.She leapt down from the tree she was at and immediately sent a vicious palm strike flying straight into “Jun Xiaomo"s” back. Rong Ruihan"s clansman who was masquerading as Jun Xiaomo instantly spat out blood as he was sent flying away, until he finally struck a tree in the distance. There, he slumped to the ground weakly and almost pa.s.sed out.If not for Jun Xiaomo"s defensive talismans, Xiang Guqing"s palm strike might very well have sent him straight into the afterlife.“Hmph. Jun Xiaomo, you"re not all that much either.” Zhang Shuyue snorted as she slowly strode over towards Jun Xiaomo.The Heavenly Peak disciples were still nowhere to be seen despite “Jun Xiaomo"s” ostensibly grievous wounds. Thus, Zhang Shuyue had begun to entertain the possibility that perhaps the Heavenly Peak disciples were not even going to arrive on scene.That"s right. Jun Xiaomo"s return tonight had “death” written all over it – who in the right mind would possibly want to return with her just to be buried together in a ma.s.s grave? Perhaps not even Brother Ye can be bothered to deal with the promiscuous Jun Xiaomo any longer!Then, just as Zhang Shuyue drew immeasurably close to the prospects of taking Jun Xiaomo"s life, several persons flickered out from the shadows in the nick of time, sending deadly attacks straight towards Zhang Shuyue! The leader of the reinforcements that had just appeared was none other than Ye Xiuwen!More accurately speaking, the leader of the reinforcements was none other than the leader of Rong Ruihan"s clansmen who had donned the appearances of Ye Xiuwen with a Masquerade Talisman.“Yue-er, be careful!” Xiang Guqing wrapped her whip around Zhang Shuyue and immediately pulled her back from harm"s way.It was close. The spirit sword in “Ye Xiuwen"s” hands had been a hair"s breadth away from plunging straight through Zhang Shuyue"s chest.“Brother Ye, you"ve arrived.” Zhang Shuyue looked at “Ye Xiuwen” with a complex gaze that was filled with sorrow and disappointment, joy and hatred.She was filled with joy to see Ye Xiuwen again, especially after contemplating the possibility that he might not show up tonight.At the same time, she hated the fact that he had showed up again, because that meant that Ye Xiuwen"s heart was still with the promiscuous Jun Xiaomo.Why is Brother Ye doing so much for Jun Xiaomo?! Why can"t he do something for me for once?! At the very least, aren"t I far more faithful than Jun Xiaomo ever was?!“Ye Xiuwen” ignored Zhang Shuyue"s comments. Even though he wore Ye Xiuwen"s appearances, he was neither aware of the history between Ye Xiuwen and Zhang Shuyue, nor could he care less about Zhang Shuyue"s feelings towards Ye Xiuwen.There was only one thought in his heart right now – and that was to execute Miss Jun"s plans and lure out every single person in Xiang Guqing"s faction so that they could rescue Rong Ruihan.Thus, “Ye Xiuwen” began to launch a series of attacks towards Zhang Shuyue. As the head of Rong Ruihan"s clansmen, he had already attained the elementary-tier Nascent Soul stage of cultivation, and it was more than enough to deal with a young sprout like Zhang Shuyue.Rong Ruihan"s other clansmen followed closely behind him. Wearing the appearances of the other Heavenly Peak disciples, the clansmen immediately began to duke it out with Xiang Guqing and her disciples.“Elder Dai, does the Eternal Summit Sect really intend to sit idly by, waiting to reap what you have not sown?!” Xiang Guqing bellowed as she glanced at Dai Yanfeng.Indeed, Dai Yanfeng had intended to sit idly by for a little while longer. However, now that Xiang Guqing had called him out on his “ignorance”, he knew that he could no longer justifiably maintain it.“Let"s go help out.” Dai Yanfeng gesticulated, instructing the other Eternal Summit Sect disciples to join the fray.“Yes, Grand Elder.”Within moments, tens of people flickered out of the shadows and joined the fray, all of whom were disciples from the Eternal Summit Sect. With the arrival of more reinforcements, the situation quickly turned advantageous for Xiang Guqing and her faction.“Ye Xiuwen! Are you still going to stand by the side of that cheap s.l.u.t, Jun Xiaomo? Do you know why she"s here today? She"s here to rescue her lover! Do you really want to keep such a promiscuous, fickle lady by your side? Do you really have to cheapen yourself like that?!” Zhang Shuyue anxiously and resentfully berated Ye Xiuwen, hoping to snap him out of his stupor.However, her words didn"t even cause a single ripple in “Ye Xiuwen"s” expressions, and he continued to battle with Xiang Guqing"s faction as though he were completely deaf to her cries.“Brother Ye, can you please open your eyes and look at me? Don"t be blinded by Jun Xiaomo anymore! She"s not worth your time and affection!” Zhang Shuyue pleaded, “I"m the one who truly loves you! In fact, I"ve fallen for you the moment I saw you, and even now, my feelings for you remain completely unchanged. Does my presence mean nothing to you at all? Are you really unmoved by my feelings for you?”“You won"t be able to escape tonight. If you"re willing to remain here and stay by my side, I"ll ask Master to spare your life, alright?”“Ye Xiuwen! Are you really so infatuated by Jun Xiaomo?! Jun Xiaomo might even already have shared a bed with that man she"s so desperately trying to rescue now. Do you really want to be with a woman like that?!”……“Ye Xiuwen” remain completely impervious to Zhang Shuyue"s relentless barrage of curses and pleas. However, some distance away, the real Jun Xiaomo and Ye Xiuwen heard everything Zhang Shuyue said as well.Jun Xiaomo and the other Heavenly Peak disciples were hidden by Invisibility Talismans, and they would glance up from time to time to observe the battles that were panning out just a short distance away from where they were. Then, when Zhang Shuyue began to curse Jun Xiaomo and plead with “Ye Xiuwen”, Jun Xiaomo"s heart immediately trembled vigorously.Faced with Zhang Shuyue"s relentless barrage of allegations, she found herself completely speechless for the very first time.Was her relations.h.i.+p with Rong Ruihan truly pure and innocent as she had always maintained? Was her relations.h.i.+p with Rong Ruihan a purely platonic one? If so, why would she lose her mind like that as soon as Rong Ruihan was captured by Xiang Guqing and the rest?Jun Xiaomo had never dared to delve too deep into these thoughts. Instead, she had simply told herself again and again that she would shelf these thoughts for now and only deal with them after they had rescued Rong Ruihan.In fact, Jun Xiaomo resolved in her heart that as soon as they had successfully rescued Brother Rong, she would make everything clear to him, telling him that she was already an item with Martial Brother Ye in the hope that they would still be able to retain the friends.h.i.+p with Brother Rong that she treasured so much.She bit down on her lower lips, seizing her thoughts and forcing herself to calm down.Moments later, she looked up and glanced at Ye Xiuwen.Ye Xiuwen was not looking back at her right now. Instead, he was staring vacantly at the battlefield some distance away with a gaze that was cold and sullen, deep and abstruse.It looked as if his gaze was transfixed on Zhang Shuyue, yet blank at vacant at the same time.Jun Xiaomo closed her eyes and suppressed the roiling emotions in her heart.Now is not the time to discuss these things. Jun Xiaomo clenched her fists tightly as she reminded herself of the pressing issues at hand.Once this battle ends, we"ll resolve things once and for all.
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