"Mother, waah... don’t worry about me, you can't escape with me." Liu Hongying cried like a delicate flower in the rain, resembling a little beast in distress, pulling at her mother, filled with guilt.
If it weren't for saving her, her mother would have been able to escape safely on her own. It's all her fault.
Liu Hongfeng's face was frighteningly pale, but she still managed to smile gently.
"Hongying, you're already fifteen; you're an adult now. In the future, don’t act impulsively. Think before you speak."
"Mother, please stop! You need to go, quickly!" Hearing her mother’s tone as if she were giving her last words tore Liu Hongying's heart apart.
"Listen to me, daughter. I can't accompany you on your journey anymore. You must live well. That’s the entrance to the Qingling Sect. Soon..."
"Mother... I won't go... I want to stay with you. If we die, we die together." Liu Hongying shook her head frantically.
"Do you want to see me die without peace?!" A sinister expression flickered across Liu Hongfeng's pale face.
"Mother... mother..."
"Li Zhangmen is not an ordinary person. You must listen and act wisely. You have to live well, my daughter... You will always be my pride." With that, Liu Hongfeng pushed her daughter out of the encirclement.
"Chase!"
"Catch that girl!"
"Who dares?!" Liu Hongfeng's black hair whipped wildly as her dense true qi erupted with rich demonic energy.
Strange black patterns emerged on her pale skin.
"Be careful!"
"She’s gone mad!"
"How dare she forcefully activate her true qi and demonic energy? Not even a deity could save her now!"
"Get back!"
"Mother!!!"
Liu Hongying cried heart-wrenchingly, wanting to turn back, but her mother’s words brought her back to her senses.
"If you dare come back, you will no longer be my daughter!"
Liu Hongfeng coldly stared at the surrounding black-clad figures, enveloped in a faint black mist. She only had one strike left; while she could take out half of them, her daughter, still close, would be in danger.
After several breaths, seeing her daughter about to step into the Qingling Sect's protective formation, a flicker of relief passed through Liu Hongfeng's eyes.
At that moment, she could no longer control the rampaging demonic energy within her, and her body slowly collapsed, her bloodshot eyes fixed on the direction of the Qingling Sect until she fell into darkness.
In a daze, it seemed her body fell into a warm embrace, the comforting sensation making her unconsciously nuzzle closer.
A moment ago, Li Sheng had comprehended the transformation of the tiger form and broke through to the seventh-grade bone refining realm, greatly increasing his strength. Just as he was about to celebrate, his companion quickly appeared, informing him of a disturbance outside the mountain gate.
When the thought arose, he saw the scene outside the mountain gate—a clear struggle between two factions, and Liu Zhangmen was defeated.
At first, he didn’t plan to intervene, wanting to avoid trouble and just focus on growing stronger. However, the parting scene between Liu Zhangmen and her daughter etched itself deep in his mind.
Before he knew it, he found himself walking out of the mountain gate, emerging from the formation, rushing towards Liu Hongying, who looked bewildered.
His steps seemed slow, but every time he blurred out of sight, he reappeared seven to eight zhang away, and in just two breaths, he reached the scene and caught Liu Hongfeng’s collapsing body.
Looking down at her nuzzling his chest unconsciously, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Li Sheng's face.
He gently laid her down on the ground and began assessing the surrounding black-clad figures.
"Two seventh-grade, the rest are eighth-grade," Li Sheng calculated in his mind.
"This is a matter of my Evil Wolf Valley; why are you interfering?"
"When did the affairs of the Huajian Sect become a concern of your Evil Wolf Valley?" Li Sheng replied, puzzled.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"The Huajian Sect has already fallen under the banner of my Evil Wolf Valley. We are pursuing traitors; I hope you do not interfere to avoid bringing disaster upon yourself."
These individuals were ruthless and violent; their seemingly polite words stemmed not from kindness but from the fear instilled by Li Sheng's swift movement.
Li Sheng shook his head; since he had already intervened, he didn’t plan to explain, as Liu Zhangmen's injury couldn’t be delayed any longer.
With that thought, his figure instantly blurred and vanished.
To capture the leader first—a timeless truth.
When he reappeared, he was already in the midst of the crowd, a flash of cold light slicing towards a seventh-grade martial artist.
"Not good! Let’s work together to take him down!"
Though startled, the black-clad figures quickly organized themselves, swinging their hammers to counter his sword light.
"Clang!"
The sword met the hammer, and the hammer shattered instantly.
"Poof!"
The expression of the black-clad man turned to shock as his body separated.
Seeing the third-in-command slain in an instant, the others trembled in fear. Li Sheng's figure vanished again, escaping the siege, his sword aiming for another seventh-grade martial artist.
The fourth-in-command felt a tremor of fear; having seen the third brother killed in a single strike, he knew he couldn’t withstand this opponent.
He grabbed a nearby comrade and hurled them at Li Sheng before turning to flee.
Li Sheng’s sword trembled slightly, piercing through the chest of the flying black-clad man. When he reappeared, his sword pierced the throat of the fourth-in-command.
"You... you’re a sixth-grade martial artist... how can there be a sixth-grade martial artist in the Qingling Sect?"
Before he could finish speaking, the man had already died.
"The opponent is a sixth-grade martial artist! Run!" The remaining black-clad figures scattered in panic, fleeing in all directions.
Li Sheng had just wanted to finish them off when a muffled groan suddenly sounded.
Turning his head, he saw Liu Hongfeng, still unconscious, spit out a mouthful of blood, her breath weakening.
"Clang!"
Li Sheng sheathed his sword, disregarding the fleeing black-clad figures, and hurried over to scoop up Liu Hongfeng, heading back to the sect.
All of this happened in less than half a minute, leaving Liu Hongying still in shock, staring blankly at the formation.
When she saw Li Sheng approaching, carrying her mother, she pinched her own pale arm hard.
"Hiss~"
"This isn’t a dream?!"
"Mother!!!"
As Li Sheng drew near, he said irritably, "What are you wailing about?"
Wiping her tears, Liu Hongying followed closely, looking pitiful as she said, "Brother Zhangmen, please save my mother. Hongying will repay you with all my strength."
"Good thing it’s not about repaying favors in the next life..." Li Sheng thought to himself.
"Your mother’s injuries are severe. I will do my best, but whether she can be saved depends on her fate," Li Sheng nodded.
"Thank you, Brother Zhangmen," Liu Hongying expressed with joy, bowing deeply in gratitude.
Back at the residence, Li Sheng instructed a disciple to notify Bai Ye and then laid Liu Hongfeng on the bed, grabbing her delicate wrist to examine her condition.
As true qi entered her body, Li Sheng's brow furrowed instantly.
Inside Liu Hongfeng, the true qi and demonic energy were devouring each other, clashing violently; the situation was already out of control, a chaotic mess.
He had to split his true qi, avoiding the chaotic turmoil and protecting her fragile organs and flesh.
At this time, Bai Ye arrived, and upon seeing Liu Hongfeng, who had turned into a blood-soaked figure on the bed, his expression changed dramatically.
"How did Liu Zhangmen get such serious injuries?"
Without explanation, Li Sheng hurriedly asked, "Do you have any blood-stopping medicine? If this goes on, Liu Zhangmen might bleed to death."