章 23: It Was Too Hard
編集者: Dragon Boat Translation
Master Ji felt that something was off.
Hu Zhaici had clearly stated that they would start setting up the ritual altar tonight, allowing her to exorcise the demons and monsters. However, the night was already deep, and Hu Zhaici had not appeared again.
Master Ji quietly sends the Daoist apprentice to spy and see if the Hu family was constructing the ritual altar. But the apprentice has disappeared after running out and has not returned.
This made Master Ji suspicious and even secretly worried. She fears that Hu Zhaici already knows about what happened at the Wang family and thinks she is a fraud.
Should she run away?
Master Ji was very conflicted. She spent a lot of money on a powerful fox-extermination potion, and she's not willing to leave without making some money back.
Just as Master Ji was struggling to make up her mind, the steward appeared, "Master Ji, the head of the house invites you to the main hall. There is something important to discuss."
Master Ji could only suppress her conflicted emotions and follow the steward to the main hall.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the main hall, the steward didn't continue further but instead made a gesture inviting her in.
Master Ji grew uneasy and continued to walk forward alone. As soon as he stepped into the main hall, she immediately saw Hu Zhaici sitting at the main seat and Ling Xiaoyue beside him.
The moment she saw Ling Xiaoyue, Master Ji's heart sank, and only one thought was running through her mind.
It's over! She had been exposed!
Ling Xiaoyue looks at her with a mysterious smile, and Hu Zhaici turns to Ling Xiao Yue and asked, "This Master Ji, I heard that she is your fellow sect member?"
Huh? It seems that there might still be hope!
Master Ji quickly snapped out of her panic. She resisted the urge to turn and flee and looked pitifully at Ling Xiaoyue.
Ling Xiao Yue smiled and said, "Yes, you could say that. We are of the same sect."
Master Ji immediately let out a deep sigh of relief. Although this woman had given her a good beating on that night at the Wang family's residence, she didn't expect her to be a good person who didn't expose her and help her instead.
Hu Zhaici smiles at Master Ji, "Please, Master Ji, have a seat."
Master Ji shows a kind smile and slowly walked over to sit at a spot not too close yet not too far from Ling Xiaoyue.
Just as she sat down, she heard a few banging sounds and the doors in the main hall closed automatically.
Hu Zhai Ci stood up, the smile that had been on his face disappeared, replaced by an expression as cold as ice: "Now that everyone is here, it's time to settle the score between us."
Master Ji hadn't even warmed her seat when she stood up in confusion, wondering what was happening.
Following this, she saw a beautiful woman dressed in fox attire appear in the hall.
Seeing this beautiful woman, Master Ji was visibly shocked. Weren't you supposed to be dead?
But noticing that Ling Xiao Yue was still sitting calmly, while the beautiful woman was glaring at her fiercely, Master Ji immediately understood.
The adult fox demon had not died at the Wang family's residence. Instead, she had run into a fox's den.
Hu Zhaici stared at Ling Xiaoyue and Master Ji with menacing eyes, an astonishing demonic aura emanating from him: "Tonight, none of you will escape. I will flay your skin and tear your bones to avenge my daughter."
Clearly, this was a highly cultivated adult fox demon.
"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"
Master Ji hurriedly shouted to Hu Zhaici: "I am not in the same sect with her, I am..."
Master Ji noticed Ling Xiao Yue's almost-smiling expression and swallowed the words she was about to say because she remembered what had happened at the Wang family's residence.
That was a lesson. Was there going to be a second one?
To deny… or to admit?
This question was too hard; she didn't know how to answer it.
Master Ji felt a deep sense of exhaustion. Why was she so unlucky?
...
[New Mission Triggered - Defeat Two Fox Demons]
[Difficulty: Normal]
[Reward: Masculinity *4 Blue Card *1]
[Failure: Lost your virginity, Death]
This was a newly triggered mission, and the failure condition of losing virginity had returned.
Fang Zhou turned off the notification and looked across. It seemed that the two fox demons hadn't given up their plan to devour him. "They must be women who think with their lower half. No, I mean fox demons," he thought.
"Don't be impulsive. It's best for you to stand still," he warned.
Hu Yiling, holding Fang Zhou's sword, placed it at the Daoist apprentice's neck and said with a smile, "If you dare act foolishly, I'm afraid I might slip and cut off your fellow disciple's head. Then his death will be on you."
Fang Zhou: "..."
He thought that Hu Yiling and Hu Yirui might have misunderstood something.
The Daoist apprentice was neither his fellow disciple nor his brother. They were not related at all. In some sense, they were even enemies, since they were both in the same line of work.
Using an enemy to threaten him? What kind of ridiculous strategy was this?
"Demon logic is indeed different from human logic," Fang Zhou thought. "It's hard to comprehend."
The Daoist apprentice made a whining noise, seemingly wanting to say something.
Hu Yiling pulled the gag from the Daoist's apprentice mouth and said, "Advise your fellow disciple to think about your life and not act rashly."
Finally able to speak, the Daoist apprentice hurriedly yelled at Hu Yiling and Hu Yirui, "You two sisters are misunderstanding! He and I are not fellow disciples; we are enemies, enemies!"
The Daoist apprentice felt extremely wronged and unlucky. Two days ago, he had lost the most important thing in his life due to an assignment from his master. Now, he had been sent by his master to gather information and ended up being captured by two fox demons.
It was all his master's fault. Why had he taken him straight into the fox's den to slay the demons? And then lied, saying they were fellow cultivators with the two cultivators of the Wang family? Now, the fox demons had misunderstood.
He felt so miserable that he wanted to die.
Hu Yiling scornfully said, "You're a heartless creature, denying your sect to save your life."
The Daoist apprentice was nearly in tears, "We are really not from the same sect. Look how handsome he is, and I rely on my temperament for a living. We're nothing alike; how could we possibly be from the same sect?"
To save his life, the Daoist apprentice had to humble himself.
Hearing his defense, Hu Yiling and Hu Yirui both looked at Fang Zhou.
Indeed, one was so handsome, and the other looked so ordinary. They certainly didn't seem like they were from the same sect.
Fang Zhou felt that as a good person, a moral, principled, conscientious, and handsome cultivator, he needed to clear up the misunderstanding for the Daoist apprentice.
And he had complimented his appearance, although that wasn't the main point.
So, Fang Zhou smiled and said, "That's right; we are enemies, not fellow disciples."
Hu Yiling and Hu Yirui looked at each other, and then Hu Yiling's sword slashed into the Daoist apprentice's thigh.
"Ah!"
The Daoist apprentice screamed, "Why did you cut me?!"
"Do you think you can fool me with this kind of trick?" Hu Yiling sneered.
Fang Zhou: ("￣▽￣)
Daoist apprentice : (ಥ_ಥ)
Fang Zhou silently thought, "Buddy, it's not that I didn't want to help you, but if she doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do."
Seeing Hu Yiling raise her sword again, aiming for his other leg, the Daoist apprentice began to cry bitterly, "I am innocent! I really am not his fellow disciple. We only met for the first time two days ago. Please believe me; I am not lying to you this time."
The Daoist's apprentice cry was filled with sincerity and sorrow. Hu Yirui whispered to her sister, "Sister, could we have really misunderstood?"
A little hesitant now, Hu Yiling initially wanted to use the Daoist apprentice to threaten Fang Zhou. If they were not fellow disciples, wouldn't this be a joke?
Looking at Fang Zhou, who seemed to be enjoying the show, Hu Yiling couldn't help but question the Daoist apprentice, "Are you really not his fellow disciples?"
The Daoist apprentice nodded vigorously, "We are truly not from the same sect. It's all my master's lies to deceive you for the job. Why do you believe him and not me?"
Noticing Fang Zhou's incredulous look, Hu Yiling felt embarrassed and raised her sword angrily, "Fine, daring to deceive us, you must be tired of living. Since you are not his fellow disciple, then you are useless. Die!"
As the sword was about to fall, the Daoist apprentice's mind went blank.
He couldn't understand why he, who had done nothing wrong, was always the one to suffer. Why was fate so cruel to him? Was it just because he was not as handsome?
No, he didn't want to die. He wanted to live, to defy fate and even the heavens themselves!
A strong desire to live inspired the Daoist apprentice to make the right choice.
He instantly fell to the ground, covering his head with his hands, and yelled at Fang Zhou, "Senior Brother, save me!!"
Fang Zhou, who had been enjoying the drama, was taken aback. "Why is this kid claiming a relationship now?" he thought.
But Hu Yiling's sword stopped, and she turned to Fang Zhou.
The numerous twists and turns had confused her, and she desperately wanted a true answer.
Fang Zhou initially wanted to deny the claim, but seeing the desperate and helpless look in the Daoist apprentice's eyes, his heart softened.
Fang Zhou nodded, "Yes, he is my junior brother."
The Daoist apprentice sighed in relief. He hadn't expected Fang Zhou to lend a hand at this critical moment. He was such a respectable and lovely person. No wonder he was so handsome. "I won't badmouth you anymore," he thought.
But then – "Puchi!"
The sword pierced deep into the Daoist's apprentice buttocks, causing him to scream in pani.
With tears in his eyes, he looked at Hu Yiling, "Why are you still cutting me?"
Hu Yiling gritted her teeth, "So, you two are really fellow disciples, and you dared to lie to me! You thought I was easy to fool, huh?"
The Daoist apprentice cried again, and it was heartbreaking.
Whether he said yes or no, she wanted to cut him. He didn't know what she wanted from him.
It was too hard; he doesn't know what to do.
-- 贈り物
が届きました