Volume 1, Chapter 39 – Run, She’s Back (Part 2)

“Wh-what?!”

Huang Qi’s scalp instantly prickled with terror. He had imagined a thousand scenarios of what he might encounter upon returning to the Honghua Sect, but “a horde of vengeful spirits” was absolutely not one of them.

“Wh-what the hell is going on here?”

His voice trembled so badly he could barely speak.

“Recently, some… some parentless bastard spread rumors that you had left the Honghua Sect to join another faction. That’s why all these demons and evil cultivators have banded together to wipe us out!”

The male disciple explained, mistaking Huang Qi’s stuttering for sheer fury.

Hearing this, Huang Qi’s vision darkened. Given the situation, it was clear that Fairy Hongling was no longer in the Honghua Sect—otherwise, his disguise would have already been exposed.

‘Was her seclusion a lie?’

His thoughts were a tangled mess. He couldn’t make sense of it—had the fairies lied, while the rumors spread by those street thugs turned out to be true?

“Little Martial Sister, you must return at once! Those evil scum will piss themselves the moment they see you!”

Seeing Huang Qi standing there dumbly, the male disciple urged him anxiously.

Snapping back to reality, Huang Qi’s first instinct was to flee. If Fairy Hongling had already left the Honghua Sect, what was the point of going there? To die?

“Little Martial Sister, where are you going?”

The disciple grew frantic as Huang Qi turned to leave.

Huang Qi’s steps slowed, his mind flooding with memories of familiar faces—most importantly, his former master.

His master, Hu Bing, had been a mere steward in the Honghua Sect, yet he had shown Huang Qi immense kindness.

Huang Qi had entered the sect at nine years old. As an outer disciple, he wasn’t allowed to bring family, and he had no money to hire a servant. Left to fend for himself, he struggled to survive.

But Hu Bing, upon learning of this, personally delivered three meals a day, constantly checking on him. Though just a master in name, he acted more like a father than many real ones ever did.

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It was only because of him that Huang Qi made it through those early years.

The day before his sixteenth birthday, Huang Qi failed his breakthrough, his residence was reclaimed, and unwilling to give up, he turned to his master for help.

Knowing Huang Qi’s circumstances, Hu Bing immediately cleared out a room for him, offering endless encouragement.

And so, Huang Qi stayed in the Honghua Sect for another ten years—until he finally accepted that he would never break through.

Remembering all this, Huang Qi couldn’t bring himself to abandon them now.

‘A man must know gratitude. As a disciple, I can’t just leave my master behind.’

Gritting his teeth, he made his decision. Turning back, he said to the disciple, “Senior Brother, stay here. Can I borrow your sword?”

“Of course, of course!”

The male disciple nodded eagerly, handing over his blade—though his hands shook violently, whether from excitement or fear, it was hard to tell.

Huang Qi reached out with his delicate, fair hand, but the disciple suddenly pulled the sword back.

‘What the hell is this guy doing? Trying to flirt at a time like this?’

Huang Qi nearly lost his temper.

But the disciple wasn’t trying to flirt—who would dare make advances on the Honghua Sect’s peerless fairy? He simply thought his sword was too filthy and didn’t want to dirty those pristine hands.

Wiping the blade frantically with his tattered robes, even polishing the edge, he finally handed it back.

Realizing his misunderstanding, Huang Qi felt a pang of guilt, but now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. Gripping the sword firmly, he strode forward with determination.

Of course, Huang Qi wasn’t delusional. Even with a hundred swords, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance. This was practically a suicide mission—but there was one slim hope: his face.

From the disciple’s words earlier, it seemed those demons and spirits were terrified of Fairy Hongling.

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Removing his veil, Huang Qi revealed his breathtakingly beautiful face—his true weapon. The best victory was one won without fighting.

As he pressed on, the temperature dropped, and a thin mist began to coil through the mountain forest.

“Ah! Help!”

A woman’s scream pierced the air—whether human or ghost, he couldn’t tell.

Chills ran down Huang Qi’s spine. Following the sound, he saw only swirling mist, obscuring everything.

Despite his fear, he forced himself forward.

Soon, hurried footsteps approached, and a disheveled woman in tattered Honghua Sect robes stumbled into view. Her uniform was ripped, exposing large patches of pale skin, and she had lost her weapon entirely.

At first, Huang Qi thought she was a ghost and nearly jumped out of his skin—but upon closer look, she seemed familiar. A martial sister from his dreams?

“Senior Sister Tang Jie?”

He called out cautiously, still unsure if his dream experiences were entirely real or just half-truths.

Hearing his voice, the woman miraculously steadied herself before rushing over in excitement.

Before Huang Qi could react, she threw herself into his arms, her soft, fragrant body pressing against him—the sheer elasticity of her chest nearly overwhelming him.

“Wah—Martial Sister Hongling! It’s really you! Thank the heavens… we’re saved!”

Tang Jie sobbed into his embrace.

‘Another one that matches up.’

Huang Qi’s mind reeled, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on dreams. Stiffly, he asked, “Senior Sister Tang Jie, what happened?”

“The male disciples… they’ve been possessed by vengeful spirits! They’re hunting me!”

Her words struck like thunder.

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“What?!”

Huang Qi shoved her away in horror. As a measly second-level Qi Gathering cultivator, he couldn’t even see vengeful spirits, let alone fight them. If one attacked, he’d be slaughtered like livestock.

Just then, chaotic footsteps approached. Five male disciples staggered forward, dragging their swords. Their eyes were vacant, expressions wooden, movements mechanical.

Worst of all, two had fatal wounds—one with a slit throat, the other with a pierced heart—yet they moved as if unharmed. Clearly, something was controlling them.

Tang Jie, terrified, immediately hid behind Huang Qi.

Huang Qi had never seen anything like this. His body trembled faintly.

“Little Martial Sister must be furious—she’s shaking!”

Tang Jie misinterpreted his fear as rage, emboldened. She sneered at the possessed disciples, “Martial Sister Hongling is here! Come at us if you dare! You worthless, fatherless spirits—did your mothers abandon you too? Is that why you’re so full of resentment?”

‘Damn you! If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you!’

Huang Qi nearly coughed up blood, shaking even harder—this time from genuine anger.

The possessed disciples halted abruptly, the forest plunging into eerie silence.

Huang Qi’s breathing grew ragged, his grip on the sword so unsteady he could barely hold it.

“Thud! Thud!”

Just as the tension reached its peak, the disciples collapsed one after another.

“It’s her! Cheng Hongling! Run!”

“Damn it, why is she back? Didn’t she join another sect?”

“Who spread that rumor? They’re trying to get us killed!”

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“This is a trap! The Honghua Sect lured us here to slaughter us!”

Faint voices faded into the distance.

Huang Qi saw no one, but he knew the spirits had fled in fear. Weak with relief, he nearly collapsed.

“Heh, what a bunch of cowards!”

Tang Jie stepped out from behind him, gloating.

Taking a deep breath, Huang Qi steadied himself before saying, “Senior Sister Tang Jie, stay here. I’ll go rescue the others at the Honghua Sect.”

“Stay? Now that you’re back, it’s time to counterattack!”

Tang Jie clenched her fists, brimming with confidence.

“Sigh…”

Huang Qi wanted to cry but had no tears left. Sword in hand, he trudged forward mechanically—just like the possessed disciples earlier.

And so, Huang Qi led Tang Jie toward the Honghua Sect. Along the way, his “face” saved more disciples, their group swelling to over a dozen.

Though all were injured, their spirits were high, invigorated by the presence of their “genius little martial sister.”

Huang Qi, however, felt no such confidence. He knew this was pure luck—if they encountered some backwater spirit who didn’t recognize Fairy Hongling, they’d be doomed.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became—but he dared not show it.

As they neared the Honghua Sect, a shadow flickered in the distance. Huang Qi hoped it was his imagination, but the next moment, the figure dropped from above, reeking of rot.

His soul nearly left his body.

It was a jiangshi—a hopping corpse!