Volume 3, Chapter 357 – The Exchange

“Muxue! Run!”

Chi Xiyan’s sharp cry cut through the air as she sent a talisman flying from her hand.

“Sister?!” Lu Zhuxin was flung away by Chi Xiyan’s forceful push.

In the same instant, the talisman caught up to her tumbling body and bloomed into a barrier of light, wrapping around Lu Zhuxin completely.

Once she confirmed Lu Zhuxin was safe, Chi Xiyan’s gaze hardened.

She raised her hands, and a conjured sword of condensed sword qi materialized between them.

Then she spun into a flurry of strikes, sword qi clashing against sword qi, offense tangled with offense.

Chi Xiyan’s expression shifted drastically. Her opponent’s cultivation far outstripped hers, and her sword intent was being shredded apart unilaterally.

As a fresh wave of attacks crashed into her, her body was wrenched off the ground and sent flying.

Pain flared across her from head to toe. Chi Xiyan hastily retrieved a pill from her storage pouch and swallowed it.

But before she could even stabilize her qi, the storm of blades descended again.

The warrior Lin Xiu surged forward, spear in hand. “Young Miss, watch out!”

He snapped his spear tip, and it erupted into a torrent of searing, splitting arcs of light.

Steel rang out in rapid succession as his spear flares and the opponent’s sword intent traded dozens of blows in the span of a breath.

Whether warrior or sword cultivator, both wielded fearsome destructive power. Their fierce exchange reduced the surrounding buildings to rubble in moments, houses leveled under the barrage of sword qi and raw force.

A thunderous clang rang out. A vivid blue sword shadow carved a massive trench into the ground.

Lin Xiu stood before Chi Xiyan like a wall, absorbing the sword cultivator’s every assault.

Across from him, facing the warrior at a distance, stood a swordsman in white.

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He held a dark iron sword and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

A plain white mask obscured his face entirely, leaving only a pair of deep, unreadable eyes visible.

Sword qi coiled around him, and his robes stirred without any wind.

Chi Xiyan studied the white-masked sword cultivator, her expression grave.

“Fifth Realm… sword cultivator…”

The Fifth Realm was a vast divide from the Fourth. Chi Xiyan was a sword cultivator herself. She knew all too well how terrifying a Fifth Realm swordsman could be.

“Who are you?!” Chi Xiyan demanded.

The white-clad sword cultivator did not answer. What answered in his place was a surge of blistering killing intent.

“Young Miss! Watch out!” Lin Xiu stepped forward.

He drove his foot into the ground with crushing force, tearing up the entire slab beneath him. An instant later, the sword cultivator’s qi tore through it, scattering it into flying gravel.

“Young Miss! I’ll hold her off!”

“Take the Second Miss and go, now!”

Not far away, the deputy who had been fighting the mysterious warriors caught sight of what was happening. He was surprised. He had been ordered to intercept a mysterious carriage. He had not expected to find the two young misses of the Chi family inside.

What had happened within the Chi family? Why were both of them fleeing in the dead of night?

There was no time to dwell on it.

He shouted across to Chi Xiyan, “Young Miss Chi! Run toward the Demon Suppression Bureau!”

“Reinforcements are on their way! The Bureau will keep you safe!”

Chi Xiyan kept her expression cold and said nothing in response.

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She and Wei Qingyu were not particularly close. Wei Qingyu was Chi Jingwen’s old acquaintance, not hers.

And in these past few days, both Wei Qingyu and Chi Jingwen’s behavior had been far too pointed to ignore.

Having already decided to leave the Chi family, Chi Xiyan had no intention of trusting anyone connected to them.

“Uncle Lin, I’m taking Muxue ahead. Find your opening and get out. We’ll meet at the place we agreed on.”

“Understood!”

With that, Chi Xiyan turned and left immediately.

This was no time for sentiment. Their goal tonight was to escape Beihe Commandery, not to defeat their enemies.

A warrior’s offense could not match a sword cultivator’s, but a warrior’s body and endurance far surpassed one. Chi Xiyan trusted in Lin Xiu’s capabilities.

Right now, the most important thing was getting Chi Muxue out safely.

“Muxue, Muxue! Where are you?”

“Sister, I’m here…”

A faint, weak voice drifted from ahead.

Chi Xiyan’s brow knitted as she climbed over a collapsed wall. Finally, among the ruins, she found Chi Muxue.

The dark-haired girl was clutching her arm, leaning against a half-standing wooden pillar.

When she saw Chi Xiyan, a bitter smile crossed her pale face.

She raised her hand. A shattered talisman lay quietly in her palm.

“Sister, the talisman you gave me… it broke.”

“It’s alright, little Xue’er. As long as you’re safe, nothing else matters.” Chi Xiyan stepped forward quickly and pulled her into her arms.

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The dark-haired girl went rigid at once.

She held both hands up stiffly, frozen in place, not daring to move a muscle. She could only let Chi Xiyan hold her.

Chi Xiyan gently patted the girl’s back. “I’m sorry, little Xue’er… this is my fault. I never anticipated a Fifth Realm sword cultivator coming after us…”

“I didn’t think it through carefully enough…”

Chi Xiyan noticed the girl’s tense, rigid body. Under normal circumstances, this girl would have already leaned in and hugged her back by now. Yet here she stood, frozen, hands hovering in the air as though she had no idea what to do with them.

“Did that just now frighten you?”

“Yes, a little…” The dark-haired girl said, still looking shaken. “Sister, can you let go of me first? You’re holding on a bit too tightly…”

“…” Chi Xiyan released her as asked.

She frowned slightly.

“Muxue, are you alright?”

As she spoke, she raised her hand to touch the girl’s cheek.

But the girl in front of her caught Chi Xiyan’s wrist first, stopping her.

“Sister! I really am fine!” she said quickly.

“Your talisman shielded me in time, so I wasn’t hurt at all.”

“And, Sister… this isn’t the moment for this!”

“While Uncle Lin is holding that sword cultivator back, we need to go now!”

Chi Xiyan watched her. Her speech was clear, her breathing steady. She truly did not look injured. Gradually, the tension in Chi Xiyan’s chest eased.

She turned her grip and took the girl’s wrist in her hand.

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“Let’s go! Stay close to me!”

“I’ll take you out through the back roads!”

“Mm.” The dark-haired girl followed obediently.

***

In the courtyard just on the other side of the wall from Chi Xiyan.

Lu Zhuxin smoothed down the front of a white sword cultivator’s robe.

She clicked her tongue, resigned.

Not knowing illusion techniques really was a nuisance for a fox demon.

“My lord.”

Around her stood a group of warriors in dark fitted clothing. All of them had passed through the fox clan’s many rounds of vetting. People who could be trusted.

Mastering the hearts of others was the fox clan’s greatest strength. Betrayal among their ranks was rare because of it.

Lu Zhuxin gave them a small nod.

“Draw the Demon Suppression Bureau’s people away first.”

“As for the warrior Lin Xiu, use your own judgment.”

“And as for me…”

Lu Zhuxin drew a long sword from her storage space and gave it a casual spin.

“It’s time to go rescue that poor little wolf.”