"It seems that this monster was well-prepared, stealing back the monster head, targeting Rong Rong, it seems that you had already been targeted. You are truly bold, actually letting the injured Rong Rong stay at the inn alone."
Gu Lingling patted Liao Feixing on the shoulder, inwardly giving him a "thumbs up."
Actually, this matter couldn't entirely be blamed on Liao Feixing. After all, being stabbed in the heart by the Fallen Moon Sword, there was no possibility of survival. But this time, it was a heavy blow to Liao Feixing.
Liao Feixing's face was full of regret, regretting why he had not dismembered the monster's body back then, regretting why he had been so careless and let Rong Rong fall into danger.
Liao Feixing hammered a fist on the low table, and shouted out of the window, "If you've got something, come at me. What kind of hero attacks a defenseless woman?"
Gu Lingling watched, feeling sorry for him. If the low table broke, would the innkeeper make them pay for it?
"This is indeed a bit puzzling. In the past, we only heard about vengeful spirits seeking justice, but they were all aimed at their own killers. Although I've never heard of monsters pretending to come back to life for revenge, I guess it should be similar to vengeful spirits. Whoever killed it is its enemy, so since it pretended to come back to life, how could it let its enemy go and capture others instead? Even if it did capture others, it should have killed its enemies first, and then settled accounts with others."
Gu Lingling was always quick-witted, and there were many unreasonable aspects to this matter.
Although Liao Feixing was somewhat arrogant, he was still the future head of the Starry Hall. Just now, he had been anxious and had lost his composure, but now, after hitting the low table, he had calmed down a bit after Gu Lingling's astute observation.
"The Fallen Moon Sword is a weapon that exorcises evil spirits, so it's normal for the monster to fear it."
"In other words, the monster originally intended to target you, but because it feared your Fallen Moon Sword, it abducted Rong Rong instead." Gu Lingling smiled and then glanced at Da Bao, saying, "Congratulations, your Rong Rong still has a chance of surviving."
"What do you mean? Are you cursing Rong Rong?" Liao Feixing exploded in anger at the comment, pointing his sword at Gu Lingling.
"Hey, can't you recognize a good thing? The monster killed several people, and you know better than I do. If you hadn't gone after it immediately, it would have wasted time. Do you think the monster would have just taken Rong Rong for tea?"
Gu Lingling took a few steps back. She did not have the same level of skill as Liao Feixing in combat, and it seemed like she had stirred up trouble for herself by speaking the truth.
Da Bao, held in Gu Lingling's arms, continued to contemplate the situation, his eyes turning from thoughtful to resolute. His small hand, concealed in his sleeve, transformed into a sword-shaped finger, placed in front of him.
Liao Feixing's expression suddenly changed, as if he was about to jump out of the window. But it was already completely dark outside, and the monster had long since vanished. Suddenly, he stopped, crouching down in front of Gu Lingling and Da Bao, to their surprise.
"It's all my fault, it's all my fault..."
Although Gu Lingling and Da Bao were both somewhat puzzled, they expressed their surprise in different ways. Gu Lingling took a step back, fearing being affected by Liao Feixing's sudden movement, while Da Bao's face remained cold and stern, with an even more indifferent expression in his eyes.
It seemed that Liao Feixing had encountered true love. Actually, Gu Lingling hadn't intended to provoke Liao Feixing's guilt. At the time, she had spoken too hastily, and now when she saw Liao Feixing in such pain, she couldn't bear it. While comforting Da Bao, who seemed to have been frightened, she tentatively approached a few steps.
"Actually, it's not too late to track them now. Think about it, if you had gone after the monster at that time, it would have definitely prepared something. Who knows what kind of tricks it still has up its sleeve. But now that the monster thinks you're scared and won't dare to pursue, it might relax its guard. Isn't this a surprise move, and it won't tarnish your reputation as a nobleman of the Fallen Moon?"
Gu Lingling's words started off somewhat reasonable, but as she went on about "scared" and "tarnish," a glint of starlight appeared in Da Bao's deeply hidden eyes.
"Tracking charm!!!!!"
Liao Feixing suddenly stood up, his face showing extreme joy, which frightened Gu Lingling, causing her to step back several times and accidentally bump into the stool, sitting down on the cushion.
Gu Lingling's buttocks hurt, and she groaned in pain, but fortunately, with Da Bao in her arms, she was cushioned, so she only felt a slight shock and didn't get hurt.
"Why do you always startle me like that," Gu Lingling strained to stand up. First, she confirmed that Da Bao was okay, then, in front of Liao Feixing, she felt embarrassed to rub her buttocks, so she could only rub her own waist.
Liao Feixing took out a talisman from his pocket, wiped it with the demon blood on the candle, and with a flick of his wrist, the yellow paper talisman suddenly stood upright.
"Go!" Liao Feixing let go, and the talisman, as if it had eyes, flew around obstacles and out the window.
At the same time, a spiritual light flew out from Da Bao's hand and landed on the talisman, making its movements more agile and precise. However, Gu Lingling and Liao Feixing couldn't see this spiritual light.
After running for a while, Gu Lingling felt exhausted holding Da Bao, while Liao Feixing ahead seemed tireless as though he had been injected with chicken blood.
With the moon covered by dark clouds and far from the bustling town, the outskirts of the city were still eerie and terrifying. The night wind rustled the leaves, and in the dim light, it looked like countless ghostly figures were moving in the air.
Gu Lingling's arms were sore, and she was out of breath. The feeling was like when she had just finished an 800-meter race in school.
After taking a few deep breaths, she changed from holding Da Bao to carrying him on her back. Strangely, she felt that Da Bao behind her was lighter.
Liao Feixing's figure became farther and farther ahead, and Gu Lingling hurried to catch up. The moonlight bathed everything in a layer of silver light.
Da Bao, holding Gu Lingling's neck, shot a beam of light in the moonlight, revealing an invisible barrier in front. However, neither Liao Feixing nor Gu Lingling noticed, and both of them inadvertently crossed the barrier.
Inside the barrier, the night wind stopped, the insect chirping ceased, leaving only the bright moonlight.
Liao Feixing suddenly stopped and took out a message bird from his pocket, injecting his consciousness into it. Then, releasing his hand, the once lifeless bird flapped its wings and flew off, leaving a long tail of light behind.
Gu Lingling also stopped and together with Liao Feixing, ensured the bird flew safely into the sky. However, in the blink of an eye, the light from Da Bao's finger hit the bird, causing it to disappear without a trace.
Noticing the abnormalities in the area, Liao Feixing stopped and waited for Gu Lingling. "I didn't expect you to keep up with my speed," he said.
It was strange indeed. Although Gu Lingling felt exhausted, considering the huge gap in their cultivation levels, she was surprised that she could keep up with Liao Feixing's urgent pace.
The tracking talisman hung silently in the air, refusing to move. But the area seemed to be just an empty land in a forest, with no special features. Liao Feixing circled the area but didn't find any clues.
Gu Lingling wrinkled her nose and said, "Take out your fire striker."
Liao Feixing, not understanding, followed her instructions. As soon as the fire striker met the air, it caught fire. Gu Lingling bent down and carefully examined the ground.
Liao Feixing suddenly realized, and both of them busied themselves on the ground. After a while, they discovered traces of demon blood on the ground.
Thanks to the silent environment inside the barrier, the faint stench of demon blood inadvertently entered Gu Lingling's nostrils, making them aware of the anomaly.
The demon blood disappeared in the center of the empty land. Liao Feixing pulled out the Moon Falling Sword and said to Gu Lingling, "Stand back."
Concentrating all his spiritual energy into the sword, Liao Feixing shouted, and the Moon Falling Sword fell like lightning, striking hard at the place where the demon blood had disappeared.
A strong spiritual light suddenly emanated from the air, as if the sword had struck an object. The concealed formation was destroyed, and a deep hole appeared in the middle of the empty land.
A strong stench wafted from the hole, causing Gu Lingling to cover her mouth and nose.
"Liao Master, you are truly worthy of the Moon Falling Master, finding the place where the demon hides in an instant. I have mediocre skills, so I don't want to cause you trouble. I'll stay at the entrance to guide the disciples coming here. Be careful on your way."
Liao Feixing nodded gravely, refraining from making sarcastic remarks. The situation inside the cave was unknown, and it was indeed not suitable for Gu Lingling, who was inexperienced. If anything happened, she would be more of a liability than a help.
"Be careful yourself," Gu Lingling said as she tried to make way for him, but she slipped and fell into the cave. The entrance was almost perpendicular, and she felt a rush of wind and a strong stench.
"Help me!" she yelled, but before she could finish, a small hand covered her mouth, preventing her from making any noise.
The rapid fall slowed down as Gu Lingling approached the entrance of the cave. She touched the soft ground and stood steadily.
Ahead of her was a dark and winding cave, pitch black, with only the foul smell making her nearly sick.
Behind her, Liao Feixing crouched on the ground in a somewhat disheveled state, apparently due to the depth of the cave. Some dirt had stained his clothes and hair.
"How are you not hurt?" he asked incredulously.
Struggling to stand, he felt some numbness in his feet, while Gu Lingling was unscathed, almost serene. Scrutinizing Gu Lingling, he couldn't help but feel that she should have broken a few bones with such a fall given her level of cultivation. His initial regret turned sour.
"How am I unhurt? I was terrified, thinking that I was done for..." Gu Lingling said.
"Liao Feixing."
Suddenly, a deep and magnetic voice sounded in their ears, appearing both near and far, resembling the mental transmission described in novels.
Gu Lingling had never heard this voice before, so apart from surprise, she didn't feel anything else. But Liao Feixing was different. His face looked extremely strange, like a child who had run away from home and was found by his parents, feeling a mix of joy and fear of being scolded.
Gu Lingling nudged Liao Feixing, and he struggled to utter two words, "Leader..."
Leader? Leader of what? Who is the leader?
Gu Lingling suddenly realized, "It couldn't be Luo Yunzhen from the Forget Worries Pavilion, could it?"
The air suddenly quieted down, and Liao Feixing helplessly looked at Gu Lingling.
"This matter is strange. I cannot appear now. Follow my instructions, and I will protect you in secret."
As he finished speaking, a unique spirit bird from the Forget Worries Pavilion appeared in the dark cave. However, this spirit bird was not the usual pale gold color of a normal message bird, but a nearly transparent pale white, emitting a cold glow in the dark cave.
Luo Yunzhen did not blame Gu Lingling for being so impulsive and straightforward, but directly explained his plan. Although Liao Feixing was a bit confused, he had met Luo Yunzhen a few times and recognized his voice.
"How did the leader know about our situation?"
Liao Feixing couldn't help but ask, even though he was the Deputy Leader of the Star-Picking Pavilion, an elite member of the Green Feather Pavilion. He admitted that he didn’t have any special qualities that would make the leader inquire personally. Looking at Gu Lingling, who was carrying a child on her back with a nervous look, he immediately denied his own guess—there was no reason it was because of him, and even less reason it was because of Gu Lingling.
Although the light of the spirit bird was weak, it could still illuminate the area and enable them to observe and walk without any difficulty.
The spirit bird in front was flying up and down, not too fast or slow, just matching the speed at which Gu Lingling was carrying the child forward on her back.
"A message spirit bird."
It seemed that apart from those few instructions, Luo Yunzhen didn't say much. Liao Feixing recounted the course of events, but all he received in return were a few simple responses from Luo Yunzhen.
The child on Gu Lingling's back seemed to have fallen asleep, resting his head on her shoulder with his eyes closed. However, his little brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyelids, pale and showing the blue veins, were constantly moving.
The white spirit bird was transformed by Luo Yunzhen's divine knowledge. After flying for a while, it stopped at a spot on the cave wall that was no different from the others.
"There is a barrier here. Use your Falling Moon Sword to break it open."
Gu Lingling stepped back a few paces, and Liao Feixing raised the Falling Moon Sword and performed the same action as at the mouth of the cave. After a collision of spiritual light, a passage leading to another place appeared on the cave wall.
The mouth of the cave was a bit narrow, and Gu Lingling, carrying the child, was extremely careful not to let him touch the walls. Fortunately, the cave was not too long, and after walking a few steps, they heard the sound of flowing water. Following the sound, they arrived at a spacious area at the end of the cave, the ceiling of which was extremely high. Even with the spiritual light of the spirit bird, they couldn't see the top. In this spacious area, there was actually a dark lake.
When Gu Lingling looked into the cave and saw the depths of it, she knew it was very deep, and since the group had been walking downhill for a while, it was clear that the cave was quite deep. Now, in this underground cave, there was a lake, which was already surprising enough.
But even more surprising was that in the middle of the lake, there was a small island with a strange plant growing on it. Despite there being no sunlight in the cave, the plant grew thickly, and its long tendrils seemed to be clinging to a transparent pillar, disappearing where their sight couldn’t reach. At the bottom of the tendrils, there was a huge fruit.
The fruit was actually blood red, and in the dark cave, it seemed even more dazzling under the cold light of the spirit bird.
Everyone was stunned by this strange sight, and sweat appeared on Da Bao's forehead, as using his divine knowledge had consumed too much energy, and his body, still not fully recovered from the injuries, was starting to reach its limit.
"Leader, is this the place? But we haven't found any traces of Rongrong... Rongrong!"
On the small island, which was overrun by dense vines, as Liao Feixing spoke, a hideous monster shook off the vines covering it, revealing the still unconscious Rongrong underneath.
Liao Feixing's toes tapped the ground, and Gu Lingling saw a blue shadow flash before her eyes, accompanied by a gust of cold wind.
"Hey, be careful, it might be a trap!"
Gu Lingling stood by the water's edge, wanting to intervene, but it was too late.
"No harm."
The spirit bird flapped its wings, as if carefully observing the opposite shore.
Gu Lingling adjusted Da Bao on her back and began walking in the direction of the small island along the water's edge. The lake was located right in the middle of the cave, and there was a connecting point along the shore to the small island in the distance.
Following beside Gu Lingling, the spirit bird crossed the connecting point and landed on the small island with her.
Meanwhile, Liao Feixing was embroiled in a fierce battle with the monster. The monster, seeing its enemy, was particularly hostile, but it was wary of Liao Feixing's Falling Moon Sword, so it only resorted to constantly attacking the loose rocks and vines on the ground, all of which were deftly blocked by Liao Feixing’s sword.
The monster let out a few strange cries and angrily circled around Liao Feixing, never leaving Rongrong's side for a moment, thus denying any opportunity for her rescue.
"Stone into soldier."
Luo Yunzhen's voice echoed in Gu Lingling's mind, deep and without any warmth, but it compelled her to ask for more details.
Subconsciously, she searched the pocket on her side, where she found a dozen or so small, round stones, each about the size of a copper coin.
Tossing out the stones, Gu Lingling quickly drew a spell in the air with her fingers. As the spell was finished, the stones in mid-air seemed to spring to life, growing tiny heads and small limbs, and if one looked closely, they could even see the complete facial features on the small heads.
This was the Illusion Art of the Bone Erosion Pavilion, "Stone into soldier." Despite its powerful name, it was nothing more than a playful illusion with no attack power.
It was the simplest magic.
The little stone people lightly dropped to the ground, bypassed the thick vines, and headed towards the unconscious Rongrong.
Dragging its heavy body, the monster seemed to have noticed the little stone people's existence, and lifted its pot-like fist, landing it heavily on the ground with a bang. The entire cave shook, and the little stone people were thrown into the air by the impact, but they quickly regained their balance after landing.
The stone people may not have attacking power, but they excel in being agile and nimble. Giant monsters are like slow motion to them, easily dodging various attacks.
Liao Fei Xing took the opportunity to continue launching attacks. Although the monster feared the Faltering Moon Sword, Liao Fei Xing's attacks obviously only slowed down the monster's speed without causing any substantial damage to it.
The stone people finally climbed to Rong Rong's side through the vines. Several stone people surrounded Rong Rong and seemed a bit confused. Some opened their mouths but made no sound, while others scratched their heads with their short little hands. However, one of the stone people, seemingly more rational, slapped Rong Rong on the face.
There was no response.
The force of a single stone person was not enough to wake Rong Rong, so the remaining stone people also raised their hands and continued to strike Rong Rong's tender skin.
Unable to resist the simultaneous attacks of over a dozen stone people, Rong Rong, who was unconscious, finally showed signs of awakening.
"Use more force, have you not eaten your fill?"
Gu Ling Ling encouraged the stone people, and then Rong Rong subconsciously wiped her own face, causing the stone people that had jumped onto her face to fall to the ground.
Seemingly feeling wronged, and yet seeming to have completed their task, these stone people scrambled to jump off Rong Rong's cheek, and hurriedly returned to Gu Ling Ling's hands.
Once back in Gu Ling Ling's palm, these stone people immediately returned to their previous round stone appearance. Gu Ling Ling put them back into her pocket, and as she raised her head, she couldn't help but sigh at the deceptive nature of Rong Rong's name.
Rong Rong indeed looked soft and delicate, with gentle and affectionate eyes, making people want to hold her to protect her, but her actions were as fierce as a man's.
After a brief moment of confusion upon waking up, Rong Rong quickly entered the state of battle.
Liao Fei Xing drew a spell in the air with the Faltering Moon Sword. The power from the spell combined with the power of the Faltering Moon Sword amplified the instinctive attack, and after a burst of bright light, a large hole was punched in the chest of the monster, with semi-rotten viscera mixed with murky monster blood flowing all over the ground, making one almost nauseous.
The monster did not feel pain, only becoming more infuriated, snapping a vine and swinging it. Liao Fei Xing had spent a lot of spiritual energy and was now struggling physically. Without time to catch his breath, he quickly dodged to the side, but unfortunately was still a step too slow, and was about to be struck by the thorned vine. However, the vine, as thick as a bowl, suddenly turned into pieces.
"Rong Rong, are you awake?" Liao Fei Xing looked at the fierce-looking Rong Rong next to him with a mixture of surprise and joy, and asked anxiously, "Rong Rong, are you okay? Are you injured?"
"Quit nagging."
Rong Rong glanced slightly disdainfully at Liao Fei Xing, clearly disapproving of a grown man like him being so annoying. If it hadn't been for Liao Fei Xing insisting on taking the carriage, she wouldn't have cared about such a minor injury, and wouldn't have ended up being captured by the monster, feeling that her title as the "War God" of the Green Feather Pavilion might be tarnished because of Liao Fei Xing.
After rebuffing Liao Fei Xing, she wielded her sword and joined the battle against the monster.
Gu Ling Ling had thought that Liao Fei Xing and Rong Rong were in love, but now it seemed that it was just wishful thinking. It was a swift turn of events indeed.
Unperturbed, Liao Fei Xing wasn't daunted at all, without any intention of giving up. It was as if Rong Rong's rebuke just now had been a tonic, reinvigorating his spiritual energy, swinging the Faltering Moon Sword vigorously, and driving the monster back.
While Gu Ling Ling was watching with interest, Rong Rong caught the attention of the monster. Suddenly, Liao Fei Xing flicked his sword, and a huge head flew through the air, straight towards Gu Ling Ling.
With a baby clinging to her back, Gu Ling Ling stepped on a stone, peering into the dim light of the spirit bird, completely appearing to be an onlooker, and was completely unguarded. The huge head was fast, and it seemed to be about to strike her face, when suddenly a force pulled Gu Ling Ling back a step, and the huge head slammed into the spot where she had just been standing, splattering her with flesh and blood, which looked disgusting.
Being pushed back so suddenly, her body wavered and she almost fell, and then the baby slumbering on her back somehow slipped down, his chubby little body rolling a few times on the ground before coming to a stop.
"Da Bao!"
Gu Ling Ling felt sorry for him. The ground was covered with fine gravel, which would be very painful if it got into Da Bao's tender skin.
Only then did Gu Ling Ling realize that Da Bao had been sleeping soundly all the way, and now she became even more worried because he hadn't woken up despite all the commotion. But before she could pick up Da Bao, the monster, who had just lost its head, paid no attention to the Faltering Moon Sword, and swung wildly. Both Liao Fei Xing and Rong Rong were hit, and with no one to stop it, the monster even ran madly towards Gu Ling Ling.
Terrified, Gu Ling Ling ran for her life, thinking that the monster was coming for the severed head, but when she changed direction, the monster changed too, seemingly having a vendetta against Gu Ling Ling.
"Leader, help!"
The last word was choked off. Since causing her to use the stone figures as soldiers, Luo Yun Zhen hadn't said a word. Where was the covert protection he had promised? Even if she was just a background character, she couldn't be taken so lightly.
"Da Bao, help!"
The spirit bird's wings suddenly paused; forget it, who knew what she'd be able to say later. She had intended to use the monster's pursuit of Gu Ling Ling to expose the hidden instigator, but it seemed that she had been found out, and her opponent was probably already prepared.
"Go back."
After hearing these three words in her mind, everything returned to calm. This so-called protection was ultimately up to her to put into action. Though she complained, Gu Ling Ling did not hesitate; she suddenly turned back, taking advantage of her body weight to swiftly change direction. Since the monster was so large, it ran forward a distance before stopping due to momentum.
"Why are you just standing there, Liao Fei Xing? Do you want to come and collect my corpse?"
As for Luo Yun Zhen, she didn't hold out any hope, not knowing what he was even thinking about.
In fact, Luo Yun Zhen's divine consciousness had already spread throughout the entire cave. Since the beginning, this matter was not just about purifying the place; the sudden injury caused by the monster and the stolen head were crucial, as they should have been heard by the disciples due to the sharp whistle sound.
From the moment he entered the cave, he felt there was another faint presence besides the few people and the monster. Although that person was intentionally hiding, he still needed to control the monster, so some leakage was inevitable.
Like a racer crossing the finish line, Gu Ling Ling ran to Liao Fei Xing's side and breathed a sigh of relief. The monster also didn't disappoint, seeing Liao Fei Xing and no longer pursuing Gu Ling Ling, perfectly embodying the adage of fickleness.
"Gu Ling Ling, couldn't you run a little faster!"