Chapter 81: Chapter 81: Soft Jade, Warm Fragrance

「In front of the ruins of the Demon Suppression Pagoda.」

A giant of a man, Gao Chong sat on a large boulder, his face livid. Anyone who saw him could feel his seething, teeth-grinding rage.

Fang Cheng and the other Outer Disciples stood before Gao Chong, not daring to breathe too loudly.

Wen Qianqian stared at the vast ruins with her almond-shaped eyes. Tears streamed down her face, but she dared not let a single sob escape.

The Loose Cultivators summoned by Feng Jiuzhang to repair the Sealing Array had all perished, caught in the crossfire of the battle between the Xiao Family, Gao Chong, Feng Jiuzhang, and the others.

A dark green sphere of vines, ten feet in diameter and radiating a potent life force, hovered motionlessly above the ruins.

After a moment, an opening split across the sphere of vines. A pale-faced Lu Wei floated out gracefully and nodded to Gao Chong. "Elder Feng’s injuries are stabilized, but he needs to return to the sect for treatment immediately."

Gao Chong grunted in acknowledgment. "I must remain here to suppress the Nightmare Demon. Take the others and hunt for any remnants of the Xiao Family. See if you can find any survivors."

"Alright. Fang Cheng, the rest of you, come with me."

Lu Wei said no more. With a wave of her hand, she summoned the Yinluo Flying Ship and had Fang Cheng and the other Outer Disciples board it.

The Flying Ship then soared into the air, flying out of the valley.

The former location of the Xiao Family was now engulfed in a raging inferno. Flames shot toward the sky from both sides of the cliff, a dazzling and terrible sight in the night.

The Yinluo Flying Ship hovered motionlessly over the valley.

Aboard the Flying Ship, Lu Wei’s voice was heavy with fatigue. "Go down and see if any remnants of the Xiao Family are left. Signal me at once if you find anything, and I will intervene."

The disciples all accepted the command. One by one, they summoned their Escape Lights and flew toward the blazing fires on either side of the cliff.

"Fang Cheng, stay here," Lu Wei said.

Fang Cheng, who had just flown off the deck, turned in mid-air and landed back on it.

Only when the other Outer Disciples were a good distance away did Lu Wei look at him and say slowly, "You don’t need to go. The Xiao Family Cultivators are long gone."

Fang Cheng looked at the stunningly beautiful Elder. Sensing that she too was severely injured and her aura was faint, he couldn’t help but ask with concern, "Elder Lu, are you alright? I still have some Healing Elixirs..."

Lu Wei gave a faint smile, which brought a touch of color to her pale, jade-like features. Waving her hand, she said, "Keep them for yourself. I have no need for them."

Fang Cheng scratched his head and said in a low voice, "Do you have any orders for me, Elder? I will do my utmost to carry them out!"

Lu Wei glanced at the fires burning on both sides of the cliff and said flatly, "If not for your intervention, I’m afraid we would have all been annihilated. But I must warn you now: the sect will not be rewarding you for it."

Fang Cheng listened in silence, not uttering a word.

The Yinluo Sect was full of internal factions, all scheming against each other for power and profit. A commendation of this magnitude would never be allowed to fall to him.

Lu Wei looked at him. "Gao Chong used a Secret Technique, sacrificing his future in cultivation, to shatter the Blood Nightmare Demon Cocoon. We then surrounded and attacked that bastard Ren Yan. But who could have known? Ren Yan’s Cultivation was incredibly high, no less than Gao Chong’s. Not only did we fail to stop him, but he turned the tables on us and killed three Outer Elders."

At this, a strange expression crossed Lu Wei’s face.

’I should have died as well. Perhaps Ren Yan has a soft spot for women and deliberately spared my life.’

"Gao Chong is the direct disciple of a Supreme Elder. The future of his cultivation is more important than all of our lives put together..."

Lu Wei gave a self-deprecating laugh. "So this time, we should consider ourselves lucky that the fury of the sect’s leadership hasn’t been directed at us. As for any rewards... forget it."

Fang Cheng mulled this over for a moment before nodding. "I understand. If Gao Chong hadn’t damaged his very foundation, this would be an entirely different situation."

"Exactly," Lu Wei sighed. "Everyone kicks a man when he’s down... Elder Feng and I are both severely injured. It will take at least a decade of hard cultivation to recover, if we ever do. I’m afraid someone in the sect will use this as an opportunity to finish us off."

"After all, we were the ones who repaired the Sealing Array over a decade ago, and we failed to detect the Xiao Family’s conspiracy. If they decide to pursue it, we can’t escape being blamed for negligence."

’Lu Wei’s warning comes from a place of kindness,’ Fang Cheng thought. ’If I act like I’m trying to claim credit after we get back, I’ll just be inviting disaster.’

He also finally understood the true source of Gao Chong’s rage.

’To save his own skin, he used a Secret Technique that damaged his foundation, severing his path forward. He’ll never be able to advance his Cultivation again. The best he can hope for now is to become an idle Elder in the sect or go off and establish his own Cultivation Family.’

...

「Two days later.」

「High in the sky above the Southern Mang Mountains.」

The Yinluo Flying Ship cut a straight path through the clouds.

Aboard the ship, the mood was somber. From Elders like Gao Chong, Feng Jiuzhang, and Lu Wei, down to the Outer Disciples, everyone was grim-faced.

The Xiao Family Cultivators had escaped without a trace!

Even after more Elders from the Yinluo Sect arrived, not a single clue was found. They could only fantasize about the revenge they so desperately craved.

The Yinluo Sect had dispatched another twenty-odd Cultivators, led by two Inner Sect Elders, seven or eight Outer Elders, and a host of Inner Sect Disciples. They took over the responsibilities of repairing the Sealing Array and suppressing the Nightmare Demon, allowing Gao Chong and Feng Jiuzhang’s contingent of "crippled soldiers and defeated generals" to return to the Yinluo Sect in disgrace.

Meanwhile, Fang Cheng’s prestige among his fellow Outer Disciples had quietly reached an all-time high.

From the cynical and unruly Wang Pan to the proud and aloof Dong Qing, everyone was immensely grateful to Fang Cheng for saving their lives. They all offered their heartfelt thanks and promised to give him a generous gift once they returned to the Abyssal Marsh.

As for the others, it went without saying. This was a debt of gratitude that could not be easily repaid.

Meanwhile, in a Quiet Chamber aboard the Flying Ship, Fang Cheng was comforting Wen Qianqian.

With her father’s death in the Demon Suppression Pagoda, the young Female Cultivator had lost her greatest pillar of support. She now faced a vast, uncertain future, filled with nothing but helpless confusion.

After losing her father, how could a mere Array Master at the Fifth Layer of Sensing possibly fend off the greedy vultures that would now circle her from all sides?

Thus, on the journey back to the Yinluo Sect, she seized this final opportunity to approach Fang Cheng.

Once they returned to the Abyssal Marsh, seeing him again would not be nearly so easy.

"Sigh... Wen Dao You, people can’t be brought back from the dead. Please, try to accept what’s happened. As for your proposal about me becoming an Honored Guest Elder, I accept."

Fang Cheng looked at the beautiful, grieving young woman, his heart softening with pity. ’It seems this is the only comfort I have to offer,’ he thought.

Tears swam in Wen Qianqian’s eyes, but she managed to force a smile. "Fellow Daoist Fang, please rest assured. I will not be a burden to you. If you feel the previous conditions were insufficient, you can ask for more..."

She stared at Fang Cheng, her watery almond eyes unblinking, filled with a heart-wrenching vulnerability. Then, she whispered, "You can even treat... everything I have as your own personal property. I would not object."

Fang Cheng shook his head. "Wen Dao You, you’re overstating things. We are friends who have been through a great deal together. We already have a solid foundation for cooperation, and I could also use an additional channel for handling certain affairs."

"When we get back, just focus on your cultivation. If anyone foolish enough comes looking for trouble, I don’t mind giving them a taste of my Flying Sword."

Hearing this, Wen Qianqian rose gracefully and gave Fang Cheng a deep bow.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, your words have put me greatly at ease."

"There’s no need for such formalities, Fellow Daoist!"

Fang Cheng rose to help her up, but she took the opportunity to fall into his embrace, a soft and fragrant armful.

The beautiful young woman looked up at Fang Cheng, her gaze tinged with shyness, and whispered, "Fellow Daoist Fang, I... if you would not disdain my humble self, then please... allow me to repay you with my body."

"I... I am still a virgin..."

...