Back then, after heading to the rendezvous, she knew she might die. How treacherous a person was Piao Miaoxu? It was obvious Piao Miaoxu intended to lure her into a trap... But the information about the Yin Yang Taoist concerned her father; it was the Heart Demon she had pursued for countless years. Naturally, she wanted to know. Even knowing the danger, she clung to a sliver of hope, wanting to try her luck. She just hadn't expected that foolish man to follow her...

***

The woman in red, trapped in the Greedy Wolf Killing Formation, was soon covered in wounds, her once enchanting face now deathly pale.

"The Palace Master has ordered," Shuo Wuji said at this moment. "If you are willing to obey the Palace Master's command and lurk by Dongfang Mu's side, the Palace Master... may spare your life!

"Otherwise, today, you shall be buried in this vast ocean."

Upon hearing this, the woman in red merely shook her head slightly.

"I only had a cooperative relationship with her before... She saved me, and I promised to serve her for many years... We are long since even. Besides, she promised long ago to help me find information about the Yin Yang Taoist... Now she wants me to be a spy... Impossible.

"I would rather die than betray him."

Shuo Wuji frowned slightly. Looking at the woman before him, a chill crept into his heart. What charm did Dongfang Mu possess... to make Demoness Mu, who drove countless Demon Sect disciples to madness, go to such lengths?

However, he understood in the next moment.

"You want to kill my Sister Mu? Have you asked for my permission?"

From afar, a figure slowly approached...

The woman in red was slightly startled, looking at the newcomer in disbelief.

Shuo Wuji's pupils contracted sharply, then he narrowed his eyes.

Actually, this setup was plain for all to see. Piao Miaoxu had sent a carrier pigeon to Mu Hongyuan, so Dongfang Mu was bound to be involved. Therefore, this killing trap targeted not only Mu Hongyuan but also Dongfang Mu. Once Mu Hongyuan went, it was a death trap.

Although Piao Miaoxu was a Great Demon, she was excellent at keeping her word. She had said that if Mu Hongyuan went, she would definitely give Mu Hongyuan the information about the Yin Yang Taoist. She just hadn't mentioned the prerequisite. The prerequisite was that Mu Hongyuan had to survive...

Similarly, Mu Hongyuan was also bait to lure Dongfang Mu out. The information about the Yin Yang Taoist was the bait for Mu Hongyuan, and Mu Hongyuan herself was the bait for Dongfang Mu.

The newcomer moved like the wind, treading on shadows, with an air of effortless grace. Facing the Greedy Wolf Killing Formation, he broke it effortlessly within a few dozen moves. He then arrived beside the woman in red.

"Sister Mu, you came here so recklessly. As your younger brother, I was very worried... It seems you still see me as an outsider?" the man said with a smile.

The woman in red opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

"You... you shouldn't have come..." the woman in red said through clenched teeth. "Piao Miaoxu must be lurking in the shadows..."

Before she could finish speaking, a ghostly figure, as fast as lightning, lunged at the man.

It was Piao Miaoxu.

Indeed, as the ultimate villain, she wasn't the type of major antagonist who always lurked behind the scenes. She would seize any slight opportunity to eliminate the protagonist!

This was a perfect opportunity!

The two instantly erupted into a fierce battle.

***

Wang Mu still remembered that great battle. It was a major climax before the final showdown with Piao Miaoxu! It was also the first time the protagonist directly confronted this ultimate villain from the game.

Back then, the protagonist wasn't at full power yet. Several character storylines were still incomplete, and the Love Stronger than Gold Diagram wasn't fully illuminated. Defeating her was fundamentally impossible then. However, the protagonist at that time also possessed the strength to fight and could hold out against Piao Miaoxu.

Piao Miaoxu, unable to secure a quick victory, would, according to the plot, employ a diversionary tactic, attacking the weakened Mu Hongyuan who was nearby. At that point, the protagonist, already at a disadvantage, would have two choices.

One: attempt a rescue, which would inevitably lead to a double kill—Piao Miaoxu would eliminate both of them. Mu Hongyuan would also be subsequently killed by Piao Miaoxu.

Two: don't rescue her. Flee to preserve strength. Mu Hongyuan would die, and while the game's ending could still be reached, it wouldn't be the Love Saint ending.

The third choice allowed the player to make their own decision.

It's actually quite simple...

***

"I'm curious to see just how formidable the man is, for whom you dared to betray me..." Piao Miaoxu sneered. "He dared to come running to save you; did he come prepared to die?

"When this palm of mine lands on you, you will undoubtedly be buried in the sea!"

Piao Miaoxu attacked. Her strike, like a palm emerging from the east, was profoundly mysterious and impossible to evade.

The woman in red could even see the mocking eyes hidden beneath the mask. Piao Miaoxu continued, "If he doesn't run, if he dares to face me, I might spare your life! I'll tell you about the Yin Yang Taoist's presence!" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

If that happened, Dongfang Mu would die.

In her bewilderment, the woman in red suddenly felt a tremendous power rising around Zhou Shen. It was that familiar power. The 'Spring Departs, Autumn Arrives' move from the Four Seasons Yin Yang Palm—a palm technique that could shift and transpose, moving in a myriad of ways.

Her form shifted, and in an instant, she had been moved over thirty yards from her original position.

Ahead, the man appeared where she had been.

"So what if I take a palm strike from you?"

A swift palm struck, directly targeting his heart meridian.

A deafening BOOM!

The shockwave erupted like a tidal wave.

Like a kite with a snapped string, the man was flung into the distance, crashing into the boundless ocean waves…

"HAHAHAHA..." Piao Miaoxu's wild laughter boomed. "What a Dongfang Mu! You truly are a lovesick fool!

"You really aren't afraid of death!

"Struck by my Heavenly Broken Vein Palm, even if you don't die, you'll be crippled!

"Excellent! Excellent!"

To eliminate such a major threat so easily was naturally a cause for celebration.