“If you don’t leave now, I won’t be polite,” Xiaxia’s large knife advanced another inch.
The fox demon seemed frightened, her eyes widening as she drew in a sharp breath. She stepped back, her foot landing on an exposed stone outside. The stone shifted, and her body tilted downward; she was about to fall into the ice river below.
At this moment, another pair of hands supported the fox demon’s back.
The old fox’s smiling face appeared behind the fox demon. Lao Qin had arrived on the wind from below the ice cave, floating leisurely outside, supporting the fox demon’s waist.
The fox demon instantly found her backbone: “Manager Qin.”
Her voice became even more delicate than before: “I can’t help him anymore.”
“General Jiu Xia,” Lao Qin smiled harmlessly, “Why do you treat my Cui Lake Pavilion girl like this? Look, her face has turned white with fear.”
Before I could speak, Xiaxia directly leveled her knife and, not disappointing me, said coldly: “As long as I’m here today, no one will snatch a man from me.”
Worthy of being me, understanding the stakes perfectly.
“Qin Shuyan, take her away,” Xie Zhuo, opposite me, also began issuing orders.
I immediately darkened my expression: “Xiaxia, this fox is not easy to deal with. Focus your qi in your dantian, do as I say.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Lao Qin over there directly attacked Xiaxia.
Xiaxia immediately raised her knife to parry, and the two instantly formed a confrontational posture.
I cursed at Xie Zhuo: “I never knew before that you had such loyal, helpful friends! He listens to you!”
Xie Zhuo didn’t respond to me, only instructing Lao Qin: “Don’t linger in battle, take her away. After returning, immediately imprison her in your Cui Lake Pavilion secret chamber.”
They have a secret chamber at Cui Lake Pavilion?
Xie Zhuo knows things I don’t know?!
I had no time to marvel. Seeing that Lao Qin was getting serious, I immediately told Xiaxia: “Push him away, establish a barrier.”
Xiaxia was me; she might not react as quickly, but she understood immediately. She gathered all her strength as I instructed, pushed Lao Qin away with one strike, and ‘clang’ erected a transparent barrier between herself and Lao Qin.
The barrier divided Xiaxia and Xie Xuanqing on one side, with Lao Qin and the fox demon isolated on the other.
“Fighting like this will be bad for his injuries!” the fox demon spoke worriedly from behind Lao Qin.
Hearing this, my fist clenched tighter by my side: “None of her damn business!” I cursed, still not satisfied. Seeing more stones by my feet, I kicked another one at Xie Zhuo in frustration.
Xie Zhuo dodged by tilting his head, his brow furrowing even deeper this time.
He looked at me in confusion, seemingly not understanding why, at this critical juncture, I was using these insignificant methods to trouble him. But he paid no attention to these details; after glancing at me once, he immediately instructed Lao Qin.
“She’s using Kunlun Guard techniques, Five Elements Earth. Use Wood-system spells to break her barrier.”
That dog!
I cursed silently, immediately instructing Xiaxia: “Use heart-meridian blood to link to the barrier!”
Heart-meridian blood linked to the barrier—if Lao Qin dared to break it, Xiaxia would either die or be severely injured.
Hearing this, Xie Zhuo’s dark eyes sank sharply. He narrowed his eyes, appearing angry as he glared at me: “Fu Jiuxia!”
I stuck out my neck: “Hit me, then!”
Xie Zhuo gritted his teeth, so angered by me that he took a deep breath to steady his emotions.
Meanwhile, although Xiaxia had followed my instructions and immediately smeared her heart-meridian blood on the barrier, she still asked me with some fear as the barrier glowed brightly: “Isn’t heart-meridian blood too extreme? Isn’t this too rash?”
Hearing Xiaxia’s words, my gaze remained fixed on Xie Zhuo before me. I raised my chin somewhat proudly.
“Not rash,” I answered Xiaxia, also letting Xie Zhuo hear, “Only this way, he won’t dare harm you.”
Xie Zhuo also stared at me, his face even darker with gloom.
But, as expected, just as I had anticipated, when Lao Qin was about to attack Xiaxia’s barrier again, Xie Zhuo spoke—
“Stop…”
Lao Qin’s hand stopped just before Xiaxia’s barrier. Lao Qin’s demeanor remained casual as he said lightly: “Even with her heart-meridian blood added to this barrier, I can break it.”
Xie Zhuo replied: “I said, stop.”
Lao Qin raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand.
I knew it. With Xie Zhuo’s blood oath still binding me, this dog wouldn’t do anything that would endanger Xiaxia’s life.
“Xiaxia,” I called to her, “Move the barrier forward. Drive them out of the ice cave.”
“Okay!” Xiaxia immediately acted, pushing the barrier’s light forward.
Lao Qin and the fox demon still stood in place, showing no intention of leaving. But even if they didn’t move, someone would make them move.
“Retreat,” Xie Zhuo spoke.
Lao Qin took a step back with the fox demon.
“Continue,” I looked at Xie Zhuo provocatively, instructing Xiaxia, “Advance…”
Xie Zhuo’s eyes remained fixed on me. He didn’t waste words, only continuing to command: “Retreat…”
One advance, one retreat, until Xiaxia’s barrier completely covered the cave entrance, driving Lao Qin and the fox demon outside the ice cave, floating above the ice river.
Looking through Xiaxia’s eyes, I saw the two outside the barrier and felt slightly relieved. This crisis was temporarily resolved: “Xiaxia, guard the barrier until Xie Xuanqing wakes up.”
Xiaxia nodded in agreement and retreated into the ice cave.
I blinked, looking at Xie Zhuo: “You’ve gone to great lengths to prevent them from meeting, yet you never expected this to be predestined. Xie Zhuo, they, or rather we, cannot escape this bitter fate. Stop your struggling.”
Xie Zhuo remained silent for a long time. Just when I thought he wouldn’t answer, he said: “He hasn’t woken up yet.”
The implication being that the outcome was still undecided.