CHAPTER 41

— A Heroic Rescue —

"You brat, did a dog eat your manners? How dare you disrespect this king! Was it you who fired that hidden weapon just now?" The Wheel-Turning King toyed with several rings in her hand, glaring fiercely at Jia Siwen.

"Ridiculous! K!llng you all would be as easy as turning my hand. Why would I need to resort to tricks?" Jia Siwen narrowed his eyes and sneered, casually pushing the woman in his arms aside. With both hands forming seals, he pulled them apart, and a large, gleaming silver broadsword appeared in his grasp—his famed weapon, Xuelang Hou [Snow Wolf's Howl].

The blade was three feet seven inches long, five inches wide, and weighed forty-six jin and seven liang. Its silver surface reflected light brilliantly—truly an excellent blade!

—Though the blade appeared smooth and polished, no one knew how many cultivators' bl0od it had already drunk.

Holding the broadsword in his right hand, without so much as a warning, he swung it straight down at the Wheel-Turning King, who was leaning back in an armchair. A crushing pressure, like a raging tidal wave, poured from the tip of the blade. The sheer force of the sharp edge shook the entire room, let alone the Wheel-Turning King, who bore the brunt of it.

Her enchanting eyes sharpened. With a wave of her hand, the seated woman sent a chain of rings flying out, barely blocking the attack. Yet, they all shattered into dust. The relaxed smile on the swordsman's face revealed that he hadn't even used his full strength.

"Interesting, interesting! You're quite strong, brat!" The anger on the Wheel-Turning King's face vanished, replaced by a faint smile. Her bewitching features swayed with even more charm, enough to unsettle one's mind.

Jia Siwen responded with a roguish, cynical grin. "If you offer yourself to me, I might consider going easy and sparing your life. How about it?" Though he spoke in jest, his eyes remained icy cold. The murderous intent in them didn't diminish in the slightest, despite the Wheel-Turning King's allure.

"You dare take advantage of me? You insolent dog!" With a sharp cry, the Wheel-Turning King waved her hand again, summoning five more rings. All of them glowed with a dark, bl0ody red, spinning rapidly like low-growling beasts as they roared toward Jia Siwen.

Five glowing rings instantly dispersed as they approached him, each aiming for his wrists, ankles, and neck, restraining him with overwhelming force.

The Wheel-Turning King smiled sweetly and said, "This is the Five Flavors Lock, sealing your five vital points. Soon, you'll experience five different kinds of agony—worry, fear, sorrow, grief, and resentment—and then die in torment... Isn't it fun?"

Jia Siwen, immobilized by the rings, sneered, slightly closed his eyes, and silently chanted a few words. Suddenly, several streams of cyan flame flew out from within him, swirling around the restraining rings. The scorching heat began to melt the rings, while his skin sizzled and emitted a hair-raising sound that made onlookers avert their eyes. Yet, the man himself seemed utterly indifferent, a wild, sinister smile curling at the corners of his lips, making him appear even more ruthless than the demonic cultivators.

—'I'm not going to want to eat barbecue for a few years!'

Tong Tong suppressed her disgust, turned her head, and whispered into Su Yan's ear, "Senior Brother, is he... a bit off in the head?" As she spoke, she pointed to her own temple.

Su Yan was amused by her, her pale lips curling into a faint smile. Playing along with her train of thought, she nodded solemnly and replied in a "whisper" loud enough for everyone to hear, "Just keep it to yourself. No need to announce it."

"Oh—" Tong Tong drew out her reply, her expression filled with genuine pity and regret. Even Su Yan couldn't help but wonder if she truly felt sympathy for Jia Siwen...

"Thud, thud..." Several muffled sounds echoed as, under the scorching cyan flames, the rings restraining Jia Siwen exploded one after another. The skin where he had been burned was charred black, yet he paid it little mind. Instead, his gaze grew increasingly sinister as he stared at Tong Tong and Su Yan.

"Huh? You're ruthless, kid! To think you'd break my Five Flavors Lock this way. Fine, I'll consider you having passed this trial." The Wheel-Turning King seemed to have anticipated this outcome, merely shifting her posture as she leaned back, still smiling.

"Hmph, I told you—k!lling you all is as easy as turning my hand! You, woman, die—" Before he could finish speaking, a silver flash cut through the air as a large blade swept up a wave of energy, slashing fiercely toward the Wheel-Turning King.

Surprisingly, the seemingly unfathomably powerful Wheel-Turning King scattered into countless points of light under this single strike, vanishing into thin air... Only her furious roar lingered in the air: "You brat, just you wait—"

"Is... is she dead?" Tong Tong stared dumbfounded at the spot where the Wheel-Turning King had been sitting—even the grand armchair had disappeared—and murmured the question.

Su Yan remained silent, her gaze meeting Jia Siwen's as the latter held his blade and looked over. Su Yan placed a hand on her shoulder, quietly gathering her energy: If there's truly no way to avoid this, then it's a fight to the death! But... glancing at Tong Tong, who had stiffened in fear, Su Yan's eyes darkened, and her hand on her shoulder tightened unconsciously.

"Junior Brother Jia truly lives up to being the top expert of Bingyan Island. Even the Wheel-Turning King of the Ghost Hall fell by your hand. It seems the title of the number one Core Formation cultivator is yours without a doubt!" The woman who had accompanied Jia Siwen coiled around him like a water snake, laughing coquettishly as she flattered him.

Jia Siwen let out a few hearty laughs, then pulled the woman off him. Though his tone was gentle, it carried a hint of impatience: "Senior Sister, you're too loud... As for being Number One in Core Formation, you'll have to wait until I k!ll Su Yan first..." His gaze remained fixed on Su Yan, the k!lling intent in his eyes growing thicker, making the very air feel heavy and oppressive.

Suddenly, a figure flashed before his eyes. The woman he had overlooked from the start spread her arms, shielding Su Yan firmly behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks. Her delicate face was filled with determination, making her ordinary features appear extraordinarily vivid.

This heroine who had come to the rescue was none other than Tong Tong.

She didn't know why she had impulsively stepped in front of Su Yan, confronting this man who radiated malice from head to toe—her body had acted before her mind, revealing her feelings even before she was aware of them: unconsciously, Su Yan had become someone she was willing to risk her life to protect.

Was it the princess carry that saved her from falling from mid-air? Or the embrace when she was brought back from Xiangzhu Peak? Perhaps from the very first glance, that peerless face had been etched into her heart.

Time and again, she had watched that reassuring back protect her completely. Finally, there came a moment when she could stand in front of that person... even if it was overestimating her own strength, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, even if it meant paying with her life, she had no regrets—never in her life had she felt such resolve, nor such fulfillment.

Tong Tong, who had always been emotionally inexperienced, suddenly understood what her best friend had once said about the feeling of being willing to give up everything for someone you love. Because now, she felt exactly that way.

—'Su Yan, I like you.'

Would she even have the chance to say these feelings out loud?

Tong Tong smiled self-deprecatingly—such a complex expression on her innocent face seemed oddly out of place, causing Jia Siwen, who had been staring intently at her, to momentarily freeze. After recovering quickly, he flashed a predatory, amused smile.

Tong Tong closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her demeanor had shifted. With her hands on her hips, she glared at Jia Siwen, adopting the fearless stance of a fierce woman, and began shouting insults: "You d@mned scumbag! You look all refined and dashing, but you're nothing but the worst of the worst, the scum among beasts! You lacked calcium as a child, love as you grew up, unloved by your grandparents, unwanted by your elders! Your left face deserves a slap, your right face deserves a kick! You're born to be a cucumber—just asking to be smacked!"

Not only Jia Siwen and his senior sister, but even Su Yan, shielded behind Tong Tong, was stunned by her rapid-fire tirade, left speechless by her rare ferocity—looking across the vast cultivation world, you'd be hard-pressed to find a female cultivator so unconcerned with decorum! Even among the worldly martial artists, few were this... unrestrained.

Seeing them all stunned, Tong Tong felt a surge of pride. Rolling up her sleeves, she continued with even more vigor: "Tell me, were you swapped at birth and your parents raised the placenta instead? Or were you tossed up three times as a baby and only caught twice? Your name suits you perfectly! You're nothing but a fake, a hypocrite! Look—" she pointed back at Su Yan, whose eyelashes fluttered slightly, and accused with feigned heartache, "How could you lay a hand on such a beautiful face? Did your teacher never teach you the phrase 'cherish the fair and spare the delicate'?"

Jia Siwen's eyes sharpened, and he roared, "Enough! Stop talking!" A silver cleaver was pressed against Tong Tong's neck, his gaze filled with malice.

"Tong Tong," Su Yan said softly, "step aside."

—'Is this what it feels like to be protected?'

Even though she knew her strength was utterly insignificant, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of security. This unfamiliar stirring left her both anxious and intoxicated.

It was as if someone had gently brushed a feather across her skin—tingling and ticklish. It felt like lying atop Luoxia Peak, basking in the sunlight—soft and warm. This indescribable sensation stirred an impulse within her to wrap her arms around the foolish girl standing protectively in front of her.

Rarely had she ever called her name so seriously, and in such a situation. Tong Tong trembled slightly but remained motionless, as if she hadn't heard.

"Pah! If you tell me not to speak, and I don't, wouldn't I lose all my dignity? I'll say it anyway! You hypocritical scoundrel! Can't you see he's injured? And here you are, clamoring for a fight! Do you even know what the Olympic spirit is? Do you understand fair competition? Is taking advantage of someone's weakness all you're capable of? Aren't you ashamed? I'm ashamed for you! Ashamed for your master! Ashamed for everyone on Bingyan Island!" Tong Tong spat out these words without pausing for breath, only then noticing the sharp pain in her neck. Meeting Jia Siwen's furious eyes, alarm bells rang in her mind, and regret washed over her: 'Oh no, I got carried away with the insults and really pissed him off...'

"Hmph, ashamed? Who would know it was me if I k!lled you?" Jia Siwen sneered, pressing the blade harder against her neck. Crimson bl0od seeped from her veins, staining her white robes.

"Let her go. Your opponent is me." Stung by the sight of that red stain, Su Yan released her numbed shoulder and summoned Changhong with a flick of her wrist. She glared coldly at Jia Siwen, her eyes swirling with emotions that made the man gripping the silver blade shudder: This woman has an overwhelming k!lling intent!

"Don't push yourself, hey!" Tong Tong dared not turn her head but shouted at the top of her lungs, then snapped at Jia Siwen, who was inches away. "If you're going to do it, hurry up! Don't dawdle like a coward! I have a cleanliness obsession—every second I spend near you disgusts me! Even amoebas wouldn't survive where you've touched! I'd rather die clean! Don't worry, even as a ghost, I won't let you off! I'll haunt you by your bedside every night!" The pain in her neck grew sharper, and her head began to spin. Tong Tong blustered fiercely, but deep down, she was terrified. If not for sheer stubbornness, she would have collapsed long ago.

—When life is threatened, no matter how much mental preparation one has made, fear always creeps in. No matter how tough she acted, Tong Tong was just an ordinary girl.

"Hmph, you little girl really aren't afraid of death! In that case..." Jia Siwen grinned maliciously, forcing Tong Tong to squeeze her eyes shut—never had she felt death so close. The only thought in her mind now was: 'Farewell, Cookie! Farewell, my beautiful master and dear friends! Farewell, my treasures that I've collected but haven't yet exchanged for spirit stones!'

'And—farewell, my icy-faced, stoic senior brother... my dear—Su Yan.'

—'If you dare forget me, I'll haunt you as a ghost too!'

...'Huh?'

Why doesn't it hurt?

After a long wait, the blade still hadn't fallen. Tong Tong cautiously cracked open an eye, only to see Jia Siwen sneering down at her. Anger flared in her heart, and she immediately glared back: "What are you looking at? Look at your sister! Haven't you ever seen a beauty before?"

"Hmph, you're quite the feisty little girl. Who would have thought, Su Yan, your taste is truly strange," Jia Siwen mocked, but suddenly withdrew his blade. He wrapped an arm around his senior sister's waist, lifted his chin high, and looked down condescendingly at Tong Tong and the coldly silent Su Yan behind her. "I've decided not to k!ll you just yet. I'll let you linger for a few more days. Once you've recovered from your injuries, we'll have a proper fight, and then I'll k!ll you! Only then can my true strength be displayed!" With a few loud, arrogant laughs, Jia Siwen smirked wickedly. "That's the only way k!lling is interesting!" His sinister gaze fixed on Su Yan, then swept over Tong Tong, who covered her neck and retreated several steps as if avoiding a snake. Only then did he continue laughing heartily, turning and leaving the Hall of Yama with the woman in tow.

Once the two had completely disappeared, only Tong Tong and Su Yan remained.

"Whew—that was close. I really thought I was done for..." Tong Tong let out a sigh of relief. The courage she had mustered earlier instantly dissipated, and her legs went weak, nearly causing her to collapse. Instead, she fell into a pine-scented embrace.

"Fool." A cool, gentle voice brushed past her ear, carrying infinite tenderness, making her blush uncontrollably—half from shyness, half from embarrassment.

The thought of seizing the moment to confess her feelings surfaced briefly but was quickly suppressed by her—her image! It must be completely ruined...

'Actually, actually, I'm quite ladylike, you know...' Tong Tong thought mournfully.

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