Chapter 91 - The Harem Rescue Project

A dense mist swirled around the dark clouds on the ash-blue horizon, where the disciples of Penglai Immortal Sect, dressed in their distinct blue and white robes, were diligently subduing evil spirits. However, the distance and low visibility made it hard to distinguish them clearly from Lin Qianshuang's vantage point, and they had moved quite far away from her. Lin Qianshuang looked out at the rolling mountain peaks; the heavy, resonant chime that had echoed through the wooded valleys suddenly ceased, taking with it the presence of any living breath. The only pure, clean energy still emanated from Xiao Lanle on her back, while a nauseating, decaying aura lingered nearby. Closest to her was Chen Shangqing, topped with a mass of black fog visible only to fellow demonic cultivators. To the eyes of ordinary mortals, his face appeared handsome and serene, but Lin Qianshuang saw a horrifying visage: a bloodied head with half the scalp removed, white maggots squirming out of a cracked skull. "Where did this ghost come from, daring to impersonate my junior brother!" she shouted, identifying the impostor "Chen Shangqing" in a single glance. However, burdened by Xiao Lanle on her back, her hands were tied. Yet the protective demonic energy swirling around her condensed into a sword mid-air, slashing toward the eerie abomination. The ghost screamed, severed into several parts, and vanished without a trace. Immediately, a large black fog appeared before her. "What potent demonic energy—how nourishing that scent is," one voice remarked. "To challenge a formidable Devil Infant like her, didn't you see what happened to the last one?" another retorted. "We've surrounded her. Such a precious vessel—wasting it would be a monumental loss." "With so many of us, are we really afraid of a fragile she-devil that hasn't even cultivated for a century?" A series of strange, cackling voices echoed around Lin Qianshuang; the black fog continued its casual conversation, clearly underestimating her. Locked within the Nine Cauldrons were no benign souls, and this mist would undoubtedly be troublesome. If she were alone, she wouldn't mind teaching this black fog a lesson, but Xiao Lanle on her back severely restricted her movements. Prioritizing her survival, Lin Qianshuang spared no expense in using the high-tier talismans she had hoarded, soaring toward the main peak of Penglai Immortal Sect while incessantly hurling costly high-tier spirit talismans to repel and imprison the black fog. For the black fog, it was unprecedented to encounter such a timid demonic cultivator who dared not fight but only pelted them with talismanic attacks. "I distinctly recall that these high-tier spirit talismans started at a thousand spirit stones each when we first dabbled in demonic arts," one fog voice mused. "She's already thrown more than thirty. She hasn't run out yet?" another questioned. "This cultivator is so wasteful! Suddenly, I don't feel so bad about devouring her. Wastefulness deserves to be punished by being consumed." "Fool, stop yammering and chase! If we can seize her body, all her remaining talismans will be ours!" Hearing the noisy chatter of the fog, Lin Qianshuang found it somewhat amusing—were these demon creatures really so naive and thus, less terrifying? The main peak of Penglai Immortal Sect grew closer, and Lin Qianshuang, carrying Xiao Lanle, dashed toward the golden formation on the square. Seeing the Buddhist light emanate from the array, the black fog retreated, not daring to pursue further. As Lin Qianshuang was about to land, a sneak attack aimed at the back of her head left her with little time to evade. Just as a hand was about to strike her crown, the storage jade slip suddenly lit up. The Chirping Cicada Zither floated into the air, its seven strings vibrating with a cold glint, deflecting Xiao Lanle's blow. Lin Qianshuang gazed at the Chirping Cicada Zither in surprise, reaching out to it. Instead of the usual murderous aura, it melded into her embrace with a spirited presence. The blood she spilled onto it must have worked—Xiao Wan's soul had begun to gather and awaken slowly. Xiao Lanle's eyes shone with an eerie blue light; a sinister aura emanated from the jade ruyi in her hair. No longer resembling a human cultivator, she launched another palm strike at Lin Qianshuang. Lin Qianshuang dared not be inattentive. Holding the Chirping Cicada Zither in one hand, she evaded Xiao Lanle's attack. She managed to catch her arm, yet the spirit energy of Xiao Lanle's fire attribute spirit root burned her, forcing her to release. Xiao Lanle must have been controlled by a treasure, likely the black fog had disturbed the Buddha's Wailing Glaze within her. If her current state were witnessed by Xiao Shen, the sect leader, or the disciples of Penglai Immortal Sect, who knows what chaos might ensue. Lin Qianshuang thought of this and pretended to be overpowered, luring Xiao Lanle toward a secluded mountain forest, where she formed a trapping array with her demonic energy to confine her. Xiao Lanle sat, her hair disheveled in the array. Realizing she couldn't break through the protective barrier, she glared fiercely at Lin Qianshuang. The Su Wen Sword, discarded as worthless, clanged loudly against the ground. Buddha's Wailing Glaze had once purified Xiao Lanle, yet its defilement had materialized as her inner demon. This could similarly be countered using the musical techniques the Celestial City Lord had provided her. Hence, the corrupted Buddha's Wailing Glaze could likewise be purified using the same remedy. Placing the Chirping Cicada Zither on her lap, Lin Qianshuang tested the strings, then stirred the demonic energy, allowing the six strings to vibrate. The threads of music released a shimmering light that flowed along her movement, shooting into Xiao Lanle's body. The surroundings twisted, with silver fish floating about, obscuring her vision. When she regained her senses, she found herself in a village, witnessing villagers bustling about, fetching water, and tending to their daily chores. Walking a few steps forward, she saw a young Xiao Lanle crouched in the dirt, playing with a fluffy chick. Her chubby face was all serious as she carefully fed a few grains of rice to the furry little creature. A beautiful woman, dressed in clothing that belied her grace, came hurriedly with a basket in her hands. "Le'er, come quickly with your mother. We must leave this place," the woman urged anxiously. Young Xiao Lanle patted her dirty clothes and was about to walk toward the woman when a shadow loomed overhead. The woman's face turned deathly pale in an instant. With her large, curious eyes, the young Xiao Lanle turned to look behind her. Instantly, her face lit up with joy as she grasped the arm of the man behind her. "Father, did you come to see Le'er and Mother? Father, Le'er missed you so much." A younger Xiao Shen stood there, his face unmoved by the girl's affectionate clamor. He turned to the woman with a dark expression and said, "Where is the Buddha's Wailing Glaze? Where have you hidden it?" Tears of suppressed hatred welled up in the woman's eyes. "Xiao Shen, you colluded with those in Tianxu City, slaughtering dozens of our kind. My father saw through your ambitions. He supported you to become the sect leader of Penglai, yet you betrayed us and wiped out the Lin family." "A villain like you deserves to go to hell! Why would I ever hand the Buddha's Wailing Glaze over to you?" she replied resolutely. Xiao Shen cradled the young Xiao Lanle, handing her a sugar-coated hawthorn to make her smile. He gazed meaningfully at the woman, his tone threatening. "Su Wen, Le'er is just a child. Don’t scare her." "Put Le'er down!" the woman shouted, conjuring a sword to strike at Xiao Shen. Xiao Shen caught the sword with one hand, a killing intent in his eyes. "Must we, as husband and wife, truly face each other with blades?" The woman yanked the sword from Xiao Shen’s grasp and swung it with vengeance. "For a heartless ingrate like you, even a thousand cuts wouldn’t quell my hatred!" Young Xiao Lanle innocently watched her parents fight, sucking on the hawthorn candy, puzzled. Lin Qianshuang crouched down beside her, aware that they were in Xiao Lanle's memories and invisible to those around them. "Mother!" the candy fell near Lin Qianshuang’s feet as a green light emanated from the once quiet girl, protecting the woman whom Xiao Shen’s sword was about to pierce. Xiao Shen’s eyes glinted with greed at the spirit light of the Buddha's Wailing Glaze from Xiao Lanle’s body. He looked at the woman disdainfully and said, "Lin Su Wen, I thought you were more clever. Hiding the Buddha's Wailing Glaze inside Le'er." "No! When Tianxu City's people hunted us, Le'er survived only because of the Buddha's Wailing Glaze. Her half-dead body hasn’t yet fully recovered," the woman cried desperately, but Xiao Shen cut her throat with his sword. He looked down at the dying woman, nudging her chin with his foot, examining her face. "I married you because you were naive and stupid. You once brought me fame and position, but now you’re nothing. Your looks are all you have left, and I, Xiao Shen, can have any woman I want. Why would I let you stand in my way?" "Xiao Shen, may you die a miserable death!" the woman's blood soaked her clothes as her beautiful eyes stared at him with a curse until they lost their life. Xiao Shen withdrew his sword, blood pooled beneath his feet. Xiao Lanle’s eyes widened as she saw her mother fall gently to the ground, her head at a grotesque angle—separated from her body. Her mother was dead... killed by her father... "Don’t be afraid. Close your eyes and trust me. I won't let you be harmed," a voice reassured. In a flash of green light, someone identical to herself stood there, smiling with a sinister grin, a hideous magical mark concealed by an iron mask on her face. The inner demon covered young Xiao Lanle’s eyes, whispering, "Kill a hundred people, and I will be born. Do as I say, and you will be my master." Xiao Shen was about to extract the Buddha's Wailing Glaze when the world turned upside down. Villagers in the village, busy with their tasks, suddenly turned into lonely white skeletons scattered across the ground, blending into the wind and sand. Xiao Lanle licked her lips contentedly. The trace of a ghastly smile adorned the chubby face of the girl. She turned her gaze to Xiao Shen. Xiao Shen looked at her as if she were a monster, frozen in fear. "Father," she whispered. Xiao Lanle, trying to recognize Xiao Shen’s face, fainted once more after confirming it. In Lin Qianshuang's vision, the realm of the heart demon shattered entirely, turning into fragments floating in the confined space. Someone was calling to her in the darkness. "Sister, wake up, Sister." Lin Qianshuang opened her eyes to find herself sitting cross-legged on a leafy patch of grass, her back against a towering tree. Xiao Lanle was holding her face with worry, calling out to her earnestly. A familiar interface popped up before her eyes. 【Target Character Rescue Mission: Assist #Xiao Lanle# in becoming the head of Penglai Immortal Sect (Progress: 80%), Uncover the truth of the past (100% completed). Keep up the good work, Host!】