- Little Peasant Wife

She had a suspicion, and unsurprisingly, it proved accurate. The once conspicuous presence of the powerful demon vanished in an instant—something was definitely amiss. She belatedly realized that the move earlier was merely a life-saving tactic from the little demon accompanying them; there wasn't any formidable demon cultivator around. It was laughable to consider—demon cultivators were seldom seen in the cultivation world, let alone in the mortal realm! As a nation's advisor and a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage, it was shameful that she had been fooled by mere mortals. Infuriated and ready to retaliate, a shadow guard hesitantly stated that Zhang Qiao'er was indeed the study companion in the mansion and suggested consulting Lady Liu for more information. Spending some time locating Lady Liu, she listened to the story of Zhang Qiao'er and further discovered from several servants that Zhang Qiao'er had arrived at the Liu Mansion with her mother. Upon hearing descriptions of their appearance, it dawned on her—that was the half-demon she had just strangled earlier. Seething with anger, she stormed out of the courtyard, just as the shadow guard captured Zhang Qiao'er, who was attempting to flee the Liu Mansion. With a cold smile, she ordered the shadow guard to surround the deserted courtyard and stepped forward, saying, "You've certainly got some nerve!" Indeed, they had played her like a puppet. Ever since escaping the hellish demon cult, she had never been toyed with to this extent. Her burn wounds were still healing, constantly reminding her of her failure. The advisor, though enraged, dared not touch Liu Er again—once bitten, twice shy. Instead, she seized Wu Mengqiu, declaring, "Today, I’ll imprison you all. None of you shall escape!" Liu Er, holding Shen Lüman, worry etched on her face, glanced fearfully at Wu Mengqiu. Xiao Hui couldn't emerge, as it was still within her mother, whose body was gradually growing cold. Being in such peril for the first time, she was at a loss, fearfully pleading, "Don't harm her." The advisor cast her a cold glance, preparing to strangle Wu Mengqiu, when she suddenly felt a figure rushing towards her. It was an ordinary man, his face full of urgency, yet before he could reach the advisor, the shadow guard intercepted him. Despite being pressed to the ground, he struggled fiercely. Astonished, the advisor wondered what was happening. How could she, the revered advisor, be continually provoked by these insignificants? A group of footsteps approached from afar. Squinting, she spotted Liu Wenyao arriving with a familiar face and dozens of soldiers. The familiar face was being supported by a subordinate and lightly greeted, "Advisor, long time no see." The advisor released her grip, dropping Wu Mengqiu to the ground. Fortunately, someone dashed out from the side to catch her, swiftly moving her to Qin Yishu's side, averting a disaster. The advisor was momentarily stunned, observing the newly arrived female demon, and exclaimed, "Another cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement!" It was Jing Aoxue. She placed Wu Mengqiu down, the young girl trembling with fear, clutching her tightly. Eager to check on Liu Er, Jing Aoxue handed her over to Gu Baiwei. As it was Gu Baiwei's first time holding a child, she intended to pass her to a subordinate. Yet, sensing the child's fearful huddle, she hesitated and held her closely. Wu Zhiyong, suppressed by the shadow guards, noticed his daughter was safe and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He and Jing Aoxue had urgently rushed over, only to find the security within the Liu Mansion extreme. Just as they reached Manager Liu's quarters, the murder of Manager Zhang was discovered by a maid named Peach, causing an uproar. Troops immediately gathered. Knowing things were awry, they hurried towards where Shen Lüman was. Midway, they sensed two powerful auras passing overhead, suppressing him to the point that he lost his footing and fell from the eaves. The commotion was too loud to ignore, drawing the attention of nearby soldiers. The leader, Han Youwei, who had a vendetta against Jing Aoxue, seized the moment to capture them. If not for Liu Wenyao and General Qin being alerted, coming to see what had happened, they would have been captured by the Mansion’s servants. General Qin and Liu Wenyao exchanged sharp words, neither yielding, until seeing the advisor pass by hastily, at which point everyone followed. Witnessing his daughter almost strangled by the advisor made Wu Zhiyong's heart tighten with rage. Disregarding all else, he rushed towards the advisor, leading to the scene just now. Seeing his child and nephew, though disheveled but unharmed, he relaxed, utterly exhausted. Yet when his gaze fell on Liu Er and the unconscious Shen Lüman, his heart sank. They had arrived too late. Chapter 63: Falling into Darkness Jing Aoxue was unaware that Shen Luman had already died. She hurried over to Liu'er, anxiously inspecting her from head to toe. Once she confirmed that Liu'er wasn't harmed and bore no signs of abuse, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had been terrified today. Holding Liu'er tightly, Jing Aoxue cradled the small child in her arms, her voice filled with worry and fear as she said, "Liu'er, you nearly scared your mother to death!" Liu'er clung tightly to her neck, sobbing aloud, "Mother, it's my fault; it's my mistake." "How could that be? Liu'er is a good child. This is not your fault." Jing Aoxue hastened to comfort her, knowing full well that Liu'er was a victim and shouldn't be blamed. She was reminded of a past life incident before the apocalypse—a girl from the orphanage had been raped. The other children and caregivers blamed her, saying she shouldn't have gone out at night or interacted with strangers. That girl had always been timid, starting to work from a young age since society didn't employ minors, though some places did. After the incident, she became dispirited and vanished without a trace. Jing Aoxue was young back then and didn't pay much heed, but going through Liu'er's ordeal in this life, she could no longer tolerate such wrongful blame. The kidnapping wasn't Liu'er's fault; she was only a four-year-old child. The true fault lay with the perpetrators of evil deeds. She was grateful she had previously spared Manager Liu's life. Upon returning to the village, she vowed to make sure Manager Liu suffered extreme torture for his sins, undergoing the harshest punishments. Liu'er's tears fell like unstrung pearls as she sniffled and said, "Mother, it's my fault, Mother she..." Prompted by Liu'er, Jing Aoxue finally noticed Shen Luman on the ground. Earlier, she had seen her lying there, thinking she was injured or exhausted. She hadn't thought much of it, knowing Shen Luman was clever and resourceful, definitely not someone who would get into trouble easily. Holding Liu'er, Jing Aoxue approached Shen Luman and grasped her hand. Noticing the stiffness of her wrist, she paid it little mind. Instead, she spoke to Shen Luman, "Dear, it’s all thanks to you, you..." Held within her embrace, Liu'er shivered, crying too hard to form complete sentences. She wanted to say her mother was dead, but Xiao Hui could revive her. The words tangled in her throat, leaving her speechless. After Jing Aoxue finished speaking, Shen Luman didn't respond. Was Shen Luman too tired, or was she gravely injured? Panic swirled in Jing Aoxue's mind as she reached out to touch Shen Luman's cheek; her skin was still smooth, but cold to the touch. Jing Aoxue: "..." From a distance, the advisor sneered, "Are you stupid? Can't you tell this half-demon is already dead? By the looks of it, you're her husband. Quite impressive, I'd say, marrying and having children with such a rare half-demon. In all my years in the cultivation world, this is the first time witnessing such a thing." Jing Aoxue stood frozen, unable to comprehend or accept the advisor's words. Trembling, she reached for Shen Luman's pulse—no heartbeat at the wrist, neck, nor over the heart. Shen Luman's body was growing cold, becoming rigid. Jing Aoxue, who had seen countless dead bodies, thought nothing could faze her. But this one... No, it couldn’t be real! Wu Zhiyong and the others heard the advisor's remarks. Gu Baiwei instinctively clutched Wu Mengqiu closer, crying out, "Oh my god! How terrible!" Qin Yishu’s gaze darkened, but now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Escaping with their lives from the advisor and fleeing the hazardous Liu Mansion was paramount. She sympathized with Jing Aoxue’s family's plight, yet years of battles had desensitized her to tragedy. Looking at the advisor, she said with a calm smile, "Master Advisor, it’s truly unfortunate. Several servants from the Liu Mansion brazenly kidnapped children from the village in broad daylight. Their backgrounds are significant, prompting me to retrieve them personally." "The children's families—my subordinates—out of concern for their safety, risked breaking into the house in search of them, leading to this scene. I apologize for mishandling the situation. I owe you, Advisor, and shall repay your kindness." The advisor narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "General Qin, you're overstating. Today, I merely saw a few burglars breaking into the Liu Mansion. One of them tried to harm me, so I dealt with him on the spot, I..." Before she could finish, Jing Aoxue coldly interjected, "It was you who killed Shen Luman?!" The advisor chuckled, "Who told her to overreach? General Qin, I..." In the next instant, Jing Aoxue, having set Liu'er down, launched an attack on the advisor. Her wood elemental abilities formed bioluminescent green chains, barricading the advisor’s retreat. Flames condensed on her fists as she swung a fiery punch. Caught off guard, the advisor hadn't anticipated an assault from a third-level Qi Refining cultivator like Jing Aoxue, given their vast difference in skill. The lack of preparation meant taking a direct, heavy punch to the face from Jing Aoxue. Her fists rained down like a storm. The advisor tried to dodge but was trapped by the green chains. When aiming to retaliate, Jing Aoxue avoided spellcasting, opting for melee combat. Much like many in the cultivation world who focused solely on law techniques, the advisor neglected physical strength training. In the end, standing there like a helpless punching bag, she was at the mercy of Jing Aoxue’s relentless