Chapter Fifty-Five: You May Call Me Xin'er

Xiao Wenzi was equally delighted. He had been prepared to exchange talismans at any moment and fight a long, drawn-out battle, since the opponents were all cultivators whose realms far surpassed his own. If the ambush failed, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“Damn it, useless fools, how could you both be killed in an instant by a mere mosquito demon?”

Outside the cave at the foot of the Emerald Peak’s cliff, Huang Yipeng, who had concealed his presence and was hiding nearby, could not help but curse in a low voice. He had been ready to play the hero, save Chu Xinyer, and then embrace her in his arms.

But things had not gone as planned. Now, with Wang Tao and Zhou Kai both gravely wounded and close to death, the plan to give Chu Xinyer an aphrodisiac was no longer possible. Worse still, once Chu Xinyer recovered her cultivation, she would immediately see through their identities.

It did not matter if Zhou Kai and Wang Tao’s plot to harm their fellow disciple was exposed. The real problem was that the sect elders might suspect Huang Yipeng himself, since these two were his closest confidants.

Therefore, without further hesitation, Huang Yipeng strode quickly into the cave.

“Junior Sister, don’t worry, your senior brother is here!”

Though he had not yet arrived, Huang Yipeng’s anxious voice, full of concern, preceded him, causing Xiao Wenzi—who was about to launch another attack on the two men—to pause.

“Hmm, isn’t his appearance a little too coincidental? Could it be he was orchestrating everything from the shadows?”

Though Xiao Wenzi had not dared to extend his demon sense while hiding in the girl’s palm earlier, and since Huang Yipeng was so taciturn, he hadn’t realized this was the mysterious figure aiding the two scoundrels. Still, for him to appear now, of all times, was far too much of a coincidence. Xiao Wenzi would never believe it was mere chance.

Yet, judging by Huang Yipeng’s tone, he seemed intent on rescuing Chu Xinyer. Moreover, his cultivation was formidable; even using talismans, Xiao Wenzi might not be able to kill him. Weighing the risks and benefits, Xiao Wenzi quickly ceased his actions and flew back into the girl’s sleeve.

“How dare you, villains! To lay hands on a fellow disciple of the Greenleaf Sect with wicked intent—you court death!”

Huang Yipeng strode quickly into the depths of the cave. He cast a sidelong glance at the little mosquito demon hiding in Chu Xinyer’s sleeve, feeling a pang of regret. Knowing he could not destroy it in front of Chu Xinyer, he spoke coldly, and without waiting for Wang Tao and Zhou Kai to protest, flicked his finger to unleash a blade of sword energy, decapitating them both.

He then pocketed their storage pouches, conjured a fireball, and in an instant, their corpses were engulfed in flames and reduced to ashes.

Committing murder and destroying the bodies in front of Chu Xinyer may have been an act of self-deception, but at least this way, even if she harbored suspicions, she had no proof. It was better than having her discover Wang Tao and Zhou Kai’s identities, which would be irrefutable evidence of his crime against his own sect.

“Junior Sister Xinyer, what exactly happened? I was just passing by when I heard screams and couldn’t help but extend my spiritual sense to investigate. To my shock, I found you beset by those two villains...”

Having finished his bloody work, Huang Yipeng immediately donned a concerned smile, quickly approaching Chu Xinyer and asking gently.

As he spoke, he seemed to notice that her body had been sealed, and with a frown, he quickly extended a hand to help her undo the restriction.

“Thank you, Senior Brother. Here’s what happened: I was gathering herbs when I was ambushed by those two calling themselves the Twin Heroes of Cang Mountain, and then…”

Though she found Huang Yipeng’s sudden appearance far too coincidental—and despite wearing a magical mask, he still recognized her at a glance, which made Chu Xinyer certain there was something suspicious—he had helped her undo her restraints and wore a sincere, beaming smile.

As the saying goes, one should not strike a smiling face. Assessing the situation, Chu Xinyer, having stepped out of her hiding place, also cupped her fists in gratitude.

Feigning civility, Chu Xinyer, ever astute, maintained her composure in the absence of evidence that the man before her was the mastermind. Her performance filled Huang Yipeng with delight.

Of course, as she explained her ordeal, Chu Xinyer kept a close watch on Huang Yipeng’s expressions, but he remained perfectly calm, betraying no flaw.

“Junior Sister Xinyer, those damned thieves have taken your storage pouch and magical tools. What do you plan to do next? Would you like me to escort you back to the sect?”

Because of the laws of Heaven and Earth, storage pouches of a similar grade cannot be stored within one another. Huang Yipeng naturally did not dare to wear Chu Xinyer’s spirit beast pouch or storage pouch at his waist.

After hearing her account, he continued to feign concern, asking what her next move would be.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Senior Brother, but I have other matters to attend to and won’t trouble you further.”

Chu Xinyer, who disliked Huang Yipeng from the bottom of her heart and found this incident riddled with suspicion, had no intention of growing closer to him. She declined him firmly.

With that, she stepped outside the cave, leaving Huang Yipeng standing there, his expression shifting.

But he soon forced another smile, hurried after her, and handed her a storage pouch with a grin.

“Junior Sister, this was left behind by those two villains. I checked it just now—there are some spirit stones and magical items inside… Since your own pouch is lost, and you probably no longer have your flying sword, please accept this. Don’t refuse me.”

Huang Yipeng was not so generous as to erase the imprint on the pouch. He had simply removed anything that might reveal the original owner’s identity. As for offering a low-grade storage pouch, he harbored ulterior motives, having secretly left a tracking mark on it, confident that Chu Xinyer, being weaker, would not discover it.

“Very well, then—I’ll accept it, thank you.”

Whether or not Huang Yipeng was like a weasel paying respects to a hen, Chu Xinyer did indeed need a flying sword at the moment; otherwise, she would have no means to travel by sword.

After expressing her thanks, she reached out and took the storage pouch.

“Take care, Junior Sister. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first.”

Having hidden her spirit beast pouch and storage pouch under a rock several miles away, Huang Yipeng, fearing further complications, did not wait for Chu Xinyer to retrieve a flying sword before promptly bidding farewell and departing in a streak of light.

Not once did he ask about the mosquito demon spirit pet, nor did he spare Xiao Wenzi a glance before leaving. Yet, in that fleeting moment as he turned away, his eyes gleamed with cold malice.

All his plans had been ruined by that damned mosquito. If he had the chance, he was determined to destroy it first.

“Little Wen, thank you.”

On the quiet hillside, only the baby-faced girl and the little mosquito demon in her palm remained. Chu Xinyer gazed at Xiao Wenzi and murmured, her beautiful eyes filled with a sincerity and gratitude she had not shown Huang Yipeng.

“No need to thank me. You helped me too. Without you restraining those cultivators so I could feed, I wouldn’t have advanced so quickly.”

Though the master-servant contract had been dissolved by Chu Xinyer’s own hand, Xiao Wenzi’s demon sense was strong, and his voice sounded once more in the girl’s mind through demonic telepathy.

“Huh? Little Wen, you can still speak to me? That’s wonderful! You saved me, so we’re friends now. Don’t call me master anymore—just call me Xinyer.”

Hearing Xiao Wenzi’s voice again, Chu Xinyer was overjoyed. She had dissolved the contract herself and had no intention of imprinting her soul upon him or controlling him again.

As she said, without Xiao Wenzi saving her, she would likely have fallen into an abyss of despair.

Moreover, Xiao Wenzi’s loyalty in the face of danger had touched Chu Xinyer deeply. She had already decided—if Xiao Wenzi wished to leave, she would let him go. But if he still wanted to stay, she would never again act as his master. Such was the pure and kind side of Chu Xinyer’s heart: she distinguished clearly between kindness and enmity, and always repaid those who had helped her.