The screams from the peninsula, where the last of the three black giant worms had fallen, had barely died down when every eye, every anxious glance, snapped to Weici. A palpable wave of hatred, a chilling, collective animosity, rippled through the assembled sectors and clans as they tightened their circle around her, their faces contorted with fear and accusation.
"It's her! She's the one who called those black worms here!" someone shrieked, their voice raw with accusation, pointing a trembling finger.
Yi Guozhi, his face contorted with malice, glared at Deming, his eyes blazing. "You knew you couldn't beat Brother Hu, so you joined forces with that evil witch!" He jabbed a furious finger at Weici. "You called those evil creatures here! You're a monster!"
A lone huntress, her eyes wide with terror, gasped, her voice trembling, "Demon... she must be a demon!" She frantically looked around, seeking validation, her fear contagious. "Many years ago, the two Guozhao masters fought these monsters in Waterfall City... These monsters can only be summoned by the monsters who escaped from the Gate of Hell! She's one of them!"
"Weici has lived in Cloud City for more than three years!" Xiao Mei declared, stepping forward, her voice unwavering, her loyalty firm. "I can guarantee that Weici is not a demon! She's kind!"
Many of the Guozhao hunters, their loyalty firm, shouted in unison, their voices ringing with conviction, "Sister Weici is not a demon! She's a fairy!"
"Then what is she?" a skeptical voice demanded from the crowd, a sneer in his tone.
"She is a fairy," Tam Qiu stated simply, her gaze steady, her voice clear.
Leader Wong, seizing the opportunity to stir the pot, pontificated, his voice loud and authoritative, "Fairies are the initial stage of transforming demons! Some true fairies practice qigongs with the power of nature, but some fairies' practice qigong with human souls. Those fairies are called demons! She is a demon fairy!"
Hu Dingxiang, seizing the new angle, looked at Deming, then slyly at Leader Huang, planting a seed of doubt. "Leader Huang, I heard that when Student Dong woke up, he believed that he was in another human body, right? That he was possessed?"
"Yes," Leader Huang confirmed, a frown on his face, remembering the rumors. "Everyone in Guzheng Sector knows it, but we thought this was because he had been in a coma for a long time, and his thoughts might not be clear. We thought it was delirium."
"What if he is possessed by an evil spirit?" one of the sector leaders suggested, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, planting the seed of a new, terrifying suspicion. "And the evil spirit in his body joins forces with this demon spirit?" He pointed a trembling finger directly at Weici, his voice laced with fear.
"Let's catch this fairy first!" another hunter roared, drawing his sword, his eyes wild. "When they get here, we will let the three masters decide what to do! Let them judge!" He charged, followed by four others, all swords drawn, attacking Weici, their faces contorted with fear and hatred.
Guozhao Zhiqiang, despite his earlier injury, lurched forward with surprising speed, a blur of motion, swinging his sword in a wide arc. He knocked the five charging hunters back, sending them stumbling a short distance from Deming and Weici, protecting them. The effort was too much; he crumpled to one knee, spitting out another mouthful of blood, his body trembling.
"The black hunter has fallen!" one of the hunters sneered, emboldened by Guozhao Zhiqiang's weakness, seeing an opportunity. "Now is our chance to defeat him! Kill him!" He and two other hunters swung their swords, aiming straight for Guozhao Zhiqiang, their eyes gleaming with malice.
"You dare?!" Xiao Mei shrieked, her eyes blazing with fury. She lunged forward, sending four shimmering golden needles slicing through the air towards the three attackers, a deadly precision. Xiao Mei's sudden, fierce counterattack ignited a fresh wave of fury in the other hunters, who rushed forward en masse, their numbers overwhelming.
But before the two nearest disciples could reach Xiao Mei, two scabbards, propelled by unseen force, flew out and slammed into their chests, knocking them to the ground with sickening thuds. The Fang twins, moving like blurs, leaped forward, kicking the other two enraged hunters to the ground, their movements synchronized and powerful.
"Senior Brother, don't move!" Tam Qiu pleaded, her voice a desperate cry as she rushed to Guozhao Zhiqiang's side. "You forced yourself out of Second Master's block and took a heavy strike from Leader Hu. You are in no condition to fight at the moment! You'll only make your condition worse! You're bleeding!"
Guozhao Zhiqiang ignored her, pushing himself up slightly, his gaze fixed on the unfolding chaos. "Weici, you stay behind me," he rasped, his voice raw with pain but resolute. "No one dares to hurt you. I won't allow it." He then looked at Wan, who stood nearby, a silent, menacing presence, her eyes glinting. "Wan..."
Wan immediately knelt beside Guozhao Zhiqiang, her voice low and unwavering, filled with fierce loyalty. "Boss, I'm here. Your command is my will."
"Do not let them hurt my juniors," Guozhao Zhiqiang commanded, his gaze sweeping over the hostile crowd, his voice firm despite his pain.
"Understood," Wan replied, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light.
"Wan..." Gen warned, stepping forward, a premonition of dread, knowing her power. "Don't do it."
Wan's lips curved into a chilling smile, a terrifying, predatory grin. "They want to see a demon. I'll show them what a real demon can do."
"Wan... don't kill!" Gen pleaded, his voice urgent, knowing the consequences.
Wan ignored him. With a swift, decisive movement, she grabbed a handful of her long, black hair and severed it with her own hand, a shocking act. Then, she pricked her finger with her index fingernail, letting drops of blood fall onto the severed hair. She threw the bloody hair to the ground, bringing her hands together in a powerful gesture, her eyes blazing with dark power. "Resurrection, my children!" she chanted, her voice resonating with dark, ancient power, echoing through the square. Wan's bloody hair instantly began to writhe and multiply, rapidly swirling outwards, encircling the sectors standing before them, a living, growing prison.
"Hunter retreat! Don't get into that circle!" Gen shouted, his voice filled with warning, his eyes wide with fear for the others.
Xiao Mei, Fang Weisheng, and Fang Weimin barely managed to squeeze through a tiny gap just before Wan's bloody, living hair completely encircled the six sectors, small clans, and other hunters, trapping them within.
Wan smiled, a terrifying, predatory grin spreading across her face. "Kill the person standing in front of me!" she commanded her hair, her voice chilling.
Wan's hair began to grow longer, expanding rapidly, and then lashed out, attacking the trapped hunters with terrifying speed and force. When a hunter managed to cut a strand of hair in half, it simply multiplied, becoming two, then four, then more, an endless, lethal tide. Some hunters were quickly strangled, their struggles futile, their faces turning blue, while others desperately tried to avoid being entangled by the ever-growing, lethal tendrils.
"Wan, don't kill them!" Guozhao Zhiqiang coughed, his voice hoarse with urgency, struggling to rise.
"Boss!" Wan retorted angrily, her eyes flashing with a fierce, protective fury. "But they hurt you and your brothers and sisters! They deserve to die!"
"Tie their hands and feet!" Guozhao Zhiqiang commanded, knowing he had to stop the bloodshed, to prevent further chaos.
Remarkably, Hu Dingxiang stood in the very center of the suffocating circle, completely untouched. Wan's living hair swirled past him, but it seemed to avoid him, not daring to approach, as if held back by an unseen force.
"Senior Brother, look!" Xiao Mei exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at Hu Dingxiang, her eyes wide with shock. "Wan's hair is hiding from Childe Hu! It's not touching him!"
Guozhao Zhiqiang struggled to raise his head, his vision blurring from pain and blood loss. He looked at Hu Dingxiang, who stood in the middle of the lethal, swirling hair, completely fearless, completely unharmed. He clearly saw that Wan's hair indeed did not dare to approach Hu Dingxiang, as if they were afraid of touching him, or perhaps, obeying him.
"How is that possible?" Guozhao Zhiqiang murmured, bewildered, a new, chilling suspicion forming. He then spotted his masters and juniors approaching from a distance, their forms growing larger. "Wan, stop! My masters and juniors are here! Don't let them see this!"
Wan stretched out her arms, and her bloody hair, with terrifying speed, ripped away from the trapped hunters, crawling back into her scalp, disappearing as if it had never been, leaving no trace.
"Demon!" Leader Yi shrieked, his face contorted in mad terror, pointing at Wan.
Wan's eyes, blazing with fury, snapped to Leader Yi, her voice a dangerous hiss. "She!" she hissed, pointing directly at Weici, her gaze piercing. "Is not a demon! You want to see a demon?" Her stare was fierce, unblinking, chilling. "You're looking at her! I am a demon!"
Hu Dingxiang, seeing his opportunity, smoothly interjected, his voice calm and authoritative, trying to shift the narrative. "Father, she is a pure demon. Pure demons are rare, so spells won't work on them. Only a true hunter can defeat them."
"How do you know that Xiang'er?" Hu Jianguo asked, looking at his son, surprised by his knowledge.
"When I was out hunting, I heard it from some wandering hunters," Hu Dingxiang replied, his lie delivered with convincing nonchalance, his face a mask of sincerity.
Zhao Renshu, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and amusement, stared at the hunters still surrounding his disciples, looking utterly terrified. "What are you guys still doing here?" he demanded, his voice sharp. "Didn't you learn your lesson?"
"That woman, Master Guozhao," a trembling hunter stammered, pointing at Wan, his voice filled with fear, "She's a demon! She attacked us!"
Zhao Renshu looked at the frightened hunter, a sardonic smirk on his face. "So what?"
"What do you mean by 'so what'?" the hunter asked, utterly bewildered by his casualness.
"So, what if she is a demon?" Zhao Renshu retorted, his voice rising, filled with a righteous indignation. "What's the problem with you? She has never harmed anyone without reason! You attacked her first!"
"She strangled us with her hair!" another hunter cried, still rubbing his neck, gasping for breath.
"You attacked Xiao Mei first!" Fang Weisheng retorted, stepping forward, his voice firm, defending his sister. "If you didn't attack Xiao Mei, do you think Senior Brother would ask Wan to protect Xiao Mei? She was protecting us!"
The hunter looked down at the ground, silenced by the undeniable truth, his face burning with shame.
"Masters," Fang Weimin chimed in, stepping forward, "Senior Brother ordered Wan to help us; these people wanted to hurt Sister Weici. They attacked first."
"Master Guozhao, both of you know that one is a fairy, and the other is a demon!" Leader Yi pressed, trying to appeal to their sense of order, their duty. "You cannot allow them to roam free!"
"Weici is indeed a fairy, but she is not a demon fairy. I can guarantee this," Yang Bao stated firmly, stepping forward, his voice resolute.
"What guarantee?" Yi Guozhi scoffed, his eyes narrowed. "You don't even know her! You just met her!"
"I can guarantee it," Yang Bao insisted, his voice resolute, his gaze fixed on Yi Guozhi, "because I brought her back to Cloud City. She has lived here for three years, and in the past three years, she has not done anything to hurt anyone. She is kind and gentle." Yang Bao looked directly at Yi Guozhi. "If Childe Yi doesn't believe it, just ask anyone who lives in Cloud City. They will tell you."
Guo Baiyu looked at the six sectors and the surrounding hunters, his expression unreadable, his authority palpable. "We appreciate everyone's concern," he said, his voice calm and authoritative, "but this issue is within our sector, and we will deal with it in accordance with the school's regulations. It is our responsibility."
"Master Guozhao, thank you for your understanding," Leader Huang said, stepping forward, eager to de-escalate, his voice respectful. "We are not trying to hurt anyone. I hope this little misunderstanding will not hurt our friendship. We value our alliance."
Guo Baiyu clasped his hands together, a formal gesture, a sign of respect. "Not at all, Leader Huang." He looked around at the various factions, his hands still clasped. "Thank you all for expressing concern about the well-being of our school. I really appreciate it. Now, if you'll excuse us."
Because Guo Baiyu had shown them respect, many clans and sectors decided not to press the issue further. They also had no desire to be enemies with the two powerful masters of the Guozhao hunters. And, as anyone standing near the school gate surely knew, they were the ones who had thrown the first punch, making them more "sinful" than any supposed demon or fairy in this particular confrontation.
"Master Guozhao, thank you for understanding."
"Master Guozhao, please don't take it to heart."
The surrounding people also bowed in tribute to Guo Baiyu. After a series of polite exchanges and thanks, the various sectors, clans, and hunters began to disperse, heading towards Dragon Inn, their curiosity satisfied, their fear subsiding.
Guo Baiyu turned around, his gaze piercing and cold, fixing on Guozhao Zhiqiang, his voice sharp. "Zhiqiang, follow me to the study room. I need a clear explanation for this matter. Now."
Guozhao Zhiqiang, still pale and weak, slowly stood up with the support of Deming and Weici, his body swaying precariously. "Yes, Masters," he managed to say, his voice a mere whisper. He took six steps towards Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu, his body swaying, before he suddenly collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back.
"Runaway child." A soft voice, ancient and sorrowful, whispered in Guozhao Zhiqiang's ears, cutting through the chaos of his collapsing body, a haunting echo.
Guozhao Zhiqiang wasn't sure if he was dreaming or facing a horrifying reality. The scene unfolding before him felt agonizingly real. He tasted death in the night air, a metallic tang that clung to his tongue. He heard the loud clash of weapons—steel against steel, a symphony of destruction—and the gut-wrenching screams of people, their terror echoing in his ears. He felt the burning flames all around him, their scorching heat licking at his skin. He saw his own kind being slaughtered, their desperate attempts to escape death futile. He touched the warm blood that dripped down the tip of his fingers, a gruesome crimson trail painting the ground.
Guozhao Zhiqiang, tears streaming down his face, stretched out a trembling hand, reaching for an unseen presence. "Mother..." he choked out, his voice raw with pain and longing.
His consciousness plunged into a terrifying vision: He stood in a burning village, everything around him engulfed in orange and red flames, the heat searing his skin. Soldiers in black armor moved like shadows, ruthlessly slaughtering everyone in sight, their swords flashing. As he stumbled towards a fallen woman, his mother, a black-armored soldier plunged a spear into her back, her dying scream echoing. Another man rushed forward, grabbing Guozhao Zhiqiang, dragging him away, fleeing the inferno of the burned village, leaving his mother behind.
"Mother... mother... mother..." Guozhao Zhiqiang murmured, his voice lost in the waking nightmare, reliving the trauma.
A soft, feminine breath brushed against Guozhao Zhiqiang's ear. A gentle, angelic voice, filled with an ethereal peace, whispered, "Le Yang, go home. I'm still waiting for you. Come back to me."