Chapter 15: Voice From Qingyu

Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Voice From Qingyu

Ye Xuan glanced toward the source of the woman’s voice. The longer he listened, the clearer it became, as if she were walking toward him.

He gripped his sword tightly and stayed alert, worried she might be hiding some ill intent.

She came out from among the trees in perfect condition. She wasn’t wounded or tired, and her clothes were so clean they didn’t carry a single stain.

"S-Senior... please help me!" said the woman, who was beautiful, with long black hair.

Ye Xuan didn’t respond and let her come up beside him. She pointed ahead, and a pack of medium-sized lizards came and gathered around him.

He focused his eyes forward and watched the lizards, their backs patterned in purple, walk slowly toward him.

[Purple Phantom Lizards. They’re skilled at illusions.]

He was startled. A soft woman’s voice seemed to be speaking to him. He looked to the side and behind him, but the woman had said nothing except "help."

Who is that speaking?

[It’s me, Qingyu!]

Ye Xuan was shocked to hear her voice for the first time. He didn’t know why he could hear it now, but it would help him a great deal later.

How can you talk to me?

[That’s not important right now! Focus on what’s in front of you and behind you.]

Behind me?

[Do you think she’s human? Look at her eyes!]

The young man turned around and looked at the woman. Just as Qingyu had said, her pupils were different.

"P-Please help me... Senior."

Oh, so that’s how it is.

"Of course," Ye Xuan said. "Don’t worry, I’ll protect you."

A wide smile bloomed on her beautiful face, but it wasn’t enough to fool him. He lit flames along his sword and swung it in a circle, the blade crackling with crimson lightning.

The woman gasped as the blade sliced across her throat, drawing blood and a fatal wound. She fell to the ground and convulsed in pain, and Ye Xuan drove his sword into her head, ending her.

The moment she died, her body changed back into a lizard like the others. Listening to Qingyu had saved his life.

Thank you, Qingyu.

He turned his eyes forward and saw that the lizards had stopped advancing. They looked frightened now that one of them was dead.

"You’re sly, turning yourselves into humans to trick me. That’s an impressive ability. Now it’s time for you to die!"

The young man charged forward and swung his sword. The lizards hurled purple orbs filled with poison, but Ye Xuan recognized them and dodged every one.

To his surprise, his body resonated with the crimson lightning, making his movements far quicker and more agile, so fast that the lizards couldn’t keep up.

He darted behind them in a flash of crimson lightning, stabbing and cleaving their bodies with fatal strikes.

Out of fear, the remaining lizards scattered and fled. Ye Xuan counted seven he had killed, and he sensed that their strength was only mortal-beast.

[Collect those monster cores, then use them to lure in higher-stage monsters.]

How?

[Easy. Blow up a monster core, and the qi scent inside will draw other monsters over.]

Ye Xuan took Qingyu from his neck and let her rest in his palm. He looked straight at her. "I have a lot of things I want to ask you!"

[I figured. You chose a low cultivation base, but you’re not stupid about everything.]

[Except when you bought that wind technique.]

"Buying a wind-element technique... was that wrong?"

[Of course it was! Even the dumbest person knows a technique has to resonate with your base element.]

[You could learn it, but it wouldn’t be as strong as a fire technique of the same level.]

I didn’t expect her to be this talkative.

Without warning, Qingyu bit his hand, startling him and making him wince in pain. Her voice came again.

[Did you just call me talkative?]

"N-No, that just slipped out."

[Remember, Ye Xuan. I can hear your thoughts because we did the Blood Pledge.]

[We’re connected by blood qi, and I’m using it to talk to you.]

[I thought it would help you, and instead you insult me!]

"Sorry. I won’t do it again," Ye Xuan said.

Qingyu stopped talking and crawled back up to his neck. The young man took a long breath, then sighed softly. The conversation did benefit him and made things easier, but it also meant there were limits on what he could think.

As long as I don’t offend Qingyu, I think everything will be fine.

"So, what should we do now?" Ye Xuan asked.

[I don’t know. You decide.]

"Should I go back to cultivating until I break through to Foundation Establishment?" Ye Xuan asked.

[If I were you, I’d get stronger by killing monsters in the forest. Once I could kill spirit-beast monsters easily, then I’d cultivate.]

[But that’s me. I don’t know about you.]

"I am having a bit of trouble with my new techniques and elements. I haven’t fully mastered these abilities," Ye Xuan said.

[Then it’s settled. You’ll stay in this forest and hunt monsters.]

[Don’t worry, I won’t let you die. You’re precious to me.]

[I’ll help you sense each monster’s strength later. Based on your own abilities, you’ll know whether you can fight it or not.]

Ye Xuan smiled and agreed. He was beginning to feel that Qingyu was a real help to him. As long as he listened to what she said, he would be fine.

Even so, he still didn’t know where to begin. Waiting at the altar wouldn’t get him anywhere, and the Scarlet Moon Forest was vast, with plenty of places to explore.

He thought of the method Qingyu had told him about: blowing up a monster core to draw monsters his way.

That was the only way to hunt in a spot that suited him, without having to search every corner of the forest for them.

"It’s a little strange to say this to my spiritual beast partner, but please guide me!"

[I’m not your spiritual beast partner. I’m your wife. Have you forgotten the Blood Pledge?]

"Ah, right. My wife. Sorry about that."

[Whatever.]