After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 31

The sword light was as dense as a rising tide, slapping against the roof of the cave. A great roar echoed from above, as if the cavern itself was unwilling to crumble away so easily.

The thunderous sound of collapsing stone filled the entire grotto. Boulders larger than a person crashed down in a fury, accompanied by choking clouds of pulverized rock and dust, as if determined to make life difficult for the person who had sliced through them.

Fu Xueke’s expression remained calm. She brandished her sword with composed grace; the snow-white radiance of her blade resembled a white dragon playing in the water, the sword-flowers blooming in mid-air like surging waves.

She used her blade to parry the massive stones raining down upon her while simultaneously remaining vigilant against the circling pack of blood corpses that eyed her like tigers watching their prey.

She had just endured an arduous battle against the blood corpses alongside her disciple and the others, which had already drained the majority of her mental and spiritual energy. Now, facing both the blood corpses and the falling boulders alone, she inevitably felt her strength beginning to fail her.

Fu Xueke leaped into the air, and a group of agile blood corpses mirrored her movement, dodging the falling rocks to spring into the sky.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on her alabaster forehead, slightly dampening the hair at her temples. A touch of weariness stained her cold, elegant features, making her look like a pear blossom tree that had just weathered a battering gale.

Fu Xueke had heard very little information regarding blood corpses previously and had not expected these creatures to be capable of flight; her brow furrowed slightly.

A massive shadow suddenly loomed over her. Looking up, she saw a boulder as large as a small hill pressing straight down toward her.

Fu Xueke executed a swift sword flourish. A burst of snow-white sword light erupted, grinding the small hill into fine powder.

Suddenly, several blood corpses took advantage of this opening to pounce. Fu Xueke lunged to the side to evade them, her sword’s edge sweeping across the monsters. Fountains of dark purple blood surged into the sky, and a rancid, bloody stench permeated the air.

Soon, the flesh on the necks of those decapitated blood corpses began to regrow at a pace visible to the naked eye.

Swarm upon swarm of blood corpses surrounded Fu Xueke until the perimeter was watertight. She stood isolated and without aid, her white robes fluttering in the air.

Her gaze remained tranquil as she surveyed her surroundings. Her expression was still cold and detached, the wind stirring a stray lock of her hair as it brushed against her exquisite jawline.

At this moment, she resembled a white crane trapped in a bloody swamp, gazing proudly at the peril surrounding her, refusing to show even a flicker of panic.

Rocks continued to plummet as the entire cavern collapsed. If she could not get out, there was only one conclusion: death. She could die, but A-Heng could not.

Fu Xueke knew the blood corpses were inexhaustible. Even if she fought until her strength was spent, she would never kill them all. The only thing to do now was to charge upward and escape this place.

Her snow-white figure flashed, as swift as a meteor, leaving only a blurred afterimage behind.

Behind her was the vast, roaring tide of the pursuing corpse pack; in her ears was the sound of the mountain crumbling and the heavy roars of the blood corpses.

Dust drifted into Fu Xueke’s eyes. She could not close them. The current situation allowed no room for error, and she could not afford to be injured again. She endured the stinging soreness caused by the foreign debris and forced her eyes to stay open.

Suddenly, a glimmer of daylight appeared. The light grew stronger, with fine dust motes swirling in the beams. Rays of light pierced through the gaps in the debris, delivering hope. As long as she moved just a bit further, she would be out.

Just as Fu Xueke was about to reach the exit, a blood corpse abruptly appeared behind her. She was exhausted; under normal circumstances, she would have noticed it long ago and turned in time to slay the creature.

As Fu Xueke turned around, the blood corpse’s sharp, elongated claws were already lunging toward her, mere inches from piercing her flesh.

In that brief instant, many things flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. She saw her younger self, squatting alone in the snow while someone shouted “little mongrel” at her. She was a rootless piece of duckweed; she knew not where she came from or where she was going. Long ago—so long ago she couldn’t remember when she had wondered what the meaning of her existence was. The answer she had found then was: “meaningless.”

The scene shifted, and she saw her disciple the disciple who was once a little “dumpling,” the disciple who had grown into a graceful young woman. Her disciple smiled radiantly at her and threw herself into her arms. In a daze, she understood. Because there would always be one person in this world waiting for her arrival, that was the meaning of her existence.

Suddenly, a cold light flashed. A severed hand fell straight from the sky and vanished from sight.

Viscous, purple-black blood sprayed out like a drizzle of rain.

Shen Shuheng appeared out of nowhere. With one strike, she severed the blood corpse’s arm. Then, gripping her sword with both hands, she drove it straight down into the crown of the creature’s head. Half the blade sank into its body. Intermittent roars issued from the blood corpse’s throat.

With a loud boom, the blood corpse shattered under Shen Shuheng’s blade. The fragmented remains drifted through the air like black snow.

“Master!” Shen Shuheng turned her head. Her smile was brilliant, and her curved eyes looked as if a clear moon had fallen into them; otherwise, how could those smiling eyes be so bright and captivating?

Fu Xueke stared fixedly at her. The young woman before her eyes slowly merged with the girl in her memories. Both possessed a face that, with a single smile, could instantly turn her heart into soft, rippling water.

Shen Shuheng was so occupied with looking at her Master that she completely failed to notice the danger behind her. Fu Xueke reacted first, pulling the girl into her arms and holding her firmly against herself.

She held the girl close as they flew toward the exit.

“Master! I missed you so much!” Shen Shuheng suddenly blurted out.

Upon hearing this, Fu Xueke gave a faint smile. “We were only apart for a little while.”

“I miss you even if it’s only for a little while. I just miss you. Did Master miss me?” Shen Shuheng rubbed her face against her Master’s shoulder.

“Take a guess,” Fu Xueke replied.

Shen Shuheng gave an arrogant little “hmpf.” “I don’t care. That means you did.”

Fu Xueke smiled faintly and did not answer her disciple directly. Both fell silent.

Fu Xueke could hear the soft breathing of the person in her arms; it puffed against her neck, somewhat warm and itchy, yet it brought peace of mind a grounded, solid sense of presence.

“Master, in the future, don’t do everything all by yourself. A-Heng can help you too.”

“One day! One day, I will be like you protecting me. I will be able to stand alone in front of Master and hold up the world for you!”

The girl’s words reached Fu Xueke’s ears and fell softly upon her heart, turning into a warm current that flowed from her heart through her entire body.

This time, Fu Xueke did not tease her disciple. Instead, she said solemnly, “But I hope that day never comes. If it does, it must mean that we have encountered a life-or-death peril so great that even I am powerless. How could I have the heart—how could I possibly allow you to face such things alone? I do not wish for that day to arrive.”

“I only wish for you to be safe and successful throughout your life. Do you understand?”

Shen Shuheng countered, “But Master! I did it today!”

“Today was just an accident. I hope you can grow up safely and happily under my wings. If possible, it would be best if I could protect you forever.”

Shen Shuheng suddenly remembered the plot she had seen. Certain things were destined to happen. She could only plan ahead and prove to her Master that she, too, could be someone her Master could lean on.

Fu Xueke paused. “I am gratified that you have such thoughts,” she said softly. “But I am your elder. If something happens, it is only natural that I should shield you. There is no reason to let you suffer in my place.”

Shen Shuheng’s eyelashes drooped, their thickness veiling those eyes that were often shimmering with unshed tears, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.

An empty sort of melancholy slowly rippled through her heart; she felt an aching pity for her Master. She tightened her embrace around Fu Xueke, resting her face against her Master’s shoulder, remaining silent for a long time.

“Alright, you can let them out now,” Fu Xueke said.

Shen Shuheng gave a soft “mm” in response, her voice thick with emotion.

“Thank you for saving our lives, Senior.” As soon as Ye Huanzhen and Yuebai emerged, they bowed to Fu Xueke to express their gratitude.

Fu Xueke nodded slightly. At that moment, her disciple was leaning quietly against her shoulder, her breathing rhythmic. It sounded as though she had fallen asleep.

“A-Heng,” she called out softly. There was no response. Knowing her disciple had fallen asleep, she stopped disturbing her.

“Now that the blood corpses have been created, I intend to inform my Master so he can discuss the solution with the various sects,” Ye Huanzhen said.

“When we arrived, the town was completely empty. Those residents were likely all turned into blood corpses,” Yuebai added.

“And that fox demon deliberately lured us into the cave. She said her ‘Lord’ anticipated our arrival.”

“When the fox demon left, someone tore through space to take her away… Such an ability cannot be reached even by those at the Great Fit Stage (Integration Stage). If that person is the ‘Lord’ she spoke of, things will become even more difficult,” Ye Huanzhen noted.

“For now, we can only rush back to the city to evacuate the citizens, and then the major sects will have to suppress the blood corpses,” Fu Xueke said, discussing the matters while stroking the soft hair of the person in her arms.

The group quickened their pace toward the city.

As they drew closer to the city walls, the sounds of slaughter and the scent of blood became increasingly apparent. Fu Xueke and the others felt a jolt of alarm.

Shen Shuheng woke up slowly. Upon waking, she saw the flames of war fluttering everywhere, turning this quiet, water-side town upside down.

Her eyes widened in shock, seemingly unable to believe what she was seeing. Everything had been fine when they left, and they had specifically set up an array to shield the city. It shouldn’t have fallen so quickly.

“This is bad!” Shen Shuheng cried out. “We must get over there quickly.”

Shen Shuheng left her Master’s embrace. Her silver-white longsword unsheathed itself, radiating a cold glint in the air like chilly moonlight.

“Logically, the array shouldn’t have been breached this fast. Could there be a spy for the Demon Race inside?” Yuebai voiced his suspicion.

“We’ll know once we see for ourselves,” Fu Xueke said as she and Shen Shuheng flew on their swords together.

The small paths paved with bluestone, which should have carried the gentle atmosphere of a Jiangnan water town, were now haunted by the cold breath of death.

Corpses lay strewn across the bluestone in various states of disarray. Fresh blood continued to flow from their exposed wounds. It wasn’t enough to simply stain the bluestone paths crimson; it seemed as though the entire place was to be submerged in a sea of blood.

“We are here! When the Demon Race came to attack, the City Lord deliberately destroyed the eye of the array and fled alone.” Chu Qingshui’s face was half-covered in blood as she waved to her companions.

Shen Shuheng and the group walked toward Chu Qingshui.

“The survivors are over there. We must evacuate them quickly. The blood corpses are coming this place must be suppressed!”