Chapter 556: Go back and tell her
Han Yunxi’s smirk was an aggravating sight to Witch Aunt, but she held back. After all, they were on the verge of life and death now, so she only assumed that Han Yunxi was an ignoramus. The bloodsucking poison bats soon grew to fill the airs, making Witch Aunt nervous despite her experience with poisonous animals. She didn’t dare to underestimate them.
“Han Yunxi, these poison bats are clearly a hypertoxic swarm. Can’t you tell yet?” Witch Aunt asked.
Why wouldn’t Han Yunxi be able to tell? She had already faced an attack by this species in the past. The swarm was simply bigger and more horrific looking this time. But if there was one particular detail about these swarms, it was that they didn’t attack rashly. They would always wait until everyone had arrived before moving as one for the offensive. Moreover, this swarm was quite organized despite being scattered all over the air. Each of the bats had very clear roles and were just as formidable as a trained human army.
“So what if one can tell?” Han Yunxi repied mockingly.
Witch Aunt knitted her brows and stared at Han Yunxi, not understanding the meaning of her words. What does she mean by ‘so what if one can tell?’ Can she or can’t she tell their poison?
Doesn’t she know that we have to escape when faced with poison swarms like this? Once they’re all ready to attack, it’ll be impossible to flee.
“Han Yunxi, do you actually know how strong these poison swarms can be?” Witch Aunt’s voice betrayed her growing desperation.
Han Yunxi carelessly glanced at the bats overhead and answered, “They’re still grouping together.”
Witch Aunt sucked in a cold breath. So that damned girl does understand! If that’s the case, why isn’t she panicking yet? Is she seeking death?
Witch Aunt’s temper flared before she said sternly, “Han Yunxi, we have to quickly find a weak spot in their swarm before they finished grouping so we can charge through. That’s our only way out. For now, let’s forgo all grievances and think of escaping from this accursed place first! Don’t worry, as long as you guys cooperate with me, my skills are enough to kill our way out.”
Han Yunxi had no idea whether Witch Aunt was overestimating her own skills or underestimating Han Yunxi’s own. She coldly replied, “This wangfei will say it one last time: there’s no need!”
Long Feiye prepared to fight at her words. When it came to poison, he had complete faith in Han Yunxi. Witch Aunt held onto Chu Tianyin as she began to back away, her face full of disbelief. “Damned girl! I always heard that you were arrogant and presumptuous, but I never knew you didn’t even know the difference between Heaven and Earth! Let me tell you this, the poison bats of these grounds are twice as strong as any other toxic creatures you’ve met. You can’t begin to imagine their strength! If you don’t want to die, then obediently cooperate with me. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you’re murdered!”
What kind of powerful poison creatures had Han Yunxi met in her life? Wouldn’t Lil Thing count as one of them?
Long Feiye’s lips rose in a mocking lilt, while Chu Xifeng and Tang Li were both chuckling. Gu Qishao patted his chest and adopted an exaggerated expression. “This gentleman’s so scared, ah! Poison lass, you should obediently work with her! This gentleman really wants to know exactly how we’ll be murdered!”
“You!” Witch Aunt’s face grew red with anger, but she held back when she saw the bats growing denser. “You’ll all regret this!”
Han Yunxi only looked at her coldly without a word. Long Feiye suddenly unsheathed his sword, causing Witch Aunt to back away. She couldn’t help but lay out her cards and say to Han Yunxi, “Han Yunxi, now isn’t the time to hold a grudge. I’m telling you the truth, it’s impossible for me to face these poison bats alone, much less you. We have to work together or else it’ll really be too late! Think it over!”
As she spoke, Long Feiye’s sword came to rest against her throat. Witch Aunt’s martial arts skills were quite good, but she was no match for Long Feiye while still shouldering an unconscious Chu Tianyi. Gu Qishao stepped forward to hold her fast, while Chu Xifeng grabbed hold of Chu Tianyin. At the same time, the skies above them turned completely black as the bats finished grouping together. Now it was time for their attack.
Witch Aunt’s face was completely ashen. She couldn’t help but screech, “Han Yunxi, enough already! Your self-inflated ego ruined all of us! Let me go this instant, I still have a way! Hurry, do you hear me?!”
Han Yunxi stared at her indifferently, a spark of sympathy flashing in her eyes. At the same time, the mass above them began to move. Witch Aunt grew more fearful and nearly lost her mind. “Han Yunxi, they’re coming to attack us! Don’t you want your life anymore? Take it as me begging you, will you? Let’s work together! As long as you cover for me, I’ll definitely be able to pick out the bat king!”
Han Yunxi still stood unmoving before her.
At this moment, the bats directly overhead suddenly went diving down at them like arrows, leading the rest of the swarm in their wake. Too late! It’s already too late! Witch Aunt grew dazed. I don’t want to die, much less such a wretched death! She began to struggle for her life, but Gu Qishao actually let her go immediately. Witch Aunt immediately went for her arrows, but before she could actually shoot, but dense cloud of poison bats sudden seem to recoil in fright. In an instant, they had all scattered to the four winds, disappearing from sight.
Witch Aunt was stunned. She looked disbelievingly at the sight. “This…what just happened?”
As if suddenly recalling something, she whipped her head towards Han Yunxi. “You…you…”
She wanted to ask Han Yunxi what she’d done, but couldn’t spit out the words. She couldn’t fathom how the girl had scattered all the bats. But who else could it have been but Han Yunxi? It was impossible to disperse these bats once they made up their minds to attack, much less escape their assault.
Han Yunxi didn’t do anything beyond holding Lil Thing in her hands and petting its sleeping form. Witch Aunt did notice the squirrel-like creature, but she didn’t pay it any mind. She never would’ve connected it to the Poison Sect’s fearsome poison beast. After standing stunned for awhile, she muttered, “Han Yunxi, it really was you?”
Han Yunxi neither answered nor explained herself. She arched her brow at Witch Aunt and smiled lightly instead. Seeing this, Witch Aunt recalled all the words she said before and the mocking laughter from Gu Qishao and the rest. Her face flushed involuntarily. After living for all these years, this was the first time she’d felt so disgraced! The first time she realized just how ignorant she was, and how conceited. She had been completely on guard against those bats, but Han Yunxi resolved the issue so simply that Witch Aunt still didn’t know what she did! She felt that her decades’ worth of study in the poison arts were all for naught. She actually lost to a damned girl like Han Yunxi.
How humiliating!
Despite her shame, Witch Aunt still had to ask. “Han Yunxi, how did you scatter the bat swarm? And how did you counter the poisons I used against the vine just tell? Speak!”
Gu Qishao wanted to know too and instantly perked up his ears. Han Yunxi only replied, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. You must be Chu Qingge’s relative, right? No wonder you’re just as ignorant and conceited as she is.”
“You! You!” Witch Aunt was both embarrassed and annoyed as her nails dug into her hands. She moved to slap the girl, but she never got the chance. Long Feiye grabbed her hand and viciously twisted her fingers, breaking them all.
“Your lordship isn’t planning to kill you just yet,” Long Feiye said coldly. “But if you want to seek death, your lordship will give you a life worse than death!”
Witch Aunt was in so much pain that she couldn’t even speak. Her broken hand hung listlessly by her side while the other one didn’t dare to move. Even if she had the strength to attack with poisons, she lacked the will. None of her toxins had worked on the vine back then, so trying them now would just be a joke.
That damned girl Han Yunxi is so frightening! In the end, she hung her head in defeat.
“Witch Aunt, I’d like to trouble you to pass on a word to Chu Qingge. With brains like hers…she’s not worthy to like my husband!” Han Yunxi suddenly spoke up, her air aggressive and her eyes cold like a queen’s.
Chu Xifeng and Tang Li were both startled by the words, while Gu Qishao felt a helpless twinge in his heart. In the end, he still ended up grinning at her statement. She’s probably the only woman in Cloud Realm Continent who would say such things out loud. I…really like hearing it.
As for Long Feiye, he was as expressionless as ever, but a twitch of his lips betrayed his true emotions. He was used to being the domineering one, so Han Yunxi’s sudden shift in attitude was new for him.
Once again, the old Witch Aunt was thoroughly shaken by Han Yunxi. She finally understood why her niece had lost so miserably against the girl. Even she herself had failed, hadn’t she?
After defeating Chu Tianyin and Witch Aunt and getting the four toxic teardrop, Han Yunxi’s group had finally managed to successfully conclude their trip to the Poison Sect. Although they didn’t know how to get back to the underground palace from their current location, it was much easier to leave the forbidden grounds from these poison grasses and woods. They had to get away quickly. More likely than not, the stir from the earthquakes would’ve caused quite a commotion. If any medical academy members found them, they’d be in trouble. After taking Chu Tianyin and Witch Aunt into custody, they prepared to depart when Han Yunxi inexplicably stopped.
For a second just then, she’d felt her soul quiver. After a moment’s hesitation, she slowly turned to face the blank stele in the middle of the Poison Sect’s sacrificial altar. It was a simple and unsophisticated piece of stone, half-blackened, half overgrown with moss. It seemed to radiate with an air of both life and death, like the interplay of shadows and light fused together. An invisible force seem to draw Han Yunxi towards the stone. Her mind now was completely blank, her eyes filled with nothing but its image. It felt like her very soul was being drawn out of her body.
Long Feiye was holding her hand and clearly felt her fingers turn cold. He had no idea what was going on, but felt a flicker of panic before he asked, “Han Yunxi, what are you looking at?”
Han Yunxi recovered her senses, uncertain as to what had just happened. “Nothing…I was just taking a glance, let’s go.”
Long Feiye tightened his grip on her hand and looked uneasily at the stone stele. He didn’t want to stay here a moment longer.
The group hunted around before finding the fissure where they’d fallen from between two mountain ranges. Then they expended effort to avoid the medical academy scouts before finally making it into Medical City at nightfall. Naturally, they wouldn’t dawdle here, either. After a bit of rest, they left the city behind, where Long Feiye released Witch Aunt to go free.
He said, “Go back and tell the head of the Nether Clan that his son is in your lordship’s hands!”
Nether Clan?
Han Yunxi grew curious…