From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 488 The Test of Cooperation

When I grabbed Xiaozhu's wrist and pulled him up, my palms were covered in cold sweat.

The aura of those twenty dark figures outside the mountain gate was all too familiar—the Dark Moon Cult's usual smell of rotting wood mixed with the stench of blood was seeping into the hall through the crack in the door.

The hem of Wen Chen's dark robe was still swaying as he stepped out the door. I called out to his back, "Wait for me," but my throat felt like it was stuffed with a burning coal.

"Steward Liu, what did Ling Diao find out?" As I turned around, I knocked over a teacup, and the scalding tea splashed onto my feet, making my toes curl into my embroidered shoes in pain.

Suddenly, a golden light burst from Steward Liu's animal taming bag, and with a "squeak," a ferret the size of a palm jumped onto my shoulder.

Its pink nose sniffed near my ear, then suddenly pricked up its ears and pointed its front paws sharply to the southeast outside the hall—the only way to Qinglan Town.

“It’s Dark Moon’s Soul-Chasing Incense.” Manager Liu wiped the sweat from his brow. “They’re afraid we’ll form an alliance, and they want to take advantage of the disunity among the various factions to defeat us one by one.” His voice suddenly lowered. “But…but we just said we were going to unite…”

“So we need to show them the power of unity.” I touched the ferret’s soft back, and it immediately climbed up my arm onto the table and drew a curved line in the tea stains with the tip of its tail—a formation of twenty black dots arranged around the curved line.

I stared at the mark, and my heartbeat suddenly calmed down.

The Dark Moon Cult excels at splitting forces to encircle and flank, but they don't know that the people sitting in the hall now are the backbone of the seventeen immortal sects.

"Wen Chen!" I called out to the door. The figure in black immediately turned back. The Moon-Slaying Sword was still sheathed, and a thin layer of frost had formed on its blade.

He brought a gust of wind with him as he walked past me, making the ferret's fur stand on end. "How long can your spirit-trapping array keep me trapped?"

“Half an incense stick’s time.” He looked down at me, the red mole at the corner of his eye appearing even more vibrant in the moonlight. “But someone needs to lead them into the formation.”

"I'll go." Fairy Zhao appeared at the side of the hall at some point, her Qingfeng sword already drawn, its blade shimmering with the unique emerald light of the Cangwu Sect. "I'll lead the Cangwu disciples to flank from the east. Fairy Xiao, you and Wen Chen will face the enemy head-on. Elder Sun, lead the shield cultivators from the Starfall Pavilion to guard the array's core—"

"Me too!" Xiao Zhu suddenly grabbed my sleeve. His face was as white as a sheet, but his eyes were frighteningly bright. "I've learned the art of invisibility!"

This can provide cover for Fairy Zhao!

Elder Sun stroked his beard and paced to the side, the jade ring in his hand thumping against the table: "Fairy Xiao, isn't this too risky?"

If Darkmoon has a backup plan...

“Taking a risk is always better than waiting to die,” the Wind Demon King suddenly spoke. He had been leaning against a pillar, and the gilded wine jug in his hand had somehow been replaced by a short blade. “I will lead the Shadow Guards of Demon Cloud Valley to guard the west wall.” When he looked up, two clusters of eerie blue light flashed in his pupils. “But if anything goes wrong, Fairy Xiao must protect Demon Cloud Valley.”

Envoy Li suddenly laughed, walking over to me with his folding fan, lightly tapping the back of my hand with the fan rib. "Fairy Xiao," he said, "look—of these seventeen families, some want to protect the Dao, some want to safeguard their homes, some want to establish their authority, but now they're all willing to obey your commands." His voice softened abruptly. "Because they believe you can lead them to survival."

live.

This word is like a key; with a click, it unlocked the knot in my heart.

When Xiaotao's mother stuffed the last half of the cake into Xiaotao's hands, wasn't she saying "live"?

I gazed at the thickening morning mist outside the hall, cradling the ferret in my hands: "Steward Liu, have the ferret relay messages to each team; Fairy Zhao, you take Xiaozhu and the Cangwu disciples through the secret passage in the side hall; Wen Chen, you and I will face the enemy head-on—" I paused, then took out the jade whistle from my waist, "Once they enter the Spirit-Trapping Array, I'll blow three long whistles, and each team will attack simultaneously."

Wen Chen's fingers suddenly covered my hand holding the jade whistle, the calluses on his palm tickling me. "I'll go first, you go beside me." As he said this, the Zhan Yue sword suddenly emitted a clear hum, and frost flowers on its blade fell "rustling" onto the back of my hand, cool and refreshing. "If anything goes wrong, I'll take the fall for you."

Suddenly, the sound of wind breaking came from the morning mist, and twenty dark figures had arrived at the mountain gate.

The leader wore a bronze demon mask and had nine white bone banners hanging from his waist—he was the Right Protector of the Dark Moon Cult!

I put the jade whistle in my mouth, and the sweet, metallic taste of copper immediately filled the air.

Wen Chen took half a step forward, his black wide sleeves sweeping across my hair like a moving city wall.

"Form the formation!" I blew my jade whistle sharply. Before the first whistle had even faded, a burst of green light exploded from the east side gate—it was Fairy Zhao's Qingfeng Sword!

The Right Protector of Dark Moon suddenly turned his head, and the White Bone Banner unfurled with a "whoosh." Nine skeletons rushed out of the banner, but they crashed into the transparent barrier after only three steps—Wen Chen's Spirit-Trapping Array had been activated!

"Starfall Pavilion, Shield Master!" Elder Sun's voice was like a bell, and twelve golden light shields immediately rose at the array's core, smashing the skeleton to pieces; the Wind Demon King's shadow guards darted out from the shadows of the west wall, their short blades slicing across the back of the Dark Moon Cultists' necks. Before the blood droplets could even hit the ground, they were enveloped by the black mist in the fog. But as soon as the black mist touched the shadow guards' blades, it hissed and emitted green smoke—it turned out that the short blades of Demon Cloud Valley were tempered with Evil-Breaking Dew!

I drew the poisoned dagger from my waist and stabbed at the Dark Moon Cultist who attacked from behind.

His blade grazed my shoulder, stinging painfully, but I couldn't care less, my eyes fixed on Wen Chen's retreating figure.

His Moon-Slaying Sword was stained with blood. Each strike precisely severed the cultist's tendons, yet without killing him—this was to leave them alive!

"Third whistle!" I gritted my teeth and blew the jade whistle. Suddenly, Steward Liu's spirit sable darted out of the mist, a red pill in its mouth, and "poof" spat it at the feet of the right protector.

The pill exploded into a burst of red light, illuminating the faces of the Darkmoon Cultists as deathly pale—the Darkmoon Marks on their foreheads sizzled in the red light, as if they had been doused with boiling oil!

"Retreat!" The Right Protector screamed and ripped off his ghost mask, revealing a charred face. "This is...this is the Starfall Pavilion's Evil-Breaking Pill!" He turned to flee, but was pinned to the ground by Fairy Zhao's Qingfeng Sword, the tip piercing his collarbone. "Trying to leave?"

The swords of the Cangwu Sect are easy to pierce, but difficult to pull out!

As the morning mist gradually dissipated, twenty Darkmoon cultists lay sprawled haphazardly in front of the mountain gate.

Fairy Zhao stepped on the right protector's back to draw her sword, drops of blood dripping down the blade onto the tips of her phoenix-embroidered shoes; the Wind Demon King's shadow guards were using short blades to pry open the cultists' robes, checking for any hidden secrets; Elder Sun patted my shoulder and laughed, his jade thumb ring hitting my shoulder blade so hard it hurt: "Fairy Xiao, I, Old Sun, am convinced!"

Combined, the Dark Moon Cult's underhanded tricks are no match for them!

Manager Liu's ferret perched on his shoulder, its claws pawing at the tokens confiscated from the believers.

I took the bronze token engraved with a dark moon pattern and ran my fingertip over the small characters on the back—"The one who kills Xiao Yao will be promoted to Left Envoy."

"Fairy Xiao!" Xiao Zhu ran in from the side door, his Taoist robe covered in grass clippings, but his eyes shone like stars. "Fairy Zhao said I'm good at invisibility and wants to take me as her last disciple!"

I laughed and ruffled his hair, but out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a dark figure at the edge of the crowd.

The demonic figure stood in the morning mist, twirling a jade ring in his hand, a cold smile playing on his lips.

His gaze swept over the Dark Moon Token in my hand, then over the cheering crowd, and he suddenly chuckled softly before turning and disappearing into the mist.

The mountain breeze lifted my sleeves, and the Dark Moon Token burned in my palm.

I looked at Wen Chen, who was bending down to straighten my torn sleeve. He gently touched the wound with his fingertips, and I gasped in pain.

"Does it hurt?" He looked up at me, his eyes burning with concern. "I'll apply medicine for you when we get back to the palace."

I shook my head and clenched the Dark Moon Token in my palm. The morning mist had dissipated, but some fog was just beginning to rise.

The stench of blood in front of the mountain gate hadn't completely dissipated, and Elder Sun's large hand was still on my shoulder, making my shoulder blades ache.

Xiao Zhu clung to Zhao Xianzi's clothes, jumping around. Blood droplets from the Qingfeng sword dripped onto the front of his Taoist robe, spreading into a dark red flower.

I looked down and rubbed the Dark Moon Token in my palm with my thumb. The three words "Kill Xiao Yao" on the back hurt terribly—this was irrefutable evidence of the Dark Moon Cult, yet someone had to turn it into a knife to stab me.

"Fairy Xiao, you have quite the skills."

The sudden sound was like a shard of ice hitting the noisy crowd.

I looked up and met the shadowy, menacing gaze of the demon.

He emerged from the mist at some point, his dark brocade robe embroidered with subtle gold patterns, and the jade thumb ring on his wrist gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The crowd, who had been laughing and joking, gradually quieted down, and the mountain wind, carrying the smell of blood and rust, filled my throat.

"Deliberately luring the Dark Moon Cult to attack, then using a united front to establish her authority." The demonic figure tapped his jade ring, each tap like a blow to the heart. "Twenty cult members are just enough to test each faction's strength; the Spirit-Trapping Array, the Evil-Breaking Pill, the Invisibility Technique—Fairy Xiao has thoroughly understood the methods of all seventeen factions, hasn't she?" He suddenly raised his voice, his gaze sweeping over several frowning elders in the crowd. "Once we all become pawns in her hands, this alliance...it might just become Xiao Yao's one-man show!"

My temples throbbed.

After the morning mist dissipated, the sun was blazing, yet the back of my neck felt chilly and shivered.

Xiao Zhu suddenly loosened his grip on Zhao Xianzi's hand, looked up at me, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.

Elder Sun's hand slid off my shoulder, and the jade thumb ring struck the jade pendant at my waist with a "ding".

The Wind Demon King leaned against a pillar in the palace, twirling a wine jug in his palm, his deep blue eyes revealing no emotion—he was waiting, waiting for the waters to become even muddier.

"Lord Shadow's words are suspicious." Wen Chen's voice settled down steadily like a ballast stone.

He appeared beside me without my noticing, his long, dark sleeves hanging down, just covering my hand that was tightly gripping the Dark Moon Token.

The Moon-Slaying Sword was still sheathed when drops of blood from its blade fell onto the bluestone slab with a "plop," creating small splashes of blood. "I set up the Spirit-Trapping Array. If Fairy Xiao wanted to orchestrate this herself, why involve an outsider like me?" He looked up at the demonic figure, the red mole at the corner of his eye gleaming in the sunlight. "Besides—" He flicked his finger at the Dark Moon Token in my palm. The bronze token clattered to the ground, the words "Whoever kills Xiao Yao will be promoted to Left Envoy" on the back facing everyone. "The Dark Moon Sect wants her life, yet she wants to use the Dark Moon Sect to establish her authority?"

Does Lord Shadow even believe this logic himself?

A few low gasps rose from the crowd.

Manager Liu's spirit sable darted to the Dark Moon Token and scratched at it with its paws, as if trying to confirm its authenticity.

Suddenly, Fairy Zhao slammed her Qingfeng sword into the ground, the blade embedding three inches into the stone slab. "If Demon Shadow doubts Fairy Xiao, why not ask those Dark Moon Cultists now!" She turned to the Right Protector, bound like a dumpling, his charred face still twitching. "My Cangwu sword may sting, but it's quick to speak the truth!"

Envoy Li smiled, waving his folding fan, and tapped the Demon Shadow's shoulder with the fan rib: "Lord Demon Shadow, are you perhaps frightened by the Dark Moon Cult?" He unfolded his folding fan, on which were painted the emblems of seventeen families. "Look at these seventeen families, some want to protect the Way, some want to protect their homes—" He closed his fan and pointed at the Wind Demon King, "and some want to seek profit."

Fairy Xiao can make everyone feel that they can live by following her; that's skill, not a conspiracy.

I stared at the shadowy face.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze sweeping over the Dark Moon Token on the ground, then over the trembling Right Protector huddled in the corner. He suddenly laughed: "Fairy Xiao, you have quite the eloquence; Immortal Venerable Wen, you are quite the helper." He bent down to pick up the Dark Moon Token, his fingertips brushing against the three words "Kill Xiao Yao." "But this alliance... in the end, the human heart is unpredictable." With that, he tossed the token back to me, turned to leave, and the hem of his black robe brushed against the blood-stained toes of my shoes.

"Wait a minute." I gripped the Dark Moon Token tightly, the bronze edge digging painfully into my palm.

The fire that had been burning in my throat suddenly flared up again, stinging my eyes. "If Lord Demon Shadow has any doubts, why not stay and discuss the important matter of the alliance?" I looked at the hesitant elders in the crowd. "Today's battle isn't to prove how capable I, Xiao Yao, am, but to prove that when we join forces, we can withstand the Dark Moon Sect, protect our respective sects—" I paused, my gaze sweeping over Zhao Xianzi's blood-stained shoe tip, over Xiao Zhu's shining eyes, "and even more importantly, protect those who deserve protection."

There was a moment of silence in front of the mountain gate, then suddenly someone started clapping.

Elder Sun stroked his beard and laughed out loud: "Fairy Xiao is right!"

"I was hesitant just now, but now—" He patted the Wind Demon King on the shoulder, "Old Wind, what do you say?"

The Wind Demon King set down his wine jug, his fingertips tracing the cloud patterns on its surface. "Fairy Xiao wishes to convene an alliance meeting?" I nodded. He suddenly smiled, a sly glint in his deep blue eyes. "The meeting can be held, but my Demon Cloud Valley has a condition." His gaze swept across the distant, layered mountain mists. "In my immortal realm, there's a mass grave that's been plagued by evil spirits for months, injuring many Shadow Guards." He raised the wine jug again, the liquid shimmering within. "If Fairy Xiao can resolve that mess for me... Demon Cloud Valley will forever stand on the side of the alliance."

The mountain wind lifted my sleeves, bringing with it a stench of blood.

I gazed at the mountain mist behind the Wind Demon King, where a few wisps of faint black mist floated—resembling the lingering scent of the Dark Moon Cult's Soul-Chasing Incense, yet even more sinister.

Wen Chen's fingers gently touched the back of my hand, as if asking if I would accept.

I gripped the Dark Moon Token tightly, feeling the warmth of the bronze, and suddenly smiled: "Alright, in three days, I will go to the mass grave in Demon Cloud Valley."

The Wind Demon King raised an eyebrow and offered the wine jug to me in a perfunctory gesture.

The crowd became lively again. Xiao Zhu pulled Zhao Xianzi to see the right protector who was tied up, Elder Sun pulled Steward Liu to study the formation drawn by the spirit sable, and Special Envoy Li waved his fan to appease several elders who were still hesitating.

Wen Chen bent down to pick up the teacup I had knocked over, the shards gleaming in his palm. "The mass grave in three days..." He looked up at me, the red mole at the corner of his eye like a small flame. "I'll go with you."

I nodded, gazing at the black mist floating in the distant mountain air.

The morning mist has dissipated, but some fog is just beginning to rise.