Chapter 22: Kill Her!

Yan Wuqiu stood level with them, his voice stern and frigid, devoid of even a shred of emotion.

"Today, no one is taking the Vermilion Bird fledgling!"

"Hahaha, one at the early Nascent Soul stage, one at the mid-Golden Core stage... how many do you think you can stop?"

The man at the very front pointed at them mockingly, filled with disdain. Perhaps, on his own, he would have turned and fled without hesitation, as his own cultivation level was likely nothing compared to theirs. But now? He was not afraid.

The man scanned the crowd. They were all, like him, driven by greed for the Vermilion Bird. From the moment Yan Wuqiu and Lou Si jumped out to block their path, the two had become the collective targets of their onslaught.

"You two little brats think too highly of yourselves!" the man, who looked fierce and malevolent with his hands gripping a battle-axe, rasped with contempt.

More and more jeers and mocking laughter erupted. The faces of the two grew grim, their expressions becoming even colder. Yan Wuqiu swept his gaze over the crowd of roughly a hundred people. Their strengths ranged from Foundation Establishment to Nascent Soul, and every single one of them wore the look of someone determined to possess the Vermilion Bird at any cost.

Whether in numbers or sheer power... they had no chance of victory.

Even so, neither would abandon the others and leave; even if they could only buy them half an incense stick of time, it would be worth it.

Below them, Jiang Zao, whose cultivation was too low to fly, could only tilt her head and watch. The situation was dire.

"I had better hide, so as not to add to their troubles," she thought.

She had enough self-awareness to know that as a Qi Refining level one weakling, she would only be handing over experience points if she stepped out. Jiang Zao retreated to the back of an inconspicuous tree, secretly observing the situation above. If those people discovered their relationship, capturing her would be effortless. Once they held her as a hostage, they would surely force the others to surrender. She usually indulged in a bit of cleverness, but when it came to life-or-death situations, she knew where to draw the line.

Above, Yan Wuqiu heard Jiang Zao’s inner thoughts and smiled faintly, his tense nerves relaxing slightly. Compared to their Junior Sister, he was more worried about Jiang Zao, who had no combat ability. At least their Junior Sister had the Vermilion Bird’s spiritual energy to protect her, so she would not be in immediate danger. Jiang Zao, however, was someone who knew nothing of combat; the slightest mishap could mean her end. Fortunately, she knew exactly what to do.

"The Vermilion Bird fledgling belongs to my Junior Sister. You lot are merely indulging in delusions!"

Lou Si felt rage boiling in his heart as he looked at the ugly faces of the crowd. The Vermilion Bird had already chosen its master, yet they still sought to profit from it. Were they truly so blinded by envy that they could not bear to see others succeed?

"It hasn't finished the contract yet, has it?" the man who spoke first said, eyeing Jiang Zhuoran below with malicious intent.

As long as the contractor died, the Vermilion Bird would once again become an ownerless beast.

"Don't you dare!"

Yan Wuqiu sensed his intent first and shouted, flashing in front of him to block his path. The man was not annoyed by the interference; instead, he laughed maniacally and retorted, "Hahaha, there are so many of us—how many can you possibly stop?"

"Fellow cultivators, kill the woman below and the Vermilion Bird fledgling will be ours!"

"Hahaha, well said, fellow cultivator!"

"Kill her!"

The scene descended into chaos. Everyone was gripped by a frantic madness; greed had long since drowned out their humanity, and the desire to kill consumed them entirely.

"With me here, you will never succeed!"

The young man gripped his long sword, standing resolutely in front of Jiang Zhuoran, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present. As a senior brother, protecting his Junior Sister was a matter of course; he would never be so cowardly as to flee without a fight.

"Heh, how many can you stop on your own? Such arrogance."

The melee broke out instantly. Lou Si held off the majority of the crowd alone. Before long, his body was covered in scars, and fresh red blood stained his robes, making his crimson attire look even more vivid—possessing a strange, haunting beauty.

On the other side, Yan Wuqiu was faring no better. He was merely a delicate alchemist; his combat ability was no match for a sword cultivator of equal rank. Facing them was an uphill battle, and soon he, too, was covered in wounds. The two were both utterly disheveled, while the group opposite them had suffered negligible losses.

Yan Wuqiu and Lou Si retreated to each other's side, swallowing pills to feel slightly better, yet they remained vigilant.

"Stop wasting your energy. You cannot hold onto the Vermilion Bird!"

"Heh, that is not for you to decide," Lou Si sneered, his eyes devoid of fear, his fighting spirit only burning brighter.

The current situation was clearly unfavorable. Jiang Zao, hiding behind the tree, watched Jiang Zhuoran—who was still in a state of meditation—with a furrowed brow, her hands anxiously gripping the tree bark.

"Why is it taking so long?"

Yan Wuqiu and Lou Si in mid-air couldn't help but wonder the same. They had seen beast-taming contracts before, but their Junior Sister's was taking far too long.

*Hurry, please, or we truly won't be able to hold them off much longer.* They prayed silently.

"Caw—!"

A high-pitched cry drew everyone's attention. The contract between Jiang Zhuoran and the little Vermilion Bird was finally complete.

Seeing that Jiang Zhuoran had succeeded, the hearts of the three finally settled, and relieved smiles appeared on their faces. Their persistence had paid off.

Jiang Zhuoran’s eyes snapped open, a flash of cold light passing through them. She was fully aware of the situation outside. Bullying her Senior Brothers? Coveting her spirit beast? Wanting to kill her? This score... it was time to settle it!

"Sister, Sister, take me with you!" Jiang Zao ran out from behind the tree, her face flushed with excitement. This was the protagonist's first time unleashing her full power—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; how could she miss it? She had to see it from a front-row seat.

Jiang Zhuoran smiled slightly. "Alright."

She took Jiang Zao’s hand, and with a flicker of movement, they appeared before Yan Wuqiu and Lou Si.

"Second Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother, leave the rest to me!"

The two nodded. "Good." They gladly handed the stage over to her. Lou Si pulled Jiang Zao to his side to ensure she wouldn't interfere with Jiang Zhuoran’s performance.

Jiang Zhuoran turned slowly to face the crowd, who were now trembling with fear. Her expression turned frigid.

"Now... it is time to settle accounts!"

Jiang Zhuoran gripped her long sword, stepping toward them one by one. Each step made their hearts tremble; despite feeling that she shouldn't be so intimidating, they could not help but be filled with terror.

*As expected of the first-person perspective, it’s so satisfying to watch!*

*Go, Sister! Give them a taste of their own medicine.*

Jiang Zao cheered for her from the back. Though it was only in her heart, the three could hear her clearly.

"Fellow cultivators, she is just one person! We are so many; she cannot possibly be a match for us!"

"Charge! Let's kill her together!"

It was the same man again, inciting the others, and they instantly reacted. With so many of them, surely a little girl, no matter how strong, couldn't be that powerful?

The man watched as the mindless fools were swayed, and taking advantage of the chaos, he stealthily dropped to the ground and began running toward the rear.

"A bunch of idiots, you deserve to die!"

The man glanced up and couldn't help but curse the people he had used as pawns, while simultaneously rejoicing that he was about to escape with his life. Jiang Zhuoran noticed him skulking away below and offered a disdainful smile.

Running now? Too late!

"Vermilion Bird!"

"Caw—!"

At Jiang Zhuoran's command, the massive silhouette of the Vermilion Bird flew before the man, its cry filled with menace.

"Ahhh! Don't kill me!"

The man collapsed in terror, struggling and retreating, his body shaking as he pleaded for mercy. With a single glance from Jiang Zhuoran, the Vermilion Bird exhaled a plume of fire, burning him to nothingness. Only the lingering scream in the air bore witness to his existence.

Watching the man’s brutal end, no one else present dared to move, fearing they would be next.