Chapter Twenty-Four: A Chance Encounter

Six Chou was still desperately making his way toward the perilous peak, using every means at his disposal. If he could not escape, his only option was to hide within the Realm of the Enchanting Vessel, relying on its protection to wager his fate. He knew he could not remain there for more than twelve hours—a limit set by the vessel’s subconscious will. That window was far too short; if his enemies so much as suspected his sudden disappearance and lingered, the twelve hours would pass, and he would be left with no chance to recover.

He might even lose the Enchanting Vessel itself.

Thus, his only hope lay with the demon kings of the Seven Mountains and Twenty-Nine Valleys. Only if those monsters intervened could his enemies be truly vanquished.

Struggling, Six Chou crested a ridge and was suddenly greeted by a burst of dazzling color. Though the sky remained murky and the wilderness as dark as ink, here lay a radiant lake, its shore adorned with green grass and red flowers that twinkled in the darkness like a sky full of stars.

The lake was serene and beautiful, but to Six Chou, it was neither lovely nor ugly—it was simply a bizarre domain. He hoped it belonged to some great demon, yet he was also tense, not knowing how great a threat it might pose to him.

But now, he had no choice but to risk everything.

Six Chou leapt down from the ridge and charged toward the lake, hoping to find something that might hinder his pursuers. If not, he would have to flee and pray that this place would at least create some confusion, obscuring his enemies’ pursuit.

Suddenly, there was a splashing sound from the lake. Mist rose as a breathtaking young maiden stood up from the water, her hair tossing droplets in every direction. The spray and the shimmering starlight seemed to paint an ethereal picture, filling the heart with an indescribable serenity.

She was extraordinarily beautiful, with an otherworldly presence, like a fairy who had no place in the mortal realm. She tilted her head slightly, gazing toward Six Chou. Their eyes met: he saw innocence and clarity in hers, just as she perceived his despair.

She seemed utterly indifferent to her beauty.

Six Chou instinctively halted, only now realizing that the maiden wore not a single thread, her body almost entirely concealed beneath the surface, though the moment she emerged had revealed half of her form.

Yet, she appeared unconcerned.

From beginning to end, she seemed not to care about anything that might trouble others—only the intrusion itself, and the despair and struggle in his eyes, seemed to matter.

She tilted her head in childlike curiosity, her voice melodious as a song: “Are you being chased by something?”

Six Chou nodded. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing, yet his heart would not be calmed. He turned to the maiden and asked, “Are you human or demon?” With his current power, he could not discern her true nature.

The maiden wrinkled her nose, her eyes twinkling as she giggled. “Does it make any difference?”

“It does!” Six Chou drew a deep breath and spoke gravely, “A monk from Hu has come. If you’re a demon, you must flee.”

She shook her head playfully, dipping a hand into the water. The liquid flowed around her, and in an instant, it formed a translucent gown that draped about her slender form. She walked up the steps of the water as if ascending an invisible staircase, stopping atop the ripples, shaking her head with a mischievous smile. “I don’t believe it. How could a human reach this place?”

Six Chou inhaled deeply, the sense of danger in his mind growing ever stronger. He had to leave quickly—there was no time to linger. No matter how beautiful the maiden, she had little to do with him. Seeing her innocent face, he gave one final warning:

“If that’s the case, hide yourself well. The monk is after me. Once I’m gone, you’ll be safe.”

After so much pursuit, Six Chou had seen through the monk’s intent: it was him—only him.

He turned then, not even continuing toward the lakeshore, but veering off to another direction, running desperately toward the perilous peak once more…

The maiden made no move. Suddenly, she lifted her gaze to the chaotic sky above.

The moment was swiftly shattered.

A familiar aura suddenly enveloped the lake. Six Chou whipped around. He saw nothing, but he noticed the maiden’s posture. Tilting his head upward, he glimpsed a shadow flicker across the faint moon, making the dim light even more obscure.

An Azure Kite Cloud Skiff slowly descended above the starlit lake.

Six Chou’s heart sank. He realized the relentless sense of crisis was emanating from here—the monk had changed tactics, abandoning pursuit in favor of a war of attrition. He would wait until Six Chou was thoroughly exhausted before revealing himself for a killing blow.

Now that the monk had appeared, was there any hope of escape?

A figure floated down from the cloud skiff, drifting gently through the air. Yet the newcomer’s attention was not on Six Chou, but fixed meaningfully on the maiden.

The maiden gazed back at Master Guiqu, unafraid, only curious, as if she did not know he was human.

“Run!” Six Chou shouted, raising his crossbow and firing heavily at Guiqu.

“Rise!”

Guiqu did not move. He waved his hand, and a six-colored halo appeared, expanding instantly and dropping over Six Chou’s head.

It was the Thousandfold Ring, a spiritual artifact forged by the master craftsman Miwu. Though a simple tool in others’ hands, in Guiqu’s grasp, its power was incomparable—Six Chou had no chance to evade!

The ring dropped and locked around him, binding his limbs so that he could not move at all, then sent him crashing to the ground like a felled post.

Only then did Guiqu’s feet touch the earth. He stood with solemn composure, eyes fixed on the maiden as he spoke: “Mi Zhi, the Thousandfold Knot.”

“Yes.” A voice responded from the skiff, and an object dropped from the sky into Guiqu’s hand.

It was a knot, seemingly braided from the fur of some beast, brown in color yet with a crystalline sheen, as if he held a wisp of cloud.

Another treasure—he meant to use it on the maiden!

Six Chou’s heart leapt, but quickly turned to despair. He could not save himself, let alone care for the girl. He managed one last shout, hoping to atone for his earlier intrusion: “Run! He’s about to catch you!”

“Bind!” Guiqu uttered, and the Thousandfold Ring tightened, crushing Six Chou’s chest so that he could only gasp for air—shouting was now impossible.

The maiden looked at Six Chou, then at the knot in Guiqu’s hand, and pouted. “You’ve caught him, and I’m not happy.” Bending down, she reached into the water, searching for something…

Guiqu paid her no mind, tossing the knot into the air. “Rise!”

The knot flew toward the maiden, multiplying into countless loops that merged into a single, massive snare, aiming to bind her.

At that moment, the maiden withdrew her hand from the water, raising a long handle that grew larger and larger until it became the head of a hammer, the size of a house.

She had drawn forth a hammer—more precisely, a hammer as large as a dwelling!

Without a word, she swung it at the incoming snare. Like a flicker of ghostly fire, her blow shattered the knot into countless fragments, scattering them to the night wind.

Mi Zhi on the skiff was stunned; never would he have dreamed his painstakingly crafted artifact would be destroyed so utterly.

Guiqu, too, was taken aback—he had not expected that with a single casual blow, this seemingly innocuous maiden could obliterate his disciple’s weapon so completely.

The maiden did not pause. Having destroyed the artifact, she ran forward, her footsteps thundering across the water, hammer raised ever higher, poised to strike!

Guiqu did not hesitate. In an instant, the Demon-Subduing Rod was in his hand. He chanted softly, and the rod burst forth with radiant light, spinning with ten thousand clouds before soaring from Guiqu’s grasp toward the maiden.

The Demon-Subduing Rod spun faster and faster, finally transforming into a brilliant full moon!

The maiden’s pout deepened, her face full of sorrow, but her grip on the hammer only tightened. Without hesitation, she swung at the rod as it flew toward her, as if merely brushing a sleeve.

There was a thunderous crash. The ground trembled, ripples spreading outward, trees and starlit flowers bending and warping under the force. Even the cloud skiff was shoved sideways by several yards.

Guiqu alone was unmoved. He floated half a foot in the air, then settled, steadying the skiff with a gesture.

The Demon-Subduing Rod hovered in place, but the maiden was hurled back, splashing into the lake and sending up a great wave.

That a treasure bestowed by Sacred Mountain could merely knock her aside was astonishing, but more startling was that she surfaced at once, clambering to her feet—her hands now empty.

Then she began to wail aloud.

“Waa… you bullied me… Father… someone bullied me…”

She wept with utter heartbreak, caring for nothing but to pour all her grievance into the name she called.

“…Father… Father…”

Guiqu’s expression suddenly changed. For a moment, he seemed to recall something from a distant past—a young girl, arms around his neck, sweetly calling him father, once frightened by a stray dog beneath a tree, weeping with abandon.

It seemed she had cried the very same words:

“…Father… someone bullied me…”

He gazed at the maiden, his look growing ever more gentle, though the Demon-Subduing Rod in his hand whined and flashed with mounting brilliance.

At last, Guiqu lowered his eyes and slowly raised his hand. The rod trembled violently, and with a wave, he prepared to strike again…

Suddenly, the night wind rose, whipping his monastic robes. The wind in the forest seemed to be fleeing, its howls rising and falling, while far atop the perilous peak, a vast and boundless cyclone began to form, whirling inexorably.

Guiqu’s pupils contracted sharply. This thick, cloying sensation filled him with dread.

The Demon-Subduing Rod was not omnipotent on Meishan—remember, remember… When all else fails, retreat!

Before leaving, Elder Guiyong’s words echoed in his mind—this was the true reason his elder had insisted on sending him off in person.

“Go!”

Guiqu shot upward, reaching out to seize Six Chou, still bound by the Thousandfold Ring. Together they landed on the skiff, which shuddered, then shot away like an arrow, fleeing toward the mountains beyond.