Chapter 403: Escaping the Chaotic Cloud Mountains
A year had passed since their expedition to the Hundred Saints Secret Realm. Zuoqiu Yi had barely emerged from the grief of losing her family, her once lively spirit now tempered with a newfound maturity. She was no longer the impulsive and carefree girl she once was.
When alone, she often reminisced about her days with her seven sisters, a wistful smile involuntarily tugging at her lips before her expression darkened.
She had witnessed her eldest sister swallow the Soul-Burning Pill to protect them, her divine soul withering away until death claimed her.
She had also watched her Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sisters meet gruesome ends, their bodies so mangled that they couldn’t even be pieced back together.
Of the Huai Lake Seven Heroes, only her Second Sister, Sixth Sister, and herself remained.
Yet, for reasons unknown, her Sixth Sister, Zuoqiu Zhen, had betrayed the clan by assassinating a clan elder. Her Second Sister declared that Zuoqiu Zhen was no longer their sister, but Zuoqiu Yi refused to believe it. She longed for the chance to confront her face-to-face and demand an explanation.
Deep within her heart, Zuoqiu Yi still cherished the memory of another person. But as time passed, that figure had gradually faded, leaving only a hazy silhouette and the image of a pitch-black longsword.
“Sigh…”
Zuoqiu Yi cradled the infant in her arms, gently rocking it back and forth. She reached out and playfully stroked the baby’s soft, rosy cheek, its delicate features utterly endearing.
At that moment, a crack appeared in the bamboo boat’s cabin, revealing another person inside.
“Little sister, let’s go home. The Chaotic Cloud Mountains have been restless lately. It’s best we avoid this place for now.”
The speaker was Zuoqiu Chen, her second sister. She gazed at the billowing, dense mist that soared into the sky, a hint of wariness in her eyes. Even from a thousand miles away, the gray haze was visible in the heavens, the sky there noticeably different from elsewhere.
This year’s Mist Tide was unusually intense, stirring unease in her heart.
Yet this wasn’t her first experience with the Mist Tide. Though concerned, she remained composed, lifting her arm to take the child and pulling open her robe to nurse him.
The infant was her own.
Since her journey to the Hundred Saints Secret Realm, she had witnessed the brilliance of heavenly prides from various clans, finally realizing the vast gulf between them. She had been nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well, basking in the glory of the “Huai Lake Seven Heroes” title, oblivious to the fact that others saw it as a mere joke.
Compared to the likes of Xu Sanyan and Fang Qingge, even the previously unremarkable Qi Liang treated them with disdain.
Upon returning home, she lost her ambition, her cultivation level stagnating. Eventually, she married a handsome and talented son-in-law, and just days ago, she gave birth to a son, whom she named Zuoqiu Xu.
Zuoqiu Yi adored her nephew, often holding him close and pouring all the affection she had for her sisters into the newborn infant.
“Let’s go,” Zuoqiu Chen said after feeding the baby, flicking her sleeve. The bamboo boat sliced through the waves, speeding toward the shore.
Suddenly, two figures appeared on the distant lake surface, walking on water. The four froze, their eyes meeting in surprise—none had expected to encounter outsiders here.
The Zuoqiu sisters were astonished because this was Huai Lake, deep within the Zuoqiu Clan’s territory. How could outsiders have reached this place?
The two men were equally surprised, having never anticipated their hiding place would be exposed.
Reacting swiftly, they blurred forward, charging directly toward the bamboo boat. They aimed to strike first, hoping to eliminate witnesses and prevent their presence from being revealed.
The sisters’ hearts leaped in alarm. The men’s disheveled hair stood on end, making them resemble fierce ghosts from afar. Their robes were torn into strips, draped haphazardly over their bodies.
“Seize them!” one man roared, his voice deep yet betraying exhaustion. Despite his fatigue, his speed was astonishing, and he appeared before the sisters in the blink of an eye.
These two were none other than the Li Clan Patriarch and the Li Clan’s Head Steward.
After the flesh giant shattered the formation, the pair had made the decisive choice to abandon their clan, thus seizing the optimal moment to escape.
Even though the flesh giant unleashed ghost beast flying eagles in pursuit, they only caused minor inconveniences and no real harm. After all, these were void harmony realm experts—not so easily killed.
However, another void harmony realm woman from the Li Clan reacted a beat too late and was scattered by the ghost beasts, her whereabouts now unknown.
Back on the bamboo boat, Zuoqiu Chen immediately regained her composure. Without hesitation, she retrieved a Signal Fire, pulled the stopper, and a burst of flames shot skyward.
Boom! Whoosh!
A crimson phantom of an Ancient Tree materialized briefly in the sky before vanishing, but the fleeting image was enough for anyone to see clearly.
The Li Clan’s Grand Elder had ultimately been a step too slow, allowing them to send out the distress signal.
This was Zuoqiu Clan territory. Even with two void harmony realm experts, they wouldn’t stand a chance against an ambush.
“Damn it!” the Li Clan Patriarch cursed under his breath, resolving to capture the two women as hostages.
Zuoqiu Yi steeled her resolve, drew her sword, and shouted, “Second Sister, take our nephew and flee! I’ll hold them off!”
“Hold us off?” The Li Clan Patriarch sneered, his contempt practically dripping from his eyes. These two young women clearly hadn’t grasped the gravity of their situation.
“Don’t you dare harm my wife!”
From the shore, a young man dashed forward, waves surging behind him with overwhelming force.
The Li Clan’s Chief Steward casually flicked his palm, sending the youth flying backward at an even greater speed.
At that very moment,
a hundred miles from Huai Lake, three figures sat facing each other, each seizing the opportunity to replenish their spiritual power.
Boom! Whoosh!
All three looked up simultaneously at the sky. A fleeting crimson phantom flashed across the horizon. Xu Sanyan asked, “What was that?”
Li Hai frowned in thought, then slowly replied, “That looks like the Zuoqiu Clan’s distress signal…”
“The Zuoqiu Clan’s distress signal?!”
Lin Fan’s nerves were instantly jolted. He sprang to his feet, his voice urgent. “Elder Brother, we have to go now!”
Xu Sanyan glanced at him, his distaste for Lin Fan’s sycophantic behavior evident. “Why are you in such a hurry? This is the Zuoqiu Clan’s territory. Why would they need an outsider like you to worry?”
Lin Fan froze, his enthusiasm draining away. His expression turned dejected as he murmured, “Right… I’m just an outsider…”
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, wondering if Lin Fan had missed the point. Was the emphasis really on “outsider”?
Fortunately, Li Hai understood. He suspected this young man might have some complicated ties to the Zuoqiu Clan, explaining his heightened concern. He interjected, “
“The signal is too far away. Even if we rushed there, we might not make it in time. Besides, Young Master Lin is right—this is Zuoqiu Clan territory. It’s best to avoid exposing our identities; we should steer clear.”
The various clans and sects of the Chaotic Cloud Mountains have strained, even hostile, relations with external forces, particularly the Qian Kingdom, the Zuoqiu Clan, and the Harmonious Mountain Praying Dao Sect, which border the mountains. Constant minor conflicts plague the region.
Now that the Chaotic Cloud Mountains have been attacked, the Zuoqiu Clan would likely be celebrating rather than granting passage to outsiders.
“Let’s change direction and avoid that area,” Xu Sanyan suggested.
Li Hai nodded. “Agreed.” He pointed in a different direction. “Heading this way will lead us into Qian Kingdom territory.”
“Alright, let’s move.”
Lin Fan hesitated, his gaze lingering on the dissipating fireworks. He desperately wanted to see Yi’er again. His longing hadn’t faded with time; it had only deepened.
Even in the secret realm, during his nightly forced encounters, he had conjured Yi’er’s image in his mind. Only through this mental refuge had he found the courage to survive.
“Brothers, go ahead. I need to check that out!” Lin Fan declared firmly. A deep conviction urged him to investigate.
(End of the Chapter)