Chapter 2, The True Method of Black Water (5)

Although Wang Daoyuan was skilled in dark arts, he could not withstand such severe injuries. His corpse fell to the ground with a thud, transforming into a massive black wolf, its fur as hard as iron and its eyes blood-red, yet there was not a trace of life left in it

Su Huan hesitated slightly, reached out to pick up the Hunyuan Banner that the black-robed Daoist Wang Daoyuan had discarded, and said softly: "Wang Daoyuan is an iron-backed gray wolf that has cultivated for three hundred years in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of Miaojiang. My sister and I also reside within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, and we are quite close to him. However, Wang Daoyuan is not interested in cultivation; he only seeks shortcuts and has repeatedly fought with my sister and me. Although he has lost many times, my sister is magnanimous and has let him go. Yet this scoundrel has a malicious heart; he has actually colluded with Yao Kaishan of the Heshan Sect, plotting to capture my sister to practice that unique evil technique."

His mastery of the Black Water True Method has only reached the point where he can manipulate a faint mist of water. Recently, he has made some progress, allowing him to extend the distance of this mist's movement slightly further, but it is still only about seven or eight steps. Beyond that, he is powerless to maintain it, letting the mist disperse at will.

Jiao Fei saw that the man in the black robe had transformed into a black wolf after death, which startled him. At this moment, he also speculated that Su Huan was probably not human either; she merely relied on her boldness. With her delicate appearance, Su Huan was able to maintain a calm demeanor. She waved her hand and replied, "With my limited abilities, how could I possibly save Miss Su Huan? It was merely a coincidence that I startled that man; it was just luck. I wonder what the background of that man is?"

Su Huan was unwilling to explicitly state her identity, and Jiao Fei found it inappropriate to inquire further, so he said: "Since this Iron-Backed Cang Wolf has learned the evil techniques from Yao Kaishan, it stands to reason that Yao Kaishan of He Mountain possesses even greater powers. Miss Su, how do you plan to rescue your sister?"

Just as the Emperor of the Li family was about to hold the Water and Land Assembly, Yao Kaishan, having heard that the practitioners chosen could be granted official titles and rewards, was tempted by the allure of wealth and traveled from Miaojiang to Chang'an. I followed these two individuals along the way, hoping to rescue my sister, but being unfamiliar with Chang'an, and with Yao Kaishan possessing formidable powers, my several schemes all ended in failure, and I nearly found myself ensnared by these two rogues.

Jiao Fei, in his spare time from reading, enjoys articles about supernatural beings and strange tales the most. From the founding emperor of this dynasty to the current Emperor Li Ying, there has been a reverence for Buddhism and Daoism, which has led many disheartened literati to write such articles. Although these works do not enter the mainstream of the literary world, they have circulated widely and are traditionally known as the Four Great Masters of the Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, and Northwest.

The black-robed Daoist Wang Daoyuan wielded a peculiar Hunyuan Banner, from which strands of black mist hung down like writhing serpents. Su Huan's long whip appeared to be at a significant disadvantage. The two were engaged in combat within the confined space of the thirteenth level of the Great Peng Ming Wang Tower, where danger lurked at every turn. Several times, Su Huan narrowly escaped being ensnared by the black-robed Daoist's Hunyuan Banner.

Jiao Fei felt a stir in his heart and casually asked, "Is that Yao Kaishan the notorious beggar with a herniated disc?"

Jiao Fei was astonished, thinking to himself: "I didn't realize earlier that Su Huan is also a person with magical powers. According to my master's words, her abilities must be ten times more advanced than mine. However, this is not surprising; I have only been with my master for a little over a month. If a practitioner were not significantly stronger than me, that would truly be a strange occurrence"

The man in the black robe let out a hearty laugh, and with a flick of his wrist, more than ten strands of black mist descended. Su Huan split his hands, and a long whip, pure and crystalline, coiled upwards, engaging in battle with the man in the black robe.

With such limited ability, I naturally cannot intervene in the conflict between Su Huan and the black-robed man. However, Jiao Fei had other thoughts, pondering: "If the black-robed man is engaged in a fierce battle with Su Huan, and I were to throw this mist in his face, it would startle him, giving Su Huan the opportunity to win."

Although Jiao Fei did not understand why Su Huan was keeping secrets from her, she had developed a certain degree of affection for the girl. Moreover, the black-robed man was detestable and openly claimed to use living souls for his sorcery, undoubtedly a wicked and malevolent figure from an evil sect. She had already made up her mind to lend Su Huan a helping hand.

On Su Huan's delicate face, there was a layer of frost as she said resentfully, "Wang Daoyuan, do not think that just because you have joined the He Mountain Sect and learned some unorthodox spells, you can act so arrogantly. If it weren't for you, how could my sister have been captured by Yao Kaishan? This deep-seated enmity, I am here to settle with you. Since you dare to stick your neck out, I will just capture you and see if Yao Kaishan can save you!"

Su Huan rubbed her hands together, reducing the Houtu book in her palms to a few inches in size, and concealed it within her sleeves. With a sorrowful shake of her head, she said, "I do not know either; I can only hope that the villain is careless and allows me to rescue my sister, then escape back to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, retreating into the deep mountains where he can never find her again"

Jiao Fei's favorite work, "Records of Yu Ding," was compiled by the renowned writer Wu Cheng'en from the south, while the most famous figure from the north is Pu Songling, who styled himself as the "Talented One Among Foxes." His work, "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio," is filled with countless tales of talented scholars and their romantic entanglements with妖狐 (fox spirits),花精 (flower spirits), and艳鬼 (beautiful ghosts), often moving readers to tears. However, Jiao Fei, being still young, does not favor such romantic and sensual writings; instead, he prefers the stories of extraordinary heroes and epic battles that shake the heavens and the earth.

Tears welled up in Su Huan's eyes as she softly replied, "Indeed!"

Su Huan's eyes sparkled with gratitude as she looked at Jiao Fei, filled with boundless blessings. She said, "I was in distress, and it was thanks to you, young master, that I was rescued. I do not know how to express my gratitude. Why did you leave just now, only to return again?"

Jiao Fei had been secretly observing for a while, and his palms were already damp with cold sweat. He steadied his mind and, at a critical moment when the black-robed man’s long banner was shifting with dark energy, he flicked his hand. A ball of water vapor shot forth like a bullet, striking directly at the faces of the black-robed man and Wang Daoyuan. Wang Daoyuan was caught off guard; lurking below the staircase were others as well. The sudden impact of Jiao Fei's water vapor stunned him, leading him to believe that Su Huan had employed some extraordinary spell. Consequently, his grip on the long banner faltered for a moment, revealing a significant flaw.

However, he had indeed read that particular volume of "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio." The appearance of Su Huan reminded him of the red-scaled giant snake coiled around the waist of the vile beggar Yao Kaishan. He thought to himself: "Could it be that this girl is transformed from a snake spirit? Is that red-scaled giant snake perhaps the sister of Miss Su Huan?"

Su Huan originally had a higher level of cultivation than Wang Daoyuan by a narrow margin. However, Wang Daoyuan had devoted himself to the He Mountain sect, learning a full array of sinister techniques, and the weapon he wielded, the Hunyuan Banner, was truly astonishing. Although this Hunyuan Banner had not yet been refined to perfection, Su Huan found himself in a very tight spot. When he saw this formidable enemy suddenly reveal a flaw, how could Su Huan possibly hold back? With a flick of his long whip, he executed a particularly cunning maneuver, piercing through Wang Daoyuan's mouth and emerging from the back of his neck. Yet, Su Huan was still in a very tight spot. When he saw this formidable enemy suddenly reveal a flaw, how could Su Huan possibly hold back? With a flick of his long whip, he executed a particularly cunning maneuver, piercing through Wang Daoyuan's mouth and emerging from the back of his neck.

Although Jiao Fei enjoyed engaging in peculiar antics, he was not of a bad heart. Upon seeing Su Huan in a pitiable state, he felt a desire to help her. However, he himself lacked the ability and did not know how to approach and comfort the girl.