Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 6 - Escape (2)

The sun was about to set.

The rosy glow enveloped the entire mountain, and the daytime hustle and bustle gradually subsided, bringing a refreshing coolness to the night.

In the late summer mountains, the mist grew denser at night. However, with a bonfire now crackling, it managed to ward off some of the chill.

The young maid, her hair neatly arranged in double buns, appeared to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. Her eyes, still puffy from her daytime tears, resembled those of a goldfish. But at this moment, the return of Miss Yang was a cause for immense joy. The young maid was preoccupied with her happiness as she offered a roasted bird’s egg to Zanxing and said, “Miss, let’s wake up early tomorrow and head for Pingyang Town. We should be able to meet the Young Lord there.”

“Yes,” their elderly coachman chimed in, “The Young Lord must be quite concerned about Miss.”

However, as soon as they mentioned this, Zanxing lost her appetite, not even wanting to eat the roasted bird’s egg anymore.

The Young Lord they referred to was Wang Shao, the Young Lord of Yue City. In the novel, “At the Summit of the Nine Heavens”, he was the fiancé of this female cannon fodder, “Miss Yang”. This man was wicked, lascivious, and arrogant. Throughout the original story, he served as the male lead’s first enemy, harboring deep-seated animosity and functioning as the perfect tool for the antagonist. Zanxing’s vivid recollection of Wang Shao might have been due to the fact that he was the fiancé of her namesake, the female supporting character.

No matter how Wang Shao’s relationship with the male lead unfolded, Zanxing believed that he had at least shown kindness to “Miss Yang”. When the male lead, who had undergone a transformation, returned to the surface, the first thing he did was kill his fiancee in front of Wang Shao, leading to a deep-seated enmity between them. Grieving for his deceased fiancee, Wang Shao spared no effort to obstruct the male lead, even though he was eventually killed in retaliation. Nevertheless, he remained a deeply sentimental character.

Surprisingly, upon Zanxing’s return to the surface, she learned that this sentimental character had already fled on the day she fell into the water, taking the carriage with him.

For anyone with some connection, wouldn’t they consider making an effort to rescue her? Even if he had chosen to leave, he could have left a few servants behind. However, apart from the two servants from the Yang family, nothing remained. Even the carriage belonged to the Yang family. Could a person really do something like this?

Sensing Zanxing’s anger, Hong Su cautiously spoke, “Actually… the Young City Lord had his reasons too. He was afraid of implicating others. Miss, please don’t be too saddened.”

In Yue City, how many girls dreamt of marrying Wang Shao? After all, Wang Shao possessed a high cultivation level, his father held the position of city lord, he was fairly handsome, and there was a possibility of entering a prestigious sect. Miss Yang had carved a path for herself among these girls solely through her beauty, and she had finally become engaged to Wang Shao. Hong Su was concerned that her mistress would be heartbroken and unable to recover from this setback, so she offered her comfort, albeit clumsily.

“I’m not really feeling sad about that,” Zanxing replied as she touched her face. Her fingers made contact with a searing sensation. She had been hit by the black liquid from the “Yu” creature underwater, and her right cheek was injured. She wasn’t sure if it might be dangerous.

The coachman said, “We’re from Yue, a small place. We rarely encounter many demonic beasts here. But Pingyang Town is different since it’s located at the foot of Mount Gufeng, which is the stronghold of the Taiyan Sect. I’ve heard that the people in Pingyang Town are knowledgeable and well-informed. Someone there should know how to deal with the injury on Miss’s face.”

“Yes,” Hongsu added with encouragement, “And once we reach Pingyang Town, you’ll be able to see the Young City Lord. Once he enters the Taiyan Sect, he will possess countless spiritual pills and elixirs. They will surely find a way to heal Miss’s face.”

Zanxing remained silent.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell the poor maid that Wang Shao, that cannon fodder, had been eliminated in the first round of the Taiyan Sect’s selection competition, failing even to touch the door of the sect.

The coachman poked at the branches in the fire pit and suddenly remembered something. He asked Zanxing, “By the way, Miss, how did you manage to escape from underwater?”

“I, well,” Zanxing collected her thoughts and replied, “I fell into a hole underwater, but then I found an exit and killed that demonic beast before coming back.”

The surroundings remained eerily quiet.

The flames gently caressed the branches, emitting a soft sizzle.

After a moment, the old coachman, his voice trembling, inquired, “Miss… did you kill that beast?”

“Yes,” Zanxing nodded, “Isn’t this face proof of what happened back then?”

“But…” Hong Su swallowed hard, “I heard from Young Master Shao that the creature’s cultivation was on par with a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, and you’ve only just entered the Qi Refining stage…”

Even this was achieved through the consumption of spirit pills and herbs, which couldn’t truly represent her strength.

“Is that so? Maybe I experienced a breakthrough,” Zanxing replied calmly.

Hongsu and the elderly coachman exchanged puzzled glances. They couldn’t help but notice that Miss had changed considerably from her past self. The former Miss Yang had been wholly devoted to Young Master Shao. Instead of focusing on cultivation, she preferred seeking beauty and skincare solutions. Blessed with natural beauty, she had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, leading to a haughty temperament. With the exception of the favored Hong Su, she would often scold and berate the other servants. However, since her return today, she had become much more composed and gentle. Even when facing the cowardly escape of Young Master Shao, she appeared remarkably indifferent. In the past, she would have likely wept and cursed, wishing ill upon Young Master Shao’s entire family for generations to come.

Could it be that she had been possessed by an evil spirit? But there weren’t any evil spirits in the world that were this gentle and amiable, right?

“I’ve heard that some beasts, after cultivating for many years, can form a demon core inside them. It’s equivalent to a human cultivator’s golden core,” the coachman changed the topic.

“Demon core?” The girl seemed to be intrigued by this statement, turning her head. Her one half of the face was still beautiful and radiant, but the other half bore several dark marks, which, in the flickering firelight, appeared somewhat eerie.

The old coachman sighed inwardly. She was a lovely young girl who had had her beauty marred. While the doctors in Pingyang Town were knowledgeable, there was always the possibility that they couldn’t fully restore her. If that happened, her future would be forever altered.

With his thoughts on his young mistress’s uncertain future, the coachman absentmindedly continued, “Yes, demon cores contain abundant elemental energy. When a cultivator absorbs this energy, it greatly benefits their own cultivation. Some say that one demon core is equivalent to a third-grade spirit pill.” Pausing for a moment, he added, “However, beasts with demon cores are quite rare, and encountering one is a rare occurrence…”

As soon as he finished speaking, a fair hand extended in front of him, and in its palm lay a shining crimson pill.

“Is it this one?” Zanxing inquired.