Before long, the somewhat austere architecture of the Outer Sect Law Enforcement Hall came into view. The streak of light faded as Zhou Kai landed steadily at the entrance.

Ren Zhengze was already waiting. Seeing Zhou Kai arrive, he cupped his hands. “Senior Brother Zhou, you’ve finally come.”

“Junior Brother Ren, what is so urgent?” Zhou Kai asked directly, his brow furrowed.

Ren Zhengze led Zhou Kai inside, explaining as they walked.

“It’s not a disaster, but an unidentified female cultivator arrived at the Outer Sect, severely injured and on the brink of death. She kept muttering your name, Senior Brother, along with ‘Lin Zhiwei’ and ‘Wang Qiaoqiao.’ Elder Yang ordered us to bring you in to identify her.”

“Muttering my name?” Zhou Kai’s steps faltered, the cloud of suspicion in his heart growing heavier.

After passing through several corridors, Ren Zhengze guided Zhou Kai to a side hall.

The door was pushed open. Apart from a few Law Enforcement disciples, an elder in formal robes with a lean, austere face stood with his hands behind his back beside a soft couch. He seemed to have been examining the condition of the person lying there.

Hearing the commotion at the door, the old man turned his head.

Ren Zhengze hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to the elder. “Elder Yang, this is Senior Brother Zhou Kai.”

Zhou Kai knew this person—Elder Yang Song of the Law Enforcement Hall, an early Golden Core cultivator and a member of the Yang family, one of the three ruling powers of the valley.

Zhou Kai’s gaze immediately shifted to the soft couch. When he saw who was lying there, his pupils constricted violently!

A familiar figure lay still upon the cushions.

Her snow-white dress was soaked in dark, mottled blood, a stark and stinging sight. Strands of messy black hair clung to her pale cheeks. Her eyes were tightly shut, eyelashes trembling as if she were enduring immense pain.

Tendrils of black demonic energy coiled around her body like vipers.

If it wasn’t Shen Hanyi, who else could it be!

“Zhou Kai… Lin Zhiwei… Wang Qiaoqiao…” A muffled, indistinct groan spilled from her lips. Without listening closely, one wouldn’t be able to make out the words.

“Hanyi!”

Zhou Kai rushed to the couch in a single stride, feeling the blood rush to his head.

Who is it?! Who did this to Hanyi?!

He reached out, placing his fingers on Shen Hanyi’s wrist pulse, sending his Mana and Divine Sense inside to probe.

The next instant, Zhou Kai’s face turned incredibly ugly.

Shen Hanyi’s internal meridians were shattered inch by inch, tightly entangled and continuously eroded by an extremely domineering demonic qi. Her internal organs were severely damaged. Worst of all, her Sword Essence was so weak it was on the verge of dispersing entirely!

If not for the unique Sword Embryo in her Dantian still emitting a faint vitality and bitterly holding on, she would have long since perished!

He tried to use his Mana to refine and expel the energy, but the demonic qi seemed to have fused with Shen Hanyi completely. To remove a strand was to refine away Shen Hanyi’s very flesh and blood.

“Senior Brother Zhou, this fairy collapsed at the Outer Sect gate,” Ren Zhengze explained.

“When the disciples found her, she was already unconscious, just constantly calling the names of you and the two Junior Nieces. We’ve already administered life-preserving pills.

“It is strange, though. With injuries like this and such pure, domineering demonic qi in her body, an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would have died three times over. Yet, with her cultivation of only the seventh layer of Sword Control, she has managed to hold on until now. It really is a miracle.”

Zhou Kai’s chest heaved slightly. He forced down the myriad chaotic thoughts in his mind and said to Ren Zhengze, “Many thanks.”

He moved to pick Shen Hanyi up.

“Wait!” Yang Song spoke up. “You are Zhou Kai?”

“This disciple is.”

“Do you know this woman?” Yang Song pointed at Shen Hanyi on the couch. “Who is she, and what is her relationship to you? The demonic qi on her body is no small matter.”

Zhou Kai answered without hesitation, his voice like iron.

“Reporting to Elder, this is this Junior’s Dao Companion, Shen Hanyi. She is a disciple of the Lone Goose Palace. As for why she has suffered such heavy injuries, this disciple will investigate until the truth is revealed!”

“Disciple of the Lone Goose Palace?” A flash of surprise passed through Yang Song’s eyes.

Lone Goose Palace and Calamity Abyss Valley were separated by tens of thousands of miles. The Lone Goose Palace had been destroyed, yet this woman had managed to find her way here? Such devotion was truly moving.

He pondered for a moment, then said, “Lone Goose Palace disciple… How did she safely cross ten thousand miles to reach our Calamity Abyss Valley? The Heavenly Demon Qi on her body is extremely pure; it is definitely not the work of an ordinary demonic cultivator. This matter likely involves the higher-ups of Heavenly Demon Ridge. It is grave.”

“Since you are a man of the Li Family, and she is your Dao Companion, let your Li Family handle this matter themselves.”

Having said that, Yang Song took out a transmission jade talisman and asked, “Who do you serve under now, or whose tutelage are you under? The relevant principal will decide.”

Zhou Kai thought to himself: Elder Yang wants a heavyweight from the Li Family to take over, or at least someone who can take responsibility for this.

But currently, the Li Family Patriarch and Young Master Li Qiwen had personally led the army to Crouching Tiger Mountain, and the Grand Miss Li Youci was in seclusion… The only person he could think of was his ‘cheap’ master.

“Reporting to Elder, this disciple’s Master is Elder Yunmian of Yantian Peak.”

Yang Song nodded. “So you are Senior Sister Yunmian’s high disciple.”

He immediately activated the jade talisman to transmit a message. A moment later, Yang Song frowned slightly. “Senior Sister Yunmian has already departed for Crouching Tiger Mountain.”

He asked again, “Is there anyone else who can make decisions for this matter?”

Zhou Kai thought for a moment. Right now, he could only count on Li Youci. “This disciple is currently handling affairs for the Grand Miss of Taiji Peak, Li Youci.”

“The Li Family’s Grand Miss?”

Yang Song activated the jade talisman again. This time, there was a quick response. He turned to Ren Zhengze.

“Ren Zhengze, you will personally pilot a Spirit Boat and escort the two of them to Taiji Peak.”

“Yes, Elder!” Ren Zhengze bowed and accepted the order.

On the Spirit Boat, Zhou Kai held Shen Hanyi in his arms, his gaze never leaving her pale, bloodless face.

Ren Zhengze looked at Zhou Kai’s murderous eyes, hesitated, but steeled himself to speak.

“Senior Brother Zhou, according to sect rules, the Law Enforcement Hall expended three pills for Fairy Shen: one healing ‘Dew Return’ pill, one life-preserving ‘Meridian Protection’ pill, and one ‘Spiritual Insight’ pill to help her wake up—though that one didn’t do much… The total comes to three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.”

Zhou Kai’s mind was a mess of anxiety; he had no time to haggle over such things. He simply tossed a bulging bag of Spirit Stones to Ren Zhengze.

Ren Zhengze caught the stones, saw Zhou Kai’s frantic expression, and wisely said no more, focusing entirely on piloting the Spirit Boat.

Before long, Taiji Peak came into view.

The Spirit Boat descended in front of Li Youci’s cave abode. Just as Ren Zhengze was about to announce their arrival, the stone door opened silently.

A tall, aloof figure walked out slowly—it was Li Youci. She wore a veil, revealing only a pair of cold phoenix eyes.

Ren Zhengze cupped his hands respectfully toward Li Youci. “Senior Sister Li, the person has been delivered. I shall take my leave first.”

With that, he hurriedly piloted the Spirit Boat away.

Li Youci’s gaze fell first on Zhou Kai, then shifted to Shen Hanyi, who was tightly embraced in his arms.

When she saw that devastatingly beautiful face, now hanging by a thread, Zhou Kai seemed to catch a flicker of emotion in the depths of her phoenix eyes—even through the veil. It was so fast it was almost impossible to catch.

But in the next instant, that ripple vanished without a trace. Her red lips parted slightly.

“Zhou Kai, your skill in chasing flowers and willows seems to have grown. Where did you abduct this beauty from? Her cultivation isn’t high, but she looks like quite the romantic seed—nearly losing her life just to find you.”

Zhou Kai’s heart tightened. Ignoring everything else, he pleaded urgently:

“Grand Miss, Hanyi has been struck by the demonic qi of Heavenly Demon Ridge. Her injuries are critical; her life hangs by a thread. This subordinate begs the Grand Miss to save her!”

Li Youci’s phoenix eyes lifted slightly as she glanced at Shen Hanyi. Her tone was indifferent.

“Hmph! Your Dao Companion, her life or death—what does that have to do with me, Li Youci? Am I here specifically to clean up your romantic messes?”

After speaking, she didn’t even look at Zhou Kai again. She turned around, swaying gracefully as she walked back into the cave abode. The stone door slammed shut with a boom, isolating Zhou Kai and the dying Shen Hanyi outside.

Zhou Kai’s heart instantly sank to the bottom of an abyss.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from another Restriction beside the cave abode. It was Xia Min.

Xia Min walked up to Zhou Kai, holding a jade vial in her hand, and offered it to him.

“This is a Third Grade Jade Universe Pill, bestowed by the Young Miss.”

Zhou Kai froze, then hurriedly accepted it.

Xia Min continued expressionlessly, “The Young Miss also said that the demonic qi in this woman’s body is strange and domineering. Ordinary healing methods will likely fail to root it out. However… whether it is Spirit Qi, Mana, Vitality, or Sword Essence, the Heavenly Scripture can refine and transform it all.

“It is up to you, Zhou Kai, to see if you have the ability to use your own methods to keep her alive.”

Having delivered the message, Xia Min said no more and turned back to Li Youci’s cave abode.

Zhou Kai clutched the jade vial in his hand and spat out three words.

“Deadly Tsundere.”