Holding the Sword to Carry Away Senior Sister (Transmigration) - Chapter 40

Originally, Fu Yan had been pondering how to deal with Shui Liuqing, but she hadn’t expected the opportunity to be delivered right to her doorstep. Glancing at the horse bandit following closely behind, she realized this was a “buy one, get one free” deal!

With this thought, Fu Yan did not hesitate. She abruptly changed her escape direction, heading straight toward a more desolate, uninhabited area.

According to the agreement with Han Shangzhi, they were supposed to escape directly out of the Quicksand Gobi. However, she had changed her mind, leading the two behind her deeper into the waste.

Before long, Shui Liuqing noticed something was wrong. Why would Fu Yan suddenly change her escape route at a time like this? She should be rushing back toward Bai Yueli and the others; perhaps then she could avoid having to fight.

Yet, something felt off.

Despite this, Shui Liuqing did not give up the chase. No matter what, she believed that the current Fu Yan was no match for her. Even if the girl had some life-saving trump cards, she had her own as well. Reassured by this, Shui Liuqing relaxed her mind and sped up further.

Lang Meng, seeing the two women ahead increase their speed, felt a sudden urge to curse. His cultivation path focused on raw power; in terms of speed, he naturally couldn’t compare to them.

But he had just boasted grandly in front of his brothers. If he didn’t capture these women today, where would his face as the Third Leader go? They would surely laugh at him. Gritting his teeth, Lang Meng directly ignited the thick True Essence in his body. In the next second, his speed increased several times over.

On the vast Quicksand Gobi, three figures flashed by, kicking up clouds of sand in their wake.

Since Shui Liuqing’s gaze was fixed on Fu Yan ahead, she didn’t pay much attention to Lang Meng behind her. To her surprise, in just a few breaths, he had caught up.

“I say… beauty, where do you think you’re running today?” Lang Meng’s coarse voice rang out, full of ill intent as he stared at the nearby Shui Liuqing.

The sudden voice gave Shui Liuqing a jolt of alarm. She immediately drew her sword and lashed out. “Seeking death! Don’t think I’m actually afraid of you!”

However, Lang Meng dodged the strike with ease.

In the next instant, Lang Meng’s physical power exploded, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly. Shui Liuqing quickly braced her own body.

“Heh heh! I don’t want to keep playing with you. If I don’t get back soon, my elder brothers will nag me again!” Lang Meng grinned at Shui Liuqing. Giving his all, he reached out with one hand to seize her.

Shui Liuqing was startled. Having exchanged moves with him earlier, she knew his strength was formidable. She didn’t dare underestimate him and unleashed her strongest sword technique.

After several loud booms, the two locked in a fierce struggle. It was quickly evident, however, that Shui Liuqing was weaker; she simply couldn’t withstand Lang Meng’s brute force.

After two or three more exchanges, Shui Liuqing finally managed to pull away. She flashed a faint smile at Lang Meng, her red lips parting as she spoke leisurely: “I advise you to stop fighting. If you continue, I’m afraid you’ll start bleeding from your seven orifices and die on the spot.”

“What?” Lang Meng clearly didn’t understand her. But just as he prepared to circulate his True Essence, he found his entire body lacked strength. The meridians in his limbs began to twitch slightly.

Realizing what was happening, Lang Meng stared at Shui Liuqing in disbelief. “You… you actually poisoned me!”

Though he wondered when she had managed to poison him through his protective True Essence, Lang Meng knew that if he allowed the toxin to spread, his life would be in danger. Ignoring everything else, he immediately sat down to meditate, desperately trying to suppress the poison and protect his vitals and Qi Sea.

Seeing this, Shui Liuqing sneered. “I told you. Did you really think I was afraid of you?”

Mockery aside, she didn’t step forward to deliver a finishing blow. She knew the consequences of provoking a cornered Late Opening Light cultivator. If he got desperate enough to take her down with him, it wasn’t impossible. Shui Liuqing valued her life and was always cautious.

Fu Yan had run for a while before noticing the commotion behind her had stopped. She turned back in confusion and saw Shui Liuqing and the bandit fighting.

She had planned to lead them even further away to use the Xu You Jade Seal, but that seemed impossible now. Scanning the surroundings with her divine sense to ensure no other creatures were near, she decided this spot was remote enough. No one would suddenly appear to disturb her.

Her mind made up, Fu Yan turned and headed back toward the two.

By the time she returned, she witnessed Lang Meng being poisoned. Looking at the pair, she couldn’t help but twitch her lips.

Without much sentiment, Fu Yan produced the Xu You Jade Seal and directly sucked the defenseless, meditating Lang Meng into the illusion array. Since he was the Third Leader, he was likely loaded with loot. Fu Yan had no intention of letting such a fat sheep escape.

As soon as Shui Liuqing sensed Fu Yan’s return, she turned to glare at her. Before she could speak, she saw Lang Meng, who had been suppressing the poison just a moment ago, vanish into thin air. Within a radius of several hundred miles, she could no longer feel a trace of his aura.

Witnessing this eerie scene, Shui Liuqing turned back to the spot where Lang Meng had been, her skin crawling with a sense of dread.

“This…” She turned back to stare at Fu Yan.

A chilling realization dawned on her, making the soles of her feet feel cold. She looked at Fu Yan in horror. “It’s you… what did you do? Why did that bandit suddenly disappear?”

Though she hated to admit it, they were the only ones on this vast Gobi. Since Shui Liuqing had done nothing but use poison, it had to be Fu Yan’s doing. Realizing Fu Yan held such a terrifying trump card, Shui Liuqing felt a chill down her spine.

“Why does Senior Sister Shui look so surprised?” Fu Yan stared at her with an amused expression, her tone leisurely.

Though Shui Liuqing didn’t know how she did it, she guessed Fu Yan had a powerful treasure. She had thought killing Fu Yan today was a certainty; she never expected things to go this way.

“Junior Sister Fu must have misunderstood. I was just asking casually. Since the bandit is gone, we should head back, lest Senior Sister Bai and the others worry,” Shui Liuqing said, regaining her composure. She gave a forced laugh and prepared to leave.

Shui Liuqing never took risks without at least a seventy percent chance of success. Realizing Fu Yan was not easily dealt with, she decided to retreat. She even brought up Bai Yueli as a shield; after all, others had seen her leave with Fu Yan. If only Fu Yan returned, it would surely arouse Bai Yueli’s suspicion.

Fu Yan understood her perfectly. But since they had completely torn off their masks and she had exposed the jade seal, she was not going to let Shui Liuqing leave alive.

Before Fu Yan could even respond, Shui Liuqing sheathed her sword and bolted. For some reason, she felt that following Fu Yan today had been a massive mistake.

That realization was confirmed in the next second.

Shui Liuqing, having barely moved half a step, felt the air currents around her shift. Then came a familiar, dizzying sensation. In the blink of an eye, her surroundings transformed. When she steadied herself and saw the thick white fog, she froze.

This scene was all too familiar.

The events at the farmed village flashed through her mind. She stared at the fog in utter shock. She had been pulled into the eerie illusion array once again!

Recalling Fu Yan’s presence outside, the truth was undeniable: Fu Yan could control the array. She remembered that Fu Yan had shown no strange behavior in the array before. But now, she had no time to ponder the truth; she had to find a way out, or she would be trapped to death.

In the desert, Fu Yan was now alone. She clapped her hands and stowed the jade seal. After finding a hidden spot, she entered the illusion as well.

Both Lang Meng and Shui Liuqing were Late-stage experts. If she didn’t enter to control the array, they might not die so easily. If they found the exit, it would be over for her. The seal had a fatal flaw: when she entered, the seal itself stayed outside, so she had to settle this quickly.

Without hesitation, Fu Yan focused her mind to locate the two and the Erosion Bees. She then directed the terrifying swarm toward them.

Lang Meng was currently in a state of bewilderment. This was his first time in an illusion array. One moment he was meditating in the desert, the next he was in this white mist. Though he didn’t know the exact poison he’d been hit with, he had used a vast amount of True Essence to stop its spread and could move freely.

As a veteran bandit, he realized this was an illusion array. He focused his mind to prevent his consciousness from slipping. “Damn it, that woman poisoned me and has an illusion array. When I get out, I’ll make her pay!” Believing he’d fallen for Shui Liuqing’s trap, he cursed loudly.

Vented, he began navigating the fog to find an exit. Suddenly, a buzzing sound reached his ears. He froze. Looking toward the source, a black cloud surged through the mist.

“Is that…” He peered through the fog, his heart jumping into his throat. “Ero… Erosion Bees!”

He knew how lethal they were. Without a second thought, he turned and fled in terror. “Why are there Erosion Bees in this array?!” He felt like heaven was playing a cruel joke on him.

Between chasing Shui Liuqing and suppressing the poison, he had already used most of his True Essence. But in this crisis, he forced out what remained to accelerate his escape.

Watching from a distance, Fu Yan gave a cold smile.

Meanwhile, Shui Liuqing was moving through the mist when she heard someone running frantically nearby. She frowned, knowing both she and Lang Meng were trapped. Despite his poison, the chaotic footsteps suggested he was driven to desperation. She couldn’t imagine what could push a Late-stage peak expert to such an edge.

She soon had her answer.

Lang Meng burst out of the fog. He was shocked to see her and was about to curse her out when he remembered the bees. Without a word, he dove back into the mist.

Shui Liuqing was dazed, but then she heard the buzzing. The sound was horribly familiar. She turned and saw the swarm.

“…”

She bolted into the fog as well. She couldn’t believe there were Erosion Bees here. Recalling the attack in the Shadow Forest, her skin crawled. A terrifying thought occurred to her: Fu Yan had captured all those bees in this array. No wonder she had agreed to the plan so readily.

Shui Liuqing suddenly felt a wave of regret. She shouldn’t have provoked Fu Yan. The girl was a demon—terrifying and cold.

Fu Yan watched the hunt in silence. She was tired of the chase; the jade seal was still outside, and it would be bad if someone found it. She raised her hand and manipulated the array like Qiu Lang had done. The white fog became massive chains, binding Lang Meng and Shui Liuqing tight.

Shui Liuqing felt the fog tighten around her and fell into despair as the buzzing grew louder.

“Get away from me!” Lang Meng struggled with all his might, but he was powerless against the chains. The bees swarmed them both.

Shui Liuqing poured all her remaining True Essence into her shield, knowing it wouldn’t last long. Lang Meng did the same. Both were simply waiting for their energy to run dry.

Fu Yan waited in the shadows. The bees bit anything they could reach; she couldn’t show herself.

“AAAAAHHHHHH!!”

Lang Meng, whose True Essence was nearly gone, was the first to let out a wretched scream as the bees began to consume him. Shui Liuqing watched him dissolve into a pool of blood. At that moment, her final defenses crumbled.

“Fu Yan! Fu Yan, come out! I know you can hear me!” she shrieked, looking around wildly.

There was no response.

Shui Liuqing collapsed. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head in terror. “Fu Yan, please! I was wrong! I shouldn’t have opposed you! If you let me go, I’ll stay far away! I’ll never appear before you again!”

Only the buzzing of the bees replied.

“Fu Yan! Please! Don’t you want the antidote? If you let me go, I’ll clear the black qi for you! Fu Yan!” As her True Essence flickered, she became incoherent.

Finally, she heard Fu Yan’s voice: “Do you think I can still trust you? Even if you put the antidote in front of me, would I dare take it?”

“No… no, I’m serious! I really regret it! I’ll do anything you want if you just let me live!” Shui Liuqing caught a sliver of hope and screamed. She was like a drowning person clutching at a straw.

In this moment, Shui Liuqing truly did regret it. She and Fu Yan had no real grudge; it was all over a minor character like Zhou Zhenlie. She realized how stupid she had been to throw her life away for him. She wanted to live!

Fu Yan showed no mercy. Shui Liuqing was cunning; letting her go would be like releasing a tiger back to its mountain, especially with Elder Zhou backing her. If she went back to the sect, Fu Yan would be the one to die. In this world of martial strength, mercy to an enemy was a suicide note.

Shui Liuqing’s protective True Essence dimmed. The bees recognized the weakness and swarmed her completely, leaving no gaps. Fu Yan watched her collapse in despair and turned her eyes away.

Looking at the pool of blood that was once Lang Meng, Fu Yan flicked her wrist, and his storage ring flew into her hand. Without checking the loot, she turned to leave.

But then, Shui Liuqing’s voice rang out one last time.

She screamed: “Fu Yan! I am willing to sign a Soul-Master Servant Contract with you!”