Chapter 119: Dancing on the Edge of the Blade

No one expected that Hong Jian would suddenly come up with such an audacious plan.

It was like dancing on the edge of a blade, incredibly dangerous, yet Lu Yanchang found himself unable to object. Just like Hong Jian, he immediately saw the immense potential benefit hidden within.

He thought, "Miss Fang is no longer just trying to save Helian; she has her sights set on this entire force. She wants to rescue them all and use them to strike back against the Demon-Refining Prison."

Without this, the two of them, with their modest foundations in the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages, had no idea when they would ever be able to exact their revenge. Were they to rely solely on deception and trickery forever?

Lu Yanchang felt a surge of admiration: "She is just a young girl, yet she possesses such courage and resolve for vengeance. I have truly underestimated her all along."

Yet, he could not help but wonder: why wasn't he the one suitable to take this risk?

When Hong Jian suddenly changed her mind and decided to take all the Daoist cultivators away from her grandfather, Jing Xiaoyun did not think much of it. After all, it was because of her that Hong Jian was forced to lie to her grandfather and grand-uncles; just thinking about it caused her immense pressure, so it was only natural that Hong Jian would want to proceed with caution.

Besides, who cared if those Daoist cultivators lived or died? Jing Xiaoyun was only saddened that from this point on, she would be at odds with her grandfather; she feared he would never forgive her. But if she didn't do this, could she just stand by and watch her father be beaten to death by her uncle?

Jing Xiaoyun quickly made up her mind: "Fine, let's do as you say."

Since no one could predict what emergencies might arise, Hong Jian said, "Sister-disciple, you should return soon. Act as if you know nothing and continue to curry favor with your grandfather. It would be best if you stay by his side; if he gives me a hard time, you can help me."

Jing Xiaoyun readily agreed. She greatly admired the plan Hong Jian had devised, though she knew deceiving her grandfather would be no easy feat. No one knew exactly what the Heavenly Demon Sect on the other side of the Sky Curtain was like, so she could only share the customs and taboos passed down through her lineage, speaking whatever came to mind, hoping Hong Jian wouldn't make any major blunders that would expose her to those old men.

The greatest hurdle was that Hong Jian, being a Daoist practitioner, had never cultivated the "Great Heavenly Demon Three-Eyed Soul-Severing Scripture." Lu Yanchang felt that this alone would make it impossible to win the trust of the Heavenly Demon Sect members, and the plan had almost no chance of success. But Hong Jian insisted she would find a way to resolve it.

Although she hadn't cultivated it, as the personal disciple of the Sect Master, it was impossible for her to be entirely ignorant of her own sect's techniques. Thus, she asked Jing Xiaoyun to explain the primary techniques of the Heavenly Demon Sect, including the "Great Heavenly Demon Three-Eyed Soul-Severing Scripture," in detail, relying on her powerful spirit to commit them to memory by sheer force.

Jing Xiaoyun had no qualms about revealing the sect's techniques. After all, Hong Jian and Lu Yanchang were Daoists; even if they knew the techniques, they could not cultivate them.

By the time they finished, the sun was setting, and another day had passed. Jing Xiaoyun felt anxious and repeatedly urged Hong Jian to prepare quickly; she could not bear to wait a moment longer. She hurried back, leaving the demon insect Xiao Hei behind to help.

Seeing Hong Jian lost in thought and motionless for a long time, Lu Yanchang asked worriedly, "This is truly too dangerous. How much confidence do you have?"

Hong Jian took a deep breath. "It's hard to say. I will have to adapt to the situation as it unfolds. As long as they don't know that you and I are acquainted with Xiaoyun, there is a decent chance."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt Xiao Hei stirring in her sleeve. Guessing that Jing Xiaoyun was sending a telepathic message, she channeled the "Great Calamity Scripture" and sensed her meaning: "Don't worry, I haven't told anyone."

Lu Yanchang, filled with apprehension, asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Hong Jian smiled at him. "Just wait for my good news."

Watching her smile, Lu Yanchang felt a twinge of bitterness. Her smile was faint and fleeting, much like the few times she had smiled on their journey—clearly not reaching her heart, intended only to reassure him. He disregarded the fact that the demoness Jing Xiaoyun could hear their conversation through Xiao Hei and urged, "If it's impossible, let it go. Don't force yourself. We can find another way."

But Hong Jian replied, "I have thought it through. This is the best way."

She stood up, smoothed her clothes, and asked Lu Yanchang, "How does this look?"

Lu Yanchang forced himself to look her over from head to toe. "Ordinary. You don't look like a cultivator, and certainly not like someone who came from across the 'Sky Curtain'."

Hong Jian smiled. "That is for the best. I am activating the 'Immortal Neon Rosy Clouds' now. Use your divine sense to check me carefully—is there anything else amiss?"

This concerned her very life. Although he knew the wonders of the "Immortal Neon Rosy Clouds," Lu Yanchang dared not be careless. After a thorough inspection, he said, "I can detect nothing. When my divine sense touches you, I feel only emptiness. Release your aura, do not deliberately restrain it, and let your true essence flow with your intent; the 'Immortal Neon Rosy Clouds' will create the illusion of your cultivation level."

Hong Jian nodded. As long as the members of the Heavenly Demon Sect could not detect the "Immortal Neon Rosy Clouds" or the demon insect Xiao Hei, she could proceed with her plan.

Without further delay, she waved at Lu Yanchang and, under his anxious gaze, walked toward the village where the members of the Heavenly Demon Sect were hiding.

Jing Xiaoyun had told her that the Heavenly Demon Sect members had returned victorious from their attack on the Demon-Refining Prison. Fearing retaliation from the Daoists and needing to settle their captives, they had moved from the front village to the lakeside east of the village, leaving only a few people behind to guard the base.

Hong Jian feigned ignorance. She did not use a flying artifact; she simply walked toward the village, stepping through the sunset, draped in the evening glow like an ordinary person.

The terrain around the village was uneven. There were few cultivated fields, and the vast, barren slopes were covered in trees she couldn't name. Looking at it, one saw only weeds and bushes; occasionally, a hen would emerge from the brush. Without knowing the truth, who would ever suspect that the lair of demon cultivators was nearby?

Hong Jian could sense that Jing Xiaoyun was not in the village.

As she moved deeper into the settlement, she knew someone would stop her to ask whom she was looking for and why she had come. The surrounding villages were far away, and the demon cultivators never interacted with the mortals. It was obvious that unless one came specifically for them with ulterior motives, it was unlikely a stranger would wander here for a visit in a hundred years.

Sure enough, while still several miles from the village, Hong Jian felt someone probing her with divine sense. A man wearing a bamboo hat emerged from the bushes and approached her: "Miss, you look like a stranger. Whom are you looking for? What brings you here?"

It was exactly as she had anticipated; the "Great Calamity Scripture" was working.

As the man sized her up, Hong Jian observed him in return. She wasn't looking at his face beneath the hat, but at his cultivation level.

The man, clearly a sentry, had fluctuations of true essence but had not reached the Foundation Establishment stage. No wonder Hong Jian could easily detect his intentions. It was the same logic as when Dai Mingchi and Ji Youyun had sent apprentices in the Qi Refining stage to the Sky Curtain to search for the "Great Calamity Scripture"—they were too low-level to be noticed by passing Daoists.

Hong Jian stood still and offered a faint, polite smile. "Excuse me, sir, is there a family by the surname Cheng in the nearby village?"

"Who are you..."

"I am a distant relative. Our ancestors were separated during the chaos of war, and it wasn't until recently that I finally received word of this place. Since I had the opportunity to return to my homeland, my elders instructed me to pay a visit. I wonder if there is anyone left of the Cheng family?"

To anyone unaware of the truth, Hong Jian's words sounded perfectly ordinary. But the man was clearly startled. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I am from Cheng Family Village. Wait here, Miss. I will go and send word to have the person in charge come to receive you." With that, he turned and ran toward the village.

Hong Jian’s gaze followed him, piercing through the thin evening mist toward the gloomy little village. There were people from the Heavenly Demon Sect left behind, but they were certainly not the ones in charge.

Ignoring his request to wait, she continued walking toward the village.

As she drew closer, she noticed the village's strangeness: there were no sounds of chickens or dogs. The houses hidden among the weeds and fences were deathly silent in the night, and the few lights that occasionally flickered seemed to carry a gloomy, lifeless aura.

At the entrance to the village stood several tall trees, and the village marker was half-buried in wild grass, overgrown with vines. Suddenly, a few birds flew up from the trees, letting out shrill cries.

Hong Jian released her divine sense and felt many snakes, insects, rats, and ants gathering toward her from within the village.

She had reached this point; fear was useless. Besides, having survived the upheaval of the Dan Ya Sect and the twenty years of relentless baptisms within the Demon-Refining Prison, there was little left in this world that could frighten Hong Jian.

She met the demon insects and stepped slowly into the village.

A vine hung down from above, following her, stopping and starting as if hesitating whether to attack. Hong Jian stopped, and the vine froze, hanging just two feet from her back.

Hong Jian did not turn around. Xiao Hei flapped its wings silently in her sleeve, and the vine, as if startled by something, suddenly recoiled into the darkness.

Through the "Great Calamity Scripture," Hong Jian sensed a feeling of smug satisfaction in Xiao Hei's soul—whether it came from Jing Xiaoyun or the insect itself, she couldn't be sure.

In these few moments, more and more demon insects gathered around Hong Jian. A rustling sound, like rain, echoed from the grass and trees. Hong Jian ignored them and continued to walk forward.

Jing Xiaoyun, clearly aware of everything happening through Xiao Hei, let out a sound of approval and sent a thought: "I'll help you!"

Her powerful divine sense as a Nascent Soul demon cultivator surged through the medium of Xiao Hei, sweeping through Hong Jian’s spirit and erupting outward. The surroundings fell silent for a moment, and then the dense swarm of demon insects retreated like an ebbing tide, clearing a path for her.