Chapter 180: Eternal Red (10)

Chapter 180: Eternal Red (10)

This game of hide-and-seek continues for hours. At several points during it, Lan Xiaohui has a close encounter with the fox in pursuit the monsters furious screeching and howling originating from only a few rows of shrubs and trees away. Lan Xiaohui has no choice but to hide in the bushes, thickets, roots, and hollows of trees, waiting for the fox to pass by.

Even though it is such a dangerous situation her life would end in an instant were she to be discovered she remains calm. At those times, when she dares not even make a single motion, she circulates her inner energy, trying to regain stamina and heal some of her wounds. At some point, she even begins to think of these close encounters not as a dangerous thing, but as an opportunity to rest.

Even after dragging Wu Yulans unconscious body for several dozen kilometers, over such a long time that day changed to night, she never shows even a moment of hesitation or any indicator that she is considering leaving Wu Yulan behind.

She must know that at some point she will be discovered; she must know that her chances of survival are much greater if she left Wu Yulan behind. Through her bond with the girl, my owner must know that Wu Yulan would wish for this as well. There is no reason for both of them to die.

It is only this foolish creature, sentimental as it is, that considers termination the end of the journey. Death is not the end. Wu Yulan can be repurposed and recycled. Her body contains a vast amount of essence that I could absorb, and her spirit may even live on as a simulation inside my Inner World.

Lan Xiaohui knows this too, but she never stops dragging Wu Yulan.

Her actions speak louder than any words: If we must die, we will die together.

It is simple. It is straightforward. It is befitting of a sword cultivator.

It is foolish.

But why has the fox not found Lan Xiaohui yet? Even though Lan Xiaohui uses her qi to cover the tracks she leaves behind, dragging Wu Yulan behind her, it is not perfect, and I use my own reserves to not only perfectly conceal them but also create false leads to mislead the fox.

However, this fox is a fifth-rank beast such methods should be easy for it to see through. Yet, the closest it ever got to Lan Xiaohui is thirty steps.

No matter how much qi Lan Xiaohui uses, she cannot conceal the heat of her body, the scent of her person and blood, or even the consciousness that still retains its killing intent. A beast, like the fox, should especially be attuned to sensing killing intent.

Even if I take into account that its eye may still be maimed a wound that likely shouldve healed by now it does not explain this strange outcome.

I have a theory, however. This valley may be used by the You clan to train their disciples in concealing their aura. If this is a testing ground, it is likely not to eliminate the demonic beasts that inhabit it, but to hide and escape from them. Concealing ones aura into the background of the already powerful sword force that exists naturally here would be the most optimal way to escape this land.

Wu Yulan winces as her latest maneuver reminds her of the awful state her body is in. I already sense her circulating her qi, trying to support her broken bones. I assist her with this, but at a reduced output to prevent my own aura from attracting more beasts.

Where are we, do you know? Wu Yulan asks.

Lan Xiaohui shakes her head. I think I made a mistake, she says, cadence slow and volume weak. I went the wrong way. I think we ended up deeper in the valley.

Wu Yulan remains calm after hearing this, nodding. Its fine. Its fine, she says, repeating the phrase twice. Which direction did you go in?

south, my owner replies, eyelids drooping.

Going south was not a bad decision. It is common knowledge that, on the Sky Continent, the north is colder than the south. With this blizzard and cold, it is reasonable to assume that they were in the northern regions of the continent. However, they may be in the northern part of the valley itself.

The greater issue at hand is whether or not Lan Xiaohui could truly tell north from south in this blizzard. In this darkness, it is absolutely impossible to tell the compass directions, but even during the day, with how heavy the blizzard is, it is also extremely unlikely. Not even I could confirm or deny whether Lan Xiaohui truly walked toward the south.

Perhaps, while falling, while they were still above the heart of the blizzard, she caught a glimpse of the sun and remembered in which direction it was.

Seeing Lan Xiaohui become more and more listless, and falling asleep, Wu Yulan winces again.

My owners companion slips her head under Lan Xiaohuis shoulder and lifts herself up, supporting Lan Xiaohui into a standing position.

Xuelian, we have to keep moving. I will think of something, but for now, we have to avoid freezing to death, Wu Yulan says. Night is falling and we have to find shelter.

Lan Xiaohui nods.

The two take off into the darkness, and after nearly an hour of walking aimlessly, but not in a circle thanks to my subtle interventions, they come across a strange region in the valley.

Abruptly, in front of them, the blizzard simply stops. An exit?