She could no longer escape.
Chu Zhaoqiu had deliberately withdrawn her people, taking a gamble.
She had gambled correctly.
This Fingerless Madam was indeed closely monitoring their every move—the Demon Hunters—and she was very impatient.
So impatient that she couldn’t even wait a single day before revealing herself.
Fingerless Madam… seemed dead set1 on not letting Liu Guohui go.
“What grudge is there between you and Liu Guohui, exactly?” Chu Zhaoqiu got straight to the point2, heading right for the main topic. “You seem unwilling to let him off.”
Fingerless Madam stood in the wind, her red dress fluttering like a wisp of ethereal smoke—light, elusive.
“You Demon Hunters are really too fond of meddling in other people’s business, it’s quite annoying.”
Chu Zhaoqiu, as if infected by Fu Lianxue’s meticulousness, corrected her rigorously, “You have already departed the human path3. You are now a ghost.”
Fingerless Madam: “…”
Her eyes narrowed, cold as frost. “Whether you’re human or ghost, don’t you dare interfere!”
“I can’t do that.”
Chu Zhaoqiu calmly removed the hairpin from her hair.
The hairpin flipped nimbly between her five fingers, instantly transforming into a Fuchen4, which she held nestled in the crook of her arm, sacred and imposing like flowing strands of silver moonlight.
“You cannot kill again.”
Fingerless Madam sneered. “And what gives you the right to control me?”
She didn’t want to waste any more words with her. Turning, she was about to transform into wind and depart, intending to directly claim Liu Guohui’s dog life.
Just as she spun around, a whoosh cut through the air, and a binding force suddenly tightened around her waist.
She glanced down, then followed the taut, extended white strands of the Fuchen to glare fiercely at Chu Zhaoqiu, her eyes filled with hostility.
Chu Zhaoqiu shifted slightly to the side, gripping her artifact tightly, and said composedly, “Because you’ve been discovered. Demon Hunters can’t meddle in affairs they don’t know about.”
If Ye Linlin and the others hadn’t discovered her initially, they could have pretended not to know. Unfortunately, fate had arranged it thus, and they, as Demon Hunters, couldn’t just stand by and watch.
“Stop now. You cannot kill again. If you continue like this, you will inevitably be hunted by all the Demon Hunters under heaven, and finding entry into reincarnation5 will become difficult.”
“I don’t care,” Fingerless Madam looked at her, her face scornful. “Since I dared to take this step, why would I fear you lot, or care about this reincarnation?
“Little girl6, you’re all alone. You might not be a match for me.”
As her words fell, Chu Zhaoqiu suddenly felt the taut Fuchen in her hand slacken—Fingerless Madam wasn’t retreating but attacking, actively charging towards her!
“Those who block me die!”
The red clothes were like fire, appearing even more demonic under the moonlight.
Nine fingers curled into claws, the suddenly elongated black nails sharp as poison-dipped blades, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud.
Chu Zhaoqiu’s beautiful eyes turned sharp as she horizontally blocked with the Fuchen.
A shockwave like wind blasted outwards, lifting their dark hair.
Immediately after, the Fuchen spun nimbly, coiling around Fingerless Madam’s arm like a gliding snake.
Chu Zhaoqiu gripped the handle, using leverage to redirect the force7, pulling downwards. Fingerless Madam’s arm was dragged down with it, and with a boom, the palm strike hit empty air beside them, not even a strand of hair touching Chu Zhaoqiu.
The human and the ghost locked eyes, mere inches apart.
Fingerless Madam narrowed her eyes. “Little girl, you’ve got some skill.”
“Think thrice before you act,” Chu Zhaoqiu continued to persuade. “Regardless of the past, if you stop now, there’s still a chance for reincarnation. If you really kill Liu Guohui, there will be no turning back.”
Fingerless Madam let out a derisive snort.
“Turning back? I don’t care for it!”
She flipped her palm and attacked again, her resolve matching her desire to kill Liu Guohui—a fight to the death!
Chu Zhaoqiu raised her hand to counter, unhurried.
Under the bright moon, the human and the ghost were clearly distinct in offense and defense. Their moves clashed intensely amidst the silver and red lights, sparks scattering like brilliant stars, accompanied by fierce, whistling winds.
Far away, atop another tall building, a pair of strangely beautiful purple eyes8 watched the battle. In her hand, she still held a hairpin with tassels.
The two sides were locked in a stalemate; neither held the upper hand.
Or rather, Fingerless Madam was being subtly suppressed, unable to gain the upper hand.
Back at the battle, their palms struck together with accumulated force. The human and the ghost were both thrown back by the impact, each landing apart.
Fingerless Madam could see it now.
This little girl didn’t intend to capture or eliminate her yet.
Chu Zhaoqiu could also see it.
Fingerless Madam was absolutely determined to kill Liu Guohui.
“Why exactly do you want to kill Liu Guohui?” Chu Zhaoqiu’s brow furrowed slightly. “What is the grudge between you two?”
Fingerless Madam’s eyes, hidden behind strands of dark hair, remained cold. “Want to know? I’ll tell you after I kill him.
“Or perhaps… you won’t get the chance to hear it!”
As her voice landed, the ghostly red figure flickered like an illusion9, rushing forward in the blink of an eye!
Chu Zhaoqiu’s eyes widened slightly as she rapidly retreated.
Fingerless Madam pursued relentlessly. For every step Chu Zhaoqiu took back, she advanced one, her palm strikes as dense as rain, leaving no room to breathe.
Chu Zhaoqiu retreated while blocking. Under the overwhelming killing intent, she had no choice but to switch from defense to offense.
Fingerless Madam probably wouldn’t tell her why she wanted to kill Liu Guohui.
Her only option now was to find a way to subdue her and bring her back!
“Oh, so you’re not defending anymore.”
The contemptuous words were followed closely by ghostly maneuvers.
The two clashed fiercely once more.
Fu Lianxue stood in the distance, still watching motionlessly.
She didn’t intend to intervene.
The grudges between Demon Hunters and ghosts were not something she wanted to get involved in, nor did she have any standing to do so.
Besides, Chu Zhaoqiu was fighting Fingerless Madam on equal footing; she didn’t need anyone else interfering and messing things up.
However, she hadn’t expected Chu Zhaoqiu’s magical abilities to be so strong at only twenty-three. If they were fighting, Chu Zhaoqiu could probably hold her own against her too.
It seemed that no matter how much time passed, no matter how many reincarnations, a genius was ultimately still a genius.
Just then, she saw another person suddenly appear and actively join the battle—
“Zhaoqiu-jiejie, I’m here to help you!”
Ye Linlin suddenly appeared, taking off the silver chain on her wrist which transformed into a long whip. Without a word, she rushed forward to help, trying to break the stalemate and subdue the evil ghost.
Her joining surprised Chu Zhaoqiu.
The red-clothed ghost before them tapped her foot, her form twisting like wind, and abruptly floated backward, instantly appearing before Ye Linlin. She suddenly turned to deal with her first, catching both her and Chu Zhaoqiu off guard.
“Linlin!”
Ye Linlin’s eyes widened. She hurriedly dodged, whipping her hand back to lash out with the whip—attacking as a form of defense!
Fingerless Madam dodged sideways, her red clothes fluttering as she evaded the Fuchen striking from behind her as well.
When her hand came down, it was blocked by the Fuchen; the young girl who had suddenly appeared had already been pulled behind Chu Zhaoqiu at some unknown moment.
—Such speed.
Fingerless Madam thought.
Ye Linlin quickly swung her whip again, trying to bind Fingerless Madam.
Unexpectedly, the opponent showed no fear, instead directly grabbing her silver whip and yanking her forward forcefully.
Chu Zhaoqiu, with quick eyes and fast hands, simultaneously helped Ye Linlin steady herself while reaching out to grab the silver whip alongside her.
It all happened in an instant. The moment she grabbed the silver whip, Fingerless Madam suddenly released it and closed the distance, seizing her arm!
A silent instant, like clutching a lifeline.
Chu Zhaoqiu immediately struck out with her palm, hitting Fingerless Madam squarely in the chest.
Fingerless Madam didn’t let her off either. Her sharp nails scraped viciously across Chu Zhaoqiu’s arm, instantly leaving four long, bloody marks.
Both sides were injured.
Blood seeped from the wounds, dripping down Chu Zhaoqiu’s arm. She bit her lip, saying nothing.
“Zhaoqiu-jiejie!”
Ye Linlin was instantly filled with guilt.
“Sis—!”
Chu Sining, rushing onto the rooftop, witnessed this exact moment.
But Fingerless Madam’s assault hadn’t stopped.
Taking Chu Zhaoqiu’s life while she was injured would eliminate such a troublesome person from hindering her ever again!
Consumed by killing intent10, she curled her fingers, preparing to strike again.
Just then, a streak of purple Qi suddenly flew in from beyond, flashed past her, and forcefully entered the fray, embedding itself qiang into the ground with imposing momentum—it was a hairpin, a hairpin with swaying tassels.
Chu Zhaoqiu recognized it immediately.
It was her hairpin.
The next second, Fingerless Madam saw a woman with a tear mole beneath her eye appear out of thin air, her entire being radiating an immensely powerful demonic aura.
The woman stood sternly between her and Chu Zhaoqiu, blocking her path, protecting the injured Chu Zhaoqiu.
Fingerless Madam frowned at Fu Lianxue, recognizing her almost instantly. “It’s you.”
She asked again, “You intend to save her?”
A familiar conversation.
This time, however, Fu Lianxue’s answer was: “Yes, I intend to save her.
“I don’t care what grudges you have with others, nor do I care who you want to kill, but her, you cannot touch.
“If you intend to kill her…”
Fu Lianxue’s eyes were cold. “I will kill you first.”
Her tone was severe and ruthless, her purple eyes filled with a dangerous aura that dared anyone to provoke her.
Fingerless Madam couldn’t help but narrow her eyes, scrutinizing her and Chu Zhaoqiu. “What is your relationship?”
Fu Lianxue said, “Never mind our relationship. In short, her life is mine. You don’t touch her, I don’t touch you.”
Fingerless Madam didn’t speak.
Fu Lianxue added, “Also, you should leave. If you don’t go now, her subordinates will be coming up soon. You’ll be outnumbered. Then, even if you want to leave, you won’t be able to.
“Or do you think you can kill us both in such a short time and then escape?”
Fu Lianxue stepped aside slightly, gesturing towards Chu Zhaoqiu. “You’ve fought her. You should know that injuring one hand doesn’t mean she’s crippled.
“Do you think you can defeat both her and me?”
Fingerless Madam glanced at Chu Zhaoqiu, then back at Fu Lianxue, and snorted coldly.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
With that, she turned and dissipated into wind, departing.
After Fingerless Madam left, Fu Lianxue immediately turned back to check Chu Zhaoqiu’s injuries.
She carefully lifted Chu Zhaoqiu’s hand, her brow tightly furrowed, her expression tense, as if the injury was on her own body.
This was the first time Chu Zhaoqiu had seen her like this.
—She was worried about her.
She comforted softly, “It’s alright, it doesn’t hurt. It’ll be fine once I get back and bandage it.”
She had barely finished speaking when Fu Lianxue glared fiercely at her.
“Bleeding this much and it doesn’t hurt?!
“So this is what you meant by protecting yourself properly, huh?!”
Her anger flared up so suddenly that both Chu Sining and Ye Linlin were startled.
Chu Zhaoqiu was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered. Instead of getting angry, she smiled and even reached out to pat Fu Lianxue’s shoulder, signaling her not to be scared or panic. Then she turned and delegated matters to Bu Yu, who had just arrived, ordering them to continue monitoring Liu Guohui’s movements.
The Young Head of the Family must remain calm in a crisis.
Only after arranging everything did she go back for treatment.
Chu Family Living Room.
A professional physician was applying medicine and bandaging Chu Zhaoqiu’s arm.
Fu Lianxue stood nearby, arms crossed, brow knitted, eyes glued to the physician’s movements as if afraid he would be heavy-handed and hurt Chu Zhaoqiu.
The physician finished bandaging, packing up his things while instructing, “You need to avoid strenuous activity during this time, don’t let the wound get wet, change the dressing daily, rest well, and pay attention to your diet—eat less spicy/irritating, raw/cold, or oily foods.”
Chu Zhaoqiu nodded, agreeing to each point.
“I understand, thank you.”
The physician nodded.
Chu Zhaohua stood up to personally escort the physician out, taking the opportunity to inquire in detail about her granddaughter’s dietary needs.
Ye Linlin sat beside Chu Zhaoqiu, her face full of remorse.
Chu Sining looked worriedly at her older sister, constantly asking if it hurt.
Chu Zhaoqiu smiled and shook her head, gently reassuring them.
She was used to it. Demon Hunters had to face all sorts of demons and ghosts; how could they possibly emerge unscathed every time?
In the entire living room, only Fu Lianxue remained silent.
Brow tightly furrowed, heavy-hearted, her chest felt unbearably tight, as if a ball of anger was still smoldering within.
Suddenly, she heard Chu Zhaoqiu call her name: “Lianxue.”
She frowned and looked over, seeing the other woman extending a hand towards her, saying softly, gently, “Could you help me back to my room to rest?”
Fu Lianxue, irritated, snapped, “You’re the most troublesome!”
Despite her words, her actions in helping her up missed no detail, and her touch was as light as could possibly be.
Clearly disdainful, yet so very careful.
Chu Sining and Ye Linlin remained seated, watching them go upstairs.
Fu Lianxue had just saved Chu Zhaoqiu; she was now considered a lifesaver to their Chu family…
Back in the room, Fu Lianxue released Chu Zhaoqiu, watching blankly as she closed the door, watching her walk over to her side and say, very gently, very softly, “You’re angry at me.”
Fu Lianxue didn’t deny it. “Yeah, so what? Can’t I be angry?”
Chu Zhaoqiu asked again, “Are you angry that I didn’t protect myself properly?”
Fu Lianxue was suddenly at a loss for words.
She abruptly turned her head away, falling silent.
She knew exactly what she was angry about.
Angry that Chu Zhaoqiu hadn’t done what she said she would, and had gotten hurt.
Also angry at herself, angry at her own uselessness.
She had thought she could remain detached, not interfering in the conflict between Chu Zhaoqiu and Fingerless Madam.
But when she saw Fingerless Madam’s hand grab Chu Zhaoqiu’s arm, her heart had suddenly tightened. She had actually become nervous involuntarily, not to mention the shock and fear she felt seeing Chu Zhaoqiu’s arm covered in blood.
She was afraid something would happen to Chu Zhaoqiu, afraid death would approach Chu Zhaoqiu—she fundamentally didn’t want her to die.
Therefore, she had acted, using the hairpin that should have been returned to Chu Zhaoqiu to intervene in the grudge between Chu Zhaoqiu and Fingerless Madam.
The moment the hairpin landed, the dust settled; nothing could be undone.
She could no longer escape.
—She liked Chu Zhaoqiu. Liked11 her more than she had ever expected.
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