In the grand hall of the Black Fiend Demon Palace, the stench of blood lingered.
You Wuji glanced at the scattered corpses on the floor, then cast a look towards the side hall, the deference in his eyes long replaced by a sinister glint.
He slowly straightened up, the fingers beneath his black robe whitening from clenching, the earlier subservience to Chen Ping utterly gone.
“Father…” Youyue timidly approached, her skirt still stained with drying marks.
She kept her head down, avoiding You Wuji’s gaze.
You Wuji spun around, his crimson stare making Youyue tremble.
He stepped forward, seizing his daughter’s wrist, his voice thick with suppressed rage, “Humiliation! This is a disgrace unseen in a century for our Black Fiend Demon Palace! I, your father, am useless, letting you be defiled by that filthy old ghost…”
“Father, don’t say that.”
Youyue, surprisingly calm, lifted her head, her face bearing a strange flush, “That Hu Mazi may be old, but he’s far better than your disciples and grand-disciples. Besides… he gave me a thrill I’ve never experienced before.”
“You!”
You Wuji trembled with fury, choked speechless by the wanton gleam in his daughter’s eyes.
He flung her hand away, turning to face the roiling dark clouds outside the hall, grinding out through clenched teeth, “Chen Ping… Hu Mazi… this grudge is irreconcilable!”
Youyue adjusted her dishevelled clothes and stepped beside her father, her voice turning cold, “Father, now’s not the time for empty bravado. With Nan Batian backing Chen Ping, there’s no place for us in the Fourth Heaven.”
“I know.”
You Wuji took a deep breath, a ruthless glint in his eyes, “Chen Ping thinks sparing my life gives him control? He underestimates me, You Wuji! Since he has a feud with the Evil Path Hall, we’ll defect to them!”
“You mean Uncle?” Youyue’s eyes lit up.
“Exactly.”
You Wuji nodded, “Your Uncle You Wuxie holds a high rank in the Evil Path Hall. Though Chen Ping said he’s only a wisp of a soul, with the Evil Path Hall’s power, your uncle can easily reconstruct his body. If we join forces with them, Chen Ping will surely meet a gruesome end!”
He walked to a corner, reaching under a loose floor tile to pull out a black storage pouch, “This contains the treasures amassed by our Black Fiend Demon Palace over generations, enough to grease palms in the Fifth Heaven. Pack your things, we’re leaving now!”
Youyue nodded, turning to gather her belongings.
You Wuji gazed at the empty hall, a savage smirk curling his lips, “Chen Ping, you think I’ll help you track down the Hu clan’s souls? Just wait, soon enough, I’ll make you watch your own soul refined by the Evil Path Hall!”
Under cover of night, the father and daughter slipped away from the Black Fiend Demon Palace, avoiding patrolling cultivators, erasing all traces as if they had never been there.
Meanwhile, Chen Ping, Nan Batian, and Hu Mazi stood before the gates of the Crimson Training Sect.
The sect, built against a mountain, was flanked by massive snake-shaped totems, exuding an eerie aura.
The guards at the gate had sensed something amiss, drawing their weapons and eyeing the trio warily.
“Who goes there? How dare you trespass on Crimson Training Sect grounds!” the lead guard barked.
Hu Mazi stepped forward, a ferocious grin on his face, “Tell your master, Grandpa Hu is here for revenge! Summon that Crimson Training Fairy to face her death!”
The guards’ expressions shifted, clearly recognising Hu Mazi.
In recent times, Chen Ping and Hu Mazi’s names had echoed like thunder through Jiupan Mountain.
“So it’s you, remnant scum!”
One guard sneered, “Just the three of you, challenging our Crimson Training Sect? Utterly delusional!”
