Nightwatcher

# 413. Cat-Riding Instinct

Inside the Yue Clan Manor, the battle that shook the mountains and upended the seas did not last long; it ended in less than a quarter of an hour.

Far away, the various factions scattered in all directions waited for a long time. Seeing that the manor remained silent and no large-scale battle had broken out, they cautiously began to return.

Leading the way were the Rank Four experts, with their subordinates trailing behind them at a distance.

The sect and gang leaders of the Wulin Alliance gathered together and cautiously entered the manor. The Earth Sect and King Huai's spies responded to each other from afar, forming an alliance.

Xiao Yuenu and the others wore tense expressions. Despite their confidence in their alliance leader and knowing that the opponent was only an avatar, the Human Sect Daoist Leader was still a seasoned second rank expert.

This could not be measured by common sense.

"Don't worry. Alliance Leader Cao is a third rank expert. No matter how powerful the Daoist Leader of the Human Sect is, he couldn’t possibly defeat the alliance leader in such a short time." Fu Jingmen said steadily.

"But the battle is definitely over," said the leader of the Qianji Sect.

"From what I see, Alliance Leader Cao must have won," Xiao Yuenu said with a relaxed expression, playfully blinking her eyes.

Her reasoning was simple: among those of the same rank, martial artists were the hardest to kill. Since both the alliance leader and the Daoist Leader’s avatar were Rank Three, defeating the alliance leader in such a short time would have been nearly impossible.

And now that the battle deep within the Yue Clan Manor had ended, the outcome was obvious.

Yang Cuixue sighed, "The alliance leader has only just reached Rank Three and already defeated the National Teacher's avatar. If this news spreads, our Wulin Alliance and the alliance leader’s reputation will reach new heights."

"The Jianghu of the Great Feng's Thirteen Provinces shall take the Wulin Alliance as its supreme leader," another sect leader added.

Everyone exchanged smiles, their tension easing. However, they remained alert as they proceeded slowly.

"Hmph…"

From the distance, Tianji muttered a curse under his breath—not because the National Teacher had lost, but because Cao Qingyang had stepped into Rank Three. From now on, his name would be widely known, and this was not good news for the court.

The stronger the forces of the jianghu became, the weaker the court’s control over the region would grow.

During times of peace, this would not be a problem—but if chaos arose, these regions would be the first to rebel.

After passing through several collapsed buildings and courtyards in disarray, they walked for nearly a quarter of an hour before finally returning to the Cold Pond, where they saw a figure in purple robes standing proudly in the distance.

Among the Earth Sect’s Demon Daoists, someone sniggered.

Just as joy began to surface on Yang Cuixue and the others' faces, their expressions suddenly froze. Panic and fear spread as a dozen sect leaders and chiefs rushed forward and stood before Cao Qingyang.

Cao Qingyang no longer showed any signs of breathing, heartbeat, or any other signs of life.

The Earth Sect’s Demon Daoists had already sensed that Cao Qingyang’s primordial spirit had perished, which was why they had laughed.

"Alliance… Alliance Leader!!"

The leader of the Qianji Sect wailed in grief, visibly shaken.

"How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Fu Jingmen of the Divine Fist Sect fell to his knees before Cao Qingyang, pounding the ground with his right fist.

"Alliance Leader Cao has fallen…"

Xiao Yuenu’s delicate figure swayed, and the colour drained from her face. Even the lips beneath her veil turned pale.

She stared blankly at the lifeless Cao Qingyang, overwhelmed by confusion, loss, and helpless fear.

The pillar of the Wulin Alliance had fallen—at the Yue Clan Manor. A successor had not yet been chosen since Cao Qingyang was still in his prime.

This meant that the major sects of Jianzhou and the Wulin Alliance headquarters would soon descend into chaos as they vied for the position of alliance leader.

"In the six hundred years since the Wulin Alliance was founded, there have been fewer than three cases of an alliance leader dying prematurely. What are we to do now? What are we to do?" The leader of the Ink Pavilion, Yang Cuixue, said with trembling lips.

By now, the disciples and followers of the Wulin Alliance had gathered. Seeing the scene before them, they broke into loud wails of mourning.

Especially the disciples from the Wulin Alliance headquarters—one after another, they fell to their knees, crying bitterly.

Not long ago, they had been celebrating Cao Qingyang's promotion to third rank, believing that a golden age for the Wulin Alliance was at hand, that its strength and prestige would reach new heights.

Yet in the blink of an eye, everything had turned around. Alliance Leader Cao had fallen; the joyful news had become a devastating blow. From the peak, they had plunged into the abyss.

"Tsk tsk, Luo Yuheng is as ruthless and merciless as ever," said the white-haired Daoist Chilian, with a mocking tone.

Now that Cao Qingyang was dead, there was nothing left to fear.

If the major sects of the Wulin Alliance dared to retaliate in anger, that would suit him perfectly—the Lotus Daoists of the Earth Sect would relish the opportunity to bathe Jianzhou in blood.

"Huh? The Nine-Coloured Lotus is missing," Tianji said after searching the area with his gaze.

Tianshu sent a message to the Earth Sect Daoists:

"The Nine-Coloured Lotus must have been taken by the National Teacher. Since she came with an avatar and has no way back, the lotus must now be in Xu Qi’an’s hands. Go—kill Xu Qi’an and seize the lotus!"

After relaying the message, she began to sow discord among the Wulin Alliance crowd:

"The National Teacher's avatar was summoned by Xu Qi’an. He knew that the National Teacher was a Rank Two expert, yet he still summoned her—clearly intending to kill Alliance Leader Cao.

"Poor Alliance Leader Cao admired him, personally sparred with him, and helped him reach Rank Five—only to be repaid with betrayal."

The members of the Wulin Alliance looked at each other with dark expressions, glaring at her.

Tianshu snorted coldly and said, "What, am I wrong? Brothers of the Wulin Alliance, ask yourselves—is Xu Qi’an not a traitor? Did Alliance Leader Cao not die unjustly?"

The members of the Wulin Alliance exchanged hesitant glances.

"Shut up!" Yang Cuixue shouted, his hair and beard bristling with anger. "If you dare to spread more poisonous lies, I will cut you down here and now!"

Tianshu sneered. "Then go ahead!"

At that moment, King Huai's spies stepped forward, hands on their sword hilts.

Suddenly, Daoist Chilian struck without warning. A flying sword shot out from his sleeve, streaking toward Daoist Jinlian, who was seated in meditation.

_Buzz!_

The flying sword struck an invisible barrier of qi and rebounded into the sky.

"Everyone, let’s kill this old Daoist first, and we’ll settle the score with Xu Qi’an later, how about that?" Daoist Chilian called out loudly.

As he spoke, the Daoists of the Earth Sect continued their assault, manipulating flying swords to strike at the qi barrier, but none of them could breach its defence.

The Demon Daoists of the Earth Sect were well aware of Daoist Jinlian’s true identity. Now that the Daoist Leader was entangled with him in the sea of consciousness, locked in a stalemate, breaking this deadlock was actually quite simple—just sever Jinlian’s physical body.

In doing so, Jinlian’s lingering soul would become a rootless floating weed, leaving him vulnerable to a devastating blow, or even outright destruction.

If they could draw the Wulin Alliance into their camp, then they would have an absolute guarantee of success.

Whether this would harm their Daoist Leader was not a concern, as the Daoist Leader had only sent an avatar.

Tianji immediately chimed in, "Exactly. There’s no need for everyone to argue over trivial matters. Kill this old Daoist first. All of this started because of him—let him accompany Alliance Leader Cao in death."

He cleverly avoided mentioning Xu Qi’an, as that would have inevitably caused hesitation or even resentment among the members of the Wulin Alliance.

The straightforward Fu Jingmen cursed, "What nonsense about a lotus seed! If it weren’t for the people from Yue Clan Manor, the Alliance Leader wouldn’t have died. I’ll make this old Daoist accompany the Alliance Leader in death."

At this moment, Daoist Jinlian opened his eyes and looked toward the people of the Wulin Alliance. "Alliance Leader Cao is not dead."

Fu Jingmen’s steps halted. Hearing this, his eyes widened in disbelief. "You damned Daoist, what did you say?"

Yang Cuixue and Xiao Yuenu’s bodies trembled.

"A destroyed primordial spirit—how could he still be alive? Old Daoist, don’t deceive us," one of the sect leaders said in a deep voice, though his tone carried a noticeable tremor.

"Of course he can be alive. I’m not lying to you," Daoist Jinlian said.

Amid the crisis, he had barely managed to suppress the avatar of Heilian and had seized the chance to speak, intending to persuade the Wulin Alliance to protect him for a time.

What the Wulin Alliance cared most about was Alliance Leader Cao’s life.

Xiao Yuenu took a deep breath, stepped forward gracefully, and said softly, "Please advise us, Daoist. If you can save Alliance Leader Cao, you will be the great benefactor of the Wulin Alliance."

Yang Cuixue formally bowed and said seriously, "Please set aside past grievances, Daoist, and save Alliance Leader Cao’s life."

Fu Jingmen immediately changed his attitude, fixing his gaze on Daoist Jinlian. "Old Daoist—if you can save Alliance Leader Cao, I, Fu Jingmen, will stake my life to protect you today."

The others immediately echoed the sentiment, earnestly requesting Daoist Jinlian’s aid with the utmost respect.

Daoist Jinlian shook his head. "The one you should be asking is not me, but Xu Qi’an."

Xiao Yuenu’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise. "Silver Gong Xu?"

*This… how was this related to Silver Gong Xu again? He wasn’t even here…* The sect leaders and masters exchanged puzzled looks.

"Daoist, just tell us already! Why can Silver Gong Xu save the Alliance Leader?" Fu Jingmen was both curious and anxious.

The others fixed their gaze on Daoist Jinlian.

"Given the Human Sect Daoist Leader’s personality, she is ruthless in battle and never shows mercy. But just now, I saw with my own eyes that she drew out Alliance Leader Cao’s soul and took it away…"

*The Earth Sect Daoists had mentioned earlier that the Human Sect Daoist Leader was ruthless and never showed mercy…* Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuenu’s eyes flashed with understanding, and she softly asked:

"Was it because of Silver Gong Xu?"

Daoist Jinlian nodded. "It seems that before summoning the Human Sect Daoist Leader, Silver Gong Xu had already pleaded for Alliance Leader Cao’s life."

Fu Jingmen laughed heartily, clenching his fists together. "That must be it! Silver Gong Xu is righteous and honourable—it was well worth helping him last night."

Yang Cuixue stroked his beard and smiled, visibly pleased. "Alliance Leader Cao helped him ascend to fifth rank. That favour has certainly paid off."

The sect master of the Qianji Sect agreed, "Indeed. Thinking about it carefully, a chivalrous man as noble as Silver Gong Xu would certainly have warned the National Teacher that Alliance Leader Cao was not a mortal enemy."

The members of the Wulin Alliance were immersed in the joy of recovering their lost leader, though they remained vigilant, guarding against the Earth Sect Daoists and King Huai’s spies while gradually closing ranks around Daoist Jinlian.

At that moment, several strong auras rapidly approached—the members of the Heaven and Earth Society had returned.

"Damn it!"

Tianji cursed under his breath, knowing that the situation was now hopeless.

If they only had to face the members of the Wulin Alliance, they could have joined forces with the Earth Sect Daoists for a fight. But with Chu Yuanzhen and Li Miaozhen's group joining in, a desperate battle would only lead to certain death.

"Retreat!"

Tianshu was more decisive, immediately leading his subordinates to retreat in another direction.

The Demon Daoists of the Earth Sect closely followed suit.

"Stop them!"

Both the Heaven and Earth Society and the Wulin Alliance members shouted in unison.

Li Miaozhen soared on her flying sword, leading the charge. Her pupils lost their dark hue and transformed into pure glass-like clarity. Stretching out her palm toward the fleeing enemies, she activated her technique.

In an instant, King Huai’s spies and the Earth Sect Daoists were bound by their own clothing. Their flying swords and sabres betrayed them, leaping from their scabbards and slashing at their owners.

Fortunately, the attacks weren’t particularly strong, and the ordinary spies and Earth Sect disciples were not weak either. Thus, some were injured, but none were fatally wounded.

Still, Li Miaozhen had achieved her desired result.

_Rip…_ The female spy Tianshu tore her clothing apart using her qi, forcibly breaking free from the bindings. Left wearing only a pair of undergarments and a simple chest wrap, her slender waist was exposed, revealing faintly defined muscle lines.

Her thighs were taut and powerful, their skin smooth and firm.

She pounced toward Li Miaozhen like a leopardess, attempting to kill the Holy Maiden of the Heaven Sect in close quarters.

Li Miaozhen wouldn’t let her get close so easily. She stepped on her flying sword and retreated, simultaneously raising her altitude.

Tianshu didn’t continue the pursuit. She ignored the momentum of her charge, suddenly turned, and ran.

Because she saw Xu Qi’an lunging toward her. This guy had just ascended to Rank Five, and his close combat ability was extremely strong. If he got hold of her, there’d be no escape.

She wasn’t sure if it was just an illusion, but Tianshu noticed his eyes were gleaming, as if he couldn’t wait to wrestle with her while she was wearing nothing but a *dudou*.

On the Wulin Alliance’s side, Xiao Yuenu and the others were in hot pursuit. Tower Master Xiao from Wanhua Tower, whose movements were more agile than Yang Cuixue and the others, was the first to intercept the Demon Daoists from the Earth Sect.

Daoist Chilian’s flying sword struck toward her, whistling through the air.

A small silver-boned fan slid from Xiao Yuenu’s sleeve, and with a light flick, she knocked aside the flying sword. Suddenly, she let out a soft moan, a blush creeping across her cheeks, her legs turning weak, and a wave of heat surging in her abdomen.

Daoist Chilian sneered, swept his wide sleeve, and sent her flying.

Xiao Yuenu crashed into a firm embrace, and a slightly unfamiliar voice sounded beside her ear, “Tower Master Xiao, are you alright?”

She lifted her misty, water-bright eyes and saw a handsome, rugged face — none other than Xu Qi’an, who had been itching to wrestle with the barely dressed Tianshu.

Xiao Yuenu sprang from his embrace as if electrocuted, her cheeks flushed like wine. She forced her voice to remain steady and softly said, “I’m fine. Thank you, Silver Gong Xu.”

*The Demon Daoists of the Earth Sect have powerful techniques for corrupting the mind and stirring lust...* Xu Qi’an’s heart tightened. As a man well-versed in matters of love, he immediately recognised Tower Master Xiao’s abnormal state.

*If that sword from Chilian had hit me, then with a twist of my waist there would be no human life within thirty thousand li…* He watched the retreating enemies in the distance, knowing he couldn’t keep them.

The Daoists of the Earth Sect could fly on their swords. On their side, only Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen could fly, and it was clear the two of them couldn’t stop all the Earth Sect’s people.

As for King Huai’s spies — those two wearing golden masks were undoubtedly Rank Four. Fourth ranks were hard to kill. Even though Xu Qi’an had been opening cheat after cheat, making Rank Four seem like ants, in reality, Rank Four martial artists had remarkable endurance and defence. Without some kind of advantage, if the opponent was determined to escape, he couldn’t stop them.

*Letting them slink back to the capital in disgrace and frustrating Emperor Yuanjing wouldn’t be bad either,* Xu Qi’an thought with a cold smile.

“Silver Gong Xu…”

Xiao Yuenu’s soft and charming voice pulled him back to reality. Looking at this shining pearl of Jianzhou, Xu Qi’an nodded and said, “Alliance Leader Cao’s soul is with me. I’ll return it to his body now.”

The Wulin Alliance members watched him with hopeful expressions.

“Meow…”

An orange cat padded through the ruins and stopped in the distance, its emerald eyes faintly glowing as it watched the crowd.

It was unclear whether the cat had been lucky enough to survive the disaster or had just returned from elsewhere to find its home in ruins.

Xu Qi’an walked up to Cao Qingyang. Under the expectant gazes of the Wulin Alliance members, he opened his incense pouch and released Cao Qingyang’s soul, guiding it back into his body.

Just then, a whirlpool appeared on Daoist Jinlian’s forehead. A soul form intertwined with golden light and black mist shot out, aiming to seize Cao Qingyang’s body.

The change happened too quickly, completely beyond everyone’s expectations. Moreover, martial artists had little means of stopping a Daoist Yin Spirit from seizing a body. They lacked effective countermeasures.

Everyone’s expression changed dramatically.

“Meow…”

The orange cat let out a sharp cry, arched its back, bristling its fur, and bared its teeth at the intertwined golden and black soul form.

Cats were highly sensitive to Yin entities.

At the sound of the cat’s cry, the soul form noticeably paused. Then, as if driven by instinct, it suddenly changed direction and plunged straight into the orange cat’s body.