"Ambition's such a cheap drug..."
Zhu Qing's eyes returned to the cursed battlefield.
'Chi Xie Wastelands' reeked of death, regret, and bad decisions—a cursed dump left by the 'Crimson Blood Sect,' dead for millennia, even before she had the misfortune of existing.
When the righteous sects finally cornered their 'Warlord', his last act was a ritual so vile it cursed the land forever.
Blood Qi soaked the earth, turning beasts into monsters and binding the souls of the damned. Wraith soldiers still road, locked in endless battle.
Then there were the pirates—Fang Tian's kind. Mainland rejects and glory hounds too stubborn to stay dead. They prowled the wastelands, knives in hand and brains firmly in their asses, picking off innocent travelers while scavenging for treasures left behind by the Warlord's fallen empire.
And at the center of this rotting cesspit? The 'Warlord's Palace,' a nest of horrors and promises for the stupid or desperate. Sowhere inside lay the 'Warlord's Seal,' a legend whispered to grant dominion over the cursed armies. If anyone lived long enough to claim it, that is. Your next chapter is on My Virtual Library Empire
She doubted it existed. Too many fools had died chasing it.
Above, the red-and-black sky shook. Below, screams rose once more. Sowhere in that ss, Su Xiaobai was still alive.
Probably.
For now, she poured herself another cup of tea.
"Idiots."
Just as Zhu Qing settled back to enjoy her show, the wooden stool beneath her wobbled—hard.
"Qingqing."
"!!"
Her back straightened instantly, the voice chilling her more than the wasteland's cursed air, the overwhelming aura crashing over her left no doubt—she already knew who it was!
"Elder? You're here..." She stood awkwardly, her usual smile vanishing under Bai Yujian's hawk-like stare.
For once, there was no clever words—just the harsh reality of being at the rcy of a woman who could cut down mountains with a single stroke.
She hesitated before muttering, "By chance, did you… see anything earlier?"
Bai Yujian's eyes remained steady, "Everything," she replied coolly. Standing there with a parasol in her hand and clad in dark robes adorned with intricate golden lines, she looked less like a sword fairy and more like a goddess of death descending to pass judgnt.
Zhu Qing's heart sank.
If there was one thing Bai Yujian truly hated, it was evil. She despised anything tainted by it with an endless wrath. And Zhu Qing had just been caught mingling with a pirate gang... This was bad.
Her past was already a tangled ss of black and white; she couldn't afford to be seen aligning with heretics again, even if it was a misunderstanding.
But Bai Yujian's focus wasn't on Zhu Qing's unsavory companions. Her gaze swept the battlefield below. "Where is my disciple?"
Zhu Qing's lips twisted into a sour grimace. Explaining this was going to be about as fun as getting whipped with a flaming thorn vine. Why couldn't that little rat just survive quietly for once?
With a sigh, she pointed downward. Bai Yujian's brows furrowed as she stepped to the ship's edge, her robes trailing like a celestial judge preparing to deliver punishnt. Her gaze pierced through the clouds, landing on the battlefield below.
"..."
Her face darkened, lips pressing into a thin, dangerous line.
Su Xiaobai, the supposed disciple under her "care," was riding a one-horned beast the size of a bull, its bloodshot eyes rolling wildly as he yanked a rope tied around its neck.
He steered it like so unhinged warlord, plowing through a horde of its kind with reckless smile. Blood sprayed like rain, and Su Xiaobai cackled like a demon who'd just found a way to scam the heavens.
"What... is this madness?" Bai Yujian's voice trembled between disbelief and barely-contained fury.
Zhu Qing, fighting back a grin, casually poured herself another cup of tea. "Oh, that? He's playing beast herder."
Bai Yujian shot her a glare that could've frozen a phoenix mid-flight.
Reluctantly, Zhu Qing explained everything—how she'd sent him down to "reflect" and how, instead of learning humility, the little villain had apparently decided to declare war on the wasteland itself. Bai Yujian listened, her expression growing darker with every word.
She agreed—this disciple was a walking insult to the concept of discipline. Yet, as she watched him fend for himself, a small twinge of guilt crept in.
Ugh. The Peak Lord's inner sigh was deafening.
Why must she have the heart of a maiden?
If Su Xiaobai were here, he'd smile smugly, knowing he'd just won a sliver of sympathy from his ever-so-holy master.
"Where's the other one?" Bai Yujian finally asked, her tone clipped. Her eyes swept the ship's deck, searching for Su Xiaoi.
It didn't take long to find her. The girl stood at the ship's edge, staring into the mist with a dull face and slumped shoulders, like a flower wilting under too much sun.
Bai Yujian's face shifted, concern flashing briefly.
"She's fine," Zhu Qing replied lazily, waving a hand. "Su Xiaobai said it's 'hosickness.' Apparently, it'll pass in a couple of months."
"Hosickness?" Bai Yujian arched a brow.
"His words, not mine," Zhu Qing said, sipping her tea. "It seems, landing in foreign lands is hard on the spirit. He brought her along so she could 'adjust.' Sothing about throwing her to the wolves being good for her."
Bai Yujian's lips twitched, an exasperated sigh slipping free. 'Maybe he's not entirely useless... just mostly.'
Her gaze shifted back to Zhu Qing, narrowing like a blade honing itself for execution.
"Uh... Elder?" Zhu Qing stiffened, the hairs on her neck prickling. 'Why do I suddenly feel like prey?'
Without a word, Bai Yujian grabbed her by the collar, hoisting her effortlessly like a sack of rice.
"Wait, wait, wait—!" Zhu Qing's voice rose in alarm, but Bai Yujian ignored her entirely.
Whoosh!~
With a single smooth motion, she hurled Zhu Qing off the ship like she was tossing out yesterday's garbage.
"Go check on him," Bai Yujian called after her, her tone calm as still water.
"WHAT IN THE SEVEN—!" Zhu Qing's scream faded as she plumted, disappearing into the swirling mists below.
Bai Yujian dusted off her hands with a quiet smile.
The truth? She was salty. Su Xiaobai was her disciple, and Zhu Qing had dared to punish him first. A little petty revenge was in order.
______
Chi Xie Wastelands!
Crackle!~
"Haa… I'm so bored, I could die," Su Xiaobai muttered, poking the fire like it owed him money. Around him, the one-horned bull tribe lay in pieces, their corpses now serving as snacks. What a way to leave a legacy.
He yanked a strip of roasted at free, tossing a smaller piece to Xiao Hei, who nibbled on it delicately. Her glowing eyes watched him, radiating judgnt that said, 'I can't believe I'm stuck with you.'
Then, without ceremony, Su Xiaobai hurled a dripping slab of flesh at the beast lounging at the camp's edge.
"Snort!"
The massive one-horned bull snapped it up in midair, crunching down with the gusto of soone devouring their ex at a family BBQ. Blood sared its jaws as it chewed noisily, clearly unbothered by the fact it was eating its own kind.
Two ters tall, four ters wide, with glowing red eyes that could scare a spirit beast into therapy, it looked every bit the nightmare parents told kids about to keep them in bed.
And yet, Su Xiaobai slapped its horn like a proud farr.
"Good job, Little Red. You're learning."
Because, of course, only a lunatic like Su Xiaobai would look at this bloodthirsty demon and think, hmm, you need a cute na. Little Red it is.
"Oye, you know any treasures around here we can hunt?" Su Xiaobai drawled, poking the fire lazily.
This wasteland was a special kind of hell—no music, no won, no adventure. Just boring beasts and those annoying, unkillable wraith soldiers. Even their screams were monotonous now.
Feeling his boredom, Su Xiaobai turned to Xiao Hei, who was perched on a giant bone like a queen surveying her kingdom. He jabbed her cheek with a finger. "Well? Got any secrets, you little nace?"
Xiao Hei's brows furrowed, her tiny face twisting with the kind of fury that made Su Xiaobai wonder if she'd finally snap and go for his throat. But then, just as he braced for the tantrum, her eyes glead—sharp, calculating, like a predator spotting prey.
She leapt down, claws slicing into the dirt with purpose, her movents deliberate, almost adorable.
"What now, brat?" Su Xiaobai drawled, leaning back lazily but watching her closely. "Unless you're digging up sothing worth my ti, I'd rather you get back to sulking prettily."
Xiao Hei didn't even glance at him, focused entirely on carving into the dirt. A crude map took shape—a castle, jagged and scary, surrounded by strange symbols. Su Xiaobai's eyes narrowed, his smile sharpening into sothing dangerous.
"So, you've been holding out on , huh?" he murmured, his tone soft but tinged with suspicion.
Xiao Hei snorted, her expression sowhere between smug satisfaction and 'about ti, idiot.' She tapped her claw sharply on the castle's center, the gesture unmistakable: Here. Go.
Su Xiaobai's smile widened, wicked and full of promise. "Good girl. Maybe I won't sell you to the highest bidder after all."
He turned to Little Red, still happily crunching through its dead kin. "Oi, Little Red. You know this place? Or are you too busy proving that being a monster runs in your family?"
"Grrrr!"
The one-horned bull growled in response, its glowing red eyes gleaming with what might've been a nod.
"Good, looks like we've got a destination," Su Xiaobai said, a grin spreading across his face. He patted Little Red's horn and stood up, dusting himself off. "Finally, so action! All we're missing now is a heavenly beauty to complete this adventure. Sigh... if only a fairy would drop out of the sky..."
He tilted his head toward the heavens, sighing dramatically.
Nothing happened.
He shrugged. "Guess the higher-ups are stingy today. Let's go!"
BOOM!
A deafening crash shook the air, and before Su Xiaobai could even blink, sothing—or soone—slamd into him with the force of a celestial tribulation.
WHUMP!
"ACK!" He staggered, nearly toppling as his arms instinctively wrapped around the unexpected payload. He looked down, wide-eyed, at the crumpled figure now dangling in his grip.
"...Huh?"
The dust cleared, revealing his "goddess."
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