Chapter 5: Sir, save me!

At dusk, the setting sun cast a gentle veil of light, bathing the rivers and grasses of the small border city in the demonic domain in a crimson glow.

A warm breeze pushed the evening clouds, and a lone boat glided lightly like a white feather.

Merchants hurrying along paused, captivated by the stunning river and sunset, stopping to admire.

Their gazes followed the small boat drifting downstream, drawing closer. A figure in red with silver hair stood strikingly at the bow, vivid yet harmonious against the skyline.

Everyone felt the city and river’s splendor seemed crafted just for her.

Only when the beauty on the boat drifted far away, her figure blurring until her face was indiscernible, did the onlookers snap out of their reverie, returning from the painted twilight to reality.

“Past Yunbo City, another hundred miles should be the immortal sects’ territory.”

The girl on the boat was none other than Li Xingruo, who had fled her arranged marriage.

True to her self-proclaimed “disaster” label, her current appearance held an almost mystical charm.

Standing at the bow, Li Xingruo gazed at her reflection in the water, pondering whether she should buy a conical hat to cover her face once she reached the immortal sects.

Otherwise, everyone staring at her for seconds would draw too much attention.

Maybe a veil instead?

A hat is heavy and clunky, obstructing her view.

As she mused, Li Xingruo’s eyes narrowed, and she tucked away her map.

Turning to look behind, she called out sharply:

“Who’s skulking around? Dare to show yourself?”

Without waiting for a reply, she tapped the boat’s bow, soaring into the air, and struck several palm blasts toward the river.

With a splash, four figures in tight black leather emerged from the water.

“Such sharp senses. Even the Water-Melding Art couldn’t fool you.”

One of the four, surrounding Li Xingruo, gave a sinister chuckle. “Old Man Crane was right—this girl’s a tough one.”

“Slurp!”

Another made a lewd gesture, eyes gleaming. “Damn, I don’t know who this girl is to Old Man Crane, but he insisted on capturing her alive. Otherwise…”

Old Man Crane?

Li Xingruo’s brows furrowed at the name.

Wasn’t that her master’s nickname?

From their words, it seemed her master had sent them to drag her back.

Sweeping her gaze over the four, she asked:

“Who are you, and how do you know my whereabouts?”

“A wet-behind-the-ears girl calling herself ‘this seat’?”

The four burst into laughter, striking power-gathering stances, clearly uninterested in talking.

“Hmph, asking for trouble!”

As the Radiant Sect’s top young disciple, Li Xingruo was no stranger to being surrounded during sect missions.

Four cultivators of her level? Hardly a threat.

Especially on a river, fighting against a water-type Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator…

These four unlucky fools—her master must not have told them much.

“Waterfall!”

Li Xingruo surged her spiritual power, turning the river into a sky-high water curtain, instantly shrouding the area in mist and blocking all sight.

Two hours later, when the wind cleared the fog, only four unconscious black-clad figures trapped in water bubbles remained on the river.

Li Xingruo had already reached thirty miles closer to the immortal sects.

Sitting at the bow, she kept her spiritual sense keenly alert to her surroundings.

Knowing her master well, she was certain of one thing—

Since he’d started sending people after her, this wouldn’t be the only group.

“There might be more interceptors ahead. I need to be careful.”

Li Xingruo murmured to herself:

“If I get caught escaping this marriage, Master will surely seal my cultivation and drag me to that Huangji Sect guy’s bridal chamber… ugh! Just thinking about it gives me chills!”

“Those four seemed familiar, likely the Qinghe Four Ghosts, rogue cultivators tied to the Radiant Sect.”

“Master didn’t send sect experts but these rogues to capture me. He must be cautious, not wanting anyone to link me to the sect.”

“If that’s the case, I’m not too worried. Few rogue cultivators are truly skilled. Once I reach the immortal sects’ territory, most of these demonic rogues won’t dare pursue me.”

Li Xingruo frowned in thought, muttering to herself, but one thing still puzzled her.

“How did the Qinghe Four Ghosts know where I was?”

“If I weren’t worried about more pursuers, I should’ve interrogated them.”

“Could it be…”

Her spiritual sense probed her storage bag, searching every item.

“Nothing?”

Her frown deepened. “Is it on me? Or does the sect have some other way to track me?”

She considered gathering spiritual power to check her body for hidden marks.

But time was short. After the boat traveled five more miles, two men dressed as fishermen rapidly approached in their own vessel.

“I knew it.”

Halting her search, Li Xingruo sighed as she watched them draw near.

The road ahead wouldn’t be easy.

Couldn’t they wait until she was off the river to make their move?

What did Master promise these guys to make them so eager to get thrashed?

“Waterfall.”

Same technique, same thick mist, same outcome.

When Li Xingruo left that stretch of river, only two unconscious fools trapped in water bubbles remained.

Then…

Less than two miles later, a man herding ducks and fishing approached by boat.

“Beast-taming technique? Interesting… Waterfall!”

Three miles later, rogue cultivators disguised as beggars ambushed her at a landing spot.

Five miles later, a squad of suspicious-looking soldiers stopped her, claiming to check her travel papers.

Ten miles later, a team of seven or eight rogue cultivators attacked head-on.

…

The hundred-mile journey, originally a day’s travel, took Li Xingruo four days due to constant harassment by demonic rogue cultivators.

The sheer number of pursuers far exceeded her expectations.

Starting on the second day, as she neared the immortal sects, the rogue cultivators chasing her grew stronger.

Constant fighting and fleeing drained her spiritual power rapidly.

“Cough, Master, how many people did you hire to catch me…”

After repelling another wave of rogues, Li Xingruo swallowed a pill without pausing to recover, hurrying toward the immortal sects.

“At this rate, my spiritual power won’t hold out!”

She gritted her teeth:

“Only ten miles left to the immortal sects. I have to push through! These rogues, unlike me, carry demonic aura. Once I cross into immortal territory, most won’t dare follow.”

“Blue Sky Jade Water Array… who’s there!”

About to unleash her trump card, Li Xingruo abruptly stopped.

Ignoring the pursuing rogues, she drew her sword and thrust it into the void above.

Whoosh!

It felt like striking an invisible vortex. A strange, eerie suction pulled from the sword tip, dragging her entire body upward.

Her vaunted cultivation was useless against this bizarre force.

A lean figure in white emerged ghost-like before her.

“This guy snuck up and trapped me with this weird technique?”

Li Xingruo turned to the stranger.

No trace of demonic aura—had he undergone the Holy Coffin’s baptism too?

No, this irritating presence… he’s from the immortal sects!

“Fellow Daoist, I’m being hunted by demonic cultivators!”

Recognizing him as an immortal sect member, Li Xingruo shouted:

“Please, sir, save me!”