Maiden Of The Splitting Moon - Chapter 737: Escape From the Cunning

The fox-masked individual just stood there before taking a letter out from their sleeves. Descending from the steps, they handed it over to Elder Shen but he did not take it.

“I believe that my answer has been made clear. Anyone affiliated with Heaven’s Gate will not be taking part in this fight. It doesn’t matter what your master offers me, the decision will not change.”

Despite his words, they did not budge, holding the letter out for him to take.

“My master believes that you will want to consider this. It involves the one your companion is looking for”, they said.

His expression changed once they mentioned that and the air around him grew tense. As for Bai Ying, the white cat came out from behind, staring at the figure opposite to them. Although the beast seemed quite harmless, its eyes said otherwise.

The Elder’s gaze sharpened as he stared at the masked figure before looking at the letter. And then he grabbed it.

“Depending on what this letter entails, I will find you again. And whether or not it is with good or bad intentions, that part matters little to me.”

He then turned to go, taking one last glance at the fox mask before leaving. Once he was out of sight, the fox-masked figure had also left. They quickly ran out of the hall, leaving the Den.

Their figure flickered through the shadows of the wilderness, moving under the cover of the night. Soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Hidden within one of many valleys was a walled town where a fortress stood at the center.

Coming to the gates, the guards who also wore fox masks saw them coming and immediately blocked the gate.

“Your mask”, one of them said.

Instead of taking off their mask, the figure clad in black retrieved something from their sleeves, an amber talisman in the shape of a fox head. Once it was revealed the guards immediately straightened up and opened the gates for them.

“Please”. they said.

The masked-figured walked in without saying anything, making their way to where their master was, the leader of the Huxian Tribe.

Entering a large room, they lowered their head and knelt down. A deep, sweet voice spoke out as Huxian Qie looked at them, resting from her lounge chair.

“So, how was it?” she asked.

The masked figure promptly answered, speaking with a tone of respect.

“The letter has been passed on but the Spirit seemed somewhat hostile. He was adamant that their decision to decline will stay firm.”

“Mm, I see.”

Huxian Qie had an amused look on her face. The fox-kin chuckled.

“In any case, I’m sure that they will have a hard time declining help from us. In any case, I had assumed that Heaven’s Gate would not be swayed by any tribe. However, knowing that the famed “Fairy of the Moon” is right here at our doorstep, swaying her to our side would be advantageous. I doubt any other tribe would be able to recruit her”, she said.

Afterward, the leader of the Huxian Tribe stood up, taking a moment to stretch.

“I suppose it’s about time to get rid of that waste of space. Speaking of, how is our dear guest doing?” she asked.

The masked figure quickly answered.

“As far as we know, she is still in her room but things have been somewhat quiet over the past few days. Ever since we moved her to her new abode, the guards have reported hearing less and less of her commands. Many of them are actually quite relieved about that.”

“Heh, I see. In any case, when the time is fitting, you should go in to check on her. See if she’s still alive. If not, feed her to the beasts. If she’s still breathing, kill her, then feed her to the beasts”, she ordered.

The masked figure stood up and bowed.

“As you command.”

They turned to leave, going off to fulfill her orders. Leaving the castle, they appeared before a house behind it, hiding in the shadows. It wasn’t particularly fancy but it was more than enough for one person. There were guards stationed at the door, straightening up at the sight of the masked figure.

“Daji! Are you hear to check on the guest?” one of them asked.

The masked figure nodded before asking the guards a question.

“Anything different? Or has she been quiet this whole time?”

The guards looked at each other before answering them honestly.

“Nothing, there hasn’t been a sound since you left. Do you think that she could have died?”

Daji took a moment to think before responding.

“Possibly, but we won’t know until we go inside to look. And that is exactly what I’m here to do. The tribe leader has made the order to get rid of her. I’m just here to see if anything needs to be done.”

“Of course, of course! We’ll open the gates for you.”

The guards moved hastily, opening the doors up and letting Daji enter first before following in.

There was a slight musty smell when they walked in. The house seemed lifeless, everything was dark and dust had just started to gather.

“When was the last time someone cleaned this place?” Daji asked, running their finger across the wall.

“It’s been over a month, our guest practically chased everyone out of the house. Only excepting those bringing in meals but nothing more than that. Some think that she’s become ashamed of her appearance now”, said one of the guards.

“Mm, I mean, considering how much she ate, I wouldn’t be surprised”, said another.

The group of four casually strolled through the house, moving towards the room at the end. Its doors were closed shut but it was dark inside. Seeing this, the guards started to get somewhat nervous.

“Did she really die?”

“If she did, it had to have been a while ago. It smells quite bad.”

But Daji shook their head.

“No, a dead corpse wouldn’t smell like this. It’s not a rotten scent. But we can only see once we open those doors.”

The masked figure stopped, glancing at the guards who quickly understood. The anxiety within them seemed to grow as the guards unsheathed their swords. Standing side by side, two of them grabbed the doors and pushed them open, quickly entering.

As they did, Daji looked around whilst the guards had surprised looks.

“Where… where did she go?!” one of them exclaimed.

Indeed the room was empty but the scent was still there. In fact, it was much stronger now that they were inside. However, Bai Meng was nowhere to be found.

As Daji studied the room, one of the guards gagged as they walked up to the bed.

“What is this stuff?!”

Everyone gathered by the bed, looking In disgust at what was on it. It was this black sludge that stunk of sour trash. It wasn’t the worst smell but it was certainly unpleasant. But none of them knew what it was.

“Don’t tell that this is what remains of her?! Is this how humans die now?” one of the guards remarked.

However, the masked figure shook their head as they looked at it.

“No, it’s not. This is…”

Before, Daji could say another word, a voice spoke from above.

“It is the filth that comes off a human’s body when they cultivate.”

The sound of a whip cracked as it wrapped around one of the guard’s necks, throwing them against the wall with enough force to break it. With just one strike, they were dead. Daji and the remaining guards looked up just as their supposed guest jumped down.

Cracking her whip once more, it was Bai Meng, one of the former leaders of Redmist Sanctuary. But unlike her previous appearance, she had grown thinner and retained her beauty.

“Hmph, did you think that I was so stupid to stay here and do nothing?”