Li Fan watched Li Hongyi's back as she stopped after taking a few steps.
*Let her go? Really?*
She clenched her fist, turned around, and glared at Li Fan.
She walked toward Li Fan and glanced at the seductive woman behind him.
*So that's his type, huh? What a waste for me to risk everything to warn him.*
She leapt onto the rooftop, approached Li Fan, and said expressionlessly, "Lord Governor has already arrived in Lin'an County and summoned everyone under its jurisdiction. My father caught wind of the news; they plan to eliminate demons in Lin'an, accusing Fulong Manor of colluding with demonic entities, sheltering fugitives, and conspiring in chaos. They will unite various forces to besiege Fulong Manor and capture you alive."
The fugitive in question was clearly Li Fan. Upon hearing the news, she secretly came to the western part of the city to warn Li Fan, urging him to flee Fulong Manor.
However, this time she was much more cautious, deliberately dressing in black and veiling her face. On her way here, she encountered government soldiers committing atrocities, which led to the incident earlier.
"Thank you, Miss Li," Li Fan said.
*It seems that Lord Governor is quite fixated on me, even deliberately mentioning my name.*
"What are you planning to do?" Li Hongyi asked.
"I don't know," Li Fan shook his head. He truly didn't know. Since his senior sister had asked him to come to Lin'an County, she must already be aware of what was happening here. His junior brother should arrive soon.
There were still some things he hadn't figured out.
"The court intends to take down Fulong Manor. Why not return to Li Mountain for now?" Li Hongyi suggested, reasoning that Li Fan would be safe there.
Li Fan shook his head. Seeing government officers approaching, he said, "Miss Li, it's dangerous outside. Be careful on your way back."
Li Hongyi: "?"
*She looked again at Liu Ji. It seemed she had come at just the wrong time!!*
*But… Just because you tell me to go, does that mean I have to go?*
"Huh?" Li Fan, seeing Li Hongyi rooted in place, blinked and said, "Miss Li, I'll excuse myself for now."
With that, Li Fan turned and walked away. He truly didn't want to drag Li Hongyi into this storm.
Liu Ji flirtatiously smiled at Li Hongyi and trailed closely behind Li Fan.
Li Hongyi glanced at the two, bit her lip lightly, and followed them silently.
"Young master, she's still following us," Liu Ji whispered playfully in Li Fan's ear.
Li Fan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Li Hongyi, who now had a somewhat defiant expression. "I'll follow if I want to follow. What's it to you?" she said.
"…" Li Fan shrugged. "Fine."
Li Hongyi might appear to be a cold beauty who didn't talk much.
But her heart was as fiery as the attribute she cultivated—like scorching flames.
"Miss Li, how strong is the Governor of Chu?" Li Fan asked.
"Chuzhou has over a hundred counties and governs millions of people. The Lord Governor is a powerful figure in the region. According to my father, Lord Governor is at the very least in the Late Stage Foundation Establishment Realm and might even have stepped into the fifth realm, the Condensed Core Realm," Li Hongyi said, her expression becoming more serious as Li Fan questioned her.
For cultivators, the first three realms were Qi Cultivation, Refinement of God, and Spirit Outbreak; followed by Foundation Establishment, Condensed Core, and Taoist Body.
The Foundation Establishment Realm was already considered immensely powerful among cultivators, while the Condensed Core Realm was practically untouchable in daily life within Lin'an County.
"What realm is Mr. Yu in?" Li Fan asked Liu Ji beside him, already speculating that Mr. Yu should be the Manor Master of Fulong Manor.
"Peak of the Fourth Realm," Liu Ji said proudly. "But handling ordinary Five Realms cultivators shouldn't be a problem."
Li Fan nodded. According to rumors, the Manor Master of Fulong Manor was a Jiao Long in origin. Such great demons were naturally gifted far beyond typical demon cultivators, making them far more formidable in battle.
However, this time, it wasn't just the Lord Governor of Chu who had arrived. He had mobilized troops, clearly preparing for a direct assault on Fulong Manor.
"What's the relationship between Mr. Yu and Li Mountain?" Li Fan had always wanted to understand this.
A trace of coldness flashed across Liu Ji's gaze before she quickly concealed it with a smile. "I wouldn't know, young master. You could ask my master yourself."
She only knew that her master had been continuously restrained by Li Mountain, confined to this small Lin'an County.
*A dragon trapped in shallow waters. Now faced with crisis, Master even hinted at preparing for the worst.*
*All of this was thanks to Li Mountain.*
Behind them, Li Hongyi listened to their conversation with a peculiar expression, glancing again at the seductive woman and blinking.
*So, she's… a demoness!*
She looked at Li Fan's back with hidden meaning in her eyes.
*So that's his preference, huh? A little intense, isn't it?*
*Ha, no wonder he kept telling me to leave.*
Back at the residence, Li Hongyi assessed her surroundings. *They're living together now, huh.*
"Miss Li, you should rest for now. I'll clean up the bodies." Li Fan carried away the corpses scattered in the courtyard, and Li Hongyi finally realized that government officers had also appeared here.
Seeing Liu Ji looking at her, Li Hongyi glanced back. Upon closer inspection, she noticed Liu Ji's captivating yet exquisite features. Even without her seductive demeanor, she was undoubtedly a great beauty.
What bothered Li Hongyi even more was Liu Ji's proud and alluring figure, partially concealed yet enticing. *No wonder Li Fan is enchanted by her; who could resist that?*
Li Hongyi straightened her posture and coldly stared at Liu Ji.
Liu Ji covered her mouth lightly and laughed, causing Li Hongyi to frown. *What's she laughing at??*
"Alright," Li Fan returned after cleaning up the corpses and was momentarily stunned, seeing the woman and demon staring daggers at each other.
*What happened here?*
"Young master, you've had a tiresome night. Should I serve you and help you rest early?" Liu Ji asked alluringly, glancing at Li Hongyi.
"No need. I'll cultivate in the courtyard. You rest early," Li Fan said weakly, sensing the 'murderous intent' in Li Hongyi's gaze.
*What's wrong with this woman?*
"Alright, then. Call me if you need anything, young master," Liu Ji laughed, gave Li Hongyi a meaningful look, and walked toward the room.
After Liu Ji left, Li Hongyi turned to Li Fan and said, "So this is the free-spirited nature of people in the martial world."
Li Fan: "?"
He studied Li Hongyi with a perplexed expression.
"Why are you looking at me?" Li Hongyi asked.
"Miss Li, you're not falling for me, are you?" Li Fan asked.
"?"
Li Hongyi's heart skipped a beat. *What's wrong with me?*
*I came here just to deliver a warning. Why do I feel so off after seeing Liu Ji?*
"Heh." Li Hongyi turned her head away. "I don't like someone with such extreme tastes."
With that, she walked to the side of the courtyard, ignoring Li Fan.
Li Fan: "!!!"
Li Hongyi found a spot in the courtyard to sit and cultivate quietly. *I need to calm my mind. Ever since I met Li Fan, my state of mind hasn't been as tranquil as before. I often let my thoughts run wild.*
*Hearing about the government's plans to capture Li Fan earlier left me restless. Despite my father's objections, I ran out here, even encountering demons on the way.*
*Thinking about it now, I feel so aggrieved.*
*"Calm your mind,"* Li Hongyi reminded herself. *Why is it messy again?*
Li Fan, however, remained oblivious to the countless thoughts swirling in Li Hongyi's mind.
*He's still young; he doesn't get it!*
Sitting not far from Li Hongyi, Li Fan closed his eyes and began cultivating. Moments later, terrifying energy coursed through his body with a roaring sound. At the center of this energy flow, an ominous force seemed to devour everything.
Next, Li Fan directed his consciousness to his mind.
In his sea of consciousness, there was a sharp, intense energy—like sword aura scattered around.
At the center of this storm of sword aura, a flying sword floated quietly.
Beside the flying sword were faintly illuminated points of light.
The brightest one was a sword mark, which Li Fan recognized as belonging to his junior brother. As for the other points of light, he wasn't sure of their origin.
He had once asked his teacher about them, who told him they were sword seals left by his cultivation.
The night was still and tranquil, the courtyard utterly silent, while Lin'an City was in chaos.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
Li Fan frowned as Liu Ji emerged from the room and asked, "Who's there?"
With a creak, the knocking stopped, and the courtyard door was pushed open directly.
"It's so quiet here." A young voice rang out as Liu Ji's eyes glinted with coldness. Slowly, she stepped out, and two figures entered the courtyard.
The pair consisted of an old man and a teenager. The old man was hunched over, with sparse and disheveled hair, looking quite repulsive.
Beside him, a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth dressed in gold finery stared at Liu Ji with sinister eyes, almost as if he were planning to devour her.
"Young master, the demon energy here is thick," the old man commented.
"Look at this woman," the old man pointed at Liu Ji. "Such a youthful and beautiful snake demon; she must be fresh enough to nourish the young master."
Cold, murderous intent immediately flashed in Liu Ji's gaze, enveloping the courtyard.
"You wretched servant, did the young master tell you to speak?" the youth scolded harshly.
"My apology, young master. Forgive me for speaking out of turn," the old man said, hanging his head regretfully.
The youth's gaze remained fixed on Liu Ji. "My apologies, Snake Demon Sister. Ignore this filthy servant's foul mouth," he said with feigned sincerity.
"No problem!" Liu Ji said, swaying her body seductively, though her eyes radiated deadly intent.
"I come from Medicine Cleansing Lake. Sister, would you be willing to become my Demon Slave?" the youth asked gently, smiling as he gazed at Liu Ji.
"Never heard of it," Liu Ji replied with a chuckle.
"Ah, such a beautiful, young snake demon wasted in a little county like this—a real shame," the old man chimed in again. "Medicine Cleansing Lake belongs to the Da Li Beast Taming Sect, where numerous great demons are kept. I myself am the young master's Demon Slave."
The Da Li Dynasty housed numerous cultivation sects. Though the Da Li Court consistently eradicated demons, certain top-tier sects were allowed to raise great demons.
"Is that so?" Liu Ji said, chuckling. "I would have agreed, but I already have a master."
She shot a glance toward where Li Fan stood.
Not caring, the youth turned his gaze to Li Fan and spoke arrogantly, "No problem, I'll just kill your master."