劍問蒼天 - 第49章 妖狐 - 翰墨軒

The woman turned her head, her water-like gaze passing over the two of them. She paid Shi Tou no heed, but looked at Zhang Qingyue two moments longer, then suddenly said softly, "Is there no woman in your heart whom you deeply miss? Then come and look."

The wind passed through the forest, and the chill suddenly grew.

The tips of the branches seemed to rustle.

A confusion came over Zhang Qingyue's heart, and he found himself stepping forward against his will.

Shi Tou was greatly alarmed. He wasted no more words. His whole body leaped into the air, and Break-Evil blazed with golden light, howling through the air as it came down straight upon the woman's head. So fierce and swift was the blow that not a frail woman alone but a grown man would have been pounded to mincemeat by it.

But the woman's body seemed like a falling leaf, borne up by the force of Break-Evil's wind and sent drifting backward, escaping that earth-shattering blow. Then she floated in midair, her twin sleeves flying, and flung them wide. In an instant the demon aura in the forest surged, demonic cries howled, and in the darkness behind her, at that same moment, countless hideous enormous eyes opened all at once.

Shi Tou was concentrating his mind when he heard a myriad of frenzied shrieks, and a dark mass of ferocious shapes came leaping out of the darkness, past the woman's white figure, hissing and screeching, claws and fangs bared as they charged straight at Shi Tou. But the woman, at that moment, was not looking at Shi Tou at all. Her soft, bewitching gaze was fixed only on Zhang Qingyue, who was walking step by step toward the ancient well.

The moonlight fell upon him, like frost, like snow.

Deep in your heart, is there someone you deeply remember?

He was entranced, as though drunk.

"Xiaofan!" A cry came from behind. Bili flashed into view, flying swiftly toward him, crying urgently, "You must not look!"

In that instant Zhang Qingyue seemed to waver for a moment, and the soft, bewitching woman floating in midair, watching him, also changed countenance slightly.

But then he went on looking.

Just so, he looked deeply on.

The wind suddenly ceased, and all held their breath.

What, after all, had he seen?

With a great roar Shi Tou shook off the demons that had come swarming at him, seized the great treasure Break-Evil in his huge hands, and the red light on his face flashed once, twice, thrice, until in a moment his face seemed about to drip blood. Then he shot up halfway to the sky, plunged suddenly down, and like an arrow loosed from the string drove Break-Evil with a "thunk" deep into the earth, while from his mouth burst a shout that shook the heavens:

"Break!"

For a moment, the whole world seemed to stand still.

The ground within a radius of two zhang suddenly sank away entirely, and the trees upon it with it, as though dragged deep into the earth by an invisible giant hand. Only around the old well where Zhang Qingyue stood did the earth and the trees remain untouched.

The Breaking Staff thrust into the ground suddenly seemed to draw something in; its whole shaft blazed with dazzling light. As the word "Break!" left Shitou's mouth in a great shout, countless rays burst forth, swift as lightning, shooting toward the dark shadow-demons flitting through the air. In an instant, shrill shrieks and screams filled the ear without cease; the demons struck either dropped to the ground or simply steamed away and vanished into nothing.

The soft, seductive woman's expression changed, and her face seemed to pale a shade. "Drawing the essence of earth and wood to dissolve demonic power — the Breaking Staff!"

Having dealt with the demons around him, Shitou looked toward Zhang Qingyue at the first opportunity, and Bili too halted and turned her eyes to him.