Chapter 59 — Malice
劍問蒼天 · Page 2 of 8
With that, Fazhong beckoned with his right hand, and the golden wooden fish in the air shot at Elder Nian at once, entangled him, and carried him off to one side, leaving Tian Lingsu to take on the Wild Wolf Daoist. Anyone with eyes could see that Fazhong had noted Tian Lingsu's youth and left the plainly inferior Wild Dog to her.
Watching Tian Lingsu engage Wild Dog, Zhang Qingyue grew anxious and was just about to go out and lend a hand when someone caught him by the shoulder. It was his senior brother Song Dayi. Song Dayi composed his expression and said in a low voice, "Little junior brother, the demon cultists are shameless and would win by numbers—we disdain to do the same."
Zhang Qingyue understood at once, nodded, and checked himself. By chance he caught sight of Tian Buhui and his wife, both calm and composed, and then it occurred to him: with his master and mistress here, how could anything happen to Senior Sister Ling'er? He had been worrying himself for nothing.
Zhang Qingyue flushed and glanced around. Everyone nearby seemed to be watching the field, and no one had noticed his loss of composure; Song Dayi, too, had turned casually to watch the duel in the air. Only then did he relax—and just then he suddenly felt a gaze fall upon him from the side. But when he turned to look, that was where the senior sisters of Little Bamboo Peak stood, and Sixueqi was among them, yet not one of them was looking his way.
Meanwhile, in midair, Tian Lingsu wielded the amber-red silk exactly as she pleased. Amid ten thousand rays of light, the Wild Wolf Daoist was dizzy and dazzled, feeling nothing but strips and bands of red silk above, below, before, behind, and on every side, trapping him fast in the middle so that he could neither break out nor smash through. In a little while more, he feared, the silk would wrap him up like a rice dumpling.
Seeing his daughter shine, Tian Buhui could not help showing his pride, and many among the righteous cultivators voiced their admiration. Tian Lingsu was naturally beautiful, and set against the Wild Wolf Daoist's doglike appearance, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth. In the end, not only did the righteous cultivators clap, but even a few of the demon cultists burst out laughing.
Hearing this, Wild Dog was stung into fury. His cultivation was shallow, but his experience in combat far exceeded that of a green girl like Tian Lingsu. His eyes darted, he studied her a few moments, and saw that this wench was very likely a newcomer. At once he shouted loudly, "Stinking girl, you look pure enough on the outside—who'd have thought you'd been carrying on with that old monk!"
The whole assembly fell silent. A moment later the righteous cultivators were cursing him without restraint, the demon cultists dissolved into laughter, and a few lewd sorts among them hooted, "Well said, well said! Who'd have guessed it!"
Tian Lingsu was furious and flustered. "You—you're talking nonsense!"
Wild Dog pointed at her, his dog face full of "righteous indignation," the very picture of one executing heaven's justice. "Bah! If you weren't the old monk's woman, why would you jump out to help him?"
Even Fazhong's expression changed at this, and he chanted "Amitabha" again and again. Tian Lingsu went white with rage. She knew quite well this was Wild Dog's provocation, but she was an eighteen-year-old girl suddenly branded with such an enormous insult before a great crowd—how could she not be furious? In that instant a flaw appeared in her control of her treasure.
Wild Dog seized the opening and dashed out of the amber-red silk's encirclement. No sooner had his figure burst free than a thunderous boom rang out, and the sky full of red silk slammed shut. Had he still been inside, would he not have been crushed to powder?
Wild Dog could not help sticking out his long tongue. "What a vicious girl!"