My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 766 - 481: Save Me (Three in One)_3

The tips of his fingers pinched into a seal, yet he could no longer sense Anhou's whereabouts. Chen Yi squinted into the distance, straining to listen carefully, but it was to no avail. It seemed that woman was not in this area. But… why would Dong Guifei come here?

Had his presence been discovered?

Unlikely. If his whereabouts had been exposed, there wouldn't be just a handful of people pursuing him.

Then...

Chen Yi's thoughts raced as his gaze fell upon the two desiccated ghoul-like carcasses. His eyes narrowed slightly.

These two Tengu's puppet spirits...

Including Dong Guifei, these Xique Pavilion spies were all here because of these Tengu.

"Is anyone here?"

Using Inner Strength to amplify his voice, it reverberated throughout the desolate waystation.

Chen Yi's eyes shifted briefly before casually pulling out a paper effigy from his pouch. He pinched it a few times on its surface and then blew gently on it before tossing it to the ground. The effigy stood upright gracefully, unexpectedly transforming into the likeness of Miss Shen.

Next, he chanted a Spell softly, brushing his hand over his face. Instantly, his back hunched, his visage aged, and his once-black hair turned white. At a glimpse, he looked to be an elderly man in his seventies or eighties. To anyone unfamiliar with him, it would be impossible to discern the faintest hint of his true identity.

Uncertain about what these spies sought, and even more unsure if his cover had been blown, Chen Yi, as always, acted with utmost caution and deliberation.

"Coming."

A frail and aged voice echoed. The three spies from Xique Pavilion turned in unison, only to see a hunched, elderly man shuffle forward with unsteady steps.

"Father, take it slow," the paper effigy resembling Miss Shen said, supporting his arm.

The three spies glanced briefly at them without giving a second look.

Chen Yi's heart steadied. It seemed clear they weren't after him. Letting out a subtle sigh of relief, he spoke slowly, "This place is abandoned. My daughter and I were just passing through and resting here. Please, feel free to make yourselves at home."

"That makes things easy. We're just resting as well."

Instead of focusing on Chen Yi, the three spies' gazes lingered on Miss Shen's likeness. There was no trace of lust in their eyes—only apprehension, as though beholding prey.

This confirmed his suspicions.

Chen Yi calculated silently, his eyes sweeping briefly over the trio. With but a glance, he discerned their levels of martial proficiency. While he assessed, the curtain of the carriage was slowly lifted to reveal a figure descending from it—a woman with her hair bound up, cascading like a waterfall, and carrying herself with remarkable grace.

Her beauty remained unchanged from when they had parted. She emanated the charm characteristic of a Korean woman, coupled with the regal elegance honed in the cold palace. Her composure seemed straight out of a classical painting, yet the sudden clang of iron chains shattered her dignified air.

Only then did Chen Yi notice her wrists and ankles were shackled with heavy iron manacles. The dark sheen of the black iron seemed to absorb the sunlight.

Before Chen Yi could fully grasp the situation at hand—

Dong Guifei scanned her surroundings, her gaze ultimately stopping on him. First, she frowned, then her expression shifted to astonishment as her eyes briefly sparkled.

Her lips moved subtly, forming two silent words:

Save me.

......

Save her, or not?

Throughout history, acting recklessly often led to death. Chen Yi, known for his prudence, believed in approaching every situation—even one as seemingly simple as a lion capturing a hare—with absolute caution and preparation.

Two mere words formed from lip-reading held little weight; Anhou and the nameless old crone were still unaccounted for, and without confirming immediate danger, rash action was unwise. Exploring the situation thoroughly before making any decisions was undoubtedly the safest strategy.

And once saved, if his position were compromised, how many waves of assassins might come chasing after?

By every calculation, he should not intervene...

Yet Chen Yi smirked faintly. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, his sleeves fluttering. His hands moved like lightning.

If she was his woman, why bother overthinking?!

The three spies had no chance of anticipating that the frail-looking old man could move like a bolt of lightning. Caught off guard, they froze as Sword Qi radiated from Chen Yi's fingertips, piercing through their acupoints in an instant. Within a breath, all three were immobilized where they stood.

With their acupoints sealed, three swift palm strikes rendered each of them unconscious.

Chen Yi swiftly wrapped an arm around Dong Guifei, scaling the second floor in a few steps. Hoisting Yin Tingxue's unconscious body over his shoulder, he vanished into the mountain forest like a wisp of smoke being blown out.

At the summit, his silhouette flitted like a swallow across swaying branches. He was as light as a feather, disturbing only the treetops beneath his feet, which bent ever so slightly. Even the forest birds remained undisturbed.

Unleashing the full extent of his Qinggong, he plunged deeper into the dense woods. Fifteen minutes later, Chen Yi finally stopped, Dong Guifei breathing heavily beside him.

Though she was a Fourth Rank Martial Artist, even she struggled to match Chen Yi's breath control.

Chen Yi gently set Dong Guifei down and turned towards her with a soft smile, his expression brimming with tenderness.

The Korean woman, however, showed no hint of affection. Only after a long pause did she respond belatedly with a delicate and reserved smile.

Her reaction wasn't particularly slow, but Chen Yi couldn't help a fleeting sense of disinterest.

It dawned on him belatedly that their acquaintance was superficial at best. They had never truly shared their innermost thoughts. Their reunion felt far removed from his meetings with the two Yin sisters, which carried a profound emotional weight; this reunion was more akin to a chance encounter with an old acquaintance, full of polite, awkward smiles and a need to rekindle memories before reconnecting.

Ultimately, it was no more than a fleeting romance born from serendipity—a relationship between a cold palace concubine with no one to rely on and himself, and one that was never meant to endure.

Dong Guifei lowered herself slowly to the ground. After a moment's contemplation, she broke the silence. "Aren't you going to dispel the Illusion Technique?"

Her words were neither distant nor overly familiar. They resembled the tone she would adopt whenever Chen Yi had spoken of something amusing in the past—a soft laugh, followed by its quiet withdrawal, leaving no trace of impropriety, as if she had never laughed at all.

This was not the time to dwell on trivialities. With a flick of his hand, Chen Yi straightened his posture and restored his original appearance. Clearing his throat, he asked, "What's your situation?"

Dong Guifei lifted her manacled wrists with a calm expression. "Just as it appears."

"You escaped and were caught?" Chen Yi asked with some amusement, studying the manacles intently.

The heavy black sheen of the iron and the icy cold lingering on its surface suggested they were forged from high-grade black iron. The manacles were engraved with intricate thunder runes, indicating that any attempt to break them would summon otherworldly Nine Heavens Thunder.

"Quite the craftsmanship."

Chen Yi couldn't help but feel surprised. What kind of audacity could have provoked Anhou to resort to measures as extreme as these?

Dong Guifei replied unhurriedly, "Once, I attempted to pass on a confidential report. I was caught red-handed and left no chance to explain before these shackles were affixed to me by the Empress."

"Your people's business, the Koreans' affairs?"

"That would be correct, kind sir," she replied, addressing him as a benefactor in a tone resembling the monk Jueyin.

The term reignited some buried memories in Chen Yi's mind, but he quickly dismissed them, turning the conversation back to relevant matters. "And what brings you all here?"

"It's a long story… If I were to explain fully, it might take one or two hours."

"Then keep it brief."

"A Great Demon Tengu has been haunting this area for months. Are you aware of this?" Seeing Chen Yi nod, Dong Guifei continued, "This demon migrated north from the south and has remained in this region for the better part of the year. According to Xique Pavilion's reports, one of the White Lotus Sect's Saint Heirs, after being pursued and defeated, fled northward and was last spotted in this region. Yet, no matter how extensive the search, no clues have surfaced. Xique Pavilion suspects that the heir might have aligned with the Tengu and hidden within its lair."

"Why are you here, then?"

"Because the Empress is nearby."

Chen Yi's expression turned pensive in an instant.

Anhou would never leave Dong Guifei unattended, whether considering her public identity as a Korean concubine or her secret identity as a covert operative for Jueyin. Wherever Anhou went, Dong Guifei was sure to follow.

But why Anhou would appear in this region left Chen Yi perplexed. After some deliberation, he attributed it to the turmoil in Hu-Guang. Perhaps, in some unforeseen development, she, too, might have headed south.

The White Lotus Sect's rebellion had already engulfed much of Hu-Guang. Even Dragon and Tiger Mountain, the foremost of the Taoist sects, had been forced to seal its gates and call for aid. Reports of consecutive military victories by the local governor and Capital Commander stood as stark evidence of pervasive corruption within Hu-Guang's bureaucracy.

Chen Yi shook himself from his thoughts, turning back to find Dong Guifei staring intently at his neck.

"What's wrong?"

"You're… still wearing that pendant?"

"One can never have too many tricks—or too much wealth."

"Oh," Dong Guifei responded simply, taking the hint to change the subject. She said, "I take it you're unaware of why I appeared here with Xique Pavilion. The truth is I have a longstanding grudge against the White Lotus Sect. This led me to persuade the Empress to allow me to pursue them."

"This grudge of yours—it's something you're not at liberty to elaborate on, I take it."

"Indeed, but…" Dong Guifei spoke in a softer tone, "there are rumors from the south. They say the White Lotus Sect, dormant for years, suddenly rose to prominence because they discovered an ancient legacy in a Secret Realm. The legacy can be traced back to the Nansong White Lotus Sect and includes a divine artifact called the True Vacuum Tripod. The tripod supposedly has the power to gather emotions—seven passions and six desires—to distill them into No-Life Water. It is said that a single drop of No-Life Water is enough to grant a person immediate enlightenment, allowing their soul to ascend to the Vacuum Home and surpass the illusions of the mundane world."

"A soul that ascends to the Vacuum Home? Only the soul?" Chen Yi seized upon the key detail. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Precisely," Dong Guifei remarked with a cryptic expression. "As for the body, naturally, it remains in the mortal realm to be controlled by the White Lotus Saint Mother."

She wasn't truly unwilling to elaborate.

"And where is this No-Life Tripod now?"

Dong Guifei pointed calmly to the ground beneath them.

Chen Yi's eyes widened faintly. Had the artifact been brought here, to the Tengu's lair, by the fleeing Saint Heir of the White Lotus Sect?

Before he could make sense of it all,

suddenly, the golden cord around his fingers shuddered violently.

Chen Yi's gaze snapped downward.

The cord's tip extended endlessly, stretching and straining as though it might snap at any moment!