The formerly bustling Red Stone Town, with its over three thousand inhabitants, now lay in an oppressive silence, stained with blood.
Fantian sat in the largest house in the town, listening to Bai Gu Tian Mo's report.
"Young Master, people from Qingxu Heaven have arrived, led by Li Tianjue. Their spirit ship is currently above us. Crown Prince Chu, with over twenty people, is heading our way. Other sect forces have also arrived. It's unclear if they are allies or mere spectators."
"Your subordinate has made all preparations. Let them taste our power."
Fantian smiled sinisterly and slapped the armrest. "Good. First, send your subordinate Butterfly Demons to deal with this Crown Prince Chu. If they can plant Gu Butterflies on him, our Demonic Sect will gain another loyal dog."
Bai Gu Tian Mo grinned menacingly. "A brilliant idea, Young Master. Your subordinate will go and give the order."
...
A winding, rugged mountain path, surrounded by sparse forests, was so deathly silent that not even a bird's chirp could be heard.
The group of demonic sect disciples who had launched the surprise attack were finally wiped out by Chu Tianshu and his companions, leaving behind more than ten corpses. The Qingxu Heaven side had only two outer disciples who sustained minor injuries. After taking healing pills, they were out of danger, and everyone continued their journey towards the direction of Red Stone Town ahead.
Qin Yuanshu walked at the forefront, his sword drawn, cautiously observing his surroundings.
"It's too quiet here!"
Chu Tianshu followed closely, sensing the area as he walked. "Everyone, be careful. Perhaps there are still demonic sect members lying in ambush."
Wen Daier, walking behind him, suddenly looked ahead. "They're here!"
Her divine sense perception far surpassed everyone present, including Chu Tianshu. Even though Qin Yuanshu was in front, she detected it faster.
However, after waiting for a while, they saw nothing.
Not even a demonic beast emerged.
Qin Yuanshu turned back, his sword in hand. "Miss Wen, haven't found anything?"
Wen Daier, however, kept her gaze fixed on the trees ahead, remaining silent. After another moment, someone finally saw a flash of ethereal blue. It was a palm-sized blue butterfly, fluttering its wings as it flew towards them.
"How can there be a butterfly here?" Lin Yao asked, finding the butterfly remarkably beautiful.
It wasn't just one. More than ten blue butterflies flew out from behind. Chu Tianshu felt something was amiss and frowned. "Where are so many butterflies coming from in this place? There must be something wrong. Kill them all!"
As soon as he spoke, a large swarm flew out from the forest, dense and countless.
"Kill!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu's long sword flashed with a chilling light. Wherever it passed, butterflies were torn to shreds.
Qin Yuanshu and the other twenty-odd outer disciples also continuously swung their swords, slaying these beautiful yet eerie butterflies. In a short while, the ground was covered with a layer of butterfly corpses, shimmering with an ethereal blue, like a beautiful carpet.
Suddenly, an outer disciple cried out in alarm, "My face, it burns!"
He reached out to touch it and found his face covered in blood.
Other disciples exclaimed, "My hands, how did this happen?"
Their faces and hands were covered in the blue powder from the butterfly wings. It began to fester, oozing blood, and the pain caused them to tremble uncontrollably.
"It's poisonous! Take the antidote pills immediately!" Chu Tianshu shouted, while also taking a pill himself as a precaution.
All the outer disciples who had accidentally come into contact with the blue powder from the butterfly wings found their skin festering and bleeding. As they frantically took antidote pills and washed themselves with water, more blue butterflies flew in.
They converged, forming what looked like a storm, a blue cloud.
A woman's sharp laughter echoed from within the blue cloud. "Qingxu Heaven disciples, nothing more than this, Hahahaha..."
Chu Tianshu's eyes narrowed, and he raised his sword, slashing at the woman floating in mid-air.
The sword light was bright and sharp. The swarm of butterflies scattered to the sides with a rustle.
A beautiful woman with a pair of butterfly wings on her back hovered in mid-air. She didn't dodge. Instead, she quickly drew a circle in the air with her hands. The sword light entered, causing ripples that dissolved the attack.
Unexpectedly, a loud explosion occurred.
The sword energy surged, shaking the surrounding fluttering butterflies, killing another cluster. They fell like rain, causing the woman's delicate eyebrows to furrow.
"How dare you injure my butterflies? You seek death..."
Before she could finish, Chu Tianshu, with a stern face, unleashed another barrage of attacks, swift as a sudden rain. Sword energy flew everywhere, exuding a murderous aura, forcing the woman to fight with all her might, daring not to underestimate him.
The remaining outer disciples began to deal with the butterflies, being as careful as possible not to touch them.
The woman became increasingly alarmed as she fought. She hadn't expected Chu Tianshu to be so formidable. If not for her blue powder's surprise attack that poisoned the Qingxu Heaven disciples, she doubted she would have gained any advantage.
Suddenly, a white shadow flew over.
The woman was caught off guard. She felt a sharp pain in her neck and cried out.
The white shadow bit her and then flew back, burrowing into Wen Daier's embrace.
"To be distracted in a fight for life and death, truly foolish..." Wen Daier smiled charmingly, looking at her. "You are one of the Four Demons under Bai Gu Tian Mo, the Butterfly Demon, aren't you? So your master has arrived. Good, I'll kill you first, and then I'll go kill your master."
The Butterfly Demon clutched her profusely bleeding neck, feeling a potent toxin surge through the wound into her body, devouring her life force. Her heart leaped, and she stared at Wen Daier with wide eyes. "You, you are actually..."
She hadn't noticed Wen Daier, who had changed her attire, before.
Only now did she realize something.
But it was too late.
As the Butterfly Demon fell, the outer disciples cheered. The remaining blue butterflies, without their controller, began to fly erratically. Lin Yao took out a firearm and sprayed them with it, finally burning them all away.
With the danger averted, Chu Tianshu breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was grateful for Wen Daier's help in eliminating the opponent, he said coldly, "Who asked for your help? I could have killed her. You didn't need to meddle."
Wen Daier smiled enchantingly. "You are my man. If I don't help you, who else will?"
A chorus of jeers erupted, with Lin Yao and the others egging them on.
Chu Tianshu's face turned red, and he sternly rebuked, "Be quiet. Wen Daier, who is your man? As a woman, you have no modesty. You're worse than those in the brothels..." He stopped himself mid-sentence.
Seeing the hurt in Wen Daier's eyes, her charming face losing its luster, he wished he could slap himself.
Damn it, how could such a foolish remark have escaped his lips!
Chu Tianshu felt a surge of guilt but, too embarrassed to apologize, he cleared his throat to change the subject. "By the way, what was that thing that killed the Butterfly Demon just now? I only saw a white shadow."
The white shadow had moved too quickly; no one knew what it was.
Wen Daier didn't dwell on Chu Tianshu's earlier words. She reached into her embrace and took out a small object, showing it to Chu Tianshu. "It's this, my spirit pet, Yu'er."
A palm-sized white mouse suddenly darted onto Chu Tianshu's neck and then crawled onto his head.
"Squeak!" The little white mouse squeaked twice.
"A mouse?!"
Chu Tianshu's face changed drastically. He screamed and jumped up, frantically patting his head. "Ah! Wen Daier, how can you keep a mouse? Take it away! Don't put it on me... Get away, get away!"
The little white mouse had already scurried back and was now standing on Wen Daier's shoulder.
Its pair of ruby-like eyes stared at Chu Tianshu strangely. Was this man crazy?
Wen Daier laughed heartily, her body shaking. "Tianshu, you're afraid of mice... Hahaha... Yu'er is not just any mouse. It's a Snow Jade Rat, an eighth-tier spirit beast, very powerful."
Chu Tianshu's skin crawled with goosebumps. "A Snow Jade Rat is still a mouse! Keep it away from me! Don't come near me!"
Wen Daier deliberately leaned closer. "It's really cute, and very powerful..."
Chu Tianshu: "Get away, get away!"
Everyone burst into laughter.