Chapter 9: The Gay Cult
“Cult Leader! We’ve captured two people alive!”
A man slowly approached, surrounded by his followers. At first, Li Jianyu could only see a tall figure in a purple robe, walking with a measured pace. The man had a pair of upturned phoenix eyes, which seemed to shimmer with lingering affection, yet also resembled a bottomless pool of water, sparkling with a light that could snatch one’s soul with a single glance. However, he didn’t appear feminine at all; rather, he was more like a dangerous viper.
The Cult Leader, Xing Huan, glanced at the two of them, tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear, and smiled. “I’ll give you two choices. One, take ‘Departing Moon’ and work for us. We’ll give you the antidote after we get the spirit mushroom.”
“Or…” Xing Huan winked. “Die.”
The gesture was incredibly flamboyant.
To be honest, if these hip-swaying, hair-combing gestures were performed by an ordinary man, it would surely be horrifying. But when done by Xing Huan, it somehow came across as dashing and handsome.
“…Pfft.”
Zhao Linxu’s eyes widened as he looked in surprise at Li Jianyu, who had burst out laughing.
After spending so much time together, this was the first time he had seen the icy City Lord laugh.
He couldn’t understand. What was so funny about Cult Leader Xing Huan?
Li Jianyu looked at Xing Huan and couldn’t help but laugh again.
The gay cult leader of the Gay Cult was indeed very gay.
“Heh.” Xing Huan looked at Li Jianyu, thinking he was being provoked. He waved his long sleeve and smiled. “What two little demons. You asked for this. Get them~!”
Before his voice had even faded, a barrage of hidden weapons flew towards them. Zhao Linxu wrapped an arm around Li Jianyu, mounted Yuefeng, and extended his iron whip.
The iron whip unfurled like a silver dragon soaring through the nine heavens, sweeping wantonly and striking down any enemy who tried to approach its master.
Those who entered this formation could not leave without the caster’s permission, but within the formation, the members of the Joyful Moon Cult couldn’t harm Zhao Linxu or Li Jianyu either.
Xing Huan watched as his men were completely unable to get close to Zhao Linxu, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
“All of you, stand down.”
Xing Huan lightly drew the folding fan from his waist and leaped forward.
Seeing Xing Huan coming at him alone, Zhao Linxu smiled and simply dismounted to fight him one-on-one. The other cult members moved to capture Li Jianyu, but the shadow guards brought by the two immediately appeared, protecting him.
For a moment, the formation was a chaotic battlefield.
Xing Huan’s movements were light and agile. He dodged the sweep of the iron whip and successfully closed in on Zhao Linxu.
Zhao Linxu reversed his grip, retracting the whip to try and entangle Xing Huan.
“Ah…!”
Xing Huan let out a suggestive, soft pant and said in a coquettish voice, “My lord’s long whip is so long and hard.”
“…”
Although Zhao Linxu was an old rogue himself, he had never expected to be hit with such a lewd comment at this time, so unexpectedly.
While Zhao Linxu was stunned, the fan in Xing Huan’s hand unfurled to block the iron whip. The internal energy transmitted from the fan sent the whip flying, and it grazed past Zhao Linxu’s cheek.
Zhao Linxu barely dodged it, a smile playing on his lips.
Alright, a demonic cult indeed.
Li Jianyu sat on his horse, watching the two of them exchange blows.
Clang!
However, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xing Huan was ultimately defeated. The fan in his hand was sent flying by the iron whip, and a heart-wrenching pain and numbness spread through the web of his thumb and his palm.
Zhao Linxu placed his hand on Xing Huan’s neck. With just a little pressure, Xing Huan would die on the spot.
“All of you, stop.”
The shadow guards naturally obeyed Zhao Linxu. The members of the Joyful Moon Cult, seeing their leader held hostage, had no choice but to stop as well.
Xing Huan giggled a few times and nuzzled his head against Zhao Linxu’s hand, purring coquettishly, “If my lord uses force, this humble one will break.”
“Oh?” Zhao Linxu said with a smile, increasing the pressure in his hand.
“…Hiss!”
Only when he felt satisfied did Zhao Linxu release his hand.
Xing Huan was stunned and raised an eyebrow. “You’re just letting me go? Not afraid I’ll bite back?”
Zhao Linxu smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“If I can subdue you once, I can naturally do it a second time.”
“You’re a real man. Which sect are you from?”
Zhao Linxu said with a straight face, “I am the Emperor.”
“Tch. Just because you beat me, your tail is already sticking up to the heavens. You think you’re the Emperor? Have you no shame?”
Li Jianyu: “…”
Xing Huan’s lips curled slightly. He had his followers dispel the formation, then turned and left with his men without a second glance.
“We’ll meet again! Perhaps we’ll see you before the spirit mushroom.”
The forest returned to its tranquility. Zhao Linxu put away his whip, took the reins, and mounted his horse.
“Beauty, was I handsome just now?”
Li Jianyu said stiffly, “The Young Master’s martial arts are unparalleled. Naturally… mmph.”
“Shh…”
Zhao Linxu reached out and covered Li Jianyu’s mouth, smiling. “I don’t want to hear such insincere flattery.”
Feeling the person in front of him stiffen, Zhao Linxu released his hand. “Beauty, are you dissatisfied with me in some way? Why do I feel like you loathe me in your heart?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t you feel that our interactions are terribly stiff?”
Li Jianyu looked at Zhao Linxu. “The Emperor has so many subjects. Why do you care how you get along with me?”
After ascending the throne, Zhao Linxu had learned to present himself as inscrutable, but the wildness in his heart could not be changed. Such an attitude, on the contrary, piqued one’s curiosity, making one unable to resist teasing.
XXXXXX
Water God Mountain was bustling with activity, but the outskirts of the neighboring Baihua City were so quiet you could hear a leaf fall. The only inn in the suburbs had been booked out, cutting off the usual noisy comings and goings.
“Your Highness.”
Xue Ni pushed open the door to the upper room, placed a cup of tea on the desk, and then quietly retreated to the side, sitting down on a long bench in the corner to read a book.
The fair and clean man, dressed in a white robe that complemented the jade hairpin in his hair, had elegant features. Just sitting there, he was a tranquil painting.
“You’re here.” The man sitting behind the desk closed the report in his hands and picked up the teacup. “Is it handled?”
“It has been handled properly. The shadow guards have been lying in wait on Water God Mountain for several days,” Xue Ni said, his eyes lowered. “They are all well-trained assassins, specially requested by this subject from the Great Xi.”
“How is Zhao Jiangxue?” Zhao Zhanqi put down the teacup. The cup clinked against the saucer, making a crisp sound.
Hearing this name, Xue Ni was stunned at first, then lowered his head to hide his gaze. “His Majesty probably knows of Your Highness’s plans and is thinking of marrying the princess off to Prince Anding. However, the princess has a stubborn temper and is refusing to marry, causing many problems.”
“Perfect.”
Xue Ni paused, then finally couldn’t help but ask softly, “Does Your Highness like the princess?”
Zhao Zhanqi smiled, his eyes betraying no emotion. “It’s just a matter of expediency.”
“Mm, Xue Ni understands.” Xue Ni looked at the man before him, who was smiling inscrutably, and lowered his head slightly.
XXXXXX
Crash—
Zhao Linxu stood by the entrance of a cave shrouded in vines and lush foliage. With a flick of his whip, he swept away the members of the Arrogant Dragon Gang who were trying to advance.
Li Jianyu stood behind Zhao Linxu, his heart pounding.
The spirit mushroom was now within reach!
Legend had it that the spirit mushroom was inside this cave, growing in a crevice in the rock. If they just went in, went in, they could get it…
They had been walking for two days, encountering countless enemies along the way. But since the existence of the shadow guards had already been exposed, Zhao Linxu simply didn’t bother to fight himself. He and Li Jianyu rode leisurely on horseback, and with the shadow guards, the others couldn’t harm them.
Seeing Zhao Linxu and the shadow guards engaged in a chaotic battle with the Arrogant Dragon Gang, Li Jianyu said, “Shall I go in first?”
“Alright.” Zhao Linxu leaped up and went straight for the leader of the Arrogant Dragon Gang.
Li Jianyu took half of the shadow guards with him and crouched down to crawl into the cave entrance.
The narrow passage was covered in dirty mud, and occasionally, protruding stones would scrape the skin on his knees.
After finally getting out of the passage and arriving in a tall, spacious cavern, he saw that it was dotted with lights.
Several women holding white silks stood in a formation, holding torches. They didn’t react much when they saw Li Jianyu and his men, only staring warily at the lake before them.
In the cavern was a lake that stretched out of sight. The surface of the lake was calm, but it was surrounded by a thick fog.
It was originally an ordinary lake, but because the water was a dark gray and the fog above it looked more like smoke, it appeared somewhat eerie.
Li Jianyu was slightly stunned when he saw the leading woman. The woman had bright features and a graceful figure. Standing there with her chest out, she had a commanding presence, like a heroic martial arts heroine from the jianghu.
“City Lord Hua?”
The woman was startled and turned her head, exclaiming, “Why are you here?”
It was none other than the lord of the neighboring Baihua City, Hua Huanxi, and her retainers.
“For the spirit mushroom, of course. I imagine City Lord Hua is here for the same reason.”
“City Lord Li, let’s not talk about the spirit mushroom for now. Join forces with me to deal with the monster before us,” Hua Huanxi said. “You don’t know martial arts, so hide in the back. Lend me your shadow guards, or we’ll all die here today.”
Hua Huanxi and Li Jianyu were old acquaintances, so there was no need for pleasantries.
Li Jianyu first looked at the injured people, then at Hua Huanxi, who was staring so vigilantly at the lake. He frowned and asked, “What kind of monster is it?”
Splash—
Before his voice had even faded, a huge splash erupted on the surface of the lake, and a creature with a massive body, shaped like a wolf, leaped out.
The mountain shook, and stones fell from the cavern ceiling.
The monster let out a huge roar, and Li Jianyu felt as if his eardrums were about to burst.
“Form up!!”
At Hua Huanxi’s command, everyone unfurled their silks, weaving them together one after another. The agile girls used the long strips of cloth to form the shape of a blooming flower.
Hua Huanxi was not only a city lord but also the master of the Hundred Flowers Sect of the jianghu, which only accepted female disciples. However, all her disciples were skilled in martial arts, their strength lying in their graceful and agile movements.
The shadow guards surrounded Li Jianyu, taking up a fighting stance.
This monster looked difficult to deal with. Just its massive body, which was large enough to block one’s entire field of vision, was overwhelming, not to mention that this “giant wolf” was covered in hard, impenetrable scales.
“Roar—”
Hua Huanxi could barely keep her footing. She desperately suppressed the fear in her heart and managed to issue a command.
“Form up! Sunflower Formation!”
The disciples of the Hundred Flowers Sect immediately attacked.
The giant wolf was wrapped in circles of silk as soon as it came ashore, but in a moment, it broke free. The snapped silks flew back with force, sending the people controlling them flying.
Hua Huanxi slammed into the stone wall and spat out a mouthful of blood. “Damn it! Why didn’t we know there was such a monster here before! Otherwise, I would have brought more people!”
Li Jianyu looked at the corpses in the corner of the cavern, which were so decomposed they were no longer recognizable as human.
The news of the spirit mushroom blooming hadn’t fully spread yet, and he had arrived early by taking a shortcut with Zhao Linxu. There were few people here to begin with, and those who knew probably didn’t make it out…
The giant wolf glanced around, then charged towards Hua Huanxi. Its moving limbs made a dull “thump, thump” sound on the ground.
“Sect Master, be careful!”
This monster was quite smart; it knew the principle of “to shoot the rider, first shoot the horse.”
“Ah—!”
Although someone had warned her, the monster moved too fast. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of Hua Huanxi. She unfurled her silk, but before she could make a move, the monster opened its mouth and sprayed a white mist at her.
In the emergency, Hua Huanxi spread her silk to block the mist and covered her face. Li Jianyu, standing to the side, was not so lucky. Not only were his reactions slower than a martial artist’s, but his foot was also injured. He was hit head-on by the strange, turbid gas.
Li Jianyu covered his face with his hands, but the mist seeped in through the cracks. A heart-wrenching stinging pain shot through his eyes, and he couldn’t open them at all.
Then, the monster swung its tail, flinging both of them into the lake.
