Chapter 42: Taking Responsibility for You Part 2

Seeing the Little Snow Fox’s wound gradually healing under the Healing Talisman’s effect, Huo Zhi picked it up and stroked its back.

“I suspect those beast roars up ahead are also caused by Cultivators. We should move farther away,” Huo Zhi said to Linlang.

Linlang took hold of Huo Zhi and teleported another five kilometers or so. This area was somewhat more peaceful.

Huo Zhi noticed where the ice layer had cracked open, revealing the sea surface beneath. She thought of the fish they ate at the Xiao Residence. The Little Snow Fox was injured, and although its wound was somewhat better, it probably hadn’t replenished the blood it lost. They could catch some fish.

“Can you help catch some fish?” Huo Zhi asked Linlang.

Linlang paused, then turned to catch fish.

The Spiritual Energy Net originally intended for binding people was repurposed into a fishing net. In a short while, it caught several dozen fish of various types.

Huo Zhi, having some experience eating fish, stored most of them for later use and selected one. Linlang immediately cleaned it and sliced it into very thin pieces, arranging them on a clean ice plate for Huo Zhi.

Huo Zhi tried a piece herself first. It was fresh, sweet, and delicious, even fresher than what she had eaten at the Xiao Residence.

Huo Zhi took a fish slice to feed the Little Snow Fox. The Little Snow Fox watched Huo Zhi take a bite, then lowered its head and, eating from Huo Zhi’s hand, nibbled the fish slice clean in small, delicate bites.

“Is it good? Nod if you want more.” Huo Zhi tried to communicate with the Little Snow Fox. The Little Snow Fox looked at the fish in Huo Zhi’s hand and nodded. Huo Zhi stroked its head and continued giving it fish slices.

The Little Snow Fox was exceedingly well-behaved and utterly adorable. With its external injury healed, its entire body was snow-white, and combined with its heterochromatic eyes, it looked extremely beautiful.

It seemed to have accepted Huo Zhi, and now it was curled up in Huo Zhi’s arms, sleeping.

Their current location was relatively safe. There were no nearby Demon Beasts, nor any Human Cultivators approaching. Huo Zhi stayed with the Little Snow Fox as it ate, continuing to apply Healing Talismans, and spending the rest of her time cultivating.

As expected, this place had the purest Ice-Type Spiritual Qi, and her cultivation progress felt noticeably faster.

Huo Zhi thought they could simply lie low here for a month and then return. She hadn’t expected that not even two days later, trouble would find them.

A considerable number of Cultivators came, and they arrived with menacing force. As soon as they appeared, they enclosed the area, activating a Barrier. The Spiritual Qi within the Barrier was sealed off, unable to be mobilized.

Linlang had just finished slicing a plate of raw fish slices and was about to bring it to Huo Zhi when she sensed the surroundings being sealed. She hurried to go to Huo Zhi’s side but was forced back by a whip shadow.

“Don’t move. That Fox Demon is my Shentu Family’s quarry. Hand it over!” A haughty voice rang out as a woman in golden soft armor, her hair bound with a golden crown, arrived not far from Huo Zhi and Linlang. Her whip pointed directly at the Little Snow Fox cradled in Huo Zhi’s arms.

Huo Zhi’s heart jolted with alarm. This was bad.

She hadn’t expected that this immature, extremely weak Little Snow Fox would be specifically tracked down.

“Institute Head Shentu’s calculations are unfailing. Truly impressive,” a man’s voice sounded beside the woman. At the same time, a tall, handsome man appeared.

Huo Zhi saw the man and sensed something was off. His aura and other things had changed, but his appearance was very familiar. Wasn’t this… Mo Zhenfeng?!

How was he haunting her like a lingering ghost?!

The woman whom Mo Zhenfeng had called Institute Head Shentu was probably none other than Shentu Xingyue!

“Mo Wentian, I’ll credit you for this. Without your guidance, we wouldn’t have found it. Hmph, what small fry, what trash fish dare vie with me? Hand it over, now!” Shentu Xingyue flicked her whip at Huo Zhi.

Holding the Little Snow Fox tightly, Huo Zhi rolled on the ground, dodging that one whip. At the same time, Linlang lunged forward, activating a Protective Barrier and shielding both Huo Zhi and the Little Snow Fox.

Shentu Xingyue flared with anger. Her whip lashed out again, striking the Protective Barrier Linlang had activated. It rebounded, unable to break through.

Linlang was using a Protective Talisman Artifact that Moyi Guihua had obtained from Wenren Sumian, capable of withstanding attacks from a Soul Formation Stage Cultivator. It could ignore low-grade Spiritual Qi seals.

“Oh? You actually have some skill! It’s that wretch Wenren Sumian’s Protective Talisman Artifact!” Shentu Xingyue recognized the barrier Linlang had activated at a single glance.

“Yes, this belongs to Wenren Sumian. I’m also from the Wenren Family. This little Fox Demon hasn’t even matured. Why can’t you let it go?” Huo Zhi, hearing Shentu Xingyue, followed up with a statement, hoping to borrow the Wenren Family’s influence here.

“Who are you trying to fool? The Shentu Family has mobilized so many Cultivators this time precisely to capture this Snow Fox. Don’t think you can hide behind the Wenren name and I’ll let you off! What does the Wenren Family even count for?! Do you think I can’t do anything to you just because of this Protective Barrier?!” Shentu Xingyue spoke as she activated another Talisman Artifact in her hand. This time, it was an arrow—a sharp arrow formed of Metal-Type Spiritual Qi shot toward their Protective Barrier.

Before the arrow could shatter the barrier, Linlang had already activated the Teleportation Talisman Artifact again, vanishing from the spot.

“Detestable! That foul woman Wenren Sumian, claiming she wasn’t interested, yet still sending people to snatch it. Such a hypocritical wretch! Mo Wentian, quickly check which direction they fled?!” Shentu Xingyue raged.

“Institute Head Shentu, please calm your anger. They went in the southeast direction. Approximately seven and a half kilometers away,” said Mo Zhenfeng, operating under the alias Mo Wentian.

Following the guidance of a Fortune Guiding Talisman, Mo Zhenfeng had obtained an Examination Token. He was a candidate from the same period as Huo Zhi but was in a different group and never met her.

He was also one of the people wanted by Qin Ceyi, so he had discreetly changed his name.

He joined the Talisman Script Court under the Shentu Family’s control. When the Shentu Family teleported many Cultivators into the Extreme North Region to search for things, he had followed along.

He concealed the Fortune Guiding Talisman, using it to guide the way under the guise of a compass, and connected himself to Shentu Xingyue.

“Excellent! Let’s see how much Spiritual Qi they have to keep teleporting!” Shentu Xingyue grabbed Mo Zhenfeng and activated a Teleportation Talisman to pursue them.

On the other side, Huo Zhi and Linlang had teleported to a location over five kilometers away.

“That guy just now was Mo Zhenfeng. He has a Fortune Guiding Talisman—very troublesome. Hurry, let’s keep moving—the farther, the better!” Huo Zhi immediately told Linlang.

“I know.” Linlang quickly channeled Spiritual Qi into the Talisman Artifact, activating it for another teleportation.

Linlang had recognized him without Huo Zhi needing to say anything. She hadn’t expected that Mo Zhenfeng would still have such luck in this life. Having missed Huo Zhi, Linlang, Moyi Guihua, and Ji Shuling, he had still managed to find one of his harems from the Previous Life—Shentu Xingyue.

Shentu Xingyue was of the Metal-Type, and her current cultivation level was already at the Nascent Soul Late Stage. She hadn’t yet absorbed the White Tiger Geng Metal Talisman, making her relatively weaker, but she was still far stronger than them.

They couldn’t evade her at all without the escape Talisman Artifacts and protective Talisman Artifacts provided by Wenren Sumian.

Linlang had just activated the Teleportation Talisman when Shentu Xingyue precisely tracked them down. Linlang continued teleporting, but no matter how she changed directions, they were closely pursued.

After teleporting five or six times, the spirit stones on the Teleportation Talisman Artifact were nearly depleted, losing their energy, and the artifact could no longer be activated.

“We’ll split up. Here are Talismans and Talisman Artifacts inside. Take them!” Linlang handed the Teleportation Talisman Artifact and Storage Bag to Huo Zhi.

Splitting up was indeed a good plan—it could disperse their forces, allowing one side to possibly escape.

“The Snow Fox, give it to me. I’ll carry it. The Fortune Guidance is probably mainly tracking it,” Linlang said to Huo Zhi, wanting to take the Little Snow Fox in her arms. The Little Snow Fox, however, wasn’t close to Linlang and dodged her hand.

“I’ll hold it. Who knows? You’ve given me so many Talismans. It should be enough. Thank you.” Huo Zhi shook her head at Linlang, not wanting to implicate her either.

In her perception, there were Spiritual Qi fluctuations in the surroundings. Shentu Xingyue had caught up.

“I’m going. You should leave too!” Huo Zhi said quickly, activated the Teleportation Talisman Artifact, and fled with the Little Snow Fox.

Linlang remained in place. She still had some Talisman-style Teleportation Talismans.

Their relentless pursuit would ultimately need a resolution. So let her be the one to block them.

As the Spiritual Qi fluctuations grew increasingly intense, Linlang dashed in that direction, activating a Wenren Sumian Black Tortoise Ren Water Talisman arrow. Dense water-type arrows shot toward the source of the Spiritual Qi fluctuations. Shentu Xingyue and Mo Zhenfeng, who had just teleported into existence, were caught off guard. However, they already had powerful protective artifacts on them. With a clanging, clashing din, the arrows were deflected.

“Detestable! They split up! The Snow Fox isn’t here! Which direction?!” Shentu Xingyue asked Mo Zhenfeng beside her.

“Probably northeast, six kilometers away,” Mo Zhenfeng said. The Fortune Guiding Talisman was wavering now. The direction to the northeast was indeed very strong, but the one before them wasn’t weak either.

Shentu Xingyue wanted to activate a Teleportation Talisman again, but another dense volley of arrows from Linlang arrived, seemingly intent on exhausting the Spiritual Qi of their Talisman Artifacts and preventing them from activating a Teleportation Talisman.

The Black Tortoise Ren Water was, in fact, a level higher than the standard Metal-Type Spiritual Qi Shentu Xingyue currently wielded.

“Black Tortoise Ren Water. Wenren Sumian really equipped you thoroughly! But a mere Foundation Establishment ant dares to challenge me?!” Shentu Xingyue’s fury was ignited. She lashed her whip toward Linlang, who dodged aside. However, countless tiny needles shot from the whip’s tip, all aimed at Linlang.

Though very agile, the needles were too numerous, and several struck Linlang.

Shentu Xingyue didn’t let up. Another whip strike lashed out, hitting Linlang squarely.

At Shentu Xingyue’s level, without the powerful Talisman Artifact she had before, Linlang was instantly lashed to the ground, several ribs broken.

She didn’t give up, continuing to activate other Talismans inscribed with Black Tortoise Ren Water. A wall of water surrounded Shentu Xingyue and her companion.

“Institute Head Shentu, that Snow Fox has moved further. Northeast direction, over twelve kilometers away. Institute Head Shentu, this person isn’t someone who can be dealt with quickly. How about you leave immediately, and I’ll finish off the rest? I’ll capture her and then catch up with you,” Mo Zhenfeng said, looking in Linlang’s direction and feeling he could handle her. He addressed Shentu Xingyue while launching a Fire Wall technique toward Linlang.

“Fine. Be quick. No need to capture her, just kill her directly! Put the corpse in a Storage Bag. We’ll present it to Wenren Sumian later to disgust her!” Shentu Xingyue told Mo Zhenfeng, then activated a Teleportation Talisman and left first.

Once Shentu Xingyue was gone, Mo Zhenfeng looked toward Linlang with some excitement.

He wouldn’t be able to seize Huo Zhi’s and the Snow Fox’s opportunities. But the person before him was also quite promising. The Fortune Guiding Talisman’s reaction to her was also very excited.

Mo Zhenfeng consecutively used several Talismans against Linlang. Once he was sure Linlang couldn’t move in that direction, he walked over. He had a rare Heart-Questioning Talisman in his hand. Once activated, the subject couldn’t lie and would answer any question truthfully. He wanted to see what kind of opportunity Linlang possessed.

Before Mo Zhenfeng could finish activating the Heart-Questioning Talisman, Linlang bowed her head and licked the blood from the corner of her mouth. She lifted her eyelids to glance at Mo Zhenfeng. She waited until he came a bit closer, then suddenly exploded into action, pouncing onto him. As her hand clamped onto Mo Zhenfeng’s neck, black qi shot from her fingertips directly into his body.

Having learned from the last time Mo Zhenfeng escaped, Linlang hadn’t used the Nether Soul Threads prematurely this time. She hadn’t directed her hatred toward him, nor looked at him. She had simply lowered her body’s cultivation to appear as the weakest threat, waiting for Mo Zhenfeng to approach so she could control him in one strike and prevent him from using a Teleportation Talisman.

The black qi was a new Nether Soul Thread, a fusion of Yin Baleful Qi and Devil Qi, even more formidable than before.

As those black threads burrowed into Mo Zhenfeng’s body, his expression contorted in extreme struggle. But he was firmly suppressed by Linlang.