Chapter 73: 73
Chapter 73: Gentle and Powerful
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Kong Hou’s fingers stilled . She looked dazedly at the red-robed Huan Zhong for a while . “Huan Zhong?”
“Kong Hou, are you all right?” The red-robed Huan Zhong put Dragon Roar back into its sheath and quickly walked towards Kong Hou . He stopped three paces away from her . “Do not be afraid, I am not an illusory yao . ”
Used to Huan Zhong wearing white robes, Kong Hou’s first reaction to seeing a red-robed Huan Zhong was not suspicion but shock . White robes, red robes, and the surrounding fog caused the man in front of her to look like an incubus who could steal the souls of women .
The person before her was wearing clothing completely different than usual, but Kong Hou felt a feeling of comfort from him . She put away Phoenix Head . Kong Hou pushed the phoenix head hairpin back into her hair and walked towards Huan Zhong .
“Do not move,” Huan Zhong said . “Each rock here, each blade of grass, may be a formation of the secret realm . If it is activated, you may be transported to a different place . ” As he spoke, he stepped in a strange manner as he walked towards Kong Hou and then tightly gripped her hand .
Kong Hou untield the silver ribbon from her wrist and tied her and Huan Zhong’s wrists together . She smiled smugly . “Now we will not be separated . ”
“Yes…” Huan Zhong looked down at their bound wrists and then clasped her fingers . “Those two misses should have been transported to different places . Let’s first leave this misted woods . ”
“All right . ” Kong Hou secretly rubbed Huan Zhong’s fingers . The same warm feeling—yes, this was Huan Zhong .
Walking in the front, Huan Zhong’s ears were red as he tried to ignore Kong Hou’s small movements .
Was Kong Hou playing the tickling game with him?
“Huan Zhong, why did you suddenly change clothing?” Kong Hou looked at Huan Zhong with bright eyes . “It is very good-looking . ”
“White clothing is easily dirtied . ” Huan Zhong suddenly lifted Kong Hou up and moved two steps back towards the left . Kong Hou looked back at where they had dodged . There had been a large rock there which now became a tree .
“So risky . ” Kong Hou patted her chest . “Huan Zhong, were you afraid I could not see you in the mist so you changed into red robes?”
“No . ” Huan Zhong released Kong Hou’s waist, turned his face aside and said, “I just took out a random robe . ”
“Oh . ” While she did not believe it, she answered affirmatively . Men would be awkward sometimes, she understood . This robe was much more fancy than what Huan Zhong usually wore . It had flowing formations and patterns, and was also embroidered with precious stones . Other than glittering with precious stones, there was no other way of describing this robe .
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But such a gaudy robe on Huan Zhong still seemed ethereal .
“Tread north a step . ”
Kong Hou followed and moved left . A scream came from the thick fog behind them, mixed with female sobs .
“Do not look back . ” Huan Zhong tightened his grip on Kong Hou’s hand . “Tread east three steps . ”
The sobs became stronger . Kong Hou gritted her teeth and suppressed the urge to turn back . She obeyed Huan Zhong’s directions . Huan Zhong would not lie to her . She would believe Huan Zhong, and not sobs that came out of nowhere .
“All right . ” After they walked for an unknown amount of time, the thick fog finally dissipated . Kong Hou looked around . This was the path they took to go into the woods . Right now, they had come back to their original spot .
“Kong Hou, quick, release him!” Ling Bo jumped off the tree, her sword pointing nervously at Huan Zhong . “He is not Spirit Master Huan Zhong—he is an illusory yao of the secret realm . ” While she did not like Kong Hou, she did not want the cultivation world to lose such an important genius cultivator .
“Celestial Ling Bo, you misunderstand . ” Kong Hou smiled helplessly . “This really is Huan Zhong . We have resolved the formation inside the mist; you do not have to worry . ”
Her words did not let Ling Bo relax her guard . Her expression became uglier . She looked at where Kong Hou and the illusory yao had bound their hands together . Her hand sweated as she held her sword . “I do not care who you are—leave Kong Hou’s side immediately . ”
This damned young brat was so strong when she had been ridiculing her . How could she not even recognize human from yao . When had Spirit Master Huan Zhong ever worn such bright and complex robes? While… she had to admit he was very good-looking, this did not fit Spirit Master Huan Zhong’s habits .
As a sword cultivator, being pointed at with a sword by someone was the most serious of provocations . Huan Zhong glanced at Ling Bo and then at Kong Hou who was grimacing at the side . He spoke, “Path Friend Ling Bo, it is me . ”
Ling Bo snorted . “Do not play tricks with me . Just now, an illusory yao pretended to be Kong Hou this damn… Celestial Kong Hou to get close to me . The illusory yao are the best at enchanting people so they cannot separate truth and illusion . You, as an illusory yao, are not skilled but know how to tempt people . I recognize cultivation is difficult; if you leave her, I will not kill you . ” She was Celestial Ling Bo of Clear Dawn Sect—she would not say swear words!
Looking at Ling Bo’s serious expression, Kong Hou smiled at her with some more warmth . “Celestial Ling Bo, do not worry . He is Huan Zhong, I guarantee it . ”
Ling Bo stared at Huan Zhong and Kong Hou for several seconds before she slowly put down the sword . “I will temporarily believe her, but you have to come next to me . ” If this young brat was killed by an illusory yao in front of her, Splendid Cloud Sect would come to cry in front of Clear Dawn Sect every day . Then where would she find a pentad spirit base genius female cultivator to repay them?
“No,” Huan Zhong said with a cold expression, “Kong Hou stays by my side . ”
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“Ha!” Ling Bo smoothed her sleeve . This illusory yao that enchanted with beauty dared to be so disobedient . Did he think that her reputation as the most beautiful woman of Clear Dawn Sect was for nothing?
“Celestial Ling Bo, let us speak—do not be impulsive . ” Jin Ling appeared from behind the tree trunk and grabbed her sleeve . “What if this really is Spirit Master Huan Zhong?”
If this really was Spirit Master Huan Zhong, it would be awkward when they met again . More importantly, Celestial Ling Bo could not win against Spirit Master Huan Zhong . She had heard that when sword cultivators were angry, they did not distinguish between men, women and animals . They would cut down everything with their sword .
Ling Bo frowned and looked over Huan Zhong’s clothing several times . If this really was Spirit Master Huan Zhong, why did he suddenly wear red robes? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kong Hou . An absurd thought appeared in her mind .
Did he… want to use beauty to attract Kong Hou?
“Apologies, I misunderstood just now . Spirit Master, please forgive me . ” Ling Bo bowed and apologized to Huan Zhong . However, her body was slightly tense, showing that she had not completely let down her guard .
“Path Friend does not have to be so . The secret realm is full of traps, so it is best to be careful . ” Huan Zhong did not let go of Kong Hou’s hand .
“What have you encountered inside?” Kong Hou was slightly curious . Ling Bo’s cultivation and mental state could not compare to Huan Zhong’s . How could she come out earlier than Huan Zhong?
“Nothing . ” Ling Bo’s expression was slightly unnatural . She could not tell Kong Hou that an illusory yao had impersonated Kong Hou just now and stroked the hair coquettishly in front of her, pretending to be pitiful . She had been so angry she had beaten the illusory yao to damage its appearance .
When she came back to herself, she was already outside the fog . If she said the truth, it would appear she was jealous of Kong Hou’s beauty . She would not say it out loud on pain of death .
Suddenly, a silver light flew over . Huan Zhong held his sword in one hand as he redirected the silver light . This was not a silver light—this was a vicious killing sword .
“Move away from them . ” Lin Hu’s clothing was in tatters and he looked disheveled . It appeared he had not had a smooth experience .
“I just said that he is not the true Spirit Master Huan Zhong . Even Elder Lin suspects him . ” Ling Bo pulled out her sword again, and pushed Jin Ling to the side . “Stay a bit further away . ”
Jin Ling silently put a few more defensive seals on herself and shrank back behind the tree trunk .
The battle was on the verge of starting yet Lin Hu suddenly stopped . He looked doubtful at Huan Zhong . “Master?”
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Huan Zhong looked coolly at him . “Clear-headed now?”
Lin Hu put his sword back in its sheath and walked a few steps towards Huan Zhong and Kong Hou . “How come you are wearing this?”
“I am in a good mood . ” Huan Zhong shook his sleeve slightly and the Dragon Roar Sword disappeared from his hand . He turned and said to Kong Hou, “Rest for a while . Later, we will move to the east . ”
Lin Hu: “…”
So you wore white or light-colored robes every day for three hundred years previously because you were not in a good mood?
“Wait, let me make a reading . ” Kong Hou took out the jade turtle shells Pavilion Master Sun had given her . She glanced at their hands which were bound together . “Huan Zhong, cooperate with me . ”
Lin Hu: “…”
“You know how to divine?” Ling Bo coughed and put the sword away, pretending nothing had happened .
“Just a bit . ” Kong Hou knew to be humble . She held the jade turtle shell with both hands, bowed three times to the sky, and started to recite the beginner divination chant .
“Asking the heavens, the east, the south, asking the earth, the west, the north, good and bad luck, kowtowing to thank the heavens and earth . ”
The turtle shell fell to the ground . Kong Hou looked over a few times . “The reading indicates we should walk towards the south .
“The south is fire, I…”
“The south isn’t bad,” Huan Zhong said . “We will go south . ”
“The south represents fire, fire represents light; it is a good choice,” Lin Hu said with a stiff face . “Master, will you come with me to change?”
Huan Zhong looked at his hand holding Kong Hou’s . “No need, wait until after we leave this place . ”
Seeing Huan Zhong so determined, Lin Hu did not ask again .
He remembered that Master disliked red things especially, particularly red clothing . The day that Master left the imperial palace, all of the palace was covered in red silk . That was the day the emperor was wedding his new empress, the third day after Master’s mother passed away .
Wearing white, Master held the little sword Sect Master Jin Yue had given him . He went into the main hall with a stiff face, levered the dragon pearl out of the throne, and then left the palace without a second glance back to never return .
Of course, since then he had never seen the other wear red clothing .
As Ling Bo and Jin Ling sat to the side and rested, Kong Hou pulled Huan Zhong’s sleeve . “Huan Zhong, how about you make another reading? I might not be accurate . ”
“No need . ” Huan Zhong gave her a bottle of spirit liquid . “I believe you . ”
Kong Hou raised one hand and covered her face . “But I do not feel very reassured . ”
While her recent divinations had been very accurate, what if she was not accurate this once?
“No matter . With me and Lin Hu present, even if the reading is not accurate, there will not be any danger,” Huan Zhong said warmly . “Drink a bottle of spirit liquid . The secret realm will change every day, and any direction is the same . ”
Huan Zhong,” Kong Hou turned her head to look at Huan Zhong .
“Yes?” Huan Zhong looked back at her .
“Even if I had a gentle, powerful and considerate father, he would not be better to me than you are . ”
Translator Ramblings: Clothes make the man .