Chapter 604: Chapter 264: Liu Xiaotang

"My dear, is it really okay to leave Senior Sister Suxin there alone?"

Qin Gengyun followed Qiu Zhihe into Liu Dashu’s courtyard, glanced back at Suxin in the distance, and couldn’t help but speak to Qiu Zhihe.

After all, Suxin almost went berserk just now. Leaving her alone to face such a difficult decision might unsettle her Tao Heart.

Qiu Zhihe said faintly, "Zhenyang Sect claims to be the Leader of the Righteous Path. I’m curious to see what she’ll do. If you’re worried about her, go back and help her."

The acidic tone of the last sentence nearly overflowed, causing Qin Gengyun to remain silent immediately, following behind his wife in silence.

"The son-in-law is indeed obedient."

Behind them, Liu Su covered her mouth and chuckled softly. The phoenix bird cooed, expressing shock at Xia Qinglian being such a jealous type.

Mo Xiaolan thought for a moment, then said softly, "I’ll go back and accompany Senior Sister Suxin."

After speaking, she turned and walked towards Suxin and the villagers.

She wasn’t part of Cyan Lotus Sect or Zhenyang Sect, her actions were driven by her own conscience. Since Suxin was no villain and had saved them, Mo Xiaolan was willing to help her.

Liu Su shook her head, "Sister Xiaolan is just too soft-hearted."

The phoenix bird cooed again. Liu Su patted the bird’s head, "What’s with the cooing? Say something, won’t you?"

The phoenix bird was furious, "Don’t touch my head!"

Qin Gengyun and Qiu Zhihe were already inside Liu’s house. Qin Gengyun extended his Divine Sense and quickly located the cellar, surprisingly beneath a dry well in the backyard.

Too lazy to dig, Qin Gengyun transformed into a human pile driver, punching the ground several times to create a deep pit, revealing a group of captive women below.

Most of them were young maidens, among them few were little girls of five or six years old.

Having lived without seeing daylight for years, every face was pale, their expressions listless.

Upon seeing Qin Gengyun, as muscular as iron, the girls showed visible fear:

"Immortal Master, don’t kill me, don’t kill me, sob sob!"

They mistook Qin Gengyun for someone from the Celestial Fall Sect. Qiu Zhihe approached and crouched, stretching her hand towards them:

"We’re here to rescue you, don’t be afraid."

Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle, freezing these girls for a moment until one of them finally extended a trembling hand and held Qiu Zhihe’s hand.

Qiu Zhihe pulled her up and then rescued each of the girls trapped underground one by one.

Liu Su and the phoenix bird watched from the side. Liu Su giggled and said:

"Miss could have used Spiritual Power to bring them all up at once, yet she chose to painstakingly rescue them one by one. Do you know why?"

"Coo?"

"Because these girls are afraid of cultivators, and Miss didn’t want to scare them."

"Coo??"

The phoenix bird looked utterly baffled.

Xia Qinglian is that gentle?

Why was she so ruthless when hitting me?

After pulling up the last girl, Qiu Zhihe paused.

"My dear?"

Qin Gengyun crouched down, following Qiu Zhihe’s gaze towards the cellar, and was stunned.

Deep within the cellar lay scattered white bones, some of which were small, clearly belonging to children.

"They... tried to escape and were killed by the village chief."

A hoarse voice came from behind, causing the couple to turn and see a disheveled young girl timidly looking at them.

Her face was smeared with dirt, yet her large, lively eyes shone with shimmering gentle light.

Qiu Zhihe stood up silently, "Liu Dashu is already dead, I killed him. You are free now."

The young girls looked at each other, their faces lacking the expected joy, prompting Qiu Zhihe to frown slightly:

"What’s wrong?"

The young girl with lively eyes knelt down, her voice choking, "Fairy, Immortal Master, even if we leave the village, the immortals of Celestial Fall Mountain will capture us again. We... have nowhere to go."

"That’s your problem."

Qiu Zhihe snorted coldly, turning to leave, but then felt her feet being held by small hands. The girl with large eyes looked up at her, pleading:

"Fairy, please guide us."

Qiu Zhihe laughed, "You don’t beg me to take you away, only to guide you?"

The girl’s face was filthy, yet a trace of life could be seen in her lively eyes:

"Fairy saving us is already a great benevolence. We dare not be greedy, but if we are captured again by Celestial Fall Immortal, wouldn’t it waste the efforts of the fairy who saved us?"

Qiu Zhihe looked down at her, eyes filled with amusement: "You have quite the courage, aren’t you afraid I might kill you?"

The girl knelt, her forehead touching the ground, "My life was saved by the fairy. I’m willing to die for the fairy."

Qiu Zhihe asked, "What’s your name?"

The girl looked up, brushing away the messy hair from her face and wiping the dirt from her cheeks, revealing delicate features:

"To the fairy, my name is Liu Xiaotang."

"Xiaotang..." Qiu Zhihe was slightly taken aback, then smiled, "Good name."

She turned to the phoenix bird: "They’re all girls, how about sending them to your Celestial Phoenix Mountain?"

The phoenix bird flapped its wings twice and cooed. Qiu Zhihe raised her hand, surrounding the girls with an array, then lifted them onto the phoenix bird’s back.

These girls were petite, huddling together. The phoenix bird’s back could just accommodate them. With the protective array keeping them secure, there was no fear of falling.

Qiu Zhihe said to the phoenix bird, "Take them to Celestial Phoenix Mountain, settle them well. Don’t delay... In three days, you’ll need the Essence Baptism from my husband."

The phoenix bird protested with angry coos but ultimately lowered its proud head, flapping its wings, ready to fly away. Suddenly, Liu Xiaotang called out:

"Fairy, may I come with you?"

Qiu Zhihe glanced at her, "I don’t need burdens."

Liu Xiaotang bit her lip, tears spilling from her lively eyes: "I-I can do many things, I would never be a burden to you!"

Qiu Zhihe sneered, "You just don’t want to be slaughtered again and wish to follow me to cultivate, don’t you?"

Liu Xiaotang was taken aback, clearly having her thoughts revealed.

Qiu Zhihe waved a hand, extracting Liu Xiaotang from the array, then turned and walked out of Liu’s courtyard.

The others followed her out, and the phoenix bird flapped its wings, ascending into the sky.

The courtyard was left with Liu Xiaotang alone. She was dazed for a moment before it dawned on her, scrambling to chase after them.

Qiu Zhihe and the others returned to the village where the villagers were gathered, Suxin still looked conflicted, unable to decide.

She couldn’t bring herself to kill these people, yet she also knew that if left to their fate, they’d ultimately be exterminated by the Celestial Fall Sect.

She couldn’t possibly take so many people back to Zhenyang Sect either, which was even more impractical.

Torn between choices, Suxin was truly stuck.

Liu Xiaotang ran over, silently standing next to Qiu Zhihe. The villagers saw her, froze for a moment, then one man shouted excitedly:

"Xiaotang, Xiaotang, daughter! Please plead with the fairy to spare us!"

The others looked at Liu Xiaotang in amazement, and Qiu Zhihe asked:

"Is that your father?"

Liu Xiaotang’s face gray, she nodded silently.

Qin Gengyun, feeling a pang of sympathy, asked softly, "Where’s your mother?"

Liu Xiaotang bit her lip, her voice sorrowful, "My mother tried to rescue me, but my father... killed her."

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