Author's Notes: I'll run out of chapters pretty soon. I am so sorry for my inability to be consistent. I'll try to write as much as I can .

Please forgive any grammatical errors and OOC-ness :3

And since this particular generation wasn't given much detail, I shall play with you lot as much as I can ohohohoho

Faced with past insecurities? This humble one shall give you the best battle uniform and all the needed shenanigans!

I swear I'm trying not to be biased lol

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Chapter 03

The Hunt at Bai Lu Mountain

In just a month after her first hunt, Yu ZiYuan noticed a lot of puzzling changes in her surroundings that certainly didn't happen during her first life.

"Are you sure about this, Yuan-er? You can take a few more days to think about this." Her father, Meishan Yu's Sect leader, asked in concern as she rolls up the last marriage proposal presented to her. But she made sure to carefully examine all 5 before rejecting them in accordance to their deal so he could have no complaints.

"I'm pretty sure father. Or is fuqin so ready to get rid of me that you won't even wait to more years to send me away?" she asked with the composure no normal 16 year old young lady could have.

"It's not that." Yu Guiren answered a little helplessly in the face of his determined daughter that it's a wonder he was able to pressure a sect to marry her before, "No matter. You're rather popular these days. I suppose there's no rush. People keep asking me if you'll attend the Maiden Pavilion Banquet this year."

Maiden Pavilion Banquet, she mused before frowning. Every eligible young lady from good cultivating households attends the banquet held every year. It's almost like a contest to see the most accomplished young lady and therefore, the most desirable one. While it's called Maiden Pavilion Banquet, all equally eligible young lords are invited to watch the performances and see the young ladies in one assembly. For a lady, attending the banquet is like an announcement that she is ready to find a husband.

She didn't go to one in her previous life because her father was already decided on her match and was bending heaven and earth to make it happen.

She sighed, this time, she very well will have to attend one if she doesn't want to solely rely on a match maker to find her a husband. But she's not ready yet. She has roughly 2 more years before she needs to make the dreaded decision of who to marry.

"Maybe next year, fuqin." she answered mutedly, her tone final.

Her father could only nod at her verdict. "I understand. But don't forget to attend the banquets you're invited in. Also, don't forget that we are going to leave for Lanling before the sun sets, there's still that small banquet tonight before the Discussion Conference tomorrow." he let her go after seeing her nod.

She has a small smile as she exited the room and made her way along the wooden walkway, red-violet eyes trained on the plum trees outside, the weather finally clearing after 2 days of a terrible storm. She knows why Lanling Jin is being extravagant this time around as they host the Discussion Conference. It's purely to impress the YunXiao Sect.

Apparently, after seeing her friend's improvements in cultivation and being taught and helped by Yu ZiYuan as well that now her own developments are nothing to scoff at, her friend, Hou MeiXiu, had expressed doubts in wanting to marry Jin GuanShan after all. This reached the ears of the Sect master and his wife and after berating their son and beating him into shape, rushed to make sure that the young lady wouldn't suddenly back out from the engagement. They wanted to raise their status in order to make sure the marriage will happen. Last she heard, it seems that Jin GuanShan appeared outside of YunXiao Sect, all sweet nothings and well-behaved mannerism, various gifts at hand.

Jin ZiXuan was certainly a promising child but sometimes, even she wonders if it's a high enough price to pay to marry that pig, Jin Guanshan.

A-Li was certainly fond of him, though, the treacherous thought of her eldest child encroached which she ended at once.

Upon entering her room, she saw Jinzhu received a tray from a lower maid, filled with stacks upon stacks of scrolls and letters. She nearly scowled in confusion.

What is this?!

After that first night, she went to night-hunts almost every night unless she received an invitation for a banquet from someone they can't refuse out of propriety and that resulted in her only going to night-hunts at most 4 times a week, 3 nights less than she would have liked!

There also have been requests upon requests of visiting a sect as a guest cultivator or even just for an exchange of pointers. She already went to Qinghe Nie Sect 3 times to spar with Nie Ju-Long and a record of 9 wins and 4 losses and 5 draws for her was last established to the amusement and respect of the sect leader and his son. And every time she visits, more and more young cultivators come to watch and learn something. She's only pleased that this gave her a closer relationship with the Nie Sect which is a definite deviation from their interactions in her past life.

She also saw and met her previous husband a handful of times and was glad to note that while she still can't stop being exceedingly aware of him, she at least ceased the almost ingrained response of berating him whenever he does things she doesn't approve of. And while the knot in her stomach remains in his presence, the trembling of her hands has lessened a lot.

She's even more pleased of the 4 wins she had over him out of the 5 spars they had at the Nie Sect. She wouldn't admit to going all vindictive on him. She now has reached the cultivation of her 30 year old self, is it so strange that the 20 year old young master of Yunmeng Jiang would lose to her? She convinced herself with a satisfied smile.

Looking at the tray full of correspondence, her smile vanished. She silently albeit grudgingly sorted through everything, giving utmost importance to the letter and invitation from her teacher in medicine and Qinghe Nie Sect, answering them with only the affirmative.

Every now and again, she would visit Master Wen who now lives near Lanling and exchange pointers. Her studies are progressing smoothly and she was told on more than one occasion that she'll make a pretty good doctor. Her qi manipulation is excellent which she owed to her more freeing and less pressured situation. She accepted the compliment but acknowledged that her passion lies in destruction and not reconstruction for the most part.

After sorting the invitations and deciding what to accept and reject, she allowed herself to discreetly stretch, still wondering about the oddity of the amount of requests for her.

After meditating for a bit, all the while chasing a certain image of a smiling man out of her mind with her imaginary sword, she got ready for the banquet, not wanting to change upon arriving, restraining herself from wearing her battle uniform instead. Her maids swirling in a flurry of activity around her as they check their lady's baggage for the last time and ready her at the same breath.

When she saw the ensemble she is to wear, Yu ZiYuan thought that her mother is really putting too much effort on her to appear as beautiful as possible. Robes of cream with hints of lilac and rose embraced her body in a subtly alluring way though still somehow holding on to innocence. Jewels of diamond and silver with beads of rubies adorned her neck, wrists and ears, her hair in a graceful arrangement with the lower half of it spilling on her shoulders.

At the long process, she regrets giving her mother reigns to decide when she was asked for an opinion. She is not sloppy or careless with her appearance in the least. Only, after coming back, she wanted to focus on other things and gave her appearance only enough care so as not to shame herself. She gives enough attention, that's it. Not too much and not too little. Apparently, her mother has other opinions.

When she finished applying her makeup, she looked at the mirror with a small hum of approval. The look is ethereal but natural, a little provocative but demure. She wants to exchange her slightly extravagant hairpin for a different one but there's nothing else more appropriate to go with these robes.

'This pin looks clear and lustrous. I found it pretty so I bought it.'

She froze at the recollection of his last gift, the regret twisting in her chest slapping her a bit too hard this time. She took a deep breath as a hand came to hold Zidian.

"Mistress?" Jinzhu inquired at the lack of acknowledgment at the report the sect leader and his wife already went ahead and asked her to follow soon, noting the sudden paleness of her master. "Are you alright?"

She blinked once before taking a subtly deep breath, "It's nothing. Mind the luggage, we depart now."

"Understood!"

A babble of disciples eagerly waited for her at the entrance of the sect – another thing that confuses her. Why are they always so eager to accompany her? It's good that they are so willing to learn during night-hunts but they were hardly this enthusiastic before. And now, most are willing to attend to her even during trifles like banquets.

Not realizing that the frequent times when her previous husband's words will escape her during night-hunts and her awe-inspiring achievements and medical aid in every hunt being the reason, she disregarded the blushing faces and admiring glances directed her way as she took out Chen Luan and took off into the evening sky, completely missing the whispers of the poor men.

"Our young lady looks like a moon goddess." said one which was met with a lot of nodding as their group helplessly followed after their esteemed Third Lady and her maids

"A water nymph." argued another in a daze.

"The Damsel of Annual Blossoms." interjected one as idolizing eyes followed the beautiful tall figure in lovely ivory robes.

"No, prettier." Insisted another with pure conviction as they remembered how she swiftly, easily and elegantly felled a particularly nasty vicious ghost.

"Yeah." concluded all.

They were half-way into their journey when she received a sound-transmitting talisman from a familiar falcon and activated it just to hear the voice of her closest friend.

"A-Yuan! I'll ask you to please go to Bai Lu Mountain the soonest you can!" Hou MeiXiu could be heard asking in a hurried voice, "I already informed your father and mother! I'll be waiting in the clearing near the large lake!"

As soon as the message ended, Yu ZiYuan sharply directed her maids and the sect's disciples, ordering her maids to continue on with the junior disciples while the seniors follow behind her. This was smoothly carried out and in the time it takes to burn 3 incense sticks, found her group descending at the aforementioned place.

She immediately saw her friend but was surprised to find more people waiting with her. When amethyst eyes met with blue-grey ones, she felt heat creep on her cheeks, countering the cold wind. She landed gracefully and was unaware of the appreciative looks she was garnering.

Even Jin GuanShan who has always been intimidated by the severe mien of Meishan Yu's Third Lady couldn't close his mouth as the celestial beauty alighted nearby. Billowing white sleeves couldn't mask the pearly skin underneath, milky white wrists appeared almost frail surrounded by diamonds and rubies, dark long lashes framed bright red-violet eyes, lips of berries and wine shimmered a little with light balm, exquisitely creamy cheeks dusted with natural blush framed by long inky straight hair highlighted by an intricate butterfly hairpin and the slender body's shapely curves poorly concealed by the flowing fabric. As the lovely figure walked towards his direction, he whispered "Fairy." which was covered by a trusted aide who coughed and released his mouth after pointedly eyeing his fiancée who thankfully didn't hear him.

"That look, I know of it." greeted Hou MeiXiu with an amused look towards the delicate-looking maiden, "You're regretting your laziness at having to change upon arriving at Lanling." Her friend has always been beautiful but she truly looks like a goddess tonight and she knows she needs to commend her mother, Madame Yu, for it.

"I didn't know you can read minds, maybe next you'll tell the future." Yu ZiYuan gritted in retaliation.

Another knowing smile flashed to her slight irritation, "I can reasonably guess." The green-robed lady replied while stealing a glance at the open-mouthed men in the waiting assembly.

She cocked a questioning eyebrow at this but was only given a laugh in return.

"I'm sure you called me for something else other than this, otherwise I'll see you in Carp Tower." She lightly shrugged and made to circle back around.

"Ah, why so angry all the time, A-Yuan? Don't be like that!" Hou MeiXiu grabbed her arm and cajoled in that way that she only does with her, "You wouldn't just leave a night-hunt like that, right?"

"Night-hunt? I thought there's a banquet in Lanling Jin so you wouldn't run from the three bows?" she whispered in confusion. Don't get her wrong, she'd prefer a night-hunt over interacting with the pansies but no one told her that the main plan changed. If they had, she wouldn't be seen dead wearing a delicate-looking set of robes at the top of a damn mountain!

"Forgive us for the late request, Maiden Yu." a most unwelcome voice made her insides curl and she turned to the apologetically smiling face of Jiang FengMian. She wonders why the knowledge that she's spiritually older than this man doesn't stop the squirming and prickling inside her chest.

"Not at all, Young Master Jiang. If help is needed, it will be offered." she returned regally with a direct regard but without truly meeting cerulean eyes.

He explained in brief terms what was happening. As it turns out, tonight is the Ghost Festival, a happening every halfway through the seventh month when the barrier separating the ghost realm and mundane world blur and a wondering man could find himself in a place of horror with little chances of making it back home alive. Lanling Sect suddenly found itself besieged with pleading requests when a group of merchants got separated from their companions after a group of headless ghosts came wandering in their path. The guests who already arrived in Carp Tower then volunteered to help and that's how they came to Bai Lu Mountain where the path opened.

"We're just waiting for Young Master Nie and we'll set out." he finished with another small smile.

She cursed inside her mind at forgetting this ever happened in her previous life. But no wonder, since she never thought to find out every niggling detail. There was no banquet during that time and she was night-hunting in a different location. But if this is as she was told before, then shouldn't she be—

"Oh, how beautiful!" a lilting but polite voice sounded behind the tall young lord and they both faced a lovely young woman with long wavy hair, her grey eyes slightly wide in admiration, "Is this the famous Maiden Yu?"

Yu ZiYuan felt her blood go cold upon seeing the charmingly smiling woman. Her spine grew frigid and her left hand tightly held on to Zidian as though in desperate need of support.

Even before the tall gentleman stepped slightly aside in order to introduce them to each other, even before the name 'Cangse Sanren' left his lips, she already knew who she was. There could only be one woman with that allure and shine. The one woman she could never surpass even in her death. The one woman who she hated for stealing what she never had to begin with.

She could see Wei Ying in those lively grey eyes and sweet smile.

She was reminded of propriety when the young woman bowed in salute and she strained herself to do the same.

"I keep hearing of 'Maiden Yu' wherever I go but I didn't know that the person herself is even more extraordinary." The woman respectfully and genuinely praised but there was no joy in Yu ZiYuan's heart at all.

"You're far too kind. Everything must have been an exaggeration." she numbly replied through tight lips not really understanding what the other said.

"Have I kept everyone waiting?" They were interrupted by the guttural tone of Nie Ju-Long and Yu ZiYuan couldn't be happier at his timing. The tall broad man landed with 8 or so of his sect members. Surprisingly, they were joined with another 10 men, all in pristine white uniform and 15 men in red and white sect robes, "I met Young Master Lan and Second Young Master Lan of Gusu Lan and Young Master Wen of Qishan Wen. They asked to join so I had to wait until they were all complete."

At this, two immaculate men in snowy robes gave a salute and quiet apologies for making everyone wait, while the tall arrogant heir of Qishan Wen just looked around indifferently as though daring anyone to complain. When dark eyes found her, she saw the hateful man evidently freeze but she didn't care for the 'whys'. She'll be happy if he does her a favor and drops dead so she can't be expected to mind what he thinks of her.

Yu ZiYuan already met the two Lan brothers before in previous night-hunts, they haven't changed at all from what she remembers, Lan Qiyue, known as Qingheng-Jun, still smiles like everything is fair under the sky and Lan Qiren still looks like someone will deliberately make a mess of it. Her interaction with the Gusu Lan Sect in general is moderate at best.

Quite frankly, at present, she wants nothing else but to be a million miles away from this gathering. Feeling the harrowing agony of seeing them together is not something she'd like to get used to. But pride and dignity prevented her from showing her unease. Instead, she decided to direct her desperation to finishing the mission at hand.

Her shoulder tensed and her mouth strained, she was about to move inside the thick forest when she noticed Nie Ju-Long at the exact moment he saw her for the first time that night. Over the month and after several matches against each other, they grew closer together and she considers him like an older brother. She appreciates his brusque but straight-forward and honest personality and he likes her boldness and unwavering pride. She felt that it was a shame she never got to know the man well enough in her last life.

A sharp eyebrow rose over one eagle-like eye as he looked at her closely, "Yuan-er, you certainly look pleasing tonight. Are you about to catch feral ghosts or wandering hearts?"

His tone is earnest and he looks serious but the ridiculous words that broke free from his mouth made for a really silly picture with his rough, manly looks and Yu ZiYuan found her stilted lips freely open of their own accord and an unrestrained laugh escaped her. The load on her chest diminished, quite forgetting her actual age and uncaring of the eyes on her – completely unaware of how a pair of blue-grey eyes observed her – she laughed for a few moments before gratefully eyeing the huge man with a sincere smile, "That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever said, Brother Ju-Long. Don't let your father hear you say something similar again; he'll suspect you of going into qi deviation." she said in mock-exasperation.

The man only returned a puzzled look, "What did I say?" which made her laugh again.

She addressed Hou MeiXiu who was also laughing, the tail-ends of her smile still present and the rest of the men was taken aback at the actual frontal image of the stern but talented Third Lady Yu smiling as she asked, "Shall we get going?"

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Three hours later and after a lot of navigating through the dense vegetation, the cultivators finally found a path that several ghosts are maundering on. While no longer part of the living, it's quite unethical for cultivators to exorcist innocent spirits who are only out for a night of merry-making. Unless they mean harm and are emitting evil qi, they only need to herd them back to the ghost realm.

On the way they encountered a lot of mischievous ghosts who wishes to drag hapless victims to the unholy dominion to play with, this kind they had to mercilessly subdue. And with different cases all around, the group of 60 or so young cultivators scattered all around Bai Lu Mountain, everyone keeping an eye out for the lost caravan.

"Mistress! Eeek, I won't do it again! I just wanted to peek at Maiden Shao in the bath! That's my only regret before dying! Please—" a fretful lanky ghost pleaded while held on sword edge by Hou MeiXiu.

"That sounds like your betrothed." Yu ZiYuan quietly and nonchalantly commented while sending out two talismans to clear the area of low level spirits, making them scram in the direction of home.

"Looks like him, too." The other monotonously agreed while looking on coldly.

"No mercy then."

"Eeeekkkk!" the ghost shrieked as he was ruthlessly kicked down the previously empty ditch now filled with a great waves of spirits on their way back to the ghost realm. The threshold should disappear in a few more hours.

Finally seeing the end of the road where the phantoms disappear to, Yu ZiYuan frowned, now feeling concerned that their search remains fruitless. She's irritated that she didn't bother learning of the particulars of this hunt. Just where did they find those missing merchants in her previous life?!

Scowling at the ominous feeling growing at the back head, she skillfully let qi flow into her eyes and scanned the seas of souls, searching for something…

When they entered her sight, she made to jump at the swarm below but a firm hand caught her.

"What are you going to do?" Wen Ruohan questioned with a frown, "You'll very well ruin your robes by swimming in that filth."

The contact enraged her and she immediately disentangled herself from the other cultivator, feeling repulsed at the proximity with this man, Zidian automatically hissed with violet sparks in return. Not bothering with his words, she glared at him once before again charging at the throng and grabbing four different spirits with accuracy, two in each hand.

She doesn't know how long it took for the merchants to be found in her last life but she's already out of patience to let everything unfold that way it did then so she's doing this however she wants.

She impatiently cast her captures on the ground and a group of cultivators watched as the decapitated spirits frightfully clutched their own severed head in their quivering hands. They seem to be executed criminals.

"Hiieeeee! Please don't disintegrate us! We weren't doing anything wrong!"

"Be quiet!" Yu ZiYuan snapped before their cries further hurt her ears, "I want information, answer them and I'll let you go free."

"And let us go back to the village for a few treats?" one quivering ghost bravely haggled, bulging eyes admiringly gazing at the stern beauty before him.

Violet eyes irately narrowed and she released Zidian and flayed the ground threateningly once to get her meaning across.

"Iiiieeekkkk! Sorry, Fairy! We'll talk!"

"A group of merchants passed by the mountain pass more than a hundred li from here just as the ghost festival started. A caravan got lost chased by headless ghosts like you. Where are they?" she questioned just short of snarling.

"I wasn't part of it, Fairy!" one immediately announced his innocence, "My head is too fat to be chasing people around and I get dizzy!"

"I didn't, too, Fairy!" cried one before his hands pointedly put turned his head on to the sides, "It was number 14 who started it and that number 35 was there, too!" he finished, his accusing gaze on the remaining two with them.

One of the two just hugged his head tighter, guilt rolling off him but the other merely shouted, "You little fucker! Whatcha doing selling yer comrades for, eh?!" The brusque looking spirit has his disgruntled head tucked under one arm.

The statuesque young lady unconsciously put one hand on her waist, accentuating lovely curves and tilted her chin as she looked down, "You, speak! Where did you last see them?"

"I ain't telling you nothing, missy!"

"Why you!" she glowered, angling her upper body closer but the naughty soul just smirked and slurred "Missy, you shouldna do that, my hands are longer than my neck!" And before she can even fully form a frown at these words, the arms of said ghost stretched in her direction with the head firmly gripped on both hands, a disgusting pair of lips already puckered aiming for hers. She swiftly straightened when two different set of hands reached out from beside her and grabbed each of her attacker's and dragged the ghost away from her.

"Filth!" Wen Ruohan spitted as the point of his sword threatened to pierce the specter.

Jiang FengMian has a deep furrow between his brows as he looked at the licentious ghost, the hold he has on one dirty wrist tightening with small currents of spiritual energy making the victim howl in pain. When blue-grey eyes turned to her, he offered a short-lived smile, "Are you alright, Maiden Yu?"

"Shameless!" Lan Qiren admonished with a cold frown at the spirit as he stood nearby.

"Oh, oh, oh! Let go!" painfully yowl 'number 14' which just made the souls behind him shiver in terror.

"Why this slimy lecher!" snarled Hou MeiXiu, coming to stand beside her best friend, "How dare you try to—! You had better talk!"

"I know nothing!"

"That's no good, mister. You had better tell them what you know before they get even more mad." Cangse Sanren amusedly advised but there's a disapproving tint in her grey eyes, crouching down and putting her chin on both hands, "Or else you might be," she continued and slashed one hand across her neck in a mime of a beheading accompanied with a suitable sound effect, "Or maybe not, huh?" seeing the man has already had his head cut off before.

"Ok, ok, geez! Can't even have a little fun. Ow, ow! I'll talk! I'll talk! Young masters please let go!"

"TALK!" Wen Ruohan roared, impatience rolling off of him.

"T-the large fissure at the other side of the mountain!" the spirit screamed in pain, the spiritual energy coursing from the hands detaining him hurting his intangible form. "They might have run into the cave there or fallen over the cliff! Some daoist put in wards so we couldn't follow!"

"You'd better be telling the truth!"

"It is, I swear!"

Even though still simmering from attempt to sully her, Yu ZiYuan merely glared fiercely before looking at her sect members behind her who were throwing dirty looks at the executed ghost. How dare he do something only a few of them can dream of!

"You heard him, head to the back of the mountain!"

"Yes, Shijie!"

With the information they need, they managed to find the missing group within half an hour, huddled nervously in a small cave way pass the cliff. The innocent individuals were crying in gratitude and were glad to get out of their hideout.

She thought that's the end of it, however, a woman grabbed the Third Young Lady's ivory sleeve and pleaded with her.

"My lady, if you please! My younger brother got separated from us while we were running! My mother will die if we're to never see him again! Please help me find him!"

Yu ZiYuan could feel her temper rising again. You just have to hold onto your family while running! Why can't they even do that properly?!

She didn't feel the need to distraught further the crying woman so she just turned around to leave and start her search without affirming or negating anything. She walked pass several robes of varying colors and while she can distinguish the purple among the other hues, she ignored it as best as she can.

Igniting a talisman for light as she separated from the main group, she silently scoured the forest near the cave and walk for a while until she made it to a higher ground. There's a kneeling spirit in front of a big fissure on the side of the mountain who didn't even flinch at her approach. She felt the hair on her nape stand at the buzz in the air and the menacing charge in the air caused her to speed up. Eventually, she heard a sniffle and saw a crouching child, whimpering and quivering behind a bush.

Oh.

She made as much noise as she can as she walked near so as not to further scare the small boy by suddenly appearing behind him. The young one flinched and spun around to check who is coming. He was about to scream when an angel-like face came into view and he let out a relieved snivel.

"Come here, child. It's safe now." she said in an even tone, neither soft nor harsh but dependable all the same.

At the glimpse of a savior, the poor two year old child ran to her with a cry, the grimy brown cloth tied around his hair swaying in the breeze and she thought she saw a tottering boy with a purple ribbon racing to her instead.

A-Niang!

Her core froze and, extinguishing her light, she grabbed the boy securely to her arms, feeling the heart pound to life in her chest. But the absence of lotus-scented oil on dark, silky hair, the chime of a silver bell, and distant barks of puppies woke her from the brief dream.

It is not her A-Cheng.

Shoving down the renewed grief, staring unseeingly at the boy in her arms, projecting the image of her only son in his youth, she didn't answer the questioning gaze trained at her and merely walked numbly into the clearing.

Noticing her glaze wine orbs and stiff expression, a voice reached out to her, "Maiden Yu?"

She paused in her tracks. Jiang FengMian was flanked by his trusted servant and their female guest on both sides. Seeing the two together, she passed them by before she can glare at the man as though he stole something from her.

She passed by the kneeling ghost again, now being addressed by a concerned looking Lan Qiyue. Obviously, Qingheng-Jun also noticed that mysterious air in the vicinity.

"My good man, the path to the ghost realm will soon close. It's better for you to go back." several Gusu Lan disciple accompanied their future sect leader while Lan Qiren was observing the area for the source of the prickling sensation.

"Honorable sir, I want to but perishing here under the sun is better. If I couldn't even meet my A-Qing in heaven what's the use?" the coarse, gloomy tone of the ghost was barely heard as he resolutely kept his place on the ground.

"Maybe this A-Qing already entered rebirth, kindly go back." The young man still kindly persuaded, golden eyes darting here and there in silent anxiety.

"No, she didn't. My A-Qing was eaten here. Even her soul wasn't spared. I'm sure of it. I should go with her."

"What do you mean?" sharply interjected Yu ZiYuan with a deep frown. The way the spirit is kneeling in front of the fissure now seems pretty sinister. Copying Lan Qiren, she also surveyed the area, bright eyes kept coming back to the hole on the mountain side.

"That huge black snake did it and now, she can no longer rest. As a father I should follow her." The spirit continued morosely.

'Some daoist put in wards so we couldn't follow!'

The words of the crude headless man earlier came back to her. Evidently, this is that crevice he spoke of. Her eyes caught something in a huge bush near the cavity and walked there to find an old spiritual sword with a talisman. Her blood started to rush in her veins as memories invaded her, hands bracing on the boy she's holding in her bosom.

There was a rumor before of a thousand year old python who escaped on a mountain and slept for years, still at large. Several tried to find it but to no avail, some never returned. And wasn't Nie Ju-Long famous for defeating that same beast in her previous life? When did he kill it? She nearly choked on a mouthful of bad blood.

It's tonight!

"Everyone, get away from that crevice!" she yelled to the surprise of the cultivators milling around.

It was sealed away but this gathering of Yang energy might just force it awake!

However, Lan Qiren merely questioned the still crouching soul, coming to the same conclusion of what enemy lies ahead, "Do you mean the Black Dragon Python?"

She heard in passing of what happened here in her previous life and her voice raised another notch, "Didn't you hear me?! Have everyone in your sect move away!" she walked a fair distance away while directing all the cultivators to evacuate, "Move!"

Uptight dark-brown eyes found explosive red-violet ones, "It must be vanquished. Killing the 5 poisons is part of the Clan Rules."

The overwhelming need to slap this man even with the distance between them almost superseded her rationality and Yu ZiYuan perceived the heating of her body in rage, "Don't be stupid!" she shouted across the field, "It's nearly on the level of the Vermilion Bird of Carnage and the White Tiger of Brutality! Don't dream that you can just kill it because you said you would!"

"Maiden Yu is correct," added Cangse Sanren gravely, the urgency in her voice proof of their current plight, "After all these years, no one can say how much stronger this serpent has become. We'd best get out of here and get help first." She finished and aided Yu ZiYuan in telling the young lords present to clear out.

The argument bled into several more minutes and Yu ZiYuan have half a mind to just slap the man unconscious and bodily drag him and order his sect members on his behalf. But too late, the rumbling of the earth beneath their feet caused Yu ZiYuan to swing her gaze back to the big gash of earth and dark eyes widened when a huge black head of a snake peeked out. The child in her arms screaming at the horrendous sight.

She would blame the fates but really, it's just Lan Qiren's bull-headedness!

"RUN!"

Even though she said that, she herself ran back near the monster in order to help with the battle. When she remembered the child in her arms, she tried to give him away to another cultivator to free both hands but shaking hands refused to let go of her robes, desperate for his mother.

"A-Niang!"

A-Niang!

She gritted her teeth at her weakness and would have left with the others to move the child to safety when she saw the young master of Yunmeng Jiang avoid a spiked tail by a hair's breadth. She immediately released Zidian and Cheng Luan to commence an attack.

The beast's skin is tough but not entirely impenetrable; however, the troublesome part about it is the seemingly infinite source of spiritual energy it possesses. And fallen creatures like this who almost achieved divinity are pretty intelligent that they might just understand the speech of men. Even with the combined efforts of 21 cultivators, they were still nowhere near besting the python. Just to survive it, they must be wary of the spells it'll cast just as much as the bite it'll throw.

Thankfully, the best in offense yet in the current generation aside from Yu ZiYuan, Nie Ju-Long managed to join the fray before long.

"Yuan-er! Why are you clutching a babe now of all times when I need your hands free?!" the older one shouted at her while hacking down with his saber, giving her an exasperated look. He might not want to admit it but the younger girl actually has a higher cultivation than him at the moment. She's good in offense and has the disposition for it, too.

Of course, she can't help but take offense, it's not her choice! "He won't let go! Watch out for the tail!"

The cultivators flit here and there, trying to weaken the gigantic reptile while maintaining their own stamina. After several more minutes, despite the baggage, Yu ZiYuan was able to land some substantial injury with her sword glare, aided by Nie Ju-Long and Qingheng-Jun, to reveal the soft flesh underneath the sturdy black scales. At this point, she forcefully put down the wailing child who writhed and held on, "Don't be stubborn!" she insisted at the weeping boy, uncharacteristically feeling helpless, "I'll be here, hold on to my skirt!" after the assurance, the tearful kid settled to hugging one satin and silk covered leg.

With both hands finally liberated, the Third Lady Yu released Zidian and with one hand on the handle and the other on the thong, stretching out both arms before her, she manipulated her qi and attempted an offensive spell she has been developing as of late. Using Zidian as the medium, she cast several spiritual arrays around the serpent and shouted, "You all! Move!"

Several heads turned to her before heeding her words, after they swiftly created some distance from her target, she activated the spell and sent several divine lightning bolts of frightening magnitude at the behemoth. The night sky became as bright as day light as violet thunderbolts crackle and sizzle, concentrated on the exposed flesh of the serpent.

After just a minute or two of the barrage, the Black Dragon Python landed heavily on the ground, twitching. The crowd of young lords and ladies were stunned to silence. Jin GuanShan even landed on his butt after his knees failed him at the display. The gentlemen were looking at her with either silent appreciation or obvious terror while the ladies eyed her with either glittering admiration or quiet envy.

Yu ZiYuan took a long deep breath in an attempt to stop the heaving of her chest, uncaring of the mystified looks from various eyes focused on her. She looked down at her charge, unable to stop the satisfied smile that illuminated her pretty countenance before looking at one close friend, "Brother Ju-Long, you can finish it."

"Finish it? You sure you haven't toasted it yet?" Nie Ju-Long shook his head in disbelief, what an unbelievable young lady.

Catching how a pair of blue-grey eyes met hers over a short distance, she impatiently insisted to distract herself, "Hurry!"

"I'm on it!" he casually returned as he jumped at the back of the creature. Several of its shiny armor exploded after the last attack so big chunks of ruined flesh could be seen. He chuckled at the undeniable strength of the 'Maiden Yu'. When he felt a small quiver run within the onyx plate, "This is one tenacious bastard." he growled when a tail quickly snapped out from under him and aimed at the nearest cultivator.

When Yu ZiYuan saw the spiked tail charge at Jiang FengMian and Cangse Sangren who ran to and were now helping a toppled Wei Changze to his feet, she nearly cried out in warning but her body had other thoughts since she was running to tackle them out of the way before she knows it.

Her chin bumped into a firm chest but she tamped down on her own embarrassment as she pulled herself up on her hands to see what's happening better. As the red, slanted pupils of the colossal monster shimmered in malice, she yelled in alarm at the Nie heir, "Brother! Slit its throat! It's casting something!"

Listening to her words before truly comprehending it, a muscular arm readily channeled spiritual power in his saber and violently swung down towards charcoaled meat and a sea of blood dribbled from a partially severed neck and the Black Dragon Python finally stopped stirring.

She exhaled in relief and there were cheers all around her but her comfort and their elation were short lived when a scarlet array with a span of about 30 meters in diameter appeared on the ground and glowed a blinding ruby. When the glare finally disappeared along with the symbol on the ground, all the youths that were caught in the brilliance were gone, leaving behind the corpse of a giant python whose dim soulless eyes seem to glint in triumph at being able to deliver its revenge in the bitter end.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~

I am again reminded why I need to make a fanfiction with a good Jiang FengMian, I just read a couple of fanfics and gods, I COULD slap the JFM in those! My fingers are itching to hurt something lol

Let me at that insensitive, utterly disappointing piece of man and I'll beat him to hell and back! XD