As the words "lover" were uttered, the peach blossom demon's expression turned ferocious. Peach blossoms swirled around her as she roared, "You stinking Taoist, how dare you?!"
She lunged downwards, her arms striking towards Xu Zhen. Xu Zhen raised his peach wood sword, unleashing a series of Taoist incantations, but he was no match. In moments, he was suppressed by the demon's sorcery, his peach wood sword beginning to bend.
"Now!"
Zhang Lei, a fifth-realm martial artist, roared. His qi surged, and he swung his saber fiercely at the peach blossom demon's back.
Concurrently, Lin Zhao darted out, his power as a first-realm martial artist allowing him to deliver a light palm strike to the demon's right flank.
"Boom..."
With a deafening bang, Zhang Lei's saber not only struck the peach blossom demon but seemed to cleave through her true form. Wood splinters, peach branches, and petals scattered, mingled with a hint of blood. The peach blossom demon in the air coughed a smear of blood from her lips, yet her arms still unleashed countless peach branches, attacking the young Taoist like sharp thorns. She roared, "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"
"Dream on!"
Xu Zhen sneered, igniting another demon-subduing talisman in his hand. With a "snap," he struck it onto the peach blossom demon's chest, instantly suppressing her demonic energy further.
Lin Zhao, having made his move once, did not strike again. He feigned being blown away by the demon's energy, landing on the ground and struggling to breathe for a long while.
In truth, Lin Zhao saw more clearly than anyone. This peach blossom demon was merely a minor demon of the lower realms, a mere fifth-realm creature. Though her cultivation was decent, Xu Zhen alone would not be able to defeat her. Hence, he had invited Zhang Lei, a fifth-realm martial artist, to join forces. As for himself, it was merely a supplementary action along the way.
Lin Zhao could have defeated the peach blossom demon with a single punch, but he didn't. He had sensed something amiss. The young Taoist and the fifth-realm martial artist had gone to such lengths, likely for reasons beyond simply eliminating a demon for the people's sake.
"Down!"
The fifth-realm martial artist lunged forward. His punch, from the Marrow Cleansing realm, nearly shattered the peach blossom demon's body. After taking the blow, she spat blood, her cultivation dropping from the fifth to the fourth realm, her great dao fundamentally damaged. Her peach blossom manifestation slowly dissipated, revealing the true form of a young girl, covered in blood and glaring at the three of them.
"Alright."
Xu Zhen stepped forward and placed a talisman on the peach blossom demon's chest. The talisman landed precisely between her two peaks, whether intentionally or not, it was hard to say. However, as Xu Zhen looked at the demon's sheer, silk-like dress and her curvaceous body, the gleam in his eyes was clearly not that of a proper Taoist master.
...
"You..."
Tears welled in the peach blossom demon's beautiful eyes. She glanced back at the ripples on the water's surface and quickly cried out, "Don't come out! Go back!"
The ripples slowly vanished.
The peach blossom demon then turned to face them, weeping, "Karma and reincarnation, you will all die a terrible death..."
"Nonsense!"
Xu Zhen slapped the peach blossom demon, leaving five clear finger marks on her cheek.
"Immediately, hand over that sword."
"Never!"
The peach blossom demon, tears streaming, glared with fury.
"Hmph!"
Martial artist Zhang Lei sneered, "Fellow Daoist Xu, we must obtain that sword. Otherwise... if the beauty is all yours, then my efforts would be in vain?"
"Don't worry."
Xu Zhen said calmly, "Even if we kill her, we'll surely find the sword in her underwater dwelling. As for the General's Gall, it will undoubtedly belong to you, Zhang Lei."
"Wait..."
Lin Zhao frowned, "I'm a bit confused. Aren't we here to capture and kill this demon on a government bounty? From what you're saying, what is this General's Gall? Fellow Daoist Xu, you aren't perhaps after this peach blossom demon's physical body..."
"Buzz!"
Before he could finish, an icy blade was pressed against Lin Zhao's back. It was Zhang Lei, the Marrow Cleansing realm martial artist who had appeared behind Lin Zhao "without a sound." The tip of the blade pressed against his back as he chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Lin Zhao, you really didn't need to get involved in this. After all... you were just traveling the martial world and happened to pass by. It's a pity you had to ask. Now you can't blame anyone."
"What do you mean?!"
Lin Zhao frowned, feigning panic. In reality, he already held a Speed Talisman in his hand. If Zhang Lei pressed the blade to kill him, with Lin Zhao's six-realm martial prowess, the Speed Talisman, and the Speed of the Formation Horse and Tailing Wind style, dodging the blade would be effortless.
"Tsk tsk..."
Xu Zhen sneered, placing a hand on the peach blossom demon's shoulder, and turned to look at Lin Zhao. He smiled, "A first-realm martial artist, about to meet his end at the start of his journey in the martial world. Fellow Daoist Lin Zhao, you are truly unfortunate..."
Lin Zhao frowned, "I feel unfortunate too. But even if I die, I should at least understand, shouldn't I? Why kill me? Are you truly not worried about retaliation from my sect?"
"The sects in the north are long gone, slaughtered by demons and ghosts."
Xu Zhen scoffed, "Don't try to scare me with your background. To brag, I, Xu Zhen, am a direct disciple of a fifth-realm elder from True Martial Mountain. Do you think I fear some provincial mountain sect?"
Zhang Lei said, "Less talk. Fellow Daoist Xu, kill or not? This kid... he's quite foolish. Does he really think we're here to kill demons? Hahaha, people's hearts are rotten these days. Who thinks about subduing demons and vanquishing monsters anymore? It's all about the competition for the Great Dao; the first to arrive gets it."
"Let me tell you the truth."
Xu Zhen smiled slightly, turning to embrace the peach blossom demon's shoulder, and said, "This peach blossom demon was originally a human woman. She had a lover in the village. That lover... had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a truly heroic figure!"
"Please stop talking, I beg you, don't..."
The peach blossom demon was in tears.
Xu Zhen said coldly, "However, this heroic figure joined the army and never returned. Later, news came back to the village that this great hero had become a general in the Xia Dynasty, always away on campaigns, with no time to see her. Perhaps he had already found a new love?"
The peach blossom demon's tears flowed, unwilling to listen further.
Lin Zhao frowned, watching Xu Zhen embrace the peach blossom demon. If he truly dared to lower his head to kiss her cheek, or reach out to defile any part of her below her neck, Lin Zhao would instantly retaliate, punching that handsome face into oblivion.
"Hmph!"
Xu Zhen said, "Later, the Great Shang rose, and the Xia Dynasty suffered repeated defeats. It's said that the great hero also died in battle. Before he died, he entrusted someone with a sword, his token of affection. What a pity..."
Zhang Lei sneered, "After that man died in battle, the Warrior General's Gall he forged must have been imbued within this sword. As long as I obtain this sword, the General's Gall will be mine!"
The peach blossom demon wept like rain, "You despicable and shameless wretches, may you die a terrible death! Heaven and earth's karma will not let you go..."
Saying this, she looked at Lin Zhao and cried, "Young hero, you truly know nothing of this?"
Lin Zhao sighed, "I'm about to be stabbed through. Do you think I know? If I knew the whole story, I wouldn't be participating in this wicked deed..."
"Enough!"
Xu Zhen chuckled, "Stop crying here. Be my little treasure from now on, enjoying all the good things and none of the hardship. What's not to like? You'll have endless spiritual energy, as well as the tenderness and affection beneath the sheets. Isn't that a hundred times better than your current life?"
"So..."
Lin Zhao frowned, "Fellow Daoist Xu tricked me into helping capture this demon, even saying she couldn't be killed, only captured alive. His true intention was just to make the peach blossom demon his plaything for the rest of his life?"
"You're smart."
Xu Zhen looked at the peach blossom demon's exquisite face, a look of infatuation in his eyes, and said with a smile, "Such a beauty, weeping in this Bronze Mirror Lake day after day, isn't that a waste of nature's bounty?"
Lin Zhao seemed to understand, "Aren't you a Taoist? How can you be so engrossed in this?"
The peach blossom demon's eyes were full of tears, "Young hero, can't you see? They are not properly ordained cultivators at all, but genuine rogue cultivators..."
"That explains it."
Lin Zhao mused, "Fellow Daoist Xu, Fellow Daoist Zhang, listen carefully. My name is Lin Zhao."
"Hmm!?"
Xu Zhen tilted his head and smiled, "Why are you saying this? We already know..."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, "I mean, on the road to the Yellow Springs, you should remember the name of the person who killed you..."
"What do you mean!?"
Zhang Lei frowned.
Lin Zhao chuckled, "Perhaps, the karma and retribution spoken of by the peach blossom demon just now will be fulfilled by me. I am the retribution for your wickedness..."
"You're seeking death!?"
Xu Zhen, though shouting menacingly, was inwardly unnerved. Looking at the young man's demeanor, he had a feeling... things were not going as he had imagined.
"Chii~~~"
Lin Zhao quietly ignited a green Speed Talisman, and with the activation of his Formation Horse and Tailing Wind style fist intent, he shot out like a gale. With a heavy punch to Xu Zhen's forehead, a "crack" echoed as the young Taoist's skull was shattered. He flew backward instantly, crashing into the trees, and died on the spot.
"Ah?!"
Zhang Lei remained in his sword-holding stance, but the person he was threatening was gone. As he witnessed Lin Zhao's punch that sent Xu Zhen flying, the martial artist's senses were intensely clear: "Mid... mid-fifth realm martial artist?!"
"Correct. Die!"
Lin Zhao gave the man no chance to beg for mercy. He suddenly moved, launching a "Gong from the Earth" punch that sent Zhang Lei's body flying into the air. Immediately, he followed with an "Air Surging Through the Bulls" punch. Zhang Lei's body was flung out, his form breaking apart. Killing a fifth-realm spirit cultivator took one punch, but Zhang Lei, a fifth-realm martial artist, had a very solid physique, requiring two.
...
"Get up."
Lin Zhao turned and removed the Taoist immobilization talisman from between the peach blossom demon's peaks. "I was deceived earlier and wasn't entirely sure, so I feigned hitting you. Although that palm strike wasn't too heavy... I apologize nonetheless..."
The peach blossom demon's tears flowed freely, "Thank you, young hero, thank you..."
ps: Thank you to the book friend "Zhi Yun Xiao Bao Kuai Zhang Da" for the Immortal Emperor. Ye Zi bows to you. Wishing you a happy new year!!