Jade Dynasty: I am the master of the Burning Sword, my swordsmanship is unparalleled.

Chapter 187 Two Women at Odds

The Death Swamp, deep within.

Lu Xueqi stood to the side with her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on Jin Ping'er, who was sitting cross-legged under the tree, meditating and healing. The corners of her mouth turned down slightly, making her already aloof face even more unapproachable.

Under the tree, Jin Ping'er, who appeared to be meditating and healing her injuries, had actually already stabilized her condition.

Jin Ping'er knew the gravity of her own actions, as the injury from that palm strike was not serious at all. The reason she continued to meditate was simply because of that lingering gaze.

Jin Ping'er sat in meditation for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but that gaze never left her for even a moment, not even blinking.

This made Jin Ping'er feel a little bitter. Who could have imagined that first her clever plan backfired and was seen through by Zhang Xiaofan at a glance, and then, by sheer coincidence, the noise she made attracted Lu Xueqi's attention.

Lu Xueqi sensed the fluctuations of magical power here and rushed over to check it out immediately. Coincidentally, she stumbled upon that scene.

Of course, Lu Xueqi didn't actually strike down with her sword, but the sword energy awakened the bewitched Jin Ping'er. Moreover, Zhang Xiaofan was unaffected, so they separated instantly.

However, to Jin Ping'er's surprise, Lu Xueqi didn't even question Zhang Xiaofan; she just stared intently at her.

"Hmph, now that your injuries have healed, lead the way!"

Seeing that Jin Ping'er was still pretending to heal her injuries, Lu Xueqi became impatient and said coldly.

Upon seeing this, Jin Ping'er awkwardly opened her eyes and turned to look at Lu Xueqi. However, the awkwardness only lasted for a moment before disappearing.

As a core successor of the Hehuan Sect, Jin Ping'er quickly calmed down. Instead of being annoyed, she smiled at Lu Xueqi, pursed her lips slightly, as if savoring some kind of feeling, and chuckled.

"Fairy Lu is so skilled, she saw through it all at once. I admire her."

"At least unlike some people, who, as a dignified successor of the Hehuan Sect, failed to use their charms and were instead charmed themselves."

Lu Xueqi's words became unusually sharp, and she said with a cold laugh.

As a cultivator of the Shangqing Realm, Lu Xueqi could naturally tell that Zhang Xiaofan had tried to push Jin Ping'er away, but Jin Ping'er was not in a good state and kept clinging to him.

Lu Xueqi quickly realized that she had clearly fallen under the spell of the Hehuan Sect. However, who would have thought that a dignified successor of the Hehuan Sect would not only fail to charm her opponent but also fall victim to the spell herself?

Seeing this, Jin Ping'er was not annoyed at all. Instead, she smiled sweetly at Zhang Xiaofan, who seemed to be detached from the matter, and said in a coquettish voice.

"There's nothing I can do. Master Zhang is just too charming. I'm just a weak woman, so it's natural that I can't resist him."

It's a bit embarrassing to be charmed instead of using your charm, but you can't afford to lose face right now.

Moreover, Jin Ping'er understood that the reason she had fallen for the trap earlier was because she had lost her composure and none of her tricks worked on Zhang Xiaofan. In her desperation, she lost her composure.

Of course, what truly surprised Jin Ping'er was the special aura emanating from Zhang Zhenren's body; that was the key to her complete fascination.

It was that special aura that made him instinctively want to get closer, even to merge with it, which caused him to lose control.

The feeling was as if Zhang Xiaofan in front of her was a rare and precious treasure, possessing an unparalleled allure.

Thinking of this, Jin Ping'er's gaze towards Zhang Xiaofan also became fiery.

Jin Ping'er had a premonition that if she could succeed, the problem that had been troubling her would be completely solved.

"You don't need to say more about that!" Lu Xueqi snorted coldly upon hearing this. If it weren't for Jin Ping'er's surrender, she probably would have drawn her sword.

However, even so, Lu Xueqi was not without her grievances.

"You've been able to navigate this Death Swamp so smoothly; you must know the way, right?"

Lu Xueqi drew the Tianya Divine Sword from her hand, took two steps forward, and gently placed it on Jin Ping'er. A faint smile appeared on her face.

Jin Ping'er was stunned for a moment upon seeing this, and then she realized that she had become a 'hostage' in the hands of the other party to guide the way.

At that moment, Jin Ping'er couldn't help but turn her head to look at Zhang Xiaofan, her charming eyes revealing a pitiful expression.

However, Zhang Xiaofan seemed oblivious to the tension between the two women. He simply stepped forward, gently brushed aside the divine sword in Lu Xueqi's hand, and spoke.

"Lead the way!"

Jin Ping'er sobbed a couple of times, then bit her lip, looking very unwilling, and led the way. Behind her, Zhang Xiaofan and Lu Xueqi walked side by side.

"Where are Senior Brother Xiao and the others?"

Zhang Xiaofan turned his head slightly to look at the beautiful woman in front of him and asked softly. Lu Xueqi shook her head slightly and said with her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

“We entered this Death Swamp a few days ago, and then we encountered a cloud of miasma and were ambushed by some monsters hiding in the swamp. We accidentally got separated.”

Jin Ping'er, who was walking ahead, frowned and looked back at Lu Xueqi with a puzzled expression, then said softly.

"Although there are many talented individuals in the Demonic Sect, those who can hide in the swamp are few and far between. How could they possibly ambush your Qingyun disciples?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Xueqi looked up at the woman in front of her. Although her expression remained cold, her hostility had lessened. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaofan gently explained.

“Those were the fish-men from the southern border tribes. When I entered the swamp, one of the fish-men tried to spy on my movements, but I killed him.”

"A foreign tribe from the southern border?"

Lu Xueqi and Jin Ping'er were slightly startled, but then they both showed signs of understanding. Lu Xueqi's face turned cold, and she said in a cold voice.

"There is indeed something wrong with Incense Valley."

"Hmph! So, the Incense Valley, one of the three great righteous sects, is actually a bunch of charlatans who deceive the world and steal fame. Not only do they secretly collude with the Demonic Sect, but they have also secretly allied with the alien races of the Southern Frontier to cultivate their reputation through banditry. Tsk tsk, how interesting."

Jin Ping'er then launched into sarcastic remarks, her words revealing disdain for the righteous path.

While the evil cult may be filthy and chaotic, the righteous path is not necessarily so upright either; many of them are hypocritical and sanctimonious.

Lu Xueqi frowned, but only snorted coldly without saying anything more. Although Jin Ping'er's tone was sarcastic, it was also true.

"The matter of Burning Incense Valley will naturally be explained to all living beings."

Zhang Xiaofan said in a deep voice, and Jin Ping'er then shut up. In the world today, only the man in front of her, who even she couldn't control, had the right and the ability to say such a thing.

(End of this chapter)