Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 119 Is this also a trial? (Two chapters combined, bonus chapter for lhfy1990, Silver Alliance member)
Meanwhile, in front of a teleportation array gleaming with golden light, a monster with a human head and a snake's body was coiled up.

It was tall, wielding a giant axe, with a long, bluish-green snake tail trailing on the ground. Even when half-standing, it was nearly ten feet tall.

Just as Tang Xiaoyu and Lu Lin were locked in a fierce battle with the snake demon, a group of people rushed over.

"Third Brother, look! There are people fighting with a monster!"

"Go help!"

Tang Xiaoyu only heard these two sentences before a number of well-dressed martial artists flew over and joined the battle.

"Disciples of the Ye family have come to lend their assistance—"

Hearing that it was the Ye family who had come to help, Tang Xiaoyu finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately withdrew, thanking them:
"Thank you everyone, I need to catch my breath first!"

The leader of the Ye family casually replied, "Good sister, go and rest!"

Tang Xiaoyu took a deep breath and leaped back, pulling Lu Lin with her. She was filled with regret.

This snake demon is indeed extraordinary. I never imagined that even with my Grandmaster strength, I would be beaten so badly. I should have known better than to be so impulsive and confront it.

After catching her breath, she suddenly turned to look at Lu Lin and found that Lu Lin was in a worse state than her. His clothes were torn, and there was a deep, bone-revealing wound on his arm, with blood flowing all over the ground.

For some reason, Tang Xiaoyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Third Brother! This thing is difficult to deal with!"

"Formation!"

Then, the Ye family members turned around and surrounded the snake demon in the center, trapping it with an array. They were able to fight back and forth, and the leader, the "Third Brother," was obviously struggling.

Tang Xiaoyu dared not be careless. She quickly took out some medicine from her bosom, handed a few to Lu Lin, ate a few herself, and hurriedly began to regulate her breathing.

After a while, seeing that even the Ye family members were struggling to keep up, Tang Xiaoyu leaped into the air and shouted, "Scatter—"

The third brother of the Ye family immediately echoed, shouting, "Go to the front—"

The Ye family members immediately sheathed their swords and retreated swiftly. Suddenly, nine swords flew out of the wooden box on Tang Xiaoyu's back and rushed towards the snake demon!
"Tang Nine Swords!"

Ye's "third brother" had sharp eyes and recognized the move Tang Xiaoyu used at a glance, and shouted excitedly.

At the same time, purple lightning crackled around the nine swords, and in the blink of an eye, they all pierced the snake demon, one of which even pinned its thick snake tail to the ground!
But the snake demon's vitality seemed incredibly strong, writhing and even showing signs of breaking free. Tang Xiaoyu quickly flew to the snake demon's side, took the sword that was pinned to the snake's tail, and then thrust the sword straight at the snake demon's vital spot.

However, before it died, the snake demon lashed out with its tail, and a burst of demonic energy rushed toward Tang Xiaoyu.

"careful!"

"Be careful, senior—"

Lu Lin and the leader of the Ye family both cried out, but they didn't have time to help. Tang Xiaoyu was sent flying several feet away and spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly suffering serious internal injuries.

"Senior, are you...are you alright? I have some of the Ye family's secret medicine here..."

"No, cough cough cough, no need, I have my own way of healing."

As Tang Xiaoyu spoke, she struggled to sit up and began to regulate her breathing on the spot.

Lu Lin hurried over and stood guard to the side, while the Ye family members, to avoid suspicion, all stepped back and gathered around a middle-aged man.

It turns out that this "Third Brother" is Ye Huaifei, the third young master of the Ye family. Although his surname is Ye, he is an adopted son of the Ye family, so all the Ye family members call him "Third Brother".

Ye Huaifei was over thirty years old and had been wandering the martial world for many years. He was knowledgeable and had also learned about many legends and secrets. When he saw the nine swords flashing with lightning and the imposing aura that resembled that of a grandmaster, he immediately recognized that the seemingly young woman was no ordinary person!

So, after Tang Xiaoyu had calmed down for a moment and opened his eyes, he immediately bowed respectfully to Tang Xiaoyu and asked, "Could you be the legendary Grandmaster Tang Jiujian from Sichuan who has passed away?"

During the previous dynasty, there was a grandmaster in Shu who was famous throughout the world for his sword techniques of "Nine Swords in a Box". No one could defeat him, so he was nicknamed "Tang Nine Swords".

However, when the dynasty changed, this senior Tang Jiujian did not appear, so everyone in the martial arts world said that she had lived too long and had died of illness.

I never expected to see the Nine Swords in the Box again today!
The age just doesn't seem to match!
Tang Xiaoyu sighed as her identity was exposed, and slowly tore off her mask. Her voice changed from that of a young woman to that of an old woman.

"I never imagined that after so many years of retirement, there would still be someone who could recognize my 'Nine Swords in the Box'."

Lu Lin stood there dumbfounded, while the other members of the Ye family were equally stunned.

"I never imagined that you, senior, would participate in the Immortal Destiny Conference..."

Ye Huaifei was deeply moved.

Tang Xiaoyu glanced at the completely dead snake demon beside her, seemingly looking at something through it, and whispered, "The allure of immortality, who could resist such temptation..."

Ye Huaifei nodded: "That's true."

An awkward silence filled the air before Lu Lin broke the tension, saying, "Alright, no matter what, this monster is dealt with. Let's hurry up and go to the next level!"

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed and then headed towards the teleportation array.

"and many more,"

Just before stepping into the teleportation array, Tang Xiaoyu suddenly put her raised foot down.

Her expression was grave as she said, "You all go out first, I need to find that Ice Crystal Banshee!"

"senior?"

The Ye family members had also encountered the Ice Crystal Banshee, but they had only managed to win her favor by offering some food and pretty little trinkets, and thus learned the location of the teleportation array. They didn't know much about the Ice Crystal Banshee.

Upon hearing Tang Xiaoyu's words, they all looked at each other in bewilderment, not understanding what was going on.

"I need to ask her if I can take her out!"

Tang Xiaoyu insisted, "Since she didn't do anything, why should we lock her up?"

Lu Lin countered, "What if she's lying?"

Tang Xiaoyu replied, "Then I'll personally send her back, or... I'll stay by her side for the rest of my life, I'll watch over her myself!"

The Ye family members exchanged glances, but Ye Huaifei, after a slight bow, made the decision: "Since you insist, senior, let's go together."

So everyone hurried back to search for the Ice Crystal Banshee. ...

"Take me away?"

The Ice Crystal Banshee was very confused when she heard this.

Tang Xiaoyu nodded: "Yes, is there any way to modify that formation, or is there any other way to get out? We'll take you with us!"

The Ice Crystal Banshee grinned: "Yes, if you give me a few sips of your blood, I'll smell like human blood and be able to enter the teleportation array. Do you want me to drink it?"

As she spoke, a fierce glint even appeared in her ruby-like eyes.

"Really?"

Although Tang Xiaoyu was somewhat skeptical, she still replied, "If that's really the case, then I'll let you drink some! Just don't complain that my blood is old and smelly!"

This time, it was the Ice Crystal Banshee who was somewhat stunned.

She asked softly, "Aren't you afraid I'm lying to you? Don't you suspect that the snake demon at the entrance of that teleportation array was deliberately luring you there so I could kill you?"

“I can tell you don’t have bad intentions!” Tang Xiaoyu shook her head and said, “Besides, we went to other places and found monsters in many places. That snake demon just happened to be guarding that place. Since it’s a trial, there has to be something there!”

The Ice Crystal Banshee was silent for a while before saying, "Alright, then I'll tell you the truth. The way to break the formation is very simple. You don't need to drink any human blood. As long as you are willing to drip a drop of blood on the formation, it will break. Then I can put on your clothes and go in."

Tang Xiaoyu immediately grabbed the Ice Crystal Banshee's hand and urged, "Then let's not delay, come with us! That way you can personally inquire about that Mingjiang guy!"

“If you take me with you, it will be very difficult to get through the next eight levels. Moreover, the King of Ten Thousand Demons is on the ninth level. If I am not there, you can still sneak away. But if I go with you, he will sense my demonic aura and come looking for me.”

While trying to "dissuade" the crowd, the Ice Crystal Banshee tried to pull her hand away—but she couldn't. The old woman's hand was very strong; she really couldn't pull it away without using her demonic power!
Tang Xiaoyu thought for a moment, then turned to the Ye family and Lu Lin with a serious expression and said, "Here's what we'll do: you Ye family members and Lu Lin, you go first. I'll wait an hour before leaving with Ice Crystal Girl."

Ye Huaifei had already heard Lu Lin's story about the Ice Crystal Demon on the way, and he supported taking the Ice Crystal Demon with him. However, he couldn't let others risk their lives for him based on his own ideas. So he said to the Ye family disciples, "In that case, I will follow Senior Tang to lend her a hand. You and Brother Lu go first!"

"Third Brother, are you saying we're too weak in cultivation and are holding you back?"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Ye Huaifei's suggestion, the Ye family members objected and began to criticize Ye Huaifei.

"That's right, Third Brother. Regardless of the situation, with us here and the Ye Clan Sword Formation, we can put up a fight even if we encounter that kind of monster again!"

Hearing this, Ye Chengfei was deeply moved, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears as he said, "In that case, let us, the Ye family, break out of this Demon-Locking Tower together!"

Tang Xiaoyu did not refuse the Ye family's kindness, but instead said to Lu Lin, "Lu Lin, you go first. I see that your cultivation is not bad. If you avoid these demons, you should be able to get out!"

"Lu Lin has been following Senior Tang all this way, which is how he was able to solve this trial's puzzle. How could he possibly leave at this crucial moment? Senior Tang, please don't underestimate Lin. We should advance and retreat together in this Demon-Locking Tower!"

"Alright! Then we'll advance and retreat together!"

Tang Xiaoyu smiled, then pulled the Ice Crystal Banshee so hard she stumbled, saying, "Come on, Ice Crystal, come with us. We'll definitely get you out of here. If we run into those Shu Mountain people, this old woman will ask them why they don't distinguish between good and evil, and just lock up everyone who's different from humans! Isn't this an abuse of power? Isn't it said that cultivating immortality requires undergoing tribulation, and that those who commit many evil deeds cannot undergo tribulation? Isn't this unjust?"

Ye Huaifei chimed in, "I've also heard that the lightning tribulation that Chang Xiao Shenxian faced was incredibly powerful, but because Chang Xiao Shenxian had the heart of a child, the lightning tribulation couldn't even strike him! This shows that the justice of heaven is clear and the truth is as bright as the sun and moon!"

Having said all that, the Ice Crystal Banshee no longer refused. She followed the others to the teleportation array and watched as Tang Xiaoyu calmly pricked her finger, let a drop of blood fall, then draped Tang Xiaoyu's coat over herself and urged her to enter the array.

The moment the teleportation array flashed, the group did not arrive at the second floor, but instead appeared in an empty plaza.

Beneath their feet lay golden sand and green jade bricks that shimmered with golden light. To the left and right stood several tall towers with green glazed tiles, and in the distance was a grand hall with green glazed tiles, exuding a magnificent and ethereal aura.

"Congratulations on passing the trial formation... Hmm?"

Just as they were hearing the congratulatory voices, suddenly, the white-bearded old man who had spoken raised his eyebrows and shouted angrily, "How dare you bring out a demon? Kill her at once!"

When Tang Xiaoyu saw the white-bearded old man not far away, her first reaction was: He doesn't look like the Blood Demon at all.

My second thought was: I heard that although Shiraishi-sensei has white hair, he looks very young and doesn't have a beard. It seems... he doesn't look like that, does he?

Ye Huaifei bowed respectfully and said, "I have yet to ask who you are, senior..."

The white-bearded old man flicked his sleeves and said, "Hmph, since you've come to participate in the Immortal Destiny Conference of my White Stone Immortal Sect, how could you not recognize me, True Immortal White Stone? Very well, considering that you at least passed the Demon Locking Tower trial, I won't hold anything else against you. Kill that Ice Crystal Demoness, and I'll consider you to have passed!"

Tang Xiaoyu's expression turned cold. Without even bowing, she asked curtly, "May I ask Senior Baishi, what heinous crime has this Ice Crystal Banshee committed that makes people so eager to kill her?"

The white-bearded old man roared in anger: "What else is there to do? She's a demon! You are human, destined to cultivate immortality and attain enlightenment! Of course, it is your duty to subdue demons and monsters!"

Tang Xiaoyu pressed on, "Even if she did nothing wrong, you'd still kill her just because she's a demon?"

The old man sneered, "Foolish! Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts! If she is a demon, she must die! If you don't kill her, then look, that's the mountain gate over there. Leave! The White Stone Immortal Sect won't accept such ignorant fools as you!"

Tang Xiaoyu stared at "True Immortal Baishi" for a while, then chuckled, grabbed the silent Ice Crystal Demoness, and turned to walk down the mountain.

Ye Huaifei frowned, as if trying to figure something out.

He rubbed the ground with the tip of his shoe, then looked around at the square covered with gold sand and green jade bricks, and felt that something was wrong.

It's not right.

"Wait! Senior Tang!"

Ye Huaifei shouted loudly, "We haven't left the secret realm yet!"

Tang Xiaoyu was angrily dragging the Ice Crystal Banshee away when she heard Ye Huaifei's shout and suddenly froze.

He immediately realized—

If this so-called "True Immortal White Stone" truly hated the demons and wanted them all dead, he wouldn't have let himself leave with the Ice Crystal Demoness!
This……

It's a trial too!?

She turned around and looked at "True Immortal Baishi," whose features were now somewhat indistinct.

"Hahahahahaha..."

A hearty laugh seemed to come from the sky, and then the surrounding scenery suddenly distorted, turning into water mist, which then burst open with a "poof" and scattered into starlight.

The white-bearded old man was gone, the ice crystal banshee was gone, and even...

Wait, what happened to that guy named Lu Lin?!
Tang Xiaoyu stared in shock at the spot where Lu Lin had just been standing, now completely empty!

(End of this chapter)