Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

On the other hand, things weren't so easy.

Li Xun stepped into a mud puddle, the muddy water splashing up to his calves. The cold, sticky sensation made him shiver, and a surge of anger rose within him. He cursed under his breath, shook his foot, and the mud splashed onto Zeng Shushu beside him.

"Ouch! Senior Brother Li, watch out!" Zeng Shushu jumped back, disgustedly patting the hem of his robe, which was already covered in mud that he couldn't get rid of.

His face scrunched up as he looked around. The rain had lessened and turned into a misty drizzle, making his vision a little better. But all he could see, all around him, were strangely shaped trees that had turned black from being soaked in the rain, and bubbling mud. There was no sign of Xiao Yicai, Faxiang, or the others.

"Damn it, a strange gust of wind blew everyone away." Zeng Shushu muttered, clutching his Xuanyuan Sword in his hand, the tip of the sword pointing diagonally at the ground, covered in mud and water.

He looked at the figure leaning against a withered tree a little distance away and raised his voice, "Xiao Fan! Are you alright?"

Zhang Xiaofan leaned against the withered tree trunk, his chest rising and falling slightly. The Yuanlei Sword was stuck in the mud at his feet, and occasionally a faint arc of electricity flashed across its blade.

His face was a little pale, a sign of excessive consumption of spiritual energy. The strange wind carrying poisonous miasma had come too fiercely just now. In order to protect Zeng Shushu and Li Xun who were closest to him, he had endured a lot of it, and his breathing was a little uneven at the moment.

Hearing Zeng Shushu call out, he shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "It's nothing, I just need to adjust my breathing."

Li Xun looked at the two of them, feeling even more annoyed.

He had always looked down on the "good-for-nothing" disciples of the Qingyun Sect, especially Zhang Xiaofan, who was mediocre and only got some opportunities by sheer luck. And then there was Zeng Shushu, who was glib and had no sense of propriety. It was really bad luck to be stuck with these two.

"Adjusting your breathing?" Li Xun snorted coldly, pulling his foot out of the mud, trying to make his voice sound arrogant.

"Is this the place for meditation? That evil wind sect member just now might be the work of some demonic cult. We should hurry up and find our way to reunite with Senior Brother Xiao and the others."

Zeng Shushu rolled her eyes, ignored him, and moved closer to Zhang Xiaofan, lowering her voice: "Don't pay him any attention. He acts like everyone owes him a fortune. How do you feel about that? That miasma seemed a bit poisonous. Did you inhale it?"

Zhang Xiaofan shook his head again, took out an ordinary antidote pill from the Qingyun Sect, swallowed it, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

Besides the Taiji Xuanqing Dao, another righteous and peaceful Buddhist spiritual power flowed slowly within his body. It was the Great Brahma Prajna of Tianyin Temple, which resisted the trace amounts of poisonous miasma invading his meridians. It was precisely because of these two foundations that he was able to remain stable in the storm.

Seeing that neither of them paid any attention to him, Li Xun's face darkened further. Just as he was about to speak again, his ears twitched.

In the rain and mist, besides the pattering rain, there seemed to be other sounds mixed in.

It was very light, like the hem of a garment brushing against damp leaves, or perhaps like... a bell?

A very faint, crisp tinkling sound, broken by the wind and rain, drifted over indistinctly.

"Who?" Li Xun shouted sharply, and the Nine Yang Ruler in his hand flashed with a crimson light as he turned towards the source of the voice.

Zeng Shushu and Zhang Xiaofan also instantly became alert, each gripping their magical weapons tightly, standing back to back, and looking at the misty forest ahead.

The rain slanted down, and the gray-green mist flowed slowly. Two slender figures, one in a light green dress and the other in a pale yellow skirt, emerged slowly from the depths of the mist. They walked slowly, as if stepping on invisible steps. The rainwater slid away automatically when it came within a foot of them, leaving their clothes completely dry.

The one on the left, dressed in light green, had an exceptionally beautiful face, but her brows were shrouded in an unyielding melancholy. When her gaze swept over them, it was cold and scrutinizing. Her eyes lingered on the three faces, and finally, when they landed on Zhang Xiaofan and Zeng Shushu, she seemed to pause for a very subtle moment.

She had a string of small, strange golden bells tied around her waist, and the tinkling sound she had just heard came from them.

The one on the right, dressed in a pale yellow dress, has a graceful figure and spring-like eyes. She plays with a short, strange blade that glows with purple light in her hand, and there is a hint of a smile on her lips. Her eyes are full of alluring charm.

Her gaze lingered on Li Xun, scrutinizing him from head to toe, as if assessing something.

"Oh my, who do we have here? It's the young heroes from Qingyun Sect and Fenxiang Valley."

The woman in the pale yellow dress, Jin Ping'er, spoke first, her voice soft and sweet, like it was mixed with honey.

"What brings you all here alone in this heavy rain? Have you lost your companions? Would you like me to show you the way?"

Zeng Shushu's pupils contracted, and he gripped the Xuanyuan Sword tightly.

Zhang Xiaofan also recognized the woman in the light green dress. He had seen her from afar during the battle at Qingyun Mountain ten years ago. She was Biyao, the daughter of the Ghost King Sect Master. What was she doing here? Judging from her expression, she didn't seem to have any good intentions.

Li Xun did not recognize Biyao and Jin Ping'er, but he could tell that the two women were not weak in cultivation and their auras were not righteous, so they must be demons from the Demonic Sect.

He felt a chill run down his spine, but confident in the profound Taoist arts of the Incense Burning Valley, he raised the crimson light of his Nine Yang Ruler even higher and shouted:

"You demonic witch, how dare you act so presumptuously here! State your name immediately, for this young master's sword does not slay nameless ghosts!"

Biyao's gaze finally shifted from Zhang Xiaofan and Zeng Shushu to Li Xun's face. Her eyes were cold and emotionless, as if she were looking at an inanimate object.

She ignored Li Xun's shouts and instead looked at Zeng Shushu, speaking in a clear but cold voice: "You, Zeng Shushu of Feng Hui Peak, Qingyun Sect?"

Zeng Shushu's heart skipped a beat, but he forced a smile and said, "So what if I am? You vixen, do you recognize me?"

Biyao then turned to Zhang Xiaofan: "You, Zhang Xiaofan of Dazhu Peak?"

Zhang Xiaofan nodded silently, gripped the hilt of the Yuanlei Sword tightly, and began to accelerate the circulation of spiritual energy within his body.

Biyao's lips seemed to curve slightly, so slightly as to be almost invisible, and the curve was cold.

"Okay, very good," she said softly, as if talking to herself, or as if confirming something.

Before she finished speaking, the golden acacia bell at her waist moved automatically without any wind, making a crisp "ding-a-ling" sound.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a sharp needle that suddenly pierced Zeng Shushu's ear!

He shuddered, his vision blurred and spun, a stunningly beautiful, smiling face flickered before his eyes, and countless voices seemed to whisper in his ears, saying the words he most wanted to hear and showing him the sights he most wanted to see...

His spiritual energy stagnated, his grip on the Xuanyuan Sword loosened, and his eyes began to glaze over.

The moment the bell rang, Zhang Xiaofan felt a slight tremor in his mind, but the Great Brahma Prajna spiritual power within him flowed on its own, a cool and upright feeling rushing straight to his spiritual center, instantly dispelling the alluring sound. He was greatly alarmed and hurriedly cried out, "Senior Brother Zeng! Guard your mind!"

However, it was too late.

Zeng Shushu's eyes were dazed, and a silly smile appeared on his face. He brandished the Xuanyuan Sword in his hand, but instead of pointing it at Biyao or Jin Ping'er, he turned the sword and thrust it at Zhang Xiaofan beside him!

Although the sword light was scattered due to his impaired consciousness, the distance was too close, catching him off guard!

Zhang Xiaofan was shocked. He never expected Zeng Shushu to attack him. Without thinking, he quickly retreated and used the Yuanlei Sword to block the attack in front of his chest.

"Clang!"

The two swords clashed, sparks flying everywhere. Zeng Shushu's strength was considerable. Zhang Xiaofan was caught off guard and his arm went numb. He staggered back two steps, mud and water splashing from his feet.