Chapter Twenty: Trapped in the Encirclement (Part Two)

After quite some time, A-Li approached, swaying its ten highly flexible tentacles, and asked politely, "May I ask if you have found a way out?"

For some reason, Shi Jun felt an inexplicable fondness for this large octopus and quickly replied, "Yes, we have, but it will require you to suffer a little bit of inconvenience." As he spoke, he shook the "Hundred-Treasure Bag" in his hand.

A-Li’s eyes suddenly lit up, and it blurted out, "A Hundred-Treasure Bag? What a brilliant solution!" Chi Yang chuckled softly, "I knew you would use this method."

Shi Jun was momentarily surprised. How could a demon beast recognize a Hundred-Treasure Bag from the Underworld? Back at the Refining Division, when the Yaksha saw him pull out the bag, he had mentioned that it was a unique treasure exclusive to the Underworld. Seeing Chi Yang’s calm expression, as if nothing was amiss, Shi Jun suppressed his curiosity and said, "Actually, the method Brother Zi Sheng and I discussed initially wasn't this, but I felt that hiding you in the Hundred-Treasure Bag might be more discreet, so..."

"Are you kidding me? Hiding in this bag? How? Even if it were possible, I wouldn't do it!" Fu Yao, who had been listening to their conversation, snorted in disdain.

"At a time like this, are you still throwing a tantrum like a spoiled young lady?" Chi Yang said coldly.

Fu Yao raised her willow-like eyebrows. "My affairs are no concern of yours. In any case, I have already said I will not go with you."

"You..." Chi Yang was a bit angry but kept his patience. "You have absolutely no place to stay in the Demon Realm now; why are you still lingering here? Didn't you hear Shi Jun say earlier that your clansmen have already held a public trial? If you don't return to the Underworld with us now, your only path is death!"

Fu Yao retorted angrily, "If it weren't for you, how would I have ended up in this state? That I am now abandoned by my friends and family is all thanks to you! And now you pretend to kindly take me to the Underworld—do you think I must follow you? I say you deliberately framed me! What grudge do you have against me? Why are you trying to ruin me?"

Chi Yang responded without hesitation, "If your father hadn't found me, would I care about your business? You are born of both the Underworld and the Demon Realm—do you think denying it is useful? Didn't your grandfather also..."

"Master Chi Yang!" A-Li shouted, interrupting him, then said to Fu Yao, "Young Mistress, Master Chi Yang is also doing this for your own good..."

"My father and mother died long ago, how dare you spout such nonsense!" Fu Yao stood up abruptly and pushed A-Li away. "My grandfather must have been incited by you to say such random things. I am of the Demon Clan! I have nothing to do with your Underworld! My father would never be a person from the Underworld! If you spout such lies again, I won't let you get away with it!"

Chi Yang sighed and shook his head. "What if he is?"

Fu Yao said firmly, "Absolutely impossible!"

Seeing the two women becoming increasingly confrontational, Shi Jun quickly acted as a mediator. "Alright, alright, stop arguing! Is there any point in debating this now?" He turned to Fu Yao and said, "Miss Fu Yao, even if you were framed, rushing out now without proof will lead no one to believe you. Furthermore, your grandfather’s words are very detrimental to you. Isn't it better to calm down, wait until we find solid evidence, and then clear your name?"

Fu Yao clearly found some truth in Shi Jun’s words, though she was unwilling to admit it, merely snorting and turning her face away.

"Regardless of what you think, we are now in the same boat, so we should help each other out. It’s better to keep things calm," Shi Jun continued to persuade.

"I have no problem with that," Chi Yang smiled. "My purpose for coming to the Demon Realm this time is exactly this. The key person is the young lady here."

"Young Mistress, please listen to reason. Just bear with it for a while and hide in the Hundred-Treasure Bag. We can figure things out once we are safe, okay?" A-Li urged Fu Yao earnestly.

Fu Yao glared at A-Li in anger and was just about to speak when a shrill whistling sound echoed, and the entire ice chamber began to shake.

* * * * * * * *

"This is bad, we might have been discovered by Bi Yuan!" A-Li exclaimed in shock, quickly grabbing Fu Yao. "There is no time to lose, Young Mistress, get into the Hundred-Treasure Bag quickly!"

"I’m not going in!" Fu Yao swayed on her feet, struggling to maintain her balance, but stubbornly shook her head. "Who knows if that’s a trap? Aren't you afraid of being tricked?"

Chi Yang was getting angry. "Why are you so suspicious? Why would we want to harm you?"

"How would I know? Anyway, I’m just not going in!" Fu Yao shouted.

A-Li was so anxious it could have screamed. "Young Mistress, I beg you, they are not bad people! It will be too late if we wait any longer!"

As they spoke, the whistling sound grew closer. Countless tiny ice particles fell from the ice walls, and with the constant shaking, several cracks suddenly appeared.

"Yin Yan, get into the Hundred-Treasure Bag quickly!" Chi Yang commanded. Seeing Yin Yan lingering by her side, refusing to enter, her beautiful face darkened. "Be obedient! Otherwise, I will get angry!" Yin Yan hesitated for a long moment before leaping into the bag. The Blue Souls, which had been drifting around the chamber, sensed the danger and swarmed toward Shi Jun, crying out incessantly for him to leave.

"Miss Fu Yao, this is not the time to be stubborn; just hide for now! We truly have no ill intentions!" Shi Jun had already heard Zi Sheng’s warning that Bi Yuan was an extremely troublesome demon spirit, and such a commotion in the Snow Valley might attract the attention of others in the Demon Realm, making it difficult to escape later. Seeing Fu Yao still looking determined after much persuasion, he turned to Chi Yang in desperation and said, "How about you go in first?"

Chi Yang glanced at A-Li, bent down to pick up her longbow, and said calmly, "Unless they go in first, I will not leave here."

"BOOM!" With a deafening roar, countless snowdrifts fell from the ridge, sealing the once-transparent ice door completely. The outside view vanished, and the previously bright ice chamber plunged into darkness.

Seeing this, Shi Jun hurriedly took a flashlight from the Hundred-Treasure Bag and switched it on. In the dim light, he saw that Fu Yao’s face had turned pale, and she was biting her lower lip in hesitation.

A-Li looked at Fu Yao and then walked over to Chi Yang. "Master Chi Yang... thank you for your efforts. You should leave quickly! The Young Mistress is unwilling to go, so I will stay here and keep her company."

"At a time like this, you..." Before Chi Yang could finish, the calm-looking A-Li interrupted, "I am very grateful to you both, but I have no way to repay you. Please, go!"

* * * * * * * *

Before long, a wave of heat from an unknown source filled the ice chamber, making even Shi Jun—whose spirit was separated from his body—feel stifled. Seeing that everyone was still deadlocked and Chi Yang insisted on waiting for Fu Yao to enter the bag first, anger flared in his heart. He sternly rebuked Fu Yao, "Whether you are a demon or a ghost, I only know that you are incredibly foolish! Can’t you see that so many people are concerned for you? Do you only feel happy if you get everyone killed? I tell you, today you will enter whether you want to or not!" With that, he waved his hands, sealed Fu Yao within a "Frozen Three-Feet" barrier, and sent her into the Hundred-Treasure Bag.

Just as he was about to tell Chi Yang and A-Li to hurry in, he heard a burst of hysterical laughter. Suddenly, the area became bright, and as they looked, the ice chamber they were in, along with the entire snow ridge, vanished without a trace in an instant!

The three were exposed in the open. Looking around, they saw hundreds of demons of all shapes and sizes rushing toward them, forming a circle that tightly surrounded them. Even the sky was crowded with demons, all eyeing them with hostility.

Then, a ball of fire descended from the sky, accompanied by the same laughter they had heard earlier.

The fireball landed on the snow, flashed, and vanished. A woman in a red outfit emerged from the flames. Her face was beautiful but deathly pale. Between her brows lay an indescribable sense of sorrow and gloom, and beneath her bright blue eyes were two tear-shaped moles. She glared at the three of them with fury.

"It’s Bi Yuan!" A-Li whispered.

As soon as Bi Yuan appeared, the surrounding demons, intimidated by the immense heat radiating from her, retreated to maintain a distance.

* * * * * * * *

The demons sized up the three of them and began to clamor—

"That is A-Li, Fu Yao’s demon beast servant!"

"That woman is the spy from the Underworld!"

"Where is Fu Yao? Where is she hiding? Hand her over!"

...

The red-clad woman, Bi Yuan, frowned, scanned the surroundings, and scolded, "Silence! Who gave you permission to shout and scream in my presence?" The demons fell silent.

Bi Yuan glared, angrily examining Shi Jun and the others, then sneered, "So you dare to run into Snow Valley and run wild? It seems you have some cultivation. If I don't leave you with no place to be buried today, won't others look down on me and think Bi Yuan is easy to bully?" She then put her hands behind her back and said arrogantly, "Do you intend to die together, or one by one?"

"Kill them!" The demons, having heard of the strength of Chi Yang and the others, were delighted that Bi Yuan was willing to act and cheered from the sidelines.

For some reason, seeing this situation, Shi Jun found it somewhat amusing. He smiled calmly, "Is there really no other way? I don't want to die yet. You are called Bi Yuan, right? I have no grudge against you; we just came here for a stroll. You start by attacking and killing immediately—that’s really impolite! After all, we are guests from afar; is this how the Demon Realm treats guests?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bi Yuan let out a long whistle. She raised her right hand, and a massive chunk of ten-thousand-year-old black ice suddenly rose from the ground. It paused in mid-air for a moment, flashed with white light, and instantly exploded into thousands of sharp ice arrows, glowing with a faint blue light. With the force of a thunderbolt, they shot straight toward the three of them.

Shi Jun did not expect Bi Yuan to attack so suddenly. In his haste, he immediately raised an ice shield and activated "Frozen Three-Feet." A massive barrier of ice instantly appeared in front of the three—he, being in his spirit form, did not fear such physical attacks, but Chi Yang and A-Li were different.

"This is something I just finished refining. What do you think?" In the midst of the chaos, Shi Jun didn't forget to smile at Chi Yang.

Chi Yang shook her head, but before she could speak, a massive explosion occurred. The "Frozen Three-Feet" barrier and the thousands of ice arrows shattered into powder simultaneously. The powerful shockwave threw the three of them far away, and the ice shield in Shi Jun’s hand emitted a faint "creak" before cracking in two.

The demons were thrilled to see Bi Yuan’s successful strike, and some even rushed forward, forgetting themselves in their eagerness to scavenge the spoils. Seeing this, the three immediately steeled themselves in defense.

To find out what happens next, please see the next chapter: The War of the Demon Realm.