Chapter 961: Three-way Forces

Chapter 961: Three-way Forces

“Lord, there has been a bombing at our destination, and we have also discovered a large number of Demon Practitioners approaching nearby.”

The subordinate reported back to the leading girl.

“Demon Practitioners? Is it the Refining Demon Sect?”

“Report! Lord, it’s confirmed, that’s Ling Meng’s troops!”

Another subordinate hurriedly arrived with news, prompting Liu Shuqin to proceed with caution.

Facing Ling Meng was somewhat tricky.

If it were the Refining Demon Sect, she might have fought them head-on, but Ling Meng was Lin Nuo’s disciple and on the surface, they appeared to be in the same camp. Of course, she knew Ling Meng held some bias against her, given that she had fallen from the path of cultivation to demonic practices, completely unlike the way she originally embraced it.

There was also the important matter that Ling Meng liked Lin Nuo, and so did she, which naturally would brew Ling Meng’s resentment towards her; it would be quite difficult for them to coexist peacefully.

If it weren’t for Lin Nuo’s presence earlier, Ling Meng might have taken action against her.

In terms of magical techniques, there was a slight disparity in their power levels, with Ling Meng showing exceptional talent. Although Liu Shuqin had trained in dual cultivation with Lin Nuo, her current mastery of demonic techniques was far superior to the past, but still pales in comparison to Ling Meng. After all, Ling Meng had advantages in both natural talent and time invested in practice.

Honestly, if she went over now, it could easily result in a fight; her present power was indeed inferior to Ling Meng’s, and a battle could lead to problems.

“Hold on a moment.”

Liu Shuqin ordered the troops to stop and not proceed any further.

She respected Ling Meng’s strength and preferred to avoid unnecessary conflict.

“Lord, are we not advancing?”

“That’s still up for discussion. Let’s not move forward just yet. The potential loss of resources is minor, but advancing could lead to casualties.”

“Lord, we used to work under Ling Meng, she should have some old feelings. Besides, you all were cultivated by Lord Lin; we are allies.”

“I wish to be allies with them, but they do not share the same sentiment. With Junior Martial Brother not present, I doubt Ling Meng will regard me with much esteem. Moreover, the thick fog hinders our progress—let’s wait for an opportunity.”

Liu Shuqin commanded, and the Demon Practitioners and Demon Beasts had no choice but to obey her orders, lying in wait for a chance to act.

If not, they would retreat—that was Liu Shuqin’s plan.

“Are there Demon Foxes in the mountains?”

Liu Shuqin turned to ask her Demon Practitioner subordinate, who nodded in response:

“Yes, Lord. We’ve surveyed the area and found Demon Foxes. From our findings, they do not seem very strong. But what lies deeper in the mountains remains uncertain.”

“Now that the Demon Foxes have been driven away, they can only wander around seeking a place to rest. This mountain forest is suitable for them to settle temporarily, and I planned to ally with them to possibly expand our power. But with the current situation, it seems they are in dire straits.”

Liu Shuqin sighed. Everything has a spirit; she hoped for harmony among different races. However, conflicts arise across the world, heightened by the fall of the Demon Star, exacerbating the issues between factions—peace remains a distant goal.

After careful consideration, she acknowledged that while saving the Demon Foxes might easily earn their trust, the risks were considerable. She would still wait for the right moment.

Soon, another subordinate hurried back with updates. Liu Shuqin had arranged for multiple reconnaissance Demon Practitioners to return immediately with discoveries, leading to a continuous stream of reports.

“What’s the situation?” Liu Shuqin inquired.

“Report, Lord! The mountains harbor not just Demon Foxes, but also Immortal Foxes. From our discoveries, there’s a little white fox girl leading them in defeating Ling Meng’s Demon Beasts, which has infuriated Ling Meng, prompting her to bomb the mountains in rage.”

“A little white fox girl?”

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuqin instantly thought of Ruo’er.

But it couldn’t possibly be her, right? After all, she was still in Zifeng Valley and unlikely to be here.

However…

A kind-hearted child like Ruo’er might actively seek to help the Demon Foxes, and the Immortal Fox mentioned by her subordinates—could it be related to her?

If it truly was Ruo’er, getting bombarded by Ling Meng would either leave her dead or severely injured, and she’d surely feel remorse, making it hard to face Lin Nuo afterwards.

I need to investigate further.

“We continue on.”

“Lord, why the sudden change again?” the subordinate asked, perplexed at the sudden shift after just stopping.

“I have my plans, just don’t engage with Ling Meng’s troops, follow my instructions.”

With that, Liu Shuqin led the troops onward. She couldn’t afford to relax just yet.

At that moment, Ling Meng and her forces were gradually making their way into the mountains, plunging it into chaos and flames.

“Where are the Fox People? Weren’t they supposed to be valiant? Now they only know how to hide?”

Ling Meng sneered as they neared the area of the spirit ore. Despite many traps and magic arrays set up there, Ling Meng’s troops had managed to dismantle them all.

Although Ruo’er ordered the Fox People to withdraw immediately from the vicinity of the spirit ore, the scene was chaotic, and some of the Fox People were reluctant to leave without taking more of the spirit ore with them, slowing their escape and leaving some captured by Ling Meng’s forces.

“Is it just you folks living here? Where’s your leader?”

Ling Meng interrogated the Fox People, who trembled and struggled to speak.

“I, we… don’t… know…”

“Still stubborn, huh? Are you unaware of the current situation? There are both Demon Foxes and Immortal Foxes among you, and I’m sure you’re familiar with the torturous nature of demonic practices—life would be worse than death for you.”

“I… we…”

They were even more terrified, but they couldn’t reveal Ruo’er; after all, a little girl achieving this level of bravery was already impressive, and they wouldn’t harm her or the other clan members.

Moreover, Demon Practitioners are untrustworthy; revealing information wouldn’t guarantee their freedom.

“Report, Young Master! A group of Demon Practitioners is approaching; by observation, it should be Liu Shuqin’s troops.”

“Liu Shuqin? She really dares to come steal, huh? Fine, with the Master absent, I need not be polite. And in this situation, fighting to the death is normal; let her come. Tie up these Fox People first and bring them back. We need their spiritual power contribution too.”

Ling Meng uttered coldly, feeling satisfied to have found the spirit ore and captured the Fox People, with Liu Shuqin handing them over like a gift.

She had long held disdain for that woman.

“Let’s seal this area and set up camp here, gradually redirecting our troops.”

Ling Meng stated, showcasing her leadership abilities.

“Report! Following the Young Master’s orders, we’ve surrounded those Fox People; they attempted to break out, but we’ve pushed them back!”

“Good, since the Fox People still hope to stay here and refuse to leave, we’ll take them all at once.”

Having said that, Ling Meng shifted her focus to the group of Fox People.

“I cannot abandon them!”

“Li girl, we should leave quickly! There’s nothing we can do against them now!”

“Oh no! Another group of Demon Practitioners is coming! This…”

Their anxiety heightened; it was as if they were being driven into a dead-end.