036 The Second Movement of the Ancient Sword

"Keep calm, Huanluo. Maybe Aunt Kui doesn't intend to kill her," Liangyin said, trying to soothe Huanluo as the situation grew tense, while also watching for Xia Kui’s reaction.

Xia Kui seemed quite pleased with Liangyin's response. Her face softened, but her actions were swift and decisive. With a gentle lift of her hand, she summoned the wind to carry the girl over, pinning her motionless in the air not far from Xia Kui, as if she were a summoned beast.

"No need to explain," Huanluo said, her eyes blazing with fighting intent as she stared at Xia Kui, though her words were meant for Liangyin. "The people of the Li family all have ruthless hearts."

"Well said. Since you've already pointed it out, why not let me demonstrate?" Xia Kui said with a graceful curtsy toward Huanluo and Liangyin, then, with a wave of her hand, vanished with the girl, carried away by the wind.

The girl felt her whole body go limp as she let the wind carry her, not daring to move. When she finally came to a stop, she realized she was now in the small courtyard of Huanluo’s home.

The courtyard was still lush and vibrant from the wonders of spring. Even the grass beneath her, forced to endure her footsteps, seemed unfazed, swaying as if at a Cui Jian concert.

But more at ease than the grass was Xia Kui herself. By some means, she had procured a tea set and was now brewing tea right there in the courtyard, full of refined taste, looking nothing like a murderous villain.

"So, what exactly are we doing here? Waiting to be invited for dinner?" the girl couldn't help but ask.

"Sorry, but you'll have to wait with me for a while," Xia Kui replied, setting down her teacup and gazing into the distance.

The girl snuck glances at Xia Kui from the corner of her eye, gradually realizing that Xia Kui was looking toward Huanluo’s room.

Suddenly, with a roar, a streak of crimson sword energy shot straight at Xia Kui. Xia Kui, as if conjuring it from nowhere, produced a magic wand and conjured several blades of wind to clash with the red sword energy.

Huanluo appeared in the next moment, but she looked nothing like herself. Her violet eyes were now completely blood-red, her bandages fluttering wildly, wounds reopening and bleeding from her fierce movements. She gripped her ancient sword tightly, her gaze fixed on Xia Kui with murderous intent. The sword, freshly cleansed and normally pristine, now shimmered with an eerie crimson light, as if amplifying Huanluo's killing intent.

"Is that you, Xiaoluo?" Xia Kui quickly packed away her tea set, worried it might get broken in the chaos.

Whether Huanluo heard her or simply ignored her, she didn't reply. Her expression was that of a predator sizing up her prey—she had no intention of answering.

"Is it, or isn't it?" Xia Kui pressed on. Before she finished speaking, Huanluo lunged, sword thrusting at her. Xia Kui flicked her wand, and suddenly the air around Huanluo thickened, slowing her charge.

Wind magic, after all, manipulates the omnipresent air to launch surprise attacks on opponents. It excelled at sneak attacks and accumulated damage, with explosive power to match. Normally, it would never lose to an injured, defenseless Huanluo. Unfortunately, today, the wind mage she faced was none other than Huanluo’s own mother.

As the battle wore on, Huanluo’s attacks only grew fiercer, her killing intent intensifying, her strikes faster and more relentless. The ancient sword flashed with its demonic red light again and again, the shockwaves of sword energy growing stronger. Xia Kui was forced on the defensive, using every trick she knew to withstand Huanluo’s onslaught and slow her down, but the wind restraints that once could bind Huanluo tightly now had no effect on her berserk state.

Watching from the sidelines, the girl grew increasingly anxious. Although neither Huanluo’s attacks nor Xia Kui’s wind had reached her so far, there was always a chance. After all she’d survived, dying here in a friend’s flower garden would be a truly wretched end.

Besides, to be honest, Xia Kui didn’t really seem intent on killing her. It felt more like she was using her to provoke Huanluo.

She watched Huanluo swing her sword again and again, bleeding through her torn bandages, her clothes soaked in bright red. Yet Huanluo seemed oblivious to the pain, her movements never faltering. If this went on, she would end up killing herself!

"Aunt Kui, can you restrain her for a moment?" the girl shouted.

Wiping away sweat, Xia Kui replied, even while dodging gracefully, "I can, but a non-lethal wind binding will only hold her for about two seconds. I won’t use a harmful binding on Xiaoluo!"

"Two seconds is enough! Just undo the restraint on me first—I have a way to handle her!" the girl shouted.

Xia Kui finally realized, "Oh dear, I completely forgot I’d bound you there. My apologies. Um, what does 'OK' mean?"

Was this really the time for curiosity? The girl nearly fainted from exasperation.

Seeing her helpless expression, Xia Kui chuckled. "Just teasing you." She stopped, then traced a shape in the air with her staff. The wind currents followed, and soon a small five-pointed magical star array formed.

Huanluo didn’t pause for Xia Kui’s spell. Brandishing her ancient sword with a deadly aura, she charged at Xia Kui, who calmly set her staff in the center of the array. A strong but gentle wind surged from the array toward Huanluo.

Huanluo didn’t even bother with the harmless breeze. She slashed at the wind, intending to cut through it straight to Xia Kui. Xia Kui merely smiled, snapping her fingers with her free hand.

The girl’s restraints loosened. Using the momentum from her fall, she leapt and landed squarely on Huanluo’s back.

Weighed down, Huanluo tried to struggle but was stilled by the soft, cottony wind that, though harmless, left her unable to move.

"Hey, Xiaoluo, your fiancé here is still alive! Calm down!" the girl clung to Huanluo’s back, shamelessly shouting, "If you kill your mother-in-law now, I’ll never be able to explain myself!"

At the sound of this, Huanluo surged with strength. Her sword glowed red as she slashed twice, breaking free of the wind binding. With a graceful spin, she threw the girl from her back, sending her into a three-sixty flip before she landed face-first on the ground.

Seeing the blurry, familiar figure on the ground, Huanluo was about to follow the command echoing in her mind—kill her—when a cheeky voice rang out, "She’s still breathing, alive, and can be saved!"

For some reason, Huanluo’s sword didn’t fall.

Rubbing her bruised face, the girl slowly got up. In front of her, Huanluo seemed to be struggling, her eyes flickering between clarity and confusion. Her grip on the ancient sword wavered, her movements uncertain.

Satisfied to see Huanluo halt her rampage, the girl was about to utter a classic hero-rescues-beauty line when a flash of lightning split the sky—a bolt struck Huanluo’s head squarely.

With a thud, Huanluo collapsed. The girl stared in disbelief at her fallen friend and at the silver-haired boy behind her, grinning wickedly.

"Good thing I made it in time. Come on, you should be thanking me! Hey, why are you all glaring at me—no, not the face!"

Stardust Chronicles 036_036: The Second Movement of the Ancient Sword—update complete!