"Ling'er, Ling'er, where are you…"
In a deep mountain, Li Xiaoyao walked forward with a sword on his back, muttering softly.
Habit is really a terrible power. Unknowingly, Li Xiaoyao got used to Zhao Ling'er's existence. Zhao Ling'er's disappearance in recent days made Li Xiaoyao feel absent-minded.
"Well, the Hidden Dragon Cave is in front. I heard that the snake demon is hiding in there." After searching for a while, Li Xiaoyao looked at the deep mountain in front with a look of trepidation, but soon he became determined.
Although the snake demon is scary, in order to save Zhao Ling'er, he must go there even if it is a dangerous place! Li Xiaoyao used to be a small gangster in Yuhang Town. He could be said to be a swindler who did everything he could to get away from it. However, since he has been with Zhao Ling'er these days, Li Xiaoyao has indeed changed a lot.
Moreover, after studying martial arts with the Drunken Swordsman for some time, his strength had improved significantly. Naturally, his self-confidence had also grown with his strength.
Li Xiaoyao quietly sneaked into the Hidden Dragon Cave to search for Zhao Ling'er's whereabouts.
In fact, the snake demon in the Hidden Dragon Cave was not very powerful, so Li Xiaoyao had a chance of winning if he fought it.
Unfortunately, there were two monsters in the Hidden Dragon Cave. In addition to the snake demon, there was also an equally powerful fox demon. These two monsters were actually a couple.
"Sword Controlling Technique!"
After being discovered, Li Xiaoyao naturally fought back. The Shushan Sword Controlling Technique was still very powerful. After unleashing the technique, Li Xiaoyao was able to withstand the combined attack of the snake demon and the fox demon.
Unfortunately, a strong attack inevitably leads to self-destruction. For Li Xiaoyao, the sword-controlling technique was still too much of a burden. After these sharp and powerful sword moves, Li Xiaoyao quickly fell behind, and under the combined attacks of the two monsters, he was steadily defeated.
After a brief incident with the Drunken Sword Immortal, Alex and the other two quickly arrived near the Hidden Dragon Cave.
"Is there a snake demon in here?" Lin Yueru, upon arriving at the Hidden Dragon Cave, looked at the vast snake demon cave with a look of fear.
Clearly, for a girl, snakes and insects are something she wouldn't be afraid of.
"What? Are you scared? If so, just wait outside. I'll send Jin Yuan," Alex said, observing Lin Yueru's expression.
Provoking the enemy was better than persuading them, and Alex knew that this method was the most effective for Lin Yueru.
"Who said I was scared? I'm the daughter of the leader of the martial arts world. A snake demon has appeared here, and it's my duty to exorcise it!"
As Alex had expected, Lin Yueru refused to admit she was afraid. Her voice rose considerably.
Liu Jinyuan, clutching his fine steel sword, looked a bit uneasy.
Although he had been practicing martial arts for some time, having learned the sword art and the Dugu Nine Swords directly from Alex, Liu Jinyuan's inner sense of being a warrior hadn't yet fully grasped.
His previous battle with the Moon Worshipers had already felt like he was being forced into a fight. Now, he was being forced to face a demon directly?
"Jinyuan, are you scared? If so, you should stay outside. However, I heard this snake demon has killed quite a few people recently." Unlike his usual provocative tactics against Lin Yueru, Alex spoke directly, referring to the civilians killed by the snake demon.
As expected, he heard the snake demon had killed so many people, and if he wasn't killed now, he would kill even more in the future.
Thinking of this, Liu Jinyuan's expression straightened, and he summoned up his courage. He nodded firmly, saying, "Master, let's go in. If we don't kill this harmful demon, and someone else is harmed by it in the future, isn't that our responsibility?"
Liu Jinyuan's reaction was exactly what Alex had expected, and his character truly impressed him.
Someone willing to put themselves in danger for the sake of others was admirable.
However, Alex knew he would never do such a thing; he couldn't be so noble.
No matter how resolute they were, they were still facing an unknown demon. Therefore, upon entering the Hidden Dragon Cave, Liu Jinyuan and Lin Yueru instinctively slowed their pace, even their breathing becoming lighter.
Liu Jinyuan's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened, and a fine layer of cold sweat covered his palms.
After walking only a short while, the group suddenly heard the clash of steel and the roars of beasts echoing ahead.
Liu Jinyuan and Lin Yueru exchanged glances—was someone else already battling the snake demon? Or had the beast seized a victim who was now resisting? Either way, help was clearly needed. Without hesitation, they quickened their steps and rushed toward the sound of fighting.
Soon, they saw Li Xiaoyao locked in combat, fending off both the snake demon and the fox demon at once.
"Hmph! Of all people, it had to be him," Lin Yueru muttered with a frown. "So many are searching for him, yet here he is..." Her past grievances with Li Xiaoyao naturally soured her tone.
"That's Li Xiaoyao, right? The prince consort of Nanzhao? But where's the princess?" Liu Jinyuan scanned the surroundings. Seeing no trace of Zhao Linger, his heart sank. Had the princess already fallen to the demons?
"Hey! You three just going to stand there? A little help here!" Li Xiaoyao shouted mid-battle, clearly frustrated.
His words jolted Liu Jinyuan into action. Tightening his grip on the sword, he leapt forward, his blade carving through the air in sharp arcs as he charged the snake demon.
Lin Yueru was quick to follow, joining the fray with fiery determination.
What had been a desperate fight for Li Xiaoyao instantly shifted. With Liu Jinyuan and Lin Yueru by his side, the tide turned—the snake and fox demons could no longer withstand the combined assault.
Alex, however, merely stood at the edge, calm and unhurried. He had no need to act; the three of them were more than enough to suppress the creatures.
To their credit, the snake and fox demons fought with remarkable loyalty, each willing to risk their life for the other. Yet Alex's eyes stayed cold. For all their devotion, he could not forget the trail of innocents they had devoured in recent days.
And so, under the relentless teamwork of Liu Jinyuan, Lin Yueru, and Li Xiaoyao, the two monsters finally fell, their bodies collapsing in defeat.
Meanwhile, far away in the Nanzhao Kingdom, the Moon Worshiping Sect Leader sat upon his throne, calm and expressionless. A messenger knelt before him, presenting a sealed letter. It bore the mark of the Central Plains…