Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 517 - 288 Shock

Chen Li only then realized the extraordinary nature of this woman; a mere cry from her rendered the terrifying Rat Demon completely immobilized, a testament to the immense strength required to do so.

The young girl's cheeks immediately turned crimson as she realized her own awkward position. Fortunately, the two men before her were still engrossed in their speculation about such a Demon, completely oblivious to her embarrassment, which allowed her to secretly heave a sigh of relief.

As she left the desolate village, Lady Qing's expression grew increasingly somber. The mysterious energy emanating from Lu Xun deeply fascinated her. She even felt that obtaining this energy could significantly elevate her power, but the soul-deep warnings held her back from taking any reckless risks.

Therefore, this short journey felt exceedingly difficult for her, yet in the end, she chose not to turn back. After all, her soul's warnings had helped her to live safely up to this point and to attain her current level of spiritual development.

Outside the desolate village, a maid dressed in green respectfully waited. With a human upper body and a snake's tail, her thin green clothes could hardly conceal her exquisite figure, and blue scales covered her face, creating an eerie appearance.

"My Lady, you've returned," the maid said politely as she greeted Lady Qing, her gaze constantly searching the area behind her.

Lady Qing, however, appeared disinterested and waved her hand dismissively, "Don't bother looking, there's no one back there!"

A look of confusion crossed the maid's face. As Lady Qing's personal maid, she hadn't been kept in the dark about the purpose of her lady's trip. She was curious about what the distinguished guest invited to their abode would look like, and she hadn't expected to see no one.

"The esteemed guest was unwilling?" asked the maid in disbelief. In her eyes, her lady's beauty was a curse upon the human race, and not every man could resist her alluring charm.

"Yes, he decisively refused. He is after all Duke Chu's descendant, so I couldn't be too harsh, which is a pity," Lady Qing said with a tone of regret. If she could have acquired that energy, she would have been more than willing to cultivate together with Lu Xun. Alas, it seemed Lu Xun had no such intentions.

"It's his good fortune to have caught your eye, My Lady. That boy doesn't know what's good for him. Do you want me to teach him a lesson on your behalf?" the maid said indignantly.

"No need. Although I haven't felt a flicker of mana from him, my intuition tells me that the price of using force would be far beyond what I can bear," Lady Qing said quietly, stopping the maid's impulsive suggestion.

This statement stunned her devoted maid. She knew her lady's nature well; Lady Qing wasn't one to give up easily. Even if the River God himself warned her, it likely wouldn't deter her if she was unwilling. Yet now, she made such a statement. The maid's curiosity peaked, wondering just who this young man was.

"Let's go, it's time to return. Coming back empty-handed like this will depress me for days," Lady Qing said with a hint of dispiritedness. With that, she threw a small mouse into the air, opened her mouth wide, and swallowed the squeaking mouse whole while it was frozen in fear midair.

The sudden grotesque display by the once beautiful woman was chilling enough to send a shiver down the spine of anyone who witnessed this bizarre scene.

However, the maid standing beside her showed no surprise; as a member of the Demon Race, Lady Qing's behavior was considered rather restrained, and the maid had seen far more bloodthirsty acts.

"It's a good thing there's still some snack compensation, otherwise this trip would have truly been for nothing," Lady Qing smacked her lips as she said this.

After saying this, she led her maids back towards her cave abode, afraid that if she lingered any longer, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from rushing in and devouring Lu Xun.

Lady Qing's cave abode wasn't far from the village. It was quite spacious and home to many snakes, which were essentially Lady Qing's offspring and descendants. Protected by her, they grew robust and spent their days coiled deep within the cave, occasionally hissing. Back when there were still inhabitants around, the people considered this place forbidden and offered sacrifices all year round, thus allowing the snakes to live comfortably.

But ever since chaos had reigned throughout the land, the snakes' quality of life had plummeted. Without the food offerings from the people, many snakes were forced to return to their old ways and hunt for food themselves.

In no time, every animal in the mountain forest became cautious. A single misstep could mean death in the jaws of a python, becoming nourishment for them.

However, the cave abode seemed unusually quiet today. As Lady Qing approached, she sensed something amiss; the noisy snake throngs that used to greet her were now eerily silent, and there were no hissing sounds from pythons deep within. Everything was so still.

Seeing this, Lady Qing made a quick decision and softly said to her maids, "Turn back!"

The maids, too, had noticed something was wrong. Hearing her order, they hastily turned to leave the cave abode, but from behind them came an elderly voice, "Madam, please wait a moment!"

Lady Qing turned her head and saw an old Taoist with a hint of age in his appearance, smiling as he stood at the entrance of the cave abode, accompanied by a Big Black Donkey and a Little White Elephant.

The moment she saw the elder, Lady Qing lost all will to resist; she understood instantly that she was no match for the old Taoist before her. The formidable and profound Demon Aura was like a mountain weighing down on her, a difference as vast as that between heaven and earth, not something she could resist if she wished.

"May I ask, where has the esteemed fellow Taoist come from, and what brings you to my abode?" Lady Qing said through clenched teeth.

Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

The old Taoist simply stroked his beard and answered with a smile, "You should be thankful that you did not lay a hand on that young man; otherwise, you would be a corpse by now, not standing here seeing us."

Lady Qing looked at the old Taoist in shock. She couldn't understand why this clearly powerful member of the Demon Race would have any connection with that human boy, and she secretly praised herself for heeding her soul's warning not to strike—it was indeed the wisest choice she had made in her life.

"May I ask, Elder, what is your relationship with him?" Lady Qing voiced the doubt in her heart.

"He is a junior of my Master's family, and by right, he is the most revered being in this land. You were able to sense the Dragon Qi hidden within him, which shows that your regular cultivation is commendable. You rarely consume humans, hence your spirit is clear."

"Dragon Qi, could he be the missing Crown Prince of Great Chu?" Lady Qing was not one of those demons who secluded themselves away from the world and ignored the affairs of men. She paid close attention to the matters of the world and naturally knew about the much-discussed disappearance of the Crown Prince.