Chapter Fourteen: The Green Serpent vs. Yin-Yang

The sky gradually darkened, and a torrential rain arrived much sooner than Chen Hongxu had anticipated. The four of them finished the buns on the road, saving the last three as snacks for Zhang Shufang. Using their internal energy to shield themselves from the rain, they ensured they weren’t being followed before slipping back into the house they had seized.

“Are you alright?”

As they entered, Zhang Shufang appeared with her hair disheveled, utterly lacking the cold arrogance she had shown when they first met. Her expression was wild and deranged, sword in hand, her eyes occasionally flashing with a chilling light. Fan Caobao, carrying the bag, asked with concern.

He didn’t dare approach; Zhang Shufang’s current state was clearly unstable.

Fan Caobao shot a look at Bear, knowing that with his body’s tough training, Bear could withstand far more than he could.

Chen Hongxu narrowed his eyes, raising a hand to stop Bear from advancing and shook his head. Perhaps others couldn’t see it, but he noticed a faint, swirling Taiji Yin-Yang diagram behind Zhang Shufang. At this moment, not to mention Bear hadn’t achieved invulnerability—even if he had, surviving an approach was uncertain. The last thing a mission needed was an unpredictable variable, and losing a member now would be disastrous.

“This woman’s mind isn’t steady. Leave her be—when she’s exhausted, she’ll stop on her own.” Su Xiaoxiao seemed to notice the anomaly behind Zhang Shufang as well, her face cold as she glanced at the torrential rain outside, feeling unaccountably uneasy.

They maintained this standoff with Zhang Shufang. Though not a single move was exchanged, it drained their spirits. The Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams behind her truly existed—even if Fan Caobao and Bear didn’t sense it due to their lack of strength, it was undeniably there. The two had to stay wary of a sudden attack from Zhang Shufang while also resisting the oppressive force of the diagram, and holding out was exhausting.

This ordeal made everyone aware of their own limitations. Bear was the first to falter; brow furrowed, he struck his chest with his fist, flinging himself backward out the door. Only after landing outside did he breathe a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with terror as he looked back at Zhang Shufang.

Witnessing this, Fan Caobao realized nothing good would come from toughing it out. He was a clever man; the outcome of this deadlock was uncertain, and his presence made little difference. If Zhang Shufang lost control, she’d target the weakest—and he had no intention of being her first victim. With a roll and a shout—“You guys hold on, I’ll go check if any opportunists are lurking outside”—he tumbled out the door, utterly shameless.

Su Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, full of contempt for Fan Caobao’s cowardice. She, however, was largely unaffected—after all, her strength was close to Zhang Shufang’s, and Chen Hongxu even suspected she might also be at the ninth rank, though she hid it well.

Chen Hongxu stood in place as if nothing had happened, curling his lip. The source of the Yin-Yang diagram behind Zhang Shufang had no effect on him; after all, the legacy of the Art of War he inherited was considered the king of all schools. Throughout history, wherever the art of war was wielded, no ancient site or legacy could withstand its might.

“Waiting like this is pointless. If we wait for her to exhaust her power or reach enlightenment, it could take ages!” Chen Hongxu frowned, turning to Su Xiaoxiao, hoping she’d have an idea—who knew how long this stalemate would last.

“You could just suppress the Yin-Yang diagram with your own power, but I’d rather not have her learn you’re a descendant of the Art of War. I’ll wake her up instead.” Before Chen Hongxu could object, Su Xiaoxiao floated forward—not quickly, but with an overwhelming presence.

As she approached, a phantom green serpent slowly materialized and became solid behind her. The serpent coiled in midair, glanced at Chen Hongxu with almost human fear in its eyes.

Su Xiaoxiao’s aura didn’t diminish. Green energy spread from her hand, connecting to the serpent circling above. She stopped in front of Zhang Shufang, waved her arm in an unremarkable gesture, and the great green serpent hissed unwillingly, lunging at the Yin-Yang diagram behind Zhang Shufang.

With that, Su Xiaoxiao quickly retreated to Chen Hongxu’s side. Her face cold, she said, “Breaking her source should stir her heart a little, maybe give her a moment of clarity. If not, we’ll have to kill her. An unstable element will doom us all eventually.”

Chen Hongxu stared at the two conflicting forces behind Zhang Shufang. Now, it was impossible to tell which belonged to whom—black, white, and green energies intertwined, eroding one another, as if about to merge. The apparent calm belied the deadliest of struggles.

Su Xiaoxiao, not hearing the expected answer, frowned and uttered a surprised sound, her gaze shifting behind Zhang Shufang. With a grave expression, she gestured, and the battling green serpent immediately returned, circling her arm before vanishing.

Seeing its adversary withdraw, the Yin-Yang diagram pursued without hesitation. But suddenly, the peachwood sword in Zhang Shufang’s hand flared with a red glow—fine threads spread like a net, imprisoning the diagram as if in a cage.

The diagram tried to break free, but after several failed attempts, it sullenly retreated behind Zhang Shufang. This time, the red threads did not hinder it.

At that moment, Zhang Shufang’s eyes snapped open. Chen Hongxu, who hadn’t taken his eyes off her, drew a sharp breath at her appearance.

Her face was expressionless, but in her eyes, one was a swirling Yin-Yang, the other a fiery red sword. With her wild hair, she looked terrifying.

“Blessed with two great legacies—what incredible luck,” Su Xiaoxiao muttered, watching Zhang Shufang’s eyes. “The peachwood sword is a Daoist artifact. Properly preserved, it never lost its power. Now, with its master’s heart lost, the weapon protects her. The rest is up to her fate.”

Chen Hongxu nodded noncommittally, then glanced at Fan Caobao and Bear, who were still out in the rain—neither would return even if carried in on a grand palanquin. Smiling, he stepped outside.

After Chen Hongxu left, Su Xiaoxiao covered her mouth, swallowing a taste of blood. She stared coldly at the unconscious Zhang Shufang, her fists clenching and relaxing in turn. Finally, after a long inner struggle, she exhaled, narrowed her eyes, and turned to walk into the rain.

Meanwhile, in a certain residence in the east district, an old man with graying hair and thick glasses shredded the documents in his hands in a fit of rage. He glared venomously at the messenger before him, grinding out, “Find them—even if you have to turn the whole city upside down, find the one who killed my son…”

Hidden Saint 14—Complete.