The girl's deep blue eyes remained fixed on her prey ahead, and her sword was always poised along the hunting trajectory. This keen focus seemed less human, more like a beast selecting a prey to devour.
Observing the opponent's movements, their steps were light and soundless, possessing a certain ethereal grace, not ghostly or sinister, but rather a pleasing beauty.
When things are abnormal, there must be something strange!
The two Daoists sensed something amiss. The younger Daoist reacted a bit slower, while the middle-aged Daoist had already drawn his Magic Sword, and protective Talismans were radiating a faint glow.
However, just as they were on high alert, a piercing whistle of a sword slashing through the air erupted behind them. Both felt their scalps tingle and their hearts nearly stop.
The two Daoists turned rapidly. The younger Daoist, without a protective Talisman, had his throat pierced by a flash of sword light before he could see the scene clearly.
The middle-aged Daoist dodged a strike with the aid of his Talisman. When he focused his gaze, he realized that the girl had somehow snuck behind them.
This isn't right!
A prickling cold sensation surged at the nape of the middle-aged Daoist's neck. He turned aside in horror, only to find that it wasn't just the girl behind him, but identical black-clad girls both ahead and behind.
The two girls looked identical, as if twins, and even their light steps, sidestepping while searching for the prey's flaws, were mirror images.
"What kind of demon are you?"
The response to the Daoist was a hair-raising sense of impending death.
Behind! Always behind!
The Daoist twisted around and saw yet another girl, identical in style, leap up like a cat pouncing on a butterfly. Her sword light was like cat claws, blooming mid-air and piercing his protective enchantment.
It's demonic energy!
The Daoist defended with his sword, but forgot there were two more of the girl's forms continually seeking opportunity behind him.
Two cold gleams flashed, blades sealing his throat, like plum blossoms blooming.
The Daoist's eyes widened. From the pierced wound, a dark, chilling demonic aura lingered, corroding inward. In no time, the Daoist collapsed dead silent.
From a distance, Xu Qing instinctively touched his neck. Perhaps due to his own habits, he noticed that whenever the cat engaged an enemy, it always favored locking onto the prey's throat.
"Xuan Yu, humans have more than just throats as vital spots. When facing an enemy, you must adapt; otherwise, if they become guarded, it will limit yourself..."
The Daoists from the Xuan Sect all had cultivation, but to Xu Qing, they were Xuan Yu's natural whetstone.
Seizing this opportunity, Xu Qing imparted to Xuan Yu numerous experiences in dealing with humans after transformation.
Besides martial sword techniques, there were hidden weapons, Poisonous Powder, and the all-purpose secret method, Holy Spirit Water, that could break both Xuan Sect orthodox methods and inherently suppress Left Way Evil Techniques.
Things like Moon Gazing Sand, Night Bright Sand, Five Spirits Ointment, Left Coiling Dragon, and Celestial Mallow Water, mixed together, could make even a living Buddha avoid them.
Xu Qing was like a mother leopard teaching a young cub hunting skills, sharing all his hidden enemy combat techniques without reservation.
Xuan Yu always felt something was off. Do humans really engage in combat this way?
"Yes! We humans always do it this way, just like cats; it doesn't matter if they're black or white, as long as they catch mice, they're good cats." Xu Qing said with certainty, "Humans are the same. When dealing with heinous enemies, no matter what means are used, as long as they can be rightfully executed, they are good means!"
"Xuan Yu understands. These villains are the mice in Xu Immortal Family's eyes. We must kill them whenever we see them, even if we're not hungry."
"..."
"But never say this in front of people like Gu Zixu."
"Xuan Yu understands."
Xuan Yu flicked the bloodstains off the sword, only then realizing the villagers from the White Cage Village, imprisoned in the carriage behind them, were staring at them in terror.
Some even had anger in their eyes?
Xu Qing was surprised. He stepped forward to ask, but found the villagers could only make wild cries like savages.
Only one or two, similar to leaders responsible for maintaining order, could understand human speech.
And those who showed anger toward Xu Qing, coincidentally, were precisely these two who understood human speech.
Xu Qing did not continue questioning them. He moved to the Daoist's corpse, observing its brief flashes of memory.
In the pitch-dark, isolated White Cage Village, freshly cooked meals filled trolley carts. At each holding area, Daoists specially fed people with unappetizing 'meals', pouring them into feeding troughs to let those inside scramble for food.
These people, never seeing daylight since birth, lived the life of savages, and were indeed captive 'savages.'
To better control these 'human resources' and save manpower at the Xuan Sect, the Daoists deliberately divided the captives into hierarchies. High-ranking villagers could learn human language and manage those lower-ranked.
Over time, the Daoists didn't personally feed the low-ranking captive villagers, leaving it to the higher-ranking villagers instead.
But could those assisting evildoers survive long?
Yes! But only until they turned thirty. Beyond that, they were still taken by Xuan Sect's demonic Daoists for sacrificing and refining medicine.
After learning these things from the Daoist's memories, Xu Qing turned to look again at the two villagers in the cage who had shown hostility towards him.
Judging by their age, they were around thirty.
Xu Qing understood this was the result of Xuan Sect's demonic Daoist indoctrination.
"What does the Xu Immortal Family plan to do with these people?" Xuan Yu inquired.