"Hm?"
Lu Sangjiu was a little surprised. 'Even I can't kill Ye Zhiyao, so there's no way a simple array like this would take her life, right?'
Curious, she leaned in closer. "Let me see?"
But just as she did, a light breeze wafted over, carrying the scent of flowers.
The fragrance was sweet and intoxicating, but it instantly put the three conscious people on high alert.
When Lu Sangjiu saw Ye Zhiyao's eyes snap open, revealing an eerie red, she knew something was wrong. But it was too late to retreat.
After smelling the floral scent, Li Qiancheng and Chen Xiaofeng had immediately taken Detoxification Pills and were warily scanning their surroundings. They never imagined the danger would come from a companion.
So, before anyone could react, Ye Zhiyao unexpectedly transformed into a wisp of green smoke, snatching Lu Sangjiu and fleeing!
The moment Li Qiancheng realized what was happening, he gave chase. Chen Xiaofeng quickly hoisted Qin Yu over his shoulder and followed.
As for Lu Sangjiu, she had also taken a Detoxification Pill right away, so she was still conscious.
But being conscious was useless. Her body was tightly bound by the green smoke, making it impossible to resist.
'It was my own carelessness.' Since the Demon Clan wasn't generally skilled with arrays or talismans, she hadn't considered the presence of a demon when she saw the array.
She hadn't thought in that direction at all, so she wasn't on guard for a demon potentially possessing Ye Zhiyao. That's how the demon had captured her so easily.
She could sense that her captor was a Flower Demon. Its aura was murky, likely from absorbing the Essence Qi of many people. It had clearly strayed onto a crooked path, with no hope of aligning with the Heavenly Dao.
Since she had nothing better to do, she tried to communicate with it. "Miss Flower Demon, there were so many people. Why did you have to grab me?"
"I'm frail and sickly. I have pitifully little Essence Qi. Capturing me isn't a good deal for you!"
Lu Sangjiu was just trying her luck, not expecting the Flower Demon to actually answer. "Nonsense. You're the weakest one here. Who else would I grab?"
Hearing that her captor was willing to talk, Lu Sangjiu ignored the taunt and quickly continued, "I may be weak, but my senior brother is powerful! He's at the Late-stage Golden Core! Look, he's still in hot pursuit. Aren't you afraid?"
"Why don't you just let me go? You've already caught one, and her senior brother is still unconscious. If you take her, no one will come after you with their life on the line. Wouldn't that be much safer!"
The Flower Demon was silent for a moment, seeming to question its very existence. "...Aren't you and this woman companions?"
Lu Sangjiu said earnestly, "We are, but I don't have much of a moral compass. I never hesitate to sell out a teammate. Let me go, and I'll keep my word. I absolutely won't come after you. How about it?"
'Are you kidding me? Ye Zhiyao is a Child of Fortune, protected by the Heavenly Dao. Does she really need them to save her?'
'It's always the teammates around Ye Zhiyao who get sacrificed. Now that I've been captured alongside her, I'm the one in real danger!'
However, this Flower Demon, despite having absorbed the Essence Qi of many humans, turned out to be a demon with a strong moral code.
It scoffed at Lu Sangjiu's shameless words. "Humans truly are no good. Despicable, shameless, and utterly without morals!"
Lu Sangjiu: "...If you won't let me go, you won't. But why resort to insults?"
"Hmph, so what if I insult you? Did you really think I was afraid of that senior brother of yours? Let him chase. Once we reach my grotto, I guarantee he'll face certain death!"
'Hm? Grotto?'
Lu Sangjiu's mind snagged on that word. 'No way... it can't be. It can't be such a coincidence, can it?'
But then she remembered that Ye Zhiyao had been captured too. In that case, any coincidence seemed perfectly reasonable.
'So, this Flower Demon that suddenly appeared and kidnapped both me and Ye Zhiyao is actually just another plot device to deliver an opportunity to Ye Zhiyao?'
'And given that it's harmed so many people, it's probably going to be sacrificed as well.'
Lu Sangjiu couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for the Flower Demon, as if they were in the same boat. 'Sigh... we're both just pawns in the hands of fate. No need for introductions.'
She looked at the Flower Demon with great seriousness and said, "Don't worry. I'll be sure to give you a proper burial later."
The Flower Demon: ???
'She's insane!'
Soon, the Flower Demon stopped, with Lu Sangjiu in tow.
And Lu Sangjiu was now completely certain: the grotto the Flower Demon spoke of was truly the place she had temporarily stayed a hundred years ago.
It was just that her grotto was protected by layer upon layer of restrictive seals.
Although most were casually placed, and a hundred years had passed, she had been at the Transcendence Tribulation Stage back then. Even her casual seals weren't something a little Flower Demon, at the Late-stage Golden Core Cultivation at best, could completely break.
So, the place it was living was actually just the outer area of Lu Sangjiu's grotto. It couldn't get any deeper inside.
'Of course, this could also be interpreted as an opportunity left by the Heavenly Dao for Ye Zhiyao. How could a mere bystander be allowed to take it?'
The Flower Demon casually tossed the bound Lu Sangjiu onto the ground. Then, it left Ye Zhiyao's body, and Ye Zhiyao went limp, collapsing to the ground as well.
However, seeing Ye Zhiyao's steady breathing and rosy complexion, she was likely just unconscious and not injured at all.
This made Lu Sangjiu feel a pang of jealousy... 'Look at this protagonist-level treatment. It's completely different. If it were anyone else, they'd probably have been tormented to within an inch of their life by now.'
The ropes binding Lu Sangjiu were vines from the Flower Demon's own body. She wouldn't be able to break free anytime soon, so she just struggled to sit up and first observed her surroundings.
Only then did she realize they weren't alone. There were a dozen or so other Cultivators here, and they were all still alive.
Judging by their clothes, appearance, and number, they matched the description of the missing people from the Li Family.
They were all unconscious, however, and their auras were faint, likely because a significant amount of their Essence Qi had been drained.
Lu Sangjiu finally pulled her gaze back to the Flower Demon.
It had now revealed its true form: a beautiful woman with a graceful figure.
So, the first words out of Lu Sangjiu's mouth were a compliment. "Miss Flower Demon, you're so beautiful!"
Hearing this, a hint of pride appeared on the Flower Demon's face. "Of course. My Flower Demon Clan is famous throughout the world for our exceptional beauty. As one of the best among them, I am naturally good-looking."
Lu Sangjiu hadn't expected the Flower Demon to be so blunt, but after a few exchanges, she realized it was actually quite simple-minded.
'Simple-minded... which means easy to get information from. I should try to find out its origins first.'
So, Lu Sangjiu's smile became even more sincere. "You're absolutely right, Miss Flower Demon! And I didn't expect you to be not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. You captured so many people, yet you haven't killed a single one."
The Flower Demon snorted coldly. "I never wanted to harm anyone in the first place. But there are always those sanctimonious hypocrites who talk about slaying demons and exorcising evil, and they gravely injured me."
"If my very roots hadn't been damaged, why would I have to resort to absorbing human Essence Qi just to survive?"
"These humans are unbearably foul. Do you think I enjoy this?"
Lu Sangjiu played along, putting on a shocked and indignant expression. "Miss Flower Demon, you're so beautiful, yet someone had the heart to hurt you? That's just outrageous!"
"But... you were able to set up such a powerful Array. How could you have been injured by someone?"