Chapter 458: Butterfly Rakshasas

Men and women were not supposed to touch casually. Since reaching adulthood, this was the first time Tang Yi had ever been held by the arm this way by a man.

Instinctively, she wanted to shake him off. Yet this man, by both emotion and propriety, really was her husband. Other men had no right to touch her, but this man touching her was perfectly proper. Something trembled faintly in her heart. Her arm tensed once, then stopped resisting. She explained, "I understand. The Shangqing Sect isn't trying to entangle itself with Shang Chaozong merely because he's grown powerful. We don't have to become involved with him at all. I only ask that you not abandon the Shangqing Sect. I truly had no other choice before coming to beg you. The Shangqing Sect was built through generations of our forebears exhausting their hearts and minds. It cannot collapse in my hands."

Niu Youdao also realized their posture was inappropriate and released her. "Everyone beneath Heaven knows Shang Chaozong and I are on the same side. If you become entangled with me, how is that any different from becoming entangled with Shang Chaozong? I'm not as glorious as you imagine. There are dangers in many of these affairs that you can't understand because you're not inside them. I cannot become involved with you again. Don't force me to turn hostile!"

Tang Yi had no road of retreat left. Once she departed Beizhou, there truly was no road back. No other place was willing to shelter the Shangqing Sect. She could hardly lead an entire sect's disciples wandering homeless from place to place.

The moment the sect's disciples learned that the Shangqing Sect had failed to attach itself to Niu Youdao, their hearts would scatter immediately. The sect would disintegrate, and everyone would go seek his own future. Even Beizhou was no longer open to them. Faced with Niu Youdao's attitude, Tang Yi had no idea what else to do.

All she could do was steel herself and say, "It was Martial Uncle Zhao who told us to come seek refuge with you."

"I don't know any Martial Uncle Zhao." Niu Youdao's heart gave a thump, but his mouth pretended ignorance. "I warn you. Stop bothering me from now on." He turned and walked away.

Tang Yi directly pierced through the pretense. "Martial Uncle Zhao Xiongge told me to come find you."

Niu Youdao immediately turned back. Standing face-to-face with her, he said coldly, "Are you using Zhao Xiongge to threaten me?"

Tang Yi replied, "I'm telling the truth. It truly was Martial Uncle Zhao who told me to come. I would never fabricate something like this to deceive you."

Niu Youdao had no patience to argue about the matter here. He stepped closer. Tang Yi instinctively retreated one step, keeping their bodies from pressing together.

Niu Youdao seized her arm again and leaned close, speaking quietly beside her ear. "Whatever there is to discuss, we'll talk after we get out. Something is about to happen here. I have a matter to settle. If you remain, you'll only become a burden. Now. Immediately. Take your people and leave the illusory realm. Do you understand?"

At last, he revealed the real reason he had been so anxious to drive them away. They had pestered him until he had no temper left. In truth, he could not actually bring himself to poison the Shangqing Sect and wipe them out. The two stood so close they could smell one another's breath. For Tang Yi, this was the first time she had ever stood so near an adult man.

For Niu Youdao, however, it was the second time he had stood this close to her. Years ago, on their wedding night, she had stood this near the still-youthful Niu Youdao when they drank the crossed-cup wine.

Boom!

The faint sound of fighting suddenly came from the distance. Both turned toward one branch of the fork.

"What's about to happen?" Tang Yi turned back and asked.

"It has nothing to do with you."

Niu Youdao flung her arm away and pointed back toward the route they had come.

"Take your people and get out immediately."

Then he beckoned to Yuan Gang and the other two. The four of them headed directly toward the sounds of fighting. Luo Yuangong and the others came over.

Su Po asked Tang Yi, "Sect Leader, how did it go?"

Tang Yi pressed her lips together and said nothing. This was the first time in her life she had ever done something so shamelessly persistent... Following the sounds of battle, Niu Youdao's group suddenly came to a stop atop a hillside overlooking the fighting below. They had thought something might have happened to Yun Ji in this direction. Instead, more than a dozen cultivators were fighting a group of Butterfly Rakshasas.

This was Niu Youdao's first time seeing the creatures themselves as they beat their wings and darted through the forest. They were roughly humanoid, about the height of ordinary people, with both male and female forms. Soft white light radiated from their butterfly wings. Within each wing was a jade-white lattice of bone, while several pairs of sharp bone spurs protruded from the edges. Hard carapace grew directly over parts of their faces and bodies.

Their foreheads, nasal ridges, chests, and ribs were armored in shell. Their faces were hideous. Long fangs protruded from their mouths, and their hands and feet ended in sharp claws.

Within the glowing forest, several cultivators were hauling iron chains and dragging three bound White-Wing Rakshasas as they ran desperately toward the safe zone. The rest brandished weapons and fought off the White-Wings darting around them from every direction. One cultivator retreating with the group suddenly made a mistake. A White-Wing seized his wrist and yanked him out of formation. The cultivator swung his sword in the same motion and chopped off the creature's head.

But the headless White-Wing threw open all four limbs and wrapped itself around him in a death grip. Man and demon plunged from the air together. The trapped cultivator violently circulated his spiritual power and flung his arms outward, blasting away the corpse restraining him. He failed to notice the sharp claw that drove straight into the region of his heart from behind.

The White-Wing that had ambushed him twisted through the air with the cultivator in its grasp and slammed him down against a tree branch. Its mouth opened. A barbed tongue shot out and plunged directly into the cultivator's mouth. Then it began sucking. The tongue functioned like a conduit, drawing blood straight from the man's body. Pinned against the tree, the cultivator convulsed. His formerly full flesh shriveled and wrinkled at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The retreating cultivators did not stop to help the man who had been torn away from the group. Perhaps they did not have time. They knew only to keep withdrawing as quickly as possible. The White-Wings attacking them from every direction possessed hard carapaces capable of blocking blades. Even so, the shells could not fully withstand powerful strikes.

Again and again, White-Wings were chopped from the air and crashed to the ground, struggling while releasing shrill, piercing cries of "yaa, yaa."

Niu Youdao and the others exchanged looks. None had any intention of intervening. They could only stand to one side and watch. The forest itself glowed brightly enough that they could see everything clearly from a distance. The situation was obvious. These cultivators were exactly the sort Guan Fangyi had mentioned earlier, people who came to capture Butterfly Rakshasas for money. It was not the Butterfly Rakshasas that had attacked first.

These people had voluntarily left the area protected by Light-Repelling Grass and entered Butterfly Rakshasa territory to seize them.

"These people really have no idea whether they want to live or die."

Guan Fangyi sighed and shook her head.

"If the money were that easy to earn, why would Myriad Beasts Sect need outsiders to do it? It's not as though the sect has so much money it doesn't know where to spend it."

Niu Youdao shook his head as well. This was the tragedy of cultivators at the bottom. Causing trouble outside normally led only to death. Here, if they gambled once and succeeded, the money was theirs. No one controlled them. That made it worth risking their heads.

Guan Fangyi suddenly said, "Those idiots have real trouble now."

The others followed her gaze. Points of blue light were weaving rapidly through the forest in the distance. Behind them came clusters of white lights as well. They approached at astonishing speed. Soon, the group could see clearly what they were. Butterfly Rakshasas of another color. Blue-Wing Rakshasas had arrived. Perhaps they had been drawn by the White-Wings' shrill cries.

"Go!"

Someone among the retreating cultivators spotted the danger and shouted urgently. The group immediately abandoned the three captured Butterfly Rakshasas and tried to flee. But the White-Wings surrounding them refused to let them escape. Their attacks intensified, trapping the cultivators in place. A moment later, more than ten Blue-Wings shot into the battle and joined the assault. What Niu Youdao and the others had not expected was that three additional Blue-Wings flew directly toward them, the spectators.

They actually charged straight into the protective zone covered by Light-Repelling Grass. The four immediately understood. Light-Repelling Grass did suppress Butterfly Rakshasas, and the creatures genuinely could not tolerate its scent. But Niu Youdao's group was standing too close to the edge. A Butterfly Rakshasa could apparently endure the smell long enough for a brief charge in and out. They were too close. Perhaps the creatures had mistaken them for companions of the cultivators fighting in the forest.

The Blue-Wings were faster in flight than any of them. It was already too late to avoid them. Yuan Gang reached one hand behind himself and pulled the Three-Roars Saber from its black cloth wrapping. Expressionless, he gripped the hilt tightly. Guan Fangyi closed her fingers around a talisman. Yuan Fang let both broad sleeves fall. A pair of monk's sabers slid from them into his hands.

Niu Youdao merely stood where he was, sword planted against the ground, without moving. Then something strange happened. The three Blue-Wings came charging toward them with claws spread—only to bank abruptly the instant they drew near. Their wings tilted.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

They veered around the group as though terrified of getting any closer. After passing them, the three Blue-Wings circled once around the four people. Their eyes seemed to contain fear as they stared down. Then all three turned away together and flew back into the glowing forest, rejoining the attack against the trapped cultivators. The scene felt strangely familiar. Niu Youdao slowly turned his head toward Yuan Gang.

Yuan Gang slowly raised the saber in his hand and stared at the arm gripping it, faint thoughtfulness appearing in his eyes. Then Yuan Gang tilted his head. His gaze met Niu Youdao's. The two men silently looked at one another. Nothing had happened. Yuan Fang, still holding both monk's sabers, breathed out in relief.

Guan Fangyi stared after the departing Blue-Wings in astonishment. "Strange. Butterfly Rakshasas are fearless even unto death. They don't retreat even from cultivators far stronger than themselves. They actually refused to attack us. Why does this feel wrong?"

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Niu Youdao's mouth. It was mysterious, almost eerie. He seemed to understand perfectly well. Screams rose one after another from the forest. Whether in attack power, speed, or the toughness of their carapaces, Blue-Wings truly were superior to White-Wings. In only moments, they drove the group of desperate cultivators into a hopeless situation.

"Save me!"

One cultivator fought his way out and spotted Niu Youdao's group. He shouted for help and flew desperately toward them. Yuan Gang lifted his saber and was about to charge out to save him. Niu Youdao seized Yuan Gang's arm and stopped him with cold indifference. The fleeing cultivator never reached them. Several Blue-Wings flashed after him together, blue streaks crossing through the air like phantoms. They caught him on the spot.

One seized each arm, while another caught one of his legs. Together, they dragged him back through the air above the glowing forest. Another Blue-Wing swooped in and wrapped both arms around the cultivator's head. Its mouth opened. Two long fangs punched viciously into his skull. Several pairs of wings beat at once and slammed the struggling cultivator down into the forest. The creatures fought over him. Blood and torn flesh flew in every direction.

Niu Youdao and the others turned at movement behind them. A group of Myriad Beasts Sect disciples came flying over and landed nearby. Many carried large bundles and sacks. Seedlings of Light-Repelling Grass protruded from some of the loads. They were probably taking them deeper into the realm to transplant. The forest gradually fell quiet again. Butterfly Rakshasas with blood smeared across mouths and claws rose to the treetops. Blue or white wings beat lightly behind them.

Their cold, vicious eyes remained fixed on the gathering humans. After a short while, they all turned together and flew away, disappearing into the depths of the mountain forest. Looking at the mutilated remains scattered below, quite a few Myriad Beasts Sect disciples showed mocking expressions. They paid no attention to Niu Youdao's group. Carrying their bundles, they simply continued on with their own work.

[End of Chapter 458]