Chapter 217: The Person in the Crystal
The blazing sun baked the crimson-gold dunes, turning the desert floor into a vast expanse of scorching heat. Even through the thick soles of her boots, the blistering temperature radiated upward, feeling as though she were walking barefoot across a glowing iron plate.
Across this boundless, shimmering wasteland, the slender figure of a young girl slowly materialized through the heat waves. A long line of footprints trailed behind her, but the arid wind swept across the dunes, gently blowing the loose sand and erasing all traces of her path.
Apricot-yellow ribbons held her brown hair in neat twin tails that swayed with her unhurried steps. She wore a white dress adorned with delicate floral patterns, layered beneath a deep purple shawl draped gracefully over her shoulders. An apricot-yellow outer garment covered her neck and upper torso, while a black leather belt cinched her waist tightly, complementing her black fitted shorts and matching boots.
Her snow-white skin stood out in stark contrast against the harsh, crimson-gold desert backdrop. A leisurely, carefree smile played on her lips. Despite the oppressive, suffocating heat, her complexion remained pristine; not a single drop of sweat marred her forehead.
In the far distance, the crude silhouette of a courier station finally pierced the horizon.
"Oh! That must be the Golden Sand Gang, right?"
Her exceptional eyesight allowed her to pick out the subtle details of the fortified structure at a mere glance. Then again, only a group as brazen as the Golden Sand Gang would bother operating a waystation in such a desolate, unforgiving wasteland.
A bright smile curled the corners of her mouth, and her pace quickened with newfound enthusiasm.
As the young girl approached the station, the stationed members of the Golden Sand Gang swallowed hard. Their hands drifted to their weapons as they instinctively fanned out to surround her.
Their reaction was not born of predatory lust, but rather a sudden, suffocating wave of inexplicable fear.
Over a decade ago, their leader, Old Eagle, had established the Golden Sand Gang in this very desert, ruthlessly robbing travelers and committing every conceivable atrocity. Even when the Imperial Court dispatched armed troops to eradicate them, the bandits had survived, using their intimate knowledge of the treacherous terrain to evade capture.
Old Eagle had chosen this specific wasteland for two distinct reasons.
The first was its extreme isolation, placing it far beyond the effective reach of the Imperial Court's military might.
The second reason was far more pragmatic. The True Qi in this region flowed with unusual density, making it an exceptional environment for cultivating internal martial arts. By practicing the techniques taught by Old Eagle, every single gang member had managed to grasp the basics of internal cultivation, hardening their bodies and sharpening their senses.
Yet, as the bandits scrutinized the girl standing before them, they could not detect a single trace of True Qi radiating from her form. To their heightened senses, she appeared even weaker and more fragile than a common peasant.
It was precisely this absolute void of energy that terrified them to their very core.
Even ordinary mortals unconsciously absorbed ambient True Qi from their surroundings; not even Old Eagle himself could prevent this natural phenomenon. However, the dense True Qi of the desert seemed to actively part around this girl, completely excluded from her physical body. This meant she was either a lifeless corpse, or a top-tier martial arts master whose control over her internal energy had reached a world of absolute perfection.
Despite the paralyzing dread gripping their chests, the four bandits did not drop their weapons. When facing an existence this terrifying, fleeing and fighting both led to the exact same bloody outcome. They might as well gamble their lives on a desperate strike.
It was not a matter of noble courage. Most of these men were violent fugitives, heavily wanted by the Imperial Court. If they abandoned their post and ran, Old Eagle would hunt them down, and the outside world would offer them nothing but an executioner's block.
They were cornered beasts, left with absolutely no choice but to attack.
Their desperate gamble proved utterly futile. Within the span of three brief exchanges, the clash of steel ceased. All four members of the Golden Sand Gang lay collapsed on the scorching sand, groaning in agony.
"Why are there so few of you?" Li Sushang asked, lightly stepping onto the broad back of the nearest fallen bandit. Her physical weight was negligible, yet the man pinned beneath her boot did not dare twitch a single muscle, feeling as though a mountain had just crushed his spine.
"This is the Golden Sand Gang, right? Be good and tell me, where did everyone go?"
She applied a fraction more pressure with her heel. The sickening, faint sound of ribs beginning to crack echoed in the dry air.
"Don't try to deceive me with lies, okay?" she added, her tone remaining as cheerful and polite as a girl asking for directions.
Terrified out of his wits, the sand bandit rapidly spilled every detail regarding the gang's current whereabouts and numbers.
"One hundred and thirteen people? And they are all coming back tonight? That is quite a bit more than I expected..."
A brief flicker of worry crossed Li Sushang's delicate features, but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared, instantly replaced by a radiant smile.
"Hey, you know Old Eagle much better than I do. Tell me... if I wanted to challenge him to a formal, one-on-one duel, do you think he would accept?" Her expression held a genuine hint of innocence and youthful playfulness.
The bandit beneath her choked on a hysterical sob. Knowing full well that Old Eagle was a ruthless, bloodthirsty bandit chief, how could this girl possibly expect him to honor the honorable codes of the martial world?
"Who... who on earth are you?" the sand bandit stammered, his voice trembling violently. His bruised face was pressed so hard against the dunes that he accidentally inhaled a mouthful of coarse sand as he spoke, coughing violently.
But he could not bring himself to care about the gritty pain in his throat. He only wanted to know the true identity of the monster standing on his back.
"Sigh..." Li Sushang exhaled softly, shaking her head. Out of basic martial politeness, she decided to offer a formal introduction.
"My name is Li Sushang. I am the eldest disciple of the Zizai Gate. Now, don't try to change the subject, answer my question!" she demanded, a hint of dissatisfaction coloring her tone.
"What are you even talking about... Zizai Gate? Who are you?!" the bandit cried out in utter confusion, having never heard of such a sect in this desolate region.
"Tsk." Li Sushang clicked her tongue in sheer annoyance. She withdrew her foot, deciding that the sand bandit before her simply wasn't very bright. Communicating with him was proving to be an impossible task.
"Over a hundred people... taking them all on one by one is just too much trouble," Li Sushang muttered to herself, keeping her head down as she paced the sand. "Master has it so easy. She just points and says, 'Know the Golden Sand Gang? Go kill their leader.' And in the end, I am the one who has to do all the tedious legwork and collect the intel myself."
"Hmm... what would be a good plan?" She tapped her chin, deep in thought.
Suddenly, a vivid memory surfaced in her mind—a thrilling tale she had once heard from a wandering storyteller. The great heroes of the martial world had gathered at the prestigious Lotus Assembly to formulate a grand strategy to annihilate the Demonic Cult. Unexpectedly, the cunning leader of the Holy Fire Cult, Yan Shiluo, had infiltrated their ranks in perfect disguise. On the very day of the assembly, he revealed his true colors, defeating the sect leaders of the Shao, Lian, and Hua sects in rapid succession. He then set the magnificent Jade Lotus Platform ablaze and vanished into the night with a triumphant, echoing laugh.
"Infiltrate in disguise... I've got it!"
A bright, mischievous smile gradually formed on the corners of Li Sushang's mouth.
Turning back to the groaning bandits, she promptly ordered the four defeated men to escort her directly into their own dungeon. Heaven only knew how her eccentric mind operated to concoct such a bizarre, backward infiltration strategy.
The underground dungeon was packed with the gang's hoarded goods. Some of these goods were unfortunate kidnapped victims, while the rest consisted of stolen gold, silver, and glittering jewels piled haphazardly in the corners.
The subterranean air was dark, damp, and thick with an unpleasant, metallic stench.
Ignoring the grim surroundings, Li Sushang casually inspected the area and selected a cell that didn't look entirely filthy. She gathered a few handfuls of withered straw, arranged them into a makeshift mat on the cold stone floor, and sat down with perfect posture.
Closing her eyes, she lowered her head and began silently chanting the Sword Heart Mantra to pass the time until the bandit chief's return.
Thump...
An extremely faint, rhythmic vibration reached Li Sushang's highly trained ears.
Her eyes snapped open, the tranquil aura of her meditation instantly breaking. Her hearing was exceptional, honed to perfection by years of rigorous training. That muffled noise was unmistakably the steady sound of a human heartbeat.
Although there were several other captives locked away in the surrounding dungeon cells, Li Sushang was absolutely certain of the sound's origin. The heartbeat was not echoing from the adjacent walls. It was coming directly from the solid ground—right beneath her very feet.
Could it be a hallucination born from the dense True Qi?
Thump...
The deep, resonant heartbeat sounded again, vibrating against the soles of her boots. This time, Li Sushang was entirely certain. It was no hallucination.
Without a moment of hesitation, she pushed open the unlocked cell door, retrieved a heavy iron shovel left carelessly in the corridor, and returned to her spot. Gripping the handle, she drove the blade into the packed earth and started digging directly into the floor.
Dirt and stone flew as she worked with superhuman speed. Soon, the metal edge of the shovel struck a hard, unyielding object with a dull clink.
Tossing the tool aside, Li Sushang dropped to her knees and began pushing aside the loose dirt with her bare hands.
Squinting through the dim, flickering torchlight of the dungeon, she finally uncovered the source. Buried in the earth was a crystalline structure, radiating a faint, ethereal purple glow. It was an enormous crystal, smooth and cold to the touch.
But as Li Sushang leaned closer, her breath hitched. She discovered a dark silhouette suspended deep inside the translucent mineral. The rhythmic heartbeat she had heard earlier was echoing directly from within its core.
Driven by intense curiosity, Li Sushang quickened her pace, clearing away the remaining debris. Before long, she managed to unearth and haul the massive purple crystal completely out of the ground.
To her absolute astonishment, there was actually a human figure sealed inside, sitting peacefully in a cross-legged meditative posture. But what truly made her eyes widen in shock was the object resting right beside the trapped person. Its golden hilt and ancient, divine aura were incredibly familiar to her.
"The Xuanyuan Sword?!"
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