Chapter 405 - The Mask
Chapter 405 of "Journey to the End of the Night" opens revealing: Gradually, his true face was revealed.Unlike the half of his face that was fair and... Keep going!
Gradually, his true face was revealed.
Unlike the half of his face that was fair and flawless, the skin beneath the mask was covered with dark blue stains.
The stains deeply embedded in the skin, as if born with a curse, had even spread into his eyeballs.
The entire iris was covered by those terrifying and ominous patterns, making him look extremely ugly.
The onlookers around the battleground couldnât help but show expressions of disgust and revulsion upon seeing this.
Even the people from the Wandao Immortal Alliance were shocked and nauseated.
They had never imagined that Hong Zhuang, the assassin who had always followed Elder Ning, with her melodious name and half a beautiful face that provoked imagination, would have such an unbearable visage beneath her mask.
Hong Zhuangâs normal eyes looked at the mottled fragments of iron filings, and her pupils suddenly contracted, trembling violently in her sockets.
The dark blue stains reacted violently, wildly traversing her skin.
The gazes surrounding her felt like scorpionsâ stingers, venomously piercing her from all directions.
That was the malevolent scrutiny she was familiar with.
A strange, icy nausea began to churn in her stomach.
Murderous intent surged in Hong Zhuangâs eyes as she looked towards the young man opposite her.
Unlike the revulsion and disdain in the eyes of the others, his expression was somewhat detached and calm, his handsome and delicate face revealing a cold chill in the play of light and shadow, as if he were looking at a dead person.
She felt a shiver in her heart and realized that her limbs and body, upon being blown away by the Jade Flute, had been entangled by countless strands of black aura clinging like sticky spider silk.
This black aura showed no signs of energy fluctuations.
She tried to activate her energy to shake it off, but found it utterly futile.
Suddenly, Hong Zhuangâs eyes widened, unsure what this substance was.
It was unlike any spiritual method from the Righteous Immortal Sects or even from the Demon Path; it was an unknown and mysterious power that made oneâs heart palpitate.
Hong Zhuang snorted coldly, outright ignoring the threatening and entwining black aura around her.
Her gaze, icy and resolute, turned towards Baili An as she raised her bone-chopping knife high.
The wind blew strongly across the plains, lifting her cloak and long hair, revealing a pair of sharp, delicate ears amidst her thick black hair.
Just then, a slender hand pressed down on the back of her knife, gently pressing it towards the ground, breaking the bladeâs intent and instantly sinking it.
Hong Zhuang felt the bone-chopping knife in her hand suddenly weighing tons, her arms sinking, the knife handle flying out of her grasp.
A cold voice from Ning Feiyan, close by her ear, said, âUseless fool!
Your life is at the mercy of others, and yet you dare to be so reckless.
I think you no longer wish to live.â
Hong Zhuang lowered her voice resentfully, âI can kill him!â
Ning Feiyan narrowed her eyes, devoid of her usual humor, âYou can kill him?
With your pathetic inability to even hold a knife, kill one for me to see.â
Hong Zhuang tightened her face, wounded by being called worthless, unable to utter a word, and turned her head away, refusing to look at her.
Ning Feiyan shifted her gaze towards Baili An, âYoung Master, as things stand, even if you kill her, you canât change the fact that the Fang Familyâs young lady was taken away.
We might as well sit down and talk.
After all, you hold Hong Zhuangâs life in your hands, and to me, sheâs still a somewhat useful knife.
In my view, Young Master should make a wise decision, leveraging her life for something worthwhile for yourself.â
It was a seemingly gentle discourse imbued with threats.
Implicitly, she was saying: If you break my knife, your life or death today will no longer be in your control.
Baili Xianxianâs face was twisted with the pain of feeling deceived and betrayed, âWe canât let her go.
I saw her ears; Hong Zhuang is a demon!
Elder Ning privately harbors the Demon Clan, which is clear evidence of her intentions.
We absolutely cannot let the two of them leave here today.â
Ning Feiyan laughed lightly, âIt seems that Young Master Xianxian has yet to grasp his situation.â The sneer in her eyes flickered and vanished.
She raised her head, lightly stroking her hair with a bewitching motion, âBut Young Master is intelligent and knows what to do.â
With a âscht!â a loud and grating sound of a blade slicing through flesh and bone echoed.
The assassin on her side was violently shaken, her right arm, gripping the knife, flung away with demon blood spraying.
The black aura entwined around her arm suddenly tightened into an edge, and for all one knew what power it was, it directly sliced through her Demon Clan body.
Hong Zhuang clenched her teeth, her face pale, but she remained silent.
âI donât wish to negotiate with you.
Her lifeâI want and your lifeâI also want.â Baili Anâs tone was light, his expression calm, which gave off a strangely dangerous vibe.
Ning Feiyanâs complexion changed slightly, a layer of frost tinting her peach-like beautiful face, âTo lay a hand on someone before me, Young Master, your courage is indeed great.â
Without a word, Baili An let a strand of black aura surround Hong Zhuangâs heart.
Whether demon or human, the heart was a fatal weakness.
The black aura sharpened, piercing through Hong Zhuangâs clothes and skin.
Ning Feiyan felt he truly must be mad.
If it werenât for Hong Zhuang being controlled, she could easily kill him.
He must be aware of this, yet he deliberately destroyed all his ways out.
She couldnât understand why a calm person would suddenly become so irrational and mad.
Her mind raced, and with a flash of insight, it seemed she understood something.
âIf you wish to avenge Miss Fang, I find this approach quite foolish.
Although the great serpent swallowed her whole, this doesnât mean sheâs already dead.â
The black aura piercing Hong Zhuangâs heart paused, and Baili Anâs dead-water-like black eyes reflected a faint ripple of clear light.
He looked down at the Abyss, âHow do I know youâre not deceiving me?â
Ning Feiyan was slightly surprised that a simple sentence from her had quelled his murderous intent.
She replied, âOtherwise, what do you think was my purpose in scheming to take that handkerchief?
I originally intended to use the sleeve handkerchief touched by Taixuan Su Jing to lure out the great serpent and have it swallow her.
However, Miss Jing was smarter than I had anticipated, knowing there was a scheme hidden within the handkerchief and keeping it herself.
Thus, I had to settle for using the handkerchief discarded by Miss Fang instead.â
She smiled lightly, seemingly self-satisfied, âAs it turns out, Miss Fang was much more useful than I had thought.
The great serpent was very interested in her scent, even more so than Miss Jing.
Given such a delicacy, the serpent would naturally not digest her immediately.
Therefore, Young Master, you still have time to rescue her.â
Baili Anâs expression was somewhat numb, âYour plan is to retreat by advancing, drawing out the great serpent to devour Fang Geyu, then diving with its desired âfoodâ deep beneath the Bronze Gate.
Once satisfied, the serpent would no longer attack others, allowing you to safely enter the Bronze Gate.â
Ning Feiyan nodded with a smile, âExactly because inside the Bronze Gate, the great serpent is the true master spirit.
Even with the six rivers converging and a Golden Immortal descending, it may not be possible to escape from the serpentâs mouth unscathed.
Young Master, think carefully.
Snatching food from the mouth of the great serpent is the same as seeking the gates of Hell.
But if you donât go down to save her, Miss Fang wonât even have her bones left.â