"Young junior Wuqing pays respects to Senior Qiushui!" As soon as Ya Fei left, Chu Feng quickly turned around and bowed deeply to Qiushui Fuyan.
"I know you have something to say, but right now I must deal with this demon first. We can talk later." Qiushui Fuyan waved her hand at Chu Feng, indicating that he, Xiao Yu'er, and Jiang Wanshi should move further away from the demon beast.
"Young junior obeys." Seeing this, Chu Feng didn't dare delay. He knew Qiushui Fuyan was going to help Yan Ruyu, so he quickly took Xiao Yu'er and retreated to the side.
"You wicked demon, daring to use a human body for evil and hunt humans for cultivation! Watch me execute you today." Qiushui Fuyan extended her hands, moving them rapidly with incredible speed. Chu Feng couldn't follow her movements at all; he could only see countless afterimages flash by. The complexity of her technique was simply unfathomable.
"Wuuuoooh~~~~~"
Seeing the situation was dire, Yan Ruyu tried to flee in all directions, but the barrier array set by Qiushui Fuyan was far too powerful. She had no chance of escape and could only endure the torture of the array, emitting miserable howls.
"Young junior Brother Wuqing, I'm really sorry for making you suffer. This is all my master's intention, and I couldn't do anything about it." Just then, Jiang Wanshi walked over to Chu Feng.
"Sister Jiang, what exactly is going on?" Chu Feng asked, confused. He was genuinely baffled.
"Heh, let me explain. Actually, when Young junior Brother Wuqing came to Mandate Terrace to visit my master, she was indeed there."
"But she didn't want to meet you. She secretly told me to inform you she was away, saying she had come to the Boundless Blood Sea to capture the demon."
"And not long after you left, my master brought me here and was secretly protecting you. When the demon captured you that day, my master and I were present. At first, my master intended to save you and eliminate the demon."
"But unexpectedly, the demon didn't kill you. Sensing something unusual, my master didn't act until today, when Ya Fei was about to kill you. Only then did my master reveal herself," Jiang Wanshi explained.
"So that's how it is." At this moment, Chu Feng felt somewhat resigned. He knew this was because Qiushui Fuyan didn't trust him and had deliberately observed him from the shadows. She must have realized he was wearing the Hundred Transformations Mask to hide his true face and knew his real name was Chu Feng.
But what frustrated him most was that he hadn't noticed Qiushui Fuyan's surveillance at all. He could only blame his own weakness; before a true expert, he was still far too insignificant.
"My master only had your best interests in mind, Young junior Brother Wuqing. I hope you won't take it to heart." Jiang Wanshi seemed to understand what Chu Feng was thinking and smiled comfortingly. While speaking, she glanced at Xiao Yu'er in Chu Feng's arms. Finding the child so adorable, she couldn't help reaching out a delicate hand to touch her sweet cheek: "This little one is so cute. She'll surely grow up to be a stunning beauty."
"Pah!" However, before Jiang Wanshi could touch Xiao Yu'er, the child abruptly dodged and spat a big mouthful of saliva at her. If Jiang Wanshi hadn't reacted quickly, that big gob of spit would have landed right on her face.
"Xiao Yu'er, don't be rude!" Seeing this, Chu Feng was also quite surprised. He never expected Xiao Yu'er to be so impolite to others.
"Hmph." Unfazed by Chu Feng's reprimand, Xiao Yu'er simply lifted her head and pouted her little mouth, putting on a bratty, "you can't tell me what to do" look.
"Heh, this child is really cute." But to Chu Feng's surprise, Jiang Wanshi wasn't angry at Xiao Yu'er's actions. Instead, she covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her fondness for the child actually increasing rather than fading.
"Rumble!" Just then, a boom came from within the grand array Qiushui Fuyan had set up.
Looking toward the sound, both Chu Feng and Jiang Wanshi gasped. Inside the array, golden barrier chains completely bound Yan Ruyu.
Yet even within such a powerful formation, Yan Ruyu was resisting. They could clearly see wave after wave of immense force clashing against those golden chains.
But that wasn't all. More importantly, the formidable Qiushui Fuyan now showed a look of strain, her forehead covered in beads of sweat, and her hands trembled slightly, as if she were withstanding some tremendous pressure.
"Ten Thousand Methods Demon Sealing Array, Lock!!!" Suddenly, Qiushui Fuyan changed her hand seals and gave a light shout. The massive golden array began to transform, shrinking rapidly into a small cage shaped like a human figure. It finally sealed Yan Ruyu inside, like a coffin.
"Hahahaha! Foolish human, expelling this demon is beyond your capabilities! I am already one with her. To kill me, you must kill her—there's no other way! Hahahaha..." From within the human-shaped coffin came a sharp, arrogant cackle from the demon inside Yan Ruyu.
"Swish swish swish"
However, Qiushui Fuyan paid no heed to the demon's taunts. She simply used one hand to inscribe runes in the void, condensing a golden talisman.
When the golden talisman fell onto the human-shaped coffin, the violently shaking structure calmed down, and the demon's cries ceased.
"Wuqing thanks Senior for her help!" Seeing this, Chu Feng quickly stepped forward and bowed to Qiushui Fuyan.
"Wuqing? Isn't your name Chu Feng?!" But at Chu Feng's words, Qiushui Fuyan raised her delicate eyebrows, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes.
Facing this situation, Chu Feng felt quite helpless, realizing that his earlier conversation with Yan Ruyu had indeed been overheard by Qiushui Fuyan.
But what was done was done, and Chu Feng had no choice but to explain apologetically: "Young junior had no intention of offending Senior. It's just that my master gave me orders, and Chu Feng dared not disobey. I could only use a false name while traveling the Eastern Sea."
"Hmph, you felt the need to hide it from me too? Your master really dotes on you, doesn't she?!" Qiushui Fuyan shot Chu Feng another glare, her words laced with sarcasm but also a hint of suspicion.
"..." At Qiushui Fuyan's words, Chu Feng was left speechless, unsure how to respond.
"There's no need to thank me yet. The demon within your friend is no ordinary creature. To kill it, it must first be expelled from her body."
"But it has long merged with your friend. With my strength, I cannot expel it; I can only temporarily seal it," Qiushui Fuyan said.
"Senior Qiushui, is my friend safe now?" Chu Feng asked concernedly.