Though Zhu Guo'er was rather simple-minded, she still caught the note of wariness in Han Li's words. She stuck out her tongue and thought better of asking anything further.
"My real reason for letting Bao go was that I didn't want to keep shielding her from disaster. Even though Liu Ji and Saint Ancestor Lanpu retreated earlier, after regrouping, chances are nine out of ten they'll come back for another try. But as long as Bao — their great enemy — remains alive, even if they resent me for ruining their plans, they won't have the bandwidth to deal with us. And after what happened just now, Bao will be all the more on her guard. It'll be next to impossible for Liu Ji and Saint Ancestor Lanpu to get their hands on her again." Han Li spoke with calm indifference.
"While those demons are still tied up dealing with each other, now is the perfect opportunity for us to return to the Spirit Realm at once. Senior Han's foresight truly is extraordinary — I'm filled with admiration," Zhu Guo'er said, her spirits lifting at his words.
Crab Daoist stood ramrod straight in one corner of the flying carriage, his face devoid of any expression, and naturally offered no opinion of his own.
"Let's go. Though by my reasoning Liu Ji and the others should have gone in pursuit of Bao, we can't rule out the possibility that they might suddenly change their minds and come after us instead." Han Li spoke with the same even tone, then channeled the Magical Power within his body in a sudden surge. A wave of cyan radiance rose beneath his feet and curled upward.
The flying carriage shuddered once, then carried Han Li and the others toward the edge of the dense forest in a streak of brilliant light.
……
At the same time, many tens of thousands of li from Han Li's group, Bao stood atop an unremarkable little hill. Her complexion had fully returned to normal, and her expression was leisurely and serene — not the slightest sign that she had been gravely injured.
Behind her stood Black Crocodile, clad in his black battle armor. His aura was somewhat weakened, and his face had an unhealthy tinge of green, but he still stood perfectly still, motionless as a stone pillar.
The two of them remained on that hilltop for a full half shichen, showing no intention of leaving whatsoever — it was as though they were waiting for something.
Another half shichen later, a ripple rose on the distant horizon. A violent gale of yellow sand whirled up and rolled toward the hilltop in great surges.
Only when Bao saw this did her expression shift ever so slightly.
The roaring yellow gale suddenly contracted, and a figure wreathed in yellow light flickered into existence above the hilltop.
"Greetings, Lady Bao! Your subordinate set out the moment the message arrived, traveling through the night — but I still arrived a day late and nearly cost your life. This is a crime deserving of death!" The yellow figure had barely materialized before it dropped into a deep bow toward Bao midair, speaking in a tone of abject terror.
"This is not your fault. I originally summoned you for an entirely different matter — I never anticipated falling into a trap set by Liu Ji and Lanpu. This time I'm afraid I'll need to take shelter at your dwelling and avoid their attention for a while. But it's been years, and your cultivation has improved considerably. You're only a single step away from the Saint Ancestor realm." Bao's gaze swept over the figure, and she spoke in her usual calm, measured voice.
"If it weren't for Lady Bao's mercy in taking me in back then, I would have died without so much as a corpse to show for it — let alone reach this level of cultivation. To be able to serve Lady Bao once more is the greatest honor your subordinate could ask for. Liu Ji and Saint Ancestor Lanpu may be cunning old foxes, but they would never suspect me of all people. After all, publicly I was one of the very few Demon Venerables who openly showed hostility toward you, and I've always maintained a perfectly cordial relationship with Saint Ancestor Lanpu." The figure within the yellow light bowed its head respectfully.
"If you have that much confidence, so much the better. It seems summoning you here was the right call after all. Very well — let's head to your cave dwelling at once. Liu Ji and Lanpu won't simply let this go; they'll definitely come looking again." Bao offered a faint smile, but gave her orders with brisk decisiveness.
"Yes, Lady Bao! Please board my demon vessel and rest along the way. Should we encounter anyone on the road, your subordinate will handle it." The figure in the yellow light gave a single-handed gesture, and a medium-sized flying vessel materialized on the spot.
The treasure was pure white as jade, exquisitely crafted, and on one side of its hull several conspicuous golden demon-script characters were emblazoned, subtly revealing the identity of its owner.
Bao glanced at the vessel and gave a satisfied nod. With a light step of her jade-like foot, she carried Black Crocodile aboard and entered the cabin, where the two of them settled into cross-legged meditation with eyes closed.
Though some time had passed since the great battle, both of them had suffered severe depletion of their vital energy, and naturally needed to seize every available moment to recuperate.
Once the figure in the yellow light flickered aboard as well, the vessel let out a sharp whistle and transformed into a streak of white light that pierced the sky and shot away, vanishing beyond the horizon in a few blinks.
……
Some half shichen later, ripples rose once more in the air above the little hilltop, and five figures materialized from the void in a flash.
Two among them were none other than Saint Ancestor Lanpu and one of Liu Ji's avatars — the young woman of delicate, youthful appearance.