Chapter 19: Scorched Earth in the Snow, Enchantress

Chapter 19: Scorched Earth in the Snow, the Enchantress

Riding once again on the Minister’s flying sword, Qin Zhe felt far less discomfort than before. On one hand, Liu Qingzhi seemed to have gradually mastered the technique of carrying a person on the sword, making the flight much smoother. On the other hand, the treatment of the Cold Moon Divine Dog at this moment made Qin Zhe feel both physically and mentally at ease.

Since the dog had not yet been fully tamed to obey commands, Liu Qingzhi did not remove the spirit-binding array controlling it. The Cold Moon Divine Dog was firmly restrained by the array and tied with a colorful ribbon, hanging behind the flying sword. Yes, hanging behind the sword.

One couldn’t help but admire the Minister’s boldness in this regard.

The sword sped through the air at nearly supersonic velocity, and the dog, dragged behind, surely endured untold torments, howling incessantly. Because of the spirit-binding array, the dog couldn’t shield itself with spiritual energy. The fierce, piercing cold wind stabbed at its body like countless sharp blades. Despite its thick fur, all was in vain—it was frozen to the bone, and the cold attribute spirit beast finally understood the true meaning of cold.

Many gusts of icy wind even forced their way into the dog’s mouth, making its howls all the more pitiful.

Watching the poor creature suffer so miserably, Qin Zhe couldn’t help but sigh. Truly, the words of women are deceptive. Just moments ago, Liu Qingzhi was petting the dog’s head and coaxing it with promises of good food and drink, yet instantly she irresponsibly took the “dog-walking” to a terrifying extreme by racing through the air at breakneck speed.

Glancing at the ribbon tied at the end of the sword, Qin Zhe was inwardly shocked. That ribbon must be some kind of magical artifact; otherwise, there was no way it could hold the dog securely at such terrifying velocity. Although it was stretched taut from dragging the heavy burden, it showed no sign of strain, completely stable.

Indeed, the Minister was worthy of the title—using a magical treasure as a dog leash!

The journey was silent as the sword flew for nearly forty minutes. Qin Zhe and Liu Qingzhi finally approached the original habitat of the Cold Moon Divine Dog and immediately noticed something amiss.

From their lofty vantage point, the view was vast and open. Even from a great distance, they spotted a patch of scorched earth faintly emitting black smoke on the snowy ground. Amid the endless white snow of the Cold Moon Secret Realm, this scorched patch was conspicuously out of place.

“Something has gone wrong with the secret realm. What on earth happened here?” Liu Qingzhi frowned deeply, halting the sword mid-air and refraining from approaching recklessly.

Qin Zhe had only arrived a few days ago and had barely grasped the secret realm through online sources. Faced with this anomaly, he was naturally clueless. Yet even he vaguely sensed that something ominous had occurred.

The scorched earth stretched widely, as far as the eye could see, encompassing more than just the dog’s habitat. In the harsh, windy, and snowy environment of the Cold Moon Secret Realm, the scorched earth showed no signs of being covered by snow. Snowflakes falling from the sky evaporated the moment they touched the ground, as if the scorched earth itself radiated extreme heat.

“When things go awry, there must be a demon involved. Let’s go on foot—flying over might be unsafe,” Liu Qingzhi decided, descending the flying sword onto the snow.

“Minister, are we really going there? That place doesn’t look good!” Qin Zhe jumped down and asked, glancing back at the miserable dog with furrowed brows.

The Cold Moon Divine Dog looked utterly pitiful.

Liu Qingzhi was focused on the scorched earth and descended without lessening speed. The dog, deprived of spiritual energy and having endured the cold winds all the way, was already showing signs of fatigue. Having just nearly fallen from the sky to the ground, it was utterly exhausted. Yet upon nearing the scorched earth, the dog ceased howling, instead curling up trembling as if confronted by something terrifying.

Liu Qingzhi noticed the dog’s unusual behavior and wore a thoughtful expression.

“Let’s get closer and take a look. If it’s too dangerous, we’ll retreat. At least we need to confirm whether the scorched earth poses any threat, and check if any students from our academy have approached here,” she said.

“Alright,” Qin Zhe nodded without objection.

They had arrived, and simply observing from afar wouldn’t suffice. Besides, Liu Qingzhi was unlikely to turn back, and Qin Zhe himself had become curious about the cause of the scorched earth. Once humans are curious, they cannot stop.

With such an expert of the fourth level of Immortal Dao like Liu Qingzhi by his side, Qin Zhe felt nothing could threaten them. At worst, he could use his sturdy body as a tank to shield the Minister and buy time for her to act.

Having made their decision, they wasted no time. Leaving the thoroughly scared Cold Moon Divine Dog behind, Qin Zhe and Liu Qingzhi walked toward the distant scorched earth. Liu Qingzhi cautiously kept the flying sword circling nearby as a precaution.

Qin Zhe glanced around and asked, “Minister, isn’t it a bit hot here?”

“Hmm, the fire attribute spiritual energy nearby is indeed very active,” Liu Qingzhi replied, glancing left and right.

“We’re close now. Be careful. There’s no sign of any living creatures around; this scorched earth has likely existed for some time,” she added.

“If it’s existed for a while, why hasn’t the academy noticed?” Qin Zhe questioned.

“As far as I know, the academy conducts routine inspections of the secret realm every three months. With such a large scorched area, it shouldn’t have gone unnoticed. Could it be negligence on the part of those responsible?” Liu Qingzhi speculated.

Before she finished, a soft, seductive female voice suddenly sounded from above.

“Negligence is unlikely. Routine inspections are just formalities. The secret realm is vast; fully traversing it within three months is impossible. They only perform cursory checks,” the voice explained.

“Yao Jing? What are you doing here?” Liu Qingzhi frowned, looking up with displeasure.

Qin Zhe, startled by the voice, looked up but saw no figure in the sky.

“Stop hiding and show yourself! Since you’re here, come out now!” Liu Qingzhi scanned the horizon until her gaze fixed on a spot, letting out a cold snort.

“Do I have to invite you out?” the voice teased.

“Oh, don’t be so harsh! You’re always so unplayful!” the voice teased playfully.

Then, at the spot Liu Qingzhi had locked onto, a girl in the demon arts department uniform appeared.

At first glance, Qin Zhe was struck by her beauty.

In terms of appearance, she rivaled the Minister herself. Yet compared to Liu Qingzhi’s cool goddess aura, this girl radiated a bewitching charm.

Heavy smoky makeup adorned her delicate oval face, lending a rebellious yet alluring air. The form-fitting demon arts uniform outlined her striking curves, exuding the aura of an enchantress from head to toe.

While many girls in the demon arts department embraced a seductive style, this one was perhaps the most successful.

Yao Jing—her name matched her nature: a siren.

(End of Chapter)