He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Chapter 830 The Little General Swears to Never Retreat

Xiao Shuai's pupils constricted sharply, and he abruptly bent backward, his supple waist curving into an astonishing arc. The iron ruler almost grazed Ye Xue's nose, the force of the blow stinging his brow bone, and a few strands of silver hair were severed and fell to the ground. Using the momentum, he twisted his body, and his nine long tails swept out simultaneously like steel whips, the outermost one striking Ye Xue's knee. With a muffled thud, Ye Xue staggered and knelt on one knee. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Shuai pounced on Ye He like an arrow released from a bow, his sharp claws coated with pale golden demonic power, shimmering with tiny sparks of light, aiming straight for the wrist holding the ruler—he knew best that Ye He's cultivation was deeper than his brother's; disabling his weapon first would greatly increase his chances of victory.

Ye He, however, was clearly prepared. His wrist whirled like a windmill, and the iron ruler slammed down, its heavy handle striking Xiao Shuai's palm. With a "hiss," Xiao Shuai felt a burning pain in his palm. The handle of the ruler was wrapped with a demon-locking rope soaked in black dog blood. The pale golden demonic power dissipated as if pricked by a needle upon contact, turning into specks of golden light that vanished into the air. He was forced to leap backward, and as soon as his toes touched the ground, he saw Ye Xue had already steadied himself, a yellow talisman appearing in his hand. With a flick of his fingertips, the talisman burst into a fireball half a foot high, bringing a wave of intense heat that distorted the air itself.

"Tsk!" Xiao Shuai gritted his teeth, his nine long tails suddenly intertwining in front of him, forming a thick, pale golden barrier, upon which flowed the unique protective runes of the fox clan. The fireball crashed into the barrier with a "boom," exploding and scalding sparks splattering all over him, slightly charring the fur on his back and emitting a faint smell of burning. He knew he couldn't linger; his master in the cave was still in seclusion, waiting for him to protect him. Immediately, his eyes sharpened, and his figure suddenly blurred, transforming into three identical afterimages, attacking Ye He and Ye Xue from either side—this was the fox clan's "Shadow Clone" secret technique. Although not as powerful as the original body, it could disrupt vision and find a sliver of hope.

Ye and his brother exchanged a glance, their faces showing no sign of panic. Ye He slammed his iron ruler into the ground, the tip embedding itself half an inch deep. A pale blue light pattern immediately appeared around it, spreading out like a spiderweb, forming a simple demon-trapping array. The runes flowing on the array were clearly designed to counter fox demons. Ye Xue, meanwhile, formed a sword incantation, conjuring a inch-long white sword aura at his fingertips, its sharp edge aimed precisely at the weaknesses in the afterimages. With a soft "whoosh," the two afterimages vanished, turning into golden dust that drifted down. Xiao Shuai's main body was struck by the light pattern at the edge of the array, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash on his shoulder. The flow of his pale golden demonic energy became sluggish, causing him to groan in pain.

"Is that all you've got?" Ye Xue sneered, his sword energy advancing another three-tenths of an inch, aimed directly at Xiao Shuai's throat. Xiao Shuai suddenly smiled, a cunning glint in his amber eyes—his earlier opening was a deliberate act, designed to lure Ye Xue closer. Just as the sword energy was about to strike, Xiao Shuai suddenly spun around, his nine long tails, carrying the scattered sparks, suddenly dispersed with the morning breeze, transforming into a rain of fire that enveloped Ye and his brothers; simultaneously, his body leaped up like a raccoon, using all four limbs to strike the weakest point of the demon-trapping array—the array's patterns there had developed a crack from the earlier impact.

Ye He's expression changed drastically: "Not good!" He tried to raise his ruler to stop them, but was tripped half a step by the rain of fire, and could only swing the ruler to deflect the oncoming sparks. In that half-step, Xiao Shuai had already broken through the edge of the formation like an arrow released from a bow. With a "crack," the formation patterns shattered, and the demonic wind brought by his sharp claws stung Ye Xue's cheek, leaving three shallow bloody marks. But Ye Xue was also a ruthless person. He ignored it and took Xiao Shuai's claws head-on, while simultaneously stabbing the iron ruler in his hand fiercely into Xiao Shuai's side—a suicidal attack.

With a "thud," the iron ruler sank half an inch into Xiao Shuai's waist. Xiao Shuai felt a sharp pain in his waist, and cold sweat instantly soaked his entire body. His vision blurred. He knew that if he dragged it out any longer, he would surely be defeated. He endured the pain and suddenly exerted his strength to throw Ye Xue away. Using the recoil, he retreated rapidly, his toes carving two deep grooves in the ground before he landed steadily at the entrance of the cave.

He clutched his bleeding side, blood seeping through his fingers and staining the bluestone slabs before him. Nine fox tails were held tightly in front of him, his amber eyes filled with wariness and determination, and a low growl from his throat carried an unyielding ferocity: "Want to enter the cave and harm my master? You'll have to step over my dead body first!"

Ye He reached out to support Ye Xue, who had been knocked back two steps. His fingertips touched the red marks on his brother's arm from the earlier collision, but his gaze went past Ye Xue's shoulder and was fixed on Xiao Shuai not far away. The fox demon was curled up in front of the cave entrance, its silvery-white fur soaked with dark red bloodstains. Several deep wounds that revealed bone were still gushing blood, and even its breathing was heavy and labored. Each rise and fall pulled at its wounds, emitting soft groans of pain. It was clearly at its last gasp.

Yet her back remained ramrod straight, like a wild grass battered by a raging storm, its branches broken but refusing to bend an inch. The light in her eyes was even fiercer than during the earlier battle, burning like a mother beast driven to the brink of despair, its fangs snapped and claws worn down, determined to defend its lair with its last breath. That fearless spirit stirred a strange unease in Ye and his brothers, causing their hands, gripping their magical weapons, to pause slightly—they had slain countless demons, but rarely had they seen someone so certain of being outmatched, yet still fighting to the death.

Ye He suddenly curled his lips into a smile, raised his hand to straighten his disheveled clothes, and the brocade sleeve slid down to reveal a silver bracelet engraved with runes on his wrist. He turned to look at Ye Xue beside him, his tone tinged with amusement: "Interesting. This fox demon is almost at its limit, yet it's still clinging to the cave entrance. It seems that the dragon is indeed inside." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed cave entrance, "After taking so many hits from us, there hasn't been a sound from inside. It must be seriously injured, lacking even the strength to protect its cub."

Upon hearing this, Ye Xue's eyes instantly lit up with greed, all the dejection he had felt from being knocked back vanishing. He took half a step forward, twirling his black iron short sword in his palm, and looked down at Xiao Shuai with an arrogant tone that sounded like he was bestowing a condescending gift: "Alright, you little fox demon, do you think you're worthy to meddle in the affairs of the dragon clan? If you know what's good for you, get out of here. This isn't your business." He tapped the ground with the back of his sword. "Leave now, and I'll pretend nothing happened and spare your life. Any later, and you might miss your chance."

Xiao Shuai seemed not to hear him. Her blood-stained eyelashes trembled, revealing a pair of eyes burning with rage. She stared intently at the Ye brothers, her front paws digging shallow marks into the ground. Her voice was hoarse, as if sanded, yet carried an unwavering resolve: "What's inside is none of your business. Want to go in and see?" She suddenly raised her head, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth. "Unless you step over my dead body and kill me—otherwise, you'll never set foot near the cave entrance in your entire lives!"