Chapter 12: Big-Tailed Fish
The demon masters and the jade phoenix engaged in battle. Various magic weapons flashed in the air, and no one paid any attention to Ji Yunhe and Qu Xiaoxing.
Qu Xiaoxing pulled Ji Yunhe by her hand and whispered, "Master Warden, let's run together!"
Ji Yunhe looked at Snow March. She was sitting still on the ground where Li Shu had turned to dust, protected by a magic shield laid down by Qing Ji. No one could touch her. No one was really interested in her either. They were all focusing on the demon bird.
Under imperial rule, demon masters were no longer the honorable, chivalrous heroes they used to be. At this moment they shouted out every intention to save the world, but deep down they only cared about personal gain.
Killing Qing Ji would make for a handsome reward from the imperial court. After Ji Yunhe made sure Snow March was fine, she turned around and picked up Qu Xiaoxing by the collar.
"Leave the valley and use this spell on a flower to send a message. Luo Jinsang will hear it and come meet you. She has been waiting outside for a long time. I still have some important business to take care of. After that I will go and find you."
"Luo Jinsang? Didn't she die a long time ago? Master Warden, what else do you need to do?"
"Go." Ji Yunhe did not want to say more. She pushed him one last time, turned around and headed for Lin Canglan's residence.
Qing Ji had almost turned the entire Demon Valley upside down when she emerged. Ravines criss-crossed all over the ground along with collapsed hills and destroyed houses. There were no longer any traces of paths and roads.
When Ji Yunhe found Lin Canglan's house, all she saw was a wreck. She looked at the piles of rubble and frowned. It would not have been easy to find the antidotes even if the house were intact…
But now... In any case, she had to try. The heated battle between Qing Ji and the demon masters was still going strong up in the sky.
This was good for Ji Yunhe. The more intense their fight, the more time it would give her. Ji Yunhe raised her hand and chanted some spells under her lips. One by one, the broken bricks and tiles trembled on the ground then slowly floated into the air.
She held out a fist then abruptly opened all five fingers. The floating bricks were dispatched under her command and started to return to their original positions. The walls, floors and roof rebuilt themselves piece by piece, but with spaces in between big enough for Ji Yunhe to fly through.
The house looked like an explosion frozen in time. Ji Yunhe searched through every piece and segment. She kept her fingers moving like a puppet master, and eliminated all of the unwanted items one by one.
The broken, floating house was soon dismantled, leaving only a bookshelf. Lin Canglan's bookshelf. Ji Yunhe had seen it many times before but was never able to touch it.
She went to the bottom of the bookshelf, moved her fingers, and found a rectangular shaped box attached to one of the three wooden boards. It had not fallen off even after such a violent earthquake?
Ji Yunhe smiled and reached for it, but her fingers were flicked away by an invisible force field. A magical shield on such a small box? Even if it did not contain the antidotes to Ji Yunhe's poison, it still had to be something of great importance to Lin Canglan.
She raised her hand and chopped down onto the invisible shield. Lin Canglan would feel it as soon as the shield broke, but he would not be able to leave the fight and come. She felt good. After being suppressed by that old man for so many years, she finally got a chance to faze him.
Ji Yunhe did not hesitate to open the box as soon as the shield fell. As expected, it held the monthly antidotes. At a rough count, there were almost fifty pills inside the box.
Fifty pills!
Twelve months in a year. Even if she did not do anything, she could still live on these for years. Plus she was sure someone would be able to duplicate the recipe. The world was such a big place after all. She held the box tightly under her arm, mounted her sword and flew for the exit.
The wind blew at Ji Yunhe's hair. She untied the jade charm around her waist, a symbol of the demon master identity, and casually threw it down. She did not care where it might land, or if it would break.