Chapter Thirty-Seven: Triple Conflicts

So, it wasn't a human that Erya encountered. But what about the remains we saw when we entered?

"Ugh... why are you here...?" Erya had woken up.

"Running for our lives, just like you," I hinted.

Erya closed her eyes, seemingly trying to recall something. The crease on her forehead deepened, and finally, she slowly opened her eyes. "No, I wasn't running for my life. When I went back, I met some friends. They were escorting me, but we were attacked along the way. When I reached here, someone was still chasing me, and to protect myself, I used a spell to burn her to death."

Friends? From Xinghuo Hall?

"Erya, where did you meet these friends? Why haven't we heard you mention them before? Are they from the Qiongyun Sect?" Senior Brother Luoxi clearly didn't know about Erya's connection to Xinghuo Hall.

I had to cover for Erya. Letting Senior Brother Luoxi know too much wouldn't be good for either of them. The fact that Lingyun Daoist revealed their sibling relationship was already suspicious enough. It was best to keep these secrets hidden.

Thinking of this, I quickly explained, "It's like this. After Erya left the mountain, she ran into me. We met many flower enthusiasts at the Luoyang Flower Festival. They invited us to visit their gardens full of exotic flowers and plants. Erya must have met them when she went there."

"I see." Senior Brother Luoxi seemed to accept the explanation but then turned anxious. "Then aren't your friends in danger now? How many people attacked you?"

Senior Brother, you sure know how to ask questions. I was beginning to think he was doing it on purpose.

Annoyed, I said, "Senior Brother, Erya just woke up. Don't bombard her with questions. She needs time to recover. Be calm and composed."

"But those people are your friends. How can you be so indifferent?" Senior Brother Luoxi wasn't ready to give up.

"I accidentally inhaled some mind-numbing smoke during the attack. My senses were already blurred, so I can't remember much. However, my friends are far more skilled in cultivation and magic than I am. They should be fine," Erya chimed in, supporting my story.

"Flower enthusiasts with cultivation skills surpassing yours? Are they cultivators from other sects...?" Senior Brother Luoxi seemed determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Let's not think about that now. Brother, why are you here with Qingyue? I heard from Qingyue that you were going to visit Daoist Lingyun, but it hasn't even been ten days. How did you end up being chased?" Erya sat up, her eyes full of worry. "Is it because of the demon disturbances in Luoyang?"

She cleverly shifted the topic, bombarding Senior Brother Luoxi with questions and putting him on the defensive.

Both of them had their secrets and were unwilling to reveal them, creating an increasingly awkward atmosphere. It reminded me of scenes from books about court intrigues and palace infighting.

"Alright, you two have been chatting non-stop since you met, leaving me out of the conversation. I'm hungry. Who wants to join me to find some food?" I interrupted, unable to bear their mutual probing any longer.

"I'll go with you," Erya offered, clearly wanting to talk to me.

Senior Brother Luoxi raised an eyebrow and declined on her behalf, "You're injured. You should stay here and rest."

"Brother, I'm fine now. Besides, I want to get some fresh air. With Qingyue accompanying me, nothing will happen, and she can keep me company."

"The wind outside will aggravate your wounds."

"Getting some fresh air will help me recover."

"The wind and sand outside are too harsh."

The two of them couldn't agree.

"Alright, both of you stay here. I'll go find some food and water nearby. How about that?" I interrupted their argument again.

"No!" They spoke in unison.

I felt a headache coming on. Why were they arguing even about this? These siblings were truly peculiar—when they got along, they were closer than anyone, but when they didn't, they were like two rams butting heads. I was beginning to wonder if I had just met them for the first time.

Awkward and frustrating.

I shook my head at the two of them and glanced towards the door. I noticed a group of people in red approaching.

Why were Xinghuo Hall people here again? They had noses like bloodhounds.

I coughed a few times to get their attention, "Stop arguing. We can't leave now even if we wanted to." I pointed towards the door. "If you two want to argue, at least deal with them first. Don't let them interrupt us, alright?"

The group from Xinghuo Hall was already halfway inside. One of them spotted me and shouted, "The lord has ordered us to capture the traitors Luoyi'er and that snake demon Luoxi. As for the one called Qingyue, she's not to be left alive."

Huh???

Brother, that was quite a bombshell of information.