Little Sorcerer, Divine Doctor Chapter 1225 - 52: Competing as a Substitute

The midday sun blazed intensely, and the unfortunate Bo Bo, its wings bound and gagged, hung upside down outside Elder Liu’s residence. Its wings were limp, a rag stuffed into its mouth, presenting a truly pathetic sight. Upon seeing its master, tears flowed like waterfalls from its eyes.

Elder Liu and his granddaughter, Liu Xueyu, stood stiffly by, the former bearing several deep scars on his face. Logically, the grandfather and granddaughter should have been jubilant after kidnapping Bo Bo and Little Yingying, yet Yun Sheng observed their complexions to be ashen, with prominent dark circles under their eyes.

Their expressions shifted dramatically upon seeing Yun Sheng arrive alone and with such boldness. Elder Liu narrowed his aged eyes, his gaze inscrutable as he secretly appraised Yun Sheng, while Liu Xueyu, clenching her teeth, seemed on the verge of grinding them to dust from sheer animosity.

Seeing Bo Bo subjected to such torment ignited Yun Sheng’s anger.

"Elder Liu, I am here. Release my Demon Beast and the Medicine Gathering Boy first."

"Release it, certainly, but you must guarantee this damned creature remains silent," Elder Liu’s temples throbbed at the mere mention of Bo Bo.

Elder Liu, a pure-blooded Heavenly Fox from the Eight Desolates continent, had encountered numerous Demon Beasts throughout his travels. Prior to encountering Bo Bo, he firmly believed that only the colossal Witch Beasts from the savage lands posed the greatest challenge. However, after capturing this particular Demon Beast, he realized his previous judgment was entirely mistaken!

Last night, Elder Liu had captured the sheep and the Medicine Gathering Boy, intending to interrogate Bo Bo for further information regarding Yun Sheng. Qin Yue had provided only a limited understanding of Yun Sheng’s background, compelling Elder Liu to confirm Yun Sheng's connection to Cangdu.

Little did he anticipate that this 'damned creature', despite being restrained by a Witch Gu Talisman, wailed and shrieked incessantly throughout the entire night. To describe the sound as a brainwashing session with demonic music would be an understatement. That dreadful noise disrupted everyone within Elder Liu's mansion, from the highest to the lowest. The young experienced nightmares, while the old could not find sleep; throughout the night, no one in the Liu Residence, be it human or animal, experienced a moment of peace.

Furthermore, this 'damned beast', possessing astonishing Qi Power, unleashed a barrage of spit and vulgarities upon anyone who dared to approach, even while immobilized. It was only at dawn that Elder Liu, along with several Sky Fox Soldiers, managed to silence Bo Bo, finally achieving some semblance of quiet.

Observing the grandfather and granddaughter’s weary expressions, which seemed worse than experiencing profound loss, Yun Sheng, privy to Bo Bo’s temperament, let out a faint smile, suppressing an urge to laugh.

"Bo Bo, I’ve arrived. No one will trouble you any longer. Cease your crying," Yun Sheng said, nodding towards Bo Bo.

Only then did Elder Liu hesitantly remove the rag from Bo Bo's mouth.

"Whimper, dear master! That old tortoise and his tortoise granddaughter abducted Bo Bo and Little Yingying. They have hidden Little Yingying!" Although Bo Bo could now articulate words, the peculiar talisman papers still bound it, restricting its ability to fly normally; it remained held by Elder Liu. It ceaselessly flapped its wings, inwardly cursing the 'old tortoise' myriad times.

Yun Sheng’s brow furrowed as she recognized Elder Liu’s deliberate ploy. They had intentionally concealed Little Yingying to make Yun Sheng hesitate.

"Elder Liu, release them both, or do not hold me responsible for my actions," Yun Sheng’s internal fury mounted. She felt she had been too eager for success, focusing solely on mastering the Sky Fox Inheritance and neglecting the safety of Bo Bo and Yingying.

"Release her? That is far too lenient for you. You crippled Xueyu’s hand; I should kill you in retribution," Elder Liu retorted with anger.

"However, I am not inclined towards pettiness. Let us each make a concession: if you pledge to represent Fengdu and participate in this Saintess Candidate ceremony, and successfully attain the position of Saintess during the selection process, I shall spare this pair," Elder Liu had previously surmised that Yun Sheng was Cangdu’s designated Saintess candidate. It was not until his collaboration with Qin Yue that he learned from her that Yun Sheng was not competing as Cangdu's candidate. Her actual identity was merely that of a Medical Woman dispatched by Canghai with the army.

Elder Liu, being both cunning and sly, found that his granddaughter, Liu Xueyu, had her hand disabled, rendering her incapable of participating in the Saintess selection ceremony. For a time, Elder Liu struggled to identify a suitable replacement for Liu Xueyu. This led Elder Liu to conceive the idea of having Yun Sheng substitute for Liu Xueyu in the Saintess Candidate ceremony.

"Grandfather, you intend for her to replace me in the Saintess selection?" Upon hearing this, Liu Xueyu nearly collapsed. Was her grandfather losing his mind? This was not seeking revenge; this was allowing a mongrel to usurp her place in the Heavenly Fox Saintess candidacy!

"Xueyu, Grandfather has his own plans. You are injured now, and Fengdu requires a substitute among its three candidate Saintesses to maintain stability," Elder Liu explained with evident reluctance.

While holding the title of Elder from Fengdu, his primary duty was to safeguard Fengdu’s interests.

Even though Fengdu’s Heavenly Fox Candidate Saintess position had been offered to Lu Yunshuang, who possessed the exceedingly rare Ice Fox lineage, that particular young lady remained distant and disobedient to his directives.

Such an individual, even if she were to attain the status of Heavenly Fox Saintess, would offer no real advantage to Elder Liu.

Consequently, his preference leaned towards a candidate he could easily manage.

The Medical Woman presently before him presented an opportunity; he felt confident she would comply with his wishes.

"I absolutely refuse to let her replace me!" Liu Xueyu declared, stamping her foot in frustration before storming away.

Elder Liu released a sigh; Liu Xueyu’s upbringing had indeed been quite sheltered.

Yun Sheng was completely taken aback. The notion of her replacing Liu Xueyu was absurd, as she had zero interest in becoming any Heavenly Fox Saintess.

Furthermore, her very appearance would undoubtedly incite pandemonium if it were ever witnessed by members of the Sky Fox Tribe.

She had only intended to deliver some ashes, yet found herself entangled in such a complex predicament.

However, Yun Sheng understood that her involvement was now profound, making it difficult to extricate herself easily.

But if Elder Liu harbored the belief that he could manipulate her, he was profoundly mistaken.

"Elder Liu, I detest ultimatums. I am not interested and will not participate as Fengdu’s representative in the Heavenly Fox Saintess selection," Yun Sheng stated, firmly rejecting Elder Liu’s proposition.

"Do you not care about the lives of your Demon Beast and that little girl?" Elder Liu taunted, but his smugness was short-lived.

Suddenly, Yun Sheng’s form flickered, moving with lightning speed to stand directly before him.