“Get out of my way!”
Almost instantly, Ling Zhao couldn’t contain his outburst.
Under the astonished gaze of his subordinates, he shoved aside the female disciple from the Harmony Sect and fumed, “Asking her for them? Does she even understand what she’s catching? She’s only caught a few thousand, what good is that? Look how many are here!”
Ling Zhao tossed his tally token toward Jiang Xuezhi, on which the number 300,000 was prominently displayed.
The Harmony Sect cultivator stared at him in disbelief, while Jiang Xuezhi glanced at the token, her eyes sweeping over Ling Zhao, remaining remarkably composed.
Mainly because she had encountered many like Ling Zhao before.
During her time at the military academy on missions, many people knew better than to resist, realizing she would come for them sooner or later. It was easier to offer themselves up voluntarily, saving everyone the trouble. Over time, it became customary for everyone to “pay tribute” to Jiang Xuezhi during missions, and they had all grown quite accustomed to it.
She had thought such effortless days would take a while to return, but it seemed there were still clever individuals around.
Was Ling Zhao one of them?
Jiang Xuezhi gripped his tally token, recalling that this man had initially intended to kill her but now seemed to have switched sides. She considered him a somewhat clever kid.
Given that he had, in a way, soothed her irritation, she decided to grant him some face for their fleeting connection and forgive his initial pursuit.
She weighed the tally token in her hand and shifted her gaze to the female cultivator.
The female cultivator was aware of the young master of Sin City. Seeing how proactive he was, though she didn’t understand where his competitive drive came from, she made the choice Jiang Xuezhi desired and handed over her tally token.
Jiang Xuezhi accepted it. The number was modest, but better than nothing.
Still not enough, she needed to keep searching.
Time was of the essence. As Jiang Xuezhi turned to leave, Ling Zhao, startled by her retreating figure, hurriedly called out to stop her.
“Where are you going? You’re just leaving like that?”
He didn’t even know what answer he wanted. Jiang Xuezhi glanced back at him, her expression cold, her features elegant and strikingly handsome.
The term “handsome” suited Jiang Xuezhi perfectly, without any incongruity. Ling Zhao stared at her, gradually losing his confidence.
“I’m in a hurry. Do you have something else?”
Jiang Xuezhi shook the tally token in her hand, and without another word, Ling Zhao understood what she was going to do.
He couldn’t explain what was happening to him, but he simply reached a hand behind him.
His four subordinates knew him all too well and immediately presented their own tally tokens.
The strategist handed over his token with a thoroughly twisted expression. Observing Jiang Xuezhi and then his young master, he deeply realized that someone had been thoroughly ensnared.
As the young master, Ling Zhao, despite his capabilities, didn’t need to hunt birds himself, his subordinates handled most of the task for him.
The strategist and the other attendants had tally tokens with higher bird counts, and together, they were nearly close to completing the mission.
Jiang Xuezhi took the tokens without the slightest hint of refusal.
If the old grudge from the earlier pursuit had been somewhat hard to erase, now she genuinely held no further grievances.
With Pojun resting peacefully upon her, it was clear, through the young master of Sin City’s offerings, exactly how much it took to appease the grudge-holding Jiang Xuezhi.
It was quite difficult, after all, who could match Young Master Ling’s level of devotion?
Ling Zhao didn’t feel devoted in the slightest. He believed he was simply earnest and responsible, a truly good man.
Even if he hadn’t taken the initiative at the time and was unwilling, as a man, he had indeed taken advantage of her in the end.
Jiang Xuezhi’s current situation was dire. Since he had resolved to take responsibility for her, he wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.
“You can’t show your face anymore,” he said bluntly. “There are plenty of people waiting to tear you to pieces. You carry too many things they want. Your best option is to come with me. Right now, I’m the only one who can protect you.”
After Ling Zhao finished speaking, the strategist nearly fainted on the spot.
Giving away the token was one thing, chasing after her was another, but protecting someone like her? Shouldn’t they at least discuss it with the city lord first?!
Ling Zhao wasn’t the only one aware of Jiang Xuezhi’s precarious situation; the strategist understood it even more clearly. Precisely because he understood, he knew that protecting Jiang Xuezhi was an extremely tricky matter. No matter how wealthy the City of Sin was, it was best not to get involved with her!
When it came to cultivation, practitioners could be just as obsessive and unrestrained as demons!
“Young master…” the strategist began, but a sharp glare from Ling Zhao silenced him.
The boy had grown up, his heart stirred by spring feelings, and he was too proud to back down now that he had spoken. No one was allowed to undermine him.
The strategist felt as if a fishbone were stuck in his throat, nearly choking him. Fortunately, Jiang Xuezhi refused Ling Zhao’s offer.
Her refusal, however, was also beyond the strategist’s expectations. Given her circumstances, if someone was willing to stand up for her, why wouldn’t she seize the opportunity? How could she refuse?
Was she still waiting for the mighty expert who had taken her away before?
Could it be the Great Master of Tianyong?
The strategist’s expression shifted unpredictably as he stared at Jiang Xuezhi, but she didn’t spare him a single glance.
“Tell that skinny, bearded old man next to you to stop staring at me,” she said coldly. “Relax. I won’t go back with you, and I don’t need anyone’s protection.”
Jiang Xuezhi stood with Pojun strapped to her back, wearing a golden crown and red robes, her face expressionless. “If anyone wants to capture me, let them come. It’ll save me the trouble of hunting them down one by one.”
Ling Zhao stared at her in astonishment.
Even the female cultivator from the Joyful Union Sect, who hadn’t left yet, was stunned.
How could anyone in this world be so unyielding?!
“This isn’t enough to trouble me,” Jiang Xuezhi tossed out those words and walked away as if it were nothing.
Watching her retreating figure with the long spear on her back, Ling Zhao’s heart pounded violently, almost leaping out of his throat.
He pressed a hand over his chest, his gaze slowly shifting to the “skinny, bearded old man” Jiang Xuezhi had mentioned. Noticing the strategist’s helpless, slightly mocking expression, his lips twitched violently. Only then did he belatedly feel his face flush with embarrassment.
“What are you looking at? Stop staring!”
If Jiang Xuezhi wouldn’t let him look, then the young master wouldn’t either. The strategist felt a headache coming on.
Fine, if he couldn’t look, then he wouldn’t. Just as the strategist averted his gaze, he heard the young master stubbornly declare, “Let me make this clear, I don’t have any special feelings for her. I’m purely engaging in a battle of wits with her. Do you understand the charm of such a contest? I’m only pretending to be infatuated, spouting nonsense in a daze. It’s all part of my plan. Do any of you get it?”
His eyes swept over everyone around him, including the female cultivator from the Joyful Union Sect who was still enjoying the drama. Ling Zhao desperately needed their approval.
They exchanged glances and reluctantly nodded.
Ling Zhao could see their hesitation but insisted, “I’m telling the truth. Everything is going according to my plan. I know what I’m doing. Just wait and see!”
He turned and strode away, instinctively heading in the direction Jiang Xuezhi had disappeared.
After realizing what she had done, she sheepishly turned around, her movements so stiff that even her own allies couldn’t bear to watch.
The female cultivator from the Joy Union touched her face and quietly slipped away.
Having witnessed such a juicy piece of gossip, she had to go back and report it to the sect leader!
After parting ways with Ling Zhao, Jiang Xuezhi continued her search for the tally tokens.
At first, the process went relatively smoothly. Out of the thousand demon bird tally tokens, she had already collected over nine hundred thousand. She just needed to find one more person to complete the set.
It was at this moment that danger struck.
Black mist began to gather around her. Jiang Xue Zhi was no stranger to peril and didn’t even flinch at the sudden change.
“Pojun.”
A soft yet sinister voice echoed from within the black mist. Jiang Xue Zhi had no memories of her original body and didn’t recognize the voice, but she could deduce the speaker’s identity from the black mist.
Demonic energy.
At this point, the only demonic beings who would seek her out were either the fake Ji Jiuchen she had briefly encountered last time or…
“It’s been a few days, and you’ve truly managed to impress me, Jiang Xuezhi.”
As the black mist gradually dissipated, Jiang Xue Zhi found herself beside a swamp, where a man in purple robes hovered in the air above the dark, murky waters.
He had long hair and purple eyes, tilting his chin slightly as he looked down on her with an unparalleled, bewitching allure.
Behind him stood several demonic cultivators, each possessing remarkable cultivation levels and carrying themselves with the same arrogance.
Case solved.
This was Ji Lingfeng.
In the original story, he was the demon realm’s young master who forcibly pursued the female protagonist, Lin Wanwan, driving her to the brink of life and death multiple times.
He bore the brunt of about seventy percent of the antagonist’s role in the original plot, serving as the source of the female protagonist’s nightmares.
Jiang Xuezhi tried hard to recall the details. In the original story, it seemed that after Lin Wanwan returned alive, Ji Ling Feng received the news, dressed meticulously, and came to the secret realm to meet her.
So, where was the female protagonist?
Jiang Xuezhi glanced around but saw no trace of Lin Wanwan.
Ji Lingfeng noticed her gaze. At first, he was surprised that she wasn’t trembling in fear or kneeling before him upon seeing him, instead, she had the audacity to look around. Then, he grew subtly displeased upon realizing that she had truly reached the Foundation Establishment stage and possessed Pojun.
A sense of displeasure, like a caged bird slipping out of his control, prompted Ji Lingfeng to act immediately.
With a mere gesture of his hand, he attempted to manipulate the gu worms inside Jiang Xuezhi’s body to corrode her spiritual roots and heart.
Whenever he was displeased, he would do this. Every time he did, Jiang Xuezhi would become docile, weeping and kneeling before him, begging him to stop. He had to admit, that pitiful demeanor held a certain charm. Although he disliked seeing anyone wearing Wan Wan’s face in such a lowly state, if it was directed at him, it held a unique appeal.
Lin Wanwan wandered through the secret realm for a while, her mind adrift, unsure of what she wanted to do.
She hadn’t yet heard the news of Jiang Xue Zhi’s reappearance and somehow found herself near the swamp.
Her master had warned her that the appearance of a swamp in the secret realm was an ominous sign. Unless one was absolutely certain or stood to gain significant benefits, they should never approach a swamp.
She remembered this and instinctively wanted to leave, but then she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
That nightmarish voice haunted her, instantly reminding her of how she had encountered danger in the Barren Wastelands.
If it weren’t for Ji Lingfeng’s relentless pursuit, she and her sectmates would never have ventured into unexplored territory.
Lin Wanwan shuddered. She had considered the possibility that Ji Lingfeng would come looking for her after her return, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
She was about to leave, but then came another sound that bothered her even more.
“If your hand is cramping, go back and take medicine. If your eyes are acting up, go see a doctor. I’m not a healer, so I can’t help you. Farewell.”
Jiang Xuezhi’s voice was somewhat muffled, but Lin Wanwan could vaguely make out what she said.
Jiang Xuezhi and Ji Lingfeng? They’ve encountered each other?
Lin Wanwan froze, never expecting that Ji Lingfeng would seek out Jiang Xuezhi before her.
In fact, Ji Lingfeng and his subordinates found this strange as well.
They had agreed to find Lin Wanwan and prepared all the way, but after entering the secret realm, upon hearing some news about Jiang Xuezhi, they unconsciously followed the aura of the gu insects.
The demonic cultivators exchanged knowing glances but dared not comment on their young master’s actions. They only needed to follow.
However, Jiang Xuezhi had indeed changed drastically. Not only was she not driven mad by the gu insects, nor did she kneel and beg for mercy, but she even dared to speak arrogantly.
Was this really the same Jiang Xuezhi who had been terrified of the young master to her very core?
Her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds in just a few days, and she was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Her appearance had improved significantly, and her demeanor and movements were completely transformed.
It seemed the informant was not exaggerating at all. The young master’s arrogance had been completely overturned.
Ji Lingfeng truly hadn’t expected that the woman he thought was entirely under his control had changed so dramatically.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at Jiang Xuezhi, who showed no reaction. The gu insects were clearly on her and had been activated, yet she didn’t even furrow her brows. Her expression remained calm, even carrying a hint of murderous intent and mockery.
“You managed to obtain Pojun, so you must indeed have some skill. I shouldn’t have underestimated you so much,” Ji Lingfeng quickly adjusted his thoughts and said softly. “So, it seems, is this your true face now? Were your submission and cowardice over the past three years all an act? I must say, your acting skills are truly extraordinary, you even managed to deceive me.”
Ji Lingfeng didn’t believe Jiang Xuezhi was truly unaffected by the gu insects, and as he spoke, he continued to activate the mother gu.
Jiang Xuezhi did feel something gnawing inside her body, and there were quite a few of them. Her entire body felt numb and painful.
However, because she had advanced in cultivation and her spiritual roots had partially healed, the gu insects were not as powerful as before.
Previously, Yun Cangming had treated her injuries, and his unique and powerful technique must have also suppressed the gu insects. Now, neither Xie Wangwang nor Ji Lingfeng could cause her excessive pain.
Though she hadn’t completely rid herself of them, at least she didn’t have to lose her composure in front of others. It was all within her tolerance.
But tolerance was one thing; acceptance was another.
If Ji Lingfeng hadn’t appeared, Jiang Xuezhi wouldn’t have planned to seek him out and do anything.
But not only had he appeared, he had also struck a posture that she found intolerable, spouting words that grated on her ears, and seemed to take pleasure in provoking her.
Her sensitive period hadn’t passed yet, and she was relying entirely on willpower to endure. Her temper flared up instantly.
“No matter how you reached this point or what opportunities you seized, it ends here,” Ji Lingfeng flew toward her. “You are a captive in my palm, a bird in my cage. Only I have the right to discard you or kill you, you have no right to escape on your own.”
His gaze was cold, his cultivation powerful. Converted to the cultivation realm, he was at least at the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
At such a young age, he had already achieved so much, truly worthy of the Demon Lord’s favor, having been chosen from thousands to be taken in as an adopted son.
But whether the Demon Lord was nurturing a future threat, who could say?
Jiang Xuezhi had no habit of worrying about others, nor any inclination to endure threats and coercion meekly.
“This is the Young Master of the Demon Realm,” said Po Jun, breaking his silence as he sensed Jiang Xuezhi’s rising battle intent. “He is a genius acknowledged even by the cultivation world, with profound cultivation and an elusive presence. No one has ever grasped the true limits of his abilities. In your current state, your chances of winning a forced confrontation are slim. He also has considerable support behind him. Think carefully.”
After a brief pause, he added, “No matter what you choose, I will fight alongside you to the end.”
Jiang Xuezhi ran her tongue over her sharp teeth, neither praising Pojun’s change of attitude nor showing any intention of retreating in the face of his words.
She glanced at the swamp beneath them, speculating that even if Ji Lingfeng acknowledged her transformation, he would not let his guard down entirely.
The impression left by her former self was deeply ingrained, not something that could be erased overnight. She could seize this opportunity to act.
Before Ji Lingfeng drew near, Jiang Xuezhi showed no sign of preparing to counterattack.