Swear to Follow the Boss unto Death

The dining cart was laden with a dazzling array of food, enough to leave one's eyes reeling.

All manner of strange and bizarre ferocious beast meat, each in a different form, had either been roasted to a golden crisp, releasing an irresistible aroma,

or carefully stewed until the meat was tender and juicy.

There was also jade nectar, crystal-clear like frozen jelly, served in exquisite glazed cups that shimmered with enchanting light whenever they swayed.

In addition, brightly colored vegetables were paired with succulent meats: crisp cucumbers, fragrant spicy tofu skin, and more.

Finally, the pot of steaming, rich soup was especially eye-catching. Its milky-white broth was thick and mellow, with all kinds of ingredients floating within, its fragrance overflowing.

It was the product of some mixture of precious medicinal herbs.

Zhang Tianxin took a deep breath.

The demonic sect disciple gave Li Xuanxiao a long look, apparently unable to understand why such fine things were being served to a righteous sect disciple they had captured.

At once, the grains of rice at Zhang Tianxin's lips no longer smelled appetizing. He glared wide-eyed at Li Xuanxiao.

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Li Xuanxiao fell silent for a moment. "See? I told you so. The intentions of these demonic sect people are this sinister—they want to use this method to drive a wedge between us."

Zhang Tianxin:...

"Then... neither of us should eat. We'll resist them that way!"

Zhang Tianxin said.

Li Xuanxiao fell silent again, then said, "There's no sense in refusing free food. We eat their things so that we'll have the strength to fight them. Besides, eating their food means consuming the demonic sect's resources. Why not?"

"Y-you... you make a lot of sense too, but why do I feel so miserable?! Fellow Daoist Li, be careful—they might poison you."

Zhang Tianxin gripped the prison bars tightly with both hands.

"There's no need to worry about me. If she wanted to kill us, why would she go through the trouble of poisoning us?"

Li Xuanxiao silently began eating.

Mm, this one was pretty good.

This one was good too.

Before long, Li Xuanxiao discovered that the food before him was worth as much as all the resources he could scrape together on Shu Mountain over half a year.

The demonic sect's treatment... was this good?

Li Xuanxiao could not help slapping himself and silently reciting the Shu Mountain Heart Sutra a hundred times.

As a Shushan Disciple, how could I entertain such thoughts? I am eating their food with a critical mindset.

After sweeping every last morsel clean, Li Xuanxiao let out a loud, satisfied belch.

He slowly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to meditate, calming the surging energy within his body.

From the very first bite, he had already noticed the combinations among these ingredients.

Ordinarily, for a cultivator to swallow so many highly nourishing items in one breath over such a short time would definitely produce the opposite effect.

After all, excessive nourishment not only brought no benefits—it could very well damage one's body.

Yet the ingredients before him had been carefully selected, with a peculiar connection existing between each one.

Every ingredient could find, among the others, companions that complemented it, generated it, and restrained it.

When they merged together, the chemical reactions they produced happened to cancel out each other's potential negative effects.

This combination could not be called flawless.

But it was certainly extremely expensive.

At any rate, Li Xuanxiao could never afford such resources.

Watching this scene, Zhang Tianxin was dumbfounded. No, you... you're fucking cultivating now?

"..."

The next day.

Zhang Tianxin and Li Xuanxiao were brought before Di Nüfeng again.

"Will you talk or not? Where exactly did you take my Lord?"

Li Xuanxiao looked at Zhang Tianxin, then at Di Nüfeng.

"Boss... I really don't know who this Lord is. How about you introduce him to me?"

"You're like a stone in a cesspit—stinking and hard!"

Di Nüfeng grabbed her whip, swung her arm, and began lashing him.

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

Thus, the day passed.

Di Nüfeng slowly exhaled and tossed aside the whip.

"I've beaten you to this state, yet you still won't talk. Looks like you really don't know."

Zhang Tianxin: (O_o)??

May I ask what the hell?

You beat me into this state—if he knew, he still wouldn't say anything!

Di Nüfeng explained, "My Lord was the first Hall Master of Heavenly Fiend Hall. He personally founded Heavenly Fiend Hall.

But he had already been dead for tens of thousands of years. This time, he had finally completed his reincarnation, only to disappear unexpectedly."

Li Xuanxiao's tiny eyes were filled with enormous confusion.

Was such classified intelligence really something she could just tell them?

Di Nüfeng truly was not very bright.

It seemed this missing Lord was Fan Yue, whom Third Senior Sister Lin Wanqing had brought back to Shu Mountain.

Li Xuanxiao pondered inwardly.

He had never expected him to be the first Hall Master of Heavenly Fiend Hall.

An existence from the previous era.

Li Xuanxiao instantly felt an overwhelming sense of crisis.

Of course, the greater trouble was the situation right before him.

Di Nüfeng stared into Li Xuanxiao's eyes as though she wanted to see through his soul. "You really know nothing about my Lord's whereabouts?"

"Boss, I truly know nothing."

Di Nüfeng casually pointed, releasing Li Xuanxiao from his restraints.

Di Nüfeng then walked over to Zhang Tianxin. "What about you? Do you know my Lord?"

"I don't know either!"

Zhang Tianxin was going mad. He truly knew nothing.

He had been captured for no reason, then somehow dragged into matters involving Heavenly Fiend Hall.

And he had even encountered the legendary female Demon Lord. Even if his grandmaster came, he probably would not be able to defeat this female Demon Lord.

Di Nüfeng snorted coldly. "Hmph! Trying to deceive me? Do you think I'm that easy to fool? Drag him away and keep beating him."

Zhang Tianxin struggled frantically. "Wuwuwu~ I really don't know!"

Li Xuanxiao watched Zhang Tianxin being dragged away and silently prayed for him.

As for saving someone in front of Di Nüfeng, his master could probably manage it if he were here.

"Um... Boss... since I'm no longer involved, can I leave?" Li Xuanxiao asked weakly.

"Leave?" Di Nüfeng gave him a sidelong glance. "You saved me and saw me at my most wretched. You only have two paths.

One is to follow me. The other is also to follow me."

Li Xuanxiao reminded her, "Boss, those still add up to one path."

Di Nüfeng fell silent.

Li Xuanxiao fell silent.

Di Nüfeng said, "I'll add one more: death!!"

"I swear to follow the Boss unto death!!"

Li Xuanxiao immediately declared his stance.

"..."

Zhang Tianxin was thrown back into the prison cell again.

The physical torment was nowhere near as cruel as he had imagined. It was merely a straightforward whipping.

But what struck him hardest was the demonic sect's double-standard attitude.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, are you all right?"

Zhang Tianxin looked outside the cell. Li Xuanxiao had already changed into demonic sect robes.

"You bastard really are a demonic sect spy!!"

Zhang Tianxin shouted furiously.

Li Xuanxiao explained, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, I understand how you feel right now. Everything is only a temporary expedient. I've already infiltrated the demonic sect, and I'll find a way to escape with you."

Zhang Tianxin calmed down. Since they were already within the demonic sect, Li Xuanxiao had no reason to deceive him, so he nodded through tears.

"I believe you."

At that moment, a demonic sect disciple passed by.

"Greetings, Protector!!"

"Mm, carry on." Li Xuanxiao waved his hand.

Zhang Tianxin:...