The Rogue Sword Cultivator

After saying that.

Rank Six cut off the connection.

Xie Xuanyi withdrew from the soul-state once more... This soul treasure crafted by the demon kingdom possessed an exceedingly strict hierarchy.

If he had guessed correctly, the "Great Venerable" stood at its core. Whether Venerables or spies, all were merely part of the spiderweb constructed by the treasure.

The greater one's strength and status, the greater one's authority within this soul spiderweb.

Rank Six could initiate a "call" with Rank Three and cut it off whenever he wished.

But as the subordinate, Rank Three could only accept and obey the arrangements of those above.

"The handover date is set three days from now..."

Leaning against the stone wall, Xie Xuanyi sank into thought.

According to that Venerable, Rank Six would enter the city tomorrow... A cultivator of that level would surely understand the importance of the White Marsh Finger Bone. Under such circumstances, the handover ought to have been completed this morning.

Yet Rank Six was in no hurry, setting the time three days later instead.

That was far too strange.

"This fellow deliberately left three days... Could he be preparing some method to deal with me?"

Xie Xuanyi had a bad feeling about this.

If Rank Six truly was a Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator, then things would be troublesome.

Even killing Xu You, who had been in the Qi Guiding Realm, had taken considerable effort.

He had used up two Azure Origin Pills. With the amount of vital energy he possessed now, killing someone in the Grotto-Heaven Realm was practically impossible.

"Morning."

Deng Baiyi had enjoyed the best sleep she had ever had, and when she awoke, she felt utterly refreshed.

But after drawing back the bed curtains.

Her expression turned a little strange.

The guest room was cramped, with only a single table. Yet that table was now laden with Carp Tide City's signature tea snacks: steamer after steamer of soup dumplings, piping-hot soy milk, and tender, boneless pork ribs in black bean sauce.

What struck her as most absurd.

Was the utterly unfamiliar Xie Zhen before her.

Xie Zhen had somehow procured a small brazier and was fanning the flames beneath a clay pot of congee.

"You're awake?"

Xie Xuanyi greeted her blandly.

"Mm... What are you doing?"

Rubbing her brow, Deng Baiyi asked in confusion, "Didn't we agree that I'd be the maidservant and you'd be the young master?"

Since when did a young master prepare breakfast for his maidservant?

She instinctively reached out for a steaming bun.

Smack!

Xie Xuanyi slapped Deng Baiyi's hand away irritably.

"Miss Deng, you're still my bedchamber maid."

Xie Xuanyi smiled helplessly. "You don't actually think all this was prepared for you, do you?"

Deng Baiyi: "???"

If it was not for her, then who was it for? Who else could there be?

The next moment, she understood.

The little one sleeping soundly on the bed sniffed hard, then abruptly widened her eyes. With a carp-like flip, her inconvenient legs did not hinder her in the least as she rolled—rumble, rumble—all the way to the table, then began wolfing down the food.

Deng Baiyi was dumbfounded.

Jiang Huang's eyes sparkled as she devoted herself wholeheartedly to the feast before her... Since following Xie Xuanyi, this was the fullest meal she had eaten in many days.

Earlier, she had followed Xie Xuanyi from Northern Prefecture to Azure Prefecture. They had nowhere to rest along the way, and their circumstances had been truly harsh. It was not quite three days without nine meals, but every meal had been dry rations.

The little one was not picky, but who could refuse good food?

"Is this girl the reincarnation of Taotie?"

Deng Baiyi had never seen a child who could eat so much. Jiang Huang's meal was probably nearly equal to Deng Baiyi's food intake for three days.

What little padded jacket? She was plainly a giant rice bucket!

"Taotie..."

Xie Xuanyi gave a helpless smile.

Taotie was indeed formidable; in a sense, it could be considered a descendant of dragon bloodline... But Jiang Huang's bloodline was not inferior in the slightest!

Though he did not know what Jiang Huang had experienced in the imperial city these past years, the concentration of phoenix blood in her body was now far richer than when Xie Xuanyi had first met her...

The legendary "true phoenix" had already vanished from this world, no longer in existence.

But perhaps one day in the future, this little one could become a variant phoenix!

"Eat carefully. Don't burn yourself."

Xie Xuanyi carried the claypot porridge to the table and sat across from Jiang Huang. He carefully asked, "How does this meal taste?"

"Yummy, yummy!"

Jiang Huang had sleepily crawled out of bed to eat, and even her voice was still drowsy.

Xie Xuanyi smiled and asked, "Do you like it?"

The moment those words left his mouth—

Jiang Huang's bleary eyes abruptly widened into perfect circles.

She sensed that something was off.

"Like it... Am I allowed to like it?"

The little one was somewhat wary.

"Of course."

Xie Xuanyi nodded seriously and said in all solemnity, "If you like eating it, there'll be some every day from now on."

Jiang Huang looked at Xie Xuanyi with suspicion.

Everything went without saying.

"What does that count for?"

Xie Xuanyi still wore a broad smile. "You call me Dad and Mom every day. How could I possibly treat you poorly?"

Jiang Huang remained silent.

Looking at the mess all over the table, she hurriedly picked up the freshly made claypot porridge.

As a top-tier great demon with phoenix blood flowing through her body... naturally, she did not fear high temperatures.

Deng Baiyi wore a complicated expression as she watched Jiang Huang drain an entire pot of scalding-hot porridge just like that.

Burp!

A half-believing, half-doubting belch—

Just as flames were about to burst from Jiang Huang's throat, she hastily covered her mouth with both hands.

She remembered Xie Xuanyi's instructions.

If a third person was present, then without permission, she was not to directly call Xie Xuanyi by his real name.

Nor was she to use any abilities related to "fire," not even in front of Sister Baiyi.

Although Jiang Huang's soul had been severely damaged after escaping the imperial city, reducing her intellect to that of a seven- or eight-year-old child... she was still very obedient and well-behaved.

After a while, she recovered and quietly asked, "Do you need me to do anything?"

"Such a smart girl."

Xie Xuanyi said softly, "Sister Baiyi has been cultivating these past few days... She needs to borrow a few strands of your hair. Sister Baiyi is always so good to you, so you surely wouldn't have the heart to refuse, right?"

Deng Baiyi was once again dumbstruck. "???"

She had guessed it from the very beginning.

Xie Zhen, who had so meticulously prepared this breakfast, definitely had no good intentions.

But she truly had not expected this fellow to use her as a "shield."

Jiang Huang nodded vigorously.

She looked at Deng Baiyi, then at Xie Xuanyi, blinking as she asked, "So... I only need to give a few strands of hair?"

"If it's convenient, we'll need a few other things as well."

Xie Xuanyi smiled. "It might hurt just a tiny bit."

Jiang Huang shook her head and said earnestly, "For Sister Baiyi, I'm not afraid of pain."

At that, Deng Baiyi could no longer hold herself back.

She dragged Xie Xuanyi out of the guest room and into the corridor, saying furiously, "Surname Xie, how did I never notice before that you were this unscrupulous?!"

Xie Xuanyi smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's just borrowing a few strands of hair—couldn't you just tell her the truth?" Deng Baiyi planted her hands on her hips. "And besides, aren't you ashamed of tricking a seven-year-old girl?"

Seven years old...

The corner of Xie Xuanyi's mouth twitched slightly.

Jiang Huang's actual age was likely much greater than his and Deng Baiyi's combined.

"Congratulations, you've seen my true face. I've always been this kind of person—willing to stop at nothing to achieve my goals. Deceiving a little girl is nothing to me."

Xie Xuanyi shrugged, utterly unconcerned. "...Look at her. Isn't she pretty happy right now? Everyone's happy."

For a moment, Deng Baiyi found herself speechless.

"Even so."

She still said irritably, "Why did you use my name for something as simple as borrowing a few strands of hair?"

"Because the one borrowing the hair wasn't me. It was you."

Xie Xuanyi spoke calmly. "In a sense, that breakfast just now wasn't made for Jiang Huang—it was made for you... A hand that takes is softened; a mouth that eats is softened. Only if the little one ate happily could you smoothly pluck a bit of fur from her."

Deng Baiyi froze.

"You've already learned the Purification Talisman and the One Qi Talisman. Starting today, I'll teach you a grand formation."

Xie Xuanyi raised one finger and slowly said, "A grand formation capable of killing across realms, one listed among the forbidden boundaries of Great Chu's imperial law!"