Indecent

"It's just a small favor. Why are you so nervous? Relax, and stop holding up that lousy scroll. Doesn't your arm get tired?"

Chang Ping wasn't the least bit afraid of the Lightning Scroll that could instantly kill a Silver-rank demon beast.

He had an exceptionally unusual Soul Sea that could absorb any energy attack.

Xiao Ning'er watched Chang Ping warily with her big, bright eyes. She had a feeling he was up to no good.

Seeing that Xiao Ning'er remained stubbornly on guard, Chang Ping stopped teasing her and got straight to the point. "I want you to use the Winged Dragon Family's influence to help me buy up all the Purple Mist Grass in Glory City. I remember that students from Magnate Families are allowed to go home after class."

Saint Orchid Academy's rules required students from commoner and noble families to live on campus. They weren't allowed to return to their families without permission, or they would face severe punishment. If they repeatedly disobeyed, they could even be expelled and barred from enrolling ever again.

The Peak Families and Magnate Families were among the upper ranks of Glory City. Their children enjoyed special privileges at Saint Orchid Academy. After class, they could choose either to stay on campus or return to their families.

"What do you need so much Purple Mist Grass for?" Xiao Ning'er asked, puzzled. Purple Mist Grass was just an ordinary herb used to repel mosquitoes. His dormitory was tiny; even if he bought a huge amount, he wouldn't burn through it all before graduation.

Besides, there had to be hundreds of thousands of pounds of Purple Mist Grass in the city. Buying it all would cost hundreds of thousands of Demon Spirit Coins.

That was no small sum.

"I heard a rumor that Purple Mist Grass is going to go up in price, so I want to stock up beforehand," Chang Ping explained honestly. "I'll give you two options. First, you can invest your own money to help me gather it. Once we make a profit, we'll split it fifty-fifty."

"Second..." Chang Ping took a stack of Demon Crystal Cards out of his little ring. "I'll pay you to help me gather it. Whether I make a profit or take a loss, it won't have anything to do with you. Whichever option you choose, I'll give you the antidote. How does that sound?"

Seeing how serious Chang Ping looked, Xiao Ning'er's suspicions gradually faded.

She gave it some thought and ultimately chose the first option.

"Smart choice. Here!" The girl was so wary of him that, to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Chang Ping didn't place the antidote in her hand. Instead, he tossed it to her from a distance.

He could have kept all the profits for himself. He chose to split them with Xiao Ning'er because he wanted to help her improve her standing in the Winged Dragon Family.

Although Xiao Ning'er was the Winged Dragon Family's legitimate daughter, if the family ever faced a crisis, her incompetent father and overbearing elders would choose to sacrifice her. To put it bluntly, she was a pawn they could discard at will.

If she could make a fortune from Purple Mist Grass this time and build up substantial wealth, she would be able to shed the label of pawn and gain a say in things, becoming an important figure who could influence the family's decisions. By then, no one would be able to sacrifice her interests so easily.

"I'll get you the Purple Mist Grass by noon tomorrow. You can leave now," Xiao Ning'er replied coolly.

Chang Ping shrugged. "You need to take the antidote for seven days straight. Starting today, I'll bring you a bottle every day until you're completely recovered. Remember, don't cultivate your Soul Force at night before you've formed a Soul Vortex, or your symptoms will come back."

After giving Xiao Ning'er a word of advice, Chang Ping turned and left without looking back.

Watching until Chang Ping had left the range of her senses, Xiao Ning'er let out a quiet sigh of relief. If Chang Ping had really tried to do something to her just then, she wouldn't have been able to fight him off.

"What a pervert. He's actually reached Gold rank!" Xiao Ning'er put the antidote into her Space Ring, gathered her things, and prepared to leave.

She realized that the Trial Ground wasn't a safe place to cultivate. Luckily, she'd run into Chang Ping today. If she'd run into some other pervert, she might have lost her virtue.

She was naturally beautiful, with lovely features and a graceful figure. Quite a few male students pursued her, but she had turned them all down. She didn't want anything to do with them right now. She only wanted to focus on cultivation, reach Gold rank as soon as possible, and escape her miserable fate.

Those men might resort to underhanded tactics when they couldn't have her. By coming to the deserted Trial Ground, she'd given them the perfect opportunity.

At the thought, Xiao Ning'er broke into a cold sweat.

Rustle! Rustle!

A sudden sound came from behind her. Xiao Ning'er jolted in alarm and whipped around, only to see the Great Rock Python slowly slithering back.

"So it's you, you disloyal creature! I thought it was some perverted lecher." Xiao Ning'er felt a little calmer. "I'm not coming back to the Trial Ground. You're on your own. Goodbye!" She waved to the Great Rock Python, ready to leave.

Suddenly, the Great Rock Python opened its enormous jaws and lunged to swallow Xiao Ning'er.

It seemed to have understood what she'd said.

Since she was no longer useful, she could just die!

Caught off guard, Xiao Ning'er was swallowed whole by the Great Rock Python.

The stench made her choke, and its immense strength squeezed the blood out of her. She felt as if her bones were about to break.

A burning sensation surged toward her. She was getting closer and closer to the Great Rock Python's stomach. Once she was submerged in its gastric acid, not even her bones would remain.

"Is this really the end for me?"

"I finally got the antidote. How can I just die?"

Xiao Ning'er's will to survive flared like never before. She took the dagger she'd used to threaten Chang Ping from her Space Ring and stabbed fiercely at the Great Rock Python's esophagus, trying to cut a hole and escape.

The Great Rock Python writhed in pain, coiling around itself as it tried to snap Xiao Ning'er's spine.

"Ah!" The pressure suddenly increased, and Xiao Ning'er couldn't help crying out as she spat out a mouthful of crimson blood.

The Great Rock Python suddenly reared upright, using gravity to speed up its prey's slide into its stomach.

Xiao Ning'er lost her grip, and the dagger slipped from her hand.

She heard a "plop," as if it had fallen into the stomach acid.

"To hell with it!" Xiao Ning'er took out the Lightning Scroll. She knew it could injure her in such a cramped space, but she had no other choice.

If she died from electrocution, at least her body would be intact. If she fell into the Great Rock Python's stomach acid, not even her bones would remain.

"You ungrateful demon beast! I curse you to die a horrible death!" Xiao Ning'er cursed the snake, preparing to channel her Soul Force and activate the inscription scroll.

Suddenly, she heard a series of loud bangs.

The sound was familiar, as if she'd heard it somewhere before.

"Ow!" Xiao Ning'er cried out in pain.

The Great Rock Python seemed to have fallen over, crashing heavily to the ground.

The immense pressure vanished, and she stopped descending.

???

Just as Xiao Ning'er stared in confusion, moonlight shone into her eyes, and a familiar face came into view.

Chang Ping gently lifted her out of the snake's belly and set her down on the grass, showing no disgust at the slime covering her.

The Great Rock Python's gastric acid was incredibly potent. Even the acid mist alone had burned Xiao Ning'er's clothes until they barely covered her.

When Xiao Ning'er noticed Chang Ping staring straight at her, she looked down. Her pretty face instantly turned as red as a piece of cloth.

Chang Ping cleared his throat, took off his sleeveless robe, and handed it to her.

"Put it on. This is indecent!"