Abduct her back to the Demon Domain?

The system was reflecting on whether binding itself to Ning Xiang had been the right choice. It should still be fine to choose another host now, right? After all, this female-led cultivation novel had several dozen supporting women courting death.

Mingyuan was pondering what species the girl before him belonged to, and why her bandaging technique was so... wild and unrestrained.

Ning Xiang felt helpless, too. Who had told Mingyuan to go fight Lu Qingchen and get so badly injured by Canglang? As a lowly cultivator without a heroine's halo or any medical skills, she had already done remarkably well to save him, all right?

The atmosphere grew painfully awkward.

Just then, the little fox crawled out of Ning Xiang's sleeve pocket and huffed and puffed its way up her arm before settling on her shoulder.

Mingyuan took one look and asked, "The Paper Spirit Art? Who is Lu Qingchen to you?"

The Paper Spirit Art was a technique Lu Qingchen had created, and all his disciples on Solitary Light Peak knew it.

Ning Xiang: ...Had half her disguise already fallen off?

Jiang Miaomiao's identity as Lu Qingchen's disciple clearly hadn't been exposed this quickly, had it?

"A close girlfriend of mine is True Lord Qingchen's disciple. She gave me this Paper Fox."

[You must be joking. Would I tell you that I'm Lu Qingchen's direct disciple? Absolutely not!]

Ning Xiang gave herself a thumbs-up for her quick wit.

Mingyuan: "..." Somehow, he felt that his intelligence and dignity had been challenged.

Still, he didn't expose her lie. Instead, he asked, "Miss Jiang, why are you here?"

Ning Xiang had been waiting for that very question!

A troubled look crossed her face. "It was my senior sister. She knocked me off the cliff. But I believe she certainly didn't mean to."

Excellent. She had even captured Jiang Miaomiao's tone and expressions perfectly. Next, Mingyuan would surely feel sorry for Jiang Miaomiao's plight and secretly swear to avenge her.

Sure enough, after hearing "Miss Jiang's" account, Mingyuan asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Ning Xiang vaguely felt something was off. Given this Demon Venerable's temperament, shouldn't he have put Ning Xiang at the very top of his little grudge book as someone to torture to death before Jiang Miaomiao even said anything?

Perhaps this part of the story was so far back that she had forgotten it, Ning Xiang reassured herself.

"No need. Although my senior sister is a little willful and overbearing, arrogant and headstrong, and spends all day committing every imaginable evil in the sect, she isn't bad at heart. She merely pushed me off a cliff ten thousand feet high. Since nothing happened to me, there's no need to hold her wrongdoing against her."

Ning Xiang's eyes reddened slightly. She looked as though she had suffered an enormous injustice, yet remained stoic and stubborn.

It was precisely that pitiful, vulnerable manner that had won Jiang Miaomiao the tender affection of countless male leads.

[Slinging mud at myself-this must be a first since heaven and earth were created, right? Ha! Old dog Ming, once we get back up, feel free to come avenge her on me!]

Old... dog Ming???

Did she mean him???

Mingyuan secretly clenched his fist.

For some reason, Ning Xiang felt a chill around her neck. She couldn't help taking two steps closer to Mingyuan. He was a natural furnace, practically a little sun!

Mingyuan swept a cold glance over Ning Xiang.

Ning Xiang rubbed her neck. Even if she wasn't the genuine Jiang Miaomiao, did this fellow have to snub her so thoroughly?

Forget it. She had successfully checked in with Mingyuan anyway. She might as well figure out how to get back up.

Ning Xiang tilted her head back and looked up. Apart from the cold rock walls, she couldn't see even a glimmer of light.

When she turned to look at Mingyuan again, he had his arms folded and his eyes closed, calmly resting as though nothing concerned him. Clearly, he had no intention of saying another word.

Ning Xiang fell silent for a moment.

[Esteemed Demon Venerable, could you stop playing it cool? Cool guys went out of fashion ages ago. Acting like this really won't win girls over.]

She decided to seize the initiative.

"Fellow cultivator, how did you fall down here?"

Mingyuan didn't even lift his eyelids.

Ning Xiang felt personally mocked.

[Tch. You think I won't know just because you won't tell me? My master injured you, and when you tried to escape, you accidentally lost your footing and fell off the cliff, didn't you?]

Ning Xiang wasn't looking at Mingyuan, so she didn't know that his eyes had suddenly snapped open, a dangerous gleam flashing through his pupils.

Lu Qingchen's disciple?

Right. Two years ago, the Jiang Household, a small cultivation clan in Tinglan Valley, had been wiped out, leaving only one little girl alive. At the time, quite a few righteous cultivators had assumed demonic cultivators had slaughtered the entire Jiang Household, and had even gone to Tai Bai Domain to stir up trouble.

Later, he had heard that Lu Qingchen had taken that little Jiang girl as his disciple. Presumably, she was the girl before him.

Tsk. It was hard to imagine that an iceberg like Lu Qingchen actually had such an interesting little disciple.

Mingyuan rubbed his chin. Perhaps he should abduct her back to the Demon Domain and make her his own little disciple? He had lived for four hundred years and been lonely for four hundred years. Apart from fighting, he had no other hobbies. Training a little disciple who could challenge the entire cultivation world alongside him someday sounded rather nice.

Unaware of Mingyuan's plans, Ning Xiang tried summoning the Chongming Bird and failed. She tried summoning the Azure Sea Sword and failed as well.

Not a blade of grass grew at the bottom of the cliff, and the rock walls were smooth as mirrors. Even climbing wouldn't get her out.

Her shoulders slumped, and she looked as though she had nothing left to live for.

Mingyuan cleared his throat. "Stop wasting your energy. This is a rift I... that the legendary, valiant and extraordinary Demon Venerable carved out with the Soul-Devouring Whip. Wherever the Soul-Devouring Whip strikes, all spiritual energy is devoured. Plants and living creatures cannot survive here, either."

With her back to Mingyuan, Ning Xiang rolled her eyes. Then, realizing that this didn't fit Jiang Miaomiao's character, she asked softly, "Then, senior brother, is there any way for us to get out?"

Naturally, Mingyuan had one.

But he was gravely injured at present and couldn't mobilize his demonic power.

He examined the demonic power within his body and said, "Once I've recovered, we can get back up. Three to five days at most."

Ning Xiang thought it over. If Jiang Miaomiao disappeared, Solitary Light Peak would be turned upside down within half a day at most. She was different. Probably not a single person on Solitary Light Peak wanted her to show up.

The problem was that sitting here staring at this Demon Venerable put her under more psychological pressure than she could bear.

Not to mention, she worried that Mingyuan might crush her to death if his mood soured.

"System, system, do you have anything like an Immortal-Binding Rope? Help me tie Mingyuan up!"

The system replied, speechless:

[Nope, dear. And even if there were, with your cultivation, you wouldn't be able to unleash the artifact's full power. If you angered the Demon Venerable, you would only die faster.]

Ning Xiang gazed helplessly at the sky.

The Demon Venerable's resonant voice came from behind her. "What are you thinking about?"

Ning Xiang said, "I'm thinking about what to eat later."

Mingyuan: "..."

Ning Xiang turned around, only to stumble unexpectedly into Mingyuan's chest, her forehead striking his chin.

...At some point, this fellow had gotten up and positioned himself right behind Ning Xiang.