Confrontation

Her eldest senior brother's end in the dream had been utterly tragic. Covered in blood and wounds, he had been hacked almost beyond human recognition. The sight had scared her awake.

The woman she had just seen looked exactly like the demoness in her dream, and even the events were the same. She had heard that powerful cultivators could commune with heaven and earth and glimpse the future. Had she suddenly gained enlightenment and become able to perceive heaven's secrets too?

Qiaoqiao and A Xue had no secrets between them. Whenever something troubled her, she would pour her heart out to the immortal crane.

A Xue twisted his long, slender neck, utterly baffled. "I don't know either. How about I ask Bai Fu for you?"

Bai Fu was Immortal Venerable Wanghan's name. On all of Ethereal Peak, only the immortal crane dared call him that.

Qiaoqiao shook her head, not wanting to disturb her master. "Forget it. Let's think about what to eat for lunch instead!"

"Deep-fried bullfrogs! Spicy river snails! Dried fish!"

The immortal crane had an unusually varied diet. He was still ordering dishes when he noticed Qiaoqiao staring at him in a daze, looking hungry: Oh, I really want some immortal fowl meat.

A Xue: ?!

Don't come any closer!!

The night was dark and windy. Ziling slipped out of the guest room, her movements ghostlike. She easily evaded Ethereal Peak's patrolling disciples and, like a phantom, stole into Shen Ji's courtyard.

After looking around, she crept into the room.

She had no idea that three figures had long since hidden themselves outside the courtyard, lying in wait and watching her every move.

She's here, she's here! Qiaoqiao was thrilled. This was her first time watching this kind of gossip unfold live, and she was both nervous and excited. Aaaah, she's walking up to Eldest Senior Brother's bed!

The elder could not help whispering, "Qiaoqiao..."

Aaaah! She's starting to take her clothes off!

The elder: ?

Inside the room, Ziling removed her outer garment, revealing the long, gauzy dress beneath.

She bent down toward Shen Ji, who lay on the bed.

Wow, this is so exciting. Should I really be watching this?

Qiaoqiao's almond-shaped eyes went perfectly round, sparkling as she watched the scene inside without blinking.

Come to think of it, how does someone take primordial yang? I've never seen it before!

Chapter 3: Confrontation

Hearing this, Elder Ning and Second Senior Sister exchanged a glance, then simultaneously reached out to cover Qiaoqiao's eyes.

Qiaoqiao: ?

Almost at the same moment, Ziling's piercing scream rang out inside the room. "Aaaah!!"

Ziling had slipped into Shen Ji's room under cover of darkness with a very clear goal: to take his primordial yang.

The demoness Ziling practiced the Purple Baleful Intent Devil Cultivation Method, an extremely overbearing cultivation method. She had been stuck at the sixth level for nearly a hundred years. A trusted subordinate had offered her an idea: use an Evil Dao dual cultivation method to seize the primordial yang of righteous immortal cultivators. She could then gain a great deal of cultivation in a short time, break through her bottleneck, and reach the seventh level of her devil cultivation method.

She thought it was a good idea. Just then, the Devil Cloud Sect happened to set its sights on the Flowing Cloud Divine Lamp, so, as the Devil Cloud Sect's young sect master, she had come in person.

Ziling's greatest pleasure in life was trampling those sanctimonious righteous cultivators who claimed to be untouched by worldly dust beneath her feet, sending them plunging into the mire.

And Ethereal Peak's eldest disciple, the sword cultivator Shen Ji, was the target she had carefully selected.

She had won Shen Ji's trust with ease. Without her even having to do anything, this man was ready to dig out his Spirit Root for her.

Seeing Shen Ji kneel before all those disciples for her had sent Ziling's delight soaring. She could hardly wait to see his expression when, after falling in love with her, he discovered that she had deceived him. It was sure to be quite a spectacle.

What she had not expected was that, despite her flawless disguise and Ning Shuang not detecting her Devil Qi at all, Ning Shuang would be so deeply suspicious of her.

But so what if she was suspicious? After tonight, Shen Ji would be hers to manipulate.

She had a Mind-Bewitching Gu. Once this demonic Gu was implanted, its victim would unknowingly come under the influence of the person who had planted it, unconsciously obeying her and even developing the illusion that he had fallen in love with her. Hence the name "mind-bewitching."

The Mind-Bewitching Gu's influence was silent and imperceptible. Once she planted it in Shen Ji, he would defend her unconditionally.

Watching Shen Ji clash with the people of Ethereal Peak over her was another of her pleasures.

Ziling crept quietly to the bedside, her presence concealed. Shen Ji lay on the bed, completely unaware. She reached out to stroke the sword cultivator's cold lips, and the tiny Gu worm crawled along her fingertip into his mouth. A sinister, seductive smile appeared on the demoness's face.

She took off her long dress, leaving only a thin, gauzy undergarment, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Shen Ji, wake up."

Shen Ji opened his eyes, rolled them back, and vomited up the Gu worm with a retch, abruptly transforming into a huge golden toad!

"Croak!"

The golden toad croaked at her, and Ziling could not help letting out a frantic scream.

She hated these things with their bumpy backs more than anything!!

How had Shen Ji turned into a golden toad?

Could it be-she had fallen into a trap?!

Ziling's thoughts raced. Realizing it was a trap, she turned to flee.

Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open from outside. Elder Ning walked in with Xiao Tingyu and Qiaoqiao, and Ziling involuntarily took a step back.

But then footsteps sounded behind her.

Her heart trembled. She turned to see the real Shen Ji emerge from the shadows. His steps were heavy as he stared at her, his handsome face filled with disappointment.

It was over!

He had seen everything!

Her painstaking scheme to infiltrate Ethereal Peak and seize the Flowing Cloud Divine Lamp was ruined!

In her panic, Ziling wanted only to cover up what she had done.

"Sh-Shen Ji." Her lips trembled. "I only wanted-I did this because I wanted to be with you!"

Shen Ji said nothing.

She grew even more flustered. "Shen Ji, I was so scared. I was afraid you'd listen to them and drive me away, so I..."

Shen Ji picked up the clothes from the floor and handed them to her. Without another glance at her, he walked over to stand beside Elder Ning.

Ziling: ...

What did he mean by that?!

Pfft.

Eldest Senior Brother, honestly. I could cry. At a time like this, he's still worried she'll be cold.