Three Promises

Sang Ying paid no attention to the mockery in the other's voice. As soon as she heard "I'll grant you three favors," she asked, "Do you mean that?"

The ice flood dragon took her for someone putting on a brave front and said bluntly, "Of course. I, Cang Lian, am not like you cultivators. I always keep my word!"

Before a smile could appear on Sang Ying's face, the ice flood dragon added, "But if you can't produce it, don't expect to leave here alive today!"

The ice flood dragon's deep malice was unmistakable at that moment.

Sang Ying wasn't afraid of him. "Fine. Let me go, and I'll get it out of my Storage Bag for you."

The ice flood dragon didn't believe a word Sang Ying said. He thought she was asking so she could take out some Law Treasure to use against him.

He hadn't wanted to agree, but then he saw that Sang Ying was only a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Even if she had some powerful Law Treasure, she wouldn't be able to use it with her level of cultivation. Reassured, he immediately released her.

The ice flood dragon watched the entire process as she retrieved the ice lotus. With every movement Sang Ying made, the mockery in his eyes deepened.

When Sang Ying took out the Realm Pearl, the ice flood dragon didn't recognize it and thought it was something like a ball of Sword Qi. He immediately sneered inwardly.

"This is the ice lotus you spoke of? Do you think I can't even recognize an ice lot..." The rest of the sentence caught in the ice flood dragon's throat, and he couldn't get it out.

Because that crystalline white flower was unmistakably an ice lotus!

Cang Lian, the ice flood dragon, recognized at a glance that it wasn't the one he had guarded for hundreds of years. The one in Sang Ying's hand was much larger than his, and far older as well.

So this female cultivator really hadn't taken his?

Cang Lian suddenly grew uncertain.

"Well? Would you like to examine it and see whether this ice lotus is real?" When Sang Ying saw him rendered speechless, she knew he must have realized he had misunderstood.

No matter how reluctant he was to believe it, the facts were before him. Sang Ying already had such a fine ice lotus, so she had no reason to steal his. Cang Lian finally realized that the frail-looking female cultivator had tricked him!

He had guarded the ice lotus for hundreds of years, often feeding it Spiritual Qi, all so he could use it to get through his heavenly tribulation. Yet that female cultivator had not only come and stolen it, but had also pinned the blame on someone else and deceived him, delaying him for so long.

"Who was that female cultivator?" Cang Lian asked in a low voice.

Seeing how determined he was to hold a grudge, Sang Ying naturally had no intention of concealing Su Fuyun's identity. She immediately told him who Su Fuyun was, in as much detail as she could.

In the end, she even gave Cang Lian a portrait of Su Fuyun.

Sang Ying naturally hadn't drawn the portrait. After the Flowing Light Sword Sect's competition, the sect had produced a booklet featuring the top ten, called the Roster of Heroes, and given a copy to each disciple who had placed among them. Sang Ying had seen it: the portrait bore at least an eighty-percent likeness to the real person, so there was no chance Cang Lian would mistake someone else for her.

After learning his enemy's identity, Cang Lian put Sang Ying and the Gale Hound down. He waved his tail and said awkwardly, "Then, this ice lotus..."

"I said I'd give it to you, so it's yours. Among us cultivators, there are good people as well as bad. Others may break their word, but I'm not willing to be the sort of person who breaks promises, betrays trust, and lies through her teeth." As for whom Sang Ying meant, both of them knew perfectly well.

Though he felt somewhat embarrassed, Cang Lian still accepted the ice lotus so he could safely pass his heavenly tribulation.

From their several conversations, Sang Ying had discovered that although the ice flood dragon was remarkably powerful, he was surprisingly simple. Perhaps he had been deceived by cultivators before, which was why he was now wary of all of them.

Now that Su Fuyun had tricked him again, Sang Ying heard him mutter to himself several times that in the future, whenever he saw a female cultivator in plain-colored robes who was crying and sniffling, he would have to be extra wary.

Although that was a little too single-minded, it wasn't a bad thing for a spirit beast. So Sang Ying didn't make a point of trying to persuade him otherwise.

Having accepted the ice lotus and gained such a great benefit, the ice flood dragon softened toward Sang Ying without realizing it. He even pressed her, asking, "I said I'd grant you three favors. Tell me what you want now!"

He raised his head, as if he could fulfill any request Sang Ying might make.

Sang Ye didn't make things difficult for him. "The first is to protect us and see us safely out of the secret realm."

"Just that little thing?" Cang Lian could hardly believe what he had heard. "Do you know whose promise you've received? That's my promise! With imposing pressure like mine, who in the entire secret realm would dare come near you if I simply stood beside you? A promise that precious, and you're using it so casually?"

Although Sang Ying didn't know what this flood dragon was so proud of, for the sake of his impending transformation into a dragon, she reluctantly let it pass.

"That's my only request for now. I haven't thought of the other two yet. If fate brings us together again, we can talk about them then!" Sang Ying didn't have anything else she wanted his help with at the moment.

A flood dragon that big could only help her this once, in the secret realm. As for anything else, Sang Ying still felt it was better to handle it herself, because the person she could rely on most in this world was herself!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Cang Lian sighed several times. Although his flood dragon face showed no expression at all, his eyes were full of frustration that Sang Ying was a piece of iron that refused to become steel.

"In that case, don't regret it!" Cang Lian would have been delighted if she made no requests at all. He had never liked these human cultivators, and if not for the ten-thousand-year-old ice lotus, he wouldn't have treated Sang Ying so well today!

With the matter resolved and a formidable "guard" secured, Sang Ying immediately felt much more at ease. She was no longer trembling with fear even while resting, as she had been before.

Although Cang Lian had swatted the Gale Hound, he probably hadn't struck hard for the sake of the hound being a Demon Beast. In the end, the little cub had only been knocked out for a while. Sang Ying fed him a few pills, and he was almost completely recovered.

As soon as he woke, he leaped out of Sang Ying's arms and growled fiercely at Cang Lian in the sky, many times more ferocious than he had ever been toward Sang Ying.

Worried that he would anger the ice flood dragon, Sang Ying hurriedly picked him up and explained what had happened. Only after feeding him several pieces of roasted meat did she finally manage to soothe the little black ball.

Seeing the Gale Hound frolicking in Sang Ying's arms, Cang Lian snorted a breath of dragon breath and said sarcastically, "A dignified Demon Beast, hiding in a human cultivator's arms. Have you no shame?"

The little black ball ignored him completely and burrowed farther into Sang Ying's arms, leaving only his backside facing Cang Lian to mock the unloved spirit beast.

Cang Lian was furious and let out another breath of dragon breath. Fortunately, he still knew where to draw the line. He merely sulked off to one side and did nothing to the little black ball.

Seeing the two beasts sitting back to back and sulking, Sang Ying pinched the bridge of her nose.

She suddenly regretted making Cang Lian her guard. There were still several days ahead, and those two would probably make another fuss.