Taking His Place
Jiang Zhuoxue didn't stay in the water for long. After all, he was covered in wounds, and even though there were spirit medicine in the water that could nourish his body, soaking in it for too long would only worsen his injuries.
Sang Ying had prepared clean and comfortable clothes for him beforehand. These were originally bought for the adult Jiang Zhuoxue, but due to various unforeseen circumstances, they were never given away.
Fortunately, the robes are all adjustable in size, so even though there is a big difference between the young Jiang Zhuoxue's and her adult self's body shape, she can still wear the robes.
Feeling the smooth comfort of the fabric, and with the strange smell on his body completely gone, the boy felt not joy, but rather even more wary of the female cultivator who had taken him in.
Although he was blind, he wasn't stupid. This Movement Method was not made with the kind of craftsmanship that should exist in the Hidden Nether Realm, nor was it a cheap item that ordinary cultivators could afford.
But the fact that she was willing to give it to me to wear means either she was deliberately trying to please me, or this kind of thing is nothing to her, and she has plenty of such good things.
Neither of these outcomes was a good thing in his view.
Having experienced the Hidden Nether Realm, he was all too aware of the evil in human nature; no one would be kind to him for no reason.
Recalling the familiar "Jiang Zhuoxue" that Sang Ying used when she first met him, it seems that the person she is looking for not only looks like him, but is also about the same age.
After putting the black robe back on and completely covering himself, the boy felt a little safer.
Since she believes herself to be Jiang Zhuoxue, and the real Jiang Zhuoxue is nowhere to be found, perhaps she could indeed take her place and use her to escape this disgusting Hidden Nether Realm?
He was now outnumbered and outmatched; without the help of that female cultivator, he certainly wouldn't be able to escape. Besides, she seemed intent on taking care of him, so he could simply spare her life before leaving and not silence her.
The boy pondered slowly. Having endured so much suffering, he absolutely refused to die in obscurity!
The door creaked open, and Sang Ying and Xiao Tengman turned their heads to look at the same time.
After washing, Jiang Zhuoxue was indeed much better than before, with a flushed face from the heat.
But when Sang Ying's gaze fell on his black robe, she couldn't help but frown. "This black robe isn't clean either. I have a clean one here. If you don't mind, you can wear this one."
She had frequented many places where she needed to conceal her identity during her early years of training, so she still kept a few black robes in her Storage Bag.
Once the boy opposite understood, he naturally wouldn't refuse what was offered. Why suffer when there were more comfortable clothes available?
He reached out and took the black robe, then went back to the previous room to change it off.
The new robe was indeed more comfortable than the previous one, and it provided better coverage. The young man was very satisfied.
The door was pushed open again, and this time Jiang Zhuoxue was immediately assaulted by a cloud of green as soon as she stepped out of the room.
Before he could even see what it was, he had already squeezed the wriggling little thing into his hand.
"Be gentle, the vines are still quite fragile," Sang Ying reminded her.
Only after she pointed it out did the boy realize that the thin, dark strip in his Divine Sense was actually a vine.
He wasn't interested in it, so he immediately let go, allowing the vine to escape his clutches.
The vine is a clone of Green Vine, and it also inherited the original's memories. However, it is not as smart as Green Vine and is somewhat confused.
It couldn't see Jiang Zhuoxue's problem; it was just wondering why its master, who had always been quite fond of it, would suddenly treat it so harshly.
The pitiful little vine quickly detached itself from the boy and hurriedly shrank to Sang Ying's side, crawling up the mistress's shoulder with a very aggrieved look.
The boy noticed the little vine's behavior and tilted his head, not quite understanding where its dejected mood came from.
"What's wrong with it? I didn't use much force." The boy had already exhausted most of his strength due to the pain, and even if he tried to fight, he couldn't muster much power.
He asked this not because he was worried about Xiao Tengman, but simply because he didn't want to upset Sang Ying, since his future safety depended on her.
Sang Ying raised her hand to comfort the little vine, "It's alright, it's just sad that its owner won't acknowledge it."
The boy raised an eyebrow under his hood, quickly realizing that this strange vine also belonged to Jiang Zhuoxue.
If he could even mistake a contracted Spirit Plant, then it wouldn't be surprising if the female cultivator mistook him for someone else.
"I see. Then let me soothe the vine; after all, I'm the one who upset it." The boy stretched out his pale hand to Sang Ying, his proactive attitude surprising her.
The little vine, whose brain was truly not very sharp, almost immediately abandoned Sang Ying and rushed to the boy's hand. After all, she was someone who had been with him for ten thousand years, and she would immediately obey with just a little coaxing.
The boy was quite pleased with the vine's closeness, having been brushed against it several times. He could sense that this vine was extraordinary; if it could obey his commands, it would give him a greater chance of self-defense.
Although Sang Ying was surprised by Jiang Zhuoxue's sudden change in attitude, she didn't take it too seriously.
After all, given Jiang Zhuoxue's current strength and situation, she can't really pull off any tricks against her.
"Oh, by the way," Sang Ying added, "I have two Spirit-Stabilizing Pearl here, which are somewhat useful for nourishing the body. Would you like to use them to fill your eyes?"
The boy suddenly looked up at her, and Sang Ying's tone became increasingly cautious. "After all, your current appearance is still somewhat conspicuous. Making some changes might make it easier for us to escape."
His empty eye sockets seemed to hold his blood and tears. The boy remained silent for a long time, until Sang Ying thought he wouldn't answer her, before she heard him utter a low, soft "Okay."
At that moment, for some reason, Sang Ying felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
Inside the Lord's Mansion in Corpse Soul City, the once scorched earth has been completely renovated, replaced with large slabs of jade stone. The houses that were previously burned to charcoal have also been rebuilt in a magnificent manner.
Even though the newly built city lord's mansion was more magnificent and splendid than before, it still could not quell the city lord's anger.
The guards knelt throughout the courtyard, and the slightest movement they made produced the clanging sound of their armor clashing together.
The city lord at the head of the table played with a bead with a unique aura, and scale-like marks occasionally appeared on the side of his face.
Still haven't found it?
The man kneeling at the front gritted his teeth and replied, "We haven't found it yet. That black dragon is too cunning. We've searched the entire Corpse Soul City, but we haven't found any trace of it. Lord, perhaps the young dragon has already left Corpse Soul City."
"No! He's still here!" the city lord retorted. "I can sense that this Dragon Pearl wants to return to its master."
"Go again, search all the places we've already looked at, and find out the identities of everyone in the city!"