"Old tortoise, you've really fallen into my hands now, hehehe!"
Beneath the Nether Pool and atop the water, the youth laughed mischievously, his expression perfectly capturing the image of a petty man achieving his ambitions.
The old tortoise's throat bobbed, but it couldn't squeeze out a single word, so it simply retracted its head into its shell, performing the ultimate act of a literal coward.
However...
Xu Xian clearly had no intention of letting it go so easily; he actually manipulated the size and length of his fingers, using two of them to reach in at an extremely tricky angle and forcibly pull the old tortoise's head out.
The old tortoise let out a series of frantic cries.
"My head, my head, my head..."
"It hurts!"
"If you have something to say, just say it! Don't pull on my head!"
Xu Xian easily dangled it in his palm and mocked, "Weren't you shouting quite loudly just a moment ago?"
"What's the matter? Are you mute now?"
The old tortoise's neck was stretched quite long, its face pulled taut, and even the wrinkles at the corners of its eyes were smoothed out, making it look much younger.
"I was wrong! I was wrong!"
From cursing one moment to compromising the next, despite its advanced age, the old tortoise performed this face-changing act with seamless perfection.
"Oh, you've really chickened out."
"You were cursing quite filthily just now..."
The old tortoise clasped its short hands together in mid-air and bowed piously. "I truly know I was wrong!"
Xu Xian couldn't help but laugh at its ridiculous movements. "Heh."
Yet, he still kept a dark expression as he teased, "I don't think you truly know you were wrong. You just know you're about to be finished."
The old tortoise squeezed its eyes together, doing its best to force a flattering smile.
"Don't, brother, please don't. You and I have no grievances or enmity. There's really no need for this. Trust me, if you spare my tortoise life, we can get along well. I'm useful to you, truly. Trust me. From now on, I'll call you 'brother', how about that?"
Xu Xian clicked his tongue, filled with utter disdain.
When they first met, you called me a mortal being, a creature as lowly as dust, while you acted all high and mighty.
Later, you called yourself Grandpa Tortoise and referred to me as a brat from the Li family, acting all wild and untamable.
And now...
You're calling me "brother"!
Xu Xian didn't hold it against the creature.
After all, who told him to be so capable?
He scoffed lightly. "People often say that the older one gets, the more stubborn they become. You, old tortoise, are actually quite slick."
The old tortoise squinted and grinned, showing its teeth.
It's praising me.
That means there's room for negotiation.
Xu Xian sighed, sounding somewhat reluctant. "Fine. Since you're so sensible, I'll be merciful and give you a chance to redeem yourself."
The Nether Tortoise thought to itself that its guess was right. It hurried to say, "Brother Bai, please speak."
Xu Xian's gaze fell on the water beneath his feet. "Look, do you see this Ruoshui?"
"I see it."
"I heard you can swim freely in it?"
The old tortoise immediately expressed its confidence. "Of course. When it comes to swimming, among my master's disciples, I am the most proficient. I'm not boasting, but ten Thunder Snakes or Mysterious Frogs would be no match for me."
Xu Xian nodded slightly and gave a long hum of approval. He seemed very satisfied with this answer as he said leisurely, "Alright. I have something that fell into this Nether Pool. If you can find it and bring it back for me, I'll give you a chance."
"To release me?" the old tortoise asked, admitting it was taking a gamble.
Xu Xian rolled his eyes at it. "In your dreams!"
The old tortoise choked.
It had indeed lost the gamble.
Xu Xian said slowly, "Saying I'd release you would just be tricking you. I don't like dealing in such empty promises. I tell it like it is. If I can, I can. If I can't, I can't. If it works, it works. Even if it doesn't, it must. I prioritize sincerity."
The old tortoise was only holding back because its head was being squeezed while living under someone else's roof. Otherwise, it would have spat in his face.
Sincerity?
You, of all people, talking about sincerity?
If you were sincere, the word "hypocrisy" wouldn't even exist in this world.
Following its heart, it asked, "You have to give me some kind of incentive, right?"
Xu Xian exerted a bit more force with the two fingers holding the old tortoise's head. It was getting ahead of itself, trying to set conditions without realizing who was in charge.
With a warning tone, he lectured, "You'd better behave yourself if you want us to get along. Know your place and look at your situation. If you can fish it up, I won't give you a hard time in the future and will let you live comfortably. If you can't, don't blame me for playing dirty."
Feeling the youth's gaze, which was as dark as ash, the old tortoise instinctively shivered.
When others talked about playing dirty, it was usually a metaphor.
But for this kid, playing dirty was literal.
Reason told it that it couldn't confront him head-on.
It had to deal with him cautiously.
Even though it didn't understand how the chains were severed by this kid, at least its previous guesses were correct.
Something must have happened to the Li family in the Upper Realm.
As a result, the Heavenly Dao laws in the Fanzhou of the lower realm changed, the spirit qi became thin, and even the sealing formations began to show signs of fatigue.
That was why it could wake up.
That was why the iron chains could be cut.
Even though the main body suppressing it, the stone stele, was still there and its spirit essence was weak.
However, the chains connecting the Cloud-Marsh World to heaven and earth were severed by chance, regardless of what purpose or reason this youth named Bai Mang had.
It was beneficial to the tortoise.
It was even an opportunity.
Things in the world were not just black and white, nor could they only be bad.
Crisis and opportunity coexisted.
Just like now.
It was true that it had fallen into this kid's hands, but from another perspective, hadn't this kid saved it?
As long as it kept this kid steady, over time, without this world eroding its life-bound spirit essence, it could slowly recover its strength until it finally broke the seal and threw off its shackles.
When that time came, the clouds would part to reveal the sun, and it would soar into the sky.
Compared to freedom, what did this current humiliation matter?
It had even eaten excrement; what else was there to fear?
It would endure!
"Don't."
"I'll fish it up for you."
Xu Xian was very gratified and gave a rare word of praise. "Not bad. Knowing when to yield is what makes a true old tortoise."
It was meant as praise!
But in the old tortoise's ears, it sounded very filthy.
But it didn't matter much.
Survival was the priority.
It asked Bai Mang what the object looked like. Bai Mang gave a simple description based on the records in the Nether Records from the Demon Abyss.
Afraid he hadn't made it clear, he even sketched a drawing based on his memory.
The old tortoise looked at it.
Its vision went dark.
Truly, it would have been better if he hadn't drawn it. What on earth was that?
To put it simply, it was a jade seal, a Great Dao Divine Weapon of Fanzhou.
The old tortoise said it understood. As long as it was in this lake, it could fish it up.
Xu Xian approved of its attitude.
He liked dealing with smart people.
As long as he could retrieve the Spirit-Sealing Seal, he could suppress the wisp of Yin Qi inside Yao Xiaoxiao's body.
This also meant that as long as Yao Xiaoxiao didn't leave Fanzhou, the power of the Great Dao Divine Weapon would always keep the Yin Qi in check.
It would completely resolve the underlying concern.
Only then would the matter of curing her be perfectly concluded.
"So, can you put me down now? My head really hurts."
Xu Xian smiled slightly and placed it on the ground with a very kind expression.
When it came to changing faces, he was even better than the old tortoise.
He said warmly, "Go fish it up. Remember to do a good job!"
Rate on N.U.
