Returning to her somewhat chilly room, the calm facade Zhao Qian had strained to maintain instantly crumbled, replaced by an uncontrollable surge of excitement and madness.
She gingerly brought out a manual crafted from a peculiar material, its cover inscribed with four ancient characters: 《Qingyang Medical Canon》. Her fingertips caressed the pages with near-greedy desire. “Just a single recipe for Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs was so vicious. If I learn everything in here...”
“What a pity I couldn't defeat Tantai Yunzhi right then and there. Otherwise, I would have loved to see what else she had up her sleeve.”
“Rest assured. In my view, given how much that Tantai Yunzhi values this Young Manor Lord of Divine Might Manor, she will never let you take the position of vice commander. That little chit blessed with the Five Elements Dao Physique will challenge you of her own accord sooner or later.” A raspy, seductive female voice echoed directly from the depths of her mind—the very demonic soul that had burrowed between her brows that day.
“I’ve already done as you said!” Zhao Qian’s voice brimmed with resentment. “It’s just... what a waste of my Foundation Establishment cultivation...” The agonizing pain and weakness of her fallen realm still clung to her like a shadow.
“Hmph!” The woman scoffed disdainfully. “That Dao foundation of yours was utterly shoddy, inferior even to the watchdog I kept back in the day! Shattering it was for the best. Only through Breaking Through to Establish Anew can you bear the supreme demonic arts of my Soul Lost Ridge!”
“Once you lay your groundwork using the 《Qingyang Medical Canon》, this seat will impart our demonic arts to you. How could your recast demonic foundation compare to the past?”
Hearing this, Zhao Qian felt somewhat reassured, yet another question surfaced in her mind. Looking down at the 《Qingyang Medical Canon》, which held not the slightest trace of demonic qi, she couldn’t help but ask, “Come to think of it... since you belong to the demonic path, why did you give me an orthodox medicine canon like this?” It was entirely different from the secret demonic arts she had envisioned.
A brief silence fell within her mind, followed by a mocking response steeped in the derisive glare one might give a fool: “Imparting the supreme arts of Soul Lost Ridge right under the nose of Divine Might Manor, a pillar of the orthodox path? Fascinating. Do you think you aren't dying fast enough, or do you take that old fellow Su Jing for a blind man?”
Zhao Qian choked on her words, feeling a sting of embarrassment, but she still stubbornly muttered, “I merely thought... demonic sect poisons are more insidious! More incurable!” A flash of malice flickered in her eyes, showing a distinct relish for harming others with poison.
Sensing Zhao Qian’s brazenly sinister intent, the demonic soul took no offense. On the contrary, as if stumbling upon something delightful, she remarked with great relish, “Indeed, demonic sect poisons are more insidious, harder to cure, and more wicked... utterly intolerable to the world! Little girl, your temperament is aligning with mine more and more.”
Hearing those words, Zhao Qian felt no fear; instead, a twisted sense of validation washed over her. Gazing at the 《Qingyang Medical Canon》 in her hands, she asked again, “Where did you obtain this medical canon? I see that many of the pill recipes and medicinal principles recorded within are exceedingly profound—far from ordinary.”
The demonic soul’s voice carried a nonchalant cruelty, as if speaking of an utter trifle. “Oh, that... Years ago, while wandering the outskirts of Divine Might Manor, I crossed paths with a Nascent Soul rogue cultivator. Seeing that this ultimate manual on him was somewhat intriguing, I slaughtered him on a whim, searched his soul, and seized it.”
“Leaving it to gather dust served no purpose, so handing it to a little chit like you puts it to good use.”
Slaughtered on a whim... a Nascent Soul rogue cultivator... Zhao Qian felt a cold shiver. Her own grandfather was merely at the Nascent Soul realm! She now had a far deeper appreciation of the demonic soul’s sheer ruthlessness and power, yet alongside it arose an intoxicating thrill of having such an almighty backer.
She gripped the 《Qingyang Medical Canon》 tightly, the madness in her eyes burning all the brighter.
...
Meanwhile, Tantai Yunzhi and Gongsun Lin looked at Gongsun Rou, bewilderment clear in their eyes regarding her favorable stance on Zhao Qian.
Seeing the two girls’ undisguised aversion toward Zhao Qian, Gongsun Rou inwardly chuckled, though she wore a look of troubled sorrow and let out a heavy sigh as if faced with an insurmountable dilemma. “Sigh, with the two of you holding such strong grievances against Zhao Qian, it truly puts me in a difficult spot.”
Tapping her slender fingers lightly against the table, she spoke with a touch of “helplessness.” “To be frank, a few days ago, I made a wager with Elder Zhao and carelessly... lost a round to him. One thing led to another, and in the heat of the moment, I promised that if Zhao Qian proves herself competent as vice commander in the Foundation Establishment secret realm and performs exceptionally well, I would... would consider arranging a betrothal between her and Yi'er.”
As she spoke, she put on an expression of deep conflict while keeping her eyes fixed on the two young women. Naturally, the so-called wager was entirely fabricated.
If she didn’t say it like that, how else could she enjoy the splendid looks on their faces?
Cultivation was an endless journey, and her life had been rather uneventful. She had originally wanted to bear several children for amusement, but she ended up frightening Su Jing so much that he refused to return to their bedchamber—yet she had still only managed to produce a single son, Su Yi.
Fortunately, Tantai Yunzhi, whom Su Yi had brought home, suited her tastes splendidly, leaving her unable to resist teasing the girl.
Just as she anticipated, her words detonated like a thunderclap across the side hall once more.
Hearing this, Gongsun Lin was shocked at first, but her slender willow-leaf brows soon knit together. Scrutinizing her mistress’s face—which appeared distressed while concealing a glint of cunning deep in her eyes—suspicions immediately took root.
Knowing her mistress, though Gongsun Rou was carefree and whimsical, she was by no means reckless. It was utterly impossible for her to treat Senior Brother’s lifelong happiness as a frivolous gambling chip... This was clearly...
Her eyes flickered. Taking note of the way Gongsun Rou looked at Tantai Yunzhi, she understood in an instant: Mistress was setting a trap, waiting for someone to leap right into it.
Tantai Yunzhi, whose mind was comparatively simple, never considered any of that.
She only felt a violent rush of blood surge straight to her head. Her cheeks and neck flushed crimson, while anxiety and indignation surged in her chest alongside an indescribable suffocation and fury.
Allowing someone like Zhao Qian... to be betrothed to Senior Brother Su? How could that ever be allowed!
Almost instinctively, she blurted out with unprecedented determination, “I will seize the position of vice commander!”
Her voice rang out decisive and unyielding, resounding with crystal clarity in the quiet side hall.
Yet the moment the words left her mouth, Tantai Yunzhi froze. She immediately realized just how much she sounded like she was... throwing a jealous fit.
The flush that had only just begun to recede from her face rushed back with even greater ferocity, staining even her neck a delicate shade of pink.
Flustered, she lowered her head, not daring to look at Gongsun Rou’s smile, let alone glance at Gongsun Lin’s expression. “B-but this doesn't mean I harbor any improper thoughts toward Senior Brother!”
“I merely feel Senior’s decision is far too hasty! Senior Sister Zhao's intentions... her character... In short, doing this is... unfair to Senior Brother!”
Having racked her brain for insulting words, she found them either too vulgar to utter or not fitting enough. After choking on her words for half a day, she finally seized upon a seemingly defensible reason—as if her stepping forward was entirely to safeguard Su Yi’s “rights and interests,” devoid of any personal affection whatsoever.
Seeing her frantic yet utterly porous attempt to clear herself, Gongsun Rou’s smile nearly spilled over. She nodded with deep satisfaction, drawing out her tone deliberately: “Oh? So Yunzhi is this considerate of Yi'er? Yi'er truly has good eyes.”
Rate on N.U.
