She had said these words many times before.
Two hundred years was too long. She had used almost every means trying to draw closer to Shen Yuqing’s relationship with her.
This included making harsh threats.
Often, after arguing until things became heated, she would quarrel about dissolving the contract and leaving.
Saying she would leave—in truth, it was just wanting Shen Yuqing to persuade her to stay, wanting to prove her own status.
Unfortunately, Shen Yuqing never fell for this. Each time he would quietly watch her, and in the end, after a few days when her anger subsided and she couldn’t back down, she would return and reconcile under the pretext of the Soul Bond Contract.
Of course, thinking about it now, her “separation” and “reconciliation” were basically her own one-woman show. Shen Yuqing never responded.
At most, sometimes when she made too much of a scene—such as returning to Penglai with great fanfare so everyone knew, and Gujun Ancestor forced him to come to Penglai to fetch her—he would scold her a few times.
Making a scene always had its rewards, so in the past she often used this method to threaten him.
But saying separation was to seek persuasion to stay, so when saying these words, obvious lingering unease could still be heard in her tone. Like someone treasuring a beloved object trying to bargain, saying “I don’t want it anymore,” yet still turning back every three steps, loudly declaring again “I really don’t want it anymore.”
But this time was different.
This time when she spoke, she was clearly smiling, as if joking, yet Shen Yuqing could no longer see any attachment in her eyes.
Shen Yuqing suddenly felt somewhat uneasy, but quickly suppressed it, assuming she had become more skilled at her manipulative tactics. He calmly asked: “Have you made enough of a scene?”
Jiang Zhaoxue froze, contemplating that her tone should have been fairly good—this could still make him angry?
“Having the mood to make such a fuss, you must be fine.” Shen Yuqing clearly had no desire to continue talking with her. He stood up, speaking quickly and coldly, full of impatience, as if responding to her pleas, magnanimously granting: “Next month I will come on time, help you regulate your spiritual power before leaving. Rest well.”
With that, Shen Yuqing flicked his sleeve and left.
Jiang Zhaoxue watched his actions somewhat dazedly. What kind of language comprehension was this?
Pei Zichen last night was speaking past each other like a chicken and duck.
Now Shen Yuqing was also speaking past each other like a chicken and duck.
This master and disciple both couldn’t understand human speech—were they really this difficult to communicate with?
She stared blankly at Shen Yuqing leaving. When he reached the door, Shen Yuqing suddenly remembered something, stopped and turned back: “One more thing.”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue tensed nervously. Her face remained expressionless as she said with confusion: “What is it?”
“Last night when the Jiuyou Realm barrier opened, Pei Zichen was trapped alone in Wuyue Forest.” Shen Yuqing spoke, but it was about Pei Zichen.
Jiang Zhaoxue’s heartbeat instantly quickened. Although she knew Shen Yuqing couldn’t possibly know anything, she still unconsciously felt somewhat guilty.
She feigned composure, her eyes showing confusion. Shen Yuqing contemplated and continued: “Last night’s situation—logically speaking, a Core Formation disciple like him shouldn’t have survived, yet not only did he survive, he was even completely unharmed, showing signs of a breakthrough. When I saw him, he carried the Netherworld Orchid fragrance unique to your Penglai Island. I asked him if he met anyone else. He lied.”
“So?”
The more Jiang Zhaoxue listened, the more nervous she became, somewhat unable to determine whether Shen Yuqing was testing her.
Shen Yuqing didn’t detect her abnormality, only thinking aloud: “He’s too abnormal. I’ve already detained him in the Punishment Hall and handed him to Xiao’an for personal interrogation. Have someone investigate clearly—last night, did anyone from Cloud Floating Mountain go out to Wuyue Forest. I will also write to Father-in-law, asking him to give me a list of demonic cultivators from Penglai currently remaining in Central Province and those whose whereabouts are unknown.”
“Oh.” Hearing this request, Jiang Zhaoxue understood Shen Yuqing’s meaning and couldn’t help silently rolling her eyes.
When handling business, he suddenly remembered her father was his father-in-law.
But she didn’t want to say more. She only nodded, looking righteously understanding: “Rest assured. This concerns Jiuyou Realm—I won’t be vague about it.”
Shen Yuqing was reassured on this point. He acknowledged with a sound, left a phrase “rest well,” and stepped outside.
After walking out the door, disciples who had come upon hearing the news stepped forward to pay respects: “Pavilion Master.”
Shen Yuqing nodded, about to leave, when he suddenly recalled the scene he had seen in Jiang Zhaoxue’s room just now.
He had never paid attention before, but today he discovered that Jiang Zhaoxue’s room was exceptionally plain. Even the gold powder seemed mottled. It could be described as having “bare walls”—extremely desolate.
When did her room become so shabby?
Shen Yuqing frowned slightly.
Unless it concerned official business, he wasn’t someone who paid attention to these details. Moreover, every time he came to Cloud Floating Mountain, dealing with Jiang Zhaoxue exhausted all his mental energy—he had little capacity to attend to other matters. Thinking about it now, he actually couldn’t recall what her usual circumstances were at all.
Associating this with her earlier complaint about his past transmission of spiritual power, he hesitated for a moment before finally saying: “Have Zilu go to the warehouse to fetch jade bottles and gold vessels to send to Cloud Floating Mountain, and have craftsmen thoroughly repair all of Cloud Floating Mountain.”
Hearing this, the disciple felt uneasy, not expecting Shen Yuqing to suddenly pay attention to this matter, and hurriedly acknowledged.
“Also,” Shen Yuqing unconsciously continued instructing, “investigate the water spiritual root disciples who came and went from Cloud Floating Mountain last night…”
Shen Yuqing’s words reached halfway before forcibly stopping.
Why was he investigating this?
What’s done is done. It was just putting on airs, wanting to provoke him with these matters. It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before—why care?
Don’t give her sweet rewards, lest she become more outrageous in the future and make people laugh.
Shen Yuqing gradually calmed down.
The disciple waited a long time before finally hearing Shen Yuqing conclude: “Never mind.”
After Shen Yuqing finished speaking, he stepped away. Having confirmed the situation, he returned again to Wuyue Forest.
He was always coming and going hurriedly. Jiang Zhaoxue had long grown accustomed to it.
Sending off this great Buddha, Jiang Zhaoxue immediately exhaled a breath of turbid air. Her entire body collapsed on the bed as she raised her hand to cover her wildly beating heart, lightly patting her chest to comfort herself: “That was close. Finally got him to leave.”
Hearing this, A’Nan poked his bird head out from the bedding: “Why are you panicking? It’s not like you were having an affair.”
Jiang Zhaoxue choked at these words. She glared at A’Nan, threw off the bedding and got out of bed. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the Lingxiao Hua on the bedside table.
She picked up the Lingxiao Hua, walked to the table, examined it, and contemplated the current situation.
According to the original book’s plot, when Pei Zichen encountered that black serpent in Wuyue Forest, the black serpent emerging near the boundary marker destroyed the nearby Lingxiao Hua, so he couldn’t bring back Lingxiao Hua. That was why Shen Yuqing would take her spiritual root to give to Mu Jinyue.
Now that the Lingxiao Hua was brought back intact, Shen Yuqing wouldn’t immediately take her spiritual root, and she didn’t need to urgently leave Lingjian Immortal Pavilion.
Last night, that black serpent was slain by her in advance. Shen Yuqing wasn’t injured, so there was no opportunity to spend time with Mu Jinyue. Shen Yuqing and Mu Jinyue’s romance line was temporarily severed.
As for Jiuyou Realm, with Shen Yuqing managing it, she didn’t need to worry about it.
Although she hadn’t achieved the best result of her initial plan to obtain the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade, it wasn’t too bad.
The only problem was that, while things seemed to have greatly diverged from the original plot, thinking carefully revealed something was wrong.
Major events—at least Pei Zichen’s major events—were all consistent.
In the original book, for Pei Zichen, the key early plot points were first obtaining the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade in Wuyue Forest, then being framed for colluding with demonic cultivators to open Jiuyou Realm. Although things were now a complete mess, these two plot points had occurred smoothly.
In other words, no matter how much she interfered, the major events in Pei Zichen’s life most likely wouldn’t change.
And her death actually counted as a major turning point.
It was because he killed her that Penglai became completely antagonistic with Pei Zichen, fighting to the death. And it was only after trampling all of Penglai that Pei Zichen ascended to become a god.
If even obtaining the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade wouldn’t be changed, then this kind of core plot written in the outline summary would be even less likely to change.
This meant that without major changes, sooner or later she would die at Pei Zichen’s hands.
She had to obtain the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade.
Jiang Zhaoxue’s mind flashed to the moment when Shen Yuqing tried to touch her just now—her complete inability to control her regret, the feeling of her body hair standing on end. She couldn’t restrain herself for even a moment.
She couldn’t let the Soul Bond Contract remain on Shen Yuqing any longer.
She couldn’t accept her life being in another person’s hands, much less accept that person being Shen Yuqing.
Whether it was the author’s forced arrangement or Shen Yuqing’s own will, after breaking free from the author’s restrictions and gradually calming down, thinking again of what Shen Yuqing had done in the past, thinking of him pointing his sword at her—she only had one thought—
To hell with him!!
When she later stepped into the ninth realm as a destiny master, she would definitely return and settle accounts with Lingjian Immortal Pavilion one by one for what they owed Penglai over these years, then pin Shen Yuqing to the ground and beat him into a pig’s head!
Only all of this was built on the foundation of obtaining the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade.
Only by obtaining the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade could she have the possibility of releasing the Soul Bond Contract and leaving Lingjian Immortal Pavilion.
Only by obtaining the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade could she prove that destiny could be reversed, that she wouldn’t be killed by Pei Zichen.
Without even obtaining the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade, what future was there to speak of?
She had to first fish Pei Zichen out, take him away, then get the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade into her hands.
After pondering in her heart, she was instantly filled with fighting spirit and loudly called: “Qingye!”
“Goddess, Goddess.”
Hearing Jiang Zhaoxue’s words, Qingye ran in. Looking left and right, she lowered her voice: “Are we leaving?”
“Can’t leave now.” Jiang Zhaoxue spoke truthfully. Before Qingye could show disappointment, she said seriously, “But it will be soon. I’ve changed my plan now. We won’t leave yet. Today, you go first to keep watch at the Punishment Hall. If Pei Zichen returns from Wuyue Forest, notify me immediately.”
“Pei Zichen?” Qingye was confused. After thinking for a moment, she realized: “Oh, your husband’s eldest disciple?”
“Exactly.” Jiang Zhaoxue affirmed. “It’s him!” Speaking thus, afraid Qingye wouldn’t recognize him, she added a reminder: “The best-looking one, who they call the sect’s white jade, the first Core Formation.”
Hearing this, Qingye became somewhat vigilant and turned to look at Jiang Zhaoxue.
Jiang Zhaoxue was confused by her look: “What is it?”
“You…” Qingye probed, “haven’t gotten tired of your husband being old and fallen for a young one, have you?”
“How could you think of me like that?” Jiang Zhaoxue was shocked.
Qingye blinked: “But you are like that. If not for looks, would you have chosen your husband at first sight?”
Jiang Zhaoxue was speechless. She suddenly felt everyone around her was talented—one after another could kill a conversation dead.
She was too lazy to waste words with Qingye. Having opened four arrays in one night, she felt her meridians aching with emptiness.
She waved her hand, urging Qingye to do the task: “Go keep watch. I need to meditate. Tell me as soon as he arrives.”
Qingye saw Jiang Zhaoxue was dismissing her and acknowledged: “Alright.” Then quickly withdrew.
After arranging things, Jiang Zhaoxue got up to change clothes. After a simple wash, she began meditating.
Yesterday her spiritual power consumption was too great. Just now Shen Yuqing was provoked by her and didn’t look carefully, but if he had reached out to carefully examine her body, he would have discovered the abnormality.
She needed to quickly clear all traces completely, not letting Shen Yuqing discover any abnormality, then quietly take Pei Zichen away—this was the fastest plan.
Lingxiao Hua had been found. These days Shen Yuqing would probably be reinforcing the barrier—this was the best opportunity.
She pondered in her heart, meditating to regulate her spiritual energy. When night came, Qingye finally returned excitedly, happily saying: “Goddess, I’ve inquired properly. Young Daoist Pei has returned from Wuyue Forest!”
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue immediately opened her eyes, turning to look at Qingye: “Did you find out where he’s being held?”
“He’s held in the Punishment Hall water dungeon.” Qingye handled things extremely properly. She walked to Jiang Zhaoxue’s side and crouched down, lowering her voice: “Wen Xiao’an will interrogate tomorrow. Goddess, what do you plan to do?”
Interrogation tomorrow—then taking him away tonight was perfect timing.
Jiang Zhaoxue thought for a moment, then said: “Do you know the way?”
“I do.” Qingye answered seriously, taking out a map. “I bought it from Punishment Hall disciples with spirit stones.”
Jiang Zhaoxue opened the map to look. After thinking for a moment, she stood and instructed: “Bring the invisibility robes. Follow me.”
Pei Zichen wasn’t being held where serious criminals were kept. The guards were just disciples below Core Formation stage. Invisibility robes were sufficient to deal with them. The most difficult part was not alerting the barrier set up by Gujun Ancestor.
Fortunately, as the Pavilion Master’s wife, her Pavilion Master’s Wife seal could allow unobstructed entry to all places—barriers couldn’t stop her.
She put on the invisibility robe, taking Qingye and A’Nan to quickly set out under cover of night. After reaching the Punishment Hall, Jiang Zhaoxue took out the Pavilion Master’s Wife seal to silently open the barrier. Then the two people and one bird directly entered the dungeon, walking past one floor after another of stairs, through one tunnel after another, finally arriving at where Pei Zichen was imprisoned.
Perhaps to prevent collusion, though more likely Wen Xiao’an feared Pei Zichen would say something to others, Wen Xiao’an had Pei Zichen held separately in a large cell.
Late at night, the disciples guarding the prison seemed bored, sitting and drinking wine. Jiang Zhaoxue and Qingye walked in through the iron door. Jiang Zhaoxue gave Qingye a look. Qingye walked to the table, knocked the people unconscious with two palms, sealed their five senses and bound them together, took down the keys, locked the iron door to this large cell, then tossed the cell keys to Jiang Zhaoxue.
“Goddess, this is the water dungeon key. He’s in the last cell. I’ll go out to keep watch.”
“Go ahead.”
Jiang Zhaoxue caught the keys, then turned and walked to the end of the corridor, seeing the water dungeon at the very back.
Jiang Zhaoxue walked inside with A’Nan. A’Nan looked around, somewhat curious: “Master, what do you plan to do?”
“First get him out.” Jiang Zhaoxue said calmly. “It’s not convenient to act here. If he struggles, he could summon people at any time. Best to coax him out.”
“You still plan to cut him open?”
A’Nan was shocked and couldn’t help saying: “He just saved you. Isn’t that a bit much?”
Jiang Zhaoxue didn’t speak. She had already arrived before the water dungeon.
She stood silently outside the wooden railing, lowering her eyes to look at the water dungeon.
The water dungeon was lower than normal ground level, filled with filthy water up to a person’s chest.
Pei Zichen was trapped in the middle. His shoulder blades were pierced through by two large hooks, hanging him suspended on the wall. Blood and sweat dripped together into the water, transforming into invisible blackness, spreading in the water along with his clothes.
Jiang Zhaoxue looked at his appearance, recalling the young man’s silhouette she had glimpsed through the bed curtain in a daze this morning.
Compared to this morning, he was now extremely wretched. She couldn’t help opening her mouth to mock, directly saying: “Do you regret it now?”
This voice echoed in the prison.
Hearing the sound, Pei Zichen looked up in a daze.
The surroundings were completely empty. Pei Zichen paused for a moment, slowly realizing someone had come. Somewhat incredulous, he probed: “Miss?”
Seeing he recognized her, Jiang Zhaoxue no longer concealed herself. She raised her hand to remove the cloak’s hood, and her figure also appeared from the light and shadow.
She still wore a face veil but had changed into a water-blue long dress inlaid with pearls.
In the dim prison cell, she appeared extraordinarily bright.
Seeing it was Jiang Zhaoxue, Pei Zichen quietly observed, using his gaze to carefully examine her once over. Only then did he seem to set his mind at ease. His words carried relief as he smiled and said: “Miss is unharmed?”
“With Young Daoist Pei’s life-risking assistance, naturally I’m fine.”
Jiang Zhaoxue looked down at Pei Zichen in the water from her high position, saying with sarcasm: “I just don’t know if Young Daoist Pei, not heeding advice and insisting on returning to the sect, ending up with locked shoulder blades in a water dungeon—do you have any regrets?”
Hearing her words, Pei Zichen smiled somewhat weakly: “Has Miss come to call me to account?”
Jiang Zhaoxue paused, inexplicably feeling her anger fell to a lower position before this youth.
She restrained her emotions, crouched on one knee, and expressionlessly instructed: “Open your mouth.”
Pei Zichen opened his mouth in confusion. Jiang Zhaoxue flicked her finger, precisely and accurately shooting the pill in.
Pei Zichen nearly choked, coughing lightly as he digested it.
Jiang Zhaoxue watched silently. After Pei Zichen caught his breath and his complexion improved slightly, she rested her hand on her knee and said impatiently: “Speak. Why did you lie to me and run away?”
“Miss,” Pei Zichen’s breathing eased somewhat. Somewhat helpless, he reminded her: “From the very beginning, I only promised to accompany Miss down the mountain.”
Jiang Zhaoxue frowned slightly, only now discovering—it seemed he never promised to come with her?
But realizing this, she became even more confused: “Since you didn’t plan to come with me, why accompany me down the mountain?”
When encountering Shen Yuqing, he could have just rushed out. His master was a Great Ascension stage top cultivator—if he made any movement, it would be immediately discovered.
“Miss is a destiny master.” Pei Zichen began saying things Jiang Zhaoxue couldn’t understand again, answering quite seriously: “Destiny masters aren’t skilled in close combat. Miss also has an old grudge with Master and was being pursued by Lingjian Immortal Pavilion. I had to send Miss to a safe place.”
These words made Jiang Zhaoxue laugh. She looked at this youth who couldn’t even protect himself and said sarcastically: “You truly have a bodhisattva’s heart. Not even knowing my background, you wanted to protect my safety, and also…” Jiang Zhaoxue swept her gaze over the blood on his shoulder. Besides the wounds caused by the shoulder blade locks, there were clearly other wounds in positions precisely where her talisman had sealed his meridians. She saw at a glance what he had done. For a moment, her feelings were complex as her tone softened a few degrees. “Also forcibly broke through your meridians to transmit spiritual power to me. Do you know who I am?”
“I don’t know.” Pei Zichen said calmly.
“Then you still saved me?” Jiang Zhaoxue raised her eyebrow. “Aren’t you afraid I’m a bad person who would implicate you?”
“Miss is a good person.” Pei Zichen affirmed.
“That’s not necessarily true.” Jiang Zhaoxue smiled ambiguously.
Pei Zichen thought about it and said seriously: “If Miss were a bad person, why would you repair the Jiuyou Realm barrier, and why would you save me?”
“When did I save you…”
“Miss’s array originally should have had another purpose.” Pei Zichen cut her off, his tone unhurried as he spoke of things he had observed. “But when the Jiuyou Realm barrier was damaged, Miss still used it to repair the barrier, giving up your own benefit for the people of the world. This is great kindness—you have grace toward the people of the world.”
“Continue. I like hearing this.”
“Afterward, when I was about to be swallowed by that evil serpent, Miss could have not appeared. Drawing the array while hiding to the side would have been safer. But Miss still came before me, and as a destiny master, carrying over a hundred talismans, unhesitatingly saved me—you showed grace to Zichen. Such a person who has shown grace to the world and to myself—how could I not protect?”
Hearing these words, Jiang Zhaoxue felt heartache.
Talismans were hard to come by—they were all her protective treasures. At that time, her brain must have had a spasm to actually throw them all at him, and in the end, he repaid kindness with enmity and snatched her Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade!
Moreover, this was bad enough, but now that he said it like this, it was even more embarrassing.
She felt like sitting on pins and needles and said vaguely: “I did it in passing.”
“Afterward, when Miss saw me near death, you stopped before me for three breaths.” Hearing her discomfort, Pei Zichen pretended not to know and continued: “In those three breaths, I knew Miss wanted to save me. Later, Miss indeed returned. Although I don’t know what price Miss paid, I know it was Miss who saved my life.”
No, she didn’t.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue secretly resented it. She stared at his chest, vaguely able to see the Heavenly Secret Spirit Jade beating with his heart.
However, since he misunderstood, she didn’t explain further. Instead, she smiled and said: “So you did it to repay kindness. I thought you were this good to everyone.”
“Not everyone in this world is worth saving.” Pei Zichen shook his head. “Right and wrong, merit and fault—I judge them in my own heart.”
“Young in years but thinking quite a lot.” Seeing his old-fashioned appearance, Jiang Zhaoxue couldn’t help teasing. “I thought you only knew how to play with cats.”
Hearing this, Pei Zichen instantly realized what he had done. His face immediately flushed with a thin red, and his tone suddenly lost its steadiness, becoming somewhat uncertain: “I apologize. At that time I didn’t know it was you…”
“Not knowing means you can touch and hold randomly?”
Jiang Zhaoxue raised her eyebrow. Thinking of his spirited appearance when he first appeared, then comparing it to his current honest and steady demeanor, she couldn’t help finding it amusing.
Pei Zichen’s entire body froze. He knew Jiang Zhaoxue was right. Regardless of whether Jiang Zhaoxue was human or tiger, he had indeed forcibly touched her—apologies had no meaning now.
Standing in place at a loss, he lowered his head to look at Jiang Zhaoxue’s reflection in the water. After thinking for a long time, he finally organized his words and said through gritted teeth: “My actions were improper. Please punish me, Miss.”
“Punishment? I don’t need that.”
Sensing she was going too far, Jiang Zhaoxue stood up, patted the wrinkles in her skirt, and began discussing the real matter, half-truthfully coaxing: “But consider this—you are indebted to me, and I showed you grace. All told, I saved your life. Your repayment last night is probably not enough, right? How about this—”
Speaking thus, Jiang Zhaoxue shook the keys in her hand.
The sound of colliding keys rang crisply in the prison. Hearing the sound, Pei Zichen looked up and saw Jiang Zhaoxue crouching before the cell. Her face was covered by the veil—though her complete features couldn’t be seen clearly, those eyes full of smiling intent could be seen.
“I’ll save you and get you out. You give me your life. How about it?”