The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 34

He Yongshi lowered his gaze. In the blink of an eye, his body was riddled with short blades.

The blade piercing his neck had severed his throat. Bl00d trickled down the blade, pooling into crimson droplets that clung to the edge. Before they could drip, an icy chill spread from his throat, rapidly engulfing his body.

In an instant, the blades embedded in He Yongshi’s flesh transformed into ice blades. The frozen blades sealed each bl00d droplet, trapping them like crimson crystals clinging to frost-covered branches—tiny red fruits growing in the ice. Bo Xuenong delicately peeled off each frozen bl00d droplet, muttering, “Don’t bleed so fast. I haven’t killed your brother yet. If he smells the bl00d, he might not dare to come back.”

Bo Xuenong didn’t even blink as she harvested the frozen bl00d droplets with deliberate slowness. Her movements were so gentle, it seemed less like murder and more like plucking spiritual fruits from a sacred tree.

He Yongshi couldn’t understand why Bo Xuenong was here, let alone why she, a disciple of Shen Yanting, could kill with such ease and apparent enjoyment. He even suspected that in her eyes, he wasn’t a living person but a mere object, allowing her to casually take his life.

The frost seeped into his flesh, gradually freezing his bl00d and dimming his consciousness. Only one thought remained crystal clear:

Shen Yanting must have chosen the wrong disciple. Only a Demonic Cultivator would treat human life as worthless as grass.

He wasn’t a good person himself, but even he couldn’t kill with such indifference. Humans and livestock were fundamentally different.

If he could just tell Shen Yanting, she would surely abandon Bo Xuenong and take another disciple. Then he would still have a chance, still…

He Yongshi’s stiff fingers twitched slightly, slowly reaching toward Bo Xuenong. “You…”

A faint sound escaped his throat, but no further words followed.

His life had come to an end.

The ice completely encased him, yet the rich aroma of flesh permeated the frozen barrier. Bo Xuenong’s nostrils twitched, greedily inhaling the scent of this fleshy feast. She licked her lips, as if tasting a hint of sweet meat. Swallowing repeatedly, her gaze grew colder as she stared at the ice sculpture.

She had sealed every inch of his skin with the Ice Blade Frost Condensation Technique, ensuring not a single drop of bl00d could flow through his body. Yet the fragrance not only persisted but grew increasingly intense.

Her bl00d clamored to devour him.

Her mind urged her to shatter the ice, seize He Yongshi’s throat, and sink her teeth into his flesh.

Through the ice, Bo Xuenong’s fingertips traced the most vulnerable point on He Yongshi’s neck, imagining the sweet taste of his bl00d.

No.

She couldn’t eat people.

Bo Xuenong raised her hand to shatter the ice sculpture, intending to completely destroy the corpse.

Her hand froze inches from He Yongshi’s body. She suddenly remembered how He Yongda doted on He Yongshi, even sharing his Spirit Supplements with him. It was possible He Yongda had placed a Cursed Seal on He Yongshi. Her earlier actions had been too swift for the seal to react, but completely destroying the body might alert He Yongda.

Bo Xuenong withdrew her hand with a gentle wave, pushing the ice sculpture into a corner.

The increased distance did nothing to diminish the fragrance. That unique, alluring scent continued to drift toward Bo Xuenong, tugging at her senses and stirring the primal hunger within her bloodline.

Her consciousness grew increasingly hazy, yet one conviction remained crystal clear:

She must not eat people.

She must not do anything Shen Yanting would disapprove of.

Bo Xuenong pressed down on her wrist, turning her head away from He Yongshi. She would wait here for He Yongda to return.

Dealing with He Yongshi was straightforward, but He Yongda was a different matter entirely.

Ranked first on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Stage.

The Heavenly Talent Register didn’t specify He Yongshi’s exact cultivation level, but given his top ranking on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, he couldn’t possibly be at the initial Nascent Soul Stage. He had already undergone Spirit Supplementation. Bo Xuenong couldn’t imagine the extent of the enhancement a complete Spirit Supplement could provide, but it was certainly substantial.

Her gaze drifted around the room, searching for suitable locations to set up a formation.

Her formation skills were mediocre at best. To eliminate He Yongda without alerting the Heavenly Cuisine Sect, she would have to activate the formation the instant he entered the room.

Suddenly, Bo Xuenong remembered the spatial artifact Feng Jin had exchanged for, the one capable of blocking even Shen Yanting’s Divine Sense. She immediately retrieved the jade token, gently squeezed it, and the familiar interface reappeared before her eyes. A new message had appeared in the Punish Evil and Promote Good section:

Assistant Bo Xuenong successfully killed mid-tier villain He Yongshi. Points +50.

Bo Xuenong had underestimated He Yongshi. She never imagined that he would transform from a low-tier villain to a mid-tier villain in just a few days after leaving the Imperial Tranquility Sect. When he was still at the sect, Feng Jin had to cripple him to earn a mere five Points. Now, his life alone could provide her, the deputy leader, with fifty Points.

The Heavenly Cuisine Sect truly was a nurturing ground for talent.

If even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could become a mid-tier villain, it was only a matter of time before he ascended to become a peerless villain.

If Shen Yanting knew she had killed such a vile person, she might even praise her.

A flicker of joy flashed across Bo Xuenong’s eyes as she noticed a surge of new names on the Punish Evil and Promote Good Plate. Unlike the True Love Endures Plate, where mission targets were fixed, the Punish Evil and Promote Good Plate’s targets refreshed constantly, their refresh rate determined by how quickly the System detected villains.

Previously, when Feng Jin remained confined within the Imperial Tranquility Sect, only low-tier villains from within the sect would appear, causing the mission targets to change at a glacial pace. Even Guan Caimei’s name, despite her death, had lingered on the plate, occupying a slot. Yet, after Bo Xuenong’s brief stay at the Heavenly Cuisine Sect, all the mission targets had been replaced. The lowest-tier villains now offered fifty Points—mid-tier villains—while the low-tier ones had been purged from the list.

Bo Xuenong counted the names on the True Love Plate. There were twenty-two in total, and the Punish Evil and Promote Good function could only display a maximum of twenty-two at a time.

Of the twenty-four newly appearing names, she only recognized He Yongshi and He Yongda.

Unsurprisingly, He Yongda’s name was golden.

This confirmed just how deserving he was of death.

Nascent Soul Stage.

She had never killed one before.

It would undoubtedly be immensely satisfying.

Bo Xuenong gently circulated her spiritual power. The bottleneck at the peak of the Golden Core Stage had been cracked open by Guan Caimei’s death, and the recent killing of He Yongshi had widened the fissure further. If she killed He Yongda, she might even break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. She didn’t want to take shortcuts, but she wouldn’t let any target Shen Yanting allowed her to kill escape.

Bo Xuenong had no doubt she could kill He Yongda.

She had her advantages.

The scent was still too strong.

Bo Xuenong’s gaze lingered on the System panel before she couldn’t resist turning toward He Yongshi’s corpse. The lingering scent of bl00d still clung to her senses, tormenting her. She clenched her jaw, desperately suppressing the urge to pounce.

As the craving intensified, a voice suddenly spoke: “Do you want to eat him?”

The woman’s voice had come from directly behind Bo Xuenong, clear and close. A subtle chill crept up her spine, and every hair on her body stood on end. Despite her cultivation level, she hadn’t sensed anyone entering the room or approaching her. She immediately extended her Divine Sense, calculating the woman’s distance.

A short blade materialized in her hand, and she whirled around, thrusting it at the sudden intruder.

The blade missed its target, striking the ice sculpture that had abruptly appeared instead, sending shards of ice flying.

Bo Xuenong’s eyes widened. The ice sculpture was none other than He Yongshi. His eyes, which had been forced shut within the ice, now snapped open, their depths burning crimson, as if life had returned to him.

How is this possible?

Puzzled, Bo Xuenong reached out to grab the woman standing behind He Yongshi. Before her hand could touch the woman, He Yongshi’s ice-encased head slammed into her. She stumbled back several steps, finally noticing the thin strands of gray spiritual mist that had pierced through the ice sculpture, binding He Yongshi’s body in multiple places.

With a mere flick of her fingers, the woman could control He Yongshi’s every move.

Corpse manipulation?

What kind of ability is this?

Bo Xuenong had never encountered a cultivator who could control corpses, nor had Shen Yanting ever mentioned such a skill.

The woman controlling the corpse was disheveled and filthy, her clothes stained with thick layers of bl00d. Her skin was pale, but it was a deathly, lifeless white. Her hands and arms were wrapped in thick, foul-smelling bandages that reeked of rotting flesh.

Her head hung low, long strands of hair clinging haphazardly to her face.

Bo Xuenong couldn’t make out her features, only hearing her say, “Don’t eat him. If you do, he’ll lose his humanity. Why not let me have him instead?”

The woman’s voice was hoarse and icy, like the low growl of a beast dwelling in a frozen abyss. She showed no intention of attacking Bo Xuenong, simply standing quietly behind He Yongshi, gazing intently at the dead man’s back as she waited for Bo Xuenong to grant her request.

Bo Xuenong detected no cultivator’s aura from her, only the stench of death and decay.

If the woman hadn’t spoken, Bo Xuenong would have mistaken her for a corpse.

She checked her System panel, but no new name had appeared.

This sudden appearance of the woman hadn’t triggered the System’s mid-tier villain alert. It was only after a moment that Bo Xuenong realized her mistake—she’d forgotten to close the System panel.

She glanced quickly at the woman, who remained in the same posture as before.

Aside from herself and Feng Jin, no one else should be able to see the System panel.

This reassured Bo Xuenong somewhat, but she remained wary of the woman’s sudden appearance. “Are you… from the Heavenly Cuisine Sect?”

“You don’t recognize me?” The woman stiffly moved her neck and raised her head.

As the hair on her face parted slightly, Bo Xuenong caught a glimpse of her features. Her skin was as white as paper, a deathly pallor devoid of any living warmth. Yet her lips were strikingly red, the extreme contrast between the red and white making her resemble a paper effigy used in worldly funeral rites.

While her exact features remained indistinct, Bo Xuenong clearly saw patches of dried, congealed bl00d crusting her skin.

The more Bo Xuenong studied the woman’s face, the more confused she became. “Should I know you?”

The woman approached Bo Xuenong, the stench of decay growing stronger with each step.

Bo Xuenong couldn’t help but wonder if the woman had been soaking in piles of corpses, spending her days immersed in bl00d and rotting flesh. It was as if she had been pickled in death’s aura.

Frowning, Bo Xuenong took a half-step back. The woman stared intently at Bo Xuenong’s face, noticing her obvious disgust. Suddenly, she chuckled. “I don’t recognize you either.”

Her laughter grew colder. “Who are you?”

With Shen Yanting gone, there was no need to feign innocence.

Bo Xuenong seized the woman’s neck, applying slight pressure with a threatening edge. “I should be asking you that question.”

The woman let out an eerie laugh, her neck suddenly becoming as thin as paper. With effortless ease, she slipped out of Bo Xuenong’s grasp. Bo Xuenong stared at her empty palm, then looked up at the woman. “Are you even human?”

The woman ignored Bo Xuenong’s question. “You’re not from Lanshou Village,” she countered. “Why would they welcome you back as a Spirit Supplement?”

Bo Xuenong’s eyes slowly shifted twice. “Are you from Lanshou Village?”

Noticing a change in the woman’s expression, Bo Xuenong pressed on. “You have no Spiritual Qi, so you can’t be a Spirit Supplement. Then you must be one of the Lanshou Village children taken to the Heavenly Cuisine Sect. Big Flower Cake? Little Quail Vegetable? Turtle Ben? Or Monkfish?”

Bo Xuenong rattled off all the nicknames Fu Yunqing had mentioned for her childhood playmates from Lanshou Village. The woman’s face darkened visibly, and she raised her eyes with a sinister glint. “Who are you? How do you know these nicknames? What have you done to the people of the village?”

Bo Xuenong was now almost certain this woman was one of the children taken from Lanshou Village.

The Heavenly Cuisine Sect had forbidden the children from aging, to preserve the villagers’ pity for them. According to Gui Nianqin, they all returned to the village looking exactly as they had when they left. This woman, however, was tall and slender, her features obscured but clearly not those of a child. A name flashed through Bo Xuenong’s mind. “Are you Gui Nian’an? Granny Gui’s granddaughter?”

“You…” The woman froze, her icy gaze softening slightly as she heard Gui Nianqin’s name. “I am Gui Nian’an. Who are you? How do you know about the village? Why are you posing as a Spirit Supplement? Your Spiritual Qi is abundant, but you’re definitely not a Spirit Supplement.”

So it really is Gui Nian’an.

Bo Xuenong figured Shen Yanting wouldn’t allow her to kill Fu Yunqing’s childhood best friend. Her murderous intent waned slightly. “I’m from the Imperial Tranquility Sect. Our Sect Leader is Fu Yunqing—you should know her. In your village, she was known as Xiao Hualuo.”

“You…” Gui Nian’an’s hostility diminished further upon hearing Fu Yunqing’s nickname. “Is Aunty Qing… is she alright?”

Bo Xuenong shook her head. “The Sect Leader’s lifespan is nearly exhausted. We passed through Lanshou Village and discovered something was amiss, so we infiltrated the Heavenly Cuisine Sect posing as villagers.”

Gui Nian’an’s expression changed drastically. “The Imperial Tranquility Sect is just a small sect! How can you possibly contend with the Heavenly Cuisine Sect? You must leave the mountain immediately, before you lose your lives for nothing.”

Bo Xuenong stared at Gui Nian’an, suddenly seeing the shadows of many others in her features. “You resemble your grandmother and your mother so much.”

The Gui Family’s values must have appealed to Shen Yanting. Even in dire straits, they refused to sacrifice others to save themselves.

Gui Nian’an asked about her most important relatives: “Are my grandmother and mother safe?”

Bo Xuenong replied, “Your mother is currently at the Heavenly Cuisine Sect. She’s likely been assigned to one of the Elders.”

“What!” Gui Nian’an’s already pale face turned even whiter.

Bo Xuenong was about to offer a word of comfort when Gui Nian’an suddenly clutched her abdomen and collapsed to the ground. In an instant, every bone in her body shattered, her skin peeled away in layers, and a mixture of bl00d, flesh, and bone scattered across the ground. Only her head remained mobile. She slowly crawled forward, dragging herself toward the ice sculpture. When she reached it, she asked Bo Xuenong again, “Can you give him to me?”

Startled by the sudden transformation, Bo Xuenong instinctively nodded, trying to understand Gui Nian’an’s condition.

With permission granted, Gui Nian’an bit into the ice sculpture.

She shattered the ice encasing He Yongshi’s leg, revealing skin already turning blue from frostbite.

Without the Frost Binding Art’s restraint, the scent of bl00d grew stronger.

Bo Xuenong bit her lip, keeping a safe distance. “Are you going to eat him?” she asked.

“No, I don’t eat people,” Gui Nian’an said firmly, shaking her head. She took a deep breath in He Yongshi’s direction, and a stream of dark gray qi flowed from his body into hers. With each breath, her body gradually reassembled itself, until she stood whole again, restored to her original form.

Bo Xuenong had never seen a body fall apart and reassemble itself before. Her gaze grew increasingly strange. “What was that just now? And what are you?”

“Me?” Gui Nian’an brushed off the dirt clinging to her clothes, pushed aside the hair obscuring her face, and tried to make herself look presentable. “That was corpse qi. I suppose I’m a Corpse Cultivator.”

“Corpse Cultivator?”

Bo Xuenong knew of some obscure cultivation methods in the Cultivation World, but this was the first time she’d ever heard of Corpse Cultivation. Thinking about it, her journey down the mountain had indeed exposed her to many things she’d never even heard of before—all thanks to the Heavenly Cuisine Sect.

Perhaps Fu Yunqing’s appearance had lessened her hostility, prompting Gui Nian’an to willingly explain Corpse Cultivation and what had happened after they came to the Heavenly Cuisine Sect.

In all the years of Lanshou Village’s existence, Fu Yunqing had been the only person born with a spiritual root suitable for cultivation.

The Heavenly Cuisine Sect wanted them to live forever, forcing the people of Lanshou Village to willingly become Spirit Supplements. Naturally, they resorted to unconventional methods.

These methods included forcing them to drink Demon Bl00d and eat Demon Flesh, and fusing Demon Bones into their bodies to create half-demons. However, this approach proved too time-consuming, resource-intensive, and prone to failure. After a single attempt, they abandoned it in favor of a more efficient path: forcing them to become Demonic Cultivators.

In truth, aside from the Eight Great Orthodox Paths of Cultivation, few other cultivation paths led to immortality. Demonic Cultivators and Joyous Union Cultivators, being unorthodox paths, were inherently cut off from the possibility of ascension from the start.

For those without spiritual roots like them, the path of Demonic Cultivation was indeed the easiest. By continuously devouring the power and flesh of others, they could gradually develop spiritual roots.

Children from a small mountain village like Gui Nian’an and her companions had never even considered devouring someone else’s spiritual root, let alone killing anyone. But Sect Leader Wu Liangyi of the Heavenly Cuisine Sect was a ruthless man. He confined them within a formation, selected a group of Outer Sect Disciples with the lowest Innate Talent, had them killed, and threw the corpses to the children. Those who refused to devour the spiritual roots according to the cultivation method were left to starve.

Children can’t withstand hunger, especially the youngest ones who barely understand right from wrong. All they knew was the agonizing pain of starvation.

Once one child agreed to cultivate, others followed. Wu Liangyi quickly realized how easily these children could be manipulated. As Demonic Cultivators repeatedly devoured spiritual roots, their Innate Talent grew stronger. Soon, older Outer Sect Disciples with mediocre Innate Talent began to meet with “accidents” one after another.

After these “accidents,” the victims were sent into the array to have their spiritual roots and flesh devoured, becoming nourishment for the disciples of Lanshou Village.

In Wu Liangyi’s eyes, trading ten disciples with mediocre Innate Talent for one with a mid-grade spiritual root was a worthwhile exchange. He knew Lanshou Village harbored hatred for him, but with a few Cursed Seals, he could not only erase their resentment but also make them willingly obey his commands.

Gui Nian’an was the oldest among them and the one who resisted the longest.

She had initially intended to starve herself to death. However, after being immersed day and night in piles of corpses and rotting flesh, her body gradually began to undergo corpse transformation, passively absorbing corpse qi. Wu Liangyi, upon discovering this, remembered that she was the only granddaughter of the Human Talisman. He specially retrieved a Corpse Cultivation Technique from ancient texts for her.

Corpse Cultivators primarily survive by absorbing corpse qi, gradually transforming their bodies into something more akin to the undead. Once they begin cultivating, stopping or going without corpse qi for too long causes their bodies to crumble, shatter, and ultimately dissolve into a pool of bl00d, resulting in death.

Gui Nian’an had initially started cultivating out of fear of pain, but the practice soon spiraled out of her control.

Corpse Cultivation requires no innate talent; with enough corpses, progress can be remarkably rapid.

Within a month of her successful Foundation Establishment, Wu Liangyi’s attitude toward her shifted. She was no longer merely the Human Talisman’s granddaughter but had become an experimental subject for the Heavenly Cuisine Sect. Wu Liangyi sought to determine the ultimate potential of Corpse Cultivation and whether this path could truly lead to success.

After all, a cultivation method that required no innate talent and didn’t involve cannibalism, yet still promised rapid advancement, was the shortcut of shortcuts.

If successful, the Heavenly Cuisine Sect could soon become the foremost sect in the Cultivation World.

Wu Liangyi willingly provided her with corpses, and Gui Nian’an naturally cultivated with relentless fervor. She dreamed of one day becoming powerful enough to kill Wu Liangyi himself. Unfortunately, Corpse Cultivation had significant limitations; with each breakthrough, the required corpse qi increased exponentially.

A century ago, after she broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, Wu Liangyi had thrown over five thousand corpses at her, yet her cultivation hadn’t advanced even a fraction further.

After that, Wu Liangyi abandoned her, sending her to He Yongda’s courtyard to serve as his sparring partner.

She hadn’t absorbed corpse qi for over a year, and her body had long reached its limit. She had only come here because she sensed the corpse qi.

If she hadn’t absorbed He Yongshi’s corpse qi in time, she might have died right there.

Bo Xuenong understood. “So, all the children of the Heavenly Cuisine Sect except you have become members of the Heavenly Cuisine Sect? And they’ve become Demonic Cultivators?”

“Yes,” Gui Nian’an nodded, her expression pained. “They betrayed the village.”

“No wonder,” Bo Xuenong murmured.

Gui Nian’an didn’t quite grasp Bo Xuenong’s meaning, so Bo Xuenong explained about the Contending Blossom Talisman.

The thought of Gui Nianqin being trapped in someone else’s deception for so many years made Gui Nian’an’s eyes burn with fury. “Heh! What good is beauty if it can’t keep you alive? The more beautiful you are, the shorter your life will be!”

Gui Nian’an let out a cold laugh and strode off to settle accounts with the person who had schemed against her grandmother. She took only two steps before turning back. “Miss Bo, He Yongda has placed a barrier around this courtyard. I can’t leave. Do you have any way to break it?”

Bo Xuenong raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you also at the Nascent Soul Stage?”

Gui Nian’an bit her lip in frustration, a chilling aura radiating from her. “He devoured Uncle Li and has now reached the advanced Nascent Soul Stage. My cultivation relies on corpse qi, which isn’t orthodox. I’m no match for him.”

Advanced Nascent Soul Stage.

He Yongda was even more formidable than she had imagined.

Bo Xuenong retrieved a bottle of medicinal pills from her Storage Jade Bracelet and handed it to Gui Nian’an. “Kill him, and you’ll be able to break the barrier. These are Jade Spirit Pills. Taking one will multiply your spiritual power, but there are some side effects.”

As Gui Nian’an reached for the pills, Bo Xuenong suddenly seized her wrist and swiftly applied a Cursed Seal.

The crimson mark flashed briefly, and Gui Nian’an froze. “A Death Seal?”

“I don’t trust you,” Bo Xuenong said, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Rest assured, as long as you don’t betray me, you won’t die.”

Gui Nian’an clutched the pills and burst into laughter.

Her reaction was completely unexpected. Bo Xuenong pursed her lips in displeasure. “What are you laughing at?”

“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone announce they’re planting a Death Seal,” Gui Nian’an said, lifting her long sleeve to reveal an arm stained with bl00d. She tapped her arm lightly, and dozens of crimson marks instantly surfaced—each a different Death Seal. “See? Death Seals should be planted silently, in hidden places. Yours is far too obvious.”

Bo Xuenong had never imagined someone could bear so many Death Seals. Anyone who attacked the caster of a Death Seal would suffer excruciating pain, their organs rupturing and bl00d gushing from every orifice. “You’ll never get your revenge.”

Gui Nian’an casually lowered her sleeve. “I can’t act directly, but I can make others act for me.”

She pointed at He Yongshi’s corpse. “I can control corpses.”

With a flick of her finger, He Yongshi’s body was once again enveloped in gray mist. As if resurrected, the layers of ice melted away, yet the bl00d no longer flowed. The blades embedded in his flesh fell away one by one, and the wounds miraculously healed. Apart from his gradually crimson eyes, he looked like a living man.

Gui Nian’an held out her palm to Bo Xuenong, and a miniature version of herself emerged from it. “After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, this appeared within me,” she explained. “She has the ability to control corpses. The more corpse qi she accumulates, the more bodies she can command.”

Bo Xuenong understood.

It wasn’t that Gui Nian’an’s cultivation required a thousandfold increase in corpse qi after reaching the Nascent Soul stage, making further progress impossible. Rather, Gui Nian’an had channeled all her corpse qi into this miniature entity.

Her body was covered in Death Seals. If her cultivation continued to advance rapidly, someone might fear her retaliation and strike preemptively. By transferring her corpse qi to the miniature entity, she could secretly grow stronger while reducing the Heavenly Cuisine Sect’s vigilance. Gui Nian’an was clever, but she hadn’t anticipated Wu Liangyi and the others would go to such extremes, completely sealing her within this courtyard and nearly starving her to death for lack of corpse qi to absorb.

The miniature entity controlled corpses, meaning her own body wasn’t directly involved in the attacks.

The Death Seals couldn’t kill Gui Nian’an.

Bo Xuenong pointed at the miniature entity. “Why are you telling me about your survival methods? And showing me this? You must know that if I wanted, I could imprint another Death Seal on this avatar of yours at any time.”

Gui Nian’an saw the doubt in Bo Xuenong’s eyes. She gazed at Bo Xuenong, as if seeing another person through her. “You’re from the Imperial Tranquility Sect. I’m willing to trust a friend. The situation in the village can’t get any worse. It’s already a great kindness that you’re helping us out of respect for Aunty Qing. It’s natural that you don’t trust me, since we just met. If…”

Bo Xuenong pushed Gui Nian’an’s hand away and gently brushed her wrist, causing the Death Seal to vanish. “You… can you please not tell my Master that I planted a Death Seal on you?”

Gui Nian’an looked puzzled. “Miss Bo?”

Bo Xuenong touched her lips, the metallic tang of bl00d now completely overwhelmed by her inner turmoil.

She instinctively took two steps back. “You seem to have a kind heart. My Master doesn’t like it when I harm good people.”

Gui Nian’an rubbed her ears several times to make sure she hadn’t misheard. She couldn’t understand why someone who had just threatened her with a Death Seal would suddenly become so timid. “Miss Bo, are you very afraid of your Master?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! I’m not afraid of Master. I just don’t want to make her sad!” Bo Xuenong muttered. “If Master is sad, I’ll be sad too. I can’t do anything Master dislikes, and I’ll try my best to do everything she likes! I want to be the kind of person Master likes, not someone she dislikes!”

As Bo Xuenong spoke, her tone grew increasingly fierce. “You can’t tell Master about the Death Seal I placed on you, or I’ll definitely kill you.”

The more Gui Nian’an listened, the stranger it sounded. She rubbed her ears again, then suddenly realized, “I understand now. The ‘Master’ Miss Bo is referring to must be her Dao Companion.”

Bo Xuenong’s face flushed crimson. She stammered, scratching her cheek in confusion, “What nonsense are you spouting? Master is just Master! Master is… Master is…”

She was furious.

The sight of Gui Nian’an only irritated her more.

Sensing something amiss, Gui Nian’an subtly shifted her gaze. “Miss Bo’s Master must be a powerful cultivator—beautiful, kind-hearted, and incredibly gentle, right?”

Hearing Gui Nian’an praise Shen Yanting, much of Bo Xuenong’s resentment instantly dissipated. She completely forgot about the lingering scent of bl00d in the air, her lips curving into an involuntary smile. “Of course!”

Gui Nian’an: “……”