The Villain Fox's Sickly Beauty Master - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: No Matter What, It’s Better Than Having One’s Heart Gouged Out.

Just say you didn’t say anything!

For some reason, even though she couldn’t see the real object, Jiang Jinheng always found the sight of 007’s “furious” state adorable. She could even hear the purring sound of its anger, giving her the illusion that it would feel nice to touch. However, if she teased it further, it might stop speaking for a long time, so she quickly conceded.

“Alright, are you trying to ask me why I’m looking for those things?”

It had been holding back for the entire trip, refusing to utter a word, but it suddenly spoke up after she made that decision, indicating its curiosity.

So, even though 007 didn’t reply, Jiang Jinheng slowly explained, “In the Bōsuō Secret Realm that opens three days from now, Mo Tong will obtain a crucial cultivation technique and a Celestial-grade alchemical cauldron.”

“I should have slain many demons, but I have no memory of refining a soul. To deal with the thousand-year-old demon soul attached to that cauldron, I need to prepare thoroughly.”

Apart from her master’s favor, this trip to the secret realm was Mo Tong’s first, and largest, true fortune. With the technique obtained here, he would make up for the deficiency of his mixed spiritual roots. With the cauldron and the subsequent alchemical talent he displayed, he garnered the expectations and envy of many fellow disciples and elders.

However, there were deeper reasons behind the envy. The cauldron was the personal alchemical cauldron of the Demon Realm’s Alchemist Venerable, Wan Zhuqing, who had perished on the Immortal-Demon Battlefield a thousand years ago. In that great war, the victorious human race’s surviving mighty figures sealed the battlefield. That battle saw devastating losses for both the demon realm and human cultivators, with more than half of the Mahayana-stage cultivators perishing, and Wan Zhuqing was one of them.

Many secret treasures were left on the Immortal-Demon Battlefield. Because the bl00d essence was too abundant, the secret realm was overrun with ferocious beasts. After centuries of sedimentation, the major sects agreed to regularly open it, making it the most coveted secret realm for human cultivators today.

But many people didn’t know that Wan Zhuqing, who died in the Immortal-Demon War, had used a secret technique to hide a wisp of his demon soul in his alchemical cauldron. The cauldron was buried under the sands as time passed, but the soul was immortal. This very cauldron was one of Mo Tong’s great opportunities.

One side wanted to exploit, and the other wanted to seize the body. Of course, the Son of Destiny, Mo Tong, ultimately won this silent battle. However, because Mo Tong’s power was initially too insignificant, he had to pretend to cooperate with the Demon Venerable’s soul for a full year, learning all of his skills before successfully refining the demon soul. Naturally, his strength also increased by a large margin.

According to the information 007 had previously provided, the cauldron was even found by Jiang Jinheng and given to Mo Tong by her.

At the time, Jiang Jinheng had been suspicious. Although her current strength was not comparable to Wan Zhuqing in his peak, a wisp of demon soul should be of a similar realm as her, and since it was refined by Mo Tong, who was merely at the Nascent Soul mid-stage a year later, it should be weaker than her. Why hadn’t she noticed it when she acquired the cauldron, and simply handed it over to her “most beloved” disciple?

However, Jiang Jinheng quickly dismissed the thought. Every action of the person in the storybook 007 gave her, who was supposedly her, was incomprehensible; one more strange event was not surprising.

Jiang Jinheng threw out those two sentences as bait, and 007 quickly took it.

Are you saying you want to refine that demon soul immediately?

“Naturally. If the cauldron is in Mo Tong’s hands, the demon soul is a risk-and-opportunity coexisting chance for him. But if it’s in my hands, it’ll only be a risk.”

After all, she didn’t need an old man to teach her alchemy.

As she spoke with 007, the old woman who had gone to fetch the books hurriedly returned and handed Jiang Jinheng only a thin booklet.

“Thank you.”

Jiang Jinheng accepted the small booklet, bowed slightly, and then turned to leave.

007 still couldn’t change its talkative nature and started speaking again once they were alone.

With such a thin stack, how much stuff could it possibly record?

Hearing this, Jiang Jinheng couldn’t help but chuckle lightly: “Immortal techniques are transcribed, one page can hold a hundred pages of ordinary books. You’ll know soon enough.”

Jiang Jinheng’s words made the questioning 007 sound like a bumpkin, but it was quite happy.

It seems your spirit-body integration is progressing very quickly.

This statement made Jiang Jinheng pause. After a moment of careful thought, she smiled again: “Indeed, the people and events I’ve encountered recently, as well as most of the immortal techniques I’ve learned, seem to be becoming clearer in my memory.”

However, one thing still puzzled Jiang Jinheng. The memories that gradually surfaced throughout the day were all about recent events, but for some reason, as soon as she saw Fu Yi, Jiang Jinheng would recall their first meeting by the cold pond.

The Hall of Profound Clouds (Xuanyun Hall) was usually only occupied by Jiang Jinheng, but there were still young servants responsible for sweeping. Furthermore, the whole sect knew she had taken on a disciple today, so naturally, someone came to inquire about which hall needed to be cleaned and prepared. Unexpectedly, the young servant sent couldn’t find Jiang Jinheng but happened to run into Fu Yi walking out of the main hall.

“Honored Head.”

The address made Fu Yi momentarily lost in thought. Only then did she realize that Jiang Jinheng seemed to have only accepted her as a disciple. What about Mo Tong?

While she was thinking, the young servant who had bowed to her asked several questions, but Fu Yi didn’t hear a single word. Realizing she was being rude, she felt a little embarrassed.

“I just woke up, and my mind is a little confused. Could you please say that again?”

The young servant had originally wanted to ask Fu Yi if she knew Jiang Jinheng’s whereabouts, but then hearing that she had just woken up from the main hall, he changed his question.

“May I ask which palace you would like to use as your sleeping quarters?”

Hearing this, Fu Yi was stunned again. This event hadn’t happened in her memory. She instinctively glanced at the side hall she had once lived in, then lowered her head to think for a moment before asking, “I can live anywhere?”

“Of course.”

He answered decisively. After all, the Hall of Profound Clouds had numerous chambers, and Fu Yi was the only disciple of Immortal Venerable Luan Qiu, and their relationship must be very close, otherwise why would she wake up in the main hall where the Immortal Venerable resided? However, Fu Yi’s next sentence made him hesitant to agree easily.

“Then please arrange for me to be with the other newly admitted disciples of Water Cloud Peak.”

The person didn’t expect Fu Yi to make such a request. After all, in an immortal sect, the Inner-Door Disciples of Peak Masters and Elders are basically treated as successors and are often personally taught by them, so they are generally arranged to live in the same residence. But Fu Yi…

Seeing the young servant hesitate, Fu Yi knew his concerns and added,

“I just think that since the various peaks will have unified lectures for the first three months, it would be better to live closer. The Hall of Profound Clouds is too high up, and since I don’t know any techniques yet, coming and going is too troublesome. Of course, if you have reservations, you can wait for me to inform my Master, and I will notify you separately.”

Fu Yi’s explanation was quite reasonable. The young servant pondered for a moment and felt that this was not a major issue, so he readily agreed and said he could make the arrangements for her.

Having received the answer, the young servant naturally didn’t linger. Fu Yi watched him ride the clouds away, but she didn’t know what to do next. Suddenly, she remembered something and headed outside the hall.

After searching for a long time, Fu Yi stopped in front of a spring, her face showing joy.

This was the Marrow Cleansing Spring (Xisui Quan). As the name suggested, it had the effect of cleansing marrow and refining bones, making it most suitable. She had also found this spot in her previous life, but later…

Fu Yi’s eyes darkened mysteriously, and then she closed them, letting out a long sigh.

It was better not to think about those two people.

Reopening her eyes, she seemed to calm down. Looking at the Marrow Cleansing Spring before her, she thought for a moment, then untied her belt. Her toes touched the water, and she submerged her body.

Since the heavens allowed her to live again, and she had her own plans for the secret realm coming soon, she couldn’t waste this precious time. In her previous life, she had already formed her Golden Core and had long mastered breathing and energy control, but this body had not been tempered, and soaking in the spring water was truly piercingly painful.

But no matter what, it’s better than having one’s heart gouged out.

Fu Yi kept track of the time. When the sun had risen and set for two cycles, she got up from the water. A thin layer of mud had been secreted from her skin.

After a simple cleanse, Fu Yi used her spiritual power to evaporate the water droplets on her body. Only then did she put her clothes back on and carefully examined her Dantian. A cluster of Dan fire, surrounded by purplish-red spiritual energy, was now visible.

Qi Condensation Stage One…

This realization greatly pleased Fu Yi. That cluster of Dan fire meant she had officially stepped into the gate of the immortal path. In her previous life, it had taken her more than a month to learn the breathing techniques, control her spiritual energy, and truly cultivate the Dan fire. This time, with the aid of the spiritual spring and her past experience, it only took… two and a half days.

Happy as she was, Fu Yi looked up at the sky, watching the crescent moon beginning to appear through the clouds, and quietly slipped back to the Hall of Profound Clouds.

Unexpectedly, the hall was dark from the outside, just as it was when she left, except for an unopened letter on the stone steps in front of the hall.

Fu Yi picked it up and flipped it over. The sender was the “Miscellaneous Affairs Office,” and the date was the day of the disciple selection. The envelope was thick, seemingly containing a key.

It seemed this letter was meant for her, and Jiang Jinheng hadn’t returned in the past two days.

While thinking, Fu Yi tore open the letter, and the contents were exactly as she had expected. She had originally mentally prepared how to explain her whereabouts for the past two days and the situation of her private residence on the way back, but now none of it was needed.

This was good; it saved her trouble.

Fu Yi didn’t know where the slight feeling of loss in her heart came from, but she clutched the envelope and rushed to her new residence. Upon arriving, she finally understood the difference brought by social status.

The items she had left in her residence on the main peak were all moved here, not a single one missing. The size and furnishings of the room, however, were more than three times larger, even comparable to the side hall of the Hall of Profound Clouds she had lived in during her previous life. She truly wondered how these people found such a room among the residences for ordinary disciples.

But Fu Yi was only surprised. She had never had high demands in this regard. Instead, having not eaten for two days, she was truly ravenous and felt like gnawing on anything she saw. However, she searched everywhere, but there was no food at all.

This was normal. Since she hadn’t been here for two days, even if there was food, it would likely have spoiled. Searching around like this now was probably a sign that hunger was affecting her mind.

Thinking this, Fu Yi pushed open the door to go to the mess hall, but she ran into a fair-skinned, delicate woman in white right at the doorway.

“Junior Sister, I made some snacks to share with everyone. I saw the light on in your room and thought I’d bring you some too.”