novelzi Chapter 65
Chapter 65
Nie Yinzhi immediately sent a message to Feng Hanying, asking about the whereabouts of the Kirin egg. While waiting for his reply, she went to spend some time with her mother.
In an effort to salvage Gu Jiang's image in her parents' eyes, Nie Yinzhi had spoken highly of him, praising his appearance and personality as if he were a celestial being descended to earth. Her mother couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth with her hand, "Your father isn't even this perfect. I think you're just seeing him through rose-tinted glasses."
"That's not true," Nie Yinzhi retorted, but after a moment's thought, she conceded, "Well, he's at least on par with Father."
"Your father has plenty of flaws," her mother teased.
"Well, Gu Jiang does have some shortcomings too," Nie Yinzhi admitted, counting them on her fingers. "He's lazy, never tells me what he's planning to do, and he's so arrogant..."
By the time her father returned home that evening and her mother went to rest, Nie Yinzhi finally left the main courtyard. Ah Huan, who had been chattering beside her, said, "Miss, weren't you supposed to be praising your husband? Why did you end up listing his faults instead?"
Nie Yinzhi slapped her forehead, "Oh, you're right!" She casually plucked a camellia flower, blew on its petals, and then smiled, "It's fine. Once my parents meet him, they'll definitely like him."
Ah Huan and Cheng Bi exchanged glances and chuckled together.
Nie Yinzhi gathered some camellia branches and placed them in her room. Sitting at her dressing table, she let Cheng Bi loosen her hair bun. As she reached for the golden sprout on her wrist, she worriedly wondered how many years had passed for Gu Jiang and whether he was still teetering on the edge of life and death.
She stared intently at the sprout's leaves, unsure if it was her imagination, but they seemed to have become more solid.
"Cheng Bi, take a look. Do these leaves seem a bit different?" Nie Yinzhi raised her wrist.
Cheng Bi leaned in for a closer look, "They do seem a bit more condensed."
"That's great!" Nie Yinzhi quickly finished her bedtime routine and sent the two maids away. Alone in bed, she activated her heart mantra to open the shared connection and feel the emotions from the sprout.
This time, there was a faint ripple of emotion from the sprout, no longer the hollow emptiness she had felt before.
Nie Yinzhi's heart leaped with joy. She closed her eyes, clearing her mind of distractions. The room was silent, save for the faint chirping of insects outside the window.
She focused on the subtle emotions flowing from the sprout. Though weak, she could sense them. From what she could gather, Gu Jiang seemed relaxed and safe. Nie Yinzhi tried to send her own joy back to him, unsure if he could receive it.
She kept the connection open, gently touching the sprout as if afraid it might dissipate with too much pressure. She whispered to it about her day.
Even though she had just seen him, Nie Yinzhi longed to return to his side through the heart's blood connection. She wondered which stage of his life she would find herself in next time, but she was certain he was drawing closer to her.
"Am I being too clingy?" Nie Yinzhi reflected.
The bed curtains fluttered as if stirred by a breeze, and a cool sensation crept under the thin blanket. Nie Yinzhi immediately noticed it, her eyes widening in surprise. She blinked but remained still.
The late spring weather was already warm, and she wore only a thin silk nightgown. The coolness crept up her body, emerging from the edge of the blanket near her chest. The Blood Moon Shadow swayed playfully, greeting her.
A faint ripple of emotion came from the sprout, as if Gu Jiang had chuckled in her ear.
His consciousness was trapped in the past, his body merged with the Blood Moon Shadow's demonic energy. Yet, this energy was still under his control. Rather than being consumed by the world, it was as if he had tamed it.
"You sneaking into a lady's bed like this—what's the difference between you and a scoundrel?" Nie Yinzhi pinched the strand of demonic energy, trying to send her thoughts through the sprout. "My father would break your legs for this."
The demonic energy affectionately coiled around her fingertips, lingering near her lips before retreating under the blanket. A chill enveloped her as the Blood Moon Shadow's energy wrapped around her body, its cold touch licking against her skin. The sensation was both strange and intriguing.
She tried to pull the energy away, but it only tightened its grip, the coolness feeling like Gu Jiang's embrace.
The Blood Moon Shadow clung to her, teasing her like a mischievous pet. It was so ticklish that Nie Yinzhi couldn't help but laugh, squirming under the blanket.
But soon, the playful caresses took a different turn. The cool energy slipped beneath the loose collar of her nightgown, brushing against her neck and slowly moving downward.
Nie Yinzhi's laughter stopped. She noticed the chill around her body had receded, leaving only a cold spot over her heart. It was as if Gu Jiang had released the embrace of demonic energy, leaving only the faint touch of his fingertips.
Instinctively, she hugged her arms, but the gesture felt more like pulling the demonic energy closer.
The energy around the bed grew denser, shrouding her vision in a swirling mix of black and red. She gradually lost herself in this mischievous haze.
She curled up, but it was no use. Before long, she felt herself being gently opened. She gasped softly, frowning as she clutched the blanket, feeling something odd.
Nie Yinzhi's curiosity was piqued, "Who are you trying to divine?"
"Just some insolent prisoner," Feng Hanying replied dismissively, not intending to elaborate further. He changed the subject, "Do you have time to care about others? Have you found your master yet?"
"Yes, his consciousness is trapped in the past," Nie Yinzhi looked into the distance. The weather was clear, with clouds like cotton. She wondered if there was rain where he was. "Gu Jiang is reliving his past."
The shadow serpent raised its head, and Feng Hanying's voice rose a pitch, "Reliving? Can he make changes? Doesn't that mean he has the power of foresight?" The serpent circled on the crane's back, its beady eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is perfect! If we take this opportunity to eliminate those future righteous cultivators in advance, wouldn't it be effortless to control the entire cultivation world?"
Nie Yinzhi glanced at him, "If your master had the ambition to control the entire cultivation world, he could do it anytime. He doesn't need to go back to the past."
Feng Hanying: "..." The shadow serpent coiled up, leaving her with the back of its bald head.
[I burst into laughter. Nie Yinzhi really knows how to crush a child's enthusiasm!]
[I can already hear Feng Hanying's career aspirations shattering. It's okay, you're still young. Keep cultivating, and by the time you're two thousand years old, you'll get there!]
[What insolent prisoner? Sisters, I need to know who this insolent prisoner is within three minutes! Is it a man or a woman?]
[Wow, has Feng Hanying finally had an epiphany? Is he playing the role of a ruthless tyrant?]
[Every time the Demon Lord Feng conquers a mountain, there's a group of prisoners. I haven't seen him treat anyone specially. Did I miss some plot?]
Until they reached Luoluo Mountain, Feng Hanying didn't speak another word to her.
Luoluo Mountain was occupied by a beast-taming sect. The sect consisted of cultivators who raised spirit beasts. Some bred them within the sect, while others roamed the land to capture and tame demon beasts. The tamed spirit beasts were then sold to other sects.
Although Luoluo Mountain was remote, its spirit beast valley was vast. Originally, it was the supplier of spirit beasts for Taixin Gate.
Feng Hanying's conquest of Luoluo Mountain had another purpose: to reward his demon generals with these spirit beasts as mounts. On the battlefield, it would also humiliate the cultivators of Taixin Gate—they couldn't even protect their own mounts.
Taixin Gate, a law sect, was located within the Ancient Law Sect's territory and was the strongest sect in the region. Even though the corrupted spiritual energy was unfavorable to them, they wouldn't easily surrender their territory.
Feng Hanying was currently locked in a back-and-forth struggle with Taixin Gate over territory.
Taixin Gate had been entrenched in this area for nearly a thousand years, with a solid foundation. Meanwhile, Feng Hanying had the advantage of the Blood Moon Shadow. The two sides had been in a stalemate for a long time.
Luoluo Mountain was guarded by demon generals. The beast-taming sect's cultivators were more fickle than a weathervane. After all, they were just raising spirit beasts. As long as they were paid fairly, who cared who they worked for? They were just shovelers of dung, after all.
Upon arrival, they were warmly received by the beast-taming sect.
At the entrance of the sect was a beautiful display platform with various small animals and spirit beasts. Visiting guests could choose a little companion to hold and play with. These small creatures were collectively referred to by the sect's cultivators as "peace-making welcome beasts."
Nie Yinzhi praised sincerely, "How wonderful." She turned to Feng Hanying, "What did you choose the first time you came here?"
The shadow serpent hissed and sneered, "I said, 'I want every person and beast in your sect. Those who resist will be killed.'"
Nie Yinzhi was speechless.
The guiding cultivator, with a spirit cat perched on his shoulder, enthusiastically introduced, "Fellow Daoist, take a look. Is there any little one that catches your eye?"
Nie Yinzhi immediately took a liking to a beautiful snow rabbit and reached out to hold it. However, a wisp of demonic energy slipped out from her sleeve and stung her fingertip.
She quickly retracted her hand. The cultivator, noticing this, picked up the snow rabbit himself, "Fellow Daoist has a good eye. This bunny is the star of our welcome beasts."
Nie Yinzhi chuckled and declined, "I already have a bunny. It's better not to hold another one casually."
Feng Hanying, standing nearby, impatiently said, "Enough with the formalities. Is your sect master ready?"
The cultivator nodded, "The sect master is waiting inside to greet you both."
Only after entering the beast-taming sect did Nie Yinzhi realize that this place wasn't conquered by Feng Hanying—it was bought with a Kirin egg.
—Ancestor Han Jing had been sold out.