Did Xu Sheng lie?
Generally speaking, in such situations, Xu Sheng preferred to use “clever tricks” to help himself rather than outright lying. This way, the impact would be even greater once the other party discovered the truth.
He had indeed proposed to Mo Ruxue that he would trade the chance to treat Zhu Yuexi for half of the lifespan of her entire sect. He simply hadn’t mentioned that he had offered her another choice — that she could use her own body to pay for those years…
Once this cooperation was successful, he truly wouldn’t use the Recording Stone to blackmailed Zhu Yuexi. By then, he would likely be using Mo Ruxue to blackmail Zhu Yuexi instead.
And now, he truly needed to put on a show with Zhu Yuexi. However, under Xu Sheng’s few words of “montage,” the actual price Mo Ruxue had to pay had been obscured by him. After the matter was settled, Zhu Yuexi would only think she had facilitated a deal involving half the sect’s lifespan, rather than Mo Ruxue herself.
As expected, Zhu Yuexi wasn’t completely brainless. Even though she was about to crush the teacup in her hand, she didn’t actually splash the tea out. She took a deep breath.
“This is the last time.”
—
Late at night.
Mo Ruxue was indeed a cultivator of the Ninth Realm, only a single step away from the legendary Tenth Realm. During her youth, she always felt her cultivation was insufficient, believing that having talent but not practicing seriously was a disservice to the world. It was only later, when she touched the Ninth Realm, that she realized there were still many things in the world that couldn’t be solved by cultivation alone.
Perhaps it was to reach for the Tenth Realm, or perhaps it was to experience a lifestyle she had never known, but even though she could absorb essence, she began to sleep. Even though she could abstain from food, she began to eat three meals a day.
However, tonight, Mo Ruxue woke up from her sleep for no apparent reason. She could no longer remember the details of the dream, only the general scene… her disciple, Zhu Yuexi, being humiliated…
Zhu Yuexi was clearly only poisoned; how could she suffer such humiliation?
When Mo Ruxue tried hard to recall the man’s face in the dream… she inexplicably thought of the Xu Sheng she had seen during the day.
‘That scoundrel…’
‘How could it be him?’
‘Regardless, it was just a dream.’
Mo Ruxue silently recited the Heart-Calming Mantra, trying to settle her mind. After finally achieving some semblance of peace, she tried to fall back asleep, only to find a lingering sense of unease in her heart.
Taking a deep breath, Mo Ruxue looked out the window at the high-hanging moon.
‘I might as well check on Yuexi’s condition.’
But as soon as Mo Ruxue got out of bed and extended her divine sense toward Zhu Yuexi’s room, she noticed that the girl’s aura seemed off. Sure enough, when Mo Ruxue rushed into Zhu Yuexi’s room, she found her lying on the bed with a furrowed brow, her forehead covered in beads of sweat.
“Yuexi!”
Just as Mo Ruxue was about to step forward to check her condition, a voice sounded from the darkness.
“I suggest you don’t touch her.”
Mo Ruxue turned her head in shock. There was an outsider on Mount Dengxian? To be able to sneak in under her very nose, the opponent’s cultivation must be unfathomable. Furthermore, they were currently inside Zhu Yuexi’s room; once they engaged in combat, it would undoubtedly affect her disciple.
Wait… Yuexi’s current state?
“I know Fairy Mo might suspect your precious disciple’s condition is related to me, but I have no reason to ruin the goodwill between me and my partner.”
Mo Ruxue froze upon hearing this, focusing her gaze on the person in the dark.
“Xu Sheng…”
Xu Sheng took a step forward, revealing his handsome face that had been hidden in the shadows. At the same time, Mo Ruxue seemed to catch the faint scent of medicinal fragrance she had smelled during the day.
Seeing Mo Ruxue’s expression, Xu Sheng knew she didn’t suspect him of doing anything to Zhu Yuexi. After all, he had no such need. Meanwhile, he complained about Zhu Yuexi in his heart.
This Mo Ruxue was essentially a clever person, and it was only with Zhu Yuexi’s help that he could successfully deceive her. How could her disciple be so foolish?
“After all, your precious disciple is the key to our cooperation. I have to ensure that nothing happens to her before you agree to the deal.”
As he spoke, Xu Sheng flipped his hand, and several silver needles appeared in his palm.
“I’m here to alleviate your disciple’s symptoms. Within the ten days I gave you to consider, I won’t let anything happen to her.”
Saying this, Xu Sheng stepped closer to Zhu Yuexi, holding the silver needles. Mo Ruxue’s expression turned slightly wary. Xu Sheng stood by the bed, his expression unreadable.
“If Fairy Mo doesn’t trust me, then you can certainly let your disciple continue like this.”
Mo Ruxue glanced at Zhu Yuexi lying on the bed. Even though she was unconscious, her face still bore a look of pain. After several seconds, Mo Ruxue finally took a step back.
“I believe you are also a smart person.”
“Dealing with smart people is always pleasant.”
Xu Sheng didn’t waste any words and inserted the silver needles into several of Zhu Yuexi’s acupoints. The effect was almost instantaneous; the pained expression on the girl’s face softened significantly.
Seeing this, Mo Ruxue breathed a sigh of relief.
“It seems your disciple’s condition isn’t optimistic.”
After inserting the needles, Xu Sheng carefully observed Zhu Yuexi by the bedside. Mo Ruxue wasn’t sure if Xu Sheng was putting pressure on her or if it was the truth, but she didn’t dare to gamble.
“How is her condition?”
“Without me, she won’t last seven days…” Xu Sheng said without hesitation. “With me… I can keep her hanging on for a month. However, the time I gave Fairy Mo to consider is only ten days.”
Mo Ruxue fell silent again. Meanwhile, Xu Sheng continued to study the unconscious Zhu Yuexi.
“This disciple of yours… in terms of beauty, she is actually on par with you.”
Xu Sheng instinctively reached out, seemingly wanting to stroke the girl’s cheek, but Mo Ruxue sharply grabbed his wrist. Although Mo Ruxue maintained her cold temperament during the day, there was now an added edge of sharpness.
Xu Sheng withdrew his hand, appearing unsurprised by her reaction.
“It seems your precious disciple is very important. Looking at your reaction, she’s even more important than half the lifespan of your entire sect… Tsk tsk, I didn’t expect Fairy Mo to have such selfish moments.”
Mo Ruxue took a deep breath and was about to speak, but Xu Sheng suddenly placed a finger against her lips.
The sensation from her lips was incredibly numbing, accompanied by the faint medicinal scent at the tip of her nose. She hadn’t even seen Xu Sheng’s movement and had forgotten to dodge.
Fortunately, Xu Sheng had no further actions; he had only moved to interrupt her. His expression also underwent a rare change, shifting from his usual cynical smile to a serious one.
“To be honest, Fairy Mo, I am an impatient person. I don’t like waiting. Since your disciple is so important to you, why not adjust the stakes a little to speed up our cooperation?
Fairy Mo, you now have only two choices: you, or your precious disciple.”