Hua Jian’s time estimate was fairly accurate.
After more than ten days of working day and night on the delicate task, she had finally finished eating the Heart-Eating Vine inside Xia Hui’s mother.
Actually, she could have increased the speed at which she consumed the vine toward the end, but because Xia Hui’s mother needed time for her body to recover, Hua Jian had to slow down.
As she ate, she watched Xia Hui’s mother take Alchemy Pills to repair the internal damage.
After finishing the Heart-Eating Vine, Hua Jian, as expected, obtained a new ability—one that, no matter how you looked at it, didn’t seem like something a good person would have. N
ow, her own vines could perform parasitic takeovers just like the Heart-Eating Vine.
“Look, as long as some unlucky soul swallows this seed, the Heart-Eating Vine will take root and sprout inside them, leading them to death amidst painful hallucinations.” H
olding a finger-sized seed in her hand, Hua Jian introduced her new ability with a dark expression.
Furthermore, unlike the weak external combat capabilities of a normal Heart-Eating Vine, her version combined the powerful combat strength of the Dragon Blood Vine and the hallucinogenic abilities of the Illusory Dream Flower. I
t ensured the host felt nothing during the early stages of parasitism.
By the later stages, Hua Jian could pull the victim into a nightmare at will, causing them to suffer double torture of both body and mind.
Linglong quickly closed Hua Jian’s hand and made her tuck the seed away.
This thing really couldn’t be shown in public. Based on this seed alone, both the Right Path and the Magic Path of the world would likely unite to eliminate Hua Jian.
A Spirit Master could create such a thing; if Hua Jian were allowed to grow fully in the future, the world would be in serious trouble.
“That thing of yours doesn’t look like a righteous method,” Shiqi said, crossing her arms and shivering.
She felt that the things Hua Jian came up with were getting more and more bizarre.
‘Do all of you from Feng Hua like making things that drain people’s sanity?’
“A tool is neither good nor bad. The person using the tool determines that. As long as my heart is good, it is naturally good.” Hua Jian retracted the seed.
She was only showing her new ability to Linglong; she wasn’t planning on using it right now.
“By the way, have you guys finished packing? We’re leaving for Ascension City tomorrow.”
After curing Xia Hui’s mother, the three of them had to leave to prepare for the Ascension Gathering in Ascension City.
Originally, Xia Hui’s mother intended for Xia Hui to go with them, but Xia Hui was still worried about her mother’s physical condition.
Since there was still some time before the Ascension Gathering, she decided to stay and care for her mother a little longer. S
he would head to Ascension City only after ensuring her mother was completely out of danger.
Since she used that reason, there was nothing Hua Jian and the others could say but to go along with it.
Only Linglong was somewhat concerned about the matter; Hua Jian didn’t care at all whether Xia Hui came with them.
The payment was in hand, and the person was saved. Her mission was complete.
“Everything’s been ready for a while. We were just waiting for you to finish treating Xia Hui’s mother,” Shiqi replied irritably, gently scratching the chin of the Spiritual Civet she was holding.
She had been bored to death over the past ten days, even going so far as to find people to fight on the town’s arena out of sheer boredom.
Now she had only one thought: leave immediately for Ascension City.
That place was bound to be more interesting than this small town.
“We shouldn’t encounter any more problems… right?” Linglong’s expression was hesitant as she spoke.
She now felt that they had encountered a bit too many incidents on this journey. ‘
Is it really because of the Protagonist Aura?’
“As long as you don’t meddle in other people’s business, we won’t run into trouble.
But with your warm heart, you definitely won’t stand by if you see someone dying, so we’ll definitely encounter things along the way.” Hua Jian held a pessimistic view.
Linglong was the type who had to check out every side quest she encountered.
As long as there was someone with a blue exclamation mark over their head by the roadside, the Little Dragon Girl would lean in for a look.
Some matters were easy to resolve, but some involving deeper connections could be very troublesome.
She hoped there wouldn’t be anything like that on the road.
……
“Mother, Hua Jian and the others have left.”
“Yes. You should have left with them.” Xia Hui’s mother sat in the sunlight.
Her previously deathly pale face now had a hint of color.
Her health was gradually improving, a change that made Xia Hui very happy.
If her mother’s body could fully recover, she would have no worries about participating in the Ascension Gathering.
“There’s still a long time before the Ascension Gathering. I think it’s better to spend more time with you, Mother.”
“You…” Xia Hui’s mother shook her head, but there was no reproach in her heart.
With such a filial daughter, what more could she ask for? This was already wonderful.
“Hehe! Mother, do you want some water? I’ll go pour a cup for you.” Xia Hui laughed sillily.
Without waiting for her mother’s answer, she ran toward the hotel, where the gloomy aura had dissipated, with light steps.
After Xia Hui’s mother recovered, the hotel naturally no longer needed to maintain its haunted appearance; it could even reopen.
However, her mother didn’t have that intention for now.
She planned to sell the hotel and then move to a house near whichever Saint Sect her daughter joined.
That way, it would be much more convenient if her daughter wanted to visit, wouldn’t it?
Life was slowly getting better…
A faint scent of flowers drifted in the wind, interrupting Xia Xinqian’s thoughts.
Her expression instantly turned to one of terror.
If the encounter with Hua Jian had been a misjudgment on her part, this time it was definitely not.
‘Damn it, why would Wanhuagu come knocking at this time?’
A cluster of fresh flowers grew out of the ground not far in front of her.
Then, a seemingly ordinary Old Woman emerged from the flowers with her hands behind her back.
In Xia Hui’s mother’s perception, it felt as if the entire world had fallen into silence at that moment.
The old woman before her seemed to be the center of the world, making it impossible to look away.
“Hua Xinqian, have you ever regretted it over these years?”
The Old Woman stood still. Her lips didn’t move at all, yet her voice rang directly in the mother’s mind.
“The sisters who entered the sect with you back then are all supernaturally powerful now, while you are lingering on your last breath in this small place, suffering the pain of the Heart-Eating Vine. Do you regret it?”
“I don’t know. But seeing my daughter grow up day by day, I don’t regret it that much.” Xia Hui’s mother sighed in resignation.
The Old Woman’s strength far exceeded hers. What else could she do now besides honestly answering the questions?
She hadn’t expected Wanhuagu to find her after all, right when she had just seen a glimmer of hope.
“You truly aren’t suited to remain in Wanhuagu.” Hearing the answer, the Old Woman’s expression didn’t change at all.
Wanhuagu did not need such emotions. All emotions would become shackles, preventing Wanhuagu disciples from walking the true path to immortality.
However, the Old Woman had no intention of striking to eliminate the threat once and for all. Rather, there was no point in erasing someone who had lost almost all value.
Wanhuagu didn’t care about betrayal; they cared more about profit.
“Let’s make a deal. From now on, you won’t have to live in fear, and Wanhuagu will no longer have any connection with you.”
“The price… what is it?” Xia Hui’s mother didn’t believe such a good thing could happen.
Wanhuagu never took a loss in a transaction.
Behind such generous terms, there must be a deeper scheme.
“Your daughter. I want her to become Hua Jian’s partner—a true partner.”
‘Hua Jian?’ Xia Hui’s mother frowned deeply. There really was a connection between Hua Jian and Wanhuagu, but she didn’t understand this deal at all. What did it mean to make Xia Hui a true partner? What was the point?
“To be clearer, Xia Hui must go to the Ascension Gathering, and she must go to the same sect as Hua Jian. She must grow with that child and fight alongside her.”
“I still don’t understand…”
“You don’t need to understand. You only need to know that she must do it.”
The Old Woman chuckled twice, then turned her head to look in one direction.
“Little girl, did you hear clearly?”
Xia Hui, who had returned after pouring the water, was standing dazed on the spot.
She had overheard what the Old Woman said to her mother, and she was currently more bewildered than her mother was.
“Do you want me to be a spy next to Hua Jian?” she asked, summoning her courage.
But the Old Woman shook her head.
“It is to make you her friend, a companion she can entrust with her trust. I can guarantee that this will not conflict with your own heart. My requirement is for you to help her. No matter what she wants to do, you are to stand by her side and use all your strength to assist her.”
This sounded like finding a submissive follower for Hua Jian.
Xia Hui bit her lip and remained silent for a long time before answering in a heavy voice, “I won’t do anything to hurt her.”
“I don’t want to see you do anything to hurt her either.”
The Old Woman raised her hand and pressed down slightly, preventing Xia Hui, who wanted to say more, from making any sound. S
he hadn’t come to negotiate with Xia Hui; she had come to threaten.
“Little girl, this isn’t a discussion. You have no room to bargain.”
After saying that, the Old Woman vanished abruptly like a ghost, leaving Xia Hui no chance to refuse.
Cold sweat trickled down Xia Hui’s forehead. She ran frantically to her mother’s side, not knowing where to start asking.
What was going on? Who was that Old Woman, and why did she want her to be friends with Hua Jian?
“If I’ve guessed correctly, her status in Wanhuagu is certainly not low. She is at least an Elder.” Xia Hui’s mother sighed and gently hugged her daughter.
From the words spoken to her just now, she could feel that aura of seniority, which the Cultivators of her generation could not possibly fake.
An Elder like that could kill them both as easily as turning over a hand.
As she said, it wasn’t a discussion; they only had two paths: agreement or death.
“Xia Hui, if one day they use my life to threaten you into hurting Hua Jian, I hope you won’t agree.”
“Mother…”
“That child is our savior. You cannot be someone who repays kindness with enmity. Do you understand?”
“Yes!”
“As for what she said about becoming Hua Jian’s companion, do it if you are willing.”
Xia Hui’s mother still didn’t understand why the Wanhuagu Elder cared so much about Hua Jian.
She had been away from Wanhuagu for too long and knew nothing about the inner secrets of the valley.
But since the Elder appeared because of Hua Jian, it meant Hua Jian’s status in the eyes of Wanhuagu was extraordinary—someone even an Elder valued immensely.
Perhaps it was precisely because Hua Jian was so important that the Elder proposed such a deal.
…..
Hua Jian had been living very comfortably these past few days.
After leaving the small town, everything became smooth.
They hadn’t encountered any major incidents, only occasionally stepping in to help someone in need.
To the current her, helping good people drive away small-time thugs was basically a daily quest.
“It looks like there are bandits robbing a caravan up ahead. Should we help?”
Now, another sudden event appeared before them. A merchant caravan was fighting a hard battle against a group of bandits.
It looked like the caravan was about to be defeated.
Only yesterday, Hua Jian had heard at their resting place that there was a group of wicked bandits nearby who specifically targeted caravans with weak guards.
She hadn’t expected to run into them today.
“Help!” Linglong didn’t hesitate.
After hearing about the bandits yesterday, she had made up her mind to test the strength of these guys if she encountered them.
Meeting them now was a wish come true.
Shiqi had no objection to the decision. She was becoming more and more like a sword cultivator; as long as there was a fight, it was fine.
As for whether there was some scheme behind it, she was too lazy to think.
They could just beat them down first and ask questions later.
Such mental work could be left to Hua Jian; she didn’t need to work so hard playing guessing games.
“Alright then, let’s go!”
Amidst the looks from nearby Cultivators that suggested they were fools, the three of them lunged toward the battlefield between the caravan and the bandits.
After just a few exchanges, the looks from the nearby Cultivators changed from “fools” to “immortals.”
The Spirit Master bandits, who were holding their own against the caravan guards, were powerless before these three young ladies.
In just a few moments, several bandits had been seriously injured.
The white-haired girl was particularly formidable with her Thunder Magic.
One bolt of Thunder could take away half a bandit’s life.