Gu Changhuai had originally thought that once they obtained the ice core, they would reunite with the experiential learning team. He never expected that Rong Ye’s “let’s go” meant treating the crisis-ridden inner region like an uninhabited wilderness for a leisurely stroll.
The surroundings were utterly silent, with only the rustling of wind through the trees.
Rong Ye still carried the aura of the ice flood dragon he had slaughtered, tainted with its bloody qi. Since the ice flood dragon held a considerable status in the inner region, no other short-sighted demon beasts dared to ambush them along the way. In other words, they were quite safe for the moment.
After walking for a while, Gu Changhuai still had no idea where Rong Ye was headed. He kept an eye on Hua Mei’s movements on the other side, his gaze sweeping through the dense roadside forest as he casually asked, “Immortal Lord, where are we going?”
He asked, but he didn’t really expect Rong Ye to answer.
In the midst of speaking, he sensed a faint wisp of aura. He slightly raised his head, and his gaze paused on a crow perched on a treetop. Gu Changhuai’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and with a subtle flick of his fingers beneath his sleeve, a glint of red light flashed in the crow’s pupils as its entire body suddenly dispersed like mist.
Ahead, Rong Ye’s voice rang out, cold and low. “To find the Wujian Xuanrui.”
Gu Changhuai was somewhat surprised to receive a response and glanced at Rong Ye. Moreover, Wujian Xuanrui… He pondered for a moment.
He remembered now—the Wujian Xuanrui was one of the medicinal ingredients that Qing Lian Immortal Lord gave to the male protagonist in the original story to repair his spirit root. Though it was a flower, its stamens looked like several worms huddled together.
“…” Gu Changhuai felt a wave of disgust.
He hated bugs.
But since it concerned the male protagonist, Gu Changhuai’s mind raced. He probed, “Does the Immortal Lord accept disciples?”
He felt a scrutinizing gaze sweep over him, followed by Rong Ye’s faint-toned retort: “Do you wish to take me as your master?”
Gu Changhuai: “…”
This question stumped him. If he said yes, it wouldn’t be sincere. If he said no, who in the Cultivation World could refuse the foremost figure of the immortal path, who would eventually ascend?
If he weren’t from the Demon Clan, he would have found a way to cling to the male protagonist’s golden thigh.
His thoughts shifted rapidly as he pondered what to say without giving himself away. Suddenly, his abdomen churned like a drum, and a sharp pain surged through his limbs. Though the pain vanished in an instant, Gu Changhuai’s face turned deathly pale in that split second.
He clutched his lower abdomen and endured for a moment before managing a strained smile at Rong Ye. “Immortal Lord, I think I’ve got a bad stomach. Please wait for me a bit; I’ll be right back.”
Rong Ye stood beneath a tree, glancing down at him with lowered eyes. Gu Changhuai couldn’t discern the emotion on his face.
At that moment, Gu Changhuai was unaware that his entire aura seemed to have been drained away, making him look like a chronically ill patient, listless and deathly. His cherry-colored thin lips pressed into a forced smile, and the small mole at the corner of his eye seemed to glow faintly. That bullied appearance… was utterly pitiable.
At the same time, Rong Ye wondered.
Just who had bullied this not-so-bright shadow demon right in front of him.
…
A moment later.
Gu Changhuai finally heard Rong Ye’s low “Mm” and a bland reminder: “Come back soon.”
With permission granted, Gu Changhuai hurriedly turned and left, failing to notice the gaze that followed him like a shadow, sticking to his back.
By the stream.
Gu Changhuai splashed his face fiercely. The torment from the bug was unpleasant; he wanted to vomit but couldn’t. The cool water sweeping over his cheeks finally brought some relief.
He braced his hands on the bank and stared at the stream. “What instructions does the Demon Venerable have?”
Han Ya’s figure suddenly appeared on the opposite shore, its eyes blood-red and its voice hoarse and grating: “The Demon Venerable commands that you act within three days. The Demon Venerable has no other shadow demon as dawdling as you.”
“You teaching me how to do my job?” Gu Changhuai sat casually on the ground and eyed the crow before sneering, “Why make things hard for a colleague? I already pointed you to wait nearby, so why bother tormenting me with the bug?”
The red glow in Han Ya’s eyes seemed to intensify, and its hoarse voice turned sinister: “How dare you speak to me like th—” Before it finished, a pebble smacked it on the head.
Gu Changhuai’s bold move left Han Ya frozen in disbelief, its voice catching as its eyes glared fixedly at him.
Gu Changhuai ground his teeth in resentment: “Ugly crow. I dare to hit you too!” With that, he flung another pebble, which scattered Han Ya on impact, black mist exploding outward.
“…” Gu Changhuai looked chagrined: “…No way.”
Han Ya was quite famous in the Demon Realm, not for its strength, but because it could appear anywhere to convey the Demon Venerable’s orders to the Demon Clan.
And it dispersed from just one hit?
…
Han Ya inexplicably scattered and showed no sign of reforming. Did that count as harming a colleague?
Gu Changhuai walked back worriedly. Moreover, with the Demon Venerable demanding action within three days, how to act appropriately was a problem. His gaze swept the surroundings—the dense forest of the inner region and the ever-lurking dangerous atmosphere provided perfect cover.
Gu Changhuai leaped onto a tree, using the thick foliage for cover, and spotted Rong Ye still waiting under the previous tree, his back turned.
Heaven, earth, and man aligned—this was the perfect opportunity. Inspiration struck, and he drew three sleeve arrows.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!*
The sleeve arrows brimmed with demonic qi as they shot through the air one after another.
Gu Changhuai’s smile widened. He excelled at backstabs when frontal assaults failed. But midway, an blinding yin wind blew from nowhere.
Blown by the wind, Gu Changhuai instinctively rubbed his eyes. When he looked up, the three arrows meant for Rong Ye had been whipped around by the wind and were stabbing back toward him.
This was bad!
Gu Changhuai’s smile vanished instantly.
The arrows were laden with demonic qi; dispersing them would alert Rong Ye. He could only dodge. The demonic qi on the arrows was troublesome—even brushing past, it whipped up a gust that hurled him from the tree.
Gu Changhuai fell straight down without a sound, lying in pain for a while before scrambling up in disarray.
This assassination attempt ended in failure.
Adhering to the principle of resting where one fell, Gu Changhuai shelved the idea for now and emerged from the dense woods. “Immortal Lord, I’m back.”
Rong Ye turned from under the tree, and Gu Changhuai seemed to catch a trace of unvanished amusement at the corner of his lips, as if in a good mood.
Smiling?
Gu Changhuai suspected he’d seen wrong. When he blinked to look closer, he met Rong Ye’s deep, inscrutable eyes, his expression utterly calm.
No smile—he’d indeed been mistaken.
Sensing Rong Ye’s scrutiny, Gu Changhuai considered and said evenly, “The riverbank was too slippery; I accidentally slipped.”
This explained his disheveled hair, the scattered dry leaves on his body, and the dust spots on his clothes. After a pause, he added, “It hurt a lot.” He emphasized his tone to show how tough the trip had been.
Fortunately, Rong Ye didn’t press further and merely said meaningfully, “Be careful next time.”
Gu Changhuai: “…”
Gu Changhuai: “I won’t go by the river next time.”
Just you wait—next time, poison!
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