A bottle of Soul Condensing Pill can only ensure twenty years of peace, but for cultivators with long lifespans, twenty years is just a few closed-door cultivation sessions.
Hun Er swiftly divided the peacock’s essence blood and spirit into separate storage rings and handed them to Jiang Yin. Seeing her about to leave, he hurriedly asked, “Do you have any more Soul Condensing Pills?” Jiang Yin shook her head. There wasn’t much Soul Jade left, so she only made one bottle.
Hun Er frowned, a look of regret in his eyes, but he didn’t give up and asked again, “Would you be willing to give me the recipe? I’m willing to pay any price.”
How could he refuse a cure delivered to his doorstep? Over the years, Hun Er had been tormented by his unstable soul, hindering his cultivation progress, making him anxious. Now that he had finally found a way to avoid this problem, he naturally wanted to keep it in his own hands.
“Any price?” Jiang Yin paused, intrigued. With a wave of her hand, a recipe appeared in front of her. “To make the Soul Condensing Pill, you need at least a Profound Grade Soul Jade. If you want lifelong peace, you need an Earth Grade Soul Jade. Can you get it?” Jiang Yin’s tone was mocking as she spoke.
Profound Grade Soul Jade is expensive but can still be obtained from auctions or treasure pavilions if you’re lucky. However, Earth Grade is a different story. Soul Jade is rare and pure, usable by anyone. Earth Grade Soul Jade is a life-saving treasure, even she, who holds the Soul Jade Marrow, doesn’t have it, let alone others.
Even if she gave the recipe to Hun Er, he might not find it in his lifetime.
Hun Er gritted his teeth in silence but didn’t give up, his attitude resolute, “I have to try.”
Jiang Yin looked at Hun Er with some surprise, discovering a hint of potential in him. She thought for a moment, then pushed the recipe towards Hun Er with her jade-like fingers, “This recipe is a gift to you, no payment required.”
Seeing Hun Er’s astonishment, Jiang Yin smiled and threw out half a piece of Soul Jade, “This has a master-servant contract engraved on it. Once signed, you will be my servant for life, unable to resist me. But in return, working for me, I can ensure your safety and provide Soul Jade regularly.”
Calculating the time, Hun Er’s enemies were already stirring. Jiang Yin added, “If I’m not mistaken, within a month, a Nascent Soul cultivator will come for your life. If you want to counterattack, set a trap in this shop.”
“Take a month to decide. If you wish to join me, absorb this half piece of Soul Jade. If not, erase the mark and keep it as a gift from me.”
Jiang Yin finished speaking and, without waiting for Hun Er’s reaction, took the two storage rings and left.
After a long delay, it was already daylight outside. The summer sun was blazing, casting a glaring heat over the entire city.
Jiang Yin was in a good mood. She glanced at the azure sky and walked away from the black market.
Hun Er was a spur-of-the-moment decision; she didn’t care if he would join her or not. Just now, Jiang Yin had a sudden thought.
She needed her own force.
In her previous life, she was a Demon Lord and had slayed the Demon Emperor, but the demon artifacts were lost, and people’s hearts scattered. In the end, she had no loyal followers. She was used to being in a high position, and now that she had a second chance, she couldn’t waste it. She had to make up for past regrets.
Hun Er was just a catalyst; his presence or absence didn’t matter. What Jiang Yin wanted was a force completely loyal to her.
Passing by a snack shop, she saw steaming soup dumplings in the steamer, with mixed meat and vegetable fillings, looking very appetizing.
Jiang Yin thought Tang Muxi might like it, so she casually bought a basket, along with a box of fresh meat porridge and a few eggs, then returned to the inn.
As expected, the innkeeper hadn’t disturbed Tang Muxi. When she returned, there was still an hour until noon, and Tang Muxi was still lazily nestled in the bed.
Her smooth skin was rosy, her whole head half-wrapped in the quilt, breathing lightly, her body gently rising and falling, looking extremely adorable.
Her eyelids were relaxed, with a faint touch of red at the ends, like a dab of rouge, making her skin look even more moist and tender.
Most cultivators are vigilant, sleeping lightly and always on guard. However, whether Tang Muxi was truly naive or just pretending, she slept soundly every time, making Jiang Yin feel drowsy just watching her.
Jiang Yin sat by the bed for a while, then suddenly reached out and pinched her delicate nose… Soon, the sleeping person couldn’t breathe.
Tang Muxi had a beautiful dream, where all kinds of delicious foods floated around her, countless treasures, spirit stones, and immortal artifacts piled up beside her, shining brighter than the sun.
She had become rich.
Piles of heavenly-grade artifacts and spirit plants actively burrowed into her arms, making Tang Muxi smile happily, feeling that this was the pinnacle of her life.
However, before she could enjoy it for long, cold water suddenly poured down from the sky. The food was soaked, the spirit plants drowned, and Tang Muxi was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, desperately trying to salvage the money, but the water kept rising, eventually submerging her completely.
She couldn’t breathe, and then she woke up.
Jiang Yin’s hand was still pinching her nose, a teasing smile on her face.
Tang Muxi stared at her expressionlessly.
“Never destroy a beautiful dream,” they say. Clearly, the big demon didn’t understand this principle.
“Angry?”
“No.”
“Really not?”
“No…”
“Then why not look at me?”
“…”
“So you are angry.”
Despite saying this, Jiang Yin showed no awareness of having angered anyone, smiling as she watched Tang Muxi’s stern face, as if admiring a masterpiece.
Tang Muxi took a bite of the bun, her cheeks puffing up, looking like a silly rabbit constantly chewing. Yet, her face remained expressionless, eyes straight ahead, making her look quite amusing.
Jiang Yin couldn’t resist and poked Tang Muxi’s face with her slender finger. The soft touch felt like cotton, immediately denting.
Tang Muxi’s face darkened instantly. She angrily raised her hand and mercilessly slapped away the mischievous fingers.
“Enough already!” she mumbled through a mouthful of breakfast, her words unclear.
Jiang Yin laughed again, this time out loud. At this moment, Tang Muxi was furious, and his laughter was as mocking as it could get, practically rubbing her face in the dirt.
The sound of dignity burning crackled in the air.
Tang Muxi’s chest heaved with anger. She quickly swallowed the bun in her mouth and was about to explode. But Jiang Yin, as if anticipating this, swiftly tore half a bun and stuffed it into her mouth.
Her spell was forcibly interrupted, and the angry words stuck in her throat. The bun was delicious, but with her mouth full, she couldn’t spit it out or swallow it, making her extremely uncomfortable.
Seeing her in such a predicament, Jiang Yin feigned ignorance and said, “Why aren’t you eating? If it’s not good, I won’t buy it again.”
Tang Muxi choked, then reluctantly chewed slowly, “It’s good.”
“That’s good.” Jiang Yin nodded with a smile. Seeing her finish, he stuffed the remaining half into her mouth. “There’s more, don’t be shy, eat it all.”
*Hiccup~ Tang Muxi quickly covered her mouth, her face slightly red as she looked around. Not seeing Jiang Yin, she sighed in relief and hurriedly took small sips of water from a cup on the table.
She had been hiccuping non-stop since earlier, her stomach round and full.
There were ten buns in total, each as big as her fist, and she had eaten them all.
Although Tang Muxi had a good appetite recently, she couldn’t handle eating like this. After breakfast, she was so full she didn’t dare sit down, walking around the room like a pregnant woman, rubbing her belly.
After a while, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She muttered softly, “Damn demon, don’t let me catch your tail.”
Unexpectedly, even her soft muttering was overheard.
“Whose tail are you going to catch?” A teasing voice suddenly came from her ear.
Tang Muxi panicked and looked towards the voice, seeing Jiang Yin tilting his head, looking at her with great interest.
Tsk. She clicked her tongue, averted her gaze, and replied perfunctorily, “Bai Ling’s tail. It’s big and soft.”
At this moment, Bai Ling, who was gnawing on a spirit fruit, suddenly paused, its little butt tightening as it hugged its prized tail protectively, a bit scared.
Jiang Yin quietly watched her for a while, holding back from teasing her further, and handed her a cup of water. “Still hiccuping?” Tang Muxi’s expression stiffened slightly, her ears turning a light red. She pretended to be relaxed and retorted, “Who’s hiccuping? Not me.”
It could be said that it was quite the “no silver here, three hundred taels” situation.
“Really? Shall we set off now?” “Ah… let’s wait a bit longer.” Tang Muxi tried to cover up, suddenly letting out a small hiccup and quickly covering her mouth.
Jiang Yin’s eyes curved into a smile as he stepped forward and gently tapped Tang Muxi’s chest with his finger, infusing a soft, cool energy into her.
The previously congested feeling in her chest eased immediately, leaving only a trace of refreshing coolness, as gentle as a clear spring.
Tang Muxi felt much better but still stubbornly muttered, “Mind your own business.”
Jiang Yin’s fingertip hadn’t left yet. Hearing this, she paused deliberately, then without warning, poked the slightly bulging pouch on her chest, causing Tang Muxi to blush and retreat quickly as if electrocuted.
“Slipped.” She said, pinching her fingers as if savoring the touch.
Tang Muxi glared at her, her face flushed with embarrassment, and scolded, “Shameless.”
Feeling triumphant, Jiang Yin was in a great mood and stopped teasing her. She turned and walked out first, “Pack your things, we’re leaving.”
Still feeling flustered, Tang Muxi covered her chest with her arm and asked in surprise, “Leaving now?” She thought they would wait a bit longer.
“Yes.”
After packing up and checking out, they overheard that Wen Mingyu’s group had also left early in the morning, even earlier than them. Tang Muxi was slightly surprised and wondered what the demon clan was doing here.
This place was within the Nine Fiends Hall’s territory. The border towns were fine, with loose control, but the capital was different, with strict checks on outsiders.
The Nine Fiends Hall was a top-tier sect in the spiritual cultivation world, wielding the divine Nine Fiends Sword. Unlike other sects, it directly governed several cities, with a structure more akin to a mortal court, possessing a strong sense of territoriality. Spiritual cultivators were fine, but if foreigners appeared here without a pass, they would most likely be thrown into prison.
Tang Muxi was slightly puzzled but had already arrived at the Treasure Pavilion before she could figure it out.
