Chapter 350: Jiang Li and Holy Maiden Jingxin's First Meeting

Jiang Li was giving Bai Hongtu a strange look.

Holy Maiden Jingxin was also giving Bai Hongtu a strange look.

Bai Hongtu swore he had genuinely tried his best to help Holy Maiden Jingxin pursue Jiang Li.

His professional instincts told him that to write a realistic, heartfelt love letter, one needed genuine emotions from the heart. 

He put himself in Holy Maiden Jingxin’s shoes and wrote those cringeworthy lines. Who would have thought he’d slip up at the last moment while writing the letter, reverting back to his own perspective instead of maintaining hers.

This resulted in the love letter being signed with Bai Hongtu’s name.

Bai Hongtu couldn’t very well prove his normal sexual orientation by admitting he’d bought an annual membership at the Joyous Sect.

He still had some dignity left.

Even without Bai Hongtu explaining, Jiang Li knew this was another of Bai Hongtu’s blunders.

Jiang Li earnestly advised Holy Maiden Jingxin: “You weren’t the brightest to begin with, and now you’re listening to Bai Hongtu? That’s just adding frost to snow.”

Though it sounded like Jiang Li meant well, Holy Maiden Jingxin couldn’t feel happy about it.

How am I not bright? If I were truly slow-witted, I wouldn’t have stood out among all the disciples of Red Dust Pure Land to become the Holy Maiden.

This proved she was the smartest in Red Dust Pure Land!

“I’m not saying your knowledge is lacking, but that you can’t recognize worldly dangers.”

“Don’t forget how we first met.”

Of course Holy Maiden Jingxin remembered her first meeting with Jiang Li, when she had looked down upon him from her lofty position.

“You had just descended from Red Dust Pure Land when a demonic cultivator tricked you, sealed your cultivation, and tied you to a rooftop. Fortunately I passed by and saved you.”

Holy Maiden Jingxin still remembered how Jiang Li had descended like a heavenly god, with righteous immortals seemingly following behind him. The demonic cultivator had fled upon seeing Jiang Li as if encountering his natural predator.

“Back then I was only at the Core Formation Stage, while that demonic cultivator was at the Nascent Soul Stage. Luckily I had a Nascent Soul Stage official from Great Zhou with me – he was Ji Zhi’s uncle. Knowing Great Zhou had the firmest demon-slaying policies among all kingdoms, the demonic cultivator lost his nerve and fled in panic.”

Holy Maiden Jingxin remembered how Jiang Li had defeated a stronger opponent, overcoming a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator while only at Core Formation.

“Ji Zhi’s uncle fought the demonic cultivator in a bloody battle where both were severely injured. The demonic cultivator was left barely alive by Ji Zhi’s uncle, but the uncle was in no condition to attack either. So I seized the chance to deliver a charged sneak attack and finish off the demonic cultivator.”

“Had I arrived any later, you might have become that demonic cultivator’s sacrifice for breaking through to the Divine Transformation Stage. It was dangerous.”

Holy Maiden Jingxin also remembered how Jiang Li had praised her potential after rescuing her.

“When I carried you down from the roof beam and heard how the demonic cultivator had tricked you, I said you lacked independent judgment.”

“Later, worried you might get deceived again, I deliberately changed my itinerary to spend three months with you, teaching you what could be trusted and what couldn’t.”

During those three months, Holy Maiden Jingxin had her horizons broadened. She never imagined the world outside Red Dust Pure Land could be so fascinating, with human minds even more complex than the scenery of the Nine Provinces. More importantly, she became deeply attracted to Jiang Li.

During those same three months, Jiang Li was astonished to encounter such a naive Nascent Soul cultivator. Truly a product of Red Dust Pure Land’s isolation from worldly affairs.

Bai Hongtu had heard both Holy Maiden Jingxin’s version of how they met and Jiang Li’s version.

They sounded like two completely unrelated stories.

“Today I’ll teach you another theorem: don’t believe a single word Bai Hongtu says.”

Bai Hongtu thought Jiang Li had some nerve spreading such slander to his face.

There was at least a fifty percent chance he told the truth.

“Don’t let Bai Hongtu’s honest appearance fool you – he’s full of cunning ideas. Back when the previous Human Sovereign tested us candidates, all the schemes that made him furious came from Bai Hongtu. I was just the one implementing them.”

Bai Hongtu grew agitated: “That’s bullshit! Half those ideas were yours! Need I remind you who came up with the plan to sell ten thousand combs to Venerable Sumeru Buddha?”

Jiang Li pretended not to hear.

Holy Maiden Jingxin firmly remembered Jiang Li’s words – not to believe anything Bai Hongtu said, including that last statement.

She eyed Bai Hongtu warily and pulled Jiang Li aside.

What came next couldn’t be heard by Bai Hongtu.

“What is it?”

“Ancestral Master Mortal World wants to go out and play.”

The charm of Mortal World Celestial posed great danger to the Nine Provinces. Jiang Li had once said if she ever left Red Dust Pure Land, he would have to follow.

Holy Maiden Jingxin could have communicated this via Communication Talisman, but speaking in person was much better than talisman messages.

She sought every possible opportunity to spend time with Jiang Li.

“Fine. Where does the Celestial want to go?” Jiang Li had little to do recently, with his system only issuing tasks marked [This task can be abandoned] or [This task is not recommended to abandon].

He abandoned them all.

“On the third day of the third month, Penglai Immortal Isle will host the Shangsi Festival. Ancestral Master wants to attend.”

Jiang Li knew of the Shangsi Festival – a famous gathering in the Nine Provinces exclusively for female cultivators.

Penglai Immortal Isle had always been the main host, holding great prestige among female cultivators.

Though cultivation knew no gender – men and women could both achieve immortality – statistics showed only one-fourth to one-fifth of high-level cultivators were female.

Among Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators, Yu Yin was the sole woman.

Had this been surveyed ten years earlier, there wouldn’t have been a single female Tribulation Transcendence cultivator.

The Human Sovereign position reflected similar ratios – among seventy-two generations, only eighteen had been women.

Under such circumstances, female cultivators naturally sought solidarity, which over time led to the current Shangsi Festival.

As the largest female cultivator sect, Red Dust Pure Land naturally received invitations.

But true to its name – transcending the mortal world into pure land – it rarely concerned itself with worldly affairs and had attended the festival only a handful of times.

Holy Maiden Jingxin wasn’t particularly interested either, knowing many attendees admired Jiang Li – all romantic rivals.

What appeal did a gathering of romantic rivals hold?

Originally upon receiving the invitation, she had no intention to attend. But she couldn’t refuse Mortal World Celestial’s strong curiosity and insistence – forbidding her would be tantamount to betraying one’s master.

Reluctantly, Holy Maiden Jingxin had to let her attend.

Now it seemed a good opportunity to spend more time with Jiang Li.

“The Shangsi Festival… Wouldn’t my presence be inappropriate?” Jiang Li hesitated.

Mortal World Celestial’s charm affected all regardless of gender – even at an all-female event, she might cause commotion.

Holy Maiden Jingxin quickly persuaded: “Not at all! Everyone would welcome your presence.”

Seeing her determination, Jiang Li agreed.