Chapter 302: Chapter 302
Looking at the meaningful look in Yin Wanderer’s eyes, Li Xun thought it over. “With such excellent material and aptitude, how could I let it go to waste?” he said, not quite absolutely. “I am asking you because I don’t understand the details. And you still haven’t explained what’s so special about a Ruyi Jade Infant.”
She gave a small nod. “Basically, you can think of the Ruyi Jade Infant as a top-grade human cauldron… or, to put it more bluntly, the equivalent of an exceptional dual cultivation partner. That’s why in the Yin-Yang Sect they have that saying: ‘Good cauldrons are easy to find, but a true Jade Infant is near impossible to come by.’”
Li Xun had heard something like that from Qin Wanru before, and he let out a cold snort. “The same old Yin Yang tricks.”
Yin Wanderer ignored him and wen ton, “But this cauldron is unlike the ordinary sort. The term ‘Jade Infant’ refers to one with a Primordial Embryo Dao Body. You’ve been through it yourself. You should know how pure and flawless that kind of physique is, how perfect its primordial essence is. For those who cultivate demonic or unorthodox arts, the value of this is beyond measure.”
If it had been in the past, Li Xun might not have cared. But now he was cultivating the Blood God Child, one of the highest demonic methods, and he was at a critical stage. He could not help feeling tempted.
Yin Wanderer still wasn’t done. “As for this girl, the key is in those two characters ‘Ruyi.’ Ruyi means good fortune, and it also means the heart is at ease. Linked to cultivation, it means the body follows the heart, and that gives rise to the Heavenly Demon Body.”
“Heavenly Demon Body. A seductive technique?”
Yin Wanderer let out a silent laugh. “You could say that. In Buddhist circles the Heavenly Demon Body is slandered as a heretical practice, yet it actually represents the peak of seductive techniques. From it came the Heavenly Demon Dance, which in the Yin-Yang Sect is considered a supreme secret art, second only to the Yin Charm Scripture.
“This little girl’s bones and joints are a perfect match for the Heavenly Demon Body. With certain methods to stabilize her form and temper her heart, she could achieve minor mastery of the Heavenly Demon Dance within one sixty-year cycle. At that point she would be a living top-tier magical treasure.”
Li Xun felt like his brain was short-circuiting, or maybe his ears were deceiving him. He frowned. “A magical treasure?”
“Exactly, a magical treasure.” A small smile touched Yin Wanderer’s lips, thick with self-mockery. “The puppet techniques are indeed the specialty of the Shadow-Devouring Soul Sect, but in the end they are techniques for ‘refining the dead.’ This Ruyi Jade Infant is a way of ‘refining the living.’ Which one is stronger is really a matter of perspective.”
Seeing the obvious skepticism on Li Xun’s face, Yin Wanderer gave a slight smile. “Even if it doesn’t work out, you can still train her into a stunner… You should be able to tell. The girl may be young, but she’s got that natural seductive bone in her body. Even if you just keep her around for fun and entertainment in the future… she’d be more than worth it.”
Li Xun glanced at her, then suddenly grabbed her sleeve and gave it a tug. Yin Wanderer toppled lightly into his arms. Soft warmth and sweet fragrance immediately filled his hands, overflowing everywhere he touched.
“A stunner? Is the greatest one in the world not already right here?”
Laughing, Li Xun’s hand slipped inside Yin Wanderer’s robe. The beauty in his arms let out a soft, throaty hum. Her body was melting against his chest.
Even so, neither of them went any further. In the end it was Li Xun who murmured into her ear, “So… how do you compare?”
“The Ruyi Heavenly Demon Maiden exists for men like you. What do you think?”
Li Xun snorted annoyingly, though he could not deny that her words stirred him. Thankfully he kept his composure and pressed on. “Let’s set aside this cauldron business for now. I’m asking you: in your opinion, if I take her as a disciple, how exactly should I guide her cultivation?”
“That would really be a waste,” she said offhandedly, but she paid for it immediately.
Li Xun’s fingers suddenly tightened inside her clothing. Li Xun’s fingers tightened inside her robes, clamping down hard on that most vulnerable, sensitive spot. The sharp sting hit like a plucked string, sending shockwaves rippling through her entire body.
She sucked in a sharp breath., jerked into a tight curl. Then, under the relentless waves of stimulation, slowly straightened out again. Bit by bit she lost control of her physical and mental defenses.
Ever since Li Xun had brutally smashed through her mental guard, Yin Wanderer had never been able to resist this kind of tactic. In just a few short breaths, her eyes had already gone hazy and distant, teetering on the edge of total abandon. A fine layer of sweat bloomed across her skin, making it even smoother, silkier, and more intoxicating. Li Xun couldn’t keep his hands off her.
Of course, Li Xun wasn’t reckless enough to start fucking her right out in the open with sect members nearby. He held back just enough. That sliver of restraint let Yin Wanderer cling to a thin thread of clarity. Her breathing came in low, ragged pants, but the corner of her lips curved up into a faint, almost taunting smirk.
“If you doubt me,” she said, “then give me half a day and I will show you what I can do.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the sound of swords whistling grew nearer in the distance. Li Xun frowned a little, then nodded. “Alright,” he replied. “I want to see just how I’ve supposedly been ‘squandering a gift from heaven.’”
Their eyes met. Yin Wanderer gave a half-smile, her eyes becaming clear again. A heartbeat later she slipped into the void. If not for the lingering warmth and fragrance still clinging to Li Xun’s fingertips, he might have thought the whole thing was just a wet dream.
A big, booming laugh burst out of Dan Zhi, brimming with smug, high-spirited energy. He leaped down from midair, dangling three live fish in one hand and waving them right in front of Li Xun’s face. “Took me forever to pick… Only these ugly ones made the cut. They were the only ones Senior Sister Qi would approve.. Heh heh, talk about a soft heart!”
Li Xun accepted the fish without a change of expression. He let the smell of fish cover the lingering scent on his hand and nodded with a smile. “Don’t judge by how ugly they look. Their meat is tender and they hardly have any bones. They are top-tier delicious.”
Shan Zhi got even more puffed up at that. Glancing around and seeing no one nearby, he completely let his mouth run wild. “Junior Brother Xun, you should have seen how happy Senior Sister Qi was smiling. Wenhai… ahem, I mean Senior Brother Wenhai has no sense of romance at all. Senior Sister Qi should be like that. Why make herself so gloomy for no reason?”
In the past, at a moment like this, Li Xun would’ve thrown in a couple of agreeing lines just to stroke Dan Zhi’s ego. But right as the words were about to leave his mouth, Ling Ji’s face suddenly flashed through his mind. Something in his chest softened, and when he spoke, his tone had completely shifted. “Yeah… Senior Sister Qi’s mood has definitely lightened up. I never would’ve guessed that little Ying Ning could actually be this useful.”
It sounded like Li Xun had spoken offhand. When he followed it up with a slight smile, the look of shock on Shan Zhi’s face was obvious.
He recovered quickly and laughed. “No arguing with that. But don’t forget, those fun little tricks all came from me. Hmph. These past month or two, Senior Sister Qi has only met with Senior Brother Wen a few times. She has spent most of her time playing around with us. So tell me…”
He got halfway through his sentence when Ling Ji approached on his sword from the other side. Seeing him arrive, Shan Zhi finally toned it down and switched to talking about the fish. But then his eyes landed on the flying fox dangling from Ling Ji’s hand. Immediately, he slapped his usual playbook right onto it. “Look at this little fox… so cute! No way Senior Sister Qi’s going to have the heart to actually kill it, right?”
Ling Ji answered absentmindedly, her mouth saying the right things while his eyes flicked sideways toward Li Xun.
Li Xun gave a slight shake of his head. Incorrigible! he told himself.
The subtle tension between the three of them paused for the moment once Qi Bi and the other returned. Still, you had to give the guy credit. Over these past few decades, Shan Zhi hadn’t made a single step of real progress in cultivation. But when it came to reading Qi Bi’s mind, figuring out what she was thinking and feeling, he was frighteningly good at it. Almost scarily so.
Just as he’d predicted… it was even more intense than he’d figured. The moment Qi Bi saw the little fox in Ling Ji’s hand, with its snowy fur and pitiful expression, she instantly melted. Even Ying Ning was moved. One look of sympathy led to another, and before long the little fox had been whisked off the roasting spit and was now curled up safely in Ying Ning’s arms.
The little thing gave everyone around a sly, calculating glance, quickly figuring out exactly how to save its own skin. So it immediately curled up tight, burying its pointy little head deep into Ying Ning’s chest. Ying Ning couldn’t help bursting into delighted giggles.
Qi Bi reached out to gently stroke its smooth, soft fur, but soon her gaze lingered only on Ying Ning. It was as if hearing the girl’s laughter alone filled her with contentment.
Taking everything in, Li Xun let out a quiet sigh. His gaze slid over Shan Zhi’s face, searching for even the tiniest flicker of self-awareness. Nothing. Not a damn thing. On the contrary, under Qi Bi’s radiant motherly aura, he looked even more hopelessly smitten.
Li Xun caught Ling Ji in the corner of his eye. The man was supposed to be grilling fish, but his thoughts were written all over his face, shifting every second. He had completely forgotten about the fire.
Li Xun could only sigh and take over the grilling. Ling Ji was startled when the skewers were pulled from his hands. Once he saw it was Li Xun, he managed a strained smile.
Lunch happened in that weird atmosphere. Shan Zhi, Qi Bi, and Ying Ning were chatting away with excitement. Meanwhile, Li Xun and Ling Ji kept exchanging mysterious looks instead of speaking. It stayed that way until Ying Ning let out a yawn, her little face crumpling with obvious tiredness.
Li Xun’s eyebrow twitched hard. Just a moment ago he had sensed movement from Yin Wanderer, aimed directly at Ying Ning. Remembering her earlier words, he instantly knew that the “half-day bet” had… begun.
After a few more yawns, Ying Ning could no longer fight off her drowsiness. She struggled for a bit, but soon she could barely keep her eyes open. Of course, no one could miss that. Qi Bi laid a hand on her forehead and softly asked, “Tired, huh?”
Ying Ming nodded obediently and murmured, “So sleepy.”
“Guess she has been a little too excited these past couple of days. Let her sleep for a bit.”
Li Xun started making room for Yin Wanderer to do her thing. “Winter’s got that biting cold. Sleeping out here like this, she could easily catch a chill. Better find a spot out of the wind. I’ll throw up a barrier around her too… just to be safe.”
Qi Bi thought for a moment and agreed.
Shan Zhi jumped up. “I’ll go look for a place.”
Li Xun had not even spoken when Ling Ji chimed in, “I’ll go too. It’s not exactly easy to find a cave that shelters you from the wind on this mountain.”
Li Xun shot Ling Ji a look and nodded. He could tell Ling Ji was eager to do something, and Li Xun understood that. After all, when it came to feelings, not a single person here had the right to act like the authority.
As the two of them walked off, Ying Ning finally lost the battle with sleep. She slumped against Qi Bi’s chest and passed out completely. Worried about the cold, Qi Bi pulled the girl in even closer, wrapping her arms around her. That lucky little flying fox was sandwiched right between the two beauties. And looked so damn content its eyes were glued shut in pure bliss.