GD Ch. 22

Chapter 22: Why Didn’t You?

“Why did you have to make a move against me?” 

Zhuyou felt uneasy as soon as she heard this nonsense from Jing Kexin, feeling like she had been insulted. She raised her hand and pulled at the cuff, covering the dragon hidden inside. It wasn’t that she was afraid of being seen by Jing Kexin. She just didn’t want her dragon to take another look at this woman, lest she dirty her eyes.

Jing Kexin tucked her hair behind her ear with fingers like pinching an orchid, while still retaining that seductive charm in her demeanor. She said, “I just wanted to test Your Grace’s cultivation. After all, you have been in seclusion for a hundred years, so surely there has been a breakthrough in your realm.”

Changying, hidden in the mist-like sleeve, still stared outward, full of hostility. If she grew a little bigger, she would surely be ferocious and terrifying.

“Someone like you wanted to test my cultivation?” Zhuyou raised her hand, and a flame ignited on her pure white fingertips. The flame burned brightly as red as blood, without flickering in the cold wind.

Initially, Jing Kexin’s eyes were glowing red with desire. But upon seeing the phoenix fire, she stiffened, and the corners of her mouth slowly drooped.

“Tell me: Who did I frame?” Zhuyou didn’t want to say much, so she asked directly.

Jing Kexin smiled. “It seems that the scouts from the Heavenly Realm are looking for something. Since the Three Lords haven’t taken anything from them, I had no choice but to suspect you.” Although she said so, there was no anger on Jing Kexin’s face; it seemed she was already accustomed to such situations.

“Don’t you fear me revealing your identity as the Third Lord of the Devil Realm? You play the role of a junior disciple of this sect quite convincingly. Could it be that you’ve taken a liking to some cultivator?” Zhuyou rarely spoke so much to this devil. 

She was afraid that in the blink of an eye, Jing Kexin would be one step closer to her. Despite being dozens of feet apart and the cold wind still howling, she could already smell the stench emanating from this woman.

How could there be such a devil? Not relying on dual cultivation to increase cultivation, yet indulging in such matters, and even trying to drag her into it.

Although Zhuyou was already quite serious about being a devil, she couldn’t bring herself to be like Jing Kexin.

Jing Kexin laughed. “Your Grace and I are like two grasshoppers on the same rope. How could I push myself into the fire?”

Zhuyou thought, Who said we’re like two grasshoppers on the same rope?

“I didn’t expect Luo Qing to have some skills, actually managing to invite you down to the human world.” Jing Kexin smoothed her hair, discreetly bit her lip, and even swallowed quietly.

Zhuyou placed her hands behind her back, and as Jing Kexin approached a bit closer, she calmly stepped back half a step. Her arm itched badly because as Changying moved, the black scales on her abdomen lightly brushed against her hand.

Changying slowly climbed up her arm, then circled around to her back, her long tail dragging across her shoulder blades. Zhuyou’s collar was pushed aside slightly, revealing a black head peeking out from behind her shoulder.

Changying eventually settled on Zhuyou’s shoulder. She intended to place her tail on the other shoulder but fell short by a few inches. With a dignified gaze, she perched high on Zhuyou’s shoulders and looked at the coquettish Third Lord of the Devil Realm.

Zhuyou raised her hand, intending to push down Changying’s head, but to her surprise, the dragon seemed to have some temper and pushed her palm away with her head. Her palm felt icy cold. Changying seemed colder than the snow covering the mountains.

Jing Kexin naturally noticed the black snake. She was momentarily surprised, not expecting this fallen divine offspring to allow a beast so close. Her surprise quickly turned into jealousy. 

How could such a weak creature get so close to this person?

Initially, she was terrified of the phoenix fire on Zhuyou’s fingertips, but now she said, “You have already conjured fire, Your Grace. Why not hurry and let it burn me? Let me taste the sensation of being incinerated.”

The flame flickering on Zhuyou’s slender finger suddenly extinguished. She never expected Jing Kexin to say such words.

“Why are you silent, Your Grace? Why extinguish the fire? I haven’t tasted it yet. After all, are you not descending to the human world to be like us grasshoppers on the same rope?” Jing Kexin giggled coquettishly.

“Then tell me, why are you posing as a mortal cultivator? Could it be that the reincarnation of the Devil Lord’s soul is within this sect?” Zhuyou raised her hand to cover Changying’s head. Even if she couldn’t fully cover it, blocking the line of sight for a moment would be beneficial.

Jing Kexin’s expression softened slightly. “You must already know that Shenhua Mountain is within the Huacheng Sect.”

“If one is not seeking the reincarnation of the Devil Lord’s soul, why focus on Shenhua Mountain?” Zhuyou grabbed the dragon on her shoulder, lightly brushing Changying’s head with her thumb. As if pacified, Changying immediately calmed down, becoming obedient as though she had just ingested some spiritual energy.

“Don’t you find it strange, Your Grace? Shenhua Mountain coincidentally opened early at this time. It seems to be related to the reincarnation of the Devil Lord’s soul. Are you planning to stand by and watch?” Although Jing Kexin had restrained herself somewhat, her gaze still burned like fire.

“So, you want to enter the mountain.”

Jing Kexin’s face turned crimson with urgency. “If the Heavenly Realm expects the reincarnation of the Devil Lord’s soul to enter Shenhua Mountain, then we must enter together. Only then can we find the soul among the dozens of sects.”

Zhuyou flicked her fingers, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the devil getting excited and stepping closer. She discreetly moved back a little.

Changying suddenly grew agitated, emitting a dull wheezing sound from her throat instead of the usual snake hiss.

Zhuyou gently flicked her head with her index finger, puzzled by the dragon’s impatience. She seemed to oppose her agreement to something. 

After assessing Jing Kexin for a moment, she swiftly changed the topic. “If you truly intend to enter Shenhua Mountain, then maintain proper decorum in this mortal guise and refrain from any odd behavior.”

Jing Kexin grinned. “If you accompany us into the mountain, I’ll procure another beautiful guise for myself. I’ll wear whatever style you prefer.”

Zhuyou nodded and glanced beyond Jing Kexin. “Are these few here searching for you?”

Jing Kexin swiftly turned, her coquettish expression vanishing instantly. It was then that a sudden surge of scorching waves was felt. The heat was intense, nearly searing her skin.

Thrown several dozen feet away, she coughed up blood upon hitting the ground. As she struggled to rise, she found only vast whiteness in the distance, all blanketed in snow, with no sign of the people Zhuyou had mentioned.

Zhuyou herself had vanished, clutching the dragon tightly in her hand. In the blink of an eye, she had traversed several miles, skillfully concealing her presence to elude Jing Kexin’s pursuit.

The dragon felt colder now, its icy hardness almost devoid of life, the warmth of her palm failing to thaw it.

After pausing, Zhuyou measured the dragon with her hand, noting that it had grown slightly again, about the length of a fingernail.

Changying’s gaze met hers. Once distanced from Jing Kexin, the dragon’s demeanor seemed to settle.

With a smirk, Zhuyou gracefully leaped up, settling cross-legged on a silver-white pine tree to escape the biting cold of the ground below. She closed her eyes, immersing herself in stillness. It wasn’t sleepiness that enveloped her; rather, she sought the thread of consciousness she had entrusted to Hanzhu.

Hanzhu, bearing her likeness, had departed Shangxi City, leaving behind the wooden carving she once carried, now reduced to ashes.

Beyond the city’s borders, she halted abruptly, uncertainty clouding her features. 

“Mistress?” she called.

But she didn’t hear her mistress’ voice. Instead, devilish energy seemed to envelop her, and a sudden black smoke exploded before her before morphing into a grasping hand, pulling her inexorably toward its dark depths.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the human world, already returning to her original appearance.

As Hanzhu looked around the blinding whiteness, she blinked, realizing she wasn’t blind. She was merely surrounded by snow.

Zhuyou descended from the tree and spread her five fingers, revealing a slender white wrist, clearly indicating that she wanted something from her.

Hanzhu hesitated before speaking up, “Mistress, Wu Buzhi… still hasn’t found any news about the Cold Eye, saying the map hasn’t been unfinished. What exactly is in the Cold Eye?”

Zhuyou lowered her raised hand, a hint of confusion clouding her eyes. “The Cold Eye holds the artifact that can cure my eyes. Despite a century passing, we still haven’t located it. Since it continues to elude us, we’ll have to set it aside for now.”

Changying peeked out from her wide sleeve, displaying a keen interest in the conversation.

Hanzhu couldn’t help but be surprised by the fact that the dragon could consume so much yet remain an ordinary-looking black snake. She was momentarily taken aback. “Why hasn’t it transformed yet?”

Zhuyou scoffed. “This thing probably won’t be able to transform even if it drains me dry.”

Hanzhu was shocked. “It dares to drain you, Mistress?!”