Chapter 17: A Cunning Gambit and a Devil’s Predicament

“Hall Master Su remains as amusing as ever. The other day, you spoke of sacrificing yourself for the sect’s greater good, and I almost believed you.

It turns out you were merely seizing an opportunity to raid a home while no one was looking.”

“Ha, Hall Master Chu, you speak amiss.”

Su Qin, far from panicking, calmly organized his thoughts.

“Just now, I was about to set off to negotiate with the Qingxuan Sect, when I suddenly noticed an anomaly at the Painted Bone Hall.

Naturally, I came to investigate, only to discover that half the hall’s occupants had already been slaughtered.

Moreover, the killer’s methods were extraordinary. The disciples had barely struggled, each having been killed with a single blow.”

“I suspect the culprit first restrained them through some means, then struck them down one by one.”

Su Qin’s gaze sharpened, for in this region, the most renowned mental control technique was Chu Lingge’s enchanting allure.

“I was just about to inform the sect of this deduction, when I unexpectedly found Hall Master Chu here as well. Might you… know something about this, Hall Master Chu?”

“I do know, you see. This humble one knows who the culprit is.”

Chu Lingge let out a soft chuckle, then retrieved a recording stone from between those two soft, jade-like mounds, and gave it a playful shake. Su Qin’s expression instantly shifted.

“It’s all recorded perfectly clear. Does Hall Master Su wish to take a look?”

Her words were barely out when Su Qin transformed into a streak of light, lunging to snatch it.

His move was entirely unexpected. With the instantaneous burst of speed granted by his perfected Golden Core cultivation, he was certain he could seize it, so long as it remained in her grasp!

Even a minor injury would be inconsequential; with three mouthfuls of blood, his Blood Demon Spiritual Physique could endure three resurrections!

Yet, Chu Lingge had clearly anticipated this, and swiftly tucked the recording stone back away.

Su Qin, who had been single-mindedly intent on seizing the recording stone, stared at that fragrant, soft expanse, realizing he would have to reach his hand into it. His breath hitched for a fleeting moment.

It was this very instant that caused him to miss his chance. In close combat among cultivators above the Golden Core stage, every flicker of distraction could lead to eternal damnation.

Su Qin rapidly retreated, halting a dozen meters away, his face ashen.

Chu Lingge’s eyes shimmered, her allure growing ever more potent, as her rosy lips parted to release a soft, warm breath.

“You hesitated just now, didn’t you?”

Chu Lingge’s fervent, predatory gaze set off alarm bells in Su Qin’s heart.

“A Devil of Romance, hesitating in the face of such a minor trick? Is that truly right?”

A faint, alluring fragrance teased his nostrils. Chu Lingge tugged her collar down slightly, revealing a perilous hint of pink skin. Su Qin instinctively averted his gaze.

Witnessing his youthful, inexperienced reaction, Chu Lingge’s delight intensified, as if she had stumbled upon some rare treasure.

“It’s not that this humble one’s cultivation technique was mistaken, nor that my Illusory Flower Eyes perceived incorrectly. Rather, it’s that you are utterly inexperienced in such matters.”

‘Ah, Chu Nan. (TL Note: A common placeholder name for a naive young man, often used to imply innocence or lack of experience.) Indeed, if someone were like Chu Nan, she, the Hall Master of Sehua Hall, could easily toy with them in the palm of her hand.’

“Hmph, to think that the Devil of Romance, of all people, would be the most chaste. You truly are a rare individual.”

Hearing the words “rare individual,” Su Qin felt a surge of displeasure, while Chu Lingge, on the other hand, grew even more delighted, her eyes practically sparkling.

“This humble one has heard a saying: ‘Those who are skilled at defiling their own reputation surely harbor ulterior motives.’”

A hint of seriousness and genuine admiration surfaced on Chu Lingge’s face. She had finally found him—the ideal partner she had painstakingly sought for decades.

She absolutely had to team up with him for a ‘duo queue’. Chu Lingge made up her mind.

Su Qin pondered silently. With his beast horde not by his side, he only had three fangs at his disposal.

To make matters worse, Chu Lingge was a Body Cultivator specializing in enchanting arts, not a fragile Array Cultivator. A head-on confrontation would not go well.

Furthermore, she seemed to have subtly realized the significance of his reputation as the Devil of Romance.

‘This is bad. In the very first round, she’s already grasped two of my weaknesses.’

And she wasn’t rushing to name her price, which caused Su Qin’s heart to sink a few more notches, his gaze turning cold.

“Why are you looking at me with such terrifying eyes?”

Chu Lingge let out a soft laugh, her lotus steps (TL Note: A graceful, small-stepped walk, traditionally associated with beautiful women) bringing her full, exquisite form within an inch of Su Qin.

“Hall Master Su, you wouldn’t want this information to fall into others’ hands, would you?”

“What do you want?”

Su Qin’s expression remained indifferent. Chu Lingge pursed her red lips, her captivating warm breath continually brushing against Su Qin’s neck.

“Tomorrow night, how about you join this humble one in her chambers for a while?”

***

“Achoo!”

In the Immortal Slaying Valley, Immortal Lingtai sneezed, her hands, clutching her magical artifact, feeling somewhat cold.

The valley floor was surrounded by several streams, and the temperature was noticeably lower.

For some reason, despite her perfected Foundation Establishment cultivation, she couldn’t withstand the icy cold at the bottom of the valley.

If Su Qin were here, he would most likely mock her as a “squishy”, for she, too, was an Array Cultivator whose physical body had not kept pace.

In truth, however, magical artifacts were paramount for Array Cultivators. Only by using artifacts to form arrays could they balance both their mobility and formidable power.

If one formed an array by relying on terrain instead of magical artifacts, then the array’s function would be nullified if the enemy did not approach.

Furthermore, if the terrain upon which an array depended were utterly destroyed, the array itself would collapse.

The importance of magical artifacts was self-evident, yet today, to rescue Qi Shuyue, she had brought forth every single one of her own.

Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she would exchange anything to get Yue’er back.

The Immortal Slaying Valley was utterly silent. She once again pulled out her Bagua Mirror (TL Note: A magical artifact shaped like an Eight Trigrams mirror, often used for divination or communication), and asked again.

“[Why aren’t you here yet?]”

This time, unlike the dozens of previous messages, it wasn’t ignored. Instead, a reply was received almost immediately.

Immortal Lingtai nervously checked the message. After perceiving its content, her beautiful eyes visibly froze for a moment.

“[If you nag me one more time, I’ll just pull over to the side of the road and take care of her right then and there!]”

Zhao Shuyun’s face drained of color in alarm. In her mind, a vivid image automatically formed: Qi Shuyue being pinned down by the demon, forcefully taken, the young girl weeping uncontrollably.

The demon even mercilessly slapped her plump hips and thighs.

‘No, that girl won’t be able to bear it! Such a thing requires an adult!’

Just as she was about to plead, she received a second message.

“[Don’t send messages unless it’s important. In any case, I will definitely arrive tonight.]”

On the other side, watching as the other party stopped sending messages, the anger on Su Qin’s face remained stubbornly unyielding.

Given tonight’s special circumstances, he had to keep the Bagua Mirror’s communication channel open, so he had continuously linked it with his divine sense.

He could finally understand the agony of being bombarded with messages.

At that moment, he had been negotiating with an old fox like Chu Lingge, exhausting his mental faculties to avoid being completely exploited. Yet, every time a crucial moment arrived, a sudden “ding-dong” would echo in his mind.

Distracted, he would check, only to find it was still junk mail.

He dared not miss a message, for he might be able to glean information about the Immortal Slaying Valley’s situation from her communications.

But damn it, having to sift through hundreds of messages for information was giving him a headache.

Just now, he had practically been led by the nose by Chu Lingge; a single lapse in attention had allowed her to continuously seize control.

The main reason was that Chu Lingge had grasped his vital weaknesses, and not just one, but two.

The Eight Treasures Fox Feather Fan was indeed extraordinary; in their very first encounter, she had made him feel a painful bite.

He couldn’t afford to be branded with the crime of slaughtering fellow disciples, nor could he lose his fearsome reputation as a demon. Thus, he had no choice but to proceed this way.

In this world, many deadly conflicts did not stem from the struggle for resources.

For pushing things to an absolute extreme came at a very high cost.

When it came to killing for treasures, one often had to consider whether the opponent had powerful backing, was concealing their true strength, or possessed life-saving techniques.

‘Always leave a thread of possibility, for you might meet again in the future.’

‘If one lost a fight, they would yield resources; the strong were revered, and thus he should yield, for magical artifacts inherently belonged to the mighty.’

‘The Jianghu (TL Note: A term referring to the world of martial artists, adventurers, and wanderers, often involving complex social dynamics and informal rules) is not merely about bloodshed; it is about human relationships and social conventions.’

‘What was truly deadly was conflict pursued without regard for cost.’

‘When emotions triumphed over reason, people would attack without considering the cost, and thus, emotion was the greatest calamity in the world.’

Su Qin had recognized this early on, which was why he had gone to great lengths to establish his fearsome reputation as the Devil of Romance.

‘A lone wolf would not be swayed by the dynamics of a wolf pack, and moreover, possessed a natural first-mover advantage, essentially asking:’

“Are you certain you want to offend me for these meager resources, risking your entire family being wiped out?”