Chapter 4: The Saintess’s Hidden Depths and the Demonic Cultivator’s Dilemma

In his previous life, a common rumor circulated within online communities, claiming that the seemingly aloof fairy was, in truth, a deeply repressed demonic enchantress.

He had vehemently refused to believe such slander at the time, even engaging in hundreds of forum replies to debate the point with its proponents.

Yet, just moments ago, on his way back, a momentary curiosity had prompted him to probe the pouch with his divine sense.

To his utter astonishment, he had indeed discovered a hidden compartment within it.

Being entirely unfamiliar with the intricacies of such storage pouches, he had inadvertently triggered the hidden layer, causing it to spring open.

What was inside was a veritable treasure trove of visual and textual content, even including recording stones.

The things stored within were far more explosive than any mere diary entries, presenting a sight truly unbearable to behold.

Crucially, at that precise moment, he had been flying directly over the bustling market square.

These items had scattered everywhere, forcing him to spend what felt like an eternity retrieving them, all while numerous onlookers gawked at him as if he were merely collecting refuse.

“Well, this works out perfectly,” Su Qin muttered, a grim satisfaction in his tone.

“I was just wondering how to find an excuse to deal with her anyway.”

Su Qin gritted his teeth, quickly tidied himself, and then strode purposefully towards the dungeon.

***

“Qi Shuyue!”

Su Qin, utterly devoid of patience, hastened to the far end of the dungeon.

Just as he was about to unleash his fury, his heart lurched at the sight before his eyes.

Qi Shuyue lay there, incredibly weak, her surroundings a complete mess.

Tears welled in her phoenix-like eyes, and her cherry lips trembled with suppressed anger.

“You… you’ve finally come.”

With these words spoken, Qi Shuyue could no longer bear it.

She collapsed with a thud onto the ground, allowing her beautiful hair to become soiled by the squalor around her.

Su Qin channeled a surge of spiritual energy into her body.

Qi Shuyue quickly regained consciousness, her eyes fixed on him with an expectant gaze.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Qi Shuyue hesitated for a long moment, her rosy lips parting slightly.

“…I want to take a bath.”

After a good while, the revived Qi Shuyue poked her head out of the hot spring, her mood feeling rather peculiar.

“Mr. Demonic Cultivator.”

Su Qin sat in meditation nearby, checking his own physical condition, a slight frown creasing his brow.

Looking at the Saintess again, she showed not a trace of yesterday’s panic.

Instead, she appeared utterly composed, like someone inherently cold and indifferent.

And ‘Mr. Demonic Cultivator’—that appellation was truly strange.

“Do you have any spare clothes for a girl?”

Su Qin glanced at her.

Though the hot spring was shrouded in mist, he could still discern her serene demeanor.

“There’s no need,” Su Qin replied.

“This is the Abyssal Spring. Anything that has been immersed in it will dry within ten breaths of being removed, and it also purifies all impurities.”

Qi Shuyue cupped a handful of spring water and extended it beyond the spring’s edge.

Indeed, it rapidly evaporated, prompting her to nod curiously.

“Oh,” she murmured, “no wonder I feel so parched.”

“Mr. Demonic Cultivator, will you… lay a hand on me?” The young girl lay languidly along the edge of the spring, utterly bored.

“No interest.”

Qi Shuyue’s confidence immediately plummeted by more than half.

From childhood, almost every man she had ever met had been captivated by her, yet now, suddenly, this fellow appeared, utterly indifferent.

She pondered it repeatedly, finally understanding his attitude when he had stripped her of her magical artifacts.

It was, she realized with a pang, no different from bathing a small cat or a stray dog.

A feeling of profound vexation settled over her heart, cloaking her in an unfamiliar gloom.

“Then what did you feed me?” she asked.

“After eating it, my body felt warm, and a lot of… things came out of me.”

Su Qin glanced at her, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“A Marrow Cleansing Pill,” he stated.

“The foremost elixir for purifying impurities and detoxifying. Have you never taken one before?”

Though such elixirs were rare, they weren’t impossible to acquire.

As a Saintess, she should have had easy access to them.

The young girl shook her head.

Yet, she genuinely felt her cultivation recovering, and the poison that had been administered earlier was now gone.

Only her lower body felt somewhat chilly, leaving her feeling quite insecure.

She wanted her undergarment artifact back.

“Then, my artifact, can you return it to me?”

Su Qin didn’t even turn his head, responding with an air of absolute certainty.

“No,” he stated flatly.

“I still have a use for it.”

‘Use it? he wants to use my undergarment?’ Qi Shuyue mused.

‘It seems I’m not entirely without charm after all.’

Qi Shuyue’s chin lifted in a proud arc.

The humiliation of being handled like a small animal by Su Qin immediately diminished somewhat, and she couldn’t help but act coyly.

“Ah~,” she sighed dramatically, “I’ve lost so many artifacts. I’ll surely be scolded by Master when I return.”

Seeing Qi Shuyue’s utterly casual demeanor, Su Qin immediately frowned.

“You’re far too casual,” Su Qin admonished.

“What do you take this place for? You don’t look like a fairy maiden at all, but rather a demonic enchantress infiltrating a righteous sect.”

‘Given the original story’s broad strokes, he couldn’t have truly abducted some demonic enchantress, could he?’

Qi Shuyue let out a scoff, still maintaining her languid posture.

For some reason, she found herself unwilling to feign composure before him.

“All my artifacts have been confiscated by you, so there’s nothing I can do,” she explained.

“Besides, this is the Demonic Sect, and there’s no safer place than a prison cell. If I try to escape recklessly, I’ll only put myself in danger.”

“Moreover,” she added, “there’s no one else here. Why should I continue to uphold the Saintess’s airs?”

Su Qin’s lips twitched involuntarily, and he thought to himself that she had a damn good point.

He truly wasn’t human right now, in more ways than one.

Qi Shuyue scrutinized Su Qin from head to toe, her peach blossom eyes revealing a thoughtful expression.

“And Mr. Demonic Cultivator, you’re so strange,” she remarked.

“I originally thought you were some kind of lecherous demon, but it turns out you’re not… I’ve never encountered anyone like you, neither among the righteous sects nor the demonic paths.”

Su Qin let out a cold snort, a hint of displeasure in his demeanor.

“Who are you calling rare?”

Qi Shuyue, however, was in no hurry, and openly admired his muscular physique without reservation.

“Don’t be so quick to anger,” she said.

“I mean, I find you unfathomable; there’s a sense of the absurd about you.”

“To be honest,” she continued, “I’m still worried that you might suddenly devour me or chop me up at any moment. Yet, this comfortable hot spring also makes me feel utterly at ease.”

“This constant worry of dying at any moment makes me try even harder to savor the comfortable sensation of this hot spring,” she sighed, a languid sound escaping her lips.

Haah~, it’s the first time Shuyue has ever experienced something like this.”

As Qi Shuyue spoke, her body shivered subtly, and a vague, unsettling suspicion began to form in Su Qin’s mind.

‘This girl is not right,’ he thought.

‘He needed to send her away as quickly as possible.’

“In a few days, I will send you back to the Azure Profound Sect,” he announced.

“Get dressed; I’ll be waiting for you in the prison cell.”

“Okay~”

The Abyssal Spring was truly comfortable.

She soaked for a while longer, allowing all the hidden injuries on her body to be completely washed away.

Then, she donned her clothes and ascended to the upper dungeon.

“That prison door is broken, so you’ll stay here for the next few days.”

Su Qin had been waiting for a long time, having chosen a better cell for her.

Qi Shuyue nodded, but after entering, she knelt on the ground, placing her lotus-root-like arms behind her back, which truly baffled him.

“What are you doing?”

Qi Shuyue turned her head, her autumn-water-like eyes revealing a hint of longing.

“Mr. Demonic Cultivator, aren’t you going to bind me?”

“Hmph, there’s no need,” Su Qin said, feeling an increasing sense of unease.

Qi Shuyue’s face showed disappointment.

‘The previous binding method wasn’t that uncomfortable after all,’ she pouted, mumbling.

“Alright then, but if I run away, Mr. Demonic Cultivator, please don’t blame me.”

“This Venerable One doesn’t require your concern.”

Su Qin flicked his sleeve and departed.

Something was off, the more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt; he had to send this demonic enchantress away as soon as possible.

He shook his head again.

Now was not the time to ponder this girl.

Despite having traveled all night using only spells, he truly felt his physical condition had deteriorated further.

Flying swiftly into the main hall, he landed in the workshop behind it, and Su Qin sat cross-legged.

Profound spiritual energy gathered around him; his flesh receded, replaced by dark red crystals, and he completely transformed into a transparent humanoid crystal.

Crystallization—this was the secret to the Blood Demon Spirit Body’s immortality.

The Blood Roaming Zombie was a counterfeit Spirit Body, destined to disintegrate within a month.

Only this Blood Demon Spirit Body represented the pinnacle of demonic cultivation physiques!

However, this Spirit Body was not in good condition; it was covered in cracks, large and small, as if it could shatter at any moment.

Su Qin willed it, and the fanged treasure chest opened.

Qi Shuyue’s artifacts were refined into spiritual liquid, which, guided by spiritual energy, flowed into the cracks, slowly hardening and filling the gaps.

“This spiritual liquid… tastes quite good.”

The blood crystal was his body, so he could naturally taste the sweetness of the spiritual liquid.

He seized the opportunity to circulate his cultivation technique.

After one full cycle, Su Qin slowly opened his eyes.

“This Blood Demon Art is truly marvelous, quite compatible with the tanky assassin playstyle I used in my previous life.”

Vaguely, he felt a sense of connection, as if something wanted to communicate with him.

“This is too wonderful; this kind of joy cannot be experienced by playing games at all. Cultivation is actually so interesting!”

Su Qin was almost instantly engrossed in cultivation, losing track of time as five or six hours passed in what felt like an instant.