Chapter 7: The Demonic Bargain and the Green-Robed Interloper

“Are you seeking her physical body?”

Qíngyǔ’s gaze swept over Yang Qingqing’s face, a visage half-beautiful, half-grotesque, before she cast a calm glance at the demonic entity beside her.

“This humble one dares not deceive the Immortal,” the demonic entity muttered, inwardly lamenting its predicament, its voice growing even fainter. “This little fiend… indeed harbored such intentions originally.”

“Then why have you chosen to abandon them now?”

‘It’s all because of you!’

The fiend, in its mind, cursed the ‘ancestors of this bane’ before it, enumerating eighteen generations of their lineage, yet on its face, it dared not show even a hint of displeasure.

Instead, it simply lowered its head, trembling in silence like a cicada in winter.

“Miss Cangxuan needs not waste words with it; simply strike it down!”

Jí Yào, who had been lingering behind, cared not for explanations.

He surged forward in two swift strides, his steel blade cleaving the air with a whistling sound, poised to strike the demonic entity possessing the woman.

“Wait.”

The instant Qíngyǔ’s voice fell, Jí Yào’s blade tip halted precisely an inch from the demonic entity’s nose.

The blood-stained edge exuded a chilling aura, causing the fiend to break out in a cold sweat, yet it remained frozen in place, daring not to move an inch.

“Th-thank you, Immortal, for sparing this humble one’s life… This little fiend shall now…”

“Don’t be so quick to offer thanks.”

Qíngyǔ stepped forward, her fingertips lightly tapping Yang Qingqing’s shoulders twice as the latter stood bewildered beneath the bamboo.

A gentle yet potent force surged into Yang Qingqing, helping her expel all lingering evil energy from her body.

Yang Qingqing let out a muffled groan, her complexion easing slightly.

Only then did Qíngyǔ turn her attention back to the demonic entity.

“Tell me, where is the dilapidated temple you originally inhabited located?”

“Reporting to the Immortal, it is in the mountains outside the city.”

“Then how did you come to harbor malicious intentions?”

“I…”

The demonic entity was speechless, unsure why this esteemed individual was pressing for details, and fearing that she truly possessed divinatory abilities, it could only steel itself and speak.

“This little fiend saw that Young Lady Yang possessed an excellent spiritual meridian, and for a moment, I was utterly bewildered, and so… I conceived the idea of body snatching, hoping to use her physical form to cultivate the Dao.”

As it spoke, its gaze swept over Qíngyǔ’s entire being, and its heart skipped a beat.

Previously, it had perceived this esteemed individual as having no spiritual power, and moreover, being tainted with impurity, it had mistaken her for a mortal.

Now, it seemed this person either had a faint spiritual meridian, or… like itself, bore no spiritual essence at all!

Upon hearing these words, Yang Qingqing, who stood nearby, turned deathly pale once more, only able to stare blankly as the person and the demonic entity conversed.

“With such methods, one can enter the Dao?”

Qíngyǔ pressed, her tone still unperturbed.

“Absolutely!” The demonic entity jolted, as if grasping a lifeline, its voice rising several octaves.

“This little fiend stumbled upon a wondrous encounter in its early years, guided by an… an esteemed expert, who bestowed upon me a scroll titled ‘Secret Record of Soul Seizing and Spirit Pilfering.’

If… if the Immortal is interested, this little fiend will present it with both hands, only begging for the Immortal’s mercy to spare this little fiend’s life!”

The young woman heard this and gently shook her head.

The ‘Dao’ cultivated in this world, it seemed, was vastly different from the one she had practiced in her previous life.

In her past life, once such a nefarious art of ‘soul seizing and spirit pilfering’ was employed, even if one miraculously ‘entered the Dao’ afterward, it would merely be like drinking poison to quench thirst, or viewing flowers through a mist, making no further progress.

Even if one acted with extreme caution thereafter, they would be entangled by karma, unable to escape their destined calamities, ultimately meeting a fearful end.

Seeing Qíngyǔ shake her head, the demonic entity merely assumed its bargaining chips were insufficient.

With a resolute heart, it feigned a look of profound regret, bowing deeply until its head nearly touched the ground.

“Immortal, please see clearly! This little fiend also has some savings hidden in that temple.

If the Immortal is willing to perform this act of kindness today, I will not only offer the secret technique and all my gold and silver, but I also vow to the heavens that I will never commit evil again.

I will perform good deeds and accumulate virtue daily, keep incense burning perpetually, and enshrine a spiritual tablet for you!”

The two individuals nearby, who were not lightly injured, heard these words and, seeing that Qíngyǔ, who had come to exorcise the demon, showed no intention of striking it down, their expressions grew even more unsightly.

Finally, Jí Yào let out a long breath and cast aside the long blade in his hand.

The clattering sound of metal on metal made the demonic entity inwardly sneer.

“Miss Cangxuan, this humble one is crude and possesses nothing of value. I only have some rudimentary martial arts and a bit of brute strength and vitality; I cannot promise you immortal techniques or treasures like that demonic entity.”

He paused, then stepped away from Yang Qingqing beside him.

“If the Immortal requires it, this humble life of mine is yours to command. I only beg that, recalling the heartlessness of the host and guest the other day, you spare my Young Lady’s life.”

Just as Qíngyǔ was about to speak, the demonic entity could no longer hold back.

“You truly have a fine plan, young man. What use would an Immortal have for your tainted blood and turbid qi?”

With that, it lowered its head, struggling to suppress a laugh. “Even if you offered your next life and the life after that, it wouldn’t compare to a single fraction of your Young Lady’s spiritual meridian.”

“You…!”

Jí Yào’s heart seized up, and he was about to kneel before the young woman.

“Immortal! Do not listen to their senseless babble!” Yang Qingqing’s delicate brows furrowed tightly.

Suppressing the discomfort in her body, she suddenly kicked the Servant in the side, causing him, already injured, to fall onto his backside.

Afterward, she didn’t even glance at him, turning instead to Qíngyǔ.

“That ‘soul seizing and spirit pilfering’ technique of its… this humble girl has already vaguely perceived some of its intricacies.

As long as you strike down this demonic entity now, everything about this humble girl will be at your disposal.”

“What do you know of magic techniques!”

“I only ask the Immortal to decide!”

The person and the demonic entity argued noisily.

Jí Yào, clutching his waist and buttocks, grimaced as he struggled to his feet.

He looked at his Young Lady, then at the fiend, and finally at the silent Qíngyǔ, feeling utterly lost for a moment.

“Alright, alright.”

Qíngyǔ, somewhat bewildered by the clamor, snapped back from her thoughts.

She turned to look at the demonic entity, whose eyes immediately lit up.

“Immortal! What is your decision?”

Seeing this, the expressions of the two bystanders grew even more wretched.

“When did I ever say,” Qíngyǔ’s voice carried a hint of cool bewilderment, “that I wanted your nefarious techniques or your gold and silver?”

“Th-then… then the Immortal just now…”

The ecstatic joy on the demonic entity’s face instantly froze, transforming into a mixture of bewilderment and terror.

The young woman shook her head, her fingers subtly moving within her sleeve.

An invisible demon-suppressing talisman had already condensed at her fingertip.

“Not to mention that I have no desire whatsoever to cultivate your heterodox path.

Simply put, you are still stubbornly clinging to this woman’s body, refusing to reveal your true form, even at this moment.

How, then, can I trust you?”

“Th-then… then Imm-Immortal… this little fiend shall now…”

The demonic entity stammered, its lantern falling to the ground, and black qi began to surge restlessly around its body, as if about to withdraw from the woman’s form.

“Wait!”

Just as the talisman at Qíngyǔ’s fingertip was about to be pressed down, a clear, sharp cry, like a string of ice beads, resonated from afar, piercing the long night in an instant.

A green-clad figure, swift as a phantom, lightly tapped the green bamboo leaves twice with their toes.

Their form then gracefully descended between the young woman and the demonic entity, precisely blocking Qíngyǔ’s line of attack.

The newcomer’s robes fluttered, and they landed without a sound.

A faint spiritual pressure still enveloped their entire being.

He swiftly scanned the entire scene, forming a hand seal with one hand.

A shimmering wave of water-like brilliance suddenly appeared, instantly binding the demonic entity firmly in place.

Finally, this person frowned, looking coldly at Qíngyǔ. “What business does a mere mortal have here? Let the one with spiritual meridians speak.”

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the still-shaken Yang Qingqing.

Yang Qingqing, swept by his gaze, trembled slightly, and at this moment could only steel herself and step forward.

“Imm-Immortal.”

She instinctively glanced at Qíngyǔ, only to see that the latter had quietly withdrawn her hand and silently retreated half a step.

The green-robed cultivator, however, couldn’t be bothered to look at her timid demeanor.

“Do you perhaps have some wondrous encounter?”

With that, a powerful spiritual pressure subtly enveloped Yang Qingqing, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

“Reporting to the Immortal Elder,” Yang Qingqing’s face was deathly pale as she shook her head with difficulty. “This humble girl has had no wondrous encounters.”

“Nonsense.”

The green-robed cultivator’s brows furrowed even more deeply.

“If you had no wondrous encounter, then with your meager foundation, how did you manage to expel the evil energy, and even suppress this demonic entity for a moment?

This humble girl… this humble girl… truly does not know… So be it.”

The green-robed cultivator let out a cold snort.

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present—the gritting-toothed Yang Qingqing, the bewildered Jí Yào, the silent Qíngyǔ—finally resting on the bound demonic entity.

“Regardless of what wondrous encounter you may have had, once this demonic entity devours you later, everything will become clear.”

He deliberately slowed his tone, his voice tinged with excitement.

The evening breeze rustled through the bamboo, and the inner courtyard instantly grew several degrees colder.