Chapter 158 Seduction "Jia Yue, are you seducing me?"...

Jingzhe watched as the three cultivators' bodies turned into particles, then silently sheathed his sword. His weapon was a short spiritual blade, which he summoned at close range to take lives without anyone noticing.

He disrupted the surrounding energy. That's the advantage of a cultivator's body; no matter how they died, once they're dead, they're gone. There's no way to prove it, and the remaining spiritual energy will quickly dissipate. Once he returns, he will report to the young master and young mistress that they haven't found them, and everyone has left.

After confirming that the scent in the air had dissipated, Jingzhe led his men to continue searching deeper into the area. He knew that even if they went, they wouldn't find anything; given the cultivation level of a Green Rank disciple of the Heavenly Palace, they would probably have been completely wiped out long ago. However, his cautious nature led him to decide to go in and confirm it with his own eyes.

That disciple of Tianque is doomed to die for offending the young master. He can only blame himself for being so blind as to provoke that person right from the start. How can someone who can't even tolerate the respect of his subordinates tolerate the covetousness of others?

Thinking of how the young master looked that day, Jingzhe reminded himself that he would be more cautious and careful around that person in the future.

Jingzhe never expected to see that Tianque disciple again.

In a desolate valley, the man, his white robe stained with blood, sat motionless against the stone wall, appearing to be dead. However, since his body had not dissipated, it meant he was not quite dead yet.

But how could that be? He had clearly given him Soul-Devouring Powder. A cultivator who has been given this drug will fall into an illusion during battle. Even if the demonic beast he is facing is not strong, the demonic beast in the illusion will become infinitely powerful, because it is impossible for a person to defeat the illusion. He will only inflict damage on others and himself, and in the end, he will kill both the illusion and himself.

So the cultivators thought he had gone mad, that he was desperately trying to escape and beg for their help even on his deathbed. Unfortunately…

This medicine was given to him personally by the young master; there couldn't possibly be any problem with it.

Therefore, the only one with a problem must be this disciple of Tianque.

"Moon Immortal Lord, are you alright?"

To prevent him from acting suspiciously, Jingzhe and the others did not rush to attack, but instead secretly brandished their weapons and slowly approached.

The Heavenly Palace cultivators showed no reaction.

It seemed that he was on his last breath. Jingzhe had no doubt. She drew her short sword and was about to send him on his final journey. She had to see him die with her own eyes.

A white rainbow descended from the sky, landing before Jingzhe like a bolt of lightning, causing him to involuntarily take a large step back. Behind the light and mist, he saw the figure of the newcomer: a female cultivator dressed in black wielding the White Rainbow Spirit Sword. Who else could it be but the young mistress?

Jingzhe's brow twitched. How could the young mistress be here? But things had already come to this point, and killing was secondary. The most urgent thing was to hide well and not let the young mistress find out.

Jingzhe shouted, "Young Madam, be careful! That man has gone mad; he killed everyone in his group. Get away from him immediately!"

However, the man remained unmoved, coldly replying, "Still acting? Is this how the Li family acts?"

With a flick of her hand, Jingzhe felt a warm breath flow from his shoulder, a comforting temperature amidst the autumn chill. It was... the spirit of the young mistress, attached to him.

So she knew everything they had done along the way.

"Young Madam, you've misunderstood."

"roll!"

Her cold, indifferent eyes burned with fury, blazing and piercing. She said, word by word, "Go back and tell Li Mengbai that he is someone I must protect. If you want to kill him, kill me first."

Jingzhe knew that she had been completely exposed and that there was no use in trying to cover it up. She could only obey the young mistress's order to leave.

But who exactly was that Heavenly Palace cultivator, that the young mistress would protect him so fiercely? Curious, he glanced back and saw the young mistress crouch down, quietly examining his wounds, tenderly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. And then… she kissed him?

Jingzhe suddenly opened his eyes wide. His first reaction was to look at his companions beside him, as if he himself was the one feeling guilty. Fortunately, his companions had failed in their mission and were only walking back anxiously, none of them looking back.

When Jingzhe turned back, the young mistress had already finished the kiss, and the man slowly opened his eyes.

He's awake?! How could he possibly be awake?

How could someone who has been poisoned by the Soul-Devouring Powder still be conscious?

Unless, he wasn't actually affected by the drug at all!

Looking into the clear eyes of the Tianque cultivator, Jingzhe was horrified. He even had a vague feeling that the one who had walked into the trap might be the young master himself.

This person's initial goal wasn't to eliminate demons; he was after... the young mistress.

Jingzhe was filled with unease and, disregarding her suspicions, hurriedly went to the Li family's house.

Jiang Yuhuo breathed a sigh of relief onto the unconscious person, and perhaps due to the aura of the Life Pearl, Jia Yue woke up.

His white robe was covered in large patches of blood. Jiang Yuhuo's fingertips touched it and could still feel its coolness—such a red color, yet such a cold temperature. She remembered that time in the Spirit-Sealing Array, he had also fallen to the ground in the same way, his life hanging in the balance, and it was also because of her that he had been tricked by Li Mengbai.

"Let me take you back to Tianque. You... are injured again."

Jiang Yuhuo lowered his head and suddenly felt that she seemed to have been bringing him misfortune all along. Ever since their reunion, nothing good had ever happened to him when he met her; on the contrary, he always ended up getting hurt because of her.

Indeed, we should remain strangers, each returning to our original positions as if we had never met.

Jiang Yuhuo picked up the person and was about to fly up to the Peng bird.

She tried to heal him with her spiritual power, but she was never good at healing. Her spiritual power sank to the bottom of the ocean. She thought of the sinking pool in Tianque. That strange water would surely help him recover.

As if guessing what she was thinking, Jia Yue shook his head slightly and pressed her arm down. "No... what's useful isn't the sinking water..." He looked into Jiang Yuhuo's eyes. "It's you."

He wasn't saying this to comfort her. No matter how powerful the healing power of the sinking water was, it couldn't compare to his own life pearl. Even without transferring his energy to her, the aura emanating from her body could heal his injuries.

Of course, more importantly, he wants to be by her side, accompanying her day and night. Merfolk have an extremely strong attachment to their partners, and if they could, they would cling to them at all times, even unto death.

"I can't live without you."

Jiang Yuhuo knew what he was referring to, and felt guilty without realizing it. She had taken his life pearl, so he could only heal himself by relying on the energy she channeled into him.

She made a decision in her heart.

When she arrived at the small courtyard surrounded by red maple leaves, it was already dark. There wasn't a single light in the courtyard, just like she had seen from the sky earlier; there was no owner here. The courtyard was old, but unusually, it was kept very clean, as if someone had been taking special care of it.

"Excuse me, please allow them to stay the night. Before they leave, I will restore everything to its original state." Jiang Yuhuo silently prayed to the non-existent owner before entering the courtyard. There were Li family retainers in the village and Li Mengbai in Yanling City; she didn't want to go to either place for the time being. Finally, she brought Jia Yue to this courtyard she hadn't been able to visit during the day.

In the darkness, the words "Mianyun Xiaozhu" could be faintly made out above the entrance. Jiang Yuhuo felt the name was somewhat familiar, but couldn't recall where she had heard it before.

Jia Yue had returned to her original appearance. Several oil lamps were lit, and in the candlelight, the merman's handsome face became even more captivating. He lay on the couch with his eyes closed, his blue hair flowing like silk. He even revealed his merman form without any restraint, his huge fish tail undulating slightly on the couch, the candlelight scattering golden light on his scales.

When Jiang Yuhuo pushed open the door, this was the scene she saw. She hesitated for a moment, and then subconsciously tried to close the door and leave.

The door couldn't be closed.

Jia Yue sat up from the couch, her long fish tail curling up on the couch. In the dim candlelight, the mermaid's blue eyes were exceptionally beautiful as she quietly gazed at the person outside the door.

"Come in, come to me, okay?"

The clear, gentle voice asked in a low voice, carrying a certain secret allure.

Jiang Yuhuo wanted to listen to him, but felt she shouldn't go; she just felt a strange unease.

The current atmosphere is really strange.

Jia Yue was also puzzled. He was so beautiful at this moment. The god who was once untouched by worldly affairs seemed to have fallen and become a captivating spirit. Even his words seemed to be an invitation to her, inviting her to do something to him.

Jiang Yuhu hesitated.

"I'm sorry, did revealing my true form suddenly make you uncomfortable?" The person inside coughed a few times, their long, grey-blue hair and goldfish tail trembling in the candlelight, rippling like water. "My true form is more comfortable for me, but... if you don't like it, I can revert to my original form. Just don't leave..."

Therefore, Jiang Yuhuo was unable to leave.

There was only one bed in the room, and Jia Yue rested on it. She then went straight to another small couch to meditate, which was diagonally opposite the bed, neither too close nor too far.

But this distance didn't seem to satisfy Jia Yue, and low, painful groans could be heard from the bed from time to time. When the third attack occurred, the merman finally felt the incense scent approaching. He opened his eyes and saw Jiang Yuhuo standing beside his bed.

His deep blue eyes gazed at her without uttering a word. After a moment, he was rewarded with her lips covering his own, and the scent of her life pearl, carrying the warm, dry fragrance unique to her.

From the moment she stood between him and the Li family, he knew he had made the right bet.

No matter what happens, she is still the girl who picked him up from the riverbank and took him home. She will save him, time and time again.

She is such a kind and soft-hearted person.

He was despicable, taking advantage of her kindness in a despicable way.

But having once possessed her affections, how could he bear to watch her give that tenderness to someone else?

Especially people like Li Mengbai.

After several encounters, he had come to understand this man's character. He hardly had to do anything; Li Mengbai was indeed unable to restrain himself from eliminating any potential threats.

Thus, his opportunity came.

When Li Mengbai's people drugged him, he had already discovered it. In order to make it more realistic, he did not hesitate to let half of the drug take effect in his body, just to make the Li family believe that he was indeed under their control, and to make Jiang Yuhuo see clearly what kind of person she had made a contract with.

He is not your ideal partner; I am your true love.

Another fierce raid ensued. Jiang Yu, her hand pressed against his chest, was slightly out of breath. "Rest," she said, turning to return to her small couch.

Jia Yue grabbed her arm and shook her head slightly.

He stepped back quite a bit, leaving a large open space, the meaning of which was quite clear.

Jiang Yuhu hesitated for a moment.

"I can't sense your presence because we're too far apart," the merman said, frowning with a troubled expression.

Jiang Yuhuo finally gave in, "You go to sleep, I'll just sit by the bed."

She sat in meditation at the edge, leaving all the space inside to Jia Yue, but this night was destined to be difficult.

The spiritual energy in her spiritual sea was surging, and at the same time, a cool fish tail silently pressed against her lower back.

"Are we standing too close? Sorry, I'm too cold."

An hour later, a pair of soft hands grasped her hands that were resting on her knees.

"Your hands are so warm, can I put them on my body?"

Is he... cold?

Jiang Yuhuo finally turned around and realized that he was dressed in thin clothes. The Cleansing Technique cleaned the bloodstains on his body, and the Heavenly Palace White Robe was restored to a soft and light texture. The originally tight collar had come undone at some point, and his Adam's apple was down, revealing a porcelain-white and smooth chest.

Even after handing him her hand, Jiang Yuhuo was still wondering if the merman would feel cold. Could a cultivator not withstand the cold?

It must be due to injury.

Two hours later, Jiang Yuhuo suddenly opened her eyes. She didn't know when she had fallen asleep. She was already lying on the couch, and Jia Yue was kissing her.

"Sorry, did I wake you? I was going to get it myself."

She seemed to realize something was off about tonight.

She frowned and thought for a moment, then blinked and asked, "Jia Yue, are you trying to seduce me?"

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Author's Note: Straight girl paired with a manipulative woman, I think it's pretty good [doge emoji]