Chapter 29

◎Upright◎

Jiang Qiye hadn't expected this woman to be so bold; she was quite similar in personality to Chen Weian.

He immediately adopted a denial stance, trying to keep his tone calm: "You jest, young lady. I noticed that you had no spiritual energy fluctuations around you, which means you have no cultivation. So I was curious why you would come to such a dangerous place alone?"

Pei Xueyan wanted to ask this lecherous thief why he was sitting in front of her bed and what his intentions were, but he started questioning her first.

She showed no displeasure whatsoever and casually said, "I've come to find my husband."

"Huh?" Jiang Qiye exclaimed in shock, almost instinctively asking, "What?"

Pei Xueyan looked slightly aggrieved yet expectant as she fabricated a story without batting an eye: "I've been betrothed to someone since I was little, and now that I'm of marriageable age, I should find him to fulfill the agreement. I've searched many places but haven't found him. Then I heard that many immortals have recently gathered at Qishi Mountain, and I thought he might be here, so I came here specifically to find him."

Upon hearing these words, Jiang Qiye felt a buzzing in his head, his vision blurred, and an inexplicable sense of absurdity surged up, giving him a dizzy feeling.

"What's wrong, Daoist Master? Have you perhaps met my husband? His surname is Wei, and I've heard he's quite famous in the immortal sects. Do you know any immortals with the surname Wei?"

"...No, I don't know."

“Sigh.” Pei Xueyan sighed softly. “How pitiful. Could it be that my husband has become an immortal with cultivation and has forgotten about me, his betrothed? If he has really changed his mind, he should have asked someone to tell me, so that I don’t have to travel thousands of miles to search for him, only to have my hopes dashed.”

Jiang Qiye grew up immersed in strict rules and regulations, and people always treated him with respect. Few dared to joke with him like this.

Moreover, he had long heard that Ye Xiuluo had been engaged to her senior brother, and the Ye family, including their disciples, were much more open about romantic relationships than ordinary sects.

Therefore, he believed Pei Xueyan's words without even thinking.

A wave of regret washed over her; she shouldn't have erased her memory.

"It's been too long, I'm afraid it will be hard to find."

"Really?" Pei Xueyan stared at him. "Master Jiang, I've heard that the Qing Sect is known for its benevolence and righteousness in eliminating evil for the people. You see, I'm all alone in this Qishi Mountain, with no one to rely on. Could you... help me find a husband?"

"It's inconvenient." Jiang Qiye refused almost instinctively, and looked away as soon as he finished speaking.

"Oh? You're not available?" Pei Xueyan's voice immediately lowered, and she sighed in disappointment. "I'm unfamiliar with this place, and seeing how much everyone trusted and respected you, I thought you would be willing to help me with this small favor."

Jiang Qiye hardened his heart and said coldly, "I must exorcise the demon."

"And what happens after the demon is exorcised?"

"We'll talk about it after we exorcise the demon. I don't know either." He couldn't get angry, and he didn't know how to escape. His restlessness gradually crept up on him.

Pei Xueyan blinked her innocent big eyes, her voice soft and tinged with grievance: "You're so fierce, Daoist Master. You're so kind to others, why are you so rude to me? It's really hurtful. I originally wanted to be friends with you."

She spoke in a very coquettish tone.

In particular, the ending of the pronunciation always has a slightly soft accent.

Jiang Qiye was stunned by her teasing and stared at her in a daze.

"Friends... that's possible. But finding... finding that person is really inconvenient."

Pei Xueyan immediately forgot all about finding a husband, her eyes lit up, and she quickly replied with a smile, "Great! If the Daoist is willing to be my friend, then it's okay to find a husband later!"

As she spoke, she deliberately moved closer to him, her fair arm naturally draped over his leg, and asked curiously, "Taoist Master, why don't you go and kill the demon? I see you are very capable, why let others benefit from it?"

Jiang Qiye glanced down at her hand resting on his leg, cleared his throat, and said, "Our ancestor taught: 'A gentleman, in dealing with the world, should be humble and gentle, and not show off his talents; with a broad mind, he can accommodate all things and matters, and not fuss over trivial matters.'"

“Uh…” Pei Xueyan didn’t know how to respond, but she pretended to be quite convincing.

I could only change the subject, saying, "What should I do, Master? I'm still not full. I suddenly want some roast chicken. Could you go and borrow something else to eat? I'll definitely pay you back later."

When other immortals go out, they always prepare plenty of food before they return.

The two of them, having rushed to Qishi Mountain, were the only ones who felt it inappropriate to borrow anything now.

Jiang Qiye didn't say much, and with a flash, he disappeared from the spot.

He returned in less than fifteen minutes, carrying a fragrant beggar's chicken.

Pei Xueyan stared at the chicken, her eyes wide open, and she almost drooled.

Jiang Qiye reached out and twisted off the largest chicken leg, handing it to her. His voice softened unconsciously: "Have you been starving these past few days? Who stole your wallet?"

Pei Xueyan took the chicken leg, her eyes instantly reddening. She pouted, looking aggrieved. "I hadn't been home long when my wallet was stolen. I had no choice but to stay in this desolate wilderness, sleeping on the grass every day, sometimes even having to pick wild fruit to eat. Now I haven't found my husband, and I'm broke... Daoist Master, what should I do?"

As she spoke, she tilted her head and leaned against his leg, sobbing softly.

Jiang Qiye experienced angina again.

He immediately pulled a heavy money bag from his pocket, handed it to her, and said in a very generous tone, "Keep it, I'll give it to you when you've spent it all."

Rich, really rich!

Jiang Qiye was naturally wealthy. His master would reward his disciple with things when he was in a good mood, and he had kept them all since he was a child, rarely acting recklessly.

Over the years, I've accumulated two large boxes.

It's all because he's diligent and eager to learn, which is why his master likes him.

Pei Xueyan, however, had no intention of accepting the money. She waved her hand and said softly, "Daoist Master, you're already incredibly kind of you to buy me chicken legs. How could I possibly take your money? Besides, aren't we friends? Friends don't need to be so calculating. Surely you wouldn't want me to go hungry, would you?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiye nodded subconsciously.

She's right. Friends should look out for each other.

If she could fall in love with him again, setting aside everything from the past and purely for him, then he would return to the Qing Sect and plead with Master Wang Yu to allow him to become her Daoist partner, cultivate together, and spend his life with her.

Pei Xueyan was secretly pleased.

Men are so easy to fool; they believe whatever you say without batting an eye.

After finishing her chicken leg, she said, "My name is Azheng, but I don't know my surname. My parents passed away when I was very young, so you can just call me Azheng from now on."

Even if he didn't ask, she still wanted to be genuine and proactively gave him her name.

Jiang Qiye was stunned for a moment. So, her name really was Azheng.

“Ah Zheng... Ah Zheng, Ah Zheng.”

He didn't say anything, but kept repeating the name in his mind.

Azheng is his wife, the wife with whom he has had a wedding ceremony and consummated their marriage!

Seeing his expression, Pei Xueyan said, "You don't need to give your name. It seems like everyone around you knows you. I also know your name. You're Jiang Qiye, right? That's a nice name. You must be a good person."

"..." Jiang Qiye said nothing.

After she finished eating, Jiang Qiye fortunately brought some water and took out a wine pot for her.

After drinking half a sachet of water, drowsiness gradually crept in.

She leaned against the fire, and slowly drifted off to sleep, accompanied by the occasional crackling of the firewood.

She was awakened by the sound of something heavy falling after an unknown amount of time.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, only to find that everyone around her had already stood up. The torches used for lighting last night had long since gone out, and it was already broad daylight.

He was also covered with a light gray outer robe, which belonged to Jiang Qiye.

Before she could fully recover, another person stumbled and fell onto a rock not far away.

These people are really impatient.

However, it was quite foolish. After struggling all morning, the water demon remained completely still and unharmed, instead becoming more and more courageous in the fight.

She couldn't help but sigh in her heart: If she still had her cultivation, she could have beaten this monster half to death, and then ridden on its back to swim around the lake. Why would these people have the chance to mess around like this?

What a pity.

Thinking of this, she hated the disciples of the Qing Sect who had abolished her magical powers.

Suppressing her anger, she deliberately walked to Jiang Qiye's side with a slightly unhappy expression: "Daoist Master, I don't think these people are capable of exorcising demons at all. Aren't you really going to help? Could it be... that you can't do it either?"

She paused, deliberately emphasizing her words and drawing out her tone: "To exterminate a demon that has existed for hundreds of years, one indeed needs profound skill and the ability to maneuver for a long time. I'm afraid only Master Wang Yu and Ye... Ye Xiuluo can do it, right?"

She deliberately mentioned "Ye Xiuluo" by name, her eyes fixed on Jiang Qiye, waiting to see his reaction.

Jiang Qiye had no idea she was testing him; he only heard "enduring" and "profound," and said with a hint of composure and confidence, "Killing it is no difficult task. It can be done in the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn. If Master Qilin wants to capture a demon, he will probably have to capture it alive."

"You can't just capture me alive?"

"Of course it is—very easy, but I don't want the mental cultivation method."

Why is this person so pretentious?

Pei Xueyan gently shook his arm and said, "Then catch it! Give me the cultivation manual, okay? I also want to cultivate immortality and become skilled in martial arts so that I won't be bullied."

As she spoke, she lowered her head again, her shoulders trembling slightly, pretending to be about to cry.

Jiang Qiye was enraged by Pei Xueyan's words and immediately felt the urge to "fight to the death for the sake of a beauty".

This woman's words were so captivating; she could make him lose his composure with just a few words, and she was really getting him hooked.

He had just raised his hand to draw his sword when a gentle voice came from beside him: "Master Jiang, this water demon, though cunning, is not insurmountable. May my disciples take this opportunity to train?"

The speaker was quite old and clearly a highly respected figure in the sect. As soon as he spoke, the disciples all echoed his words.

Jiang Qiye was naturally thin-skinned and had been taught by his master for many years. He always spoke of justice and magnanimity, so he was speechless when he heard these words.

Pei Xueyan wasn't buying it. She walked over and said, "Immortal Master, I'd like to ask you something. It's been over five days since Master Qilin recruited cultivators from all over the world to come here to exorcise demons, hasn't it? If he were truly capable, he would have already gone into the water to capture them. Why would he be hiding behind and not taking action? Others train their disciples by studying hard every day, so that they can go down the mountain to rid the people of evil. Why does Immortal Master have to train them at this critical moment? Aren't you afraid that something might happen and twenty years of training will be wasted?"

Everyone present knew that Jiang Qiye had the ability to exorcise demons, but these people insisted on stopping him, even putting on a righteous act of "training the younger generation."

That's truly hypocritical.

The immortal master was quite old, and when a young girl said such things to him in public, his face immediately turned bright red, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.