3 Chapter 3
◎Compassion◎
Pei Xueyan subconsciously pulled her white robe tighter around herself, nodded gently, and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Daoist Master, I am Pei Xueyan. I wonder where I have offended you that you have to come looking for me personally?"
Jiang Qiye's voice remained cold: "It has nothing to do with me; I'm acting on behalf of Heaven."
Pei Xueyan truly despised these people who spouted benevolence and righteousness. These so-called righteous sects always talked about acting on behalf of Heaven and upholding justice, pretending to be benevolent and moral, but in reality, they just killed people at will because of their superior martial arts skills!
That being said, it must not be revealed.
She knew very well that she was no match for Jiang Qiye. She had not yet fully comprehended her master's martial arts, and could not even unleash a third of her power. She could only continue to show weakness to him.
Master once said that Senior Sister was straightforward and inflexible in her speech, and was a simpleton who only knew how to act according to the book.
Pei Xueyan has a face that easily evokes pity in men, and she knows how to be tactful and diplomatic. She will surely find a way to save her life in the future.
That's true.
At this moment, Pei Xueyan softened her tone, pleading slightly, and said sweetly, "Daoist Master, I am injured today. May I allow myself to recover before we compete?"
Jiang Qiye pushed his sword forward, the tip almost touching her nose: "I'm not here to fight you, I'm here to kill you."
Pei Xueyan knew he was hesitant because he didn't kill her immediately.
She shrank back slightly, her face contorted with fear, grievance, and dread: "Chen San made a lewd move on me. I had no choice but to kill him to save my own life, and he injured me in the process. It wasn't an indiscriminate killing. The Taoist priest seems to be a righteous and discerning person, someone who can always distinguish right from wrong. But now, could you... could you wait until I'm dressed before you kill me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, tears rolled down her cheeks.
She was already beautiful, and now, with tears in her eyes and a sincere tone, Jiang Qiye, though he didn't know her, knew men.
What man wouldn't be tempted by a beautiful woman?
Nine times out of ten, they would bully weak women. They might try to take advantage of them but then run into a brick wall, only to find out they were the number one female demon and couldn't beat her.
If they truly took liberties with her, her killing was not an act of irrationality.
On second thought, he quickly suppressed that wavering.
One thing at a time. Just because we don't kill innocent people today doesn't mean we won't kill them tomorrow. This kind of evil martial arts will eventually wreak havoc on the martial arts world.
Seeing that he had no intention of sheathing his sword, Pei Xueyan decided to retreat as a means of advancing, reaching out and directly grasping the sharp blade, blood instantly seeping from between her fingers.
"Taoist Master, kill me! But even as a ghost, I will not let Chen San and the other two go. I will tear them to pieces and avenge them!"
She lowered her head and wiped away her tears, deliberately smearing the bloodstains on her white clothes, making the red stains even more glaring.
"Master, you are a refined person who preaches the Tao. I only ask one thing of you. After you kill me, buy me a red dress. I heard that if I am buried in red, people in the underworld will think I am a bride and will no longer humiliate me."
No one could judge the truth of such things happening after death, yet it stirred Jiang Qiye's compassion.
It wasn't about romantic love; it was more like a lament for the loss of an ordinary talent.
She had only recently been taught martial arts by Ye Xiuluo, and her mind was still relatively simple. Her first killing was out of self-defense, not because she was born with a demonic nature.
A person's character and temperament are closely related to their cultivation and martial arts skills. She is still young, so perhaps she should be given a chance to reform herself.
After a moment's thought, Jiang Qiye slowly sheathed his sword.
Pei Xueyan felt a surge of secret joy when she saw Jiang Qiye sheath his sword.
This was the first time she had ever used the tactic of feigning weakness, and it actually worked!
Just as my master said, most men are very easy to fool.
She maintained her delicate appearance, head bowed, her voice tinged with shy timidity: "Daoist Master, please turn around so I can put my clothes on first."
Jiang Qiye did not turn around as instructed. Instead, he slowly squatted down, raised his palm, and his fingertips faintly revealed a pale blue magical aura as he reached out towards her forehead.
Pei Xueyan instantly understood his intention.
He wants to dissect her elixir!
Master once said that when the elixir is dissolved, the power will be transmitted through the space between the eyebrows, thus abolishing all of a person's power.
The Elixir of Refining is fundamental for cultivators. Without it, they are no different from ordinary people who cannot even kill a chicken. They will have no chance to improve their martial arts skills, let alone learn them again.
Her only talent in martial arts since childhood is the ability to melt the elixir. What takes others ten years to complete, she stabilized in just two or three years.
Now that she is seventeen years old, she is long past the age of starting her training from scratch. If she loses the Elixir of Immortality, all the martial arts her master has taught her throughout his life will be rendered useless. Such an outcome would be even more painful than killing her!
It would be better to kill her!
Without a second thought, Pei Xueyan turned around abruptly, her sword instantly unsheathed and pointed directly at Jiang Qiye's face.
He slightly turned to the side to dodge, and with a flick of his wide Taoist robe sleeve, an invisible force wrapped around the sword. Before Pei Xueyan could grip it tightly, the sword was taken away and plunged straight into a tree trunk not far away with a "clang," the blade deeply embedded in the wood.
Pei Xueyan hurriedly put on her outer clothes, and in her haste, she used her master's unique technique, "Yun Rao," a secret art used to bewitch men's minds. Ordinary martial artists would fall into an illusion with just one glance.
But to her surprise, the Taoist priest in front of her was completely unaffected. Before her spell could be completed, Jiang Qiye had already used his magic power to gently twist the spell away.
The force of the impact caused Pei Xueyan to lose her balance and fall heavily to the ground.
She gritted her teeth and refused to beg for mercy. It was either fight to the death to protect the elixir, or die here.
Never be a mere mortal who can be slaughtered by others.
Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Jiang Qiye. She was about to speak angrily when her lips were sealed by a magical force, preventing her from uttering even a single word.
Jiang Qiye squatted down again, his face still cold and stern, the magical aura in his palm becoming clearer and covering her forehead once more.
His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable authority: "I will take your elixir without harming your life, which is a way of giving you a way out. From now on, live as an ordinary woman, never get involved in the conflicts of the martial world again, and never harm anyone again."
She was filled with resentment and wanted to curse, but she couldn't say it aloud; she could only curse in her heart!
Curse his ancestors for eighteen generations!
Pei Xueyan was firmly bound by the magic power in his palm, unable to move her body. She felt that the molten core in her body was being pulled outward by a powerful force, and every movement was accompanied by excruciating pain.
Master was right after all. You can kill a hundred or ten thousand men without making a mistake!
They were complete strangers, so why should they be allowed to do whatever they wanted with her just because she was skilled in martial arts?
My body gradually gave way, and my consciousness began to fade.
Jiang Qiye deciphered her lip movements.
Pei Xueyan collapsed to the ground, her hoarse throat uttering muffled curses: "You filthy Taoist priest... You dead Taoist priest... You indiscriminately kill innocent people, yet you dare to call yourself a righteous sect... You bully weak women... I will definitely kill you..."
Before she could finish speaking, she lost consciousness completely and collapsed limply onto the grass.
The elixir of a cultivator has long been integrated with their physical body and soul, with the elixir and the heart merging together.
To remove the elixir, lose one's magical power, and become a mortal without harming one's life or physical body, one not only needs extremely high cultivation to traverse the illusionary realm, but also must expend one's own mental energy.
Jiang Qiye could have killed her directly, which would have been easier and wouldn't have damaged his own cultivation. However, seeing Pei Xueyan's pitiful appearance just now, and how she had held on until now, he was moved with compassion.
But he was not a merciful saint; sparing her life would naturally come at a price.
Pei Xueyan's cultivation method is still pure, and her Heart Pill should be of good quality. If she can refine it, it will greatly benefit her cultivation. In that case, it won't be a loss.
According to the ancient method, one only needs to enter her illusory consciousness three times, wait for her heart to solidify and be given to oneself, and then break through the illusion three times to return safely. Then the matter can be successfully completed.
Breaking a dream naturally requires killing someone. He doesn't know if the person in the dream feels pain when killed, but he will kindly give her a quick end to avoid suffering.
This ancient method is the ultimate test of a person's self-control and discipline. Jiang Qiye received rigorous training in the Qing Sect from a young age, so he still has that much willpower.
Pei Xueyan had fallen into a coma and lay limp on the grass, motionless.
Jiang Qiye frowned slightly as he looked at the desolate scene around him. According to ancient methods, it would take at least several hours for consciousness to travel through time. Although this place was remote, it was hard to guarantee that no cultivators would pass by and disturb him.
After a moment's thought, he remembered an abandoned thatched hut in the woods not far away, and immediately bent down to pick up the woman from the ground and prepared to go there.
With his magic reinforcing the surroundings, ordinary cultivators would definitely not be able to disturb them.
He had never been so close to a woman before. He felt that the person in his arms was soft and light, and there was a faint fragrance of grass and trees in her hair.
Looking at her features again, her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes like butterfly wings, and although her face was pale, it couldn't hide her beauty. She showed absolutely no trace of the female demon who had wreaked havoc on the martial arts world.
She looked more like an ordinary young lady who had been frightened.
Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, Jiang Qiye lightly touched the ground with his toes and carried Pei Xueyan towards the thatched hut.
Upon arriving, he raised his hand and unleashed a pale golden spiritual energy barrier, completely surrounding the thatched hut. This barrier was sufficient to block the detection of ordinary cultivators, and even if someone passed by, it would be extremely difficult to detect any movement inside the hut.
Then, he used his spiritual power to wipe away the dust and cobwebs in the room, clearing a clean floor before gently placing Pei Xueyan on the prepared hay.
After doing all this, Jiang Qiye sat down cross-legged beside her.
He reached out his fingers and gently pulled open Pei Xueyan's collar, revealing a small patch of fair skin. Then he placed his palm on her chest, gathered a wisp of pure spiritual energy at his fingertips, and slowly channeled it into her body.
This is the key to initiating the time travel; one must use their own spiritual power as a guide to infiltrate the other party's illusory consciousness.
As spiritual energy continued to flow in, Pei Xueyan's brows furrowed slightly, and her breathing became shallower and more rapid.
Jiang Qiye's gaze grew increasingly calm, and a faint halo gradually rose around him. His consciousness followed the trajectory of spiritual energy and slowly sank into the depths of Pei Xueyan's consciousness.
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