Chapter 19 Thirty-two catties of flawed grass
The old ancestor was determined to die.
"We can't beat them." Duan Jiuyou said this to Di Jiang, who had come after hearing the commotion.
Di Jiang's eyes widened in confusion, unable to grasp the reasoning behind it. The Heavenly Time Pestle was made of Willow Mountain Stone, second only to the Great Moon Stone of Ten Thousand Dry Mountain in hardness, but even if it was hard, it shouldn't be harder than the Ao Clan.
"You've eaten the Xiazhu Grass?" Di Jiang asked quietly, leaving only this possibility.
Liu Tianshi did not answer immediately. She had been somewhat confused, but now she suddenly became clear-headed. As if regaining her senses, she flipped open the blanket and pillow, covered her face with a black veil, and only faced them again after confirming that she was properly covered.
Xiazhu grass is a herb that repairs itself, and only stones can "eat" it. As a divine object that has been polished over a long period of time, immortals use Xiazhu grass in medicine and use fumigation to protect the stone body of the divine artifact. Before Tian Shi Chu jumped into Zhao Zhao City, it had just been fumigated with this medicine by her "former master" Zhao Fengli.
"You ate, what's wrong?"
Tian Shichu's eyes were alert; while Duan Jiuyou was observing her in the imperial territory, he was also observing them.
She had seen the world through Zhao Fengli's company and knew that the two people in front of her were no ordinary people.
"How much 'Xiazhu Grass' must it have taken to make it this hard?" Duan Jiuyou curled his fingers and tapped and knocked on Tian Shichu's body as if knocking on a door.
“Thirty-two jin,” Liu Tianshi said.
Zhao Fengli fumigated her extensively, giving her a smoky and fiery treatment for over six months, which unexpectedly granted her an indestructible body.
She looked at him warily and stated calmly, "I am female, and my gender is different from the other Heavenly Sword. My body is also more fragile than that one. Before, when I was repairing the War Mountain Axe, I wore out a piece of the stone. Zhao Fengli has always felt guilty towards me, cutting grass everywhere and fumigating with medicine whenever he could find it. He didn't know that I had long been tired of sharpening swords for others, so I took the opportunity to leave his side."
"Didn't you come here for Qi Xinghe?" Duan Jiuyou stopped "nagging" and looked at her with some surprise.
"shallow!"
Liu Tianshi was first stunned, then embarrassed, and finally turned into a tough arrogance. Her eyes, which were exposed outside the black veil, were raised high, and she looked down at the little girl in front of her.
"Men are just a pastime; who would give up a promising future for a pretty boy? I'm tired of it, fed up, and don't want to live like that anymore—"
She couldn't continue her story, and her eyes suddenly turned fierce and dejected: "That bastard doesn't like me anymore! Before, we were all lovey-dovey under the moon, and I thought he still remembered that affection. When I heard he was forced to stay in Zhaozhao Mountain, I jumped in without hesitation. Who would have thought he would despise the ugly scars on my face and refuse to look at me properly whenever we meet? Then he asks me for help when he gets into trouble, as if he doesn't know I'm using him!"
When she first met him, she was at the peak of her beauty. Qi Xinghe flattered her relentlessly and made countless vows of eternal love. Now that her beauty has faded, he has become polite to her, neither rejecting nor getting close to her. But when trouble arises, he is full of sweet words.
Duan Jiuyou asked in bewilderment, "Since you know he's like this, why did you still plead for him before Lord Zhang?"
Qi Xinghe smashed seven or eight of the shops and stalls in Zhaozhao City, claiming it was to vent his emotions, but in reality it was just bullying others and looking for trouble.
The wonton stall owner was beaten because the wontons were bad. Although that was indeed the case, Qi Xinghe, a human being made of clay, was clearly like everyone else on Qingle Street, lacking a sense of taste.
If you can't taste the flavor, how can you know it's bad? It's clear they're deliberately trying to find fault.
Duan Jiuyou said, "He can smash things or beat people without any cost now, just because you're backing him up. He's a scoundrel, and you're being foolish too? You're just dragging innocent people down with you."
Liu Tianshi looked away, his voice noticeably lower than before: "Those people are all inanimate objects. Du Heng gave them a breath of immortal energy, and they think they're living like human beings. So what if I hit them? What's the big deal? Besides, Qi Xinghe didn't reject me outright. He's asked me repeatedly. I'll wait for him to come sooner or later. Maybe he'll get used to the scar on my face and we'll reconcile."
"Why doesn't he refuse? Don't you know?" Duan Jiuyou felt that Liu Tianshi was even more extreme than Qi Xinghe. "Even if he is an inanimate object, he still has human consciousness. You shouldn't let him be treated like this. You were born in Liuqingling and were born as Liushan Stone. If you hadn't been enlightened by immortals, wouldn't you also be an inanimate object?"
Liu Tianshi was about to argue when Duan Jiuyou pressed his hand down: "Even if you, this dead thing, are more noble than others, how smart are you? A man like Qi Xinghe is completely unacceptable. He makes a big fuss over the smallest things. What great things can he achieve!"
Liu Tianshi didn't want to talk to her anymore, so he waved his hand dismissively, "My affairs are none of your business, but you—" Liu Tianshi's gaze settled on her, and he said with certainty, "You are Duan Jiuyou, right?"
"..."
? ?
Duan Jiuyou took out a bronze mirror from his sleeve, looked at it from left to right, and clearly saw that it was still a face that resembled Xiao Cui's.
—How did you recognize it?
She had some doubts in her mind, but remained silent.
Liu Tianshi guessed the other party's identity and felt relieved. She stood up, poured herself a glass of water, and said, "Immortals in the Heavenly Realm all use magic to fight, either forming hand seals to create arrays or using incantations to suppress. Apart from the Ao Sect Ancestor, who would use such a brute method to solve problems with his fists? You just hit me three times, adjusting the strength of each punch. Ordinary Ao Sect disciples would only act recklessly and would not control themselves like you."
"Tell me," Liu Tianshi said, knowing the other person needed her help. "What do you want me to fix?"
"Lingtian White Blade." Seeing her so straightforward, Duan Jiuyou thought there was room for negotiation. He took out his original core from his pocket and said seriously, "There are thousands of lives in this. Only Lingtian White Blade can break through without causing injury. However, Zhao Fengchen's anger dulled the blade. Only by sharpening it can it regain its sharpness."
"Is the one he has no good?" Liu Tianshi asked.
Duan Jiuyou thought she was worried about the safety of the other Tian Shi Chu, so he told her the truth: "It's doing very well. It's smooth and white like jade now, but it can't be polished."
"He's actually living a better life than me?!"
To everyone's surprise, Liu Tianshi's expression changed instantly, and he said in a fierce tone, "I thought he would be covered in injuries, with chapped hands and feet!"
When the two were first discovered by the Zhao brothers, Liu Tianshi, knowing that Zhao Fengchen had "numerous businesses" and used up a lot of stones, deliberately arranged for Zhao Fengli to become his servant first. Unexpectedly, the more Zhao Fengchen touched the stones, the smoother they became, while Liu Tianshi ended up with a long scar.
Duan Jiuyou was furious: "You and it were both born from the same rock, so you're practically siblings. Why don't you wish it well?"
"Why would I wish him well? I only hate that my body isn't as resilient as his. A single battle axe left a scar on my face, and even my beloved despises me!"
Duan Jiuyou found it increasingly absurd: "How could someone who truly loves you only care about your appearance? Physical appearance is only temporary. If they stop loving you just because of a long scar, a strand of white hair, or a wrinkle, then it's definitely not true love. You don't need to say all this nonsense to me. The most important thing is to help me sharpen the knife!"
"Why should I help you sharpen your knife?" Liu Tianshi found Duan Jiuyou even more absurd. Did she ever say a single word about helping her from beginning to end?
"You're not planning to help me by asking so many questions!" Duan Jiuyou exclaimed in surprise. "There are thousands of lives involved here, and only you and this Lingtian White Blade can save them."
"What do human lives have to do with me? Do I know them? Are we related by blood? My body is delicate, and I already have this long scar. Do you want to add another one to my face?"
This was the first time Duan Jiuyou had encountered someone like Liu Tianshi. His brows furrowed, and he angrily rebuked, "You call yourself a celestial artifact, yet you have such a lack of righteousness! We enjoy the offerings of humankind, so naturally we should strive for the well-being of the people. You were born on a divine mountain and cultivate in the Heavenly Realm; what you have learned and practiced are all righteous methods. You should know the principle of prioritizing the lives of all beings in the Three Realms. Besides, you have now been nourished to this state by Zhao Fengli's thirty-two catties of flawed herb; even I cannot harm you. What worries or concerns do you have?"
"There's always a chance of something going wrong. Who knows if this repair will damage my face again? You make it sound so nice, but if you were in my shoes, would you be willing to sacrifice your face to save these strangers?"
"Of course I'm willing!" Duan Jiuyou replied without hesitation. "Not to mention my reputation, as long as the people need me, even if it means ruining my body and breaking all my bones, I will not say a word!"
Liu Tianshi's face showed even more sarcasm, clearly not believing that Duan Jiuyou's words were true.
It's easy to talk about things when they haven't happened to you.
Di Jiang knew that what Jiu You said was true. She might be unruly or willful, but she had never forgotten her duty as a god.
She is someone who is willing to give up everything to ensure the safety of the country, but this willingness to give up often leaves many criticisms because she does not consider the consequences or the gains and losses.
In the battle to seize the heavens, Duan Jiuyou defied the world's condemnation to choose a master for Heaven.
Those who don't understand her call her arrogant, unaware that the Wan Ku Barrier had already developed cracks, and once the Heavenly River overflowed and flowed into the human world, it would be an irreparable disaster.
She never explained it to anyone, just as Di Jiang never told Duan Jiuyou that he, like her, had seen the crack. He was preparing to retreat when she transformed into a fat turtle, charging towards him at lightning speed.
Thinking this way, Di Jiang added another point to his evaluation of Duan Jiuyou—reckless and impulsive.
The impulsive Duan Jiuyou had no time to pay attention to what Di Jiang was thinking, and rolled up his sleeves to try throwing a punch for the fourth time.
Liu Tianshi knew he was going to get hit as soon as he saw her movement, and said in the face of Duan Jiuyou's punch, "You're wasting your energy."
Duan Jiuyou kept working: "Whether it's a waste of time or not, we'll find out by trying!"
She disliked Liu Tianshi, and even if this punch didn't knock her unconscious, it would still be a way to vent her anger. However, her swinging arm was stopped midway by a slender hand. Di Jiang grabbed Jiu You's delicate arm, pressed it down, and held it in his hand, facing Liu Tianshi.
Tell me your conditions.
Liu Tianshi's body is not what it used to be, and they can't do anything to her now. The reason she asked them about their purpose must be that she wanted to exchange something with them.
Upon hearing Di Jiang speak, Liu Tianshi's expression changed. Her eyes became light and charming as she said with a coquettish smile, "I could tell just now that you are a smart person, unlike this barbarian who only knows how to fight and kill."
She liked handsome men. Although she couldn't tell that Di Jiang was a child, she knew he was definitely not a child. She started by looking at his eyebrows and eyes, imagining what he would look like "after he grew up," and finally came to the conclusion that he was no ordinary person.
Liu Tianshi said, "Old Ancestor Duan is known for his pickiness, and his immortal companions are always one in a hundred. Now his standards have become even higher. I think you are better than them. Why don't you transform back into your true form and let me see you, and then we can talk?"
Duan Jiuyou immediately realized that Liu Tianshi had misunderstood. She had a reputation for being promiscuous and was often accused of frequently changing her immortal partners, but in reality, she only had a handful! She was born beautiful and lived a long life, so how could she not let others have some worldly desires?
She wanted to explain Di Jiang's identity, but felt that calling him "brother" or "son" was inappropriate. So she could only sigh resentfully with a look of "whatever, it's just making things worse anyway."
When Di Jiang saw her lower her eyelids, looking both angry and dejected, as if she had tarnished his reputation, he chuckled and squeezed Duan Jiuyou's arm. Surprisingly, she was easy to coax, raising her head, her eyes filled with bitterness, and giving him a look that said, "Thank goodness you understand."
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