Chapter 8 Sorry, I made it dirty.
As soon as he turned the corner of the corridor, Jing Qianheng saw Jiang Zhishui standing and Zhong Ziqing sitting in the courtyard. The two seemed to have been chatting for a while.
Zhong Ziqing asked excitedly, "Who is that?"
Jiang Zhishui never expected that Zhong Ziqing would like her. In a panic, she quickly refused, saying that she already had someone she liked. She said, "This is my business. There's no need to tell you."
"Is it Lin Ye?"
"no!"
"Is it that outer disciple who came with you? Is he the one you're talking about?" Zhong Ziqing was unwilling to give up and insisted on getting to the bottom of it.
Zhong Ziqing had considered the possibility of being rejected, but she hadn't expected that the other woman had someone else in her heart. Suddenly, she felt a great sense of crisis and became somewhat anxious.
On the other side, Jing Qianheng leaned against the wall, his fingers slightly curled. There was still no sound from that side, and he didn't know what he was expecting. He just felt his heart clench and waited anxiously.
"no."
Jiang Zhishui calmed down, sat down again, and stared at Zhong Ziqing, saying, "Are you making fun of me?"
Zhong Ziqing said anxiously, "I'm serious. You... were you just saying who your sweetheart was just a random person?"
Jiang Zhishui looked suspicious, but after thinking for a moment, she decided not to change her mind: "I didn't just say it casually, but don't guess anymore, I don't want to talk about it. In short, let's not talk about that so-called Daoist partner. Your father wants you to get married, and even if he's in a hurry, you can't just find anyone."
Jing Qianheng didn't hear a word of what they said after that. He just stood there stiffly for a while before slowly moving away.
He had known all along that Jiang Zhishui had someone else in her heart; she had even used him as a substitute for that person when she was possessed by a demon. The thought of how he, like Zhong Ziqing, had obsessively questioned her filled Jing Qianheng with a deep sense of disgust.
I loathe myself for having to look at her so desperately after suffering such humiliation, begging for even a little attention from her.
Jing Qianheng felt that he was incredibly stupid.
——
Jiang Zhishui was still a little dazed when she returned to her room after being interrupted by Zhong Ziqing.
She shook her head, deciding not to think about it anymore.
That night, Jiang Zhishui lay in bed when a thought suddenly occurred to her. She got up, went out, and crouched in the shadows.
Among the Taihua Sect disciples who had returned with them earlier, one had a foot wound that wasn't pierced by the green vines. The incident had been quite dangerous, so they hadn't paid much attention to it. Back at the Taihua Sect, Jiang Zhishui suddenly remembered that one of their disciples from her previous life hadn't been found dead in Changshui Village, and had vanished without a trace since.
She waited for an hour or two, and sure enough, she saw it.
The disciple came out of the room, looked around, and then sneakily headed towards the back mountain.
Jiang Zhishui did not rush over, but instead used her Shadow Tracking Technique to lock onto the target first, and then went back to find help.
Someone who can single-handedly take down four Golden Core stage disciples of the Taihua Sect is probably no ordinary person.
Lin Ye and Liu Chuxi followed her without asking any questions. On the way, Jiang Zhishui sensed that the leaf of the Shadow Chasing Technique had been destroyed. Just as she was losing her way, a dark figure darted out from the bushes and rushed straight at her. She couldn't dodge in time and met him head-on. She was sent flying by the impact of the demonic energy.
Liu Chuxi immediately stepped forward with her sword to stop the man from escaping. Jiang Zhishui stood up, clutching her chest. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, took out a flashing talisman from her bosom, and threw it into the air. The bright light was as bright as day and could be seen for miles around.
Lin Ye and Liu Chuxi worked together seamlessly, making it difficult for the man to move. He tried to break through from Jiang Zhishui's side, but Jiang Zhishui joined the battle with her sword. Under the attack from three sides, she seized the opportunity and stabbed the man in the chest with her sword, pinning him to the tree.
Before long, disciples from Taihua Sect arrived carrying torches.
Someone called out, "Senior Brother Chang Feng?"
Jiang Zhishui used the Immortal Binding Rope to tie up Chang Feng.
“He is a demon.” Jiang Zhishui stepped forward and said to the group of Taihua Sect disciples, “Quickly inform your Sect Leader Zhong that a demon has infiltrated the Immortal Sect.”
The disciples looked shocked, nodded hurriedly, and turned to run back.
The presence of a demonic traitor within the immortal sect is a matter of great importance. Sect Leader Zhong immediately ordered a thorough investigation and inventory of all disciples. Lin Ye and his group are not members of the Taihua Sect and should not interfere; they can only return and await Sect Leader Zhong's decision.
"How did you know that person was suspicious?" Lin Ye couldn't help but ask on the way back.
Jiang Zhishui was slapped by the demon, then raised her hand to loosen her shoulders and neck, and replied, "He didn't have any wounds from the vine demon draining his spiritual power, and he's been relatively quiet, so I've been paying more attention."
"Junior sister is so thoughtful." Liu Chuxi walked over and praised, "And your swordsmanship seems to have improved quite a bit. When can we spar with senior sister?"
Jiang Zhishui blushed at the praise, "Senior Sister, you flatter me."
Chang Feng was imprisoned in the Demon Suppression Tower, where only Sect Leader Zhong and a few elders from the Taihua Sect were allowed to enter for interrogation.
Jiang Zhishui had been busy all day but hadn't seen Jing Qianheng. She wanted to go see him, but she was afraid he would be unhappy if he saw her.
He was in poor health, so Jiang Zhishui didn't plan to call him when she was catching the mole.
She thought about it and decided not to disturb his rest.
At this moment, Lin Ye came to find her and talked about Zhong Ziqing's matter. He learned that she had no such intention and didn't say much more.
"The demons have invaded! Quickly, tell the sect leader!"
As soon as Jiang Zhishui stepped outside, she saw demonic energy swirling in the air, and several dark figures leaping across the rooftops. Disciples of the Taihua Sect chased after them with their swords drawn, and for a moment, swords flashed and the scene was chaotic.
Most of the demons headed towards the Demon Suppression Tower, presumably to rescue Chang Feng. Liu Chuxi and Lin Ye went to help first. Jiang Zhishui originally wanted to go too, but after running a few steps, she stopped when she thought of Jing Qianheng. After hesitating for a moment, she still ran towards his house.
The monsters scurried about, attacking anyone they saw, but they were all low-level monsters. Jiang Zhishui fought her way through them, rushing straight to the courtyard where Jing Qianheng lived.
As soon as she rushed over, she saw Jing Qianheng standing under the tree, looking up at the demonic energy above. A wisp of demonic energy drifted leisurely, searching for its target. Upon seeing Jing Qianheng below, it rushed down rapidly, the demonic beast opening its blood-red maw to swallow him whole.
Jiang Zhishui instantly rushed forward, grabbed him, and rolled away. The blood-red python missed its target and charged straight into Jing Qianheng's room. With a loud bang, the entire room collapsed instantly.
She helped Jing Qianheng to his feet. Her hands were slightly cold. Looking down, she saw that her hands were covered in blood. Jiang Zhishui asked in surprise, "What happened to you? Where are you hurt?"
She looked up and saw a pair of empty, lifeless eyes staring blankly at her. After a few words, the giant python leaped out of the rubble and pounced on the two of them again.
Jiang Zhishui grabbed his hand; they had no choice but to run.
The monster crawled and writhed, smashing through many buildings and walls along the way, causing many Taihua Sect disciples to flee in panic.
A dark shadow swept across the moonlit sky and landed lightly on the giant python's head. Only then did the restless beast calm down. It gently swayed its tail, obediently propped itself up, and lifted the person to a high place.
Jiang Zhishui pulled Jing Qianheng into an empty room and hid in the shadows. She peeked through the window and saw the giant python slowly swimming past.
The enormous snake shadow suddenly appeared, startling her. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Jing Qianheng's hand. Jing Qianheng glanced down at their hands, a slight emotion flickering across his face. He looked at Jiang Zhishui, who was nervously watching the commotion outside, and gently stroked her palm with his fingers.
Jiang Zhishui held her breath and hid by the window. She looked up and saw the person riding on the head of the giant python. He was dressed in black and wore a cloak, which covered his face completely.
"Please don't panic, everyone. This is just a declaration of war. My demon race will prepare a grand welcome for all factions in Qiyun City a month from now. Please do us the honor and come join the fun."
She was so nervous that she didn't notice Jing Qianheng's little gesture at all.
Qiyun City? Jiang Zhishui recalled that those who went to Qiyun City back then either died or fell into demonic possession. Those who managed to escape the city still bore the marks of being half-demonized. That invitation was a trap set by the demons specifically for the immortal sects.
The demon race rarely produces a powerful general, and the demon realm is full of low-level demons, resulting in a severe lack of combat power. In order to refine the disciples of the immortal sects and absorb more outstanding talents, they simply created their own mechanism for falling into demonic possession.
They conquer a city to lure the immortal sects to their rescue, but once inside, there's no escape. The demons create illusions within the city, and the immortal sect disciples gradually lose their way as they switch between illusion and reality, thus accelerating their descent into demonic possession.
Jiang Zhishui was worried that Lin Ye and the others might be in danger, so she wanted to go out and help. She had just moved her hand when she was immediately pulled back. She turned around and saw Jing Qianheng's face was inches away from hers.
The corner was narrow, and the two of them hid very close together. She paused for a moment, then whispered reassuringly, "You stay here and don't go out. I'll go check and come right back."
She turned to leave, but paused, her hand still tightly gripped by him.
"You..." Jiang Zhishui was about to say something when she paused, her expression changing, and touched his hand with her other hand. "Why...why is your hand so hot?"
Jing Qianheng stared intently at her: "Don't go."
Jiang Zhishui looked up at him with a surprised expression.
Jing Qianheng's breath was scalding hot, and the figure in front of him was blurry. He gripped her hand tightly and whispered, "Don't go, don't go."
By the moonlight, Jiang Zhishui lifted his sleeve, revealing a patch of blood on his arm. Black scales were faintly visible on the blood-soaked skin. She quickly covered it, looked up at him, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Did you inflict this wound yourself?"
"Mmm." Jing Qianheng just stared at her, his voice soft and weak.
Jiang Zhishui noticed his unfocused gaze, as if he didn't recognize her. She tried to help him up, but as soon as she stood up, he forcefully pulled her back down. Jiang Zhishui frowned and said, "I'm not leaving. Go lie down on the bed."
The commotion outside gradually subsided, and several Taihua Sect disciples hurriedly ran around, asking, "Has Chang Feng been rescued?"
"Yes, the Demon Suppression Tower has collapsed, and the Sect Leader is injured. Quickly, go and call Elder Qin!"
"What about the monsters? They...?"
"They've fled south! Gather men and set up defenses!"
We can't abandon Jing Qianheng now and hand him over to someone else; he'll probably cause trouble for a while. Since the Demon Clan has come to declare war, they probably won't go on a killing spree.
Jiang Zhishui looked up at the window, then turned back and gently coaxed Jing Qianheng, "Come on, get up."
Jing Qianheng looked at her suspiciously for a while, then slowly got up.
"Lie down." Jiang Zhishui helped him to the bedside, her hand held tightly by him the whole time, with no chance to pull it away.
Jing Qianheng was delirious with fever. He was breathing heavily, and blood was still flowing from his hands, staining Jiang Zhishui's white clothes. He glanced at it and suddenly reached out to wipe her clothes.
But the more he wiped, the dirtier it got, and he finally apologized, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I made it dirty."
Jiang Zhishui had never seen Jing Qianheng like this before; his eyes were red, his voice was choked with sobs, and he seemed about to cry at any moment.
She quickly squatted down, frantically trying to comfort her, "It's okay, it's alright."
This is truly...unacceptable. She hasn't even finished saying sorry a thousand or ten thousand times yet, how can she possibly accept his apology?
Jing Qianheng paused in rubbing his clothes, looked up at her, his dark pupils shimmering with light, deep and composed. For a moment, Jiang Zhishui felt that he was very sad.
He reached out, wanting to touch her face.
Jiang Zhishui looked at him strangely, and suddenly asked, "Jing Qianheng, take a good look at who I am?"
His fingers trembled slightly as they approached her face. His words, which sounded like a reproachful rejection, were followed by a silent withdrawal. He murmured something Jiang Zhishui couldn't understand: "Who? Who is it... Anyway, it wasn't me, it wasn't..."
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