Chapter Ninety-Seven: Difficult Trust
What the other person was thinking was irrelevant to Ya Feiyu, yet it didn't stop him from looking down at Lin Shanshan with that cold, intimidating expression that could scare people away at first sight. This woman's senses seemed more acute than anyone else's; even though he and Ye Chi had concealed their presence and aura, she still spotted him at first glance. This gave Ya Feiyu a slight sense of crisis, but compared to that, there was an overwhelming, harmless curiosity. They stared at each other for a long time, seemingly in a standoff, but upon closer inspection, one could see that Ya Feiyu's pupils were actually unfocused, not dilated; he was actually... lost in thought.
Unfortunately, even Lin Shanshan, with her keen perception, couldn't perceive things to that extent, especially since she was in a state of shock. She bit her lower lip tightly. Ya Feiyu remained silent, and as a mortal of vastly different status, she naturally didn't have the courage to speak. However, as long as Ya Feiyu didn't speak, that eerie atmosphere continued to spread between them. Finally, Lin Shanshan took the initiative and spoke first: "Immortal Venerable Tianxue, what brings you here...?"
She held her son in her arms the whole time as she spoke, and carefully covered his ears so as not to disturb him or wake him up.
Ya Feiyu particularly admired the unwavering determination of a female beast protecting her own flesh and blood. He slowly came back to his senses, his gaze refocusing on her. He remained expressionless, but the terrifying chill in his eyes was gone. He had a cold appearance, but from certain angles, he could actually be considered somewhat gentle.
"Cooperation?" Ya Feiyu didn't exchange any pleasantries with her and went straight to the point. He usually didn't like to waste time with such a shrewd and intelligent person. He believed that she wouldn't want to hear him ramble on and on without getting to the point of his trip.
Why would a renowned figure like Ya Feiyu in the cultivation world seek cooperation with her? Lin Shanshan's wariness even faltered for a moment. Her tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, revealing a hint of hesitation. She pursed her lips and asked, "What is the content of the cooperation?"
Ya Feiyu said calmly, "You help me gather all the mortals who have been captured. All you need to do is ensure that they are loyal and obey my orders."
This kind of cooperation made Lin Shanshan even more vigilant. Why suddenly gather everyone together and make them obey Ya Feiyu's orders without reservation? She would not forget the reason why Ya Feiyu was wanted. Demonic cultivators have always been good at using sweet words to deceive the ignorant. Ya Feiyu, who is in league with demonic cultivators, may very well do the same.
She frowned and asked, "Why?"
Asking for the reason was actually a foolish and unnecessary act. Lin Shanshan knew perfectly well that a cultivator like Ya Feiyu, who could control everything, had no power over them. What could mortals like them, who were like ants, possibly do? They had no way to resist. Because if Ya Feiyu wanted to crush them, it would be easier than crushing an ant.
The moment the question left her lips, she regretted it. Her heart pounded, but since the words were already out, there was no going back. She could only look at Ya Feiyu with a pale face, hoping that this master would be in a better mood today and wouldn't be angered by her words...
Unexpectedly, Ya Feiyu's long eyelashes trembled slightly before she answered, "I want to destroy Qing Shen Pavilion."
Destroy Qing Shen Pavilion?
Lin Shanshan stared wide-eyed in astonishment, unable to fathom the truth in Ya Feiyu's words. She and her husband's family lived in a small village under the protection of Qing Shen Pavilion. However, Qing Shen Pavilion had never fulfilled its obligation to protect the village. Some time ago, a flood struck, and the villagers suffered greatly. Some even climbed the green mountain to ask Qing Shen Pavilion for help, but their request was ignored. Everyone in the village harbored deep resentment towards Qing Shen Pavilion.
Although she was a good-tempered person, the fact that Qing Shen Ge had repeatedly ignored the villagers' requests while continuing to collect exorbitant protection fees, and that this incident had occurred, made her secretly hate this hypocritical sect.
If what Ya Feiyu said was true, it would be good for them, the captured vessels, and even better for the common people living at the foot of the mountain. Unwilling to admit it, Lin Shanshan was already somewhat tempted.
However, her wariness of Ya Feiyu prevented her from agreeing to cooperate. What if Ya Feiyu's reason was just a fabrication? What if Ya Feiyu didn't actually have the ability to destroy Qing Shen Pavilion? If things were exposed, a cultivator of Ya Feiyu's level could easily escape from pursuers and leave gracefully. What about mortals like them? Would they be treated as pawns that could no longer be used, cruelly discarded after being squeezed dry of their last bit of value?
"..." Neither of them spoke, falling into the same silence. Just then, Ya Feiyu spoke, his cold voice, devoid of any extra emotion, breaking the stillness of the night: "I won't force you. I just think you're a good choice."
Why do you say that?
“You have attachments,” Ya Feiyu’s silver eyes seemed to reflect the cold moonlight, “so for your children, your husband, your family, you will have a strong will to live. Mortals all want to live longer, but your attachments are the most numerous, the strongest, and the easiest to control.”
These words were spoken so easily by Ya Feiyu. Lin Shanshan was stunned at first, but after she came to her senses, she chuckled. Good heavens, how could she laugh in such a serious scene? She thought to herself, but she couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't mocking at all; she just felt like laughing.
"Immortal Venerable Tianxue is really direct. Is it really okay to say such things to me like this?"
Ya Feiyu said calmly, "Even if I don't say it, you can guess, can't you?"
Lin Shanshan laughed again: "Yes, I think we haven't met many times. Immortal Venerable is really perceptive."
“It’s just a simple judgment.” Ya Feiyu lowered his eyelashes and said calmly, “I know you can’t trust me, I know that, so I won’t force you to do anything, but I still want to cooperate with you.”
Now that she fully understood that Ya Feiyu had no ill intentions towards her, Lin Shanshan was finally able to relax for a moment. She exhaled and said, "But if the Immortal Venerable doesn't do something convincing, it will be difficult for me to completely trust you."
"After all, this matter involves not only me and my child, but also so many mortals present, so many... cauldrons."
The moonlight shifted, now shining precisely on Ya Feiyu, making the faint smile on his lips seem even more pronounced. This was a rare moment of pleasure for him, chatting with a stranger. He said slowly, "I will satisfy you, madam."
After saying that, he turned around, casually raised his hand and patted Ye Chi's shoulder, "Let's go, let's go back first."
Upon hearing this, Ye Chi snapped his fingers, and a crimson spiritual stream swirled around his fingertips for a moment before suddenly engulfing the two like a raging fire. In an instant, the two figures, one in black and one in white, vanished from his sight as if they had never existed. Only the faint, cold fragrance lingered in the air, confirming that they had not yet left.
This was the first time Lin Shanshan had ever witnessed such a scene. Even though she tried her best to appear calm, her eyes couldn't help but falter slightly in shock. So this is how they got here...
She waited patiently for a while until the night wind died down and the inexplicably comforting cold fragrance ceased to waft out. Only then could she truly confirm that the two had long since vanished. She looked up at the moon in the sky. Tonight, the sky was cloudless, and without the obstruction of dark clouds, the moon hung perfectly in the sky, emitting a faint, cold light.
The night breeze stopped, and it didn't seem so cold anymore. She thought that she had been too tense just now, and now that she had completely relaxed, a strong drowsiness suddenly surged up and completely enveloped her. She couldn't help but yawn, hugged Zhou Yu, who was sleeping soundly in her arms, and rested her head against the cold wooden wall, her eyes unfocused and lost in thought.
A slight wavering had begun to creep into her heart. The allure of destroying Qing Shen Ge, a sect rife with hypocrisy and corruption, was simply too great. If Qing Shen Ge disappeared, the painful life she and Zhou Yu were currently living would end, they would no longer suffer from its oppression, and they would no longer be bankrupted by its exorbitant protection fees.
The mere thought of such an outcome caused her heart to tremble, even surging with a sense of excitement. She knew that the Qing Shen Pavilion's practice of abducting mortals to use as alchemy furnaces was something that Heaven and Earth could not tolerate; otherwise, they wouldn't have limited their abduction locations to the areas they managed or remote towns.
Lin Shanshan herself is the most useful piece of evidence for destroying Qing Shen Ge.
Not only her, but also her son, and all the elderly, women, and children present—every single one of them.
Although it is unclear why Ya Feiyu destroyed Qing Shen Pavilion, whether Ya Feiyu wanted to take revenge on a certain enemy inside or wanted to gain some benefit from it, it would be entirely beneficial to Lin Shanshan.
She had already made a plan in her heart, but she was still unsure whether Ya Feiyu was sincere or not. Lin Shanshan slowly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. She took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, as if her whole body had become light and free of all her strength. One hand hung limply at her side, while the other hand stubbornly held Zhou Yu and gently stroked her son's back.
Lin Shanshan thought that all she needed to do next was to see what Ya Feiyu would do to prove his determination.
She didn't have many extravagant hopes; she only hoped that Ya Feiyu's words wouldn't deceive her.
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