Chapter 257: Subjugation! Jiang

Jiang Ye sneered, a cryptic curve lifting at the corner of his mouth: “Oh? To serve me as slave or maid?”

“Yes, yes, yes...”

Yin Qingqing nodded frantically, her clear, stream-like eyes pleadingly fixed on Jiang Ye, hands pressed together before her chest, speaking in a rapid rush, afraid he might strike her again any second:

“Master Jiang, think about it.”

“Even if you kill me...”

“It’s just venting your anger—no real benefit at all.”

“But if I become your slave or maid, the benefits would be countless.”

“After all, I’m the direct disciple of the Peak Master of Danling Peak—I still hold some standing within the peak...”

“Just for starters, I can help you save more than half the cost of the elixirs you need for cultivation.”

She spoke swiftly and smoothly, her clear eyes never leaving Jiang Ye’s face.

“The Zhen Gang Dan you exchanged for today in Tianshu Hall—I can get you over ten vials every month, and the quality will be better than what Tianshu Hall offers, never any substandard dregs.”

“Even higher-grade elixirs like Zhen Yuan Dan and Ning Zhen Dan—elixirs ordinary disciples dare not even dream of—I can get those too...”

She forced a sweet smile onto her face, though her heart was as cold as ice.

Hearing this, Jiang Ye’s brow twitched slightly, as if genuinely considering her proposal.

Seeing this, Yin Qingqing’s heart instantly steadied.

She knew she had a chance to live.

The old man was tempted—if he was tempted, it was manageable.

She pressed harder, tilting her head up, gazing at Jiang Ye with pitiful eyes, her pale, slender fingers trembling slightly, her voice soft as if dripping with honey:

“Master Jiang, with me, you effectively control part of Danling Peak’s resources.”

“Think about it...”

“I’m currently the Peak Master’s direct disciple—I have a real chance of succeeding him as Danling Peak’s new leader.”

“The one you take as your servant... is the future Danling Peak Peak Master.”

“When that day comes, all of Danling Peak’s resources... will essentially be in your hands...”

“You’ll become one of the most powerful figures in Linzhou’s Upper Sect...”

“How glorious that would be.”

She finished, blinking her eyes fixedly at Jiang Ye.

Her clear, stream-like eyes reflected Jiang Ye’s aged, indifferent face, still damp with the faint traces of tears she’d forced out in pleading—looking both sincere and heartbreakingly vulnerable.

She was certain this old man could never resist such temptation.

The future Danling Peak Peak Master... all the peak’s resources...

That weight was enough to knock anyone senseless.

As expected, Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow with interest, his aged voice carrying a sly, knowing tone:

“The future Danling Peak Peak Master...”

“You’ve got me actually tempted.”

For a girl of her status, a living person was far more valuable.

If he could keep her under his thumb, he’d save himself countless troubles in obtaining elixirs from now on.

Yin Qingqing’s face lit up with joy; she pushed herself up from the ground, struggling to rise and bow, but the indentation in her chest pulled sharply, making her eyelid twitch with pain—yet she clenched her teeth and refused to let her smile falter:

“Master Jiang, from now on, I am your most loyal servant...”

She looked ready to bang three loud kowtows right there to prove her loyalty.

Yet deep in the girl’s eyes, a chilling, terrifying glint surged.

If she could survive, a little humiliation meant nothing.

Her innate, special identity...

Had destined her path to be strewn with thorns.

Anything that failed to destroy her would only make her stronger.

Old bastard...

Today’s humiliation will be repaid a hundredfold tomorrow.

Jiang Ye regarded her with a knowing gaze, his aged eyes seeming to pierce through all her thoughts—yet he said nothing, speaking slowly, as if testing a newly acquired commodity: “Since you wish to be my servant, prove your worth first.”

“Worth?!”

Yin Qingqing froze slightly, then instantly plastered on her usual sweet smile, two dimples appearing as she spoke in her soft, honeyed voice: “Master Jiang...”

Jiang Ye smiled faintly, raising two fingers and gently shaking them to cut her off:

“In front of others, calling me Master Jiang is fine—I won’t correct you.”

“But now...”

“When it’s just you and me... what should you call me...”

Yin Qingqing froze again, her pupils contracting sharply, her breath seeming to halt in that instant.

This old bastard really knows how to push his luck...

The smile on her pale face instantly stiffened, as if an invisible hand had hit pause.

A blush of shame spread visibly across her cheeks, rising from her cheekbones all the way to her ears.

Then it burned down her neck, even turning her tiny earlobes red as if they might drip blood.

Old bastard, do you even know who I am...

If this old man knew my true identity, he’d probably piss himself in terror...

Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!

Damn it...

This damn old bastard dares to humiliate me like this...

She’d never endured such shame in her entire life.

Her eyelids twitched violently; her lips quivered for a long time, as if locked in final inner struggle.

“All suffering is nourishment for growth...”

“Face suffering... endure suffering...”

“And finally overcome suffering...”

“This will only make me stronger...”

Yin Qingqing chanted these words over and over in her mind.

Finally, with a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, barely audible, she forced two words out of her throat:

“M...Master...”

Jiang Ye gave a slight nod, a faint, satisfied smile appearing on his face.

That’s better.

If you’re going to be a slave or maid, act like one.

The Yin Qingqing who had smiled so sweetly moments ago now wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground, her hands clenched tightly around the hem of her robe.

Old bastard!

Just you wait!

One day, I’ll rip out your tendons and bones, make you suffer the agony of venomous insects gnawing at you!

Make you kneel before me and swallow back those two words today!

Cherish the time you still have left to live!

Yin Qingqing screamed silently in her mind.

Yet on her flushed face, she still forced a stiff smile, the two dimples still present—though the warmth never reached her eyes.

She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to sound steadier:

“M...Master...”

“Whatever you ask, please say it... I’ll do my utmost to fulfill it...”

Jiang Ye spoke casually, as if giving a trivial order:

“Using your status as the Peak Master’s direct disciple, get me a Xiantian Dahuan Dan...”

“Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

Yin Qingqing’s pupils shrank slightly.

Old bastard!

You really dare to ask for that!

The Xiantian Dahuan Dan is a high-grade elixir even within Danling Peak.

It requires blending primordial qi with century-old sacred herbs...

Even her master would struggle to produce even one—total stock in the Upper Sect likely doesn’t exceed ten pills.

Damn it, I painted that pie too big.

This old bastard really thinks I’m the Danling Peak Peak Master now.

She took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and forced a smile uglier than a sob:

“Master, that Xiantian Dahuan Dan costs thirty thousand merit points... I...”

Jiang Ye’s lips curled into a cold sneer; the warmth vanished from his aged eyes, his voice slicing into Yin Qingqing’s ears like a blade dipped in ice:

“If you can’t even manage something this simple, what’s the point of taking you as my servant?”

Seeing Jiang Ye’s expression turn cold, Yin Qingqing’s heart jolted, and she quickly corrected herself:

“Master, don’t rush… Qingqing will find a way…”

“I still have connections on Danling Peak—just give me a little time…”

“I will surely obtain that Primordial Great Restoration Pill, and I dare not break my word!”

She clasped her hands together above her head, her clear eyes filled with sincerity and pleading.

Jiang Ye sneered: “Give you time… tell me, how long will it take you to get me the Primordial Great Restoration Pill?”

Yin Qingqing’s face darkened; she bit her lower lip, thought for a moment, then extended six fingers and ventured cautiously:

“Master… would six months be acceptable…?”

“In six months, I will surely present the Primordial Great Restoration Pill to you with both hands.”

Jiang Ye shook his head coldly, his aged voice offering no room for negotiation: “Six months is too long. I give you three months.”

Yin Qingqing’s eyes twitched violently at the corners; her lips quivered as if she wanted to bargain.

But when she looked up and met Jiang Ye’s cold, ancient eyes, the words died in her throat.

She carefully studied Jiang Ye’s expression, then finally forced herself to agree:

“Fine…”

“Master, rest assured—in three months, I will surely obtain one Primordial Great Restoration Pill for you.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, whether from pain or rage, she couldn’t tell.

Jiang Ye gave a slight nod, somewhat satisfied with this answer.

Old Luo Song was still waiting for the Primordial Great Restoration Pill to save his life.

He had kept this matter firmly in mind.

He paused, then added casually:

“By the way, our Tianyun Peak doesn’t have much cultivation resources.”

“From now on, you will hand over one thousand contribution points each month, plus five bottles of Xue Dan to aid in Golden Core cultivation, and five bottles of Cui Gang Dan to aid in Qi Condensation cultivation—that’s ten bottles total. That shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?”

He was about to complete Qi Condensation; these pills were of little use to him.

He was primarily thinking of his disciples.

Chen Lili was about to break through to Golden Core, and even Xu Qinghuan was nearly ready to knock on the door of Qi Refinement.

Zheng Feng was just one step away from completing Golden Core.

Wen Yueyao was a girl of exceptional talent and disposition—compared to the disciples of the main sect, she only lacked resources.

With this batch of pills as backing, their cultivation speed could accelerate significantly.

As for righteousness, Old Jiang had no complaints.

Since he’d caught a fat sheep, he must squeeze her to the last drop.

Hearing this, Yin Qingqing went utterly numb.

Getting the Primordial Great Restoration Pill wasn’t enough.

He also wanted her to hand over one thousand contribution points and ten bottles of pills every month…

This was nothing short of devouring her completely, leaving not even a bone fragment.

She knew that although she held some status in the main sect, her monthly stipend was only one thousand contribution points.

Even if she used her status as the Peak Master’s direct disciple to intercept some of the peak’s manufactured pills for her own gain…

If Jiang Ye kept squeezing her like this, what would be left for her? Where would she find resources for her own cultivation?

“Master… I…”

Yin Qingqing gazed at Jiang Ye pitifully, but before she could speak,

Jiang Ye cut her off with a sneer, his voice still flat and indifferent, yet each word piercing straight to the core: “Is your life not worth more than these few things?”

Yin Qingqing was rendered speechless.

She had an absolute reason she could not die.

Her identity…

She could not die in a place like this.

Her clear, stream-like eyes churned with humiliation, fury, and resentment—but finally, they could only produce a low whisper, dragged slowly from deep in her throat, as light as a falling autumn leaf:

“Fine… Qingqing agrees to Master’s terms…”

She lowered her eyes, burying all emotion beneath them, forcing a faint smile onto her lips, resuming her obedient, docile demeanor.

But the trembling in her voice betrayed her inner state.

She pointed to the sunken wound on her chest, gasping in pain as she pleaded pitifully:

“Then… Master…”

“Could I… please treat my wound a little…?”

“If I don’t stop the bleeding, I won’t be able to serve you anymore…”

“This wound was caused by your fist—you know better than anyone how severe it is.”

As she spoke, her eyes welled again; glistening tears swirled in their rims, then rolled down her pale cheeks, presenting a heartbreakingly pitiful sight.

Jiang Ye looked down at her, a faint curve touching his lips; his tone remained as flat and indifferent as ever:

“Precisely because I delivered this blow myself, I know how minor this injury is.”

“You’re a Qi Condensation cultivator—this little wound won’t kill you.”

Hearing this, Yin Qingqing nearly choked on her breath.

No.

Is this even human speech?

After a moment of silence,

Yin Qingqing pressed her lips together and whimpered: “But… it really hurts…”

As she spoke, two glistening tears squeezed from her eyes, looking as pitiful as she could possibly appear.

Unfortunately, the gray-robed elder standing before her remained utterly unmoved.

This old devil was truly a heartless beast.