Chapter 14: You Seem to Be Doing Quite Well

Hancheng, one of the ten great cities of Mo Yu, and its most famous tavern—Zhuimo Lou.

Su Xi held a big chicken drumstick in one hand and a soup ladle in the other, taking a bite of meat and a sip of soup, her mouth glossy with oil, red and bright.

Before Xie Guanyu sat only a pot of wine; between his slender fingers he toyed with three voice-transmission talismans.

He listened to none of them, merely looking at the talismans, then looking at Su Xi.

"Who's stronger, you or my Master?" Su Xi asked, her big curious eyes wide open.

Xie Guanyu: "If he fought me in earnest, he might have the edge. In terms of realm, I can see your Dao Body and spiritual root."

Just as she had guessed. "My Master said I mustn't let anyone see my aptitude."

"He's not wrong. With an aptitude like yours, anyone who sees it would want to claim you for themselves. Isn't Rong Shou the same—taking you as his disciple." Xie Guanyu took a sip of wine.

"My Master is of the orthodox Daoist lineage, certainly not one of you heretical demons and ghosts." Su Xi bit fiercely into the big chicken drumstick, her mouth full of rich fragrance.

Xie Guanyu looked at the space between her brows, where thunder patterns flickered in and out of sight. "Orthodox Daoist sects, heretical demons and ghosts—all of them wish to go against the heavens, transcend their given lot, and chase the desires of their true hearts. Since they are all desires, where is the distinction?"

"Rong Shou cultivates both Immortal and Demonic paths. If he is to ascend, it must be at Immortal-Demonic Dual Realm Great Perfection, and the heavenly tribulation he must face is unimaginable—far beyond an ordinary Ascension Tribulation. And you are the key to his ascension."

Su Xi curled her lip and said dismissively: "Don't try to drive a wedge between me and my Master. And stop blurting out my Master's secrets out here—be careful he finds out."

Her words cut off abruptly, for behind Xie Guanyu a figure appeared. He wore a bamboo hat that covered half his face, but the exposed jaw let Su Xi recognize him at a glance.

She immediately tossed down the soup ladle and the big chicken drumstick in her hands, rose from her seat, and threw herself at him. "Master—Master, you've come to rescue your disciple!"

Rong Shou caught hold of her, keeping her greasy hands from touching him, and looked her up and down, confirming she was missing neither arm nor leg, before sighing softly: "You seem to be doing quite well."

"Where did you get my voice-transmission talismans?" The three talismans between Xie Guanyu's fingers instantly dissolved into a wisp of demonic Qi.

It was precisely by chasing the voice-transmission talismans that Rong Shou had found Xie Guanyu.

Xie Guanyu was impressed too—being able to keep pace with the speed of the voice-transmission talismans meant Rong Shou's cultivation had grown even deeper than in their last clash.

Rong Shou replied: "Yue Hua is a broker; given enough payment, there's nothing he won't sell."

Xie Guanyu extended a hand, inviting him to sit.

Rong Shou looked at Su Xi. "Have you eaten your fill?"

Su Xi looked at the food she had ordered—only half of it was eaten. Her mother had taught her since childhood never to waste grain: once ordered, it must be finished.

Su Xi immediately sat back down in her seat and continued eating.

Rong Shou sat down beside her, still wearing the bamboo hat, with no intention of removing it.

"That one—I hadn't meant to move against the Southern Dao Sect, but I figured, since I'd already caught them, leaving your sect sitting pretty alone would surely invite criticism. Better to wade into the muddy water together. Your disciples have all gone back already, and the true teachings have been returned intact." Xie Guanyu handed Rong Shou a cup of wine.

Rong Shou took it and set it on the table. "Should I be thanking you?"

"Don't mention it. Your disciple has already thanked me for you—truly a rare beauty!" Xie Guanyu finished speaking and used Teleportation to flee.

Rong Shou's face suddenly turned extremely cold, and he asked Su Xi, "What did he do to you?"

Su Xi recalled how, when Xie Guanyu had carried her over his shoulder, he had pinched her bottom… Shame and fury surged up at once, but she could not bring herself to say it aloud.

"I'll go pluck out his Demonic Core." Rong Shou left a Tracking Spell on Su Xi to prevent her from getting lost again, then set off after Xie Guanyu.

Su Xi hurriedly said: "Master, it's fine—it's no big deal for your disciple to suffer a small loss. As long as the disciples of our sect are safe, I'll count it as just taking a tumble." She patted the dust off herself.

Rong Shou was already gone without a trace.

【Er Miao, Master is quite the hothead too.】 Su Xi continued eating.

【Host, stop eating. Xue Fuyi has also come to Zhuimo Lou. And her cultivation has already reached Foundation Establishment Stage!】

【What?】