Chapter 84: You Can Only Like Me (10)
“You’ve already reached mid-Golden Core?” Su Huo asked quickly, seeing the awkward atmosphere between the two.
“It still needs to stabilize,” Jiang Zhiyan said.
“I feel like I’m about to reach late Golden Core too, I’ve been stuck at mid-stage for so many years, and after going to the Demon Realm with you, I’m finally seeing signs of progress,” Su Huo said with emotion. “So good, I’ve gained a few more hundred years of life.”
“You’ve been living too comfortably, cultivation is about challenging human limits, in a comfortable environment, it’s naturally difficult to improve.”
“But I’m from the Joyful Union Sect, I thought flirting with six people at the same time was already my limit,” Su Huo frowned.
Jiang Zhiyan: …
Song Jin’yue, who was drinking water, almost choked on hearing Su Huo’s words.
“Indeed, I should challenge my limits and find someone with a higher cultivation level to dual cultivate with me,” Su Huo said thoughtfully, stroking her chin. “Spirit Severing?”
Su Huo glanced at the two quiet people, as expected, this home couldn’t function without her.
“But Spirit Severing cultivators are usually elders, it would be difficult to seduce them, and I’m not interested in the elders in our sect,” Su Huo said, touching her chin. “Do you two have any suggestions?”
She paused for two seconds, then continued.
“Actually, two women can also dual cultivate now.” Su Huo looked at Jiang Zhiyan. “Cultivate diligently, I’ll be waiting for you.”
Song Jin’yue subconsciously tightened her grip on her cup. She continued to look straight ahead, but glanced at Jiang Zhiyan from the corner of her eye.
“No.”
“You’re so cold and heartless.” Su Huo, who was just joking, wasn’t angry. She glanced at Song Jin’yue. “Forget it, it’s no fun.”
She took out her communication jade.
[Su Huo: It doesn’t seem like she’s completely uninterested in you.]
[Jiang Zhiyan: I know.]
[Su Huo: Then why do you always look so heartbroken?]
[Jiang Zhiyan: You don’t understand.]
[Su Huo: There are things I don’t understand? Huh? Do you know what a master is?]
Jiang Zhiyan ignored her and put away the communication jade.
Su Huo looked at Jiang Zhiyan with dissatisfaction.
The master had taught her the way, and she didn’t even listen.
Song Jin’yue’s face darkened.
These two were using communication jades right in front of her, did they think she was an idiot?
Did they have to secretly talk behind her back?
Thinking about Su Huo’s suggestion earlier, Song Jin’yue bit her lip and glanced at Jiang Zhiyan.
But she didn’t think Jiang Zhiyan was that kind of person.
What was she thinking? What Jiang Zhiyan did had nothing to do with her.
“You gave me a sword, is there anything you want?” Song Jin’yue asked, holding her cup. “Although it’s difficult for me to give you something of equal value, I can, mm, give you my life.”
Jiang Zhiyan knew what Song Jin’yue meant, but hearing her say it still made her feel uncomfortable.
“I didn’t give you the sword so you could repay me, the food is here, let’s eat,” Jiang Zhiyan didn’t want to hear any more.
“Oh,” Song Jin’yue responded.
“Continue body refining for the next two days, I’ll remove the restriction on you,” Jiang Zhiyan said.
Song Jin’yue’s eyes lit up and she looked at Jiang Zhiyan.
“I advise you not to slack off recently, because we might be going out after I finish my secluded cultivation,” Jiang Zhiyan said, taking out a mask from her storage pouch and handing it to her. “But I don’t think the mark on your face will disappear before I’m done, so…”
“Why are you looking down on me?” Song Jin’yue took out a small mirror and looked at herself. “I think it’s faded quite a bit.”
“Maybe you’re just used to it,” Jiang Zhiyan said. “It hasn’t actually changed much.”
Song Jin’yue’s expression fell, and she sighed. After Jiang Zhiyan left, she had been washing her face every day, it felt like she had scrubbed off several layers of skin, and yet there was no change? It had clearly faded a bit, although the size hadn’t decreased at all, well, maybe it really hadn’t.
She was a bit dejected, would this thing stay on her face forever? If she ascended, would her portrait also have a large black spot?
Song Jin’yue put away the mirror.
Forget it, ignorance is bliss.
There were many dishes, a whole table full. Song Jin’yue’s eyes lit up, with the arrival of food, the strange atmosphere in the courtyard dissipated considerably.
Su Huo eagerly opened the wine, and the fragrance instantly filled the courtyard. She took a deep breath: “This wine is really good.”
“The restaurant owner’s prized possession,” Jiang Zhiyan said, asking Su Huo to pour her a glass.
Su Huo tried her best to liven up the atmosphere, but only Song Jin’yue responded, Jiang Zhiyan seemed lost in thought, her mind not present, not listening to their conversation.
“You said we’re going out after your secluded cultivation, where are we going?” Song Jin’yue looked at Jiang Zhiyan and asked.
Jiang Zhiyan came back to her senses and looked at her: “I don’t know yet, we’ll talk about it later, I’ll be in seclusion first.”
“How long will you be in seclusion?” Song Jin’yue continued to ask.
“It depends.”
Song Jin’yue twitched the corner of her mouth: “That’s like saying nothing at all.”
“I really don’t know, because I haven’t decided yet, I only have a general idea, are you that eager to leave?” Jiang Zhiyan asked.
For cultivators, staying in one place for months, years, or even centuries due to cultivation was perfectly normal. For example, the ancestor of the Myriad Swords Sect hadn’t left his residence for a very long time.
Song Jin’yue looked at Jiang Zhiyan without speaking.
“Do you want me to send you to Wei Jingqian?” Jiang Zhiyan stared into Song Jin’yue’s eyes. “Don’t even think about it.”
Song Jin’yue stared at Jiang Zhiyan: “I didn’t say anything, you’re just making assumptions.”
Su Huo carefully picked up her wine cup and took a sip, trying not to make any noise, but as luck would have it, the wine pot bumped against the cup, and both Jiang Zhiyan and Song Jin’yue looked at her.
She suddenly felt immense pressure, but she didn’t look up, steadily poured herself another glass of wine, pretended nothing happened, and put down the wine pot.
“Don’t overthink it, I was just asking,” Song Jin’yue said. “I haven’t seen him for months, and I haven’t gone crazy.”
“That’s a sign of insecurity,” Su Huo said, taking a sip of wine, shaking her head, and giving an experienced comment.
“I’m finished, you two can continue,” Jiang Zhiyan put down her chopsticks, she couldn’t stay here any longer.
Not a single word they said was pleasant to her ears.
“Don’t forget to complete your eight hours after you finish eating,” Jiang Zhiyan reminded her.
Song Jin’yue: …
Song Jin’yue looked at Jiang Zhiyan expressionlessly. This person never forgot to remind her about the eight hours, she was so touched, she was curious, if they had a big fight, would she still remind her about the eight hours of cultivation?
“What eight hours?” Su Huo asked curiously.
“She wants me to cultivate for eight hours every day, either practicing swordsmanship or body refining.”
Su Huo: ?
“As expected of a Sword Cultivator, I’ve only heard of it before, I didn’t expect anyone to actually practice for so long,” Su Huo said with emotion. “Then you should hurry up, you have three hours left today.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Song Jin’yue gritted her teeth.
“What if you really can’t complete the eight hours today?” Su Huo was curious.
“Make it up double tomorrow.”
Su Huo blinked, as expected, there was a reason why some people couldn’t win anyone over.
“I can’t help you, but I sympathize with you,” Su Huo said seriously.
Song Jin’yue wanted Su Huo to find someone to get her out of here after she left, but she couldn’t think of anyone to ask for help, and Su Huo was closer to Jiang Zhiyan, so she might not even help her.
And Jiang Zhiyan had also formed a contract with her, so it didn’t seem to make much difference whether she ran away or not.
Was she going to be bound to Jiang Zhiyan for the rest of her life?
Thinking about it, it didn’t seem that terrifying.
But why did she want to run away so badly?
Jiang Zhiyan sat on a cushion in the training room, sensing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
“Host, what are you thinking?”
“Cultivate to late Golden Core, get the items from the trade, then fall into demonic cultivation, if nothing unexpected happens, I can directly reach late Nascent Soul.”
“Then what?” the System continued to ask.
“Then find a weak Demon King and take over his territory, but I haven’t decided which demonic cultivation technique to practice yet,” Jiang Zhiyan pulled out the Demonic Sword. “It’s time to prove your strength.”
The dejected Demonic Sword instantly perked up, its spirit renewed, a sword without a purpose, unable to help, what was the meaning of its sword life?
“Do you have any recommendations for demonic cultivation techniques? I want to fall into demonic cultivation,” Jiang Zhiyan asked directly.
“Is there any point in asking it? It can’t even speak properly,” the System said, thinking about the Demonic Sword’s way of speaking. “Even if it knows any techniques, it’ll only be able to say them one word at a time… can your Golden Core lifespan outlast it?”
“Contract,” the Demonic Sword said.
The System interrupted the stuttering Demonic Sword: “It wants you to form a contract with it.”
“You want me to form a contract with you?” Jiang Zhiyan asked back.
“King,” the Demonic Sword continued, its emotions even more agitated.
System: “It remembers the techniques the Demon King has seen.”
The Demonic Sword didn’t have much of a sense of owner loyalty. Some swords wouldn’t easily form contracts with others while their owners were still alive, but the Demonic Sword was different, it would form a contract with anyone it deemed worthy, and because of its domineering nature, it could even run away if it was dissatisfied with its owner.
“Fine,” Jiang Zhiyan replied.
The Demonic Sword was very happy, this overlord understood sword language, unlike the previous Demon King, who was too stupid, they couldn’t understand each other.
It was willing to consider Jiang Zhiyan a kindred spirit.
“Then what about Song Jin’yue?” the System asked. “You’re not planning to take her with you when you challenge the Demon Lord, are you?”
“No, I’ll make arrangements for her, then take her away,” Jiang Zhiyan said, her heart aching at the thought of Song Jin’yue. “Let her enjoy some freedom for now.”
“I’ll let her go after I finish my secluded cultivation, don’t talk to me, I’m going into meditation.”
“Okay,” the System said.
Su Huo leaned against the table, slowly eating, looking at Song Jin’yue practicing her swordsmanship, then at Jiang Zhiyan, who was surrounded by a swirling vortex of spiritual energy, and suddenly felt like it wasn’t good for her to be so idle.
She thought for a few seconds, then stuffed a large piece of meat into her mouth.
Since she didn’t want to cultivate, she might as well keep her mouth busy.
It was shameful to waste food.
After finishing her meal, Su Huo suddenly realized something.
She seemed to be trapped here as well. Jiang Zhiyan was in meditation, and people in meditation couldn’t be disturbed, did she have to wait until Jiang Zhiyan came out before she could leave?
She couldn’t even stand staying in the entertaining Tianyan Pavilion, staying in this boring courtyard for months would probably kill her.
After eating her fill, Su Huo stood up and tentatively touched the barrier. She found that her hand easily passed through it, and because she had used some force, she almost fell.
She looked back at Song Jin’yue, who immediately put down her things and ran over. She also reached out and tentatively touched the barrier.
The barrier was still there, unchanged.
“So this barrier only blocks you?” Su Huo withdrew her hand. “Then I’ll leave tomorrow morning, I’ll clean up the table, you can continue practicing your swordsmanship.”
Song Jin’yue looked at the barrier. She found Jiang Zhiyan to be very contradictory, she could sense Jiang Zhiyan’s concern for her, but she hadn’t shown her any trust so far.
She sighed softly.
Even now, she really wouldn’t run away, but how could she make Jiang Zhiyan believe her?
She thought about Su Huo saying Jiang Zhiyan lacked a sense of security, so how could she give her a sense of security? This was all unfamiliar and distant to her.
The next morning, Su Huo said goodbye to Song Jin’yue. Su Huo briskly walked out of the courtyard, but when she tried to go back in, she found herself blocked.
Su Huo’s eyes widened.
This barrier only allowed exit, not entry?
So Jiang Zhiyan had planned to get rid of her all along.
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