Chapter 46 – Jiang Shuyan
Ethereal Peak, the living area for direct disciples.
A cave dwelling filled with the fragrance of orchids.
Jiang Shuyan wore a light purple dress, her feet as smooth as jade stepping on the plush carpet.
Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, her cheeks were delicate, and her peach blossom eyes sparkled with brilliance.
She held a cup of spiritual tea, its aroma wafting, and looked coldly at the person kneeling in the center of the hall.
"Are you saying Lin Hao possesses a great opportunity, which is why he cultivates so quickly?"
"Yes, Sis... Senior Sister, I've known this kid for a long time. He was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining after three years in the sect. How could he possibly reach Foundation Establishment in less than half a year?"
"He must have some treasure on him!"
"If Senior Sister could obtain this treasure and advance her cultivation, she would surely shine in the inner sect competition!"
"What you say makes sense, but..."
Jiang Shuyan stood up, the softness in her peach blossom eyes completely gone, replaced by a coldness as she looked at Jiang Mingfei.
"But, you're using me as a tool, aren't you? You have a grudge against Lin Hao, and because your cultivation is inferior, you want to use me to deal with him."
Kneeling on the ground, Jiang Mingfei was drenched in sweat. Though they both belonged to the Jiang family, their cultivation talents were worlds apart.
He barely made it into the inner sect, blending in with the crowd.
But Jiang Shuyan was a prodigy, a direct disciple!
Thus, their statuses in the Jiang family were incomparable.
If it weren't for his grandfather being an elder of the Xuan Yin Sect, he wouldn't even have the right to speak to her face-to-face.
He trembled as he said, "Senior Sister, I have no intention of using you. I just want to help you."
"Do you think I can't see through your little schemes? But I don't care, understand?"
"Yes... Senior Sister."
Jiang Mingfei felt his back soaked with sweat.
After a long while, Jiang Shuyan chuckled softly, confidence shining in her peach blossom eyes: "Fine, I want to be in the top thirty of the competition anyway, so I'll be your tool this once."
"But if I find out you lied to me afterward, watch out for your life. Not even your grandfather can save you!"
"Is Senior Sister Jiang here?" Just as Jiang Shuyan was issuing her threat, a voice came from outside the cave.
Why is she here?
Jiang Shuyan frowned, a trace of coldness flashing in her eyes.
After letting Jiang Mingfei leave through the back door, she got up and opened the cave dwelling's door.
"Do you have business here?"
Looking at the veiled woman, Jiang Shuyan showed no hint of a smile, her voice as cold as an icicle in the dead of winter.
"Can't I come to see you without a reason, Senior Sister?"
"Hmph, if you have something to say, say it. Don't disgust me here."
The veiled woman, unfazed by her cold demeanor, smiled slightly: "Knowing that Senior Sister struggles to break through her current realm, I'm here to bring you a great opportunity."
Jiang Shuyan raised an eyebrow, speaking coldly: "Say what you mean, don't beat around the bush. I don't have time for idle chatter."
"Senior Sister, we're of the same clan, yet you treat me like this." Seeing her about to get angry, the veiled woman finally spoke softly.
"I found you a husband."
"What?!"
Jiang Shuyan was momentarily stunned, not grasping the woman's intent. When she realized, her face darkened, and she shouted angrily, "Are you making fun of me?"
At this, the veiled woman remained unperturbed, speaking leisurely: "How dare I make fun of you, Senior Sister? I truly wish to ease your worries."
"Should I thank you then?" Jiang Shuyan sneered, a cold glint in her eyes, "Get out before I get angry!"
"Senior Sister..." The veiled woman stepped forward, her bright eyes filled with concern.
"Senior Sister, the person I want to introduce to you is a once-in-a-millennium cultivation genius. Together, you would be a perfect match, and your cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds!"
"You think I'll believe that?" Jiang Shuyan's lips curled into a mocking smile, speaking coldly.
"What kind of trash could you know? I bet you mistook a beggar for a treasure!"
The veiled woman seemed a bit angry, her voice gradually turning icy: "Senior Sister, I've always respected you and sincerely wish you well, so please leave me some dignity."
"Hmph!" Jiang Shuyan snorted coldly, her peach blossom eyes full of ridicule.
"Dignity, Cui Qing'er, you've degraded yourself, mingling with humans all day. Have you forgotten your identity and your mission here?"
Cui Qing'er tore off her veil, her pretty face frosty.
"I haven't forgotten; I know exactly why I'm here!"
"Do you really think you're the Jiang family's precious jewel? Do you enjoy being pampered?"
"Jiang Shuyan, I'm telling you, I'm here to bring you an opportunity. If you miss it, don't regret it later."
...
Time flew by, and only three days remained until the competition. During this period, Cui Qing'er, as promised, kept bringing female cultivators to Lin Hao, but most were at the Qi Refining stage, offering little help to his cultivation.
Unable to gather nine women, Lin Hao felt a bit anxious, but he couldn't control the situation and could only rely on Cui Qing'er to handle it.
With his cultivation stuck, Lin Hao focused on studying spells. The escape technique he got from Shui Ling'er was truly exquisite. Even as a beginner, he felt his movement speed increase slightly.
If he could master it, he could stealthily infiltrate, making it an essential spell for assassination and arson.
As he was engrossed in studying the jade slip of the technique, he suddenly heard Cui Qing'er's voice transmission.
He stepped out of the tower and saw Cui Qing'er leading seven veiled women.
These women weren't just veiled; they used spells to prevent being seen.
Lin Hao could only tell they had great figures, not their appearances.
However, one of them felt familiar, seemingly Li Xunran.
"Lin Hao, I've brought seven women, including myself, making eight. This is the best I can do. After all, if word got out, it would tarnish our reputations, so the female cultivators I approached were unwilling to do this.
You'll have to find the last one yourself, just find someone to make up the numbers!" Cui Qing'er transmitted.
"Me...?"
"I think the Demon Subduing Elder would be a good choice. As a woman, I can tell she's been stirred."
"She's a bit old, but for the sake of advancing your cultivation, you might have to endure."
"Why should I endure?"
Lin Hao's lips curled into a cold smile, speaking calmly: "I have someone more suitable than the Demon Subduing Elder."
With that, Lin Hao went straight to the prison and brought the little fox to his residence.
Seeing Lin Hao bring the Demon Clan princess, Cui Qing'er was stunned.
"Lin Hao, you're bold! How can you disrespect the prin... this person?"
"Disrespect?" Lin Hao directly pulled the little fox into his arms, speaking domineeringly.
"My relationship with her is far closer than you can imagine."
Seeing the princess's lack of strong reaction, Cui Qing'er was dumbfounded.
"Could it be... the princess has already lost herself to this vile man?"
Having some experience, she carefully observed and indeed found the princess's brow opened, clearly no longer a virgin.
All the women present, except for Li Xunran, were shocked.
They were all from the Demon Clan, infiltrating the Xuan Yin Sect to rescue the Demon Clan princess.
Now, before they could rescue her, they found out she had lost her purity, leaving them all dumbfounded.
If the Green Mountain Demon King knew, they would face severe punishment, so they exchanged glances, deciding to keep this a secret, never to be revealed.
They also planned to eliminate Li Xunran after this matter was settled, as the fewer people who knew, the better.
Cui Qing'er was filled with regret. To keep the women compliant with Lin Hao's 'cultivation,' she had secretly drugged them.
But now, with the princess brought in, wasn't she aiding the enemy? She was caught in a dilemma.
Like Cui Qing'er, another person was also conflicted.
Jiang Shuyan!
After Cui Qing'er left last time, she suddenly realized Cui Qing'er was involved with Lin Hao, the Lin Hao Jiang Mingfei mentioned. So she found Cui Qing'er again, pretending to agree, intending to seize Lin Hao's opportunity.
Her face hidden under the veil was filled with complex emotions. With the princess here and having such a relationship with Lin Hao, should she act now?
But as soon as the thought of acting arose, she found herself weak, her body heating up.
Cui Qing'er had drugged her, no, drugged them all!
It seemed she was about to suffer the consequences of her own scheming.