Chapter 25: A Light Kiss Part 1

A person’s appearance is connected to their age and experiences.

The Shen Sheng before her was still in her youth, full of righteous spirit and high morale, lacking only that slyness.

Jiang Wan smiled silently. She quietly walked forward. Shen Sheng noticed her arrival and looked up, tense. “How was it?”

“You care a lot about this?” Jiang Wan sat down beside her. “It’s very quiet here. You could try making some friends.”

“Sang Xuan came by today,” Shen Sheng volunteered.

Hearing the name, Jiang Wan smiled. “Within Prajna City, there are seven Elders. Fu Kong leads them, and Sang Xuan is the last. Like me, Sang Xuan originates from the South River. They each pursue their own Great Dao. Of course, they also have partners.”

“Immortals in Prajna City rarely cultivate the Dao of Ruthlessness. It’s far too bleak. Here, once you choose a partner, it’s a lifelong commitment.”

“Fu Kong is like that. She has a partner who is a Demon, and thus cannot enter Prajna City. Down below, she has another home.”

Shen Sheng rested her chin in her hand, listening to her voice.

Jiang Wan’s light, airy tone was incredibly pleasant, like the ethereal songs of birds in the mountains.

Prajna City doesn’t accept Demons, but if one Forms a Contract with a god and purifies their Demonic blood, they can enter.

But Fu Kong hasn’t Formed a Contract, so she is also free.

Still, she has no children.

Sang Xuan, however, is different. She dreams of finding true love, Forming a Contract, having children, and enjoying life.

Shen Sheng laughed. “Sang Xuan is quite interesting.”

“She lacks steadiness, but her innate talent is excellent,” Jiang Wan praised sincerely. “In Prajna City, her talent is the best. For an average person, Immortal Ascension would take tens of millions of years. For her, a mere hundred years.”

The number of Immortals above the South River isn’t large. In truth, only about eight or nine. The leap from Demigod to God is one many can never make in their entire lives.

Shen Sheng asked curiously, “What about your mother?”

“A Goddess. Unfortunately, one of them Entered Devilhood, betraying the other. In the end, both were annihilated. The Lovesickness Gu is extremely cruel.” Jiang Wan’s tone was calm, without a trace of complaint. Her eyes reflected Shen Sheng, serene and tranquil.

Shen Sheng pursed her lips. “No matter what you say, you always have this calm expression.”

“Young General Shen, I’ve lived for ten thousand years.” The corners of Jiang Wan’s lips lifted slightly, her voice tinged with a sigh. “When you live for ten thousand years and look back, in all the world, what else besides the Great Dao can truly hold your attention?”

There was one more thing—emotion.

Shen Sheng propped up her chin, looking at her with a grave expression. “You know I’m Shen Sheng, and that I’m the Young General.”

Jiang Wan stretched out her five fingers, her fair fingertips evenly proportioned. “I can calculate these things.”

“Oh, of course.” Shen Sheng was easily convinced, finding it all very magical. A beauty before her, pleasing to the eye.

Being with Jiang Wan gave her a quiet, warm sense of comfort. Her whole being felt at ease.

She had lived ten thousand years, her thoughts deeply mature, beyond comparison with a mere youth.

Shen Sheng’s eyes curved, her mood bright. Jiang Wan continued, “The South River Water is starting to become polluted. Wherever it’s dirty, I’ll clean it. But this method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. If the day comes when the water is too polluted to clean, our lives will face hardships beyond words.”

Shen Sheng’s breath hitched. “Who exactly is the Evil Devil?”

“The Evil Devil, ah…” Jiang Wan’s heart sank, but outwardly, she said casually, “It’s just a Devil that wants to control the South River and become the master of the world.”

For a god to Enter Devilhood, it’s a matter of a mere blink.

Shen Sheng nodded. “I understand now. It’s like a rebellious minister wanting to become emperor. It’s the same principle.”

“It’s not quite that simple. There is boundless power in the South River. If someone seizes it, Prajna City will cease to exist, and the wounded beings of the Three Realms will have no place to heal.” Jiang Wan watched her, her eyes burning with intensity as she took in Shen Sheng’s reaction.

Shen Sheng said, with a strange feeling, “Could it be that the Evil Devil has already merged with the South River, and if we kill the Evil Devil, the South River will disappear too?”

This time, Jiang Wan fell silent.

Shen Sheng was uneasy. After a long moment, Jiang Wan added, “Why think so much about it?”

Shen Sheng couldn’t grasp Jiang Wan’s nature. In historical records, she was a figure like the bright moon, holy and peerless. But in the end, she was betrayed by the gods.

Right now, she wanted to uncover the Evil Devil’s origins.

“I want to learn some skills,” Shen Sheng said proactively.

Jiang Wan gave a beautiful smile, saying with a laugh, “Of course. Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you. You’re already a martial artist, so you’ll progress quickly.”

Shen Sheng blinked, her smile warm. Before she could speak, the other suddenly leaned close.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

The holy woman was right before her eyes. Her long, elegant eyelashes fluttered, her eyes beneath reflecting Shen Sheng’s face.

Jiang Wan’s body carried a faint fragrance, not heavy, like the subtle scent of grass by the South River.

Jiang Wan pressed her lips together, then pressed them against the corner of Shen Sheng’s mouth.

Their soft lips gently met, then parted. Ripples spread through Shen Sheng’s heart. It was a wondrous touch, making her skin tremble.

Shen Sheng blinked. If Anu was a cunning fox, then the Jiang Wan before her was a holy white lotus on a snowy mountain.

The fleeting, dragonfly-like contact was over in an instant. Jiang Wan’s cheeks flushed slightly with shyness. Yet, enduring that shyness, she had still leaned in to kiss Shen Sheng.

She lifted her head to look at the sky, the tips of her ears red. Like a peach blossom in full, stunning bloom.

The beauty of stirring emotion added a touch of pink to the white lotus.

Shen Sheng endured the trembling in her heart, her clear black-and-white eyes gazing silently at Jiang Wan. Not saying anything after that sneaky kiss?

The two sat quietly for a while under the bright moonlight. Neither initiated a conversation.

It wasn’t until Sang Xuan arrived, carrying food, that the silence broke. She let out an “Eh?” and asked, “What are you two doing?”

Jiang Wan pulled herself from her bashfulness, quickly regaining her composure. She answered Sang Xuan calmly, “Just looking at the moon.”

Sang Xuan laughed, cheerfully setting out the food before them. Shen Sheng was hungry. She took a fruit and bit into it.

“Clan Leader, did you go buy a Marrow Cleansing Pill today?” Sang Xuan asked directly.

Jiang Wan raised an eyebrow. “You want it?”

Sang Xuan didn’t reply. Jiang Wan said, amused, “I spent one hundred thousand on it. How about you give me one hundred thousand?”

“One, one, one… hundred thousand?” Sang Xuan suddenly found herself stammering. She dryly extended her hands, then quickly put them behind her back. “Your price is too high.”

“But that’s what I paid. Naturally, that’s the price if you want to buy it,” Jiang Wan said, unmoved. She even picked up the fruit Shen Sheng had bitten into and took a bite herself, shocking Sang Xuan so much her jaw dropped.

Shen Sheng was a little embarrassed and took the opportunity to ask Sang Xuan, “What do you need the Marrow Cleansing Pill for?”

“To give to her sweetheart, of course! Or she could just go down and steal it,” Jiang Wan thoughtfully offered a suggestion. “Stealing is the most cost-effective. After all, few people are your match, right?”

The logic made sense. But for a deity to descend and steal an Elixir bought by cultivators? That would ruin her reputation entirely.

Sang Xuan refused. She then started asking to borrow money. Shen Sheng generously gave her the money she’d earned today from selling talismans.

“That’s… so little,” Sang Xuan frowned.

“Not little at all. It’s from many talismans,” Shen Sheng said.

Sang Xuan, unaware of the background, retorted, “Your talismans must be really worthless.”

Shen Sheng: “…”

Jiang Wan seized the moment. “Perfect. Go sell talismans, then. Hurry along.”

“Clan Leader, help me just this once.” Sang Xuan stepped forward and hugged Jiang Wan’s arm. “I want to bring her up here.”

“Easy. Form a Contract and you can,” Jiang Wan brushed off Sang Xuan’s hand. “There are no shortcuts to soaring to the heavens. Think about it yourself.”

Sang Xuan was dejected. “I feel like that would be too binding.”

“I get it. You like her, but not deeply,” Shen Sheng couldn’t help but interject. “You, ah, you’re quite fickle.”

Sang Xuan glared at Shen Sheng. “Don’t talk nonsense. I’m very pure. Think about it, we’re still not stable. Isn’t it fine if I let her come up and see this place?”

“What use is the Marrow Cleansing Pill?” Shen Sheng recalled this item.

Jiang Wan explained, “Not very useful to you, but very useful for an Immortal Cultivator. Don’t mind her. Let her go sell talismans and earn more money. That’s how everyone starts.”

“You also sold Talisman Papers?” Shen Sheng’s train of thought was derailed by Jiang Wan.

“I used to, ages ago. Now I sell magical tools, much more advanced than Talisman Papers,” Sang Xuan grumbled. “In Prajna City, she’s the richest, just stingy.”

Jiang Wan didn’t bother explaining, slowly munching on her fruit instead. Shen Sheng found it amusing. “Then you go sell magical tools too.”

“All her old magical tools were stolen. Then, somehow, she sold them all and became rich overnight,” Sang Xuan muttered about the past. “Tell me, if someone gave me that many magical tools, I’d definitely Form a Contract with them.”

“You’ll never meet another one. I only met one, and I caught her. Now, hurry up and leave, I need to rest.” Jiang Wan stood to shoo their guest away, pulling Shen Sheng towards the inner hall.

Shen Sheng turned back and grinned at Sang Xuan. Sang Xuan stomped her foot on the spot. “Clan Leader, lend me a little, and I’ll work for you for a hundred years. Be your ox, your horse.”