Chapter 35 Part 1

Li Jiangying huddled in the pile of bricks, raising a hand to shield her head and face. The little madwoman had thrown herself on top of her, looking utterly innocent. Jiang Sujin was a picture of confusion and terror. Half the roof beam had collapsed, smashing through the wall in the middle.

She waved a hand to clear the dust and smoke, then greeted the two guests in the adjacent room, who were staring at her in shock. “Evening. So, about that Yin Wood Water Essence Pill and the auction—shall we discuss it in detail?”

Who wants to discuss anything with you?!

The two immediately assumed defensive and offensive postures. The tall one gripped a sword, and the short one clutched two round, black iron balls.

The short one was just about to hurl the iron balls when the tall one tugged at him and whispered, “The wanted notice from Chasing Moon City says the stolen Devil Pet was a half-transformed black Snake Demon, and the thief disguised herself as the Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable…”

Just then, a certain slave, who had been sleeping on a floor pallet and was now rudely awakened, propped herself up and turned around impatiently, revealing her signature face. “So annoying! Can’t a person get some sleep around here—huh??”

The tall and short neighbors: “Run!”

Li Jiangying: “Shut the door! Release A Yue!”

A moment later, the wall between the two rooms completely collapsed. Another roof beam in the neighboring room snapped. The tall man lay pinned under the beam, and the shorter one was buried in the rubble.

The door was pounded on frantically. “Guests! Dear guests? What’s going on in there?”

Li Jiangying, deeply embarrassed, called through the door: “It’s nothing. Really, nothing.”

“Fine, then I shan’t disturb you.” The waiter paused, then added threateningly, “If the room is damaged, the deposit is non-refundable!”

After dismissing the inn’s waiter, Li Jiangying sat on the pile of bricks in front of the man pinned by the beam and politely asked him to recount everything about the Yin Wood Water Essence Pill and the auction.

Seeing that their secret was exposed and escape was impossible, the man obediently told all.

It turned out that Flying Swallow Capital was holding an auction next month, where all sorts of fine goods would appear. The Yin Wood Water Essence Pill was one of them.

The Yin Wood Water Essence Pill was exceedingly rare. The alchemist who could concoct it only sold thirty-six pills a year. Five bottles had already been bought this year, leaving only the last bottle of six pills to be auctioned off.

Based on previous years’ experience, they were typically sold one pill at a time. The price never fell below one thousand Superior-grade Devil Stones.

Hearing this price, Li Jiangying’s vision went dark. She asked, her voice trembling, “Say that again—how much?”

“It has never sold for less than a thousand Superior-grade Devil Stones.”

Li Jiangying clutched her chest and slowly sank into the brick pile, shutting down. Li Yueying blinked her large eyes and, refusing to give up, suggested: “Yingying, let’s sell the bad woman!”

Li Jiangying said, heart aching: “Selling her wouldn’t be enough.”

Li Xiangshui, upon hearing this, said angrily: “Enough! You two are nothing but a pair of shameless dogs!”

Li Yueying turned her head and bared her teeth. “I’m not a man, I’m a woman! And I’m not a dog, I’m a snake! What dog man and dog woman? Snake woman-woman is more like it!”

Li Jiangying waved her hand, signaling the little madwoman to be quiet, and continued questioning the brother pinned under the beam. “What were you two planning to do after stealing the pill?”

“Sell it for money, of course.”

As the man spoke, his eyes darted around shiftily. He explained that getting into the auction required an invitation, and the invitation in their possession had also been stolen from someone else. They weren’t greedy; they only planned to steal a single Yin Wood Water Essence Pill to exchange for some money.

Li Jiangying looked at him expressionlessly, then suddenly extended her right hand, opening and closing it demonstratively before his face. “Brother here, what is your esteemed surname?”

“My surname is Qian.”

“Brother Qian. Good surname. I suspect you believe we’re the same group that impersonated the Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable to steal the Devil Pet, correct?”

Brother Qian laughed ingratiatingly twice and said, “Since we’re all in the same trade… well, of course, we’re not as good as you, couldn’t pull off something that big. But since we are colleagues, let’s talk this out civilly. There’s nothing that can’t be discussed, right?”

“What you say is perfectly correct. So before I ask a second time, let me truthfully tell you one thing.” Li Jiangying smiled faintly and pressed her hand onto Brother Qian’s wrist. “I know the Star Absorption Great Art.”

Brother Qian looked lost for a moment. “What kind of thing is this Star Absorption Great Art?” But he soon found out, because he discovered the Devil Qi within his body was being madly sucked away through his acupoints! “Isn’t this just the same as the Essence Plundering Art?!”

Li Jiangying stopped at an appropriate moment. She actually had Li Xiangshui to thank for this so-called Star Absorption Great Art; if it weren’t for Li Xiangshui’s coercion, Li Jiangying would never have imagined she could achieve such a feat.

She smiled. “I have a very bad temper. Whoever makes me unhappy, I drain all their cultivation. Let me ask once more: what were you planning to do with the stolen pill?”

Faced with this threat, Brother Qian finally answered honestly. It turned out they had previously received word that an Elder Tao from the Tao Clan of Flame City was suffering from Fire Affliction backlash and was hurrying to the Flying Swallow Capital to purchase medicine for treatment. But the competition for the Yin Wood Water Essence Pill was always fierce, so Brother Qian and his partner planned to steal a pill and sell it secretly to Elder Tao for money, figuring the Tao Clan surely wouldn’t question the pill’s origin.

In that case, he hadn’t really lied before—he’d just selectively omitted some information.

Li Jiangying touched her chin thoughtfully and expressed her thanks. “Thank you very much indeed.”

Brother Qian asked, humiliated: “Can we leave now?”

They had been unlucky today, running into someone they shouldn’t have. But Devil Cultivators struggling in the Devil Domain were all too familiar with the cycle of bullying and being bullied, so Brother Qian’s attitude was still fairly resilient.

“One more question: how do you get an invitation?”

Brother Qian said, “The Flying Swallow Auction is jointly supported by five Devil Venerables. It’s held every three months. Every year, special personnel deliver invitations to the major powers, and some scatter among the hands of rogue cultivators. If rogue cultivators want to participate, they can consult the Flying Swallow Board posted outside. Complete any task listed there, and you can exchange it for an invitation.”

Li Jiangying: “Sounds like a hassle.”

Li Xiangshui: “Heh. And isn’t there a ready-made invitation right in front of you?”

Li Jiangying: “That wouldn’t be quite right.”

“No, no, it’s perfectly fine!” Brother Qian pulled out the stolen invitation and, along with a pouch of Devil Stones, respectfully offered them up.

Li Jiangying reached out to take them while feigning reluctance. “Ahem, how could I possibly accept? How about I buy them from you?”

Brother Qian: “No need, no need! I didn’t pay for them anyway. Just take them! Buy Devil Stones with Devil Stones? As if you really meant that!”

“In that case, I shall accept with pleasure.”

“In light of this, may I ask if we can leave now?”

Li Jiangying smiled. “No.”

Brother Qian: “…”

She not only refused to let them go but also found some rope and bound the two men. Li Jiangying picked up a brick and knocked each of them out with one blow, sighing, “Apologies, big brothers.”

To prevent these two from leaving and reporting them back in Chasing Moon City, they could only be inconvenienced for a while.

Li Jiangying then turned to the other three and said, “We need to go.”

Li Yueying flopped into her arms, yawning repeatedly. “Yingying isn’t going to rest?”

“No time.” Li Jiangying said. “Since they came here after seeing a wanted notice, it means the warrants have already spread. Xiangshui, put on your black robe properly. We need to leave immediately.”

She then looked at Jiang Sujin. “Uh, by the way… do you still have any deer blood left?”

Li Yueying: “No! There’s none left, none!!”

Jiang Sujin cleared her throat and said, “There really isn’t much left. Not enough for A Yue to use.”

Li Jiangying could only regretfully abandon the plan of painting another pink tail onto Li Yueying.

“But… Sister Ying Suanli,” Jiang Sujin was utterly puzzled, “why would the wanted notice say Senior Li is a fake and that she stole a Devil Pet?”

Li Jiangying explained awkwardly: “That’s probably a rather… unbeautiful misunderstanding. But it’s fine. Misunderstandings are also part of bitter cultivation.”

Jiang Sujin: “Oh!” She seemed like she understood, yet also didn’t.

They hastily departed, abandoning the deposit, and avoided crowded areas throughout the night, pressing forward until they reached a place with no human silhouettes in any direction. Only then did they slow down and seek a suitable spot to rest.

It was noon again, the sun blazing fiercely. Li Jiangying was being carried on the back of the snake demon, a banana leaf in hand to fan herself from time to time. She turned her head to glance back and saw Li Xiangshui, her face deathly pale, biting her lower lip tightly, stumbling along with one hand clutching her stomach.

Li Jiangying said nothing. They continued forward until, not far ahead, they came upon a cliff face. Jiang Sujin suddenly said excitedly, “There are Snow Thistle Flowers ahead! I need to pick some.”

So they decided to stop and rest on the flat ground beneath the cliff.

Jiang Sujin brought out water and food. Li Jiangying took some and distributed it to the other two. The little madwoman was now eating on her own without needing to be looked after. But as for this Li Xiangshui…

She coldly turned her head away, with an air of choosing death over submission.

Li Jiangying said nothing, simply setting her portion of food down and eating her own. She then smiled at Jiang Sujin. “I didn’t expect you to save the food from the City Lord’s manor. Sujin, you are truly far-sighted.”

Jiang Sujin blushed and smiled. “The food in Senior Li’s house was simply too delicious. So I asked for extra to keep for later.”

After finishing her food, Jiang Sujin dusted herself off and stood up to pick the Snow Thistle Flowers from the cliff face. The flowers grew on the sheer rock wall, and she had to be very careful to harvest them.

Li Jiangying nudged the snake demon, who was draped over her lap flicking her tail. “A Yue, go help Sujin.”

Li Yueying pouted, her face full of reluctance. “Don’t wanna.”

“Be good. If you go, I’ll give you a reward.”

“What reward?” Li Yueying pressed.

Li Jiangying couldn’t help but get a headache. How did this little madwoman seem harder and harder to fool? She put on a stern face, pretending to be angry. “Whatever the reward is, it’s up to me. Go, quickly, or I’ll get angry!”

Li Yueying, head drooping and tail swaying, went to help Jiang Sujin pick flowers with extreme reluctance. Now, only Li Jiangying and Li Xiangshui remained at the spot. Li Xiangshui was sitting on a rock not far away, her back to Li Jiangying, pretending to admire the scenery.

Li Jiangying raised an eyebrow, stood up, and walked behind her. With one hand holding a strip of jerky, the other tapped her shoulder. “Hey.”

“What?” Li Xiangshui subconsciously turned her head to ask.

With quick hands and sharp eyes, Li Jiangying instantly stuffed the jerky into her mouth.

Li Xiangshui: “Mmphh? Mmph?!”

Li Jiangying viciously grabbed her hair, her other hand forcing the jerky deeper into her mouth. In this moment, she was the cruelest of slave owners: “Swallow it!”

Li Xiangshui was filled with grief and indignation, tears welling in her eyes. “Mmph! I’m choking!”