Chapter Five: A Close Call

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The two demons patted their chests, glaring at Su He. “What are you looking at? Do you really want us sisters to help you bathe?”

Su He feigned a bashful smile, awkwardly replying, “How could I dare? Please, turn around, and I will go in by myself.”

As he spoke, he made a show of untying his belt.

“You… Hmph, what a hypocrite!” One of the demons stamped her foot, casting Su He a venomous look before pulling her companion away and saying, “Sister, let’s ignore him.”

But before the words had faded, a murderous aura swept in through the cave entrance. The Grand Mistress’s voice sounded suddenly, cold as a death knell: “Wretched slaves, you two are bold indeed.”

How dare they secretly let Su He smell the antidote behind her back—it was both infuriating and unforgivable.

Su He reacted instantly. Just as the Grand Mistress set foot in the cave, he flicked his sleeve, and in a flash, a golden needle glinted between his fingers and pierced an acupoint. In an instant, his figure vanished without a trace.

The two demons, struck by a blow and seeing Su He disappear, knew at once they had created a disaster and believed their lives were at an end.

They exchanged a glance, clung to each other, and threw themselves to their knees before the Grand Mistress. Sneaking a look at her furious expression, they immediately kowtowed and pleaded, “Grand Mistress, spare us. We… we were tricked by his honeyed words, that’s why we acted so foolishly. Please, for the sake of our diligent service every day, morning and night without laziness, spare us this once.”

The Grand Mistress swept her dark hair behind her ear; her gauzy robe, as thin as mist, always draped over her shoulders, revealing a hint of delicate lotus-white skin that could make one’s bones go weak.

She ran her fingers over her hair down to the tips, then suddenly plucked a strand and flicked it. Instantly, the dark hair stretched taut as string, glowing red, and wrapped around the two demons’ necks. With a flick of her hand, the demons were pulled close, red marks blooming across their throats.

A trickle of warmth ran down, washing away all thoughts of pleasure, leaving only a chill that seeped to the bone.

“Grand Mistress, spare us… spare us, we know our mistake,” the two demons sobbed in terror.

“Bring him back. If he dies, you live. Otherwise, you die,” the Grand Mistress said, hooking her finger. The black hair retracted, curling around her finger, and the red light vanished.

The two demons frantically kowtowed. “Thank you, Grand Mistress, thank you…”

After offering their thanks several times, they hurriedly bowed their heads, slipped past the Grand Mistress, and dashed out of the cave.

The Grand Mistress’s gaze turned cold as she scanned the cave, then finally turned and left.

Despite its winding passageways, the two demons, familiar with the terrain, soon reached the main cavern above.

The Second Mistress sprawled on a stone chair, lazily opening her eyes halfway. “Stop. Why are you two in such a hurry? And what happened to your necks?”

Wait—a glance made it clear those marks were the work of Hua Zhongying. For her to act, did it mean the delicacy had escaped?

At that thought, a chill ran through her heart.

The poor two demons, who had almost escaped, were now stopped by her, unsure whether they would live or die.

Meanwhile, once Su He confirmed the Grand Mistress had gone far, he reappeared, staggering to the cave entrance. Clutching the jagged rock, he stumbled into a side tunnel.

The golden needle had earlier forced his body into peak response, but that was a temporary measure. He had to find a place to hide and recover his strength before he was discovered.

He didn’t know what kind of lair this demoness inhabited—it twisted and turned endlessly.

After walking for the time it takes incense to burn, the effect of the golden needle began to fade. Su He, unable to persevere further, found a hidden spot and concealed himself.

He then activated his inner energy, forcing himself to cultivate. Sweat poured down his face, his complexion ghastly pale from pain.

He spat out a foul breath, drew in another deep one, and gritted his teeth to continue.

As he cultivated, he pondered how he had fallen into such a trap so easily.

Thinking it over, aside from the subtlety of the immortal in the tavern, the greater problem lay with the little waiter. From the start, when Su He sat down, the boy hadn’t shown the usual servility of tavern staff.

He had also asked if Su He was newly ascended from the lower realms—a hint that something was amiss here. Su He had overlooked the warning.

Later, the boy had explained the differences between immortal teas, and when Su He asked what would happen if one drank them improperly, he replied that at best, one would be bedridden a few days, at worst, one would enter reincarnation.

In truth, there was little difference between lying sick for days and entering the cycle of rebirth. Those who could attain immortality and reach this realm were all extraordinary in their own worlds.

Yet here, even the strongest became ordinary folk among the masses.

It sounded grand—striving for eternal life. In reality, they simply lived longer than mortals.

Though they need not fear the underworld’s minions, in a world where the strong ruled, one’s fall could come in an instant.

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But the mysteries experienced during cultivation made even death sweet; the more one tasted, the harder it was to let go.

If one schemed skillfully, one could vie for the longevity of the celestial families and enjoy the highest honors of the mortal world.

Such things were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

So, anything that could fell an immortal, be it into sleep or reincarnation, was no trivial matter. And if one dies, is that not simply lying down forever?

Later, the tea the boy served also differed, yet Su He failed to notice the anomaly. His attention was captured by the crystal tea set, shrouded in haze, and the subtle wonders of the tea itself. He missed the faint, almost imperceptible fragrance within the tea’s vapor.

That trace of scent had not been present on the boy earlier.

He only realized this when the Second Mistress leapt at him. The tea itself was harmless; the problem was the delicate scent mingled with the steam, which had ensnared him.

At that thought, Su He’s eyes half-closed. He had truly been careless this time; he could not blame anyone else.

His very return had muddied these already foul waters, making them darker still.

Yet, day after day, he drifted in a daze. Though he wanted to save Wushuang, his heart instinctively resisted everything here.

At this rate, let alone the pursuit, he would not last even three or five hours if he tried to escape.

Huai Yin’s pursuit and the torment here all pointed to someone being unable to sit still.

And as for Shuxing Tower… If it were only Baili Xiaojing, he shouldn’t try to stop Su He from obtaining the Royal Bird’s egg stone at this time. Even if he wished to kill Su He, it would only be after Wushuang’s soul was saved.

Acting now would be premature.

The Baili clan’s enemies would not try to stop him either. After all, if he succeeded in saving Wushuang, it would only deepen the rift between himself and Baili Xiaojing.

So, who were the ones seeking marriage at Shuxing Tower? Clearly, among them was someone who truly did not want Su He to obtain the Royal Bird’s egg stone.

Suddenly, his heart trembled.

If they wanted him and Baili Xiaojing to destroy one another, then their aims were ultimately the same.

Thus, his situation had become perilous at every step.

He hastened his cultivation, refining the strange fragrance clinging to his core, driving it out bit by bit.

He thought: I must be quick…

Meanwhile, upon hearing that Su He had escaped, the Second Mistress was instantly enraged.

With a single blow, she sent the two demons to their deaths.

When the Grand Mistress emerged, she saw the Second Mistress devouring their still-warm bodies.

In moments, only two skeletons remained, still clad in tattered silk, collapsed together.

With a chilling smile, she said, “Sister, you have quite the appetite. I sent them to find someone for me, and you killed and ate them instead. Is it that I treated you poorly, or that you refuse to heed my words?”

The Second Mistress shuddered, her face turning pitiful and aggrieved. “Good sister, I was wrong, can’t you forgive me? I killed them, but let me atone for it.”

The Grand Mistress said nothing. The Second Mistress swayed her hips, minced over, and leaned at a strange, twisted angle against her shoulder armor.

She looked up with a fawning expression. “Sister, just indulge me this once. If the monk could run, the temple cannot. If we caught him once, we’ll catch him again. This time, I promise not to make a move on him, all right?”

In truth, she was a little afraid—her cultivation could not match the Grand Mistress’s. Nor could her words compete with those of the master’s favored ones.

The Grand Mistress suddenly gathered her demonic power, pressing a slender finger to the Second Mistress’s chest. At once, the Second Mistress’s heart contracted painfully, and she collapsed at the Grand Mistress’s feet.

“Remember, there won’t always be a next time.”

“Yes…” The Second Mistress, unable to bear it, lay on her side, gasping sweetly. Cold sweat drenched her hair, making her all the more pitiful and alluring—a true enchantress.

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“Get up and lead the way.”

“Sister, I’m exhausted. Won’t you help me up?” As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears, and she weakly extended a fair, delicate hand, waiting to be helped.

The Grand Mistress, unmoved by such antics, reached out and pulled her up.

“Let’s go.”

“Hee hee, thank you, sister!” With that, she made a show of bowing gracefully.

Then, leading the Grand Mistress into the cave, she casually chose a side passage in the darkness.

As they walked, the sound of jade pendants echoed crisply and melodiously through the cave.

“How do you know where he is?” the Grand Mistress asked.

The Second Mistress cast her a sidelong glance from behind her sleeve as they walked. “Sister, you know I was born low, just a little demon fond of tea and soup. Only by luck did I become a demon immortal. Apart from a few little pleasures, what I love most is my Hundred-Demon Fragrant Pendant. It’s not some rare treasure, but it’s good for recognizing and tracking scents. Since he’s been marked by my fragrance, no matter how he hides, he can’t escape the pendant’s notice.”

The Grand Mistress understood at once; no wonder the master valued her. Otherwise, with such vulgar behavior, how could she have caught the master’s eye?

She curled her lips and praised, “In my view, this is a rare treasure. Many have refined such pendants, but few have succeeded as you have.”

“Oh, sister, you flatter me!” Though she demurred, pride shone through her words.

The Grand Mistress remained impassive, thinking, “So shallow.”

After a while, the Hundred-Demon Fragrant Pendant suddenly jingled. The Second Mistress was overjoyed. “Sister, it’s reacting! He must be just ahead.”

“Wonderful,” the Grand Mistress said, glancing sideways.

Indeed, the further they went, the louder and more urgent the pendant’s chime became.

In no time, they neared Su He’s hiding place.

Suddenly, the Second Mistress stretched out a hand to stop the Grand Mistress, speaking softly, “Sister, this time, let me take the lead, and when I catch him, I’ll apologize properly.”

The Grand Mistress neither agreed nor objected, stepping back. “Please, sister.”

The Second Mistress immediately gathered her demonic energy, crossing her hands and releasing a blast.

A burst of dark power struck the stone wall, shattering it with a thunderous crash.

The full extent of the cave was revealed—about the size of an ordinary room. Water dripped from above, and the ground was damp.

Several thick, worm-like qingchu, hearing the commotion, arched their bodies and shot toward the two women like arrows, spitting venom as they came.

The Grand Mistress’s face turned cold as she swept her sleeve, killing the creatures in an instant.

She glanced at the Second Mistress. “Sister, where is he?”

The Second Mistress slapped the last qingchu dead, looked at the empty cave, and blushed with shame and anger. “Sister, let me explain…”

But how could she explain why the man was nowhere to be found?