Vol. 1 - Ch. 29 - Two Watches

Chapter 29: Two Watches

The interior of the suspended cave at Shigong Ridge was intricate and winding, with passageways leading to numerous small stone chambers. Embedded in the walls were fluorite stones for illumination, casting a faint glow that made the narrow passages mysteriously unpredictable. Occasionally, stone chambers opened up on either side, swallowed by darkness, looking like gaping monstrous mouths, eerily unsettling.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor, the scrape of shoes brushing against the ground. Ren Zhongping followed Ji Yaoge obediently into the cave, not needing to be escorted, sticking to her side.

Yuan Huan deliberately slowed his pace, letting Ji Yaoge walk beside him, scrutinizing her with his singular, free eye, not caring if she noticed.

Despite a brief acquaintance in the past, he couldn't recall her appearance. He never got a clear look at her face back then, and 198 years had passed since he last helped her. Even if he had seen her face, time would have erased such insignificant memories, especially for a face like hers.

If not for that wisp of spirit essence, he wouldn't have remembered her at all.

Her new appearance was vastly different from her original body, a stark contrast that somehow refreshed his memory. Perhaps it was her striking beauty back then that made the memory vivid.

Thinking of past events, he remembered the catastrophe she faced. Her skills, more than her former beauty, surprised him. It wasn't about her cultivation or Daoism but her combat prowess. Like earlier, she used nothing grand against Ren Zhongping, just a basic ice condensation technique common among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Condensing ambient moisture into weaponized ice spikes was standard, but its effectiveness varied widely, and few could produce more than ten spikes due to limited spiritual energy. Her technique, utilizing the snow-covered ground, conserved spiritual energy efficiently. Producing dozens of ice spikes at once required exceptional control. Proving—

Her proficiency in spellcraft was high, and her fundamentals were solid. Basic spells were easy to learn, but wielding them to surpass their inherent limits was a testament to her skill.

Thus, he was curious.

Why did such a capable woman possess such an unruly spirit essence?

A person's character is the result of the interplay of their three souls and seven spirits. When whole, their emotions are balanced, moderated by reason, morals, and other feelings. The spirit essence, driven by pure emotion, wouldn't manifest like an unrestrained spirit. But once unbound, its uninhibited nature surfaces, reflecting unconditional passion.

That explained the stark difference between her essence and true form. Yet, it's rare for a spirit to fear reuniting with its true body, preferring to escape.

Unless, beneath her calm intelligence, she harbored intense passion and resentment, suppressed for so long that her spirit essence refused to return. What kind of past could suppress her emotions to such an extent?

A separated original soul becomes an autonomous entity, and while the spirit essence is pure, it retains a strong will. Its reluctance to return indicated significant flaws in her true form’s soul, leading to its self-delineation.

Perhaps she subconsciously desired such freedom.

The spirit essence had stayed with him for a long time, and he had adopted a laissez-faire approach. Whether it returned or not wasn't his decision but hers. Even as a fragment of her soul, it embodied her own choices.

He typically studied inanimate objects; souls, spirits, and personalities weren’t his forte. Yet, now he found himself intrigued.

Walking at a measured pace, Ji Yaoge knew she was being studied. His unguarded gaze made her feel like a body lying on a stone slab in one of the passing chambers.

Unless she was mistaken, several central stone tables in those chambers held… corpses, devoid of life, under dim, unclear light.

"Why does Senior keep looking at me?" she asked while eyeing another stone chamber.

"Are you not afraid?" he remarked with interest, "These corpses..."

"Procured by Tian Ghost Sect for Senior, I presume?" Ji Yaoge smiled innocently. Her years in the Charm Sect had exposed her to many such deeds. Though not adept at seducing people, she had learned that certain expressions made people lower their guard. An innocent smile was the safest and most disarming.

Before coming to Shigong Ridge, she had done her homework. Each of the Seven Mountain Sects provided him with resources over the past fifty years—Chixiu Palace collected Seven-Star Grass, while Tian Ghost Sect provided various corpses. The purpose was unknown, but many cultivators in Wanhua were dedicated to forbidden arts, using corpses wasn't unusual. Initially shocked, she soon found it unsurprising.

As long as they weren’t freshly killed.

“You have a strong heart,” Yuan Huan smirked, slightly mocking—her smile was too fake.

Ignoring his insinuation, Ji Yaoge followed him into the stone chamber ahead. It was empty except for a stone bed and some scattered living items, devoid of corpses.

"May I ask why Senior called me and my senior brother here?" She got to the point.

"Your senior brother?" He motioned to the stone bed.

Ji Yaoge patted Ren Zhongping's shoulder, gesturing for him to sit on the bed. Despite some reluctance, he complied after a few reassuring words from her, holding onto her sleeve until she managed to comfort him. Turning back to Yuan Huan, she said, "Yes. I’m a disciple of Chixiu Palace, and this is my senior brother, Ren Zhongping."

"He seems to trust you," observed Yuan Huan.

"No trust. He’s in his current state because of me. Back then, he harbored ill intentions towards me, so I used an excess of Luanhe Juice and enchanted him with the Celestial Demon Dance, causing his mind to collapse and see me as an illusionary fairy. It seems he hasn’t recovered after all these years. However, I’m curious why he’s here with you, Senior?" Ji Yaoge explained calmly. Ren Zhongping had been handed off to Ying Shuang; his presence here suggested some connection with the master of Shigong Ridge.

She was beginning to suspect the cave's master was someone else.

Yuan Huan stared intently, "Just that?"

His gaze was piercing, carrying unexpected pressure despite his average cultivation.

"Yes," Ji Yaoge nodded, palms sweaty.

"Since he trusts you, you’ll stay here for now to take care of him. I have a task for you. I will explain to Chixiu Palace," he said, leaving her no room to refuse. Thinking further, he added, "If you do well, I will reward you with top-grade spiritual medicine and treasures of your choosing..."

"Senior," Ji Yaoge interrupted, "If you want information Ren Zhongping holds about what Xiao Wuheng sought in Tiyu State years ago, I can help. But I don’t want spiritual medicine or treasures—I want that secret."

This place, reminiscent of the Five Hells Tower's style, combined with Ren Zhongping's presence, led her to suspect the true master of this cave. If it truly was the person she thought, a transaction would be inevitable. The item Xiao Wuheng deemed worth risking his existence for must be extraordinary; she wanted a share.

Yuan Huan fell silent—her harmless smile hid deep ambition. Her appearance had changed, but her essence remained the same as the woman who negotiated with him 198 years ago.

"The seal on him was placed by Xiao Wuheng, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. You, an advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator, claim you can break that seal?" Even he couldn’t, or Ren Zhongping wouldn’t be confined here.

Her boast seemed too grand.

"I didn't say I could break the seal, but I can try to extract Xiao Wuheng's secrets from him," Ji Yaoge said, turning to Ren Zhongping. "Senior wants me here because Ren Zhongping trusts me. You want to try heart-based persuasion to make him speak. But a seal is an external force; unless he willingly speaks, his mouth won’t open even if he wants to."

Yuan Huan didn’t interrupt, letting her continue.

"Seals are hard to remove; getting him to talk willingly is impossible. My method doesn’t require breaking the seal. If only Xiao Wuheng can make him speak, then show him Xiao Wuheng," Ji Yaoge suggested casually.

Yuan Huan’s brief hope shattered—wasn’t that obvious? But where to find Xiao Wuheng? Even if a cultivator transformed into Xiao Wuheng’s appearance, such illusions were child's play, useless against the seal.

"The seal controls Ren Zhongping's heart, which doesn’t lie. Unless he believes the person before him is Xiao Wuheng, even the real Xiao Wuheng couldn’t make him talk. My plan is to make him see Xiao Wuheng, as he perceives—presence, aura, expression... If I can grasp what he feels, I can mimic Xiao Wuheng," Ji Yaoge explained confidently, though her Art of Beauty Cultivation hadn’t reached that level, she bluffed convincingly.

Yuan Huan pondered her feasibility; she spoke of a high-level enchantment technique, something intriguing he hadn’t considered.

"Your method uses advanced charms, you know this art?"

"Let me try. Even if it fails, nothing is lost," Ji Yaoge said lightly, showing a bit of cheekiness.

Her attitude reminded him of the naive spirit essence.

Yuan Huan silently assessed the proposal. Ji Yaoge misinterpreted his pause, stepping forward, "Senior, may I see your master and explain personally? I genuinely wish to cooperate."

"My master..." A flicker of confusion crossed Yuan Huan’s face, quickly understanding her misconception—that the cave had another master. Her shrewd eyes sparkled with her assumption. Internally, he sneered but outwardly played along, "My master is in seclusion, not meeting guests. I will convey your message."

"Thank you, Senior." Ji Yaoge bowed and asked, "May I know your name?"

"The old man’s surname is Yuan, you may call me Old Yuan," Yuan Huan replied with a deep, unfathomable expression.

Yuan? Yuan?

Ji Yaoge couldn’t confirm, thanking respectfully, "Thank you, Old Yuan."

Old Yuan?

Yuan Huan chuckled.

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