Du Niangzi, following the command of the Hei Pi Yao Wang, sent forth a drop of her heart’s blood imbued with her own soul power, letting it merge into the beautiful female demon’s skin before her.
She vaguely sensed that her soul seemed to have formed a faint connection with that female Zhujing Yaojing.
She was about to feel pleased, yet soon discovered that this connection felt a little off.
It felt as if an invisible chain was binding her, and the other end of the chain was held in the hands of that female Zhujing Yaojing.
Had that exceptionally beautiful female demon become her Master?
What was going on?
Du Niangzi looked up at the Hei Pi Yao Wang in confusion.
Hei Pi Yao Wang sat there, utterly still. Everything before her seemed to freeze.
Then, as though the surface of ice had been shattered, all the images broke apart, and the palace, Hei Pi Yao Wang, the beautiful female demon’s skin, all turned into nothingness.
Du Niangzi blinked and saw that she was still standing in her own courtyard, the main gate tightly shut.
Opposite her, the stunningly beautiful Zhujing Yaojing who should have had her skin peeled was fanning herself with a fan in front of her chest, looking at her with a smug expression.
Behind her, the seven female demons stood together.
They were no longer cowering like when Zong Biao Yao Jiang had just sent them over.
Instead, they seemed much more relaxed, and were looking over with curiosity.
Du Niangzi understood instantly—she had been tricked. Everything just now was a mere illusion.
She was shocked. That fan with the painted eyes had a problem!
Du Niangzi’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.
Now that the blood mist from the Blood Fiend had dissipated, she could see that Lin Xue’s cultivation was merely at the early Condensing Core stage.
An early-stage Condensing Core demon actually dared to act so arrogantly in front of her, Du Niangzi.
Du Niangzi let out a cold laugh. Several spider legs shot out from her back, lashing straight at Lin Xue.
Lin Xue watched her calmly, unmoving.
Just as Du Niangzi’s sharp spider legs were about to strike Lin Xue, a powerful sense of dread surged in her heart—she could not kill this one!
If she killed this beautiful demon in front of her, she herself would die as well!
Du Niangzi stumbled, barely able to withdraw her spider legs in front of Lin Xue.
Lin Xue looked at the sharp spider legs that had nearly stabbed her face.
Though her face was calm, inwardly she was sweating bullets.
That was close! Almost overdid it this time. If she’d been forced to use the Paper Substitute Technique, that would have been far too awkward.
Du Niangzi retracted her spider legs and hurriedly retreated a few steps, eyeing Lin Xue warily, her expression shifting unpredictably.
Only now did she realize that the connection she’d formed with this beautiful Zhujing Yaojing in the illusion was in fact real.
It was as if an invisible chain was now tethered to her, held in that female demon’s hand.
She remembered that drop of heart’s blood with her soul power. Had it really been sent out? But wasn’t all that just now an illusion?
The more she thought, the more horrified she became. Gritting her teeth, she asked, “You damned wretch, what did you do to me?”
Lin Xue gave a cold snort. Following the punishment technique for Masters over demon slaves from the Beast Mastery Heart Sutra (Recognition Chapter), she invoked their soul connection to discipline Du Niangzi.
A sudden, excruciating pain shot through Du Niangzi, as though ten thousand arrows had pierced her body.
She collapsed before Lin Xue’s feet, howling in agony.
Looking down at her coldly, Lin Xue declared, “From now on, I am your Master.”
“I’m going to set three rules for you.”
“First, when I am speaking, as a servant, you must not interrupt or make any noise. If you interrupt, gossip, cough, fart, or make any noise while I am speaking—one hundred slaps to the face!”
“Second, my orders must be carried out to the letter. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do. Even if I tell you to eat a red stone, you must eat it! If you disobey—one hundred slaps to the face!”
“Third, whenever I speak to you, you must answer with ‘Yes, Master’ or ‘Understood, Master’. If you violate this—one hundred slaps to the face!”
“That’s all for now. If I think of more rules later, I’ll add them then.”
“Did you understand? If so, answer me with ‘Yes, Master’.”
Du Niangzi rolled on the ground in agony. Amid her screams, she cried out, “Yes, Master, this servant understands! Please have mercy, Master!”
The other female demons, seeing Lin Xue subdue Du Niangzi and use the very same rules that Du Niangzi had imposed on them back on her, all felt greatly relieved.
Especially Huā Yíngyíng. The swelling on her face had not yet faded, and tears still brimmed in her eyes.
Held in Hong Yanzhi’s embrace, seeing Du Niangzi’s wretched state made her own pain seem much lighter.
Hong Yanzhi watched as Lin Xue used the eye within the fan to lure Du Niangzi into forming a soul contract, turning her into a demon slave, and felt a bit conflicted.
Du Niangzi had been a great threat, but now that Lin Xue had subdued her and made her their ally, of course Hong Yanzhi was glad.
But originally, she had been Lin Xue’s only servant.
Now with Du Niangzi as well, Hong Yanzhi felt as though her Master was being snatched away.
She still hoped Lin Xue would remain her Master alone.
What’s more, Du Niangzi was highly cultivated and held some status here in Erlong Mountain.
Even Zong Biao Yao Jiang seemed to be wary of her.
Hong Yanzhi feared Lin Xue might favor Du Niangzi more in the future and ignore her.
Lin Xue knew nothing of Hong Yanzhi’s little worries.
Seeing Du Niangzi submit, she ended the punishment.
The pain left Du Niangzi’s body at once.
She lay prostrate, panting, face streaked with tears and mucus, utterly miserable.
The rules she had set for Lin Xue and the others were now all turned on her by Lin Xue.
Hatred flashed in her eyes, and she wished to tear Lin Xue limb from limb, but remembering the searing agony from just now, she shuddered and dared show no further resentment.
Lin Xue addressed the still-gasping Du Niangzi, “Let’s go, we’ll talk inside.”
Without another glance at her, she put away the fan and walked straight towards the main house.
Passing by Hong Yanzhi, she handed her the fan, then gently said to the other female demons, “Come, let’s all go inside.”
Hong Yanzhi stowed the fan in her mouth, then led Huā Yíngyíng and the others after Lin Xue into the house.
Du Niangzi, full of resentment, muttered, “Yes, Master,” then climbed up from the ground, lowered her head, and followed them inside.
Lin Xue had assumed Du Niangzi’s room would be just like the courtyard, covered with spiderwebs. To her surprise, the room was tidy and clean.
The furnishings were just like those of a well-off family: tables, chairs, and tea tables were all present.
Lin Xue went to the seat of honor and sat down.
Hong Yanzhi took the chair beside her.
The other female demons, upon entering and facing Lin Xue—now a high-level demon—were still a little reserved, and remained standing.
Lin Xue waved a hand and said, “Everyone, make yourselves comfortable. We’re all sisters from the same mountain, so there’s no need to be stiff.”
The female demons all looked to Hong Yanzhi.
Hong Yanzhi said, “Sit down. Sister Xue is very kind, you don’t need to be afraid.”
Only then did the six female demons each find a seat.
Du Niangzi walked in slowly. There were only eight chairs in the room, all already occupied by Lin Xue and the others, so she had no choice but to stand.
Originally, she was the undisputed queen here. Once the courtyard gate closed and the webs were spun, she was the boss.
Now, she was no better than a little serving maid, not even given a seat.
Du Niangzi looked utterly aggrieved.
Lin Xue stretched lazily, arching her slender waist and slumping into the chair like an old layabout, then asked, “Tell me, what exactly did Hei Pi Yao Wang want you to train us for by sending us here?”
Du Niangzi, jealous of Lin Xue’s slim waist, averted her gaze and replied honestly, “In answer to Master, the Mountain Lord sent you here so I could teach you a certain cultivation method.”
A cultivation method?
At those words, Lin Xue’s spirits lifted.
She sat up straight at once and quickly asked, “What method?”
Du Niangzi answered, “It’s a dual cultivation technique called the Xiyang Art. If a female demon learns this, she can, during dual cultivation with a man, absorb his Yang Energy and store it within her body.”
As soon as Lin Xue heard it was that kind of technique, her interest vanished, and she slumped back into her chair.
Du Niangzi continued, “You all should know by now, the Mountain Lord has lived for over eight hundred years. His lifespan should have ended years ago; he ought to have long since passed away.”
“But a few years ago, Second Leader Zong Lie presented the Mountain Lord with the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Life-Extension Grand Method, a technique for extending life by dual cultivation and harvesting energy. That’s how he’s survived these extra years, even now.”
“This Xiyang Art is just one part of the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Life-Extension Grand Method.”
“After a female demon learns the Xiyang Art, she can absorb Yang Energy from robust men and store it in her body. When the Mountain Lord’s life nears its end, he’ll summon a number of female demons who have stored enough Yang Energy and dual cultivate with them, using the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Life-Extension Grand Method to absorb their stored Yang Energy and thereby prolong his own life.”
Lin Xue, Hong Yanzhi, and the other female demons finally understood the truth behind the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Life-Extension Grand Method.
Before being harvested, they’d have to dual cultivate with other men to collect Yang Energy. No wonder they’d been sent here to Du Niangzi for “training”.
The female demons looked at each other. Except for Hong Yanzhi, the six others had never been with a man, nor experienced such things.
Now they were to learn this shameful technique, and not only with one man, but many, and finally be harvested by that fat old man—their hearts were filled with reluctance.
Lin Xue asked Du Niangzi, “Previously, how long did it take for the female demons sent here to learn the Xiyang Art?”
Du Niangzi replied, “That depends on how quickly they learn. The fast ones master it in five or six days; the slowest might take eight, nine, or even ten days.”
Lin Xue glanced at the transmission spell on her ring—the cooldown was still more than seven days. She said to Du Niangzi, “The eight of us are a bit slow, so let’s just take ten days.”
Du Niangzi lowered her head. “Yes, Master.”
Suddenly, Lin Xue thought of her most pressing concern and asked, “When we arrived at Erlong Mountain today, we saw a Fazhen outside the mountain. Do you know if this Fazhen blocks teleportation spells?”
That transmission spell was her best hope for escape.
If the Fazhen didn’t block teleportation, once the cooldown ended, she could take Hong Yanzhi and leave directly—no need to worry about dual cultivation, Yang Energy, or being harvested.
Du Niangzi answered, “Of course it blocks them. Any defensive Fazhen will cut off teleportation spells, otherwise what use would the defensive array be?”
Lin Xue’s heart instantly sank.
Unwilling to give up, she asked, “Do you know how one gets through the Fazhen?”
Du Niangzi replied, “This servant knows. All you need is to learn the Fajue to apply for entry or exit, and have permission from the Mountain Lord or the two leaders. Then you can come and go as you please.”
“Those in the mountain who need to go out simply go to the Fazhen, use the Fajue to send a request, and if the Mountain Lord or one of the leaders approves, they’ll sweep over with their divine sense and you can pass through.”
After hearing this, Lin Xue felt even more disheartened.
So once the cooldown finished, simply using the transmission spell to escape was out of the question.
Entering or leaving the Fazhen required the personal approval of that pig-like Hei Pi Yao Wang or one of his two lieutenants.
So even sneaking out then using the transmission spell was hopeless.
Did this mean she was trapped in Erlong Mountain, doomed to wait until that old pig came to harvest her?
She sighed, feeling a little hopeless.
By now, dusk was settling outside. Night was about to fall.
Lin Xue looked at the sky and thought: Forget it, I’ll rest for now and think about escaping over the next few days. She’d been through so much today—she was truly exhausted.
She stood and said, “It’s late. Have everyone rest for now. We’ll start learning that Xiyang Art tomorrow.”
Du Niangzi dared not disobey and lowered her head. “Yes, Master.”
She naturally left her best bedroom for Lin Xue, then led the other female demons to the side rooms to arrange their beds.
Hong Yanzhi, as usual, stayed with Lin Xue, and the two lay together on the bed that once belonged to Du Niangzi.
The two demons slept in each other’s arms.
Night fell. The moon rose.
In a forest dozens of kilometers from Xixia Mountain, Zhang Zongnian panted for breath, his small body covered in wounds, his claws pressing down on a wild cat’s corpse.
The nighttime forest was fraught with danger.
This wild cat had mistaken him for an ordinary mouse, tried to catch him for food, and been killed in turn.
His Serpent Core was still tiny—he was just a mouse that had barely gained sentience, only a little stronger than a common rodent. The cat-and-mouse battle had been a hard-won victory.
He rested for a while, regaining a little strength.
Raising his head to look at the moon, Zhang Zongnian’s mind conjured Lin Xue’s face—beautiful as the bright moon.
He straightened his body, ignoring his exhaustion and injuries, and used Wan Shu Chao Yuan to search for places where mice were plentiful.
Then, he resolutely stepped over the fallen leaves, running toward a large mouse nest nearby.
He had to become stronger as soon as possible, transform into human form sooner, and then go to Xixia Mountain to find Lin Xue.
In his heart, he prayed that when he finally gained a human form, Lin Xue would still be there.