The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 418 - 247 Countermeasures

He had intended to help without the need for Quan Shifang to speak up. Thus, he set down his teacup and was about to speak with a light cough, "Miss Jin..." But before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed Ning Xiaoxian turning her head to glance at him.

Her eyes, dark as obsidian, were capable of communication, and he instantly understood her message.

What she said to him was, "Don’t interfere, watch me."

In this situation, she still had a solution? Excited, Miluo promptly closed his mouth, ready to continue watching the spectacle. Quan Shifang glared at him dissatisfied, annoyed that he backed out midway. Miluo shrugged in response as an apology. He had no intention of sharing that look’s meaning with Quan Shifang.

Suddenly, Ning Xiaoxian spoke in a cold voice: "Miss Jin, are you considering taking over this stand or opening another ferry on the Ruoshui River to continue the agreement with the Earth Python?"

Jin Manyi offered a smile filled with self-satisfaction: "Perhaps, who can predict the way of the world, right?"

Ning Xiaoxian narrowed her eyes at her for a long time before finally curling up the corners of her mouth: "If that’s the case, why not gamble on one more game?"

She wanted to gamble again, she dared to gamble again? The crowd was dumbfounded.

After she finished speaking, Quan Shifang’s handsome face relaxed immediately, no longer anxious as before. Miss Ning didn’t engage in matters without certainty. If she proposed this, she surely had devised a strategy.

Jin Manyi sneered, "And what would you like to bet with me this time?"

"This bet will be to everyone’s benefit," Ning Xiaoxian said earnestly. "It’s a wager on whether I can ferry everyone across. If I cannot, I will return the Ruoshui Ferry with both hands and avoid delaying everyone’s journey!" Upon hearing this, the displeasure on the cultivators’ faces vanished instantly. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Those who practice cultivation all hold themselves in high esteem. The ferry delay had cost them a considerable amount of time—had it not been for the presence of important figures from Jishi Building and Fengtian Prefecture, they would have caused a ruckus long ago instead of quietly listening until now. Ning Xiaoxian’s proposition indeed alleviated much of their pent-up frustration. Someone voiced everyone’s thoughts: "Young lady, that’s precisely what you should do!"

"If I still win—" Ning Xiaoxian enunciated every word, "then the business within the Ruoshui River domain shall belong to me alone, and I ask Jishi Building not to interfere!"

Jin Manyi was taken aback: "Just like that?"

"Just like that!" Ning Xiaoxian nodded.

Jin Manyi secretly gloated. Indeed, this bet was in her favor—this woman, though seemingly clever, was ultimately too narrow-sighted. The business of the Ruoshui Ferry was but a fraction of Jishi Building’s concerns; why would they care? It was merely her who treasured this little toll income.

"Alright, I’ll take the bet." She called a servant woman to bring over a brocaded stool, elegantly seating herself to see how this girl would attempt to deceive the heavens and cross the river!

Under the watchful eyes of all, Ning Xiaoxian walked back to the riverbank, bent one knee slightly, crouched down, and placed her hand into the water to gently stir.

Ten breaths went by.

Twenty breaths went by.

Forty breaths went by.

Over the several-hundred-li wide river surface, as the sun was about to set, the water remained dark and heavy, and the wilderness was silent. Where was there any sign of something out of the ordinary occurring?

Jin Manyi could not help but speak up, "Miss Ning, is the method you’ve thought of just to let everyone watch you play with water?"

Today, Ning Xiaoxian was dressed in a simple white top decorated with tiny cherry blossoms and a large red skirt, her waist tied with a plain palace ribbon. With half her body squatting in this manner, she inadvertently outlined her slender waist and ample hips and legs, presenting an endlessly beautiful profile. However, after such a long wait, she was still leisurely stretching her hand into the water as if a common girl frolicking, yet standing beside the dark river, she invoked a chilling sense of dread.

"What’s the rush?" Ning Xiaoxian turned back and gave her a smile, "It’ll be soon."

Soon? What would be soon? Everyone looked at each other, perplexed.

Only Changtian knew what she was doing.

As soon as Ning Xiaoxian’s hand reached beneath the water’s surface, she summoned Tusk. Majestic and powerful ripples spread outwards assisted by the waves, sending out pulsating signals, one after another.

Tusk sensed the anger in her heart and worked even harder. The surface of the Ruoshui River still flowed gently, but the undercurrent below grew more and more fierce, almost being stirred into a porridge by the Divine Power of the Ba Snake!

"Damn it, did this fellow go out to visit relatives? Why hasn’t he shown up yet?" She was secretly anxious in her heart, but she had to maintain an appearance of calm and nonchalance on the surface.

Another twenty breaths passed, and the faces of the watching cultivators showed increasing impatience. Jin Manyi took the opportunity to slowly stand up and said, "Miss Ning, why bother with a trapped beast’s wager? I wasn’t really serious about the business at this ferry. Well then, I will take responsibility for ferrying all the cultivators present across the river, and as for the ferry business, it will still be a gift to you..."

She voluntarily declared the wager void and also proposed to ferry everyone across, a proposal that sounded polite but was actually a slap in the face. As she spoke, her expression didn’t change, but excitement shone in her eyes.

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred! Out of nowhere, the normally calm surface of the Ruoshui River began to churn, and countless bubbles popped up. The water was fine when calm, but as soon as it became active like this, a faint fishy odor assaulted the nostrils, almost inducing nausea.

Before anyone could frown, the river water exploded, and a huge figure emerged, towering over the river surface. Its body was dark but not shiny, and its thick scales were patterned in a way that seemed to absorb light, with its pair of eyes being a ghastly pale color.

It resembled the Earth Python but had an additional pair of upright horns on its head. Moreover, its body was extremely large, with a waist girth that surpassed the embrace of seven or eight people combined. Just the part that stood above the water was more than ten meters tall, and the length of its body hidden under the water was unknown. Ning Xiaoxian, who was closest to it, immediately felt a surge of violent and cold aura rushing towards her.

"The Earth Python King!" Jin Manyi stood up straight and exclaimed. Quan Shifang, who had been gripping the Purple Lightning Sword, actually relaxed her hold upon hearing the exclamation: this big fellow would not appear for no reason; most likely, it was summoned by Miss Ning.

The Earth Python King lowered its head close to the water surface and bellowed, "Which Divine Monarch has summoned me? I have come to pay my respects!" Its voice was like sawing wood, booming like thunder, ringing in everyone’s ears, but still quite polite in speech.

Everyone turned their gaze to Ning Xiaoxian. She calmly withdrew her hand from the water, wiped it with silk and said, "It was me."

The Earth Python King turned its large eyes towards her and questioned, "You?" The eyes of Python kinds lack eyelids, making them appear cold and heartless.

As Ning Xiaoxian’s hand left the surface of the water, she also retracted Tusk. Immediately, the Earth Python King felt that the Divine Beast energy that had been driving it to such agitation had disappeared. Still with a thunderous voice, it said, "You are not a Divine Monarch, human girl, you merely have His token and possess His aura!" Ning Xiaoxian’s aura, though chaotic, could still be discerned as human by the careful Earth Python.

These words stirred surprise among the onlookers. "Divine Monarch" is mostly a form of respect for giant demons who have become immortals or gods. Given the rigid hierarchy of the Demon Clan, if this young lady carried the token of a certain Divine Monarch, it might be possible to negotiate an agreement with the Earth Python King. Jin Manyi also realized this point, her expression struggling to remain steady.

Miluo knew her better than most, and the smile on his lips deepened, clearly thinking she’d used Shaking Heaven God for her summons.

She frowned and transmitted her voice to it, "What I hold is the token of Shaking Heaven God, do you recognize it? Besides, I’d prefer to keep the fact that I possess this token private." Since she summoned the Earth Python King with Tusk, she was effectively representing Changtian and should not lower her stance too much to the Earth Python.

The Earth Python King was taken aback, remaining silent for a while, as if deep in thought. Suddenly, it exclaimed in astonishment, "Could it be, could it be that one individual from my Python kind...?" In its surprise, those always heartless eyes seemed to widen. It appeared to be unacquainted with the Sound Transmission Technique, as everyone could still hear its words.

Ning Xiaoxian interrupted, "Exactly, that one! Earth Python King, I now own this Ruoshui Ferry, and I wish to sign a contract with you!"

The Earth Python King replied solemnly, "Do you also wish for my progeny to ferry people for you?"

"Exactly. I only ask you to promise me the same contract you’ve struck with Jishi Building," she insisted.

Before the giant snake could respond, Jin Manyi suddenly said, "Earth Python King, I too wish to make a contract with you. Whatever price she offers, I will triple it. I have only one request, which is for you to not agree to her terms!"

She planned to pull the rug from under Ning Xiaoxian’s feet again! Ning Xiaoxian’s back stiffened, and despite deeming herself to have greatly advanced in self-cultivation recently, she clenched her fists in anger. She didn’t look at Jin Manyi, as her face would surely be full of smug triumph.

Sure enough, after hearing her, the Earth Python King shook its head, "The God Himself has not personally visited, and even though you have His token, it doesn’t mean that your words represent His will! Girl, do you have any other proof?"

The onlookers thought as one, "Of course." The Earth Python King, with its dominion over the Ruoshui River for hundreds of years, though mainly reliant on the river’s peculiar nature, which deters most beings of great power from seeking it out, was a formidable creature in itself. How could one possibly convince it through mere mention of a God’s name and token? It was unknown what terms Jishi Building initially offered the Python to persuade it to allow its offspring to ferry people across.

Ning Xiaoxian was aware that while the Earth Python King’s surface arguments seemed logical, it was actually angling for benefits. Fortunately, its reaction was anticipated by Changtian, so she already had a prepared plan for what to do next. Most importantly, the boon she could offer was something that neither Jin Manyi nor Jishi Building could offer.

"Of course, there is." She suppressed her anger, a smile on her face, "Earth Python King, there are horns on your head, small and straight, and blisters on your body—these are the precursors of transforming into a Jiao, aren’t they?"

Brimming with pride, the Earth Python King’s voice resonated like a bell: "Correct, I am seven hundred and sixty-nine years of age, and in just half a year, I will be able to transform into a Jiao! Among my lineage, I will be the first to transform at the earliest age!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)