The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 848 - 467: Laying the Groundwork (Part 2)

Tantai, the Great Sword Immortal, suddenly shook her hand while pouring wine, causing two drops to fall on the table.

She pretended not to see and continued: "A woman’s patience is limited. No matter how much she likes you, she won’t wait indefinitely. A few days ago, she told me that when this trip to the Northwest is over, she’ll find another man to form an immortal couple with." After speaking, she watched the man carefully to see how he would react.

The result was disappointing—was this man made of stone? She had laid it out so clearly, yet he merely stayed silent, glaring at her with his dark eyes, then muttered "annoying" before turning and striding out, slamming the door loudly as he left.

She gritted her silver teeth in anger: "He’s like a stone in a latrine, smelly and hard. I’ve hinted so clearly, and he still remains unmoved? Serves him right to be single for the rest of his life!"

Chang Tian couldn’t help but laugh: "He originally planned to be single for the rest of his life; it’s you who disagreed. Ah, just now his heartbeat skipped two beats, so perhaps he isn’t entirely unmoved."

She snorted angrily for a while, then suddenly smiled: "Oh well, now I can deal with him without any mental burden. Once Sister Huo’er takes him down, she’ll naturally vent my anger for me."

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Though it was early spring, the Snow Domain of the great Northwest was still swept by fierce winds, without a hint of thawing ice. Only the most resilient plants managed to survive here.

It began to snow again, and Jiu Mo disliked this weather. She had lived in the Ba Snake Mountain Range for too long and had grown accustomed to its spring-like climate all year round. Most Bird Demons prefer the forest to live in. After leaving the Hidden Stream, she often missed the warmth of her own courtyard.

When she saw Tu Jin, he was sitting on a tall pine tree, holding a slender branch adorned with small yellow flowers, the stamens hiding a faint red. Jiu Mo recognized it as wintersweet.

He leaned back against the trunk, legs dangling, in a relaxed posture, seemingly sniffing the fragrance of the wintersweet, while his eyes gazed into the distance, lost in thought, unlike his usual gloomy demeanor. Truth be told, his human form conjured from the Qishou’s body, though long, was rather ordinary in appearance, often expressionless.

Snowflakes settled on his thin, black robe in stark contrast. Jiu Mo noticed his hand holding the wintersweet was steady, as if fixed in place, without any tremor. Two months ago, those hands had brought her such torment that she still remembered it vividly. Back then, his hands were equally steady and dexterous, making her let out humiliatingly shrill screams.

Thinking of that pain, she felt a chill followed by a flush of warmth. Could this ruthless executioner be gazing at objects, recalling someone? Could he have feelings, even fall for someone?

Tu Jin suddenly let the wintersweet fall, letting the wind carry it away, then said indifferently, "What’s the matter?" Evidently, he sensed her presence.

Jiu Mo stood under the tree, looking up at him. "When does our mistress want you to act?"

"Why are you asking?" He was a bit surprised, but answered, "Tomorrow."

"Talking and laughing with the leading beauty of the Chaoyun Sect must feel particularly good, huh?" The words she intended to say transformed into this unexpected question, even startling herself.

Tu Jin then glanced at her, frowning, "It’s okay." To manipulate Xu Liangyu to amuse the women wasn’t difficult; treating Hu Huo’er as Fairy Su Xia sufficed. Yet each conversation left an emptiness within him, as if an unhealed wound was being tugged. Over a thousand years had passed, and he was no longer that youth head over heels for Su Xia; even the wound’s pain had been forgotten.

He originally had so much to say to Su Xia, but in carrying out the task over these past ten days, he instead found his mind in a muddle. Yet no one ever cared about his feelings, not Changtian, Qizai, nor even the usually empathetic Ning Xiaoxian, and wasn’t that just fine? He was used to it, so why was this Poison Phoenix coming to meddle?

She pursed her lips, "The mistress is truly bored, to meddle in such a mess." Perhaps blame this dreadful weather, making her irritable and unsure of her own words.

Standing there felt pointless and foolish, so she stamped her foot, ready to leave.

In a flash, Tu Jin leapt down from the tree, standing directly before her. He was so tall that he nearly enveloped her petite form in shadow.

Jiu Mo was slightly startled, instinctively stepping back, then realizing how cowardly it seemed, she stood tall and looked up at him.

Tu Jin crossed his arms, suddenly smiling, "Are you afraid of me?"

He rarely smiled, and this grin held an ominous creepiness. Even someone as ruthless as Jiu Mo couldn’t help but feel a chill. She retorted, "Who’s afraid of you? Just curious, that’s all." The truth was, she was somewhat afraid of him. The Poison Phoenix’s unique constitution made others fear her to some degree. But Tu Jin was different; he was a Soul Cultivator, and this Qishou body was just flesh. If tainted by poison, he could simply switch to a new body.

Tu Jin gave her a thorough look from head to toe, lingering especially on her doll-like face and full bosom. There was an unreserved malice in his gaze that sent shivers down her spine, and just as she was about to cross her arms in front of her chest, he unexpectedly said: "No matter what the mistress wants, Lord Divine Monarch will indulge her. As her subordinate, instead of complaining here, you’d better diligently do the tasks she assigned, or you’ll suffer." (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)