novelapdf Chapter 157 Bai Xiang: I Owe You
Chapter 157 Bai Xiang: I Owe You
I didn't get to eat any mutton, but instead got covered in its gamey smell.
Under the immense pressure of Emperor Star, those originally imposing powerful beings were left speechless with their suffering and caught in a dilemma.
This oppressive force directly targets the soul and the celestial position.
The higher one's cultivation level and the more extraordinary one's star position, the more terrifying the suppression one will suffer.
Secretly, many people, sensing the dire situation, dared not covet anything more and risked injury, using secret techniques to forcibly escape this dangerous place. The old monk clasped his hands together, a helpless expression on his face, and sighed:
"Amitabha. Since it is Heaven's will to protect the Emperor and Empress, this old monk should not go against Heaven's will any longer."
Consider today's events as establishing a good karmic connection; the rewards will surely come in the future.
After saying that, his body suddenly cracked like porcelain, and a dazzling golden light flew out from within him and disappeared into the sky.
This is the Buddhist method of shedding one's skin like a cicada shedding its shell.
This time, the old monk had to expend a huge amount of Buddhist incense and vows in order to escape, and his heart must have been bleeding with pain.
I don't know how many times I'll have to recite the sutra to make up for it.
Amidst the poisonous clouds of the south, the middle-aged man, standing atop a giant snake, was enraged and pointed at the sky, cursing wildly:
"Gu Tianyuan, you old bastard, you've really screwed me over this time!"
The giant snake beneath his feet let out a mournful cry and exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
It enveloped him, transforming into a streak of blood-red light that rushed frantically toward the horizon, not daring to look back.
On the mountaintop.
The young swordsman carrying the wooden sword did not rush to escape.
He raised his head, his clear, deep eyes shining as he gazed at the dazzling imperial star in the sky.
He raised his hand to wipe away the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, a result of the backlash from using his supernatural powers, and a wild and determined smile curled at the corner of his lips:
"Emperor Star... one day, you will belong to me!"
With that, he blurred into a sharp sword shadow, tearing through the void and disappearing without a trace.
In the blink of an eye, the once menacing attackers had all fled.
Only Gu Tianyuan remained, floating alone in mid-air, his face full of bitterness.
I thought I had the divine coupon in hand this time and could capture Bai Xiang in one fell swoop.
Who would have thought that a surprise attack would occur out of nowhere?
Moreover, it's the most unapproachable Emperor Star.
He suffered more damage than others.
To maintain his Heaven-Covering Dharma Form, he exhausted almost two-thirds of his primordial spirit power. After returning, he will probably need to go into seclusion for ten years and consume countless precious spiritual treasures to recover completely.
Although he was filled with resentment, he understood that the situation was hopeless.
With Emperor Star protecting them, there's no way they can touch Bai Xiang right now.
"God is so unfair..."
Gu Tianyuan let out a long sigh.
The enormous, aged face was filled with resentment and dejection, and finally, like bubbles, it gradually dissipated, turning into specks of light that merged into the night sky.
As everyone departed, the light of Emperor Star gradually faded.
Hidden in the vast sea of stars.
Inside the dragon vein's underground cave.
Upon realizing that the external pressure had completely dissipated, Bai Xiang immediately waved her hand to retract the Purple-Gold Star Power that was protecting Jiang Mu and the other two.
She floated silently in mid-air, her figure beneath the phoenix robe appearing somewhat ethereal.
Jiang Mu came to her senses, first placing the drowsy Shui Miaozheng in her arms on a flat rock, then straightening her clothes, and bowing deeply to the hazy light and shadow in front of her, respectfully saying:
"Thank you so much for saving us, senior. I, Jiang Mu, am deeply grateful. May I ask who you are and why you saved us?"
Bai Xiang remained silent, hidden in the light and shadow.
Those clear, cold eyes were fixed on Shui Miaozheng lying on the ground through the light screen.
Because she arrived a little late, she missed witnessing their earlier interaction and wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was. However, judging from Jiang Mu's cautious and protective manner earlier, their relationship couldn't be too bad.
Thinking of this, Bai Xiang felt a surge of inexplicable annoyance.
There was also an indescribable sourness, like a jar of aged vinegar that had been spilled, making her feel suffocated.
"Is she your wife?"
Bai Xiang's voice was as cold as ice as she deliberately asked.
Sensing the slight chill emanating from the other person, Jiang Mu shivered, secretly wondering:
What's wrong with this big shot again?
They were fine just now, why did they suddenly act like they were on drugs?
He answered truthfully:
"Replying to Senior, this is not my wife. She is my superior, the Water Master of the Demon Slaying Division of Fazhou City."
boss?
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiang's tense expression eased slightly.
Since they are in a superior-subordinate relationship, it is only natural for a subordinate to protect his superior in a crisis, which can be considered loyalty and duty.
There shouldn't be anything ambiguous between the two of them, right?
Moreover, she carefully examined Shui Miaozheng.
This woman is stunningly beautiful with an excessively good figure, but she seems considerably older than Jiang Mu, and her cultivation level is also quite high. She probably wouldn't be interested in this annoying guy who's good for nothing but sweet talk and a thick skin, right?
With this self-comfort, Bai Xiang's lingering resentment dissipated considerably.
Seeing that the other party remained silent and only stared at Shui Miaozheng, Jiang Mu felt a little uneasy and tentatively asked:
"Senior? Do we know each other?"
Bai Xiang came to her senses and said calmly:
"There seems to be something hidden deep underground, with a strange aura. It should be some kind of magical artifact. The restrictions inside have already been lifted by me. Go in and take a look for yourself."
Now that she had personally confirmed that Jiang Mu was alive and well, there was no need for her to stay here any longer.
After all, the forced separation of the primordial spirit from the body this time had caused far too much damage.
If we don't go back to our original place soon, we might really damage our very essence, and we might not even be able to go back.
Today, it was thanks to that "shrimp head" Emperor Star who suddenly appeared and saved us from this predicament.
Otherwise, she might have lost all her star positions this time.
Bai Xiang's figure gradually faded away.
As she left, she glanced one last time at Shui Miaozheng on the ground, and sourly remarked:
"Your butt looks nice."
Having said that, a flash of light and shadow, and he vanished completely from the spot.
? ? ?
Jiang Mu stood there, scratching his head, looking completely bewildered.
A pretty butt?
What's wrong with this guy?
Beside her, Ji Hongyuan, who had been lying on the ground pretending to be dead, finally let out a long sigh of relief after confirming that the terrifying deity had truly left. She sat up abruptly, patted her chest, and looked at Jiang Mu with sparkling eyes, clicking her tongue in amazement:
"You're pretty good, little guy."
I never imagined you knew such a powerful figure! Even someone of that caliber personally came to save you.
Jiang Mu spread his hands innocently: "I really don't know who she is, and I've never seen her before."
"have no idea?"
Ji Hongyuan looked at him with a half-smile.
"Then you'd better be careful. People of this caliber are the hardest to fathom."
She might be kind to you for no reason, even saving your life, perhaps because there's something about you that she can use.
If you can't protect yourself, she might eat you up, skin and bones, one day.
After saying that, she stretched lazily and yawned.
"Alright, now that everything's alright, I should go."
My sister's clone also narrowly escaped death just now, almost being shattered by the shockwave. She's very weak now and needs to go back and recuperate. See you next time~
The woman's figure gradually blurred, dissipating into the air like red smoke, leaving only a lingering fragrance.
In an instant, only Jiang Mu and the unconscious Shui Miaozheng remained in the empty cave.
Jiang Mu looked down at the woman who had fallen into a deep sleep due to exhaustion, and felt another headache coming on.
That's good now.
I don't know what to do next.
Of course, Jiang Mu has always been a straightforward and decisive person.
The same applies to relationships: no affectation, no agonizing.
Since it has already happened, there's no point in running away from it.
If Ruoshui Miaozheng really intends to make him take responsibility after she wakes up, he won't refuse.
If it's time to get married, then get married; don't hesitate or drag it out.
The age difference doesn't matter, since she's a top-tier beauty with high cultivation; marrying her would be a huge win.
Shui Miaozheng had a dream.
In her dream, she really saw Xiao Jiang.
then……
The two became husband and wife in a strange atmosphere.
Although it was absurd, it was just a dream after all, so she completely let go of her usual reserve and concerns.
In dreams, one boldly expresses their emotions.
All the guilt and pity I felt for this boy were transformed into endless tenderness.
It was as if they wanted to make up for all the longing and regret of those days.
As the dream shattered little by little, Shui Miaozheng slowly opened her eyelids and awoke from her drowsiness.
What comes into view is a collapsed and dilapidated cave ruin.
The ground was covered with gravel, and dust was flying everywhere.
The surroundings were deserted.
There was no tenderness like in my dreams, only cold rocks.
She subconsciously reached out and touched her clothes, her beautiful eyes gradually dimming.
really.
In the end, it was just a dream.
People can't come back to life after they're dead, so how could he possibly come back?
"Aunt Shui, you're awake?"
Just then, a familiar and gentle voice suddenly came from the side.
Shui Miaozheng's body stiffened abruptly.
She thought she was hallucinating because she was missing someone so much.
But the next moment, a familiar, handsome face suddenly appeared in her line of sight.
Those eyes were watching her with concern:
"Aunt Shui, how are you feeling? Is there anything bothering you?"
Shui Miaozheng's beautiful eyes widened.
His eyes, which had been dull and lifeless, were now burning with a fire—a fire of shock, ecstasy, and disbelief.
She reached out her hand, her fingertips carefully touching Jiang Mu's cheek.
It's warm.
It's real.
It's not a hallucination!
She pinched her thigh hard, and the pain was clearly felt.
"Little Jiang..."
Her voice trembled, "I...I'm not dreaming, am I?"
"Aunt Shui, it's me. I'm not dead."
Jiang Mu took her hand, pressed it against his face, and gave her a bright smile. "I'm perfectly fine."
Shui Miaozheng looked on in disbelief: "How could this be...?"
Jiang Mu casually flattered:
"At the time, I thought I was going to die, but somehow I entered a mysterious space, maybe a small world opened up by some senior master."
I remained unconscious for a while, and when I woke up again, I found myself near Dog Head Mountain.
I think I was rescued by some passing expert. As for who saved me, I don't know; I haven't seen anyone since I woke up..."
Listening to Jiang Mu's explanation and confirming the fact that the other party was still alive, Shui Miaozheng's joy surged like a river bursting its banks, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"It's good that you're alive...it's good that you're alive..."
She gripped Jiang Mu's hand tightly, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again.
"Auntie thought you were really dead... Auntie has been dreaming these past few days that you've come back to life... Just now Auntie had another dream, in which..." At this point, the woman suddenly froze.
She blinked and instinctively tried to get up, but a wave of soreness washed over her.
She looked down at her clothes, the ties of which were all tied crookedly…
Shui Miaozheng was completely dumbfounded.
Those scenes vividly flooded my mind.
original……
That's not a dream!
Seeing the woman's expression, Jiang Mu felt somewhat embarrassed and apologetic.
He coughed lightly, tightened his grip on her hand, and said sincerely:
"I'm so sorry, Aunt Shui... The situation was urgent at the time. You were poisoned by dragon and were delirious. Your life was in danger at any moment."
"I had no other way to save you, that was all I could do..."
He looked into Shui Miaozheng's eyes and said earnestly:
"But don't worry, I, Jiang Mu, am a responsible man."
If you want me to take responsibility, I will never refuse. I might even... marry you tomorrow!
Shui Miaozheng fell into a long silence.
She kept her head down, her messy hair obscuring most of her face, making it impossible to see her expression.
After a long while, she finally raised her head and asked softly:
"What are you doing here?"
Seeing that she was deliberately avoiding what had just happened, Jiang Mu didn't want to continue the topic. He coughed and shared his previous speculation about the revival of the dragon vein.
Of course, it's absolutely forbidden to mention that during the process, I accidentally tricked her, causing her to inhale dragon poison.
Selective forgetting.
After listening, Shui Miaozheng nodded slightly, her hair falling down to cover half of her pretty face, which was still flushed.
"Old Tian had the same guess, which is why he specifically sent me to investigate. I never expected... it would be true."
"Oh, I see."
Jiang Mu responded, and then said,
"I've now obtained the dragon bones from the three locations along the dragon vein, but I don't know if it has completely thwarted the mastermind's plan. Aunt Shui, who do you think is behind this?"
Shui Miaozheng frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then gently shook her head:
"It's hard to say. Anyone who can orchestrate such a grand scheme and keep it hidden from the Demon Slayer Bureau and the imperial court is no ordinary person."
We have too few clues to make any inferences.
Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. Let's go back to Yancheng first.
Old Tian has been talking about you a lot these days. He would be so happy to see you still alive.
"it is good."
Jiang Mu responded, then suddenly remembered what the mysterious big shot had said before leaving, and said,
"Aunt Shui, there's something hidden down there. The entrance's barrier has been broken. Shall we go down and take a look?"
Shui Miaozheng hummed in agreement and tried to get up by supporting herself on the ground.
As soon as he moved, he frowned.
Jiang Mu quickly stepped forward and said with concern, "Aunt Shui, how about I carry you on my back?"
Shui Miaozheng blushed and waved her hand, saying, "No need, I can walk by myself... I'll be fine after a while."
As she spoke, she gritted her teeth and tried to force herself to stand up again.
But as soon as she exerted force, she sat back down with a "thump," gasping in pain and turning pale.
Jiang Mu sighed and stopped wasting words with her.
He turned around directly, squatted down with his back to Shui Miaozheng, and patted his shoulder:
"Come on up. What are you trying to prove at a time like this? If you don't come on up, I'll have to carry you by force."
Looking at that broad and sturdy back, Shui Miaozheng bit her lower lip, feeling a mix of embarrassment, annoyance, and helplessness.
This guy... how can he be so domineering?
After hesitating for a moment, she finally gave in.
She slowly leaned forward, gently pressing her voluptuous body against the man's back.
Jiang Mu felt a weight on her back.
He steadied himself, reached behind him, and slipped his hands under Shui Miaozheng's knees to firmly support her thighs.
Using my core muscles, I easily stood up.
Shui Miaozheng, who was lying on Jiang Mu's back, had her face buried in the crook of his neck, and it was so red that it looked like it was about to bleed.
If I had known it wasn't a dream, I... I would have been a little more reserved.
The thought of her actions in that "dream" made Shui Miaozheng wish she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
That's terrible; his lifelong reputation has been ruined in an instant.
We've completely lost face!
Although I lost my innocence, which I had maintained for over thirty years, I did feel a sense of loss and melancholy deep down.
But then I thought, compared to the despair and heartbreak I felt upon learning of Jiang Mu's death, this disappointment seemed insignificant. As long as he was still alive.
The others... don't seem that important anymore.
In particular, she gave her most precious thing to someone she didn't dislike, and could even say she liked.
This can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, right?
In fact, she and Xiao Jiang encountered this kind of dramatic situation twice.
Perhaps this is fate ordained by God?
There's no way to avoid it.
With these mixed feelings in mind, Shui Miaozheng went from feeling ashamed and indignant at first to gradually feeling relieved.
Finally, she stopped hesitating, completely relaxed, and naturally wrapped her arms around the man's neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. Jiang Mu, carrying Shui Miaozheng, arrived at the entrance mentioned by the mysterious big shot.
It was somewhat dark below, and you could see a gray, gloomy ground.
Jiang Mu jumped down.
Upon landing, Jiang Mu looked around and discovered that she was in a small palace.
The palace was not large, and its walls were all jagged rocks, making it dark and damp.
The corners of the walls and the ground were covered with white skulls, piled up into small mountains, exuding a sinister atmosphere.
In the shadows directly ahead, Jiang Mu saw thick black iron chains, each as thick as an arm, lying across the ground.
The chains crisscrossed, as if someone was locked up there.
Jiang Mu, carrying Shui Miaozheng on her back, carefully approached, stepping over the bone fragments scattered on the ground.
As the distance closed, the scene in the shadows finally became clear.
Sure enough, a man was locked there.
He lowered his head, his long hair obscuring his face.
His limbs were bound to the wall with iron chains piercing his collarbones, wrists, and ankles, while several long, black nails were driven into his abdomen and chest, pinning him to the wall behind him.
The surrounding area was covered with blood-red talismans.
Blood was still seeping from the talisman.
There was a sunken pool of blood at the man's feet.
Dark red blood flowed slowly, forming streaks of scarlet blood that eventually converged in front of them.
The man was motionless and lifeless; he was clearly dead.
"Who is this?"
Jiang Muxin felt a chill run down her spine.
Shui Miaozheng, who was perched on Jiang Mu's back, was also astonished by the scene.
She carefully observed her surroundings and said in a deep voice:
"There must have been a very strong restrictive formation set up here before, so ordinary people can't enter at all. Even I'm not confident that I can force my way in."
Judging from this arrangement, the person behind the scenes captured this man and used him as a "human sacrifice" to ensure the dragon vein could be fully activated. However, the person behind the scenes was unlucky and encountered a powerful being fighting here, which interrupted the flow of spiritual energy and prevented it from supplying the altar in time. The sacrificial ceremony was forced to stop after only being halfway through.
Jiang Mu nodded.
His gaze followed the blood groove on the ground.
At the end of the blood trough, there is an antique bronze mirror.
Jiang Mu walked over and picked up the mirror.
The mirror was rough and even somewhat blurry, with obvious traces of blood staining it and twisted dragon patterns engraved on the edges.
"Is this a magic weapon?"
Jiang Mu was somewhat puzzled.
He tried to channel the demonic energy within the magic tank and inject it into the mirror.
The demonic energy was instantly and frantically sucked in, like a whale swallowing the sea, draining the demonic energy from the demonic tank completely in an instant. The speed was so fast that he didn't even have time to react.
Holy crap!
Jiang Mu couldn't help but swear, her heart aching with pain.
However, after absorbing such a massive amount of demonic energy, the mirror remained gray and unchanged.
We didn't even hear a sound.
"Disgusting."
Jiang Mu cursed under her breath and reluctantly put the mirror away.
It seems that more demonic energy needs to be poured in to activate this thing.
For now, it can only be used as a decoration.
He walked up to the corpse, reached out and lifted its drooping head, wanting to see who this unfortunate soul was.
Perhaps due to the formation or the special environment, the corpse did not decompose, and the face was still clearly recognizable.
This is a middle-aged man in his forties.
His face was square, and although he was dead, his brows still exuded the majesty of someone who had long held a high position.
However, when Shui Miaozheng saw the man's face, she was struck dumb and cried out in shock:
"Yuan Qianfan!?"