novelapdf Chapter 183 Acquaintances at Midnight
Chapter 183 Acquaintances at Midnight
To prevent any mishaps during Yu Xiaoqian's process of absorbing the incense offerings and vows, Jiang Mu deliberately stayed at Chaomu Temple for two more days.
These past two days of companionship have undoubtedly brought Yu Xiaoqian joy and happiness.
The slight grievance she felt earlier because of Jiang Mu's somewhat naive remarks had long since vanished amidst the man's gentleness and consideration.
Two days later, after confirming that Yu Xiaoqian was in good health and that the incense offerings in her womb were functioning steadily, Jiang Mu felt relieved.
He personally escorted the little girl to Yancheng.
On the high ground of the garrison commander's mansion where Yuan Qianfan had once secluded himself, Jiang Mu used his Dharma Aspect authority as the "acting garrison commander" to set up a safe and hidden barrier for Yu Xiaoqian.
This barrier can not only conceal her ghostly aura.
It also allows her to legitimately and safely absorb and transform the remaining incense offerings and vows in the dark side of this city.
more importantly.
If a powerful enemy sees through her disguise and tries to harm her, this barrier can protect her immediately.
Jiang Mu was also able to sense it immediately.
After everything was arranged, Jiang Mu finally parted ways with Yu Xiaoqian, who was watching him with lingering reluctance.
Before leaving, he made the girl's belly bigger.
Following Jiang Mu's instructions, Si Rumeng went to investigate the whereabouts of Nan Zhi, the demoness of the Red Umbrella Sect.
The Heavenly Blade Sect is located in a mountain range at the border of Yancheng and Huzhou City.
Because of its remote location and the rugged mountain roads, even though Jiang Mu walked very fast, it would still take him two days to travel. As night fell, he could only find a sheltered rock face in the wilderness to spend the night.
Night fell, and the stars twinkled in the sky.
A cluster of orange-red campfires crackled and popped beneath the rock face.
The leaping flames dispelled the surrounding darkness and cold.
Jiang Mu skillfully used a peeled branch to prop up a plump wild rabbit and roasted it over the fire.
As the temperature rises, the fat on the surface of the rabbit meat sizzles as it is roasted.
The aroma then spread.
After roasting, Jiang Mu used a dagger to cut off a piece of rabbit leg meat, blew on it to cool it down, and casually handed it to a patch of shadow not far away:
"Want some?"
"snort."
A haughty snort came from the shadows.
Ji Hongyuan rolled her eyes charmingly and slowly drifted down from the shadows.
The woman was still wearing a long, high-slit gold and red dress, and sat down on a wooden stool by the campfire.
As she sat down, the slit of her skirt slid down.
Those long legs, tightly wrapped in black silk, were exposed to the air without reservation.
The dancing light and shadow danced on my legs...
From the rounded knees to the slender ankles, every undulation is dazzlingly bright, as if a gentle pinch would release its juices.
"If you don't want to eat it, fine, I'll save money."
Seeing that the other person wasn't taking any rabbit meat, Jiang Mu didn't indulge her and stuffed it into her own mouth, chewing it heartily.
Ji Hongyuan stretched out her slender fingers and gently smoothed the strands of hair at her temples that had been ruffled by the night breeze. She smiled and stared at Jiang Mu, who was enjoying his meal, a playful glint in her dark golden eyes.
"I never realized before that you were such a dissolute little thing."
After bullying the Water Master in Yancheng, he turned around and devoured the little female ghost.
It's suitable for all ages and genders, and it doesn't discriminate between meat and vegetables.
However, I heard you used to be a notorious playboy in Huzhou City. Now it seems that the rumors were entirely true. Old habits die hard.
While enjoying his grilled meat, Jiang Mu mumbled indistinctly:
What do you mean by taking advantage of someone and then leaving them with nothing? I call this universal love.
Besides, I, Jiang, will definitely take full responsibility for any woman I've been with.
"Heh heh, take responsibility?"
Ji Hongyuan pursed her rosy lips.
She turned her head, gazing at the flickering campfire before her, a deep glint in her eyes, and sighed.
"Love is truly the most wondrous thing in the world, enough to make people willing to die for each other."
"Judging from your tone, did you perhaps never experience the bitterness of love in your lifetime?"
Jiang Mu swallowed the rabbit meat in her mouth.
Ji Hongyuan glanced at him sideways and sneered:
"Kid, do you think I'm some naive little ghost girl who's never seen the world and was easily bewitched by your words?"
Having lived for so long, even if I haven't experienced much love and romance in my lifetime, I've witnessed the tragic ends of too many lovesick men and women.
Staying clear-headed and cutting off romantic feelings is far better than being deceived, both physically and emotionally, by a smooth-talking philanderer like you.
Jiang Mu laughed heartily and waved his hand dismissively:
"Don't worry, I have no particular interest in a cold, lifeless zombie."
"Ha, you wouldn't even spare a female ghost, and now you're pretending to be a gentleman with me?"
Ji Hongyuan's lips curled into a mocking smile.
Jiang Mu was too lazy to argue with this female hooligan and focused on eating meat.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Ji Hongyuan stretched out her long legs with some boredom.
Under the interplay of night and firelight, the lines of her legs appeared even longer and straighter, exuding an alluring, sensual beauty.
Her tone suddenly became somewhat listless:
"In truth, I'm not much different from that little girl named Yu Xiaoqian; we're both just dead people abandoned by this world. The only difference is that she has a soul but no body, maintaining her illusory form only through her lingering obsession and the power of incense offerings."
As for me, I am a corpse without a soul, nothing more than a walking dead.
Jiang Mu looked at her strangely after hearing this:
"You really have no soul? If you have no soul, how can you think and speak like a normal person, and even create clones to cause trouble?"
Ji Hongyuan explained calmly:
"It's not that I'm completely soulless, otherwise I wouldn't even be considered a conscious piece of flesh."
However, in order to break free from certain constraints, my main soul was already incomplete. What remains in my body now is nothing more than a wisp of extremely weak remnant soul obsession.
But from the perspective of the true nature of the Dao, my body is already dead, devoid of life, and unqualified for reincarnation.
Overall, I am just a corpse, neither alive nor dead.
"Think positively. At least you can live forever and stay young forever. This is something that many female cultivators dream of."
Jiang Mu tore off another piece of fragrant rabbit meat, chewing as she comforted him.
Ji Hongyuan twitched the corners of her mouth, revealing a self-deprecating smile.
Immortality?
Trapped in the dark and gloomy White Deer Peak for hundreds of years, the loneliness and coldness of that living hell are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. After eating, Jiang Mu simply rinsed his mouth and washed the grease off his hands.
Then, he walked back to the campfire, found a flat patch of grass, put his hands behind his head, and lay down fully clothed to rest.
Ji Hongyuan floated lightly and landed opposite Jiang Mu.
She turned to the side, resting her chin on one hand, her alluring eyes, like those of a cat in the dark, fixed intently on Jiang Mu, and said:
"Can't sleep? Tell me a story."
"No, I can't tell stories."
Jiang Mu refused.
Ji Hongyuan gave a soft snort, her tone tinged with displeasure:
"Stop pretending. You've been telling that little girl stories for two days and two nights straight."
What about the White Snake repaying a debt of gratitude, or the unfinished love story between a human and a ghost?
He moved that innocent little girl to tears, making her cry uncontrollably, wishing she could die for him on the spot.
I have no idea where you get all those cheesy, pretentious stories to fool young girls.
"Now that it's my turn, you're not going to speak?"
Jiang Mu rolled her eyes and said:
"Since you were already eavesdropping from the shadows, why do you insist I repeat it again? Just try to recall it yourself."
"I'm tired of hearing those stories. Tell me something I've never heard before."
Ji Hongyuan said.
"That's all. I only have so much knowledge left, and I've given it all to Xiaoqian."
"I don't believe you. You're definitely hiding something."
"Big sister, I'm really done. I need to sleep now; I have to keep traveling tomorrow."
Ji Hongyuan stared at him for a while without saying a word.
But the next moment, she suddenly and slowly raised one of her long legs.
That small foot, clad in an exquisite high heel, gently rested on Jiang Mu's calf.
The toes of her shoes brushed against his trouser leg, intentionally or unintentionally.
The delicate feel of the stockings was transmitted through the fabric, producing a soft rubbing sound.
She turned her ankle slightly, the thin heels of her high heels rubbing against Jiang Mu's leg muscles, carrying a hint of provocation.
"Good boy, tell me one."
The woman's voice became sweet and cloying, "If I'm happy listening to this, I'll give you a big reward~"
Jiang Mu felt the sensation on her leg, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
Hey lady, you were just acting all high and mighty, looking down on me as some dissolute young master, but now you've changed your tune faster than flipping through a book. Are you already trying to seduce me?
Seemingly seeing through Jiang Mu's inner thoughts, Ji Hongyuan curled her bright red lips into a smile like a fox that had just stolen some fish.
Her smooth fingers reached out and gently stroked the man's strong facial features, her breath sweet as orchids:
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, this body is just an avatar of the original body, not the real body."
Even if it gets really dirty, we can just break it up later.
Jiang Mu felt a little uneasy from her teasing.
He wouldn't mind trying a zombie, but he also knew that this woman, despite her seemingly wanton appearance, had almost no chance of actually getting any real meat.
"Fine, I give up. Take your foot away first, and I'll tell you one, okay?"
Jiang Mu was helpless.
Ji Hongyuan wore a victor's smile.
"The story is called 'Plants vs. Zombies'," Jiang Mu said.
"Plants vs. Zombies?"
Ji Hongyuan was a little confused.
How could plants possibly fight zombies?
Jiang Mu cleared his throat, preparing to start telling the story of Dave and the crazy backyard to fool the female zombie.
suddenly!
His expression shifted, and he abruptly sat up from the grass.
Ji Hongyuan also frowned slightly, her previously languid expression instantly turning into displeasure, and she coldly snorted:
"How annoying."
"I was finally in the mood to listen to a story, and now, in this desolate place, even flies have come to bother me."
The woman flicked her sleeve.
Her figure was like a wisp of red smoke, lightly drifting up to a large tree next to her.
At the same time, a series of heavy, disordered footsteps came from the bushes ahead.
A figure was stumbling and staggering towards them.
Judging from his broad shoulders and tall stature, the newcomer was clearly a burly, imposing man.
Jiang Mu drew his sword half an inch from its sheath.
But when they saw the other person's face clearly, they were stunned.
The other party turned out to be an acquaintance!
"Hall Master Jiang?!"
The burly man was also taken aback when he saw Jiang Mu by the firelight.
Jiang Mu loosened the hilt of his sword, stood up, and looked at the disheveled man before him with some surprise:
"Brother Yan, what happened to you? Did you run into some tough monster in the mountains and get chased?" The person who came was Yan Zixiao.
Last time, Jiang Mu and Xu Fu disguised themselves as scholars to investigate the case of a beautiful ghost harming people on the mountain. As a result, they met this kind-hearted hero, Yan, who was determined to slay demons and save them from "danger".
After learning the truth, he left.
Jiang Mu never saw him again.
According to Si Rumeng, this person used to be a disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. He was quite talented, but he was expelled from the sect for violating the sect rules by falling in love with a female demon in his early years.
Later, Yan Zixiao had a profound realization and from then on wandered the world, dedicating himself to slaying demons.
Unexpectedly, I ran into this guy again today.
However, compared to his carefree and chivalrous demeanor when they first met at Meiruo Temple, Yan Zixiao was quite disheveled at this moment.
His coarse cloth clothes were stained with blood and mud, and torn in many places, revealing wounds of varying depths underneath.
His face was covered in stubble, his eyes were sunken, and his lips were chapped.
They have obviously been on the move for a long time.
Yan Zixiao snapped out of her daze, glanced warily at the dense forest behind her, took a few steps forward, and cupped her hands in greeting:
"Master Jiang, is there any water?"
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the half-eaten roasted rabbit beside the campfire, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
Jiang Mu still had a good impression of this guy.
Hearing this, he pointed to the water pouch next to him, then tore off a rabbit leg and handed it over: "Sit down, eat slowly."
Yan Zixiao didn't stand on ceremony. After thanking him, she plopped down on the wooden stump.
He took the water pouch, tilted his head back, and gulped down most of it. Then he grabbed half a roasted rabbit and wolfed it down. Ji Hongyuan, hidden among the tree branches above, watched this scene.
Given her ability to conceal her presence, the heavily injured Yan Zixiao naturally had no way of detecting her existence.
After Yan Zixiao finished eating the roasted rabbit, Jiang Mu handed her a clean cloth and asked with a frown:
"Brother Yan, can you finally tell me what's going on with you?"
Yan Zixiao took the cloth and wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth. She opened her mouth, seemingly hesitating whether to reveal the truth.
In the end, he gave a wry smile and said:
"Master Jiang has misunderstood. The ones chasing me are not mountain spirits or monsters."
I was hunted all the way here by the imperial guards.
"Inner guard?"
Jiang Mu's pupils contracted.
Suddenly, the image of Xun Xiaomo, the female guard officer from Yancheng, flashed through his mind.
I remember Aunt Shui once told him privately that the woman surnamed Xun came to Yancheng not only to find the whereabouts of the Mirror Kingdom's Black Armor Divine Weapon, but also to hunt down a Jianghu cultivator.
Thinking of this, Jiang Mu's expression turned strange.
He sized up the down-on-his-luck man before him and tentatively asked:
"Brother Yan, among the guards chasing you, isn't there a woman leading them named Xun Xiaozhang?"
This time, it was Yan Zixiao's turn to be stunned.
"Master Jiang... how do you know that woman's name?!"
Sure enough it was her.
Jiang Mu rubbed his temples helplessly; the world really was ridiculously small.
Jiang Mu said:
"That woman had been to Yancheng before, and because of a personal grudge, we had some very unpleasant conflicts."
However, why would a high-ranking official of the Imperial Guard be so fixated on a mere martial arts cultivator like you?
How exactly did you offend them?
Yan Zixiao lowered his head, looking at the leaping flames, his facial muscles twitching slightly, and said bitterly:
There is a woman who wants me dead.
This woman used to be from the same sect as me. Her name was Yang Feifei, and her brother was Yang Qintian, the deputy commander of the Inner Guard.
Xun Xiaomo is hunting me down because of her.