Yuepo drifted beside the Moon Soul Arrow, her voice solemn. “Senior, you promised me. If I submit to your disciple for ten years, you would help me escape the confinement Wangquan Wuho placed on me in the tomb and help me restore my soul and cultivation.”
“The Ancient Phoenix clan, my original lineage, is located near the Beast Taming Sect in this Southern Province. Although I am now an artifact soul without a physical body, if I can reach the Ancient Phoenix clan and meet the Clan Elder, I could ask for his help. I wouldn't have to trouble Senior; I could directly use the fire of the Phoenix Altar to temper my soul and repair my heavy injuries.”
Wen Li understood. The woman was requesting that they take her to find the Ancient Phoenix clan.
After all, she had signed a Blood Oath with Zongzheng Huangyue—an equality contract. If anything happened to one party, the other would suffer as well. Although it was an equality contract, Yuepo didn't dare betray Zongzheng Huangyue because Wen Li, the master, was there with those golden pupils—the natural nemesis of all sinister and evil things in the world.
That was why she had lowered her stance to plead.
“We can go to the Ancient Phoenix clan, but my affairs must be handled first,” Wen Li conceded after a moment of thought.
Yuepo’s expression brightened with surprise. “That is fine! If Senior needs it, I will certainly help.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Li’s brows knitted slightly. She held out her right hand, and the golden pupils, shining with a piercing, holy light, immediately appeared in her palm. The sight made Yuepo’s heart leap into her throat. She instantly hid behind Zongzheng Huangyue, her expression a mix of fear and suppressed anger.
“What does Senior mean by this? I have already submitted and agreed to your conditions.”
Wen Li’s slender fingers toyed with the pair of eyeballs. She turned her head slightly, her tone indifferent. “I don't need you to help me, nor do I need you to worry about me. The one you should listen to is my disciple. She is your master. If she can't command you and you only listen to me, then you are useless to me.”
Yuepo’s earlier words were a request and a sign of weakness, but she had addressed Wen Li directly, treating Zongzheng Huangyue as a mere decoration. Although Yuepo had been a Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivator in life and could currently exert the power of at least the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul, her pride was natural. It was understandable that she was unwilling to submit to a mere Foundation Establishment Great Perfection cultivator.
Unfortunately, Wen Li understood but did not respect that pride.
Hearing those words, Zongzheng Huangyue’s eyes shifted slightly. Her hand tightened around the Moon Soul Arrow. So, her master knew everything.
With her hidden contempt called out, Yuepo once again realized Zongzheng Huangyue’s importance to Wen Li. She immediately cast aside her disdain and declared her stance.
“It was my mistake. Please give me another chance, Senior. During these ten years, I will be absolutely loyal and will never let my master face any danger. Otherwise, I shall perish with her.”
A dark light flickered in her lowered eyes as she chose to endure and bide her time. She hadn't expected such a powerful figure to actually take a Foundation Establishment cultivator as a disciple and value her so highly. The senior didn't want the artifact soul for herself but for her disciple, showing no interest in a Nascent Soul cultivator. Who exactly was this person?
Seeing that she had temporarily become obedient, Wen Li waved her hand, offering a reward after the reprimand. “Huangyue is a Ghost Cultivator. The Yin energy she absorbs and cultivates also has a restorative effect on you. Take this; you can go into secluded cultivation for a while.”
Yuepo caught a token that flew toward her. Upon contact, the icy Yin energy instantly filled her body, making her feel exceptionally comfortable. This was...
“Thank you, Senior!”
Having received a benefit, Yuepo no longer had any doubts and immediately returned to the arrow to cultivate.
Zongzheng Huangyue put the Moon Soul Arrow away and set up a sound-isolating barrier that only included her and Wen Li.
“Master, her words cannot be trusted.”
Talk of the Clan Elder of the Ancient Phoenix clan helping... Once they were on her home turf, who knew what changes would occur? Yuepo had lived for hundreds of years; she wouldn't stay submissive just because of Wen Li’s intimidation.
Wen Li tapped her shoulder. Zongzheng Huangyue immediately understood and stepped forward to massage her shoulders.
“Whether her words can be trusted isn't important. What matters is that she listens to you and acts when things are dangerous.”
Wen Li closed her eyes and spoke calmly. She was well aware of the potential issues. “However, unless it's a life-or-death moment, do not take out the Moon Soul Arrow. Although we are in the Southern Province, who knows if someone might recognize it? At this moment, the Beiqiong Kingdom in the Eastern Province is probably searching everywhere for us.”
Zongzheng Huangyue nodded from behind her. “Yes.”
Wen Li remembered something and opened her eyes to tease her. “You are a Ghost Cultivator who uses Yin energy and grievances as your foundation. This Southern Province is home to the Buddhist Order. Those Buddhist monks occasionally travel to perform good deeds. Be careful in your daily life; don't let them treat you like a wandering ghost and catch you to farm merit.”
“Understood.”
Buddhist monks...
Zongzheng Huangyue’s heart sank slightly. As a Ghost Cultivator, she, like Yuepo, feared pure Yang and holy people or items. This was why Wen Li hadn't directly given her the golden pupils to intimidate Yuepo.
Wen Li didn't want to scare her too much either. “But it's fine. As long as you are by my side, those monks won't be able to touch you.”
Zongzheng Huangyue caught a different implication. “Master, do you also have a bunch of shadow stones of monks?”
“No, I don't.”
“Then what is your method?”
“Stupid. Those little monks are most afraid of women and meat. They avoid them like they've seen a ghost,” Wen Li remarked.
Zongzheng Huangyue’s pupils trembled. “Master, you can't be asking me to take off my...” clothes!
“What are you saying? I am a decent person. I would never ask you to use such self-insulting methods.”
Wen Li slapped her arm in exasperation. “I'm telling you to keep a few small animals on you. If those little monks dare to act against you, just throw the animals out to block them. They are unwilling to kill living things; they’ll be afraid to damage the vessel for fear of hurting the innocent.”
She paused, remembering something. “Oh, but that only works against decent Buddhist Cultivators.”
Zongzheng Huangyue was dazed. “There are indecent ones?”
Wen Li said indifferently, “Every sect has its scum, and there are some among the Buddhist Cultivators too, though they are rare. Most are dealt with by their own people, but those who survive are ruthless characters. If you encounter a monk whose expression is neither monk-like nor Buddha-like, stay far away. He's likely a Demon Monk with a heart demon. Any animal you throw out would be killed in two seconds.”
“Don't such people bring shame to the Buddhist Order? Is no one dealing with them?”
Zongzheng Huangyue sounded skeptical. “Or is it...”
She didn't finish, but Wen Li confirmed her unspoken suspicion. “Exactly. Those Demon Monks mostly developed heart demons for some reason during their cultivation. They don't care about whether they kill or not; they are even more decisive in battle than normal cultivators. The Buddhist Order adheres to the mercy of saving others and themselves, so they catch them and lock them up to try and reform them. Those they can't catch or lock up are usually highly powerful and cannot be defeated. As long as they don't kill the innocent or commit evil in the name of the Buddhist Order, they are left alone.”
Hearing this, Zongzheng Huangyue couldn't help but wonder. High cultivation... Just how powerful would one have to be for the order to tolerate such behavior?
She suddenly realized something and asked a key question.
“Master, are there any Buddhist monks among your enemies?”
Given her master’s domineering way of taking whatever she wanted, and with the Buddhist Order occupying so much of the Southern Province, it was impossible for her not to have had dealings with them, considering how familiar she was with their ways. With her master's personality, she feared that even the most normal monk would be driven to develop a heart demon by her.
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