Wen Li sat down and took the map. It was very detailed, though some parts were still missing, likely where the Clan Leader and other Elders resided. She nodded.
“Old Five is here now. One of these nights, you two should try digging a tunnel from the outside to see if you can enter the territory guarded by those nine black dragons.”
Hearing her suggest that Hua Cishu could dig a tunnel, Xie Tinglan furrowed his brows and spoke with contempt, “That barrier was set by a Nascent Soul cultivator. Can he even do it?”
Hua Cishu, who had been looking for a way to provoke Yao Dai, heard this and walked over with a cold sneer.
“Of course I can’t. So, you’ll have to dig this hole yourself. Aren't you a snake? It’s perfect. Just transform into your original form and eat all the dirt as you go so it doesn't go to waste.”
This was an unmistakable provocation. With Xie Tinglan’s aloof and proud nature, there was no way he would tolerate it. He simply raised his hand, and a gust of wind swept forward.
Bang!
Hua Cishu was slammed into a bookshelf by the spiritual energy attack. He crashed heavily to the floor, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He looked up, his gaze vicious as he glared at Xie Tinglan, but a manic smile curved his blood-stained lips.
“You don't have much power in your strikes. Not enough!”
Xie Tinglan stared down at him coldly. “You want to use the force of my blows to strengthen yourself, swallowing this spiritual energy to temper your physical body? Why would I ever grant you that satisfaction?”
Hearing this, Hua Cishu’s amber eyes narrowed. He pushed himself up from the floor slowly, his gaze remaining maliciously playful despite the danger. He licked the blood from his lips. “Then if you have the guts, don't ever lay a hand on me again. Just be a coward.”
Xie Tinglan’s right fist clenched, his eyes filled with utter disgust. However, he eventually relaxed his hand. The emotions on his face gradually smoothed out; he couldn't let this brat provoke him so easily. He simply waved his sleeve.
A piece of cloth instantly wrapped around Hua Cishu’s mouth, gagging him and binding him in place.
“Mmph!”
Wen Li sat in her chair, drinking tea and yawning as she watched the scene with indifference. Since Old Five chose to provoke everyone, he had to face the consequences. She had already stated that unless it was a matter of life and death, she would not intervene. Helping anyone would be playing favorites.
Wen Li took out some pills and gave them to Yao Dai. “This injury will take at least three days to heal. In a bit, you’ll lead the way to find Qi Mei’er, but you stay hidden in the back.”
“Alright! I’ll stay right behind Master’s tail!” Yao Dai leaned over to take the pill from Wen Li’s hand and chewed it up without complaint.
The group didn't wait any longer and immediately set out on their swords.
Hua Cishu was much better behaved this time. He lay flat on Hold On, letting Wen Li apply wound medicine to him in silence.
She had said she wouldn't care if they fought, but she provided plenty of medicine. Thus, every two or three days, Hua Cishu would come to her to have his wounds treated, which only made the others more annoyed. They started holding back when they beat him, just to prevent the shameless guy from going back to Master for more medicine.
Soon, the group reached the dense forest where Yao Dai had run into Sami while escaping.
Yao Dai remembered something and hurriedly complained to Wen Li, her face turning pale with anger. “Master, the night I escaped, I met a demon monk. He was despicable.”
“...”
Wen Li’s eyelid twitched. She knew Yao Dai was talking about the male lead of providence, the cold and aloof Buddhist monk Sami. She also knew Yao Dai definitely wouldn't have a good impression of him, but where did the word 'despicable' come from?
“Oh? What did he do?” Wen Li’s inner gossip soul ignited. She slowed down and turned to look at Yao Dai.
Even Hua Cishu and Xie Tinglan pricked up their ears. After all, it was rare for someone to make Yao Dai this angry.
Yao Dai grew more furious as she spoke, her teeth gritted in righteous indignation. “That night, I was injured and running away. It was a desolate mountain in the middle of a dark night. It was already strange for a monk like him to appear there. He kept asking me if I needed help. I didn't answer, yet he kept coming closer to ask again. Clearly suspicious! The moment he got close, I felt something wrong with my body.”
“My vision blurred, my ears stopped ringing, and even my heart started beating out of control. It was as if that demon monk was carrying some kind of Stupefying Drug. I didn't say a word the first time, so he should have left. Instead, he insisted on coming over to ask a second time. He was definitely waiting for the drug to take effect!”
“He was just waiting to knock me out and kidnap me for some nefarious purpose! Bah! Some monk he is. He’s a total disgrace to the Buddhist Order. Luckily, my mind is strong and I carry a ton of poison, so his low-quality Stupefying Drug didn't knock me out. The next time I see him, I’m going to castrate him!”
Yao Dai’s teeth itched with rage. She gesticulated wildly as she spoke, looking like she wanted to catch him right then and there.
“...” Whoa. She wanted to castrate the male lead? Good idea. Why hadn't she thought of such a permanent solution to future troubles!
Wen Li was in awe. She hadn't expected Yao Dai to be this fierce.
Child, is it possible he was actually being kind and feared something would happen to you alone in the wilderness? After all, as a male lead of providence, he’s the embodiment of the righteous path. That really is how a good person acts. It’s just that you, as a villain who has harmed too many people, don't believe anyone can have good intentions.
As for your vision blurring, your ears not ringing, and your heart skipping a beat... that’s not the effect of a Stupefying Drug. You could call it something else.
It’s called love at first sight!
Wen Li was nearly dying of laughter at Yao Dai’s words. Knowing the whole truth, she had to bite her lower lip hard to keep from laughing out loud. To think... she hadn't even taught Yao Dai how to destroy her illusions of love at first sight yet, and the girl had already taken a giant cleaver to the string of fate herself. She even wanted to chop off the 'source' while she was at it.
Even Xie Tinglan sensed something was off. He turned his cold, proud face toward her, looking puzzled.
“What happened afterward? Did you drive him away?”
Yao Dai stuffed her hands in her pockets and tilted her head up with immense pride. “Of course! I used my own stubborn willpower to stay conscious. That demon monk tentatively asked if I needed help, and I said no. Seeing that I was awake and there was no chance to strike, he probably just left.”
Hua Cishu also felt something was wrong. “What was his cultivation?”
“I couldn't tell. Anyway, the cassock he was wearing had some kind of lotus on it. Oh, and that demon monk had a cinnabar mole between his brows. He looked quite sinister,” Yao Dai said with a shrug.
“...” Xie Tinglan knew who she was talking about. He had once seen the portraits and introductions of famous figures from the Southern Province’s major powers in the secret scrolls of the Tingyin Pavilion’s Library Pavilion. Buddhist Order, cinnabar mole, young, golden lotus cassock... Who else could it be but Sami, the most prestigious virtuous monk of the younger generation in the Buddhist Order?
He didn't think a monk like Sami would ever be interested in a crazy woman like Yao Dai, let alone use Stupefying Drug to kidnap girls in the middle of the night.
He suspected that the monk Sami really did want to help Yao Dai, but she was so paranoid that she blamed her own strange physical reactions on him.
However, Xie Tinglan knew that when Yao Dai’s temper was up, she wouldn't listen to anything she didn't want to hear. He gave a light snort and said nothing, waiting for this idiot to go cause trouble for Sami and get herself taught a lesson.
At least monks didn't kill people, so she wouldn't die.
Yao Dai grew angrier the more she thought about it and looked at Wen Li. “Master, I have all sorts of poisons, but I’ve never developed a sterilization drug. Do you have any? Give me a whole box.”
Wen Li: “...” A whole box? That wouldn't be sterilizing Sami; it would be a lethal dose that would kill him.
She shook her head. “To be honest, I’ve never researched that kind of medicine either. However...”
“However what?” Yao Dai asked expectantly.
Wen Li had a sudden flash of inspiration. “Physical sterilization is probably more effective than pharmacological sterilization, just to be safe.”
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