“The Heavenly Way’s punishment upon the Fox Clan, what does it have to do with you?”
Jiang Zhi’s ankle was still held in Jiang Huai’s palm, but after a moment, she deliberately pulled it back. Her dark eyes seemed to hold a hint of disdain, as if being kissed by Jiang Huai had sullied her.
Jiang Huai couldn’t explain himself, so he could only fabricate. He was always adaptable, and faced with Jiang Zhi’s disdain, he didn’t blush. He said softly, “A few days ago, I was in the Snake Clan and saw the scene during the Great Drought and Plague. It was so tragic, so I thought… if Elder Sister Jiang Zhi could help without any cost, then she could save more. Every bit counts.”
“It indeed doesn’t require any cost,” Jiang Zhi replied plainly. “A flick of the finger is all it takes.”
Jiang Huai’s strange intuition was confirmed. He guessed that Jiang Zhi must be terrifyingly powerful, but he hadn’t expected her to be terrifying to this extent. However, Jiang Zhi quickly extinguished the anticipation and hope that had just ignited in his eyes. She asked, “But why should I do that?”
“Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Sister is beautiful and kind-hearted, isn’t this a small matter that’s easy for you?”
Jiang Zhi sneered, “They are all Monster Clans, not Human Clans.”
“Since they are all intelligent races, they have emotions like joy and anger, fear and love, hate and desire.”
“So I should save them?”
The disdain in Jiang Zhi’s eyes was almost overflowing. She looked at Jiang Huai in front of her, “Are you asking me for the sake of justice, or for your own selfish desires?”
“A bit of both.”
“I thought you would answer the former,” Jiang Zhi said, her smile openly mocking. “As you said, the Fox Clan should also be saved. If the entire Monster Clan is being punished by the Heavenly Way, why don’t you just let me save them all?”
“Just the Fox Clan… it doesn’t need to be… so…”
“Isn’t that still for your own selfish desires?” Jiang Zhi glanced at him plainly. “If I save the Snake Clan, and they become stronger in the future, the Fox Clan will be bullied. If I save the Fox Clan, and both races become even stronger, they will dominate the Monster Clan for eternity, and no other race will be able to escape their shadow. Perhaps it would be a blessing to the Snake and Fox Clans, but a disaster for the other Monster Clans.”
“The core of the Monster Clan is **. They only know how to procreate and kill, which is why they are punished by the Heavenly Way. Their reproduction rate is also terrifyingly fast. The Heavenly Way uses punishment to control their population. Ten thousand years ago, the Myriad Demon Emperor stole the Heavenly Way Authority, and he was planning this. If he hadn’t been stopped by the Heavenly Way in the end, the Monster Clan would have already spread throughout the world, and all races would have been enslaved and become their playthings.”
“You, a member of the Human Clan, not only fail to seek well-being for the Human Clan but even turn your back on them, constantly thinking of rescuing them from their plight. What, have you only been with those fox women for a few days, and your lust has clouded your mind?”
Faced with Jiang Zhi’s relentless mockery, Jiang Huai couldn’t refute anything. Although he was racking his brains at this moment to find a suitable, passable reason to debate with Jiang Zhi, he was the one begging for a favor. Even if he won the debate against Jiang Zhi, what good would it do? Whether Jiang Zhi acted completely depended on her mood. If he won the debate, it would be strange if Jiang Zhi’s mood improved.
“But… now that the Snake Clan is even stronger, the Fox Clan will suffer even more in the future. This matter started because of me, and I feel guilty…”
“Aren’t you the husband of the Snake Clan?” Jiang Zhi crossed her arms, swinging her white and tender little feet. “If you feel guilty, that’s fine too. I can issue another Heavenly Way decree and return the Snake Clan to the state of Heavenly Punishment. Are you satisfied with that?”
“No.”
Jiang Huai lowered his head.
He lost.
He couldn’t win against Jiang Zhi because he clearly knew that his desire to resolve the Heavenly Punishment for the Fox Clan was purely out of guilt towards Su Qingyi. He didn’t want to see Su Qingyi bear more pressure because of him. He always had a vague feeling that Su Qingyi was already on the verge of breaking. His desires stemmed only from that little greedy desire in his heart, which he then disguised with the excuse of morality.
Jiang Zhi looked at Jiang Huai, who had lowered his head at that moment. Her eyelashes flickered slightly. “Aren’t you going to beg me anymore?”
“No more begging.” Jiang Huai shook his head gently.
“One day, you will also become a being like me. At that time, let alone Heavenly Punishment, you can decide the life and death of a race with a single thought. At that time, will you still adhere to your current idea?”
Seeing Jiang Huai’s silence, Jiang Zhi continued, “You can solve the Heavenly Punishment for the Fox Clan, you can even solve it for the entire Monster Clan. At that time, with their unlimited reproduction, the races within the clan will begin to fight each other due to unequal distribution of territory, or a chosen one will appear and unite the entire Monster Clan, and then they will begin to covet the territory of other races. Do you know why the Myriad Demon Emperor of ten thousand years ago died?”
Jiang Huai was startled and shook his head.
“Because he wanted the entire Monster Clan to unite the world, and then, he was killed with a single sword.”
“A single sword?”
“A single sword.”
“Who?”
“You don’t need to know.” Jiang Zhi shook her head gently, suddenly recalling a memory.
It was a lazy, scattered afternoon. Under the Pagoda Tree Flower in the courtyard, Pagoda Tree Flowers fluttered down, covering the ground. Her Master was in a good mood that day, so she gathered many Pagoda Tree Flowers and made a plate of Pagoda Tree Flower Cake. She only ate one piece, and the rest were given to her by her Master.
She sat beside her Master, listening to her Master tell her stories of the past in this world. When it came to the Myriad Demon Emperor, her Master said in a light, casual tone, very lightly.
“He was indeed a genius, but unfortunately too greedy. A world entirely of the Monster Clan, it’s not fun at all.”
The Myriad Demon Emperor cultivated for thousands of years, experienced countless tempering of blood and fire, and held his grand ideal. But before he died, he never understood the reason that person wanted to kill him, it was simply because of that sentence: a world entirely of the Monster Clan, not fun.
Jiang Huai slowly raised his head and looked at Jiang Zhi in front of him. She seemed to be lost in a memory at this moment. After a while, she finally came back to her senses, her eyes quietly gazing at Jiang Huai. “So, do you still insist that I act on your behalf to resolve the Heavenly Punishment for the Fox Clan?”
Jiang Huai couldn’t answer for a moment.
This question was like asking him, is your cultivation purely for your own selfish desires, or truly for the so-called common people of the world? What does the common people of the world mean? Does it mean all intelligent races in the world, or does only your Human Clan count as the common people of the world?
“Can the Monster Clan control their rate of reproduction, learn to restrain their desires, and keep their population within a range that the Western Region can satisfy their ambitions, thus achieving balance…”
As he said this, Jiang Huai himself paused for a moment. He suddenly realized that his thoughts seemed too idealistic. He could only rely on vague fantasies of how things might be done, but couldn’t actually do them, nor could he guarantee that doing so would be correct. At this moment, his already confused head ached even more. Jiang Zhi slowly raised her calf, her white and tender little feet pressing against his chest, her toes gently rubbing his chest.
But Jiang Huai had no mind to care about these things. His mind was tangled with various thoughts, making him restless. He then heard Jiang Zhi adding fuel to the fire, “Besides, now that you are the husband of the Snake Clan, you should naturally stand on the Snake Clan’s side. The Fox Clan is in dire straits, isn’t it convenient for the Snake Clan to take advantage of the situation? Moreover, you just slept with the Snake Empress, and have had Dual Cultivation with the Snake Empress Bai Jin dozens of times, and now you’re eating from a bowl while looking at a pot, thinking about your fox clan’s confidantes?”
Jiang Huai covered his ears, and Jiang Zhi laughed heartily.
As early as when Jiang Huai came out of the Fox Clan’s Secret Realm, Jiang Zhi had guessed that Jiang Huai would come to her with a request. That’s why she didn’t help Jiang Huai refine when he was being tormented by the Scarlet Flame Red Dragon’s essence. She just wanted to see Jiang Huai in this state now, unable to maintain his pretense of being a righteous gentleman, his words full of lofty ideals, but in reality, all for the sake of satisfying his own selfish desires.
She looked forward to seeing the Jiang Huai who always presented himself as a gentleman gradually sink due to his own desires, eventually giving up on himself, losing his beliefs and convictions, and becoming a useless person who only knew how to slack off and rely on women.
“The Grand Competition between the two races in three days, I will also come to watch. At that time, tell me your answer.”
Jiang Huai was startled and looked up at Jiang Zhi. “Sister agreed?”
Jiang Zhi extended a finger. “If you still expect me to act at that time, one hundred times, divided into three installments.”
Seeing the resentment in Jiang Huai’s eyes, Jiang Zhi laughed even more merrily. She withdrew her white and tender little feet and looked at the high heels on the ground. Jiang Huai quickly understood and obediently got off the bed, crouched down, and put on her shoes for her.
Looking at Jiang Huai’s now meek and obedient appearance, Jiang Zhi suddenly felt an inexplicable delight in her heart.
Even though she knew very well that by tormenting him like this now, one day, she would face Jiang Huai’s endless revenge. Perhaps Jiang Huai would think of ten thousand ways to humiliate and ravage her to retaliate for the humiliation she had inflicted on him now. But so what?
She was originally a flower vase that her Master intended to give to Jiang Huai.
Even if she treated Jiang Huai gently and sensibly now, perhaps in the future, when Jiang Huai held power, she would still only be Jiang Huai’s toy. Who would care about the joys and sorrows of a toy? Anyway, her Master had always treated her that way… She wasn’t afraid of Jiang Huai harboring fierce hatred towards her; what she feared more was his genuine contempt at that time.
She would rather Jiang Huai hate her to the point of madness then, than for him and her Master to both look at her with disdain, as if she were dust accumulated in a corner without light.
Jiang Huai had already put on Jiang Zhi’s shoes. She stood up, and Jiang Huai was still crouching on the ground. She suddenly found the scene at this moment particularly amusing, so she reached out and gently patted Jiang Huai’s head.
Jiang Huai looked up at her. Her eyes were bright, with a hint of playfulness.
The two looked at each other for a moment.
Jiang Huai mumbled softly, “Sister’s hand is so warm.”
Jiang Zhi was stunned.
She suddenly laughed, leaned down slightly, reached out and gently hooked Jiang Huai’s chin, leaning closer. “The more someone appears adaptable, the more they will be triumphant and overbearing when they gain power.”
“What do you mean?” Jiang Huai was surprised, not understanding.
“Don’t you hate me?” Jiang Zhi’s voice was very, very soft.
“Why should I hate you?”
Jiang Huai looked at her, confused.
“I’ve shamed you like this, and you don’t hate me?” Jiang Zhi looked at him mockingly. This guy was still pretending. She guessed that in his heart, he had already envisioned ten thousand ways to ravage her, but simply lacked the strength to do so.
“No, I don’t hate you.” Jiang Huai shook his head, blinking innocently at Jiang Zhi. “Heh, I have a thick skin. That little bit of shame is fine. As long as Sister is happy.”
Jiang Zhi took a deep breath.
It was clearly she who had been shaming him. For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of being demeaned.
