Chapter 05: Wicked Thoughts
Chu Xianning’s expression had become icy. Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Huai spoke first, looking at Luo Yueguan before him. He saw the anger in her eyes, and for some reason, it felt like a bluff. Some anger stemmed from fear, but what was she afraid of?
“Of course, I’m willing to break off the engagement,” Jiang Huai said softly. “Auntie Luo, there’s no need to be angry.”
“Then why are you asking so many questions?”
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
That girl is a bit foolish, she likely doesn’t even understand what a Dao Companion truly means. If not a Dao Companion, then friends later on. Jiang Huai quite liked being friends with her. She was foolishly unguarded around him, obeyed his every word, her thighs were soft, and she was comfortable to pillow on.
“The engagement was announced to the world by me. It’s my Luo Qingyu who doesn’t want to marry you, not that you don’t want to marry Luo Qingyu, understand?” The implication of this statement was simple: Luo Yueguan wanted everyone to know that it was Luo Qingyu who was jilting Jiang Huai. Luo Qingyu still intended to marry someone else. If Jiang Huai were the one to initiate the breakup, Luo Qingyu would be considered abandoned by her husband, leading to gossip.
Chu Xianning, who had been sitting silently by the side, suddenly let out a cold laugh. Luo Yueguan turned her eyes to Chu Xianning, raising an eyebrow. “What are you laughing at?”
“Your judgmental gaze hasn’t changed. Since ancient times, only a husband’s family divorces the wife; there’s no such thing as a wife’s family divorcing the husband.”
“Today, there is!” Luo Yueguan’s tone rose slightly. “You can still laugh? If it weren’t for your stubborn disciple, who is as stubborn as you are, would he have ended up in this predicament?”
“Is that so? But I recall your daughter being incredibly attached to my disciple. Every year she’d want to stay in my courtyard for two months. I even remember them sleeping in the same bed. Ha, you speak of breaking off the engagement so lightly.”
Jiang Huai’s eyes widened. How could this be?! Slander! At most, they slept for a nap together! As Jiang Huai was about to argue, Chu Xianning, with a placid expression, subtly lifted her leg under the table, her toe tapping Jiang Huai’s calf, clearly indicating for him to shut up.
As expected, the moment Chu Xianning spoke, Luo Yueguan’s anger burned even more fiercely. She sneered, “My daughter is still a virgin. I see it very clearly. As an elder, you even slander my daughter’s purity? You’re the most shameless one.”
But Chu Xianning merely tilted her head. “What if she’s still a virgin? Perhaps her body has already been played with…”
“Stop!” Jiang Huai interrupted Chu Xianning. He immediately cut in, saying softly, “Master, how can you sully someone’s purity like this?”
Seeing Jiang Huai step in to clarify, a hint of triumph appeared in Luo Yueguan’s eyes, and her expression towards Jiang Huai softened. “You still have some conscience, unlike your master.”
However, Jiang Huai was unmoved by Luo Yueguan’s praise. He said softly, “Between Luo Qingyu and me, it’s entirely pure. At most, there was some skin-to-skin intimacy like holding hands.”
“The engagement must be broken, of course. But if possible, I hope Auntie Luo can inform Luo Qingyu first and get her consent before breaking the engagement. This will avoid future trouble.”
“Trouble? What trouble could there be? I am her mother; her marriage should be decided by me. Besides, you are now a cripple, and you won’t be able to play with my Qingyu in the future. Breaking the engagement sooner is good for both you and her.”
A hint of panic flickered in Luo Yueguan’s eyes. Jiang Huai sensed something amiss from this panic, but he could only sigh. It was no wonder Luo Qingyu had become like this with such an unlucky mother.
“Sigh.” Jiang Huai sighed again. “Then, as Auntie Luo wishes. You can announce to the Eastern Region that you’ve broken off this engagement. I accept without objection.”
Luo Yueguan was stunned. She had expected Jiang Huai to be reluctant, and she was sure Chu Xianning wouldn’t let it go easily. She had considered many possibilities on the way here, but she hadn’t expected it to be so simple.
Chu Xianning seemed about to say something more, but Jiang Huai gently looked at her, a plea in his eyes. “Master, let it go.”
Chu Xianning bit her lip lightly and finally remained silent. A smile finally appeared on Luo Yueguan’s lips, and her eyes became lazy and charming again. She lightly touched her earlobe and took out a fiery red fruit from her storage earring.
“This is the Fire Luo Holy Fruit from Granny Jiuyou’s prescription.”
Chu Xianning was taken aback and couldn’t help but ask, “How… how do you know?”
“Before coming, I naturally went to see Granny Jiuyou and asked about Jiang Huai’s condition. She told me the prescription, and the Qingxuan Sect happened to have a Fire Luo Holy Fruit. So, consider it compensation for the little one.” She looked at Jiang Huai with a touch of pity.
As Luo Yueguan’s gaze shifted to Chu Xianning, her pity turned into triumph. She had known that breaking the engagement was inevitable and that Chu Xianning couldn’t refuse the Fire Luo Holy Fruit, as it was one of the keys to healing her beloved disciple. When she saw the prescription, Luo Yueguan was ecstatic. As far as she knew, among all Flower Spirit Physiques of the Seventh Realm and above in the entire Eastern Region, Chu Xianning was the only one. If she wanted to heal her beloved disciple, wouldn’t that require master and disciple to engage in improper relations? Chu Xianning had never interacted with men in her life, so Luo Yueguan was delighted to learn that she had taken in a little one in her courtyard. All men in the world were no good; she was inviting trouble into her own house. Chu Xianning’s hand had already reached for the Fire Luo Holy Fruit. She knew it was Jiang Huai’s hope to rebuild his Qi Sea. Although Luo Yueguan’s eyes were full of pity and a mocking smile played on her lips, she had guessed correctly. Chu Xianning had no reason to refuse.
“Take it.” Luo Yueguan had never seen Chu Xianning yield in her life, but today was the first time.
Suddenly, Jiang Huai reached out and grabbed Chu Xianning’s snow-white wrist. “No need,” Jiang Huai said, shaking his head. “Restoring cultivation is a distant prospect. A single Fire Luo Holy Fruit only adds a sliver of hope in despair. Rather than that, it’s better to have no hope at all.”
“You really don’t want it?” Luo Yueguan was also taken aback.
“No.”
“Your master might not think so,” Luo Yueguan’s smile grew more cheerful. She had been looking forward to seeing the usually aloof and haughty Chu Xianning forced to humble herself.
“Master.” Jiang Huai looked at Chu Xianning. Her eyes were intently focused on him, her cold eyes filled with a complex emotion, but Jiang Huai just shook his head. “Forget it, I don’t want it.”
Chu Xianning took a deep breath and finally nodded gently, her voice becoming even colder. “Luo Yueguan, take your things and get out!”
Luo Yueguan was not annoyed at all; she even laughed. Looking at the cold-eyed Chu Xianning, she said, “It seems you’ve changed quite a bit over the years. You’re actually hesitating over something like this. If it were in the past, you probably would have told me to get lost long ago? Hahahaha, so the Flower-Plucking Fairy, Chu Xianning, can change too? You’ve become so humble. I thought you’d remain high and mighty forever.”
“Want to draw your sword?” Luo Yueguan sneered. “Think about your old wounds. You and your disciple are equally stubborn. Otherwise, you would be the Sect Master of the Tian Xuan Sect, not stuck at the Early Eighth Realm for all your life. I didn’t dislike your good disciple originally; his talent truly matched my Qingyu, and his temperament was much gentler than yours, you stubborn old woman. Unfortunately, you taught him to be just as foolish! The path of cultivation is about being peerless. Only people like you still worry about the welfare of the common people. You saved the citizens of Moluo City back then, but what did you get in return?”
Luo Yueguan seemed about to continue, but Jiang Huai interrupted her. “Sect Master Luo, your purpose has been achieved. You should leave now.”
At that moment, a ding sounded in Jiang Huai’s ear.
【Detected the host’s surging wicked thoughts, a new mission has been issued.】
【Sect Master Luo Yueguan of Qingxuan Sect was once intimate friends with Chu Xianning, the Flower-Plucking Fairy. Five hundred years ago, during the catastrophe of evil cultivators in Moluo City, Chu Xianning stepped forward with her sword, but Luo Yueguan ignored it. Chu Xianning was severely injured, her cultivation halted at the Early Eighth Realm, and she saved more than half the citizens of Moluo City. Luo Yueguan’s cultivation steadily improved and she has now reached the Late Eighth Realm, becoming the Sect Master of Qingxuan Sect.】
【After that day, their relationship was no longer as close as before. Luo Yueguan had attempted to mend their relationship, but Chu Xianning always looked down on her, leading Luo Yueguan to constantly resent Chu Xianning. She had also regretted her actions back then, but now, as the Sect Master of Qingxuan Sect, she told herself that she was not wrong. The internal struggle caused her inner demon to secretly grow, and she remains fixated on the past.】
【Her own daughter, Luo Qingyu, is her solace for suppressing her inner demon. You have a close relationship with her daughter, Luo Qingyu, who is deeply infatuated with you and dotes on you. While Luo Yueguan is not paying attention, you have completely ‘consumed’ her daughter, trained her into a fluffy ball who can only call ‘Brother Jiang Huai,’ and tricked her daughter into breaking off her relationship with Luo Yueguan. Luo Yueguan’s Dao heart will naturally be shattered.】
【Because of the rise of her inner demon, her Ice Soul Profound Body suffers from the torment of ice devouring her heart every month. You, who are skilled in medicine, know how to soothe her pain. You also understand how to add addictive substances into the prescription that will further destabilize her mind, thus luring her to fully manifest her inner demon. While she is disoriented and ecstatic, threaten her into submitting to you, and then use a Sound Recording Stone to capture the scene. Luo Yueguan values her reputation above all else.】
【Thus, the great plan can be accomplished.】
【Mission Reward: High-level Experience Scroll x11, Thunder Elemental Sword Quenching Stone x1, Points x10,000,000.】
Jiang Huai silently read the system prompt before him. This “Malevolent System” of his was indeed a bastard. If it simply issued a mission like “Seduce Luo Yueguan,” Jiang Huai wouldn’t have the slightest inclination. But his system would also reveal past causes and effects, calculate the probability of success, and provide guidance. This was practically tempting him to become a beast.
