Chapter 17
The underground air was stale, and the passage was both long and deep. Xia Mo, born naturally from the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, found it deeply uncomfortable. It chirped softly in irritation, yet stubbornly refused to return to the demon-beast pouch.
Yu Tai understood its discomfort. She shrank the heavy creature to the size of her palm and placed it on her shoulder. “Be good and stop throwing a tantrum. I’ll give you something tasty once we get out.”
Whether because it no longer had to walk or because food awaited it outside, Xia Mo indeed stopped fussing as soon as Yu Tai finished speaking. It lay obediently on her shoulder, staring at Shu Li up ahead and yawning from time to time.
Shu Li naturally heard their exchange.
Yu Tai was ruthless and skilled at manipulating people, yet strangely enough, this demon beast of his, which was extremely sensitive to the good and evil in humans, did not dislike her.
In fact, it seemed to grow closer to her with each passing day.
Shu Li stopped, and Yu Tai nearly walked into his back. “What is it?”
“We’ve come back to the same place.” He pointed to a mark on the wall. “I left that earlier.”
His Dao foundation might have been destroyed, but he retained all his insight, knowledge, and keen senses. He was still the same Senior Brother Shu Li who had once split the Nine Provinces with a single stroke of his sword and shaken the world with his name.
All he had lost were his worldly fame and his sword.
Yu Tai had not even noticed when he made the mark.
“An illusion?”
Shu Li nodded, approval flickering in his eyes.
Though it had actually been the System that told Yu Tai…
“How do we break it?”
Shu Li’s mild gaze swept over her face before he smiled gently. “Do you want to know, Junior Sister?”
“Don’t forget, Senior Brother, you’re trapped here too.” Yu Tai sneered. He could forget about bargaining with her.
As long as she still needed Shu Li’s righteous qi, she would never let him go, even if it killed her.
“I am nothing but a cripple. Death is all that awaits me.” Though a smile still tugged at his lips, his tone was extraordinarily cold. Even the dancing firelight could kindle no warmth in his eyes.
“Other than letting you go or getting intimate with you, what do you want?” Yu Tai conceded.
“Intimate… Is that what you call it? Junior Sister has such an elegant way with words.” He lingered over the word, a hint of teasing in his voice.
Yu Tai’s gaze sharpened. Only then did he answer unhurriedly, “After we leave Bishui Secret Realm, I want Junior Sister to help me retrieve something.”
“What is it?” Yu Tai asked warily.
“You’ll know once we leave. It isn’t anything difficult.”
Yu Tai’s thoughts churned for a long while before she finally said, “I agree.”
*I can always go back on my word later. It’s not as if you can do anything to me.*
As though seeing straight through her thoughts, Shu Li looked directly into her eyes, his gaze full of meaning. “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Junior Sister.”
Only later would Yu Tai discover that even if Shu Li had never asked, circumstances would have forced her to do it once they left.
He walked forward several steps and pointed at a section of the wall. “Break this open, and the illusion will disappear.”
*That’s all?* Yu Tai thought. She kept the doubt from her face, merely inclining her chin with the reserve of an unfathomable expert. Then she circulated the demonic qi within her and punched the spot Shu Li had indicated.
The wall cracked on impact and collapsed with a crash.
The scene before Yu Tai began to distort. She hastily pulled the perfectly composed Shu Li behind her.
Shu Li slipped his arm free of her grip. “There’s no need to be nervous. The illusion has merely broken, revealing the true scene.”
He made it sound simple, but the true scene still left Yu Tai sickened.
The long passage was gone. In its place, a hideous demon beast writhed not far away, its body covered in lumps and its enormous mouth reeking of blood. One of its teeth looked as though someone had smashed it apart.
No wonder there had been so many bones outside.
Many cultivators had likely fallen for the illusion. They thought they were walking along an endless passage, when in fact they were strolling willingly into the demon beast’s gaping mouth.
By the time its sharp teeth began chewing them and they realized the truth, it was probably already too late.
“A high-ranked illusion beast. This kind of demon beast isn’t particularly strong in its own right, but its exceptional ability to cast illusions makes it a popular choice among powerful experts for guarding their estates,” Shu Li explained from beside her.
Yu Tai wondered whether he thought she was a kindergartner who needed every novel sight explained to her.
[You practically are one… Still, the original character’s public persona was that of an ornamental beauty, so it’s understandable that she lacked common knowledge,] the System said.
*Once I get back, I’m definitely going to study the basic knowledge of the cultivation world,* Yu Tai resolved.
The illusion beast, missing one tooth, rolled around on the ground. Fear flickered in its eyes as it looked at them.
Yu Tai assumed its fear came from the bloodline suppression exerted by the heroine, who was snoring peacefully on her shoulder.
An illusion beast used to guard an estate, huh?
As if he had read her mind, Shu Li suddenly said, “If Junior Sister wants it, you can put it in the demon-beast pouch. Illusion beasts are timid by nature. Once injured, they rarely resist.”
The illusion beast seemed to understand him. It immediately fell still and prostrated itself, enduring its pain in the humble posture of a tamed creature.
Yu Tai looked suspiciously from its enormous body to Shu Li. “Never mind. It’s been here for many years. It probably doesn’t want to move.”
She did not trust Shu Li very much. This demon beast was huge and hideous; who knew what trouble it might cause?
Seeing her determination, Shu Li said nothing more, as if it had only been a casual suggestion.
The illusion beast, now saddled with the reputation of being a coward, looked ready to cry. Being rejected for adoption made it appear even more pitiful. Unfortunately, it was so ugly that Yu Tai could not bear to look at it, so she never saw its expression.
A stone door stood behind the illusion beast. The moment the two of them approached, it opened on its own without warning.
Yu Tai shifted one step aside and let Shu Li take the lead.
Rule Three for Vicious Female Supporting Characters: Never casually turn your back on someone you do not trust.
As they ventured deeper, Yu Tai felt as though she had stepped inside Pandora’s box. For a moment, she was utterly speechless.
Still, after seeing the vast inheritance left to her by her Demon Lord father, the treasures arrayed before her were not enough to make her lose her composure.
More than the scrolls and talismans, what truly held her gaze were the magnificent yet uncanny plants blooming on both sides. The fruit on every plant shone like a brilliant jewel and emitted a mouthwatering sweetness.
Any cultivator with less willpower would probably have pounced on them already.
Yu Tai was not entirely unaffected, but her rational mind took control first. Xia Mo normally loved food more than anything, yet it had not reacted at all. There had to be something wrong with them.
Besides, in the original novel, Shu Li and Xia Mo had walked past without even glancing aside. Neither had touched those treasures, any one of which could have driven countless cultivators mad with desire.
At some point, Xia Mo had awakened. It lay on Yu Tai’s shoulder and rubbed its eyes.
When it saw the irresistibly enticing fruit, it gave a bored yawn and looked away.
“We’re here.” Shu Li stopped, pulling Yu Tai from her thoughts.