Chapter 60
Yu Tai fell into thought as she looked at the jade token in her hand.
When she first began planning to enter the Upper Realm, Shu Li had suggested that she deliver an even more spectacular performance than her former self and use it to join an Upper Realm sect.
She naturally intended to take first place, but she had tossed aside the matter of outshining the former Shu Li.
It was not as though a demonic cultivator could be found on every street. Unless she staged the entire thing herself, how was she supposed to put on a performance of killing herself for everyone?
But after her brief interactions with Upper Realm cultivators over the past few days, Yu Tai could say with absolute certainty-
She did not want to enter any sect in the Upper Realm.
Jiang Li’s jade token bore the name of the Zuiyin Sect. Setting aside whether the Zuiyin Sect would still want her if she truly killed Jiang Li, even if she successfully entered the sect, her life would probably be far from peaceful.
And the timing of this second jade token was simply too perfect.
So perfect that she began wondering whether such timely aid could truly arrive by coincidence.
As evening approached, Yu Tai still went to the square to confirm her opponent.
Only after seeing her name listed beside Jiang Li’s did that restless feeling finally settle.
She was not afraid of Jiang Li. In fact, she was somewhat excited.
Judging by Shu Li’s attitude, he genuinely acknowledged Jiang Li’s aptitude.
She looked forward to seeing the dog-nosed young man lying bloodied beneath her blade, hovering on the brink of death.
Before leaving, she glanced at a tall, suspended object nearby that resembled a glowing screen.
It was an artifact brought by the people of the Upper Realm.
Its purpose was to make the betting pools more intuitive.
Whenever spirit stones were placed on a favored name, the number displayed beside that name on the screen would change.
At present, only Jiang Li’s and Yu Tai’s names stood high at the top of the rankings.
But the number behind Jiang Li’s name was twenty times hers.
It was a terrifying figure.
Yu Tai calmly looked away. Her gambler’s instincts stirred fiercely for a moment, but she forcibly suppressed them.
No. Even she was uncertain of the outcome this time. Without absolute confidence, she could not make a reckless move.
By the time she returned to the small courtyard, the sky was completely dark.
Ever since entering the novel, Yu Tai rarely left home except to purchase necessities. Only the Martial Tournament had recently given her a routine of shuttling between two places.
Relatively speaking, she was actually quite a homebody.
When the homebody Yu Tai returned to her cave dwelling and saw hot tea and a prepared meal, her happiness instantly soared.
Who could understand this feeling?
After several days without eating the mortal delicacies made by Shu Li, Yu Tai secretly inhaled deeply, savoring the food’s aroma.
It smelled so wonderful she could cry.
Xia Mo chirped several times in bliss.
During their cold war, it had been reduced to gnawing bamboo every day.
Bamboo was delicious, but sometimes it wanted meat too!
Despite all her inward emotion, Yu Tai remained outwardly calm. “What was wrong with you these past few days?”
She was not someone who liked avoiding problems.
Once a problem arose, ignoring it would only create more conflicts.
It was better to resolve it from the beginning and eliminate the source.
Shu Li looked at Yu Tai’s composed face and the chopsticks twitching eagerly in her hand.
He set down his jade chopsticks. Light seemed to ripple through his tranquil eyes. Even such a simple movement was extraordinarily pleasing to watch.
“I knew nothing about you becoming acquainted with the disciples of the Zuiyin Sect.”
Yu Tai raised an eyebrow. Because of what happened with Xiao Xin and the demonic cultivator she devoured that day, she had completely forgotten about this matter.
But then again, why did she need to tell Shu Li everything?
Her lips moved, but when her gaze landed on Shu Li’s serene, moonlit face, the words somehow changed. “Oh. I was in a hurry to get into bed with you, so I forgot.”
After offering that frank explanation without the slightest embarrassment, Yu Tai smoothly and naturally reached for the piece of pork rib that looked most appetizing.
At her blunt explanation, Shu Li lowered his eyes. His long lashes concealed the flash of scarlet he could not suppress.
This woman could always… stir his emotions with ease.
Sensing a terrifying aura, Xia Mo shuddered violently. It hurriedly pushed the special little bowl Yu Tai had bought for it behind her.
Seeing Xia Mo’s movement, Yu Tai asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xia Mo shook its head without answering.
It could hardly tell her that Shu Li was terrifying.
After dinner-
For once, Yu Tai slept in Shu Li’s room that night.
The reason she normally disliked coming here for certain activities was very simple.
Breathing in the cool fragrance on the bedding that inexplicably put her at ease, Yu Tai thought she must be covered in the scent by now.
The mere thought of her entire body smelling like Shu Li gave her goosebumps.
Looking at the completely defenseless Shu Li sleeping beside her, Yu Tai could not understand how a single invitation from him had lured her aboard this pirate ship and into bed at his side.
She turned and studied the flawless, jade-like profile of the man sleeping neatly beside her. Gradually, drowsiness overtook Yu Tai, and she closed her eyes.
She must have gone insane. Tomorrow was her final match against Jiang Li.
Yet instead of cultivating, she was sleeping beside Shu Li.
In a night so dark that not a sliver of light could enter, a pair of clear eyes opened.
Listening to the even, steady breathing beside him, the man sat up and reached out to stroke the girl’s cheek.
At the cool touch against her face, the girl frowned and appeared on the verge of waking.
But in the next instant, a strand of black-red aura drifted into the point between her brows. Her expression instantly relaxed, and she sank back into a deep sleep.
The man’s eyes turned entirely scarlet.
Eerie Black Mist spread across his entire body, and even the surrounding air seemed to shift and distort.
But the sleeping girl noticed nothing.
“I can sense a very strange power inside her. It’s remarkable. We never detected how she came into this world.”
“My Lord, time is almost up. How much longer do you intend to play here?”
A third person’s voice suddenly sounded in the room.
An ordinary person would have jumped in fright, but Shu Li continued stroking the girl’s cheek.
“There’s no hurry.”
After offering a casual reassurance to his visibly agitated subordinate, Shu Li slowly moved the hand on her lips downward.
“My Lord, please show some mercy. If you truly enjoy playing here, I made some minor adjustments to this world’s Demon Realm. You could handle a little official business after you go there.”
Seeing that Shu Li remained unmoved, the person wisely changed tactics and said, “As a demonic cultivator, Miss Yu Tai might want to visit the Demon Realm too-”
“Demon Lord.”