Reborn as a Human Cauldron, But I'm the Top - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Breaking the Cultivation Vessel Seal

“Hiss~ It hurts so much~”

Yu Zhuotan lay on the bed. The Second Protector sat beside her, applying medicine. Perhaps because her eyes were closed, a lot of the medicinal powder went astray.

Some powder got into Yu Zhuotan’s mouth, but she smacked her lips and didn’t make a sound. She was then patted on the head.

“Spit it out.”

Yu Zhuotan didn’t listen; she even tried to lick the residual powder from her lips. Before she could open her mouth, the other person pinched her lips shut.

“If you don’t behave, I’ll lock you up.”

Yu Zhuotan blinked innocently, but the person in front couldn’t see it. Feeling bored, she completely relaxed and lay down listlessly.

Jing Moyan opened one eye and then closed it, taking a silk handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe the mouth of the troublesome little lunatic.

“The Venerable One’s attitude towards that person is ambiguous. Why be so direct? Your old wounds haven’t fully healed, and now you have new ones. Your body isn’t like mine.”

That day, all five Protectors were punished. After Qi Wu finished her punishment, she immediately attended to the Demonic Palace’s affairs. Yao Ling was full of suppressed anger and ran off to the Demon Territory to cause trouble as soon as her injuries were somewhat better. The Fifth Protector, who was the frailest, was still confined to bed.

And Yu Zhuotan enjoyed tormenting herself, managing to get herself punished again.

Humans are such strange creatures…

However, Yu Zhuotan didn’t care about her body, always pushing herself to the brink of death. Jing Moyan couldn’t watch her all the time.

She turned her head to look at the woman with closed eyes on the bed. The purple jade bead bracelet on the woman’s hand contrasted with her snow-white skin. When she moved, one or two patches of iridescent white scales could be seen.

Yu Zhuotan suddenly grabbed her wrist and smiled, “Are you shedding your skin again, Ah Mo?”

Jing Moyan let her hold her hand, “Yes. So don’t be willful anymore. Without you, who will protect me?”

Yu Zhuotan pressed Jing Moyan’s hand against the side of her face. Her body temperature was higher than an ordinary person’s, but Jing Moyan was different. She came from the extremely cold regions rich in spiritual energy; she was a cold-blooded creature.

Yu Zhuotan cherished this icy temperature. She rubbed against the hand like a kitten, “If anyone dares to hurt you, I will burn them to death.”

Yu Zhuotan’s tone was light, as if they were just casual chatter. Jing Moyan stroked her head, then sighed, “Stay away from that person.”

Jing Moyan had always indulged her, yet now, because of a cultivation vessel who closely resembled the Sword Venerable, she was repeatedly advising her.

Yu Zhuotan opened her mouth and bit Jing Moyan’s wrist. Blood seeped out.

“It seems someone isn’t appreciating the advice,” Jing Moyan said helplessly.

Yu Zhuotan released her mouth amid Jing Moyan’s smile, licking the wound she had bitten, “I just wanted to eliminate a potential hazard for the Venerable One, that’s all~”

“If you continue like this, the Venerable One will eliminate you as the hazard.”

The wound on her hand quickly closed up. Jing Moyan pinched Yu Zhuotan’s mouth, “Sleep now. You’re tired.”

Yu Zhuotan wasn’t actually sleepy, but she closed her eyes and relaxed her mind when coaxed.

After she fell asleep, Jing Moyan got up and went to Shen Yirong’s small courtyard.

At the time, Shen Yirong was making a cat bed for Little White. She found a basket and lined it with her unwanted clothes. Little White, who was previously meowing beside her, suddenly arched its back and hissed toward the front of the courtyard.

Shen Yirong instinctively stroked the cat’s head. She turned around and saw someone standing at the courtyard gate.

She couldn’t help but murmur, “So many people.”

Why are they all running here? Song Yin has thousands of people in her harem, why focus on me?

She asked with a cold face, “Protector, what brings you here?”

Jing Moyan opened her eyes and looked at the face that was excessively similar to the deceased. The same apprehension as Yu Zhuotan surged within her.

She smiled, “The Fourth has offended you. I’ve come to apologize on her behalf.”

Shen Yirong had met her a few days ago and knew she was the Second Protector. Given Huang Li’s relatively good assessment of the Second Protector, Shen Yirong opened the door and invited her in.

Shen Yirong brewed tea with a cold face, occasionally glancing at the other person’s closed eyes.

To be honest, she was quite curious. The person in front of her seemed to be some kind of demon beast.

Sensing Shen Yirong’s gaze, Jing Moyan chuckled softly, “It is as you suspect. I am not human; I am a snake demon.”

Since the demon was so forthright, Shen Yirong wanted to ask even more questions. She was about to smile and try to get closer when she remembered Song Yin’s cold face.

She stopped herself from smiling, “Are your eyes not well?”

“They were injured by someone a while ago.”

“Who?”

Shen Yirong suddenly stopped. She wasn’t familiar with the Second Protector, and such probing was very rude.

“I apologize. You don’t have to answer me.”

Jing Moyan lowered her head slightly and smiled, “It was the Venerable One.”

“When the Venerable One was young, to save someone, she snatched the Nine-Soul Snow Lotus that was symbiotic with me, injuring my eyes.”

Jing Moyan opened her eyes and looked at Shen Yirong, but the other only showed surprise.

Shen Yirong, “Then why do you…?”

Shen Yirong looked at Jing Moyan’s face, which was like frost and snow, carrying a certain wild beauty unique to demons.

Remembering the harem plot of the original novel, Shen Yirong figured it might be a clichéd story of love and hate.

Shen Yirong frowned.

Jing Moyan still felt fear recalling the past. She sighed, “I was newly enlightened back then, and in my ignorance, I wanted to take back the Snow Lotus. I chased the Venerable One, and several times, I was close to killing her.”

Jing Moyan’s voice dropped, “But the Venerable One is the Venerable One. She grew stronger and stronger during the pursuit.”

Shen Yirong quickly interjected, “And then the kind-hearted Venerable One let you go, and you were deeply moved, right?”

At least that’s how it was written in the books Shen Yirong had read. She proudly puffed out her chest, very confident in her guess.

Jing Moyan shook her head with a smile, “The strengthened Venerable One sliced me into two with a sword. I fled miserably for a long time, clutching my severed snake tail.”

“Finally, I hid in a small temple, but she still found me. I thought I was going to die, but the Venerable One pointed her sword at me and gave me two choices.”

“Serve her, or die.”

The tea grew cold. Shen Yirong was lost in thought. She seemed to be able to visualize the scene at that time, but then she suddenly came back to her senses.

Jing Moyan had described it simply, but the danger behind it was immense.

Before her death in the previous life, Song Yin was covered in wounds, and her shattered spiritual roots were not fully recovered. What kind of narrow escape must it have been to survive the snake demon?

She shouldn’t have endured such suffering. The Nine-Soul Snow Lotus she painstakingly acquired was only for a Master who was unkind to her.

Shen Yirong felt sad but didn’t dare to show it because the snake demon was scrutinizing her.

But keeping such a demon by her side, wasn’t it dangerous?

Shen Yirong observed Jing Moyan’s expression, “Don’t you hate her?”

Jing Moyan laughed softly, “Why should I hate her? Demons are purer than humans; we revere the strong. Clearly, the Venerable One is a strong person.”

Shen Yirong looked at the closed eyes, “What if the Venerable One is no longer strong?”

A beast’s instinct made Jing Moyan sense the carefully hidden hostility.

She found it very interesting, “It seems you genuinely like the Venerable One.”

Shen Yirong didn’t deny it. She stared at the fierce creature in front of her, her eyes growing colder.

This was the first time since her rebirth that she revealed such a sharp gaze without her life being threatened.

Jing Moyan was being stared at. For some reason, her memory returned to that small temple in the past. A long sword was pressed against her throat. The sword light was so cold that she didn’t even have the courage to open her mouth and hiss.

Thunder boomed, illuminating the broken statue in the temple. Those crimson pupils pinned her to the spot.

And now, the cultivation vessel’s gaze overlapped with the past.

Jing Moyan couldn’t remain composed. She originally thought only the face was dangerous, but now it seemed it was more than just the face.

This cultivation vessel cannot stay by the Venerable One’s side.

Jing Moyan recovered and put on her gentle façade again, “Mistress, there’s no need to worry about my loyalty. I only came here today to apologize on behalf of my sister.”

“However, the Venerable One is in secluded cultivation recently, so the Mistress might have some free time. If you feel bored, you can go to the Scenic Literature Pavilion (景文閣) to browse books.”

Shen Yirong withdrew her gaze, “I haven’t blamed the Fourth Protector. She was just playing with me. The Scenic Literature Pavilion?”

“The Scenic Literature Pavilion contains tens of thousands of books, which might be beneficial to your cultivation.”

Shen Yirong thought of the Cultivation Vessel Seal on the back of her neck.

Huang Li’s verbal account could not compare to written records in books. Perhaps with a good understanding of the vessel, she could find a corresponding method to break the seal.

But why did this demon specifically mention this?

Seeing that Shen Yirong had taken the suggestion, Jing Moyan stood up, “I am busy, so I will take my leave first.”

Shen Yirong nodded.

The tea on the table was untouched. Shen Yirong stared at her reflection in the teacup, pondering for a long time. Finally, she tidied up and went to the Scenic Literature Pavilion.

The Scenic Literature Pavilion had seven floors. Due to her cultivation restrictions, Shen Yirong could only browse the books on the first floor.

Scanning through, Shen Yirong felt that the collection here was quite comprehensive, covering the history of various immortal sects, basic cultivation techniques, alchemy, artifact refining, arrays, and talismans.

The Scenic Literature Pavilion was in the Inner Palace, and she was the only one in the vast library, making it extremely desolate.

To be precise, there weren’t many people in the Inner Palace at all.

This was good, as it avoided encountering people like Xu Lang.

Fortunately, the bookshelves were categorized, making it easy for Shen Yirong to find the book she wanted.

The book introduced various special physiques. Shen Yirong turned directly to the category of Cultivation Vessel.

Her efforts were not in vain. The book actually contained a method to break the Cultivation Vessel Seal.

Shen Yirong’s eyes lit up. She read it carefully once, and then the book slapped onto the floor.

She picked it up, skeptical, and read it again. It proved she hadn’t misread it.

She sat down weakly against the bookshelf. The page that fell open at her feet was the critical one.

The book clearly stated: There are two methods to break the Cultivation Vessel Seal. The first: the vessel’s cultivation exceeds the master’s. If aptitude is lacking, try the second method.

The second: Use the method of Reverse Dual Cultivation to harvest the master’s cultivation until the vessel’s cultivation surpasses the master’s.

Note: The second method carries enormous risks and may result in being killed by the master. Use with caution.

Shen Yirong’s face was flushed as she shoved the book back onto the shelf. She didn’t understand “Reverse Dual Cultivation,” but she knew about Dual Cultivation.

It definitely wasn’t anything proper.

Shen Yirong’s steps were unsteady on her way back. Because her sword was melted, she snapped off a dead branch from the neighboring courtyard to use as a substitute.

The dead branch was too light to handle like a sword, but later Shen Yirong realized it was her mind that was too restless.

With a turbulent mind, she couldn’t practice swordplay. She fetched water and washed her face.

When she looked in the mirror, the red on her face was striking.

Sitting dejectedly at her desk, after a long silence, Shen Yirong remembered the unfinished dream.

Why did I have a dream like that?

“Could it be that I really have improper thoughts?”

But whether she did or not, the simple master-disciple relationship between her and Song Yin was already horribly twisted.

Song Yin in the dream called her Master, just like before.

No, it’s different.

Song Yin was always restrained, gentle, and strictly polite.

Her eyes would never be as sparkling and seductive as they were in the dream.

Shen Yirong silently recited a Heart-Clearing Incantation, finally driving the sensual images from her mind.

Shen Yirong, Shen Yirong, you must say no to improper temptations.

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