When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 50

Hong Ji nodded. She indeed saw that Zhu Ning had only six days left to live.

Zhu Ning was instantly stunned. Six days? Why is this happening exactly like in the original book? In the original story, the disposable Honored Master character was taken down by a backlash from her corrupted disciple. But Su Mi was still recovering on Yun Cang Mountain, and the Major Villain, Lin Xiayan, showed no signs of trouble. How could Zhu Ning possibly die in just six days?

Yet the serpent demon woman before her seemed so grand and mysterious. Zhu Ning had no reason to doubt her. In that moment, Zhu Ning’s world seemed to collapse. She racked her brain, but couldn’t imagine how she might die in six days, or by what means.

So she asked, “Miss, could you please be more specific? Since you’ve taken the trouble to warn me that I have only six days left, there must be a way to resolve this, right?”

Hong Ji chuckled, the cold aura around her suddenly dissipating. She had used considerable cultivation to probe events six days in the future. Her expression turned grave. “Immortal Venerable, you’re deeply poisoned. This isn’t a recent affliction; it seems you’ve been consuming a slow-acting poison for a long time, leading to this crisis.”

Lin Xiayan was even more shocked than Zhu Ning. Her eyes widened as she stared at Hong Ji, as if seeking confirmation. But Hong Ji wasn’t lying. She had already fallen out with her father in the Demon Realm; why would she help the demons now?

There was indeed an inexplicable poison in Zhu Ning’s body.

Now both women were at a loss.

Lin Xiayan broke the silence. “Is there any way you can extend Zhu Ning’s time?” she asked. As a demon, she couldn’t interfere with a human’s destined lifespan. She could only hasten death, not delay it. This was the curse of being a demon.

Even a minor High God could extend a mortal’s life by a few days, but demons couldn’t.

Hong Ji understood what Lin Xiayan meant. Having spent years cultivating in the depths of the mountains, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to owe her a favor.

“There is a way,” she said, “but I have a condition.” To make Zhu Ning believe her, Hong Ji indirectly presented her terms to Lin Xiayan.

“There’s only one method left,” she continued.

Zhu Ning, her attention drawn away, immediately said, “Please tell us, Miss.”

Lin Xiayan also fell silent, waiting for Hong Ji to continue.

“The Library Pavilion of Yun Cang Mountain holds a method. The Demonic Power cultivated from my Demonic Core can reverse a mortal’s lifespan by four days. In other words, if I give you my Demonic Core, combined with your original lifespan of six days, you’ll have ten days. I guarantee that within these ten days, neither your cultivation nor your physical condition will suffer any abnormalities.”

Zhu Ning’s heart stirred with hope at these words, but then she remembered there was only one Demonic Core. This would be a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Hong Ji extended her jade-like hand, revealing a completely crimson sphere that glowed brilliantly even in the hazy moonlight. Zhu Ning’s gaze was drawn to it. “A Demonic Core entirely crimson is truly rare,” she remarked. “Could it be that all snake-type demons possess cores like this?”

Hong Ji was caught off guard. Not all snakes had crimson Demonic Cores; only those of the Serpent King lineage possessed such a core. But Zhu Ning had asked, and Hong Ji was unwilling to reveal her true identity, leaving her in a difficult position.

Lin Xiayan sensed the awkwardness and stepped in to smooth things over. “Honored Master, I’ve heard that Demonic Cores vary greatly. It’s unlikely that all snake-type demons have cores like this.”

Hong Ji nodded in agreement. Seeing that Zhu Ning didn’t press further, she transformed the Demonic Core in her hand.

A massive, translucent Demonic Core shifted subtly along Hong Ji’s fingers and landed in Zhu Ning’s palm, radiating a brilliant light.

“Just carry it with you,” Hong Ji said.

Zhu Ning was deeply grateful, but she didn’t forget the condition. “Please tell me what you require. I will do everything in my power to fulfill it.”

Unexpectedly, Hong Ji showed no urgency. She lazily turned and walked deeper into the forest, saying, “There’s no rush. We can discuss it when the Immortal Venerable returns to return the Demonic Core after purging the poison.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the red figure vanished into the night. Zhu Ning looked at the bead in her hand, her heart filled with gratitude. She silently vowed that if she survived, she would repay this woman for extending her life.

Lin Xiayan saw that the Demonic Array set by the giant python had been broken. Their most urgent task wasn’t finding the Pavilion Master of the Hundred Demon Pavilion, but finding an antidote. They should have continued on, but Zhu Ning’s exhaustion was plain in her eyes.

Indeed, Zhu Ning had been dealing with demonic ghost incidents these past few days, and she had pushed herself through a night of travel using her cultivation. She deserved a proper rest.

“Zhu Ning, let’s rest here tonight,” Lin Xiayan suggested. “With the Demonic Core, those pythons shouldn’t dare return.” Zhu Ning, still conflicted, immediately agreed.

She put away the bead and sat down under a tree. Lin Xiayan sat beside her. Without another word, both gradually drifted off to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Xiayan opened her eyes and saw Zhu Ning breathing steadily beside her. Her panic subsided slightly.

She stood up and saw Hong Ji standing nearby.

“What are you still doing here?” Lin Xiayan bluntly asked, transforming back into her demon form to speak to Hong Ji.

Hong Ji’s lips curled into a smirk. “I never thought the esteemed Demonic Highness would end up wandering the mortal realm with a mere mortal girl.”

Lin Xiayan glanced nervously at Zhu Ning, checking that she was still asleep. Hong Ji noticed her caution. “Don’t worry, I waited until she was sound asleep before coming here.”

Flustered, like a child caught red-handed, Lin Xiayan cleared her throat and changed the subject. “What exactly are you asking Zhu Ning to agree to, Princess Hong Ji?”

Caught off guard by the question, Hong Ji twirled a strand of hair around her finger, staring intently at Lin Xiayan. “Firstly, now that I’ve lost my Demonic Core, the safety of Shepan Mountain can no longer be guaranteed. You must cast protective spells to safeguard me completely.”

Lin Xiayan nodded. Even if Hong Ji hadn’t asked, she would have cast protective spells to ensure Hong Ji’s safety.

“Secondly, I hope that if you have time in the future, you’ll visit my Royal Father for me. I…” Hong Ji trailed off, but she knew Lin Xiayan understood.

Though Lin Xiayan didn’t understand why the father and daughter couldn’t simply talk things out, since Hong Ji had asked, she resolved to visit her father once Zhu Ning’s poison was cured.

Seeing that Lin Xiayan had agreed and there was nothing else to say, Hong Ji vanished into the forest.

Lin Xiayan remained standing, her hand sweeping through the air. A barrier rose, enveloping the entire mountain. Upon closer inspection, she could see that each python had been imbued with intelligence and cultivation, ensuring they would be safe for the time being.

After surveying the surroundings and confirming everything was secure, Lin Xiayan sat down beside Zhu Ning and closed her eyes for a brief rest.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, as the first rays of dawn illuminated Zhu Ning’s face, tracing the contours of her features in fine detail, her eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she did upon waking was look for Lin Xiayan.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xiayan was already awake, her phoenix eyes fixed on Zhu Ning. When their gazes met, she smiled warmly at Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning quickly averted her gaze, feeling a little flustered. “Lin… Lin Xiayan. It’s dawn. We should get moving.”

Lin Xiayan checked the time and said lazily, “We should fill our stomachs first. Once we leave this forest, let’s go get some buns.”

For some reason, Lin Xiayan’s usual voice, now softened with a lazy tone, sounded strangely flirtatious to Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning quickly shook off the thought, patted her burning cheeks, and inwardly berated herself.

Nodding, Zhu Ning stood up and followed Lin Xiayan out of the forest.

This time, they left quickly. In less than fifteen minutes, they reached the small town adjacent to the forest.

Lin Xiayan and Zhu Ning approached a bustling stall. The vendor, busy but cheerful, smiled and asked, “Honored guests, would you like some buns? Today’s buns are freshly steamed, and our meat-filled buns are our signature dish. Would you care to try some?”

Lin Xiayan glanced at Zhu Ning, waited for her nod of approval, and said, “Six, please.” She reached for a silver ingot, just as she had the other day, but Zhu Ning stopped her.

“Are you just burning through money?” Zhu Ning asked. “It’s only six buns! If the Demon Realm found out how reckless you are…” She stopped mid-sentence, realizing she’d let her tongue run ahead of her brain. She’d forgotten that Lin Xiayan’s connection to the Demon Realm was still a sensitive topic. Seeing that Lin Xiayan’s expression remained calm, she finally relaxed.

Zhu Ning pulled out a few copper coins and paid the vendor. Holding the buns in one hand and tugging Lin Xiayan with the other, she said, “Let’s find a place to sit and eat, Lin Xiayan.”

Lin Xiayan watched Zhu Ning desperately change the subject, nearly bursting into laughter. She managed to suppress it, keeping a straight face as she said, “I’ll take you somewhere.”

Zhu Ning turned around, bewildered as Lin Xiayan led her through a maze of twists and turns. They arrived at a pavilion with few people around, but the scenery was beautiful, evoking the misty, rain-soaked landscapes of Jiangnan.

“Little Disciple, how did you even know this pavilion existed?” Zhu Ning teased, though she was genuinely puzzled. Lin Xiayan had never been here before, after all.

Lin Xiayan was stumped. Could she really tell Zhu Ning she’d been here before? No, no, no, that wouldn’t do.

“I overheard some people talking about this place when we entered the city earlier, so I remembered the directions and brought you here to see it.” Though it was a flimsy excuse, the city had indeed been bustling with activity when they arrived, with a cacophony of sounds and plenty of people asking for directions.

Zhu Ning didn’t doubt her. She stepped into the pavilion, where the scorching sunlight was blocked. A gentle breeze swept through, dispelling the lingering morning drowsiness and refreshing her completely, sweeping away the fatigue of the past few days.

Steam rose from the steamed buns on the stone table, their aroma filling the air. The two of them each grabbed one and began eating.

Though they remained silent, their thoughts were vivid and intriguing.

Lin Xiayan wondered if Zhu Ning had actually believed her story, while Zhu Ning pondered how Lin Xiayan knew that she often came to this pavilion when she had time to herself, and how she had specifically remembered the direction to it.

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