Chapter 511 - 25: Spare the Rat to Save the Artifact

Si Taizhen was an extremely decisive man. He acted with resolution and rarely hesitated. Even in the presence of the Sovereign, he would often speak bluntly and contradict him.

But when he reached the outside of Yang Jing’s Demon Cave, his courage suddenly failed him for some unknown reason. He didn’t dare go inside to see Yang Jing.

His heart in turmoil, he paced back and forth outside the Demon Cave, yet he could never bring himself to approach and see Yang Jing.

Seeing this, Eunuch Gui’s heart ached. He had never seen Si Taizhen so timid and hesitant before.

Inside the Demon Cave, Yang Jing had, of course, already sensed Si Taizhen lingering outside. He had just about finished packing his belongings and was planning to slip away, only to find Si Taizhen blocking his exit. His heart sank.

’Has he figured out I’m planning to leave?’

Yang Jing’s brow furrowed as an unpleasant suspicion formed in his mind.

An idea struck him. Swishing his snake tail, he slithered out of the Demon Cave. Upon seeing Si Taizhen, he feigned a look of complete shock.

"Crown Prince?"geo

The moment Si Taizhen saw Yang Jing, a blush crept across his fair, jade-like face, and he appeared rather bashful.

Seeing this coy display, the hair on Yang Jing’s back stood on end. In his eyes, this Si Taizhen—a man with peerless beauty that outshone even the fairest of maidens—was more terrifying than an Evil Ghost.

"May I ask why the Crown Prince was looking for me?"

He asked cautiously. If Si Taizhen so much as opened his mouth to demand he share his bed, he would cast Water Escape and flee on the spot. He could see that Si Taizhen’s Affinity for him had already risen to 95. That was an incredibly high number—even higher than that of his own disciple, Yellow Foot.

Si Taizhen’s foot tapped lightly on the ground without him seeming to notice. He glanced up at Yang Jing, then quickly lowered his gaze.

Seeing Si Taizhen act so timidly, Yang Jing started to wonder if he had misjudged his gender. The whole thing was baffling. Before, Si Taizhen’s attitude toward him had merely been one of excessive trust and esteem. But after the banquet, it had twisted into a hair-raising obsession.

’This is too bizarre. It’s as if Si Taizhen has been struck by some kind of bewitching Magic Technique.’

Eunuch Gui couldn’t bear to see the Crown Prince in such a state, so he stepped forward and said to Yang Jing:

"Danxia True Monarch’s two disciples will be arriving in the fiefdom soon. You will be the one to receive them."

"Danxia True Monarch’s Alchemy is renowned even in the Central Continent. The Sovereign only managed to invite him due to their old friendship. If you serve them well, you might get a few Spirit Pills out of them. But if you offend those two, there will be hell to pay!"

Yang Jing feigned a respectful and submissive look, nodding his head repeatedly.

"I will return at once to freshen up my appearance, so as not to alarm the two honored guests."

"That won’t be necessary!"

Eunuch Gui said flatly.

"When it comes to grooming, do you think you can do a better job than the maids? Just come back to the palace with me and let them get you properly cleaned up. The Crown Prince also has a few old Vestment Robes that would be a perfect fit for you."

The moment he heard Yang Jing would be wearing his old clothes, Si Taizhen’s face turned so red it looked as if it might release steam. He was about to wave his hand in refusal, but Eunuch Gui stopped him.

In Eunuch Gui’s eyes, the Crown Prince was only acting so indecisively because this was his first infatuation, and he was simply overwhelmed by his feelings.

Once the Crown Prince had a taste of it, he would surely grow bored. This Si Bing wasn’t even handsome and still had a snake tail; he would certainly lose favor and be discarded by the Crown Prince in due time.

Yang Jing shot a glance at Eunuch Gui and immediately understood what the old coot was thinking.

He was about to cast Water Escape and leave on the spot, but he stopped after channeling just a sliver of Magical Power. He then retracted his power, concealing it deep within his flesh.

He had sensed two terrifying and piercingly sharp killing intents lock onto him.

If those two hadn’t held back from striking immediately, Yang Jing would have activated his Great Five Elements Heavenly Escape Talisman without a second thought.

’Those two killing intents... they’re definitely from Nascent Soul Stage experts. Has my identity been exposed? Impossible! If that were the case, they wouldn’t want to alert me. They would never project their killing intent so recklessly,’ he theorized.

’Killing intent this piercing... a Golden Core Cultivator would sense it easily. Only a Foundation Establishment Great Demon, with their limited Divine Sense, would have perceptions dull enough to miss it.’

’But my current identity is just an ordinary Great Demon. How could I have drawn the killing intent of two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators? Could it be because of Si Taizhen’s favor?’

Yang Jing was completely baffled.

"Well? Aren’t you going to accompany the Crown Prince?"

Eunuch Gui barked, seeing Yang Jing’s dumbfounded expression.

"As you command!"

Yang Jing could only say, forcing himself.

"Uncle Gui, if Si Bing doesn’t want to go, then let’s just forget it."

Just then, Si Taizhen suddenly interjected, his eyes glistening as he gazed tenderly at Yang Jing.

Yang Jing’s eyes met his, and a wave of revulsion washed over him.

"No, no, that’s not necessary! To be able to receive the two Alchemists is an honor I must have earned over eight lifetimes. If I could ask for a few Elixirs, I might even be able to get rid of this snake tail a few days sooner."

Yang Jing said hurriedly.

"Don’t be so fixated on that snake tail. I think it’s quite beautiful, actually."

Si Taizhen said with a giggle, his eyes on Yang Jing’s snake tail.

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"Danxia, why did you stop me from killing that vile snake!"

Jade Poison Great Saint said furiously.

He bore a strong resemblance to Si Taizhen, though he looked more mature and sported a small mustache.

When he discovered that the object of Si Taizhen’s affection was a Great Demon who hadn’t even managed to transform its snake tail, he was consumed by rage. He had wanted to run the low-blooded spawn through right then and there.

Danxia Great Saint gave a wry smile.

"Great Saint, you may not be aware, but this Innate Chaotic Qi is not so easily transformed. Ordinary love and desire are completely insufficient to convert the Innate Chaotic Qi into Innate Pure Yin Qi. Your son must love this Snake Demon to the very marrow of his bones to have stirred the Innate Chaotic Qi within his Divine Soul."

"A love so powerful that it can stir the Innate Chaotic Qi... if you were to kill that Snake Demon now, Great Saint, the backlash would likely cause the Innate Chaotic Qi in your son’s Divine Soul to instantly transform into Yin."

Jade Poison Great Saint was filled with regret and fury. To prevent Si Taizhen from ever falling in love, he had kept him cloistered in the palace for his first five hundred years. Under the guise of doting on him, he prevented Si Taizhen from having any contact with peers of either gender.

Even the attendants were all white-haired old snakes.

Only after he turned five hundred, when it was clear that Si Taizhen was truly obsessed with Martial Arts and had no interest in romantic matters, did he finally allow him out of the palace.

Who would have thought that this would raise him to be as naive as a blank sheet of paper? He was easily tricked by this damned Snake Demon, and had fallen so deeply in love that it left him completely hamstrung, caught in an impossible dilemma.