Venerated Venomous Consort

She swallowed the pill, but it tasted different again. This time, it was bitter. Gu Xijiu was certain that the pill was identical to the one she had consumed before. So, perhaps her body was the problem. She somehow felt that her sense of taste had changed.

She looked at Di Fuyi and caught him looking at her in an unusually casual manner. The look in his eyes was not entirely friendly, though. “Divine Lord, what happened to you in the Monster Kingdom was all part of my plan, but it worked, didn’t it? Thanks to me, your servant and disciple are now safe.”

Hesitantly, Gu Xijiu answered, “I agree, so I did not blame you on that.”

Di Fuyi smiled but made no further comment on the incident. “However, I still felt the need to give you something in recognition of your loss, so I dived into the deep Earthsea and risked my life to secure this Candle Dragon’s egg, all for the sake of your health and wellbeing. I have not told you about its nutrients, have I? The Candle Dragon is a treasure. Every part of its body, from its scales to its bones, is enough to nourish one’s vitality and nurse one’s body. However, the Candle Dragon I encountered was essentially Yang, which is incompatible with your body of Yin. Its bone and flesh will not work for you. It can possibly cause more harm than good. Therefore, I decided to take its egg instead. The egg is either Yin or Yang, so it is perfect for your recuperation.”

Gu Xijiu was shocked. She did not know that she was the reason he went all the way to steal the egg. However, she still had some doubts. “How did you know that we were going to meet?”

Di Fuyi replied sarcastically, “I planned to visit you in Tianyin Valley after I survived the challenges in Earthsea. I planned to take you all the way here to this glacier and give this egg to you as a gift.”

“Why must I eat the egg here?”

“Its effect can only be put to use here.”

Gu Xijiu did not know what to say.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” If she knew, she would not have cast a spell on him.

“I am reluctant to explain everything that I do. I will do what is best and make no regrets. Bragging about my achievement is not my style.” It was his way of dealing with things.

Remorse started to pour in. “Did you mean that I can actually go into the vortex right after consuming the egg? The pill is not needed anymore?”

“Absolutely. The pill will only work for first-timers. You are here for the second time, so the pill is no longer effective. If not, why would I risk my life to get the Candle Dragon’s egg?”

Gu Xijiu remained silent. She finally knew why the pill tasted different; it was because it no longer worked. If he had told her about his plan, she would not have tricked him. Nevertheless, it was all too late now.

Di Fuyi looked at her steadily and intently. “Divine Lord, now that everything is said and done, would you kindly take back the discipleship?”

As opposed to his usual style, this time, he chose to explain everything thoroughly, which was something that Gu Xijiu was not quite used to. She heaved a sigh before conveying the disappointment, “No.”

Shocked, Di Fuyi looked at her in disbelief. “Still? Don’t you trust me at all?”

“It is not that I do not trust you. God has witnessed the fact that you are my disciple. If we decide to act against it, the consequences would be inevitable, summoned by the wrath of heaven.”

“Consequences? What kind of punishment are we talking about?”

“To be struck by nine streaks of heavenly lightning.”

Di Fuyi smilingly said, “Nine streaks of lightning are bearable to me. I am not afraid of the punishment.”

The oath was made out as a joke. Could there really be punishment if he insisted on going against it? Was she trying to scare him or did she really think of him as a fool?