CHAPTER 690: CHAPTER 594: TROUBLE THAT CAME KNOCKING

From her reaction, it was clear she felt greatly relieved.

Baili An found a clean stream stone and had her sit by the creek, soaking her injured legs in the cool river water filled with rainwater from the sky.

He effortlessly removed the two beads from the ears of the filth demon and placed them in the water for a meticulous cleansing.

The cleansed Treasure Beads shone brightly and transparently, reflecting a landscape of a thousand mountains and myriad rivers when the light hit them.

With a slight shake, endless clouds of smoke and illusions of mirages surged within the beads, resonating magnificently with the Heavenly Sea.

Within the dreamy night, Baili An had already come to know the extraordinary origins of these two beads.

They governed the flow of water in the world and the flourishing of all things. Should these two beads return to the Emperor’s hands, he believed that within a hundred years, the realms of Cultivation and Mortal World would inevitably witness the resurgence of spiritual mountains like seas and all things would be renewed in a splendorous and magnificent sight.

What should have been a Divine Origin that benefited all beings, in the hands of Ning Feiyan, served only to advance her personal cultivation and make up for the loss of Demon Essence, far less profound than the Emperor’s achievements for the worlds.

It was quite normal, after all. Ning Feiyan had always been selfish and cold, so how could she possibly have the far-reaching heart for the well-being of all beings at the edge of the sea?

After the two beads had spun in Baili An’s palm, he turned back and handed the pair of Treasure Beads to her.

Ning Feiyan merely glanced at them with a fleeting look of the corner of her eye at the regained treasure.

She watched Baili An’s eyes with a smirk, "Your look right now seems to say, ’Such treasures falling into the hands of a witch like me who brings calamity upon others, is truly a waste of heaven’s gifts.’"

Baili An did not argue, nodding honestly, "It is quite a pity. Should these objects return to the hands of deities, they truly could bless unimaginable Immortal Mountains and lands of fortune, and it’s likely that no Cultivators in the world would ever again struggle with the lack of spiritual veins for cultivation."

Ning Feiyan’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled lightly, "So, if you were to present this item to Kunlun, even that high and mighty Emperor would be extremely grateful to you, surely treating you as an honored guest. Cultivators from all over would regard you as a hero who has blessed the common folk and retrieved the Divine Origin for the Emperor. In the future, it won’t be difficult for you to have a place amongst the Hundred Immortal Sects."

Baili An glanced at her and stayed silent.

Seeing that she hadn’t taken the earring beads for a long time, as soon as he bent down, he picked up one of the beads between his fingers and personally hung it by her ear.

Ning Feiyan was momentarily taken aback, then spoke, "It seems you still do not grasp the importance of this object. I mean..."

Before she finished, Baili An flicked her earlobe lightly with his finger, and a Treasure Bead hung securely by her ear, swinging. Interrupting her, he said, "Whether the spiritual veins and Immortal Mountains in the Mortal World are abundant and whether the Emperor is faring well or not, does it have anything to do with us..."

Baili An winked at her, smiling, "Does it?"

Us?

In that moment, amidst the mountains where the clouds had dispersed and the rain had stopped, Ning Feiyan couldn’t explain why, but her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She felt as though she had been unreasonably favored by someone.

Baili An quickly picked up another bead from his palm and continued to put it on for her.

"Besides, the Emperor has lost this Divine Origin for tens of thousands of years, and during these tens of thousands of years, the Six Realms and Four Seas have remained prosperous and peaceful, with Cultivators emerging in great numbers each year.

Looking at him, he doesn’t seem to miss the beads at all. Why should we worry so much about returning them? Perhaps when we send the beads to him, he might act recklessly again, scattering seeds of rain everywhere and losing them."

Ning Feiyan laughed at this analogy. Before he could finish putting on the bead, she reached out to intercept it midway.

Ning Feiyan took the earring bead and looked at it closely, chuckling lightly, "Silly cat, do you not realize that since you entered the Demon World, I’ve been using you? Although I promised to investigate everything about the Disaster Beast for you, that was merely lip service.

Even though I entered the profound cave dwelling and knew it contained secrets about the Disaster Beast, I have never really taken it to heart."

"I’ve been comfortable accepting your help, and no one has ever taught me the words ’repay kindness with gratitude.’ I simply thought you were foolish and easy to deceive. Even when you fought with Shu Ci to save my life, my heart never softened an inch because I was moved."

The crimson Treasure Bead swayed gently on her fingertips as she candidly recounted her own cunning, deceit, and indifference:

"I’ve deceived all my life, without regret, and I’ve never believed in karma. If someone is willing to offer their heart to me, I might take it at will, and when it becomes useless, I might just as easily discard it."

She mimicked Baili An’s earlier action, winking at him relaxingly, while her eyes conveyed an inevitability of laughter, "Today, for some reason, I suddenly want to be a fool who repays gratitude."

Ning Feiyan tapped Baili An’s forehead lightly with the bead, mockingly saying, "You silly cat, if you continue to be so recklessly kind to others in the future, it won’t be as simple as just being killed by a piercing heart with a sword."

She didn’t take the bead back, but instead pierced Baili An’s earlobe with the sharp end of the silver hook.

A crystal clear Blood Pearl seeped out, falling along the Treasure Bead and landing a spot of deep red on her sleeve.

"It’s hard to repay a life-saving grace; I do not wish to repay you with my body, so let this bead make do as token of my gratitude."

The notorious River Lord Ning, who would take feathers from passing geese and skin from departing wolves, was unexpectedly generous for once today.

Baili An frowned and took off the bead from his ear, unwilling to wear it. He did not return it either, just putting the bead into his sleeve. He spoke very seriously, "Only women wear earrings."