CHAPTER 37: 037 DARK CALCULATION

Shi Feiyang hid hundreds of miles away and took out three sticks of Heaven and Earth Harmony Fragrance that he used during his cultivation, lit them with Dan Fire, and sent the fragrance mixed with water vapor and the sea breeze to the island.

However, Lady Bao Xiang, upon learning that Zhuge Jingwo was the senior disciple of the Emei Sect’s Xuan Zhenzi, immediately extinguished the bath fire that enveloped her entire body. Filled with fear and relief, she thought herself fortunate. She was well aware of the prowess of the Emei Sect and the three Immortals of the East Sea. It was a lucky escape from having seduced Zhuge Jingwo unsuccessfully. If she had actually corrupted his Dao Level, an infuriated Xuan Zhenzi would not hesitate to slay her with his Invisible Sword!

Even if Xuan Zhenzi held back because of his status and did not act personally, an attack by several hundred disciples of the Emei Sect, young and old, would leave her with no doubt of death. It was just a timely realization.

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than the scent of Heaven and Earth Harmony reached her with the wind. This fragrance was not strong to begin with, and after traveling such a distance, it was even more diluted. She, herself, always carried a scent that made men weak, and the sweet fragrance of the honey wine in front of her completely masked the Harmony fragrance, leaving her oblivious.

As soon as she managed to suppress her desires, she suddenly perceived Zhuge Jingwo, who was sitting and cultivating, as irresistibly handsome. His brows were sharp as swords, his features well-defined, his arms robust, and his waist slender. The more she looked, the more attractive he became, the more she loved what she saw, and she couldn’t help but feel her heart pounding uncontrollably. She was eager to touch Zhuge Jingwo’s face and wanted to rub her own against his chest...

But she knew Zhuge Jingwo was the disciple of Xuan Zhenzi: "I must not touch this man! With my beauty and mana, I could easily have any handsome young man in the mortal world at my feet, let alone young Sword Immortals from both the righteous and evil paths of cultivation, who would succumb with just a beckoning. There’s no need to offend the Emei Sect or provoke Xuan Zhenzi over a man!"

Her remaining rationality warned her not to act on her impulses—yet she could not take her eyes off Zhuge Jingwo. Feeling parched and desiring a drink, she absent-mindedly picked up the honey wine, only to realize as she brought it to her lips that she should not drink it. She wanted to put it down, but the wine’s aroma overcame her senses, making her yearn to taste it.

Torn within and reddening in the face, even her fingers blushing, she struggled to resist. But ultimately, her self-control failed her, and she tilted the wine cup and gulped it down, thinking to herself how much she loved this man, deciding to enjoy the moment now and deal with consequences later.

Lady Bao Xiang rose into the air and threw herself at Zhuge Jingwo, wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to plant a kiss on his lips.

Zhuge Jingwo hurriedly turned his head away and pushed her, but his push was not very resolute.

Ever since he had started on the path of cultivation, he had been diligent and earnest, never daring to take a wrong step, and he had reached the realm where his essence was so full he had no thoughts of lust, always remaining clear-headed.

But that was under normal circumstances. When essence is like oil and lustful thoughts like fire, too much oil doesn’t ignite. Instead, it nurtures the body, refining form and marrow, and is naturally beneficial to both body and soul. Yet, it couldn’t withstand such intense external temptations.

He had already reacted to the aroma of the honey wine. Even though his Dao heart was strong enough to maintain self-control and his Mysterious Skill could purify the seductive evil into purity, his heart was not yet fully calmed when the scent of Harmony arrived, causing desires to surge within him like waves.

Struggling to cope and barely holding on, Lady Bao Xiang threw herself at him and her fragrant, soft body pressed into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he frantically tried to dodge and push her away. That Heavenly Fox had enchanted countless men over two thousand years and just blew a fragrance-laden, warm breath of Dan Qi into Zhuge Jingwo’s ear. He shivered, his head buzzed, and his blood raced uncontrollably upwards. He could hold back no longer, and with a flip, he embraced Lady Bao Xiang, rolling down the slope and into the grass below.

Both of them lost their senses completely, caring for nothing but indulging their passions, soon tangled in the grass, turning cartwheels in ecstasy, oblivious to the world around them...

Shi Feiyang had arrived in the middle of the night. The two had gone overboard in their discharge of energy, losing their Yuan Yang and Yuan Yin, and had now fallen into a deep sleep, with Lady Bao Xiang’s red mandarin duck corset hanging from Zhuge Jingwo’s ankle.

He looked at the two of them, did nothing, and turned to head towards the Purple River Grass.

The Immortal Herb was bathed in moonlight from the sky and was nearing maturity. In moments, its petals unfurled, and the brightly colored fruits within sprang to life, dancing down to the ground and merrily running up to Shi Feiyang.

Shi Feiyang allowed the little one to jump onto his finger. The creature gestured animatedly at Shi Feiyang, babbling in its own language, while continuously pointing at the two persons who were still in a deep slumber in the distance. Now possessed with spiritual awareness, it knew that the calamity had not yet passed and urged Shi Feiyang to take it and leave quickly.

Shi Feiyang uprooted it, including the dirt around its roots, and stowed it away in the Jade Box. Then he turned around and went back to the two individuals.

He had no intention of killing the pair, just as he had trapped the two women from Immortal City at Dinghu Peak and robbed them of their Magical Treasure Sword Qi. Xie Shan and the forces behind him would not come seeking revenge in person; they would instead arm the women from Immortal City, letting them seek their own vengeance and slay the Demon Dragon in the future.

But if he had killed the women from Immortal City, Xie Shan and his people would surely emerge from their retreat, pursuing him relentlessly to the ends of the earth.

Now that Zhuge Jingwo’s Dao Level had been compromised, and Xuan Zhenzi was too ashamed to seek revenge personally, as it was too embarrassing. The proud eldest senior brother of the Emei Sect and disciple of Xuan Zhenzi, who was equivalent to the Longest Descendant, had been bewitched by a Demon Fox, lost his virginity, and leaked his Pure Yang Essence Qi. Moreover, there was a Demon Dragon causing trouble behind the scenes. Such an incident becoming public would already be a laughing stock. Were Xuan Zhenzi to pursue the Demon Dragon personally, it would only add to the joke!

Xuan Zhenzi would only allow Zhuge Jingwo to exert himself and find an opportunity to kill the Demon Dragon in the future, which could restore his honor. It was not just a stain on Zhuge Jingwo’s honor but also on the Emei Sect’s.

Shi Feiyang chose not to kill Zhuge Jingwo or Lady Bao Xiang but didn’t plan to just walk away either. He planned to seize Lady Bao Xiang’s Qiankun Bag as compensation for the trouble the Demon Fox had caused him.

He waved his claw to draw the bag towards him from a distance, and Lady Bao Xiang’s Qiankun Bag was instantly pulled into his grasp.

The Demon Fox had profound cultivation but had encountered such an attractive man for the first time and had ingested a large amount of silver medicine, leading her to lose self-control. She lost her True Yin Essence Qi and felt somewhat disoriented, briefly falling unconscious. At this disturbance, she hurriedly opened her eyes and saw a large Black Dragon ten-odd zhang away, attracting her Qiankun Bag through the air.

Lady Bao Xiang was greatly shocked and quickly used her left hand to form a spell, drawing back the Qiankun Bag from the air to reclaim it. With the fingers of her right hand, she shot out five Red Cloud Flying Needles, transforming into five parallel red beams aiming directly at him.

Shi Feiyang did not dare to be negligent; he also expelled two inner cores to meet the attack. The inner cores clashed with the Flying Needles, creating a spectacular explosion of flames and needle Qi. As both parties used their Mana to draw the Qiankun Bag, it was pulled by tremendous force and affected by the blast. A muffled "bang" sounded, and the bag burst open in mid-air, with its contents scattering in all directions.

These were Lady Bao Xiang’s collections over more than two thousand years. She hurriedly began casting to retrieve them, and Shi Feiyang also opened his mouth to voraciously inhale, each obtaining about half.

Shi Feiyang swallowed the items into his stomach. Knowing he couldn’t get the rest, he stopped the fight and turned to fly away.

In the midst of their duel, Zhuge Jingwo was also awakened from his daze. Although he had lost his reason earlier, his memory remained intact. The whole indulgent episode with Lady Bao Xiang was crystal clear in his mind. Now that he had regained his senses, he was overwhelmed with regret and let out an angry howl.

At this moment, he was still unaware that it was Shi Feiyang who had orchestrated things. Assuming he had been completely enchanted by Lady Bao Xiang, he was ridden with guilt and grief and was about to release his Flying Sword to execute her.

Once the Invisible Sword was brandished, Lady Bao Xiang felt chills run down her spine. In great haste, she defended herself with the Rainbow Chain. As the Black Dragon flew off, Lady Bao Xiang urgently spoke, "The Purple River Grass has been stolen by that beast. Even if you despise me, we should first recover the herbal medicine before settling our disputes!"

Upon finishing her words, she hurriedly flew out in pursuit of Shi Feiyang. She was unaware of Shi Feiyang’s actions, simply believing she had been unable to restrain herself. Now that she had caused harm to Zhuge Jingwo, she too had damaged her foundation. Yet, the grave mistake had been made, and the only way to redeem herself was to help Zhuge Jingwo retrieve the Purple River Grass, thereby mitigating Xuan Zhenzi’s wrath.

Reminded by her, Zhuge Jingwo had similar thoughts. He realized that the only way to make amends now was to take back the Purple River Grass, fulfill his master’s assignment, return with the medicinal herb to plead for forgiveness, and request his master’s leniency. Otherwise, having failed both in his cultivation and in safeguarding the Immortal Medicine, what face would he have to return to Fishing Rock? He might as well just cut his throat and accept Soldier Disintegration!