Xue Tianjue pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Indeed, your plan is much safer. You are very capable. Do a good job, and I will promote you well in the future."
Feng Xi wore a look of flattering surprise.
"My lord, you flatter me! It is my honor to serve you! Shall we head out right now, then?"
With that, she took the initiative to step in front of Xue Tianjue, looking entirely like a lamb ready for slaughter.
Jun Wen: "..."
What on earth are you doing?!
Wouldn't it be wonderful to just slip away directly?
Must you insist on getting taken hostage?
What if this old demon loses control and crushes the two of us to death? What then?
Yet, unable to defy him, he had no choice but to follow Feng Xi's example and step voluntarily in front of Xue Tianjue as well.
Xue Tianjue glanced at him with some disdain. "Your brains are far inferior to this girl's! From now on, you will listen to everything she says and stop holding her back!"
Jun Wen: "..."
I hope you don't drop dead from anger when you realize you've been played!
Xue Tianjue grabbed them by the collar, one in each hand, and burst straight through the stone wall!
By now, it was already the middle of the night.
Even so, a good number of people were still keeping watch here, torches blazing.
If you asked why they didn't use illumination spiritual tools, the answer was simple: they were poor.
Xiao Baidao was still guarding the spot, terrified of missing any useful clues.
Logically speaking, Xue Tianjue could have used the time difference to make a clean getaway. However, because he was dragging along two human hostages (dead weight), Xiao Baidao spotted him and blocked his path.
Xiao Baidao's initial reaction was joy upon seeing his two precious disciples safe and sound.
Then came the shock: "Xue Tianjue? You're not dead?"
Xue Tianjue let out a sinister, cackling laugh. "This lord still intends to wipe out your human race with my own hands, how could I possibly die?! Cut the crap! If you don't want them to die, respectfully escort me out of the Xuantian Sect!"
Xiao Baidao did not reply immediately.
Out of selfishness, naturally, he wanted to save his disciples.
Yet the opponent was a notoriously infamous demon lord; letting him escape now would be like releasing a tiger back to the mountains, leaving endless trouble behind!
As he was torn internally, he heard Feng Xi cry out:
"Old demon, your words alone mean nothing. Who knows if you're pulling a trick? Release my Senior Brother first to show your sincerity!"
Xiao Baidao's heart ached fiercely!
Little Xi was truly a sensible child, so considerate it broke one's heart!
She was trying to sacrifice herself to save Jun Wen!
As for Xue Tianjue, he thought to himself that this little girl was quite the actress, making it look so convincing!
He hesitated for a moment, tossed Jun Wen over to Xiao Baidao, and then soared into the air, riding on demonic energy.
Xiao Baidao caught Jun Wen, set him on the ground, and summoned his flying sword in relentless pursuit.
By this time, other high-ranking officials of the Xuantian Sect who had caught wind of the news were also following close behind.
As they neared the mountain gate, Xue Tianjue was forced to descend to the ground.
Because of the suppressing pressure from the mountain gate's plaque, he was unable to fly through the air.
The moment he landed, Feng Xi abruptly broke free from his grip and unleashed a spiritual technique at him!
It was not the Flame Technique she had shown off earlier in front of the Golden Suanni, but a wood-element technique: the Binding Technique.
It bound Xue Tianjue's legs.
In Xue Tianjue's eyes, Feng Xi was one of his own, and a weakling at that.
Therefore, he had lowered his guard entirely.
Though he broke free from the bindings in just a few breaths, he was facing Xiao Baidao and a crowd of top experts.
Coupled with the fact that he had not yet fully recovered his powers, those few breaths were enough to decide the battle.
In an instant, dazzling lights swirled as various techniques and sword radiances rained down upon Xue Tianjue.
Within seconds, Xue Tianjue had sustained severe injuries and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Feng Xi had assumed this old fellow was surely done for, but unexpectedly, several "Xue Tianjues" suddenly appeared.
After the crowd cut them down, they realized they were all illusions—Xue Tianjue had long since escaped.
Feng Xi was furious!
Are you all a bunch of good-for-nothings? I helped you to this extent, and you still let that old demon get away!
She had wanted to eradicate the roots to prevent future troubles, but now look at this—the old demon would surely despise her to the core and might come to take her little life any day now.
Had she known it would turn out like this, she might as well have left him in the second mine shaft.
The reason Feng Xi didn't want him left there was twofold. First, she didn't want anyone to know about the act she and Jun Wen had put on.
Although their starting point was good, it was inevitable that some stubborn people within the sect wouldn't appreciate it, which would hinder her efforts to build her public persona.
On the other hand, even if she collapsed the second mine shaft, there was no absolute certainty it would kill Xue Tianjue. It was better to draw the snake out of its hole and deliver a fatal blow.
Of course, there was another very important reason: she was afraid that collapsing the second mine shaft might accidentally destroy the top-grade Spirit Stone mine, and that would be a catastrophic loss!
She just hadn't counted on the Xuantian Sect's higher-ups being so incompetent as to let the old demon slip through their fingers.
However, her top priority right now wasn't dwelling on this; she needed to establish her persona and find an opportunity to get her story straight with that idiot Jun Wen.
With that thought, she "passed out."
Having exerted herself too violently with the Binding Technique earlier, blood was already flowing from her nose and mouth. When she fainted right then and there, everyone on the scene was deeply moved!
Feng Xi had first risked her life to save Jun Wen, and now she had ambushed Xue Tianjue at the risk of shattering her dantian—she was a role model for Xuantian Sect disciples and a paragon of the human race!
Chapter 17: The Junior Sister is Truly Something Else
Xiao Baidao's eyes were bloodshot as he shoved a medicinal pill into Feng Xi's mouth.
This was his prized Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill, which he had saved for years, originally intended for life-or-death crises. But now he couldn't care about any of that; saving his disciple took precedence!
Feng Xi had no idea how precious the pill was, and since she was still "fainting," she had no choice but to swallow it.
The moment the pill entered her abdomen, she sensed the three Spiritual Roots in her dantian desperately poking their heads... outward.
Feng Xi: "..."
Are these Spiritual Roots?
They're dogs seeing a juicy bone!
Most of the pill's medicinal power was absorbed by those three Spiritual Roots, and the remainder was entirely soaked up by her meridians.
Feng Xi felt her entire body grow warm, with an indescribable sense of comfort.
Because it was a bit too comfortable, she... actually fell unconscious.
When Feng Xi woke up, she was already lying in her own bed.
Her annoyance was simply beyond words!
"Disciple, you're awake? Does anything hurt?" Xiao Baidao asked with a face full of concern.
Feng Xi shook her head. "Master, I'm fine. Where is Fifth Senior Brother?"
Xiao Baidao let out a cold snort. "Still knocked out! For all his usual cockiness, he turns out to be a good-for-nothing whose courage isn't a fraction of yours! By the way, was this whole mess caused by him? It must have been him acting on a whim and dragging you to the mine to play, putting you in such mortal danger..."
Feng Xi's conscience, which frequently went on extended leaves, happened to be at home just then, so she explained:
"Master, it has nothing to do with Fifth Senior Brother. I was the curious one and forced him to take me."
Xiao Baidao refused to believe it at all. "Stop covering for him. You're a good child, you'd never make such a request."
"Master, it really was me—"
Xiao Baidao soothed her, "Alright, alright, it was you, it was you, Master believes you."
Feng Xi: Fifth Senior Brother, I really tried my best!
What comforted her, however, was that Jun Wen was quite quick-witted; he knew to fake a faint to stall for time and coordinate their stories.
Little did she know, Jun Wen wasn't trying to coordinate anything with her; he simply... couldn't bring himself to face anyone.
The mere thought of what he had done in front of Xue Tianjue made him wish he could depart this mortal coil!
It was too humiliating!
His Junior Sister had no shame, but he still wanted his face!
Feng Xi insisted on going to see Jun Wen. Xiao Baidao tried to stop her to no avail, and seeing that Feng Xi looked fine aside from being somewhat weak, he ultimately relented and let her go.
In truth, their courtyards were very close, separated by only three yards.
When Feng Xi stepped into the room, Jun Wen was still "unconscious."
Xiao Baidao gave a cold huff.
"Useless trash! Completely unharmed, yet playing half-dead like this. He probably scared the wits right out of himself."
Jun Wen's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he gritted his teeth, keeping silent.
Feng Xi quickly chimed in, "Master, you've wronged Fifth Senior Brother! He behaved with utter valor. If not for him risking his life to save me, I would have either been crushed by the rocks or choked to death by that old demon Xue Tianjue."
Xiao Baidao actually cared for Jun Wen too, but he was simply frustrated by his lack of ambition!
Hearing Feng Xi say this, his expression finally softened a bit.
"Disciple, tell Master quickly, what on earth happened?"
Jun Wen, playing corpse on the bed, wished he could plug his ears, because every single scene he had tried so hard to forget was about to be dragged out into the light.
Calling the old demon Xue Tianjue "my lord," bowing to him, and even proactively offering to become a mole for the Demon race...
Even though it was all fake, it was still too embarrassing to utter aloud!
Then, she heard Feng Xi say:
"Master, that old demon Xue Tianjue subjected us to coercion and bribery, but he severely underestimated both Fifth Senior Brother and me! Leave me aside, but Fifth Senior Brother has always been under your guidance, taking the eradication of demons and defense of the righteous as his duty—how could he possibly bow his head to the Demon race?!
"Seeing our unyielding bravery, the old demon prepared to torture us. Knowing my constitution is weak, Fifth Senior Brother deliberately provoked the old demon to draw all of his hatred onto himself. As expected, the old demon spared me from torture, but subjected Fifth Senior Brother to inhumane abuse.
"I heard that old demon mention some kind of demonic torture that leaves no external wounds, but inflicts agonizing pain beneath the surface. That's why Fifth Senior Brother is still unconscious right now—not out of cowardice, but because of the torture he endured..."
The look Xiao Baidao cast at Jun Wen instantly filled with pride and heartache:
"Although this child Xiao Wu is mischievous by nature, his core character is still good."
Jun Wen, playing corpse on the bed: "..."
The complexity of his emotions could not be expressed in words.
Just a moment ago you were cursing me for lacking spine, and now you're praising me?
Whether I'm good or bad seems to entirely depend on my Junior Sister's silver tongue!
Feng Xi continued, "Seeing that we preferred death over surrender, and growing anxious to escape, the old demon used us as hostages to flee the second mine level. Knowing that letting him escape would bring endless calamity to the human race, I launched a surprise attack on him at the risk of shattering my dantian..."
Jun Wen, playing corpse on the bed, flushed bright red from sheer embarrassment.
The Junior Sister is truly a master of fabrication!
I might have had the spine to prefer death over surrender in theory, but you certainly didn't show any trace of it!
Xiao Baidao, however, swallowed it hook, line, and sinker, nodding continuously. Neither his youngest nor his fifth disciple had let him down; both were pillars of the human race!
At that moment, Feng Xi lowered her voice. "Master, is it safe for us to talk right now?"
Xiao Baidao paused for a second, then said, "Rest assured, go ahead!"
Even with Xiao Baidao's reassurance, Feng Xi still stumbled to the door, poked her little head out to survey her surroundings like a thief, and then scurried back inside with a furtive grin.
Xiao Baidao: "..."
"Master, I guessed something from the old demon's words and hints—the abandoned spirit stone mine on the East Peak still contains spirit stones! It might even be top-grade spirit stones!
"Think about it: he's been trapped down there for over a hundred years, and the spirit stones he had must have been absorbed to depletion long ago. How could he still pull out so many top-grade ones? And look at him, bouncing around in peak condition. If there wasn't something in that mine attracting him, he would have bolted ages ago.
"Master, this concerns top secrets. You should find an excuse to dig around down there. If we dig something up, everyone rejoices; if not, we haven't lost anything."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Baidao's very first thought was: Impossible!
According to records in the sect's classics, when the spirit stone mine was mined to exhaustion back then, they had deliberately dug several tens of feet deeper and tested it with spiritual tools, confirming no spiritual Qi was leaking out, before finally giving up all hope.
And now she was telling him there was still a top-grade spirit stone mine down there? How could that possibly be?!
Yet, seeing his youngest disciple's absolute conviction, a sliver of hope sprouted in his heart.
Very well!
Digging wouldn't cost them anything; what if they really struck something?
With this matter weighing on his mind, Xiao Baidao gave Feng Xi a few parting instructions and hurried off.
As soon as he left, Jun Wen snapped his eyes open.
"Junior Sister, how could you lie to Master?!"
Feng Xi glanced at him. "Then why don't you go tell Master that not only did we fawn over and flatter the old demon, but we also pretended to agree to become the Demon race's moles."
Jun Wen: "..." "Well, Junior Sister, I feel that sometimes, white lies are necessary."
Chapter 18: Naturally, by Forgiving Me
Jun Wen felt his face stinging slightly, so he decided to change the subject.
"Junior Sister, Xue Tianjue must hate us to the bone! I'm easy to deal with, at least I have some self-preservation means, but you should honestly stay put in the sect from now on and not go anywhere! Otherwise, if you run into the old demon or his subordinates, you're dead meat!"
Feng Xi looked at him with a half-smile.
"You have self-preservation means? Are you sure? If not for me this time, grass would already be growing on your grave!"
Jun Wen: "..."
If you talk like that, you're going to lose me!
Jun Wen forced himself to salvage some pride.
"If anyone's to blame, it's that our Xuantian Sect is simply too poor! The core disciples of the other Three Great Sects have piles of life-saving methods—countless talismans, array disks, and spiritual tools, not to mention all sorts of life-saving pills. Unlike me, who only had those few spirit stones and had to use them all just to activate the teleportation array."
Feng Xi pursed her lips and smiled. "Fifth Senior Brother, we're going to get rich soon! Once the top-grade spirit stone mine is dug up, we'll stock up on plenty of good life-saving treasures too!"
Jun Wen's eyes lit up. "Right! From now on, we'll be wealthy people!"
The two of them fantasized about the future, their eyes turning into... the shape of spirit stones.
"By the way, Fifth Senior Brother, what is the old demon's actual identity? He seemed awfully formidable."
Jun Wen immediately replied, "He is an enforcement elder of the Blood Demon Clan. He has slaughtered many of our human race and uses extremely cruel methods. A century ago, for unknown reasons, he penetrated deep into the heartland of our human race, and that's when the Four Great Sects joined forces and killed him. Who would have thought he actually survived?"
Hearing this, Feng Xi blinked her big eyes.
"Fifth Senior Brother, help me keep watch. I need to have a friendly little chat with the old demon."
Jun Wen was dumbfounded!
"Junior Sister, what did you say?"
"I'm going to send the old demon a message on his token, explaining that what happened earlier was just a misunderstanding. We are still his good subordinates, and we will continue to wholeheartedly serve as little moles for the Demon race."
Jun Wen: "..." "Are you out of your mind?"
You acted like that in the mine just to stay alive, but now that you've escaped the devil's clutches, why on earth are you proactively rushing back into the act?
Feng Xi sighed. "Fifth Senior Brother, do you think I want to act? I'm doing this for our Xuantian Sect, for the human race! As long as we can win the old demon's trust, we can obtain first-hand intelligence on the Demon race in the future. This brings a hundred benefits to the human race and zero harm! Therefore, I must act, and keep acting.
"Fifth Senior Brother, the fewer people who know about this, the better. So aside from you and me, no one else can be told. Not even Master. It's not that I don't trust Master, but out of his love and protectiveness for us, he would definitely try to stop us. So, Fifth Senior Brother, from here on out, it's just the two of us fighting shoulder to shoulder! For the Xuantian Sect, for the human race, we must endure humiliation..."
After Feng Xi rattled off her speech, Jun Wen felt his blood boiling, convinced that the rise and fall of the human race now rested entirely upon the two of them.
After a long while, he finally calmed down.
"Junior Sister, our plan sounds wonderful, but the real question is: will the old demon still believe us?"
You just stabbed him in the back, would he still trust you?
Feng Xi smiled with curved eyes. "We'll know once we try!"
With that, she had Jun Wen stand guard while she pulled out the Blood Demon Clan token Xue Tianjue had given her.
"My lord, this subordinate deserves a thousand deaths! To prevent the human race from seeing through our ruse, this subordinate dared to act on her own initiative and injure you just now. This subordinate had absolute confidence in you, knowing you would certainly escape, which is why we put on that act. This is what is known as a bitter-flesh ruse..."
A moment later, an enraged, teeth-gnashing voice echoed from the token:
"Dead girl, do you take this lord for a fool?! You dare deceive this lord like this—just wait, I will refine you into a living puppet, making you wish for death while unable to die!"
Feng Xi sighed.
"My lord, I know you are deeply dissatisfied with me, and anything I say now will sound pale and weak. But my loyalty to you is attested by heaven and earth; don't forget, I swore a poisonous oath in your presence! In a little over half a month, the Tianlv Secret Realm will open. I will definitely find a way to drive a wedge between the Four Great Sects by then, as a token of my surrender."
A short while later, a sinister voice drifted from the Blood Demon Clan token: "Very well. This lord will give you one more chance. Let us hope you do not disappoint me."
Because Feng Xi was using her divine sense, Jun Wen had no idea what Xue Tianjue had said. Seeing Feng Xi put away the token with a beaming smile, he eagerly pressed:
"Junior Sister, what did he say?"
Feng Xi smiled brightly and said, "What else could he say? Naturally, by forgiving me! Figures, a mole as exceptional as me is hard to find across the entire world!"
Jun Wen: "..." "Can you speak like a normal human being?"
Only then did Feng Xi recount the entire conversation from start to finish.
Jun Wen: "..." "Wait, aren't you getting a bit too carried away with your role? You're seriously planning to drive a wedge between the Four Great Sects?"
Feng Xi glanced at him. "Fifth Senior Brother, can you use your brain for once? Haven't the Four Great Sects always been at each other's throats anyway? Do I even need to stir the pot? Besides, Shen Zhilan must hate me to the core; by then, she'll be handing me the knife herself without me needing to lift a finger!"
Jun Wen: "..."
In the past, he used to think he was quite smart. But ever since he met his Junior Sister, he began to doubt whether he had a brain at all.
The reason Feng Xi continued to play along with Xue Tianjue wasn't for the sake of the human race as she claimed—she was simply doing it to protect her own skin.
As for Feng Xi, her sense of righteousness existed, but... it was not very abundant.
With her life barely hanging in the balance, she had no idle time to worry about the future of the human race!
According to Jun Wen, Xue Tianjue was an enforcement elder of the Blood Demon Clan, which meant the old fellow possessed both personal strength and a powerful backing.
If she didn't patch things up, the Blood Demon Clan might issue a bounty for her head.
She was far too frail right now to make too many enemies.
Once her wings were fully grown in the future, whoever wanted to could go to hell!
Meanwhile, Xiao Baidao had mobilized a team to excavate the second mine level.
His pretext was sound: since Xue Tianjue had hidden down there for so long, perhaps they could uncover some useful clues.