Chapter 35: Madam Master, Please Reconsider Your Bold Notion

Ouyang Ke seemed to realize something, and his expression changed drastically. “Senior, do you mean... the one who wants to kill me is the demon in the lake beneath the City Lord’s Mansion?” Aside from that, he could think of no other possibility. Since coming to this world, the only thing he had provoked was the demon in the lake. Ouyang Ke cursed inwardly again—blaming it all on that damned mission. He had already barely survived completing it, never expecting such lingering trouble to haunt him.

Su Jian nodded slightly and then fell silent. Ouyang Ke, his mind still clear, felt as if he had found his last straw to grasp. “Senior, please save me... I will surely repay this kindness a hundredfold in the future.”

Su Jian chuckled. “I’ve heard that our young master is merciful and even granted you thirty percent of the Wanbao Pavilion’s earnings, is that so?”

Ouyang Ke immediately understood and replied without hesitation, “As long as senior can help me survive this calamity, I will hand over that thirty percent without a second thought.”

Su Jian smiled. “You are indeed a promising talent. In fact, resolving your current crisis is neither too hard nor too easy. The demon in the lake has been trapped at the bottom for years, unable to escape due to the restrictions. Now, just as it was about to break free, you ruined its plans at the critical moment. Such a deep-seated grudge—when it gets out in a few days, do I need to spell out what awaits you?”

Ouyang Ke’s face grew grim. “Senior, please save me!”

Now, at last, he understood why his mission had been completed so inexplicably—it turned out he had ruined something significant for the demon.

Su Jian said with an air of indifference, “Your way out lies with the old beggar who took you away. Consider it fate’s way of sparing you this time.”

Ouyang Ke hesitated. “Senior, do you mean... I should stay by the old beggar’s side at all times?”

Su Jian responded bluntly, “Foolish! How is that any different from sitting and waiting for death? You must learn to take the initiative!”

“As the saying goes, strike while your enemy is weak.”

“If you really wait until the demon escapes, you’ll be as good as dead. Open attacks can be avoided, but hidden ones are hard to guard against. Can the old beggar protect you forever? Besides, once the demon escapes, its strength will increase. What if even the old beggar can’t protect you then?”

“That’s why you need to find a way to lure the demon beneath the City Lord’s Mansion into the lake’s depths. By then, it will be at your mercy.”

Though everything he said was pure fabrication, as long as Ouyang Ke believed it, it could become reality. As for how exactly to do it—if Ouyang Ke needed step-by-step instructions, he might as well go smash his head on a block of tofu.

Ouyang Ke could not help but look bitter—once again, death loomed near...

Though he felt a sudden clarity, he knew acting on this plan would be anything but simple.

“Don’t forget your main task. I’ll wait for your news,” Su Jian said, flashing away without another word.

He had said all that needed saying. The rest was up to fate.

This encounter with Ouyang Ke was a stroke of unexpected luck. He had been pondering how best to stir up trouble for the Alliance of Righteousness—after all, he enjoyed watching chaos unfold.

Su Jian had always suspected the strangeness beneath the lake harbored ulterior motives. If he led the Alliance of Righteousness down there, wouldn’t he be playing right into the enemy’s hands? He couldn’t just make things easy for them and allow their plot to succeed.

If the Alliance of Righteousness triumphed over the demon, knowing their nature, they would likely turn on the old beggar as well. On the other hand, if the demon beneath the lake won, the old beggar would hardly escape unscathed.

In short, the waters were already muddied, and the old beggar was sure to get caught up in it.

What happened next was of little concern to Su Jian. Whatever the outcome, no one would suspect him.

He would simply watch from the sidelines.

It was a pity he could not witness it firsthand. Su Jian thought regretfully, hoping Ouyang Ke would send him some updates through the system so he could follow the events as they unfolded.

...

Su Jian quietly returned to the inn. Zhao Qianxue, seeing him—the uninvited guest—again, looked at him with clear displeasure.

Su Jian, as usual, had no intention of teasing her. “It’s me again.”

Zhao Qianxue frowned slightly. “Little Jian, your appearance changes so unpredictably, it makes me uncomfortable.”

Su Jian replied, “Watch a while longer and you’ll get used to it.”

Zhao Qianxue snorted softly, bringing her face close. “Where did you go just now? I’m a stranger here, and you just left me alone in this empty room?”

The key point was... he hadn’t even said a word before leaving.

So annoying!

Did he not know she was worried?

Su Jian, breathing in her sweet scent, refused sternly, “Mistress, please take back your bold thoughts.”

Zhao Qianxue retorted impulsively, “That’s not true!”

Su Jian was momentarily at a loss for words—her argument was surprisingly convincing.

Zhao Qianxue’s expression suddenly became awkward. She quickly changed the subject. “Next time, let me know before you leave. Do you know how worried I was?”

Su Jian explained, “If I hadn’t acted, the one appearing before you now might not have been me, but someone from the Alliance of Righteousness.”

Zhao Qianxue was far from satisfied. “Hmph, don’t try to twist things. Those two situations are not the same at all.”

Su Jian: “...”

She seemed to be getting cleverer.

Zhao Qianxue spoke again, “Little Jian, when will we go to Yingdu? If you ask me, we’d be better off heading south—at least in our own sect’s territory, we’d be safer. The Alliance of Righteousness wouldn’t dare act so brazenly.”

Su Jian was unconcerned. “They’re nothing but a loose alliance. When the Biyou Divine Palace was destroyed, did you see any of them lend a hand?”

Of course, Biyou Divine Palace wasn’t the only sect labeled as demonic in the world. Otherwise, it would have been wiped out by the righteous sects long ago.

...

That night, the system’s prompt sounded once again in Su Jian’s mind.

[Your Dao companion, He Hansu, is cultivating. You gain shared cultivation.]

His spiritual power increased yet again.

At this rate, he would reach the late Golden Core stage within a few days.

Su Jian felt a surge of emotion. “My poor Dao companion, just stay in the void a while longer—otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to cultivate with such focus.”

He truly had her best interests at heart.

He then patted Zhao Qianxue beside him, telling her he was going out, and only then did he leave.

Su Jian arrived near the Wanbao Pavilion and found a secluded spot to lie in wait.

He had no idea if Ouyang Ke would get a chance to escape tonight, but he trusted in Ouyang Ke’s cunning—the chances were high.

Su Jian took out several Greater Teleportation Talismans, ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

He had no doubt that if Ouyang Ke failed, he would sell him out without hesitation.

For now, to be safe, even though he had the strength to deal with the Wanbao Pavilion’s guards, he must not act personally.