Shui Die Lan lifted her brows ever so slightly, her eyes glimmering with amusement as they swept over Li Xun from head to toe. With clear interest, she asked, "You want Flayer of Yin?"
Feeling more certain that his plan would work, Li Xun smiled calmly. "They say Devour of Yang is wild and Flayer of Yin enchanting. I've heard of them for a long time. A few years back I even had dealings with Devour of Yang. Unforgettable, really. Now that I've finally got the chance, I'd like to witness Flayer of Yin's charm for myself…"
He stopped short, but his meaning couldn't have been clearer. How could Shui Die Lan not understand? The assassin froze for a moment, then her eyes flickered with something unreadable. At last she gave him the same smile she always wore, leaving Li Xun unsure of what to make of her.
For him to bring this up in front of her was already a provocation, meant to test her boundaries. At first she seemed angry, but she quickly smoothed it over, clearly unshaken by his words.
That left Li Xun a little disappointed. Still, he pressed on with a smile. "The only pity is, Flayer of Yin's Scraping Bones and Extracting Marrow technique isn't so easy to handle. I'm injured right now, and my strength doesn't match my intent. That's why I hoped the fairy might lend a hand."
"Lend you a hand? What, hold her down for you?"
Shui Die Lan's words were ten times bolder than his. Just as Li Xun was struck speechless, her lips curved into a strange, bewitching smile. "And why exactly should I help you?"
Li Xun chuckled. "Treasure. I'll give you a share."
Her eyes shifted, and then she agreed with startling ease. "Fine. I take ninety, you keep ten."
Li Xun rolled his eyes. "Wrong. You six, me four!"
"Eighty-twenty!"
"Seventy-thirty!"
"Deal!" Shui Die Lan made the call, then flashed a dazzling smile. "But I'll need to see your skills. Whatever Flayer of Yin got from Xiao Zhongzi, you'll have to pry it out of her; down to the last scrap!"
Li Xun knew full well that the quicker such an agreement came together, the sooner it could fall apart. But he didn't care. Clapping his hands, he laughed. "How could I not give it my all? I'll just trouble the fairy to stand guard at my side…"
Shui Die Lan cast him a sidelong glance and smiled faintly. "No need to worry. You'll get your fill of pleasure."
The last four words dripped with a tone of wanton indulgence, and they sent a tingle through Li Xun's chest. Though what he felt most was satisfaction.
Without lifting a finger, he'd secured a powerful ally to help him silence a witness. That was profit, pure and simple.
He chuckled darkly, his robe sweeping as a gust of wind stirred. In an instant, Xiao Zhongzi's broken corpse on the ground crumbled to ash and vanished.
Just as Shui Die Lan had said, the Bliss Sect's base lay a little over seventy li away, tucked in a mountain valley surrounded on three sides.
The two of them stood atop a mountain, looking down into the valley. A clear stream ran through its center, the banks lush with green grass and open ground, a fine place to set camp. Not far from the water's edge stood five or six ornate tents, and among them the most striking was the one in the middle: a half-transparent pink pavilion scented with incense.
By the stream, four young men and women in thin clothes splashed water and played, laughing. From inside the tents came faint gasps and moans. So this was the Bliss Sect's style. Li Xun had finally seen it for himself.
Even at this distance, though, no fragrance carried to him. Only in the pink pavilion did he catch a faint flicker of firelight, perhaps from the incense burner within.
Shui Die Lan's bright eyes shifted from tent to tent before her brows drew together. "The second tent on the left should be where Flayer of Yin resides. Our luck's good; she just lit the 'Thousand-Li Message Incense.' She must be preparing to contact her sect brothers and sisters…
"That means Heart-Consuming Concubine doesn't yet know what she's up to. This is our chance! You hold off those nine. Don't let them interfere. I'll snuff out the incense… call it buying Hundred Ghosts a little more time."
Her mocking tone still lingered when her figure seemed to melt into the air and vanish. Li Xun could only just trace the faint path of her flight.
Following her instructions, he quickly set his plan, chasing after her shadow as he dove down the mountainside. But he had barely covered half the distance when shouts and blasts of energy erupted from the tents.
So this was the difference in their speed?
Li Xun pushed aside his stray thoughts and let out a piercing cry as he dove like a great eagle. By the stream, the two couples startled at the blast of energy, only to see him streak past overhead. They froze again before finally realizing they should rush forward.
He reached the tent in an instant, and before he could even steady himself, the precious fabric of its walls gave way under the raging currents of qi. With a loud crack, it tore apart, scattering in all directions. Li Xun sidestepped quickly, just in time to see two figures burst skyward, already locked in combat.
He chuckled darkly. His "Ghost-Crow" flying sword, refined through the Shadow-Devouring Soul Sect, dissolved into a shroud of black mist, swept through the air, and pierced two more tents in a single breath, forcing a hidden male cultivator out into the open.
Then, with a flick of his fingers, ghostly fireballs shot out, striking the four by the stream and the four still in the tents. The flames caused no harm, but they were enough to draw every eye to him.
With a cold laugh, Li Xun mounted his sword and streaked toward the duel in the sky.
The Bliss Sect men and women on the ground had no idea of his true scheme. They thought he meant to join forces against Flayer of Yin, and with a collective shout, they unleashed their techniques. Some leaping into the air, others striking from a distance. Every attack aimed at Li Xun. For the moment, they completely forgot that the one who most needed their help was Flayer of Yin herself!
Li Xun was still injured; after fending off only two waves of attacks, sweat was already streaming down his back. The nine Bliss Sect disciples were each far weaker than him in cultivation, but what they lacked individually they made up for in seamless coordination. Their joint techniques wove near and far into one, and dealing with them was no easy matter. Worse, Li Xun couldn't simply slip away, leaving him in quite an awkward spot.
Just then, a soft laugh sounded above him. The next instant, a warm, supple body fell into his arms. He looked down and found himself holding a stunning beauty, every bit alive and breathing, her scent and softness filling his embrace. But her eyes were narrowed like a drowsy cat's, unable to open, her body weak and pliant as though bound by some restrictive technique. This only made her seem all the more delicate.
Li Xun instantly understood. This had to be the Flayer of Yin Tribulation Maiden.
So Shui Die Lan truly was unfathomable. In barely ten breaths, she had captured a powerful cultivator as if it were nothing. Her strength was indeed terrifying.
The beauty in his arms forced her eyes open, and when she caught sight of his face, shock clearly flashed across her features. Li Xun knew at once. She recognized him. Had she perhaps heard of him through Devour of Yang?
She seemed to want to speak, but no strength came to her voice. All that escaped were soft, quickened breaths, her body trembling faintly with each one. Pressed against him, her subtle movements brushed and rubbed against him, and Li Xun couldn't help but think of what he meant to do with her before long. Desire surged through him, and he lowered his head to claim her lips.
Her mouth was sealed, and she could only let out muffled sounds as her body twisted restlessly. In the motion, her coiffed hair slipped loose, spilling down her shoulders. A nine-feather hairpin came free and dropped into the stream below, carried away by the current.
The beauty's helpless, yielding state made Li Xun's chest swell with heat. His hands were already roaming, tugging at her fine jade-green silken gown until it was in complete disarray, and he nearly lost himself to desire right then and there.
But in that moment, a series of shrill screams echoed from the valley below, yanking him out of his haze of lust.
His mind cleared at once. Looking again at Flayer of Yin, he saw her face serene, eyes tightly shut, lashes trembling faintly. No expression marked her features, yet from the curve of her brows he could feel fear, tension, and despair. And with it came an even stronger sense that he held her completely in his grasp.
Li Xun's thoughts, however, were sharper than ever. Bending close to her crystal-like ear, he murmured with quiet praise, "What a clever trick."
Her body went rigid, then slackened like soft clay in his arms.
By then Li Xun had fully regained his composure. He gave a cold smile and turned his gaze toward the valley, where the nine Bliss Sect disciples now lay scattered across the ground. At first glance it seemed they were all dead. But looking closer, he saw clearly: the five men were lifeless, yet the four female cultivators were merely unconscious.
His brows drew together as he descended.
Shui Die Lan had just returned from the stream, drying her hands, and when she caught the look on his face, she laughed. "What's this? Flayer of Yin not to your taste?"
"How could she not?" Li Xun bent his head and drew in a deep breath at Flayer of Yin's neck, his face touched with intoxication. "Cool and subtle, fragrant as silk. This must be the scent of Blue-Vine Incense. My thanks to Fairy Shui. Your favor today will not go unpaid. It's just, I never thought…"
He paused, then laughed. "That women, too, indulge in cherishing beautiful women."
Shui Die Lan cast a glance at the four unconscious female cultivators on the ground and smiled faintly. "The Heart-Consuming Concubine's fondness for women over men is well-known. Even her disciples are no exception. Killing a few men might not cause trouble, but if we were to not even spare her female disciples as well, that could invite real problems. Of course, if we silence them afterward…"
At her words Li Xun showed no reaction, but the beauty in his arms shivered lightly, a soft murmur slipping from her lips. Though her eyes could not open, tears welled faintly at their corners.
After a moment's thought, Li Xun understood Shui Die Lan's meaning. He smiled too. "So it's just a small favor, is it? But saying it out loud like that, how am I supposed to question her now?"
Even weakened as she was, Flayer of Yin's body stiffened instantly at his words, only to melt again in his embrace like water. Her eyes shone with nothing but pleading.
The more she yielded, the firmer Li Xun's control became. He brushed his fingers across her chest, drawing from her a soft moan that sank straight into his bones.
Shui Die Lan said nothing more. Her eyes swept over Flayer of Yin's delicate face, and with a smiling lilt she remarked, "Though I've sealed her acupoints and left her body weak, her seductive art can't be locked away. Out of ten parts, she could still muster one or two. And as for the Bliss Sect's Gu techniques, they're peerless in the world…"
Before she finished, she suddenly flicked her sleeve through the air. The water-blue silk traced a dazzling arc and brushed past Li Xun's shoulder.
His brows tightened. His grip instantly hardened, and Flayer of Yin cried out in pain, bones cracking audibly as though he might snap her in two. He looked down at her once, then offered his praise.
"Truly, a fine trick."
Shui Die Lan raised her hand. Pinched between her thumb and forefinger was something as fine as a silken thread. If not for Li Xun's keen sight, he might not have noticed it at all.
Only then did she finish her thought. "…And you'd best not lose yourself completely."
A chill pricked at Li Xun's heart, though not a trace of it touched his face. Instead he laughed heartily. "It seems this deal with Fairy Shui is profit beyond measure. My thanks. Truly, my thanks."
She shot him a sidelong look, clearly exasperated, then gestured for him to wait. Turning to the fallen Bliss Sect disciples, she rifled through their belongings and pulled out several pouches of incense powder. Without a hint of shame, she mixed them with deft hands, kindled them with the fire of her true breath, and in the blink of an eye, her preparation was complete.
"Here. Put this incense into the censer, and no matter how fierce the Gu worms are, within four hours they'll all be fast asleep."
Li Xun's gaze flicked over the beauty in his arms, catching the unmistakable look of shock and confusion on her face. That alone was proof enough of the incense's power. Shui Die Lan clearly wasn't bluffing.
Still… this woman knew far too much.
Suppressing the question in his heart, Li Xun asked, "And where's the censer?"
Shui Die Lan smiled sweetly and pointed. "Why bother looking? Don't you want to experience the 'Nine-Spirit Brocade Peach-Blossom Pavilion' of the Heart-Consuming Concubine? Although the 'Ascension Immortal Incense may have only been burning for an hour, its potency is a hundred times greater than common blends."
Her words stirred Li Xun at once. He gave his thanks, then carried Flayer of Yin straight toward the pink pavilion. In his arms, her body had already begun to tremble uncontrollably.
Behind him, Shui Die Lan gave a low chuckle, the sound curling with a strange, elusive flavor.
Lifting the curtain, Li Xun stepped inside. At once a vibrant fragrance surged forth, seeping not only into his nose and mouth but through every pore of his body. The lively energy coursed through him, even soothing the wounds he had suffered from demonic qi.
So this is the Ascending Immortal Incense? Remarkable indeed.