Li Xun suddenly flung open the tent flap and strode out. From a distance he spotted Shui Die Lan sitting by the stream. He let out a heavy snort and marched over, anger written all over him.
Hearing the sound, Shui Die Lan turned her head. When she saw his expression, she broke into a smile. Then her eyes fell on the two items in his hands, and her gaze lit up at once.
"Well, look at that. A fragment of Blood God Child sutra, and a Cloudmist Stone!"
He gave the treasures a little shake in front of her. Just as he expected, a sharp gleam flashed in her eyes. Her smile didn't waver, but her hand shot out to snatch them.
"Hold it!"
His shout cracked like thunder, but it had no effect on her. He knew it wouldn't. That was why, even before he spoke, the Ghost Crow Sword rang within its sheath. As her hand reached out, the jet-black blade had already slid half a foot free, crossing between them.
Her pale skin hovered just inches from the dark steel, the contrast stark and cold. Both her eyes and his were filled with an icy light, and the air grew tighter with each breath.
"What's this? Going back on your word?"
"Hardly. Not everyone can match Fairy Shui's talent for 'playing dumb when it suits her.'" Li Xun bared his teeth in a grin, his snow-white smile looking just as sharp as any blade.
"When I was questioning her just now, Fairy Shui, you must have heard it too. Ha, what a treasure! Only now do I realize that the prize we've been so seriously discussing how to divide… may not be something that can be split at all. Shui Die Lan, well played."
"Split? Oh, you mean… Mist-Hidden Pavilion?"
At those three words from her lips, Li Xun let out a booming laugh, though not a trace of warmth showed in his eyes. "That's right. Mist-Hidden Pavilion. A fine place indeed. Hmph, you hid it well from me! Lucky I found out ahead of time. Otherwise, once we got there, just what schemes would Fairy Shui have had in store for me?"
"Well…" Shui Die Lan faltered for just a moment. But under Li Xun's pressing gaze, her smile suddenly returned. "If I planned to scheme against you, how could I possibly tell you now?"
What an answer! Now it was Li Xun's turn to be caught off guard. Faced with such disarming honesty, he realized there was no point circling around with words. With a cold chuckle, he said, "In that case, why should our cooperation continue at all?"
"Why shouldn't it?" Shui Die Lan lifted a finger to her nose and gave a faint smile. "Have you forgotten?"
Forgotten what? Li Xun hadn't caught on yet when he saw her shrug. "Don't forget, you've still got a handle in my hands."
She paused, then began counting on her fingers one by one. "Let's see. Your little sweetheart? That's the Heavenly Vigorous Sect. The Nether General? He's from the Underworld Monarch Sect. Flayer of Yin? Of course that's the Bliss Sect. And if that's still not enough… hmm, maybe I should pin He Can on you too. That would make it even better, wouldn't it?
"Tsk, just look. The four great sects of the Southeast Forest Sea; you've managed to offend every single one. So what will you do? Run? I doubt you could outrun me. Or hide? In that case, I'll just play scout for them, see if I can sniff out your scent. Huh? Why do you look so grim?"
At this moment Li Xun could only say his eyes had been opened wide.
In his life, he had crossed paths with many masters, and dealt with men as calculating as Yin Wanderer or Underworld Flame Yama. He liked to think he had seen it all.
But never. Never had he seen anyone like Shui Die Lan. Her rank and status were extraordinary, her cultivation fathomless. Yet she lacked even the slightest trace of a master's poise.
Her words were brutally straightforward. In that, she was a little like Lin Wuyou, that mischievous little demoness. But where Lin Wuyou used a mask of innocence to hide layer upon layer of schemes, Shui Die Lan wielded blunt honesty as a weapon, flaunting the bone-deep contempt she felt for him.
He knew that even if her words were dressed up a little, the meaning wouldn't change. And might even strike harder. But Li Xun couldn't help but suspect she spoke this way on purpose, trying to batter down his patience, just to watch him lose control and amuse herself with his disgrace.
Good. Very good indeed.
Li Xun ground his teeth until they creaked. His face went pale, then flushed red, then drained of color again, as if he might leap forward and fight to the death at any moment. Yet inside, a cold, bitter laugh echoed again and again.
You're the one courting death. Don't blame anyone else.
Shui Die Lan was in high spirits. Her gaze was bright, almost expectant, as she watched the storm of emotions flicker across Hundred Ghosts' face.
It was clear that her blunt words had rattled him. He pressed his lips together, trying to still the faint trembling that betrayed him.
Still, Hundred Ghosts was no fool. After the first surge of fury, he forced himself to choke it back and struck at the heart of the matter. "The restrictive formation! Don't forget, there's still the restrictive formation. Without me, how do you plan to 'keep all to yourself' the immortal mansion every cultivator dreams of?"
"Now that," Shui Die Lan said, clearly pleased, "is the kind of answer a clever man gives." She nodded with satisfaction, then with a smile twisted the knife. "So before you break that formation, I'll do my best not to let you die."
Hundred Ghosts fell silent, though the murderous gleam in his eyes made it plain he wanted to tear her to pieces. Shui Die Lan only met it with her usual smile. She couldn't care less what was running through his mind. With the strength she held, she could keep this proud, untamable man crushed underfoot forever.
It was like breaking a young eagle's wings again and again, just to remind it who its master was.
Seeing the restless, venomous look in Hundred Ghosts' eyes, Shui Die Lan felt the thrill of having found a new toy, and her mood soared. To her, it seemed the little drama between them was finally building toward its climax.
But what would this man, so full of schemes, do for his last desperate struggle?
That would decide his fate. And to Shui Die Lan, the anticipation of that moment was just as delightful as the treasures she had been hoping for. The thought filled her with excitement.
Still, before things went too far, it was only fair to offer a bit of sweetness with the bitter. So, as if she had never spoken those cruel words at all, she shifted the topic with airy ease.
"It seems you have quite an interest in Gu Yin?"
Hundred Ghosts visibly froze, then quickly grew wary. Yet he forced a casual tone as he said, "Just a passing curiosity…"
"But you're awfully familiar with the Four Divine Tunes," she pressed. Thinking of the sounds she had just overheard, and recalling Li Xun's look of bitter hatred when they first met yesterday, Shui Die Lan became more and more convinced she had struck gold.
Her eyes lit up as she studied his face, and suddenly she said, "So you do know where BloodKiss ended up!"
The moment the words left her mouth, she knew she'd miscalculated. The shock on Hundred Ghosts' face was far too real to be an act. Still, she could see how much the matter concerned him.
"You mean the 'Kitten'? It's tied to Gu Yin?"
"Oh? You didn't know?" Shui Die Lan smiled. "I can share that little piece of news. But I very much hope our cooperation will continue…"
Catching the disdain on his face, she calmly added, "Of course, there's also the matter of the treasure's division. Do you really think more than ten generations of Mist-Hidden Pavilion masters left behind no fine collections?"
Hundred Ghosts faltered again. Though his expression stayed cool, it was obvious she had touched a nerve.
The truth was clear: on his own, there was no way he could seize such near-priceless treasures while surrounded by so many powerful enemies. Partnering with Shui Die Lan was the only option that carried any real chance of success. Pure logic made them a perfect match.
The only thing holding him back was the sting to his pride from just moments ago.
As the one who had caused it, Shui Die Lan understood perfectly. She gave a slight smile and, in her usual frank way, said, "Working together only gives you a chance at gain. Refuse, and you get nothing. Think about it. Maybe all I want is Mist-Hidden Pavilion. How about this: once we claim the treasure, I'll take Mist-Hidden Pavilion and half its hoard, and the rest is yours."
Hundred Ghosts hesitated, then grit his teeth. "Mist-Hidden Pavilion is yours. The treasure is mine!"
"You take sixty percent, I take forty!"
"Eighty-twenty."
"Fine, deal."
Shui Die Lan smiled sweetly and held out her hand, as if to seal it with an oath. Hundred Ghosts only sneered, refusing to take it.
She wasn't the least bit embarrassed. Instead, she laid her palm flat and said lightly, "What are you staring at? You can hold onto the Cloudmist Stone, but the Blood God Child is mine."
Hundred Ghosts paused again, then finally slapped the silk-bound volume into her hand with a sharp smack.
Only then did Shui Die Lan nod in satisfaction. "Good. Let's be on our way. And along the road, I'll tell you about the Blood Kiss. Eh? Don't you feel like we've forgotten something?"
Hundred Ghosts frowned. When he followed her gaze, realization struck. "Flayer of Yin? Let her be. She knows what she has to do."
"You trust your methods that much?" Shui Die Lan's eyes flicked over the rosy tent as she spoke. She felt that at the mention of Flayer of Yin, the Hundred Ghosts' spirits, which had been pressed so low, suddenly revived again.
Out of a certain mean-spirited impulse, Shui Die Lan wanted to put Hundred Ghosts back in his place. "Flayer of Yin isn't like that little sweetheart of yours you can order around. Do you really think she'll just obey and do your bidding?"