Chapter 535: Ji Xiaolin Lacks Concentration and Needs More Practice!
As per Shen Anyu's previous instructions, Du Zhao suggested, "Right Protector, your subordinate has installed covert surveillance cameras in various important locations in Hangzhou. Luckily, the surveillance at Hangzhou Airport detected Ji Xiaolin and Zhang Zhiyun, and we overheard their conversation. We learned the identities of the Hangzhou Zhang Family remnants and the Young Sect Leader of the Tianshi Sect. We also know that Zhang Zhiyun wants revenge on the Wan Fa Sect, and they indeed have a marriage alliance; their denial just now must be false."
The One-Eyed Old Man's brow furrowed, his single eye narrowing as he processed the information. If that was the case, then why was a Young Master from the illustrious Yanxia Shen Family entangled in this mess? And from what he'd observed, the two of them were close, yet a strange, unspoken hesitation hung between them. It was unnatural.
"Your subordinate presumes," Du Zhao continued, his voice laced with the tone of a seasoned gossip, "that perhaps Zhang Zhiyun is infatuated with Ji Xiaolin, and their elders forced a marriage alliance upon them. But Ji Xiaolin doesn't agree and has instead taken a liking to the Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family. She's only holding back because of the pre-existing arrangement. Young people and their romantic entanglements... they're always so complicated, aren't they?"
A sly glint appeared in Du Zhao's eyes. "On this matter, your subordinate actually has a suggestion. It's a strategy that could kill two birds with one stone, forcing the Yanxia Shen Family into a direct confrontation with the Tianshi Sect. And our Wan Fa Sect? We'll be perfectly positioned to reap all the benefits from the chaos."
The One-Eyed Old Man's gaze shifted to Du Zhao, a flicker of approval in his eye. "Speak," he commanded, his voice a low rumble. "If the suggestion is sound, you will be handsomely rewarded."
Du Zhao's face lit up, his posture straightening with a surge of invigorated excitement. "Right Protector, why don't we... help Young Master Shen? We can facilitate things, let Young Master Shen and Ji Xiaolin become intimately acquainted. Imagine the fallout when Zhang Zhiyun, the proud Young Sect Leader of the Tianshi Sect, is cuckolded. He would be consumed by rage. He would definitely come storming over here seeking vengeance, and we can lie in wait, ready to spring our ambush."
He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Moreover, with the right touch, we might even be able to pin the entire incident on the Yanxia Shen Family."
As he spoke, Du Zhao was laughing internally. A dream? Hardly. Everything is proceeding exactly according to the Young Master's grand design.
He theatrically pulled a small vial from his robes. "Your subordinate just so happens to possess a rather unique aphrodisiac smoke. Its effects are… exceedingly potent!"
Upon hearing the scheme, the Wan Fa Sect's Right Protector, the One-Eyed Old Man, felt his grim expression crack into a wide, predatory grin. The idea was brilliant—elegant in its brutality. He turned his gaze toward the heavy iron door of the secret room, a sinister chuckle escaping his throat. "The Sect Master and the others will be here soon. When they arrive, we can set the perfect trap for that fool Zhang Zhiyun."
A cruel amusement danced in his single eye. "Perhaps Young Master Shen will even thank us for helping him fulfill his deepest desires."
...
In the cold, damp confines of the underground secret room, every word of the conversation between the One-Eyed Old Man and Du Zhao echoed from the cleverly hidden eavesdropping device. Ji Xiaolin's face went pale, then flushed with a mixture of fury and panic.
Even with her slightly rebellious and mischievous nature, a plot this vile and depraved sent her mind into disarray. What kind of twisted 'talent' does the Wan Fa Sect cultivate to come up with such a disgusting, terrible idea? she thought, her stomach churning.
"You!" she began to shout, her voice sharp with outrage.
Before the sound could fully escape her lips, a hand swiftly covered her mouth. Shen Anyu was beside her in an instant, his voice a low, urgent transmission that resonated directly in her mind. "We can't expose the listening device. If they discover we've been eavesdropping, our chances of escaping will plummet to zero."
He met her wide, panicked eyes with a gaze that was astonishingly calm and resolute. "Don't worry," he transmitted, his tone unwavering. "I, Shen Anyu, swear I will not take advantage of this situation. I am not that kind of man!"
His voice was a pillar of righteous indignation, radiating an aura of absolute integrity. "We are both cultivators with formidable willpower. This is merely a trial. We will have to deceive them, create a performance for their benefit, find the right opportunity, and then we will escape."
The sheer conviction in his transmission was almost blinding.
[Ding! Detected that the Destined Heroine Ji Xiaolin's favorability +10. Plundering 30,000 Destiny Points!]
Staring at the upright and seemingly incorruptible figure of Shen Anyu, Ji Xiaolin's frantic thoughts began to settle. A flicker of uncertainty crossed her eyes as she softly transmitted back, "You… can you really maintain your willpower?"
"Of course," Shen Anyu's mental reply was as powerful and resounding as a striking bell. "I, Shen Anyu, guarantee it on the thousand-year reputation of the Yanxia Shen Family. I will absolutely maintain control!"
Ji Xiaolin bit her lower lip, a complex storm of emotions swirling in her gaze as she looked at him. "Alright," she finally conceded. "I'll go along with your idea."
She couldn't help but feel a strange stirring in her heart. Shen Anyu, the great Young Master of the Yanxia Shen Family, a man of such distinguished status, had been kidnapped and implicated in this entire mess simply because he had tried to save her. A profound sense of gratitude touched her. While she had never cared for power or wealth, the sensation of a noble scion standing with her, sharing this hardship, felt entirely different from if he had been an ordinary person.
Shen Anyu's plan, though risky, earned her complete approval.
They were both powerful cultivators. They possessed wills of iron. All they had to do was endure. They would put on a show for the One-Eyed Old Man, fooling him into believing his despicable plan had succeeded. Once he left to prepare his ambush for Zhang Zhiyun, that would be their chance. She and Shen Anyu could break free.
Thinking of this, Ji Xiaolin even felt a sliver of defiant excitement.
However, her excitement was tragically premature.
It wasn't long before the first signs of the plot appeared. Wisps of ethereal, pale-blue smoke began to drift silently from the gap beneath the heavy iron door. It carried no scent, no warning, moving with a ghostly grace as it coiled and spread across the stone floor.
"Hmph. Just a simple aphrodisiac smoke," Ji Xiaolin scoffed, raising her delicate, fair chin with a touch of pride. How could a mere chemical concoction possibly affect her, an Artificer True Person with mastery over her own body?
The next moment, Ji Xiaolin activated her Artifice. Her breathing ceased completely as she entered a state of suspended animation. Her control was so precise that she could remain like this for three days and three nights without any ill effects. To be safe, she even extended her power, enveloping Shen Anyu in a similar Artifice to protect him.
A quiet chuckle echoed in her mind—it was Shen Anyu. "To prevent any suspicion from those outside, it would be best to make some… movements. Some sounds. It will make our deception more convincing."
Ji Xiaolin raised a delicate fist and shook it at him, her expression a clear warning: Don't you dare get any funny ideas.
But a flicker of hesitation crossed her beautiful eyes, and a faint blush began to creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. Steeling herself, Ji Xiaolin finally parted her crimson lips. A clear, beautiful sound, like the song of an oriole, escaped into the quiet room. Even that single, casual call was utterly captivating.
Shen Anyu smiled and patted his stomach with a loud thump, as if providing a strange, percussive accompaniment.
Outside the iron door, Du Zhao allowed a smirk to grace his lips. The Young Master truly is impressive, he thought, before turning to his superior. "Right Protector, it is done!"
"Good! Good! Good!" the One-Eyed Old Man boomed, clapping Du Zhao on the shoulder. "Du Zhao, you've rendered another great service! Let's go to the living room and await the Sect Master's arrival. Then, we shall lure out Zhang Zhiyun. This will be a glorious victory—not only will we eliminate that Tianshi Sect pup, but we will also force a clash between the Yanxia Shen Family and the Tianshi Sect, making them share the burden of our Wan Fa Sect's enemies!"
The old man was overflowing with praise as he and Du Zhao departed, their footsteps fading down the corridor.
Listening through the device, Ji Xiaolin knew they had left the vicinity of the underground room. A triumphant light immediately ignited in her eyes. She was ready to move, to shatter the door and escape. Even though it was a thick iron barrier, with her mastery of the Five Thunder Righteous Law, she was confident she could quietly melt a hole right through it.
"Wait a little longer," Shen Anyu's calm voice transmitted, stopping her. "Let them get farther away."
Ji Xiaolin paused, considering his words. He was right. It was better to be cautious. They would only get one chance to escape. If they failed, the scoundrels from the Wan Fa Sect would be far more prepared the next time, perhaps even restraining them with spiritual shackles.
Several minutes crawled by in heavy silence. As Ji Xiaolin waited with disciplined patience, her expression suddenly changed. A deep crimson blush began to spread uncontrollably across her fair, pretty face, a wave of heat radiating from her skin. The heroic, bright light in her beautiful eyes was gradually being enveloped by a thick, shimmering layer of mist.
The ethereal blue smoke… it wasn't just an inhalant. It could actually penetrate directly through the skin. Holding her breath, even sealing her pores with her Artifice—none of it was enough to stop its insidious advance.
It's over!
My willpower… it isn't enough!
This was the only thought that screamed through Ji Xiaolin's crumbling defenses.
At this very moment, Shen Anyu sat down directly, crossing his legs into a perfect lotus position. He began to recite the Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, his voice calm and steady, his aura suffused with an unshakable willpower. He looked for all the world like an eminent monk of great virtue, so serene and righteous he could shave his head on the spot, don a kasaya, and begin shouting 'Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon' like the legendary monk Fahai.
[Akarin's Note: The Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, or Heart Sutra, is a famous and popular Buddhist sutra. Fahai is a Buddhist monk from the Chinese legend of the White Snake, famously depicted in movies like Green Snake as a powerful but overly zealous demon-slayer. His chant, "Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon" (大威天龙), is an iconic line from the film, used here to emphasize Shen Anyu's comically righteous appearance.]
He has such willpower… so I, this young lady… I can definitely do it too!
Seeing this unbelievably saintly scene, Ji Xiaolin bit her lip so hard with her silver teeth she could taste blood. Her delicate body began to tremble slightly, racked by waves of heat. She desperately tried to endure, to fight back the overwhelming tide sweeping through her veins, but her two long legs, a stunning 1.2 meters, became increasingly intertwined, wrapping around each other like two pale, beautiful pythons twisted together, emitting a peculiar, feverish aura into the charged air of the cell.
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