Chapter 71
Qiao Wan was shocked for a moment.
Out of nowhere, this sudden olive branch hit her, leaving her a little confused.
The man in front of her was the Demon Emperor, the Lord of All Demons. Qiao Wan secretly calculated that if she could work for the Lord of All Demons, she would definitely receive a good reward and have a powerful backer in the martial arts world.
My immediate boss is the Demon Emperor. It sounds impressive when I say it out loud, and it allows me to have some authority.
However, Qiao Wan's interest only lasted for a moment.
She had just left Kunshan not long ago, and becoming a subordinate of Jia Yin meant that she had to obey her boss's orders, which could restrict her actions in the future. Even in modern times, when looking for a job, one must carefully consider the working environment of the company, the salary and benefits, and how many days off per week.
Jia Yin didn't rush to answer, patiently giving her time to think.
Qiao Wan asked, "If I become your subordinate, will there be spirit stones?"
Jia Yin seemed surprised by her question and replied, "You can use spirit stones as you wish."
Qiao Wan continued to ask, "So in the future, if I stay by your side, will I have to join in fights when you do?"
Jia Yin, without hesitation, looked proud and said, "Of course."
Shaking her head, even though she was tempted, Qiao Wan could only sadly give up upon hearing this answer, "I'm sorry, I can't agree to that."
Frowning, Jia Yin stared intensely at the girl in front of him, surprised by Qiao Wan's straightforward rejection.
After a moment of thinking, Qiao Wan sincerely answered, "If I were to become your subordinate, I would have too many restrictions on my actions. I often wouldn't have control over what I do."
Furthermore, Jia Yin still had matters to settle in the demon world. For her, a mere cultivator, to get involved in this mess would be seeking death, wouldn't it?
Haven't you seen the example of the two dog brothers? They are a clear demonstration.
Qiao Wan had a feeling that, if she became a subordinate of this honey badger in front of her, she would probably have to work overtime every day, busily wiping her boss's butt.
Qiao Wan firmly rejected Jia Yin's advances, making him visibly frustrated. Being the Lord of All Demons, it wasn't easy for him to handle such rejection.
Usually, anyone in the demon tribe who opposes him would be dealt with by force. Jia Yin looked at the young girl in front of him, and his belief in power as the ultimate authority momentarily silenced him, causing him to furrow his brow.
He wasn't going to physically harm the girl in front of him, to the extent that she would willingly become his subordinate. He just felt slightly intrigued, but not to the point of absolute necessity.
After all, he was the Demon Emperor. Qiao Wan didn't want to be with him, and he couldn't stoop so low as to beg her to stay. A twisted thought of "making her willing to become his subordinate" briefly crossed Jia Yin's mind, but his expression remained unchanged as he dignifiedly acknowledged her rejection and turned back towards the pub.
As soon as Qiao Wan entered the pub, she caught sight of two pairs of attentive eyes staring at her.
Upon meeting Qiao Wan's gaze, Xiao Boyang and Xiu Quan exchanged a subtle salute, their eyes filled with sympathy.
Jia Yin quickly sat down on the ground and loudly called the bartender to bring him some liquor.
Just after a fight, it was the perfect time to have a drink.
Qiao Wan had just sat down when a jar of wine fell into her lap.
Jia Yin said in a deep voice, "Drink."
Having previously declined the invitation, Qiao Wan didn't hesitate and boldly broke the seal on the jar, tilted her head back, took a sip, and finished it all in one go.
It was refreshing.
The man also raised his wine jar.
After a fierce battle, it was the best time to drink.
Before now, Xiao Boyang had never dreamed of sitting in a tavern and drinking with Jia Yin. He glanced over and felt a bit overwhelmed, suddenly feeling a mixture of shyness and embarrassment.
After all, Demon Emperor Jia Yin was considered an idol for many men in the cultivation world. Who wouldn't want to be like him?
The wine was good.
Even Xiu Quan, after regaining some strength, held the wine jar tightly and took a few more sips with bright eyes.
Outside the tavern, the wind and rain raged on.
But inside the tavern, the smell of wine filled the air and people enjoyed themselves.
The Cen family.
Originally, there were beautiful buildings and pavilions surrounded by red walls. But now, all the exotic flowers, plants, and flowing water have been completely destroyed by a fierce fire.
The maids and servants hiding in Snow Wave Garden all looked exhausted.
The timid ones had already cried their eyes out and asked in a low voice, "Are we going to die here today?"
No one answered.
The path to the backyard has been blocked off.
There are monsters in front and behind them. These more than ten servants are trapped in Snow Wave Garden and have nowhere to go.
The previous wave of attacks just subsided, and the defensive formation in this garden was on the verge of collapsing.
When the next wave of attacks comes, who knows if these servants will still be alive to see tomorrow's sunrise.
Gui Qi sat in the corner, staring at the wall covered in a large patch of crimson red. She felt the cries around her getting fainter and fainter.
The large patch of red blood on the wall belonged to a young maid who had just been there.
The maid was unlucky and got dragged out by the monster outside. Her fingers were deeply scraped on the ground, almost torn apart.
In Snow Wave Garden, there were sixteen people, but no one dared to help.
They were all too scared.
Just thinking about what had just happened made Gui Qi shiver uncontrollably.
Everyone thought that they didn't know each other well enough to sacrifice their lives for her.
No one helped, and the maid couldn't withstand the strength of the monster. She was torn apart in front of them.
Blood rained down upon them, wet and hot, drenching their faces.
Now, it was finally their turn to accompany her down below.
At that moment, no one noticed a person sneaking into the Cen family, inside Cold Mountain Yard.
Mrs. Cen asked coldly, "Has anyone checked Snow Wave Garden? Has anyone seen what's happening there?"
"When the fight broke out, the maids and servants would definitely hide in Snow Wave Garden. Is there no one guarding there?"
Mu Fang bit her lip and whispered, "The Lin family is determined to crush our Cen family this time."
"Second Young Master has been away from home for a long time, and we can't afford to lose more people in the house," said Mrs. Cen.
"This... is also the intention of the head of the family," she added.
"We'll give up Snow Wave Garden as a defensive line and defend Shichun Hall to the end," said Mrs. Cen firmly.
Mrs. Cen immediately understood the meaning behind Mu Fang's words. Her face turned pale, and she grabbed the edge of the table, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Are those ten-plus servants not people? Someone has to go and save them."
"If no one goes, then I will go," Mrs. Cen declared.
Mu Fang grew anxious. "Madam!"
Mrs. Cen's health has not been good, and she hadn't held a sword in over ten years. What would happen to her if something bad occurred?
Mrs. Cen shook her head. "Mu Fang, I am a healer."
No one values lives more than healers. As long as there is someone who can still be saved, giving up should never be an option. Snow Wave Garden represents the lives of many, and it should not be abandoned.
"Bring me my sword."
This sword, as thin as a cicada's wing, with a blade like autumn water, shimmering with apricot-colored light. It has accompanied her for many years.
Unfortunately, ever since she married Cen Xiangnan, she hasn't used the sword much.
After Lin Li's death, the sword hung on the wall, gathering dust, even though she could see it every day with just a glance.
She gave up swordplay to become a doctor and now, she's taking up the sword again to save someone.
Mrs. Cen made up her mind to leave Cold Mountain Yard to save someone, and Mu Fang was anxiously pale-faced, unable to hold her back.
"Madam!"
Just as they stepped out of Cold Mountain Yard, Mu Fang's footsteps halted as she stared blankly at the woman who suddenly stopped in front of the gate.
Mrs. Cen stood in front of the Cold Mountain Yard gate, gazing steadily ahead.
A light, fluttering skin fell to the ground.
Mrs. Cen's face changed instantly.
The skin slowly lifted from the ground, flesh filling in until it transformed into an incredibly handsome young man.
The young boy smiled slightly, his voice sticky like it had been pulled out from blood. He spoke intimately, but his eyes held a bitter resentment. "Mother, I haven't seen you in a long time."
Mrs. Cen's gaze showed a moment of complexity, but she didn't find it surprising at all. "It's you."
She wasn't foolish.
The incident with the dozen pieces of preserved meat from last night easily matched up with the young boy standing before her.
This wicked skill was Lin Li's specialty, the Painting Skin Skill.
The young boy in front of her was Lin Qingzhi, Lin Li's son and her adopted son.
Initially, Mrs. Cen truly wanted to raise him well.
Nurturing her own husband's son and his lover's son was undoubtedly bittersweet.
But the grudges and grievances of the previous generation should not drag down the next generation. She pitied him for losing his mother at a young age, so she brought him to Cold Mountain Yard and personally took care of him.
Unfortunately, he always believed that she had killed his mother. Since childhood, he had been distant from her, and even held a grudge against her for it.
After so many years, he had grown up.
The gloomy little boy from before has grown into a handsome young man today.
Mrs. Cen tightly griped the sword and said, "Are you here to avenge your mother?"
Lin Qingzhi asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"
Mrs. Cen replied, "I do have something to say."
"Your mother's death had nothing to do with me. I wanted to save her, but I couldn't. I couldn't bring her back."
But the young man suddenly became angry and shouted, "You liar! You deceived me!"
"You were jealous of my mother, who was loved by Cen Xiangnan. You watched her die in front of you, without saving her even when her blood was draining!"
"Today, I will make you taste the pain my mother suffered in the past." Lin Qingzhi gritted his teeth and said, "Or should I say, I will make you suffer a hundred times more for the pain my mother endured."
Mrs. Cen calmly held onto the sword.
Seeing the reddish blade in the woman's hand, Lin Qingzhi smirked and said, "Do you really think you can defeat me?"
"Her body was so weak that she hadn't used a sword for over ten years, but she wanted to see what skills you still had."
In an instant, the smell of blood filled the air as he revealed his true skin!
Mrs. Cen leaped back a half step, her sword making a clear sound. In her hand, there was a thin and agile sword, as delicate as a cicada's wing. The blade gracefully swept through the air, like ripples in a pond of autumn red.
It was extremely beautiful, extremely calm.
Wrapped in overwhelming resentment, the skin swiftly moved up and down, entangling tightly with the sword in midair.
The young man was handsome, but his expression was as venomous as a snake. He showed no mercy, not a hint of compassion. Finding an opening in the woman's defense, each move struck directly at her vital points.
After a few moves, the skin suddenly changed its attack, heading straight for Mu Fang! In the blink of an eye, it covered the woman and threw her to the ground.
"Wasn't Mrs. Cen supposed to be kind-hearted? This servant girl has served you for so many years, contributing her efforts and suffering too. What are you going to do now?"
"Did she lose her sword, or did she choke her to death?"
Mrs. Cen tightened her grip on the sword, and in a blink of an eye, Mu Fang became red-faced from being choked, staring intently at Mrs. Cen, unable to speak.
"No, please, don't agree."
Mrs. Cen looked down and said, "Let her go."
With a clang, the sword fell to the ground.
Mu Fang's eyelashes trembled, tears streaming down her face.
She's just too gentle and submissive.
Mrs. Cen took a breath, a trickle of blood running from the corner of her mouth.
During the fight just now, Lin Qingzhi didn't hold back, hitting her vital points again and again.
She was already weak, and now she had no strength left to fight back, like a fish waiting to be slaughtered.
Lin Qingzhi slowly approached her, squatting down, and sneered, "How does it feel? Isn't it unpleasant?"
The young man's eyelashes drooped, falling on the woman's fair, delicate fingers, with a hint of resentment and hatred in his eyes.
Mrs. is indeed pure and kind. Even when her husband took a concubine, she didn't mind. She even abandoned her sword and became a doctor, practicing the skill of using a delicate needle.
"Shall we start with these needle-holding hands?" Lin Qingzhi looked up, revealing a smile. He calmly took out a small knife from his pocket and placed the woman's hand on his knee.
Drip...
That was the sound of blood dripping onto the ground.
The woman was lying on the ground, and all ten of her fingernails had been neatly peeled off, leaving behind a bloody mess.
Her once soft, fair, and slender hands now had their nails lifted, revealing a bloody mess.
The pain was unbearable, making the woman's face turn pale, sweating profusely. She gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound.
But it wasn't over yet.
The young boy lowered his head and lightly cut open one of the woman's delicate fingertips with the blade of the knife.
When he lowered his head, he looked particularly obedient and gentle, slowly and carefully starting to peel from the fingertips, slowly and leisurely removing the skin from the flesh.
