Ji Shui's body scattered into 12 beams of bloody Qi and flew out of Secret Dragon Palace.
"We haven't started talking yet. Senior Uncle Ji, are you leaving?"
Zhang Ruochen reached forward with his fingers splayed. The Spiritual Qi within Secret Dragon Palace suddenly consolidated. An invisible beam of Qi blew the 12 beams of bloody Qi back. They regrouped into Ji Shui's body.
She landed on the ground a bit unsteadily and almost fell to the ground.
Whoosh!
A figure flashed.
Like an apparition, Zhang Ruochen appeared beside Ji Shui. He grabbed her right wrist with one hand and wrapped around her thin waist with his other. He easily steadied her with a soft push.
He had to admit that Ji Shui's skin was very fine and her wrist was soft. Her thin waist was filled with elasticity too. It fit perfectly into Zhang Ruochen's palm.
"Oh…"
Ji Shui's body was numb as if shocked by electricity.
"Senior Uncle Ji, your figure is so great. Why do you wear such a loose blood robe, hiding your most beautiful part?"
Zhang Ruochen touched Ji Shui's waist and kept going down until he was about to touch her perky behind.
Ji Shui was completely furious. Icy cold Qi poured out of her body, turning a waterfall nearby into an ice sculpture. "If you don't let go, I will explode my Sea of Qi."
"Okay, I'll let go. I'll let go, alright?"
Zhang Ruochen let go while tugging on the outer blood robe. With a whoosh, the robe was pulled down. It revealed Ji Shui's slender frame, plump breasts, and thin waist. Her dark hair flew down too, showing a beautiful face. She had ineffable beauty.
However, she really wrapped herself well. There was a light blue shirt and dress under her blood robe. Plumes of bloody Qi continued wrapping around her. She wasn't completely exposed.
Despite that, she was still frightened. She hurried back, putting space between her and Gu Linfeng.
Zhang Ruochen held the blood robe and looked at Ji Shui with slight disappointment. "Senior Uncle Ji, you wear a bit too much."
"What exactly do you want?" Ji Shui was ice cold. She was ready to die with Gu Linfeng.
Zhang Ruochen chuckled. "What if I said that I've liked you for a long time and wish for you to stay the night in Secret Dragon Palace?"
"You better not have this kind of thought," Ji Shui said.
"State your price."
Ji Shui froze. When she finally processed it, she shook with anger. Murderous intent showed in her beautiful and large eyes.
Zhang Ruochen sighed. "Senior Uncle, no need to be so stubborn. With my current status as Deity, grand-master will definitely give you to me if I ask. Do you believe that?"
"Then you will only receive a dead body." Ji Shui's attitude was clear and definite.
"I'm actually quite satisfied with your answer. This at least proves that you won't easily give in. In that case, let us talk about the important topic."
Zhang Ruochen's expression grew serious. He walked to the stone table and beckoned welcomingly. "Sit."
Ji Shui was surprised. She didn't expect that Gu Linfeng's attitude would change so dramatically. She couldn't guess his true intentions now.
Was he doing that earlier to test me? This thought appeared in her mind.
In the end, she still couldn't feel safe. Instead of sitting over there, she continued to put space between them.
Zhang Ruochen didn't mind. He sat down and said straightforwardly, "Senior Uncle Ji is a talent. Working with Discipline King Haiming will only waste your talent. If this continues, becoming a Saint will be impossible. If you work with me, I will supply you with ten times the resources."
Ji Shui's eyes narrowed. She sensed that Gu Linfeng used Discipline King Haiming's name instead of referring to him as "grand-master."
"Do you know what you're saying?"
"I obviously know what I'm saying," Zhang Ruochen said. "I am in need of people right now, especially strong figures like you. You can help me kill some people who need to die and take care of the miscellaneous matters in the sect."
Ji Shui felt disdain. She didn't respect Gu Linfeng at all. "You think you can go against your master just because you are Deity? To be honest, you won't even have the chance to reach the Saint Realm, even less of a chance to become the Hierarch. The ambitious figures in the sect will kill you beforehand. With your abilities, you're nothing but an ant to the Discipline Kings. If I were you, I'd run from the sect. Then you might be able to save yourself."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "You are indeed wise and see the situation clearly. However, you underestimate me too much. Do you really think that I'm unable to go against them?"
"You?" Ji Shui was surprised. Seeing Gu Linfeng's confident eyes, she couldn't help but be curious as to which strong figure was behind him.
"Senior Uncle Ji, you are now an Eighth Level Half-Saint," Zhang Ruochen said indifferently. "If you receive enough cultivation resources, you have a chance at becoming a Saint."
"It is not easy to become a Saint. Do you think you have more resources than Spiritual Void Sea?"
"Discipline King Haiming's Spiritual Void Sea indeed has many good things, but he is selfish. You know this better than anyone else. He'll never give you the top treasures. But I'm different. As long as you have the abilities, I can give you any treasure."
Zhang Ruochen took a saintly source out and placed it on the table.
"Work for me and you can take this saintly source right now."
"Saintly source." Ji Shui's eyes shone. She looked at the saintly source and then stared in shock at Gu Linfeng seated beside the stone table.
She'd never thought that this guy would use a saintly source to win her over. After all, a saintly source represented the qualifications to become a Saint.
If she only had a 20% chance of becoming a Saint, then after refining the saintly source, it would rise to above 80%. Staying with Discipline King Haiming, she would never receive a saintly source.
Discipline King Haiming can sacrifice anything for his own benefit. If I stay with him, I'll become his sacrifice sooner or later. I've already repaid what I owe him for teaching and raising me.
Actually, Ji Shui had planned on leaving the Blood God Sect and Discipline King Haiming long ago.
Now, Gu Linfeng offered a saintly source as a first gift. The temptation was too great. Ji Shui couldn't refuse it at all.
Hadn't she started on the path of cultivation just to become a Saint?
"This saintly source is only a small show of my sincerity," Zhang Ruochen said. "Senior Uncle Ji, if you trust me and are willing to work for me, I'll give you even more precious resources in the future."
Ji Shui stared at the saintly source. Taking steps toward the stone table, she said, "Your abilities are far above mine. Why do you insist on having me work for you?"
Zhang Ruochen knew that Ji Shui was already tempted but still worried, so he continued, "As the Deity, it looks like I have a powerful status, but in the sect, my force is too thin. There are barely any strong figures that I can truly trust."
Ji Shui nodded. She did agree with this.
In the end, Gu Linfeng had only been in the Blood God Sect for less than a year. Other than Discipline King Haiming, he didn't have any force he could rely on. Plus, Discipline King Haiming didn't genuinely support him. This meant that he was alone.
The so-called Deity title was nothing more than an empty shell.
Ji Shui thought carefully. She hesitated and still didn't accept the saintly source. "I admit that a saintly source is indeed tempting for me. However, your situation is too dangerous. I may die if I work for you. I'm sorry. I think that my life is more important than a saintly source."
She turned and started walking out of Secret Dragon Palace.
In the end, she still didn't believe in Gu Linfeng's abilities. She didn't think that he was able to fight against the older figures of the Blood God Sect.
Since she isn't willing to join us, I will kill her now, Zhao Shiqi said to Zhang Ruochen with Spiritual Power.
"It's okay… Let her go…huh?"
He suddenly felt faint murderous Qi come from above the waterfall. It gave him an extreme feeling.
Who was it?
Ji Shui naturally knew that Gu Linfeng might kill her to keep the secret, not letting her leave Hidden Dragon Palace. Thus, her guard rose higher with each step.
Sharp icy wind came out of nowhere. It whistled through the rafters and pillars.
Such powerful murderous Qi. Is Gu Linfeng really going to attack?
Her entire body grew taut. Holy Qi circulated rapidly within her.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened. The space seemed to have become isolated. There was no more sound.
In the darkness, a booming voice sounded. "Discipline King Haiming really found a good disciple. Even a saintly source can't win you over. Deity, how about you give the saintly source to me and I kill her for you?"
A ball of dark red light hovered above Hidden Dragon Palace. One could faintly make out a figure wrapped in the light.
Zhang Ruochen didn't show any panic. Smiling, he asked, "And after that?"
"After I kill her, I'll naturally do the main task of tonight."
"What is that?"
"Killing you."
Along with those two words, powerful saintly might flooded downward. Saintly might should be invisible, but it now created the apparitions of a dozen mountains. They fell upon Ji Shui and Zhang Ruochen.
Unable to bear it, Ji Shui let out a muffled grunt. Fresh blood flowed out of her mouth and she fell onto one knee. Looking up with shock, she said, "Liao Teng, sub-palace lord of the Disorder Heavenly Palace."
At that moment, she finally realized that the murderous Qi hadn't come from Gu Linfeng. It came from Liao Teng.
The one that Liao Teng wanted to kill was Gu Linfeng, not her.
Of course, with the current situation, Liao Teng would definitely kill her after Gu Linfeng to keep the secret.
Was she going to die at Hidden Dragon Palace tonight?