The moon had risen high in the sky—the night sky as dark as ever, stars twinkling.
Jinshen was sitting in front an unusually calm Yunxia—he was getting bandaged up by a few men in bright white robes that reflected the dim light of the candles.
Xian, don't heal me for now. The doctors can't know about us.
Xian gave an overly dramatic whine in his mind, like a kid denied his favorite toy.
"Fine, old man... But if you die, that's on your dumbass head, not mine."
Jinshen's inner monologue was interrupted by a small sigh from Yunxia who sat up straight—balling her hand into a fist before she rested her head on it.
"So let me get this straight—Wanmei basically has the strongest man alive in a prison? And he has a small chance of getting him under control?"
Jinshen looked away for a moment in embarrassment—he felt Yunxia's disappointed glare tear its way into the back of his head.
Jinshen sighed, dragging his gaze back to her with obvious reluctance
"If you say it like that.. Yes... That's about right.. But when you state it like that, I seem like a villain.."
Yunxia sighed deeply, running a hand through her hair—gripping the strands a bit too tightly for her to be truly calm.
Damn emotional kids...
She thought to herself—she took in a deep breath, calming herself down before sitting up straight.
"Well no worries, there's basically no prison that can hold The Grand Marshall for a while—Wanmei doesn't know that."
Jinshen narrowed his eyes, leaning in closer—his voice dropping to a more hushed and quiet one.
"Yunxia, can we talk in private?"
He whispered to her—Yunxia nodded silently—eyes sliding over to the doctors who understood the gesture, stepping out of the room, leaving them both alone.
"I want to get stronger."
Jinshen stated bluntly, eyes narrowed in determination and resolve—he leaned against the small table in between them both.
"Well, first. You have to cultivate, you've been dead and haven't been cultivating, so. I'll give you a few Qi pills..."
Yunxia whispered back to him, crossing her arms over her chest—tilting her head to the side with a small smirk on her face.
"In exchange, you first have to conquer the Darkwing Sect for us."
Jinshen's eyes widened in surprise momentarily before narrowing even further—this was getting a bit more personal now.
This woman.. If she wasn't Xie's mother and had she not been helping me all this time I would have left a long time ago.. She wants me to take over a sect for a few pills?
Jinshen paused, contemplating the pros and cons of the offer before reluctantly sighing.
"Sure. You already know about my history huh, my desire for revenge? Sly snake...."
Yunxia shrugged indifferently, standing up while looking down at Jinshen—her smirk widening.
"Well, I'm a leader of a sect, so of course I have to be sly."
She spoke in a teasing tone, giving Jinshen a wink before leaving the room—the door sliding shut.
There was a moment of silence—before Xian's exceptionally excited voice cut through it.
Boss... Seriously. Forget the daughter. THE MOM. The MOMMY. The legendary Hot Mom that comes around every ten thousand years! We storm her heart like we're storming the Darkwing Sect, c'mon! PRIORITIES! Imagine getting stepp-
Jinshen turned deadpanned and immediately coughed, not wanting Xian's modern lust to destroy the serious moment.
She's my future mother-in-law, I won't sleep with her.
Xian grunted slightly, raising its voice to an almost shrieking one—one that made Jinshen want to rip his eardrums out.
HEY! SOME OF US ARE-
Xian was once again during his.... Passionate speech by the door sliding open to reveal Lin Zhue walking in.
He was wearing a white robe over a deep blue tunic—he was wearing a pair of matching boots. A blue and gold Jian on his back, sheathed away safely and secured by a piece of cloth.
"So uh.. I'm gonna be heading to Zhuque Cheng, that's basically the base of operations for the Jianghu alliance."
Jinshen raised an eyebrow in confusion—he leaned his back on the wall a small frown on his face.
"Why? Any specific reason?"
Lin sighed deeply, scratching the back of his head in annoyance.
"Just another council meeting. Random old men just wanting to spread corruption, ya know the drill."
Jinshen and Lin—both sighed once more, this time in unison.
They both sat in silence, looking around the room in boredom before Lin stood up—cracking his back and throwing a small pill towards Jinshen
"Lady Yunxia wanted to give this to you. This is just a trial. That's the Acoustic Qi pill. Pretty expensive."
Jinshen caught the pill with ease—remaining silent and nodding.
He watched as Lin gave him a small upwards nod in goodbye before leaving. The door closing once more.
"Alright.. I should take this pill, before going to the Darkwing Sect, I should most definitely try to be at the Soul Manifestation stage." Jinshen muttered under his breath, staring at the pill.
It was a smooth, marble like blue pill. Its surface was matte, yet still shone with Qi—Jinshen could swear he was hearing someone singing from inside it.
Xian chuckled in his mind, going back to its normal chaotic self—instead of the passionate one it was before.
Well, just imagine, you standing in the rain, above the clouds while your soul destroys the whole sect... Kinda average not gonna lie.
Jinshen sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair before standing up, smoothly pocketing the pill.
Well, I can't use the Demonic Sect's cultivation technique, at least for now.. What should I do until then?
Xian paused, a small—mechanical contemplative pause occurring.
The silence continued for a few moments before it spoke once more, its voice a bit more serious.
Well, I can modify the Path of The Withering Enemies, but—I'll have to change up the sitting positions and cultivating tactics for ya, so we're not cultivating Demonic Qi, instead we're cultivating Righteous Qi...
Jinshen nodded slowly taking a deep breath before opening the the door and stepping out into the wooden hallway, the planks creaking beneath his weight.
"Alrighty then.. Maybe I'll cultivate in Yunxia's garden.."
Jinshen muttered before walking towards the garden—the smell of flowers and vegetation getting stronger and stronger until it overwhelmed his senses completely.
Jinshen opened the new door of the garden—one that replaced the door he broke when he first arrived.
He looked around the garden, fireflies and crickets roamed around the garden. The fireflies dimly lighting the garden up before Jinshen settled himself on a boulder.
Alright, tell me the first stage Xian.
Xian cleared his 'throat' in a dramatically professional way before it spoke in a slightly sheepish way.
I forgot to mention, while updating I did research some righteous cultivation technique.. The best one I found is the Heavenly Flesh And Blood scripture written by a guy called The Diamond Dao.
Jinshen's eyes widened in surprise before he just sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.
You hide too much from me.. Just put the damn scripture in my brain already.
Xian just hummed in a sheepish manner, not responding through words before it started uploading the scripture directly into Jinshen's mind.
There was a deep voice that spoke while Jinshen clutched at his head in pain, the vast amount of information overloading his senses.
"When mortal flesh and blood met with the heavens. I began my study on this cultivation method."
A small wispy blue figure started to form in front of him, it was a tall old man wearing rags with perfectly white hairs and a long, long beard—one that almost reached the ground.
"Hello Jinshen Zhe, I am not a part of your strange machine, instead—I am the Diamond Dao's 'will' he left before disappearing. Whenever you need help with cultivating, I'll be there."
He cleared his ghostly throat before raising a finger high into the sky, a small smile on his face.
"A falling rain drop doesn't have salt, as they say"
Jinshen looked up at the old man in front of him that was obviously trying to seem cool with a deadpanned and resigned expression.
Why must I always get the weird ones..?
He thought to himself before standing up from the boulder, putting the old man's hand down.
"Uh... That's wrong and true at the same time old man.."