116 - Divine Mastering Dragon System

Chapter 115: The Gift "Master, why are you here?" He Ge's expression was tense and uneasy, her tone somewhat guilty as she spoke. Xiang Shi Yan, who had been in seclusion, suddenly appeared at Jiu An Peak, clearly because something had gone wrong. Ge He seemed to be aware of it as she instinctively turned her face away. Seeing Ge He raise her hand to cover her bandaged left eye, Xiang Shi Yan quickly grabbed her wrist to prevent her from rubbing the wounded eye indiscriminately. Xiang Shi Yan felt a silent sigh of relief that Ge He was unaware of her own predicament, but as she gazed into the sole remaining eye of her disciple, a deep sense of regret filled her heart. Ge He's pale face betrayed her pain, with cold sweat beading at her temples, quivering and ready to fall. It seemed she only began to realize the pain after waking; Xiang Shi Yan gently wiped away the sweat from her forehead, seeing that the bandages over Ge He's eye were already soaked with blood, she sighed helplessly and removed them. Having lost an eye gave Ge He's pure and charming visage an unusual air. Ge He turned her face to hide her eye, unwilling to let her see it, yet Xiang Shi Yan pulled her hand away, exposing the hidden, sunken eyelid and the terrifying void within. Frustrated, Xiang Shi Yan spoke with a tone that expressed her disappointment, "You collaborated with a tiger; having done so, why fear I'd find you ugly?" She firmly turned Ge He's head upright, witnessing the pained look on her face. Yet, the usual pitiful expression reminiscent of an abandoned puppy that usually made one want to take pity on Ge He was now sorely diminished. Xiang Shi Yan silently observed the half-concealed hollow and drooping eyelid, troubled by the stark emptiness. Ge He remained silent, but her demeanor suggested a lack of remorse. She subtly shifted, as if to shield Lin Zhao Di behind her. Xu Shi Yan sighed at Ge He's wounded face, her tender young disciple looking up at her with tear-filled eyes, softening her heart despite her intentions. "Even a fierce tiger in the mountains can't compare to the severity of torturous punishments," Xuan Jiu's voice echoed through her mind. Xiang Shi Yan ignored the implication and gently traced her finger over Ge He's droopy eyelid, retrieving a clean cloth from her storage ring to tend to the blood and wound. Enough time had passed since Ge He lost her left eye that Xiang Shi Yan feared the wound might get infected. She applied medicine to the injury, causing Ge He to whimper and wrinkle her face in pain. Xuan Jiu hadn’t bothered to tell where he had put Ge He’s left eye after taking it, leaving it mysteriously untraceable, leading to Xiang Shi Yan’s annoyance. As she looked up, she unexpectedly caught Lin Zhao Di’s gaze. To the naked eye, Lin Zhao Di appeared no different from a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. She fit the imagined image of a girl raised in poverty, though she lacked the rebellious or gentle character one might expect—Lin Zhao Di was distinctly the latter. Her eyes, warm brown like a doe's, explained why Xiang Shi Yan mistook her once before, resembling her by a striking resemblance of some five to six parts. As their eyes met, Xiang Shi Yan felt awkward, recalling that even though Ge He had been unconscious when Xuan Jiu restrained her, Lin Zhao Di had witnessed it all. Still, the ghostly girl showed no abnormal reaction, as if still in a dreamlike state. She lightly patted Ge He on the back, comforting her like an older sister soothing her wounded sister, or perhaps calming a crying child. Lin Zhao Di's behavior was unsettling. She seemed unaware of her situation, her tender gaze focused intently on Ge He, far removed from the malevolent spirit Xiang Shi Yan anticipated. Yet, the girl donned in wedding attire exuded a fearsome aura that belied her harmless appearance. This foreboding ghostly presence affirmed her true nature as an evil entity capable of controlling ghostly fiends, a reality Xiang Shi Yan was acutely aware of. Lin Zhao Di, harboring grievances even in death, remained uncorrupted in her watery grave. Her current power, bolstered by the malevolent one’s favor, was a formidable challenge, and Xiang Shi Yan dared not lower her guard. After a moment, Ge He, looking pitiable, explained, "Sister won't hurt anyone... she remembers me, see?" With complex emotions, Xiang Shi Yan gazed at the pleading Ge He. Did Ge He not understand the gravity of Lin Zhao Di’s actions at the Li family? She had no intention of excusing the Li family, whose trafficking of the Transmutation Pill had harmed many women and infants. Yet, taking another's life was a solemn matter. Having returned from death with a power enough for vengeance, Lin Zhao Di was prepared to bear the burden of her actions. But trading her own eye not only saved Lin Zhao Di from becoming a ghost but also handed her the weapon of vengeance—something Xiang Shi Yan hoped Ge He wouldn’t have to carry. Icy water slowly crept up Xiang Shi Yan’s back, as an ice-spirit cultivator, her body was naturally cooler than most, but still warmer compared to the scales of a demon like Xuan Jiu, who wielded water as his temporary body. The moisture clinging to her clothing resumed its form, the cold water clinging intimately against her skin, an unnerving sensation that twisted her stomach in disgust. Yet she had to comply with the demon’s whims, as her disciple's earnest eyes focused unwaveringly on her, any struggle on her part would result in a loss of face before Ge He. The flowing water felt like a cold hand, softly caressing upwards along her spine, smoother than an infant’s fingertips. This intimate sensation, starting from the base rising upwards, made Xiang Shi Yan tremble, her cheeks involuntarily flushing crimson. Biting her lip, her face a mixture of embarrassment and anger, Xiang Shi Yan for the third time reflected on her misplaced hope and trust in Xuan Jiu's seemingly righteous guise. Clearly, this person was... His actions seemed less like he was extracting information, and more like treating Xiang Shi Yan as a toy for his amusement. Utter humiliation...! The water lingered on her shoulder, as though a hand rested there. Xuan Jiu’s voice whispered mockingly, “Don’t think about running away now.” As Xiang Shi Yan heard him, a sudden warmth spread to her ears, as though Xuan Jiu murmured beside her ear. Her expression hardened, anger tinged with a ferocity new to confronting Ge He, as she tightly gripped her right shoulder. With a flicker of her spiritual energy, she instantly froze the water beneath her elaborate clothing, rendering Xuan Jiu’s antics quiet for the moment. Ge He flinched at her sudden action, shielding Lin Zhao Di with her body. Her movements loosened the bandage that Xiang Shi Yan had yet to secure. Injured as she was, the young girl pleaded urgently on her sister’s behalf, "Master, my sister is different from other ghosts, she's well-behaved!" Lin Zhao Di remained indifferent to Xiang Shi Yan’s presence, lovingly stroking Ge He’s hair in an unexpectedly gentle manner. “See, she won’t hurt me. She still remembers me.” Unfortunately, what she remembers may not be you... but the daughter she never had the chance to meet. Xiang Shi Yan sighed at the two sisters. Despite Xuan Jiu’s rescue, Lin Zhao Di remained not fully aware—though better than the mindlessly predatory ghosts that sought only to drain vitality, she was far from lucid like a living being. Lin Zhao Di's calming of Ge He likely stemmed from her misidentifying Ge He, as a nearby familiar presence, as the daughter she was obsessed with. Her ghostly instincts likely suppressed any recollection of her once cherished younger sister. While Lin Zhao Di harbored no malice towards Ge He presently, Xiang Shi Yan couldn’t guarantee eternal stability, and the adverse effects of Lin Zhao Di’s intense ghostly aura were a liability to Ge He’s physical and spiritual health. Xiang Shi Yan felt a pang of sympathy for Lin Zhao Di. Yet, the ghostly girl harbored such potent energies, nearly rivaling that of a spirit general. Xiang Shi Yan contemplated on her potential impact under Xuan Jiu’s sway—perhaps ending her now would prevent future harm and even greater sins. A bitter smile crossed her face; she herself was but a plaything under the demon’s whims. If Xuan Jiu sought to preserve Lin Zhao Di, what power did she hold? She wasn't strong enough, nor was anyone else in this cultivation realm. No one had yet reached a level equivalent to sit and parley with Xuan Jiu on equal footing. The connections and resources Xiang Shi Yan could leverage were meager against his overwhelming might. The despair of realizing her potential inability to change the future, upon receiving its memories, swept over her once more as she clenched her fist in silence. Ge He clung to Lin Zhao Di’s hand, her sole remaining eye shimmering as she looked at Xiang Shi Yan with a gaze Xiang Shi Yan knew all too well—the look one gave to an omnipotent being. "Master, can we bring Sister back to the mountain?" Xiang Shi Yan maintained a calm demeanor as she spoke, intending to convey to Ge He just how dangerous Lin Zhao Di had become—far exceeding the threat of the giant serpent they once encountered in Xinyang City, or any peril Ge He had faced before. In days past, people controlled spirits using artifacts or talismans, but that knowledge was now lost. In Xiang Shi Yan’s experience, cultivators attempting to wield such control typically met terrifying fates. Though her face appeared icy, Xiang Shi Yan's heart was filled with a slight melancholic tinge. The girl before her had recklessly bargained with a powerful, unfamiliar cultivator to save a water ghost who had entirely lost sentience—paying with her own eye to achieve it. The courage once summoned by a girl yearning to escape her familial confines now seemed blind to the distant future, wholly trusting in an immovable sister as her savior and sole lifeline. How could Xiang Shi Yan tell her that, if given the chance, it would be best to end her suffering sister now to spare others later? With a stern face, still seemingly angry at Ge He’s rash decision, Xiang Shi Yan wore the expression of a strict Master and an uncompromising righteous cultivator, as she spoke her chilling words: "The cultivation world has no place for her." "I don't care if the cultivation world has a place for her, I just want to know if Master does!" Ge He seemed on the verge of tears as she suddenly reached out and grasped Xiang Shi Yan's wrist. She needed to know if one day Xiang Shi Yan would say the same cold words to her. If the cultivation world couldn't accept her sister, Ge He believed there were countless ways to make them, but what of Xiang Shi Yan…? Xiang Shi Yan would certainly not be swayed by such an unreasonable plea, and Ge He knew this, yet she harbored a glimmer of hope. True to form, Xiang Shi Yan calmly unclasped her hand from her wrist: "She will bring trouble not just for you and me, but she poses a danger to other innocent people." "So I…will pretend to imprison her here while actually ending it, hoping Xuan Jiu doesn’t interfere," she thought silently. Xiang Shi Yan could only hope that Xuan Jiu found no interest in a ghost needing careful control. Before her death, Lin Zhao Di was a kind, ordinary girl who targeted only the Li family for revenge, sparing the innocent. Xiang Shi Yan found it hard to bear allowing her to be used for evil, blood staining her hands. "Are you really not going to keep her?" The water, which had frozen on her shoulder, melted, slithering like a snake up her neck to her ear, causing an involuntary shiver that halted her words. The demon whispered temptingly, "Ghost Generals are hard to find. They could rival a cultivator in the Great Ascension stage. Plus, her natural talent might prove useful one day, or she could even become a Ghost King." "..." Xiang Shi Yan stayed silent, the demon's words were compelling yet confusing. As Xuan Jiu suggested, a Ghost General hadn’t emerged in ages; it’s an occurrence requiring serendipitous conditions and innate qualities. Xiang Shi Yan recalled a spirit-taming cultivator once sacrificing an entire city’s souls only to achieve nothing, ultimately consumed by legions of small ghosts. Xuan Jiu’s suggestion that she could have such a rare Ghost General puzzled her. Despite this, Xiang Shi Yan, cautious by nature, doubted the wisdom of sheltering such a ghost when even a cultivator of similar strength—like her peer nascent souls—had been dismembered by swarms of lesser spirits. Sensing her hesitation, Xuan Jiu cheerfully encouraged, "Look down." The water, behaving like slithering serpents, coiled down her arm from her shoulder. Xiang Shi Yan glanced in the water’s direction, watching it wrap around the pendant of black jade hanging at her waist, then strangely merging into it, leaving only a faint ripple of water-like patterns. It dawned on Xiang Shi Yan then that the substance morphing between mist and flowing stream was Xuan Jiu’s very own spiritual energy. She gripped the jade pendant, channeling her energy, revealing the hidden patterns. Unclear about its purpose, she pieced together from Xuan Jiu’s words what it might be used for. Frustrated by Xuan Jiu’s unilateral alterations to her storage artifact and the prolonged mockery and coercion, Xiang Shi Yan suspected Xuan Jiu’s true intention was always for her to take Lin Zhao Di under her wing. 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