Chapter 251 - 129: Quick, Someone’s Coming

Chapter 251: Chapter 129: Quick, Someone’s Coming

Yu Xiaoqian lifted a corner of the blanket and leaned down, her exquisitely beautiful face drawing near as she spoke softly to Jiang Mu:

"Just stay here and be quiet. You mustn’t make a sound."

"It’ll be trouble if anyone hears you."

Jiang Mu watched the ghost girl’s anxious fussing, a direct result of his own clumsy performance, and couldn’t help but find it amusing.

’This girl... did I really move her enough to make her turn good?’

He quickly suppressed his aura and put on a frail act, his lips pale as he said weakly:

"Thank you, miss... That woman just now was so fierce. Is she..."

"Shh!"

Yu Xiaoqian pressed a slender, pale finger to her lips, her expression tense. She lowered her voice and said:

"That’s Sister Qing. She’s incredibly petty and loves to tattle to Granny. We were lucky to get away with it this time... But now I’m in trouble. Granny specifically asked for you, but I’ll be going back empty-handed. She’ll definitely take her anger out on me.

I need to hurry to the main hall and think of an excuse to placate her. I’ll also try to find an antidote for the corpse poison for you."

Seeing how naive the ghost girl was, Jiang Mu decided to commit fully to the act.

His brows knitted in a pained expression. He coughed twice, seizing the chance to fish for information.

"Miss, I don’t understand. At Meiruo Temple, I personally saw the Tree Demon Granny get cut down by that Elder Yan with a single sword strike. How is it that... there’s another Granny here? Just how many Grannies do you have?"

Yu Xiaoqian pouted her delicate, pink lips.

"The one you saw was just one of Granny’s Clones. Her true body is suppressed here by a very, very bad person, so she’s been unable to regain her freedom. She can only use her Clones to get things done."

"Suppressed?"

Jiang Mu’s interest was piqued. He pressed on, "Who suppressed her?"

Yu Xiaoqian shook her head, her hair swaying gently against her cheeks. "I don’t know, either. But they must be incredibly powerful. Even with Granny’s sky-high Cultivation Level, she couldn’t resist and was trapped in this tiny place."

"How long have you been a ghost?" Jiang Mu asked suddenly.

At this question, Yu Xiaoqian lowered her head.

A cascade of dark hair tumbled down her cheek, obscuring half of her fair profile. Only her eyes were visible, clear yet filled with sorrow. Her voice dropped.

"A long time... almost two years, I think..."

She seemed reluctant to discuss her past. She quickly looked up and gave him a serious warning:

"You stay right here and don’t go anywhere. No one ever comes to this side courtyard, so it’s safe. Keep that Ghost Pill in your mouth. It’ll keep you alive for a while, so whatever you do, don’t spit it out. Wait for me!"

After she finished speaking, she carefully tucked in the corner of his blanket, placed a bowl of fresh water by his pillow, and then reluctantly left, pushing open the door and looking back every few steps with a worried expression.

Silence returned to the room.

Jiang Mu lay on the bed, listening intently for a moment. Once he confirmed she was truly gone, the look of weakness and pain on his face vanished without a trace.

He swung himself out of bed, stretched his stiff limbs, and exhaled.

"Acting is surprisingly exhausting."

The words had barely left his lips when the air in the room distorted. A wisp of green smoke appeared, coalescing into a voluptuous and graceful figure.

Ji Hongyuan’s figure materialized out of thin air.

She was lounging on a nearby wooden chair. The slit in her dress was daringly high, and as she crossed her legs, the fabric slid all the way up her thigh, revealing a pair of long legs clad in black silk stockings.

She wore a pair of dark red high heels, the tip of one tapping lightly with a crisp TAP.

The entire effect was one of mature, bone-deep allure.

The woman propped her chin on one hand, a smile playing on her lips. Her gaze was pure seduction as she spoke:

"So? My method worked pretty well, didn’t it? That little ghost girl is completely smitten with you. Did you see that heartbroken look on her face? She wants to cradle you in the palm of her hand."

Jiang Mu ignored her teasing. He took the Ghost Pill, which radiated a chilly aura, from his robes and twirled it between his fingers.

"This thing won’t hurt me, will it?"

"That’s a Ghost Pill. Holding it in your mouth conceals the aura of a living person."

Ji Hongyuan ran the tip of her tongue over her red lips, a seductive gesture.

"Ghosts are formless and intangible, sustained only by a breath of resentment or an unyielding obsession. A successful Ghost Cultivator will condense their life essence into a pill to stabilize their soul.

For a ghost, this thing is like a second life. However..."

She paused, her high-heeled foot swinging gently in the air.

"If a Ghost Pill is separated from its owner for too long—more than three days—the ghost will lose its foundation and its soul will dissipate, vanishing from the world forever."

She shot Jiang Mu a sultry look, her voice turning velvety smooth.

"By giving this to you, she’s essentially placed her life in your hands. So tell me, isn’t she just madly in love with you?"

Jiang Mu was a little surprised.

’This girl, Yu Xiaoqian... does she really trust me that much?’

’That’s just too naive to be believable.’

Ji Hongyuan seemed to read his mind. She sat up straight with a grin, the movement causing her ample chest to ripple slightly.

"What’s so strange about it? For one, you’re a real looker. Handsome, but still masculine. Even I can’t help but want to take a bite, to say nothing of a sheltered little girl who’s never seen the world.

And for another thing..."

She extended a finger and tapped the air in the direction of Jiang Mu’s chest.

"That girl is too innocent. You can tell she’s been sheltered, completely unaware of how wicked people can be. You played the hero and saved the damsel in distress—twice—and then fed her that whole story. It’s only natural she’d secretly fall for you.

After all, ghosts can sometimes be more devoted than people."

Jiang Mu frowned, ignoring her teasing.

’Whether this ghost girl is being sincere or just putting on an act, the fact remains that the Tree Demon Granny slaughters innocents. She has to be killed.’