Bai Zhi was eating melons and fruits, while Yang Shining held a cup of hot tea, the two making casual conversation with Bai Huahua chiming in occasionally.
Suddenly, the chatter halted, the atmosphere growing quiet.
Twelve eyes simultaneously looked toward the top of the courtyard wall.
Three massive eight-legged silhouettes stood starkly conspicuous under the moonlight!
"..."
Black threads drooped from the top of Bai Zhi's head.
Bai Huahua no longer found it as novel and amusing as the first time she'd seen them. In her ruby-like beautiful eyes, a trace of irritation flickered, though even she didn't know why.
Yang Shining took a sip of tea, her expression puzzled, and murmured, "Aren't those Ye Chuyang's little brat's? Why are they at my place..."
They were actually the three spiders they'd encountered at the waterfall that one time, come looking for Bai Zhi again...
As for the reason, Bai Zhi didn't need to think hard to know.
Three hot-blooded "young lads" simply couldn't resist the temptation of a superior...
In other words, what could they use to resist? They could only be drawn by primal instinct, tangled in an invisible net of desire.
But absolutely, under no circumstances, could Yang Shining learn of this. If Bai Zhi admitted in front of Yang Shining that it was the object of courtship, it would be a scene of utter, abject mortification.
How would it maintain its image?!
With this thought, Bai Zhi spoke with determined nonchalance:
"I don't know them."
In return came Yang Shining's even more puzzled gaze, a look that seemed to say: I hadn't even asked anything yet...
Ahem...
"Hurry and chase them away!" Bai Zhi's voice was forceful, carrying a hint of urgency.
It absolutely could not let those three overconfident spiders recreate that ridiculous, absurd spectacle from by the waterfall!
But in the very next second, the three spiders dropped into the courtyard.
And began to display their talents.
Ice sculptures, dancing, flashing lights...
Each brought out its own repertoire, showing off every trick.
The demon spider's body began to tremble violently.
Yang Shining's teacup crashed against the ground with a *clang*, shattering into a thousand fragments.
Fortunately, Ye Chuyang appeared in time and recalled the three "out of control" male spiders.
But he seemed entirely unaware of the fury in Bai Zhi's eyes or the delicate atmosphere. He even rubbed the back of his head and apologized:
"Aiyah! I just took a little nap, and they slipped out while I wasn't paying attention."
"Terribly sorry, terribly sorry..."
"Huh, so Sir Bai Zhi is indeed staying at the Saintess's residence. I suppose the 'True Demon'-realm demonic creature you mentioned having subdued, Yang Shining, must be Sir Bai Zhi."
"In that case, Saintess, how about I treat you to a meal another day as recompense?"
The atmosphere was excruciatingly awkward.
After Ye Chuyang was chased away, Bai Zhi seized on the information in his words to shift attention:
"That brat just now... seemed to say you had subdued me?"
The words were calm and lilting, majestic without anger.
Yang Shining's subtle expression instantly vanished, replaced by fluster. She hurriedly explained:
"Lord Bai Zhi, let me quibble—ah no... let me explain!"
Bai Zhi looked at her coldly. "Speak."
It turned out that during her time at the university, Yang Shining had been busy enjoying campus life—or rather, focused on searching for her lost memories—and had neglected her task of subduing a demonic creature.
So when the Sect Master asked about her cultivation results, she had put Bai Zhi forward as a substitute.
"And moreover, the Sect Master likely already sensed the abnormality within my body, so I had no choice but to claim it was through a signed Demon-Taming Contract."
In truth, Bai Zhi wasn't angry about this and had expected it long ago. It was merely using it to deflect from the awkward scene moments earlier.
Hmm, so this Saintess tells the Sect Master truths mixed with lies...
It's true that she and I have a contract. It's just that the master-servant relationship is reversed—I am her master...
Bai Zhi couldn't help imagining what kind of expression that Jiuli Sect Master would wear if he learned his own Saintess had been taken as a servant by a demon spider.
Harboring killing intent toward me would be the least of it, wouldn't it?
...
The next day.
Bai Zhi woke early, very displeased.
To be precise, it was because it hadn't slept well the night before, combined with recalling the "mortifying" scene in the courtyard and Ye Chuyang's punchable expression.
In the quiet morning, it went to the lake pavilion at the center of the mansion's courtyard, hoping the placid lake water could soothe its mood.
The reason it was so tranquil was that the little snake hadn't come looking for it today. She had been taken by Yang Shining to the Jiuli Sect's main peak to study and learn about various wild animals and demonic creatures.
But during this idle moment,
Bai Zhi suddenly caught sight of a male figure, stepping across the lake's surface, sending out ring after ring of gentle ripples as he walked unhurriedly toward the lake pavilion.
This person was clearly a Transcendent, capable not only of entering the Saintess's mansion alone but also walking on water as if it were solid land.
He wore a black wide-brimmed hat with a veil that concealed his face, along with a dark-patterned gray robe. His build was tall and imposing, with broad shoulders, his height well over 190 centimeters.
The demon spider's gaze locked firmly onto the newcomer.
The gray-robed man stepped into the pavilion, his footprints on the stone slabs leaving not a single trace of moisture.
He sat down on a stone stool and spoke with complete naturalness: "A first meeting—may I ask whether our guest has been settling in comfortably within the Paradise?"
The man's voice was deep and magnetic, making one unconsciously wish to listen carefully.
Guest? Just like that Nine Palace Deer Spirit, he knew at a glance that I'm not a native of this Paradise!
Still, he seemed rather polite. He hadn't shown any disdain just because I'm a spider—unlike that brat Ye Chuyang...
"Tolerable," Bai Zhi replied indifferently.
Beneath the veiled hat, the man nodded slightly. "May I ask the guest's name?"
"Bai Zhi."
After speaking, Bai Zhi shut its mouth again, showing no intention of engaging with the man.
The gray-robed man extended a hand from his long sleeve and rested it on the stone table. His long, well-kept fingers tapped intermittently: "If Your Excellency finds the environment of the Jiuli Paradise tolerable, would there be any plans to settle here long-term?"
Bai Zhi did not answer directly, instead turning the question around: "Who exactly are you?"
A light chuckle came from beneath the veiled hat. The man said: "I am her teacher, and also her superior. You may call me 'Li Yuan.' And my most widely known identity is—"
"The Head Teacher of the Jiuli Sect."
"..."
A chill crept up Bai Zhi's back.
Head Teacher?
This man was the ruler of the Jiuli Sect, the Jiuli Sect Master?
So his name was Li Yuan after all...
Why would the Jiuli Sect Master, whose true name even the Saintess Yang Shining didn't know, tell me his name?
And more importantly, what had he come to find me for?
Bai Zhi strained to focus its gaze on the gray-robed man, only to discover that its information panel simply would not appear, as if blocked by some isolation.
At the same time, Bai Zhi recalled its current identity—in the eyes of the Jiuli Sect Master, it should be Yang Shining's contracted demonic beast. Yet he had addressed it as "guest"?
Turbulent waves stirred within, but outwardly Bai Zhi still feigned nonchalance: "So it's the Sect Master. May I ask what business you have with me?"
Though the Jiuli Sect Master Li Yuan's head was obscured by the veiled hat, Bai Zhi could feel the other party staring directly at it.
Li Yuan spoke unhurriedly:
"As the master of the Jiuli Paradise, and as an elder to that little lass Shining, it is only natural that I should greet a guest she has invited and extend proper hospitality as the host. At the same time, I very much hope that Sir Bai Zhi can remain here long-term and contribute to the Jiuli Sect."
Bai Zhi vaguely sensed something amiss and probed: "My staying or leaving is not up to me to decide, but is connected to Yang Shining's decision."
The implication being: Yang Shining was its "master," so naturally, wherever Yang Shining went, it would go.
At this, Li Yuan spoke leisurely:
"That little lass Shining—no one knows her better than I. How could she possibly be capable of controlling Sir Bai Zhi? It would be more accurate to say that Your Excellency is exploiting her..."
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
From the lake came the sound of white birds stepping on water. A gentle breeze blew by, wrinkling the lake's surface into layer upon layer of ripples that spread outward. The sea of flowers by the lakeshore was also brushed by the wind, their branches swaying softly with rustling sounds.
The demon spider's entire body tensed, a flash of blue-violet glow passing through its eight eyes.
He really does know that my relationship with Yang Shining is not ordinary...
Since when did he know? And why didn't he expose Yang Shining's lie on the spot back then?
Thoughts flashed rapidly. Bai Zhi said coldly: "And if it is so? You have quite the composure, knowing your own Saintess is under my control and yet remaining so unruffled."
Li Yuan said with forthright calm: "Since Your Excellency can beguile Shining, your strength naturally cannot be underestimated. Facing Your Excellency, even I must deliberate carefully."
"But after yesterday, I've discovered that Sir Bai Zhi seems to have sustained some hidden injury, which is why you are temporarily residing in seclusion within the Jiuli Paradise, correct?"
Yesterday? Could it be...
Bai Zhi let out a rising "Oh," neither confirming nor denying. "What did you discover?"
Li Yuan's voice carried a faint trace of amusement. "Your Excellency touched the temple's barrier and fainted on the spot. I witnessed that scene."
Bai Zhi was dumbfounded: "...You were tailing me?"
Li Yuan denied this gently: "Not at all. To be precise, I have been watching you all along..."
He had been tailing me the entire time yesterday!
What's more... he's had his eye on me since the day he emerged from seclusion!
Bai Zhi was suddenly overcome with a hair-raising, eerie sensation, at the same time staying on guard against the possibility that the other party, knowing it was in a weakened state, might make a move.
It steadied its mind and followed the thread of conversation:
"That temple seems to conceal some secret. I'm afraid that rather than enshrining some Jiuli Thearch, it houses some evil existence..."
Li Yuan did not hide anything and spoke at length:
"Your Excellency still harbors some misunderstandings about the Jiuli Sect. To help you become more familiar with the Jiuli Paradise and dispel any estrangement, I shall tell you the truth."
"The Jiuli Thearch genuinely exists. But that temple also serves the function of producing demonic species for our sect."
The temple... produces demonic creatures?
"What do you mean?"
Li Yuan continued:
"Since the human era entered the age of electricity and technology, the spiritual energy in the outside world has greatly diminished, so naturally-born demonic creatures have grown increasingly scarce. Relying solely on demonic creatures reproducing with each other within the Jiuli Paradise, due to the restrictions of natural law, the offspring born are far from sufficient. How to guarantee an adequate supply of demonic creatures for disciples to form contracts with became a difficult problem."
"Your Excellency was not born within the Jiuli Paradise but grew up under such barren conditions outside. You likely don't know the realm classifications for insect and beast organisms. Insect and beast organisms, by life tier, can be divided into the realms of Common Species, Mutation, Awakening, Half-Demon, True Demon, and so on. When the Jiuli Sect speaks of 'demonic creatures,' it generally refers to insect and beast organisms at the 'Half-Demon' realm and above."
As Bai Zhi listened to these realm names, it linked them to the annotations the system had once given when it evolved.
Mutation corresponded to 'Mutant.' Within Awakening there was a distinction between ordinary 'Awakened Body' and 'High-Tier Awakened Body.' Half-Demon corresponded to 'Half-Demon-Evil Body.' True Demon must be 'Demonic-Evil Body'...
However, Li Yuan seemed not to have mentioned the Nine Palace Deer Spirit's 'Sacred Spirit Body' or its own 'Anomaly · Demonic-Evil Body' information.
"You mean... beings at the Half-Demon realm and above are subject to reproductive throttling by natural law?"
"That's correct." Li Yuan nodded slightly.
No wonder Ye Chuyang had been so desperate to propose that absurd transaction deal to me back then...
Though come to think of it, my own 'Egg-Laying' skill didn't seem to be affected by this natural law...
"So..." Li Yuan paused, then said.
"Our Jiuli tribe, in order to survive in the struggle against the Wu Gu Clan, had no choice but to find ways to increase the available supply of contractible demonic creatures. The temple Your Excellency saw is one such tool."
"Can't you simply raise Gu insects like the Wu Gu Clan does?" Bai Zhi suddenly asked.
"Since Your Excellency knows of the Wu Gu Clan... then you should know even more that demonic species and Gu organisms are different. The latter can emerge and even evolve through common insects devouring each other. But demons cannot simply appear from the victors of beasts fighting to the death—so it's not feasible."
"Of course, there is another method, which is to make a 'Gu' metamorphose into a 'Demon'—just like Your Excellency yourself. The difficulty and cost of this are even more enormous, impossible to replicate and popularize."
Bai Zhi immediately recalled Long Bingheng's Ice Spirit Chilling Dragon, which also seemed to have evolved from a Gu.
"And moreover, regarding the arts of controlling Gu, our Jiuli tribe's ancestors could never match the Wu Gu Clan—and still can't today."
"The reason my Jiuli Sect can now stand as equals against the Wu Gu Clan is by relying on our contracted demonic creatures, our superior Demon-Taming Arts over witchcraft curses, and some methods from the ancient Daoist sects."
"Thus, the existence of the enshrining temple is of vital importance to the Jiuli Sect. Its barrier can also be said to be one of the strictest within the Jiuli Paradise. It's only natural Your Excellency suffered backlash from the barrier. But I didn't expect Your Excellency would actually faint on the spot—that was something I truly hadn't anticipated."
Uh...
Isn't that way of speaking a bit like looking down on me... Bai Zhi couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
"And inside that temple—how does it 'produce' demonic creatures as you say?"
Bai Zhi couldn't restrain its curiosity and asked, feeling like it was touching upon some crucial issue.
It recalled those chilling, bizarre sounds coming from the temple yesterday.
"That is one of our three methods for obtaining demonic creatures."
Li Yuan put away the smile beneath his veiled hat and raised three long, slender fingers, explaining slowly:
"The first method: disciples go out on training excursions, searching for naturally-born, extremely rare demonic creatures."
"The second method: let the demonic creatures within the sect mate and reproduce offspring."
"Of course, the supply from these two methods is very limited."
"The third method... is connected to that temple."
"The Jiuli Sect raises ordinary humans within the Paradise, using 'Paradise Gu' to erase their memories of the outside world, and selects suitable humans from among them. Through a mysterious ritual and the 'Transformation Gu,' they are turned into demonic creatures..."