Chapter 153 You Deserve It

Before she could even negotiate terms with Xiahou Fang, he spoke up first.

"Lady Ning, as long as you let me out, I won't take your skin anymore, how about that?"

My, what an arrogant and entitled tone!

Furious, Ning Xianyu shouted, "My skin was never yours to begin with, so stop acting so high and mighty."

Suddenly, she felt a strong sense of confidence having the Great Demon King around, even though he wasn't standing right next to her, but rather residing inside a stone.

At this thought, she couldn't help glancing at Xuanhan, starting to ponder what Niansheng and the others had said.

Could it really be true that, relatively speaking, the Great Demon King actually pampered her quite a bit?

As soon as this thought crossed her mind, she gave a shuddered shake of her head. No, that couldn't be right. Absolutely not.

How could the Great Demon King possibly pamper anyone?

Seeing Ning Xianyu look at him, Xuanhan assumed she wanted him to call the shots, so he spoke up first.

"Xiahou Fang, if you want out, you must promise her that you will never harbor any malicious intentions toward her for all eternity. Otherwise, you shall destroy your own cultivation and be forced to wear an aged, withered skin for the rest of time."

Thinking these terms were quite reasonable, Ning Xianyu nodded along.

Xuanhan continued, "You frightened her, so you need to compensate her with one hundred thousand superior-grade spirit stones."

Oh ho, this was good!

Ning Xianyu almost clapped in approval. This was wonderful; she loved one hundred thousand superior-grade spirit stones.

Xuanhan glared at her, silently conveying: *Look at how easily bought you are.*

It's only one hundred thousand, what's so great about that?

Gritting his teeth, Xiahou Fang said, "Fine. Xuanhan, let her speak for herself."

Ning Xianyu quickly chimed in, "I want him to speak for me, no need for your concern. Do you still want to come out or not?"

Xiahou Fang wore a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Weren't you avoiding him earlier? Why are you suddenly conspiring together?"

"Do you want out or not?"

Ning Xianyu continued to look at the Great Demon King, signaling him to carry on.

After calculating for a moment, Xuanhan demanded, "I want your appearance-shifting technique, along with the corresponding pills."

This time, Xiahou Fang froze slightly. "What do you want those for?"

He glanced at Ning Xianyu again. "Have you finally seen the light and decided to take me as your master?"

Ignoring him entirely, Xuanhan merely asked with icy coldness, "Do you agree or not?"

Xiahou Fang thought it over carefully. "This is the final condition. If there are any other demands, I'd rather stay trapped here forever, and you, Old Ghost Xuanhan, will never get out either."

Xuanhan cared not a whit for his threats. "Very well. This is the final condition. Swear upon your divine soul first, and then we will let you out."

Xiahou Fang actually went ahead and swore the oath as demanded. Xuanhan gave the word, and only then did Ning Xianyu release them. Emerging alongside them was also the young emperor's soul and spirit.

As for that fellow Zhang, he had already turned into a statue, left behind forever within the Flowing Flow Stone.

At long last free, both of them looked around. Without warning, Xiahou Fang lunged forward, reaching out to snatch it.

Startled, Ning Xianyu was taken aback, and the Flowing Flow Stone was frightened too; but in the blink of an eye, the stone vanished completely.

Within her divine consciousness, the Flowing Flow Stone was currently lounging on a sandy beach, washed back and forth by red waves, looking utterly cozy and content.

"No wonder you guys like this place."

She rolled around comfortably and let out a happy laugh.

Taken aback for a fraction of a second, Xiahou Fang demanded, "Where did you hide the Flowing Flow Stone?"

Spreading her hands, Ning Xianyu replied, "I don't know. We agreed you wouldn't lay a hand on me—are you trying to break your oath?"

Naturally, Xiahou Fang had no intention of breaking the oath; it simply wasn't worth it.

Still, unwilling to let it go, he couldn't help looking her up and down.

"You..."

Glancing over at Xuanhan again, he frowned in thought, a sudden flash of inspiration crossing his mind.

Instantly, he plastered on a smile. "The ten thousand spirit stones I promised you are still in my dwelling. Why don't you come back with me, and I'll hand them over."

Reluctant to go, Ning Xianyu refused. "I don't want to go. I'll wait for you right here, bring them to me."

With a helpless chuckle, Xiahou Fang asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll run off?"

"Run if you like, you're the one who swore the oath anyway." Having learned the gravity of swearing upon one's divine soul, she wasn't the least bit worried he would abandon his cultivation over ten thousand spirit stones.

Knowing he truly could not violate the oath, Xiahou Fang could only smile and say, "Then wait for me here. I'll be right back."

The moment he departed, Ning Xianyu muttered, "Is he plotting something wicked again?"

Shooting her an irritated look, Xuanhan grabbed her ear and twisted it hard. "Run away, go on, run away again!"

Clutching her ear, she cried out, "You promised never to lay a hand on me, not to be fierce with me, not to hit me, and not to scold me!"

Xuanhan froze for a moment, genuinely feeling a tremor within his divine soul. Even so, he gave her ear another sharp twist and lectured her a few more times before finally letting go.

Covering her ears, Ning Xianyu saw that he was indeed suffering some backlash, and couldn't help gloating, "You knew you'd suffer a backlash yet you still hit me, serves you right!"

A single glare from Xuanhan was enough to frighten her into shutting her mouth entirely.

Pulling the young emperor's soul over, she tucked it safely inside her sleeve. "I'm off to save the young emperor now."

Without a word, Xuanhan simply followed behind her.

Cloaking their presence, they returned to the Grand Tutor's manor and found the young emperor's physical body. To their surprise, the Grand Tutor was actually keeping vigil right there.

He was in a state of high agitation because the emperor's complexion looked vastly improved.

"The immortals are truly saving His Majesty! Heaven bless our Yulai Kingdom!"

With that, he dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly against the floor with loud thuds, thoroughly sincere as he bowed three times toward all eight directions.

Stepping aside to avoid him, Ning Xianyu didn't accept a single bow.

She simply didn't like people kowtowing to her.

Retrieving the young emperor's soul and spirit, she flicked them back into the body and blew a breath of immortal energy upon her.

While the Grand Tutor was still in the middle of a prayer, the young emperor fluttered her eyes open.

Staring blankly at her surroundings, she spotted the Grand Tutor kneeling on the floor and asked in confusion, "Grand Tutor, why are you in my bedchamber?"

Overjoyed to the point of tears, the Grand Tutor choked out, "Your Majesty, you've finally woken up! This is a long story, allow your humble servant to explain slowly."

Looking at him quizzically, the young emperor waited for him to speak.

A puzzled Ning Xianyu wondered aloud, "Why do I feel like the young emperor doesn't remember anything at all?"

Xuanhan explained, "Not remembering is a good thing. The Flowing Flow Stone is an immortal artifact; her journey through it has endowed her with a measure of destiny, which will benefit her greatly in the future. Only by forgetting these events can she peaceably serve as a mortal emperor without giving rise to unnecessary ambitions."

If a mere mortal were to witness immortals and observe various divine miracles firsthand, it would be difficult for them to ever forget. For the rest of their days, they would likely seek out immortal arts and longevity, which was hardly a blessing for a ruler of the mortal realm.

Concerned, Ning Xianyu asked, "Then what about the pills and immortal nectar I gave her? Will that cause any problems?"

Xuanhan shot her a withering glare and made to pinch her ear again, but she deftly dodged it.

"You really are... If she manages to live past two hundred years without dying, I daresay people will start taking her for a monster."

Startled, Ning Xianyu gasped, "Then what should we do? Didn't I ruin her life?"

With a mocking tone, Xuanhan replied, "You ruined her life and yours as well. Her predicament was caused by you, and the karma of it will inevitably return to haunt you."

Pondering for a moment, he suddenly manifested a divine miracle, broadcasting his voice in a majestic and solemn tone.

"The emperor was merely summoned by us to discourse on the Dao, and has now been safely returned. Be sure to deliver this vial of medicine to the palace tomorrow, and declare only that it was a gift bestowed by the immortals. Remember this well."

With those words, he tossed a small vial forward.