Chapter Eighty-Eight: Splitting Hairs

She held out the stone and asked, “Take a look. Is this the Star-Seeking Stone?”

She herself did not know what it looked like, so she could not be sure whether this was the real thing.

But she was certain of one thing: the one Xiao Huai had taken was absolutely not the Star-Seeking Stone.

That had been a rock she had picked up outside because it looked rather nice, and kept it aside to use someday as a weight for her instant noodles.

There were no instant noodles here, of course, but she liked to hoard things; if something seemed suitable, she would keep it.

Xuanyuan Tunhan wanted nothing more than to strangle her on the spot, but he held back and asked, “Why did you take this stone?”

With her tastes, she should have chosen something prettier, not such an ugly rock.

Ning Xianyu said with disgust, “You think this stone is ugly too, don’t you?”

“I didn’t want to take it at first, but somehow, after you dragged me into that dream world last time, that little red stone man showed up again. He kept bouncing around in my head, saying this one, this one.”

If not for that little fellow, she would never have chosen this stone.

Hearing her mention the dream world, Xuanyuan Tunhan did not explain. He only looked at the stone again. “It is indeed the Star-Seeking Stone.”

Ning Xianyu’s face lit up at once. “Haha, wonderful. I knew I was so clever I could never have picked the wrong one.”

Seeing her so pleased with herself only made Xuanyuan Tunhan even more irritated.

“Can you take the stone out and put it away freely?”

“Of course.”

Ning Xianyu even demonstrated for him.

She did not know why, but she simply knew that if she wanted the stone out, it would appear, and if she wanted it put away, it would vanish.

Though she did not know where the stone was stored, she understood that it was still with her.

Xuanyuan Tunhan’s expression grew even darker. He told her to keep the stone for now, and without his permission, she must never show it to anyone.

“Even so, we must leave as quickly as possible. Now that the Star-Seeking Stone is gone, the restrictions here will only grow stronger. Staying will bring no benefit.”

Ning Xianyu said all right, then found an oar and began to row toward the shore.

Just thinking about having to cross a sandstorm after rowing made her feel as though the road ahead were hopeless. Life was simply too hard.

Why should a lazybones like her have to suffer like this?

Xuanyuan Tunhan remained silent the whole way. After quite a while, he suddenly spoke.

“In the vow just now, I said I would not torment you and would make sure you lived well, but I never said I could not let someone else torment you.”

Ning Xianyu’s movements faltered.

What did he mean by that? How could a great demon with a hundred thousand years on him nitpick over words like that?

Seeing her shocked and disbelieving expression, Xuanyuan Tunhan felt much better.

When they finally emerged from the sea, a sandstorm lay ahead. Wrapped in a barrier of spiritual power, she trudged onward with difficulty.

This time it was the great demon who led the way, or else she would certainly have gone round in circles on the spot.

Again, it took a full day to get through.

The great demon had been right. Without the Star-Seeking Stone, the restrictions here had actually grown stronger, and the range of the sandstorm had expanded as well.

“If this desert keeps growing stronger, then after ten thousand years, won’t this place be swallowed whole by sand?”

It would be a real pity to see such a beautiful place ruined.

Xuanyuan Tunhan said no.

“Once the Star-Seeking Stone leaves this space, the restrictions and array formations here will vanish completely. Ten thousand years from now, this place will return to being an oasis.”

“Well, that’s nice.”

Ning Xianyu said enviously, “I’d like to have a secret realm like this too, somewhere I can eat and drink, bask in the sun, look at the sea, and do nothing at all.”

“That dream world you dragged me into last time was wonderful. I like places like that. Someday I’m definitely going to live there.”

Xuanyuan Tunhan said nothing. She was simply too stupid, still thinking that was a dream.

That was not a dream at all. It was her spiritual abode, the most important place for a cultivator.

The heart of this woman was tranquil, and so her spiritual abode was tranquil and peaceful as well.

He had never seen anyone’s spiritual abode like that.

Ning Xianyu walked through the desert for another half day before finally reaching an oasis.

“We made it out at last!”

She rushed to the hot spring by the oasis, stripped off her clothes in a few quick motions, and jumped into the water.

It felt too wonderful. The sand on her body was washed away, her skin seemed to be drinking water, and at last she no longer felt dry and shriveled.

She held her breath and sank beneath the surface to wash her hair, then tossed her clothes in to wash them as well.

She washed with such hearty abandon that the splashing water droplets struck the great demon.

Xuanyuan Tunhan was far more restrained. Gracefully, he entered the water, first soaking his whole body before lifting his head, then staring at her with elegant reserve.

Ning Xianyu pulled her clothes up to cover her chest so the great demon would not see it.

Yet just after she did so, she saw the corner of his mouth curl in a most mocking way as he looked her over.

Did he think she had hidden herself because he might peek?

Hah!

Ning Xianyu felt insulted, but she still covered herself tightly.

No looking means no looking. Just because he was old did not mean he was not a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Had he not forcibly kissed her before?

As she was grumbling inwardly, Xuanyuan Tunhan came over and leaped straight onto her head.

“Ancestor, you might as well soak by yourself.”

Her head was dripping wet, with an equally wet cat perched on top of it. The pose was simply too bizarre.

Xuanyuan Tunhan did not move at all. He still lay atop her head, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy of the Seven-Petal Orchid.

The power of the Seven-Petal Orchid flowed endlessly into his soul, steadily purifying his spiritual platform.

For Ning Xianyu, soaking in the hot spring was comfortable. For Xuanyuan Tunhan, absorbing the power of the Seven-Petal Orchid within her was even more so.

Seeing that he would not come down, Ning Xianyu stopped paying him any mind. She leaned comfortably against a large rock by the spring and even fell asleep.

She had actually been on guard against Xiao Huai the whole time, so she had not rested well.

Now that Xiao Huai had vanished on his own and the great demon was still by her side, she could finally rest.

She was almost asleep when she heard people talking.

“Xiao Huai, weren’t you following Ning Xianyu? How did you end up alone again?”

“What, did she look down on you and refuse to cooperate?”

“Haha, you’re only an outer disciple. She just likes having someone wait on her. Did you really think she was interested in you?”

Ning Xianyu hurriedly got dressed, eager to listen to the gossip.

That bastard Xiao Huai had tricked her. Hmph, and now he had run into a tough crowd.

She was going to cheer these people on and see how they taught Xiao Huai a lesson.