Chapter 22: The True Face of Shaoyan Nong

"Drink this cup." Xue Hongyi called out repeatedly, doing his utmost to flatter Shaoyan Nong, for he was still thinking... about how to escape with the immortal-grade treasure after leaving the Wujiang Immortal Mansion!

"Fellow disciples, one must be wary of others. Don't actually drink that wine." Cangjiang Zhenren transmitted.

"Before, we were useful to him; now we're useless. Who knows what means he'll use." Mu Zishuo also transmitted.

But Jiulian transmitted: "Surely he wouldn't be so insane."

One by one they transmitted to each other, yet all raised their cups and drank.

"Whoosh." As the wine entered his mouth, a surge of primal energy wrapped around it, then was directly incinerated by the earthfire. Only then did Ji Ning set down his cup.

"Chun Ji, you two dance a piece to liven things up." Shaoyan Nong, in excellent spirits, commanded.

Immediately, the two female Zifu cultivators behind him, whose robes had been in the guise of maidservants, transformed their robes into long-sleeved rainbow garments. The two women smiled, exuding a startling charm.

The two women drifted to the center of the hall and began to dance.

"Clang." "Whoosh." Three Zifu cultivator musicians also approached the ancient instruments and skillfully began to strike and blow. Though countless ages had passed, these instruments were all treasures and remained undamaged.

The music played on.

Beautiful maidens danced gracefully.

Shaoyan Nong was utterly content, drinking fine wine, while Ji Ning and the others kept him company.

In his exhilaration, Shaoyan Nong's gaze fell upon the truly peerless fairy 'Yu Wei'. Whether in looks or temperament, even Shaoyan Nong, who often saw reincarnated female immortals in the Grand Xia capital, found her stunning. This made his throat dry and his heart hot; the desire he had suppressed began to rise.

But he also knew that this Fairy Yu Wei would be hard to handle. Then he looked at Jiulian and immediately laughed: "Sister Jiulian, now that we've accomplished our great task, we should celebrate properly. Why don't you dance a piece to liven things up for us?"

"Hm?"

Ji Ning frowned, his expression turning ugly.

Sister Jiulian? Was that a title Shaoyan Nong could use? And asking Jiulian to dance—how could Ji Ning not be angry?

"This Shaoyan Nong has gone too far." Xiao Qing communicated mentally from the side. "Master, this Shaoyan Nong doesn't take you seriously at all. He knows you're Jiulian's Dao companion, yet he acts like this."

Everyone else in the hall was also startled.

Jiulian was taken aback as well. She glanced at Ji Ning first, then quickly said: "Young Master Shaoyan, I'm not good at dancing. Compared to your beautiful maidens here, I'm far inferior. I won't make a fool of myself."

"How can they compare to Sister Jiulian?" Shaoyan Nong laughed. "What, do I, Shaoyan Nong, have no face at all?"

Jiulian hesitated, then smiled: "Then I'll dance a piece." At the same time, she glanced at Ji Ning.

Ji Ning sat there with a grim expression.

It was just dancing, and with so many senior fellow disciples present, Ji Ning couldn't easily lose his temper.

"Ning'er, be careful." Baishui Ze transmitted mentally. "Asking someone to dance at a celebration is a small matter, but this Shaoyan Nong knows you and Jiulian are Dao companions, yet he asks Jiulian to dance without even looking at you or saying a word to you. Clearly, he doesn't take you seriously. Since that's the case, you must be cautious."

Ji Ning suddenly came to his senses.

"Don't worry, Uncle Bai. Ning'er understands." Ji Ning transmitted, then simply watched as the music played in the hall and Jiulian danced.

Only then did Ji Ning realize...

Jiulian was actually very good at dancing.

In truth, Ji Ning knew too little about large tribes like the Dongyan clan. Jiulian, as the designated next leader, usually associated with very influential figures throughout the Grand Xia Dynasty. So she had learned a bit of everything, able to perform perfectly in any situation.

"Good, good, good." Shaoyan Nong laughed as he drank, occasionally clapping in praise.

Jiulian, like a lotus flower, drifted around the hall.

When she drew near Shaoyan Nong, he suddenly waved his hand. A black whip caught Jiulian's arm and pulled, causing Jiulian, completely unprepared, to stumble toward him. Jiulian was, after all, a Wanxiang Adept; her primal energy surged, and she steadied herself as she approached Shaoyan Nong.

But Shaoyan Nong grabbed her arm intimately. Originally, he had wanted to embrace her waist. Laughing, he pulled her arm, trying to draw her closer, and said: "Sister Jiulian, come, let's have a drink."

This scene stunned everyone in the hall.

"What!" Mu Zishuo, Yu Wei, and the others were all shocked.

Xue Hongyi glanced at Ji Ning, sneered, and continued drinking.

Ji Ning felt his mind go blank. Earlier, Jiulian dancing could be said to entertain everyone, but now...

"Bang!"

Ji Ning suddenly stood up and slammed his palm onto the low table before him. This table was a mortal-grade treasure, but it was only meant for holding wine and food, not for being struck. Moreover, Ji Ning, now burning with rage, his eyes red, struck harder than he would in a life-or-death battle.

The sheer pressure from the palm strike crushed the dishes and cups to powder. The delicacies and wine turned to ash. Bang!!! The entire table shattered into pieces, fragments flying in all directions. One treasure fragment even cut across a nearby Zifu cultivator's body, splattering blood.

"Hm?" Shaoyan Nong looked over coldly. "What's the matter? Can't I have a drink with Sister Jiulian?" As he spoke, anger appeared on his face.

When Young Master Shaoyan was angry, others would usually tremble in fear.

But Ji Ning, already red-eyed, ignored it and shouted: "Shaoyan Nong!"

"Ji Ning." Jiulian noticed the murderous intent in Shaoyan Nong's eyes and anxiously called out.

Ji Ning looked at Jiulian and said coldly: "Jiulian, don't bother with this young master of the Shaoyan tribe. Hmph, he hasn't even become the Yuishen Gong yet. When he invited us to enter the immortal mansion, he was so humble. Now that we're useless to him, this is his true face!"

"You're asking for death." Shaoyan Nong's anger surged.

Earlier, he had considered Ji Ning a good helper, but now Ji Ning was useless. Such a genius... meant nothing to Shaoyan Nong.

Ji Ning raged: "What did you say before we came? You made promises in the name of your Shaoyan tribe. Now that you've got the immortal mansion, you want to make a move on us? Do you think we're eyeing the treasures we got here? You held back then, but now you want to strike?"

"Shut up." Jiulian shouted.

"Jiulian." Ji Ning was furious.

"Sit down." Jiulian shouted, then quickly transmitted to soothe him: "Ji Ning, you're too reckless. Shaoyan Nong's status is so noble. In the Grand Xia capital, he often acts unrestrainedly with the Xia emperors' sons and young masters of great tribes. I just need to play along, drink a few cups with him, and it'll pass. If you lose your head, it'll be trouble."

Ji Ning transmitted back: "Some things can be endured, some cannot. Jiulian..."

"You really want to fight him to the death?" Jiulian transmitted angrily. "Don't be childish."

Ji Ning was stunned.

Childish?

Shaoyan Nong, of course, could tell that Jiulian and Ji Ning were arguing via transmission.

"It seems this Ji Ning, famous from a young age, isn't worth mentioning." Shaoyan Nong transmitted to the divine demon Xiangliu Fang beside him. "He flies into a rage at such a scene. It's too easy to deal with him. For now, let's not act against him. If I kill him in the immortal mansion world and the Dongyan clan spreads the news, the great tribes might think I, Shaoyan Nong, am narrow-minded."

"Yes." Xiangliu Fang replied.

...

Jiulian's words truly angered Ji Ning.

What was Jiulian's status?

She was the next leader of the Dongyan clan. She had no need to humble herself. Since she didn't have to, why endure?

"Young Master Shaoyan, Ji Ning is still young. Please be lenient." Jiulian even smiled at Shaoyan Nong.

Shaoyan Nong didn't push further. He could see that if he went any further, Ji Ning might actually fight to the death. He dared to kill Ji Ning, but what about Jiulian? She was the next leader of the Dongyan clan—that would be a huge trouble.

Soon, Jiulian returned to her seat.

Ji Ning sat cross-legged in his place. A Zifu cultivator servant moved away the treasure fragments and brought a new table.

"Ji Ning." As soon as Jiulian returned to her seat, she transmitted to him: "Calm down."

"You know I'm angry?" Ji Ning looked at her.

"This really isn't a big deal, just a small matter. If you saw gatherings of young masters from great tribes, such simple flirtations... are just minor amusements. There are usually boundaries. A little fun now and then is nothing." Jiulian transmitted. "You've seen too little, so you get angry easily. See, after drinking a cup, Shaoyan Nong stopped bothering."

"I've seen too little?" Ji Ning transmitted angrily. "Boundaries? Jiulian, you are my Dao companion. What you call a little amusement—hugging and flirting with another man over drinks—has already crossed my boundaries. Do you understand?"

"You, how can you be like this." Jiulian was exasperated.

"This is how I am. Don't you know that yet?" Ji Ning looked at her.

Jiulian and Ji Ning met each other's eyes.

She felt the determination in Ji Ning's gaze.

"Fine, I won't do it again." Jiulian conceded.

Ji Ning lowered his head and drank.

Though Jiulian had conceded, Ji Ning felt a thorn in his heart. He had hoped she would directly refuse Shaoyan Nong, even if she didn't splash the wine in his face, at least turn and leave.

There had been two earlier conflicts over how to handle people and matters, and this time, it was a fundamental clash in their ways of dealing with the world.

"Heh heh heh." Shaoyan Nong, seated high in the hall, noticed the conflict between Ji Ning and Jiulian below and smiled. Then his gaze fell on the other side, on Firecloud Fairy Yu Wei, and his heart grew even more fervent. His desire for Yu Wei was far stronger than for Jiulian.

...