Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 431 417: Pei Yuhang: "Jiu, You're Coming With Me on a Business Trip

"Escort the Dragon Corpse? And where are we taking it?"

Pei Yuhang frowned slightly.

The karma clinging to that monster from ancient times ran too deep. To be honest, Pei Yuhang had no desire to get involved.

Elder Xiao didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gestured for Pei Yuhang to join him at a small pavilion in the garden beside the hall.

After pouring two cups of steaming Spirit Tea, he stroked his salt-and-pepper beard, his composed face showing a rare gravity.

Elder Xiao's gaze fell upon the churning sea of clouds outside the hall, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:

"The Dao Sect's council of elders and the Sect Leader have discussed the matter. We've decided to send this less-revived Dragon Corpse to the Celestial Secret Pavilion. We'll let those Divine Calculators, who excel at deduction and research, study it alongside our Dao Sect."

Pei Yuhang detected the anxiety in Elder Xiao's voice. "Has something happened in the Cultivation Realm recently?" he asked.

"The Northern Desert was once a battlefield where ancient beings and Innate Gods clashed. It might just be the place with the largest number of buried Dragon Corpses in the world.

"In recent months, the Chosen Organization, which scours the world for Dragon Corpses, has set its sights on the Northern Desert.

"They've excavated and revived a massive number of Dragon Corpses in the Northern Desert. This has caused the Northern Desert Demon Court to suffer devastating losses, so much so that they've begun asking our Human Race Sects for aid."

As Pei Yuhang listened to Elder Xiao, he recalled the time he and Qianqian were fleeing across the Northern Desert Border and were ensnared by a powerful Shi Ji.

Later, a Dragon Corpse had appeared out of nowhere, allowing him to escape.

'Thinking about it now, that Shi Ji was probably a powerful Demon Race expert sent by the Northern Desert Demon Court to stop the Dragon Corpse from leaving its territory.'

"Elder Xiao, does this mean... that the Chosen Organization, which once operated from the shadows, is now so brazenly scouring the Northern Desert for Dragon Corpses because something major is about to happen?"

Pei Yuhang's voice dropped unconsciously.

Having experienced the cruelty of the battlefield, he certainly didn't want the world to suffer through another tragic war.

Elder Xiao nodded slowly, his aged fingers tapping gently on the table.

This old man, who had lived for several thousand years, narrowed his deep eyes, the wrinkles at their corners layered like the rings of a tree. He looked at the plane tree leaves falling outside the pavilion, and an almost inaudible sigh escaped his throat.

"All I can say is... a storm is brewing..."

Elder Xiao's voice was as raspy as sandpaper. "Perhaps... it will bring an end to this relatively peaceful era of ours."

Pei Yuhang subconsciously set his teacup down on the table with a sharp *CLACK*.

'This was Xiao Jiuxing, the Great Elder of the Xuanyuan Dao Sect, a Mahayana Stage Cultivator.'

'Even during the great war between the righteous and demonic paths, when the major Sects and Sacred Lands fought until the world itself was broken and blood flowed like rivers, he had remained in peaceful seclusion in his grotto-heaven.'

'To think he would utter such pessimistic words now.'

Pei Yuhang drank a cup of the tea, but his mouth still felt dry.

'It seems the situation is far more serious than I imagined. Elder Xiao's hesitant expression clearly shows he's holding back many secrets that he just can't tell me right now.'

Pei Yuhang took a deep breath and finally nodded. "In that case... As a disciple of the Dao Sect, I must naturally serve the Sect.

"But what are the Sect's specific arrangements for this escort mission?"

Elder Xiao stroked his long, half-black half-white beard, his gaze drifting towards the gloomy sky outside the pavilion.

"To avoid the eyes and ears of the Chosen Organization, the Dao Sect plans to send the Dragon Corpse to the Celestial Secret Pavilion under the guise of an elixir trade.

"When the time comes, the newly appointed Elder of Dan Yun Pavilion, Huang Wange, will lead a cargo ship—the one containing the sealed Dragon Corpse—to the Celestial Secret Pavilion. You, Pei Yuhang, will accompany the convoy under the pretext of escorting elixirs."

"However, the Chosen Organization may have special methods for locating Dragon Corpses, so the elixir escort Blinding Technique might not work. To guarantee your safety, another Dao Sect Elder will be accompanying the mission in secret, in addition to you.

"Within the entire convoy, only you and that hidden Elder will know the true purpose of this transport. Everyone else will believe it's a simple elixir trade."

Pei Yuhang nodded and asked softly, "Then, Elder Xiao, when do we depart?"

"Time is short. We leave tomorrow night."

'So soon...'

Pei Yuhang frowned slightly. He had been hoping to spend some quality time with his Dao Companion before he left.

...

...

「Nightfall.」

In a small wooden cabin on the back mountain, enveloped by wind and snow, a candle flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

Jiu tilted her head slightly, a lock of black hair falling over her shoulder, making her neck seem even more slender. Her fingertips rested on her sash, and with a light tug, her outer robe slid off like flowing water, pooling at her feet.

Her jade-white skin glowed with a delicate luster under the dim yellow light, like the finest mutton-fat jade.

Before her, steam billowed gently from the water in a wooden tub, filling the air with a warm mist.

Jiu lifted a foot, the tip of her pale toe gently touching the water's surface and sending a ripple across it.

The pale arch of her foot tensed slightly, then slowly relaxed, like a butterfly testing a flower. Once she was sure the temperature was just right, she eased her long leg into the water.

The water rippled gently as she slowly sank in. The warm water rose past her waist, over her collarbones, and finally, even her delicate chin was hidden in the mist.

"Ah, this is so nice~"

Jiu's long eyelashes trembled as she let out an almost inaudible sigh.

She raised her hand to the mask on her face, seemingly about to take it off—

*BANG*—

The cabin door was suddenly pushed open.

A handsome young man in white, snowflakes still dusting his shoulders, froze at the sight of the beauty bathing before him.

Jiu quickly came to her senses, a cherry-pink blush visibly creeping up her slender neck.

"My apologies."

Pei Yuhang quickly turned and walked back out.

As the door closed, Jiu let out a whimper like a kitten and buried her head in the water.

'Waaah! He saw everything!'

'And... was that a good opportunity?'

'If I had taken off my mask, would he have recognized me...?'

'Damn it, why did you just freeze!'

Jiu muttered her complaint to herself, though she didn't seem truly angry.

'Perhaps she didn't really want to obey Shang Miaoyan and dutifully carry out her mission after all.'

Now that Pei Yuhang was here, Jiu was no longer in the mood to bathe.

She quickly got out, dried herself off, dressed, and called softly to the person outside the door, "You can come in now..."

Pei Yuhang walked in, his expression perfectly natural without a hint of awkwardness, as if he hadn't been the one to enter just moments ago.

Jiu, on the other hand, felt flushed and fidgety, unable to sit still.

She kept her long, beautiful legs pressed tightly together, nervously rubbing them against each other from time to time.

"Pei Yuhang, what did you come to see me for so suddenly?"

"I have to leave on a mission tomorrow. You're coming with me."

Pei Yuhang spoke in a calm tone, as if it were an order, not a request.

"Why? You're leaving on a mission... what does that have to do with me?"

"Because I can't trust you to stay here at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion."

Hearing this, a hint of joy crept into Jiu's voice, and her heart began to race.

"Are you... worried my cold poison will flare up again, so you're taking me with you to treat me whenever it's needed?"

Pei Yuhang shook his head.

"I'm worried that if I leave an outsider like you in my mansion, you'll cause trouble for Liyuan and Yueqiu while I'm away."

"..."

Beneath her mask, Jiu's smile froze.