The Nine Silences Hall representative was currently exchanging pleasantries with the Principal of Nine Provinces Academy.
Since the two were experienced at diplomacy, the two sides hadn’t come to blows. But suddenly, a charred figure sprinted over from the distance.
“Sentinel, bad news! Hallmaster’s been kidnapped!” The charred figure stumbled over to a burly-looking man as fast as he could, “Sentinel, the Hallmaster’s been kidnapped!”
The representatives of Nine Provinces Academy all glanced at each other. ‘Bu Jingyun?
He actually came?! And he got kidnapped! Which mighty senior did this?!’“By whom?!” Sentinel grabbed the person, “How did you even protect the Hallmaster? He-”
He suddenly stopped himself from continuing as he remembered that outsiders were still present. He forcefully suppressed his anxiety and nodded at the delegates from Nine Provinces Academy, “We have some private affairs to deal with. We’ll be on time for the competition in three days though, so don’t worry.”
“Do you require any assistance?” The Principal inquired with feigned concern, though the gloating in his eyes betrayed his actual thoughts.
‘That nutjob Bu Jingyun’s finally got his comeuppance!’
“Thank you for your concern Principal, but I believe we can handle this on our own,” Sentinel spoke coldly, “Let’s go.”
Only when they’d left the grounds of Nine Provinces Academy did Sentinel start questioning, “Where are the others? How did Hallmaster get kidnapped? Just what the hell were you guys doing?!”
“I...” The person being interrogated was lost in the barrage of questions.“What’re you ‘I’-ing for?! You said Hallmaster’s been kidnapped? Where to?!” Sentinel felt the urge to hit the man, but seeing as he was basically a singed mess, he reluctantly withdrew his raised hand.
“I... don’t know...” The person weakly replied. The only reason he’d managed to barely survive the explosion was because he’d been standing further back. ‘That girl was already there by the time we arrived, how am I supposed to know who she is?’
“Don’t know...” Sentinel’s chest heaved quickly for a while as he attempted to calm himself. However, he didn’t win the fight against his temper this time; he whacked the person on the head, “Your lives are forfeit if you don’t find the Hallmaster!”
......
Shi Sheng brought Bu Jingyun to a moderately-sized compound. She’d bought this place recently, having planned to reside here after destroying the Shen Clan, though she certainly hadn’t expected it to be of use so soon.
Shi Sheng tied Bu Jingyun to a chair and circled him once before suddenly reaching out to take off his clothes.
“What are you doing?!” Bu Jingyun’s expression changed dramatically as he pulled away from her, “I’d rather die than bow to your wishes!”
Shi Sheng grabbed his clothes before glaring at him. “Don’t move!”
Bu Jingyun, “...”
‘Guards! I want to kill this damn woman!’
Shi Sheng stripped Bu Jingyun with practiced movements before rubbing her chin in satisfaction, “That’s much better. You’re a man for chrissake, what’re you wearing all red for?”
Bu Jingyun, “...” ‘So what if I wear all red? I like it! Give me back my clothes!’
Shi Sheng pulled out several bottles and containers from her space and pushed them towards Bu Jingyun, “Come on now, you get to swallow whichever one is to your liking.”
Bu Jingyun scanned the labels on the bottles.
‘Soul-shatter Powder...
Ghost Tear Pill...
Yellow Springs Jade...
Rebirth In Fire...
Facets Of Nature...
Come on! These are clearly poisons, yet you want me to pick one to swallow?!’
“Don’t worry. They aren’t fatal; however, you’ll have to take the antidotes regularly, else you’ll croak. As long as you obediently stay by my side, antidotes are not a problem,” Shi Sheng pushed the various bottles and containers to Bu Jingyun, “Come on, choose.”
Bu Jingyun took a deep breath before stubbornly turning his head to the side, “Not picking.”
“You sure?”
“Yes!”
‘Just wait till my men get here! I’ll drag you back and let you know death by a thousand cuts is a mercy!’
“Well I guess you’re eating all of them then,” Shi Sheng picked a bottle at random and opened it before gripping Bu Jingyun’s chin, ready to force it down his throat.
Bu Jingyun was utterly stunned. ‘Why is this woman so unpredictable?! Surely if I eat all those, I’ll die? I definitely will!’
“Mhmm! Mhmm...” Bu Jingyun shook his head frantically. His pretty face flushed rather unhealthily, but his black eyes appeared as if they were covered in a layer of frost, “I’ll...pick!”
“Too late,” Shi Sheng poured the contents of the bottle into Bu Jingyun’s mouth and made sure he swallowed it before continuing to perform the same feat with the other bottles. ‘You didn’t pick when I let you! Want to pick now? Wishful thinking!’
Though the labels sounded frightening, they weren’t really that fatal, so it was perfectly fine to consume all of them.
Shi Sheng released Bu Jingyun and undid his restraints. Bu Jingyun clutched at his chest and coughed furiously.
He wanted to puke out what she’d fed him, but the only thing he could spit out was saliva.
He lifted his head suddenly and reached out to grasp Shi Sheng’s neck.
Shi Sheng didn’t make any attempts to escape as she declared with an arrogant expression, “You can kill me if you don’t feel like living anymore.”
Bu Jingyun’s grip tightened slightly. Shi Sheng, feeling uncomfortable, summoned her sword from thin air and pried his fingers off before pressing the sword against his neck and holding him against the chair.
Bu Jingyun, “...” ‘What happened to letting me kill you if I didn’t want to live anymore?’
“Wanna kill me? With your current combat ability? Stop dreaming!” Shi Sheng put away her sword before rubbing his head, “Be good. Even if you wanted this continent, I can give it to you.”
‘...Aren’t I the one meant to be saying those lines?! How come I’m hearing them from a girl?!’
Bu Jingyun glanced at Shi Sheng before lowering his head, giving up on resistance.
There was no one else occupying the compound with them; since Shi Sheng didn’t know how to cook, she could only buy some food from outside. Perhaps Bu Jingyun thought it would be easier to escape on a full stomach, or he was hatching a scheme, because he obediently followed Shi Sheng’s instructions.
Shi Sheng offered Bu Jingyun the bed for the night while she slept on the divan to the side. As she lay there, she carefully examined the Medicine King’s Furnace. Her gaze swept towards Bu Jingyun, who had his back to her. She leapt off her divan and crawled onto the bed.
Bu Jingyun seemed to have sensed her arrival, for he immediately rolled further into the bed before staring at Shi Sheng guardedly. “What are you doing?”
Shi Sheng was already half on the bed when she gave him a very unladylike eyeroll, “Mr. Bu Jingyun, do you really think you’d be able to fight back if I wanted to do anything to you?”
‘If I really wanted to take you, would you even be able to resist? Idiot!’
Bu Jingyun frowned as he sat up. “Just what are you planning on doing?”
“I wanna keep you. Feel like growing old together,” Shi Sheng spoke.
“You like me?” Bu Jingyun frowned deeper.
“No.”
“Then why do you want to keep me? And growing old together???” Bu Jingyun was starting to lose it. ‘Just what is wrong with her?’
“Just felt like it,” Shi Sheng’s expression was very sincere, “You look nice.”
Bu Jingyun, “...”
‘So it’s because of my looks again? But she doesn’t seem that shallow...’
Bu Jingyun couldn’t read Shi Sheng, so he simply pursed his lips, keeping silent.
‘Just you wait! When my army arrives, I’ll get them to drag you back! Then I’ll let you know who’s keeping whom!!!’
