Zanxing (Retranslated)

Extra 14 - Flower Forest (1) — Bu Jiang x Shaoyang

On the East Mountain of Douzhou, there was a cave named the Stone Flower Cave.

As the name suggests, the Stone Flower Cave was filled with countless exotic flowers and various strange beasts. However, the mountain was difficult to climb and the cave hard to find. Only during the full moon each year, at a specific location, can one find the entrance to the Stone Flower Cave by following the first call of the phoenix and the wind stirred by the fluttering butterflies.

When Shaoyang Zhenren found Stone Flower Cave, the Moon-Watching Golden Toad was just emerging from a water hole underground, standing on a brilliant blue flower, and making a soft croaking sound.

The Moon-Watching Golden Toad was a medicinal guide, and Shaoyang Zhenren sought it because his first disciple, Daoist Yueguang, had recently been poisoned by the Wuya Grass, resulting in kidney failure and severe damage to his vital energy. Only by using the Moon-Watching Golden Toad as a guide to concoct a pill could the poison of the Liuhuan Grass be completely neutralized.

The cave was filled with a delicate fragrance, with numerous colorful flowers blooming both inside and outside the cave. It was like a cluster of flowers hidden in a dark cave, luring travelers into getting lost.

Shaoyang Zhenren gripped his long sword tightly and cautiously approached the Golden Toad.

No cultivators had ever visited Stone Flower Cave before. The flower clusters were dangerous, and one should be cautious.

Just as he was about to approach the Golden Toad, a burst of captivating fragrance suddenly swept past him. The scent was intense but not overwhelming, like spring flowers blooming in layers, with an enchanting aroma.

He looked up and saw a young woman standing in front of him.

This woman was very beautiful. The cultivation world was never short of beauties, and his own junior sister, Fairy Qinghua, was a rare beauty in Douzhou, but this woman’s beauty was entirely different.

She wore a black robe styled for men, casually cinched at the waist with a crimson satin sash. Her long hair was casually tied up, giving her a neat and capable appearance, but her face was extraordinarily enchanting.

Her face was as beautiful as the morning glow reflecting off the snow, with a rare hint of heroic spirit in her soft eyes, making her beauty ambiguous in gender. Her voice was lazy, deep, and husky, sounding intentionally provocative to Shaoyang Zhenren. She asked, “Esteemed Immortal, you’ve stepped on my clothes.”

Shaoyang Zhenren suddenly looked down. The black robe’s edge flowed like a river of black ink at his feet, and as he lifted his foot, the flowing fabric disappeared beneath him.

The woman chuckled softly and nonchalantly turned away, with a trace of demonic energy swirling in her long hair.

She was a demon.

Shaoyang Zhenren glanced at her indifferently and said no more. The cultivation world and demons generally kept to their own spheres, and encountering one here was merely a coincidence.

He stepped forward, intending to take the Moon-Watching Golden Toad, but saw the woman in front of him bend down and reach out to the toad on the flower. The Golden Toad seemed enchanted by her and jumped into her hand.

Shaoyang Zhenren paused.

The woman with the black robe, holding the toad, was about to leave when a sword suddenly blocked her path.

She looked at the handsome young man in front of her and raised an eyebrow. “What is the meaning of this, Immortal?”

“Leave the toad,” he said succinctly.

“Why should I?” she replied lazily. “I got it first.”

“However, I saw it first,” Shaoyang Zhenren paused, seeming to realize that his action might be unreasonable, and his tone softened, “Miss, if you leave the Golden Toad, I can offer you something else in exchange.”

“Something else?” The woman’s lips curved into a playful smile as she glanced at him. “But I have high standards. I might not be interested in anything else you offer. Are you suggesting you’d exchange yourself for it?” Her final words were laced with a seductive undertone.

Shaoyang Zhenren took a step back. “Please behave yourself.”

She looked at him with a smile. “I’ve heard that ‘behave yourself’ line a thousand times, if not more. You might as well come up with something more original.” She sighed. “Well, since you’re so handsome, I’m in a good mood today and won’t tease you. I won’t give you this Golden Toad. The toxin of the Moon-Watching Golden Toad is the best beauty elixir.” She touched her face. “Though I like you, I prefer to remain beautiful.”

“So, Immortal,” she said with a gentle smile, “I must take the Golden Toad.”

Shaoyang Zhenren stared at her calmly for a moment and drew his sword. “Then I’ll have to take it by force.”

The demoness, known as Bu Jiang, observed the sword aimed at her and sighed. “You really don’t understand how to cherish beauty.”

A powerful storm suddenly erupted in the flower cave.

The sword shadows swept like a torrential storm, mercilessly attacking the woman in front of him. Her black robe fluttered like flowers, effortlessly turning the sword’s edge into a tender caress, flowing away from the tens of thousands of flowers.

The leader of the Taiyan Sect, Sage Yushan, had two disciples in total, Fairy Qinghua and Shaoyang Zhenren, both possessing striking appearances, but both were as unfeeling as stones.

Shaoyang Zhenren was handsome and aloof, and his icy demeanor was particularly attractive to female cultivators. If it weren’t for his betrothal to the young lady from the Xiang Ling Sect, the threshold of Taiyan Sect might have been trampled by now.

But whether it was Rong Shuang or any other female cultivator, to Shaoyang Zhenren, there was no difference. He was emotionless, desireless, and indifferent. No matter how beautiful a flower bloomed, he would never pause for it.

With a clang, the sword’s tip struck the golden bangle on the woman’s wrist.

Her figure flew past Shaoyang Zhenren, and with a hint of affectionate complaint, she said, “To cherish beauty and be unmoved is saintly; to cherish beauty and be moved is human; to be unaware of beauty and fragrance is beastly.” The golden bangle in her hand struck towards Shaoyang Zhenren’s chest with a playful tone, “Esteemed Immortal, are you a beast?”

Shaoyang Zhenren remained silent, his sword gleaming and cold, brushing aside the bangle emitting a massive demonic aura.

This woman was not ordinary; with his level of cultivation, he could not gain any advantage over her. How could an ordinary demon have such powerful demonic energy?

Bu Jiang evaded his sword, her smile faint and elusive. “I want the Moon-Watching Golden Toad to preserve my beauty. Why does the Immortal persist so fiercely in obtaining it? I’ve heard that using the Golden Toad in a pill can alleviate male impotence.” Her gaze darkened as it swept over Shaoyang Zhenren’s waist, revealing an understanding smile. “So you’re the one who’s not capable.”

Shaoyang Zhenren’s expression stiffened.

He was usually indifferent to any provocation or malicious insults. For many years, no one had managed to break his calm demeanor. This was the first time someone had shattered his serenity.

Seemingly perceiving his brief discomfort, the woman looked at him in surprise, as if deliberately trying to provoke him. “So you truly are incapable. With such outstanding looks, it’s unexpected that you have this hidden affliction at such a young age. No wonder you’re going to such lengths to compete with me for the Golden Toad. If you had said it was for this reason, I wouldn’t have fought you for it.”

While she teased him with her words, the golden bangle in her hand suddenly surged with demonic energy, filled with overwhelming killing intent as it rushed towards Shaoyang Zhenren.