Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 1233: Beauty Serpent
Previously on Record of a Demon's Cultivation...
"Fellow Daoist Feng, would you be willing to introduce me to Manager Yin?" Song Wen inquired.
Manager Yin held the position of steward for the Moon-Drawing Pavilion.
Feng Youyou responded, "Introducing you to Manager Yin is quite simple. However, the other two fellow daoists are currently away from Yangshi City, and without their agreement, Manager Yin cannot make any promises. Perhaps we should wait seven days? I will introduce you to them then, as we had planned to meet in seven days to finalize the specifics of our journey."
"In that case, I shall follow Fellow Daoist Feng's suggestion," Song Wen stated. "I will take my leave for now and return to trouble you again in seven days."
With his words, Song Wen stood up.
Feng Youyou promptly rose as well, exchanged a few courteous remarks, and personally escorted Song Wen out of the courtyard.
Instead of departing the inn, Song Wen proceeded to the front hall, requested a private courtyard, and made his arrangements to stay.
The ensuing seven days passed in what felt like an instant.
Upon the agreed-upon day, Song Wen arrived at Feng Youyou’s courtyard and knocked on the gate as planned.
After a few moments, Feng Youyou opened the gate, her face lit up with a warm and inviting smile.
"Fellow Daoist Ji, please come in swiftly! Manager Yin and Fellow Daoist Bu are already present."
As Song Wen stepped into the courtyard, his attention was drawn to two male cultivators seated at a stone table.
One was a plump individual with a round face, his cultivation reaching the peak of the Divine Transformation stage.
The other man was gaunt, possessing a sharp-featured, almost monkey-like face, and his cultivation was at the mid-stage of Divine Transformation.
Feng Youyou proceeded to introduce them to Song Wen. The portly man was identified as Manager Yin, while the gaunt cultivator was named Bu Ren.
Both men offered Song Wen a warm greeting, accompanying it with polite nods.
Just then, another knock echoed from the courtyard gate.
Feng Youyou went to attend to the door, returning shortly with a male cultivator distinguished by a thick, bristly beard.
The bearded man's gaze immediately fixed upon Song Wen, and a noticeable chill entered his expression.
"Did the four of us not agree to convene today to discuss the expedition into the Primordial Qi Death Zone? Why is an outsider present here?"
Feng Youyou explained, "This is Fellow Daoist Ji Lin. He has expressed his desire to join our bounty mission."
The bearded man, who introduced himself as Yan Tong, retorted with icy disdain, "I, Yan Tong, never associate with individuals of unknown origins."
"This mission is inherently perilous," Feng Youyou argued back. "An additional member could potentially enhance our likelihood of success."
"Hmph!" Yan Tong scoffed, a clear note of contempt in his voice. "I know absolutely nothing about him. How can we be sure he doesn't harbor hidden intentions? Feng Youyou, can you vouch that he won't betray us when the situation becomes critical?"
Feng Youyou opted not to engage in further argument. Instead, she offered a seductive smile and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"I am merely facilitating an introduction between Fellow Daoist Ji and the three of you. Whether he is accepted into our group is a decision that we four must collectively discuss and reach," Feng Youyou stated, then turned to Manager Yin with a captivating smile. "Manager Yin, what are your thoughts on this?"
"I have no objections whatsoever," Manager Yin replied, his demeanor remaining gentle and affable.
"And you, Fellow Daoist Bu?" Feng Youyou inquired, shifting her attention to Bu Ren.
Bu Ren's eyes remained fixated on Feng Youyou's elegant, jade-like legs visible beneath her flowing skirt. His gaze was unwavering, and a somewhat lecherous smile played on his lips.
"Whatever Fairy Feng decrees is acceptable to me. This old man harbors no objections whatsoever."
Feng Youyou's eyes flickered with a semblance of feigned shyness as she cast an alluring glance at Bu Ren. "Fellow Daoist Bu, are you lavishing me with such blatant flattery because you harbor ulterior motives?" she teased, her voice laced with a coy tone of reproach.
Bu Ren's heart skipped a beat at her gaze, his eyes now seemingly ensnared by Feng Youyou, unable to look away. "This old man harbors no ulterior motives. I am simply utterly captivated by the Immortal Maiden's breathtaking beauty."
Feng Youyou covered her lips, which had turned a rosy hue, with her delicate fingers, her laughter echoing like the chiming of bells. The pristine white of her chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath, creating a visually stunning spectacle.
"Ahem."
Manager Yin softly cleared his throat, gently interrupting their engrossed flirtation.
"Since three of us are in agreement, let Fellow Daoist Ji join the team," Yan Tong declared, casting a dismissive glance towards Bu Ren. He voiced no further dissent but turned his attention back to Manager Yin.
"Manager Yin, you previously mentioned that this bounty mission carries a significant reward, yet you have yet to specify the exact nature of the task or the precise sum involved. Now would be an opportune time to provide those details."
Manager Yin responded, "A humanoid void fiend has been sighted near Changtong Mountain in the Primordial Qi Death Zone. A formidable Master, whose identity is kept confidential, desires this fiend but is unable to pursue it personally. A bounty of 100,000 high-grade spirit stones has been offered for its capture. Naturally, the bounty is contingent upon a live capture." "A humanoid void fiend?" Yan Tong inquired, his brow furrowed in thought. "Could it be the Beauty Serpent?" Manager Yin affirmed, "Indeed, that particular demon." Yan Tong expressed his reservations, "While the spirit stones are appealing, this undertaking will not be simple! Although the Beauty Serpent has been seen near Changtong Mountain, its actual lair might lie elsewhere. Merely discovering its whereabouts will pose a significant challenge, let alone capturing it alive." Manager Yin countered the concern, "That Beauty Serpent is only at the fifth-tier mid-grade level. Once we locate it, securing it alive will be straightforward." Bu Ren, whose gaze had been intensely fixed on Feng Youyou’s thighs, almost as if trying to bore holes into them, suddenly spoke up. "One hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones is a considerable sum. It is only natural that risks are involved. Manager Yin, when shall we depart?" Manager Yin replied, "The sooner the better. However, this ultimately depends on everyone's preference." Bu Ren declared, "Delaying will only invite complications. We should depart at the earliest opportunity." "Then, how about we set out in three days? What are your thoughts on this?" Manager Yin posed the question, his gaze sweeping over the four individuals. After a brief silence, observing no objections, he continued, "Since no one opposes, we shall proceed with this plan." Feng Youyou stated, "I have no objections to departing in three days. However, who exactly holds an interest in a Beauty Serpent?" Manager Yin’s expression turned grim, and he responded with evident displeasure, "Fellow Daoist Feng, some inquiries are best left unasked. Possessing knowledge of certain matters offers no advantage to either of us." Confronted with Manager Yin’s admonishment, Feng Youyou merely offered a faint smile, her allure undiminished. "My apologies for my presumption." "Manager Yin," Song Wen, who had remained largely quiet until this point, interjected, "please forgive my ignorance, but what purpose does this Void Demon Beauty Serpent serve? Why is there such a substantial reward of 100,000 high-grade spirit stones for its capture?" Yan Tong, who had been observing Song Wen with a degree of wariness, surprisingly provided an explanation. "It serves merely as a plaything for the affluent and influential individuals within the sects and noble families." As he articulated this, spiritual power began to circulate around him, gradually coalescing into a visual representation before him. The creature depicted was remarkably strange. It possessed the head and torso of a human, but from the waist down, instead of legs, were nine smooth, purplish-black tentacles adorned with suckers. The extremities of these tentacles ended in deformed, claw-like appendages, their tips elongated and hooked, resembling talons. Furthermore, by human aesthetic standards, its upper body bore no resemblance to beauty. Its entire upper body, including its face, was covered in black scales. This visual immediately brought to Song Wen’s mind the Human Serpents that the Beastmaster Sect had engineered through fusion in the Lower Realm.