Chapter 17: 17. Who lives or dies, not necessarily... depends on power Cannibalistic demons? Multi-tailed Dragon Lord? Merely hearing these words sends a chilling sensation up from the heels, like a cold shiver, drowning one in terror and suffocation. "How does the Puppet Sect compare to this Cannibal Demon Country of mountains and seas?" Song Yan asked this question eagerly. However, he received only a bewildered shake of the head in response. How could a mortal know such a thing? The air suddenly quieted down. The Princess Consort of the Southern King looked at the young lord in front of her, suddenly feeling a strange itch in her heart. Yet she still retained her reason, resulting in waves of intense guilt and shame trying to quell this peculiar itch. She took a deep breath, inhaling the air, but smelled the scent from Song Yan’s body. That scent had a strong aphrodisiac effect, making the guilt and shame not extinguish the itch but instead become fuel to the fire, exploding it instantly. The Princess Consort’s body tightened, her cheeks flushed, and she let out a long "oh~". Song Yan was startled for a moment, immediately understanding that the "Fanatic Fans" had taken effect. He said, "Lianyue, you stay here with the Princess Consort; I’ll sleep in another room." After saying this, the young man hurriedly lifted the curtain and left. However, the question of "who is stronger, the Puppet Sect or the Cannibal Demon Country" lingered in his mind like an apparition. But it wasn’t long before the comfort of the bed let him escape from all worries. This was no longer the cramped, dangerous Suspended Room on the cliff; here, he... could finally get a truly good sleep. ... ... "Don’t be afraid." Qi Yao looked at the handsome man inside the stone house. The man had long hair draped over his shoulders, a panicked expression, and his chest bared to reveal smooth, strong skin. If Song Yan were here, he’d surely think this man resembled the handsome characters from "some transmigration otome games". "I know you’re from the Great Wei Royal Family, and that you were kidnapped. But rest assured, I won’t do anything to you," Qi Yao said, rubbing her reddened apricot eyes. She felt these people were truly pitiful. The country and family destroyed, and he was captured to be a Furnace due to the hidden bloodline within him. Truly tragic. The handsome man was obviously stunned for a moment, then said, "Thank you," and added, "I am the Southern King of Great Wei... but unfortunately, I can’t give the Fairy more thanks." "It’s nothing; just rest assured." After Qi Yao spoke, she grabbed the "Fanatic Fans" on the table and smashed it fiercely on the ground, saying, "The Prince should act as if he has used it, to deceive others." The Southern Prince’s expression eased significantly, repeatedly expressing gratitude, "Thank you, Fairy. But I wonder if the Fairy... can help me escape? I... would be eternally grateful." Qi Yao said warmly, "There will be a chance. The Prince should know... not only will the Prince be able to escape, but many sufferers will also escape." She clenched her fist, saying hatefully, "Kindness will be rewarded, and evil will reap evil; the time hasn’t arrived yet!" The Southern Prince smiled and nodded, saying, "I believe in you." "Rest easy, Prince," Qi Yao said before turning and leaving for another stone cave. After she left, the Southern Prince behind the curtain let out a long breath. His once panicked eyes showed a glimmer of joy, flickering darkly, as if pondering something. ... ... At this moment... the top of the sixty-two cave mansions on South Bamboo Peak. Contrary to Song Yan’s estimation, at least half of these sixty-two cave mansions were empty! Two figures stood on a cliff, gazing at the thousand miles of red mist surging under the moonlight and the servant’s Suspended Room engulfed by the red mist. The middle-aged man in a white robe with his hands behind his back was the Peak Master of South Bamboo Peak, Cheng Danqing. "Zhang Yin." "Master, disciple is here; what are your orders?" "Tomorrow, return to the Tannery and offer those servants who were once eligible to cultivate the ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’ but were not selected, a new choice, saying... they will be given another chance." Cheng Danqing said in a deep voice, "Just say that Gourd Valley has had more demon wolves recently. If they can bring back a demon wolf’s head, then they can also become Official Disciples." Zhang Yin was stunned and said, "Master, demon wolves do not travel alone. Any of those who have not entered the realm would surely die... this..." Cheng Danqing said coldly, "Recently, the Nanwu Sword Sect has become more active, and I fear they might send spies. Spies can hide their power but not the fact that they can absorb cultivation techniques. The day you were on-site, did anyone clearly capable of absorbing pretend they couldn’t?" Zhang Yin shook his head, "The cultivation technique transmission, which I observed, is perceptible; one either can or cannot." Cheng Danqing replied, "That’s good. Tomorrow morning, just send them directly. To prevent anyone from escaping, I will oversee it myself. As for those new disciples... you can transmit the complete version of the ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’ to them on my behalf. Additionally, assign them some tasks." "Yes, Master." ... ... The next morning. Song Yan walked between the mountains, stretching lazily in comfort, while at this moment, the stone gate opposite also slowly opened. A long-legged girl with a ponytail and a Profound Robe, full of heroic spirit, walked out. Since they were from the same period, even their cave mansions were assigned very close to each other. Qi Yao glanced at Song Yan, a complex expression in her eyes, but still approached and asked, "How was last night?" Song Yan praised, "As expected of a furnace with Multi-tailed Fox Race bloodline; using it is different from ordinary women, it’s very smooth." Although Qi Yao already knew the answer, hearing this still disgusted her. She had seen Song Yan fall step by step from an upright youth to the wicked and filthy little devil he was now, yet she still felt that "Song Yan was forced." "How about you?" Song Yan asked casually. Qi Yao casually replied, "Not bad," then, her eyes rolling, she curiously asked, "What is the royal status of the one on your side?" Song Yan said, "The Princess Consort of the Southern Prince." Qi Yao: ???!!! Thinking of the poor man in her own cave mansion, realizing that his wife was being with that person right across the door... Qi Yao suddenly quickened her pace angrily, no longer walking alongside Song Yan. Song Yan was puzzled, and turned his head to see Wang Susu. Wang Susu quickly approached him and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister Qi is still young and doesn’t understand that once you join the Demon Sect, you can only act according to its rules. Not following them means death. In this way... once in the Demon Sect, you become an evil demon. It’s just fate, who has a choice? It’s all just to survive." She sighed softly, "Before being captured here, I was also someone else’s virtuous wife, a girl from a good family, and I never thought my life would be like this. But since things have reached this point, it’s like living a new life. People have to look forward and always think of ways to survive, that’s all." Wang Susu wanted to find an ally and, after considering several options, found that the young man who once stood against her was the most reliable, so she came over to start a conversation and show goodwill. Previously, seeing Qi Yao by the boy’s side, she followed from a distance, but after seeing Qi Yao leave angrily, she took the opportunity to approach. The two didn’t have any major enmity, so Song Yan nodded and said, "Senior Sister’s words make sense." Wang Susu smiled and stood by his side, then began to show goodwill by sharing some information she had gathered that might be useful to Song Yan. "For us South Bamboo Peak Official Disciples, in addition to cultivation, we also have some sect-assigned tasks, one is making Demon Beast Shadow Puppets, and the other is going out to buy Demon Beast Skin. From what I’ve observed, nearly half of the sixty-two cave mansions in South Bamboo Peak are empty, which suggests something has happened... so, going out to buy Demon Beast Skin isn’t safe. If there’s a choice, Junior Brother... be cautious." Sixty-two cave mansions, half empty? Song Yan was slightly stunned. This was indeed very crucial information for him. If he had to confirm the "task" today, without this information, he might have chosen "going out to buy Demon Beast Skin." Because he was also very eager to know the situation outside, "going out to buy as an Official Disciple of Shadow Puppet Peak" seemed like a great way to understand the external situation. Lack of information could lead to completely different judgments, and it would drive someone who thought they made the right choice to a dead end. Song Yan had seen this happen quite a few times. Often, who lives or dies is not determined by power, but by... choices. "Thank you." "No need to be polite, Junior Brother." Wang Susu waved cheerfully and said, "Ahead is where the Peak Master transmits skills, good luck, Junior Brother." Like a fox, she stopped and waved, bidding farewell to Song Yan who had been walking with her. Qi Yao realized that after she left, Wang Susu was now beside Song Yan, and felt secretly disdainful. Then, thinking that Song Yan would use the Princess Consort of the Southern Prince as a furnace for cultivation tonight made her angrier, but she only thought, ’Once the Sword Sect seizes the opportunity, this malignant tumor affecting the Three Kingdoms must be uprooted! So it can no longer harm people!’ After thinking this, she couldn’t help but worry about Xu Changjun, but soon felt reassured: ’Senior Brother Xu has already entered the Profound Second Layer, yet he low-key hides in the Tannery, which should be the safest place in all of South Bamboo Peak.’" ... ... After a short while, Qi Yao and Song Yan entered the stone building at the peak of South Bamboo Peak, one after the other. But it was Zhang Yin who greeted them inside the building. Song Yan asked, puzzled, "Senior Brother Zhang, isn’t Master here today?" Zhang Yin smiled and said, "Master has some matters to attend to, so I’ll be transmitting the skills on his behalf. The ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique’ you learned before was a reduced version, its efficiency five or six times lower than the full version. Now... I’ll pass on the complete version to you. Once you’ve made some progress, I’ll teach you magic." "By the way, besides this ’Profound Qi Guiding Technique,’ we South Bamboo Peak Official Disciples also need to undertake some daily tasks. Choose one..."