018 Delayed Destiny

An After-lunch walk.

The further we walked, the quieter the city became. The festival’s main streets were still buzzing with energy, but here, in the forested parts of Yellow Dragon City, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Patrol guards passed us by, their armor glinting in the afternoon sun. Families had set up picnic blankets under the trees, enjoying the festival in their own way. Even along the path, a few vendors had stationed themselves, selling snacks, trinkets, and teas brewed from local herbs.

Gu Jie kept pace beside me, carrying the fishbowl like some delicate treasure. Ren Jingyi swam in slow, lazy circles, either enjoying the scenery or just indifferent to it.

I glanced around and let out a low whistle. "Damn, they sure know how to party."

Eventually, we reached a small waterfall, tucked away from the bustling city. The water cascaded over smooth rocks, pooling into a shallow basin before continuing downstream. It was a peaceful spot—isolated, quiet. Exactly what I needed.

I found a large, flat rock and sat down. Gu Jie, however, just stood there, watching me carefully.

"Master, is there a problem?" she finally asked. "What are we doing here?"

I rested my elbows on my knees and exhaled. "We need to talk."

Gu Jie nodded. "I understand."

I studied her for a moment before getting to the point. "Tell me about the cultivation methods your old demonic master taught you."

Gu Jie hesitated for only a second before answering. "There were two. Besides

Delayed Destiny of the Demonic Path

, he also taught me

Demonic Worshipping Mantra

My brow furrowed. "And what does that do?"

"It forces the disciple to worship the person who bestowed the technique upon them. If the disciple is consumed—"

I blinked. "Wait.

Consumed?

Gu Jie nodded. "Yes. If the disciple is eaten, the effect multiplies tenfold. If they are refined into a pill, it multiplies twentyfold."

I stared at her, then slowly leaned back on my hands. "Okay? That escalated fast."

Gu Jie, as usual, remained eerily composed. "If a disciple begins practicing it, they cannot stop. Otherwise, they will suffer hallucinations."

I sucked in a breath.

Demonic through and through.

It wasn’t just a method of control. It was a full-blown trap. A person ensnared by this technique wasn’t just bound by loyalty—they were turned into an investment. A resource. The longer they cultivated, the more valuable they became. And if their master decided to

harvest

them… well, they’d be worth more as a pill than as a person.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Gu Jie."

"Yes, Master?"

"Did you ever practice it?"

She looked me dead in the eyes. "No."

I searched her expression for any sign of hesitation, any hint of doubt. But she was completely steady.

I exhaled. "Good."

Because if she had… then she’d be

cursed

in more ways than one.

Gu Jie stood by the water’s edge, staring at her reflection. The gentle ripples distorted her image, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“I stopped practicing

Demonic Worshipping Mantra

after I escaped from my old master’s hands,” she clarified.

I tilted my head. “Is he dead?”

“Yes. He self-destructed in his fight against the righteous cultivators after his bounty.”

I nodded, relieved. At least there wouldn’t be some old demonic master suddenly springing out of the shadows for revenge. The last thing I needed was some lunatic chasing after his

property

and deciding to add me to the menu.

Gu Jie continued, “I’ve lived as a beggar and a bandit since then, until I met you, Master.”

Her voice was calm, but there was something heavy beneath it—years of hardship and survival. I didn’t press. If she wanted to share more, she would.

Instead, I asked, “What is your intention in becoming my follower?”

She turned, blinking at me as if the answer should have been obvious. “To repay you with my gratitude.”

Still wasn’t honest with herself. Fine. If she wanted to keep up the act, I wouldn’t call her out on it—yet.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Did you have any plans for solving your condition?”

Gu Jie’s cultivation technique,

Delayed Destiny of the Demonic Path

, was as fascinating as it was horrifying. It allowed her to redirect misfortune, but at the cost of her health. No way someone practicing it hadn’t thought of alternatives.

She was silent for a moment before answering. “I was planning to persevere through it and die.”

I frowned. “And now?”

Gu Jie met my gaze.

“I have hope.”

For the first time since I met her, I saw something different in her expression. It wasn’t just obedience or detached acceptance. It was something fragile but determined—like a single ember refusing to go out.

I let out a slow breath. “Then let’s make sure you don’t waste it.”

Gu Jie stood by the water’s edge, her grip tightening on the fishbowl’s handle. The waterfall roared softly behind us, mist cooling the air. She stared at the rushing water as if gathering her thoughts.

“I’ve heard rumors of the Isolation Path Sect coming here to Yellow Dragon City,” she finally said. “So I traveled here. As a last resort, I was hoping they would accept me as their disciple, so that they could transpose my

Delayed Destiny of the Demonic Path

to a level I could properly use.”

She let out a small, humorless laugh. “Chances were… they’d kill me for being a demonic cultivator. They have a reputation for slaughtering demons by any means necessary.”

I hummed in thought, picking up a smooth stone from the riverbank. With a flick of my wrist, I sent it skipping across the water—one, two, three, four times before it finally sank.

Then, without looking at her, I asked, “What do you want from me, Gu Jie?”

Silence stretched between us.

Then, with a deep bow, she said, “Please take me in as your disciple.”

I dusted off my hands and stood up. “Let’s go to the Isolation Path Sect and ask them to transpose your technique.”

Gu Jie’s breath hitched. “M-Master.”

I glanced at her. “Does it have to be the Isolation Path Sect? Can’t you ask maybe the City Governor? From how the people around here talk about him, he seems to possess profound wisdom.”

Gu Jie blinked at me, as if I had just suggested we challenge the heavens. “S-Surely, you are kidding, Master.”

I knew I was being naive, but for the past few days, I had learned what kind of person Gu Jie really was.

She didn’t like greens, but she still put in the effort to eat them. She enjoyed soup, especially the warmth of it spreading through her stomach. She never minded running errands, believing that being helpful was in both her best interest and mine.

She had been a bandit, but she was

oh so painfully naive.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that if she ever tried scheming, she’d believe she was being devious—when in reality, she’d just be

silly.

I sighed. I never thought I’d meet someone more naive than I was.

The only reason she’d probably survived this long was her

Sixth Sense Misfortune

ability. Otherwise, with her at

First Realm, First Star

—the lowest of the low—she should have been long dead.

I stretched my arms, rolled my shoulders, and turned toward her.

“Let’s go.”

Calling Gu Jie naive was like the pot calling the kettle black.

Still, I was

way

better off than her. At least I had a plan.

What kind of plan was

persevering and waiting to die?

Sure, there was some merit to her going to the Isolation Path Sect and begging them to take her in, but that was more of a gamble than a proper plan. A decent plan required more than just deciding and expecting a result—it required

thinking things through.

And not to boast my maxed-out Paladin intelligence, but surely, I could come up with a

better

plan than her.

So, naturally, we went back to the goldfish stall.

The one with the arcade game where I’d fished out Ren Jingyi.

The old man running the stall looked up from his seat, squinting at me with a face full of wrinkles that held the weight of countless regretful business decisions. I rested my arms on the counter and gave him my best winning smile.

“Hey, old man,” I said, “can you introduce us to the City Governor? Or better yet, the Isolation Path Sect?”

Gu Jie looked like a fish out of water.

The old man looked like he had just swallowed a fishbone.

"Please do your customer a favor. Come on, old man."

The goldfish stall owner flinched. "Wu-wu-wu-what?"

He was

playing dumb.

A classic move for someone of his level.

I sighed, shaking my head with exaggerated disappointment. "Was it fun toying with my heart and then suddenly pretending you don’t know me after

all

the time we spent together?"

The old man gawked at me. "What is this bastard saying?!"

I ignored Gu Jie's bewildered stare and leaned in, lowering my voice just enough to make him

think

I knew more than I actually did. "I get it. Mingling with normal people is fun.

It grounds you.

The old man tensed. Just for a second. Then he scowled. "What in the forsaken goddamn earth are you talking about? You know what? You're interfering with my business."

And just like that, he started packing up.

Ah.

Retreating.

I had to press harder.

"Come on, old man," I said, stepping closer. "After rigging the game so much, and now that you're about to be found out, you're

running away

The old man stiffened. "Rigged? I am an

honest

businessman!"

"Yeah? Tell that to my

eighty-seven losses

and the

eighty-seven

times you sabotaged me with qi."

Gu Jie choked on air.

The old man froze.

Yes, I couldn’t

see

qi. But with my high enough Perception, Wisdom, and Intelligence, I could

brute-force

my way into deducing its existence.

And this old man?

Definitely not some random NPC pretending to be Villager A.

This guy was a

big shot.

And he could

help

us.

The old man regained his composure and huffed. "I don’t know what you're talking about."

People were starting to

look.

I could hear the whispers.

“What’s happening?”

“That’s the weird goldfish guy, right?”

“Is he picking a fight with Old Man

Jiang

?”

Gu Jie tugged at my sleeve, her face flushing red. "Master, let’s go… This is… embarrassing."

I ignored her.

The old man had already taken the bait.

Realizing the growing audience, the stall owner decided to

double down

—and, oh boy, did he go on a

mean streak.

"Ah, if anything, this was a

skill issue!

" he sneered, throwing his hands up dramatically. "You failed

eighty-seven

times?

Are you an idiot?

What are you gonna do about it? Hit me?

Pretend

you're a cultivator?"

I exhaled through my nose.

"Come on, come on,

try me!

" The old man slammed his palm on the stall. "I will

put you in your place,

you

good-for-nothing retard!

Come on!

Hit me!

The crowd gasped.

Gu Jie’s grip on my sleeve tightened.

I just stared at the old man.

He grinned triumphantly. "Hah! Don’t blame me if you can’t win a simple arcade game! It’s definitely

your

fault, kid! A

skill issue!

Eh? Eh?

What now?

Gonna hit me?"

…

Ugh.

This

vindictive

old man.