Chapter 140: Negotiating a Fair Price

Ning Xianyu was indeed trying to deceive him, but it seemed the point of his anger lay elsewhere.

Terrified, she kept asking the system, "If I self-destruct, can you help me extract my soul so I don't have to suffer?"

The system replied cheerfully, "No problem, don't worry, it's all handled."

"I don't know why, but I always feel like you've been waiting for me to die."

"No, that's just your imagination."

With the system's guarantee, Ning Xianyu no longer feared Xiahou Fang. She regained her righteous indignation: "What did I lie to you about? You were the one who said you wanted my skin. Since I can't escape, isn't it normal to trade it for something useful?"

She gave a sharp push, breaking away from Xiahou Fang’s grip, and held her head high, looking at him with disdain.

Xiahou Fang was caught off guard and actually stumbled back, looking at her in a daze.

Ning Xianyu expected him to fly into a rage, but instead, Xiahou Fang simply sat down on the ground, slapping his thigh and laughing heartily.

"Hahaha, well said! You're right. So, does this mean you're willing to sell this skin of yours to me?"

Ning Xianyu felt he was a complete lunatic. It turned out that the "evil" in "evil cultivator" didn't just refer to his wicked deeds, but also to the fact that he wasn't quite right in the head.

"If I had a choice, who would want to sell their own skin? You name a price. If the price isn't good enough, I'd rather burn myself to a crisp than sell it to you."

Xiahou Fang lowered his head to think. "Alright, let me think. How about I teach you all my cultivation techniques?"

Ning Xianyu shook her head immediately. "I’m going to die anyway, what would I need your techniques for?"

Xiahou Fang thought again. "I’ll give you all my spirit stones, how about that?"

Ning Xianyu rolled her eyes. "Same thing—I’m dying, what good are spirit stones to me?"

He was too crafty; giving her spirit stones while she was alive meant they would just return to this pervert once she died.

Xiahou Fang didn't get angry; he even nodded in agreement. "You're right, I didn't think it through. Then, I’ll give you the most beautiful feathered robes and finery, how about that?"

Ning Xianyu shook her head. "I don't care about that."

Xiahou Fang proposed several more conditions—food, daily necessities, and various other things.

Ning Xianyu rejected them all. They were useless to her. Was she supposed to use them in her next life?

Xiahou Fang stood up and paced the cave twice, suddenly struck by a bright idea. "How about this: before you die, I let you enjoy the life of a human emperor?"

Ning Xianyu thought about it and found the idea quite appealing. "How would I enjoy it?"

Xiahou Fang said, "I will take you into an illusion. In the illusion, you are the emperor, and you can have whatever you want."

Ning Xianyu shook her head. "No. I can imagine that on my own. I want something real, not something fake." She pinched her own cheek. "Look, what I’m giving you is real skin, but the reward you’re offering is fake. Would you be willing to make that trade?"

Xiahou Fang was an eccentric man, but he had a strange penchant for agreeing with others' points of view. He pondered it and decided that what Ning Xianyu said made a lot of sense.

"Then do you want to enter a human kingdom and be a human emperor for once?"

Ning Xianyu said, "Of course! How about we hide the real emperor, pretend to be him, and enjoy ourselves for a few days?"

The thought was actually quite thrilling; she had never experienced a life where her every word was law and her commands were followed by all. Why hadn't she thought of this before?

Xiahou Fang frowned. "There is an unwritten rule in the Six Realms of Yunhuang: cultivators must not disturb the lives of mortals. Mortals live short lives, and meddling easily creates karma, which disrupts one’s cultivation."

Ning Xianyu wasn't interested in ruining anyone's country, nor did she care about cultivation. "Are you afraid of disrupting your cultivation?"

Xiahou Fang’s eyes suddenly lit up. Right, he was an evil cultivator—why should he care about these rules?

"Fine, I will take you. But I must conceal your aura so no one discovers you. And don't even think about running off; I will place a curse on you so that you cannot stray far from me, or else you will explode and die."

Ning Xianyu told him that was fine and urged him to hurry up.

Xiahou Fang rummaged through his cabinets and found a jade ring. "Keep this on you; it will mask your aura. Even those closest to you might not be able to detect your presence."

Ning Xianyu looked at the jade ring, thinking it was a fine treasure. With this, she wouldn't have to worry about the Great Demon finding her. "Can you give this to me?"

Xiahou Fang figured she would be dead soon anyway, so giving it to her didn't matter. He waved his hand, signaling consent.

Ning Xianyu immediately put it on, hiding it close to her skin. She tested it, but couldn't feel anything.

Xiahou Fang leaned in close, staring at her repeatedly. "This jade ring is truly effective. If I hadn't been watching you with my own eyes, I would have wondered who you were."

Ning Xianyu smiled. "Ready? Let's go."

Xiahou Fang asked, "Which kingdom do you want to visit?"

Ning Xianyu thought for a moment. "I want to go to a place that is prosperous and peaceful. Oh, and it would be best if the emperor is a fool who doesn't attend to business."

That way, no matter what ridiculous things she did, it wouldn't have a major impact on the country, and the emperor's odd behavior wouldn't be easily noticed.

Xiahou Fang laughed. "I've never tried playing like this before. Let's go find one."

He opened a barrier, took Ning Xianyu’s hand, and brought her up into the clouds.

Only then did Ning Xianyu realize that the mountain they were on was situated in a vast expanse of forest. This was likely the largest mountain range on the Yunhuang Continent, known as the Myriad Treasures Secret Forest.

It was full of treasures, and many people came here to hunt for them. However, the forest was so immense—rumored to be far larger than any human kingdom—and so dangerous that only those with high levels of skill could enter.

This forest was located in the Southern Region of the Yunhuang Continent, which also bordered the Demon Realm. Crossing the forest and a stretch of desert would lead one to the Demon Realm. It served as a natural barrier between the Demon Realm and the world of cultivators.

She hadn't expected Xiahou Fang to live here.

Xiahou Fang smiled. "Don't even think about running around here. This forest is home to many powerful and vicious beasts. Sometimes even I have to be wary of them. With your limited cultivation, if you run into them, you'll only end up as a snack."

Ning Xianyu didn't want him holding her hand; it felt like it was made of porcelain, fake and cold. "Don't worry, I won't run. But can't you bring out a flying artifact? Aren't you tired of flying like this?"

Xiahou Fang gripped her hand tightly and smiled. "Not at all. I am very happy to be holding you tight."

*Ew!* How disgusting!

Ning Xianyu couldn't pull her hand away, so she just let him hold it, pretending she was holding onto a mannequin.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Xuanyuan Tunhan was using the Fire-Eating Stone to guide his path. Perhaps because the distance was too great, the stone wasn't very diligent in its guidance.

"If you don't find her for me, I will grind you into dust and flush you down the latrine."

The Fire-Eating Stone shivered and began to sense the path with renewed effort.