Chapter 57: Just Treat This as an Absurdity

This sudden turn of events left everyone stunned into a stupor!

“What? This is impossible! That Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon… it actually obeys his commands?”

“Song Wen, the Young Master of the Song family, is dead! His head was turned into a slurry!”

“The Song family is the greatest clan within a hundred miles, yet in the face of such a powerful thunder-beast, they will likely be powerless to seek revenge!”

“Run! Escape, quickly! That great demon is going to go on a rampage!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Previously, everyone had wanted to get a piece of the Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon. Now, everyone wanted nothing more than to flee the area as quickly as possible.

However, the demon had entered a state of frantic slaughter. Almost everyone present had attacked it earlier: now, the lightning power within its body whistled forth in a series of indiscriminate attacks. The scene was a chaotic mess, with death and injury spreading in waves.

Lu Jin, meanwhile, walked calmly toward the bound Long Xiwei. He lowered his eyes, his voice softening. “I am sorry. I arrived late.”

A tremor of emotion rose in Long Xiwei’s heart, but she was quickly struck by Lu Jin’s composure. “Lu Jin… Young Master Lu, it is wonderful that you are alright…”

As she spoke, two crystal tears slid uncontrollably from her beautiful eyes.

“It is fine, it is fine…”

Lu Jin felt a bit of panic. He did not flinch before a powerful enemy, but in the face of a crying girl, he truly felt a sense of helpless fumbling. Seeing that verbal comfort was ineffective, he simply pulled her into a firm embrace.

Cry if you must. Rub your tears and snot on me; I am a man, I do not mind.

Long Xiwei was caught off guard by this sudden, somewhat boorish action. Although her small head did not move in the man’s arms, her heart hammered like a frantic deer. For a moment, she even lost the courage to pull away.

“I will take responsibility for you.”

Lu Jin’s words drifted into her ear, the warmth of his breath making her heart itch. Long Xiwei froze. Those words were worth pondering for a long time.

“No…”

She slowly pulled herself away. “Young Master Lu, I am not the type of person who… cannot afford to lose. Furthermore, that matter was not your fault. Just treat this as an absurdity, an accident. I will not entangle you…”

She said the words, yet her heart throbbed with a hidden ache. Although she had known this man for an incredibly short time, his shadow had already filled her heart to the brim.

But his talent was transcendent, his methods were world-shaking, and he had his own life to lead. She was just an ordinary cultivator from Carefree Valley carrying a burden of hatred. What right did she have to use such an absurd incident to tie down a man of such excellence?

No, she could not do something so selfish. Besides, he truly was not to blame for what happened.

Lu Jin was stunned by her words. He wasn’t entirely ignorant of what she was thinking, but was there really a need to think that way? Perhaps she simply didn’t have feelings for him?

Affairs of the heart are so troublesome…

“Fine…”

Lu Jin took a long, deep breath and then looked at the Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon. “I said before that I would compensate you. This demon is quite powerful: I’ll give it to you as a token of my heart.”

Long Xiwei’s brow knitted together. “What? You are going to give the Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon to me?” She was bewildered.

Lu Jin nodded. “I am not joking. It is now my beast-pet.”

Long Xiwei was speechless. “When did you tame it?”

The topic shift allowed the delicate atmosphere between them to slowly dissipate.

“Just now.”

“Huh?”

“Just tell me if you want it or not!”

“Fine, I want it!” Long Xiwei spoke in a clearly joking tone.

However, as soon as her sweet voice fell, Lu Jin gave a grand wave of his hand. He actually summoned that gargantuan beast right out of its slaughtering frenzy!

Furthermore, when the demon ran over, it actually knelt and bowed its head. It wagged its tail and stretched out its tongue to lick her submissively: it had completely surrendered to Lu Jin.

“Ah? This…”

Long Xiwei was dazed. The scene before her was utterly inconceivable. And she wasn’t the only one: the other survivors who witnessed this were equally dumbfounded.

That was a Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon! A gargantuan beast that could rival a 9th-grade Jindan cultivator, an existence that could crush everyone present, and it was wagging its tail at Lu Jin?

“How is this possible! Heavens! Who is that kid?”

“Him? No wonder the Tower Lord ordered us to protect him! This Lu Jin is truly unfathomable. He can even subdue such a demon; his hidden methods are beyond our knowledge!”

“It seems he no longer needs our protection. We should be considering our own safety instead!”

“Go! Retreat quickly! If that beast goes mad again, we might not make it out!”

As Lu Jin summoned the demon, the survivors finally found an opening and fled for their lives. When the area was finally cleared of living souls, charred and mangled corpses were scattered across the ground in a sight too gruesome to behold.

Lu Jin ignored the scene and even gently turned Long Xiwei’s face away so she wouldn’t see the carnage.

“This is your new master. If you are disobedient, I will turn you into ash. Understand?”

Lu Jin spoke to the demon. His voice was playful, yet carried an indisputable authority. The demon let out a low growl of submission and turned its massive head to lick Long Xiwei’s hand. Long Xiwei was caught unprepared by the gesture. The warm sensation on her leg made her blush with embarrassment, yet she still reached out to pat the creature’s giant head.

“Young Master Lu, I… what have I done to deserve this?”

Lu Jin laughed. “Could it be that Miss Long thinks this demon is not powerful enough?”

At those words, the demon’s fanged mouth actually emitted a soft ying-ying-ying sound. It had instantly turned into a whimpering monster!

What? Think the demon isn’t powerful enough? What kind of talk was that! Long Xiwei was at a loss for words. “No, I didn’t mean that.”

“Then accept it. It has already submitted to you. If you don’t want it, I can only throw it away or kill it.”

Lu Jin’s words made the demon shudder, and its whimpering grew even more pitiful.

Long Xiwei sighed. “Alright, in that case, I thank Young Master Lu for this grand gift. I have nothing to give in return, but please take this transmission talisman. If there is ever anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask.”

She pressed a talisman into Lu Jin’s hand.

“Haha, good!” Lu Jin smiled and then looked up. “Now that the matter on Xianwu Island is settled, I must take the antidote to find the Hall Master. Miss Long, for everything this time: thank you.”

Long Xiwei smiled back. “I am the one who should be thanking you.”

Lu Jin pulled out two more spatial rings from his storage. These were two of the four he had taken from the Huangque Pharmacist. “These were the pharmacist’s rings. There are many medicinal pills inside that you will likely find useful. You… definitely will find them useful.”

Lu Jin did not speak plainly, but he knew from Song Wen’s earlier words that Song Wen’s father and Long Xiwei’s Shifu had fought previously over the broken engagement. Though they had called a surface truce, they both wanted each other dead. Song Wen’s father was severely injured, so her Shifu’s condition was likely no better. Since she didn’t bring it up, he didn’t ask, but the pharmacist’s hoard of pills would certainly help her.

Long Xiwei was stunned by the rings. She gave a tender smile. “Thank you! I won’t stand on ceremony then. However, one ring is enough.”

“Take both.”

“Alright.”

A look of joy appeared on her face. Lu Jin knew he had made the right choice.

“Then, Lu Jin, until we meet again!”

With those words, Long Xiwei leaped up onto the back of the Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon. The great beast let out a roar as if saying goodbye to Lu Jin, then turned and carried her away.

“Until we meet again…” Lu Jin whispered to their receding backs. He said no more, his body soaring into the air and vanishing into the illusory mists of Xianwu Island.

On Xianwu Island.

Yang Dianfeng and Liu Ruyan had been following Ji Yaoyue’s trail. With the help of transmission talismans, the three finally met at a chaotic pile of rocks.

“This Seat has received news: the Huangque Pharmacist is dead!” Upon meeting, Ji Yaoyue’s gaze turned icy.

“What? Shizun, who did it?”

Ji Yaoyue looked toward the rolling mist. “The culprit is still Lu Jin!”

At these words, Liu Ruyan and Yang Dianfeng were shocked once more.

How is it him again?!

Ji Yaoyue flicked her sword, and a head suddenly rolled out from her sword-space!