Madam, please listen to my explanation.

Chapter 148 I was joking

Without a word, they were surrounded by dozens of savages from the southern border, some openly and some covertly.

This is not right.
At the very least, it was completely different from what I had expected.

After a cursory observation, it was clear that the newcomers were all tattooed with dragons and tigers, and their exposed skin was covered with the totems of the great demons worshipped by their respective tribes, making them look extremely frightening.

Their strength is somewhat worrying, generally around the third or fourth rank. For them to want to take me down is undoubtedly a pipe dream.

But what happens next?
After cutting them down, can I really sneak in silently as I imagined?

Compared to this, it looks like a whole host of experts are rushing here right now.
'Hmm, I don't know why, it seems like someone discovered our whereabouts, meow.'

'Don't suddenly start talking like Sang Biao! Besides, you were the one who chose this infiltration location!'

'What are you yelling about?! Waaaaah, Huanlang, you're yelling at me!'

'.'

As more and more memories returned, this neither-human-nor-bird creature began to become increasingly abstract.
It has to be said that he is becoming more and more similar to the one seen in the inner demon tribulation.

It's pointless to dwell on right and wrong now.

She wasn't Zhou Jin; the idea of ​​breaking through the jungle and taking a cat without revealing her location was simply impossible.
So, it turns out that's the only option left?
Looking at the wary man opposite him, Xu Jinhuan coughed lightly and said solemnly:
"Brother, calm down, we're on the same side."

The person opposite him, with their brightly painted face, clearly showed suspicion, but did not make a move.

Xu Jinhuan didn't say much. He closed his eyes and unleashed a torrent of demonic power.

He had just ripped open the front of his shirt when a sudden whistling sound of wind breaking through the dense forest erupted!
There are experts!
Xu Jinhuan was slightly surprised.

He didn't even notice the 'killing intent' before the other party made their move.

But when the arrow was shot, it caused a dull pain between his brows and a great sense of crisis in his mind.

Without a doubt, the other party was an extremely good at hiding himself, a natural-born killer.

Xu Jinhuan stared intently in the direction from which the crisis was coming from.

The strangely shaped arrow, which had been far away just moments before, suddenly appeared right in front of him as if it had crossed space out of thin air!
'careful! ’

Ding--

At the critical moment, the earthen-yellow light barrier appeared outside the body, but it was instantly pierced by the arrow.

Fortunately, thanks to the Xuan Turtle's bloodline supernatural power, the force was weakened considerably.

Xu Jinhuan reached out and steadily caught the arrow that was flying towards him between his index and middle fingers.

Only then did he realize that the strangely shaped arrow was clearly a tooth of an unknown monster!
"Ah! That's..."

"Ah Ling, stop right now!"

The savages who were besieging the area looked at each other in bewilderment.

On Xu Jinhuan's chest, which was originally empty, a tattoo of a strange beast floating in the sea with wings on both sides slowly appeared.

Half of its body seemed to be hidden in another layer of space.

The half of its body that was revealed was already enormous, carrying an aura of antiquity and mystery.

They seemed to have heard of this totem from some of the clan elders, combined with the other party's pure demonic power.
"Where are my brothers from the White Feather Clan, Blood Wolf Clan, and Puji Clan?!"

Xu Jinhuan patted his chest and said with righteous indignation:
"I, a descendant of Zagu, have returned from the Central Plains!"
-
Late at night, on the banks of the Youshui River.

In a dense forest, a campfire was lit.

Today, the current patriarch of the Blood Wolf Clan personally welcomed their distinguished guests.

The clan leader of the 'Xu Kun' clan, from the depths of the Southern Frontier, near the edge of the Forbidden Sea in the Far East, has returned with the clan members sent by Chief Zagu to the Central Plains to gather information!
"Brother Zahir! Cheers!"

"Dry!"

"Ha! That's refreshing! The blood wine of our Holy Land tastes the best! The stuff from the Central Plains is as bland as urine!"

The blood wine, once swallowed, had a pungent, fishy, ​​and nauseating smell.

Xu Jinhuan suppressed the churning in his stomach, having Xiaoqing forcibly dispel the surging demonic energy entering his abdomen, and pretended to be enjoying it very much.

He took off his black robe, now wearing a grass skirt around his waist, shirtless, and became sworn brothers with a group of similarly dressed 'savages'.

After several rounds of drinks, he finally learned that it was because his brother-in-law had caused too much trouble in Youzhou City.

The entire southern border region is now in a state of heightened paranoia.

The high priest brought a secret treasure from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, which, at a certain cost, could construct something similar to a 'heart net' to control the birds and insects in this forest as spies.

This is to prevent people from the Central Plains from suddenly attacking and avenging the Sword Immortal!

"Brother, come from the Central Plains and tell everyone, are those fair and tender pigs scared out of their wits by now?"

Chieftain Wolf, with a string of wolf fangs hanging around his neck, looked northward with undisguised pride in his eyes, his eyes glazed over.

"Yeah yeah"

"Hahaha! The Holy Venerables haven't made a move in a long time, so much so that these bastards still think my Holy Clan is made of clay?"

However, we still need to be careful. This time, the Orochi Saint Venerable, the Demon Ape Saint Venerable, and the Netherworld Owl Saint Venerable joined forces to beat eight of Lu Yuan's proud disciples, led by Sword Immortal Shen Ye, to a pulp. It was certainly satisfying!
But those bloated, fat bastards in the Central Plains might send a large army back for revenge. Right now, my holy land is in complete chaos.”

"The wind howls and the cranes cry!"

"Yes! That's it!"

As he explained the reason to Zashin, Wolf felt a surge of emotion.

As expected of the elite of the Void Kun Clan who have been to the Central Plains, they know a lot!

"Brother, you've been away for so long, are you getting used to this poisonous environment?"

"Hey! Chieftain, what are you saying! I grew up in the Holy Land, and I can't even sleep soundly if I don't smell this fragrance for a day!"

Xu Jinhuan outwardly complied with the other party, but inwardly he was cursing.

That damned Priest Tore. Is this what he proclaimed after he returned?
If I were to speak frankly and say that two of the three Holy Venerables had been killed, and the remaining one was left with a lifelong disability, I wonder what his expression would be.
As for this poison barrier
He would never forget that the moment he stepped into the southern border, his arms, neck, and other exposed parts of his body were eroded by the ubiquitous miasma, becoming red, swollen, and unbearably itchy.

However, after he activated Zhou Jin's secret technique, the surrounding miasma not only no longer caused discomfort, but also faintly contained a more concentrated source of vital energy than the outside world, continuously nourishing his body.

Putting aside his character, he couldn't help but secretly admire the person who created this technique.

If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have even been able to challenge those two top-ranked experts.

Even surviving in this southern border region would be difficult.

The Wolf clan chief across from me seemed extremely enthusiastic.

However, the other party deliberately chose this time of year when the miasma was at its heaviest to invite me to have a long talk by the You River, which clearly indicated that they were testing me.

Wolf nodded.

Although this lad has fair skin and speaks in a refined, literary manner, he doesn't seem like a son of their holy land.

Seeing that the other party remained calm and did not feel any discomfort from the miasma, his anxiety finally subsided.

“Brother, you’ve noticed too. Don’t blame me for being suspicious, but Lord Zagu hasn’t appeared for over a decade. The old clan chief often spoke of him before he passed away.”

Xu Jinhuan: “???”

Didn't you just say, "steal the youth"?

That old geezer
No wonder Zhou Jin's whereabouts have always been elusive over the years, and even Wu Jiuchi couldn't keep track of him.

It seems that during his absence, he would occasionally return to southern Xinjiang to make his presence felt.
This fellow has been painstakingly building this up for so many years; his ambitions are probably quite grand.

"By the way, Brother Zaxin, why don't you tell everyone what's going on in the Central Plains?"

"Easy to say, easy to say"

Over here, Xu Jinhuan and Chief Wolf were having a very pleasant conversation.

When he talked about some interesting things he had seen and heard in the Central Plains, many young men and women of the Blood Wolf Clan gathered around him and listened attentively.

Their eyes, as clear as obsidian, gleamed with a clear-eyed stupidity.

Recalling the various secrets about the southern border, Xu Jinhuan was momentarily dazed.

Are they pitiful abandoned children of the human race, or have they willingly fallen into depravity and are content to serve the demon race as their superior?

Perhaps only when I have the opportunity to meet that Sword Saint one day will I be able to ask him in person.

Not far from the crowd, there was always a figure with his back to them, standing out from the crowd.

*Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.*
Her long hair was braided into fine braids, which at first glance resembled the 'dreadlocks' of later generations.

He remained silent the entire time, sitting alone in a corner beside a rough boulder, polishing the arrowheads in his hands.

Xu Jinhuan's gaze kept glancing at the other woman's tanned, bare back. As she sharpened her arrowheads, the enormous weight of her tightly bound but still bulging breasts was dazzling to behold.

If nothing unexpected happens, this woman is one of his targets this time.

Fifth on the Earth Ranking: Flower Ling from the Blood Wolf Tribe.

It is said that she awakened the bloodline of the ancient demon, the Crimson-Eyed Ghost Wolf, who perished in that world-destroying war.

His strength was so great that it could vaguely influence the phenomena of heaven and earth, making him one of the top experts in the Southern Frontier.

She seemed quite resentful about him taking her arrow head-on, and never gave him a kind look from beginning to end.

However, despite her seemingly aloof demeanor, the way her ears stood up as she spoke betrayed her true feelings.
"Alright, everyone, it's getting late. I'll be setting off to find the clan chief first thing tomorrow morning. We'll meet again sometime!"

“good good”

Xu Jinhuan got up and went to his residence.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I always felt that the chieftain's smile as he took his leave was filled with a lewd undertone.
Kyoto, Tenshukaku.

The space rippled, and a flash of light and shadow appeared as Zhao Ruoxi, who had just finished her court session, suddenly appeared.

"Grand Preceptor, Xu Jinhuan has obtained the Eight-Headed Serpent's gall bladder, we..."

"Oh? It's Xiao Qi."

"Gaga gaga gaga gaga."

Gu Niaoniao raised her head, her delicate face covered with messy muddy handprints.

In Zhao Ruoxi's hands, she held a crystal-clear jade box that exuded a faint, chilling aura.

Her eyes twitched incessantly.

"Grand Preceptor Sister"

"Ah?"

"Quack quack quack quack"

Looking around, the entire top of the Tian Shu Pavilion was covered with sand and soil that seemed to have come from nowhere.
Baby birds and frogs are running around like crazy.

Behind them, a small fish, its face also covered in mud, rolled up its sleeves and spread its arms to chase after them with all its might.

"Grand Preceptor, the Tian Shu Pavilion is a vital place in the imperial court. It's not a place for you to raise chickens, play with frogs, or frolic in the mud!!!"

Paji.

Startled by the sudden increase in decibels, the little fish sat down on the ground with a thud.

Her lips suddenly turned down, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Waaah... Ah... I'm so sorry, Your Majesty... Waaah..."

"You're making a fuss over nothing! Is our dignified Emperor perhaps upset at court, so he has no choice but to come to my Tian Shu Pavilion to find two children to display his imperial majesty?"

Gu Niaoniao sat atop a high sand dune, arms crossed, looking down at Zhao Ruoxi: "Which eye of yours saw us playing? This is cultivation, don't you understand?"
"If you can't even catch a running raven chick, how can you break through the barrier between heaven and man and ascend to sainthood?"

Zhao Ruoxi took a deep breath.

call.
You are the emperor now, you can't lose your temper with two little children.
Even if one of the children is hundreds of years old, it won't work!
"Grand Preceptor, here is the snake gall. My teacher left Kyoto a few days ago. Let me help you detoxify."

"Hmph, that's pretty much it."

Gu Niaoniao patted the dirt off her hands, lifted her short legs, and jumped down from the sand pile.

She strode up to Zhao Ruoxi, raised an eyebrow at the jade box, and smiled:

"Xu Jinhuan brought it?"

"Yes."

"Quick, open it and take a look!"

Zhao Ruoxi looked on with suspicion, but seeing the other person's expectant expression, she stood there rubbing her hands together and handed over the jade box.

"What?! It really only has snake gallbladders?"

When the lid was opened, Gu Niaoniao's face was immediately filled with a look of desolation.

In the center of the box lay an oval-shaped object, about the size of an adult's head.

It can be vaguely seen that it is made of flesh and blood, but there is a constant flow of emerald green fluorescence within it.

Deng Tu Zi solemnly handed the item over to the steward of the Hidden Sword Manor in Youzhou, and through unknown means, it was delivered to the capital in a very short time.

It preserves the essence of the snake gall to the greatest extent possible.

But what does the Grand Preceptor's disappointed expression mean?
Could it be that what she has been waiting for all this time, besides snake gall, is something else?
"Alright, alright, I'm going to start absorbing now. Xiao Qi, you can protect me."

A small hand touched the dark green snake gall.

In an instant, the emerald light directly dyed half of the sky above the palace.

Gu Niaoniao's eyes lit up with a fluorescent light, and her long black hair was swept up in the wind.

A look of pain appeared on her tender face, and specks of dark black poisonous blood kept seeping from her pores.

Zhao Ruoxi spread out her divine sense, effortlessly covering the entire capital city.

No abnormalities were found.

The detoxification process seemed to be going very smoothly.

Come to think of it, after Gu Niaoniao's injury and the subsequent dispatch of An Qing to the Southern Frontier for negotiations, the malignant tumors hiding in the capital and various places have been almost completely eliminated by her, following the clues.

In his imagination, the person most likely to interfere with the other party's detoxification process seemed to be only the Grand Preceptor himself, no matter how he thought about it.

After all, although the other person's body is still small, their mind is constantly recovering towards that of an adult.

Zhao Ruoxi had imagined more than once that she would not be surprised at all if the other party refused to detoxify her.

Putting myself in their shoes, I probably wouldn't want to go back to being that emotionless tool who only knew how to obey the royal family's orders.
While pondering, Gu Niaoniao suddenly let out a muffled groan.

The next moment, a strong gust of wind hit us, and the snake gall in the box burst open with a 'bang'!
The turbulent air currents forced Zhao Ruoxi to raise her arm to slightly cover her face.

Gu Niaoniao shone brightly, and her small body floated into the air.

In a flash of light and shadow, the wind suddenly stopped.

Zhao Ruoxi looked up and saw that the person in front of her was naked, with a slender and tall figure and flowing black hair.

With a wave of her slender hand, a pale yellow robe appeared out of thin air, and she was dressed in it in an instant.

The jade box, mud, frogs, and other miscellaneous items all disappeared.

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty."

Gu Niaoniao landed barefoot on the ground, her eyes as cold as ice that had never melted, devoid of any emotion.

Zhao Ruoxi nodded, "I am relieved to see that the Imperial Advisor is safe and sound."

"Sister, please rest well, I won't disturb you any longer."

He turned and took his leave.

It seems that this accident hasn't changed the other person's previous, more human-like demeanor.
"Oh, right, Imperial Advisor."

Zhao Ruoxi, who had just taken two steps, suddenly turned her head.

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"As long as it's something I ask you to do, my sister will definitely do it, right?"

"Of course."

Gu Niaoniao appeared to be smiling, but her eyes were always filled with an icy coldness that kept people at a distance.

Recalling the scene when the other party, under the Emperor's orders, resolutely tried to kill her, Zhao Ruoxi's lips curled into a slight smile:
"Then, could you please kill Xu Jinhuan for me?"

Gu Niaoniao's smile froze instantly.

A chilling cold suddenly filled the top of Tian Shu Pavilion.

The clueless little fish had no idea what was happening; it just instinctively shrank its neck.
"Pfft."

Zhao Ruoxi suddenly chuckled softly.

She turned completely away, and her figure gradually disappeared from sight.

"Sister, don't worry, I was just joking."

(End of this chapter)