Chapter 34

Wei Shizhi felt something was off from the start. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ruan Jing tiptoed and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Was she setting a trap, or was it an innocent mistake? A woman's heart is as unpredictable as a needle at the bottom of the sea. Fortunately, he didn't make a mistake and earned Xi Huzi's favor with his composure.

That evening, Wei Shizhi went alone to the peach grove outside Qiu Tao Valley for the appointment. Ruan Jing was still sitting on the same peach tree, swinging her feet and eating peaches. "Hey, big guy, do you want a peach?" She reached out and picked a peach, tossing it to Wei Shizhi. The moonlight illuminated her face and body, making her look like a fairy.

Wei Shizhi caught the peach and ate it silently, the juice dripping onto his face and hands, but he didn't care. After finishing the peach, he casually wiped his face with his sleeve and stepped on the pit, burying it in the soil.

"Great! When I give others food, they either don't want to eat it or are too afraid to eat it. You, however, eat it with such gusto! Why did you step on the pit?"

Wei Shizhi replied casually, "Peach trees produce delicious fruit so that those who eat them can help spread the seeds. It's a mutually beneficial exchange." Looking at Ruan Jing's smiling face, he began to wonder if she was really as innocent as she seemed.

"What if the person eating the peach is like me?" Ruan Jing tossed a peach pit into a knot in the tree trunk. "It will never have a chance to sprout. Isn't that a big loss?"

"Then you must accept the consequences of your bet."

Ruan Jing thought for a moment and smiled. "I like your way of thinking. Exchange, mutual consent, and accepting the consequences. Even if you lose, don't complain. How did you come up with such fresh ideas?"

Wei Shizhi said, "I just thought hard about it!"

"You're teasing a child! Forget it. Whether you don't want to say or it's inconvenient to say, I don't care. I'll ask you again in the future." Ruan Jing jumped down from the peach tree and playfully smeared peach juice on Wei Shizhi's clothes, giggling, "This feels much better, really great!"

She looked up at Wei Shizhi's face and said, "I called you here to give you some benefits. Thanks to you for uncovering the true identity of Daoist Yunhe. I have nothing to thank you with, so I'll give you some blood and flesh of the beauty snake to nourish your body."

When Xi Huzi got the Soul-Capturing Eyes, Qi Du received the snake's bones. It was Wei Shizhi's turn, and Ruan Jing gave him a pile of blood and flesh. Wei Shizhi was speechless, saying, "I didn't do much. It was your keen nose that detected it."

"That's also your contribution. Extend your hand—"

Wei Shizhi followed her instructions and extended his right hand. Ruan Jing shook her head. "Change to the other one, palm up."

Wei Shizhi switched to his left hand. Ruan Jing lightly swept her right palm over his hand, and a sword flash cut a deep wound into his flesh. Blood dripped out, and the wound quickly healed.

Ruan Jing was quite surprised and praised, "Your body is well-tempered. You truly have the blood of a demon!" She pressed the gray cloth bag containing the beauty snake's blood and flesh into the wound on Wei Shizhi's hand, leaving a gray mark that slightly bulged, like a tattoo, a scar, or a patch.

"It's a bit unsightly, but it doesn't matter since you're a man. I'm giving you this Penglai bag. You can expand or contract it by infusing it with essence energy. Practice a few times, and you'll get the hang of it. It has no other use, but it's perfect for storing the blood and flesh without decay. As for the poison in your abdomen, it flares up every seven days, corroding your internal organs. Each time it gets worse, and the pain is unbearable. Grandma originally wanted you to taste it to make you obedient, but you turned around and betrayed her. She made a mistake, how funny!"

Wei Shizhi felt a slight discomfort in his internal organs and asked, "What should I do?"

"What should you do? Endure it! Since your body is well-tempered, the poison won't kill you immediately. If you survive, you can repair the damage with essence energy. If you don't, you'll have to jump off a cliff. I know Grandma's little grandson. He hasn't practiced for long, so the poison will flare up about a hundred times. Endure it, endure it, and wait it out."

She had a mischievous look on her face, as if saying, "Come and beg me, come and beg me."

Wei Shizhi bowed and said, "I beg you, Miss Ruan, to show me the way."

"I don't dare to claim I can show you the way, but to completely remove the poison, it's troublesome. Do you eat fish?"

"Rarely."

"I often catch fish on Liushi Peak. There's a kind of peach blossom fish in the stream. Sliced thinly, it's especially delicious when eaten raw. However, the fish's gallbladder is very fragile. If it breaks, the fish can't be eaten."

"Do you mean the outer membrane surrounding the poison is very fragile?"

"Exactly, you're very perceptive! If the membrane breaks, the poison will leak out, and you'll be like a peach blossom fish with a broken gallbladder, hehe..."

The analogy was a bit off, but Wei Shizhi understood her meaning, though he was still confused. "What should I do to ensure my survival?"

"Didn't I just tell you? Be careful not to break the membrane. Treat it as carefully as you would your own eyes. Endure it, endure it, and wait it out. I gave you so much blood and flesh to replenish your essence energy, to help you survive."

Wei Shizhi felt a chill. "Replenish essence energy," was she hinting at something? What did she know?

Ruan Jing poked his abdomen with her finger and said, "Remember my words, think about why Grandma spared your life. In ten years, at the Red Cloud Valley sword competition, if you're still alive, I'll give you another benefit."

She seemed to remember something and her expression darkened. "Live well, people like us... If you have the chance, I'll treat you to peach blossom fish..."

She rode her sword light and disappeared into the night, leaving behind a faint, delicate fragrance, evoking endless thoughts.

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