Chapter One Hundred Twenty: Chunyu Ji, the Demoness of the Southern Wastes

"No."

Guige responded immediately and crisply, his voice devoid of any hesitation.

Bai Mu nodded thoughtfully and continued his inquiry: "Then what are you planning to do once you obtain the Fuxi Tooth?" He added, not entirely at ease, "I want the truth!"

"That question..."

Guige glanced hesitantly toward the woods where Chun Yuji was hiding, then furrowed his brows. A battle of conscience began within him; it was clear the question put him in a difficult position.

At this critical juncture, Chun Yuji strolled out from the woods. Swaying her waist, she said with a bewitching charm, "Guige, although your master, the Evil King, favors you greatly, you should know the consequences if you were to ruin his plans. I advise you to think twice before you act!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Guige asked back in a chilling voice, glaring at Chun Yuji as she approached with a waft of fragrant wind.

"It means nothing special, just a reminder that loose lips sink ships, and you shouldn't invite death upon yourself," Chun Yuji said, posing provocatively. Her demeanor was vulgar to the extreme.

Especially after having witnessed the ethereal and transcendent beauty of Xiyan, Bai Mu found this seductive woman before him unbearable and crass. Seeing her now, trying to stop Guige, only added to his growing resentment.

Fortunately, Guige was a man of his word; he would not go back on what he had promised Bai Mu. Despite the threat from Chun Yuji, he managed to force the words "Bottle of Demonic Transformation" from his lips.

"Are you saying the Fuxi Tooth is related to the Bottle of Demonic Transformation?" Bai Mu pressed urgently. After all, the reason he had not returned to Dongwang Mountain after his recovery was precisely to help Ling Yan search for that very bottle.

Now, hearing news of the artifact they had been seeking for so long, his heart leapt with excitement. Simultaneously, an image of Ling Yan’s cold, bloodless face surfaced in his mind, firming his resolve to find the bottle. If he could secure the ten-thousand-year-old Li fire lotus during this trip to the Southern Wilderness and also uncover the whereabouts of the Bottle of Demonic Transformation, it would surely be a wonderful surprise for Ling Yan and Fan Sheng when they awoke.

However, Guige seemed unable to reveal much more to Bai Mu, merely responding with an expressionless tone: "The Fuxi Tooth is indeed related to the Bottle of Demonic Transformation. I cannot disclose anything else, or it would be an act of disloyalty."

"Good, you know your place!"

Chun Yuji cast a dissatisfied glance at Guige before shifting her bewitching gaze toward Bai Mu. With a coy smile, she said, "To think that such a dashing young man is the disciple of the great god Baize. It is truly said that a great master produces a great student; the ancients never deceive!"

With that, she swayed her snake-like waist toward Bai Mu. Even from a distance of three or five meters, the heavy, cloying scent clinging to her reached Bai Mu's nose, making him feel almost nauseated.

Bai Mu could only step back in awkward haste, raising a hand to stop her: "Lady Gu, come no closer, or do not blame me for being heartless with my sword!"

He then shifted his tone and shouted to Guige: "Since you have lost the duel, can you abide by our agreement to withdraw from Fuxi Village and never disturb their peace again?"

"Furthermore!"

"There has been no Fuxi Tooth in Fuxi Village for a long time. If you trust my word, take my advice and stop slaughtering these innocent villagers!"

"How do you know the Fuxi Tooth is no longer in the village?"

"Are you trying to keep it for yourself?" Chun Yuji asked with a coy laugh, though a flicker of fear crossed her heavily painted face.

Guige, hearing this, also looked at Bai Mu nervously, his eyes filled with dread. Bai Mu realized they were undoubtedly terrified of failing the Evil King’s mission and suffering the subsequent punishment. But as far as he knew, the Fuxi Tooth was indeed gone.

He composed his expression and replied sternly: "Guige, since we have become friends, I have no reason to deceive you. When I left the village, the chieftain told me the truth: the Fuxi Tooth had already left the village decades ago, and its whereabouts are unknown."

"Sigh..."

Looking at the sincere expression on Bai Mu's face, Guige could only heave a helpless sigh. "Since the Fuxi Tooth is no longer here, there is no point in me staying. I might as well return to Xuandan Mountain to report to my master, and in doing so, avoid a conflict with a friend like you."

"That won't do!"

Chun Yuji scolded, her voice sharp and severe. "Guige, you know full well how dire the punishment for failure is. Even if we cannot obtain the Fuxi Tooth today, we must slaughter the entire village and turn it upside down so we have a justification for the Evil King!"

"But I lost to Bai Mu. A bet is a bet..."

"Heh, heh."

Before Guige could finish, Chun Yuji cut him off with a mocking chuckle, her tone arrogant and haughty: "You lost to Bai Mu because your skills were inferior, but that bet between you two men—what does that have to do with me?"

"If you want to retreat, then leave, but don't you dare interfere with me carrying out my mission!"

"Chun Yuji, don't push your luck!" Guige retorted angrily.

"Push my luck?"

Chun Yuji turned away, glancing at Guige with contempt. "A man of brawn but no brains like you, what right do you have to lecture me?"

"You rely on being the Evil King's favorite disciple, so of course you don't fear the consequences of failure."

"But I, Chun Yuji, am just an ordinary member of the Evil Clan. No birth, no background—I have reached this position today only through years of painstaking effort. I am not about to let my lifelong reputation be ruined in a single day!"

She immediately shifted her tone, speaking to Bai Mu with a coy, sycophantic lilt: "Your duel with Guige has nothing to do with me, although I must admit I do fancy a handsome young man like you."

"However!"

"Bound by the Evil King's orders, I am forced to cross swords with you tonight. I hope you understand."

A cold smirk curled the corner of Bai Mu's mouth: "Why so many words?"

"Since we are destined to clash, let's get it over with so I can be on my way. I have no interest in wasting any more breath on a demonic woman like you."

"Very well, very well."

Chun Yuji smiled with satisfaction, reaching to her waist to draw a white water sleeve, which she gripped as she assumed an attacking stance.

Seeing her use a soft silk sleeve as a weapon, Bai Mu dared not lower his guard. In his experience, anyone who used fabric as a weapon either possessed a unique, lethal technique or had profound cultivation. Clearly, this Chun Yuji possessed both, or the Evil King would not have entrusted her with such a monumental task as finding the Fuxi Tooth.