Chapter 88: The Devil Flowers (Part Four)
Chapter 88: The Devil Flowers (Part Four)
"I’m from Celestial Realm. I was meant to undergo my life tribulation but somehow ended up in Chen Xiang Ling’s body." She answered the second question and dared to steal a glance at the man who had gone completely silent.
Xin Cheng didn’t say anything for a long while before he finally whispered for the other two to hear - "No wonder you were acting like a totally different person after returning from the temple. You were a different person."
Xiang Ling once again crossed her arms over her chest and turned to face the man as she spoke, "Now it’s your turn to answer. What are you two doing here? Or should I also ask - who are you?"
"None of your business."
The stoic response from Xin Cheng left Xiang Ling too stunned to speak for a few moments. Feeling frustrated at the man, she wanted so badly to just throw him across the clearing. Unfortunately, despite her ten thousand years of cultivation, she was too weak to fulfill her dream.
"I don’t care whether you are Chen Xiang Ling or some Immortal going through her life tribulation." Xin Cheng suddenly spoke as he once again turned his cold gaze toward her. "As long as you mind your own business, I will let you live. Otherwise..." he took several steps in her direction and Xiang Ling could only press herself against the wall behind her. Once he was standing right in front of her, he finished his warning, "... I will kill you and you won’t even get the chance to return to the Celestial Realm."
"Calm down already. You are scaring her now." Dao Ming finally decided to intervene but neither Xin Cheng nor Xiang Ling appreciated his effort.
"You should also keep your distance from her. Remember, we have many important matters to take care of." Xin Cheng reminded Dao Ming who just let out a sigh and completely ignored the warning. Jumping down from where he had been sitting atop the rock, he made his way toward Xiang Ling while Xin Cheng walked away.
"Don’t bother with him. He has always been like this - cold and hot-headed. If you will give him some time, you will find out that he can also be soft and kind." He told Xiang Ling as he approached her and tried to take hold of her hand. However, the moment his hand touched her arm, she jerked her hand out of his hold with a clear annoyance on her face.
"Stop pretending to be nice. You were busy being a spectator when he was ready to kill me." Xiang Ling didn’t hold back the anger she felt toward Dao Ming. Didn’t he claim that he was interested in her? Yet, he was ready to watch her die.
Dao Ming let out a small sigh before he once again approached for her hand and despite her resistance, pulled her closer to him. His other hand went to rest against her throat which was covered in angry red marks from Xin Cheng’s fingers. He channeled healing energy through his fingers and into her skin before speaking - "If I had tried to stop him, it would have only infuriated him further which could have resulted badly for you. He doesn’t like it when either of us keeps secrets from each other. It’s considered a sort of betrayal. Yet, I kept your identity hidden from him."
Xiang Ling didn’t know how to respond. So, she just stood there calmly and allowed him to heal the finger marks.
It didn’t even take a second before the marks were completely gone from her neck. Yet, Xiang Ling felt Dao Ming’s fingers lingering behind for some extra seconds before he finally lowered his hand. He looked directly into her eyes as he spoke the words softly. "Trust me when I say this, Little Star, I don’t want to see anything happening to you."
Before Xiang Ling could have enjoyed the sweet little confession, another voice disturbed their peaceful moment.
"If you both have talked enough, how about we focus on the important task at hand." While his words were clearly aimed at Dao Ming, his gaze was fixed on Xiang Ling.
"What do you want me to do? There is nearly an hour left before Eclipse. We have absolutely nothing to do at the moment unless you want us to go down the peak and enjoy the show that’s going on down there." Dao Ming turned his questioning gaze toward Xin Cheng and the latter finally turned silent.
Returning his attention toward Xiang Ling, he asked, "You didn’t tell us what you are doing here?"
Xiang Ling let out a sigh and walked toward the same rock on which Dao Ming had rested before. In one swift leap, she jumped on the top of the rock and settled down. Looking at the twin buds of Devil Flowers, she answered, "I think we are here for the same thing."
"Don’t even think about it." Xin Cheng warned from where he had settled down on the edge of the pond.
Letting out another sigh, Xiang Ling responded, "Don’t worry. I’m not seeking death. I just wanted the flowers because they are a rare treasure and worth millions of taels. But still, they aren’t worth more than my life. I will no longer waste my time on them. This entire island is filled with treasures. I will find other things to make up for my loss."
Xin Cheng chuckled but there was no humor in his laugh. "You seriously believe that you can walk down this cave and survive against the ferocious beasts of this island with your little amount of cultivation alone?"
Xiang Ling wanted to throw a huge rock at the stupid man’s head. If the two of them clashed like arch-enemies before, then their current status would have gotten even worse.
She jumped down from the rock and spoke while glaring at the man. "Isn’t it even better for you if I end up dying?" She didn’t wait for his response and turned to leave the cave.
"I told you to ignore him." Dao Ming shouted behind her but in the end, it was him who got ignored.