Chapter 428: Once I’ve Purified It

Long Qingyue’s eyes revealed a hint of amusement as she continued, “Don’t you think that your body is becoming more fragrant?”

Long Qingyue’s reminder sent a shiver down Ye Wenxin’s spine. She recalled that many people had mentioned the strange fragrance emanating from her. Since she rarely used Gu Qingcheng’s identity, no one had noticed it was actually Ye Wenxin.

However, as the strange fragrance grew stronger, every time Gu Qingcheng appeared, people would inevitably notice the similarities between Ye Wenxin and Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng.

“So, what exactly is this strange fragrance on me?”

“Who knows? But it has no effect on me,” Long Qingyue lightly smoothed her clothes, hiding her emotions.

Previously, this strange fragrance had no effect on Long Qingyue at all. In fact, she could resist similar temptations with her strong will, allowing her to keep her emotions perfectly in check.

However, things were different now. Her body’s sensitivity had increased tenfold, which meant that her senses had also evolved. Even the lightest touch of a finger could amplify the sensation tenfold for Long Qingyue, and it often took all her concentration to endure the feeling.

If she didn’t endure it, Long Qingyue’s image as the Eldest Princess might crumble.

A trace of unease flickered in Long Qingyue’s eyes, but she controlled it well. She adjusted her sleeves, once again appearing calm and composed.

Ye Wenxin was still weighing the pros and cons, feeling that no matter what choice she made, she would be the one to suffer.

If she chose to kill the Jiangshi King, the remaining jiangshi army would still keep launching frenzied attacks against them, making her busy trying to repay Celestial Master Zhong’s favor for a long time. If she didn’t kill her, the Jiangshi King, who had become a fool in the name of love, would still do everything possible to cause trouble for her.

It seemed that no matter the choice, Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng would end up shouldering the blame once again. She rubbed her temples, and then saw the corpse worm moving closer, trying to win her over so she could spare the Jiangshi King’s life.

Spirit beasts, not to mention most people, could rarely achieve the level of loyalty and affection this worm was capable of. Ye Wenxin felt a bit moved as she watched, but to be frank, the corpse worm’s Core Pill still tempted her.

If she consumed it, it would suppress her body’s strange fragrance, thereby preventing it from going completely out of control, which would blow her cover and force her to become Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng once again.

Compared to her previous lofty position, Ye Wenxin much preferred the ease and freedom she currently enjoyed. As she pondered what to do, she suddenly heard a pitiful scream.

The sound startled her. She turned around and saw the horrifying sight of the Jiangshi King gnawing on her own arm.

“Hehehe, as long as you become a jiangshi too, we can be together forever, darling Mo,” said the Jiangshi King with a bright smile on her face. It seemed she was still trapped in a dream from which she couldn’t escape.

Ye Wenxin felt a bit creeped out as she watched. The corpse worm, seeing the Jiangshi King’s self-destructive behavior, scurried over again, trying to wake her from her delusion. However, the Jiangshi King just angrily tossed the corpse worm aside, shouting, “Don’t stop me from being with my darling Mo!”

The corpse worm, thrown away once more, looked even more helpless. It gazed at Ye Wenxin, as if seeking help.

“She might be the world in your eyes, but in mine, she has killed countless people, so in the end, she’s… Wait, I almost ended up scolding myself.” In the middle of her reasoning, Ye Wenxin started to realize that her words carried too much of a righteous tone.

Even though the Jiangshi King deserved to die for her crimes, the evil deeds of Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng weren’t much better. Feeling awkward, Ye Wenxin glanced at the corpse worm, which didn’t understand her meaning at all. It continued to wiggle, attempting to negotiate with her.

Ye Wenxin didn’t have much affection for the Jiangshi King, but she did have a bit of a liking for this corpse worm. If she could keep a corpse worm like this by her side, it would only benefit her.

Even if the corpse worm was unwilling, she could still use it as a medicinal ingredient to create a tenth-grade pill. As Ye Wenxin was calculating her options, Long Qingyue remained silent. She was watching the Jiangshi King harm herself in the distance with a faint smile on her face, but inwardly, she sighed.

Ye Wenxin herself might not have noticed, but Long Qingyue had been grooming the Jiangshi King as if she were Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng. She taught her etiquette and manners, tried to change her way of speaking and behavior, but no matter how hard she tried, the Jiangshi King still had traces of her former self. She could never become the Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng that Long Qingyue envisioned.

Long Qingyue was also relieved that Ye Wenxin hadn’t noticed these efforts, and seeing Ye Wenxin seemingly caught in a dilemma, she spoke again, “You could certainly take the Core Pill first, then kill the Jiangshi King afterward.”

She didn’t conceal these words in front of the corpse worm at all.

The terrified corpse worm took a few steps forward and appealed itself to Ye Wenxin in various ways. However, no matter what it tried, a worm was still a worm, and it had no aesthetic appeal whatsoever. Ye Wenxin felt a wave of disgust but still managed to force a smile and said awkwardly, “How about this: I will take the Core Pill and spare the Jiangshi King’s life. However, she must enter a dormant state.”

After thinking it over, Ye Wenxin decided to go with Long Qingyue’s suggestion. Although she wanted to find another solution, she realized she had no other way to resolve this matter perfectly. Long Qingyue’s favors were costly, but she likely wouldn’t hold too much against her. From now on, Ye Wenxin would just help out where she could, as long as it was within her abilities.

The still hesitant corpse worm looked at the Jiangshi King in the distance, who was still self-harming. After a moment’s consideration, it finally nodded and kowtowed to Ye Wenxin.

Ye Wenxin simply waved her hand dismissively. She took out a talisman, approached the Jiangshi King, and pressed the talisman onto the Jiangshi King’s forehead. In an instant, the Jiangshi King’s body shuddered violently before she lost consciousness.

This seemed to startle the corpse worm, prompting it to carefully inspect the area. Meanwhile, Ye Wenxin cautiously picked up the Core Pill. It was still slightly warm, and she could feel the immense power contained within. Although there were books about Core Pills, no one, not even Celestial Master Zhong, had ever dared to directly consume one.

Firstly, an unrefined Core Pill possessed enormous power; an ordinary person would never be able to withstand it. Secondly, it contained the characteristics of the creature it came from. Ye Wenxin was worried that if she consumed this Core Pill, it might mutate her into a jiangshi.

Just as she was fretting over this, she saw Long Qingyue take out a bottle and beckon to her. Ye Wenxin walked over and obediently placed the Core Pill into the bottle. Long Qingyue smiled and said, “I’ll give it back once I’ve purified it for you.”

Ye Wenxin was now completely following Long Qingyue’s lead. She nodded and watched as Long Qingyue put the bottle away.

After all this, Ye Wenxin turned back and found that the corpse worm had already started to split apart again, attempting to transport the Jiangshi King away.