Volume One: The Femme Fatale Chapter 3: Feng Ling'er

“Why am I still alive? Where exactly is this place?”

“And who is that woman in red?”

Enduring the pain coursing through his body, Jiang Hao forced himself to run forward, his heart swirling with countless questions.

Before he could piece together the truth, the familiar figure in red appeared once again, blocking his path.

“Fairy? You?”

Startled by the sudden appearance of the woman in red, Jiang Hao hurriedly stopped, nearly losing his balance and falling to the ground in panic.

“Has she had a change of heart and now intends to kill me to keep me quiet?” Jiang Hao wondered anxiously.

Desperate to survive, he had no time to ponder and had to grit his teeth and plead, “Fairy, didn’t you just tell me to leave? A fairy as beautiful as you should keep her word, shouldn’t you?”

“Hmph! Smooth-talking human vermin, this princess has changed her mind.”

In the icy gaze of the woman in red, flames seemed to flicker as she stared straight at Jiang Hao.

More precisely, her fiery eyes locked onto the pendant resting on his chest, as if intending to reduce him to ashes.

“Fairy, what… what do you intend to do?”

Terrified, Jiang Hao collapsed to the ground like a lamb led to slaughter.

“Boy, are you willing to become my disciple?” the woman in red asked coldly.

“What? Fairy, you want to take me as your apprentice? Did I hear that right?” Jiang Hao looked at the temperamental woman in disbelief.

“What’s wrong? Am I not worthy?” The woman shot him a frosty glare.

Her chilling voice made Jiang Hao shudder involuntarily, a fear he could not refuse welling up inside him. Facing this woman in red, he, a mere mortal, felt an overwhelming pressure.

Before Jiang Hao could speak, the cold voice came again: “Of course, I don’t take disciples without reason. To be my apprentice, you must agree to two conditions.”

“Two conditions? Even if there were a hundred, I have to agree first. Right now, staying alive is what matters most,” Jiang Hao thought, trying to steady his nerves, then asked seriously, “Fairy, what are the two things you want me to promise?”

The woman in red did not immediately reply but continued to fix her gaze on the pendant on Jiang Hao’s chest, seemingly deep in thought.

“Could it be she wants me to offer myself to her?” Under her stare, Jiang Hao felt as exposed as a man stripped bare, unease rising in his heart.

***

After a moment of inner struggle, Jiang Hao gritted his teeth and made up his mind with a silent sigh: “Fine, if she really wants me to yield myself, I wouldn’t be losing out. I might as well accept.”

Unconsciously, a blush crept onto Jiang Hao’s face.

Suddenly, a cold voice like thunder snapped him back from his daydream.

“The first condition: my primordial spirit will reside within the pendant you wear.”

“The second: within ten years, you must gather five materials needed to reconstruct my physical form,” the woman in red declared, her tone commanding and unquestionable.

“What? You say your primordial spirit can hide inside my pendant?” Jiang Hao was shocked, instinctively clutching the pendant on his chest.

This pendant was the only keepsake his mother had left him, the sole symbol of his longing for her over eighteen years. His father never spoke of his mother’s appearance, and Jiang Hao had long ceased to ask.

“You’re not fooling around in front of me, are you, boy?” the woman in red sneered, her eyes filled with disdain.

Jiang Hao fell silent, his heart heavy with doubt and unease.

After some time, the woman frowned slightly and softly asked, “Boy, do you truly not know the origin of the pendant you carry?”

“Fairy, I honestly don’t,” Jiang Hao replied, confused. “All I know is that it was the only token my mother left me.”

At that moment, a glimmer appeared in Jiang Hao’s eyes as he hurriedly asked, “Fairy, do you know where this pendant came from?”

“No,” the woman narrowed her eyes and studied him anew. “This pendant functions much like the storage pouches cultivated by the sect members. It’s used to store items.”

“The only difference is that this pendant can hold a cultivator’s primordial spirit.”

“Could it be that the pendant my mother left me is this powerful?” Jiang Hao was stunned.

“Such a trivial storage pendant is hardly worth making a fuss over. What about the two things I asked? Have you thought it over?” The woman floated forward gracefully, her gaze icy and laced with a deadly aura.

Jiang Hao trembled at the sudden menace, muttering inwardly, “She’s holding a knife to my throat. How can I even consider? If I refuse, she might just kill me to silence me.”

“Boy, don’t you want to avenge your father by killing that traitorous wife, Ji Yue?” the woman pressed closer.

“How do you know?” Jiang Hao was shocked to hear Ji Yue’s name.

The woman snorted coldly. “You’ve called her name hundreds of times in your dreams.”

Jiang Hao was speechless, then after a long pause, he slowly said, “Alright, I agree.”

***

“But fairy, you know I’m just a mortal without any cultivation. Asking me to find materials to reconstruct a body—isn’t that a fool’s errand?”

“Besides, such materials must be exceedingly rare, right?” Jiang Hao shrugged helplessly, forcing a bitter smile.

“Exactly!” the woman responded coldly, unreservedly explaining, “These materials are indeed rare, which is why I will first open the spiritual veins within your body. Once you reach the Spiritual Heaven realm in cultivation, I will help you find the materials to rebuild my body.”

“Open my spiritual veins? Fairy, did I hear that right? I was born without spiritual veins. How can you open what I don’t have?” Jiang Hao was stunned and stepped forward to ask.

“Heh, who says you don’t have spiritual veins?” The woman glanced at him and smiled lightly. “Your spiritual veins have merely been sealed.”

“Do I really have spiritual veins? Fairy, you’re not lying to me, are you?” Jiang Hao asked eagerly, hope stirring in his heart.

The woman snorted coldly. “I have no need to lie to you.”

“Could it be true? I actually have spiritual veins?” Jiang Hao’s face showed pure astonishment.

The woman frowned slightly. “However, my primordial spirit is still weak. I cannot guarantee I can fully open your spiritual veins.”

Seeing her serious demeanor, Jiang Hao was overwhelmed with joy and respectfully bowed. “Thank you, fairy. I, Jiang Hao, will repay this kindness a thousandfold in the future!”

“Jiang Hao? Not a bad name,” the woman said with a slight frown and a faint smile. “Boy, now that you have sworn to be my disciple, you shall call me Master.”

“Yes, Master!” Jiang Hao nodded without hesitation.

Suddenly recalling something, Jiang Hao looked up quickly and asked softly, “By the way, Master, I don’t even know your name yet.”

The woman glanced at him, unfriendly, and replied coldly, “Feng Ling’er.”

“I didn’t expect Master to be so aloof in appearance. That name is quite lovely…” Jiang Hao began but swallowed the words under Feng Ling’er’s icy gaze.

“Enough nonsense. Sit down now. I will help you open your spiritual veins.”

“Yes, Master!”

Feng Ling’er’s cold voice echoed in his ears, causing Jiang Hao’s heart to tremble as he quickly entered a meditative state.