Holding the Hand of the Demoness

By the riverside, at a small stall, Jiang Hao used wine as ink and wrote some words on the table. After finishing, he stood up and bowed. "Goodbye."

The wine had been enchanted with a spell, so it didn't dissipate quickly.

Wan Xiu and Si Cheng immediately began examining the words.

They had come out to the inn in search of a quiet place. When they heard that Jiang Hao was willing to compose a poem, they were delighted. What mattered most was what he would write.

"I'll recite it first." Wan Xiu looked at the words and began reading aloud, "Have you not seen that the Yellow River's waters come from the heavens..."

"In life, one should enjoy it to the fullest. Don't let the golden cup be empty in front of the moon..."

"Keep pouring the wine. Don't stop."

Wan Xiu and Si Cheng continued reciting the poem.

Si Cheng burst into laughter. "Haha, Wan Xiu, look at this line. Throughout history, sages and wise men have all been lonely, but only drinkers leave their mark. Did you see that? It's meant for me. It's for me! Haha! I told you not to skip drinking with me. Do you regret it now?"

Si Cheng laughed heartily.

Wan Xiu looked at the person next to him and then kicked him into the water.

Si Cheng fell into the water once more.

After struggling for a few moments, Si Cheng cried out for help, but Wan Xiu paid him no attention. He continued reading the poem.



Once they were done reading, they carefully wrote the poem down in a notebook.

"You can take this to show the others, but it's a pity..."

Wan Xiu shook his head.

He was certain now that these poems weren't written by Jiang Hao. Despite eating and drinking together, Jiang Hao didn't even touch alcohol. The poems didn't reflect his temperament.

However, he was curious.

He reached out and pulled Si Cheng out of the water.

"Phew... saved!"

"I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Where is the Yellow River?"

"In the vast expanse of mountains and rivers, there are a total of 128 rivers with the same name and 36 cities with the same name. Which one are you referring to?"

Wan Xiu fell silent for a moment and then kicked Si Cheng back into the water.

This time, the wineskin didn't fall into the water with him but remained in Wan Xiu's hand.

Watching Si Cheng struggling in the water, Wan Xiu took a sip of wine and felt annoyed.

With a swish, the wineskin hit Si Cheng on the head. "Come on! The water only reaches your knees."

Si Cheng was stunned for a moment, and he stood up.

It turned out the river wasn't very deep.

"Haha, you crack me up."

Thud!

Si Cheng fell into the deeper end of the water.

"Help, help!"

...

Jiang Hao returned to the inn.

He thought that Wan Xiu and Si Cheng probably wouldn't come looking for him again.

He didn't drink alcohol, so they would be thinking that he couldn't have composed that poem, after all. The real-life experience required to compose such a poem was missing.

Both Wan Xiu and Si Cheng were intelligent, and they would have questioned it.

All the necessary arrangements had been made, and he could return at any time. In the month of July, when he returned, he would be able to see the requirements for the incarnation of the Immortal Peach Tree.

Ten days later, Jiang Hao wandered around with Hong Yuye. He enjoyed the night.

Some sects began to leave, while others remained to watch the ongoing competition.

The intensity of the competition was ever-increasing. Most of those who hadn't left yet wanted to see how strong these talented individuals really were.

Jiang Hao also went to watch and indeed found them to be very powerful.

However, he had a feeling that they weren't giving it their all, which left him somewhat disappointed. He couldn't witness their full power.

Nevertheless, he could still see their strength, and he hoped to avoid conflicts with such talents in the future.

"There probably aren't any more clues left. Most of them have been handled by the Bright Moon Sect," Jiang Hao said.

With the conclusion of the Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment Ceremony, members of the Bright Moon Sect were now free to act, and they had indeed done a lot. Not only had the members of The End of All Things disappeared, but the rumors had also ended.

Hong Yuye didn't say much, but instead led him to a restaurant and ordered some food. She made him spend a dozen or so spirit stones.

"Come closer," Hong Yuye whispered.

Jiang Hao was puzzled but moved closer.

At this moment, Hong Yuye's hand pressed against his chest.

Immediately, something began to spread.

It was the One Heart Palm.

Jiang Hao realized that it was time to return. Sometimes, he wondered if he could escape the clutches of this demoness by returning directly to the sect.

As far as he knew, Hong Yuye couldn't travel instantly from the Heavenly Note Sect to the Bright Moon Sect. However, he wasn't sure how long he could delay her.

This left him in a dilemma about whether to leave behind a ring here for the future. However, if he didn't use it, someone might take it and activate it. Once that was done, he would lose that ring entirely.

It simply wasn't worth the risk.

He would have to consider it later. There would be opportunities to return to the eastern region or other places in the future.



There weren't many rings left. There was one each for the beast, Xiao Li, and the Corpse Realm. There was another one in the courtyard.

Including the main ring, there were only four left.

"Let's go to the Star River again tonight," Hong Yuye said.

Jiang Hao nodded.

On the first day of their arrival, they visited the Star River. They had met Wan Xiu and Si Cheng there, which had spoiled the mood. Nevertheless, the place was spectacular.

At night, with the starry sky reflecting brightly on the river, Jiang Hao paddled a boat on the Star River.

Hong Yuye sat on a wooden chair at the bow of the boat and gazed at the Star River with a distant look on her face. She was lost in thought.

Jiang Hao didn't know what was on her mind.

This time, they didn't encounter any noisy people. Jiang Hao paddled all the way to the center of the Star River, where the stars shone brilliantly. It resembled a vast sea of stars.

Jiang Hao stopped here. He was awed by the breathtaking scenery. The view was even more beautiful than when he was here before.

The beauty of this place prompted Hong Yuye to stand up. After a long while, they left the Star River and docked downstream.

"How do you plan to return?" Hong Yuye suddenly asked.

After securing the wooden boat, Jiang Hao said, "The same way we came."

"Can only one person return?" Hong Yuye asked.

Jiang Hao thought about it briefly and was about to nod in agreement. However, the change in Hong Yuye's face made him change his mind. He said, "Trying it with more people is possible, but I can't be sure if there are any risks."

They had tried it once before, and while it had been successful, they didn't know the details.

"In that case, let's give it a try," Hong Yuye said.

"Please extend your hand, Senior," Jiang Hao said.

As Hong Yuye placed his hand in front of him, Jiang Hao took out the ring and placed it on her wrist.

During the process, Jiang Hao dared not look into her eyes and focused on completing it as quickly as possible.

"Apologies," he said as he grasped Hong Yuye's hand and activated the golden ring that connected to the courtyard.

Then, the two of them disappeared on the spot.

On the city walls, Si Cheng and Wan Xiu were drinking. Suddenly, they paused and looked toward the city.

"It seems like they've left," Wan Xiu said.

"They did. What a pity! All this feels boring again all of a sudden," Si Cheng said. He then turned to the person beside him. "What about you? When are you leaving?"

"In a few days. I want to travel around. Unlike you, who stays here every day... It's no fun at all," Wan Xiu said with a smile.

"So be it." Si Cheng chuckled.

Wan Xiu didn't pay any attention to him and looked at the Star River. Then, he kicked Si Cheng out of his way.