Chapter 124: Awakening from Rescue

Cheng Qingqing was wary of Hong Jian, but how could Hong Jian be completely unguarded against her?

Not far from Cheng Family Village, Hong Jian instructed Cheng Qingqing to descend and took out the antidote to awaken the group of Dao cultivators.

Cheng Qingqing, with a mischievous glint, smiled and said, “So many stinky men waking up all at once—if they refuse to obey, that would be quite troublesome. Why don’t I pick a few good-looking ones to rescue first?”

She circled among them and selected a younger-looking Dao cultivator. From her cosmic pouch, she took out a pill as if to feed it to him, bringing it to his lips, but suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!” and turned to look at the old man Jing lying nearby. “Almost forgot, there’s a comrade here too.”

She paid no heed to Jing, whose Nascent Soul was feeble. Before Hong Jian could speak, she slapped him awake with a single palm, striking somewhere unknown, instantly rousing him.

Hong Jian pursed her lips but said nothing, waiting to see what Cheng Qingqing intended to do.

The old man Jing opened his eyes and first saw Cheng Qingqing smiling warmly at him. He let out a startled cry, clutching his head and instinctively pleading, “I won’t dare again, have mercy!”

Cheng Qingqing crouched down, coaxing him gently, “Uncle, what are you afraid of? Who has bullied you?”

Only then did Jing realize something was amiss. He slowly turned his head but dared not meet Cheng Qingqing’s eyes. He timidly glanced around and at Hong Jian, stammering, “…No one bullied me. I won’t ever betray Sister Xiu or sell you out again. Where is this place?”

Cheng Qingqing’s expression darkened. “Uncle, what nonsense are you saying? Were you dreaming just now?”

Seeing her about to lose patience, Jing shrank back further, stuttering, “No, no dreams.”

Cheng Qingqing toyed with Jing like a cat playing with a mouse, while Jing Xiaoyun was nearly fuming with rage. Since Hong Jian and the others had just left, she found no chance to escape home and could only vent her resentment through a series of vicious curses sent via Xiao Hei. Hong Jian advised her, “Master, don’t get upset. At least they’ve been rescued. With me here, your father won’t be bullied anymore. You should find a chance to get away properly.”

With that, Hong Jian stepped forward, signaling Cheng Qingqing to move aside. By this point, Hong Jian no longer felt sympathy for Jing; she was only sparing him torment out of respect for Jing Xiaoyun.

“All right. You family can catch up later, but listen carefully now. These Dao cultivators were all captured with you. Although I’ve rescued you all, the Dao and demon sects have long been enemies. Once they awaken, they may not care that you were imprisoned together. To do the right thing, I’ll tell them you two are father and daughter. Thanks to your help, we managed to rescue them smoothly.”

Hong Jian spoke matter-of-factly, ignoring their reactions, knowing both were adept at putting on a show.

Cheng Qingqing froze for a moment before sneering, “You really think he’d agree if I called him Dad?”

Hong Jian remained unmoved, coldly replying, “Call him all you want. He’s never seen his daughter before, so it’s normal for him to be unfamiliar. If you can’t even do this, I don’t know why you came. Leave the antidote and return to Cheng Family Village.”

Cheng Qingqing gritted her teeth, then slowly smiled, “On second thought, pretending to be father and daughter with Uncle is quite amusing. What do you say, Uncle?”

The old man Jing, still confused but knowing not to offend these two women, forced a smile, “...That is quite amusing.”

Hong Jian tossed a difficult task to irritate Cheng Qingqing, but she herself felt uneasy. Jing Xiaoyun’s resentment was palpable, so she soothed her through Xiao Hei, “Now that it’s in the open, she can no longer bully your father. Besides, your father will realize how lucky he is to have a daughter like you when compared to her.”

Jing Xiaoyun huffed in reluctant acceptance, bitterly saying, “That wretch bullied my father plenty. Just wait for me to catch her. I’ll deal with her in front of Dad so he’ll know who truly cares.”

Recalling Jing’s behavior in the Demon Refinement Prison, Hong Jian sighed on Jing Xiaoyun’s behalf.

Cheng Qingqing’s mockery had entirely dampened Jing’s spirit. She glared at him a long moment, then suddenly pointed coldly, “Stay over there and behave!”

Jing scurried away like a frightened rabbit.

Hong Jian watched and mused oddly, “He’s a Nascent Soul cultivator—where did his spells go? Has he never fought anyone before?”

She recalled Jing’s words in the prison and realized it was quite possible. If so, he was truly the unluckiest demon cultivator in the world.

Having sent Jing aside, Cheng Qingqing no longer bothered with Hong Jian and darkly roused the Dao cultivator she had first woken.

The man awoke dazed, unaware of what had happened. Seeing such a stunning beauty, he almost believed his physical body had died and his soul ascended to the immortal realm.

Cheng Qingqing gave him a coquettish smile and produced another pill to awaken the second man.

When the second man stirred, the first had regained his senses and, realizing he had escaped captivity, was so grateful he nearly knelt to worship the beauty.

Hong Jian told Cheng Qingqing to wake Helian first. She didn’t know the other Dao cultivators well, and in this situation, she needed a strong ally to quickly take control.

Helian was a Nascent Soul, so Cheng Qingqing hesitated slightly. Though not disobeying Hong Jian, after rousing Helian she paused, watching to see how “Miss Qi” would handle him.

Hong Jian said nothing remarkable. After Helian regained clarity, she briefly explained that the prisoners had been rescued from the Heavenly Demon Sect by herself and the Jing family duo, and that the sect would no longer trouble them. However, the Demon Refinement Prison issue was not over; Ji Youyun was still searching for them. She asked what their plans were.

Helian was not as elated as the first two. Sitting calmly, he took in his surroundings and said to Hong Jian, “Thank you for your rescue. As for plans, it’s hard to say. We’ve been imprisoned so long, we don’t know what the outside world is like. Please help awaken the others, and then we can discuss.”

Hong Jian thought to herself, “Helian doesn’t trust me yet. Understandable. He’s steady and experienced. I’ll have to find a chance to prove the truth to him.”

Meanwhile, the first two Dao cultivators had cooled down. One cursed, “I’ve bottled up decades of rage! Even if they let us go, I won’t let them off easy. Such a deep hatred must be avenged, or I’d rather die. What’s the point of cultivation!”

The other, though filled with hatred, was more cautious, “Going against the Demon Refinement Prison is like a stone against an egg.”

He also harbored a secret doubt: the woman named Qi seemed harmless, but the other two were not so straightforward. Their sudden rescue could have ulterior motives.

Though he didn’t know Helian’s name, he remembered the breakout well. Among them was a reliable Nascent Soul, and so he decided to follow Helian, saying, “We’re all scattered cultivators. Let the Nascent Souls decide our next move.”

Seeing their rationality and stable moods, Hong Jian said to Helian, “You all have varied conditions and have suffered greatly. If some cannot manage themselves for a time, please help keep them in line.” She then signaled Cheng Qingqing to continue reviving the others.

Helian ignored Hong Jian’s words. Fully alert, he scanned the companions, frowned, and asked her, “Are these the only survivors? Have you seen a Golden Spiritual Root cultivator named Lu?”

Hong Jian felt relieved that Helian immediately inquired about Lu Yanchang’s safety. Her efforts to rescue him were not in vain.

Wait—Hong Jian suddenly felt a pang of guilt. In the chaos of the night, she had completely forgotten Lu Yanchang, who was probably anxiously waiting for news where he was.

She quickly asked Jing Xiaoyun through Xiao Hei, “Master, when can you escape?”

Jing Xiaoyun’s voice came urgently, “I don’t know. Grandpa has gathered everyone again and wants to move. I’ll try to find a chance soon.”

Indeed, Elder Cheng was cautious and decided to relocate on a whim. Hong Jian hurried, “Be vigilant. Once you’re out, find Lu Yanchang. We’ll arrange a meeting place.”

Jing Xiaoyun was most anxious about two things: recognizing her father and dealing with Cheng Qingqing, both of which involved Hong Jian’s presence. She was reluctant to take on the task but finally agreed after Hong Jian’s persuasion.

Hong Jian sighed with relief but also embarrassment. Lu Yanchang had left with many warnings, yet she had forgotten him entirely.

Before Hong Jian could answer Helian, the old man Jing suddenly lunged forward, shouting, “You’re Helian, right? The one who was locked next to me? My surname is Jing. I often chatted with you and Lu Yanchang.”

Helian was surprised, “You’re still alive?” He looked carefully at Hong Jian and Cheng Qingqing, then fixed his gaze on Cheng Qingqing, “Your daughter is this grown?”

Jing felt helpless. He managed to bond with Helian, a Nascent Soul, which was a rare blessing. But Helian had barely paid him any attention in prison. Now, surrounded by many Dao cultivators, and with Cheng Qingqing’s ruthless nature, he couldn’t deny his identity. His eyes flickered nervously, avoiding direct contact.

Cheng Qingqing, feeding the Dao cultivators medicine, turned to glare at them and winked at Jing and Helian, saying with a smile, “He’s never seen you since birth, so no badmouthing behind his back!”