The Arrogant Immortal
Chapter 338 - 337: Act with Heart, Follow the Way

Chapter 338: Chapter 337: Act with Heart, Follow the Way

Xie Ying’s face flushed with anger as she said, "When did I ever say those words?"

"Elder sister, you can’t have forgotten, can you? That year, you had me give you the opportunity for the Cleansing Spiritual Grass. You clearly said..." Xie Jiuniang’s young face was full of astonishment and disbelief, "That year, you weren’t just humoring me, saying things offhandedly, were you?"

Xie Ying felt both ashamed and furious.

She had said many things back then to deceive her into giving up the Cleansing Spiritual Grass; how could she remember them all?

Xie Jiuniang’s face showed her sadness and disappointment as she said, "So back then, you were lying to me. For my elder sister’s sake, I gave up the chance to enhance my talents, and even now, I still only have a trifecta Spirit Root..."

Lord Ziyang had a vague idea about this matter, so Chaoruo knew about it as well.

The machinations of Xie Ying, transparent to the experienced eyes of a Divinity Transformation expert.

But who doesn’t have a youth?

As long as Xie Ying didn’t act against the Sect and didn’t make irreparable mistakes, she would still be a disciple cultivated with emphasis.

Xie Ying wanted to retort.

Lord Ziyang sent a telepathic message to stop her, "Enough, don’t embarrass yourself."

If she continued, even he would be shamed.

Just as Chaoruo was about to say something, Xie Jiuniang spoke first, sincerely saying, "To tell you the truth, when I had my elder sister look after my Contracted Beast, it was not only because I couldn’t afford its upkeep. I was only thirteen years old then, just an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple with no powerful backing. If I had taken it out of the Tianshui Secret Realm, I couldn’t have protected it."

Let alone the wolves that lurk in all directions.

Chaoruo said, "You were still a child then, it truly would have been very difficult to keep it safe. If Lord Ziyang hadn’t intervened that year... cough cough, let’s not go into details. Little Yuanxi, for this you should thank Lord Ziyang."

"Yes, I am most grateful to Lord Ziyang. I’ve heard that he put a lot of effort into raising the Water Kirin," Xie Jiuniang said, with gratitude in her tone. The look she gave Lord Ziyang was exceptionally open and sincere.

Before Lord Ziyang could respond, Xie Jiuniang, as if making a significant decision, said, "So, even though the Water Kirin is my Contracted Beast, I haven’t really raised it. I’ve decided to dissolve our contract and set it free, to let it become the guardian beast of our Tianxu Sect."

"Are you serious about this?" Chaoruo abruptly sat up straight.

The others were also very surprised.

Xie Jiuniang earnestly said, "This is my sincerity. I only hope that the Sect can compensate Lord Ziyang for his losses over the years, and add an extra reward, something suitable for use by those in Divinity Transformation."

Chaoruo laughed and said, "That won’t be a problem."

With the situation developing like this, the annoyance in Lord Ziyang’s heart was gone.

Instead, the Water Kirin anxiously looked at Xie Jiuniang, "Master, you don’t want Water anymore, wuwuwu."

"Err?"

Only then did Xie Jiuniang notice it.

Life had been too busy; if she were to say she had deep feelings for the Water Kirin, that would be untrue. Yet to say she had no feelings at all would be a lie.

Just treat it like consoling a little child.

Xie Jiuniang patted its head, "Your congenital deficiency has been cured, and you’ve passed the death tribulation, right? Staying by my side is not as good as staying with the Sect. It’s safe in the Sect, and resources are plentiful."

The growth of the Water Kirin takes too long.

Even her current situation, seemingly stable, is in fact full of dangers. The Water Kirin, by her side, would be better off as a guardian beast of the Sect, seeking a long-term and stable growth environment. Moreover, the Sect would not mistreat it and would not lack cultivation resources for it.

Xie Jiuniang’s actions were truly for the consideration of the Water Kirin.

No ulterior motives.

This was one of her few moments of clear conscience.

The Water Kirin still lay wistfully at her feet, looking very upset.

Xie Jiuniang lightly kicked it with her toe, "Why the fuss? If you miss me, come find me at Zhengyang Peak. Once you’re the guardian beast of the Sect, you can go wherever you want across the Tianxu Sect; no one will dare stop you. Just thinking about it feels impressive."

In the end, she added, "And you’ll be able to lie down and eat every day, without ever going hungry."

The Water Kirin immediately perked up.

The future its master described was too tempting. It wanted that!

Xie Jiuniang only wanted to chuckle in her heart.

That damn thing didn’t say one thing wrong, it truly was a Scheming Beast. Not only cunning but also pretending to be innocent after gaining an advantage, it would only reluctantly agree if what it desired were brought right before it.

"Dog master, you finally appreciate my goodness," Jian Lingyan suddenly popped up to make its presence felt.

Xie Jiuniang ignored it.

She acted as if she hadn’t heard, considering the presence of a great power there.

After going through the motions, Chaoruo repeatedly confirmed the issue of the Sect’s guardian beast, "Yuanxi, are you really going to give the Water Kirin to the Sect? This is an Auspicious Beast, a Kirin; there might be only this one in the entire Cultivation World."

"I am quite certain, there’s no need for my elder to persuade me any further," Xie Jiuniang firmly believed.

On the spot, she and the Water Kirin dissolved their contract.

In her heart, there was only a tiny bit of reluctance.

It wasn’t about giving up the Water Kirin, but about giving up the opportunity to save her life in exchange.

Forget it, now that the decision had been made, it was best not to think too much about it.

What followed was the Sect’s compensation to Lord Ziyang and his disciple, which had nothing to do with Xie Jiuniang now.

Everyone was happy, the problem perfectly resolved.

Only one person was close to dying of anger, and that was Xie Ying -- having been deceived by Xie Jiuniang and the Water Kirin for twenty years was not something so easily forgotten.

Chaoyan took out an Exquisite Magic Mansion, not as grand as Xie Jiuniang’s little palace but still very exquisite, and handed it to Xie Ying, "This affair has been hard on my junior; this Law House is something I chanced upon. Today, I shall gift it to my junior."

"Thank you, my lord," Xie Ying could only suppress her indignation and accept it with a bowed head.

Xie Jiuniang said nothing.

This was the Master cleaning up after his disciple.

After some thought, Xie Jiuniang took out a small jar of Monkey Wine and handed it to Lord Ziyang, "My lord, this is a small token of my appreciation."

Lord Ziyang looked at her deeply, then accepted the wine.

In fact, this was an apology.

Accepting the gift was an acknowledgment that the matter was in the past.

Then, with a hearty laugh, Chaoyan said farewell to everyone and left with his disciple in tow.

It was just a flicker.

And the figures of the master and disciple were no longer in the great hall.

The next moment,

the master and disciple arrived at the peak of Zhengyang Peak.

With no one else around, Chaoyan finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "Disciple, you’ve done well. You managed to resolve the matter smoothly and without leaving any loose ends."

Xie Jiuniang smiled, offering no explanation.

Chaoyan then said, "Do you really part with the Water Kirin willingly? It is said that contracting an Auspicious Beast brings added luck."

Xie Jiuniang replied, "I act according to my heart, and I follow the path of the Dao."

Chaoyan was initially stunned, then fell into deep thought.

To act according to one’s heart, to follow the path of the Dao?

The human heart is originally a blank slate; the more one sees, the more one desires. Eventually, when one confronts desirable things, the heart of greed becomes uncontrollable. Yet, very few understand how to let go.

That his disciple had this realization was exceedingly rare. Many spend their entire lives without grasping it...

Chaoyan stood atop the mountain peak, gazing into the horizon with a profound look, "Disciple, remember this well, even if you reach the day of Divinity Transformation, do not forget this lesson."

"Yes, I shall heed the Master’s teachings closely," Xie Jiuniang responded.