The Blood River Ancestor spoke shrilly, his tone now panicked, no longer the composure he had before.
"If my spiritual essence is worn away, my physical body will fall into the Saint Ancestor’s blood sea to be remade..."
Only then did Zheng Fa realize why the Blood River Master was so brazenly confident, even seeming to court death.
"Then why do you refuse!"
"How could I, a cultivator, bear to be subservient for long?"
"Moreover, if the Sword Spirit’s spiritual essence is worn away, I will cease to exist!"
"My life is mine, not the Demon Ancestor’s!"
After hearing the Blood River Ancestor’s... or rather, the Sword Spirit’s words, everyone’s expressions on their faces turned peculiar.
They began to understand why the Blood River Ancestor brought up the Sword Spirit with the same revulsion as if he had eaten excrement.
...Which physical body wouldn’t be scared after seeing this thing?
A stick of incense later, the Blood River Ancestor’s expression changed again, reverting to his previous cold indifference—and suspicion.
He looked at Zheng Fa and asked.
Zheng Fa nodded towards Master Pang, who was beside him, only to see Master Pang sneer and take out an Imprint Talisman.
It recorded the very madness and rebellion of the Sword Spirit from before.
The more he listened, the more twisted the Blood River Ancestor’s face became.
"Cough, this Imprint Talisman, I’m planning to send to Master Cheng Kong... Oh, and the Hundred Immortals Alliance too."
The Blood River Ancestor’s face twitched.
"Master Pang, you have many friends, why don’t you share as well?"
"Sure sure, I will write the letter soon."
"...You think this can threaten me?"
The Blood River Ancestor took a deep breath, the anger on his face gradually subsiding.
"Do you think no one in the Holy Sect would be able to tell that this isn’t me?"
"Of course they can..." Zheng Fa said, smiling, "The problem is, although this isn’t you, it is your Lifebound Magical Treasure..."
"Can you say that you’ve never had such thoughts?"
The Blood River Ancestor’s expression stiffened again.
Zheng Fa’s words, he couldn’t refute—no matter how foolish the Lifebound Spiritual Treasure is, it still reflects his past memories.
And, to be fair, who doesn’t have moments when they want to break free?
He merely suppressed many suicidal thoughts with rationality.
"Normally it wouldn’t matter, but now... your Lifebound Spiritual Treasure is damaged, even if you can restore your physical body, your status within the Great Freedom Demon Sect will most probably be compromised."
Zheng Fa’s words came like another hammer blow.
His implication was clear—the Immortal Sect operates this way, how much better could the Demon Sect be?
This Blood River Ancestor would certainly not be lacking enemies.
Now he was vulnerable and had a hold over him.
Going back, he wouldn’t even know how he might die...
"Oh, you mean the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, if he knew what your Lifebound Spiritual Treasure was thinking, would he really protect you?"
Absolute loyalty, in reality, means no loyalty at all...
The Blood River Ancestor fell silent.
It was evident he lacked confidence.
"What will you do? If you want me to bow down and submit..." A cold laugh from the Blood River Ancestor, "dream on."
Zheng Fa just smiled and suddenly pulled out a stack of paper from behind.
"..."A cooperation agreement"?"
The Blood River Ancestor read it and understood what Zheng Fa meant.
The agreement was of course unfair—
It dictated that the Blood River Ancestor must obey Zheng Fa, must not enter or leave the Jiushan Realm at will, must not harm the people of the Jiushan Realm, and must not reveal any secrets, among other things...
On the other hand, it also assured that Zheng Fa wouldn’t intentionally harm the Blood River Ancestor, would not recklessly assign tasks to the Blood River Ancestor, and was even willing to revise the agreement later to give him more freedom...
Looking through it, the Blood River Ancestor actually began to feel... it might actually be better to mix in Zheng Fa’s hands than in the Great Freedom Demon Sect.
At least he wouldn’t truly die...
After a protracted silence, the Blood River Ancestor suddenly spoke: "This... I will not sign."
Zheng Fa frowned, his eyes turning a bit colder.
He did not want to let the Blood River Ancestor go; naturally, he feared the other would be detrimental to the Jiushan Sect once outside, and he was also reluctant to augment the strength of the Great Freedom Demon Sect.
On one hand, after hearing that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor took an interest in him, he became even more concerned about the Great Freedom Demon Sect—thus, he wanted to keep the Blood River Ancestor around, to see if he could find out any information.
But if the man wouldn’t know what’s good for him...
"The Saint Ancestor is about to descend to the world."
But this was what the Blood River Ancestor said.
Everyone felt a nameless dread.
A light sparked in Zheng Fa’s mind, and he spoke: "Chen County?"