Chapter 432: Chapter 150 Your Name
"Why don’t I know about such a person in the Gongsun Family?"
Jiang Li stood within the net, still composed, his eyes revealing intricate patterns. "Master never mentioned you."
"How much do you know about the Gongsun Family?" Rashamon... no, it should be Gongsun Yuanxi, she said with a light laugh, "The members of the Gongsun Family you know are just your master, your senior sister, and Gongsun Qi, that’s all. Do you really think the Gongsun Family consists of only three people?"
Of course, that was impossible. After all, they were the branch that split off to inherit the Xuanyuan Sword, even if they were few in number they wouldn’t have just three people.
But if Jiang Li were to trust someone based on just a few words, then he wouldn’t be Jiang Li.
"Do you distrust me?" Gongsun Yuanxi met Jiang Li’s gaze.
"Which family’s mistress would incessantly pester her nephew?" Jiang Li retorted.
He seemed to be trying to disturb Gongsun Yuanxi’s composure, but she was unfazed.
"It was just a small test."
Gongsun Yuanxi had already discarded her flirtatious demeanor and transformed from a seductive Daoist nun into a transcendent female crown, bearing a slight resemblance to Tianxuan, "Since you are the fiancé set by Tianxuan, you should look the part. If a mere woman can bewitch you to lose your way, then it only shows you’re not reputable. And a husband who’s not reputable..."
Gongsun Yuanxi’s eyes danced, revealing a half-smiling look, "Although I’m disinterested in romantic affairs, thanks to that woman from the Ji Family, I have learned some methods to discipline an affiliated son-in-law."
Jiang Li: "..."
At first, there was at least some pretense, but by the end, she stopped pretending and spoke directly of ’an affiliated son-in-law.’
And the woman you’re talking about, wouldn’t her name be Ji Ling Guang by any chance?
Just from hearing Gongsun Yuanxi’s tone, Jiang Li could imagine just what kind of hardship big brother had been through.
The crux of the matter was that such news had even spread outside, to the extent that even an outsider like Gongsun Yuanxi knew about it. One can imagine Feng Manlou’s position within the family.
Tragic, truly tragic.
Now, Jiang Li even began to doubt his own guess—could Brother Manlou, with his suffering demeanor, have anything to do with the Great Venerable?
With such a status, could he represent the Feng Family and set terms with Jiang Li?
If Feng Manlou was insufficient to represent the Feng Family, then their oath would not be able to affect the whole clan. If his relationship with the Great Venerable wasn’t that close, then the Great Venerable wouldn’t be so polite when making a move against Jiang Li.
If that was the case, coming to Nether City now might not have been a good choice.
While pondering in his heart, Jiang Li’s expression eased slightly, yet he remained on guard.
"Do you still distrust me?" Gongsun Yuanxi asked, as if seeing through his heart.
"The Gongsun Family is not just my master." Jiang Li said calmly.
Although Gongsun Qi wasn’t the head of the household, his position in the Gongsun family was extraordinary.
He became the Sect Leader of Dinghu Sect by surpassing Tianxuan with his own strength. His power, listed among the Six Extremes of the current age, elevated his position to be on par with Tianxuan, even attracting family members to rely on him.
Those from the Gongsun Family might not be Tianxuan’s people.
"Truly suspicious."
Gongsun Yuanxi shook her head and sighed softly as if in regret, "I originally wanted to give you some guidance and reveal some small secrets of the ’Dragon Armor Divine Chapter,’ but since you’re so wary of me, even now you’re unwilling to call me ’Mistress’..."
"Mistress." Jiang Li called out resonantly.
His dignified demeanor finally fell away, replaced by an eagerness as if seeing a family member.
His facial expression changed, and Jiang Li even reverted to his true appearance, opting for a straightforward approach.
"Pfft—"
Gongsun Yuanxi burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her sleeve, her eyes as round as the full moon, "Tianxuan was right, you really are adaptable."
Just a moment ago he was extremely cautious, and now he had a face full of warmth and eagerness, as if wanting to acknowledge a stepmother and fulfill filial piety.
If changing faces could be rated, then Jiang Li’s art of changing faces would definitely be of the First Grade, unmatched under heaven.
"Mistress jokes," Jiang Li said sincerely, "I have simply confirmed the relationship between you and my master and let down my guard. If it were someone else, it wouldn’t be possible to make me act like this at all."
Jiang Li’s face was earnest, "This is the true expression of my sincere filial piety, not a falsehood."
"Giggle..." Gongsun Yuanxi laughed incessantly, "I haven’t seen filial piety, but your flattering intentions are crystal clear."
She laughed for a while before finally calming down and regaining composure.
Tucking in her sleeve a bit, Gongsun Yuanxi said, "You little slick one. Well, if you’re serious, I’ll take you seriously too. Here, I’ll teach you some magic. By the way, this is something your master intended to impart to you. Even if you didn’t flatter me, I would still guide you as expected."
As she spoke, the woven net abruptly retracted, reverting back to a normal horsetail whisk.
Gongsun Yuanxi gently flicked it, and clear ripples appeared with the motion of the horsetail whisk; space undulated, flowing like water.
"You should have seen the spatial moving technique your master used. It involves freely manipulating Qimen Space to distort the space, propelling oneself at will. You need to master the ’Wind Queen’s Strange Gate’ and possess an extremely strong physical body for this."
Ripples upon ripples spread across the space, the pulsations ceaseless, and faintly, a unique rhythm became apparent.
"With the strength of your physical body as it stands, you are qualified enough to dip your toes into this magic door," said Gongsun Yuanxi. "Casual manipulation of space is out of reach, but a small shifting of position can be barely managed. What I am going to teach you is the complete Magic Door."
Ripples enlarged and obvious distortions wrapped around Gongsun Yuanxi’s figure, which flashed abruptly and vanished before Jiang Li’s eyes.
It was similar to Jiang Li’s human Super Electromagnetic Cannon, but it appeared even more extreme.
Jiang Li used himself as the projectile, whereas this magic door directly twisted space around oneself. If one’s physical strength was inadequate, the user would simply burst into a spray of blood.
"Did you see clearly?"
The voice of Gongsun Yuanxi came from behind him.
"That ripple, that fluctuation..."
Along with the words, what appeared was the fluctuation in front of him.
A pale, slender hand emerged from the ripple ahead, lightly lifted Jiang Li’s chin with a flick of the fingers.
Jiang Li had recorded the Qimen Changes of the Tianxuan Moving Technique with the Wind Queen Compass, but what he saw today made it apparent that his recorded changes were just the tip of the iceberg, far from the complete picture.
And now, Gongsun Yuanxi showcased true Qimen power.
With a body behind and a hand piercing through space to appear in front, Qimen prowess far surpassed Jiang Li’s. And then there was that seemingly delicate hand that could ignore spatial distortions...
"Mistress, you aren’t fifth-rank, are you?" Jiang Li inquired.
If one’s physical body was so robust at fifth-rank, then the You Mountain Lord and the Flood Dragon’s Crown Prince wouldn’t have perished at Jiang Li’s hands.
The physical body of a Devil Cultivator was always at the forefront of their peers.
"Guess," teased Gongsun Yuanxi.
The implication was clear.
The Devil God Sect truly was brimming with talents, boasting not just one but several fourth-rank among the Nineteen Demons.
"Have you recorded it?"
Gongsun Yuanxi spoke slowly, blowing moist, warm breath behind Jiang Li’s ear, caressing his ear and cheek.
She indeed knew about the Wind Queen Compass in Jiang Li’s possession.
"I’ve recorded it," said Jiang Li calmly.
Facing the enticement of the Female Crown, he was completely unmoved, embodying single-minded loyalty and revealing not a hint of fault.
After all, Jiang Li had no desire to experience the treatment of an "affiliated son-in-law."
For ordinary husbands, failure to meet expectations might warrant kneeling and washing clothes, but cultivators were not like ordinary people. Their physical resilience was tens to hundreds of times stronger than that of ordinary folk. At Jiang Li’s level, even kneeling for a year on a washboard would be no issue.
Hence, the requisite resilience also had to be tens to hundreds of times greater, to the point where even kneeling on sword blades would not be a problem.
’I came to be the spoilt son-in-law, but I am certainly not weak-hearted.’
Jiang Li thought to himself, exuding a sense of unshakeable composure.
"Not bad."
Gongsun Yuanxi chuckled as she withdrew her hand, the warm moisture by the ear receding.
"Then practice well, my good apprentice nephew. Soon I might need your assistance," she said flirtatiously.
Swaying her figure, she moved from behind Jiang Li, gingerly stepping away from the Retreat Room, leaving Jiang Li alone there.
"This is really..."
After Gongsun Yuanxi’s departure, Jiang Li revealed a wry smile: "I’m really caught in a tight spot."
[But—]
Text quickly refreshed on the Karma Collection.
[Who will win and who will lose, remains uncertain.]
[I, Jiang Li, wish to reiterate, I am a master in terms of physique, most skilled in sizing people up by their chest, and Gongsun Yuanxi’s pectoral muscles...]
Jiang Li found a cushion in the Retreat Room, sat down, and his gaze fluctuated as he compared the figure in his memory with Gongsun Yuanxi.
’So, your name is ’Gongsun Yuanxi,’ huh.’
The craftiest hunters often appear in the form of their prey.
Ever since Gongsun Yuanxi revealed her identity, she had been one step ahead, easily manipulating Jiang Li and putting him at a disadvantage.
On the surface, it was rare for Jiang Li to be bested, especially by a woman other than the ’Old Demon.’
But in reality...
Long before coming to Nether City, Jiang Li had his suspicions about the then-unrevealed identity of the Rashamon.
All along the way, he maintained his purity and kept away from women, not only because he was highly immune to temptation, but also as part of his act.
Gongsun Yuanxi’s chest muscles had already betrayed her identity.