Because she was injured, he healed her, therefore he was a contemporary saint?
No, perhaps it was simply to extract information from her, so he couldn't watch her be beaten to death, or more conspiratorially, seeing her refuse to reveal anything even under torture, he knew the forceful approach wouldn't work and intended to employ a soft tactic.
In his eyes, what was a demon?
Gu Junshi frowned slightly. Being suspended in the same position was too uncomfortable. She wanted to move, but the slightest movement sent a painful spasm through her body, and she let out a soft cry, "...It hurts."
Xiao Chenmu paused in his application of the medicine, looked up at her, his gaze deep.
What was a demon?
He was only a little over two hundred years old, so naturally, he had never seen one before. All his deeply ingrained prejudices came from hearsay. Demons were always depicted as hideous and vicious in the mouths of human cultivators, but the demon before him was a living being with breath and blood.
Apart from being a different race from human cultivators, they were the same in every other aspect.
When injured, they also cried out in pain…
"Have you killed anyone?" he suddenly asked.
Gu Junshi, being exceptionally perceptive, knew at once that a subtle shift had occurred in his mindset.
Just as there were those who admired strength, there were those who pitied the weak, especially a powerful man towards a fallen beauty.
For the first time, she seriously appraised this male supporting character, Xiao Chenmu. His skin was a warm wheat color, his features sharply defined, and he stood tall at nearly 1.9 meters. Broad shoulders, long legs, and a slender waist – by modern standards, this man exuded an aura of pure masculinity.
It was a pity she wasn't attracted to his type, yet she needed him to develop feelings for the "demon" she was portraying.
Clink!
With the clear sound of iron chains and shackles, she leaned closer. She didn't posture or try to seduce him, but instead looked directly into his eyes, as if trying to see each other more clearly. "If I said no, would you believe me?"
Xiao Chenmu did not flinch or look away. Instead, he met her gaze quietly.
Due to his appearance and demeanor, few women could meet his gaze so fearlessly for so long.
In the end, he neither confirmed nor denied.
"Why would a demon come to Void Gate?" he asked again.
But this time, Gu Junshi chose to remain silent. Revealing a little and hiding a little, playing hard to get, was the way to ensure future interactions.
She couldn't give him what he wanted too quickly. Otherwise, once his mission was complete, he would leave and never return. The bond cultivated between this demon and him was insufficient. If this demon were to die, he wouldn't seek the truth behind her demise, and then the subsequent plot would stall.
As if understanding her stubbornness and reticence, Xiao Chenmu hadn't expected immediate results.
He left the healing pills on the ground and stood up.
His tall frame blocked the light from the outside of the dark room, casting her in shadow.
Gu Junshi felt that while Xiao Chenmu had a slight change in his perception of her, this demon, it was too minor. Perhaps it was the current environment and her miserable state that caused his misjudgment. The moment he entered this dark room, he would be jolted awake by a gust of wind.
To make him more invested, she would need to employ more stratagems.
She gave a self-mocking smile and asked softly, "I said, would you release me, this demon?"
Before he could respond, she added sarcastically, "I did nothing, yet I almost died under your torture. It seems your human cultivators aren't particularly benevolent either."
"But you seem different…" Gu Junshi changed her tone. Looking at him, with the inherent seductive and wild nature of a demon, she displayed an expression of pure, innocent bewilderment. "You are kind to me, you heal me."
After speaking, she looked slightly embarrassed, turning her face to the side, revealing half of her perfect profile and her swan-like neck to him.
"Thank you…"
She was testing his preferences. Clearly, he had no fondness for demons. Traditional demons were fierce and cruel. Since he disliked the cruelty and cunning of demons, what if she was a demon completely different from his imagination?
Would it spark some curiosity?
Xiao Chenmu let her speak at length without interruption or interjection.
To be honest, he was indeed somewhat confused, just as Gu Junshi had anticipated. Was the person before him truly a demon?
Did she believe someone was good just because of a small act of kindness?
Was she feigning it, or did she genuinely believe it?
But in an instant, he collected his thoughts and shattered her self-deception.
"I am the same as them. You are merely a prisoner here. I disdain to abuse a demoness, but I will not abandon the interrogation." His voice was cold and stern as it came from Xiao Chenmu.
After this statement, for a long time, he received no reply. Since she understood, and had nothing more to say, he turned to leave. Just then, he heard the demon behind him ask, "Will you come again?"
He paused.
"Yes."
After he left, Gu Junshi sensed his wavering. Some things did not need to be explicitly stated; both parties understood. The need to speak harsh truths upfront was merely to warn the other and to reinforce self-conviction.
After the dark room was closed from the outside, the space was plunged into complete darkness. Gu Junshi no longer needed to act. She withdrew most of her divine consciousness, leaving only a portion on standby, and returned to Gu Junshi's main body.
—
The "Minor Competition" had concluded, and the "Grand Competition" would be held in half a month.
This time, two individuals directly advanced to the finals. Previously, it was always one, but due to their equal scores, the sect leader of Void Gate, Tai Xuan, made an exception, allowing both of them to advance simultaneously.
These two were Cheng Hong, a disciple of Mohe Zen Temple, and Lang Ci, a disciple of Xianxi Cave.
It was not surprising that Cheng Hong, being a top ten contestant, possessed some ability. However, the latter was unexpected.
This was because Xianxi Cave's seeded contestant was unfortunately eliminated in the first round, while this disciple, who had always been unknown, suddenly rose to prominence.
It was indeed true that Lang Ci was obscure. He wasn't in the top ten, nor even in the top hundred. A person ranked 174th had suddenly achieved such advancement. Who would believe it? But this was the fact laid out before them, undeniable.
Lang Ci?
Gu Junshi knew him.
This was a character with deeply hidden background, unrevealed in the original plot. Her prophetic dreams were not omniscient, nor did they have an ending. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had to follow the original plot to determine what destiny the Heavenly Dao had bestowed upon the protagonist.
However, this person was also the stepping stone for her little husband to win first place in the "Newcomer Rankings" and gain his fortuitous encounters.
And he wasn't just a disposable cannon fodder character.
In the original plot, Lang Ci came from a mysterious realm. He was even connected to the protagonist's forgotten past. But in the original plot, the protagonist had already recovered his memory by then. Now, however, he might have his memories unlocked through his interactions with Lang Ci.
Gu Junshi pondered whether she should let things develop naturally or proactively eliminate all obstacles in her path.