Volume 3, Chapter 185 – My Grandmother Is Watching Her from the Grave

Mu Ruoyi’s delicate face revealed a trace of hesitation. After a moment, she tentatively said, “Hongling-mei, do we really need to draw such a clear line between us as family?”

“Oh? So you’re saying you’d be willing to give the Nine Nether Demon Cat to me?”

Cheng Hongling slightly curled the corner of her lips.

“Uh…”

Mu Ruoyi instantly grew awkward. Initially, her agreement to marry Cheng Hongling had indeed been purely for personal gain. Though their relationship had improved significantly since then, it still hadn’t reached the point of true mutual selflessness. Yet, if she refused now, she would appear petty. This was truly a difficult choice.

Her beautiful eyes flickered as she feigned generosity and said, “Hongling-mei, how about this—if we find that Nine Nether Demon Cat, whoever it chooses to follow can keep it.”

“Fine. But first, can you hand over that male cat of yours for me to hold?”

Cheng Hongling smiled meaningfully. She wasn’t stupid—the other party still had a male cat in her possession, and she wasn’t arrogant enough to believe her charm surpassed that of the male cat.

“W-why?”

Mu Ruoyi’s expression turned guilty, her words stumbling.

“No reason. I just think it’s cute and like it very much. Didn’t you say we’re family? Surely you wouldn’t deny me such a small request?”

Cheng Hongling deliberately sounded disappointed.

“Uh…”

Mu Ruoyi froze, then shook her head helplessly after a pause. “Forget it. What do you propose, then?”

“If we do find it, whoever catches it first gets to keep it. No interference from the other party.”

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Cheng Hongling laid out her suggestion.

Mu Ruoyi’s face showed contemplation. The proposal was indeed fair—each relying on their own abilities without harming their relationship.

“Let me discuss this with Elder Zhao first.”

Mu Ruoyi deflected, then called Elder Zhao aside and asked, “Elder Zhao, what do you think of her suggestion?”

“Not good!”

Zhao Li immediately shook her head.

“Why? Isn’t it fair? If we don’t cooperate with her, given our current strength, forget about finding the Nine Nether Demon Cat—we might not even be able to enter the Yuxiao Sect.”

Mu Ruoyi questioned in confusion.

“Cooperation is necessary, but her proposal of peaceful competition after finding the cat isn’t ideal. Think about it—who among us can match her speed? Her Dancing Butterfly Movement Technique is already overpowered, and with the boost from Water Exquisite Art, no one in the Incarnation Realm could possibly outpace her.”

Zhao Li pointed out the flaw.

“That’s our lack of strength, not an unfair proposal on her part.”

Mu Ruoyi immediately countered.

“It’s not about strength, just speed. If we’re talking pure combat power, with all of us ganging up and using various magical tools and talismans, we might not necessarily be weaker than her.”

Zhao Li corrected.

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“Then what do you suggest?”

Mu Ruoyi probed.

“It depends on who is more important in your eyes—her or the Nine Nether Demon Cat. Do you want fair competition, or are you willing to be ruthless? If you choose the former, then this proposal is indeed fine.”

Zhao Li tossed the question back to Mu Ruoyi.

“Then let’s go with fair competition. Emotionally, though I initially agreed to marry her for personal gain, after spending time together, we’ve developed some camaraderie. I can’t bring myself to be heartless. Logically, her name is still engraved on my grandmother’s tombstone. If we act without any regard for sentiment, it would be unjust.”

Mu Ruoyi quickly made her decision.

“Think carefully! Our valley is already lacking in cat tears. If we lose, many disciples will die on future missions.”

Zhao Li warned seriously.

“It’s fine. Even if we lose, remember—we still have a male cat. She won’t be satisfied with just a female one. Eventually, she’ll bring it to us for breeding. Once there are more kittens, everyone will prosper, and we won’t need to worry about the loss of one or two.”

Mu Ruoyi whispered her reasoning.

“But what if she refuses to cooperate with Shuiyu Valley? Other sects also have male cats.”

Zhao Li remained uneasy.

“Have you forgotten my relationship with her? Who else would she cooperate with if not us? The Huxiao Sect or some other faction? If she sends the cats there, it’d be like throwing meat to dogs—not only risky but also offending Shuiyu Valley, her in-laws. My grandmother is watching her from the grave.”

Mu Ruoyi raised an eyebrow and continued, “Most importantly, I trust her character. She knows how to repay kindness—otherwise, she wouldn’t have appeared to save us today.”

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“The Holy Maiden’s foresight is impeccable. This way, we both owe her a favor and ensure Shuiyu Valley suffers no losses.”

After brief consideration, Zhao Li agreed.

Mu Ruoyi felt a weight lift from her chest. Deep down, she didn’t truly wish to part ways with Cheng Hongling.

“Hongling-mei, we’ve decided—we’ll proceed as you suggested!”

Mu Ruoyi returned with her reply, her tone light and relaxed.

“Good! May our cooperation be fruitful!”

Cheng Hongling naturally agreed. She didn’t know whether the other party had some hidden card or was simply doing her a favor. If it was the latter, she would remember it.

Next came the cleanup of the battlefield. With several female disciples lost, the mood in Shuiyu Valley was somber.

Cheng Hongling, never one for many words, had no intention of mingling. Instead, she focused on looting Elder Han’s corpse.

Soon, she found a gleaming silver ring on his hand—a spatial storage artifact! Its interior was about the size of a sedan chair, capable of holding numerous items. By channeling divine sense, one could freely retrieve or store objects, though their weight would still burden the wearer.

Upon closer inspection, Cheng Hongling noticed the ring’s entrance could be sealed with a divine sense lock. Since each person’s divine sense fluctuated uniquely, any unfamiliar divine sense would be blocked unless forcibly broken.

A rare smile tugged at her lips. Spatial artifacts were precious in the cultivation world. She had long desired one, and today, by sheer luck, her wish had been fulfilled.

Without delay, she shattered Elder Han’s seal and claimed the spatial ring for herself. The only disappointment was the lack of valuable items inside.

Of course, she understood why—”Wealth should not be exposed”. When traveling, one wouldn’t carry their entire fortune, only daily necessities.

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She stored the Blue Scale Sword inside before trying the ring on, only to frown—her fingers were too slender, making it impossible to wear securely, even on her thumb.

‘Forget it. It doesn’t need to be worn.’

With this self-consolation, she carefully tucked the ring into her robes. From now on, traversing the cultivation world would be much easier—she could simply store her belongings inside.

Once Shuiyu Valley finished cleaning the battlefield and cremated the fallen disciples, they discussed their next move.

“We’re still over ten li from the Yuxiao Sect. Every li or so is blockaded by a different sect—land, sea, and air, leaving no blind spots. For anyone below the Divine Realm to slip in unnoticed is impossible. Our only option is a direct assault.”

Zhao Li analyzed.

“Then we’ll force our way through. I never intended to be subtle.”

Cheng Hongling didn’t hesitate.

“A head-on clash? Forgive my bluntness, but even with two Incarnation Realm cultivators, our chances of reaching the Yuxiao Sect are slim. And even if we do, the Huxiao Sect entrenched there is beyond us. They’re led by four Incarnation Realm elders, the strongest at the sixth layer—a notch above Elder Han. Their deterrence is absolute; no other sect dares approach within a li of them.”

Zhao Li couldn’t help but warn.

“We don’t necessarily have to enter the Yuxiao Sect. No one knows if the Nine Nether Demon Cat is still there. Getting closer might suffice.”

Mu Ruoyi chimed in, trying to ease tensions.

“The word ‘surrender’ doesn’t exist in my dictionary. Since we’re here, I’m going in.”

Cheng Hongling remained unmoved. “Which sect lies ahead? They’ll be our first target today.”