The little immortal attendant sneered disdainfully and shouted rudely, "How dare you! Our fairy's name is not for a mere mortal like you to call casually. Where the fairy wants to go is her own freedom. It's not up to you to tell her what to do. Be smart and get out of here quickly."
"Who says she can't tell her what to do? Fairy Danzhu is the main immortal in this girl's sect. As long as she offers incense and summons her, even if she's fooling around in the South Sea, she must obey the summons."
Bai Xiangjun's words were like a sudden enlightenment. Without hesitation, I rummaged through my backpack, took out the incense, and lit it.
"Let them in," came Danzhu's voice from inside the cave.
If she really wasn't in the cave, I wouldn't be this angry. But she was clearly there. Knowing that we had a three - day agreement and that I had already arrived, she actually avoided seeing me. What on earth was her intention?
I was about to kick the door in when Bai Xiangjun called me.
"Friend, you dropped something."
Following the direction of his finger, I saw the willow - leaf dagger. This thing was given to me by Long Lin.
Right! If I really couldn't retrieve the inner core today, I could still use it to protect Gu Yuan from the Heavenly Tribulation for three months.
I quickly put the dagger away. When I looked up again, Bai Xiangjun had disappeared.
I didn't have time to figure out Bai Xiangjun's identity now. I walked straight towards the cave entrance.
The little immortal attendant still wanted to confront me and tried to scold me. At this moment, I was burning with anger, and my gaze could kill. With just one look, I actually scared her back.
Entering the inner hall, Danzhu was lying sideways on the beauty's chair, looking extremely leisurely, as if nothing had happened. She was even too lazy to open her eyes.
I gritted my back teeth and tried my best to suppress the anger in my heart. I said in a low voice, "Danzhu, I've retrieved the inner core of the Nine - Infant Evil Immortal for you. Please return Gu Yuan's inner core to me."
Danzhu swayed the round fan in her hand charmingly and let out a soft snort.
"I suddenly think it's not a good deal. Gu Yuan's inner core is much more precious than the Nine - Infant's. I think there should be some additional conditions."
"Danzhu, don't push me too far..." I took a step forward but still couldn't hold back my anger.
Hearing my words, Danzhu suddenly flew into a rage. Her dark pupils flashed with intense disgust. "You say I'm pushing you too far? What about you? You conspired with Long Lin to deceive me. How should we settle this score?"
I didn't expect Danzhu to find out so quickly. I bit my lips tightly, really hating her to the core.
"Then what do you want me to do before you'll return the inner core to me?"
"It's very simple. Either you go and persuade Gu Yuan to agree to have spiritual cultivation with me and be with me for all eternity; or your soul goes into the Soul - Refining Cauldron to retrieve the inner core. The Soul - Refining Cauldron is well - known for being a place of extreme suffering. The inner core is inside the cauldron and has been being refined for six days. It will be completed by the end of today, and then the inner core will completely belong to me. If you have the guts, go and get it yourself."
"Danzhu... What enmity do Gu Yuan and I have with you that you treat us like this?"
"Because I love Gu Yuan. I can do anything for him, even die. But he doesn't even give me a second look. He likes a good - for - nothing like you who can only rely on him to have a human form."
"I just can't stand the so - called unwavering love between you and Gu Yuan. There's a fool like Gu Yuan in this world. I don't believe you're the same as me, willing to give up your life for him. You should know that when your soul leaves your body, the pain is several times that of the physical body. No one knows if you can bear it."
"I know all too well the desires of mortals. They will never give up living for love. Hehe..."
I stood in front of the main hall, my hands tightly clenched into fists, and my fingernails almost digging into my flesh. Listening to Danzhu's contemptuous laughter, I kept taking deep breaths to calm my angry emotions.
"Just say you'll give him up, and I'll go and save Gu Yuan myself... How about it?"
"Do you mean what you say?" I gritted my teeth, and my body was shaking violently.
"I do. My word is my bond." She sat up straight, crossed her legs, and looked at me disdainfully.
She thought I had compromised and was going to go back and persuade Gu Yuan.
"What I meant was, is Gu Yuan's inner core really in the Soul - Refining Cauldron?" I buried my head low, not wanting her to see my hateful gaze.
"If it's false, I, Danzhu, will be immediately struck dead by the Heavenly Thunder." She curled her lips and raised one hand to swear, not believing at all that I would really dare to brave the extreme danger.
"Take me there..." I replied firmly with three words.
Danzhu got up from the beauty's chair, swayed her round fan, and said, "Have you thought it through?"
I raised my head, my eyes blazing. Silence was the best contempt for her.
Danzhu stood up, curled her lips disdainfully, and said, "Follow me."
I followed closely behind her and entered the back of the cave with her.
I was really astonished when I entered. It was completely different from the fragrant and flowery front. It was as if I had walked into a dungeon. There were four walls with no windows, all made of blue bricks and rows of iron railings.
All the prison doors were tightly locked, and inside were alchemy furnaces of different sizes. I didn't know what was being refined in them.
After bypassing the dungeon, I was taken to an open space where there stood an alchemy furnace several meters tall.
"This is the Soul - Refining Cauldron. I specially borrowed it from the upper immortals to refine Gu Yuan's inner core. The inner core is inside now. Go in and get it yourself."
She raised her hand and swayed the fan, and the lid of the Soul - Refining Cauldron opened a crack.
Just that small crack was enough to feel a powerful wave of heat gushing out. The raging flames were dancing and tumbling inside the cauldron. Anything that went in would surely be refined.
"You don't need me to teach you how to let your soul leave your body, do you? It's still not too late to regret now." Danzhu looked at me with a contemptuous look, certain that I would never jump in to die.
"You're just a mortal now, and your soul is also that of a mortal. You'll only be with Gu Yuan for a few decades. Why bother? As long as you agree to give up Gu Yuan, both Gu Yuan and you can live. Why not do it?"
Actually, this method was really good. But if I agreed, it would mean giving up Gu Yuan again. I had indirectly given him up twice before.
Moreover, I had promised him that no matter what happened, I would never abandon him.
If I gave him up again just to save my own life this time, then what was the point of the promise of love?
"I won't regret it."
"You're really stupid. It's almost seven o'clock in the evening now. If you can't retrieve it before five o'clock tomorrow morning, you'll be refined together with Gu Yuan's inner core. It can be considered a kind of togetherness."
After she finished speaking, she swayed her round fan and left with a few little immortal attendants, leaving me standing there alone, staring blankly at the Soul - Refining Cauldron.
I checked the time. It was really almost seven o'clock. I couldn't delay any longer. If I was any later and the moon came out, it would be too late.
I took out the willow - leaf dagger from my backpack and held it tightly in my hand.
I had experienced that heart - wrenching pain before. As the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, you'll be afraid of a rope for ten years.
Just thinking about that pain made my hand tremble uncontrollably.
I pointed the dagger at my chest and tried twice but couldn't bring myself to do it.
Long Lin's words filled my mind: "If love is so painful, will you still persist?"
"What should I do... Wuwuwu..."