The moment Mo Yan's words fell, Xie Zhaolin's eyes went cold. The temperature in the cave plummeted to freezing.
"So you think you can guess at your master's thoughts?" Her voice was frighteningly soft, every word squeezed out through clenched teeth.
Mo Yan trembled violently. His forehead slammed against the ground with a dull thud. "This slave deserves death! I was only… only guessing…"
His voice grew smaller and smaller until it was almost inaudible.
Xie Zhaolin narrowed her eyes, but inside, her thoughts surged like a stormy sea.
From the very first meeting, Mo Yan had accurately identified the technique she cultivated. Now, he'd directly exposed her true intentions… there was no way that was coincidence!
Baleful qi gathered once more at her fingertips, leaving a thin bloody line across his neck.
"Speak," she ordered coldly. "What exactly do you know?"
His Adam's apple bobbed frantically, and under the contract's pressure he had no choice but to respond. "Replying to Master, among the demon clan's high ranks… it seems someone's cultivating the Xuanyin Foundation Technique…"
The baleful qi at her fingertips faltered almost imperceptibly.
That answer caught her completely off guard. A demon clan elite cultivating the Xuanyin Foundation Technique?
That was absurd!
She knew the demon clan's bloodline system too well. The nobler the bloodline, the stronger the talent, and the higher the status. Those who could rise into the upper echelons were all unmatched prodigies. Why would they ever need a technique meant for mortals without spiritual roots?
On top of that, the Xuanyin Foundation Technique was a forbidden art among the demon clan, strictly banned by every Demon Sovereign for generations.
"You're sure?" Her voice was ice. "The demon clan's upper ranks would really need this technique?"
Mo Yan hurried to explain, "This is the news I uncovered!"
Bound by the slave contract, he couldn't lie. That left only two possibilities. Either the information was false from the very start, or… there really was an anomaly among the demon clan's upper ranks.
Thinking of how they were also searching for the Rebirth Flower, Xie Zhaolin leaned toward the second possibility. After all, the flower was useless to demons with strong bodies—unless something unusual had happened.
"What else do you know?"
His eyes darted and suddenly lit up.
"Master wants to hear the demon clan's gossip?" His tone turned fawning. "This slave knows plenty!"
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. This guy might not do proper work well, but when it came to gossip, he was unmatched.
Still, since she couldn't dig more out of him about the Xuanyin Foundation Technique, hearing some rumors wasn't a bad idea. She would have to venture into demon territory eventually. What sounded like idle chatter now could hide crucial clues.
"Talk," she said, tapping her knee with a finger.
Mo Yan's eyes sparkled. "Master, you don't know this, but the Fifth Demon General is actually half-demon!" he said animatedly. "His mother was a human cultivator, apparently even an elder of a great sect…"
Her brows rose slightly.
That was unexpected. Half-demons had low status in the demon clan, and one reaching the rank of Demon General was practically unheard of.
"Go on."
"That lord's obsessed with studying demon-human bloodlines. He even built a secret lab inside Demon Abyss Hall…" Mo Yan lowered his voice, sounding mysterious. "They say he's captured quite a few human cultivators for experiments…"
Her gaze flickered.
Now that was valuable information. If she could discover the Fifth Demon General's laboratory, it might prove useful one day.
"And the Eighteenth Demon General," Mo Yan continued, voice gaining more excitement, "looks fierce on the outside, but in private he's crazy about raising demon pets…"
He vividly described how the Demon General secretly fed his spirit beasts, groomed their fur, and even brewed medicine when they got sick.
Xie Zhaolin rubbed her temples.
The gossip was trivial, but even from scraps like these, she could glimpse the factional struggles within the demon clan. The Fifth Demon General obsessed with bloodline research, the Eighteenth overly soft-hearted… both weaknesses that could be exploited.
"And here's the juiciest one!" Mo Yan suddenly whispered, eyes gleaming with excitement. "The Demon Sovereign's beloved youngest daughter… she's secretly in love with a human sword cultivator!"
Xie Zhaolin nearly choked on her own saliva.
That one was unexpected.
"They say the princess even keeps the sword sheath he once used, hidden away in a secret compartment in her chambers…" Mo Yan said mysteriously.
For the first time, she thought keeping Mo Yan around might've been a wise move.
These so-called meaningless tidbits could one day turn into game-changing cards.
"You sure do know a lot," she said, giving him a long, thoughtful look.
He puffed out his chest proudly, completely missing the weight behind her words. "Replying to Master, when this slave was on duty in Demon Abyss Hall, I loved eavesdropping on the maids and guards chatting. They knew plenty of gossip! I even compiled a whole book…"
Xie Zhaolin felt a headache coming on.
This guy was a full-blown gossip monger. A dignified Demon General, instead of training or cultivating, he spent his time collecting nonsense. Where was the dignity in that?
She rubbed her temples again, deciding she'd had enough.
"That's enough." She waved her hand, cutting him off mid-ramble. "Prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we're heading to the bottom of the abyss."
He shut up immediately, bowing. "Yes, Master."
But the fire of gossip still burned in his eyes, clearly holding back plenty more secrets.
Xie Zhaolin looked at him and sighed inwardly. The cold, ruthless demon general she'd first met had probably just been an act.
This babbling gossip addict—that was the real him.
Thinking about it, it made sense. In the rigid hierarchy of the demon clan, a Demon General spending all his time chatting with maids and guards about rumors would've been seen as disgraceful. No wonder he'd bottled it up for years, only to explode now that he finally had someone willing to listen.
"Master…" Mo Yan suddenly piped up cautiously, interrupting her thoughts. "How do you plan to deal with that giant lizard?"
"Kill it," she said without hesitation.
He blinked in surprise. "But… we haven't found the exact location of the Rebirth Flower yet… If we kill it now, won't we lose a lead?"
Her brows lifted slightly.
For once, this gossip collector had a point.
With him bound by the slave contract and five beast souls under her command, the lizard was no longer a threat. Better to fully search the bottom of the abyss before taking action.
"You're right." She nodded, surprisingly agreeing. "We'll leave it for now."
Mo Yan's eyes lit up instantly. "Master's brilliant! This slave can lead the way. I'll make sure we turn the entire place upside down!"
She couldn't help but laugh softly.
Half of his excitement was surely for the mission. The other half? Probably just curiosity. Still, with the slave contract binding him, betrayal wasn't a concern. The only issue was that he was far too excitable. She'd have to keep him in check.
"Master…" Mo Yan edged closer again, eyes gleaming with fresh gossip. "Did you know? That giant lizard is actually—"
Xie Zhaolin shot him a cold glare. He instantly shrank his neck, swallowing the rest of his words.
"Meditate," she ordered icily. "One more word, and I'll throw you to keep that lizard company."
He clamped his mouth shut and slunk into the corner obediently.
===
Good laugh in this chapter