Chapter 569: Want a Demon Girl or Not
Cui Hao's expression was sincere. He signaled the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect disciple restraining Donggua to let go, and naturally, quite instinctively, positioned himself behind the two Xuanqing Heavenly Sect cultivators flanking him.
Though Donggua remained suppressed by their techniques.
Judging by the look on the opposite side, her favorability toward him had definitely plummeted to the depths of hell.
She was a hundred percent determined to send him down there.
Cui Hao gripped the protective artifact his master had given him.
He followed his master's teachings about the cultivation world—play it safe with a dozen contingencies first.
Donggua steadied herself with a slight stagger, showing no joy on her face, only speaking coldly:
"Are you still planning to toy with me?"
Cui Hao shrugged.
"Could it not be that I'm kind-hearted?"
Donggua scoffed. "Do you even believe what you're saying?"
"Xigua believed it. He thought I was a good person," Cui Hao replied calmly.
Donggua narrowed her eyes and asked:
"What about Xigua?"
Cui Hao answered matter-of-factly. "Dead, obviously."
"You!" Killing intent surged in Donggua's eyes. "This is the good person you're talking about?"
Cui Hao lightly stroked his chin, looking as if recalling something, his tone firm:
"He even thanked me before he died. He looked pretty sincere about it, so how am I not a good person?"
"Death was Xigua's wish, and I fulfilled it. Life is your wish, so naturally I can fulfill that too."
"Of course, if you change your mind and want to die instead, I can make that happen right now."
Donggua stood where she was, not responding for a long time.
Cui Hao wasn't in a hurry to push her to speak either.
This operation wasn't a coincidence—Cui Hao had been sent here by Chu Xingchen and happened to encounter Donggua.
All eighteen immortal sects were in the Central Province, and as long as they bothered to investigate, Donggua's every move there was practically transparent.
When it came to intelligence from each faction, the Central Province's was naturally the most detailed.
The other four great continents each had their own territories, but the eighteen immortal sects directly controlled very few of them, aside from the Buddhist temples under the Buddhist sect.
The rest were mostly supported sects or allies with whom they maintained good relations for extended influence.
The spiritual energy levels across the four continents were extremely low, and aside from ancient relics and secret realms that required extraordinary luck, there was nothing worth the eighteen immortal sects' careful attention.
The real strategic layout remained in the Central Province.
Within the eighteen immortal sects, information about the Central Province was accessible beyond each sect's own secrets—as long as one paid attention, clues would surface.
This was why even someone of Xu Linglong's celestial demon cultivation rarely ventured to the Central Province, preferring instead the Southern Continent and Eastern Divine Continent.
Donggua's return to the Central Province was inherently conspicuous.
She couldn't even be considered bait—more like a bare hook cast without subtlety.
She was essentially a test subject pushed forward to gauge the situation.
But… Xu Linglong had personally made contact with Donggua, only to send her out like this to die.
By conventional logic, that was somewhat counterintuitive.
Among everyone, Cui Hao had the most contact with Donggua and was the one most capable of stirring her emotions.
Chu Xingchen made the decision to assign Cui Hao to the task.
Whether Donggua lived or died wasn't the point—even the approach was left to Cui Hao's discretion.
This bare hook that Xu Linglong had cast naturally needed to be sent back to hook her in return.
Whether it made Xu Linglong continue suspecting the demon within the Buddhist sect, or directly lured her out in person, even just souring her mood would count as a win.
Cui Hao's expression remained calm. Though his master hadn't given many instructions, essentially leaving everything to his own judgment.
Even if he botched it, his master probably wouldn't blame him.
But precisely because of that, Cui Hao was even more determined to do it right.
Before arriving, Cui Hao had already planned his approach, but it seemed Donggua wasn't very willing to cooperate.
That left only the lowest-tier option.
The Xuanqing Heavenly Sect cultivator standing behind Donggua furrowed his brow again and suddenly spoke:
"She's forcibly breaking through the spiritual consciousness restriction. Who knows if she's hidden something in her sea of consciousness—she's deliberately not answering to buy time."
"Thanks for the reminder." Cui Hao nodded with a smile, then looked at Donggua again.
"I said I'd let you go, and I will. No need to show off new tricks."
"You can leave right now."
"But I have a friendly suggestion: once you're out, don't contact Xu Linglong, your superior. We wouldn't want you suspected of colluding with the enemy when we go after her later."
"You got your life back. Live well."
Cui Hao stepped aside to clear a path, and with a slight gesture, the Xuanqing Heavenly Sect cultivators still cleaning up the battlefield tacitly made way for her departure.
Donggua glanced at the escape route, but her feet felt impossibly heavy.
Even a fool would know Cui Hao was playing games.
Sowing discord, or something similar.
With such uneven information, it was impossible to guess the true meaning behind his actions.
But this path to survival… was the only one left to her.
Donggua let out a scoff, as if mocking herself.
The next moment, without hesitation, she gathered all the spiritual energy she could muster—roughly at the Foundation Establishment level—and charged straight at Cui Hao.
A furious cry followed from Donggua, condensing all her unwillingness and killing intent.
If she walked out that door, living in constant suspicion, she'd be like a stray dog without a home.
Better to end it here.
So be it.
The Xuanqing Heavenly Sect cultivator in front of Cui Hao remained silent, his spiritual treasure longsword already gripped in hand, ready to strike the next moment.
"Wait…" Cui Hao quickly reached out to stop the cultivator from attacking.
The cultivator reacted swiftly, halting the killing blow and instead punching Donggua back.
"I don't want to live either. Kill me."
Donggua collapsed to the ground, no longer struggling, her gaze fixed on the sky:
"I've tried to kill you multiple times too. You, Cui Hao, aren't generous enough to repay malice with virtue."
"No need to play the compassionate saint. I may not understand your methods, but that doesn't mean you can manipulate me at will." Cui Hao sighed lightly.
"It's not easy being a good person these days. Xigua told me quite a bit—things like the Heaven Beyond Heaven, for instance."
"I originally planned to use some tricks on you, but your behavior actually suits my taste."
"I, Cui Hao, have always liked people with backbone—just like my second senior brother."
"I won't tell you any more, lest you go back and get yourself killed. I can only say your defeat is already sealed."
"But given your strong backbone, I'll personally offer you a way to live."
"You should still remember the name Wukong, right?"
Donggua's heart took another heavy blow, seeming to understand what Cui Hao was planning.
From the very beginning, Cui Hao had never intended to give her a way out—that path was clearly designed to drive her to a fate worse than death.
If she went to Wukong's side, wouldn't she have to endure morning chanting again?
Cui Hao continued with a smile:
"He has great work to do in the Western Niu Continent, and he's just short of someone like you to hold him back."
Donggua's spirits sank, and she quickly understood:
"You want to sow discord?"
Cui Hao shrugged, returning to that somewhat roguish smile Donggua had seen when they first met:
"Whether it's sowing discord or not, you'll find out when you see it. Things are lively over there—quite a few Tribulation Transcendence cultivators from the Buddhist sect are there."
"I hear the Buddhist heart sutra makes people spontaneously turn toward goodness. Perfect for you to undergo a baptism."
"Then be a good demon obediently."
"Someone, pack her up."
"Send her to the Western Niu Continent."
"Just ask Wukong if he wants a demon girl or not."
"Of course, even if he doesn't want her, he'll have to take her!"
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