章 9: The Secret Deal

Yuan Ji rubbed his chin as he looked at Xia Jiaqing.

He was thinking what to say to her.

After a quick ponder, he said. "I can help you to deal with the four elders but on one condition."

Xia Jiaqing shifted her eyes before asking, "What is it?"

"I want to have free access to the cultivation resources of the Emperor Hall Sect. I'm not greedy. I only want the third grade pills like the Rejuvenation Strength Pills, Iron Blood Pills, Tendon Grip Pills and the Energy Meridian Pills." Yuan Ji said.

These were the pills that he needed to regain his profound strength slowly and were relative cheap for a major sect like the Emperor Hall Sect.

Xia Jiaqing was a little surprised, "You don't want the fourth, fifth and sixth rank pills?"

Yuan Ji laughed, "Fourth rank pills will be expensive and the other elders won't be happy. As for fifth and sixth rank pills, I doubt you have many or even none at all."

In the Celestial Realm, sixth rank pills were considered to be divine pills and almost unheard of for any cultivator to possess one. Maybe there were skilled alchemists in the Nine Celestial Fraternity that were capable of concocting one but there were definitely no alchemists in the Desolate Celestial Fraternity that could concoct one.

As for fifth rank pills, it was extremely rare and cost a bomb. If the Emperor Hall Sect had one or two then it may already be considered to be fairly good. There were many major celestial clans that did not even possess a single fifth rank pill at all.

Therefore Yuan Ji was actually making a reasonable proposition to the Palace Mistress.

Xia Jiaqing said, "Do you think that you will be helpful to me? The four elders are sixth realm golden supremacy. What about your cultivation realm?"

Yuan Ji smiled weakly before he said quickly said, "Fourth realm immortal celestial level now."

"You're not even a golden celestial yet. How can you help me?" Xia Jiaqing asked curiously.

"Although my profound strength is weaker than the four elders but I am smarter than them. Moreover because I'm a lowly cultivator therefore you know that you can confide in me without feeling that I will be a threat to you." He pointed out.

Xia Jiaqing smiled, "Do you think that I can trust your mere words? I am not a foolish young maiden…"

"I can also help you to deal with Xue Qianxue. I know everything about her, including her weakness." He added.

Xia Jiaqing replied slowly, "Your request is reasonable. If you are also willing to help me to deal with Xue Qianxue, then I can give you the benefit of doubt. But how come these pills are more for the purpose of regaining one's profound strength than actually meant for gaining profound strength?"

Yuan Ji: …

"Haha." He tried to laugh it off while trying to cook up an excuse in his mind. "I have just overcome my cultivation realm and that is why I need these pills. If my inner spiritual sea is weak, how will I be able to help you?"

Xia Jiaqing laughed softly, "You are right. Deal then."

She began to shift her legs to get off her bed.

But at this moment, Yuan Ji's sharp eyes could see between her two legs and he was suddenly flustered.

Xia Jiaqing was also flushing on her cheeks as she was suddenly aware what he was looking at. Although nudity was common among the cultivators but this was another matter entirely.

With a soft laugh, she tried to quickly put this matter aside as she walked to the table before she poured a cup of wine for him with a smile, "A toast to our secret agreement then."

Yuan Ji returned a smile, "A toast to our future co-operation then."

But he was actually thinking, "Xia Jiajia or Xia Jiaqing. Although you may claim to be protecting my sect but this is merely your side of the story. I will find out more first. Even if you are my past friend but I can't forgive you for what you and your sect has done to my sect and to…Ye Chengxi."

With a soft sigh to himself, "Let hope that you are as innocent as you've claimed to be."

He knew that he had to bide his time until he had fully regained his profound strength. He did not want his enemies, old and new to know that he was back now. A hundred years had passed since he was away and many things had changed.

At least he knew that some of his old enemies like Xue Qianxue were still alive while Xia Jiaqing may have become his new enemy.

While Yuan Ji was having his own thoughts, Xia Jiaqing was also thinking. "Since you want to pretend not to know me then I will just have to pretend to play along with you…"

Yuan Ji was now lying on his bed and he was thinking of Xia Jiajia. Or rather, Xia Jiaqing the Palace Mistress of the Emperor Hall Sect.

He was suddenly smiling when he recalled her earlier words;

"Do you know that today I've met a young man that has a pair of immerse eyes that resemble your eyes? But he is not you. He doesn't have your beautiful golden eyes. I so much wish that it is you today and not him…"

He began to feel his empty chin. "What if she knows that I'm really him one day? What will be her reaction?"

He began to chuckle at the thought.

But he was soon thinking as he cast aside he turned solemn, "No! She must never, never know that Yuan Ji is really Ji Yuan or I'll become a laughing stock."

Then he started to prepare his future plans. "First I will regain my profound strength and seek vendetta for my sect. Then I will find a way to sneak into the Celestial Orthodox Sect. There is a remedy in the Celestial Orthodox Sect that can restore my beard."

His eyes began to beam excitingly at the thought of restoring his beard.

He began to mutter, "The Celestial Orthodox Sect…Sacred Maiden Xue Qianxue…"

His mind began to wander to the events that had taken place one hundred years ago…