Chapter 100: Tease

Inside the inner chamber draping with red curtains, Shunde sat in front of a mirror turned away from her face. Her expression was dim as someone slowly approached.

Only one person could step in here unannounced. The Grand Master stopped behind Shunde. She gently stroked the edge of the mirror and did not turn around to look at him.

"Ruling, drink the medicine." The Grand Master placed a bowl of black liquid on the table next to her.

He seldom did anything himself, but with her medicine, he personally handled the entire process -- from boiling the water to serving them to her. Shunde looked at the bowl.

"I will drink it later."

"It will be most effective to drink it now."

"I don't want to."

The Grand Master picked up the bowl with one hand and pulled open her jaw with the other. Without a single word, he started pouring the medicine down her throat. Shunde clenched her teeth and struggled hard, finally breaking loose from his grip and stumbling back a few steps. She stared at him in anger.

"I don't want to drink it! I won't drink it! No!" The Grand Master's face grew cold.

His expression was frightening, but Shunde only felt anger and rage. He moved his hand and she felt an invisible force grab her throat and pin her onto the table. She struggled to no avail.

Her mouth was forced open so brutally that her jawbone dislocated. He poured the medicine into her mouth, then released his hand and watched her. Not observing her emotions, but watching her face.

Severe pain radiated out of her chest and ripped through her entire body, then crawled up to her face. She fell down while wailing, and rolled around on the floor in agony. The scars on her face wriggled like worms, slowly eating away the rotten flesh under her skin and smoothing it.

The Grand Master ignored her screams and watched with eyes lit with hope. Eventually, her pain subsided and she laid on the ground panting for breath like a beaten dog. Her scars look much better now. The Grand Master squatted down, ruffled her hair and gently stroked her cheek.

"This medicine works, be a good girl next time."

Shunde glared at him, part fear and part resentment. The Grand Master did not say anything else. He walked out of her chamber as quietly as he came.

After a long time, Shunde finally got up from the ground. She covered her chest with one hand and clenched a fist with the other. Before her breathing calmed down, she took out the unfinished pill and her eyes glowed with a vicious craze. She opened her mouth and swallowed it.

"I can't wait anymore, not a day, not a moment... Ji Chengyu, jade phoenix... you are both mine…" She staggered out the door.

...

Ji Yunhe rested on the sea bed for two days. The patch of lingzhi was beautiful at first, but now after staring at them for so long, she grew bored and wanted to go out.

"Just hang on, you can go ashore tomorrow. By then the poisonous fire should be completely gone," Changyi reassured her.

"One last day, don't rush it."

"Why didn't you bring me here in the first place?"

"At that time you only needed one lingzhi. Plus there was a sea demon here, fighting him while carrying you would have been inconvenient." Ji Yunhe froze, then looked around into the dark sea.