Chapter 555: Searching Yunxia Consort

"She saved me."

Not only Jiang Fan was stunned by these words. Xia Chaoge, Liang Feiyan, Ouyang Jun, Xie Liushu, and Wu Manyue were also taken aback. Even Qiu Shengnan was startled, saying, "Elder Zhao, what are you talking about? She's the one who caused so many of our elders to die tragically! How could she have saved you?"

Zhao Wuji trembled as he took out a Rejuvenation Pill and swallowed it with difficulty. He only regained a little strength after a moment. He explained, "Fang Taiji pierced through my chest. I was dying. She used Nascent Soul power to rebuild my heart and heal my wounds. She even placed me in a tent, waiting for you all to rescue me."

How could this be? Jiang Fan's eyes widened in shock. He grabbed Princess Yunxia's collar and said coldly, "What game are you playing? So many elders of my Nine Sects died because of you. Why are you pretending to be merciful?"

Princess Yunxia slightly opened her eyes, glanced at him, then quietly closed them again. She said calmly, "Kill me."

She refused to explain, disdaining to utter a single word.

Zhao Wuji's eyes showed complexity. He sighed, "While I was unconscious, I heard her say something. She said that when Fang Taiji was about to humiliate her, only I stood up to stop him. Such humans are rare now; it would be a pity for one to die. Then, I was revived."

Jiang Fan's expression froze. Staring at Princess Yunxia's face, he said, unconvinced, "You're that kind-hearted? A Demon Emperor's concubine, saving a human?"

Princess Yunxia remained silent. Lying on the ground, she quietly awaited death.

Jiang Fan hesitated, his hand on his sword. She was an enemy, yet also Zhao Wuji's savior. Killing or not killing her, both presented a problem. However, after only a moment's hesitation, he hardened his resolve: "I'll be the villain!" Handing her over to anyone else for disposal would be troublesome. He decided not to bother others with this matter.

"Uncle-Master, let's capture her and take her back to Deputy Pavilion Master Ye for disposal," Xia Chaoge suggested. "She's a Demon Emperor's concubine; she must possess a lot of valuable intelligence. She's more valuable alive than dead." She could clearly see Jiang Fan's dilemma. If he killed Princess Yunxia, he would feel a sense of indebtedness in his heart.

Qiu Shengnan sighed deeply and said, "Alright, let's take her back. To be fair, all seven elders were killed by Fang Taiji. She didn't actually lay a hand on anyone; on the contrary, she saved Elder Zhao." Given her experience, she found this situation difficult to handle. So, it was best to leave her fate to Ye Cangyuan.

Jiang Fan frowned: "This woman is a Demon Emperor's concubine, and she can even unleash a trace of Nascent Soul power. Taking her back alive is very risky. In my opinion, killing her on the spot is the safest option." He didn't think taking her alive was a good idea at all. Though dealing with her seemed easy for Jiang Fan, that was because he immediately activated the Nascent Soul Jade Talisman without hesitation, giving her no chance to retaliate. Even so, she miraculously survived a Nascent Soul-level attack. This alone was something no ordinary Core Formation realm cultivator could achieve.

Qiu Shengnan said, "That's not a problem." She took out a string of dark, gleaming chains from her sleeve and said, "This is the Dragon-Binding Chain that Deputy Pavilion Master Ye gave us before we left. When it was found, it was binding a Nascent Soul realm skeleton. If Princess Yunxia can break free from these chains, then there's almost nothing in the world that can restrain her."

"A Nascent Soul realm cultivator was bound to death?" If that was the case, they could indeed be much more at ease. "Then bind her," Jiang Fan said, reluctantly sheathing his sword.

Qiu Shengnan stepped forward, tied Princess Yunxia's hands behind her back, binding them securely. Upon seeing this, Jiang Fan frowned deeply: "What about her feet? What if she runs? Bind her feet too!" Qiu Shengnan thought he had a point, so she also tightly bound Princess Yunxia's legs together. This left her unable to walk, at most only able to hop.

Princess Yunxia opened her eyes and glared slightly at Jiang Fan. This young man was truly ruthless and overly cautious. Everyone else wanted to capture her alive, yet Jiang Fan insisted on killing her. Not only did he bind her hands, but he also insisted on binding her feet, completely thwarting any thoughts of escape.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Fan glared back. "Put a leash around her neck too! If she tries to run, I'll strangle her!"

Princess Yunxia flushed with anger: "You!" She wasn't a slave, nor a dog. She was a Demon Emperor's concubine. Even as a captive, shouldn't she have a captive's dignity?

Qiu Shengnan rolled her eyes: "Binding her hands and feet should be enough; she won't be able to cause any major trouble."

Jiang Fan, however, shook his head and said, "When dealing with unfamiliar enemies, you'd best be cautious. You can never be too careful with precautions." With that, he took matters into his own hands and put another Dragon-Binding Chain around her neck. He wrapped the other end around his own arm. He said coldly, "You'd better behave yourself! Dare to make any sudden moves, and the Nascent Soul Jade Talisman will serve you!"

Princess Yunxia tugged at the chain around her neck, finding she couldn't budge it. She couldn't help but glare angrily at Jiang Fan. "If you treat me like this, aren't you afraid I'll come seeking revenge in the future?"

Jiang Fan replied indifferently, "Among the demon race who want to settle scores with me, one more won't make a difference." This left Princess Yunxia speechless, staring blankly. Indeed, which demon didn't want to tear Jiang Fan limb from limb? What did one more matter? It truly was as the saying goes: when you have many enemies, one more makes no difference.

"Oh, by the way, where is the Demon Emperor's essence blood?" Suddenly, Jiang Fan fixed his gaze on Princess Yunxia and asked. Everyone's spirits lifted. They had almost forgotten the most important matter. Wasn't their ultimate goal on this trip to destroy the highly dangerous Demon Emperor's essence blood?

Princess Yunxia briefly glanced at Jiang Fan, then shifted her gaze elsewhere, ignoring him. But she soon regretted it. Because Jiang Fan took a string of bone necklaces from his pocket. He pulled a crystal shard from it, crushed it, and the fragments covered his entire body, forming a thick layer of armor. Next, he took out an antique copper coin and held it in his mouth, ensuring he could activate it at any moment. And that wasn't all. He also took out Tianshan silkworm threads and lightly wrapped them around his hands, forming a pair of gloves.

Huge question marks appeared simultaneously on everyone's foreheads. Xia Chaoge tilted her head: "Uncle-Master, what are you doing? Are you preparing for a fight?"

Jiang Fan replied calmly, "A body search."

"Uh—" Xia Chaoge looked at Princess Yunxia and said, "Is a body search really so serious, like facing a formidable enemy?" Jiang Fan said calmly, "It is. Do you really believe a Demon Emperor's concubine wouldn't have some dangerous life-saving items on her? I certainly don't." After speaking, he walked forward.

Princess Yunxia's beautiful face changed slightly. She said with dignity, "How dare you! How can I, a concubine, be searched by a man?"

Qiu Shengnan also felt it was inappropriate. She said, "Let me do it. She's a woman; what kind of conduct is it for you to search her?"

Jiang Fan, however, said, "If Elder Qiu has enough life-saving magic treasures, I have no objection." Qiu Shengnan immediately hesitated. Although it was highly unlikely to be as exaggerated as Jiang Fan claimed, what if it was?

Liang Feiyan's mouth twitched: "If only I'd known life-saving magic treasures had such a wonderful use, I would have brought them all from the Myriad Sword Sect!" Xie Liushu also looked on with undisguised envy: "Junior Brother Jiang, can you share how it feels afterward? This is Princess Yunxia, known for her angelic beauty. Even a glance is a blessing; touching her would be worth dying for."

Jiang Fan rolled his eyes at the two of them. "You two worthless fellows!" He took a step towards Princess Yunxia and said, "Since you won't take them out, I'll do it myself!"

Princess Yunxia was both anxious and embarrassed: "How dare you!"