Immortal Paladin 018 Delayed Destiny

018 Delayed Destiny

An After-lunch walk.

The further we walked, the quieter the city beca. The festival’s main streets were still buzzing with energy, but here, in the forested parts of Yellow Dragon City, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Patrol guards passed us by, their armor glinting in the afternoon sun. Families had set up picnic blankets under the trees, enjoying the festival in their own way. Even along the path, a few vendors had stationed themselves, selling snacks, trinkets, and teas brewed from local herbs.

Gu Jie kept pace beside , carrying the fishbowl like so delicate treasure. Ren Jingyi swam in slow, lazy circles, either enjoying the scenery or just indifferent to it.

I glanced around and let out a low whistle. "Damn, they sure know how to party."

Eventually, we reached a small waterfall, tucked away from the bustling city. The water cascaded over smooth rocks, pooling into a shallow basin before continuing downstream. It was a peaceful spot—isolated, quiet. Exactly what I needed.

I found a large, flat rock and sat down. Gu Jie, however, just stood there, watching carefully.

"Master, is there a problem?" she finally asked. "What are we doing here?"

I rested my elbows on my knees and exhaled. "We need to talk."

Gu Jie nodded. "I understand."

I studied her for a mont before getting to the point. "Tell about the cultivation thods your old demonic master taught you."

Gu Jie hesitated for only a second before answering. "There were two. Besides Delayed Destiny of the Demonic Path, he also taught Demonic Worshipping Mantra."

My brow furrowed. "And what does that do?"

"It forces the disciple to worship the person who bestowed the technique upon them. If the disciple is consud—"

I blinked. "Wait. Consud?"

Gu Jie nodded. "Yes. If the disciple is eaten, the effect multiplies tenfold. If they are refined into a pill, it multiplies twentyfold."

I stared at her, then slowly leaned back on my hands. "Okay? That escalated fast."

Gu Jie, as usual, remained eerily composed. "If a disciple begins practicing it, they cannot stop. Otherwise, they will suffer hallucinations."

I sucked in a breath. Demonic through and through.

It wasn’t just a thod of control. It was a full-blown trap. A person ensnared by this technique wasn’t just bound by loyalty—they were turned into an investnt. A resource. The longer they cultivated, the more valuable they beca. And if their master decided to harvest them… well, they’d be worth more as a pill than as a person.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Gu Jie."

"Yes, Master?"

"Did you ever practice it?"

She looked dead in the eyes. "No."

I searched her expression for any sign of hesitation, any hint of doubt. But she was completely steady.

I exhaled. "Good."

Because if she had… then she’d be cursed in more ways than one.

Gu Jie stood by the water’s edge, staring at her reflection. The gentle ripples distorted her image, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“I stopped practicing Demonic Worshipping Mantra after I escaped from my old master’s hands,” she clarified.

I tilted my head. “Is he dead?”

“Yes. He self-destructed in his fight against the righteous cultivators after his bounty.”

I nodded, relieved. At least there wouldn’t be so old demonic master suddenly springing out of the shadows for revenge. The last thing I needed was so lunatic chasing after his property and deciding to add to the nu.

Gu Jie continued, “I’ve lived as a beggar and a bandit since then, until I t you, Master.”

Her voice was calm, but there was sothing heavy beneath it—years of hardship and survival. I didn’t press. If she wanted to share more, she would.

Instead, I asked, “What is your intention in becoming my follower?”

She turned, blinking at as if the answer should have been obvious. “To repay you with my gratitude.”

Still wasn’t honest with herself. Fine. If she wanted to keep up the act, I wouldn’t call her out on it—yet.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Did you have any plans for solving your condition?”

Gu Jie’s cultivation technique, Delayed Destiny of the Demonic Path, was as fascinating as it was horrifying. It allowed her to redirect misfortune, but at the cost of her health. No way soone practicing it hadn’t thought of alternatives.

She was silent for a mont before answering. “I was planning to persevere through it and die.”

I frowned. “And now?”

Gu Jie t my gaze.

“I have hope.”

For the first ti since I t her, I saw sothing different in her expression. It wasn’t just obedience or detached acceptance. It was sothing fragile but determined—like a single ember refusing to go out.

I let out a slow breath. “Then let’s make sure you don’t waste it.”

Gu Jie stood by the water’s edge, her grip tightening on the fishbowl’s handle. The waterfall roared softly behind us, mist cooling the air. She stared at the rushing water as if gathering her thoughts.

“I’ve heard rumors of the Isolation Path Sect coming here to Yellow Dragon City,” she finally said. “So I traveled here. As a last resort, I was hoping they would accept as their disciple, so that they could transpose my Delayed Destiny of the Demonic Path to a level I could properly use.”

She let out a small, humorless laugh. “Chances were… they’d kill for being a demonic cultivator. They have a reputation for slaughtering demons by any ans necessary.”

I humd in thought, picking up a smooth stone from the riverbank. With a flick of my wrist, I sent it skipping across the water—one, two, three, four tis before it finally sank.

Then, without looking at her, I asked, “What do you want from , Gu Jie?”

Silence stretched between us.

Then, with a deep bow, she said, “Please take in as your disciple.”

I dusted off my hands and stood up. “Let’s go to the Isolation Path Sect and ask them to transpose your technique.”

Gu Jie’s breath hitched. “M-Master.”

I glanced at her. “Does it have to be the Isolation Path Sect? Can’t you ask maybe the City Governor? From how the people around here talk about him, he seems to possess profound wisdom.”

Gu Jie blinked at , as if I had just suggested we challenge the heavens. “S-Surely, you are kidding, Master.”

I knew I was being naive, but for the past few days, I had learned what kind of person Gu Jie really was.

She didn’t like greens, but she still put in the effort to eat them. She enjoyed soup, especially the warmth of it spreading through her stomach. She never minded running errands, believing that being helpful was in both her best interest and mine.

She had been a bandit, but she was oh so painfully naive.

It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that if she ever tried scheming, she’d believe she was being devious—when in reality, she’d just be silly.

I sighed. I never thought I’d et soone more naive than I was.

The only reason she’d probably survived this long was her Sixth Sense Misfortune ability. Otherwise, with her at First Realm, First Star—the lowest of the low—she should have been long dead.

I stretched my arms, rolled my shoulders, and turned toward her.

“Let’s go.”

Calling Gu Jie naive was like the pot calling the kettle black.

Still, I was way better off than her. At least I had a plan.

What kind of plan was persevering and waiting to die?

Sure, there was so rit to her going to the Isolation Path Sect and begging them to take her in, but that was more of a gamble than a proper plan. A decent plan required more than just deciding and expecting a result—it required thinking things through.

And not to boast my maxed-out Paladin intelligence, but surely, I could co up with a better plan than her.

So, naturally, we went back to the goldfish stall.

The one with the arcade ga where I’d fished out Ren Jingyi.

The old man running the stall looked up from his seat, squinting at with a face full of wrinkles that held the weight of countless regretful business decisions. I rested my arms on the counter and gave him my best winning smile.

“Hey, old man,” I said, “can you introduce us to the City Governor? Or better yet, the Isolation Path Sect?”

Gu Jie looked like a fish out of water.

The old man looked like he had just swallowed a fishbone.

"Please do your custor a favor. Co on, old man."

The goldfish stall owner flinched. "Wu-wu-wu-what?"

He was playing dumb. A classic move for soone of his level.

I sighed, shaking my head with exaggerated disappointnt. "Was it fun toying with my heart and then suddenly pretending you don’t know after all the ti we spent together?"

The old man gawked at . "What is this bastard saying?!"

I ignored Gu Jie's bewildered stare and leaned in, lowering my voice just enough to make him think I knew more than I actually did. "I get it. Mingling with normal people is fun. It grounds you."

The old man tensed. Just for a second. Then he scowled. "What in the forsaken goddamn earth are you talking about? You know what? You're interfering with my business."

And just like that, he started packing up.

Ah. Retreating.

I had to press harder.

"Co on, old man," I said, stepping closer. "After rigging the ga so much, and now that you're about to be found out, you're running away?"

The old man stiffened. "Rigged? I am an honest businessman!"

"Yeah? Tell that to my eighty-seven losses and the eighty-seven tis you sabotaged with qi."

Gu Jie choked on air.

The old man froze.

Yes, I couldn’t see qi. But with my high enough Perception, Wisdom, and Intelligence, I could brute-force my way into deducing its existence.

And this old man?

Definitely not so random NPC pretending to be Villager A.

This guy was a big shot.

And he could help us.

The old man regained his composure and huffed. "I don’t know what you're talking about."

People were starting to look.

I could hear the whispers.

“What’s happening?”

“That’s the weird goldfish guy, right?”

“Is he picking a fight with Old Man Jiang?”

Gu Jie tugged at my sleeve, her face flushing red. "Master, let’s go… This is… embarrassing."

I ignored her. The old man had already taken the bait.

Realizing the growing audience, the stall owner decided to double down—and, oh boy, did he go on a an streak.

"Ah, if anything, this was a skill issue!" he sneered, throwing his hands up dramatically. "You failed eighty-seven tis? Are you an idiot? What are you gonna do about it? Hit ? Pretend you're a cultivator?"

I exhaled through my nose.

"Co on, co on, try !" The old man slamd his palm on the stall. "I will put you in your place, you good-for-nothing retard! Co on! Hit !"

The crowd gasped.

Gu Jie’s grip on my sleeve tightened.

I just stared at the old man.

He grinned triumphantly. "Hah! Don’t bla if you can’t win a simple arcade ga! It’s definitely your fault, kid! A skill issue! Eh? Eh? What now? Gonna hit ?"

…

Ugh.

This vindictive old man.