The Life of a Necromancer as a Swashbuckler

Chapter 48: Yechacha’s Life-Saving Amulet

Nameless was puzzled. How could Xiao Jiaojiao tell just by looking at the jade pendant that he knew Yechacha? But judging by her expression, she seemed to fear Yechacha greatly. At this point, he figured he had nothing to lose—any method would do, as long as it kept Xiao Jiaojiao from getting her hands on him or trying to take advantage of him. He immediately replied in a loud voice, “I do know Yechacha. May I ask what you’d like to discuss?” Nameless’s tone had also become more polite, fearing that Xiao Jiaojiao might, in a moment of desperation, resort to reckless actions—and he knew he’d be powerless to resist. “Could you be the Xiaoyao hero, Nameless?” Xiao Jiaojiao stared at Nameless in disbelief. “I am Nameless,” Nameless acknowledged in a clear voice. Seeing that Nameless had admitted it, Xiao Jiaojiao’s expression turned serious; she was no longer so flirtatious, but instead seemed deeply regretful. She murmured to herself, “No wonder.” “So you’re the Nameless who has been on everyone’s lips lately—the young hero who defeated the Four Evils of the Martial World and repelled the Tianmo Sect. And you’re so handsome, too. It truly makes this humble servant reluctant to let you go,” Xiao Jiaojiao said with a look of regret. “For your sake, that Yechacha actually gave you his life-sacrifice token. It seems you’ve got quite a way with women, young master—in that regard, you’re almost as skilled as I am,” Xiao Jiaojiao said, though it was unclear whether she was complimenting Nameless or herself. Nameless’s face alternated between pale and flushed as he listened. He’d never once thought of himself as someone who deliberately seduced others. Since his soul had been transferred, the only person he’d ever truly loved was Shi Jingyu; his encounters with the Yechacha and Ake afterward had all been mere coincidences. Nameless couldn’t very well act coy and claim he wasn’t pleased after reaping the benefits, but he hadn’t actively seduced them either. As for the claim that he had “a knack” for it—he certainly wouldn’t admit to that. Besides, what exactly was a “Life-Sacrifice Token”? That wasn’t how Yechacha had described it when he gave it to him. But the immediate priority wasn’t to argue with the other party—it was to find a way out of his predicament. Nameless had seen plenty of beautiful women and even had intimate encounters with some, but nothing substantial had ever happened. He’d rather die than let this trans woman get the upper hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you want to chat, why don’t you let me go first? Then we can have a proper conversation.” Nameless thought to himself, If you let me go, I’ll run—I don’t believe you can catch me. Xiao Jiaojiao saw right through Nameless’s intentions at a glance. With a flirtatious laugh, she said, “You’re such a cute young man. If I let you go, are you planning to run? Your movements remind me of Yechacha—could it be that that wanton woman passed her lightness skills on to you? Yechacha’s lightness skills are renowned throughout the world; I certainly wouldn’t be able to catch up to you.” Nameless was speechless. He decided not to say anything—he felt she could guess his every thought. She truly was his nemesis. “Oh, young official, you’ve gone quiet. Are you afraid I’ll eat you up?” Xiao Jiaojiao once again saw right through Nameless’s thoughts. “Don’t worry. Since Yechacha gave you her ‘Token of Sacrifice,’ if I lay a finger on you, Yechacha will go berserk—and wouldn’t that spark a war between the Tianlong Sect and Tianyi City? “Although the four major families of our Palace City Sect aren’t exactly of one mind, now is not the time for internal strife. I, Xiao Jiaojiao, do have that much sense. I certainly don’t want to bring bad luck upon myself by crossing the man personally chosen by the Tianlong Sect’s Guardian.” Xiao Jiaojiao put Nameless’s mind at ease. Hearing that Xiao Jiaojiao was willing to let him go, Nameless finally breathed a sigh of relief. So the jade pendant that Yechacha had given him was actually this useful. He didn’t know what a “life-sacrifice token” was, but as long as it worked, that was all that mattered. “Well, since you put it that way, please let me go.” Nameless finally managed to squeeze out a sentence. Sure enough, the sound of Nameless’s voice was as sweet to Xiao Jiaojiao’s ears as the tinkling of silver bells, instantly rekindling her desire. She continued to laugh seductively, “I said I didn’t want to offend Yechacha, but I never said I’d let you go, my dear. Such a lovely catch—I’ve finally found you after all this time. It would be such a shame to let you go.” Xiao Jiaojiao had gone back on her word. Nameless was speechless and thoroughly enraged. He demanded angrily, “What exactly do you want?” “My little husband is still so impatient—how adorable. Even if I can’t do anything to you, I’m sure the Yechacha wouldn’t object if I stripped you naked and gave you a kiss,” Xiao Jiaojiao said, uttering more repulsive words that made Nameless tense up once more. Now Nameless truly understood what the Demon Cult was all about—they were completely fickle and acted with utter impunity. Seeing Yechacha hadn’t made him think much of the Demon Cult, but seeing Xiao Jiaojiao, he now genuinely found its members utterly repulsive. As Nameless thought this, his expression gave him away—his face was filled with disgust and revulsion. He closed his eyes tightly and pressed his lips together, saying nothing. Seeing Nameless’s expression and reaction, Xiao Jiaojiao lost interest. She really wanted to do something, but she was terrified that Yechacha would go berserk if he found out. She knew full well what a “Sacrifice-for-Life Token” was—if a member of the Demon Cult dared to act against someone carrying one, it would be a direct declaration of war. Even though the woman before her was a rare beauty, Xiao Jiaojiao didn’t dare cross that line. Now she found herself in a difficult position: letting Nameless go like thiswould look terrible, and she would certainly offend Xiaoyao Valley. Not letting Nameless go, however, would spark an internal war within the evil sect—blood would flow like a river before the Heavenly Demon even descended, and their century-long plans for Tianyi City would be ruined in an instant. What should she do? After pondering for a long time, Xiao Jiaojiao came up with a plan. Since she couldn’t harm him, she might as well offer this young man a favor. By befriending this “Xiaoyao” hero, she could at least prevent him from harboring ill will toward her and avoid him seeking retribution in the future. At the very least, she’d avoid making another enemy. After all, she hadn’t actually harmed this Nameless fellow—though he had thrown several Bright Jade Bombs at her. Giving him another favor should be enough to settle the dispute. In the best-case scenario, if he were moved by her gesture and threw himself into her arms of his own accord, that would be ideal. “Kid, open your eyes!” Xiao Jiaojiao commanded Nameless. Nameless ignored her completely and closed his eyes even tighter. Xiao Jiaojiao, of course, had plenty of tricks up her sleeve. She reached straight for Nameless’s lower body and threatened, “Young master, if you don’t open your eyes, I’ll go all the way down.” Startled, Nameless immediately opened his eyes. “What’s the matter?” Nameless asked in a gruff voice. “Young master, I truly do like you—so fair and delicate, you’re really adorable. But since Yechacha has already beaten me to it, I can’t steal your love away. I’ll let you off the hook,” Xiao Jiaojiao said. Now that Nameless knew the Demon Cult’s tricks, he didn’t believe a word of it. Regardless of whether Nameless believed her or not, Xiao Jiaojiao continued, “But it would be a shame to just let you go like this. After all, we’re meant to be together. Seeing how fair and delicate you are, could it be that you’ve practiced the Yechacha’s Xuan Nu Gong?” In truth, this was merely Xiao Jiaojiao’s speculation—after all, the Xuan Nu Gong was the Yechacha’s secret martial art; why would she willingly pass it on to others? Nameless, however, turned pale with shock. “How do you know that?” he asked Xiao Jiaojiao in astonishment. It seemed the effects of the Xuan Nu Gong were growing stronger within him, which was why he’d attracted so many unwanted romantic advances—this had become a major source of anxiety for Nameless. Upon hearing that Nameless truly possessed the Xuan Nu Gong, Xiao Jiaojiao was even more astonished. It seemed Nameless held extraordinary significance to the Yechacha. Fortunately, she hadn’t made a move; otherwise, it would surely have sparked a war. “Of course I know,” Xiao Jiaojiao pretended she’d known all along. “But the Xuan Nu Gong is passed down to women, not men—it’s not suitable for men to practice. Aren’t you, young master, actually suffering because of it?” she probed. Nameless thought to himself, The biggest disaster of all was attracting you here, but he didn’t dare say it outright; he simply nodded slightly. “Well, that makes things easy. Since I’ve inadvertently offended you, Young Hero, I really must make it up to you. I happen to have a cultivation technique that perfectly counters the shortcomings of the Xuan Nu Gong. I’ll present it to you today as compensation. It’s called the Yin-Yang Union Technique,” Xiao Jiaojiao said with a flirtatious smile.