The Side Character Who Wins by Doing Nothing

Fa Shan produced a medicine bottle containing two Divinity Transformation Pills. He cradled it in his palm, his expression serious. "The Divinity Transformation Pills are right here. Hand them over to me, and they’re yours."

Cangming narrowed his eyes. He was tempted, yet skeptical. "Your Divine Tomb Sect must have a few Nascent Soul Cultivators on the verge of breaking through to the Divinity Transformation Stage, right? Are you really going to give the Divinity Transformation Pills to me for a few Immortal Cultivators?"

Fa Shan grew impatient. "You call me long-winded, but you’re no better."

"Never mind what I’m thinking. In any case, you won’t lose out on this deal. Are you trading or not?"

After a moment of silence, Cangming spoke. "I won’t trade Lu Sangjiu. I’ll trade the others for one of your Divinity Transformation Pills."

Fa Shan: "..."

He let out a laugh born of anger. "You’ve really got it all figured out, haven’t you!"

"I told you, besides saving He Ming’s friends, it’s more important to me that the Domination Map doesn’t fall into your hands."

"And now you’re keeping only Lu Sangjiu and trying to trade the others with me. Do you think I’m an idiot?"

No matter how composed Fa Shan tried to be, he was starting to lose his cool.

But his rather intense reaction only made Cangming more confident.

He sneered, "Heh, you make it sound so noble, coming to save your apprentice’s friends. But in the end, aren’t you here for the Domination Map just the same?"

"Fa Shan, you’re as hypocritical as ever."

Fa Shan realized that his overt concern for Lu Sangjiu had made Cangming misunderstand, but this was something he couldn’t easily explain.

He fell silent for a moment, his mind racing to find something else that could sway Cangming.

Meanwhile, Lu Sangjiu was also growing anxious. She didn’t know why Fa Shan was trying to save them, but she could see he clearly didn’t want to rescue only the others.

But for Lu Sangjiu, ensuring the others’ safety was more important right now. That way, she could at least fight to the death without any regrets, not having to worry that they would die with her if she failed.

So, even though she knew her words probably meant nothing to these two, she couldn’t help but speak up to Fa Shan. "Senior, if it’s possible, please save my companions first!"

Fa Shan’s fingers tightened slightly. He looked directly at her. "...And what about you?"

Lu Sangjiu then summoned the Domination Map. Back in the Western Demon Realm, the weapon was like a fish returned to the sea, far more majestic than it had been in the Cultivation World.

The moment it was drawn, the saber’s blade HUMMED, stirring the Demonic Qi in the great hall into a swirling frenzy.

Lu Sangjiu held the Domination Map, and with just a slight tightening of her grip, the saber, which had been vibrating with wild excitement, instantly grew still and quiet.

Of course, she didn’t take out the Domination Map with the intention of fighting a Body Integration Realm expert. She wasn’t that reckless.

She was merely showing them. "The Domination Map and I are highly compatible. We’re a perfect match in every way."

"It was previously trapped in the Sword Tomb of the Gold and Silver Gate, suppressed by the Muxian Sword, and was heavily damaged. After it became my Lifebound Magical Treasure, I have been carefully nurturing it within my Divine Sense."

"It hasn’t harmed me, and I have worked hard to heal and repair it."

"Whatever you may think, there’s no doubt that I am the one chosen by the Domination Map."

"It hasn’t fully recovered yet. If you kill me, you will only damage it further, and you may never be able to make it submit to you willingly again."

"If you truly want the Domination Map... the best way is for me to voluntarily break the bond."

"But I respond to persuasion, not force. If you push me too far, I would rather we all perish together."

Lu Sangjiu said calmly, "So, to put it bluntly, my intentions are more important than my life."

She looked at Fa Shan and said, "Senior, please save my friends first."

Her last sentence seemed unrelated to what came before, but it was, in fact, a veiled threat.

—Save her friends first, and she might voluntarily break her bond with the Domination Map and give it to him later. Otherwise, all bets were off.

Her words were also a threat to Cangming: if he used her friends’ lives to threaten her, she would only seek mutual destruction. It would be better to release them now, and she might cooperate in the future.

Of course, while she seemed capable of threatening both of them now, if she truly angered them to the point where they would rather forsake the Domination Map to kill her, she would still be completely at their mercy.

In short, she had to maintain a delicate balance to achieve her goal. One misstep, and she would lose everything.

Lu Sangjiu was taking a gamble, but in truth, she had neither won nor lost.

This was because she didn’t understand that Fa Shan didn’t want the Domination Map, and Cangming didn’t want it to increase his own power. He simply believed that no one besides Gu Huang was worthy of possessing it, and he wanted to take the saber back for her.

So at this moment, their focus was not really on Lu Sangjiu’s threats.

They had both seen the compatibility and unspoken understanding between the Domination Map and Lu Sangjiu.

’The Domination Map’s previous owner was Gu Huang,’ Fa Shan thought. ’Besides her, probably no one else could make it submit so completely, right?’

’Is she... is she really Gu Huang?!’

Cangming’s feelings were also complex... because he increasingly felt that this resemblance, which came from the soul, moved him more than any physical likeness.

He had never realized it before, but now, facing Lu Sangjiu as she held the Domination Map, Cangming suddenly discovered just how much he missed her.

In that instant, Cangming’s desire to seize the saber vanished. He had changed his mind... He wanted the person.

His gaze darkened. Cangming concealed the emotions in his eyes and spoke again. "Fa Shan, I stand by my original proposal. Will you trade, or not?"

Fa Shan pressed his lips together. He didn’t want to agree, but... Lu Sangjiu had asked him to make the trade.

He knew that Gu Huang had always been someone who valued relationships and loyalty, who cared for her friends more than herself.

He didn’t want to disappoint her.

And so, finally, he said in a low voice, "...Alright. I’ll trade."

Hearing this, Luo Linlang and the others looked nervously at Lu Sangjiu.

Lu Sangjiu shook her head slightly, signaling them not to worry. Then, with her back to Cangming, she mouthed two words to the others: "Xie Ningyuan."

Luo Linlang and the others understood immediately. Even if they stayed, they couldn’t help Lu Sangjiu. In fact, they would only be used as leverage against her.

But they had a way to contact Xie Ningyuan. They could ask Xie Ningyuan to come rescue her!

With that thought, they all calmed down. They said nothing more and, after Fa Shan handed over one Divinity Transformation Pill, obediently moved to stand behind him.

Before leaving, Luo Linlang bit her lip and said, "Little Junior Sister... we will definitely save you. Please take care!"

Lu Sangjiu was even in the mood to smile at them. "Alright. I’ll be waiting."

As the group’s figures vanished, Cangming scoffed from behind her. "They don’t actually think they can save you, do they?"

"When I’m not willing to let someone go, it doesn’t matter if it’s a group of ants like them or even if those old geezers from the Immortal Gates show up."

"Lu Sangjiu, don’t even think about escaping. Be good, and maybe if I’m in a better mood, I’ll treat you a little better."

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