Daji made a compelling case. No matter how badly Zi Yao wished to rebuke the vixen, she had to admit that she knew far too little about her ongoing pregnancy to take risks. In fact, if not for a damning mixture of pride and shame, she'd have tried to track Xinzi down and seek explanations a while ago.
Cultivation was by default a birth control mechanism. The higher the cultivation base, the more unlikely pregnancy became. Zi Yao couldn't expect that the days of corrupt bliss spent all around Xinzi's meat-stick would result in a belly that, if not for her alchemical delays, would have shown signs of swelling already.
Worse, following the start of her pregnancy, her cultivation speed had risen abnormally. Add to that the pacification of the conflicting Divine Power and Evil Qi, the improvement of her Mutant Monster Core, plus the enhancement of her demonic powers, and Zi Yao was starting to wonder if she didn't get bred by the Devil.
With so much uncertainty, she had to prepare for the worst. Still, entrusting her pregnancy to Daji — cause of the ongoing continental war — made as much sense as investing in a pathological liar's Ponzi scheme. With no guarantee for an early payout, you were doomed to get fucked.
More importantly, Daji wasn't the only one showing undue interest in Zi Yao's pregnancy. On their first meeting, the Dark Moon Cult's returning hierarch, Lady Tieshan, quickly saw through Zi Yao's state, and for reasons that none could explain, fixed Zi Yao with a combination of rage, jealousy, and borderline killing intent.
The animosity later dispersed, but Zi Yao couldn't forget that initial look. A look that convinced her that, if she dared to breathe the wrong way, Tieshan's heel would come crashing on her skull. Add to that Daji's generous offer, and Zi Yao was now convinced that...
'Xinzi...'
'Zhen'er...'
'...either screwed or messed with these girls in a way that makes them chase his shadow.' Yuemi and Zi Yao came to the same conclusion. And while the former experienced a mix of pride and jealousy, the latter wondered if she didn't just turn into one of the many coital victims of a monk by centuries her junior.
Pulling in a deep breath, Zi Yao calmed her tumultuous emotions.
"At the end of the day, you just want to use me to get on the father's good side. That, in my book, is a business transaction in which I have more leverage than you do. I don't see how your offer does justice to the leverage that I hold. So, unless you have more to offer, I am not interested," Zi Yao said with a cold and impassive look that allowed no insight into her inner thoughts.
Following the exchange, there was at least one thing that Zi Yao had no doubt about. Even if she refused Daji's help, Daji wouldn't allow her to suffer harm, and would do her best to support her — at least until Zi Yao safely delivered her baby. That being the case, why did the grand priestess need to enter a formal alliance with her? Might as well let the free goon do her work, and enjoy the benefit — unless of course there was more on the table.
"Mhmm, it appears that I revealed too much, too fast, and now you want to take advantage of me. Good. What do you want?" Unfazed by Zi Yao's stance, Daji asked.
"Bring me the antidote to the poison the Bloodstone Patriarch infected me with, then we can talk."
"Oh, so that's the asking price?" Here, Daji rolled her eyes, holding her chin as if musing on Zi Yao's requirement.
"Actually, the Bloodstone Patriarch is no pushover. Unless absolutely necessary, I do not want to confront him," the vixen shook her head, rejecting Zi Yao's request.
"The woman that set off a continental war, the woman that dares to take on both the Shentu and Zhenwu clans, that woman is afraid...of the Bloodstone Patriarch?"
"You've spent too much time in the Dark Moon Cult. If the Divine Tailor is the shooting star of the Spiritual Aristocracy, then the Bloodstone Patriarch is the mainstay of heretics and infernalists alike. Due to the Bloodstone Cult's cultivation methods, Bloor River and Blood Stones that enabled the cultivation and rapid growth of strong disciples, the Bloodstone Patriarch's influence has spread like wildfire.
He already has over 100,000 disciples, the weakest of which is at the first order of Blood Energy — able to dominate Pulse Condensation experts. The belief that in the Bloodstone Cult, ambition, willpower and determination alone can help wastes to become powerhouses has lured millions of desperados and infernalists towards that demon's door, with all being willing to destroy their cultivations to start over.
In a couple of days, the Bloodstone Patriarch will hold his second disciple recruitment ceremony. The first one brought him 100,000 disciples, and he likely only stopped to avoid burning through his resources. Now that he's ready for another wave of recruitment, how many will he bring to his banner? 200,000? 300,000?
Moreover, several secret demonic and heretical cults have submitted to the Bloodstone Patriarch's leadership, adding to his resources and manpower.
You must know this cultivation world saying 'number is meaningless until formations join the chat.' I don't know all of the Bloodstone Patriarch's secrets. I don't know his current cultivation base or battle-prowess. His hidden backers or weapons — we know none of this. So, to take on the Bloodstone Cult with confidence, I'd have to send my strongest hordes led by my strongest experts — knowing full well that I risk losing them all.
Just for you?
It's not worth it. You...are not worth it." With flawless composure, Daji rebuked Zi Yao. She was correct. The Bloodstone Patriarch's rise was as terrifying, if not more terrifying than the Divine Tailor's. At least with the Divine Tailor, the cultivation world could speculate that he owed his meteoric rise to a divine background.
But with the Bloodstone Patriarch...no one knew — and all that tried to find out more vanished from the world.
