《Accompanying the Phoenix》 Prologue Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Prologue The oppressive sound of thunder echoed as the black clouds from above made the atmosphere even more heavy. ¡°The Demon Emperor has issued a command, the Azure Sky King must quickly return to our Palace!¡± The long hair bounded by golden hair bands danced with the wind as the sleeve of a robe fluttered between them. The maiden who had been called the Azure Sky King slowly replied: ¡°This king won¡¯t return.¡± Embroidered peonies were visibly displayed on her black corset robe as her voice possessed a heroic spirit and boldness that was rare in most maidens, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whose order it comes from.¡± ¡°If so, then we wish Your Highness would not blame us for this offense.¡± The leading gray clothed man waved his hand, and the figures of two people jumped out from behind him, encircling her within their triangular formation. ¡°To dare block this king¡¯s path, you have guts.¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes flashed with coldness, and a silver colored longspear revolved in the palm of her hands. The blade of the spear drew a silver arc as killing intent surged out of her entire body, making the corners of her clothes flutter: ¡°Come whenever!¡± The man in the lead glanced towards another man at the same time, and appeared to be afraid of the consequences. The man behind Shen Li¡¯s right side swiftly unsheathed his sword, bringing along a sharp offensive force. ¡°Don¡¯t be too impulsive, Mo Fang!¡± The man at the lead yelled, but could not stop the action. Shen Li raised her brows and unhesitantly met the attack with her silver spear. Only the sounds of clanking could be heard as their weapons interlocked. The clear noises brought about by the weapons surged with magic power that moved out in every direction. The remaining two people gritted their teeth and could only lift their blades to catch up, making a besieging formation around Shen Li. Among the three, any one of them would considered a famous force to be reckoned with. However, in the face of Shen Li, they had to strain themselves. But in the end, two hands were no match for four, and Shen Li was incapable of being ruthless enough to deal a killing blow to either of them. Even though her magic power surpassed all three of them, in the midst of their encirclement, it was hard to avoid being at a disadvantage. Not long after, she revealed an opening. Mo Fang ruthlessly grasp his sword and thrust forward, and unexpectedly aimed in the direction of her heart! One of them shouted out loud: ¡°Mo Fang! Do not harm the king¡¯s life!¡± Mo Fang ignored him as the sharp end of his blade split open the robe and entered flesh. In between the strong pressure of the three¡¯s formation, Shen Li was infuriated: ¡°You, boy, show promise! As expected of the soldiers that I have brought up! To be so ruthless!¡± Mo Fang did not speak, and only slightly moved in an angle that the two behind him could not see. Then, he plunged his neck towards Shen Li¡¯s blade. As blood drifted in the air, Shen Li opened her eyes wide and asked in disbelief with a trail of blood between her lips: ¡°What¡¯re you trying to do? Frighten this king to death?!¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Mo Fang said in an overcast voice, ¡°Mo Fang can only help you till here. Take care.¡± After finished speaking, he used all his strength to push Shen Li and pulled out the blade that had missed his heart. Fresh blood flowed as her body rapidly dropped down from the high above the clouds. As for the heavily injured Mo Fang, he was caught by the other two men. It was not known what he said to them, but all three of their silhouettes flashed, and disappeared without a trace. In the midst of the flashing lightning and rolling thunder, Shen Li suddenly understood everything. It looks like Mo Fang had been trying to help her. Perhaps he had known that at this moment, even if she were to die, she would never be willing to return to the Demon World¡¯s Underground Palace. What a good kid! As expected of the soldier she brought up, he was loyal enough! CH 1 The sky was black as the thunder roared and winds flew chaotically at a small town. The townspeople huddled in their homes, not daring to step foot into the mighty storm. Yet in the far west, the door was open as one man entered the tall courtyard, his hair and robes fluttering madly within the whistling wind as bamboo leaves swirled in the air. ¡°The weather¡­turned bad. His lips curved as he tilted his head to the sky, black clouds allowing only a hint of silver light as it slowly disappeared among the landscape outside of the small town. ¡°Things¡­ have changed.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next day, Xing Yun, dressed in azure scholar robes, walked through the noisy road as street vendors constantly called out as they struggled to sell their products. Among those, one seemed to ring out exceptionally clear. ¡°Selling young chickens!! Very fat!¡± His feet moved to a stop as he turned and walked to the direction of the booth. Soon, chickens appeared before him in crowded nests, and within them, one stuck out like a sore thumb. The pure white, featherless chicken looked unhealthy, it¡¯s head bowed low as if it going to die any second. Somehow though, it seemed as if it had a proud and lively sprit within it. Xing Yun stared intently at it, before breaking out into a wide smile, saying, ¡°I want this one,¡± The shop-keeper took one look before shouting, ¡°Ah! This chicken is far too ugly! I will give you a small discount for this one.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Xing Yun dug out the money from his pocket to give to the vendor, ¡°She¡¯s worth it. If I pay too little, she¡¯ll surely get angry.¡± The shopkeeper stared blankly, ¡°The chicken will get angry?¡± He touched his head as he watched the young man depart before shaking his head to count the coins. His eyes widened as he looked down at his palm, where they laid. ¡°Ah! You didn¡¯t give me enough money for the chicken!! Oy, kid!! Wait!¡± He yelled loudly at Xing Yun, ¡°Ai yah!!! Mischievous bastard!¡±. But alas, Xing Yun could already not be seen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shen Li felt as if she had just opened her eyes for the first time; This world was truly chaotic and turbulent. Blinking, she stared at the hunter; Sturdy, with a stubble on his fac- Ah! Xing Yun hauled Chen Li up painfully, a wicked smile on his face as evil laughter exploded out of him. ¡°You must have guts as big as the sky, let go of this king!!!¡± Shen Li glared venomously at Xing Yun as her skin burned with pain. Shen Li struggled relentlessly as she tried her best to escape. But her strength was too weak, and despite her best efforts, she was still clutched tightly by her wing and then he¡­ Plucked all her feathers out!! Hateful!! Shen Li swore to herself; When she gets out, she will surely poke out his dog eyes!!! (TL Note: This was how she got featherless, or how I believe anyways. This isn¡¯t the man that bought her just now.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shen Li woke up panting. A nightmare? Shaking her head, Shen Li lifted her head from the soft grass to peer at her surroundings. It looked as if it was someone¡¯s courtyard. Stone steps led up to a small pond as budding grapevines twirled around. Near it, laid a bamboo rocking chair, and in it, was a sleeping man. That man didn¡¯t seem to be strong or dangerous, like a hunter, nor did he seem gruff and indecent like that chicken trader. Rather, he was a pale, slender man in azure robes. His eyes laid closed as pockets of sunlight fell on his body. Shen Li is not a shy, naive maiden, and has admittedly seen men even more good looking than this. However, even in the world of immortals, men of such grace was truly rare. However, Shen Li forced herself to look away; Now was not the time to admire men. She knew that if she stayed in a single place for too long, she will surely be found. She had to go, quickly. ¡°Ah! He got up!¡± Shen Li had still not even gotten up, yet the young man was already awake. ¡°Oh? I thought it was going to die,¡± The man sounded. Shen Li turned her head to look at him to see the man sitting on the rocking chair, a piece on mantou in hand. Even though her body didn¡¯t move, he smiled at her before throwing the crumbs of his Mantou1 near her. He then made some funny noises, almost chirping like a chicken, as if to coax her into eating. ¡­. What? Is he playing with her? In that moment, the surrounding air seemed to have gone several degrees colder. Although her original body was that of a phoenix, she was born in a mortal form. From young, she was loved and respected by everybody. At 500 years old, she fought a grand battle and won an achievement from the emperor himself. She was then crowned the ¡°Azure Sky King¡±. Since then, her fame and prestige has only risen more, yet today, she was belittled and treated as a chicken by a mere regular mortal?!? Shen Li fought to stand up, however, she did not expect the sword that she¡¯d been stabbed with would be bothersome to the point where she couldn¡¯t even more! As such, she laid on the floor, resentment flowing through her features. She could only turn her head to look at the man, who then smiled and gestured with his hands, ¡°Chicken, here!¡± Chicken your uncle! Shen Li was furious, forcing herself again and again to get up. When she finally succeeded, she hopped slowly towards the man, anger in her ey- THUMP!!! Only to fall after not even one foot, her beak landing coincidentally into the mantou. Seeing this, the man smiled. ¡°Slowly, slowly! There is still more.¡± He then entered the residence, appearing again with another mantou in his hands. Squatting down in front of her, he gave her a gentle smile and said, ¡°Here.¡± Who wants your bread! However, she needed to regain her strength as soon as possible. She dug a hole with her beak and stuffed her head inside. Why couldn¡¯t¡¯ that man just bury himself and die! The man just stared at her bald head, a smile on his lips then said, ¡°If you do not want to eat it then, taking a bath now is good too.¡± He plucked her up by her two wings and immediately walked over to the side of the pool. Ah- Wait, wait! Do what? A bath?!?? Who wants to take a bath! Hateful! Release this King! This king hair is precious! To damage a single one is to punish their family for 19 generations2! A-a h-h-hair¡­. Shen Li stared at her reflection- Not a single hair¡­ really not a single hair left¡­¡­. That day when she was stabbed, she had fell into the forest. A hunter had picked her up. She knew that golden hairs were pried off, but she never imagined that all of them were pulled off! What can she do! The water will be so hot, and from top to toe, there is not a single hair! Not one! What will she do! Shen Li felt her face stream with tears. She suddenly remembered a few days ago, in the royal court, she was laughing at one of the balding officials! She was confused, not understanding why he would be so upset, and laughed at him. Yet now, it was like she was slapping her own face! This must have been Karma for that day. ¡°Go bathe.¡± Without waiting for Shen Li to protest, he suddenly threw her straight into the pond. Choking, she quickly coughed out water as her will to live surged him. She flapped her featherless wings quickly, flopping madly against the water. The man was still laughing, but when she saw her gasping for breath, he let out a worried frown. ¡°You cannot swim?¡± Can your chicken¡¯s swim?! Do you really not have the slightest common sense? Critically injured, no strength, such torment, she really did not think that she could survive. She thought that today, she would die at the hands of a mortal. A long stick of bamboo quickly swept to her, roughly bringing her to shore. She let out a groan, and the man quickly squatted, his hands pushing down at her bare breast. ¡°Quickly breathe!! If you do not, you may not survive.¡± Her soaked body convulsed violently, her eyes rolling as she fainted. Her last thought was- How lecherous! This man must be doing this on purpose! Xing Yun watched with a faint smile as Chen Li fainted, poking her forehead gently. ¡°Ah, how impolite. My name is Xing Yun, not just a random man.¡± CH 2 Chapter 2 On the second day, Chen Li woke up to see Xing Yun feeding mantou to the fish. He seemed to treasure that pond of fish very much, not even caring that his sleeve was soaked. Under the soft glow of the dawn light, he looked as if he was someone that had transcended from the immortal world. Was he truly just a mere mortal? Suddenly, all of her memories came flooding back. This was the very man who had dunked her into the water, and almost killed her! She narrowed her eyes and stared at him intently until her eyes misted, tracking his every movement. Xing Yun turned around casually and said lightly, ¡°My name is Xing Yun.¡± He then proceeded to dust his shoulders, readjusted his robe, and started shaking his feet that had long since gone numb from siting. He muttered, ¡°It¡¯s time for my medicine.¡± Before walking back inside, his posture not even straight. Chen Li shook her head; She was certain that something must have been wrong with her brains back then. There was no way that this guy could be anything but a mere mortal. No matter how she looked, she could only describe him with one word; Ordinary. Not bothering to think more on the topic due to a more pressing crisis at hand, Chen Li tried to move her body, amazed to find that her body had by far exceeded her own expectations. Her self-recovery seems to be currently far better than yesterday¡¯s, despite the torment she was put through. Chen Li chose not to think deeply about that, instead choosing to take a deep breath and check her spirit power, only to find none. She sighed, it seems that spirit power is really much harder to recover as compared to physical strength. Although her lack of spirit power may be able to hide her from the Demon World¡¯s Underground Palace, that came with a heavy price. She knew that in her current situation, the Demon Emperor will inevitably find her. When he does, if her spirit power still hasn¡¯t returned, she would not be able to raise a single finger in defense. ¡°Big brother, come.¡± Chen Li was thinking, when a voice called out suddenly behind her. She turned to find Xing Yun, dressed again in an azure robe, mantou in hand. ¡°Eat a bit.¡± Chen Li was about to coldly ignore him, but then she remembered yesterday¡¯s ¡°crime¡± of refusing to eat which resulted in a cold bath! Her body stiffened as she hesitated before taking a small bite at her end. Her pride took a large blow as she retracted her neck, not daring to walk in front of him superiorly as before. Chen Li noticed a faint herbal scent coming from his robes. This time, Chen Li looked at his face in total concentration. His face was pale, lips were white, and his eyes had dark circles, looking very uncomfortable. Great! Chen Li was very worried that this mortal would spread rumors about her, Chen Li being unbearably ugly. However, if he was going to die soon, then there would be no need to fear a man who could take this secret to his grave! To others, she would still be the grand, majestic, and beautiful Azure Sky King! Her heart felt relieved as she discarded her pride and took a big bite out of the mantou! Chen Li¡¯s eyes lit up; Why, mantou can actually be so delicious?! Before Xing Yun could react, Chen Li snatched the mantou, and devoured it in a few huge bites!! As a Phoenix, Chen Li obviously had no need for food or water to survive. However, Chen Li always liked eating meat, and has never touched any bread before in her whole life! She picked the mantou completely clean, not even leaving a single crumb. Finally, Chen Li lifted her head up to stare at Xing Yun. She was surprised to find him looking at her with gentle eyes and a happy smile, as he lifted his hands to pat her head. What she does not realize, however, is that for a pet, this is all completely normal. When the hand reached her head, her heart rate shot up, and she quickly stuffed her head inside her wing. Whenever she was with others, she was always respected and her generals were always near her side. Even if she is just a few steps away from a man, he would begin to shiver uncontrollably, so who would dare to look at her straight in the eye? However, her heart beat immediately calmed down; After all, she had seen many handsome royals and princes throughout the ages. She quickly brought out her head, before impolitely rapping Xing Yun¡¯s knee with her bare wings and her pecked her beak. ¡°Oh? You want another?¡± Xing Yun smiled, ¡°Not today, I have only made that much. ¡° Xing Yun suddenly got up and entered the house. Chen Li was confused slightly before hastily following him inside. Really arrogant, to actually believe she would want another! Give him an inch, and he¡¯ll take a foot! She ran behind Xing Yun¡¯s feet, but she was too weak now. Thus she could only helplessly watch as Xing Yun left, carrying a big bag. He pushed open the door to leave, only saying; ¡°Big brother, watch the house. After I sell the body in the back, I¡¯ll return.¡± Gah! How could he just leave her alone her with nothing but a watchdog?!? This isn¡¯t right. But Chen Li could do nothing but watch his figure fade as the door swings close; Wait, he said sell what? Chen Li shook her head, and turned to walk back to the courtyard. The sun was on such an angle that made the grapevines glisten beautifully as they bud, shaking ever so slightly. Chen Li felt almost addicted to the beautiful scene and warmth as she was covered with the warm glistening rays of sunshine. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a murmur and the sound of movement. Instincts trained by years of battle, Chen Li was instantly alerted. She opened her eyes and stared piercingly at the location of the sound. A young girl-by the looks of it, a commoner, trying to scale the tall wall leading to the courtyard. She looked around in worry, as she clumsily pulled herself up before anxiously looking down at the ground, not understanding how to get down. She then fell, landing with an ompff. Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but remark; Such a strong fall! Such a dumb thief, not even able to know how to steal before trying to steal! The girl rubbed her painful bum before going inside the house and retreated into the kitchen. Finding the brooms and rags, she silently began to clean up the packed house. She began to wipe the table, but when she began, tears started falling down, and finally she just laid down on the table and started crying loudly. Chen Li struggled to hear what the girl said, barely catching anything but sobbing, the longest line probably just ¡°never see a¡± and things like that. Chen Li was surprised to find that she was finally done crying. She quickly wanted to turn away. She had been too focused on watching trying to listen to what that girl was muttering than finding a place to hide. As such, she ended up in her current predicament, face to face with the crying girl. As they eyed each other warily, Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but reminded herself that she really should only mind her own business in the future when the girl finally broke the silence. ¡°Ai, Brother Xing, really? You plucked the chicken, and now it¡¯s running free? You can easily get a delicious meal just by making stew with it.¡± She wiped her tears with her hands, and said, ¡°You can be considered as the last meal of farewell I shall make for him.¡± Meal your uncle! Who are you to dare and try to make a meal out of me?!?! Chen Li was shocked to see her actually get out a stew pot and say, ¡°Ai, you really are so filthy that I could die, running around the house like that!¡± Chen Li really wished she could just spray paint herself with faeces and just let her die like that! Chen Li¡¯s current physical strength still isn¡¯t all that good, but the girl was just too stupid as well! She used a variety of techniques to catch her, but Chen Li always managed to somehow run away. Seeing this, the girl began to become infuriated. It really seems like this little girl wants to play hard ball eh?!? Chen Li wanted to use her wings, but they were plucked bare and were incredibly difficult. In addition to that, just how easy did it seem to do that whilst running away from a mad woman?!?! CH 3 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter The courtyard was built really well, to the point that when Chen Li searched for a gap to hide in, she couldn¡¯t find so much of a crack! Chen Li has never felt so frustrated or angry. She suddenly made a blood oath; If today, she gets made into chicken stew, she will degrade to a vengeful ghost and haunt heaven for 99 days and 99 nights to the point where they spit blood out of madness. If it wasn¡¯t more them, would she be in such a disgraceful situati- Before Chen Li could finish her thoughts, an unbearable pain shot through her wings. What happened?!? Panicked, she twisted her head around to see that the commoner girl had clutched both of her wings, leaving her helpless!! Chen Li¡¯s legs ran madly, but alas, she was not free from the girl¡¯s painful grip. ¡°Such an unpleasant chick, won¡¯t you see how I deal with you!¡± The girl walked angrily to the kitchen, grabbing something. Chen Li felt as if her bones were about to tear apart from pain! Bam! Chen Li was slammed onto the cutting board, the girl brandishing the knife above her. Suddenly, Chen Li felt the atmosphere between life and death, the one of a battle. She saw herself once again in the battle field, majestically brandishing her silver long spear. This feeling¡­ had she really become so weak? ¡°Oh? What¡¯s happening, and why are you here?¡± A male voice sounded. In this moment between life and death, Chen Li struggled to turn her head to stare at Xing Yun. The sun coiled around him, looking as if he was an angel, a merciful savior. But in that moment, the knife chopped down, blocking her view. The girl raised her hands in a defensive posture, and blushed. ¡°X-Xing Yun, uh I just wanted to see you, and wanted to make some stew with the plucked chicken. If the chicken isn¡¯t dead, it won¡¯t taste good in the stew.¡± Chen Li could not even move a claw, completely defenseless. In today¡¯s fight, she had drained all of her strength. She couldn¡¯t help but think- Today, she is dead. ¡°This chicken cannot be eaten.¡± Chen Li was dragged into a pair of warm arms, the scent of medicinal herbs in the air. This smell is really quite good¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ I apologize¡­. I just wanted to leave you something before I left.¡± The girl twisted her fingers out of nervousness as she spoke in a trembling voice; ¡°Tomorrow, I will be learning business in the far south with my father¡­ I may not c-come back¡­ III-I might never see Brother Xing again! ¡°Oh? You say you leave me, yet I have never even laid eyes on you.¡± The male in question replied rather coldly. The girl¡¯s cheeks were red and eyes bloodshot as she cried. ¡°No! I still saw you every day, looking from behind the walls! Everyday¡­.¡± She looked so pitiful that even Chen li could almost not help but not blame her. ¡°Ah? Too sad, too sad. I have not once seen you before.¡± Chen Li stared at him in shock, speechless. Was this really him saying this? Even adding such venom into his words!! On top of that, Xing Yun was even smiling! The girl¡¯s face was deathly pale, staring at Xing Yun in disbelief. ¡°Have you not come to beg for forgiveness or something? Well then I¡¯m sorry, but I have nothing to give you.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± She clutched her chest painfully as she staggered away, stuttering. ¡°N-No Need¡­¡± Xing Yun only waved, a calm smile still on his face. Like nothing had just happened, he put Chen Li down and picked up the kitchenware. ¡°Well then, what to eat for dinner today?¡± Chen Li, who was still on the floor, saw the girl loitering by the door, apparently still indigent about leaving. In the end, she simply just wiped her nose and buried her head in her arms. Chen Li sighed. This girl, although she is very stupid, and terribly stubborn, her heart is still whole and pure. Chen Li really could not understand the affairs between mortal heats. The pots and pans clanged loudly when Xing Yun suddenly spoke; ¡°What business can I get?¡± Chen Li was completely confused- What business do you need, just sell your body to me! She thought in her mind. Was he talking to her? ¡°Ah!¡± Xing Yun smiled, then sighed, before shaking his head. ¡° I just asked you, a chicken a question. So how could you understand my intentions, and even reply back?¡± He squatted down and stared at Chen Li in the eye. ¡°Sell my body to you how?¡± Chen Li is stunned- How?!? Is this guy really talking to her? How did he know? Did he know from the moment he bought her? She was filled was questions as she stared at Xing Yun, eyes wide. Was this guy, in fact, simply playing with her ever since he had bought her?!? Xing Yun smiled slightly. ¡°Yes I was playing with you.¡± Chen Li didn¡¯t move a muscle, forcing herself to stay calm amidst the provocation. ¡°Also, my name is Xing Yun, not ¡°this guy¡±, and again, how would I sell myself?¡± Pretending to sell himself¡­. binding her¡­. Teasing her¡­ Is he not just simply destroying her pride?!? Does he really have no morality?! ¡°Teasing you, binding you, were they really such terrible things? Well anyway, it disciplines you.¡± He gently poked Chen Li¡¯s head, like he was trying to comfort her before standing up and continuing to cook. Chen Li imminently stood up and struggled to climb over the tall courtyard walls. She must find another place to slowly recover, or she will most likely die in this man¡¯s hands before she could do a single thing!! After a long, tiring climb, Chen Li had reached the front yard. However, she was so tired that she couldn¡¯t even stand up, but only crawl. The door way out was just so close, yet no matter how much she struggled, she couldn¡¯t reach it at all! The dreary, sunset glow sat on her, making her look very pitiful. At this time, Xing Yun called out, ¡°Come to eat!!¡± He walked over to Chen Li, picking her up by the wings before returning her again in the courtyard in front of a bowl of Risitto. Too tired¡­ Chen Li couldn¡¯t even lift her head up, choosing instead to simply fall asleep under the moonlight, surrounded by grapevines. In this time, she had a dream. She was once again in her human form, lying under gorgeous grapevines as dewy moonlight fell on her jade like skin. In the cold, she could not help but curl up, shivering. Almost magically, a blanket, seemingly from the heavens fell down upon her, followed by warmth and a medicinal scent. She cuddled with blanket as she fell into a deep sleep. Xing Yun gently swept a blanket on her as he sat down beside her loose dark hair and soft face. ¡°Soft hair¡­ Beauitiful face¡­ Really not a bad looking girl. CH 3.1 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Chen Li ran and ran down the street, reaching the same one where she was peddled. Then, she looked back carefully for Xing Yun before sighing. That man is far too mysterious; knowing her identity and power, yet not having the slightest fear of her¡­ She¡¯s heavily injured, not to mention that the Demon Emperors pursuers are still chasing after her as well, with no sprit power to defend herself with and so on¡­. Wait¡­heavily injured? Chen Li raised her wings, confused. Clearly, yesterday she could hardly do anything with them, yet now it takes almost no effort for them to support her escape, even making her faster! Think carefully, Chen Li! Waking up yesterday, she had also realized that her bodily self-recovery was extremely fast¡­ That means¡­. Could Xing Yun have done something to her? What problems¡­ could it be due to the food? Remembering the other day¡¯s delicious mantou and very fragrant risotto, Chen Li started salivating before swallowing strongly. ¡°Oh? Why what a weird chicken!¡± From behind her, sounded a hoarse voice. ¡°Don¡¯t go any further down the street, come with me and let me make a delicious meal out of you!¡¯ Chen Li quickly turned around, only to see a man who was reaching out to grab her by the wings. However, with so many similar experiences, how could Chen Li let him? She immediately twisted her neck and pecked him viciously on the outstretched hand! The immensely large man cursed angrily. ¡°Just wait and see if I don¡¯t dare to break your neck when I catch you!!¡± Chen Li swiftly ran away to the street stalls, weaving in between them as the largely statured man chased her, which in his anger, knocked down many street stalls. Suddenly, Chen Li was forced to stop to a halt, a large piece of food blocking her way to escape. Within that moment, her neck was suddenly grabbed as her body lifted into the air. ¡°Knock it off! Calm down, the chicken is here.¡± A different peddler carried Chen Li as he walked away from the crowd. Seeing the situation, Chen Li held her breath, lifted up her claws(/paws) and pulled it down roughly on the man¡¯s skin, leaving 3 long, bloody scratches on the man¡¯s arm. He shouted in pain, ¡°My god, what a crazy chicken!¡± Before letting Chen Li go, leaving her to fall roughly to the floor, and rolled before running like an arrow until she was sure no one was chasing her, did she come to a halt and stumbled onto the floor, gasping for breath. What t0 do, being a chicken is really not easy! As she was thinking of these difficulties, the courtyard door suddenly opened with a loud squeak, slamming against the walls as a mixture of sand, sludge, and rotting leaves fell on Chen Li. ¡°Ai, today the streets were really crazy.¡± A women¡¯s voice sounded as a muddy leaf slid off Chen Li¡¯s head, landing on the floor with a ¡°pata¡± noise. Chen Li was stunned as anger gathered to erupt, turning her head slightly to glare at the young women. Those things¡­. Unknown filthy things, pouring down her body¡­ Really¡­ Really so presumptuous! When her eyes met the young lady¡¯s, Chen Li realized the height difference, suddenly remembering that she was still only a chicken, and not the powerful, godly being she once was. Combined with the past few days of experience, Chen Li could only hang her head in bad sprits. During her self-pity, the women picked her up, ¡°Ah! Whose chicken is this, letting it run around when it¡¯s already been plucked?¡± Chen Li struggled desperately, her legs kicking out wildly, when she was surprised to see a man come out of the house. ¡°It¡¯s no neighbor¡¯s chicken, I do not know where it comes from. Today, I worked hard with many jobs, why not make a delicious stew with it?¡± [Stew your uncle!!] Chen Li was very angry, wanting to scold loudly, [You see a chicken, you want to eat it! Chickens are lives too, how could you all not care a single bit, ah!] The man walked to the exit, the women sending him to the door. He grabbed the woman¡¯s hand before touching her head gently. ¡°Today, lady has worked hard.¡± The women blushed crimson, her hand loosening. Not wasting this opportunity, Chen Li bit her, causing the women to gasp in pain. Freeing herself, she fell heavily to the ground before fleeing away desperately, leaving the couple to do their own things. Chen Li didn¡¯t stop running until it had already become noon. Since she fell into the mortal world, she had met at least 10 people who wanted to eat her! Far too tired and hungry, she fell butt first into the river, swallowing 2 gulps of water in the process. She looked quietly upon the cloudy sky, looking like it was going to rain and sighed. ¡°Why it seems you wish to play me to death¡­¡± A sense of desolation and loneliness spread from her¡­. CH 3.2 The rain rained steadily, pounding in a heavy rhythm. Within it, Chen Li forced herself to get up. She turned around, surprised to find a man with white skin and robes of a scholar behind her. Their eyes met. Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but be moved- Only after traversing the deepest levels of hell may one find that even the ugliest dandelion can soothe the soul. Although Xing Yun couldn¡¯t be compared to weedy dandelions, from Chen Li¡¯s point of view as a chicken, it really didn¡¯t matter so. Xing Yun stared into Chen Li¡¯s eyes for a long time until his lips twitched slightly¡­ and then¡­ He laughed!!! He¡­ He¡­ He actually is laughing!!! Xing Yun murmured, ¡°Foolish chicken.¡±, before turning backwards and retrieving and opening a paper fan from his basket as he took slow steps towards Chen Li. Chen Li is unable to run anymore, wouldn¡¯t run. She wondered, what kind of creature is Xing Yun? She is at the end of the line, but then she suddenly thought- Even so, the worst outcome is to be made into stew. Whatever the outcome, she can accept death. With a wave of the paper fan, the once cloudy sky seemed to have instantly turned sunny. ¡°Cluck!, I thought that when you ran away, you would never return. I never would have thought that you came back, waiting for me.¡± Chen Li hung her head in an effort to ignore him. Xing Yun, not minding how dirty she was, plucked her from the river and placed her in the basket. ¡°You really are impressive, escaping for a mere half a day and managing to embarrass yourself this much¡­ Really remarkable!¡± [Cluck! Go on already!] Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but snap, [Cluck] To speak so much nonsense!! Xing Yun smirked in reply, no longer speaking. With just a wave of the paper fan, the rain was completely blocked, not even a drop falling onto Chen Li¡¯s naked body. Exhausted from earlier, Chen Li stayed on his basket obediently, not taking long before she fell asleep. A chill spread from her as she dreamed, subconsciously stretching her claws and her beak snapping to bite someone in the air. ¡°You, a broiler chicken, really is courageous.¡± Xing Yun grabbed a stew ladle as Chen Li took a slight step backwards. Shaking water off her meaty wings, Chen Li guarded against Xing Yun as she stared at him- ¡°That¡¯s for¡­.?¡± ¡°Use for what?¡± Xing Yun smiled and asked her, ¡°Right now, your claws are filthy and filled with grime. I can help you and wash you, or would you rather a swim in the pond again?¡± Chen Li looked the other way, finding herself a big basket of wild ginseng. Using her sharp claws, she immediately cleaning her claws on the bumps. Xing Yun grabbed her paws, ¡°Stop. Damaged ones don¡¯t sell well.¡± ¡°You¡­ Selling these herbs?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Xing Yun pulled her paws to the sink as he rubbed to wash all the mud away. When he was done, he grabbed the other paw, rather liking the process similar to preparing a meal. He smiled, peering at Chen Li, ¡°Do you know where I get these?¡± Too close, too pretty of a face, Chen Li¡¯s heart momentarily stopped beating. Watching Xing Yun smile, she actually had the feeling of being molested! Angrily, Chen Li shouted, ¡°Presumptuous!¡± Her beak jabbed forward, pecking the unguarded Xing Yun straight on the nose! Xing Yun backed up, clutching his nose for some time, still not lifting his head. Within Chen Li¡¯s heart too existed a strand of ill will, but when she saw Xing Yun¡¯s bent head, worry surfaced. She wondered if the words were too harsh, if he was offended or angered, what to do? Not to mention¡­. If he deals with herself now¡­¡­. Chen Li kept silent. Chen Li was anxious; When she looked at Xing Yun, his shoulders were trembling violently. But then, she somehow saw and heard him laughing wildly. Chen Li grew increasingly bewildered and was stunned. Is her beak poisonous? Did she manage to peck him crazy?!? Xing Yun used his hands to push him back up, and with a red and swollen nose, not the least bit afraid, came over to Chen Li and patted her head. ¡°Ai, really impressive!¡± Not the least bit fazed, he simply taking the brush, began to work on the wild ginseng. Chen Li sat down in the sink, confused. To not be able to see though one¡­ This really is her first time! ¡°Dumb chicken.¡± When Chen Li heard the mummer, she looked up only to see a ball of mud to slap her in the face! Dirt dripped down her face, landing with a loud ¡°plop!¡± and blocked Chen Li¡¯s nose! Chen Li rubbed her nose, struggling to breathe, but then the sand got into her mouth, causing Chen Li to cough and roll around in the sink. Xing Yun just continued to wash the ginseng calmly. That guy¡­¡­ That guy¡­. How could he be so childish!! Such petty revenge, ugh! Yet, Chen Li decided to stay sit at Xing Yun¡¯s home for 2 reasons. First, somehow, her physical recovery is very fast here, after 2-3 days¡¯ time, her left wing has already healed. Second, she does not want to be caught by her pursuers. Chen Li is worried about when her magical powers will restore. If it remains useless, then she doesn¡¯t know when she can get out from here, and when the Demon Emperor will come for her. Thankfully though, the time in heaven is far faster than the times in earth, resulting in a lot more time for her. ¡°Come to eat!¡± Xing Yun called for Chen Li, causing her to jump up and head for the kitchen. Chen Li believed that Xing Yun¡¯s food was the reason for her fast recovery so she always eats it all without so much of a crumb left. However¡­. Why mantou again? Chen Li stared at the dish before kicking it with dissatisfaction. Even if it is delicious, eating it everyday would obviously make one feel sick, ah! But more importantly, she wanted meat!!! ¡°Not Tasty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s tasty, but I want meat!¡± ¡°Too poor, ah.¡± So quick! Chen Li hesitated and closely observed at Xing Yun who was still gnawing on the mantou. ¡°Isn¡¯t eating meat occasionally okay? You are not wealthy, but you also do not look the least bit poor, right?!¡± Xing Yun smiled at Chen Li, ¡°Ah too poor, my temperament really too poor! Although Xing Yun voiced it casually, it was he that said it after all. Chen Li turned to look in the yard at the growing ginseng. ¡°What about all of those ginseng you sell? They should fetch a lot, no?¡± The proud ginseng seller simply replied, ¡°Ah, you do not think that ginseng could never get disease and fall ill?¡± Chen Li was defeated. After hesitating a long while, not daring to say anymore, she simply ate her mantou in silence. Chen Li took a deep breath and the moon light was absorbed into her body. She leaned over at it went to peck the white stone. Chen Li opened her eyes and saw the stone shine gold brightly. Yet once again, it receded. Chen Li angrily kicked the white stone, shouting, ¡°Useless thing!!¡±. Just as she finished saying it, she wrenched her paw back, ¡°So painful!¡±. Jumping, Chen Li glared hatefully at the white stone. ¡°You!!!¡± Finally, Chen Li calmed down and went again to the stone and continued to apply the force of ¡°Midas Gold¡±. Chen Li was focused on the stone so intently that she didn¡¯t notice a pair of eyes smiling at her within the dark courtyard, watching every action she did. Chen Li didn¡¯t know how many times she failed, yet she persisted. In the dark, the hem of a scholars robe turned as the wearer entered the house. Xing Yun rolled around in the cupboard before taking out a dozen coppen coins and weighed them a little. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯d be good to buy 2 taels[1] of meat tomorrow.¡± Chen Li continued to practice relentlessly on the white stone outside. ~~~ CH 4 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Chapter 4: Chen Li tried again and again, all night on the white stone to no avail, ending up listless as she rested her head on the stone, drifting to sleep. A squeaking sound announced the opening of the courtyard door, awaking Chen Li who followed the noise to the front yard. There, she saw Xing Yun about to go out, particularly without basket nor bag. Chen Li asked, confused. ¡°Today, you aren¡¯t selling ginseng?¡± ¡°The ginseng is still drying in the sun.¡± Xing Yun patted Chen Li¡¯s head, ¡°I am going out to buy something nice, stay home and watch the house.¡± ¡°Ah wait, I¡¯m going too!¡± Chen Li quickly twisted around and ran into the backyard and grabbed the stone she was practicing on earlier. She quickly grabbed it into her mouth and ran back to Xing Yun, muffled as she said ¡°Go already!¡± She decided, since the moonlight doesn¡¯t work, why not try day light? If she succeed in Midas Gold, it¡¯s just as well to buy some nice stuff back. Xing Yun stared at the stone in her mouth before freezing for a moment, then deciding to not ask any questions, he simply smiled and said, ¡°Oh? Are you sure you wish to go out? You know the market people, if we get separated, the next time we see each other will be you as a pot of soup. That isn¡¯t good. How about we set a leash around your neck as we go?¡± Chen Li widened her eyes, furious, ¡°Cocky!¡± She spread her wings, saying loudly, ¡°I was about to accompany you to the market with good will and gratitude, yet you say¡­. Come, lift me up, lift! When Xing Yun say Chen Li¡¯s out stretched wings, he hesitated before making a sudden smile. He even went as far as to bend over Chen Li, holding her up in his arms and allowing her to shift for a comfortable position as she told Xing Yun, ¡°Lets go carefully, don¡¯t be clumsy!¡± Xing Yun just chuckled, ¡°Yes, yes, obeying the chicken.¡± On the way, Chen Li repeatedly casted Midas Gold on the rock, yielding no success. Xing Yun doesn¡¯t care about Chen Li¡¯s business, simply walking the path into the forest. The butcher shouted current price of today¡¯s meat. Xing Yun ponders, the price for the meat has gotten higher, the a Oh? Who is this? Xing Yun turned around and heard, ¡°10 copper coins for your fortune!¡± Xing Yun saw a 30-year-old man, holding a banner as he examined a man¡¯s hand saying, ¡°From the vein¡¯s crossing downwards, I can tell that your son is blessed with good fortune¡­¡± Xing Yun was silent for a while before approaching the man and grabbed his palm and said proudly ¡°Today, at noon, your house will catch on fire. If you do not go home now, in the future, you will feel regret.¡± Once the words were spoken, everyone descended into confused silence. Even Chen Li popped her head out from Xing Yun¡¯s sleeves as she cocked her head. How could Xing Yun know? In the end, the fortune teller reacted first, shouting angrily, ¡°Ha! F*ck, how could that happen! Stop trying to ruin my business, scram!¡± Other young men saw the commotion, seeing how confident and assured Xing Yun is, many of them started to believe him, rather than the fortune teller. He himself hesitated for a while, before finally taking his hand back and walked quickly into the direction of his home. Chen Li poked his arm gently, ¡°Why did you lie to him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t struggle.¡± Xing Yun touched her head. ¡°It¡¯s for the 2 ounces of meat.¡± Xing Yun hardly finished saying his words before the man turned around angrily. ¡°I say! I did nothing to offend you, yet you are robbing my business!¡± Facing each other, Xing Yun was calm. ¡°It isn¡¯t robbing your business, what I said is the truth. If you truly do not believe, then in 24 hours later, if my words become true¡­. Then you must be willing to give me all your money. ¡° CH 4.1 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter ¡°Hah! Between the two of us, obviously I am obviously right in my fortune telling! How favourable for me!¡± The fortune teller swore. ¡°I, Wang Banxian have been in this business for so long, why would I believe you? Therefore, let us make a deal in front of everybody- If this kid does not come back, or what you said wasn¡¯t accurate, than you¡­¡± He looked straight at Xing Yun. ¡°You must give me the broiler chicken!¡± Chen Li exploded with anger, her wings opening up powerfully, yet Xing Yun only quietly pressed them down. ¡° Relax. I¡¯m here. No one is taking you away.¡± She didn¡¯t know what kind of strange power his words had but she, who was always going ahead and confronting everything herself, was actually comforted by his words. In this rare circumstance she chose to believe him. Such a weak mortal being protecting her¡­ It really feels amazing! Time went by slowly, after noon, the young man still hadn¡¯t come back. Wang Banxian gradually became pink as he felt more and more prideful. Yet Xing Yun still wasn¡¯t the least bit fazed, only occasionally glancing at the meat shop, listening carefully as the prices got yelled. After an hour, the fortune teller Wang Banxian laughed.¡°Ha! This guy has still not come. Give the broiler chicken to me!¡± ¡°Why should I give the chicken to you?¡± Xing Yun lightly replied . ¡°Is he not over there, on his way back?¡± Wang Banxian looked at the alleyway. ¡°Nonsense! Where is the man and son?¡± At that second, 2 figures appeared at the end of the alleyway, and upon a closer look, it was the father and son! They quickly approached Xing Yun together before bowing deeply. ¡°Many thanks, brother! Ah, if you hadn¡¯t convinced me to go back, I¡¯m afraid my children would¡¯ve been long burned to death in the wood shed! ¡°Thank you, thank you, uncle!¡± The child bit his fingers, a dazed look in his eyes. The young man laughed, and quickly said ¡° I¡¯m sorry, I have nothing more but this. My wife has been curing this piece of meat for 2 years, look, you see?¡± Chen Li eyed the piece of bacon disdainfully, before shining at Xing Yun with a light in her eyes. Xing Yun shook his head decisively at the young man in reply, saying, ¡° I am a gentleman.¡± The father son pair headed home happily. Wang Banxian looked at them bitterly before turning to look slowly at Xing Yun who had his hand outstretched. ¡°10 copper pieces.¡± Wang Banxian slapped his forehead and said, ¡°Hah, really a gentleman. Not at all scary, this can easily be ended as compensation.¡± He took out a bag with 10 coppers and slammed it into Xing Yun¡¯s hand. He then left, only saying, ¡° Hmth, count it yourself¡±¡± Xing Yun only smiled provokingly, ¡° Soon, in the near future, all your good fortune shall rot and your family will face internal destruction. Wang Banxian shivered, and quickly ran home down the street. A few days later, news of Wang Banxian was quickly heard and gossiped about around the market. Apparently that day he came back home with no money. Thus, his wife took a shoe and ferociously slapped him on the face, screaming and asking why he made not one penny!? Since then, his face has been scarred red and bloody, and hasn¡¯t made another penny since. Why did Chen Li know of such boring news? Because ever since that happened, the whole town suddenly knew of the real fortune teller. Far and wide, even the neighboring towns had heard of a real miracle fortune teller that could actually see one¡¯s future! Seeing this piece of news, Chen Li looked up at Xing Yun. ¡°Why it seems that you actually do know real fortunetelling.¡± Xing Yun shrugged. ¡°Just a bit.¡± Chen Li was silent for a long while before finally speaking again. ¡°Revealing the future, the gods will not accept this.¡± ¡°I know. That is why, on most days, I am selling medicine.¡± Xing Yun¡¯s voice was calm and solemn, but when he saw Chen Li staring at him intently, his face broke out into a smile. ¡° It is heaven¡¯s nature. To prevent suffering for another, they themselves must suffer in their stead. Everything must be balanced. ¡° Chen Li, who was not entirely clear on the matter suddenly felt awakened. His life is already destined to be short lived, so as such it did not matter if it was to be shortened anymore anyways. Chen Li was surprised that a mortal could glimpse into the truth, and yet, with heaven being so secretive¡­.. You can imagine that if he had a healthy body, his power and knowledge would most likely be enough to even be able to bite back at the heavens! Xing Yun¡­. Each time she digs at his identity, the truth only seems more bewildering. In the outside, the rumors have only been exaggerated to no ends. However, it did not at all affect Xing Yun¡¯s day to day life. He is simply still taking care of his day clinic, the sun is still rising, and the fish are still swimming. CH 4.2 One day, Chen Li was bathing in the sun by the lake, bored and asked Xing Yun, ¡°Why not make a living out of fortune telling? You are so talented in that aspect.¡± Seeing as how his fate is already so short, with power simaler to the gods, what¡¯s the harm of taking the high road and tell others their fortune? With his fame, even if he only worked for a day, his life would still be several times better than it is right now. However, Xing Yun had always been too indifferent- Except for the time when he won the bacon and copper, Chen Li never saw him use it. ¡°That is not a good art.¡± Xing Yun simply said lightly, ¡°My life is well and stable. That practice is all on self interest and not well looked or relied upon. ¡° Chen Li raised an eyebrow- Why there are actually mortals with good moral character! Seeing as how since Xing Yun already knew of the truths, she chose to change the subject instead. ¡°Xing Yun, when you are cooking, do you add any medicine or elixirs to the food? If you do, let me see!¡± Xing Yun only smiled while turning to look at her and said, ¡°Hah? Do you really think that I can afford those??¡± Chen Li fell silent, after all, ah¡­. He is a guy not even able to afford meat, how could he spare for tonics to add to the mantou? However, her self-recovery is far faster these days. As she healed more and more, she gradually grew more interested into the secret. Perhaps even in the next few days, she could even her spirit power¡­. Tu, tu, tu, tu, tu!! As the two talked in the courtyard, a series of rapid knocks descended on the door. Xing Yun let out a small cry of shock before slowly heading to open the door. Chen Li felt a little upset, but more surprised. As she stayed in Xing Yun¡¯s home, she had come to an understanding that he rarely had visitors. Other than the peasant girl, she had never seen anyone take the initiative to visit Xing Yun. Curious, she quickly ran to the door with him. But when the door opened, Chen Li felt an unmistakable dangerous atmosphere. Her breathing felt stifled and harsh as she looked around the room warily. She was shocked to see a withered hand suddenly whip out and grab Xing Yun tightly by the arm. The power of the arm seemed to be quite great, forcing Xing Yun to stumble back 2 steps, almost trampling Chen Li to death! The door opened and Chen Li saw that the owner of the hand was actually a women! Excitement poured from the old women when she saw Xing Yun, almost in a trance like state as she stared, repeatedly mummering, ¡°Immortal, Immortal¡­¡­..¡± Her husky voice called out, ¡°Immortal¡­ They say you know magic, know events no one else does, and see the future¡­ Immortal! Please help!¡± Chen Li looked up at Xing Yun, who was about to speak, making everyone draw a breath in anticipation. ¡°Well¡­. You see, I¡¯m really far to busy to help¡­.¡± Xing Yun said, ¡°Soo¡­¡± Xing Yun barely spoke before at the other end of the street, a man yelled loudly, ¡°Sister in Law!¡± before quickly rushing over to the door and grabbing the middle aged women¡¯s arm tightly, ¡° Sis in Law! Stop it, hurry, let¡¯s go back.¡± The man looked as if he was only in his 40s, but the women already had a crouched back, her face reflecting the years of old age, looking like she is tortured just from living life alone. She did not bother with the man, only staring at Xing Yun, a hopeful light reflected in her eyes. ¡°Sir Immortal, sir immortal! I beg of you, please help me! My husband has been missing for 15 years, please help me find him! Please, sir immortal!¡± ¡°Oh! Sister in law¡­. You actually went to one of those faker¡¯s places¡­. It¡¯s been so many years, yet you are still asking, even to those people. ¡± The sentence said by the man seemed to touch a painful spot on the women¡¯s heart, making her yell, ¡°No matter how long, I must ask! Even if he has left for many years, he is still, after all, my husband! If I ask and search will all my might, I will surely find him one day! If I search, day by day, no matter how long, I¡¯m sure I can find him!¡± Ah¡­ Chen Li looked down, a somber mood spreading outwards from her. It is actually a soldier¡¯s wife¡­. Chen Li, of all people, were especially clear on those who died during service. No matter how long their loved ones search, amidst all the corpses, you won¡¯t even be able to find the body¡­ Xing Yun gently pulled her hand away, and smiled lightly at the old lady, saying, ¡°Madame, I apologize. I truly cannot find your husband, you should go home and get some rest.¡± The old women did not leave, instead staying rooted to the spot and glaring, ¡°Ha! You aren¡¯t an immortal, you¡¯r just a fake, that¡¯s why you can¡¯t help me find my husband! Even if you can¡¯t, I want you to at least tell me of his life and death, ai!¡± Xing Yun hurriedly sent the middle aged man a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve troubled you¡± He quickly made a gesture to stop talking as Xing Yun said, ¡°I need to cook.¡± The old man hesitated before hurriedly nodding his head as he half dragged, half talked the old women away. Xing Yun only closed the door indifferently as he walked to the kitchen to cook per normal. Chen Li quickly followed at his feet, asking curiously, ¡°You can see what happened to him, right? Why not tell the women? Did you see her husband die?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xing Yun only said lightly, ¡°I did not see anything at all.¡± Chen Li stared at Xing Yun, shocked. ¡°B-But¡­.¡± Chen Li kept repeating that word for a long time, not knowing what to say. Xing Yun, having the power to oppose the heavens, yet not interfering with the laws of nature¡­ Earlier, she had seen that as praiseworthy. But now¡­ even knowing it¡¯s wrong, Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but want to help the 2. She knew that if her own soldiers were killed, she would never let the families and loved ones of the deceased be waiting. Chen Li quietly looked up at Xing Yun- For the two ounces of meat, he saved a child, yet he also watched the old women cry indifferently¡­. The way he lives¡­. It seems like he is trapped by something, lonely and dim¡­. ~~~ It was night, silent. Out of habit, Xing Yun never locks the door, making it easy for Chen Li to quickly sneak out. With a little push, she was off and ran into the darkness From inside the building, there was a sigh. ¡°This chicken really is too nosy.¡± CH 5 Chapter 5 Chen Li followed the scent trail of the two from before, finally ending up to the entrance to a small dwelling. She stood in front of the door, at a lost- How to get in? Suddenly, the door creaked open. Surprised, Chen Li quickly rushed behind the bushes, hidden in darkness. A formally dressed man in a suit walked out, holding a lantern. Why he was actually the same middle aged man that was with the old lady earlier today! ¡° Sorry, I must go to work, or else I will be late. I¡¯m leaving first. Please look after sister-in-law, it¡¯s very late right now so no mattr what, don¡¯t let her go and look for that fortune teller again. From inside, the women nodded gently. ¡° Alright, you be careful. ¡° The man waved and left the home, following a path away from the courtyard. Outside, Chen Li is anxious- How can she get inside?! Suddenly though, the door opened again. The women ran out, holding a cloak as she worryingly yelled, ¡° Ai, Da Lang, your cloak! The night is cold, make sure you do not fall sick.¡± Chen Li¡¯s eyes lit up with spirit- A chance! The door to the courtyard was opened and the women is too far away to see her. Chen Li ran quickly, and all you could see was a mere glimpse of her figure before she landed in the yard. In the yard, Chen Li quickly spotted the madame of the house in one of the rooms. The bright light illuminated her figure, causing a lonely, sorrowful feeling to emite from her. She just sat there, sewing as her silhouette fell on the grass in front of Chen Li. The door to her room was open, so Chen Li quietly explored the house before poking her head in through the crevice between the door and wall. At a glance, she immediately understood why she had felt that unquestionably dangerous feeling when she first saw the old lady. Behind the women, a young man dressed in a suit of shabby light armor, gazed at her softly. His eyes were gentle and a smile was on his lips as he watched the old women mend the clothes. His face was so tender, as if he was looking at his most beloved treasure, yet whom he couldn¡¯t touch. Earlier, it was day and the sun was shining too brightly to see him clearly. However, now that it¡¯s night, his form and body is very clear to see. To think that her husband has turned into but a mere spritual concious¡­ Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. The reason why she could never find her husband wasn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t trying hard enough¡­. But rather due to him being with her all along. However, when she let out the sigh, she didn¡¯t expect for the armored man to hear her! Turning around swiftly to glare at her. The stotic, black eyes turned crimson as he opened his mouth, sprit power overflowing as he rushed over to a shocked Chen Li. Her wings unfurrled as she flapped them madly, ¡°Stop!!¡± But the sprit ignored her as the sprit power infulged her, causing Chen Li to stagger and roll backwards, knocking down sevral pots down as well. ¡°S-Stop¡­. Stop¡­..¡± Chen Li coughed violently, forcing off the pressure on her neck. The sprit did not reply, just staring at her coldly, ready to attack Chen Li again. Chen Li¡¯s mind ran madly, thinking of ideas when she blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m here to help you!¡± When the man heard this, he relaxed slightly, his face softening a little. Chen Li let out a sigh of relief, about to continue. However, at that moment, a side door opened, revealing the young women. The young women was unable to see the sprit, so she could only look at Chen Li weirdly. ¡°Why is there a plucked chicken here¡­.?¡± Immediately turning around, she rushed out only to for a stone to drop on her head. Her eyes rolled back and fainted. Behind her is a dirty Xing Yun who threw the stones. With an air of frustration, he mocked, ¡° Cluck, Cluck, Cluck, Of course a little chicken has to go run around looking for trouble. ¡° Chen Li looked at him, too shocked to care about the comment. ¡°How did you get here?¡± ¡°Climbed a wall.¡± Xing Yun replied before picking up Chen Li in his arms and scolding her. ¡°Don¡¯t you know there¡¯s a curfew? Back, now. ¡° ¡°Wait!¡± Chen Li shot up, standing in front of Xing Yun¡¯s face before pointing at the spirit. ¡°Don¡¯t you see that!?¡± CH 6 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter ¡°So the results- Are you satisfied?¡± Chen Li knew that he was talking about the couple¡¯s affair. She stayed silent before opening her beak. ¡° These results, 15 years long overdue. Even if it was done then, the result would¡¯ve still been one of grief. ¡± When one has died, no matter the time, no matter the outcome, the result always wouldn¡¯t be good. Xing Yun smiled lightly. ¡°Oh? So you actually do have sentimental feelings to mortals¡­¡± ¡°On the battlefield, I have watched far too many die, their souls led astray. ¡° Chen Li¡¯s tone was heavy, serious and stricken with an undertone of grief. ¡° I do not know if I have done the right thing and helped the woman today, so I do not know if these results are good or not¡­ However if I had a family with loved ones waiting for me and died, the thing I would desire most is for them to forget about me. Quickly forget and move on, not wallowing in the past; Only in the future can they be happy and lead a real life. ¡° Xing Yun hesitated with a complex look on his face, but a smile forcibly restrained on his lips. ¡° Stupid chicken. If leave the past locked away, than we cannot truly experience life. ¡° In his arms, Chen Li poked out her head to look at him before settling into a comfortable position and said, ¡°You are also right. ¡° ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Xing Yun, with Chen Li in his arms, soon reached the courtyard. The two swiftly opened the door and entered the home, the two too tired to sense the person hidden in a cloak within the courtyard. When the two went deeper into the room, she came out. It was woman once hit by Xing Yun with the stones! As she watched the duo walk away, she couldn¡¯t help muttering, ¡°Ah gods¡­ Madame, they really are gods¡­¡± ~~~. Incense wafted out of the house, ebony wood reflecting the light to where a man sat, writing calligraphy as he listened to his subordinate¡¯s report. He sat aside the pen, his voice smooth as he spoke. ¡°Is this the truth?¡± The man trembled as he kneeled beneath him. ¡° Even if you gave me 10x the guts, I would still not dare to lie to the prince. For the past few years, my sister in law was insane after the loss of her husband. However, for the past 2 days, she had calmed down, behaving like one normally would. It was believed to be the work of the gods! My wife had personally witnessed it, but fell into a coma and was unable to retell the whole story. However, all the neighbors had seen a huge flash of gold light on that day. Also on that day, the deity gave his chicken his coat and transformed her into an immortal beauty! The woman wore it, but when he turned her back into a chicken, he had forgotten it there.¡± ¡°That seems interesting.¡± The man¡¯s phoenix eyes curved up, ¡°Fu Sheng, bring that man here into the palace, let¡¯s see what his ability truly is.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ~~~ Within the small courtyard, it was as calm as always. The grapevines grew just right, blocking the sun and providing shade for the increasingly hot temperature. Xing Yun laid down on the cool grass to rest when he suddenly felt the edge of the rocking chair hitting him. He opened his eyes to peer at Chen Li who was sitting on the rocking chair. ¡°Ai, Why can¡¯t you change me back already!!¡± Chen Li rocked the chair on him again, angrily shouting, ¡° On that night, even with drained power, you obviously succeeded in turning me back to normal, no?!? In the past two days, you¡¯ve recovered almost all of your power, so why won¡¯t you change me back??¡± Xing Yun blinked lazily before turning his head back to ignore Chen Li. ¡°Quiet. ¡° Xing Yun looked at the clothes Chen Li had dragged over and lazily replied, ¡° Get inside the clothes and change into it. If you were to appear as a human without it¡­. Better not. ¡° His voice quieted as he suddenly remembered when she had appeared as a human before. Her back was straight and tall, her beauty radiant. At that moment, Xing Yun really could not figure out who- or what she was. As Xing Yun thought, Chen Li stood up to look at him. ¡° That day, you had used a powerful array. Can you construct another one? Or are you using the day or moon light¡¯s essences instead?¡± ¡° Those arrays don¡¯t need to be set up again.¡± Xing Yun laughed lightly. ¡°After so many days, you still cannot feel it?¡± Chen Li was stunned for a few seconds before turning to look left and right, noticing that the stones were all placed at certain sections, the grass all growing in accordance to special rules. Although they look very old, if one looked closely, they could see that it formed a line. At first, Chen Li was confused, but now it came crashing to her. It was an array! No wonder her physical recovery was so fast, it was actually due to this array all along¡­ ¡°Xing Yun, the more I get to know you, the more mysterious you seem to be¡­¡± Chen Li started to inspect every inch of the small courtyard before squatting in front of Xing Yun. ¡°Although your abnormal fate as a human could be put into consideration, it still doesn¡¯t explain how you could possibly have such a mastery over these arrays and magics. With so much power¡­ In the end, what will you do for the people? CH 6.1 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Xing Yun only smiled lightly. ¡°Good people.¡± ¡° You are so eccentric. ¡° Chen Li paced, saying, ¡° Your temperament is weird, your behaviour is so weird, so weird! You look and treat me normally, despite my current form.¡± Chen Li walked in a circle. ¡° No feathers, able to talk, even being able to change into a human form, yet not the least bit curious nor afraid of me¡­. You even let me stay home alone and do as I wish¡­ Xing Yun, have you already foreseen the future roads? The result of this¡­?¡± ¡°Did I not already say, fortune telling is not a good skill. I do not like doing it. I ignored your origins merely because I simply wish for nature to take it¡¯s place. I can accompany you peacefully without any need to know of your background. If I dig too deeply, I may end up farming myself. Right now, I can do as I wish. There¡¯s no benefit. So why should I?¡± Hearing this, Chen Li was stunned into silence. Only after a brief period of time did she open her mouth to scold sternly, ¡° You must¡¯ve been a rotten ass that got kicked out of heaven, now! Hearing this, Xing Yun was confused before breaking out into a laugh. ~~~ Throughout the rest of the morning, Xing Yun kept silent. When it was time for lunch, he opened up the packet of bacon and ate it all up, not leaving a crumb. He didn¡¯t spare a glance at Chen Li, who was sitting next to him throughout the entire meal. After he was done eating, he picked up Chen Li and placed her in front of the empty plate. There was only 2 drops of oil left and not a single hint of meat. From the side, Xing Yun sighed with satisfaction as he rubbed his stomach and chuckled at Chen Li. ¡° Look see, I just wanted to prove that I am not indeed a rotten ass that has fell down from heaven. Ah see, look how nice I am. ¡° After saying his words, he left, taking the plate with him. He didn¡¯t even allow Chen Li to have those few drops left, leaving her to vent out her rage on the poor table. ¡° Spit it out!!! Spit it all out, you dumb thing!¡± As Xing Yun walked inside the house, the doorbell rang. Letting out a small cry of surprise, Xing Yun went to open the door with the plates in hand. In the front yard stood 3 tall men, all wearing fancy clothing and a sword in hand. Looking closely, they actually looked like the guards that were in the old lady¡¯s home! 1 man stood in front, wearing a red collar on his garment whereas the other 2 wore cyan. Standing in a line, they looked solemnly at Xing Yun. The red one started speaking, ¡° The prince invites you to the palace.¡± ¡°Sir, I think you¡¯ve got the wrong man.¡± Xing Yun chuckled lightly before taking a step back, wanting to close the door. Suddenly, the two men previously standing silently had grabbed him roughly on each side, and without explanation, began forcibly drag him out of the home. In this moment of carelessness, the plate Xing Yun had carried over fell on the ground. With a loud crack, it shattered into pieces! Yet the red collared man didn¡¯t blink an eye as he continued to stare straight at Xing Yun, saying, ¡°Whether or not we¡¯ve found the right person, we shall naturally take all responsibility. If you will, please. ¡° Xing Yun acted like he didn¡¯t hear anything, only lifting his lip into a thin smirk. ¡° I do not like being forced to do thin-¡± Before he could finish, the red collared man had already thrown a punch straight at Xing Yun¡¯s stomach, forcing him to double up in pain, unable to stand up for quite a while. Not bothering to wait for Xing Yun to recover, the red collared man dragged him out onto the road. ¡°I also do not like people who talk back to me with nonsense. ¡° His eyes held contempt as he stared at Xing Yun before waving his hand. ¡°Take him away.¡± The other two cyan collared men dragged Xing Yun through the road, not caring about how beaten up he was. However, Xing Yun lowered his body weight and dug his heels into the ground of his front yard, refusing to leave his property despite how injured he was. During his struggle, he had accidentally kicked one of the stones upside down. A moment later, a bright array of golden light flashed from the house. From within the light, a woman¡¯s voice yelled angrily, ¡° Go ahead and beat him until he spits blood, then scram!¡± Hearing this, despite his pain, Xing Yun managed to let out a weak laugh. ¡°Who?!?¡± The red collared man who was about to initially kick Xing Yun again, turned around to see a figure standing amidst the golden light in front of the house. Looking closely, he was shocked to see a woman dressed in filthy clothes, her long hair bound by a piece of torn cloth walking out from the house. Chen Li was famous throughout the heavenly realm as someone who would not allow others to hurt or even scold her soldiers. If they had to be punished, she had her own way of doing it, with punishments as severe as taking away ? of their lifespans. Even if it was the demon emperor, she would still not allow him to punish her soldiers! To place it nicely, one could say that she loves her solides as much as she would for a son. To put it realistically, she cares too much about her own pride than letting others deal with her men. To hurt someone under her, the Azure Sky King, was similar to courting death! However, the red collared guard only frowned. ¡° This girl¡¯s mouth is too big. ¡° He examined Chen Li from head to toe. Although with her lack of proper clothing, making her look very embarrassing, she was indeed a true beauty. Her eyes were breathtaking as the light reflected off of her long, shiny hair. Coughing slightly, the man retorted, ¡° I follow the orders of the prince to take him into the palace as a guest. I hope that madame gets the message. ¡° ¡°I get the message?¡± Chen Li¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her hair was tied up, and today she was facing a mere human guard and not a ghost. Although her magic is currently not strong, keep in mind that her skill in martial arts are more than enough to finish off the guards. The 3 guards didn¡¯t react when Chen Li¡¯s hand made a swishing noise as 2 pieces of scrap metal flew at the leader¡¯s feet. ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me what the message is, ah?¡± CH 7 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter The red collared guard¡¯s pupils shrank, not moving a muscle. His mind felt as if it was spinning for a moment before a sharp pain pounded on his head. Taking advantage of his blindness, Chen Li grabbed him and the other 2 guards before throwing them against the courtyard door! Chen Li stood in front of the heap of men, a look of contempt on her face. ¡° Even if you were the descendants or even the king himself, I would still not let you off with hurting my people!¡± The door shut, leaving the three men only able to groan with pain as they supported each other up. They all stared at each other in silence, not sure of what to do. From inside the courtyard, 3 stones suddenly dropped on them painfully. As fast as an arrow, the 3 guardsmen ran, not daring to even stay a second longer. Unexpectedly though, one of the guardsmen stopped and cautiously stared at the home before taking out a card. ~~~ After a moment of silence, Xing Yun looked calmly at Chen Li. ¡°Say, when did I become one of your people?¡± A faint smile was on the edge of Xing Yun¡¯s lips as he clutched his stomach painfully. Chen Li did not answer, only staring coldly at him before pointing to the stone that he had kicked when he was being dragged out. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡° A stone.¡± ¡°Do you want a beating?¡± ¡°Uh, well it¡¯s actually the centerpiece of an array stone¡­¡± ¡°Why put an array stone here?¡± ¡°In order to suppress magical powers.¡± ¡°Why would you need to suppress magical powers?¡± Xing Yun looked at her, hesitating before finally letting out a sigh and admitting, ¡° This is the array I have put up a few nights ago, since otherwise you would be running around here and there with power to do your own activities like before; That would not be good, nor would it be convenient to play wi-¡­¡­ Naturally, it¡¯s to defend you and me from beings that are far too powerful and give us a place to relax. That after all is most important, to create a peaceful place for us to live. Not to mention a man and woman sharing a room is not proper.¡± ¡°In other words¡­ A few nights ago, I would¡¯ve once again been able to return to a human form¡­¡± Ah yes, on that day, he was sending off that commoner girl. Chen Li¡¯s eyes were frosty as she retorted, ¡°Ah, but that day when I went out, if I could¡¯ve returned to my human form, I wouldn¡¯t have been scrambling around and almost made into chicken stew!¡± Ah¡­ She should¡¯ve phrased it less embarrassingly¡­ ¡°Ah about such a matter,¡± Xing Yun shook his head, letting out a helpless sigh. ¡° I didn¡¯t expect for you to see through the secret nor escape, really sorry. ¡° Helpless¡­. Sad¡­?!? He actually had the nerve to even feel sorry for himself! Please, she should be the pitiful one here! This guy, in the end, actually could¡¯ve just moved the stone all along,¡­ Ai, how much of her dignity had she lost already!! No¡­ This guy, he must see her as a joke, enjoy seeing her struggle in vain! Chen Li felt her killing intent surge, enough to scare someone into a seizure. ¡° If I do not kill you, I am afraid my heart will never have enough blood out of anger!¡± Her teeth clenched as she stressed out each syllable to Xing Yun. However, when she looked at him, she was shocked to find him clutching his stomach as he kneeled on the floor in front of Chen Li who glared at him. ¡° Don¡¯t even! Hmth, it¡¯s too late to apologize!¡± ¡°No, just¡­. Cough, cough¡­..¡± Before he could finish, his whole body slumped forward lifelessly and fainted. Chen Li felt shocked as she watched him, hurriedly catching him. She felt slightly panicked as she placed her fingers in front of his nose, feeling for breath. Only now did she remember that Xing Yun was in the end, a frail and weak mortal. After being beaten by the guard so heavily¡­ How could he bear with it? Chen Li¡¯s furious temper felt like it just had a pot of cold water poured on it. When she received little response, she chose to kneel down and check his pulse instead. Fingers on the neck, she felt it. Weak. Slow. Almost to the point where it was on the verge of death. CH 7.1 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Throw Xing Yun into the courtyard before leaving him alone grandly or, carry him over and help him lie down on the rocking chair¡­. Chen Li debated in her head, hesitating as she looked at Xing Yun¡¯s body. Chen Li believed that Xing Yun should definitely pay for playing her as a joke for so many days; He cannot die to escape punishment! Scavenging around the home, Chen Li searched and searched for the medicine Xing Yun normally sold. When she found them, she heaved with effort as she carried piles of medicine to Xing Yun. Walking in front of him, Chen Li observed the fainted Xing Yun. Pondering a little, she forced open his mouth and proceeded to dump the medicine into Xing Yun¡¯s open mouth. ¡°Wai-!!¡± Under this moment of peril, Xing Yun awoke frantically. His face was pale as he coughed up some of the choked medicine. He pushed Chen Li¡¯s clumsy hands away with a sigh. ¡°I can do it myself.¡± Chen Li arched an eyebrow. ¡° Were you simply acting out of cowardice?¡± ¡°Ah no, earlier, I really did faint. I¡¯ve just woken up and only wanted to enjoy the sensation of being cared for. ¡° Xing Yun laughed. ¡°But I suppose I must¡¯ve hoped too far. ¡° ¡°You really have hoped too far!!¡± Chen Li glared angrily, ¡° Today, you¡¯ve eaten all of the bacon, teased me so many times, I¡¯ve even had to help you with some scumbags today!¡± She struggled to restrain her anger, her legs splayed out as her bum fell to the floor unconsciously. When she registered this, she suddenly remembered that she was no longer a chicken! Her body stiffened up from embarrassment as she jumped up onto an squatting position. Alas, Xing Yun looked as if he was already fully healed as he laughed at Chen Li, ¡°See? You really are much more comfortable as a broiler chicken, right?¡± Despite his ill appearance, his face was still enough to make one¡¯s heart beat. However, regardless of Xing Yun and his face, Chen Li clenched her fists as she took deep breaths before sighing. ¡° Do you think there¡¯s a reason preventing me from killing you?!.¡± One could feel a mixture between awe and murderous intent, yet he not only listened happily, but even let out a calm smile as he scolded . ¡° Stop it, give me the medicine. I¡¯ve saved half the bacon in a secret place in the kitchen. If you want it, I need to recover. If you are still hungry, I can cook you a bowl of broth to drink.¡± Critical hit! Chen Li staggered back- Xing Yun¡¯s smoothly crafted words had easily deflected the hit. The reason to kill¡­. So easily gone¡­. Unable to find a reason to clench her fists any longer, Chen Li thought that within this house, he must¡¯ve set up an array so he could always get the upper hand! ~~~ Chen Li¡¯s human form has been restored, but her foundation is presently very unstable. For example, her powers had still only recovered 1-2 percent. All afternoon, Chen Li was wondering about when she will have to leave this small courtyard. Xing Yun¡¯s fight had been placed of great timing, undoubtedly helping her restore her powers even faster. However, if she stays, the demon emperor fill surely find her, and when that happens, the mortal¡­. ¡°Help me get the bacon. ¡° Xing Yun¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from the kitchen, ¡°The meat is strung up too high. My waist cannot bend, I cannot get it. ¡° Chen Li looked at the struggling Xing Yun, a flower of guilt slowly blooming in her gut. Her pursuers chasing her are bad enough, if this mortal gets involved¡­ Chen Li sighed, ¡°Where?¡± She got and walked to the kitchen, looking up to see a long piece of meat hanging from a beam at the top of the kitchen. At the side, Xing Yun handed her a long pole to reach it. Chen Li chose not to take the pole, instead grabbing a bowl and throwing it like a frisbee at the bacon. The bowl cut the string holding up the meat and flew back through the air with a graceful curve, just in time to catch the bacon before flying safely down in Chen Li¡¯s hands. Showing off such a skill, Chen Li naturally felt very proud. Relishing the feeling, Chen Li snook in a glance at Xing Yun, wishing to see him marvel at her prowess. Yet when she saw him, all he did was walk calmly to the stove to take out a extremely dirty rag and gave it to her, ¡° Great. Now that you¡¯ve taken all this effort, might as well wipe the beams clean with this as well. ¡° Chen Li stared at the cloth in her hands, it¡¯s color to filthy too even discern it¡¯s original color, dumbfounded. With a subtle tone in her voice, she asked slowly. ¡° Might you know who that you are ordering about?¡± Xing Yun just laughed, carefree. ¡° I never asked you about who you were, nor your identity. So how would this humble commoner know?¡± Chen Li¡¯s face became even more ugly. Xing Yun could only shake his head helplessly as she threw away the rag. ¡° Ah, okay, okay. You don¡¯t want to mop, then you don¡¯t have to¡­ Come, at least help me with these 2 pots of water.¡± Chen Li only stared at Xing Yun coldly. In response to this, Xing Yun folded, his arms clutching his stomach as he cried out, ¡° It hurts! Doing this all to feed you¡­ My injury hurts!¡± CH 7.2 Chen Li just clenched her mouth as she twisted past Xing Yun. Being mistreated whilst in the wrong body may be somewhat acceptable, but currently could not! However, when she tried to get past him, her chest had actually brushed against Xing Yun¡¯s. If this was a normal situation, perhaps Chen Li could¡¯ve gone faster and no one would¡¯ve knew¡­. But alas, dressed in Xing Yun¡¯s overly large tobes, her hem got stuck on a hook, leaving her in an very embarrassing position. When Xing Yun glanced down, his eyes widened as he backed up slowly, his posture awkward. A cautionary distance away, Xing Yun cleared his throat with a cough loudly, ¡° Look, uh, I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s hard for me¡­¡± ¡°What is not hard, hmpth! Making so much of a fuss!¡± Chen Li reverted back to her look of arrogant indifference as she quickly unhooked the robes and strode out from the kitchen as nothing that had just happened affected her in any way. Xing Yun leaned on the stove, not moving. When the heat on his body faded, only then did he begin to move his back with tiny movements as he slowly stood up. His eyes moved as they looked past the doorframe to a small corner in the courtyard, landing on a figure of a woman lying down near the little pond as she scooped up water with the ladle. However, despite lying there for such a long time, she still did not even scoop out a single pail of water. Xing Yun who was at the side, unconsciously rubbed his chest with his hand, feeling that it will take a long time for the water to come, better to just stir fry it with some oil instead¡­ ~~~ Chen Li stared at the water, poking at the reflection staring back at her- Ai, really, what is wrong with this little courtyard! She stared at the maiden in the water with disbelief- It looked just like her, yet her cheeks were painted with a pink flush! Ai, Ai, What happened?! Who was it that painted her face? Chen Li felt like this couldn¡¯t be possible. The grand and famous Azure Sky King. Who wouldn¡¯t know of her? Yet today because of a single mortal¡­. Had blushed. ¡°Cluck, Cluck! Time to eat. ¡° Chen Li wasn¡¯t sure about how long she had been immersed in her thoughts, but when she heart Xing Yun¡¯s cry, the blush that could hardly be seen for hundreds of thousands of years immediately disappeared. ¡° This¡­. One¡¯s name is Chen Li! Don¡¯t you dare use ¡°cluck, cluck, cluck, to call for me again!¡± She turned her head around to see Xing Yun standing with a plate in his hands in the doorway, his shadow long against the grass. Looking at him, Chen Li unknowingly stared at him, distracted. Seeing Chen Li stare at him in such a strange manner, Xing Yun¡¯s eyes blinked, and rolled into a circle before his lips spread open as he laughed. ¡° Chen Li, time to eat. ¡° Seeing how Xing Yun had finally changed his manner of address, Chen Li nodded in a satisfied manner. Then, Xing Yun opened his mouth again, ¡° King, your meal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Chen Li! Are you looking for a fight?!¡± Those pharses, ¡°cluck, cluck, cluck, ¡° changing to ¡°Chen Li, ¡° before adding ¡°King¡±, no one has ever said those in that order to her before. Making Chen Li reply in that manner¡­ It all felt very foreign to her¡­. It felt almost as if she had found a home to live a carefree life. Chen Li stared at the meat on the plate before looking at Xing Yun. ¡°If you¡¯ve ruined this meat, you have to give me some more. ¡° Xing Yun laughed softly. ¡° But what if it is too delicious? What would you give me?¡± She pondered for a moment before opening her mouth. ¡°If it is too delicious, than I¡¯ll cook you something even better!¡± Xing Yun looked stunned, then only smiling without a word. If one could make ordinary bread turn delicious, how could the meat not be amazing? As the result, the next day when Xing Yun went off to sell wild ginseng at the city, Chen Li, with a manner of life and death, came up to him and thrusted 2 large, stone sized pieces of gold into his robes and told him seriously- ¡°Buy meat!!¡± But even with Chen Li¡¯s deathly serious request, he gave it back. He was afraid that bringing 2 large pieces of gold into the marketplace simply to buy huge bulks of meat would definitely get him arrested by the government from suspension. Thus, he refused. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hearing this, both Xing Yun and Chen Li turned to look, her brows creasing- The last time the door was knocked, 3 guards had stormed in and beaten Xing Yun up. Quickly, Chen Li threw the stones onto the ground, pointing at them quickly. Within seconds, the gold color seemed to melt as it faded away and became normal stones once again. Xing Yun went to open the door, but before he could touch the knob, Chen Li stopped him. ¡°I will go.¡± Without waiting for Xing Yun to reply, she walked 2 steps forward and opened the door. There stood 2 men, dressed in the dark navy clothes of a guard. A sword were on their belt and a jade emblem were proudly created upon their chest. When the two saw Chen Li, they both bowed politely. CH 8 The entrance door was closed. If one looked around, they would see that only Xing Yun, Chen Li, and the Crown Prince were the only ones in the courtyard. However, all 3 of them knew clearly, despite the emptiness, that there were the presences of many others within or around the courtyard. The prince sat down on the stone chair, casually remarking, ¡° To meet you really isn¡¯t easy, ah.¡± Xing Yun smiled, ¡°It¡¯s still easier than seeing the Emperor himself. ¡° Chen Li had lived a long life through her childhood in the battlefield, and often gone to the imperial court due to achievements from the military. When she meets officials that are bold and upright, she is fair. However, what she hates most are those lying and manipulative scoundrels, she really cannot deal with. With no skill at sweet talk and unable to curry favour, Chen Li chose to instead head inside the kitchen and search for the basin to scoop water for cooking. ¡°But for a commoner to be able to meet the Crown Prince, one must have some kind of ability, no? After all, it¡¯s said that you are able to connect with the supernatural, meet sprits and see the future. My heart desires to view how such things happen, to see the arrays at work. I do not know if you will show me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare.¡± Seeing him disagree so quickly, the Crown Prince¡¯s face darkened. However, Xing Yun didn¡¯t seem to see as he continued innocently. ¡°I really do not know what idea you are talking about. I merely don¡¯t like to divine for gold or anything, and I really can¡¯t see nor understand these supernatural beings you talk about. If the Crown Prince still doubts me, feel free to come over another time, or even just go and ask someone else. ¡° ¡°Oh?¡± The prince carried a mocking smile. ¡° Your stubbornness is doing nothing but lowering your own value. Tell me, if you guess what is in my mind right now, I will give you riches and power! Even when I become the Emperor, you will receive the title of an Emperor¡¯s aide- Below one, above hundreds!¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Xing Yun shook his head. ¡°Think clearly- There¡¯s no one that would refuse this. What¡¯s there to lose when you gain riches and glory?¡± The prince inspected the courtyard. ¡° This tiny shabby courtyard you have, if you accept my offer, just how easy would it be for this to change?¡± Xing Yun just sipped his tea, no one able to decipher a hint of his thoughts. Then, he laughed. ¡° You, the Crown Prince, keeps on bribing me with riches and titles like you¡¯ve already became an emperor. Yet right now, you want to know when, and if you will really succeed the throne. After all, the current king is far past his prime, yet he is keeping a tight grip on this country; He is not even giving a hint of passing it to you. You demanded me to foretell your future, but it¡¯s not easy. However, I can tell you now, that if this place were to be destroyed, than something unfavourable will happen. The Crown Prince¡¯s face changed, his fat fist pounding the table so loudly that even the heavens could feel it as he shouted, ¡° How big your guts are!¡± At this time, Chen Li was looking around the kitchen, and looked out to see the commotion just in time to see the blue robed guard jump out of nowhere with a knife against Xing Yun¡¯s throat. The once dignified and calm Prince was even went so far as to throw the hot cup of tea at him! He quickly attempted the duck, but before he could, the two guards forced him up, allowing the steaming hot water to splash all over his body in a split second. When Chen Li heard Xing Yun groan with pain and the Crown Prince calling for hotter water, her pupils shrank as her heart beat. She stormed out, her eyes blazing with righteousness. The second her foot moved out, the 2 guards instantly appeared in front of her, swords unsheathed. Seeing this, Chen Li let out a mocking sneer as she tripped and trampled on one of them before sending one flying with her kick, hitting the black clothed servant behind Xing Yun, leaving them to fall into a pile. Another blue clothed guard stopped in front of her, his sword stabbing directly at her heart. But before it could reach her, her hand slid out and gripped the blade with fingers. Her palms tightened, and with a gentle twist, the solid steel blade crumpled up like paper; The guard was so scared that he fainted right then and there. Chen Li dropped his sword and solidly knocked him out before ignoring the guard. She moved as fast as a ghost, running to the pond and grabbing the basin, filling it with water before flinging it at the prince. It splashed on him, the force so big that it caused his bulky body to roll over on the floor. ¡°OW!!!¡± He grunted in pain, his oily hair slick with water and face flushed from embarrassment. CH 8.1 Although it her actions seem to take a long time, it was actually done in a twinkling of an eye; So fast that no one else from the Prince¡¯s side dared to help him- They were all petrified. Chen Li strided forward, grabbing the prince roughly by his collar and pulled him up. Staring directly into his slit like eyes, she asked, ¡° Scarm, or Die?¡± Her whole body radiated killing intent, glowing with a faint hint of crimson as her eyes seemed to radiate heat. ¡°Such¡­. Such an audacious evildoer!¡­.¡± Although he pretended to be calm as he shouted those 4 words bravely, his trembling legs gave it away. His eyes reddened from fear long before. ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± By his collar, Chen Li dragged him to the door, opened it, and threw him outside the yard. As if he were gold, everyone struggled to catch him, the rest of the guards unsheathing their swords. Chen Li only sneered, staring at the prince. ¡° It seems like you want to die here. ¡° The Crown Prince frantically crawled into his carriage before screaming at the guards. ¡°Go, GO!! Do not tardy!¡± When the burst of chaos from the encounter was finished, the humble medicine house returned to it¡¯s previous peaceful silence. Chen Li angrily shut the door, only to see Xing Yun. When he saw her, particularly, the soaked robed clinging on to her skin. He quickly covered up his eyes and turned to the pond instead. Seeing this, Chen Li felt a strange sensation within her heart before fire rose up instead. ¡°You!! Why is it that you seem so profound and mysterious normally, yet in a fight like this, you get beaten up so easily and can only get bullied!?!¡± Xing Yun saw Chen Li¡¯s angry stare, yet he only smiled gently in return. ¡° Ai, I am not as powerful as you, nor did I ever say or think that you were this powerful. After all, I am just a mere mortal, unable to escape from sickness or old age. I am only able to stay bound to this earth.¡± Looking at his burnt red face and his pale lips, Chen Li suddenly realised that she had once again neglected to remember, and she had no excuses. Yes ah right, he was just an ordinary person, so the boiling water can scald him, even the simplest martial art can still hurt him¡­ Even if he can foretell the future and knows of the truths, in the end he is still made of blood and flesh- Easily killed. Yet even so, knowing so much- Even about his own limited lifespan, he can still live calmly and peacefully here¡­. Chen Li could only sigh and sit on a stone chair. She kept silent, complementing before finally opening her mouth to ask a rather vague question, ¡° Today, my actions, did they only make the situation worse¡­¡­.. Caused trouble for you?¡± Although today, she had beaten them very easily¡­ But as the Azure Sky King, she knows that these actions of provoking royalty might invite more trouble, especially knowing from experience¡­ If the knowledge of devils and magic are revealed to the kingdom, they will surely struggle to obtain it for themselves¡­.. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t you. It was just me who created the hole, and you¡¯ve only poked it bigger.¡± Curious, ¡° What did you tell him?¡± Xing Yun laughed in reply. ¡° To summarize it, you could say that he wanted me as a subordinate, but I did not want him to threaten me, and replied with a comment about his fat. He irritated me so I made fun of his body and hands, then you know the rest. ¡° He shook his head helplessly. ¡°I guess you really shouldn¡¯t talk about one¡¯s figure.¡± Perhaps it¡¯s just your cheap mouth, ah¡­. His lips suddenly changed into a slight smile. ¡° That man and his stubborn arrogance, he was always looking forward and plotting to his father and brother¡¯s death early death. If the country was to be handed down to that kind of trash, I¡¯m afraid that life will be ruined.¡± He stopped talking and instead looked up at the stars in the sky, those who represent heaven. He looked for a long, long time before speaking again. ¡° All the land under heaven are perhaps afraid to acknowledge a new master.¡± Chen Li felt strange. ¡° Don¡¯t you don¡¯t like to foresee the future?¡± ¡°This is not foreseeing. It¡¯s only me being concerned about the sake of this nation and what happens to us.¡± He got up and started walking back inside, his voice distant. ¡° This is his current nature that is slowly coming out. As for the future¡­ Nevertheless, it¡¯s possible that his character may change in a better direction. ¡° His words being so unfathomable and mysterious¡­. In the end, Chen Li really can¡¯t decide if he is strong or weak. ¡°Chen Li, please come and help bring some water to create an ointment from the herbs. Otherwise, my face would be left with a nasty scar.¡± Chen Li clenched her teeth, ¡°You really know how to take advantage of people!¡± As soon as she finished, she realised something- ¡°Why must I help you in the first place? Whether if it was the prince or the guards, they were all your fault, no?¡± After all, the only thing she has to consider is when she can recover and get out of here. When she was done, from the kitchen responded with 2 hacking coughs. Her originally angry expression converged in a sigh before obediently going to the pond to scoop the water and hailed it back to the kitchen. ¡°Go back and rest. ¡± She said helplessly as she squeezed by him from the edge of the stove. ¡° I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Xing Yun could only stare blankly as he was moved to the side, watching as Chen Li searched impatiently through the cabinets for the medicine. Finally, she could only turn sheepishly to Xing Yun. ¡° Where¡­. Where do I get the ointment?¡± A smile started to spread from Xing Yun. ¡° Or should I just get it instead?¡± Unable to help, Chen Li could only stand to the side as she watched him adeptly beat the medicine. Despite staying for so long, it was rare for the two of them to be in a calm and peaceful silence. As she thought, Chen Li suddenly asked, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t here today, then what actions would you¡¯ve taken instead? Obviously you would¡¯ve been unable to defend against the beating, but you still would¡¯ve retaliated somehow or pretended to be more contempt, right?¡± ¡°If you weren¡¯t here, I would naturally not be as rampant.¡± Xing Yun spoke as he swirled the pot of stewing medicine. ¡° If you aren¡¯t here, ¡° He continued naturally, a slight smile on his face. Chen Li felt a small burst of surprise as she stared at him, although he didn¡¯t turn to reply. ¡° You are far more aggressive than me, Ah. Unlike my easy-going attitude, I have a valiant aura around my body rendering everyone in awe. Very handsome.¡± Handsome¡­. Handsomeness?!?! Aura?!? There was actually man so shameless and arrogant to say this in front of her! Chen Li felt so angry that her body once again emitted a murderous intent, but that soon turned into helplessness. Ai, what can she do?!? Chen Li glowered at Xing Yun as she examined the side of his smiling face. Although there were still patches of red, it did not affect his overall appearance, nor Chen Li¡¯s stirring heartstrings. ¡°¡­. ¡­. Give me the cloth, the pot is too hot, you cannot hold it.¡± Xing Yun seemed to say something, but Chen Li was lost in her thoughts and the words fell to the back of her mind. She was still in a somewhat confused and irritated state. When she snapped out of it, Chen Li was suddenly aware that Xing Yun had long turned around and was looking at her. Chen Li moved her eyes and instead moved her hands towards the medicine pot. Before Xing Yun could stop her, she had already grabbed the scalding hot pot by the handle. The hot surface was grabbed, the medicine inside spilling. However, she still did not let go until she put the pot down. When it was set, she glanced at her burnt hands and only blinked twice, wiping it behind her back, before telling Xing Yun, ¡°The medicine is done now.¡± Xing Yun could only stare, stupefied. Despite the calm smile on her face, he could see that Chen Li were hiding her hands behind her back, fanning to cool the pain. Xing Yun sighed. ¡° Even if this is a female¡¯s home territory, and you wish to lead¡­ In times like these, relying on a man is fine too.¡± He gently pulled out Chen Li¡¯s hands from behind her back and carefully inspected it. Despite the heat, it was only red with a little bit of swelling. However, if this was an ordinary person¡¯s hand, they would¡¯ve already been badly burnt. ¡°Although a man isn¡¯t even this reckless¡­. Luckily this burn ointment, now that it¡¯s done, can be used to treat both of us now.¡± When Xing Yun held her wrist, Chen Li was unused to it and uncomfortably pulled back her hand. After deliberating for a little, she decided to change the topic. ¡°Yesterday, when I called you a rotten ass that has gotten kicked out of heaven, you were so angered that you took all the bacon mocked me relentlessly with it. Yet today, when you got burnt with tea spilled all over you by the Crown Prince, you are not even the least bit upset. Or is it that you think it¡¯s fun to mock me?¡± ¡°You believe that I¡¯m not angry?¡± Xing Yun crumbled up the rest of the herbs to add it to the mixture. ¡°I¡¯m simply not in a hurry to deal with him.¡± Chen Li felt surprised and looked at him. ¡°You? Deal with the Crown Prince?¡± Xing Yun smiled. ¡° I myself cannot do anything, but others can. Chen Li, tomorrow, accompany me to go out.¡± ¡°Oh, huh, wait, what? Why do I need to accompany you?¡± CH 9 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Why Chen Li should accompany him, is obviously, for the sake of that stupid prince. After offending the crown prince in such a manner, there would be no short of killers waiting for the duo. Although there is no great benefit for the prince¡¯s side, if Xing Yun tells the emperor of his knowledge and conspiracies, then it would cause much trouble. Therefore, he must kill Chen Li, and of course, Xing Yun secretly. Yesterday, outlining it clearly, it was obvious that Xing Yun himself is rather a simple and defenceless figure. However, Chen Li is capable of causing a major threat to the Crown Prince. He is no fool, so the killer must pick off Xing Yun when he is alone as to avoid getting slaughtered by Chen Li. It is, after all better to remove the source, than die a needless death. It would be impossible of Xing Yun to not understand this point- So naturally, he must always take Chen Li with him. As Xing Yun dragged Chen Li out, she suddenly frowned as she looked at the name on the door. ¡°Rui Wangfu?¡± He nodded, ¡°The current emperor has 7 sons. The crown prince from earlier is the first born of the current empress whereas Rui Wangfui is born from a concubine. However, his mother is currently favoured by the emperor, and his family has very deep ties with the hidden power within this country. If you want to find someone that can oppose the Crown Prince, it can only be him.¡± Chen Li felt surprised-¡±You usually are so indifferent to these things, yet you know so much!¡± ¡°Before last night, I really was clueless.¡± Xing Yun smiled. ¡°But to clean up this mess, I have to make preparations.¡± Just as he finished speaking, the sound of a whip sliced sharply through the air from the corner of the street. The trampling of hooves ran down through the road before stopping sharply at the edge of the house and soon, a grand carriage escorted by guards appeared. Xing Yun slowly walked forward and shouted loudly. ¡°Fortuneteller Xing Yun sees Prince Rui!¡± He kept silent for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°Fortuneteller?¡± His voice was not very nice, resembling a sneer as he said, ¡°A brave fortuneteller. Currently, don¡¯t you know that what the people loathe most are swindlers? This prince is no different.¡± Xing Yun only smiled. ¡°If your Highness takes me as your strategist, than I can present my next plan for you- One that could even help you succeed the throne from the Crown Prince. I do not know what Your Highness thinks?¡± ¡°Why should this King believe you? ¡°Last night, the Crown Prince came to my abode, just to request for my aid. However¡­.¡± Xing Yun paused, not finishing his sentence. ¡°Your Majesty, if you wish to continue our conservation, we can go inside.¡± The carriage curtain opens, revealing a handsome man dressed in an embroidered garnet robe. Although he could be considered as very good looking, a hideously deep scar sat on the left side of his forehead, extending all the way to his mouth. Even Chen Li couldn¡¯t tell what the weapon which was used to create this was. Chen Li secretly thought, that Emperor must have done something and offended the heavens, thus retribution went to his son! The Prince examined Xing Yun and took a glance at Chen Li. Finally, he waved his hands, his husky voice sounding. ¡° Take them to the backyard.¡± Within the palace, there were many pavilions and courtyard. There were many warehouses, marketplaces and houses, it had everything! Where Chen Li was born, it was a desolate wasteland. It was constantly filled with scoundrels, fog, and the soul as well as remains of the deceased, haunting the place as evil spirits. It didn¡¯t even have a single blade, nevermind here, where it is filled with countless flowers and glittering lakes. But despite it¡¯s beauty, Chen Li didn¡¯t like the palace at all, and would still prefer her birthplace. The palace stank of vile depression, making her feel very sombre. The atmosphere was stiffened, as if bound by countless rules and overloaded by stress. Compared to Xing Yun¡¯s courtyard, although it was minor in comparison, the atmosphere was so free and relaxing. This place has even less freedom than the Demon World. CH 9.1 With the Crown Prince¡¯s attendant leading them to a pavilion¡¯s garden, they took a seat. Prince Rui was courteous as he too took a seat. They both did a ceremonious gesture to each other before starting to chat. From a distance, they looked just like 2 officials discussing politics together. Seeing this, Chen Li began to feel woozy with boredom. Luckily though, it seemed that both Prince Rui and Xing Yun are engrossed with their discussion, and her martial arts is quite powerful. Thus, Chen Li left the courtyard and easily shook off the servants tailing her. Such a good palace, Chen Li decided to explore! Her eyes lit up- Not far, sat a pond and within that pond was a beautiful lotus amidst blooming. Her hand reached out to pluck it, but suddenly a feminine voice screamed behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my lotus!¡± Chen Li heard her and moved back her hand before turning her head sideways to look at the caller. Suddenly though, the woman who was calling her had suddenly appeared next to her and leaned on the fence, anxiously staring at the lotus. However, the fence was short, and within seconds, more than half of her body was over the fence, about to fall! Hands moving quick, Chen Li grabbed the woman by the strap and pulled her back before she could fall. Despite her successful save though, Chen Li hadn¡¯t controlled her strength, and her belt got caught, ripping away! The girl¡¯s formal dress fell, almost causing her undergarments to rip as well. She let out a small cry of surprise, her hands moving crazily to stop it from falling. After trying to pull the top of her garment up to cover her chest, she quickly squatted down into a ball, her head down to hide as much skin as possible and took advantage of Chen Li¡¯s tall figure to hide herself. How smart! What a good girl, even though she has lost her clothing, she has not lost her pride! Chen Li¡¯s heart sank. As she held the torn piece of fine cloth, she felt quite embarrassed. ¡° I¡¯m sorry¡­. I did not think that this cloth¡­ uh, would be so fragile¡­.¡± Hearing this, the girl slowly raised her head out from her arms. Her eyes were staring piercingly at Chen Li. ¡° You are a woman?¡± Chen Li glanced down at her chest. ¡°Is it not clear?¡± Although her power has recovered by a few percent, she was usually just lazing around in Xing Yun¡¯s courtyard, and never had to change. Although she was wearing Xing Yun¡¯s dirtied clothes, when she was in the battlefield, her garments were tens of times worse than her current ones. With such circumstances, she couldn¡¯t care about how dirty his soiled robes were. But today, when Xing Yun forced her to accompany him to see the prince, he also pressured her to change and look presentable. As such, he flipped around the house, trying to find something for Chen Li to change into, only to find no such thing. In the end, she had just clapped her hands and decided to change into her normal dark clothing and bound her hair. No wonder, her hair was bound like a male, her robes were dark, strong and handsome enough, from behind, she probably really did look like a man! The lady¡¯s cheeks were still red as she shook her head shyly, her voice soft, ¡° No, still quite obvious, but not from the back¡­¡± To look at her figure from behind, it really must seem quite strange¡­. The 2 maidens fell into silence, Chen Li noticed how the other¡¯s skin seemed so soft and creamy, eyebrows arched gracefully like mountains, with a pair of beautiful peach eyelids. Her appearance was extremely adorable, making one unconsciously want to play with her. Chen Li moved slightly to one side and pulled lightly on the cloth. The girl¡¯s face reddened even further and shuffled a few steps closer to Chen Li. Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but find that funny, and moved another 2 steps away, and she followed 2 more steps. Finally, the girl really couldn¡¯t help it anymore and begged Chen Li, ¡°Mi-¡­. Miss, please stop toying with me¡­.. If you would kindly so, please help me find my belt¡­. In this state¡­ I cannot go up and walk¡­.¡± ¡°Belt, I have one, ah.¡± Chen Li stood up, finding a solution. She is wearing a purple ribbon around her waist as a belt, but rather than actual utility, it was merely for decor. However, inside her outer robes, she had a thin belt tied to her underclothes. She taking off the outer belt urgently, but the girl was too busy covering her eyes as she cried out. ¡° Ah, nevermind, no need to take off!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just have it inside-¡± Chen Li couldn¡¯t finish her words before she got interrupted by a sudden shout. ¡°Thief is bold! To dare mess in the imperial palace!¡± CH 9.2 At this ironic time, Chen Li had finally gotten her belt out and was holding it in her side. The delicate maiden¡¯s belt had ripped and was currently covering her body with parts of her dress. If one looked at it from the back, with Chen Li¡¯s filthy robes, it really did look like a dirty thief had come to violate the innocent lady. However, Chen Li herself did not have a clue and was very confused, turning her head back to look at the guards, puzzled. The two nannies rushed to the improperly dressed pink girl, who was hastily raising her hands in a flurry. ¡° Do not come, do not come!!¡± The two nannies footsteps slowed to a stop, ¡°Such a brazen thief, to dare to touch the young miss!¡± Chen Li twitched her mouth, ¡°¡­No¡­¡­.¡± Without waiting for her to finish, the nanny started to run around and began to make a commotion to call more people. She felt a sour feeling within her heart, the girl currently had no way of wearing her dress- If the two servants were to call many guards over, and those big, brawny men were all staring at the young maiden¡­.. Such an embarrassment, it would be better not to live! Chen Li rubbed her forehead in frustration before turning to look to look at the young miss. ¡°It¡¯s better for me to carry you to go run.¡± The young miss¡¯s forehead was already beaded with sweat. ¡°Go¡­? Go where?¡± Before Chen Li had time to ponder, the two nannies had come back, each with a squadron of guards! She sighed, the young miss pulled on her clothes desperately. ¡° Ah, what do we do?!¡± ¡°Right now, the only thing we can do is escape!¡± ¡°What¡¯s do you mean, cooking?¡± TL note: The young miss mistaken cooking and escaping since they sound similar in chinese. The two who were talking in a panic suddenly heard a hoarse voice interrupt them. ¡°What¡¯s the ruckus!¡± The young missus¡¯s face suddenly smiled, but then she realised her current state and bit her lips to prevent a sound from leaking out. Pulling Chen Li¡¯s robes slightly, she hid behind her as she gestured for Chen Li to look in front. Chen Li did as gestured and was surprised to see Prince Rui standing ahead of her with Xing Yun by his side. Xing Yun caught Chen Li¡¯s gaze and sighed helplessly before shaking his head, as if to say, You¡¯ve left my watch for only a few minutes, yet you¡¯ve already managed to stir up so much trouble! Prince Rui approached, glancing at Chen Li before his stare fell onto the small squatting figure behind Chen Li¡¯s legs. His brow furrowed, but his tone was soft and gentle. ¡°What happened?¡± The young miss only remained silent, hiding behind Chen Li who spoke, ¡° There¡¯s no need for all the guards. Make them withdraw from here.¡± The young miss echoed it with a nod. Prince Rui waved his hand and the crowd dispersed. The young miss¡¯s hand loosened it¡¯s grip on Chen Li¡¯s robes. In return, Chen Li shuffled slightly to the side and coughed twice. Yet still, the young miss did not speak. Suddenly, Prince Rui bent to his knees, lowering his ear to where the young missus¡¯s lips were able to reach. She softly whispered words into his ear, causing Prince Rui¡¯s ferocious face to change. His lips were raised into a light arc, his gentle smile softening against the brutal scars on his face. He took off his outer robe and placed it gently on the young girl before bundling her and carried her into his arms. When he turned to leave, he suddenly turned around again to face Xing Yun. ¡°Sir, your courtyard is not equal to the palace.¡± The two had only chatted for a short amount of time, yet the king is already even polite enough as to use a honorific like ¡°sir¡± to address Xing Yun. The intent of his words were to clearly take Xing Yun under his wings as his people. Chen Li pondered, it seems that the Prince really does trust Xing Yun. If he joins the Prince¡¯s house as his people, then she can finally leave, assured of his safety. She didn¡¯t think that Xing Yun would actually shake his head and say, ¡° Thank you, Prince Rui for your kindness. However, I have a strong sense of belonging to my courtyard and it gives me a peace of mind. Second, I am afraid my presence here may bring unwanted troubles to Prince, so I will leave here today. ¡° The prince did not try to force him and just nodded his head. Xing Yun and Chen Li left the palace. ¡°You really just can¡¯t keep out of trouble for even a moment.¡± After they walked a distance away from the palace, Xing Yun began scolding Chen Li. But today, Chen Li did not shout back, making Xing Yun almost choke with surprise. She continued to ignore him, only gazing in the direction of Prince Rui¡¯s palace with a frown. After a while, he looked closely at Chen Li before asking hesitantly, ¡°You haven¡¯t fallen in love for another man¡¯s girl, have you?¡± ¡° No, I am just curious about why the prince would want to raise a demon.¡± Xing Yun was startled, but then Chen Li just waved her hand. ¡°Ah well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± She turned to stare at Xing Yun. ¡° But you. Why didn¡¯t you take advantage of the opportunity to stay at the Prince¡¯s palace? This way¡­.¡± How could she escape? Opening his mouth, Xing Yun patted Chen Li¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s not quarrel. Today, the prince was generous and gave me some coins. Today, we can buy some meat to eat.¡± Chen Li¡¯s mouth twitched, finally deciding not to say anything. Nothing more to do, seeing how so long they¡¯ve already been together, might as well help him finish this problem and protect him for a few more days. CH 10 Incense wafted out, windows were covered dead tight, walls were affixed with evil warding tasmanian. Inside, sat the Crown Prince on a sandalwood throne, a cold look on his face. ¡°Rui Palace, to think that they would find such a place.¡± He was livid, throwing down a jade brocade violently, making the mug on the table tremble. Nearby, kneeled a black robed man who kept silent. ¡°I must not let them stay there¡­. Fu Sheng! Where is the monk and warlock?¡± ¡°Reporting to Prince, they are waiting behind the door.¡± The Crown Prince nodded, satisfied. ¡°Well, well, good. Let¡¯s see what kind of capability they have.¡± ~~~ In the small courtyard, the grapevines danced with the wind. Chen Li looked at the clusters of grapes that were bearing fruit, yet she was unable to eat since it had reached the end of it¡¯s lifespan and was wrinkled. She sighed, if the food that he makes were so delicious, then the fruit trees he grows must be so as well. Chen Li was determined that she would leave within 3 days, no matter Xing Yun¡¯s state or trouble. She no longer has an excuse to stay, and even if she were to, she would only make things worse. The threat of the Crown Prince is manageable by staying in the royal palace, but the threat from the demon world¡­. What can a mortal do against that? ¡°Bang¡± A sound echoed and Chen Li turned to look. From the front yard of the house where the medicine was sold, Xing Yun was struggling to carry a large stone. Sweat was pouring down his face, his lips taut as he planned to move again. He looked focused, almost obsessed with. Seldom able to see Xing Yun in this kind of manner, Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but stay and stare at him. From within her heart, unconsciously rose an idea; How wonderful it would be if there was no arranged marriage waiting for her. If there was no arranged marriage, then she wouldn¡¯t have to flee. If not for that, she wouldn¡¯t have to be as anxious to flee from here, she could¡¯ve¡­. She could¡­. Do what? Chen Li¡¯s mind finally fell back down to earth. An idea had popped out , yet she had forgotten in a blink of an eye. What was it, that her heart had been looking forward to, ah? ¡­.. ¡°Chen Li.¡± Soon, a call from the front yard interrupted her thoughts. She threw off the mixed mood within her heart and walked to the front yard. In the front yard, the scattered stones making up the array had been rearranged. Xing Yun stood in front of a large vat of water and beckoned to Chen Li. ¡°Help me lift the water vat together.¡± Chen Li¡¯s lip curved into a smirk, she walked over and picked up the water vat that was the weight of half a man above her head with only one arm. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°To the other side of the yard.¡± Xing Yun replied. Looking a thow easily Chen Li was carrying the vat of water, he added, ¡°I¡¯ve changed the defensive array surrounding this house into an extremely fierce one that causes massive fear. It¡¯s most potent in the evening. This new one is extremely difficult to deal with, so when you need to pass the front yard, tell me and we¡¯ll go out together.¡± In this area, Chen Li had always respected Xing Yun¡¯s skill, and had always knew that he was an mortal skilled in moon/sun condensing soul arrays. However, even if Xing Yun¡¯s array was very ferocious and powerful, it could not kill people, and how could it be more powerful than the top soldiers of the demon world? Therefore, when Xing Yun was explaining how powerful the array is, Chen Li treated his words like the passing wind and paid no heed of it. Instead, she decided to change the topic and ask Xing Yun, ¡°Why did you choose to change the array?¡± Xing Yun smiled. ¡°Is it not for you and me, so we may sleep in peace?¡± CH 10.1 As if Xing Yun¡¯s words were a jinx, that night, the lanterns around the house suddenly extinguished. Around the hospital suddenly sounded chanting. Xing Yun in his bedroom with a quilt over his ears sighed. ¡°Hahh, who knew that he would have such clumsy plans. It seems like I really have overestimated that Crown Prince.¡± He stopped talking. The continuous chattering had suddenly gotten broken by a crisp voice. Hearing that, Xing Yun immediately stood up, tugging on the edge of the bed to steady himself and walked hurriedly into the hall. Recently after becoming regaining her human form, Chen Li had been sleeping in the hall on a bench as a temporary bed. Living so close to him, every night he is able to see Chen Li stand up, drink water, before staring at him and continuing to sleep. It was a habit of vigilance that she had gotten naturally after years of the battle field, but it was also to let Xing Yun sleep rest assured. So when today he saw that Chen Li was not lying on the bench, his heart had a bad feeling in it and he hurriedly went the front courtyard to take a look. In the front yard, stood 5 men who have fallen within the array. With addition to the 3 black robed men, there were actually 2 dressed in priest¡¯s robes who have all fainted, white faced. Their breaths were weak as they laid on the ground shivering, and within Xing Yun¡¯s courtyard, there was only one figure left standing. It was a girl, a girl called Chen Li who seemed like she would never bend her knees or bow her spine, but was also whose face currently held helplessness and despair. With her current expression, Chen Li no longer looked like an aloof god but rather someone normal, someone that can indeed experience pain. Xing Yun unexpectedly did not try to control his panicked heart, instead daring to step directly into the courtyard, inside the fearsome array. In this moment, he saw Chen Li¡¯s hands that were clenching tightly loosened as she spat out a mouthful of blood, her figure slowly collapsing to the floor. Xing Yun¡¯s eyes closed as he took a deep breath and continued to move forward. Xing Yun reopened his eyes, only to find that the scene from earlier was alike a dream. Standing within the formation was still Chen Li, her hands still clenched tightly by her side. The only difference now was that 2 bloody streaks marred over her face near her eyes. Chen Li had no way of knowing about what Xing Yun was doing outside. Her demon world was in ruins, huge floods of red, glowing hot lava swallowing up the people in the kingdom of the Demonic Realm. . Brave soldiers had reached out their hands to her for help, yet she was bound by some force, unable to lift a finger and save them. The once lofty castle had been reduced to dust, and she felt worried, unsure of the Demon Emperor¡¯s life or death. She turned around suddenly, and saw that the Demon Emperor wearing black robes were restraining her arms. His voice and stature were cold. ¡°This place should not exist.¡± Her mind went blank. Before she could open her mouth, suddenly he was before her, mouth open, savagely tearing off flesh with his teeth wanting to eat her alive! No¡­¡­ ¡°Chen Li¡± The calling seemed to bring up light, yet sounded very faint. However, it was as if time froze, the world around her stopping. ¡°Wake up.¡± Who¡¯s calling her name¡­.. Her eyes ached with pain, opening up to see an indescribably familiar face intrude onto her vision. ¡°The flaming kingdom was fake, it¡¯s all right.¡± The bloody scenes gradually faded from her vision, her hands no longer bound. Chen Li slowly watched her surroundings become more and more real. The courtyard was back, the chattering noises rehearing once again. Xing Yun was in front of her, his hand gently unfurling her painful eyelids. ¡°Breathe.¡± His tone and manner was heavy, as if he had failed once again. ¡°Wake up.¡± Xing Yun blew gently on her eyelids in an effort of wake her up. Chen Li tolerated it, but Xing Yun was worried when he saw that she had still yet to awaken. He forcefully opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and was about to blow hard when Chen Li turned her head to escape. ¡° Stop blowing.¡± Her hands rubbed at her dry eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll become blind!¡± Xing Yun got up. ¡°As a matter of fact, it would make the illusion fade faster!¡± He grabbed Chen Li¡¯s hand and tugged it, walking out. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s better to leave this array first.¡± Being dragged by Xing Yun, her sight landed on his hand covered by her blood stains. She felt startled- That¡¯s right, this array is so powerful¡­. She looked at the Xing Yun¡¯s back absentmindedly and asked, ¡° The Fearsome array, is it because you are it¡¯s maker, which is why it doesn¡¯t harm you?¡± ¡°This is but a mere stone array, how could it recognize people?¡± Xing Yun¡¯s voice was faint. ¡° But if the heart has nothing to fear, how could this array do anything?¡± Nothing to fear¡­. Chen Li fell silent. A heart that has nothing to fear in this world, Xing Yun to say this, really is too arrogant. However¡­. Chen Li¡¯s eyes moved, gaze falling to her hand in his. This man is also too indescribable, but he can also make one feel at ease so easily. Xing Yun, without a word, led Chen Li back into the hall. He did not mention that, for a split second, he had saw the scene Chen Li had experienced. ¡°Those people, what should we do with them?¡± She pointed at the collapsed men lying inside the array. ¡°You can go kick them out in the morning.¡± ¡°What about the ones outside?¡± Xing Yun pondered, then suddenly the chanting outside fell to a stop. ¡°A group of trash!¡± A cold, young voice shouted from the outside. He ordered. ¡° Fire the arrows!¡± Following his voice, a flaming arrow shot into the house, landing on the wooden roof of the house causing it to burst into flames. As if the young man had pushed a button, countless other arrows fired from outside the house onto the roof. Chen Li frowned. ¡°Their own men are still inside, yet they still dare to burn the house down!?¡± Xing Yun had no time to reply, he turned his head to see another fire behind them. The wooden frame the grapevines were growing on had caught on fire. The fearsome atmosphere emitted by the array were continuously being weakened. Every object in the courtyard was part of the array, and were all reliant upon each other. If one part got damaged, the array as a whole would be heavily affected by the loss. Xing Yun naturally knew of these circumstances, yet he seemed as if he didn¡¯t care, on the contrary even letting out a laugh. ¡°After so many years, it seems like I¡¯ve overestimated one¡¯s kindness.¡± His small courtyard is part of a much bigger neighborhood. Both to his left and right are attached to other houses, so if his home is burned to ashes, it¡¯ll cause disaster to not only him but also others. Originally, he believed that the Crown Prince would only harm him, but he never thought that nobility would treat others so ruthlessly! ¡°Hahh¡­l was reckless and harmed others as a result of my actions.¡± Chen Li glanced at him, ¡°You feel guilty?¡± He didn¡¯t reply, but the curve on his lips was bitter. Chen Li moved her eyes forward and wiped the blood stains off her face. She took 2 steps forward. ¡°Today will be the last time I help you. After this, if the courtyard is burnt down, then seek refuge at Prince Rui. Then I will leave in separate ways.¡± This was the first time that Chen Li had told him that she was leaving verbally. Xing Yun was surprised, but he could only watch as she waved her hand, making a silver long spear rotate in her palm. With a flash, a cold, silver spear abruptly landed in her hand, red tassels waving at the end. Just a look seemed like it could cut one in two, the tassels looking like flames. With a twirl in her hands, the edge of the weapon was sharp with killing intent. Forcefully with a slam of her feet, she jumped on the roof and straight up into the air. The silver long spear in her hands drew 4 sharp strokes. With a shout, they solidified into a character that pushed down on the courtyard. Instantaneously, the walls of Xing Yun¡¯s home exploded, the impact causing the surrounding houses to be moved by 20 feet making everywhere else empty. Without any strong winds, the fire could not spread, limiting the amount of damage. Chen Li¡¯s figure flashed and fell inside the barrier. This time, now that the wall is out of the way, Chen Li could clearly see the attackers. There were dozens of guards, crossbow in hand trembling far away. The only one who still dared to face her was a young man outside the crowd, eyes coldly staring at her. Chen Li unceremoniously kicked out the 5 collapsed men from the front courtyard, into the huddled up guards and said slowly, ¡° Today, this king does not wish to see blood.¡± CH 11 Chapter 11 The youth¡¯s eyes narrowed, about to open his mouth to speak. Suddenly, the imperial body guard moved and blocked him with his body, ¡°Sir, be careful. This miscreant isn¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± However, the Crown Prince still didn¡¯t calm down, beckoning his aide, Fu Sheng, to him. Hearing what the Crown Prince had said, he sneered. ¡° Right now, there are 7 princes, and all of them have the capability to inherit the throne. You punk, how can you be a king?¡± Chen Li laughed, but her smile was cold. ¡°You want to rule this era? You are too reckless .¡± Brandishing her spear, she waved it once and only a gleam of silver could be seen before everybody felt their belts loosening. A loud clang of a sword sounded as one dropped to the ground, and with the clang, also sounded everybody¡¯s belts and underpants falling. Everybody rushed in panic, desperately pulling up their pants. Chen Li¡¯s lips hooked up into a smile, but before it could spread, a pair of warm hands covered her eyes. Behind her, Xing Yun sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t look; Too dirty.¡± For a moment, Chen Li was so shocked by the warm hand covering her eyes that she had even forgotten to scold him to let go. Not caring that she had just turned several men naked, Xing Yun still had always looked at her as a girl under his care. As a real woman¡­.. When everybody realised what happened, they all picked up their swords hurriedly, hobbling back awkwardly whilst holding up their pants. However, Fu Sheng¡¯s belt seemed to be a bit different as he had no hint of embarrassment on his face but instead an expression of pondering. His eyes stared at Chen Li for a moment, before ultimately deciding not to say a thing and went with the others. Now, there was only Chen Li and Xing Yun, 2 inside the flames and charcoaled remains of the house. Chen Li put away her silver spear, but did not touch Xing Yun¡¯s hand. Her eyelashes brushed against his palm as she said. ¡° Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll send you to Prince Rui¡¯s residence.¡± Then it¡¯s time to leave. ¡°Ok.¡± Xing Yun agreed, his tone a little high. He let go of Chen Li and watched the burning flames. ¡°Wait a bit.¡± Chen Li turned her head to the side to look at Xing Yun. The raging fire was reflected in his pupils, his lips had a rare frown on it. She suddenly remembered what Xing Yun said to Rui Wang yesterday. He said that he wanted to stay in his small courtyard because it was his home, but now it was being destroyed, swallowed up in the raging flames. His mood, how could it be good? Chen Li¡¯s fists tightened. If she could, she would¡¯ve definitely made the Crown Prince pay. But if she were to use more of her powers, then in but a few days, the pursuers would¡¯ve definitely come to kill her. She cannot continue to stay here. Chen Li gazed into the fire, slowly burning the courtyard to ashes. She knows that her time here has come to an end, but, her heart has never felt so reluctant to leave. In the end, what to do¡­¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll burn.¡± In Chen Li¡¯s somber silence, Xing Yun suddenly muttered to himself. ¡°This way, I can¡¯t know if the fish in the pond is still edible, raising so many, what a waste.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­ You were actually just thinking about that?!?¡± ¡°Otherwise, what else would I be thinking?¡± Chen Li took a deep breath and grabbed Xing Yun by his collar and moved. The garden in Prince Rui¡¯s palace was silent. Suddenly, there was a flash of silver light, and 2 figures abruptly appeared in the garden. Xing Yun walked as he glanced at the moonlight above them and sighed. ¡°Moving thousands of miles with magic really is far move convenient, but why did you have to choose this inhabited garden?¡± ¡°Do you think I want to come here?¡± Chen Li shot back. ¡°This is because I cannot locate Prince Rui¡¯s bedroom.¡± Xing Yun smiled. ¡°It¡¯s still your job to find him.¡± He moved forward to step out of the small garden, but Chen Li grabbed his wrist. ¡° Don¡¯t you see the strange thing here?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± His ears couldn¡¯t hear anything but the chirping of insects, and his eyes could only see the shadows of the trees against the moonlight. It looked no different from any other night. Chen Li waved her hands and caught something, something tiny. ¡° During the day, I didn¡¯t even see it. Why would Prince Rui want to raise so many unformed demon sprits?¡± Xing Yun raised his eyebrow, releasing his wrist while Chen Li wasn¡¯t paying attention. He walked out of the pavilion, and in the silence, he spread out his arms. Walking 2 steps forward, he turned to Chen Li and confidently said, ¡°There is no malice. I cannot see the so called demon spirit, but I can determine the atmosphere. Chen Li, you worry too much.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t that Chen Li was worrying too much, but rather, because Xing Yun could not see what was happening. Here, the power of heaven and earth was overwhelming in balls of light, resembling clouds of fireflies within a beautiful, midsummer night. In the moonlit garden, it illuminated every corner. He did not know that, when he walked forward and spread open his arms, he was like a mortal so magnificent, to even be able to receive the admirations of the gods themselves as he embraced the dazzling light. It was so bright that Chen Li even had to squint her eyes, countless thoughts running in her head. This man, who had awoken her from the nightmare. This man, who opened his umbrella to protect her from the drizzling rain. This man, who rested as pockets of sun fell on him through the grapevines. One who could make her feel so at ease, this kind of man¡­.. ¡°Come.¡± 2 steps away, Xing Yun held out his hand. ¡°If you are afraid, I¡¯ll hold you.¡± He to her, he really sees her as a woman¡­. She cannot look, cannot look. Chen Li grabbed his palm forcefully and pulled him, making him stagger 2 steps forward. Before he could recover, Chen Li roughly hit him and pulled his robe. Xing Yun had an almost dazed look. ¡°Why did you?¡± ¡°Did you forget who was standing in front of you?¡± Xing Yun froze for a long time before letting out a helpless smile. ¡° Yes, mighty Chen Li. I didn¡¯t mean to look down on you¡­..¡± ¡°You listen well, I want to tell you something.¡± Chen Li didn¡¯t bother listening to Xing Yun, just staring at him sternly. ¡°I¡¯m about to fall for you.¡± The crickets chirp. Chen Li¡¯s words were the only things spoken in the silence, sticking in Xing Yun¡¯s ears. After a while, he simply grinned. ¡°Ok, got it, let¡¯s go!¡± CH 11.1 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter He¡­. Was he just having fun with her? Such a perfunctory answer, so perfunctory, he probably didn¡¯t even have time to even consider the matter, ah! And that smile! Why would he be smiling, ai! Even more ridiculous, was that he was completely complacent and just disregarded her words! The hand that¡¯s roughly pinning Xing Yun¡¯s robe shook with fury. But before she could explode with anger, her nose twitched, a faint smell floating in the air. Instantly, her body no longer held the feeling of anger, but rather, was taut and alert. Magic particles. It¡¯s very light, but definitely cannot be taken lightly. Chen Li released Xing Yun¡¯s robes from her grasp and turned to look at the sky. The night sky was filled with little demon sprits, hindering her vision. She could only tell that the smell vaguely came from the south east. But when she tried to pinpoint it again, the magical particles was nowhere to be seen. Chen Li¡¯s eyebrows knitted slightly, the magic particles¡­ She could tell that they were different from the demon realm¡¯s, but she couldn¡¯t recognize it. As she was pondering, the atmosphere changed. The originally bright young demon spirits that were crowding around Xing Yun, had all frozen in the air, dead still. Chen Li got a bad feeling and hurriedly hauled Xing Yun behind her as her whole body spilled out waves of power. With a loud echo, all the surrounding spirits were pushed away only to see the group just float into the sky aimlessly. Slowly, the demon spirits began to tremble violently. One by one, they all gradually turned into a blood red color from the inside out. ¡°What happened?¡± Xing Yun asked, slightly surprising Chen Li. It seemed that he too has sensed the change. Chen Li just shook her head. ¡° To put it simply, it isn¡¯t a good thing. We need to leave this garden and find Prince Rui.¡± If Prince Rui were to know of this, then Xing Yun really would have no place to stay. Chen Li barely finished her sentence before a horrifying scream of a woman sounded throughout the night sky. The cry was mournful, filled with countless resentment and hate. The demon spirits in the air, too, seemed to be affected by the screaming. Their trembling bodies intensified, and some of them even started letting out small crying noises similar to a child¡¯s. The sounds echoed within the dark night. Xing Yun¡¯s brows wrinkled slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Even he has heard the noise? Then¡­¡­ Chen Li waved a hand, magical power sweeping forward. It cut straight through the demon spirits, sweeping a way out of the garden. She dragged Xing Yun with her as she walked out of the garden, conveniently hearing Prince Rui¡¯s men as they shouted one after another into the air. ¡°M-M-Monsters!!¡± ¡°Help me!!¡± When she stepped out of the fenced garden with Xing Yun in tow, Chen Li felt shocked by her surroundings. Prince Rui¡¯s home was filled with young demon spirits, all the color of blood, everywhere. They were all crying and acting similar to a new born baby, blood red tears streaming down their faces. Some crawled on the floor, others on the walls, and many of them were even clutching to people as they all kept sobbing. However, their bloody tears were equivalent to dangerous acids, causing burns to mar the skin. The servants were all in a panic, running chaotically through the residence. Torches lit up the night, but whenever the tears made contact with the torch, fiery light exploded, so dazzling that even Chen Li had to close her eyes. It was similar to the nightmarish illusion from earlier, scaring Chen Li through the depths of her heart. Xing Yun knitted his brows, Chen Li muterred. ¡°A demon spirit has bitten back against it¡¯s owner. He couldn¡¯t raise the demon spirit, I need to quickly find Prince Rui.¡± A Demon Spirit is very difficult to obtain. Even out of tens of millions of young demon spirits, only one talented spirit can achieve a conscious human body and become a complete demon spirit. Others, even if you were to hand raise it day and night, year by year, the most it would be able to achieve is a soulless vessel, unable to cultivate or learn. Within Rui Wang¡¯s palace, there is only one that is able to cultivate into a human body, the young lotus miss. However, on the day of the encounter, her heart did not hold any resentment. But now, it¡¯s so high that she even tried to kill the prince! How could this¡­¡­¡­ Chen Li suddenly recalled how the magical particles suddenly disappeared, and her expression turned grave. ¡°Chen Li.¡± Xing Yun suddenly called out to her and pointed southeast to a small road. ¡°Prince Rui¡¯s residence is right over there.¡± Chen Li looked up at the southeast corner. However, instead of seeing a house, the only thing that was visible was a crowd of glowing red spirits. CH 12 Chen Li looked up at the southeast corner. However, instead of seeing a house, the only thing that was visible was a crowd of glowing red spirits. The residence was covered, as if the bloody baby demon spirits were trying to bite a hole though. Chen Li¡¯s heart shook, and she turned to look at Xing Yun. Originally, she was going to let him just wait here, but the immature demons were already crawling their way towards them. Finally, she just gnashed her teeth and took his hand in a tight grip. ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t wander more than 3 steps from me.¡± Xing Yun just smiled. ¡°With such a grip, how could I?¡± His world suddenly went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a blood soaked room. But despite it¡¯s current appearance, if one looked closely, they could see that it used to be a grand and beautiful area. The blood within the room dripped from the demon spirit¡¯s tears, toxic and extremely harmful. In a short moment of carelessness, a drop fell onto him and pain racked his body. It was so intense that it reached and engraved itself within his heart. Xing Yun¡¯s hand was smoldering, smoke blowing up from it. All that remained was a round, but deep hole in his hand. However, Xing Yun did not let out a sound, leaving Chen Li oblivious as she continued to scout around. Finally, Chen Li managed to find a secret door behind the bookcase. It was open, leading out into a dark room. Chen Li brought her other hand up and unfurled it, revealing a bright flame in the hollow of her palm as she walked ahead, pulling along Xing Yun. Every step she took was careful. ¡°Ah!!¡± A scream! Within the narrow passageway, the cry was even more piercing, making Chen Li¡¯s heart feel ever tighter. If Prince Rui died then¡­. Using the fire blazing in her palm to lead the way, Chen Li and Xing Yun finally reached the exit of the escape tunnel, leading into a spacious room. A candle light flickered behind the screen. The two had yet to have even enter, but they could already hear the small lotus miss¡¯s mournful crying. ¡°Zhu Chengjin! Neither you or her can live any further!! You all must die!¡± Rushing into the room, Chen Li kicked the screen that was blocking their sight out of the way. The young lotus missus¡¯s long black hair was disordered and messy, young demon spirits floating around her. Prince Rui¡¯s hand was grasping a 3 foot long cyan colored sword as he defended a bed, lips bloody. This bed, he was willing to risk his life to protect, laid a women. Her face was pale as she lied still, eyes closed as if she had slept for many years. Chapter 12 When Chen Li and Xing Yun suddenly broke into the room, the young lotus missus was suprised, her blood red eyes staring at the two. Her lips moved. ¡°Those who obstruct me, die!¡± Her magical qi reappeared and converged into the shape of a knife. With the young missus¡¯s shout, it split through the air, aiming to kill Chen Li and Xing Yun. Chen Li moved to block in front of Xing Yun, her hand waved out. It was as if the magical qi had hit an invisible barrier that it could not pierce through as it diffused back into the air. However, her resentment was still very strong and converged into a mist and trapped Chen Li. The hatred was so strong that Chen Li frowned. ¡° Rather than how you are now, I really do love your happy, innocent blushing manner much more. If you don¡¯t calm down and change back to normal now, I will no longer give you the chance.¡± As soon as she finished her words, a red tasseled, silver long spear suddenly materialized in the palm of her hand. Waving, it reappeared in her grasp as she charged at the young miss, striking at the heart. Before she could finish her action, a hoarse voice suddenly interrupted her. Prince Rui. ¡°Do not hurt her.¡± His voice was extremely rough, but his intention was clear. If there was indeed no hatred, even in such a state, then Chen Li was completely convinced that Rui Wang must have really loved the young lotus miss- Even in such a dire situation, he could still not bear to hurt her one bit. ¡°Do not hurt me?¡± When the young lotus miss heard this, the laugh that came out of her throat was similar to crying. ¡°Zhu Chengjin¡­¡­ Zhu Chengjin! Are you merciful or cruel?¡± Her voice was raised, her whole body radiating even more hostility. ¡°In that case, all of you can die together!¡± The ground trembled. It roared out a loud boom as rock collapsed,blocking off the exit to the outside. Chen Li¡¯s heart sunk- Outside, there were thousands upon hundreds of incomplete demon spirits, all surrounding the house that can destroy everybody outside. Over here, they would¡¯ve normally been safe. However, this is a narrow channel, if the exit is sealed, it is tantamount to burying all the people here alive. Not a small amount, when all the air here is exhausted, everybody here would have suffocated to death! ¡°Always guarding her, now you can die together.¡± The young missus¡¯s figure gradually became faint, ¡°And I, will destroy your whole Rui Palace.¡± Chen Li¡¯s body flashed, stepping forward to seize her. Outside, the demon spirits are affected by the young lotus miss. If this time we can kill her, all the other ones outside would lose their hostility. However, this time Chen Li had forgotten that she was still clutching onto Xing Yun¡¯s hand, who was tying her down. Before she could let go and chase her, the young missus had already dissipated. Chen Li gnashed her teeth and angrily threw off Xing Yun¡¯s hand before turning to glare at him. Xing Yun had an innocent look on his face as she glared at him, waiting for him to speak. Finally, Xing Yun sighed, ¡°You¡¯re stronger, with such a tight grip, how could I break free of your grasp?¡± Chen Li choked and forced her feelings down, turning to stare at Prince Rui. His expression was very sullen, and his complexion was pale. Chen Li did not bother to ask him why and just got straight to the point, ¡°I¡¯ll send you two out first, and then you two return back with the guards to carry this girl out.¡± ¡°Out of question.¡± ¡°Cannot.¡± The two men both open their mouths and denied Chen Li¡¯s order. Prince Rui turned to look at Xing Yun inquiringly, a somber look on his face. Finally, Xing Yun sighed. ¡±I can make a soul condensing array here.¡± He turned to look at the woman on the bed. ¡°If we leave her now, she may not survive.¡± Hearing this remark, Chen Li glared angrily at Prince Rui, ¡°Speak! What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± At this time, Prince Rui had long collapsed by the bedside and had no energy to rebuke Chen Li for her ¡°disrespectful¡± attitude. He kept silent and only looked at the woman on the bed before his hoarse voice rang out, ¡°This is my wife, the Rui Princess. Three years ago, we were out on a walk when we got attacked by an assassination squad. My face had gotten damaged, but she had protected me, all the knives entering her body. She saved me from the assassination, but she had fallen off of a cliff. I found her body at the bottom of the cliff, so I brought her back and kept her here, waiting for the day she opens her eyes again.¡± CH 12.1 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter Chen Li frowned, ¡°If you were just waiting for her, than why would you house a demon spirit? Now, it even holds so much resentment towards you, how come?¡± Prince Rui kept silent for a while before finally speaking hoarsely, ¡°When I brought her back here, the only thing I could think of was her dead body. It gave me indescribable sorrow, because I know, I know that Ye Shi, such a woman, couldn¡¯t have died so easily. I studied the path of immortals and finally found 2 ways to awaken her¡­¡­¡± Before he could even finish, Chen Li already knew of the 2 ways he had found. To either continue to extend her life with a Fate Changing array, and to raise a complete demon spirit to feed to her. One life for another life. Chen Li sneered, ruthlessly exposing him. ¡°You did not protect your wife properly, and had let her die for your sake 3 years ago. Now, you can¡¯t accept the reality, and delusionally wishes for her to live again. Therefore, you sought for an immoral method and went against the flow of heaven to raise a demon spirit hand by hand, only to trade hers for your wife¡¯s. Really such a cheap guy, huh?¡± The prince kept silent. ¡°That is what I¡¯ll do, if it wakes Ye Shi up.¡± Chen Li¡¯s eyes narrowed, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Xing Yun would have nowhere else to go, then she really would¡¯ve preferred to just go, leaving this selfish prince to just deal with it all himself. ¡°Now why did the young lotus miss turn out to be like this?¡± Prince Rui shook his head, ¡°I come here every night to visit my wife, but somehow, Small Lotus had actually broken in here for some reason. She didn¡¯t understand these matters, so her heart gave birth to resentment. Of course she¡¯ll resent you! Chen Li spoke, ¡°A demon spirits temper is very stubborn. She regards you as someone very dear to her, but you would actually kill her for another life¡­. If she didn¡¯t hate you, then something would¡¯ve been wrong with her brain! Not to mention¡­¡± Chen Li turned her gaze to the woman on the bed. She felt that no more words were needed. The little lotus miss had always loved Prince Rui, but it turned out that all along, the only one the Prince cared for was his princess. Just then, the ground shook once more. Chen Li still did not know how well the outer pavilions were faring. Chen Li pondered before speaking to Prince Rui. ¡°I don¡¯t care about what happens before, but right now, we are in this mess because of you. Since you can¡¯t make up your mind, I¡¯ll just do this how I want to. When I find the lotus miss, if I cannot get rid of her power, I will kill her.¡± Prince Rui¡¯s expression was cold as he observed Chen Li, listen to her clear voice. ¡°Keep in mind, that if the young lotus miss dies, and people connect it with your dead wife, that it was I, Chen Li, who killed her and no one else was involved.¡± Xing Yun suddenly turned to observe Chen Li, their eyes meeting. Chen Li quickly turned her head, her vision leaving Xing Yun. Chen Li involuntarily grabbed Xing Yun¡¯s wrist and spoke, ¡°Right now the tunnel is blocked. The baby blood demon spirits cannot come in, but air is limited and can¡¯t sustain us for long. Around this time outside, it should be a mass of panic. I can bring Xing Yun and myself to go back in the throne room to avoid the baby demon spirits. Let the common people leave the palace, then we can search for the young lotus miss.¡± Xing Yun didn¡¯t know what to say, and just nodded and agreed. Where, in this moment, Chen Li was still mindful of Xing Yun, her mouth constantly muttering incantations as their landscape changed. The horizon had already become translucent and the sun was about to rise, bringing light and weakening the bloody demon spirits severely. But even so, the Rui Palace was in a disastrous state from the raging last night. The bodies of the slaves, maidservants, and guards, were all crumpled up under the baby demon spirits, clothes and flesh burned off by the acidic tears. A very gruesome and nauseous sight. But even if Chen Li saw a corpse that looked disturbingly similar to a butchered pig, she would just summon her silver longspear and brandish it. Sending out waves of killing intent, she simply swept it out of her way as she spoke to Xing Yun. ¡°Take advantage of the sun to deal with the little bloody demon spirits with your array. If they are contained first, the people of Rui Palace can escape safely.¡± Xing Yun froze up for a moment before forcing out a bitter smile. ¡°Do you really think arrays are so easy to make? I don¡¯t even know Rui Palace¡¯s layout, how could I make one?¡± Chen Li felt surprised for a moment. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why didn¡¯t you say so in the cavern? If deal with the young lotus miss right now, you would have no use.¡± Xing Yun coughed twice, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you say anything earlier.¡± You didn¡¯t hear at all, what¡¯s wrong with your head, ah! Chen Li struggled to suppress her anger, in such a busy time, he added more chaos. If this was in her military barracks, then she would¡¯ve had people to pull and whip this stupid soldier. She had originally planned to have just dropped Xing Yun off at the Rui Palace then go her separate ways, but in the end, how long has this ¡°simple¡± situation been?!? She only stays here for a moment, yet so much danger has occurred! If her pursuers come and add to the mix as well, this situation would not be solved with a few mere houses collapsing. As Chen Li continued to think about how to end this situation, the tip of her nose caught a whiff of more magical qi, a familiar one causing her heart to tighten. She looked towards the horizon, but the smell as closer now. However, she was relieved. It was only one person, and what¡¯s more, is that she is very familiar with this pers¨C ¡°Mo Fang!¡± CH 12.2 ¡°Mo Fang!¡± She shouted towards the sky, a black ball of magical qi suddenly falling near her. Chen Li rushed to it, the thick, black qi dispersing to reveal Mo Fang, dressed in thin, black robes. He fell onto one knee, bowing his hand respectfully into a salute. ¡°King!¡± Ever since Mo Fang had devised a method for her to escape to marriage, Chen Li had always felt grateful to him in her heart, even though she had been forced through inhumane treatments afterwards¡­¡­. However, Mo Fang¡¯s loyalty wasn¡¯t weak willed. She patted his back and helped him up, but Mo Fang refused. Rather, he bent his other knee and sank into a deep kowtow. ¡°The other day had injured the King. Mo Fang had committed a crime worth a thousand deaths.¡± Chen Li grew angry, ¡°Get up! I hate those who bow as the first thing they do!¡± Xing Yun had backed up a step and was just quietly sizing up the newly arrived man kneeling on the ground. Chen Li realised that although Mo Fang was still kneeling, he was very guarded against Xing Yun. Turning to Mo Fang, she said, ¡°Anyways, he is my subordinate.¡± Chen Li pondered, what to say. For Mo Fang to come and find her, a big event must have surely happened up in heaven. However, if she can¡¯t tell Mo Fang everything- A mortal knowing of all the little demon spirits and such strong knowledge of arrays is not something that is right. His body as a mortal, yet knowing so much bears a great burden for him. If it is known that Xing Yun understands some of the Truths of heaven, then who knows which near day lightning will strike down and kill him. Chen Li looked around, the bloody demon spirits were left helpless by the sun, lying on the ground, unable to move. But just in case, Chen Li gave Xing Yun the red tasseled silver long spear in her hands. ¡°Take it and go somewhere else for now. He and I have some matters to discuss. My spear contains my spirtual aura, so no bloody baby spirits should try and attack you.¡± Before Xing Yun could reply, the silver longspear was already in his arms. Glancing at the floor, he could see that the demon spirits were left helpless and couldn¡¯t move due to the sun. Xing Yun was about to deny, but suddenly Mo Fang had lifted his head and his stare pierced into Xing Yun¡¯s. His expression was vivid, as if almost yelling, ¡°You dare to take the King¡¯s spear! Damn!¡± Xing Yun was silent for a moment before clutching the silver spear tightly to his bosom, and leisurely walked to the outside. He didn¡¯t forget to give Mo Fang a smug smile before he left. Mo Fang clenched his fist, but Chen Li actually smiled and helped him up. She patted his shoulder, ¡°Young fellow, I really must thank you for injuring me that time. Otherwise, there would¡¯ve been no way for me to escape!¡± Mo Fang was a whole head higher than Chen Li, so she had to look up to see his face. A glimpse of a scar was at Mo Fang¡¯s neck, the result of his sacrifice to the red tasseled longspear. Her silver longspear contained demonic aura, preventing the scar from healing. No matter how good Mo Fang¡¯s healing abilities were, it could never get rid of it. Chen Li sighed. ¡°Later, when this foolish marriage has been abolished, I will go in front of the Demon Emperor myself and make sure that you receive compensation.¡± Mo Fang lowers his head. ¡°Your subordinate doesn¡¯t dare.¡± He stopped his formal speech this time and went straight to the point. ¡°Had King used her magical powers last night? Those up in heaven had felt the waves of power, I¡¯m afraid that if you don¡¯t flee quickly now, it will be difficult to later.¡± This, Chen Li had already known. However, there is still the current situation, if the little lotus miss kills the prince, then there is no one else whose powers rival the Crown Prince¡¯s. Then, who can shield Xing Yun? CH 13 ¡°Today, I¡¯m afraid to say that I cannot.¡± Chen Li turned away to stare at the blood red ground. ¡°I still have unfinished matters.¡± Watching Chen Li¡¯s indecisive state, Mo Fang could not help but frown. He really did not wish to urge Chen Li, but this problem truly couldn¡¯t be delayed any further. He cupped his fist in his hand, and advised, ¡°King! Your departure from this area cannot be dragged on any further! If King gets caught now, the Demon Emperor will never give King another chance! Heaven is already preparing for the wedding, if at that time¡­¡­¡­¡± What will happen, Chen Li knows clearer than anybody else. She glanced back at Xing Yun, who was standing on the side holding her red tasseled spear. He curiously poked one of the nearby demon spirits butt, who wasn¡¯t even able to let out a single wail before it disintegrated to ashes. Seeing this, Xing Yun seemed to let out a sigh before continuing to examine her spear. Chen Li¡¯s lips curved out, turning her head to face Mo Fang again. She rubbed her forehead,¡°I know, but right now, I am unable to leave right now.¡± ¡°King?¡± Mo Fang¡¯s eyebrows scrunched up, showing his confusion. In his eyes, Chen Li had only said ¡°Will Do¡± or ¡°Will Not¡±, therefore such a thing as ¡°Unable to¡± was truly rare. This argument, he really couldn¡¯t comprehend. ¡°Subordinate doesn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°These days, I have experienced many things within the mortal world, and unknowingly began to let one into my heart.¡± Her voice sounded, her head turning to look at Xing Yun. Mo Fang¡¯ gawked, following her trail of sight, landing on the young man standing off to the side. That same young man, whose face looked as if he had never slept, messy, sickly pale face, slow heartbeat, the same young man that looked as if he was about to die an early death. This¡­. This is the person King felt feelings for?!? At this time, Xing Yun looked as if he had suddenly lost all strength in his wrist, unable to hold up the silver long spear any further. It fell to the floor, making ¡°gu gu lu¡± noises as it rolled to the nearby demon spirits. Suddenly, it released large amounts of magical qi, killing intent spilling off of it. Whenever the magical qi neared one of the helpless demon spirits, the demon spirit discenergrated to ashes. However, their malicious auras still remained, clouding the area with smoke. Xing Yun coughed constantly, chasing after the spear. When he finally got it, the smoke vanquished from his surrounds, looking 3x as more sickly as before. Chen Li sighed gently, ¡°Such a person, before I met him, I¡¯ve never thought that¡­.¡± She looked up at Mo Fang, whose brows were tightly scrunched, ¡°He and I are completely different, he has that weak body that can hardly be tossed around a few times before ending up dead. Right now, I cannot feel relieved and calm, leaving him here in a dangerous place. I wish to let him live safely before I leave. Although I have taken a fancy to him, I also know that humans and devils both go different paths. A mortal¡¯s life is very short, after only living briefly, will only exist in memory.¡± Chen Li¡¯s voice was quiet, but it intonation was both gentle and firm. ¡°I will not be with him. Since we are not destined to be together, if I can give him a safe and happy life, then it will be good.¡± Hearing her firm voice, Mo Fang understood; This was her decision. Now, no matter what anybody says, she will do as she has decided. Mo Fang hung his head in silence. After a long while, he kneeled down and cupped his hands, resigning to submit, ¡°Subordinate accepts the King¡¯s will, willing to share King¡¯s burdens. Let the King command.¡± Hearing this, Chen Li pondered, ¡°Half.¡± She turned around to walk to Xing Yun, ¡°If you can help delay them for half a day, this matter will be done.¡± ¡°I obey your command.¡± Chen Li turned her head to look him straight in the eye. ¡°Many thanks.¡± Mo Fang¡¯s eyes sparkled, not saying a word as his body moved like a wind. There was only a flash before his figure could no longer be seen. When Chen Li reached Xing Yun, she took her longspear back from his hands. Xing Yun chuckled, ¡°Your longspear is quite powerful.¡± Able to hold onto it for so long, you are also quite formidable.¡± This spear had killed many beings, causing it¡¯s malicious aura to become truly strong. Even laying eyes on it had caused many creatures to run away in fear. But Xing Yun, this guy seemed indifferent to everything. Patience, fear, sadness, yet it never surfaces, always calm. In this sense, he could actually be considered a master. Moving on from her thoughts, Chen Li scanned the area in a circle with her eyes, whispering to Xing Yun, ¡°The demon spirits are still here, so the young lotus miss hadn¡¯t ran away. Where could she be hiding¡­.¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Xing Yun smiled, ¡°When a child gets attacked outside, where else can she go but to run back home?¡± Chen Li¡¯s eyes flashed, ¡°A lotus lives in a lake!¡± CH 13.1 Chen Li¡¯s eyes flashed, ¡°A water lotus!!¡± That was her real body! Since she still hasn¡¯t came out or hurt anyone yet, she must be hiding there! Finding out where she was, Chen Li was so excited that she was about to hurry there right that second. But when she was about to put her foot down, she suddenly stopped and turned to face Xing Yun, a glare on her face. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t asked you, you never would¡¯ve said anything!¡± ¡°How could I do that?¡± Xing Yun laughed lightly, ¡°Being so clever and experienced, I had thought that you surely had already figured out the key, and didn¡¯t need me to remind you.¡± Chen Li glanced at him, not saying anything. However, her heart held an unexplainably strange feeling in it. It was as if, ever since they had entered the royal palace up til now, whether unintentionally or on purpose, Xing Yun had always seemed to be hindering her movements, just like¡­. He didn¡¯t want her to deal with this problem and leave as soon as possible. The lake was gloomy, corpses floating not too far away. However, the same unbloomed flower that was in the lake yesterday was no longer a soft, pink color. Instead, the bud seemed to ooze out a deep, bloody red color that bled down the stem. Chen Li picked up a pebble near her foot and gently threw it, landing on the flower bud. She raised her voice, barking, ¡°Out!¡± There was no movement. Chen Li¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then don¡¯t blame me.¡± In mere moments, the spear that was in her hand gathered a thick killing intent, one that was razor sharp. She swung it down at the thick flower¡¯s stem. Xing Yun¡¯s hand abruptly grabbed her wrist, breaking off the spell. Chen Li frowned. ¡°What?¡± Xing Yun dropped her hand, his voice faint. ¡°Nothing, just never thought that you would only ask her once before wanting to end her life. Moreover, if you look at this clearly, she is innocent. I fear that if you were to kill her now, when you look back into the past, your soul will be burdened with tremendous regret.¡± ¡°So you became the buddha, suddenly so kind?¡± She replied, ¡°This situation must end now. If she does not cooperate, then I will take the most direct way to finish this.¡± Chen Li shoved Xing Yun, her demeanor ice cold. ¡°I am not kind. In order to reach my goal, I will put my conscience locked away. Move.¡± When opposing the enemy, Chen Li will never be kindhearted. This is also one of the reasons why, despite being so young, been crowned the title of Azure Sky King. Slaughter with resolve, indifferent and cruel, that is something that even those older must study. Xing Yun no longer blocked her way, standing off silently onto the side. Although he was quiet, he was actually pondering in his head. This girl named Chen Li, how many different faces did she have? It was really so interesting, making one want to see more. ¡°Ah!!¡± In the lake, the water shook. A sad, shrill scream emerged from the lotus, the bloody petals dying the lake red. Her face was slowly morphing into one¡¯s of a human¡¯s, if it wasn¡¯t for the expression of resentment on her face, she was every bit similar to a cute, slim lotus fairy. Unfortunately¡­. ¡°Why must you help him?!?¡± The little lotus missus¡¯s eyes were red as she stared at Chen Li, ¡°Why do you need to help him!¡± She seemed to have lost all reason, charging at Chen Li, her figure disappearing with a flash. For Chen Li, it was actually quite convenient. She easily seized her by her wrist before hitting her ming men acupuncture point, leaving the little lotus paralyzed. Chen Li twisted her wrist into an submission, causing her head to be pinned against the fence. With a wave of Chen Li¡¯s hand, the spear disappeared, leaving her hand free. Under the surprised gaze of Xing Yun, Chen Li ferociously whacked the little lotus¡¯s butt, a resounding ¡°pa¡± echoing in the air. ¡°Admit your mistakes!¡± Chen Li¡¯s hand was not light, the hit causing the little lotus¡¯s whole body to tremble. However, how could a complete demon spirit filled with resentment be afraid of fighting, causing her to struggle ferociously, ¡°What mistakes did I do?!? The one who made a mistake was Zhu Chengjin!¡± Not bothering with the little lotus¡¯s nonsense, Chen Li kept on spanking her butt again and again. Her body twitched letting out cries until her throat was sore. Finally, the pain woke her up from the despair, causing her to gain reason once again. However, her little mouth still cursed, ¡°I will let him die without a burial, I¡¯ll ruin this entire royal palace!¡± ¡°Admit it¡± ¡°The heavens are heartless!¡± ¡°Admit your mistake!¡± ¡°I¡¯m right¡­..not¡­..¡± ¡°Admit mistake.¡± Chen Li kept on slapping her butt to the extent where she was crying and shouting, ¡°I was wrong, I was wrong! Do not hit, I admit my mistake, boo hoo¡­.¡± ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± Chen Li stopped hitting, her hand also red from acid produced by her body. The little lotus missus¡¯s dress had once again turned a gentle pink color, the lotus in the lake the same as yesterday. The little bloody demon spirits disappeared, reverting back into their original spiritual states. They floated around aimlessly, normal humans unable to see them. Little lotus was lying on the fence as she cried, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t harm other people! I was wrong, I never should¡¯ve harmed people!¡± Chen Li released her, allowing little lotus to curl up on the bench as she cried, tears falling into the lake. Xing Yun smiled as he gazed at the two, marveling, ¡°Even a demon born out of resentment could be afraid of beatings! This move, so simple, but so effective, ah!¡± ¡°It was you who had reminded me.¡± Chen Li was still looking at the crying little lotus, ¡°She only has a child¡¯s temperament that can only think up of fearful revenge, but lack the ruthlessness to carry it out. Even in that hidden room, she only blocked the passageway. If she wanted to, it would¡¯ve been easy for her to directly kill Prince Rui.¡± Chen Li sighed, ¡°She had hurried home to hide when she was injured, if not for the yard of demon spirits, she would¡¯ve even been afraid of us easily breaking out and getting revenge. With such a child¡¯s disposition, I would naturally only beat. However, if she really didn¡¯t come out, then I would be forced to stamp out the source of trouble.¡± Xing Yun struggled valiantly to hide his laughter, but ultimately failed, bursting out in chuckles and sighed, ¡°In brief, to subdue with military force.¡± Chen Li waited, letting Little Lotus sob. She patted her on the shoulder, gently saying ¡°I sympathise with you, but this has already been done, and crying is useless. If Rui Palace is a place you no longer want to stay, then walk, walk without looking back. Do not worry about him coming to kill you, I will not let him.¡± She slowly stopped crying and shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s not¡­. Until now, I still cannot believe¡­..¡± She stuttered, squatting on the ground, ¡°To me, he was so good, was¡­ Only to him, he could only see hope for his wife¡­.. I was only a substitute¡­ Not even can be considered a substitute, ah¡­..¡± Chen Li was silent, not sure how to comfort her. Xing Yun suddenly opened his mouth to speak, ¡°Uh, yes. You are a raw material for medicine, just looking, no error or cracks. You can be refined very well, you are quite precious.¡± Chen Li narrowed her eyes at him, out of his mouth didn¡¯t even hold one cheerful sentence, ah! ¡°Chicken meat is also very good for nourishment and eating, so nevermind you, but even this smart spirit isn¡¯t eaten, so let¡¯s go before we are turned into stew!¡± When you went to buy a chicken, what did you want, ah!! CH 14 The little lotus wiped her tears, quietly pondering. Finally, she took a deep breath and decided, ¡°I want to see the this side of him¡­. If I walk away now, I will never get the chance to say goodbye. Even if in his eyes, I am nothing, ever since I¡¯ve opened my eyes in this world, he has been my everything. He is the most important person in my life.¡± Recollections of memories floated through her mind, causing her eyes to redden once again with tears, ¡°I worked hard to become become a real person, learned how to talk, studied human customs, just to gain his favour¡­.. Just to be with him¡­¡­. Not kill me, ah¡­..¡± Chen Li sighed, squatting next to her, ¡°Although what I¡¯m saying is a little cruel, you must listen. That Prince Rui, raising you from birth, only to slaughter you, for him, this is the only value you have. Anything else, no matter how much you do, even if you beg him, he will be completely cold and aloof. It has no value, do you understand?¡± Chen Li held her face, using her thumb to wipe of her tears. ¡°Therefore, you must quickly stand back up and walk to the future. You are such a good girl, so forget about him, this world has so much more beautiful things to explore.¡± In the back, Xing Yun quietly looked at Chen Li¡¯s squatting figure. The little lotus miss also stared at Chen Li before lowering her head, ¡°You are carefree, but me¡­¡± She lowered her head, burying her face into her knees. She sounded unwilling as she said, ¡°I would like to see what kind of woman she is, to make the prince go through such efforts to revive her. I want to know, between her and I, how big the distance truly is.¡± Chen Li stood up, exchanging looks with Xing Yun. He spoke, ¡°Go take a look- You¡¯ll have to face disappointment eventually.¡± Chen Li¡¯s mouth twitched, thinking in her mind. Why would you need to see her once again? The fact is already there. Even if little lotus is better in every aspect than the woman lying on the bed, the one Prince Rui loves is not her. That cannot be changed. But seeing little lotus being so persistent, she swallowed down her thoughts, and said instead, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll bring you to see her. When we go down, hide behind Xing Yun while I find an excuse to lead Prince Rui away. Then, you can stare at her as much as you like.¡± The woman was already dead, it¡¯s not like little lotus can harm her. Chen Li used a special technique, instantly teleporting them to the secret chamber. Chen Li signaled Xing Yun with her eyes to little lotus, Xing Yun quickly moving to block her with his body. Chen Li then walked inside, finding Prince Rui sitting by the bedside. His eyes were fixed on the woman whom laid on the bed. Chen Li interrupted, ¡°The little lotus has been killed by me.¡± Light, shallow, indifferent words echoed in the room. Prince Rui¡¯s body was stiff, not turning to look his head. Chen Li continued, ¡°All the bloody demon spirits caused by the resentment has returned to normal. I will escort you out.¡± The room was silent for a long time. Finally, Prince Rui laughed bitterly, his voice sombre, ¡°Why must I go?¡± He bent down, lightly kissing the woman¡¯s icy cold forehead. ¡°Ye Shi hasn¡¯t awoken, so what difference does it make if Zhu Chengjin is alive or dead.¡± Hiding in the dark, little lotus¡¯s fists were clenched tightly, the light in her eyes dimming. ¡°Throughout my life, I was constantly searching for power. To me, Ye Shi was just a woman. After a few years together, I had thought that she was still nothing to me. However, we both actually cared deeply about each other, seeping into our very being. For the past 3 years, I had been dreaming of her awakening every night only to be disappointed. So, I placed all of my hopes onto little lotus¡¯s body¡­.. But in the end, she too died.¡± Prince Rui smiled sadly. ¡°When I look back, everything is empty.¡± He caressed Ye Shi¡¯s hair gently, ¡°You may go. I¡¯ll accompany her here. I won¡¯t be going out.¡± Chen Li was silent. This statement, it shows that one truly can die an emotional death. If this time, Prince Rui is hell bent on death, then Xing Yun¡­. Before she could finish her thoughts, a pink figure suddenly ran past her. Such a surprise, she startled the god Chen Li so much, she did not have enough time to catch her! She could only watch as little lotus ran out towards Prince Rui, her palm ferociously slapping his face. Crying out like her life depended on it, she screamed at Prince Rui, ¡°I HATE YOU!!!!¡± Rui Prince Zhu Chengjin looked at her, not quite recovered from the shock. He could only see the little lotus¡¯s figure change into a ball of silver light, leaping into Ye Shi¡¯s cold body. The last few drops of tears flew through the air, landing on his hand. On the bed, the woman coughed weakly. Prince Rui didn¡¯t notice, his eyes focused on Ye Shi. His eyes were bright as he stared. Eyes of hope. Chen Li felt something cold freeze over her heart, little lotus¡¯s sacrifice for this kind of man really wasn¡¯t worth it. ¡°Silly girl.¡± She sighed. It felt as if her cries sounded once more next to her ears. ¡°Why me? Why me?!¡± ¡°For him, I practiced and studied every day to become a person!¡± She was clearly just a supporting role, a side character. Why must that silly girl die for him? ¡°Cough¡­¡­ Cough¡­..¡± The woman in the bed coughed, almost choking. Prince Rui¡¯s eyes lit up, raw joy flooding through him, leaving him almost unprepared. ¡°Ye Shi, Ye Shi¡­..¡± He was constantly whispering her name, his hoarse voice sounding, ¡°You wait, I¡¯ll get you out.¡± Prince Rui quickly scooped her up, carrying her as he quickly walked in front of Chen Li, an anxious look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must trouble you to quickly clear up an exit.¡± CH 14.1 This is the only female that would be able to make the proud price lower his head for help. Chen Li tugged Prince Rui¡¯s hand, pulling him to a stop, saying gently, ¡°Little Lotus said that, she for you, struggled through hardships to become a real person, not for you to slaughter. Now, for you, she sacrificed herself.¡± Prince Rui was startled, listening to Chen Li¡¯s emotionless voice as she continued, ¡°My own fault, I was too careless about bringing her here. I hadn¡¯t thought that you would¡¯ve been able to sense her here, knew that she was hiding behind us. Such a good play you had created, right Prince Rui? However¡­..¡± Chen Li didn¡¯t finish, but Prince Rui could guess the meaning behind it. Little Lotus had seen through him, but had still foolishly followed her feelings for him. She loathed the scheme Prince Rui had put on, but she still couldn¡¯t escape the plot. A truly, downright silly girl. Prince Rui was silent. Chen Li turned to Xing Yun and spoke, ¡°I¡¯ll go deliver them outside, you stay still and wait for me here.¡± Xing Yun hid his hands behind him, his face heavy with dark circle, and gently nodded. However, the preoccupied Chen Li couldn¡¯t see the differences in the dark, only grasping Prince Rui¡¯s wrist. With a flash, the two were standing on the bridge near Prince Rui¡¯s residence. The palace was silent, lacking any signs of life. Corpses of bodyguards floated on the surface of the lake. Prince Rui¡¯s brows wrinkled, about to ask a question, but suddenly Chen Li disappeared with a flash, not saying a word of goodbye. The lady in his arms coughed twice, causing a sense of urgency to well up in his heart as he rushed down the bridge. As he did, his eyes were involuntarily attracted the the lotus in the lake. Withered leaves, bent stalks, and a dry flowerhead told that it was dead. In this moment, a picture inexplicably leaped into Prince Rui¡¯s head. A pink clothed girl leaped into his arms, smiling. Not yet able to speak, she instead rubbed her cheeks against his chest to express her love. She stuttered adorably, ¡°Zhu¡­.. Zhu, lotus likes. Z-Zhu likes. Zhu l-likes. Little lotus?¡± He remembers at that time, saying without hesitation, ¡°Like.¡± He easily deceived her, yet the deceived little girl just let out a bright, happy smile. So beautiful, it could almost light up his soul, letting him see all the darkness inside him. A Liar! He was such a big liar! Since today, this world will never have another Little Lotus¡­. At this moment, Zhu Chengjin actually hated himself, hated how despicable he really was. ~~~ In the underground chamber, Chen Li slapped her hand angrily on the stone bed. The soul tying array on the bed cracked, dust flying up into the air causing Xing Yun to cover his mouth, coughing lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t vent your anger onto the stone bed.¡± Xing Yun sighed, ¡°It was I chose to bring little lotus down here. If you want to vent your anger, just talk to me.¡± Chen Li closed her eyes, her angry mood gradually calming down. ¡°If I were her, then I must kill that man. Make him pay for my life with his.¡± Her demeanor was cold and gloomy, ¡°To sacrifice herself for that kind of man¡¯s happiness, he is unworthy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not right for outsiders to have the final say.¡± Xing Yun spoke, ¡°As long as she was willing, no one is qualified to judge this matter is right or wrong.¡± Chen Li felt an urge in her heart. ¡°That guy didn¡¯t know who he has killed.¡± ¡°How could he not have known?¡± Xing Yun smiled faintly, ¡°He knows, just for him, Little Lotus¡¯s feelings simply didn¡¯t matter.¡± Chen Li was silent, anger stirring in her heart. ¡°Such a disgusting man, other woman always on his mind!¡± Suddenly she thought of her own situation, Fu Rong¡¯s own disgusting nature. So annoying! ¡°If I ever fancy a man, then I will never care about anyone else or let people interfere with us! To me, I will only accept the whole thing, if only a part, I won¡¯t care! If he dares to scheme with me, then I¡¯ll break his bones!¡± Her speech was loud and clear, causing Xing Yun to turn, shocked. Blinking to refocus, he spoke, ¡°Nice courage.¡± Chen Li regained her composure and scratched her head awkwardly, ¡°Of course, the day before yesterday, I took a fancy to you. However, we won¡¯t be together in the future, so you are still free to marry.¡± Listening to her words, in spite of holding it in, Xing Yun burst into laugher. Before he could finish, Chen Li waved her hand, ¡°I don¡¯t have any more time to stay here. Come, I¡¯ll send you out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Xing Yun agreed, extending his hand. But before Chen Li¡¯s hand could grab him, he shrank his arm back. He coughed hoarsely, his waist bending towards the floor. Chen Li was startled, not yet recovered from her surprise when Xing Yun started vomiting out clouds of black blood. Chen Li was worried for his life, ¡°How?¡± Xing Yun opened his mouth, wanting to reply, but black blood just repeatedly gushed out instead. Chen Li rushed to hold him up, grabbing his hand to get his pulse. However, on his hand was a charred, thumb-sized black hole. Chen Li looked closer, realizing that it wasn¡¯t newly made, but was caused by the baby demon spirit¡¯s tears. ¡°When did you receive the wound?!¡± Chen Li was furious, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier!¡± The surrounding flesh of the wound was already infected, the black flesh slowly expanding. The bloody spirits were a result of resentful magical qi being released into the air. Therefore, their bodily fluids were not only putrid, rotting, but also very, very toxic. Xing Yun was already very weak, meaning the infection was many times more serious than it would be for the common person. Yet for so long, he didn¡¯t say a thing¡­. Chen Li really wanted to hit him, but also feared that if she lost control of her strength, would kill him in one shot. Therefore, she could only clench her teeth and force back her anger. She hauled him onto her back, angrily shouting, ¡°You! When you spat out that toxic black blood at me, did you want to kill me!¡± Xing Yun¡¯s lips were still black, blood flowing down from the corner of his lips. However, he still laughed faintly, ¡°I tried to hold it back, but wasn¡¯t able to so I had to.¡± Chen Li grinded her teeth, ¡°A sickly person shouldn¡¯t try to flaunt himself as a hero. You shut up!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­.¡± Xing Yun sighed quietly, ¡°When you were in your troubles, I have never once turned my back on you.¡± CH 15 Chen Li didn¡¯t dare to wander around the palace aimlessly, in fear of the infection spreading even faster. She brought Xing Yun to one of the many empty rooms, not even a shadow of another person to be found. Chen Li gritted her teeth, and pushed her palm into Xing Yun¡¯s back. ¡°This can only temporarily relieve your pain. I don¡¯t have the skill to treat you, and the common doctors here aren¡¯t able to treat it either. As such, I can only go past the capital, into the suburbs to request the local land god to come. It will take quite long, so you must wait here patiently. Don¡¯t move from here.¡± Xing Yun smiled helplessly, ¡°How can I? Even I want to move, but I cannot.¡± Chen Li stood up, silent for a long time, at him. Finally, she spoke in a low voice, ¡°Later¡­.. I might not come back, but you can still rest assured that the local land god will heal you.¡± She turned to leave. She was reluctant to part, but the time had come. Even so, her voice was still somewhat gloomy, ¡°The land god¡¯s river is far, if we cannot meet each other again¡­. You must take care of yourself.¡± ¡°For the past days, thank you for taking care of me¡± In the empty room, Xing Yun was speechless for a while before suddenly bursting into laugher despite struggling not to. ¡°Thanking me in such a gloomy voice, you really are unwilling to leave, ah¡­..¡± Wind blew through the open windows, Xing Yun lifted his head. His hair scattering from the wind, lips moving into a gentle sigh, ¡°In the end¡­¡­ She never looked at me clearly.¡± Always making one feel frustrated. ~~~ Chen Li thought, Mo Fang had said that he can delay them for ? a day, but against the elites of the Demonic Realm, even if he tried his best, he still may not be able to drag it out for so long. Chen Li no longer dared to stay in the Rui Palace. If the pursuing troops were to come here and search, it would only bring disaster to the innocent Xing Yun. Her current magical powers are 70-80% recovered. Against the Demonic Realm¡¯s elites, although she is not completely confident of escaping, she could at least wrestle them down here in the open wilderness, giving her some hope in getting away. Chen Li moved extremely fast, only a flash could be seen before she stood on the outskirts of the wild mountains. She stood on one, looking afar. It was a sunny day, sweeping scenery stretching in the distance. The city capital could barely be seen. Her robe swished as she turned and marched into the wooded mountains, walking to the place that contained the most magical energy. Magical power condensed in the hollow of her palm, slamming into the earth. She lowered her head, solemnly shouting, ¡°Come!¡± Light from her palm overflowed, pouring into the floor. With her as the centre, the light rapidly spread to the surrounding earth, mountain rock trembling as the birds and animals all fled in terror. The winds blew up Chen Li¡¯s robe. When it settled down, shadows of figures appeared in the silent woods. As they showed up, the intense magical light surrounding Chen Li dispersed into the air. She stood up, turning in a circle to examine the newcomers. There were the elderly, with white dotting their beards. Young girls, and bizarre looking youths also stood. They were all looking at Chen Li with shock. Chen Li knew that the sudden wave of magical qi had frightened the land spirits, but there was no time to explain. If they are afraid of her, than that is also good. She made her face even colder, speaking darkly, ¡°Who can treat a human illness?¡± The land spirits looked at each other questioningly, a young youth with an antler on his head stepped forward hesitantly, trembling with each step, ¡°i-I¡­¡­.¡± Chen Li¡¯s heavy stare fell onto him, causing the boy to squat down with his hands covering his hand, screaming, ¡°Miss, Don¡¯t kill me!¡± Chen Li¡¯s mouth twitched, trying to suppress the despicable expression off her face. Finally, she settled into a cold frown, ¡°In Rui Palace within the Capital City lies a human in the west building. He is called Xing Yun, and was injured by a resentful baby demon spirit. The toxin is killing him, so I have come here to seek one that is capable of treating him.¡± After explaining her purpose and problem, the land spirits all breathed out a sigh of relief. The old white bearded man spoke, ¡°If it¡¯s like this, then Hulu, quickly go and assist her.¡± Hulu trembled, looking at Chen Li in fear. Chen Li suddenly interrupted, ¡°I will not be going, but you must go and treat him.¡± She stared at Hulu, eyes cold and gloomy. ¡°How long will the treatment for a demon infected wound take.¡± ¡°r-R¡­.. Roughly half an hour¡­.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Chen Li waved her hand, the gleaming Red Tasseled Silver Longspear landing directly into the rock in front of him, piercing more than 3 inches though. Hulu cried with alarm, cold sweat running down hIs forehead like rain. He could only listen to Chen Li¡¯s threatening voice, ¡°If, after half an hour, you still haven¡¯t come back¡­ Then with this silver longspear, I will slaughter everyone here in a surrounding 300 mile radius.¡± CH 16 The dark clouds rumbled. There was no lightning, yet thunderclaps boomed loudly. For this abnormal phenomenon, the people were in a state of panic and anxiety. Within the Rui Palace, the small room was overflowing with killing intent. Although Chi Rong¡¯s face still held a smile, his hands have already waved open a folding fan. Qing Yan had also already unsheathed his sword. The atmosphere within the chamber was enough to start a battle with a mere dropping of a hair. Both sides knew that if it were to be started, the other party would not be met with mercy due to relationships. The battle will be fought as if it were a war. ¡°King,¡± Chi Rong waved his fan, laughing, ¡°You¡¯ve already caused a lot of trouble to the Demon Emperor, making him furious. Now, soldiers are prowling every inch of this world.¡± He looked at the sickly Xing Yun behind her, ¡°You as the Azure Sky King may be able to preserve your own life, but you definitely cannot save him as well. I hope that King will re-evaluate her own situation and not act rashly.¡± Chen Li paid no attention to him, only slightly leaning her body to turn her head at pale Xing Yun to shoot him a look, speaking, ¡°Are you still alive?¡¯ ¡°Alive,¡± Xing Yun shook his head, laughing, ¡°But may die soon.¡± ¡°You cannot die.¡± Chen Li¡¯s right hand gripped the Hongying Spear, then roughly, with the sharp edge of the spearpoint, slashed the hollow of her palm. The Hongying Spear absorbed the blood, dazzling light immediately shining. Qing Yan frowned, about to go forward in an attempt to seize Chen Li. Chen Li waved her left hand, splatters of blood landing 3 foot away in front of Qing Yan. When he stepped foot onto the bloodstain, he felt a red hot glowing flame was cooking him from head to toe! He used his magical power, forcing the flame to scatter. But unexpectedly, the broiling fire only seemed to get hotter! It was as if it had it¡¯s own consciousness as it leaped, going so far as to even attack his 2 eyes. Qing Yan, to protect his eyes, had no choice but to retreat back to the door. Chen Li spun the Hongying Spear, thrusting it straight into the ground in front of her. One could see the blood on the speartip moved along with the shaft, sliding down as it seeped into the earth. One could only see a golden flash as the blood condensed into a circle around 2 inco Chen Li¡¯s hes wide, surrounding Chen Li. Another one appeared, circling Xing Yun. She then tore off off piece of her robe and bandaged her left hand as she turned to Xing Yun, speaking: ¡°If I¡¯m here, you cannot die.¡± Xing Yun stared at her distractedly, the light behind her twinkling. Yet that dazzling ray couldn¡¯t even be compared to Chen Li¡¯s own vivid aura. It filled all of his sight, never ending, almost even making himself forget¡­¡­¡­.. Chen Li¡¯s arm looped through his armpit, hauling his body onto her back. Their bodies were pasted together, her body heating his, blood coursing through his internal organs.* Xing Yun¡¯s lips held a seldom seen curve, making it impossible for one to decipher his mood, only pitch black. ¡°King,¡± Qing Yan spoke solemnly, ¡°A blood sacrifice technique will harm the soul. The wedding day is near, hopes King will treasure one¡¯s health.¡± Chen Li sneered, ¡°If hasn¡¯t, then my feet and hands would¡¯ve been cut off and I would¡¯ve been bound and sent to marriage. This is just a soul wound, what¡¯s to fear?¡± Her gaze examined the room, although she couldn¡¯t see what was going on outside, she could still sense the general position of the soldiers outside. She wanted to find the direction with the least amount of people to force her way out. But Qing Yan and Chu Rong both instantly understood what she planned to do. They shared a look with each other- This matter cannot be dragged on any further. They both waved their weapons, and suddenly, 2 thunderbolts strook the golden circle, making a gap in the magic. Spotting it, the two charged in. When such powerful supernatural powers collided, the remnants surged into the air, and after a loud boom, the little wing of the house disintegrated into ashes. Before the dust settled down, the dark clouds in the sky revealed themselves. The space was filled with innumerable rays of arrows. It was the pursuing soliders, who were hiding in the clouds and took advantage of the array to attack, magic boosting the arrows. Among the rain of arrows, a black figure and a red figure lept from the derbis. CH 16.1 Qing Yan fell onto a knee, but he still couldn¡¯t stop himself from sliding. Even with one hand gripping the floor, he still slid for quite a while before stopping. In the meanwhile, Chi Rong changed his palm into one of a paw, hitting the pole on the bridge. The push was so powerful that more than a few poles broke when contact was made. Losing the support of the pole, the bridge broke down and collapsed, causing ashes to fill the area. A red figure opened his hand, dropping the remnants behind him as he gently wiped his face that was scattered with blood. ¡°This is the first time facing the Azure Sky King, the King¡¯s power is really surprising, ah.¡± The remnants of golden light glittered in the ashes. At first, it looked as if it no longer had any use, but after a while, it once again shone brightly with powerful, golden light. It surrounded Chen Li, whose face was pale with blood trailing down her lips. Xing Yun¡¯s hand was leaning on her shoulder, struggling to stand. Although his body held to injuries, the poison had already reached his heart. He could no longer speak well. He whispered into Chen Li¡¯s ear, ¡°Why¡­¡­¡­.¡± Xing Yun¡¯s breath made the hairs on Chen Li¡¯s neck shiver, and she wiped the blood off her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t argue.¡± She snapped, ¡°I¡¯ll make you continue to live.¡± Her voice was hoarse, evidence of her injuries. Xing Yun cracked a smile, ¡°Chen Li, life and death are ruled by fate. You said you do not regard it, I too say no.¡± He sighed, ¡°You¡­¡­..¡± Not giving time for him to finish, the sword that was in Qing Yan¡¯s hands stood up, attacking once more. Chen Li saw the sword, one hand grabbing Xing Yun¡¯s waist as she rotated the Hongying Spear. Her hoarse voice shouted loudly as magical qi began to surround her. It condensed into a sharp sword, turning to Qing Yan, wanting to hack him in two. Looking at such a blunt, frontal, untactful attack, he snorted in disdain, easily dodging. But unexpectedly, the blade unexplainably curved, changing directions. It attacked out to the horizon. Qing Yan suddenly had a bad feeling and turned around, attempting to block, but it was too late. Golden light shot into the black robed soldiers. The survivors were caught unprepared, dispersing in a panic, finally revealing a way out. Chen Li¡¯s figure jumped, directly flying forcefully in that direction. Qing Yan sneered, ¡°King really looks down on us!¡± As soon as he finished those words, his figure disappeared from his original position, only to appear once again blocking Chen Li¡¯s path. ¡°Carrying someone, you still hope you could be faster than me?¡± Qing Yan¡¯s hand brandished a long, double edged sword, strong magical qi shooting towards Chen Li, causing the golden light around her to cave in slightly. Chen Li blocked, clenching her teeth. She was forced back by several feet. When Xing Yun saw this, he silently let go of the hand clasped on her shoulder. His body had just started to fall, but suddenly, Chen Li¡¯s hand grabbed him tightly. She spoke angrily, ¡°Do not add to the chaos.¡± But Xing Yun just sighed helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s not I that wanted to add to the chaos, it¡¯s just the¡­¡­¡­ Lower back pain.¡± Chen Li¡¯s strength was big, and had no trouble grabbing him on the waist. However, she didn¡¯t want to keep Xing Yun in such a tiresome position. Her grip was painful, but up in the sky, she had no time to put him down and switch. She could only clench her teeth and say in a low voice, ¡°Hold on.¡± In her hands, the Hongying Spear danced, piercing towards the sky. Chi Rong shouted loudly, ¡°Defend to the West! That as the direction the land spirit had left in, she also wishes to go there!¡± Chen Li naturally wanted to go there- That was where the people that could save Xing Yun lived. The dark clouds rapidly accumulated to the west. Chen Li did not hide nor evade. Rather, her body burst out with golden light, shining brightly, ¡°Those who block the way shall die!¡± The Hongying Spear surged with murderous intent, blood from the demon soldiers still absorbing, But suddenly, the dark clouds released some sort of mysterious power, shoving Chen Li several feet back. The golden light radiated by Chen Li seemed to be restrained by something, leaving her unable to move an inch. Chen Li¡¯s voice was filled with anxiety, ¡°This strength¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, the golden light around her body degenerated, and an incorporeal power fiercely hit her face, slapping her directly onto a large, open area in Rui Palace. The blue slab stones that were on the floor earlier had been crushed, only leaving a deep crater in the area she was in before. After the dust settled down, Xing Yun could be seen lying on Chen Li¡¯s body. Although he had no wounds on him, he had fainted. However, falling from such a great height, Chen Li was badly injured as she laid passed out for a long time before slowly recovering. CH 16.2 Previous Chapter | Project Page | Next Chapter At this time, Qing Yan and Chi Rong were standing at the edge of the pit. But after a closer look, one could see an additional figure standing near, sunlight blocked behind his back. The man was broad, gold embroided within his black robes which fluttered in the wind. 2 gold hair laces from behind him flew in front, ¡°Nobility of the same nation, yet you¡¯ve become increasingly more audacious.¡± His voice, calm as always, held a royal feeling of majesty, making one unconsciously want to submit. Qing Yan and Chi Rong cupped their hands and kneeled, ¡°Demon Emperor, beseech to quell your anger.¡± D-Demon Emperor had actually came personally¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Chen Li sensed his breathing getting weaker and weaker, his body no longer as warm as before. Chen Li¡¯s heart suddenly felt cold. A sense of helplessness grew in her heart. She had ran and struggled so much, but she could still not escape the grasp of destiny¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Out.¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s cold voice ordered. Chen Li wiped the blood off her lips and holding Xing Yun, she jumped out of the pit. She placed Xing Yun on his side and checked his pulse- Weak, but alive. ¡°Do you know your wrongs?¡± Through his silver mask, the Demon Emperor sounded somewhat dull. Chen Li looked at Xing Yun expectantly, ¡°Do not know,¡± She spoke, ¡°Choosing not to marry the one she does not love, Chen Li does not know of what wrongs she has committed. Not accepting the forced marriage, Chen Li does not know of what that wrong was. Not wanting for the people of the Demonic Realm to be restrained in Heaven, Chen Li does not know of what wrongs she has done.¡± Her eyes held a cold light to them, looking at the eyes hidden behind a silver mask, ¡°When the people of the Demonic Realm submits to Heaven and lives there, they only have 1000 remaining years to live. Those heavenly immortals may idle about, crossing each day carefreely. However, my demon people must live in the broken down ruins, adjacent to the deep space-time rip. Year by year, miasma invades the ruins, no hope for any vegetation. My demon people will be crossing their lives in a way that is miserable beyond description! As part of the Royal Family and Nobility, we still need to help those useless guys from heaven to suppress the monster under the space-time rip? Why should we still have to, living in those broken down ruins, risking our lives?¡± Chen Li sneered, ¡°I look down on that sort of heaven, not wanting to marry, what is the wrong I have committed?¡± These words spoken out loud made both Chi Rong and Qing Yan silent. The Demon Emperor also quieted, but soon spoke again, ¡°You are not wrong. But on this matter, you have still violated the imperial edict.¡± He waved his hand, ¡°Take her away by force, lead her back for the penalty.¡± Qing Yan made a move, wanting to grab Chen Li¡¯s arm, but was scolded away by Chen Li, ¡°This King will go!¡± Her static stare gazed attentively at Xing Yun. Her stare might¡¯ve been a bit too hot, as Xing Yun opened his eyes, vision blurry. When he saw Chen Li looking at him, his pale lips cracked open, he chuckled like he normally did, ¡°Chen Li, you look even thinner than me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Chen Li answered, ¡°You can just think of it as me acting frivolously towards you.¡± In front of everyone, she leaned over and planted a heavy kiss on Xin Yun¡¯s lips, Chen Li¡¯s golden coloured hair tie had snapped and her hair came undone, swaying next to Xin Yun¡¯s cheeks, the interaction of the cool touch of the strands of hair and the burning touch of the lips brought about a strange sensation within his body, causing him to become dazed. Chen Li did not know how to kiss, so she could only roughly cover Xin Yun¡¯s lips with her own, and it was done with so much force that Xin Yun felt pain. In this moment, her hand clutched onto his, the index finger gently covering the charred wound. Her fingertip flashed with light, as a bead of light gradually formed within her chest. It slowly moved to her finger and melded with Xing Yun¡¯s flesh, replacing and filling out the hole inside his hand. ¡°I had said that you cannot die.¡± Chen Li¡¯s lips left his, her voice somewhat quiet, ¡°Although in the future, you may not feel better, you will at least be able to live in peace.¡± She was not skilled in the art of healing, so she couldn¡¯t completely erase the toxins within his body. She could only entwine her own magical powers with Xing Yun¡¯s blood and flesh, so the magic and the toxins in his body will battle, then suppress each other. Although this can prevent the toxins from reaching his heart and killing him, the unavoidable constant pain will still be there. Chen Li straightened out Xing Yun¡¯s robes, and standed up, gently patting his shoulder. ¡°When I said I fancied you, it was true. But I am in an arranged marriage, and can no longer stay with you.¡± A strong sense of nostalgia accompanied Chen Li as she left. The remaining 3 had also disappeared. Shortly after, the dark clouds above to capital city also left. Xing Yun was left lying on the ground. His eyes held a distracted look to them. The 2 forces within his body constantly fighting back caused him to feel some discomfort, but his breath and temperature had recovered. The heat remained on his lips, and he was unable to help but look high up at the sky, touching it gently. After a long while, he laughed quietly, murmuring, ¡°Speak as if¡­¡­. You wanted to be with me, I would be willing to do the same.¡± In the air, a long strand of hair landed on his face. Xing Yun held it in his hands. Unexplainably, he couldn¡¯t smile. Not even a little. Cannot be together with him¡­¡­. Huh¡­¡­ Clouds flew fleetingly in the sky ~~~ ¡°A mortal, who will re-enter reincarnation, and forget everything that had just happened and transpired here in just less than a hundred years.¡± The Demon Emperor stepped into the clouds, speaking coldly, ¡°Why waste 500 years of cultivation to repair his wound with such magical power?¡± Hearing this, Chi Rong and Qing Yan both looked at Chen Li with shock- 500 years of cultivation, for them and their kind, was often just the tip of the iceberg. But what was important was, the Azure Sky King¡­.. Actually gave it to a mortal?!? Chen Li¡¯s hands were bound together by an iron chain, her hanging loose hair made her look somewhat distressed. However, her eyes were not at all dejected- Rather, they just looked into a distant place, ¡°I like.¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s facial features contorted something like a sneer under the silver mask, ¡°You are nothing but worried that I would send some men to kill him, to stamp out the source of trouble.¡± His demeanor was chillingly cold, ¡°Why should I bother to, when in just 1-2 years later, he will forget about you, get married, and have children. That man will live a life that has nothing to do with you. Your feelings would be but a fleeting dream.¡± Chen Li stayed silent, thinking at heart, if that were to be such, it¡¯d really be good. She recalled memories of the small courtyard, the cool breeze ruffling the grapevine lattice. The sound, it was so gentle. Xing Yun, that kind of gentle person should be living that kind of life. Ah, but one person living a life like that would be too lonely, someone should accompany him in that little courtyard. For someone to accompany him, is of course good, even though¡­¡­.. That person isn¡¯t her¡­.. Chen Li suddenly remembered of the day she had suddenly woken up in his yard. That was the first time she saw him, ripples of sun falling on him. The warm breeze was just right as he laid on the rattan chair, napping. She hoped that throughout all his remaining years, everyday would be that tranquil. Chen Li realised something- Looking at the distant palace, her heart had finally understood a little of how Little Lotus felt. Some matters, even if it is not worth it, it all consists of what you feel. ~~~ End of Chapter 16 In the phrase, Clouds flew fleetingly in the sky, it can be intercepted in 2 ways- Chen Li and the others in the clouds, or a word play on Xing Yun¡¯s name. In chinese, Yun means clouds. So one can see it as his mind or heart is confused, or fleeting, or idk. View it as your own way! CH 17 The ice encrusted doors slowly creaked open. Wisps of cold air gushed out from the Palace, revealing a 10-Foot main hall. 4 icicles stood, representing 4 different directions. In the middle, a glittering, translucent pure ice orb floated. Within the frozen orb, there was a woman. A dark colored robe hugged her body, clinching her waist. Her hair was loose, eyes closed as if sleeping. But when the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the hall, her 2 eyes suddenly opened. They glistened with a sharp light as she turned to the source of the noise. ¡°King,¡± The black robed envoy kneeled on one knee, kowtowing in a salute, ¡°Subordinate carries orders from Demon Emperor, came to escort King out of confinement.¡± He fished out a porcelain bottle from his bosom and unscrewed the cork, allowing the blood within the bottle to splash out onto the ground. Instantly, the 4 icicles lit up as inscriptions circled then. In the middle, the frozen ice orb slowly melted. When the ice had thawed to roughly the size of half a person, the rays of light emitted by the icicles stopped. The frozen orb that has lost it¡¯s airborne support instantly plummeted to the ground, shattering into uncountable years worth of snow and ice inside the main hall. Being frozen for too long, Chen Li¡¯s 4 limbs were somewhat stiff, her body was covered with ice fragments. With the black clothed envoy¡¯s help, she slowly managed to stand up, ¡°You sealed me in the Ice Sacrificial Palace, but it¡¯s only considered as confinement?¡± The Ice Sacrificial Palace was one of the Demon Realm¡¯s forbidden lands, and holds the status and use as Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip, able to suppress even the most vicious and powerful of demons. The only difference between the two was that the Ice Sacrificial Palace¡¯s power was even greater than Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip. But in return, it could only trap one demon at a time. But throughout the millennia, all the felons were either captured and placed in Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip or killed. Therefore, the Ice Sacrificial Palace had remained here empty. Chen Li had never once dreamed that she herself would¡¯ve been sealed within there one day, nor has she ever thought that the marriage edict given by the Heavenly Emperor would¡¯ve caused the Demon Emperor to feel this much stress- that he was so afraid of her once more trying to escape the marriage, he put her here! Chen Li stretched her arms, stepping over the foot of the mountain of ice. She walked to the front door, her mouth ridiculing, ¡°Has the wedding team from heaven come to escort the bride there? That¡¯s why you¡¯re finally willing to free me.¡± The black clothed envoy followed behind her, respectfully answering, ¡°King is impatient. There is still another month of preparation before the wedding.¡± Chen Li was startled, turning her head to ask him, ¡° How long was I in there?¡± She remembered that day after she was caught by the Demon Emperor, he had ordered that she was to be confined to the Ice Sacrificial Palace. However, no one had told her how long she would be confined. Within the ice, she had no way of telling time. A day or a year they would¡¯ve all felt the same to her. The envoy replied, ¡°The Demon Emperor¡¯s heart was benevolent, and had only confined King until January.¡± In January¡­.. 30 days had already passed, ah¡­¡­ Once they stepped out of the Ice Sacrificial Palace, the stone doors behind them loudly slammed shut. Chen Li raised her head to look, and not far away was Mo Fang calmly standing. When he saw her come out, he bowed his head in a salute. Seeing him, Chen Li was started. She didn¡¯t think that he would be here, and was even more surprised when Mo Fang turned to speak to the black robed messenger, ¡°I will escort the King to return back now.¡± ¡°With this, this subordinate will return to deliver a successful report to the Demon Emperor.¡± The black robed envoy disappeared. Mo Fang lowered his head and kneeled, ¡°Mo Fang couldn¡¯t help King escape, please punish this subordinate.¡± Chen Li was surprised for a moment, but then smiled and patted Mo Fang¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I know you must¡¯ve tried your best, struggling for that half a day. Just me escaping is suffice for you¡­. But it¡¯s just I that couldn¡¯t escape. It was my fault for not being able to live up to your efforts.¡± ¡°King¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Go, return back home.¡± Chen li stretched lazily, ¡° I haven¡¯t gone home to sleep for a long time.¡± ¡°King, Mo Fang must say something.¡± He was silent for a long time, before finally speaking, ¡°That human, has passed away within the mortal world.¡± ¡°En.¡± Chen Li answered, ¡°I have already guessed so.¡± One day in the sky was equal to one year in the mortal world. 30 whole years have passed. Xing Yun has no more than an ordinary human body. To have died in bed of old age by now would¡¯ve been normal. Moreover, if not for the fact that Xing Yun has already left his world, how would the Demon Emperor dare to release her so easily? He, who has watched her grow up since birth, knew all too clearly of her temperament. ¡°Go back.¡± Chen Li walked 2 steps, then suddenly turned her head to look at Mo Fang, ¡°When he passed away, did you see him?¡± Mo Fang nodded, ¡°Very calm and serene.¡± ¡°Of course, because he is Xing Yun, ah.¡± No matter how bad something is, in his eyes, he will just brush it away like dust. Her lips curved, ¡°He ought to smile.¡± Mo Fang remained silent, his eyes flickering. He remembered, when he was in the mortal world watching his last moments, he was lying on the sickbed. Although he was old, his demeanor had never changed. He stared at him, saying, ¡°Ah, Chen Li¡¯s subordinate.¡± His life energy was weak and feeble. Just that short phrase forced him to gasp for breath. Afterwards, he then said, ¡°Has Chen Li been well recently?¡± Mo Fang did not answer him, and Xing Yun didn¡¯t continue to ask either. Rather, he just leaned back and smiled. He closed his eyes and went to rest. Really is an indifferent person, but even as such a man, he still kept Chen Li in his mind, remembering for more than 30 years. Mo Fang chose to not tell Chen Li of this matter, instead just quietly asking, ¡°Will King look for his reincarnation?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t look.¡± Chen Li stepped on a cloud, not looking back as she said, ¡°I fell for Xing Yun only, the first generation. Any other incarnations of him, I have nothing to do with them.¡± CH 17.1 The Azure Sky King Palace was very close to the imperial city. As Chen Li flew back to her palace, countless demons looked up and stared at her. She was used to it as she landed in her mansion, but before she could even stop, a large figure ran up and kneeled in front of her, clutching her legs and crying, ¡°King! You¡¯ve finally come back!!¡± Chen Li was startled, but then just rubbed her forehead, ¡°Up. Prepare the water, I want to take a bath. Chef? Make a meal, I¡¯m hungry.¡± The chubby girl lifted her head, eyes flashing with tears as she looked at Chen Li. ¡°Earlier, general Mo Fang had come and informed us that King would return today. Rou Ya has already heated the water, and the cook has prepared the meal just as King came back.¡± For a moment, Chen Li was surprised. She had never thought that Mo Fang had the foresight to prepare everything already! When she turned to look back, Mo Fang actually saluted to her, speaking, ¡°On King¡¯s safe arrival, Mo Fang asks to be excused.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Er, very well.¡± Rou Ya escorted Chen Li to her room, and Chen Li lied down on the bed. She wasn¡¯t fond of large amounts of people, so her palace¡¯s staff were kept at the minimum. The cleaning lady is Ms.Zhang, an unsocial women. Normally, it is quite hard to see her, since she was always hiding in hidden places, silently cleaning the palace. The tasks of a lady-in-waiting, clothes maid, and server were all done by Rou Ya. She was a small, but boisterous and cheerful girl. The cook is simple and kind. He usually never leaves the kitchen. There¡¯s also¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Ah, King! King! The king has returned, la~!¡± In the bedroom, sat a cage which contained a very loud, squawking parrot. ¡°Xuxu, shut your beak!¡± Chen Li glanced at it, then walked behind the screen. She took off her robes and sat them aside, sinking into the water comfortably. She raised her head in satisfaction, wanting to relax quietly. But then, across the screen, the parrot started squawking once again, ¡°Did not run away, ah King! You were caught and now have to get wed to that prince, sad? King, king, king!¡± Chen Li¡¯s mouth twitched and she waved her hand. The door of the iron cage opened with a loud ¡°clang!¡±. Her hand changed into a claw, and lightly pulled. The parrot that was in the cage had suddenly reappeared in her hand, pulled through space! Chen Li¡¯s clawed fingers pinched it¡¯s wing and raised her eyebrow, staring at the parrot, ¡°To think of it, I¡¯ve never seen you without your feathers before.¡± Inside the room, Xuxu was silent. ¡°King, don¡¯t, ah! Ai! Good King, ah! Forgive, King! Outside of the door, Rou Ya was guarding over the entrance. She looked at the doorway happily, ¡°Today, Xuxu and King are quite happy together.¡± Just as she rested on the edge of the door, a bare bird suddenly rammed out with all his might, pushing at the crack between the door and shot out. It¡¯s buttocks shook left and right as it ferociously dug a hole before jumping inside, burying himself. ¡°Ah!¡­¡­.¡± Rou Ya was startled, ¡°That was¡­¡­¡­. Xuxu?¡± ¡°Leave him alone, he can¡¯t run away.¡± Chen Li¡¯s indifferent voice carried out from inside the room, ¡°In any case, he can¡¯t fly now.¡±Listening to her happy tone, there was a sense of satisfaction inside. Rou Ya was overwhelmed with shock, turning her head. She deeply believed that King must¡¯ve been subject to many terrible forms of abuse¡­. This psychology¡­.. What a change from before. ~~~ When it was time to eat, an emissary from heaven came, bearing a message: ¡°The Azure Sky King was to come to the Heavenly Palace in the afternoon and heaven¡¯s emissary has come with the wedding dresses design, as to let Chen Li choose.¡± Chen Li just nodded, continuing to leisurely eat her meal. After the emissary left, Rou Ya, who was fanning Chen Li as she ate, humphed. ¡°Choose what wedding gown? That casanova playboy Fu Rong! We, who were willing to come back and allow King to wed him, was the luckiest thing that happened to him! But he actually dared to run into the Palace to ask of the Heavenly Emperor to abolish the marriage more than a few times! It was like he actually believed King wanted to marry him!¡± Chen Li listened, glancing at Rou Ya, ¡°Gentleman Fu Rong actually went and disturbed the Heavenly Emperor how many times?¡± Rou Ya carefully counted her fingers, but when she reached the last one, she could only scratch her head, saying, ¡°Countless. King, when you were in the mortal world, I¡¯ve heard that in Heaven, Fu Rong¡¯s space was filled with women.¡± ¡°Ah, then my heart is satisfied.¡± At least this way, the other person arranged in the marriage was suffering from this as well. Just thinking about it already made her feel happier, ah. ~~~ ¡°Damned woman!!¡± A mahogany plate was covered by silk threaded gold robes, the plate thrown harshly on the ground. The servant immediately knelt down, ¡°Lord Immortal, beseech to quell your anger.¡± His body was cloaked with a snow white robe, inlaid with gold. The man ferociously stepped on the remains of the mahogany plate, angrily shouting, ¡°It¡¯s her fault, not escaping the arranged marriage! Now she¡¯s choosing the wedding gown? Why do I not know of this?!?¡± The servant continued to kneel, meekly whispering, ¡°T-The Azure Sky King was found back as early as January¡­¡­¡± ¡°She couldn¡¯t fight this!? Useless at this critical time!¡± Fu Rong was furious, clenching his teeth, ¡°No! I must go and beg the Celestial Emperor! That kind of women to marry, absolutely not!¡± As soon as he finished his words, he lifted up the hem of his robe and hurried to the Heavenly Palace. The accompanying servant followed hastily, ¡°Immortal, no, ah! If you make another scene, the Heavenly Emperor won¡¯t be happy!¡± Fu Rong just ignored him as he continued to hurry to the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s Palace. Without bothering to inform the servants of his arrival, he just pushed through the door, entering. With a loud ¡°Tong!¡±, he threw himself to the floor kneeling, weeping loudly, ¡°Royal Grandfather, grandson¡­¡­ grandson is bitter, ah!¡± The palace was silent, but Fu Rong continued to sob. However, there were no angry remarks from the Heavenly Emperor. He suddenly got a bad feeling and lifted his head to see. On the throne sat the Heavenly Emperor, his face black with anger. But standing next to him was a man. His hair was pinned lazily with a blue brooch, wisps hanging out. A long, white gown adorned his body, not even a speck of dust to be seen. His figure was handsome, and he radiated an aura of a King, high and lofty, attracting Fu Rong¡¯s attention. The Heavenly Emperor suppressed his anger, voice dark, ¡°Fu Rong, have you come to see Sir Xing Zhi?¡± Fu Rong was shocked. Even though he spent most of his time on debauchery and didn¡¯t study the various famous gods of Heaven, he would still know Xing Zhi- The only living ancient god. CH 18.1 Xing Zhi turned and faced the Heavenly Emperor, ¡°Since both sides are so against it, then the Emperor might wish to bring the marriage back a little and delay it so the two have time to adapt. If they marry right now, then Xing Zhi is afraid that¡­¡­.¡± His head turned to look at Fu Rong. The smile on his face was wider, but his mouth spat out 3 words that made Fu Rong feel chills. ¡°Bloodshed might occur¡± Blood¡­.. Bloodshed¡­.. Fu Rong suddenly envisioned a barbaric, strong woman pressing him down on the floor, a long, silver spear constantly stabbing at his body. He trembled violently, looking desperately at the Heavenly Emperor, whose face had a helpless look to it. ¡°The wedding date has already been established. If it were to suddenly be changed on such a short notice, I¡¯m afraid that it would be inappropriate.¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°It can be counted as my own fault. When I saw the marriage registry, I had thought that the Azure Sky King Chen Li was a male, and that Fu Rong was a female immortal. These 2 names, one hard, and one soft, seemed to have suited each other very well. I hadn¡¯t thought that I¡¯ve mixed the two up! So Xing Zhi helps give them more time to adjust as forgiveness, making up for his error. Will that be good enough for the other gods to oblige?¡± After Xing Zhi¡¯s argument, the Heavenly Emperor that was previously unwilling, hastily agreed, unable to even refuse. Turning his head, he could only release his anger on Fu Rong, ¡°Why are you still here! You haven¡¯t excused yourself yet?¡± Fu Rong hurriedly kneeled before withdrawing, walking through the hall with long steps. The accompanying aide caught up and asked, ¡°Lord Immoral, still good?¡± Fu Rong massaged his forehead, muttering, ¡°Good is good, but how strange¡­.. Since it¡¯s a mistake, why not just get rid of this whole marriage? That way, there would be no risks at all in the future.¡± He paced in the hall, pondering, ¡°Was he trying to insult me, saying my name was like a female¡¯s?¡± The attendant was confused, ¡°Lord Immortal?¡± Fu Rong dramatically swung his hair, ¡°Haha, it doesn¡¯t matter. In any case, this immortal is still free and unfettered. Forward! To the Hundred Blossom Pond to take a look at the countless beauties!¡± ¡°Lord Immortal¡­¡­.. Ah, wait ah! The Heavenly Emperor will definitely be angry!¡± ~~~ When the news was passed on to the Demonic Realm, Chen Li was currently in the Demon¡¯s Palace. She, amongst several other generals were discussing official business at a small round table. The soldiers situated between the borders of Heaven had felt fluctuations from the Space-Time Rip. Although it wasn¡¯t a lot of power, the Space-Time Rip has been abnormally silent for more than 1000 years, as stagnant as still water. With a sudden movement happening so abruptly, one must be vigilant. The high ranking generals discussed, finally choosing Mo Fang and Ze Xia, 2 generals, to go to the boundary and investigate. If there were to be an anomaly, one were to come back and report, and the other was to stay and help the soldiers if needed. Just as the meeting was about to be dismissed, the imperial edict from heaven reached the Palace. Listening to the envoy reading out the change of date regarding the wedding, the faces of the powerful generals all turned black. ¡°Suddenly changing the marriage date? Whenever it regards the marriage, Heaven just does as they please.¡± In the corner, Chen Li sat quietly, not speaking. The atmosphere was hard for a long time. Finally, it was the Demon Emperor that broke the silence, ¡°This meeting is done, everybody may go.¡± All the generals sighed one after another, and got up to leave. Before he left, Mo Fang turned to look at Chen Li. Her eyes were indifferent, about to leave as well. Suddenly, the Demon Emperor called out, ¡°Li-er, stay behind.¡± Her name ringed with affection, the voice not blaming or pleading. Mo Fang lowered his eyes and left. [1] In the room, only Chen Li and the Demon Emperor remained. Behind the silver mask, a sad, slightly broken voice sounded, ¡°You, towards Fu Rong, this man, what do you see?¡± ¡°Fu Rong, Fu Rong. Whether rain or dew, as long as they have it, none will be left unstained.¡± [2] Chen Li¡¯s voice was thick with disdain, ¡°Just from the name, you can tell. If he walks in a field of flowers, none will be left untouched.¡± The Demon Emperor was surprised for a moment, ¡°It looks like you already have a thorough understanding of him.¡± Chen Li turned her head, ¡°Does not dare to.¡± Watching her acting so difficult, the Demon Emperor knew in his heart, that when the edict was read out, although she herself didn¡¯t say it outloud, her self esteem had gotten a terrible blow. He kept silent for a while, before finally speaking again, ¡°Chen Li, do you know who arranged the marriage?¡± ¡°Other than that bored, royal family in Heaven, then who else?¡± ¡°There is also Sir Xing Zhi.¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s demeanor turned serious, ¡°An ancient god living a solitary existence from heaven, your marriage was bestowed upon you by him.¡± Chen Li was startled. Xing Zhi was was like a legend within the 3 realms. The only living ancient god, who by solely his own power, created Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip, and prevented the 3 realms from destruction, sealing in the wicked beasts milleniums ago. His strength is unrivaled among the modern gods. But for more than 1000 years, no one has caught sight of him, in the end, no one knows if he was even real, or just fictional. But suddenly, the Demon Emperor had just told her that Xing Zhi bestowed her the marriage?!¡±¡¯ ¡°Ah, this Xing Zhi, compared to the royal family in Heaven, must be even more bored!¡± Chen Li sneered, ¡°He must¡¯ve had no idea who was who, and just picked 2 random names out of the registry. That ******* stupid guy, taking his words like orders from the realms itself.¡± Her voice was irritated, ¡°So to speak, this new date is his doing?¡± Because, that Heavenly Emperor views Xing Zhi with so much respect, he probably doesn¡¯t dare to change or do anything about the marriage. If there needs to be a change, at the very least, he still needs to get Xing Zhi¡¯s agreement before anything else. What he says, is what the Heavenly Emperor will do. Thinking about her own fate, that could change randomly with a few mere words from someone who hasn¡¯t been seen for thousands of years, Chen Li¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but become more and more angry, slamming the table with her fist. ¡°He only sealed some domesticated animals inside the Space Time Rip, yet he¡¯s acting so pretentious! He forced me into an arranged marriage. Then, he changed the date of the marriage completely. Does he think, that I, Chen Li, is a vegetarian?¡± ¡°Li-er, sit down.¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s voice was indifferent. Although her heart was unwilling, she still followed his words, sitting down on the chair. However, her fists were still clenched. ¡°Xing Zhi of the three realms. His power, not only Heaven, but I myself respect it as well.¡± ¡°Why!¡± Chen Li was dissatisfied, ¡°He only waved his hand in Heaven¡¯s Space Time Rip, but the work is burdened upon our race to protect the seal for over 1000 years. Not only that, but he even used marriage to take me away from my own kind!¡± Mentioning this matter, Chen Li grew even more furious, remembering all the things the Demonic Realm¡¯s people had been subject to, ¡°Why must we obey Heaven, follow their every word?! My kind¡¯s soldiers are brave and many. Having to bend to their every will, then might as well slaughter through Heaven itself, not allowing them to have another day of peace!¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s manner was grave. Chen Li wanted to continue speaking, but knew in her heart that this time, the Demon Emperor was truly angry. She didn¡¯t want to quarrel with him. Chen Li could only suppress her anger, listening to him talk, ¡°You can speak of a war so easily, when Chen Li, you have not gone through a genuine war.¡± Chen Li has fought on the battlefield numerous times, but the battles were always fought against the monster tribes. Rather than saying it was 2 armies fighting, it was more like a hunt. She could not have a say in something she never experienced. Chen Li unwillingly sat, refusing to acknowledge the Demon Emperor¡¯s words. It was silent. The Demon Emperor sighed, his palm gently rubbing her head. ¡°Go back home. I leave you to calm down, so you can have your tantrum there. I didn¡¯t think that I would¡¯ve made you this aggravated over the marriage.¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s voice was soft and gentle. Chen Li¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. The corners of her mouth drooped down slowly, a rare, wronged look, similar to one¡¯s of a child appearing on her face, ¡°Master, I don¡¯t want to marry.¡± He remained silent, and rubbed her head. ¡°Go home.¡± ~~~ [1] The er on Li-er is a form of endearment, usually intimate, between family and friends. [2]Basically debauchery. If you don¡¯t get it, you can comment below and I¡¯ll get back to ya CH 19 Chen Li returned home, passing through the sandy dunes in the great hall. Irritated, her foot shot out to kick a small sandpile. Xuxu¡¯s naked body stared up at her within the sand, near her foot. Chen Li raised an eyebrow as Xuxu¡¯s mouth rapidly moved, ¡°I was ashamed to even see one person, ah, King! Without feathers, I have never been so ugly, ah! Good, King! So ruthless, so despicable!¡± Chen Li lifted up her ankle, straightening her spine, ¡°Filthy, ah. Say, I¡¯ve never seen you take a bath before, ah. How would you look, soaked in water?¡± Xuxu stayed silent. Chen Li called, ¡°Rou Ya! Prepare the water!¡± ¡°Ah! King, forgive me! You may drown this subordinate to death! Ah! King! Are you sad, ah! You¡¯re venting your anger on Xuxu, ah! My fate is in your hands, ah¡­¡­. Cluck, cluck¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I must care for you thoroughly.¡± Hearing Chen Li talk so much, Rou Ya was startled, asking, ¡°What did the Demon Emperor say?¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing King¡­. Really, what happened¡­. ~~~ Fu Rong and Azure Sky King Chen Li¡¯s marriage got postponed. The news circulated out to the public, becoming one of the many gossips discussed by the demon people in their leisure time. . But on the tenth day after the news, a letter written with blood has been sent from the boundary, it¡¯s contents causing all of the Demon Realm¡¯s people to tremble- Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip¡¯s seal has been broken! All the criminals sealed within had escaped, only leaving one scorpion tailed fox, it¡¯s tail not even completely formed yet. But even so, it had severely damaged the garrison stationed at the border. The general sent by the Demon Emperor, Ze Xia had rushed back desperately to send the news, but was killed on horseback before even arriving at the palace. General Mo Fang remained, tenaciously clinging to border, refusing to let it trample even half a foot of the demon land. It was a military emergency, not allowing even a second for delay. When the Demon Emperor received the news, he immediately ordered an elaborate for Ze Xia, and on the side, sent a messenger to inform Heaven about the event. At this time, Chen Li, who was discussing official matters within the palace conveniently heard his orders. She strook the table angrily, ¡° Why must we have to inform Heaven!? While those ******* are discussing outcomes, my demon soldiers are suffering unjustified deaths! Demon Emperor, Chen Li pleads to go to battle!¡± The Demon Emperor was silent. At this time, there were also 3 old veterans in the room, listening onto the conversation. After considering the duo¡¯s points, their representative, the white haired elder opened his mouth, ¡°Lord, although there are many great and clever generals within the palace, none are more better suited to deal with the miscreants than Chen Li. This subordinate knows that you place much emphasis on Chen Li¡¯s unique position in the arranged marriage. However, we are in a time of crisis! This subordinate must request for you to understand the importance of the numerous casualties of brave soldiers defending our borders as well!¡± The Demon Emperor¡¯s finger tapped the table, finally turning his head, ¡°Chen Li.¡± Chen Li immediately knelt down, fist cupped in a salute, ¡°Present.¡± ¡°This January, do not even take half a step out of your palace.¡± Chen Li looked up at him, shocked. By the side, the three veterans shared a look with one another, but this time, kept silent. However, Chen Li was unwilling, ¡°Demon Emperor! The boundary¡­¡­¡± ¡° The chaos at the borders will be dealt by General Shang Bei. He will go to investigate, and if cannot cut down the fox, will seek help from Heaven.¡± ¡°Oh great, powerful, immortal Demon Emperor! Hah, you really are just a puppet dancing to Heaven¡¯s tune!¡± Chen Li was furious. Disregarding every aspect of etiquette, she stood up and marched to the door, slamming it on the way out. In the room, it was silent. Finally, the Demon Emperor broke the silence. ¡°Three veterans. Do you believe that I have made a mistake?¡± One of the veterans sighed, ¡°Little king is still young, she cannot understand lord¡¯s good intentions. But lord, relax your heart. There will always be a part of her who will always know about the lord¡¯s care and love for her.¡± ¡°En¡­¡± The eyes behind the silver mask was weary. ¡°One day, she¡¯ll understand.¡± CH 19.1 General¡¯s Ze Xia¡¯s coffin was not yet sealed. Taking the chance, Chen Li took a look. His face was covered with green patterns, and his fingertips were already rotted black. The medical officers had said that this was due to the the scorpion-tailed fox¡¯s toxin, but with Ze Xia¡¯s skill, it shouldn¡¯t have been fatal. But in order to bring this message to the castle, he disregarded his injury, riding back non-stop! This caused the poison within his body to reach his heart, taking away his life. Hearing this, Chen Li clenched her teeth tightly. Her brother, her comrade in arms, had spent his life to bring back this news to the underground demon palace. Yet the result ended in setting up an elaborate funeral for his dead corpse, notifying Heaven, sending another squadron to their deaths, all while pleading for Heaven¡¯s help! There was no way that this is the result Ze Xia wanted to die for! He used his life, trading it for the fate of the garrisons by the border. The sooner he could report back, the sooner aid would be sent, the sooner the chance of the monster getting slain! Perhaps then, many, many lives could¡¯ve been saved. Ze Xia¡¯s corpse was surrounded by a beautifully placed frame, a smile on his face. Chen Li¡¯s fists clenched. She could understand how he must¡¯ve felt upon reaching the palace before finally being allowed to die on his horse. His mission was complete, and he was finally relieved of his burden. But the Demon Emperor¡­¡­¡­ Chen Li ground her teeth. In the chamber, 2 servants approached, planning to drag the coffin into the center of the room. Suddenly, she felt an urge overtake her as she clenched onto the coffin, refusing to let them to move it. ¡°King?¡± Chen Li bit her finger, spattering all over her hand. She slammed her hand on the coffin, leaving bloody fingerprints as she softly muttered, ¡°Chen Li will complete your the rest of your mission.¡± Without another word, she turned and left the palace. She returned to her home. When Xuxu saw her, he sensed danger and immediately ran to hide in his cage. However, Chen Li just grabbed him. Nearby, Rou Ya gasped when she saw how Chen Li was holding Xuxu roughly by the neck, almost choking him, ¡° King, you cannot, ah! Xuxu can¡¯t breathe!¡± ¡°This bird that I have raised is not that weak. Leave, and close the door.¡± Rou Ya looked into Chen Li¡¯s eyes, frightened, but finally complied, exiting the room. She closed the door, but she still didn¡¯t leave, silently standing behind the door. Before long, Chen Li started speaking, ¡°Today, I am going into retreat. No matter who comes, tell them that I cannot meet with anyone right now.¡± Rou Ya was confused; what to do now? She scratched her head, finally choosing to gather her courage and open the door. She took a quick glance inside, but suddenly felt something next to her foot. Taking a closer look, it was Xuxu, ah, naked! But for some reason, it seemed far happier than before, jumping up to skip down the hall in high spirits. King didn¡¯t do anything to him? Rou Ya pushed the door a little more to look inside, bypassing the screen blocking her. She saw Chen Li meditating, looking exactly as one would be during a retreat. Ah, she just intruded on King¡¯s retreat! How rude! Rou Ya immediately backed out, closing the door after her. But as she swept the floors, she couldn¡¯t find Xuxu at all, ah! She didn¡¯t know that currently, Chen Li had already infiltrated the army, beating down a random soldier and stealing his clothes and his badge before changing her appearance into his. Like that, she had set out to the border! But at this time in the Underground Demon Palace, Chi Rong was kneeling in front of the Demon Emperor, reporting, ¡°Chen Li has gone to the border, and Qing Yan is tailing behind her. Demon Emperor, do you want her to be brought back?¡± The one behind the silver mask was silent for a long time before finally sighing. ¡°Just go accompany her.¡± ~~~ The demon army¡¯s speed was fast, but it still took 2 days to reach the border. Although only a small portion of the Space-Time Rip¡¯s seal has been broken, the miasma emitted from it had already covered the whole borderline. Many of the weaker demon soldiers could only vomit all day long, nevermind fight! Even sitting up was difficult! But Mo Fang¡¯s leadership was efficient and organized, managing to keep the scorpion-tailed fox more than 10 miles away from the border. But when the army arrived at the battlefield, hearing the roar of the beast, even so far away, despite having slain beasts for years, their legs could all not help but tremble. Sure enough, a creature sealed within the Space-Time Rip was no ordinary beast. It was far more powerful. But when Chen Li remembered how Ze Xia looked like in the coffin, her fists still clenched with anger. ¡°Attention!¡± General Shang Bei ordered loudly, causing all the reinforcements from the Demon Emperor to hurriedly line up in formation. However, there was one soldier at the very end who did not, instead daring to directly walk up towards him. Upon seeing this, General Shang Bei was furious, ¡°For daring to disobey military orders, 30 hits with a rod!¡± Chen Li took off the heavy helmet over her face and raised her head to look at him, ¡°General Shang Bei. Chen Li is bold, and wishes to join the borderline battle.¡± ¡°k-K-¡­¡­ King?!¡± Seeing her, the army was in a huge commotion. Here, they have to chance to battle, side by side, with the Azure Sky King herself, in flesh! They have only heard of her name, but anyone would know that the Azure Sky King is invincible! In a mere moment, their spirits soared as their morale rose to a sudden high. Although Shang Bei was glad the morale was high, he also knew that Chen Li was about to be married! Moreover, the Demon Emperor didn¡¯t allow her to come out to battle, and as a soldier of the Demon Emperor, he must keep Demon Emperor in mind at all times. ¡°King, the Demon Emperor has refused to let you go to battle. This little subordinate does not dare have the courage to¡­..¡± Before he could finish his words, Chen Li interrupted, ¡°General, since Chen Li is already here, I will not go back without bringing the head of the beast first. Within 3 days, this king will have the beast under my foot.¡± Hearing such bold remarks, the army was silent. For a moment, Shang Bei was also silent. Suddenly, he flicked the reins in his hands, unsheathing his sword valiantly, ¡°Prepare to set out!¡± Chen Li and Shang Bei rode side by side. ¡°Many thanks to general for allowing Chen Li to participate in this war.¡± ¡°King, if this subordinate had chosen not to allow you to join the war, what would you have done?¡± ¡°Knock you out, take charge of your army, and go to execute the beast.¡± Shang Bei smiled bitterly, ¡°Exactly.¡± The more they moved forward, the thicker the miasma. The roars grew louder, causing many of the soldiers to stare in shock- and fear. Breaking through the miasma, the reinforcement team finally saw the monster, clashing ferociously against Mo Fang. It¡¯s body was huge, resembling one of a fox. However, the tail was one of a scorpion¡¯s, waving viciously high in the air. Just a mere glance of the huge, poisonous barb on the end of it¡¯s tail caused fear. When it caught sight of the reinforcements, it opened it¡¯s mouth roared, flashing sharp, bloody, red fangs. They were like the edges of a saw, teeth lined up in a zig zag like pattern. The saliva dripped into the earth, turning the sand and gravel into thick, greasy slop. The remains of Mo Fang¡¯s army were covered with blood, utterly exhausted. Only Mo Fang continued to fight, facing it alone. Shang Bei roared loudly, ¡°To war!!!¡± Before he even shouted, Chen Li had already grasped her Hongying Spear and flew forward. Shouting loudly, she threw the Hongying spear, landing straight onto the middle of the fox¡¯s head! The harsh magical power reached inside the brain, causing the scorpion-tailed fox to hiss loudly at the sky in pain. The barbed scorpion tail shot directly at Chen Li, who immediately pulled out her spear and twisted around, meeting the barb with her spear. Adding force behind her spear, Chen Li directly chopped off the sharp tipped barb on the scorpion-tailed fox¡¯s tail! It screeched loudly, almost breaking the eardrums of everybody present. It stumbled around in a dazed state, it¡¯s claw nearly landing on Mo Fang! Chen Li dived downwards at him, pushing Mo Fang into the air, making him land 30 feet away. Chen Li feet stood firm on the ground as she squatted, wielding her spear up. The moment the fox was about to land on her, she thrusted up, piercing straight through the paw pad! But in this moment, the foul blood that spilled out dyed Chen Li red. The distraction managed to let the scorpion-tailed fox to retreat safely, albeit defeated. Behind her, Mo Fang stared at Chen Li, ¡°King.¡± Chen Li turned her head to look at him. She could see that his battle armor was shattered, face covered with blood. She stared into the distance. The reinforcement soldiers were rescuing their comrades around the globs of earth. But still, it was impossible to know how many soldiers were buried under the greasy globs, the number of cold bodies sunken below them. Chen Li bit her lip. Her hands that were clenching the spear had already turned white. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­. I¡¯m too late¡­.¡± CH 20 The Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s pupils zoomed on Chen Li, following her every move. Each breath he took, his fur trembled with pain. Suddenly, it¡¯s body tensed up tightly, the wound healing gradually in the process. Chen Li¡¯s eyes flashed with shock- Her Hongying spear had drank innumerable amounts of blood in battle, causing it¡¯s bloodthirst to become terrifyingly strong. If a common demon were to be stabbed with it, the healing process would be incredibly slow. But this one¡­¡­ ¡°King, careful.¡± Behind her, Mo Fang urgently reminded her. You could only see the demonic beast¡¯s tail swing viciously, smashing towards Chen Li. Although the barb on the end has been cut off, the remainder of the tail was still hard and powerful. Chen Li¡¯s gaze sharpened. Her empty hand reached out and she shouted lowly. Above, the scorpion tail that was about to smash into her had exploded, thick, corrosive toxin spattering out as well in the sky. Chen Li¡¯s hand waved, her magical powers mutating into a strong wind. The poison that was about to land on the soldiers below were scattered by the breeze. ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!¡± The Scorpion Tailed Fox suddenly faced the sky and laughed, it¡¯s throat somehow producing a human like voice. Chen Li frowned, the closer a beast is of to a human, the more powerful it will be. Fighting against someone whose body that unleashes corrosive toxins and has extremely strong healing abilities in poisonous miasma¡­.. This will certainly be a long and thorny war. Not bothering to wait for Chen Li to figure out the meaning of his laugh, the ambiguous voice once more rumbled in the fox¡¯s throat, ¡°I did not expect for the current Demonic Realm to actually have such a good seedling. If you were to be given more time, you surely would¡¯ve become a great talent. Such a pity that you do not have much more time.¡± Just then, Chen Li had moved forward a step and stabbed the spear into the large paw in front of her. However, the stabbed paw held no scars or wound visible at all. It¡¯s neck stretched forwards, inhaling a large mouthful of the miasma. His head was raised high in delight, as if savouring a delicious meal. His fierce eyes became blood red, howling out a loud cry. The sound grew higher and higher, becoming as sharp as a knife. The soldiers all fell to the floor, their eardrums piercing with unbearable pain as they clutched their ears, groaning. At the same time, the wound on his head that Chen Li had stabbed earlier healed completely. On his tail, the decapitated barb regrew at a slow, but noticeable pace. His ash gray fur made popping noises, the muscle underneath strengthening as it expanded. His body was even bigger now. Chen Li clenched her teeth, but listened to Mo Fang calling behind her, ¡°King, take note that the beast has made use of the toxic miasma! It¡¯s self recovery is far better and it can absorb it¡¯s opponent¡¯s strength!¡± Hearing what Mo Fang had said, all the soldiers were startled. The fatal wound that Chen Li had dealt earlier was nothing but some free power for it to absorb! She frowned, ¡° You really know how to make a person irritated, ah.¡± The Hongying spear shook in her hands, and Chen Li leaned her head slightly sideways. ¡°General Shang Bei! Assist the charge!¡± General Shang Bei was shocked, but quickly recovered and ordered loudly, ¡°Formation!¡±. The army immediately moved into action. The beast¡¯s blood red eyes swivelled around, wanting to judge the whereabouts of the soldiers. However, Chen Lia actually leaped on top of him, obstructing his sight. Her spear swept across his two eyes only to hear a loud ¡®Ding!¡¯ instead. It was the Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s newly formed barb, and had blocked Chen Li¡¯s spear, the collision sparking a loud ¡®ding!¡¯. But this time, the scorpion tail barb remained intact and undamaged. Her magical powers were currently far less than earlier, and her level of her powers were equivalent to her fighting strength. With so little, Chen Li naturally wasn¡¯t strong enough to have a even fight. Therefore, Chen Li immediately bit the bullet and led the charge personally. If she could the other men an opening, even for a moment, it will be sufficient. CH 20.1 3 crossbow bolts immediately shot out, each with a long iron chain trailing behind them. They flew in the air, landing squarely embedded in the Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s back. The sharp, heavy arrow dug deep into its flesh, reaching its bones. If it were to charge, its bones would¡¯ve been directly tugged out from within its body. The three adjacent powers all pulled, restraining the monster until it could no longer move. An opening has been revealed, now, the only thing left is to cut off the head! In the air, Chen Li still hadn¡¯t had the chance to move before the Scorpion Tailed Fox sneered, ¡°It¡¯s been thousands of years, but these battle formations unexpectedly still haven¡¯t changed.¡± In her heart, Chen Li felt a bad premonition. The beast¡¯s body shifted, planning to stake it all, but suddenly he hissed with pain. One of his bones were slowly pulled out, and as it did, his hiss slowly turned into an angry roar as his tail flicked from side to side. But one of the triangle formation¡¯s 3 hooks were broken, no longer able to contain the fox. Now it was able to move around free, do as he likes. If he were to try and deal a killing blow now, the situation won¡¯t be good. By the time Chen Li regained her thoughts, it was too late. In a blink of an eye, his tail that was swinging side to side spat out poison, dripping over the battlefield. With her left hand, Chen Li pushed back the soldiers who were holding the chain out of harm¡¯s way. The soldiers knew that if they were to get hit by the poison, they inevitably would suffer a cruel death. However, they were still somewhat unwilling to let go of the iron chains that bound the beast. With her right hand, Chen Li stabbed the Hongying spear between the shackles binding the fox, the chain twisting around her spear. Using the spear like an anchor, she ruthlessly plunged it deep into the earth. Her actions were done with great speed, but before she could completely finish, the barb on the Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s tail plunged towards her right before her eyes. But just before it was about to pierce through her, a figure charged in and pushed her to the side, saving her. ¡°Mo Fang?!¡± Chen Li stared at him in shock. After fighting alone for several days, Mo Fang was utterly exhausted. His body held who knows how many wounds, but the only thing echoing in his mind was to save Chen Li, the only force driving him forward. Hearing her voice, knowing she was safe, Mo Fang¡¯s heart was content. Just knowing of Chen Li made him feel at ease, but suddenly, his back was filled with immeasurable pain. Turning his head to take a look, he suddenly understood why the normally calm Chen Li was so frantic. The Scorpion Tailed Fox had once again attacked down with his stinger, and pierced his back with the barbed stinger, almost penetrating through his shoulder blades. Unexpectedly was¡­¡­¡­wounded¡­¡­¡­.. Not aware. Seemingly lost all of his remaining energy, Mo Fang¡¯s eyes closed. Chen Li felt her body turn cold. She remembered Ze Xia, his body cold and lifeless as he laid in the coffin. She looked around, turning her body. The sandy soil was covered by corpses, broken corpses of the army. These people, somewhere in the Demonic Realm, they had a home, with family eagerly awaiting their safe return. Just like that old woman in the human realm, waiting year by year, hope in their hearts. But now, they can no longer return home¡­ ¡­. Chen Li looked at the barb, once again regrowing into another sharp tip, pitch black eyes gradually turning red. They all couldn¡¯t go back, all because of this damned beast that escaped from the Space-Time Rip! This sin, it must be paid with 1000 deaths! Chen Li gently pushed Mo Fang¡¯s body, ¡°Withdraw.¡± The word fell out from her mouth. The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but like waves of water, spread through around the wicked beast and reached Shang Bei who didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest and immediately called, ¡°Withdraw!¡± The soldiers all rushed to follow the orders. Seeing this, the beast started to laugh, ¡°We¡¯ve all submitted to that useless Emperor, that Emperor who was no more than a puppet of Heaven¡¯s. It¡¯s been 1000 years, but he¡¯s only gotten more foolish. It¡¯ll be best for him to digest in my stomach!¡± ¡°You have disrespected my Emperor and slaughtered my soldiers.¡± Her cold voice suddenly echoed in its ear, ¡°You, have angered me.¡± The Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s head reared, it¡¯s poisonous saliva flying into the air. Chen Li made a grabbing motion with her hand, and the spear that was binding the chains moved. It flew in an arc, landing in Chen Li¡¯s hands, who spun it around to block all the spit. She brandished it, golden light flaring from the spear. Shang Bei was stunned, hurriedly shouting, ¡°King! Stay calm! That demonic beast can absorb your magic power for his own use!¡± Chen Li sneered, ¡°Good, ah.¡± Her figure flashed, reappearing suddenly on the Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s back, her Hongying spear stabbing downwards into the already made wound of the crossbow bolts. ¡°Try to absorb this!¡± Harsh, barbarian like power surged through the speartip, golden light piercing it¡¯s body through the abdomen all the way down to the soil underneath, causing the Scorpion Tailed Fox to roar madly in pain. Chen Li could hear the Hongying spear drink, unexpectedly even wanting to drain it dry! But while the golden light surged in, Chen Li¡¯s magical powers grew weaker and weaker, until it was completely consumed. In return, the beast¡¯s muscles swelled, healing at an unbelievable pace. Standing on it¡¯s back, Chen Li had a very clear view as everything happened. It was so fast, that Chen Li¡¯s spear was almost stuck inside the flesh. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The Scorpion Tailed Fox laughed, ¡°A child still stinking of breast milk dares to try and attack me!¡± It¡¯s jaws opened wide as its head turned back, red eyes looking at Chen Li. At the same time, the scorpion tail barb waved in front of her. Chen Li was forced back a few steps, but suddenly, the area above her head became dark as the stench of rotting flesh snuck into her nostrils. She could only see the Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s bloody teeth, venomous saliva swimming inside his mouth. Suddenly, the world turned black. ¡°King!!¡± Shang Bei exclaimed. The soldier¡¯s hearts almost stopped beating. Azure Sky King¡­¡­. The invincible Azure Sky King had just got eaten¡­¡­¡­ The body of the Scorpion Tailed Fox grew larger as it let out an extremely carefree and happy cry. It was loud and long, scaring the soldiers immensely, ¡°Ha ha ha! When I free my fellow brothers, we will surely restore the Demonic Realm glory! Ha ha ha!¡± Suddenly, it¡¯s voice screeched to a stop. It¡¯s body shook violently as if some sudden pain appeared inside his body. Soon, it¡¯s shaking grew more and more berserk. Watching it¡¯s body tremor with such force, all the soldiers stared, shocked and confused. Shang Bei¡¯s gaze fell onto the throat of the Scorpion Tailed Fox and saw the skin suddenly swell dramatically as it¡¯s toes curling tightly in pain, it¡¯s tail waving madly. At this moment, the Hongying spear that was still stuck in it¡¯s back suddenly disappeared, and it¡¯s throat suddenly glowed with a burst of golden light. Everybody watched, golden light tearing through the flesh as it glowed frightfully. The Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s mouth opened, yet was unable to produce even a single sound, apparently due to the ferocious battle against the golden light. Finally, the Hongying spear pierced through the neck area. Golden light gathered suddenly, and one could only hear a loud ¡°BOOM¡±, before the giant head was cut off from the inside, tumbling to the ground. But what also came out was a woman, clothes bathed in blood. Her body was coated with blood and unknown liquids, the hairband tying her hair, broken, her long hair down and loose. The killing intent around her still didn¡¯t disperse. Her sharp footsteps echoed as she approached the Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s head slowly, contempt in her eyes. Within the miasma, that pair of bloody red eyes stared in terror. ¡°No¡­¡­¡­¡­ N-No, this is impossible¡­¡­¡­¡± The Scorpion Tailed Fox¡¯s mouth still moved. ¡°No one told you?¡± Chen Li¡¯s foot stepped on its nose, ¡°You cannot just eat things randomly.¡± The Hongying spear pierced into the middle of its forehead. It¡¯s eyes rolled white, before dying, his mouth still twitched, ¡°Obviously¡­¡­¡­¡­. Just¡­¡­.. A small girl¡­..¡± Before he left the world, he stared into Chen Li¡¯s eyes, that were still glowing with a red light, suddenly shocked like he just became aware of something, ¡°Formerly¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡± Unexpectedly, it was like this¡­. His eyes closed. Chen Li withdrew the spear and pointed it up at the sky, ¡°The wicked beast has been executed!¡± For a moment, the world was quiet, followed by the outbreak of a loud cry, ¡°Azure Sky King! Azure Sky King!¡± But no matter how loud the men cheered, Chen Li couldn¡¯t hear any of them. In her eyes, the world was blurry. She only subconsciously turned around, wanting to go to the other side. But by the cheering soldiers, there was also a white figure within the heavy mist, quietly staring at her. Xing Yun¡­¡­.. She took a single, difficult step towards in that direction, not even noticing when she let the Hongying spear fall to the floor. Each step she took, a bloody trail followed. Everyone saw her hand was broken, cheeks burned by the venom. It was silent, as everybody watched her slowly walk in that direction, that one which Chen Li walked as they all silently paved the road clear for her. Chen Li wasn¡¯t aware of anything else but the road she walked. The crimson glow slowly faded from her eyes. Besides that figure in white, she couldn¡¯t see anything else. In this battlefield she has turned into an empty fairyland, only he is what can lead her out. Xing Yun¡­¡­.. Chen Li struggled to lift her hand, fingertips touching warm skin. She brought a bloody fingertip, wiping a red streak through his fair, clear face. She seemed to hear sounds coming from the outside, somebody smiling gently and say to her, ¡°Chen Li, time to eat.¡± En. She wanted to eat the food he makes. She missed him. Her fingers slid down, her body falling into a warm embrace. Although there wasn¡¯t the smell of herbs, it was equally warm. CH 21 A wet, but soft warm body fell into his arms, slowly sliding downwards. A hand extended, unafraid of the filth on her body, and pulled Chen Li into his embrace. Her hand that bloodied his face gently fell to her side before being caught by another. His hand flipped her¡¯s as his fingertips felt for her pulse. The man clothed in white frowned, ¡°Where is the field camp?¡± Shang Bei quickly stepped forward. For a lady yet to be wed, it was naturally inappropriate to be in a man¡¯s embrace. Chen Li¡¯s purity must stay untouched. But when he sensed the heavenly power surrounding the white clothed man, Shang Bei realized that he must¡¯ve been the messenger sent by Heaven. They would naturally be no rush to bring Chen Li back. But Heaven¡­¡­¡­. Only sent one person down!? ¡°Your excellency is?¡± ¡°Sky Beyond Heaven, Still Water Pavilion, Ancient God Xing Zhi.¡± Although the people of the Demonic Realm didn¡¯t know anything about the Sky Outside Heaven and weren¡¯t familiar with the Still Water Pavilion, the whole universe knew about Xing Zhi, the only living Ancient God; and the very same god that arranged Chen Li¡¯s marriage¡­¡­¡­ Shang Bei immediately turned respectful. If it was his word, then it must be taken seriously. ¡°I must apologize. I¡¯ve spent too long in the mortal realm so I had gotten a bit lost after not visiting for a while and was late.¡± Shang Bei fell silent. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea for him to be impolite in return to his politeness. He ordered, ¡°Clear the battlefield and assist the injured soldiers together to the field camp!¡± He quickly stepped to Xing Zhi¡¯s side and reached out a hand as he said, ¡° I do not dare to trouble sire, and will carry King instead.¡± ¡°No.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s body twisted, evading Shang Bei¡¯s outstretched hands, ¡°There¡¯s no harm if I hold her. She came to me herself.¡± Once spoken, he paid no further heed to Shang Bei and quickened his pace forward, before suddenly turning his head to look at Shang Bei, ¡°Ah right, where is the field camp?¡± Shang Bei fell silent. Sky Beyond Heaven¡¯s Sir Xing Zhi, his temper¡­¡­ really¡­¡­.. is unique. ~~~ The sunlight rocked along with the swing of the green leaves. The breeze was cool, the scent of herbs waffling through the air. She slowly sat up to see an azure clothed white man, rocking leisurely on the rocking chair. This sound perfectly finished the tranquil scene. The rocking chair slowly stopped. The man turned his head to look at her, quietly looking at her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Hungry?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her usually straight back was hunched, bending over slightly. Her lips forced a smile, ¡°I¡¯m only¡­¡­. Tired.¡± Her head felt hot. A warm palm rubbed her head gently, ¡°Rest. It¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°En.¡± She quietly closed her eyes. However, she quickly opened them once again, her arm reaching out only to grab emptiness, ¡°Wait!¡±. Chen Li woke up. Her body was aching painfully, and her left hand clutched her the wound on her shoulder tightly. She couldn¡¯t help but moan in pain. ¡°K-King? King, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Li fixed her gaze on the speaker. A small soldier was looking at her in shock, almost in a panic. She disregarded him for now and looked at her surroundings, discovering that she was lying down on a bed within one of the field camp¡¯s tents. The pain wracking her body was so intense that it felt as if her body would fall apart at any given moment. She didn¡¯t even need to look down to know that her body must¡¯ve been wrapped with bandages like a mummy! Although she knew that she should¡¯ve been quietly recuperating, Chen Li just couldn¡¯t stay still after seeing the memories flow in her dreams. ¡°Help me up.¡± The little soldier hurriedly raised his hand, ¡°King, cannot. That¡­ ¡­ that person has said you cannot move around heedlessly.¡± Deciding this and that, it must be the dumb army doctor. Chen Li secretly disdained him, but didn¡¯t continue to force him, but instead asked, ¡°Do you have the statistics on how many soldiers perished in duty? Did you send off the souls of the deceased? How is General Mo Fang¡¯s injury doing?¡± Being shot with these rapid-fire questions one after another, the little soldier began to grow panicked and rushed to the exit, leaving a call, ¡°I will hurry and notify the General!¡± Chen Li slammed her fist against the bed unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll eat you! Hsssh!¡­.. Ow¡­. pain¡­.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± A laugh suddenly sounded from somewhere outside, causing Chen Li to feel startled, unable to even see who it was from inside the tent. She frowned, about to make an inquiry about the speaker when the flap leading in opened, revealing Mo Fang who was also covered in bandages tip to toe. He entered, leaning on his walking stick to slowly shuffle to Chen Li. When he saw Chen Li with her eyes open, he breathed a sigh of relief, finally letting loose of all the tension in his heart before speaking, ¡°King¡­. Are you okay?¡± For a moment, Chen Li was surprised before quickly smiling, and said: ¡°Mo Fang, these words should also be asked to you.¡± Chen Li looked at him, his bandaged body cutting him as a rather sorry figure. Her own body covered by bandages ached in response. Suddenly, she smiled, ¡°I just remembered, a few days ago, the me who was quarreling with the Demon Emperor had previously said that the Sky Beyond Heaven was nothing great, and just sealed in a few demonic beasts. He even wanted us to guard that Space-Time Rip seal for them! Now experiencing it myself, I really want to curse my own stupidity! In that Space-Time Rip, it was only a little beast! Inside, there must¡¯ve been thousands more, far worse, but they¡¯re all sealed up! He truly does deserve the 3 realms respect, ah!¡± Chen Li has not yet finished settling her feelings when she saw Mo Fang suddenly throw his walking stick to the side and bow down lowly as he kneeled. Ignoring all the risks of agitating his wound further, he prostrated himself in front of Chen Li, ¡°Causing the King to have such a serious wound, Mo Fang deserves to be damned.¡± Chen Li was startled but then fell silent, her demeanor turning entirely cold. Her voice was crisp, ¡°In accordance to your own argument, this King must deserve to die, and even 10,000 deaths would not suffice for my previous mistake. These brothers who have died together in the battlefield is because I have not protected them well enough. They have lost everything, including their own lives and future.¡± CH 21.1 For clarification purposes, this book places heavy emphasis on the difference between normal immortals and actual gods. You can kind of view it as, 1. Ancient God, 2. Gods, 3. Immortals, 4. Sprits, which is why they address Xing Zhi as ¡°Sir God¡± ~~~ ¡°It naturally cannot be blamed on the King!¡± Mo Fang raised his head, ¡°Fighting and executing the demonic beast, it was the King¡¯s merit! How could they blame it on¡­¡­¡± At this, Chen Li sighed. Her voice was gentle as she said, ¡°As such, get up. No one can blame you for this incident.¡± The rims of Mo Fang¡¯s eyes heated up. He bit his lip tightly and lightly knocked his forehead onto the ground. For a very long time, he didn¡¯t raise his head even a little bit. ¡°King is unclear¡­. It is Mo Fang that cannot forgive himself.¡± When he was awake and found out of Chen Li¡¯s wound and the coma she fell into, he was frantic, rushing to her. Seeing her covered in wounds, her breathing faint and almost unnoticeable, he¡­¡­.. Mo Fang fell quiet. ¡°You are injured. So, I cannot forgive myself.¡± Hearing him say those words so suddenly, Chen Li sucked in a breath of cold air, starting at Mo Fang, ¡°Mo Fang, you¡­¡­.. You cannot¡­..¡± ¡°Within Mo Fang¡¯s heart, King has always been there.¡± Since slaughtering through enemy lines and obtaining her first merit, Chen Li never had the same appearance as a normal woman of the Demonic Realm, had never understood what feelings other normal women of the Demonic Realm felt. But one day, when she wore an embroidered skirt, one of the feudal lords, sized her up with a panic-stricken look before shouting: F***! Before running away in extreme fear. Since then, she had never touched a woman¡¯s garments again. But today, seeing a man from the Demonic Realm express his feelings to her, Chen Li only felt shock and disbelief, ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. You¡­. It must be that the toxins from the fox made it up to your brain, making you confused right?¡± ¡°Mo Fang¡¯s head is very clear.¡± Looking as if he wanted Chen Li to directly cut open his heart to take a look at his feelings, Mo Fang decided to speak frankly, ¡°Mo Fang likes the King. Mo Fang likes Chen Li.¡± Chen Li¡¯s breath was stuck in her chest, almost choking. But seeing Mo Fang¡¯s clenched jaw and determined expression, Chen Li¡¯s face sunk, solemnly speaking to him, ¡°Out of the question.¡± Mo Fang raised his head to look at her, but only saw her grim face, ¡°This is not good. I want you eliminate this sentiment and eradicate those thoughts. This is a military order.¡± Mo Fang fell into silence once again. Finally, his jaw clenched and he kowtowed lowly, ¡°Yes.¡± At this moment, although inside the tent it was silent, Shang Bei¡¯s flurried shouts could be heard suddenly from the outside, ¡°Ah!¡­.. God Xing Zhi Sire, don¡¯t go in now, ai!¡± ¡°Why?¡± When this word was spoken, a slender finger brushed the entrance of the tent, opening it. Chen Li fixed her eyes on the entrance. Against the light, a white silhouette was just craning its head around to speak with someone behind it. His long robe dragged, giving the people of the Demonic Realm a rather cumbersome impression. However, it is this cumbersome display that gives off the sense of aloofness, a disdain from worldly affairs. ¡°This, this¡­¡­¡± Through the small crack, General Shang Bei managed to see that it was silent as Mo Fang kneeled in front of Chen Li, head bent. He sighed reluctantly, ¡°Forget about it, it¡¯s nothing.¡± As Sir Xing Zhi slowly walked inside the tent, Chen Li¡¯s face became somewhat stupid. Before she fell into her earlier coma, she had walked towards that white figure, that man. Earlier she had thought it was just an illusion, but it truly was her ¡°Xing Yun¡±. ¡°You¡­¡­¡­..¡± Upon seeing Shang Bei come in and grab him, Mo Fang hurriedly got up from the floor. He clutched his hands tightly, only to sense that it was covered with cold sweat. Icy cold sweat. Shang Bei gently sighed in his heart, then turning to talk with Chen Li, ¡°King, this is Sky Outside Heaven, Sir God Xing Zhi, who came to reinforce the seal on the Space-Time Rip.¡± ¡°Xing Zhi¡­.. Sir God?¡± Chen Li struggled to get up, but Xing Zhi stepped forward and gently pushed her body down, ¡°The wounds will reopen.¡± ¡°Have you ever been in the mortal realm?¡± Chen Li asked, ¡°You don¡¯t know Xing Yun?¡± Xing Zhi just pulled the quilt over Chen Li¡¯s body, his words holding a sense of indifference, ¡°Do not know.¡± He took out Chen Li¡¯s wrist that was tucked inside the quilt, softly measuring on her pulse. After a long while, he finally said: ¡°Your breathing is much steadier.¡± Chen Li was still as she looked at him. The 2 pairs of eyes met. Xing Zhi smiled faintly, ¡°The long famous Azure Sky King is truly brave, fierce. Seeing her now, your heroic spirit really makes one admire you. But no matter how good the foundation, it won¡¯t do if you act recklessly. So, I ask King for the sake of her people, to take care of your own body.¡± A foreigner¡¯s greeting was said so interestingly, and quite pleasant to listen to as well. Chen Li¡¯s eyes twinkled, but she immediately vanished it. Her expression turned peaceful, ¡°Thank you for your troubles, Sir God.¡± He is not Xing Yun. When comparing facial features, Xing Zhi¡¯s seemed much more sharp, his figure was taller, and had a cold air around him that Xing Yun didn¡¯t. Xing Yun¡¯s temperament was indifferent but still treated everybody with fair etiquette. But this man, looking at his conduct, was used to ruling and oppressing others year-round. ¡°Also, I have to be here for quite some time. I haven¡¯t come here for millennia, and don¡¯t know what has changed around here. So first I need to explore the area to get a general layout of the topography before I enter the Space-Time Rip ruin. At that time, I must have King guide me around. Hearing what was said, all 3 people in the tent were startled. Shang Bei said, ¡°Sir God, if you need someone to guide you around, then the soldiers within the army are all very familiar with the topography of this land, and I¡¯m sure they can serve you in some way. Right now, King is seriously injured, and I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll have to rest for quite some time.¡± ¡°General does not need to worry. I myself will be personally taking care of King¡¯s health. In no less than 3 days, she will be able to move around freely. There is no harm for her to lead me around, and activity is also helpful to her physical and mental health.¡± Mo Fang frowned, ¡°This humble one wishes to substitute for King to lead Sir God around the area.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s gaze leisurely fell onto Mo Fang. As he looked at him, Xing Zhi smiled lightly, ¡°No, I¡¯ll have her lead the way.¡± Seeing Mo Fang¡¯s fists clenching tightly, the curve on his lips grew. Chen Li hurriedly spoke up, ¡°Well then, thank you for your care during the next 3 days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s decided upon.¡± Leaving Chen Li¡¯s tent, Shang Bei took Mo Fang to another nearby tent. Xing Zhi walked alone in the field camp. Moving by a tent, he suddenly saw a little soldier staring at him in alarm. Pondering, he turned around and looked at him. The soldier immediately tried to run away: ¡°Halt.¡± Xing Zhi called him. The small soldier immediately stopped moving. Xing Zhi arrived by his side and gently rapped the side of his head. ¡°Forget.¡± A picture flashed in the little soldier¡¯s mind unexpectedly. He entered King¡¯s tent to pack up the supplies but was surprised to find a white figure sitting by King¡¯s bed. ¡°Tired¡­..¡± ¡°Rest.¡± He touched the King¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± Suddenly aware someone came in, the man in white turned his head. He put his index finger on his lips, making a gentle ¡°shh!¡± sound. His figure disappeared. Suddenly, the King woke up, shouting loudly, ¡°Wait!!¡± The little soldier opened his eyes and saw a white-clothed figure pass by him. He gave him a somewhat fuzzy impression, but he couldn¡¯t remember it clearly. The little soldier scratched his head, feeling a little confused, but he also couldn¡¯t say where he was confused. He just gazed at his departing back, before suddenly remembering that he needed to pack up the supplies in King¡¯s tent! ~~~ CH 22.1 ¡°The only mountain here is south of the military compounds. Although it has been somewhat useless for the past year, a few centuries ago it blocked the harmful miasma from spreading across the Demonic Realm. Today we left rather late, so we won¡¯t don¡¯t have enough time to go to the lake. For now, we¡¯ll just visit the mountain.¡± Chen Li took the map from the solider and earnestly studied it as she gave directions to Xing Zhi. But behind her, Xing Zhi was incessantly smoothing out his long robes, and didn¡¯t hear a thing. Chen Li struggled to restrain her temper, and could only repeat herself, ¡°Sir God, we¡¯ll go to see the mountain first.¡± ¡°En.¡± Xing Zhi just grabbed the ends of his robe and just used his fingertip to cut off the too long hem, tossing it behind him conveniently. The pure white silk hem flew in the winds, fluttering in the miasma far, far away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chen Li didn¡¯t move as her eyes followed the silken hem. In the Demonic Realm, even the Demon Emperor himself couldn¡¯t wear clothes of that quality. But this guy, he had actually just thrown it away so easily. Chen Li turned her head to look at Xing Zhi¡¯s newly made short robe. Even though he¡¯d been in the Demonic Realm for more than a few days, she had never seen it even a little dirty. Thinking back to the day she had mistaked him for Xing Yun, she had wiped blood all over his robes, but it had already been washed with water the next day. Thinking of the filth the soldiers had to endure by the boundary, Chen Li¡¯s head hung. Such unfairness, it really makes one feel as if they had a fish bone stuck inside their throat. Seeing Chen Li so still, Xing Zhi felt very confused, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Chen Li just shook her head, continued to walk without another word. It was the afternoon. The fog on the mountain was dense, and adding on the thickly accumulated miasma made it near impossible to see anything more than 5 steps away, even during the day. Chen Li looked at the directions on the map as she used her other hand to snap any branches that got in her way. But the branches were already so fragile from the miasma, that even the slightest touch would have caused it to crumble away. ¡°We are currently close to the field camp, but rather far away from the Space-Time Rip, so the soldiers don¡¯t come here often. As such, they aren¡¯t very familiar with this place so the map only displays around half the mountain. If we were to directly fly up, the mountain¡¯s fog and miasma would prevent us from seeing anything. That means that we can only find the trail up the mountain ourselves.¡± But when Chen Li finished speaking, she waited but no one answered back. Confused, she turned around only to see thick mist, and a hazy outline of Xing Zhi¡¯s silhouette. Chen Li gawked, and blinked her eyes. It has been said that during the battle against the Scorpion Tailed Fox, the Ancient God was late because he had went the wrong way¡­¡­. Could it be that he got lost? ¡°Sir God Xing Zhi?¡± Chen Li walked back, ¡°Sir God?¡± Chen Li did not walk very long before she realised the air had somewhat changed. Her heart beat faster as her footsteps quickened. A cool breeze blew over her, shooing away the thick fog before her eyes. On the other side, a heavenly immortal clothed in white slowly walked. Wherever he stepped, the miasma that accumulated for more than hundreds of years seemed to be washed away by new rain. Although you still couldn¡¯t see any green plants, the air was clean. Chen Li stared at him blankly. White robes danced in the air as a gentle breeze swept pass. The brilliant light that he emitted within the grey Demonic Realm imprinted itself onto Chen Li¡¯s eyes, her heart gone of the negative emotions it once held. This is¡­.. The Ancient God. With an inborn intelligent nature and kind-hearted disposition to wage battle against the evil gods of the Demonic Race, no matter how filthy the air, it could still be washed away cleanly¡­. Clothes fluttered and poked her gently. Xing Zhi walked up to her in a few steps and asked, ¡°Where do we go now?¡± In a blink of an eye, Chen Li instantly regained conscious. She was about to reach over and take out the map, but suddenly, pain shot up her left foot. Her hand slid down, the map flying away from her hands as it flew through the air, disappearing amidst the fog. She was about to jump down to go find it when she suddenly felt something restraining her. Chen Li turned her head to see a small wild boar, it¡¯s head with 4 ears, nipping at her leg. Although it didn¡¯t actually hurt, due to the delay, there was no way for her to find the map. Her heart burned with urgency. She bent her waist to grab the little boar that was curling up on it¡¯s tail to slap it¡¯s butt maliciously. ¡°What a hindrance!¡± The wild boar was in a panic as it squirmed around in her hand. A pair of beady red eyes locked onto Chen Li¡¯s as it growled maniacally. Xing Zhi frowned, ¡°It¡¯s been polluted by the miasma and changed into an evil spirit. Put it down, I¡¯ll burn it.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Chen Li¡¯s arm swung and the little boar was flung back into the woods. It screeched as it fled, panicked, leaving no traces behind. ¡°Although the miasma changed them into evil spirits, they themselves are still mostly animal. Their attacks aren¡¯t strong, and even the common people can easily deal with them.¡± Using her memory, Chen Li found the same path that they took earlier. As she hiked the trail, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for them to survive in this kind of terrarian. They didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so slaughtering them is too unreasonable. Even if they do commit sins later on, they can be still stopped and punished then.¡± Xing Zhi was startled and closely sized up Chen Li¡¯s back, ¡°So the Azure Sky King is actually kind-hearted, ah.¡± The dark mood in his eyes settled down and he followed Chen Li. ¡°But I personally prefer to eliminate the source before it grows more troublesome.¡± He paused, eyes fixed closely on Chen Li. ¡°Those words¡­..¡± Chen Li glanced back at him, but she didn¡¯t notice the strange mood in Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes. Her lips hooked, her smile revealing uninhibited self confidence. ¡°Then today, it won¡¯t be quite so boring.¡± For a moment, Xing Zhi was silent, but suddenly smiled. ¡°It is quite boring today.¡± The more they walked forward, the more lost they became. Looking at the darkening sky, Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but grow somewhat agitated. Xing Zhi stopped and spoke up, ¡°To have the moonlight look after us is quite good.¡± He looked as if he was merely taking a walk in his own backyard. Watching, Chen Li knew it wasn¡¯t good to urge him and just slowly walked along with Xing Zhi on the barren hills. The sky unknowingly grew darker as they walked. The withered tree grew thickly on the mountain path. Suddenly, Chen Li¡¯s eyes grew wide with shock. The moon was above them, large and bright, making her jaw drop in admiration. In the Demonic Realm, how long they have not seen such beautiful moonlight. ¡°The mountain peak. We¡¯ve arrived, let¡¯s climb up.¡± Xing Zhi walked out from behind her. His white robes and figure that gleamed in the moonlight left a clear outline in Chen Li¡¯s eyes. He slowly walked forward. Xing Zhi stopped in front of the thick withered tree. Looking closely, Chen Li saw that this tree that grew on the summit was different than the others. Although it was also brittle and dry, leaves grew on the branches, dancing beautifully in the wind, rustling with desire to fall. Xing Zhi¡¯s hand stretched forward to touch the tree trunk. The shriveled tree resembled the sound of weeping. The trunk trembled with grief along with the lamenting of the earth. Xing Zhi¡¯s facial features lowered, half sighing, half comforting them. ¡°It was hard for you. Thank you for your trouble.¡± White light rippled from his palm, pouring into the dead wood, following its roots into the earth. Chen Li could almost see the earth under her nearly leap up with joy and glory. The mountain trembled, as if it¡¯s soul has awakened with boundless knowledge, the fog disappearing completely. Chen Li stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing down at the mountain. She discovered that the same road they¡¯ve walked was now illuminated with beams of light. The light seemed to print out a character, leaning on the trail. It was: ¡°Mountain¡±. The moonlight, the dead tree, they all had this same character. The light seemed to penetrate inside them, purifying all traces of corrosive miasma. From the beginning, he had calculated it so well. In the afternoon, he¡¯d drew the character ¡°Mountain¡± on the trails, and with the power of the moonlight, he purified the mountain of the miasma and awakened the item he had used for the Space-Time Rip¡¯s seal. Such comprehensive arrangements, and all still didn¡¯t reveal a single hint of his plans. This man¡­ ¡°Azure Sky King.¡± Xing Zhi beckoned to her under the tree. Chen Li¡¯s heart was cautious as she walked up, but was surprised to see him go on his tiptoes to pick something from the tree. He handed Chen Li a long, green leaf, and smiled. ¡°The Demonic Realm sprouts are quite long.¡± Chen Li blankly accepted it and caressed the cool leaf. Her heart held a feeling she didn¡¯t quite understand. This Demonic Realm leaf, how the fresh, green color sparkled with liveliness. How wonderful it¡¯d be if the young children of the Demonic Realm could see such a leaf. Her eyes were soft, a gentle smile on her lips. Chen Li was so focused on stroking the leaf that she didn¡¯t notice the man beside her who looked at her softly, a silent, gentle smile on his lips. ¡°Do you want to sit in the tree for a while?¡± Chen Li wore a somewhat foolish expression on her face, ¡°Can I?¡±. She pointed at the tree trunk, not daring to touch it. ¡°It won¡¯t break?¡± Xing Zhi laughed, amused, ¡°I¡¯ll compensate if it breaks.¡± He hugged Chen Li¡¯s waist, and 2 people sat on the coarse, strong tree. Moonlight shone on the leaves, making them grow denser and more vibrant. Chen Li stared at the branches as new leaves slowly grew out, and couldn¡¯t help but feel moved. ¡°Truly wonderful.¡± She said, ¡°They look like they¡¯re singing.¡± Hearing what was said, Xing Zhi easily plucked a thin leaf and placed it between his lips. A beautiful, melodious tone flew out from his mouth. Chen Li looked back, pleasantly surprised. Watching him blow with such ease, she too grabbed a leaf and studied his technique. But when she tried to blow it, the leaf that was in her mouth fiercely flew out, and like an arrow, jabbed deep inside the earth! ¡°Ah!!¡± The music on the tree stopped. Chen Li looked at Xing Zhi, and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Sir God, are you laughing at me?¡± ¡°No, I just thought¡­¡± Xing Zhi looked up at the night sky and smiled, ¡°The moon today is beautiful.¡± CH 23 The fresh, mountain wind blew into the field camp, sweeping away the miasma, revealing bright moonlight. The soldiers raised their heads to the moon, one after another exclaiming in shock. Some people carried out the wounded, allowing them to admire the sight. This whole, bright moon was something they¡¯ve always coveted but never got. Mo Fang sat calmly on the stone training platform, both eyes staring at the shining character printed on the mountain. He looked quietly. ¡°Hold.¡± Suddenly, a pot of liquor was unexpectedly thrown into his arms. Shang Bei leaped high into the training platform before sitting by Mo Fang. ¡°The wounded shouldn¡¯t drink, so I diluted it with some water, hehe.¡± Mo Fang grabbed the pot and shook it, ¡° I don¡¯t drink. Mistakes will happen.¡± ¡°Whether you drink or not, just take it.¡± Shang Bei raised his head and filled his cup with the liquor, turning his head to look closely at Mo Fang, ¡°Do you still think that Sir God Xing Zhi was bullying little King?¡± Mo Fang didn¡¯t reply. Shang Bei laughed, ¡°That Sir God¡¯s temper truly is quite odd, but if you look, you can sense a clean aura around him. If King was not King today, and if it was you or me that was chosen, then I¡¯m afraid our legs would¡¯ve long gone soft from his pure aura alone.¡± Mo Fang nodded. How could he not understand this truth? Even if he wasn¡¯t thinking clearly at that time, looking at this round, glowing moon now, his heart understood Sir God Xing Zhi¡¯s consideration for them. But Mo Fang didn¡¯t care about this, he was worried about¡­ ¡°Oh, now that I think of it, the moon has been out for so long, so they should¡¯ve been long gotten whatever they needed to get. But then why isn¡¯t little King and Sir God back yet?¡± Mo Fang clutched the pot of liquor and silently unplugged the opening. He took a heavy gulp, using alcohol to drown his sorrows. With the first swallow, his lips were tightly sealed. On the second swallow, his mouth relaxed. On the third, a pink, hazy blush spread to his cheeks. Shang Bei laughed mischievously, thinking: not bad. He looked away, repeatedly reminding himself in his heart to speak tactfully, but still, his mouth couldn¡¯t help but open and ask, ¡°In the end, what part of little King do you like, ah?¡± After speaking, Shang Bei pulled on his own two cheeks. But at this time, the somewhat drunk Mo Fang only looked at the moon and muttered like he was talking to himself, ¡°Where I like? There¡¯s no place I don¡¯t like¡­¡± Hearing this, Shang Bei was startled and scratched his head with a sigh. ¡°This is really bad.¡± Suddenly, a white light streaked across the sky, falling into the field camp. Mo Fang hurriedly got up to take a look, bypassing the tents only to see Xing Zhi pluck off a slender leaf that was stuck on Chen Li¡¯s head. Chen Li impolitely snatched the leaf back from his hands, and said, ¡°Some other day, I will surely blow out a tune for you to listen.¡± Xing Zhi smiled. ¡°Then I await your good news.¡± He turned and left. Chen Li too didn¡¯t lotter and turned around to leave as well. But as she turned, from the corner of her eyes, she saw a glimpse of Mo Fang¡¯s robe. Chen Li¡¯s walked, her voice calling out. ¡°Mo Fang.¡± Mo Fang¡¯s head drooped down as he walked out. Chen Li was silent for a moment, and spoke, ¡°When I came here, I didn¡¯t notify the Demon Emperor. It¡¯d be better for you to go to the Demon Emperor first, and give a report of the incident. The earlier you go, the better it¡¯ll be for the recovery of your wound.¡± This¡­¡­. She wants him to leave¡­ Mo Fang clenched his teeth and knelt down on one knee. ¡°Yes.¡± CH 23.1 Chen Li opened her mouth, noticing the smell of alcohol coming off his body. At first, she wanted to reprimand him for drinking despite having such serious injuries, but now that the situation is already like this, it would be better for her to not say anything. She turned her head and returned to her tent, leaving Mo Fang kneeling there. He didn¡¯t get up for a very long time. The next day, Chen Li watched as Mo Fang left the field camp. She sighed in her heart, even in thousands of years, it was very rare to find somebody who liked her, nevermind brave enough to confess their feelings. However, the time was not right. If she was to like somebody, she will give all that she can give to that one person. What the future may hold, Chen Li doesn¡¯t know. But, right now, Xing Yun is still in her heart. Although Xing Yun had already passed away, she still would not be able to like anybody else at this time because it would be equivalent to betraying her former heart. At the moment, she was unworthy of another person¡¯s love. In addition¡­ Chen Li¡¯s head ached, only sighing in the end. It also wasn¡¯t Immortal Fu Rong fault. As Chen Li looked up at the clear sky, her heart couldn¡¯t help but relax a little. Today, she¡¯s leading Sir God Xing Zhi to another one of the seals. Then, the sky will become clearer and the soldiers here would become even happier as well. Her lips hooked up as she leaned on the fence. Its been so long since she looked forward to something. It was already quite far into the day when Xing Zhi finally arrived, who walked lazily to her. Chen Li forced her temper down and asked him, ¡°Might Sir God know what the time is?¡± Xing Zhi ignored her jabs, instead asking in a soft voice, ¡°Have you blown out a tune yet?¡± Chen Li¡¯s face stiffened as she recalled how she had blasted the leaf into the wood last night. She coughed and changed the topic, ¡°Let us talk about formal matters first. Yesterday, you said where 2 of the sealing items were hidden. We¡¯ve already gotten the one on the mountain peak, so, today, we¡¯ll be going to the lake bottom. Yesterday¡¯s purification has made the clouds much more distinct, so now we can harness the power of the clouds to go to the lake instead.¡± ¡°En.¡± Unlike yesterday¡¯s, today¡¯s trip to the lake was much smoother. But when they reached the lake, Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but frown. Year by year, the lake has been absorbing miasma from the air, causing the water to turn into a muddy, turbid brown. This, rather than calling it lake water, it would be much more accurate to call it a quagmire. Xing Zhi looked as if he didn¡¯t notice the water¡¯s filthy state, just turning his head to call Chen Li, ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡± Chen Li gawked at him, stunned as her eyes inspected him closely. ¡°Go down?¡± She hurriedly shook her head, ¡°We can¡¯t. The soldier that usually patrols here never went down. Without a map, I also can¡¯t help you get down there. Sir God must venture down there by himself. I¡¯ll be waiting for you onshore.¡± Xing Zhi asked Chen Li, smiling, ¡°Can King swim?¡± Chen Li was born with an innate disliking of water, and, as such, it is unlikely for her to succeed at learning any magical arts that has to do with water. Naturally, she cannot swim as well. Nevermind this pond that you couldn¡¯t even see the bottom of, even the small pond in Xing Yun¡¯s courtyard was enough to drown her. Usually Chen Li hated exposing weaknesses in front of others, but in order to help right now, she had no choice. ¡°Cannot.¡± ¡°Water evading techniques?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xing Zhi nodded. Chen Li obediently stepped back, planning to wait for him when she suddenly heard him say, ¡°So, I can only hold you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chen Li was baffled, ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Without waiting for Chen Li to refuse, Xing Zhi¡¯s fingers moved and she could only see darkness. However, her ears could still hear a ¡°gululu¡± sound, the sound of bubbles. Knowing that they¡¯re in the water, Chen Li¡¯s heart tightened, the palm of her hands pushing up against a warm body. At this time with no other choice, Chen Li gripped onto Xing Zhi¡¯s hands tightly. She felt suffocated, her whole body stiff from fear. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nervous.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s faint voice sounded in front of her. ¡°Just breathe normally like you do on land. My water evading technique won¡¯t be easily blown apart by you.¡± Having heard what was said, Chen Li hesitantly took a breath. Once she realised that she actually didn¡¯t breathe in water, Chen Li took a big sigh of relief. Rest assured, she breathed normally. But after her nervousness disappeared, what was left in Chen Li¡¯s heart was irrepressible anger. ¡°How could you be so unreasonable!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let go of my hand, or else my water evading techniques will become useless for you.¡± Hearing this, although her heart was filled with fury, Chen Li still obediently gripped his hand. Her mouth was still dissatisfied as she shouted, ¡°I can only see darkness, so what did you drag me into the water for! Let me go up!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m too scared to go alone.¡± A sentence of understated words were spoken in front of her, causing Chen Li choke, not knowing what to say. She continued to choke for a long time and silently cursed. You, an old man that has lived in the Sky Outside Heaven for who knows how many years, in Heaven and Earth, what storms have you not seen! Still scared of a little pond? You¡¯re just having fun teasing me, ah! But remembering that glowing character on the mountain yesterday, Chen Li was sure that this man has a plan in mind, a good reason for dragging her inside the pond. Thus, she kept these thoughts in mind as she followed behind Xing Zhi with incomparable vigilance. That was, until Xing Zhi¡¯s footsteps came to a halt, speaking in a soft voice, ¡°At last.¡± Throughout the whole trip, nothing had happened at all. Chen Li¡¯s felt rather confused. Suddenly, a flash of light ran past the corner of her eye. She fixed her eyes on the object to see a strange, stone shaped figure rushing out from the blue light. It landed on Xing Zhi¡¯s palm, resembling a summit. He softly closed his eyes and started to repeat incantations that Chen Li couldn¡¯t understand. All the water around them began to shake and tremble. Suddenly, part of the small stone figure crumbled to dust, revealing transparent, crystalline lenses inside. The crystal clear light caused Chen Li¡¯s eyes to tingle with pain. More and more dust fell from the small stone figure, revealing a translucent, frozen icicle! With the injection of Xing Zhi¡¯s power, Chen Li could feel the water turning colder and colder. Inside the icicle, it looked as if water was constantly stirring. Suddenly, the currents of water within the icicle broke out from it¡¯s top point, gushing straight up the lake. The limpid, clear water gushed out from the icicle unceasingly, making the jet black, thick, viscous lake water gradually turn clean and translucent. Chen Li raised her head in the water, watching as the sun¡¯s warmth spread through the bottom of the lake, her tense heart enjoying a rare moment of tranquillity. The constantly gushing water from the icicle was like a newfound spring in her heart, washing away all traces of suspicion and wariness. ¡°Later, the lake can have fish.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Chen Li turned her head back to look at Xing Zhi, ¡°Isn¡¯t there still 2 more seals here? Where is it? Quickly, find them.¡± ¡°The other two, you don¡¯t need to worry about.¡± Xing Zhi gently patted the icicle, appearing to comfort it. He pulled on Chen Li¡¯s hand to go back, ¡°One is in the field camp, within the earth, under the stone training platform. In a moment when we get back, you can command the soldiers to leave while we get the seal. Another one is on the fine gold chains in the ruins. It¡¯s very close to the Space-Time Rip.¡± So actually, he already knew where he¡¯d placed the seals¡­ Chen Li mulled it over, muttering, ¡°The mountain summit¡¯s seal was wood, the lake bottom is water, under the stone training platform is earth, near the Space-Time Rip is gold. Out of the 5 elements, there¡¯s only 4.¡± She frowned,¡±Isn¡¯t there still fire? If the 5 elements are incomplete, then the Vast Doubled Seal may not be able to fully display its power.¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°After I get the other 2 seals, then I myself will be going alone to get the last ¡®fire¡¯ seal. King can rest assured, since Xing Zhi has come here, you can be sure that the boundary will be left completely purified.¡± He turned to go, but suddenly his clothes got hooked onto the icicle. Xing Zhi subconsciously let go of Chen Li¡¯s hand to fixed his robes. He looked back to see Chen Li¡¯s raised eyebrow as she looked at her hands, before turning to glance at him. Xing Zhi was surprised and shook his head, laughing, ¡°Exposed.¡± Thinking that she was going to scold him, but he looked up to see Chen Li¡¯s stunned eyes. His lips hooked up into a thin smile as he continued to walk. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± CH 24 According to Xing Zhi, one of the remaining two seals, representing ¡®earth¡¯ was buried under the training platform. Chen Li ordered all the soldiers within the field camp to retreat a 3-mile radius from the platform. She was about to turn around and leave as well when Xing Zhi stopped her. ¡°Awakening the seal will take a long time, and if I cannot be interrupted. Therefore you need to guard by my side. Don¡¯t let people bother me.¡± All the soldiers already retreated 3 miles away, and besides, who even dares to disturb you¡­. Chen Li opened her mouth to retaliate, but then forcefully choked her words back into her stomach. She silently stood aside as Xing Zhi laid his palm on the earth. Similar to the other two seals, it soon began to glow with brilliant light. The ground trembled beneath her, but this time, Chen Li paid no attention to her surroundings. She only gazed at Xing Zhi¡¯s face, an unknown emotion settling within her jet-black eyes. The dry, sandy yellow soil gradually grew moist. Wifts of grass slowly grew by the edges of the tents, the air turning clean and pure. But unlike the other 2 times, Chen Li didn¡¯t feel at peace. This time, the air made it seem much harder to breathe. But since it was only felt for a mere moment, Chen Li simply ignored it. When Xing Zhi finished, her black eyes moved subtly as she turned around to leave, ¡°My matters in the Space-Time Rip Ruins are finished, so I¡¯ll be heading back to receive my punishment.¡± Xing Zhi watched her calm silhouette walk away, eyes staring. ~~~ When Chen Li had killed the Scorpion-Tailed Fox, the Space-Time Rip was still quite far away so she never truly had the chance to see it herself. So when Chen Li raised her head to see huge, black slit that extended through the horizon, she could not help but stare, shocked dumb. Rich, black miasma unceasingly gushed out of the ginormous slit. However, with 3 of the seals awakened, the miasma was constantly suppressed, disintegrated before it could escape the crevice. But even so, the nearby miasma was enough to oppress a person¡¯s heart. Without the seals, one can only imagine how terrible the situation would¡¯ve become. Heaven¡¯s Space Time Rip was very different from the Ice Sacrificial Palace, which was created naturally. The Space Time Rip was a space ripped out of another dimension by one person, and was turned into a cage. And in that cage, contains monsters several, or even hundreds of times stronger than that Scorpion Tailed Fox. Chen Li¡¯s eyes turned serious as she moved her head slightly to see a figure slightly walking towards her, step by step. The miasma dense wind caused his robes and hair to fly wildly in the air, but even that could not change the unshakable calm and indifference in his stance. Really¡­. A splitting image. CH 24.1 Suddenly, Chen Li felt a little lost. She turned to see Xing Zhi looking at the sky, a frown on his face. Chen Li asked keenly, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing, the situation¡¯s just worse than I¡¯d originally thought¡± Xing Zhi walked 2 steps forward and reached out with his hand, ¡°But that won¡¯t matter.¡± As he spoke, Chen Li could hear the earth below them rumble. A bright light jumped out of the crevice, abruptly flying into Xing Zhi¡¯s outstretched palm. Chen Li stared at the light, only to unexpectedly find that it was a steel chain covered by a thick layer of rust. One of its ends were held in Xing Zhi¡¯s hand, the other deep inside the earth. His lips moved as he muttered incantations, his hand moving gently. The thick coat of rust had been shed away as the chain tightened up, becoming perfectly straight. A loud rumble sounded from deep inside the crevice, and both sides of the enormous black slit were chained together, blocking the miasma from escaping outwards. Without the miasma obstructing her view, Chen Li could see that the gigantic crevice was actually now only 2 feet long, and was even shrinking as it got pulled closer and closer together. Suddenly, shrill screams cried out from the Space-Time Rip! Chen Li¡¯s heart tensed up, quickly, she reached out her hands, summoning the Hongying Spear as it appeared in her hands in an instant.Her body was taut with caution. But Xing Zhi just smiled calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t be so anxious, they cannot come out.¡± The screams didn¡¯t stop, piercing cries continuously sounding from inside. All of a sudden, a loud ¡°bang!¡± echoed, causing the surrounding earth to tremble unceasingly. Chen Li could practically feel the killing intent swell violently, a millennium¡¯s worth of accumulated hatred, with a rampant desire to rush out and slaughter Xing Zhi this instant. Chen Li frowned. The hand that held the Hongying spear was clenched so tightly that her knuckles had long since gone white. Xing Zhi shook the chain in his hands. A beast roared, it¡¯s crying sounding disturbingly similar to a human¡¯s. At first, it was faint, hardly discernible by the human ear. Xing Zhi chanted an incantation, his whole body radiating blinding light as the Space-Time Rip¡¯s trembling grew even more violent. Chen Li¡¯s heartbeat involuntarily sped up. It sounded as if the beast had broken through the seal, it¡¯s human like roar growling right next to her ear: ¡°I WILL KILL THE GOD! MUST KILL THE GOD!¡± The mournful cry threw a person¡¯s heart into chaos like a magical spell. It burrowed itself through Chen Li¡¯s ears, continuously echoing inside her head, giving her a painful, splitting headache. Even though Chen Li tried, again and again, to act strong, she still couldn¡¯t help but clutch her head in pain. She closed her eyes, and when opened again, they had turned a deep crimson. The depths of her heart surged up with killing intent as she was filled with the desire for commotion; a blood-soaked commotion. Xing Zhi¡¯s white robes fluttered in the wind. He didn¡¯t look back once as he chanted the last verse of his incantation. The stiff steel chain loosened, unleashing brilliant amounts of blinding lights as it sank into the ground. Shortly after, the light within the gap shone even brighter. The shrill, deafening shrieks that came from the slit screamed one last time, finally quiet. At the same time, a sliver of fresh air was sent through Chen Li¡¯s body, but it¡¯s violent energy made it very much different from the other sealings. The other times could be called a refreshing spring breeze, but this time it directly sank deep into her stomach. It openly collided with the uncontrollable killing intent in her body, forcing her to spit out a ball of black blood. It fell onto the earth, hissing as it boiled, quickly turning into a white cloud, not a thing left behind. A frosty wind blew past. All was silent. The enormous slit was now a mere 2 finger lengths from closing, and the sky was crystal clear. If one did not look closely, they would have no idea that it was actually Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip, storing many monsters even older than a millennium. Chen Li felt stunned, ¡°This is¡­..¡± Xing Zhi handed her a white handkerchief from somewhere inside his sleeve, ¡°Contaminated miasma.¡± Chen Li felt a little stumped as she accepted the white handkerchief. She looked at it for a little while before slowly moving it to her own lips, wiping off the blood. She looked up to see Xing Zhi standing next to the Space-Time Rip, his hand gently caressing the steel chain now connecting the cliff, ¡°When the Scorpion Tailed Fox swallowed you into his stomach, his body was filled with miasma. Because you¡¯re a demon in human form, it¡¯s far easier to be corroded by the miasma in his body. Whenever I blessed a seal, I also used the excess energy to purify the miasma in your body.¡± Chen Li suddenly realized, ¡°So that¡¯s the reason why you insisted on me guiding you around no matter what.¡± She fixed her gaze on Xing Zhi, the light in her eyes dimming, ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± ¡°En, only so.¡± Chen Li fell silent. Turning his head to look at Chen Li, he spoke flatly, ¡°The last fire seal is inside the Space Time Rip. Since the corrupted miasma within King¡¯s body has been eliminated, there is no need for King to follow me in. King can return to tidy up the soldiers and the field camp. When I¡¯m finished sealing the Space-Time Rip, I will go back to Heaven. From then, I will not inconvenience King again. ¡° A wind blew between the two. The white handkerchief in her hand flying with it. She fixed her eyes on Xing Zhi. Her hands were clenched together in a bow, her bearing indifferent, but she still released a sense of estrangement. ¡°Many thanks to Sir God for assisting the Demonic Realm.¡± Words spoken, she turned around. Her hair following as it was thrown into an elegant arc, she departed without hesitation. But because she didn¡¯t look back even once, she did not know that Xing Zhi had quietly turned his head, watching her disappear into the horizon. ~~~ It was night, and the moon was bright. In the tent, Chen Li was tidying up her belongings. Just as she was preparing to sleep, she noticed somebody pacing outside her tent. She called out loudly, ¡°Come in!¡±. Outside, the figure stiffened, before finally peeling back the flap to enter. When Shang Bei saw Chen Li, he wanted to be tactful, but still couldn¡¯t help but blurt out his words, ¡°Little King, you¡¯re actually just letting Sir God Xing Zhi go?!¡± Chen Li looked lightly into Shang Bei¡¯s eyes, ¡°If Sir God wants to go, how could I stop him?¡± ¡°Aiya!¡± Shang Bei stomped his feet in frustration, ¡°If I¡¯d known before, I would¡¯ve long asked him myself!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Li¡¯s voice was cold and mocking, ¡°It¡¯s been no more than a few short days since he came, and you¡¯ve already fallen in love with him?¡± Once she had spoken, even Chen Li herself was shocked by the words that had come out of her mouth.Shang Bei was equally startled, replying difficulty, ¡° Little King¡¯s thoughts can really make one amazed. Shang Bei wouldn¡¯t dare to have such thoughts. But our capital is plagued with miasma, so if King could guide Sir God around our Demonic Realm, even if the sky couldn¡¯t be completely cleaned, it can at least let King be cleansed for a few days.¡± He then winced, ¡°I¡­ I also wanted to let my wife see the moon.¡± Chen Li fell silent. CH 25 Chen Li fell silent. After Shang Bei left, all of Chen Li¡¯s sleepiness had seemingly vanished. Alone, she quietly left her tent, strolling aimlessly around the field camp. Tomorrow, she as ¡°King¡± would be leading the soldiers back into the capital, victorious. As a result, everybody was somewhat reluctant to waste the night and were all sitting outside their tents. Some were chatting, and others were drinking, but they were all envisioning how it¡¯d be like if everywhere in the Demonic Realm was this pure. Chen Li just quietly walked away from them, her heart wondering if Xing Zhi had already left for Heaven. Walking out of the field camp, she looked up to gaze at the moon. She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt an inexplicable urge in her heart to go to Heaven¡¯s Space Time Rip. The air here was already far cleaner than before. If it wasn¡¯t for the two chains shining faintly, Chen Li wouldn¡¯t have even been able to see the small, shrunken slit in between the earth. Xing Zhi¡¯s already gone. As she reached out her hand to touch the pair of iron chains, Chen Li suddenly realised that she must¡¯ve had some kind of problem with her brain! She knew that there wouldn¡¯t be anybody here, but still, she came running over anxiously. Chen Li smiled bitterly, pulling her hands away from the chain to leave. A wind came out of the crevice, blowing her hair to the side. Chen Li felt alarmed, her nose sensing a strange smell. She frowned and looked at the crevice inside the darkness, the gust still blowing out from it. This smell¡­. Is familiar. Chen Li pondered, but then suddenly, an eye opened from inside the crevice! Astonished, she tried to scramble back, but as she did, her ankle was grabbed! No matter how she struggled, it was now useless. That eye inside the earth glowed with strong emotions, revealing a crazed glee in it¡¯s eyes. Chen Li¡¯s combat experience was extremely rich, and despite her initial surprise, her mind quickly regained its former calm. With a wave of her hand, the Hongying spear was in her grip. It gleamed in the moonlight as it moved wickedly in Chen Li¡¯s hands, stabbing ruthlessly into the eye. But when she pierced she could tell that it was not flesh, but the muddy ground. She tried to tug out her spear only to feel a strong force tightly grabbing the spear. Chen Li clenched her teeth, about to use her magic when the pulling on her ankle suddenly intensified. Without allowing her to alert anyone, her whole body was dragged into the slit. The wind blew. Not a thing was left on the cliff. ~~~ Within the darkness, bits of pieces of voices echoed in Chen Li¡¯s ears noisily. No matter what Chen Li did, from blocking her ears, to sealing all 5 senses, the monster¡¯s voice still remained. It dug deep into her mind, slowly making her lose all reason. ¡°Shut up.¡± Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but snap, ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Kill¡­¡­ ¡° This word, sometimes high and shirl, other times low and malicious. It slowly turned her world red, a scarlet red. A bloody red, as if she was slaughtering seamlessly like a dance in a battlefield, bringing death upon the appearance of her enemies. A boiling flame rose up in her chest and her eyes glowed crimson, her body emitting a red light. But suddenly, a cooling wave washed over her heart, flowing gently into her limbs as a pleasant feeling settled into her body. A gentle hand with the warmth of a sun gently stroked her head, ¡°Cluck, cluck, why are you so angry?¡± Angry? She¡¯s always been restraining her anger far too much in that little courtyard¡­ ¡°Chen Li?¡± CH 25.1 A voice called for Chen Li, awakening her as she slowly opened her eyes. In the darkness, the white robe that clad Xing Zhi¡¯s body was all the more striking. Chen Li was stunned for a moment, but then averted her eyes as she looked at their surroundings. A tight frown was on her face, ¡°Is this inside the Space-Time Rip?¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°King is wise.¡± ¡°You¡­¡­ Why is Sir God still here? The seal¡­¡­¡± ¡°The seal was remodeled successfully, but some of the demonic beasts spells were released outside.¡± He spoke bluntly, ¡°It took many days worth of effort to refresh the seal, and I didn¡¯t notice the loopholes they exploited. Miasma has polluted the Space-Time Rip for many years, so it¡¯s not easy to purify it all at once. In the meanwhile, I¡¯m taking a walk.¡± This dark world, tainted with miasma, lived in by only the most fearsome Demonic Beasts¡­ was actually just another place for him to take a walk in¡­. Originally Chen Li wanted to ask if he had any injuries, but hearing this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that her worries were completely unnecessary. Xing Zhi just smiled and looked at Chen Li, ¡°Did King also come to the Space-Time Rip to take a walk?¡± Chen Li facepalmed, ¡°No, I had no interest in doing so. However¡­¡± Her voice paused, ¡°However, while I was patrolling with my soldiers and neared the Space-time Rip, some strange forced dragged me into here.¡± ¡°Ah, ¡° Xing Zhi touched his chin, thinking for a moment, ¡°It can even drag you in. It seems like these damned beasts are actually more interesting than I thought.¡± How could this be called interesting, ah! Chen Li held a moment of silence. She looked up and down at Xing Zhi, ¡°Does Sir God have a way to go out? I didn¡¯t hide it from Sir God: Tomorrow, I must return back to the capital along with General Shang Bei. If he can¡¯t find me in the morning, he¡¯ll definitely believe¡­.¡± Her heart sighed, ¡° Believe that I must¡¯ve ran away to escape the marriage. There will definitely be a huge commotion.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t go out now.¡± Xing Zhi turned and slowly walked forward. In this pitch-black world, let alone words like ¡°east¡±, ¡°west¡±, ¡°north¡±, ¡°south¡±, even the earth they stood on was ambiguous. But even so, his steps were calm as if they were on solid ground, unconsciously leading Chen Li the direction forward. She followed his footsteps, speaking somewhat anxiously, ¡°Sir God, I¡¯m really not joking with you. We don¡¯t know how many days we¡¯ve spent in the Space-Time Rip, so when we get out, it¡¯s highly probable that General Shang Bei has already left for the Capital. If he were to then report to the Demon Emperor that I¡¯ve ran away again, I really will suffer!¡± Although she admits her mistakes in coming here, to be punished for something she didn¡¯t do, was just something Chen Li couldn¡¯t accept. Xing Zhi turned his head to look at Chen Li, his voice stern, ¡°Am I a liar?¡± Chen Li¡¯s voice was also stern, ¡°The Great Lying God never lies.¡± CH 25.2 Xing Zhi¡¯s face turned serious, ¡° This time, we really can¡¯t get out.¡± ¡°Teasing me must be very fun.¡± ¡°Very fun indeed.¡± Seeing Chen Li¡¯s forehead vein pulse in anger, Xing Zhi couldn¡¯t resist chuckling as he asked, ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m lying to you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you always lying to me?!¡± Chen Li jumped up, accusing Xing Zhi, ¡°You being unable to find your way through the Demonic Realm, you embracing me for your water evading techniques, was there really no other way? All these matters, in which are you not lying to me?¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes twinkled, ¡°As you say, it is like that.¡± He smiled, ¡°But was it not to cleanse the miasma in King¡¯s body? Little King really should learn how to show thanks, ah.¡± Chen Li took a deep breath, forcefully holding back the evil intentions in her heart as her voice turned calm, ¡°Many thanks to Sir God Xing Zhi for his grace. As of now, we ought to get out of here.¡± Xing Zhi sighed, at last he has lost to Chen Li. He slowly extended his arm, previously hidden by his long, thick sleeves. Chen Li stared closely, discovering vicious, bloody indents on Xing Zhi¡¯s right arm, the marks so grisly that one could not tell what made it. Sinister black miasma oozed from the wound, creating a terrible sight. Chen Li¡¯s heart leapt as she stared at Xing Zhi in shock who withdrew his arm back into his robe, shaking his head helplessly, ¡°You see, I didn¡¯t want to frighten you.¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°While I was blessing the fire seal, I was careless and injured by one of the beasts. They wanted to interrupt me while I was blessing the seal, in an attempt to weaken the seal.¡± Xing Zhi said, ¡°But what they didn¡¯t know is that, now that it has been resealed, even if I were to die here, it wouldn¡¯t weaken for thousands of years to come. ¡± Chen Li was startled as she listened to him explain, ¡°The Space-Time Rip is a seal, but for such a grand seal, even the divine power of the ancient gods does not suffice to completely sustain it. So I, using the world¡¯s power, the 5 elements, remodeled the Space Time Rip¡¯s seal into a twin-layered seal. To do this, I chose to use the fire element I placed inside the Space Time Rip to force the two layers to merge together. This way, if someone tried to breach the seal, whether internal or external, it would not be easy for them, buying some time for the military to arrive. Second, relying on the world¡¯s power lets it absorb the surrounding power in the area, making it much more stable for the long term. Even so, it¡¯s not inexhaustible, and after these thousands of years, it¡¯s gradually been depleted. That¡¯s why I came here, to reinforce and supply the seal.¡± ¡°After remodeling the seal, it all depends on the world¡¯s energy. It will follow its path, locking in the miasma.¡± Xing Zhi shook his arm, ¡°So before the wound has healed, I cannot go out. As for you¡­ ¡­¡± Xing Zhi spoke, ¡°The miasma within your body has already been expelled, but miasma is everywhere in the Space-Time Rip. A demon¡¯s body doesn¡¯t possess the ability to purify the miasma as ours do, so it¡¯s very easy for the miasma to invade a demon¡¯s body. Although it has no effect on you, the seal won¡¯t allow you out. If I didn¡¯t have this injury, I would¡¯ve been able to purify the miasma in your body so you could go back. But now¡­¡­¡± In any case, she can¡¯t leave until his injury heals¡­ Chen Li frowned, ¡°This injury, how long until it¡¯s healed?¡± Xing Zhi played it down, saying, ¡°Soon, just a few walks and it¡¯ll will be fine.¡± His words suddenly stopped as he recalled something. He smiled at Chen Li, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. If we¡¯re late, I¡¯ll go back to the capital with you and explain to the Demon Emperor so you won¡¯t suffer any injustices.¡± He raised his hand, as if about to pat Chen Li¡¯s head, but then moved to the side, patting her shoulder as he smiled comfortingly. Chen Li looked at his hands as he turned away. She wanted to stop the words from spilling out, but in the end, couldn¡¯t block the words in her heart. Chen Li shouted at his back, asking bluntly, ¡°Does God know¡­¡­ That when a god sleeps, their soul changes into one of a mortal¡¯s to live a lifetime in the human world.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s footsteps didn¡¯t falter as he continued to walk casually, ¡°Maybe.¡± Noticing how Chen Li didn¡¯t keep up, he turned to look at her, ¡°What?¡± Chen Li stared at him in the eye, before suddenly breaking out into a smile. ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that God¡­ Reminds me of an old friend.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Xing Zhi continued to walk leisurely, ¡°It¡¯s pretty rare for someone to resemble me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± It was silent in the darkness for a long time. A white figure continued to walk, as if he¡¯d never stopped. ¡°Azure Sky King.¡± Xing Zhi suddenly spoke, ¡°It¡¯s not always a good thing for people to be too persistent.¡± Chen Li¡¯s eyes lowered, ¡° Chen Li thanks Sir God for the advice.¡± Chen Li fell behind as she walked behind Xing Zhi¡¯s back, but then she suddenly realised that this wasn¡¯t good either! In the darkness, nothing could distract her from Xing Zhi. Whether it was the white robes drifting elegantly in the breeze, or hair flowing in an arc, they were all that she could see. ¡°I heard King tried to flee the marriage before.¡± Xing Zhi suddenly opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Might King inform me why you opposed the marriage?¡± Mentioning this topic, Chen Li immediately frowned. Her voice was cold as she snorted, ¡°With him plucking an apricot tree til bare, dare I ask if Sir God would fancy him too? Moreover, as the Cetestial Emperor¡¯s 33rd grandson, he is a man who has lived for more than 1000 years. Yet despite living for so long, he has not one contribution to the military, nor participated in politics, instead choosing to focus on learning how to defile a maiden and her talents! If he was the son of Chen Li, he definitely would¡¯ve been chopped in fear of bringing harm to the Demonic Realm! TL Note: The Apricot Tree idiom means that he got laid a lot. Listening to her righteous words spoken so passionately, Xing Zhi couldn¡¯t help but cover his mouth and smile, ¡°Gentleman Fu Rong isn¡¯t so unbearable, he isn¡¯t only good at defiling maidens¡­¡­¡± His words only fueled Chen Li¡¯s anger even more, not waiting for him to finish before she interrupted him, ¡°Whatever guy he is, I haven¡¯t even met him, nevermind marry him! If it wasn¡¯t for Sir God¡¯s moment of confusion to try and tie a pair of mismatched mandarin ducks together, this King never would¡¯ve fallen to this point! This King also hasn¡¯t asked you, why you would assign such a marriage to me?!¡± TL Note: Mandarin Ducks mean a pair of lovers, and well you can guess what mismatched will mean ¡°Because¡­¡± Xing Zhi raised his head, not sure where to look as he avoided her gaze, ¡°I felt you two would make a good match, ah.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡­. Ah¡­ Achoo!¡± Inside the Temple in Heaven, Fu Rong sneezed as he laid in a large tub, flower petals scattering gently on the rippled water. By his side, the attendant quickly handed him a handkerchief, asking, ¡°Sir Immortal, is your water cold?¡± Fu Rong shook his head and waved, ¡°Get me something to eat.¡± The attendant complied and headed to the door when it was a wave of minions suddenly burst through from outside, practically stumbling on one another, ¡°Lord Immortal, Lord Immortal!!¡± Fu Rong quickly shouted, ¡°Stop!! Head to toe, covered in dirt! You are not allowed to dirty this lord¡¯s sacred bathing area!¡± CH 26 The servant had to stand behind the screen as he reported, ¡°Lord Immortal, my friends in the Demonic Realm had just reported that a fearsome beast from the Space-Time Rip escaped, and the Azure Sky King beheaded it! Lord Immortal may not know, but this little one heard that when the Azure Sky King got angry, she killed the beast, which was as big as a temple, with one shot, ah! Then she feasted on its flesh, raw! Eating the whole body, bathed in blood!!¡± Fu Rong¡¯s face turned pale as he hurriedly got out of the bath and clothed himself, before running barefoot to the screen. His voice trembled as he pulled at the servant¡¯s robes, ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± ¡°Ge¡­.. Get ready! You still haven¡¯t gotten ready for this lord?! This lord must see the Emperor!¡± It¡¯s said on that very day, Fu Rong groveled in front of the Celestial Emperor in the palace hall, howling for more than half a day, ¡°Grandson doesn¡¯t want to die!!!¡± In the end, the Emperor¡¯s attendants had to dragged Fu Rong back to his estate. That night, Fu Rong fiercely struggled up from his bed, and set out. ¡°This won¡¯t do!¡± He had said, ¡°I must go to the Demonic Realm to have a look with my own eyes, otherwise¡­¡­ otherwise, on the day of the wedding night, I might die a violent death in the wedding chamber!¡± ~~~ Inside the darkness where the passage of time was unknown, with no direction, no goal in mind, and no idea how long Xing Zhi¡¯s ¡°two laps¡± is, Chen Li¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but hold some anxiety. She¡¯s opened her mouth to ask Xing Zhi multiple times, but he simply continued to walk along leisurely. But if she were to ask too insistently, her image as the Azure Sky King would¡¯ve turned into someone who could not keep her calm¡­¡­. Chen Li couldn¡¯t help but sigh again. She felt, in Xing Zhi¡¯s presence, she was always presented with a dilemma. The hard approach wouldn¡¯t work, and the soft¡­¡­ she cannot¡­¡­ Suddenly, a blast sounded by her ear as they were engulfed by a powerful murderous intent. Chen Li¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°There are beasts.¡± Xing Zhi lightly smiled, ¡°They¡¯ve finally gone impatient, coming here to court death.¡± Hearing those words, Chen Li was startled, but didn¡¯t get a chance to think deeply before another hoarse cry rang out, echoing in her eardrums. Subconsciously, she summoned her Hongyin spear and moved forward, when Xing Zhi suddenly waved his sleeve in front of her, stopping Chen Li. He turned around and asked her, ¡°Do you want to see what the Space-Time Rip looks like?¡± Chen Li was dumbfounded. Heaven¡¯s Space-Time Rip¡­¡­ it was impossible for anyone to see the Space-Time Rip looked like¡­¡­ Her thoughts still hadn¡¯ t settled when she suddenly saw a flash of light coming from Xing Zhi¡¯s palm, the ball heading directly to the source of the noise. A loud ¡°Gong!¡± could be heard as it hit, white light bursting open, piercing through the darkness, letting Chen Li see not only the beast that it hit, but also the unending number of icy cold eyes around them! The demonic beasts, crouched in all directions, staring at them frostily. Some peeled back their lips, reflecting the cold light off of their sharp fangs. Others had long tongues as they hid behind the rest, their eyes dark and cruel. They made not one sound, resembling prey about to be killed by its hunter, completely tense. Even Chen Li, seeing this scene, the tiny hairs on her body couldn¡¯t help but stand up as she stared, astonished. She couldn¡¯t calm down until the light had faded, restoring the world to it¡¯s previous darkness. Chen Li asked ¡°While we were walking, did you already know of that the beasts were watching us?¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± His tone was completely indifferent. Chen Li¡¯s heart fell silent. For her, killing a single Scorpion Tailed Fox had taken so much effort. Yet for him, he easily dispatched a beast while chatting, all while just casually taking a walk freely here. Even disregarding the power he held as a god, this guy¡­¡­. Is indeed a piece of work. ¡°Azure Sky King.¡± Xing Zhi suddenly turned around to face her, ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like the air here¡¯s rather eerie?¡± ¡°No¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Anyways,¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s face turned serious, ¡°After I treat you and we exit, don¡¯t let another person ever approach the Space-Time Rip again. CH 26.1 Chen Li was startled. Suddenly, Xing Zhi gripped her hand as warm energy flowed from his palm into hers. She could feel something in her body whisk outside just as black miasma spilled out of Xing Zhi¡¯s bloodstained arm. A moment after, Xing Zhi commanded, ¡°Hold your breath.¡± Without hesitation, Chen Li held her breath. The reason unknown, the beasts suddenly seemed to rush towards them, their shrieks deafening. She felt light headed as the harsh screams were all left behind. When Chen Li recovered, she looked up to see Xing Zhi in front of her, the moonlight reflecting off the side of his face, outlining it with an ethereal glow. He was panting, 2 drops of sweat slowly trailing down the side of his face. Chen Li asked blankly, ¡°Did you not say¡­¡­ 2 laps?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Xing Zhi rubbed his forehead, ¡°How clever, you knew that we hadn¡¯t finished our stroll yet.¡± ¡°Did you lie to me again?¡± ¡°No, not being able to expel the miasma wasn¡¯t the truth. But in that kind of situation, I felt it¡¯d be rather dangerous for me to do so. Therefore, I chose to stretch my arms and legs a bit with a technique.¡± His breathing was rough, ¡°Only this technique is somewhat soul-searing. Just let me rest a little¡­¡­¡± He let go of Chen Li¡¯s hand and stumbled back, clutching his forehead. Chen Li looked at him, startled. Her wrist felt cold as the wind blew; remnants of sweat from Xing Zhi¡¯s palm were left on her wrist. Chen Li suddenly realised, these past few days remoulding the seal despite being injured by the demonic beasts, even for an Ancient God, it was too much. Moreover, the lingering miasma left on his wound couldn¡¯t have been simple, the reason why he didn¡¯t drive out the miasma earlier. But he could feel the killing intent from the beasts, so he was forced to expel it without preparation, and had no choice but to escape with her from the Space-Time Rip. Chen Li¡¯s other hand covered the place where Xing Zhi had held. So even the legendary Ancient God is able to be injured and feel pain. It turns out¡­¡­. God Xing Zhi also loves to act brave and show off, ah. Chen Li and Xing Zhi slowly walked back to the field camp. Many of the tents had been dismantled and packed away as a watchman looked around, holding a torch. The watchman looked at them with surprise, ¡°You are¡­¡­.. Sir God and King¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Something came up, ¡° Chen Li raised her voice, ¡°Where¡¯s General Shang Bei?¡± Hearing her displeasure, the watchmen hurriedly replied, ¡°King, you¡¯ve disappeared for 5 days, la! General Shang Bei had thought you¡¯ve ran away again. He made all the soldiers search for you, and when you couldn¡¯t be found, he had hurried back to inform the Demon Emperor of your whereabouts.¡± Chen Li sighed, sure enough¡­¡­. Xing Zhi interrupted, ¡°When did they leave?¡± ¡°They left yesterday.¡± Xing Zhi pondered for a moment, ¡° An army travels slowly, and many are even wounded so they can¡¯t walk as fast. Perhaps we can reach the capital before they do.¡± Chen Li decided, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll return now.¡± Just as her voice fell, she turned to look at Xing Zhi who smiled in return, ¡°King doesn¡¯t need to worry. Xing Zhi hasn¡¯t become useless just yet.¡± Chen Li nodded and didn¡¯t reply as she quickly harnessed the clouds. Xing Zhi also harnessed a cloud and followed her. Below them, the watchman stared as their backs faded into the distance and asked a nearby soldier, ¡°Hm¡­.. is it just me being overly sensitive, or is there something there?¡± Soldier: ¡°Watchman, I am also overly sensitive¡­¡­.¡± ~~~ Xing Zhi and Chen Li¡¯s speed was many times faster than the army so by the time they reached the capital, the soldiers still haven¡¯t returned. But everywhere in the city was decorated by rarely seen streamers and colorful banners, as the capital¡¯s prideful flag blew with the wind. Chen Li watched as the flag danced in the air, happy as she said, ¡°Each and every battle we fight, the most beloved moment of victory is when we return, and see the smiling faces of the people as they raise the flag high into the cloud with pride. Only then do I truly feel that the things I do, are meaningful.¡± Xing Zhi was slightly startled and looked at Chen Li, a hint of a smile growing on his face. He couldn¡¯t help but grin as he said, ¡°En, King has ambition.¡± Spotting her mansion, Chen Li said, ¡°I¡¯m right now, so seeing the Emperor like this would be too rude. I¡¯ll go home first to wash up, can God go see the Demon Emperor first?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡± He had just spoken when they suddenly heard a woman scream from below them, ¡°King! King! You¡¯ve come back!!!!¡± Chen Li frowned and looked down only to see Rou Ya carrying a bucket, crying as she ran over to her from the guest room before falling onto the ground, sobbing. Chen Li quickly released the cloud and hurried to Rou Ya, ¡°What could¡¯ve scared you so much?¡±. Rou Ya raised her head to see Chen Li. A round pair of eyes stared at her blankly, as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Chen Li frowned, ¡°What happened?¡± Rou Ya threw the bucket to the side and tightly grabbed onto Chen Li¡¯s waist, crying, ¡°Wu, wu! King! There¡¯s a beast! Always bullying Rou Ya!¡± Hearing the word ¡°Beast¡±, Chen Li¡¯s heart immediately tensed up, but had no time to ask anything when a loud ¡°Bang!¡± suddenly sounded. The door was slammed open. His whole body was colored red, only a small towel wrapped around his crotch as the man roared in anger, ¡°Dead girl! You dared to let the water scald this Lord! See if this Lord doesn¡¯t flay off a layer of your skin!¡± His voice had just fallen when a cool breeze blew, dispersing the mist in front of the man, letting him see the figures of a man and woman in the front yard, somewhat startling him. Chen Li glanced over his red, hot body before narrowing her eyes: ¡°Who are you?¡± The man was silent, only Rou Ya still sobbed as she clutched onto Chen Li, ¡°King, King¡­¡­.¡± Knowing the woman¡¯s identity, the man¡¯s face changed from red, to blue, then green. In the nick of time, a white robe was slipped onto him, covering his body by Xing Zhi, who smiled faintly, ¡°Gentleman Fu Rong, those in Heaven must¡¯ve never taught you, that when you must wear clothes before you go out.¡± Looking at the smile on Xing Zhi¡¯s face, Fu Rong couldn¡¯t help but secretly tremble. He hurriedly ran back into the room, closing the door quickly behind him. It was quiet once again. Chen Li stiffly turned to look at Xing Zhi, ¡°He? Gentleman Fu Rong? Heaven¡¯s grandson?¡± Seeing Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes lower as he gently nodded, Chen Li¡¯s mouth twitched. After a moment of silence, she picked up Rou Ya¡¯s skirt, her voice ice cold: ¡°Why did you let that thing inside this King¡¯s palace?¡± Rou Ya was in tears, ¡°Rou Ya didn¡¯t want to, ah! This is the Demon Emperor¡¯s order! Rou Ya can¡¯t refuse, wah¡­¡­¡± CH 26.2 Chen Li was startled. Suddenly, Xing Zhi gripped her hand as warm energy flowed from his palm into hers. She could feel something in her body whisk outside just as black miasma spilled out of Xing Zhi¡¯s bloodstained arm. A moment after, Xing Zhi commanded, ¡°Hold your breath.¡± Without hesitation, Chen Li held her breath. The reason unknown, the beasts suddenly seemed to rush towards them, their shrieks deafening. She felt light headed as the harsh screams were all left behind. When Chen Li recovered, she looked up to see Xing Zhi in front of her, the moonlight reflecting off the side of his face, outlining it with an ethereal glow. He was panting, 2 drops of sweat slowly trailing down the side of his face. Chen Li asked blankly, ¡°Did you not say¡­¡­ 2 laps?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Xing Zhi rubbed his forehead, ¡°How clever, you knew that we hadn¡¯t finished our stroll yet.¡± ¡°Did you lie to me again?¡± ¡°No, not being able to expel the miasma wasn¡¯t the truth. But in that kind of situation, I felt it¡¯d be rather dangerous for me to do so. Therefore, I chose to stretch my arms and legs a bit with a technique.¡± His breathing was rough, ¡°Only this technique is somewhat soul-searing. Just let me rest a little¡­¡­¡± He let go of Chen Li¡¯s hand and stumbled back, clutching his forehead. Chen Li looked at him, startled. Her wrist felt cold as the wind blew; remnants of sweat from Xing Zhi¡¯s palm were left on her wrist. Chen Li suddenly realised, these past few days, he had been remoulding the seal, despite being injured by the demonic beasts, even for an Ancient God, it was too much. Moreover, the lingering miasma left on his wound couldn¡¯t have been simple, the reason why he didn¡¯t drive out the miasma earlier. But he could feel the killing intent from the beasts, so he was forced to expel it without preparation, and had no choice but to escape with her from the Space-Time Rip. Chen Li¡¯s other hand covered the place where Xing Zhi had held. So even the legendary Ancient God is able to be injured and feel pain. It turns out¡­¡­. God Xing Zhi also loves to act brave and show off, ah. Chen Li and Xing Zhi slowly walked back to the field camp. Many of the tents had been dismantled and packed away as a watchman looked around, holding a torch. The watchman looked at them with surprise, ¡°You are¡­¡­.. Sir God and King¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Something came up, ¡° Chen Li raised her voice, ¡°Where¡¯s General Shang Bei?¡± Hearing her displeasure, the watchmen hurriedly replied, ¡°King, you¡¯ve disappeared for 5 days, la! General Shang Bei had thought you¡¯ve ran away again. He made all the soldiers search for you, and when you couldn¡¯t be found, he had hurried back to inform the Demon Emperor of your whereabouts.¡± Chen Li sighed, sure enough¡­¡­. Xing Zhi interrupted, ¡°When did they leave?¡± ¡°They left yesterday.¡± Xing Zhi pondered for a moment, ¡°An army travels slowly, and many are even wounded so they can¡¯t walk as fast. Perhaps we can reach the capital before they do.¡± Chen Li decided, saying, ¡°We¡¯ll return now.¡± Just as her voice fell, she turned to look at Xing Zhi who smiled in return, ¡°King doesn¡¯t need to worry. Xing Zhi hasn¡¯t become useless just yet.¡± Chen Li nodded and didn¡¯t reply as she quickly harnessed the clouds. Xing Zhi also harnessed a cloud and followed her. Below them, the watchman stared as their backs faded into the distance and asked a nearby soldier, ¡°Hm¡­.. is it just me being overly sensitive, or is there something there?¡± Soldier: ¡°Watchman, I am also overly sensitive¡­¡­.¡± ~~~ Xing Zhi and Chen Li¡¯s speed was many times faster than the army so by the time they reached the capital, the soldiers still hadn¡¯t returned. The whole city was decorated by rarely seen streamers and colorful banners, as the capital¡¯s prideful flag blew with the wind. Chen Li watched as the flag danced in the air, happy as she said, ¡°Each and every battle we fight, the most beloved moment of victory is when we return, and see the smiling faces of the people as they raise the flag high into the cloud with pride. Only then do I truly feel that the things I do, are meaningful.¡± Xing Zhi was slightly startled and looked at Chen Li, a hint of a smile growing on his face. He couldn¡¯t help but grin as he said, ¡°En, King has ambition.¡± Spotting her mansion, Chen Li said, ¡°I¡¯m dirty right now, so seeing the Emperor like this would be too rude. I¡¯ll go home first to wash up, can God go see the Demon Emperor first?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡± He had just spoken when they suddenly heard a woman scream from below them, ¡°King! King! You¡¯ve come back!!!!¡± Chen Li frowned and looked down only to see Rou Ya carrying a bucket, crying as she ran over to her from the guest room before falling onto the ground, sobbing. Chen Li quickly released the cloud as she hurried toward Rou Ya, ¡°What could¡¯ve scared you so much?¡±. Rou Ya raised her head to see Chen Li. A round pair of eyes stared at her blankly, as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Chen Li frowned, ¡°What happened?¡± Rou Ya threw the bucket to the side and tightly grabbed onto Chen Li¡¯s waist, crying, ¡°Wu, wu! King! There¡¯s a beast! Always bullying Rou Ya!¡± Hearing the word ¡°Beast¡±, Chen Li¡¯s heart immediately tensed up, but had no time to ask anything when a loud ¡°Bang!¡± suddenly sounded. The door was slammed open. His whole body was colored red, only a small towel wrapped around his crotch as the man roared in anger, ¡°Dead girl! You dared to let the water scald this Lord?! See if this Lord doesn¡¯t flay off a layer of your skin!¡± His voice had just fallen when a cool breeze blew, dispersing the mist in front of the man, letting him see the figures of a man and woman in the front yard, somewhat startling him. Chen Li glanced over his red, hot body before narrowing her eyes: ¡°Who are you?¡± The man was silent, only Rou Ya still sobbed as she clutched onto Chen Li, ¡°King, King¡­¡­.¡± Knowing the woman¡¯s identity, the man¡¯s face changed from red, to blue, then green. In the nick of time, a white robe was slipped onto him, covering his body by Xing Zhi, who smiled faintly, ¡°Gentleman Fu Rong, those in Heaven must¡¯ve never taught you, that you must wear clothes before you go out.¡± Looking at the smile on Xing Zhi¡¯s face, Fu Rong couldn¡¯t help but secretly tremble. He hurriedly ran back into the room, closing the door quickly behind him. It was quiet once again. Chen Li stiffly turned to look at Xing Zhi, ¡°He? Gentleman Fu Rong? Heaven¡¯s grandson?¡± Seeing Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes lower as he gently nodded, Chen Li¡¯s mouth twitched. After a moment of silence, she picked up Rou Ya¡¯s skirt, her voice ice cold: ¡°Why did you let that thing inside this King¡¯s palace?¡± Rou Ya was in tears, ¡°Rou Ya didn¡¯t want to, ah! This is the Demon Emperor¡¯s order! Rou Ya can¡¯t refuse, wah¡­¡­¡± Chen Li let go of Rou Ya and rubbed her forehead, listening to her cry, ¡°King claimed that King was going into retreat, but King obviously wanted to run away. When the Demon Emperor¡¯s people came, they caught Xuxu in King¡¯s human form and changed him back into a bird. They took Xuxu away, and he never came back, wah¡­¡­ Rou Ya¡¯s sad. Later Rou Ya heard that Fu Rong came to the Demon Emperor, and so the Demon Emperor chose to let him live here for a while. He had Rou Ya serve him, but he was so hard to wait, ah! A picky eater, angered the cook, loves to throw things, Zhang Sao even quit. Uwuuu even in a shower, he complained that it was too hot, too cold, always whining, such a troublesome man, King, you should just kill him, okay!¡± ¡°Unbridled!¡± The door opened again as Fu Rong shouted angrily, ¡°What slave dares to speak like that!¡± Chen Li stood in front of Rou Ya, her back protecting her as her cold eyes stared at Fu Rong. ¡°My girl dares to speak like this, if you are dissatisfied, speak. Chen Li is listening.¡± When Fu Rong remembered the Demonic Realm¡¯s rumors about her, he swallowed his saliva and averted his eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡­ say anything.¡± ¡°Gentleman Fu Rong, Chen Li had previously gone to the mortal world and unknowingly offended you. But Chen Li wishes to ask you, Gentleman Fu Rong is the Celestial Emperor¡¯s beloved son, so why would you come down to my Demon Realm?¡± Her words were cold, blantantly revealing the contempt in her heart. ¡°Could it be that a few days ago, you¡¯ve heard Chen Li failed to escape the marriage and now you can¡¯t bear to not see?¡± CH 27.1 Fu Rong silently stepped back, as if he had ran into an aura of death. This guy¡­¡­ his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He really couldn¡¯t marry such a person, ah! If it were said that Fu Rong had any inkling of hopes and wishful thinking towards Shen Li before, they were completely shattered. He cleared his throat, trying to get control of the situation. ¡°Ben, Benjun only heard that the demonic beasts in the Demonic Realm¡¯s Space Time Rip ruins escaped and that the miasma had spread everywhere. So, Benjun has decided to help the demonic realm¡¯s people in purifying the miasma. How could Benjun think like that¡­.¡± He paused before mildly finishing, ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Shen Li narrowed her eyes before examining him up and down. A effeminate air, gaudy clothes, with his hair tied up in a blindingly flashy gold dragon jade coil. She smiled coldly, ¡°Lord Immortal is joking.¡± Apart from when his Imperial Grandfather was angry with him, in all 99 levels of Heaven, no immortal had ever dared to look at him like that. He shouted furiously, ¡°What¡¯s your problem! Do you look down on me that much! Other immortals wouldn¡¯t dare to say, but apart from Deity Xing Zhi, nobody else in Heaven has the ability to purify the miasma¡­..¡± ¡±Don¡¯t be noisy.¡± Xing Zhi suddenly spoke. He glanced at Fu Rong coldly, ¡°Lord Immortal, does the Celestial Emperor know about the trip you made to the Demonic Realm this time?¡± Fu Rong looked at Xing Zhi before awkwardly scratching his head. Although this deity¡¯s face was always cold, he could sometimes show a gentle smile. But when he spoke to him, Fu Rong¡¯s body still couldn¡¯t help but unconsiously tense up as he obediently replied, ¡°Naturally I told Imperial Grandfather this time. Imperial Grandfather let me stay here for a few days to help the Demonic Realm¡¯s common people.¡± That was just a pretext, his Imperial Grandfather really just wanted for him and Shen Li to grow feelings for each other! But since these people didn¡¯t know about that, there was no need for him to say that. Shen Li rubbed her forehead as she grudingly accepted the fact that she would have to share the house with the stupid Gentleman Fu Rong. Suddenly, Xing Zhi spoke up behind her, ¡°That¡¯s right. Today¡¯s still early and Gentleman Fu Rong just took a bath to purify the body so your whole body is clear and bright. It¡¯ll definetely help to improve the common people¡¯s situation.¡± He pointed at the courtyard¡¯s door, ¡°Lord Immortal should quickly go out now, right?¡± ¡±Yi!¡± Fu Rong was startled. Shen Li also looked at Xing Zhi, surprised. She knew perfectly well that helping the people was only an excuse. Lord Deity, this¡­¡­ Shen Li realised, this was just bullying Fu Rong, ah. ¡°On the way here, I saw that the miasma south east of the Capital was especially strong. There¡¯s no harm for Gentleman Fu Rong to take a look.¡± He pointed. Fu Rong felt that it was truly difficult to get off the tiger after riding it (impossibile to stop halfway) and nodded, ¡°Alright, Lord Deity¡­¡­¡± After Fu Rong left, Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did he offend you?¡± ¡±Why would Wangye say such a thing?¡± ¡±No¡­¡­ I was just thinking Lord Deity looked like you were bullying him.¡± Xing Zhi smiled and didn¡¯t speak. Shen Li also didn¡¯t ask anymore, letting Rou Ya prepare some hot water to take a bath. Alone in the courtyard, Xing Zhi kneaded the space between his eyebrows as he talked to himself: ¡°I just¡­¡­ can¡¯t help but feel annoyed at the sight of him.¡± He sighed, lowering his head as he smiled, ¡°Really, what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± Shen Li cleaned herself and calmly entered the Demon Palace with Xing Zhi. General Shang Bei had conveniently ran to report back to the Demon Emperor as fast as he could. After reading over Shang Bei¡¯s report, the Demon Emperor¡¯s face was still green and red when he suddenly heard the attnedant announce outside the door, ¡°Emperor, Wangye and Deity Xing Zhi have come.¡± The Demon Emperor was startled and rolled up the report. He stayed silent before finally speaking. ¡°Let them in.¡± The door was pushed open and the Demon Emperor got up to welcome them, ¡°Deity Xing Zhi, we are honored by your presence. Please excuse our demon race for not going out to recieve you, we hope you can forgive us.¡± ¡±Demon Emperor is too polite.¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°Coming here this time was just to remodel the Space Time Rip¡¯s seal, and didn¡¯t mean to disturb you all. Its just that the Azure Sky King needed a witness, so¡­..¡± He then looked at Shen Li, who immediately bowed, ¡°Demon Emperor, this time, Shen Li really wasn¡¯t trying to flee from the marriage! I only went to the boundary to kill the demonic beast. I had originally planned to return with General Shang Bei, but¡­.. I ran into an accident.¡± The Demon Emperor looked at Shen Li, ¡°Since the person¡¯s already come back, it no longer needs to be discussed. I¡¯ve already heard Mo Fang¡¯s words. This time, you have done a great merit, making up for earlier mistakes. I won¡¯t investigate and go against our ¡®Wang¡¯ (king) title.¡± Shen Li was delighted. Although she had always been bold, she always somewhat revered the Demon Emperor and so she had always felt bad over fleeing the marriage. The feeling was like a child caught stealing from the candy jar. Xing Zhi looked at her, his gaze unable to help but turn soft. The Demon Emperor looked at the two calmly and opened his mouth, ¡°Deity has come from afar. It¡¯d be better to rest in the Demon Realm for a few days and let us Demons show our sincerity and thanks.¡± ¡±Then I¡¯ll be troubling you all for the next few days.¡± The Demon Emperor nodded, raising his voice to call for an attendant to arrange a residence for Deity Xing Zhi. He was just about to speak when Xing Zhi suddenly cut in, ¡°In the Demon Realm, I currently only know the little Wangye. It¡¯s better for me to just stay with Wangye, then she can also guide me around the Demon Realm.¡± Shen Li was startled, ¡°If the Demon Emperor is fine with it, I¡¯m fine¡­.¡± Behind the silver mask, the Demon Emperor stared at Xing Zhi for a long time before finally speaking, ¡°Then lets do it like that. I would like to chat with Li¡¯er about family matters, may Deity please wait in the lobby.¡± Xing Zhi nodded and the attendant led him away. When they could no longer hear his footsteps, the Demon Emperor asked Shen Li, ¡°Injured?¡± ¡°Not very badly.¡± ¡±Fu Rong is also here. With two extra people in your home, do you need another servant?¡± ¡°Probably not. Oh right, Demon Emperor, is it possible to have my parrot back?¡± ¡±Take it back, it¡¯s loud enough to annoy a person to death.¡± CH 28 ¡°How long does Immortal High God wish to remain in the Demon Realm?¡± Shen Li asked Xing Zhi on their way back to her residence. She carried parrot in his cage in one hand as she walked. ¡°I can arrange things better if I have a general idea.¡± Xing Zhi was silent as he thought about it for a moment. ¡°Mm¡­ that¡­ I will return to Heaven with Ru Fongjun when my lord leaves.¡± Hearing that name made Shen Li¡¯s head ache. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Tomorrow would be great.¡± She barely finished speaking when a figure rushed out as they neared the residence. ¡°Highness! Highness! Fu Rongjun is in trouble!¡± Though she was unaware what the trouble was, it aggravated Shen Li just hearing that name. ¡°He left to conduct his own affairs! What happens to him is none of my concern!¡± ¡°Ah! Highness, it¡¯s no good! Fu Rongjun went to the tavern on the east side of town and made the bar girls accompany him in drink. He drank all their wine then refused to pay! He was disrespectful to the bar girls too! He smelled like someone from the Heavenly Realms, so everyone knew he was connected with Highness. Just now even, someone came by the residence asking us to get Fu Rongjun.¡± Shen Li ground her teeth. Ru Fongjun having a lousy reputation in Heaven she could overlook, but now he was in the Demon Realm dragging her down with him. Shen Li mentally cursed him out. She tossed Parrot¡¯s cage at Rou-ya as she said, ¡°Hold this while I go and get that scumbag. I will tear him to pieces!¡± Rou-ya¡¯s face was white with fear. ¡°Highness no! You mustn¡¯t do that!¡± Just as she moved to intercept Shen Li, a white billowy sleeve obstructed her path. ¡°Do not fret. I will stop your master.¡± Xing Zhi smiled as he spoke. Rou-ya had never met anyone in the Demon Realm with such a beautiful smile; she was dumbstruck and stared at his back as he left. When she came to her senses she yelled, ¡°Highness!¡± after their receding figures, but they were already out of earshot. ¡°Ah! I forgot to tell Highness that General Mo Fang was at the residence when that person came by about Fu Rongjun. He already left to see to it.¡± Naturally Shen Li, as fired up as she was, didn¡¯t hear Rou-ya, and so had no idea Mo Fang would be there as well. ... When Mo Fang got to the tavern he saw a dead drunk Fu Rongjun at one of the tables. The barmaid wasn¡¯t intimidated by Mo Fang despite the sword at his waist and the armor he had on. She said, ¡°I am a woman working in a tavern that serves alcohol, yes, but even as such I do not deserve to be disrespected! This guest¡¯s demands are over the line! To be so salacious in broad daylight at someone¡¯s workplace¡­ it¡¯s outrageous!¡± Fu Rongjun lifted his head up and yelled out, ¡°Miss with the tender soft pale skin! Another cup!¡± Shen Li¡¯s faced darkened and she clenched her fists. She was about to yell at Fu Rongjun for his behavior when another voice interrupted her. ¡°Enough!¡± Mo Fang exploded as he dragged Fu Rongjun by the collar. His eyes were ice cold as he said, ¡°What you do and how you ruin your reputation is none of my concern, however when your actions sully Her Highness¡¯s reputation, that¡¯s another matter altogether!¡± The force of the words startled Shen Li so much she could only stare on at the scene blankly while her fisted hands loosened. A sense of powerlessness rose in her heart. She had already corrected Mo Fang on this matter¡­ Shen Li wasn¡¯t the only one shocked. Everyone else in the tavern were just as surprised by Mo Fang¡¯s outburst. Fu Rongjun suddenly looked up and smiled at Mo Fang. He raised his hand and laid it against Mo Fang¡¯s neck flirtatiously. ¡°Mm¡­ you are also very pleasing to look at. Such passionate eyes.¡± He pursed his lips after he finished speaking and suddenly pressed them against Mo Fang¡¯s making a soft ¡®mwuah¡¯ sound. The silence that followed the kiss was deafening but only lasted a moment before audible gasps erupted from those witnessing the scene. Shen Li was stunned. Her mouth hung open as she stared. Belatedly she turned her neck stiffly to look at Xing Zhi. ¡°Fu Rongjun doesn¡¯t just defile ladies, he defiles men too!¡± She pointed a finger at her fiance. ¡°How does a place as pristine as Heaven raise such a worthless scumbag predator as that?¡± Xing Zhi was also surprised. He only replied after sizing Fu Rongjun up for a time. ¡°Your Highness asks me this question, but I also do not know the answer.¡± Mo Fang had the stupidest blank expression on his face for the longest time. When he came to his senses, he gave the back of Fu Rongjun¡¯s neck a hard hand chop knocking the other man out. Then he calmly and firmly wiped his lips. He swept his eyes around the room and spoke. ¡°Anyone who dares speak of this, I will cut out your tongue and feed it to the pigs.¡± As he finished speaking, he caught sight of Shen Li and Xing Zhi standing just outside the tavern. He stiffened as rigid as a board when their eyes met. Shen Li couldn¡¯t pretend to not see no matter how much she wanted to. The best she could do was act natural as she walked forward and acknowledged the scene. ¡°Apologies for the trouble. I will take him back now.¡± Mo Fang kept his head down as he spoke. ¡°No trouble. I only did what should have been done. Your Highness¡­¡± Though he looked calm, his heart was beating wildly in his chest. He wasn¡¯t sure how to continue after having said so much. All he could do was turn his head away as he handed Fu Rongjun over to Shen Li. That done, he immediately left. People started whispering the moment he was out of earshot. At this Shen Li¡¯s face dropped. She looked around the tavern and spoke clearly one word. ¡°Silence.¡± Her imposing aura was enough to make everyone obey. ¡°No one is to gossip about what happened just now.¡± Everyone calmed down at the sound of her voice. As the Azure Sky King, Shen Li was well-known and highly respected in the Demon Realm. She walked over to the barmaid. ¡°You have suffered. Come, tell me your grievance.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The barmaid shook her head. ¡°Everything¡¯s gone¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Shen Li reached for a stool to sit down on. ¡°About that drunk, he addressed you inappropriately a moment ago. Tell me in detail everything that happened before that. I will seek justice for you.¡± Fu Rongjun had humiliated her people and rampaged through the district. News of it would reach the news outlets in the Heavenly Realm. So even if she couldn¡¯t strangle him herself, someone else would. Shen Li folded the letter the barmaid had written and handed it to Xing Zhi as they left the tavern. ¡°How long is that ridiculously spoiled Fu Rongjun going to stay? I really want him to leave already. I don¡¯t want to report this to the Demon Emperor but¡­ if I don¡¯t more people could get hurt.¡± The Heavenly Emperor was beyond her reach, so she couldn¡¯t personally tell him of Ru Fongjun¡¯s shameful behavior. Even if she could somehow get him to come down, she knew the Demon Emperor would just conceal Fu Rongjun¡¯s matter. ¡°Therefore I will have to inconvenient Immortal High God Xing Zhi to bring this letter in my place.¡± Xing Zhi silently accepted the letter. After a moment he spoke up. ¡°Even if this letter is delivered to the Heavenly Emperor it is improbable that Your Highness¡¯s engagement will be cancelled. The marriage is inevitable. Why not let what happened go and accept the marriage instead?¡± That made Shen Li laugh. ¡°Cancel the engagement? Immortal High God thinks too much of it. I stopped having any delusions of that the day the Demon Emperor brought me back from the Mortal Realm.¡± Shen Li turned away from him as they continued walking side by side. He couldn¡¯t see her face as she spoke. ¡°No, I simply wished to bring attention to the fact that Fu Rongjun is not happy here.¡± She didn¡¯t like Fu Rongjun and didn¡¯t think living together with him would be pleasant. The odds of them having a happy married life was nonexistent. At this point she just wanted to live an easy life and do as she pleased. ¡°Besides,¡± Shen Li stopped walking, and although her voice remained respectful, she refused to turn and look at him, ¡°the Heavenly Emperor won¡¯t cancel the engagement because he can¡¯t.¡± She leaned her head towards Xing Zhi finally looking at him. ¡°Immortal High God, why won¡¯t you release me?¡± Xing Zhi refused to reply to her question. ... That night Shen Li slept poorly because of a reaction to the bead. Her body was hot and her throat parched. Even the four pots of water Rou-ya brought couldn¡¯t sate her thirst. Shen Li woke up the next morning clear-headed but still incredibly thirsty. Eventually a dull ache started in her head. Rou-ya was worried. ¡°Highness, are you sick?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen me sick?¡± This was true. Rou-ya returned to waiting on Shen Li with a clear and unworried mind. She helped her master bath and dress. Once done, Shen Li opened the door to the courtyard. The sight that greeted her made her furrow her brow and frown in displeasure. Fear shot through Fu Rongjun¡¯s heart. He stood for some time in the courtyard building his courage to ask a question. ¡°Your Highness¡­ I was wondering¡­ I was wondering if you knew who brought me back last night.¡± The thought of yesterday made Shen Li¡¯s heart nearly explode. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ he left this behind yesterday. I wanted to return it.¡± Shen Li looked at the fair jade pendant Fu Rongjun held out, recognizing it immediately. It was the jade pendant Mo Fang often wore around his waist. Why would Fu Rongjun have it? Yesterday¡­ Shen Li could feel her headache worsen. She kneaded her temples as she tried to figure out a reply. Rou-ya, being a gossip, answered before she could. ¡°Oh! That belongs to General Mo Fang. He lives three streets over. But the general is probably not at home. He normally does his morning exercise around the outskirts of camp¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Shen Li¡¯s abrupt shout scared Rou-ya into silence. She was so startled she could only stare at Shen Li with grievance in her eyes. Pointing to herself Rou-ya said, ¡°Did this servant do something wrong¡­?¡± Shen Li held her forehead in her hands while Fu Rongjun repeated the name ¡®Mo Fang¡¯ to himself a few times. ¡°Clever girl!¡± Fu Rongjun winked at her. ¡°This lord will be going out for a walk.¡± ¡°Hold it!¡± Now What? Shen Li wasn¡¯t sure what to do after yelling for Fu Rongjun to stop. How was she supposed to warn Mo Fang? Mo Fang was absolutely not going to stand it. The only thing Shen Li could come up with after a moment of silence was, ¡°The army camp is a secured location. Non-military personnel are not allowed access. If you give it to me, I¡¯ll return the jade pendant to General Mo Fang.¡± Fu Rongjun glanced away from Shen Li, then back again. He suddenly screamed and pointed at something behind them. Both Shen Li and Rou-ya turned around to look, but there was nothing there. By the time they turned back Fu Rongjun had already made his escape. Shen Li¡¯s face paled as she stood rooted to the spot, her fists clenched. She actually fell for such a dumb trick! What a juvenile scamster! ¡°This Fu Rongjun is so childish. Can he really take care of Highness?¡± Rou-ya wondered aloud. Him? Take care of me? The thought made Shen Li grit her teeth.[notes] She wanted to haul Fu Rongjun back but her headache was too distracting. The only thing she wanted to do now was go back inside and play with Parrot. Mo Fang was just going to have to fend for himself. Unexpectedly Parrot was not accommodating. He was energetic and jumped around in his cage but he didn¡¯t make a peep. He was no fun at all. Disappointed, Shen Li reclined on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest. She woke up from her nap around noon and called out to Rou-ya for something to drink. A moment later she felt a cup of tea held near her. Shen Li didn¡¯t feel like moving. She didn¡¯t bother to open her eyes but opened her lips instead and waited for the cup to come closer. When it did, she took one sip after another. Something didn¡¯t feel right after her nap so she finally opened her eyes. Xing Zhi was by her side, the cup on the table. When their eyes met, he asked, ¡°More?¡± The ambient light gave his face a slight glow. Mesmerized Shen Li could only nod and say a clipped, ¡°More,¡± in reply. Xing Zhi picked up the cup and pressed it against her lips tilting it slightly for her to sip from again. All kinds of emotions swirled inside Shen Li. She reached for the cup. ¡°I can hold it myself. Do not need to bother Immortal High God.¡± ¡°Are you unwell?¡± Shen Li shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s just all the rushing about these past few days caught up with me. Some rest is all I need.¡± She turned her head to the window and was surprised at how high the moon was in the sky. ¡°Oh dinner! I¡¯ll have Rou-ya prepare something.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Xing Zhi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine to skip dinner.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s brightness in the moon¡¯s glow had distracted her, making her mix Immortal High God Xing Zhi up with that wonderful mortal master cook.[notes] CH 29 [Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst] ... Later that evening Shen Li burned with a high fever. Rou-ya fed her water and tried to cool her down with a damp towel but it was to no avail. Shen Li refused to wake up. This had never happened before; no matter how serious the injury, Shen Li was always conscious and clear-headed. This unconscious Shen Li left Rou-ya worried beyond belief. She didn¡¯t know what to do. There were two immortals in the residence she could ask for help. It was inappropriate to disturb Immortal High God Xing Zhi in the middle of the night. On the other hand Fu Rongjun was Shen Li¡¯s fianc¨¦. Rou-ya reasoned it was appropriate to seek help from him considering their relationship. She rushed over to his courtyard[notes] and banged on his door. It was no use though. Even after knocking for several minutes, no one came out. A now frantic Rou-ya had no choice but to find Immortal High God. ... Xing Zhi touched Shen Li¡¯s cheeks. They were red and hot to the touch. He immediately sat down by her bedside and felt the pulse on her hand. The strange reading made him furrow his brow. ¡°Immortal High God¡­will my master be OK?¡± ¡°It is but a fever.¡± Xing Zhi released Shen Li¡¯s hand. ¡°Are there any medicinal components in the residence?¡± Rou-ya shook her head. ¡°Master never gets sick. Us demon people rarely get sick. Medicinal plants don¡¯t grow well here because the miasma is so dense so they are rarely ever found at market.¡± Xing Zhi muttered some words under his breath as he placed a hand on Shen Li¡¯s forehead. Immediately white light flashed between his palm and her skin. Even though Shen Li was still in a daze she appeared more comfortable. He left his palm resting on her forehead and absentmindedly moved his fingers in her hair, slightly grazing the hairline, making a mess of it in one direction, then smoothing it back down in the other. Rou-ya stared closely for a moment. She only relaxed once she saw Shen Li breathing more evenly and her complexion improving. It was only then that the worry in Rou-ya¡¯s heart lightened. Now that she felt better, she was in a mood to complain. ¡°What kind of husband is my master getting? Almost married and he stays out all night. Not around when needed either. If Immortal High God hadn¡¯t been here, who knows how bad master¡¯s condition could have gotten?¡± Xing Zhi didn¡¯t say anything but his hand fell from her forehead to her cheeks. He rubbed the slightly hot skin with his fingers. ¡°Yesterday he started so much trouble, ruining master¡¯s good name. Then this morning he was trying to find General Mo Fang about a jade pendant. Who knows if he¡¯s looking for General Mo Fang right now!¡± Rou-ya was really dissatisfied with Fu Rongjun, but afraid of overstepping her bounds, she didn¡¯t dare voice it in front of Shen Li. In front of Xing Zhi however she felt free to complain to her heart¡¯s content. ¡°Highness will have to go to the Heavenly Realm after marrying. She won¡¯t have anyone to rely on up there. Who will defend her if she is wronged? Highness is so stubborn, she won¡¯t complain to the Demon Emperor. If something happens¡­¡± The more Rou-ya thought about it the sadder she became. Her eyes turned red and she began tearing up. ¡°Who will be there to sympathize with her?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Xing Zhi whispered unconsciously. ¡°Who would?¡± These words made him consider his actions and he couldn¡¯t help but lower his eyes. Gazing at her sleeping face, he ran his fingertips over the bridge of her nose and the hollows of her cheeks, before pulling his hand back. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem.¡± He pulled his fingers away and remained quietly by her bedside for some time before getting up. Distressed, Rou-ya looked at him with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Immortal High God is leaving?¡± ¡°I will not be far. I will be in the courtyard should you need me.¡± Xing Zhi left without a backward glance. Rou-ya looked at Shen Li then at Xing Zhi¡¯s retreating back. She muttered herself. ¡°How¡¯s that for you? Highness hasn¡¯t even woken up yet and Immortal High God leaves. He couldn¡¯t stay a little longer? The immortals in heaven are so detached and heartless.¡± Detached and heartless huh? Xing Zhi stood in the courtyard looking at his hand. He could still feel the residual heat from her body on his skin. The scorching heat burned its way to his heart. Xing Zhi wanted to disperse it but there was no where to send it. Rays of light radiated from his fingertips with nowhere to go. The feeling of being burned remained. How could he know¡­ Rou-ya soaked a towel in water, then after wringing it out carefully placed it on Shen Li¡¯s forehead. Rou-ya muttered to herself as she attended to Shen Li. ¡°Oh Highness! If you really can¡¯t escape marriage, if you really must go to the Heavenly Realm, Highness must be careful of those immortal gods. Just look at those two here. Both are no good.¡± ¡°This lord knows.¡± Shen Li¡¯s voice was hoarse but audible. Rou-ya was surprised. ¡°Highness is awake? Is Highness uncomfortable anywhere?¡± Shen Li slowly opened her eyes but her gaze was not fixed on Rou-ya. She repeated the same three words, ¡°This lord knows.¡± The immortal gods were naturally heartless. [Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst] [Host: justreads.net] [June 5, 2019] ... Shen Li woke up early the next morning completely refreshed. Her blood sang through her veins with a newfound power. Her body was lighter too. She realized her discomfort from the past few days must have been because her body was adapting to the bead. The Demon Emperor had explained that she would likely suffer discomfort adjusting, because although she was born with it, it had been out of her body for over a millennium. Shen Li held out her hand and pushed herself up into a seated position. ¡°Rou-ya, bring this lord¡¯s armor! I will go to the training camp to practice!¡± Shen Li rarely wore her armor. Her skin was as strong as leather, so when fighting the lesser yao shou it made no difference whether she wore armor or not. Training was different however. She was not a minor soldier but a high ranked general; it was proper to dress appropriately. Once she finished dressing, Shen Li stepped out of her room. She came face to face with Xing Zhi who had just come in from the courtyard. The usually taciturn Xing Zhi actually showed a blank expression. He eyed her up and down. What he saw made him speak up. ¡°Where is Your Highness going?¡± ¡°Training,¡± was Shen Li¡¯s curt reply. She gave a fisted salute. ¡°Immortal high god can tour the city. If there are any places that require payment, just tell them immortal high god is from my household. Shen Li bids immortal high god farewell.¡± She turned around and promptly walked away, leaving Xing Zhi alone in the main hall. Xing Zhi narrowed his eyes as he stared at her walking away. ... [Military training grounds] Because of her fever last night, Shen Li had completely forgotten the matter with Fu Rongjun trying to find Mo Fang. But it all came back to her when she walked into camp and saw Mo Fang¡¯s gaunt face. Shen Li was stumped for words because right behind him, gasping for breath, was none other than Fu Rongjun. Shen Li sighed upon remembering yesterday. Fu Rongjun called out after Mo Fang. ¡°Hey! Jade pendant! Don¡¯t run away. This lord is trying to return something. This lord admits fault for breaking the pendant¡¯s rope yesterday. Honestly how can a general by so mean-spirited about something like this.¡± Mo Fang made a face and refused to acknowledge the man behind him. He kept moving at the same fast pace. But he abruptly stopped when he caught sight of Shen Li. He bowed his head and gave her a fisted salute. From behind Fu Rongjun also saw Shen Li. The expression on his face froze and he unconsciously took several steps back. Mo Fang was radiating anger, the resentment and humiliation still fresh in his heart. He didn¡¯t say a word more to Shen Li. Instead he turned around and walked back to the center of camp. Shen Li chased after him. ¡°Slow down.¡± Mo Fang glanced distractedly at Shen Li as she grabbed his wrist. His heart was in a frazzle but his emotions barely twinkled alive in his eyes before they retreated into the black abyss. Shen Li pulled her hand back once she got his attention. In a low voice she asked, ¡°He¡­ is he causing you trouble?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mo Fang couldn¡¯t help but knead his forehead in frustration. ¡°Do you want to listen to him?¡± ¡°Your Highness- . I have never hated anyone so much in my entire life. He-¡° Mo Fang ground his teeth. ¡°I just want to beat him up.¡± Shen Li nodded. ¡°Return to camp. Leave it to me.¡± Mo Fang stared a bit dazedly. He wanted to ask some questions, but ultimately couldn¡¯t disregard Shen Li¡¯s orders, so he silently obeyed and made his way back to camp. Just as he was entering the camp grounds, he saw a white billowy shape making its way slowly toward Shen Li. Although Shen Li turned in the direction of the shape, it didn¡¯t seem like she noticed it. An older general saw Mo Fang standing and staring off at nothing. He swiftly grabbed Mo Fang as he scolded him. ¡°You youngsters! Always goofing off!¡± Mo Fang had no choice but let himself be dragged back. In the meantime Shen Li had turned around and was now facing Fu Rongjun. He had finally managed to catch up. She eyed him up and down. Fu Rongjun stubbornly suppressed the quiver in his voice as he spoke. ¡°Yes? Is there something I can assist you with?¡± ¡°Frankly speaking my subordinate does not have the time to idle as freely as my lord. Kindly do not toy recklessly with him.¡± Unconvinced, Fu Rongjun raised an eyebrow. ¡°What makes you think I am toying with him?¡± ¡°Fu Rongjun is being sincere?¡± Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she spoke the words. ¡°You know where you are right? I don¡¯t care about what happens in the Heavenly Realm or who you have affections for. I don¡¯t even care about our engagement; but remember this: the Demon Realm army exists to battle and defend. Anyone who wishes them harm will suffer the wraith of my spear. I don¡¯t care who you are.¡± Fu Rongjun was so shaken by Shen Li that his throat constricted involuntary when he spoke, making his voice shake. ¡°This is Mo Fang¡¯s business. What does it have to do with you?¡± Fu Rongjun was annoying Shen Li. ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t know? Mo Fang is mine.¡± Fu Rongjun¡¯s expression froze and the blood drained from his face. Shen Li looked at him disdainfully. She knew he was afraid of her, so she was confident he wouldn¡¯t dare harass Mo Fang any further. Later on she would find more ways to bully him. She was certain he would run back to the Heavenly Realm if she made his life unbearable. Just as Shen Li relaxed, happy to have the situation under control, Xing Zhi walked up. She turned to see he was a mere three paces away. Surprised she stared blankly as he approached. Xing Zhi¡­ His face was cold and expressionless. Shen Li dropped her smile and similarly cleared her expression, neutrally asking, ¡°Why is immortal high god here?¡± ¡°Your Highness permitted me to stroll as I pleased. As it turns out I want to look at the military training grounds.¡± A smile appeared on his lips but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. In fact they seemed even frostier. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but overhear Your Highness¡¯s conversation. Strange. Why is it different from what Your Highness said at the army barracks? I clearly remember Your Highness firmly rejecting general Mo Fang.¡± (You. You came to quarrel didn¡¯t you?) Fu Rongjun¡¯s face regained some of its former color after hearing this. ¡°Refused?¡± He stared. In a low voice he enthusiastically said to himself, ¡°This lord still has a chance then!¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t refute Xing Zhi¡¯s words. She disdainfully addressed Fu Rongjun. ¡°Think you have the ability to fight me for him? Then try!¡± Finished, Shen Li turned and headed to the camp without a single glance at Xing Zhi. Xing Zhi stared at her from behind, his lips pursed in a frown, his eyes still cold. CH 30 Shen Li entered the camp in a bad mood, but once she saw the familiar faces of her brothers her anger ebbed away. One by one everyone came to greet her. Shang Bei hurriedly jogged over when he saw her. ¡°Your Highness left without saying anything! It was very troublesome for General Mo!¡± Shen Li laughed and patted him on the arm. ¡°This lord was at fault. Later just pick a tavern, it¡¯ll be my treat. You can drink to your heart¡¯s content.¡± Another general to the side quickly chimed in. ¡°Your Highness can¡¯t play favorites!¡± ¡°Yeah! I know! Everyone should get a share!¡± ¡°Alright! You are all invited!¡± Shen Li saw the training platform and remembered her reason for coming. She raised her voice and said, ¡°This king is in good mood. I will practice with you all today! How about ten moves each! Then all the generals can go drinking!¡± To fight and lose against the Azure Sky King was an honor for the soldiers. The atmosphere became boisterous and lively as the generals gathered up their recruits, selecting the most promising ones to spar against the Azure Sky King. The soldiers used every trick up their sleeve, trying their hardest to best Shen Li, but none could land a second hit. Ten people tried in the course of two hours, but none were able to reach the ten move marker. There was a glistening sheen of sweat on Shen Li¡¯s forehead and she was warm all over. Her eyes were bright and lively from the exertion. The current soldier sparring was the best, able to get in five moves. She praised him. ¡°You have potential.¡± She immediately moved behind him after speaking. He was quick and sidestepped that attack but couldn¡¯t avoid Shen Li¡¯s next move. He lost his footing as she swept her leg under him. She grabbed him by the shoulder and pressed him against the platform floor. He admitted defeat and quickly got off the training platform after Shen Li gave him some pointers on his defense. ¡°Next!¡± A cool breeze burst through and Xing Zhi appeared in their midst laughing. ¡°I would like to request a battle.¡± Those in the audience had no clue he was there until he spoke. It left everyone in an uproar. When he did arrive? To appear without anyone noticing, showed how powerful he was. Shen Li¡¯s expression turned cold. She wiped at the sweat on her brow and looked at Xing Zhi. ¡°Pardon? What does immortal high god wish to do?¡± "The atmosphere is so lively and boisterous I wanted to join in and be a part of it. I¡¯ve lived in solitude beyond the heavens for so long, it¡¯s rare for me to see such a crowd. Don¡¯t tell me Your Highness is unwilling to bear competition?¡± ¡°I dare not put immortal high god¡¯s body at risk... ¡± As soon as she finished speaking Xing Zhi flashed over to her on the training platform. He used the same technique she used on the foot soldier earlier, limiting her mobility by grabbing her shoulder. Shen Li shifted his hold by pushing against his hand with qi. Then she made an about face and slammed her lower palm into his face. But she missed. Xing Zhi had already turned his cheek away avoiding the hit. He took advantage of her forward moment and turned it against her, grabbing her wrist and twisting her arm behind her back, trapping her. Xing Zhi grinned. ¡°Your Highness was saying something about not daring to injure me?¡± Shen Li was angry. She braced her feet and bent forward at the waist, raising her free arm up to grab his shoulder. With a yell she attempted to summersault him off her back. But her hand grabbed only air. Xing Zhi had already disappeared. Shen Li heard soft footfall behind her. She swiftly turned around and forcefully jabbed her elbow at Xing Zhi¡¯s abdomen. The hit landed but it felt like she was hitting fluff. The strength of her attack had been completely dispersed. Their fight was reminiscent of her conversations with him. Every word she used to corner him would be deflected. She couldn¡¯t pin him down. The more she thought about it the more stifled she felt, and the more reckless her attacks became. The more reckless her attacks became the easier it was for Xing Zhi to handle her. She realized he was playing her like a fiddle in the palm of his hand. Along with this realization came another: she didn¡¯t have to play along. There was no reason for her to spar with him. She stood still and stopped attacking. Xing Zhi also stopped. He hadn¡¯t attacked once since that first back hold. All along he had been defending, parrying everything she threw at him. He was just toying with her and she had played along, orchestrating a one man show the entire time. As if on cue, Xing Zhi stared at her as he closed the distance between them. He cradled the nape of her neck with one hand while grabbing her wrist with the other. She looked up at him expectantly at this. ¡°We passed ten moves some time ago Your Highness.¡± Shen Li yanked her wrist out of his grip and retreated a few steps. ¡°What does immortal high god wish?¡± ¡°Earlier I heard Your Highness say anyone who lasted ten moves would be invited for drinks with you and the generals, however I have no interest in drinking, so I would like to make a request of Your Highness instead.¡± Shen Li¡¯s face was cold, but because of the situation she acquiesced. ¡°Immortal high god did defeat me, whatever god wishes, simply state it so.¡± ¡°I wish to ask Your Highness three questions.¡± Xing Zhi swept his gaze at the crowd around the training platform. He saw Mo Fang with Fu Rongjun on one side. He smirked. ¡°My first question to Your Highness is, who is General Shang Bei to you?¡± It was a shock to be called out by name. Shang Bei could only star blankly as those near him looked at him suspiciously, sizing him up. Shang Bei broke out in a nervous sweat. ¡°Immortal high god! I¡¯m a happily married man! Please don¡¯t ask such misleading questions!¡± Shen Li frowned. ¡°We are comrades.¡± ¡°And who is this general to you?¡± Xing Zhi pointed at an older white haired general in the crowd. ¡°Also a comrade.¡± ¡°And lastly, who is General Mo Fang to you? Shen Li was silent. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Mo Fang and a little away farther away, Fu Rongjun. Then it hit her. Xing Zhi was trying to expose her words from earlier. Mo Fang had confessed to her but she had firmly and clearly rejected his feelings, denying any possibility of reciprocation. What she said to Fu Rongjun, about Mo Fang being hers, was just a lie to intimidate Fu Rongjun so he would stop harassing Mo Fang. But if she repeated the lie now it would give Mo Fang false hope. Not to mention all the soldiers and officers present¡­ Her softly spoken, ¡°Also a comrade,¡± made Xing Zhi smile in satisfaction. The crowd was confused. The nature of the questions left them scratching their respective heads. None understood the strange riddle in front of them. Fu Rongjun put one hand on his hip and laughed. (You sure have a lot of guts immortal god!) ¡°Today¡¯s practice session is over.¡± Shen Li shot a mean glance at Xing Zhi. She turned around and hopped off the platform, then headed over to Mo Fang. ¡°If Fu Rongjun bothers you again, I will properly reprimand him. I¡¯ll be sure to give him a beating he won¡¯t forget.¡± Mo Fang stared. He whispered, ¡°Was Your Highness trying to help me earlier?¡± Shen Li¡¯s face darkened. She glanced at him, then quickly away, not sure what to say. In no time at all the other generals surrounded her to ask about the drinks she promised. They saw no reason to ponder on the display earlier so dropped it in favor of some good alcohol. Mo Fang stayed where he stood and watched as the group pulled her away. He whispered, ¡°Thank you for your regards Your Highness,¡± without realizing the words had passed his lips. A fierce gust blew by and Mo Fang shivered as he came back to his senses. Someone yelled, ¡°Mo Fang, come on!¡± Those in the crowd waved him over. ¡°Go on ahead.¡± Mo Fang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to stay behind.¡± Shen Li kept walking but gave an order over her shoulder. ¡°Go grab him.¡± Two generals walked back, and planking either side of Mo Fang, dragged him along with them. The boisterous group made their way out of camp leaving the soldiers behind to practice. Fu Rongjun ran over to the training platform. He didn¡¯t dare be too rash but he simply couldn¡¯t cover up his joy. Bowing to Xing Zhi he said, ¡°Many thanks to immortal high god for revealing the truth!¡± ¡°I did not do it to help you.¡± Xing Zhi shot Fu Rongjun a glance. ¡°I¡­ merely thought it would be amusing.¡± It went exactly as he expected, so why wasn¡¯t he happy? He had wanted to break through her indifference and see a livelier her. Fu Rongjun looked up to see an unsmiling Xing Zhi. It was on the tip of his tongue to say: immortal high god¡­ do you like messing with other people¡¯s feelings? But he refrained in time. He tactfully said farewell instead. ¡°In that case this lord will take his leave.¡± He finished what he wanted to say and was turning to chase after Shen Li¡¯s trail. He didn¡¯t even take his first step when Xing Zhi indifferently put a damper on his mood. ¡°You are behaving quite presumptuously in this realm.¡± Fu Rongjun¡¯s skin crawled for a second. He stiffly turned back to look at Xing Zhi to find the other now wore a slight smile. ¡°But how could I reproach the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s grandson?¡± Fu Rongjun relaxed at those words. ¡°I sent a letter to the Heavenly Emperor yesterday. He will naturally be the one to do so.¡± And with that last parting remark Xing Zhi turned around and left, leaving a nervous Fu Rongjun alone on the training platform. Fu Rongjun broke out in a cold sweat. He could a practically hear the Heavenly Emperor slamming the table and yelling out in anger¡­ Meanwhile Shen Li and the generals were drinking and having a great time till the wee hours of the morning. A tipsy Mo Fang walked Shen Li back to her residence. They bade each other farewell at the front gates and Mo Fang circled back to his own house. Shen Li opened the gates but avoided the front entrance, instead she detoured around the side wall. Despite doing this she still ended up running into Xing Zhi. He was standing in the courtyard in his signature white robe and gazing at the full moon. Their eyes met but she quickly turned her head away without a word of greeting. She was looking for Rou-ya. ¡°Your Highness is an engaged woman. Engaged to a man of heaven no less. Coming home with another man so late is inappropriate.¡± Shen Li paused. The lanterns in the courtyard lit her face and gave it sculptured appearance. Her eyes were dim though. ¡°Oh? Inappropriate? Is that what high god thinks?¡± Shen Li sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the one who gave me this marriage. Now you¡¯re trying to bring my subordinate into it? God sure is prone to meddling.¡± Xing Zhi frowned. It was rare to hear Shen Li speak in such a tone. ¡°You¡¯ve drunk too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite sober thank you.¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes burned with resentment and anger. Her emotions were all over the place. ¡°Let¡¯s talk some more about what is appropriate and what is good. It would have been good today if I had successfully fooled Fu Rongjun. To help my subordinate so that mess of a man would stop bothering him. But today immortal high god really embarrassed me. Shen Li laughed at herself. ¡°So I concede. Are you satisfied high god?¡± Smirking she continued. ¡°Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? You act as though you¡¯re jealous. Do you like me or something? Xing Zhi was silent for a moment. He looked away from her and said, ¡°From whence would these feelings arise? Your Highness is inebriated.¡± A high god like Xing Zhi didn¡¯t seek or desire anything, least of all another person. Shen Li should have known that. ¡°Is that so?¡± Shen Li turned and walked away back towards the interior of the main manor. Her words floated coolly behind her. ¡°Then in the future, no matter who I chose to protect, no matter how I protect them, I¡¯d appreciate if Immortal High God Xing Zhi will hold his tongue. Kindly leave me a way out.¡± The wind blew around Xing Zhi making his hair flutter around him. He turned his head up to look at the dusky sky. It was a long time before he spoke. Talking to himself he said, ¡°Hm... I will give it a try.¡± CH 31 [Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst] [Host: justreads.net] [June 16, 2019] ... Shen Li was called to the Demon Emperor¡¯s palace early the next morning. Upon entering the meeting hall she saw the emperor seated in his usual spot. Mo Fang stood to his side while many other soldiers were lined up in the hall. The Demon Emperor dismissed the soldiers with a wave of his hand and quickly got to the point after they left. ¡°Last night Fu Rongjun ran to the Mortal realm using the Demon realm entrance.¡± Shen Li glanced in surprise at Mo Fang. He swiftly bowed his head and knelt on his knee. ¡°This is all my fault. I shall bear the full responsibility of bringing Fu Rongjun back. Once back I will accept whatever punishment is necessary.¡± ¡°Why did he suddenly run away?¡± Shen Li asked. There was a distinct silence in the hall. ¡°Did you beat him up?¡± She wasn¡¯t serious about the question so was surprised when Mo Fang nodded. ¡°I was drunk last night.¡± He rubbed at the space between his brows helplessly as though he had a headache. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention and¡­ I kicked him¡­ a few times.¡± Mo Fang hadn¡¯t changed out of the clothes he wore last night. The black steel boots he wore were specially made to handle harsh environments, they were incredibly tough and sturdy. Shen Li thought about Fu Rongjun¡¯s baby soft, tender skin and realized the silly immortal must have really felt it. ¡°So he was beat up a little.¡± Shen Li continued disdainfully. ¡°What is he? A baby? He was beat a little and he ran away? Who does he think he¡¯s threatening with this silly ploy? There¡¯s nothing in the Mortal realm that can harm him. Just let him come back when he feels like it.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± The emperor handed Shen Li a letter. ¡°Because of an urgent matter, the Heavenly Emperor has decreed that Fu Rongjun must return to heaven in three days.¡± Shen Li thought of the letter from the bar maid a few days ago and her stomach did a somersault. She had asked Xing Zhi to send it to the Heavenly Emperor on her behalf, but he had been so unenthusiastic about it she thought it would take some time to see any results. Xing Zhi must have sent the letter right away. Not only that, he must have added something else to it. Why else would the Heavenly Emperor react so quickly? Shen Li cast her eyes down. She wasn¡¯t sure what this feeling in her heart was. ¡°Fu Rongjun must be found within the next three days,¡± repeated the emperor. ¡°Fortunately we have time on our side. Time in the mortal world is faster so three days here is the equivalent to many years there.¡± Shen Li nodded. She looked at the remorseful Mo Fang then at the emperor and said, ¡°So you want me to find him?¡± ¡°Your Majesty! This is my fault. Please don¡¯t involve Her Highness.¡± The Demon Emperor waved his hand at Mo Fang¡¯s outcry. ¡°This delegation isn¡¯t just to bring Fu Rongjun back, but also to give the children time to get to know each other. Remember time proceeds faster in the mortal world. Li-er, do you understand?¡± There was no way to avoid the marriage so of course she understood. She needed to consider his feelings more. ¡°I will get everything in order and set out immediately.¡± Mo Fang wanted to argue, but the Demon Emperor¡¯s words echoed in his ears. He felt like a fishbone was stuck in his throat. Although he wanted to say something, he couldn¡¯t. ¡°As for General Mo¡¯s punishment for offending a superior¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t punish him. I told him he could beat Fu Rongjun. If anyone is to blame it would be me. I shall accept punishment once I return with Fu Rongjun.¡± Shen Li saluted the emperor, turned, and left the hall immediately after saying this. Mo Fang, still kneeling on the ground, clenched his fist. ... The only person Shen Li spoke to regarding her departure was Rou-ya. Since the matter had nothing to do with Xing Zhi, she saw no reason to inform him of her actions. When Shen Li entered the Mortal realm, the skies were a clear blue and the breeze gentle. She drifted through the capital towards her tiny nook of the world on her cloud. She took a deep breath of the clean air and stretched out. She suddenly wanted to find some shade under the grape trellis he[notes] planted. She couldn¡¯t ask for more than to fall asleep to the creaking sound of his rocking chair. She exhaled and opened her eyes. In front of her was a strange alley. Everything looked different. Although she was told Fu Rongjun had run in the direction of Yangzhou, she hadn¡¯t made it her destination, instead she steered her cloud to the capital. She wanted to stretch and enjoy herself first. The last time she was here, she had been busy running from the Demon Emperor¡¯s men. She had had no time to play tourist, so this time around she wanted to take it slow and easy. She went to the market and meandered between the stalls. Nostalgia hit her and she made her way to Xing Yun¡¯s courtyard. Everything had changed. They alley way that led to his house was different. The house he lived in, that burned down, had been rebuilt in a slightly different style. It was inevitable, so many decades had passed since she left. She stood there in front of the gates for a while, watching the children run around. They were playing and laughing, making a general ruckus and disturbing the peace. This was certainly not a scene she would have ever seen in his courtyard. He had always preferred peace and quiet. It really had changed a lot. Next stop, the Rui Palace. It was opulent and majestic with more pavilions and such, but otherwise it was the same palace. The only difference was the change in ownership. Shen Li felt the sudden urge to see the lotus plant and the pond; she wanted to know what happened to Prince Rui and his consort. She transported there with a twirl of her fingers. The pond had been filled in and a house had been built on top. Ah. It¡¯s gone. Shen Li silently studied her surroundings. The d¨¦cor had changed to suit the new owners and there were no traces of Prince Rui left. Things and people fade with time, but Shen Li was unwilling to accept it. For her, everything had only happened months ago, yet there was nothing left of what she remembered. It felt like she was being abandoned as the world moved on. What was more, there was no Yun in this world. It made her feel like he was an illusion. It frightened her so she sought confirmation. She appeared inside the imperial records building with another twirl of her finger. She thumbed through the records. Prince Rui managed to assassinate his brother and take the throne. His princess refused to accept the empress title, instead choosing to follow the solitary path of Buddhism. King Rui had known she wouldn¡¯t accept the title. There was nothing else written about him. Perhaps because there was nothing distinguishing about his rule for the scholars to record. Shen Li stared at the ink strokes on the pages. There was no record of Xiao He.[notes] It was like she never existed. Perhaps the king had forgotten about her, after all many people died for him, what was one silly demon girl. Shen Li slid her fingers across the words until they stopped at the title: National Teacher, Xing Yun. Xing Yun had guided King Rui , becoming his most trusted advisor, and yet he had no official title or rank. It was only after his death that Prince Rui conferred the title of National Teacher upon him. The four words were the only traces left of him in the world. Flipping to the next page didn¡¯t give her anymore information as it was about those that came after. Shen Li laughed. What was she even looking for? Even if the whole world forgot, what did it have to do with her? She only knew him because he was a part of her life, a part of her memories. Whether others remembered him, whether he really existed, didn¡¯t matter because he was gone now. It wasn¡¯t like she could get the past back. Shen Li touched her forehead, then shook her head and laughed. How could she have lost her head like that? Such an action was unworthy of the Azure Sky King. Shen Li left the palace and headed to Gongcheng. After a few steps she paused and did an about face. She walked to the market and picked up two bottles of wine and leisurely walked out of the capital. She stopped at the outskirts by a river and sat down. ¡°How long does high god intend on following me?¡± A person clad in white billowy robes emerged from behind a tree. In embarrassment he sat down next to Shen Li. ¡°How long have you known?¡± ¡°If I wasn¡¯t aware of my surroundings I would have been struck down ages ago on the battlefield.¡± Shen Li held the other bottle out to him. Xing Zhi laughed and took the offered wine. The silence between was broken when they both spoke. ¡°Yesterday-¡° - ¡°High god-¡° Xing Zhi laughed at that. ¡°I wanted to apologize about yesterday but you had already left for the Mortal realm by the time I woke up this morning. So I followed you here.¡± The river they were sitting by was a rapid one with white bubbles and foam. It twinkled and sparkled under the light of the sun. He looked at it and sighed. In a tone he was unaccustomed to using he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He was not one to apologize so it came out a little rusty. Shen Li had always been more susceptible to coaxing than coercion so Xing Zhi¡¯s apology took her by surprise. After a moment of stunned silence she said, ¡°It is fine. I was bullying Ru Fongjun too much; it was fair he got angry. The Demon Emperor has reprimanded me about it. I know I was also in the wrong.¡± This time the silence between them wasn¡¯t so awkward. Shen Li suddenly pointed to a spot in front of them. She spoke with renewed determination. ¡°See that spot? Once not long ago I was sprawled over there completely helpless in my demon form. I was exhausted and couldn''t move a single muscle. I have never been in a more difficult or embarrassing situation in my life.¡± Shen Li said this but her eyes shined with happiness. She turned to Xing Zhi and her heart turned a little sour. ¡°I never told anyone this but when I was taken back to the Demon realm, I felt like I was renewed, redeemed, like I had met a legendary hero. How about that? The first time I saw a hero and he turned out to be an ordinary mortal that I could have easily choked and killed. It was probably then that I set my heart on him.¡± It was the first time she had been so calm and clear-headed in front of him. She waited for him to say something, but when he didn¡¯t she continued. ¡°High God, Xing Yun,[notes] I¡¯m not stupid.¡± For a while the only sounds between them was the gurgle of the river as it rushed downstream. The stalemate was broken with Xing Zhi¡¯s laughter. ¡°So you saw through it eh?¡± CH 32 Chapter 32: A Rescued Hu Lu [Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst] [Host: justreads.net] [June 23, 2019] ... The day was getting late and the setting sun cast a brilliant glow on the surface of the water. It was a gorgeous view rarely seen in the demon realm. Shen Li drank her wine as she gazed at the water. ¡°I have suspected it for a while, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why you would want to go the lower realms, and as a mortal at that.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Xing Zhi shook his head. ¡°You get bored when you live as long as I have. And when you¡¯re bored you do strange things. I went to the lower realm with the desire to incarnate as a mortal and experience the ordinary life of a commoner.¡± Xing Zhi gave a helpless laugh. ¡°I drank from the river and I gained an ordinary body but my god knowledge could not be erased.¡± Shen Li looked at Xing Yun in surprise. She had not expected him to drink from the water of forgetfulness. Unfortunately one bowl was not enough to wash his memories away. That was why he knew so many arrays and was able to see the spirits of the dead even though he had no magical aura. ¡°No mortal body can bear the burden of a god. No wonder you were so sickly.¡± Shen understood now. ¡°But since you remembered, why did you pretend not to know me?¡± Xing Zhi glanced at Shen Li out of the corner of his eye. ¡°The same reason you left for the demon realm with Mo Fang and the Demon Emperor.¡± He hadn¡¯t wanted to delay her on his behalf. Besides that, as Xing Yun, he hadn¡¯t replied to her declaration before she returned to the demon realm. It was only more awkward after returning and meeting her again as Xing Zhi. Shen Li understood he couldn¡¯t reciprocate her feelings so had pretended they were strangers in order to douse any lingering affections. She looked down. Sever all ties of affections huh? Shen Li laughed then sighed. ¡°So what you were trying to do was make me not like you? You know, your behavior was the complete opposite. You were acting like a man trying to seduce someone!¡± Is he really that unaware of himself? ¡°Were you seduced?¡± Asking a question like that when he was trying to cut off relations... this guy was too reckless. Shen Li spoke into her wine bottle. ¡°How is that even possible? High god is thinking too much of it. How can I, the Azure Sky King, behave so inappropriately? That time in the mortal realm, I met and fell for an ordinary mortal name Xing Yun. That was in the past. Now you are an ancient high god. How could I possibly feel the same way about you?¡± Xing Yun retained an aloof smile but his hand had tightened into loose fists. Shen Li continued. ¡°Your current identity is too troublesome. Like the prince who had to kill his brothers to gain the throne. Prince Rui loved his princess, but in the end in order to produce an heir, he had to accept an imperial concubine. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong; it was simply something required of him because of his identity. If one day we were to meet on the battle field I wouldn¡¯t just be Shen Li, I would be Shen Li the Azure Sky King.¡± Xing Zhi stared at Shen Li with a fixed gaze as she continued. ¡°The marriage to unite the Demon realm and the Heavenly realm should be happening soon. What I want to say today is just this: You are unwilling to be Xing Yun so Xing Yun doesn¡¯t exist for me anymore. As far as I am concerned, Xing Yun died in the mortal realm long ago. The you facing me now is the Immortal High God Xing Zhi, so there is no need for further subterfuge on your part.¡± ¡°Shen Li, from the start, both identities have always been mine.¡± Xing Yun was simply the mortal him in the Mortal realm. His body changed but he was still the same person, with the same memories. He didn¡¯t want Shen Li to see him as two separate individuals. Shen Li resisted this idea. Shaking her head she said, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned you are two different and distinct individuals. Xing Zhi, you and I do not share a fate, nor do we have anything to do with each other so you need not be concerned about any lingering feelings on my end.¡± Shen Li held her wine bottle up next to his as she solemnly spoke. ¡°Immortal High God Xing Zhi, as the Azure Sky King I will obey the heavenly edict and marry Fu Rongjun.¡± She tapped her bottle with a ¡°clang¡± against his. It was a crisp sharp sound that echoed all the way to the pit of his stomach before finding its way to his heart and bleeding into a thread of pain. It left him silent for a moment, then with a with a slight smile he said, ¡°Indeed Your Highness, that would be good.¡± The sun had set but the afterglow still colored the sky. Shen Li finished her wine bottle and threw it into the river. It made a ¡°crack¡± sound as it broke in to pieces. The sound was like a resounding firm punctuation for their conversation. Shen Li stood up and dusted herself off as she said, ¡°The gates should be closed but I have no desire to return to the capital. My plan is to head to Yangzhou to search for Fu Rongjun. Where does immortal high god plan to do from here?¡± Xing Zhi didn¡¯t answer so it was silent between them for a couple of seconds. The silence was broken by the sounds of footsteps behind them. Both knew it was impossible for it to be mortal foosteps. The feel and sound were too heavy. Shen Li surveyed the land. The waters were shallow but the grass was high. Combined with the dimming sky it would be easy to stay hidden. One look at her face and Xing Zhi could tell what she was thinking. ¡°Why hide?¡± Shen Li glanced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it?¡± She focused on the dam farther down the river. ¡°The air just turned strange. It¡¯s not something good.¡± Dusk was a time when evil manifested in the mortal realm, so Shen Li was more alert. She had yanked Xing Zhi over and hid in the grass. ¡°Still, did you really have to pull me along to hide with you? I don¡¯t think I need to hide.¡± He looked bemusedly at her hand holding his on the top of the grass. Ah! How could she forget. Even when he was the weakling Xing Yun, he was ridiculous enough to tease the crown prince about his weight. No matter how benign his expression, he was still the same impudent person! Shen Li coughed lightly and pulled her hand back. She had talked big earlier, but her action just now was that of a person protecting another. She had unconsciously reacted to the situation like he was that same sickly, weak-bodied mortal she used to know, instead of an incomparable high god who everyone in the three realms would bow to. The sound startled the group of four people walking along the river bank, one of whom had his wrists tied behind his back. His head was covered in a huge scarf. The shape seemed to suggest antlers. Remembering where she was she called out, ¡°Hu Lu?¡±[notes] The person did not reply, but the tremble that shook his entire body at her call confirmed her suspicions. Though Hu Lu did not have heaven¡¯s mandate he was an immortal earth spirit, a minor land god. The group holding him captive were clearly not soldiers of heaven, so who were they to dare capture him? They were dressed entirely in black from head to toe, even their faces were covered. Shen Li furrowed her brows and approached to query. Their leader pulled his sword and attacked before she had could ask. Shen Li didn¡¯t have a chance to show off her spear¡¯s fearsome abilities, when from over her shoulder a column of water rushed past. With a ¡°crash¡± it slammed into the attacking man and drenched him in water. A sudden cold air that sprang from the ground. He was rooted to the spot as ice crystals formed from the combination of chilly air and condensed water. The other two, upon seeing this, decided to flee. Xing Zhi waved his hand before they could take a single step, and they, like their leader were also rooted in place. Shen Li raised her brows. ¡°Ice spell?¡± ¡°No, water limiting spell.¡± Shen Li wasn¡¯t familiar with all the different types of water spells nor was she impressed by any of them. They all sounded the same to her. She strode over to Hu Lu and pulled the fabric covering his head. A trail of light wound around his antlers, much of his head, mouth, and neck like a collar. Shen Li frowned. ¡°What kind of spell is this?¡± Xing Zhi looked down in thought. ¡°An immortal binding spell.¡± He formed a ball of light on his fingertips and pressed it lightly against Hu Lu¡¯s bindings, breaking the seal. Freed, Hu Lu bent over at the waist and took a great big gulp of air. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he looked at the two people in front of him. ¡°Thank you! Thank you great immortals for saving my life! I thought for sure I would die! Huu! Huu!¡± Shen Li¡¯s lip quirked at the corner. This big crybaby hadn¡¯t changed one bit. She and Xing Zhi waited for him to finish crying. Hu Lu wiped his face with his arm after the flood of tears stopped. He gasped once he got a good look at his saviors, specifically at Shen Li. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± Shen Li nodded. ¡°Yes I am. But don¡¯t worry, this time I¡¯m not here to coerce you into doing anything.¡± She pointed a finger at the three men. ¡°What¡¯s going on with them?¡± ¡°Huuu huuu! It¡¯s a long story! It all started when someone from an immortal sect came and started trouble!¡± Hu Lu sighed. ¡°Three months ago a person named Fu Shengmen came by representing some immortal sages from a school. I guess it was some well-known sect in the martial world. We didn¡¯t care who they were but they set up a banquet and invited us to meet with them. A bunch went, but none came back. Another banquet invitation arrived and another group went. They never came back either! By then we were all leery of them. No one accepted the third invitation. Who would have guessed when we said no they would forcefully kidnap us?¡± Xing Yun narrowed his eyes. ¡°What you describe is a serious crime. Why have you not reported it to the heavens?¡± Hu Lu cried out in grief, ¡°We wanted to! The first messenger we sent was found dead in the woods. The next was also found dead. There were never many of us to begin with so between that and the banquet, there was barely anyone left. Everyone scattered.¡± Hu Lu got teary-eyed just thinking about it. ¡°The woods around the capital aren¡¯t that big. I was afraid I¡¯d be caught if I stayed so I went and hid in the city. I was able to stay hidden until today. That¡¯s when they caught me. If it weren¡¯t for you two¡­ huuu huuu! Who knows what would have happened to me?!¡± Shen Li was confused. ¡°You¡¯re a land god with an immortal body. Your magic isn¡¯t strong, but it shouldn¡¯t be that weak. Why are you such a pushover? Why is everyone able to do what they please with you?¡± Hu Lu gave Shen Li an aggrieved look. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t resist¡­ there were other immortals with strong magic who tried to resist too. But the other side has some magic that specifically deals with immortal beings like us. We can struggle as much as we like, but we can¡¯t break free. I heard from other immortals that the magic this sect uses doesn¡¯t resemble normal immortal magic¡­¡° He looked at Shen Li and hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°It was like a demonic technique¡­¡± CH 33.1 [Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst] [Host: justreads.net] ... Demonic technique? Shen Li wrinkled her brow. The Demon realm had been under heaven¡¯s jurisdiction since the end of the Thousand Year war. The boundary dictated by heaven was firmly enforced by the Demon Emperor, so even if the demon people didn¡¯t like it, they couldn¡¯t disobey. Despite this there were those in heaven who suspected the demon people had evil intentions and were simply biding their time, waiting for a chance to strike back. However because the Demon Emperor took great pains to enforce the boundaries, there had been no issues between the realms, thus nothing for heaven to complain about or latch onto as evidence. This would change if immortal beings were being kidnapped. If a link, no matter how dubious, could be drawn to the demon people, the already suspicious people of heaven would jump to conclusions and pass a guilty judgement. The reputation of the Demon Emperor and his people would be tarnished and the already tenuous peaceful relationship between the two realms would crumble. Shen Li thought it would be great if the feigned friendship between the two realms fell apart and they could stop pretending to be nice to each other, however she had an issue with being used. ¡°Undo the limiting spell,¡± Shen Li said to Xing Zhi as she walked to the group of men clad in black. She said this, but before he could do as she asked, she had already broken through the ice, grabbed one of the men by the scruff of his neck and punched him to the ground. He lay in a fetal position clutching his belly. She promptly kicked his legs out and sat on his stomach, then she forced his mouth open to keep him from committing suicide. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask each question once and only once. Refuse to answer and I will cut your finger and force you to eat it, so take stock of how many fingers you have.¡± Xing Zhi knew from the coldness in her eyes she was serious. She was a king of the Demon realm after all, so her ferocity was not in doubt. The man under her trembled, wanting to escape, but Shen Li was like an immovable thousand-pound weight. ¡°Who do you work for?¡± The veins on his face bulged and he looked like he was choking. Since he refused to answer Shen Li moved her hand to his waist and reached for the dagger sheathed there. She slid it out and pressed the blade to a finger, ready to slice it off. The man squeezed out the words, ¡°Gate guard¡­ ¡° Before Shen Li could ask the next question his face turned a ghastly purple. The already bulging veins on his face expanded and pulsated like worms. Their movement grew in intensity until his eyes bulged out. A whinny sound of pain escaped his throat before a loud ¡°pop¡± erupted from his head. The brunt of the blood splatter landed on Shen Li¡¯s hands, but some still managed to make it to her face. She glanced down at the body underneath her before tossing the dagger away and standing up. Bones and flesh disintegrated into sand spilling out of his clothes like an overfilled bag. ¡°What a malicious death curse. Answering questions will cause you to blow up.¡± With a grave expression Xing Zhi, turned to the other men in black only to find their eyes closed in suicide. Apparently they didn¡¯t want to die the same horrible death their comrade suffered. Shen Li turned to follow his gaze. With a frown she said, ¡°We lost our only lead.¡± ¡°I¡­ I once overheard about a lake.¡± Hu Lu hesitated but pushed forward. ¡°The immortals being kidnapped are being held in a cave near a cliff that¡¯s covered with green vines. It¡¯s by a huge waterfall. The only place that fits that description is Qingya cave.¡± Shen Li was quick to reply. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll rescue any immortals we find and figure out our next steps afterwards.¡± Xing Zhi muttered some things to himself before speaking out. ¡°We should disguise ourselves first. Let¡¯s change clothes so it¡¯ll be easier to approach the cave.¡± ¡°When the time comes, Xing, you take care of them with your spell-casting and I¡¯ll take care of them with my fists.¡± Xing Zhi nearly laughed at her words. He picked up a stick and tapped her forehead lightly with it. ¡°What is wrong with your brain? Always so violent.¡± Shen Li distractedly touched the spot he tapped and turned away without saying a word. Xing Zhi had been careful how he behaved around her, but all that care went to waste with that single action that made his personality shine through. The way he touched her, the way he spoke, they were identical to the other jerk! The mortal him rejected her but the immortal him was seducing her. What was with him? She wanted to beat him up for unsettling her heart so much! Shen Li was still stewing when she felt her clothes morph into the same black outfit the men wore. Xing Zhi had changed both his appearance and his clothes to resemble the leader as well. Now he gave off a competent heroic air, instead of that of a lazy loafer. ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s go,¡± said Shen Li after clearing her throat. CH 33.2 Hu Lu led the way to the cave. The idea of passing through the waterfall made Shen Li¡¯s scalp prickle with discomfort, but she swallowed any complaints and followed behind Hu Lu. She was expecting to get wet but not a drop of water landed on her. She looked up to find a golden barrier above their heads. She turned to Xing Zhi, but he was staring intently ahead into the darkness. He stepped inside and she followed behind like nothing had happened. They continued down the dark path until they reached a vermilion door. Earlier Hu Lu had told them about the monster that lived in the area. Because of its easy temper, it easily co-existed with the other immortals in the area. Both sides minded their own business, so there were no problems. No one expected the cave would become a prison for the immortals. Shen Li¡¯s group didn¡¯t stand in front of the door long before it opened a slit and a voice from within asked. ¡°Password?¡± It was a cold and unwelcoming voice. The three of them had come disguised in the right clothes but they didn¡¯t know the password. Xing Zhi could tell Shen Li wanted to kick the door down, so he immediately gripped her hand and shook his head. Xing Zhi was disguised as the leader of the group and he had brought his stick with him. He limped closer to the door making the person guarding it on the other side nervous. The guard cautiously asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Gate guard¡­¡± Xing Zhi imitated the dead man¡¯s voice perfectly. The one behind the door visibly relaxed and opened the door for them. Xing Zhi looked to Shen Li and said, ¡°Now,¡± letting her do what she had been itching to do all along. She shifted inside and knocked out the guard and his companion with a swift chop to the neck. Xing Zhi turned to Hu Lu and said, ¡°Return to the woods. We will release the other immortals imprisoned here.¡± Hu Lu wasn¡¯t so sure about that plan. ¡°They¡¯re really powerful¡­will you guys really be OK? I can stay with you and help¡­¡± The offer made Xing Zhi smiled but Shen Li was openly disdainful of it. ¡°Huh? You should just worry about yourself.¡± Xing Zhi placed the stick in Hu Lu¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll be fine. Take this stick for protection.¡± You¡¯re welcome. Hu Lu stared at the stick in his hand. ¡°How am I supposed to defend myself with this tiny stick?¡± Shen Li stared at it. ¡°For an ancient god, he sure is stingy with his gifts.¡± Xing Zhi overheard this and his smile faded. What? Where are my thanks for finding the clues and rushing over to help? Even if I haven¡¯t succeeded yet¡­ I still came¡­ ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t lose it, no one within a hundred miles will be able to touch him.¡± They left Hu Lu behind and continued onwards. Eventually they reached the end of the passageway and entered a cavern. It was a huge space with ten floors embedded into the walls. The water on the floor cast a green light that lit the entire cavern up. Immortals were held in individual iron cages all along the wall straight down in a line. Light, like the one that imprisoned Hu Lu when they found him, encased each cage. A guard was patrolling the area unaware of their presence. Shen Li wrinkled her brows. ¡°How do we save them?¡± Xing Zhi laughed. ¡°Like you said, I¡¯ll handle the magic. You handle the brute force.¡± He waved his hand as he said this and a golden light snaked forward to the cages weaving in between the restricting white light. ¡°Break,¡± he said in a low voice that still somehow resounded throughout the cavern. The light responded to his voice and the spell binding the cages broke. Taking that as her cue, Shen Li formed her spear and flew to the cages, destroying each lock quickly and easily, releasing the immortals inside. Alerted, the guards rushed over to attack, but they were no match for Shen Li and she dispatched them in no time. The immortals all bowed their heads in gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s not safe to stay here. ¡°Xing Zhi said. ¡°Let¡¯s leave first and talk later.¡± Upon reaching the outside and seeing the light again, many immortals wept in joy. They thanked Xing Zhi again for rescuing them. Strangely enough no one approached or thanked Shen Li, not that she noticed. They would have continued to ignore her had she not asked, ¡°Do you know where the first immortals were caught?¡± This question made them turn to her. No one answered for the longest time. Finally a young man pointed at her and heatedly said, ¡°You demon! You dare have the audacity to ask?!¡± The person next to him immediately grabbed the hem of his robe and tried to pull him away. ¡°She also saved us! Come on, don¡¯t act that way!¡± Shen Li frowned. ¡°I will only say this once. The matter with immortals being kidnapped has nothing to do with my people. I only incidentally learned about it today.¡± ¡°Like hell you did!¡± Now that the joy of being freed wore off, he gave vent to his anger at being kidnapped and imprisoned. ¡°You demon people are barbaric, evil villains! This time you captured us in the Mortal realm. What next? Do you plan to go to heaven and kidnap those immortals too?! Every single one of you are disgusting criminals! And that includes your stinking Demon Emperor-¡± Shen Li lifted him up by the collar before he got through his sentence. ¡°Such impudence! I, the Azure Sky King will cut you to pieces!¡± CH 34 [Translator/Editor: otwentyfirst] ... The man in Shen Li¡¯s grasp was so scared by the sight of her red eyes that he almost fainted. The immortal next to him was like-wise really frightened. He quickly apologized to Shen Li, urging her to release his friend, however Shen Li was too angry to hear his pleas. Instead the guy she was holding turned blue as her grip tightened. This was not good so Xing Zhi called out to her. Shen Li glanced at Xing Zhi. Although she didn¡¯t release her grip, she did loosen it enough for the man to breathe. ¡°Cruel... bar...baric... savage...¡± As soon as he got some air, he commenced talking again. Shen Li turned to him and gave him a cold smile. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill you, but since you¡¯ve worked so hard to convince me, I¡¯ll do you the favor. Aren¡¯t you lucky?¡± Shen Li tightened her grip further causing his color to change from blue to purple as he foamed at the mouth. Out of fright, the other immortals cried out in alarm. Xing Zhi reached out to her and touched her hand but he didn¡¯t force her to let go. All he said was, ¡°Hurting him will make things more difficult for the people of the Demon realm.¡± Shen Li gnashed her teeth. ¡°This person is full of venom, spewing slander against my people and insulting my emperor. Now I can¡¯t even maim or kill him. It¡¯s hard for me to settle the anger in my heart.¡± ¡°Shen Li...¡± Xing Zhi sighed helplessly. Shen Li didn¡¯t understand why it was bad to give vent to her anger by hurting the immortal in front of her. He and his kind constantly bad-mouthed her people with malicious gossip. It was frustrating to constantly be told to endure. She roughly tossed the immortal onto the ground then walked away, kicking the shrubs in her path as she did so. The other immortals rushed to aide their fallen comrade. He was dizzy and slightly bruised, but otherwise unhurt. They still felt the need to complain. ¡°He only said a few words, such uncalled-for anger. The demon people really have no empathy, so unforgiving!¡± Shen Li was amazed at the irony of the words coming from the group of immortals. ¡°Empathy?¡± She laughed a laughter filled with qi. The force shocked the immortals and shook their hearts, forcing them to cover their ears from the power. ¡°Isn''t it because I empathized with you that I came and rescued you?¡± In a fit of anger, she had continued speaking with qi in her voice and she would have continued some more had a hand not swiftly covered her mouth. All the qi was pushed back inside, making her take a step back in surprise. She bumped into Xing Zhi when she did so. His chest was warm and his aura wrapped all around her. It was like a cool breeze had blown in and dispersed her resentment. All that remained was a stuffed up feeling in her chest that left her feeling flustered. ¡°My friends, just because those who captured you used demon magic doesn¡¯t mean someone from the demon race is involved. This could be a deliberate attempt to undermine the relationship between the two realms. My friends, I hope you do not listen to idle gossip and assist the villain inadvertently.¡± Shen Li felt the vibrations in Xing Zhi¡¯s chest as he talked. It had a lulling effect on her and she zoned out without realizing it, but her annoyance came back upon seeing the immortals in front of her nodding along to what he was saying. She pushed his hand away from her mouth and struggled out of his embrace. Once successful, she turned around and gave him a glare before walking away and kicking the rocks and grasses underfoot like an angry child. Xing Zhi shook his head lightly and smiled as he watched her walk away. He continued, ¡°I won¡¯t keep you all in the dark. I stayed in the Demon realm with the demon people for several days not too long ago. They are not a bloodthirsty race. The people are straightforward and direct. If the act of kidnapping immortals in the Mortal realm was meant to start a war, then they would have prepared for it with the appropriate military preparations. I saw no evidence of this at their military camps while I was there.¡± The gathered immortals mulled over what he said. A white-haired old man of the group touched his beard and spoke. ¡±As far as I know, the only immortal who visited the Demon realm recently was the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s grandson, Fu Rongjun, who is wedded to a person in the demon world. Could it be the woman who just now proclaimed herself to be the Azure Sky King is Fu Rongjun¡¯s wife, from that rumored married couple?¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s brow twitched slightly and he glanced over at Shen Li. Shen Li had not heard the old immortal. She was some distance away from them leaning against a tree and looking at the waterfall. The corner of Xing Zhi¡¯s mouth arched up slightly. It was incorrect to call Shen Li and Fu Rongjun a married couple. ¡°Fu Rongjun and the Azure Sky King are not yet wed.¡±[notes] ¡°Ah, if great immortal says so then it must be the case.¡± ¡°The Azure Sky King is deeply dedicated to the Demon people and can not stand anyone speaking poorly of them. What happened just now was simply because she is short-tempered. I hope everyone can forgive her.¡± Xing Zhi smiled as he continued. ¡°She is a very direct and honest person with a righteous nature who approaches matters with a sincere heart. That kind of conviction and morality¡­ even I can not beat.¡± The old immortal tugged at his beard. ¡°Great immortal is very good to the king¡­ unlike in the rumors¡­ hahaha.¡± His sentence trailed off in awkward laughter.[notes] Xing Zhi¡¯s smile drooped a little but he remained silent. ¡°Well she is worth it.¡±[notes] Xing Zhi asked the group of immortals some more questions about their kidnapping before letting them disperse and return to their respective territories. It was unlikely their kidnappers would appear again so soon so they wanted to use the opportunity to report to heaven. Xing Zhi walked to Shen Li after everyone left. He didn¡¯t have to say anything; she knew he was there. She glanced quickly over at him and asked, ¡°Are they gone?¡± Xing Zhi nodded. ¡°It seems like there is still another group that needs to be rescued. I don¡¯t know the specific location, but it should be somewhere in the south.¡± ¡°This is your business. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me. Go and save your people by yourself. I¡¯m going to Yangzhou.¡± Immediately after saying her piece she walked away. Xing Zhi trailed behind her. ¡°Stop following me.¡± Xing Zhi gave a helpless smile and shrugged. ¡°Yangzhou is also in the south. We¡¯re heading in the same direction.¡± Shen Li was silent for a moment, but eventually resumed her walking. There was still lingering resentment in her heart but her pace wasn¡¯t as fast as it was before. The distance between them kept getting smaller and smaller until finally they were walking side by side. Xing Zhi shot a glance at her. ¡°Hungry?¡± Shen Li was reluctant to admit it, instead she said, ¡°No,¡± just before her belly betrayed her with a low rumble. It made her frown and Xing Zhi smirk. Now she was even more annoyed! She called forth a cloud to ride away but he grabbed her wrist and interrupted her. ¡°There¡¯s a small family run restaurant down the mountain. Why don¡¯t we go there? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had any of the Five Grains. I miss them.¡± Perhaps Xing Zhi¡¯s mortal life as Xing Yun influenced his immortal preferences. Shen Li eyed him dubiously. ¡°You do?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Xing Zhi nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then.¡± The restaurant really was in fact just a stall by the side of the mountain. The sign in front read, ¡°Tea.¡± It was a good resting place for travelers; there were even a few tables and stools outside for people to sit and enjoy a drink. Shen Li barely sat down when a middle-aged woman approached. ¡°Would the two of you like tea? Please sit, sit.¡± ¡°Auntie, we¡¯ve had a long journey and we¡¯re hungry. Can we borrow your kitchen to make something to eat?¡± The woman blinked, a bit taken aback. ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± Xing Zhi laughed. ¡°This sister here has really picky tastes. It¡¯s difficult to please her. We¡¯ll pay you for the use of course.¡± The lady silently thought it over for a moment before replying. ¡°Let me clean up a little first. Here, in the meantime have some tea.¡± She poured them both a cup before hurrying back inside. ¡°This is a suspicious shop.¡± Shen Li stroked the cup as she said this. ¡°Is Your Highness afraid?¡± Shen Li raised her head and drank the tea in one gulp.[text omitted] Upon returning the woman was surprised to find her new customers still sitting upright in their chairs. She pushed the flicker of hesitation that went through her mind aside and put a smile on her face as she approached them. ¡°Everything is in order young master. Please, this way.¡± She picked up the teapot and was shocked at how light it was. It had to be at least half empty. She looked at Shen Li and Xing Zhi in astonishment. This made Shen Li ask her if something was wrong. ¡°Nothing, nothing. I was just surprised you weren¡¯t tired after walking around the mountain. You must have a lot of stamina.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It wasn¡¯t anything much, just killing a bunch of monsters.¡± Something flickered in the woman¡¯s dark green eyes. ¡°My goodness, young miss enjoys joking a lot I see.¡± Shen Li wasn¡¯t as patient or as calm as Xing Zhi. She reached over the table and grabbed the woman by the neck. ¡°I¡¯m not one to joke.¡± She reached for the tea pot with her other hand and poured the liquid into the woman¡¯s mouth. The woman only succeeded in swallowing more liquid in her desperate struggle to break free. Shen Li was relentless. She raised the woman higher and shook her harder until her limbs shortened and a tail sprouted behind her. It dragged to the ground as her skin smoothed into a different kind of flesh. The woman resembled a python. Shen Li tossed her to the ground and shouted in a cold voice, ¡°All of you come out at once, otherwise I will kill her.¡± A girl crawled frantically from out of a haystack as soon as Shen Li said this. ¡°I¡¯m coming! I¡¯m coming! Please don¡¯t kill her!¡± yelled the girl in a fuzzy voice. Her lower half kept transforming, alternating between a snake tail and human legs. It made her gait unsteady and she kept falling and smashing her face into the dirt. Xing Zhi smiled. He was about to speak when Shen Li stepped forward and helped the girl up. She patted the girl¡¯s dirty cheeks, not at all minding the dust. In a happy voice she said, ¡°Xiao He!¡± The girl looked at Shen Li confused. Her voice shook, and she stuttered because she was so afraid. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ n ¨C n ¨C not Xiao He. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± CH 35.1 The girl was shaking like a leaf. Shen Li thought it best to just release her. In her happiness, Shen Li forgot Xiao He had sacrificed herself for the one she loved, that even if she looked like Xiao He, this was her reincarnated form so she would have no memory of her previous life. Unlike Xing Zhi who retained his memories, she would have lost hers. Without that memory she was freed from the past. In this life, she didn¡¯t know Prince Rui or the heartbreak of that love. Shen Li was silent for a moment, then she took a step toward the girl and asked, ¡°Your abilities aren¡¯t even that great, yet you dare set up a stall like this to harm others? How brazen. Aren¡¯t you afraid the mountain god will punish you?¡± With her head lowered to her chest the girl whispered that the mountain god was gone, captured some time ago. Xing Zhi and Shen Li shared a glance. ¡°When? Did you see who did it?¡± Shen Li probed. Her voice came out unintentionally sterner than she meant it to. It scared the girl, and though her lips trembled, she refused to say more. ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t even beat you this time¡­¡± Shen Li sighed in disappointment. From her side, Xing Zhi laughed. The sigh made the older woman exert a great amount of effort to look up from the ground. In a hoarse voice she asked, ¡°Great immortals, you are sparing our lives?¡± Shen Li had only shaken her twice, but it was enough for her to understand the disparity in their strengths so she was very respectful when she spoke. ¡°Neither my child nor I wish to engage in such a malicious trade, but we were forced to do so because we had no other choice. We¡¯ve only robbed passersby of their money. We take what we can, but we¡¯ve never physically harmed anyone!¡± ¡°When did you put up the stall? And why were you compelled to do so?¡± Shen Li asked. Thinking about it made the greened eyed python sigh. ¡°This child¡¯s father is a mortal. Together as a family we used to live in the forest surrounding Yangzhou. It was a hard life but we got by on the food he grew and the game I brought back from the mountain. Then three months ago something strange happened. The trees started withering away and the grass stopped growing. Thick miasma spread everywhere and nothing grew. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s related to the mountain god¡¯s disappearance.¡± It clearly made her anxious just remembering. ¡°The mountain god disappeared¡­ The other supernatural beings said the god was taken away by someone named Fusheng Men.¡±[notes] Shen Li wrinkled her brows, that name again. It seemed, although he was from a small immortal sect, he was a rising power capable of not just kidnapping immortals around the capital, but also using demon magic. Even Shen Li began to doubt her conviction. Did someone from the Demon realm really break through the barrier and enter the Mortal realm? ¡°I had to take this child and hide here. There wasn¡¯t anything to eat. Out of desperation we came upon the idea of robbing passersby of their money and any food they had with them. ¡°What about your husband?¡± Xing Zhi quietly asked, not concerned about Fusheng Men. ¡°He¡¯s not here with you so how is he getting by?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± The woman hesitated for a moment before fording forward honestly. ¡°He was a Taoist priest before we married. Things were peaceful and we lived together without incident but he never laid down his duties. When the miasma spread down the mountain he had me and our daughter leave the area while he and his disciple went to Yangzhou. He said the miasma would be difficult to deal with and it would affect the city.¡± Shen Li was speechless at the revelation. This woman was in a relationship with a Taoist priest and they had a daughter together. Their identities were so different. It must have been incredibly difficult for them to remain together. She couldn¡¯t help but admire the green snake. Xing Zhi spoke up in Shen Li¡¯s silence. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we go to Yangzhou? I¡¯ll treat you to a meal another day.¡± He smiled slightly at Shen Li as he spoke. The intimate tone of his voice made Shen Li stare at him. She turned away and coughed. ¡°Great¡­ great immortal!¡± The daughter suddenly spoke up. ¡°Won¡¯t you take me along as well?! I miss dad and I miss Brother Yan!¡±[notes] Her cheeks blushed out of embarrassment she said this. A girl so young wouldn¡¯t handle the miasma well. Xing Zhi was about to refuse but Shen Li spoke up first. ¡°OK, let¡¯s go.¡± She turned around and glanced at Xing Zhi. ¡°Can you give her a talisman ward?¡± Though it was phrased as a question, it was clear she wasn¡¯t interested in discussing the matter. Xing Zhi looked at Shen Li in surprise before laughing out loud. He walked in front of the girl and drew several letters on her forehead. Finished he said, ¡°Let me know if you feel unwell once we enter the city.¡± The girl nodded gratefully. Her body slowly changed into a tiny snake and she crawled into Shen Li¡¯s sleeve. She peeked her head out and looked up at Shen Li. With a laugh Shen Li said, ¡°OK then, let¡¯s go!¡± CH 35.2 Though the sun was setting as they reached Yangzhou there was no beautiful sunset to behold. Black miasma fog shrouded the entire city. Shen Li felt like she was stepping into the Demon realm. According to the girl, Xi, all the immortals around the city had been kidnapped. Miasma flowed out from the forest surrounding the mountains and settled in the city, leaving it in its current shrouded state. The once vibrant city was a dead shell of its former self. Sickness pervaded, affecting both old and young. There were only a few hardy individuals able to walk the streets. Shen Li frowned. ¡°Those in the Demon realm have adapted to the miasma but for ordinary mortals, it would be unbearable.¡± The girl in Shen Li¡¯s sleeve trembled in fear. Shen Li stroked the snake¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find your family.¡± After walking along the streets for a bit Shen Li asked, ¡°Is there a way to get rid of the miasma?¡± ¡°Yes, however the miasma comes from the mountain. Clearing it here would only address the symptom, not the root of the problem-¡± Xing Zhi was interrupted before he could finish. ¡°Fix the symptom first, take care of the cause later,¡± Shen Li cut in. ¡°Slowing it down is better than nothing.¡± Shen Li barely finished talking when a person rushed out to her. His hair was poofy like he¡¯d been electrocuted, while his entire body, from his clothes to his skin, were completely ashen. ¡°Finally! Someone came!¡± He was practically crying tears of joy. ¡°Someone came at last!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Shen Li. He wiped his face with one hand, nearly in tears again. ¡°Ah?! I¡¯m Fu Rongjun!¡± He used his filthy clothes to wipe his grimy face. It didn¡¯t help. He only smeared the grime around more. He pointed to his face. ¡°I¡¯m Fu Rongjun.¡± Shen Li frowned in disgust. ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t have time for you.¡± Fu Rongjun looked around and saw Xing Zhi so he didn¡¯t over do it, only saying, ¡°That¡¯s over line! How can you treat this lord like that?¡± Fu Rongjun patted his chest. ¡°This lord risked his life to save the city. If it weren¡¯t for this lord hurrying to Yangzhou, everyone here would have fallen to the miasma! This lord did what he could to control the situation and purify the city. How can you treat me like so?!¡± Xing Zhi looked up at the sky. ¡°There are traces of purification in the air.¡± The confirmation dissipated Fu Rongjun¡¯s anger, but he still felt wronged. In a sad voice he said, ¡°This lord encountered such a thing while strolling. How could this lord not help? This lord tried to purify the miasma to the best of his abilities, but it wasn¡¯t enough. In less than a day the miasma returned and pervaded the city again. Then at the same time a great number of people fell seriously ill. It was too much to manage the miasma and the sudden eruption of sickness. Those not seriously ill, this lord gathered and brought to the temple in the northside of the city. This lord set up a boundary circle to keep the miasma out but lately the miasma has been so dense this lord has reached his limit.¡± ¡°You could have reported this to heaven. The only reason you didn¡¯t was because you were afraid they would take you back, so you figured you would just try to clean the miasma here on your own. But now that it¡¯s beyond your abilities you¡¯re trying to shove the responsibility onto someone else?¡± She shot him a glance after laying his motivation bare. ¡°The nerve. To claim you saved the city.¡± Fu Rongjun nearly choked at her words. He was slightly embarrassed at having been called out. There was a flash of green and a girl suddenly appeared in front of him. Her unstable legs caused her to stumble into Fu Rongjun¡¯s arms. She hastily pulled back and asked. ¡°Great immortal, inside the city, did you see a Taoist priest and his disciple?¡± Such a soft sweet voice. Even if his eyes were filled with dust and the city dark and dimly lit, Fu Rongjun could recognize a beauty when he saw one. He gave her a quick once over to confirm. ¡°Of course. This lord set up the boundary inside the city after all.¡± ¡°Can you bring me over to them please?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Fu Rongjun extended his hand toward her. ¡°But the miasma is a hindrance. Take care where you step; it¡¯s hard to see here.¡± Shen Li picked Xi up by the waist and tossed the girl over her shoulder. ¡°Lead the way,¡± she said to Fu Rongjun. Fu Rongjun resentfully glared at Shen Li¡¯s cut, but he turned around and did as told. ... Shen Li thought Fu Rongjun was just a useless skirt-chasing fool so she was surprised at the extent of the boundary he created. It was large enough to protect several hundred people. Those inside the boundary welcomed Fu Rongjun with big grateful smiles on their faces. Fu Rongjun turned around proudly to look at Shen Li as if seeking affirmation of his accomplishment and virtuosity. She turned her head away, refusing to indulge him. Xi looked around the encampment distracted as the other people came over and bombarded Fu Rongjun with praise. ¡°Great immortal is amazing! Great immortal is a such a good person!¡± It made Fu Rongjun laugh in happiness with his hands on his hip. Xi spotted two people in the corner of the temple. Running over she yelled, ¡°Dad! Brother Yan!¡± Shen Li looked over in their direction and was stumped at what she saw. Xi¡¯s father was indeed an ordinary Taoist priest but Brother Yan bore an uncanny resemblance to King Rui.[notes] Laying prone beside him, was a sleeping sick woman; she looked remarkably like King Rui¡¯s wife. They appeared to be the same people from the previous century. Xi rushed excitedly over to them. ¡°Why are you so loud? Can¡¯t you see people are sleeping?¡± Yan reprimanded her. Xi stared in silence, feeling like she¡¯d been wronged. She shifted from foot to foot before walking over to her father¡¯s side, lightly tugging at his clothes. The interaction between the three made Shen Li ask if their fates were bound to repeat. Xing Zhi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± The aggrieved look on Xi¡¯s face reminded Shen Li too much of Xiao He. She couldn¡¯t help but speak out. ¡°I¡¯m sure Prince Rui had many people in his life after he took the throne. What were the chances of him remembering a sharp-tongued woman who sacrificed everything to help him gain his desire? ¡°Let me think.¡± Xing Zhi thought it over before answering. ¡°After he became king and assigned an empress he planted lotus flowers all over the royal garden.¡± Shen Li gave him a quick glance in surprise. She didn¡¯t expect him to answer. It made her sigh. ¡°It¡¯s useless now, but I¡¯m sure Xiao He would have been happy if she knew.¡± CH 36 Xi¡¯s father looked sternly at Xi. ¡°What happened to your mother? Why are you here by yourself?¡± Xi pinched her dad¡¯s sleeve. She felt really wronged. ¡°Mother suffered a minor injury. She was worried about the miasma affecting her so she didn¡¯t dare come with me.¡± ¡°How willful of you!¡± He yanked his sleeve away from her grasp. ¡°No fear of the miasma at all! Leave here immediately!¡± Xi had overstepped. She looked at Brother Yan and saw he wasn¡¯t paying attention to her at all. Her throat tightened and she couldn¡¯t speak. Unexpectedly it was Fu Rongjun who interrupted the silence. He walked to Xi and stuck one hand out between them, creating a space for himself to step in. Like a skilled diplomat he said, ¡°The enchantment circle will protect all those inside from the miasma. There is no need to drive your daughter away so soon. Taoist priest, please do not blame her. She was simply worried about your well-being and was eager to see you.¡± Fu Rongjun turned around and looked at Xi after he finished speaking. The bright shining way she gazed at him melted his heart. His eyes softened and he unconsciously smiled. The warmth showed through despite his ash smeared face making Xi very grateful someone was on her side. Xi¡¯s father had nothing more to say after Fu Rongjun spoke. Shen Li crouched in front of the sleeping girl and studied her face. Her lips were nearly black and there were distinct glowing bluish-green lines crisscrossing under her fair skin. They pulsed and gave the impression there were bugs underneath. ¡°Was the epidemic caused by the miasma?¡± Yan glanced at Shen Li, unhappy she would disturb the woman¡¯s sleep. In a rude tone she continued. ¡°What? You don¡¯t know? What are you doing with her then? Let someone else who knows what they¡¯re doing take care of things.¡± She turned to Xing Zhi. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble high god.¡± Xing Zhi sighed at her behavior. He understood it was her way of getting justice for Xi. No matter the situation Shen Li would always be Shen Li. She couldn¡¯t bear to see someone suffering unfairly and not doing something about it. However she felt about something, whether she liked it or not, would rise to the surface and show in her behavior. With these thoughts in his heart Xing Zhi walked over to the sleeping woman. After observing her carefully he read her pulse. ¡°I will see the other patients now.¡± His expression was heavy. He circled around the temple checking people before returning. With knitted brow he turned to Fu Rongjun and asked, ¡°Your Highness has been here several days now. Can you tell me which direction has the greatest miasma density.¡± Fu Rongjun thought about it before replying. ¡°The west side of the city. The southwest is particularly lethal.¡± Xing Zhi muttered something to himself. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong the miasma isn¡¯t flowing into the city from the outside, but rather is flowing out of the city to the surrounding area, and has been doing so for quite some time.¡± This surprised everyone within earshot. The Taoist was the first to disagree. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I live a secluded life in the mountains but do come to the city to buy supplies. I was here last month and noticed the miasma clinging to the outside of the city walls. There was no miasma beyond the walls and inside the city then.¡± ¡°The sickness here isn¡¯t an epidemic caused by disease, but the result of blood flow crossing the wrong way. It¡¯s symptomatic of too much miasma inhalation.¡± He pulled his sleeve up and showed his arm. Faint bluish-green marks were visible. ¡°I was careless several days ago and allowed the miasma to enter my body. Once inside it will remain for some time. These are the marks of its presence.¡± Shen Li recognized they were the wounds from the time he was ambushed by the yao shou in the Ruins. Xing Zhi hadn¡¯t said anything about them so she hadn¡¯t realized his wounds hadn¡¯t healed fully. ¡°This kind of mark, aside from being injured by beings that emit miasma, can also be found in those who inhale the miasma all year long. Physical symptoms appear once it reaches a certain concentration level in the bloodstream.¡± Xing Zhi pulled his sleeve back down. ¡°The disappearance of immortal beings, the mysterious immortal sect, the profusion of miasma, the answer may lay in the western part of the city.¡± Shen Li¡¯s main concern was the Demon realm. It was possible the cause could implicate her people so she wanted to resolve everything as soon as possible. ¡°Let¡¯s going to the west side.¡± To Fu Rongjun she said, ¡°Guard this place well.¡± ¡­ The miasma grew increasingly heavy and toxic as she approached the west side of the city. Despite taking precautions against it, Shen Li could barely move. She spoke to Xing Zhi beside her. ¡°If the culprit is from the Demon realm then I will ask you to allow me to deal with that person.¡± Xing Zhi was silent as he considered her request. She didn¡¯t think there would be an issue with it so his reply was unexpected. ¡°That won¡¯t be possible. This matter involves too many land gods. Heaven will want to investigate.¡± Shen Li nearly missed a step at his words. She turned around and looked at him. He still had the same faint smile he usually wore but is eyes were resolute. In that moment Shen Li saw the real Xing Zhi. He was normally carefree, but when it came to heavenly matters he would wasn¡¯t going to budge. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Shen Li nodded. ¡°It can be a joint investigation,¡± was her compromise. To that, Xing Zhi did not reply. By then they had reached the area and the miasma was intense. Breathing was nearly impossible. Even Shen Li, as accustomed as she was from living in the Demon realm, felt unwell, never mind ordinary mortals in the mortal world. She scanned the city wall but couldn¡¯t see where the miasma could have originated. All she felt was the overpowering heaviness it emitted. ¡°We¡¯ve reached the west walls, but there¡¯s nothing here.¡± Xing Zhi reached over and pulled a strand of her hair. Although it didn¡¯t hurt, it was a strange thing for him to do. ¡°What?¡± she asked. He smiled at her question as he nimbly shaped her hair into a butterfly. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the trick.¡± Xing Zhi released her hair and it fluttered lazily through the air, having changed into a white butterfly. It soared through the miasma cleaving a trail of clear air in its wake. A red door, much like the one they encountered when rescuing the immortals held captive in the cave on the outskirts of the city, emerged from the wall. ¡°See? Now it¡¯s here.¡± Shen Li shot him a side glance. ¡°Next time pull your own hair.¡± She materialized her spear as she stepped to the door. There was no doubt in her mind it had to lead to Fusheng Men¡¯s headquarters. She wasn¡¯t the least hesitant or polite, kicking the door intending to open it with one swift kick. Though the panels shook, it remained firmly closed. Shen Li was about to try again, this time with qi in her kick, but before she could a loud ¡°Thwomp!¡± sounded and the double doors opened wide. The miasma released hit her square in the face. White butterflies, matching the one from earlier, shot past her ear. No longer erratic, they flew with intent and great speed to the door. Like before, they dissipated the miasma in their wake. Shen Li went in ahead and stepped into a grand hall, fitting of an imperial palace. It was hard to believe the door hidden behind magic camouflage could lead to such a beautiful place. There wasn¡¯t much time to admire as the moment she stepped through black clad figures emerged from the walls like ravenous monsters intent on killing their prey. Shen Li cut every one of them down with her spear, severing their heads cleanly and easily. Her face was a blank mask as she fought, not heeding the blood splattering around or the drops dripping from her spear. She would not forgive anyone who slandered or dishonored the Demon realm. She mercilessly killed everyone in her path. When she couldn¡¯t continue straight anymore and faced a fork in the hall, she grabbed one of the men and indifferently hit his chest hard, aggressively ramming qi into his body and rupturing his internal organs. He stood dying in front of her. In a voice that sounded like it came from hell she demanded, ¡°Where is your master?¡± The man was truly frightened and was shaking all over. ¡°Right¡­ right.¡± ¡°Where does the left go?¡± ¡°The land gods.¡± Shen Li released him, but before he could even turn to run away she grabbed his hair and threw him against the wall like a rag doll. Just like that his life was snuffed out. Xing Zhi came up behind Shen Li just as she did this. His brow furrowed. ¡°Killing with such bloodthirst is not good, even if the other is an enemy.¡± The blood that ran down her spear had already stained her hands red. She coldly looked at Xing Zhi. ¡°Don¡¯t bother preaching. The left path leads to the imprisoned immortals. High god will have to go down that path alone. I intend to capture the culprit behind this. I only hope that high god is willing to do a joint investigation of the matter. The Demon realm is innocent. Please do not let the heavenly immortals run away with unjustified speculation.¡± This made Xing Zhi wrinkle his brow. Shen Li turned and took the rightward path. He stared at the path she took for some time before turning and taking the left path. ... The frequency of attacks increased dramatically as Shen Li neared the final room. Once there she forced it open with her spear. Light poured out of what appeared be to the main hall of a temple. She looked around from the doorway before entering. Though it seemed empty she still proceeded inside cautiously. Not a single of the black garbed guards were in sight. The silence was only broken when the ground shook. Shen Li had to readjust her footing as she looked upwards. Three massively brawny men dropped out of thin air from above. They surrounded Shen Li in a triangle formation. She stared at them, assessing. They looked sinister with sharp wolf-like fangs and red eyes that lent them an air of savageness, making them resemble animals more than men. They roared at her, covering her with spittle and a raw metallic smell. Shen Li was outwardly calm but her heart had been rocked. She had never met such opponents before. They were like men transformed into beasts. At first the four stared at each other in a stalemate with neither party making a move. Finally one rushed forward. Shen Li lifted her spear and pointed it directly at his eye. Instead of avoiding her attack he continued forward and grabbed the blade of her spear. He used brute force to pull the spear out of Shen Li¡¯s grasp. His hand was sliced open and gushing blood, yet he didn¡¯t seem to notice. He roared and tried to bite her neck. Shen Li stared in shock. She liked fighting, but even she had never seen someone use so much brute force. She successfully defended against the bite but her back was left open. Taking advantage of the opening another man attacked. The blow landed hard and forced to her into a roll. She barely had time to catch her breath and summon her spear back to her hand. The formation broke and the three men where now between her and the door. She was effectively trapped inside. These three were proving difficult to handle¡­ CH 37 Shen Li coolly eyed her adversaries. Everything about the three temple men exuded murderous intent: their fang-like teeth showed through their open mouths while saliva pooled and trailed down their lips, creating wet spots on the floor. Shen Li glanced at the temple man that grabbed the blade of her spear earlier. The gash on his hand had already healed to the point the wound was no longer visible. He was monstrous, like the scorpion-tailed fox she had beheaded near the Ruins. Shen Li knew they would attack soon when she sensed the change in the air. Her red-tasseled silver spear shook and suddenly flew and attacked the man in the middle.[notes] He gave a cry of alarm, but it was no use; the attack was impossible to dodge and he was stabbed square in the face. He reached up to grab the spear. Shen Li wasn¡¯t about to let him grab it like before. She was mentally prepared this time, so when he reached for it she immediately somersaulted forward and twisted her body around to slam into him. This caught him off guard and allowed her to easily attack. She grabbed her spear and thrust it forward intending to chop his legs out from under him. Although she used all her strength to strike, she failed to slice through his legs. All she heard was a solid metallic ¡°Dhoom¡± as her spear vibrated from the impact. The vibrations were so strong it nearly broke the skin on her hand. It was unimaginable to Shen Li that, despite using all her strength, her spear failed to cut through. It had accompanied her through scores of battles, across oceans and lands, and never failed her before. In shock, she flipped backwards, retreating to a safe distance with the spear in front covering half her face. To be fair, the spear was originally made for stabbing, and not so much for cutting and slicing, however, Shen Li had had used it for so long that it had become imbued with her qi and become freakishly strong, capable of more than just stabbing. In fact the shaft of the spear could even be used in place of the blade to behead a person. But now she could see a see a small knick[notes] at the edge of the blade. The other two didn¡¯t wait for Shen Li to gather her thoughts. They flanked her on both sides before rushing her like ravenous wild dogs. She wanted buy some time to think of a strategy to defeat the men so she jumped up and perched on a beam out of their reach. She hadn¡¯t thought of a plan yet when a silhouette jumped up even higher. He had his hand out to hit her head, but she dodged it with a minor tilt of her neck. She grabbed his hand and poured qi into her grip. A loud cracking sound came from his hand as every bone broke. He raised his head and gave a loud shout, leaving his center unguarded. Shen Li grabbed the opening and thrust her spear into his gut, but hard muscle prevented her from stabbing deeply. At this Shen Li shouted as well and rays of light glowed from her spear. It increased in intensity until with a ¡°crack¡± and a ¡°ploosh¡± her opponent¡¯s chest exploded, raining flesh and blood down onto the floor. She shoved the rest of his body down, yanking her spear out as she did so. He fell like a boulder, crashing into the wall before falling to the floor and leaving a crater in his wake, finally dead. Shen Li was gasping for air, but she had managed to take one man out. Before she could catch her breath, the two men below jumped up to her perch, with one on either side. She raised her spear in time to block an attack from one, but was smacked by the other. The force behind the hit was so powerful she was knocked off the beam and into the first dead man¡¯s crater. The two jumped down and landed with a thud on the ground, raising a tremendous amount of dust and debris into the air. They couldn¡¯t see Shen Li since her body was complete obscured so they had to walk to the side to peer in. Red light flashed through the rubble. Before either man could react, Shen Li¡¯s spear pierced one through the eye. He stood dead with the blade protruding out from the back of his skull. Shen Li sliced his head in half when she swept her spear to one side to free it. Dust scattered as his ruined body fell to the ground. There were no visible injuries on Shen Li¡¯s body, but there were strands of blood on her lips that trailed down the front of her. Her eyes were cold and bloodshot. She wiped the blood from her lips with one arm whispering to herself as she did so. ¡°That really hurt.¡± She had only taken one blow but her entire body ached like her joints were broken. Even breathing was difficult. It was hard to believe three unknown men could force her into such a terrible position. She stepped forward and glared at the final temple man left standing. Through the metallic taste of blood in her mouth she said, ¡°Since you want to fight, be prepared to fight to your last breath.¡± He let out a roar that echoed through the hall. Everything shook, even the brick in the walls crumbled. The muscles on his body rippled as they expanded. He stepped over his dead comrade and dashed at Shen Li. She didn¡¯t try to dodge, having already predicted his movement, instead she jumped up and aimed the tip of her spear at his head, intending to pierce him from above, however he made an unexpected move in blocking the spear with his arm, allowing it sink into his flesh. The attack didn¡¯t seem to hurt him at all though. He smashed his unencumbered hand into Shen Li¡¯s face, but she moved out of the way just in time. She coalesced qi in her hand and forced it into the downward thrust. The wind resulting from their two opposing forces rattled the temple and shook the bricks. Shen Li dropped to the ground with her hand supporting her body and swung her leg up into the air like a scissor. She wrapped it around his neck and twisted him to the side, slamming him into the wall. The stone masonry crumbled away from the impact revealing a hidden room behind. A person, dressed entirely in green with a strange air around him, stood behind the wall looking down at the scene of Shen Li¡¯s battle. The temple man crashed into the wall shook his head before standing up. The man in green gave him a kick, knocking him back down. Shen Li looked at the face of the man in green as though she was looking at an evil spirit. ¡°You are the one pulling the strings. You¡¯re the framing the Demon realm. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Frame?¡± The man in green said as he moved in the shadows. Shen Li couldn¡¯t see him clearly but his voice sounded familiar. ¡°You can¡¯t really call this me framing anyone.¡± Shen Li frowned. She was about to go after him and demand answers when the man, who was knocked down earlier, finally got up. He roared as he shook the debris off his body. This really was indeed ¡°fighting to one¡¯s last breath.¡± ¡°A troublesome person is about to arrive so forgive me for not staying to watch to Azure Sky King longer.¡± Shen Li stared at the play of light and shadow on his face as he turned away. He reminded her of someone and she suddenly thought of the person leading the attack that night at Xing Yun¡¯s courtyard. What was his name? Fu Sheng. Fu Sheng. Fusheng Men¡­[notes] But how was that possible? He was an ordinary person so he shouldn¡¯t still be alive. Shen Li was anxious to chase after him but the fallen man from earlier blocked her path. His eyes were full of cold malice as he roared, ¡°Prepare to die!¡± He only spoke those three words before Shen Li sliced his eyes with her spear. She hurriedly leapt away from him towards Fu Sheng; she wanted to capture him no matter what. Unperturbed, Fu Sheng calmly waved his sleeve in her direction. Shen Li didn¡¯t notice anything amiss at first, but a few seconds later her vision turned black and her body froze up. She toppled over. The last temple man jumped over to Shen Li and proceeded to pummel her abdomen with both fists, as if he was trying to shatter her internal organs. Done with that he lifted her up by the neck, trying to choke her to death. Before they had been on the ground amidst the debris. Shen Li stared after Fu Sheng¡¯s back as he gradually disappeared from sight. A sense of powerlessness came over her as she endured the attack. Despite her high tolerance for pain, blood gurgled out of her mouth and poured down the front of her, dying the hands of the temple man red. ¡°This¡­what¡¯s going on here?¡± An extremely cold voice sounded from the hall¡¯s entrance. The temple man turned and saw a figure in white standing by the entrance. He roared and used Shen Li as a weapon, hurling her at the newcomer. Shen Li had no control over her body, but she suffered no injuries despite the throw. It was as if a hand was supporting her back, twisting the momentum away from her as she spun towards the entrance. By the time she could see clearly again, she had already settled into Xing Zhi''s embrace. Shen Li had a strange thought when she saw Xing Zhi¡¯s bloodstained clothes. She was constantly staining his clothes wasn¡¯t she? Fortunately she wouldn¡¯t have to help wash them this time. Wasn''t it more troublesome than slaughtering the yao shou? ¡°How many injuries did you receive?¡± His tone was low, filled with an anger Shen Li had never heard before. Shen Li shook her head. ¡°The man behind it¡­ escaped.¡± Xing Zhi persisted. ¡°How many injuries?¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t answer, not because she didn¡¯t want to, but because she couldn¡¯t. She wanted to tell him her injury wasn¡¯t life threatening, that it was more important he not miss this opportunity to chase after the mastermind. The reputation of the Demon realm and the demon emperor rested on this. She didn¡¯t want her home to be maligned. Xing Zhi held her wrist to read her pulse. As if to proclaim his presence, the temple man roared while rushing to them. The added noise from his large body trampling over the ground only made it harder for Xing Zhi to read Shen Li¡¯s weak pulse. Xing Zhi glanced over at the temple man, and with an expression as cold as ice yelled, ¡°Get lost!¡± All movement immediately ceased. The once fluttering dust particles stopped moving and dangled in place. Meanwhile the temple man was completely frozen, locked in mid-stride. It was like time had stopped in ice. Witnessing the power of the words nearly made Shen Li nearly pass out. She stared distractedly at the high god in front of her. She understood now how powerful a spell when uttered from Xing Zhi¡¯s lips could be. He went back to listening to her pulse. It was so quiet that Shen Li could hear her own weak but accelerating heartbeat, however she chose to ignore both it and Xing Zhi, not giving a voice to the subtle change.[notes] Xing Zhi failed to pick up on it. All he could tell was that something was wrong with her body. Frowning he said, ¡°You¡¯ve been poisoned.¡± Shen Li could see her reflection in his eyes. Her mouth was severely bruised and her face was deathly pale. In a weak voice she said, ¡°Poison can¡¯t hurt me. The mastermind¡­¡± Shen Li had barely finished speaking when the sounds of chanting rang out in the room. It started softly but then rose in pitch. The volume made Shen Li¡¯s head ache and she involuntarily clenched her teeth. Xing Zhi could see something was wrong from her expression. He asked anxiously ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Sounds.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s expression turned cold. It was obvious whatever it was, it was only targeting Shen Li. Suddenly a noise came from behind them. Turning around, Xing Zhi saw a man with a partially sliced head crawl out from the rubble of bricks. A second man, the one Shen Li had smashed to death, fell from the crater in the wall. Both men were covered in blood. They ignored Xing Zhi¡¯s presence, acting as though he wasn¡¯t there, like they were obeying someone¡¯s command. Shen Li¡¯s fingers tightened, flexing unconsciously, when she saw them. She attempted to get up but was held in place by Xing Zhi. Pressing her down by the shoulders he spoke in a cold and severe voice. ¡°Do you no longer wish to live?¡± Shen Li twisted her mouth at his words. ¡°It¡¯s because I wish to live that I must rise and fight.¡± Xing Zhi pursed his lips. A feeling he couldn¡¯t keep in check floated up from the bottom-most part of his heart. He didn¡¯t bother turning his head, but instead simply drew five-point configuration. A loud sound, like the roar of the early morning erupted. The previously smoggy air cleared up as extremely clean, pure air flowed from Xing Zhi¡¯s body. Bright light shot out and burned everything around them to ashes. ¡°I will keep you alive.¡± A muddled-headed and confused Shen Li felt a murmur rise in her heart.[notes] She couldn¡¯t resist muttering before passing out, ¡°Before¡­ Xing Zhi there wasn''t anyone.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s grip on Shen Li¡¯s shoulders tightened as he gazed at her. It was hard to gauge his mood from his dark eyes. CH 38 He understood the importance of apprehending the mastermind, and he knew Shen Li wanted him to give chase as it would help prove the Demon realm¡¯s innocence, and yet¡­ He couldn¡¯t walk away. His grip unconsciously tightened as he stared at the pale face of the woman in his arms. She never painted her lips red or lived her life like other women. She was strong and had never hid behind anyone¡¯s back. She was much like the red-tasseled silver spear she wielded, forceful and unyielding. As she said, there was no Xing Zhi before, no one who could protect her. She was used to relying only on herself, to fighting alone, to guarding and bearing the burden of the Demon realm alone. To see such a formidable woman in such a weakened state was both strange and distressing. She was like a cat that liked to reach out and lazily scratch at his heart with her claws. By the time he noticed those lazy scratches of hers, it was too late and the scratches had become itchy and painful. It was a hard to describe feeling. ¡°This person¡­ so troublesome.¡± The four words drifted from his lips into the empty room. He remained where he was, cradling Shen Li against is chest. ... Xi carried the unused medicine box as she followed Fu Rongjun around the exterior of the temple. He had allowed her to be his personal attendant. Xi¡¯s martial art skills were not great so it took a lot of effort for her to keep her tail hidden. She quietly called out to Fu Rongjun. At her call, he turned around with a bright smile on his face. He asked, ¡°Tired sweetie? Want to rest?¡± Xi wanted to hand the medicine box to Fu Rongjun. ¡°Great immortal, I very much want to help, but I¡¯m afraid I might accidentally change into my true form¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Fu Rongjun replied, still beaming as he circled around her. ¡°This lord¡¯s power has imprinted on your body! It is absolutely impossible for your form to shift.¡± Saying as much he opened up a broken fan and teasingly toyed with Xi by puffing a bit a wind at her legs. It was an ambiguously playful motion that was suggestively flirty. Xi blushed in embarrassment and took two steps back. Fu Rongjun wore a carefree smile as he advanced one step forward his target, his fan still open. Suddenly, out of nowhere Yan wedged himself in between them with a black sword pointed at Fu Rongjun¡¯s chest. This made Fu Rongjun take two steps back. ¡°Great Immortal Fu Rongjun, please conduct yourself appropriately.¡± Yan only said the single sentence before grabbing the medicine box in Xi¡¯s hand and hurling it to the ground. Then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into the temple. Fu Rongjun¡¯s face turned green. ¡°Ah! So you would let your lover touch you like that ha?¡± The words stunned Xi. She looked at Yan only to see him barely turn his head to the side. In a cold voice he said, ¡°I and Little Xi have no such feelings for one another. I ask that great immortal not slander Little Xi¡¯s good name.¡± He tugged at Xi¡¯s hand to pull her back, but she refused to move. He was incredibly annoyed as he looked at her. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Do you want to stay here and be taken advantage of?¡± Xi tucked her head down, feeling the reprimand was unfair. ¡°You¡¯re being so fierce.¡± Yan furrowed his brow. He was about to speak when a clamor by the temple gates caught his attention. He saw a white billowy figure hurriedly carrying a bloody figure into the temple. The man¡¯s voice was low but it resonating loud and clear. ¡°Where is Fu Rongjun?¡± Fu Rongjun had also noticed the scene. He immediately became respectful and hurriedly followed behind Xing Zhi into the temple. ¡°What happened?¡± Xi was also curious. She craned her neck to see what was going on. Yan watched as Xi followed Fu Rongjun with her eyes. It made him unhappy so he moved his body in front of her to block her view. ¡°Do you want others to take advantage of you?¡± ¡°Great Immortal Fu Rongjun is a good person¡­¡± Yan¡¯s face turned extremely ugly. ¡°Shut up.¡± Xi mumbled to herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ why are you so unhappy? You¡¯re being so hard on me for no good reason. You should just go back and take care of that other person.¡± Yan shot Xi an uncomfortable glance. ¡°Little Xi¡­ I do have my reasons.¡± Xi turned her head away. ¡°Whatever Brother Yan does is right. There¡¯s always a reason, and I¡¯m always wrong.¡± She quickly walked away after saying her piece, leaving Yan to stare blankly after her. Meanwhile inside the temple Fu Rongjun was staring at the blood covered Shen Li in shock. ¡°How? How can she be so injured?¡± Instead of answering, Xing Zhi carefully laid Shen Li on the ground. Then he held her right wrist, listening to her pulse. ¡°Hold her left wrist and perform the divine purification spell.¡± Fu Rongjun didn¡¯t dare be slow. He immediately complied and held Shen Li¡¯s left hand. He was shocked the moment he touched her skin. Her body temperature was perilously low. On top of that there was something indescribable rushing around inside her body mixing with her blood. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was poison or some kind of spell. He muttered apprehensively, ¡°It was only a while ago that you left. How did this happen? It may be better to wait and confer with someone better versed in this matter.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t trust you.¡± Xing Zhi spoke softly. He knew Shen Li wouldn¡¯t trust Fu Rongjun or anyone from the heavens. Had her injury not been so severe, he knew she would have chased after the mastermind with a tenacious stubbornness. Fu Rongjun ground his teeth. Even though the divine purification spell was already initiated, he couldn¡¯t help but grumble. ¡°This guy is not the least bit feminine. She¡¯s not at loveable. I have no sweet feelings for her at all. Is there anyone who would dare marry and take such a crazed warrior woman home?!¡± Xing Zhi glanced up at Fu Rongjun. His words left a sour mark in Xing Zhi¡¯s heart. He had bestowed the marriage as a gift after all. He curled his lips as he tilted his head down to look at Shen Li. In the quiet of the temple Fu Rongjun thought he heard someone softly say, ¡°There is.¡± He stared up at Xing Zhi confused, but Xing Zhi¡¯s expression was the same benign one he always wore. The other didn¡¯t dodge his gaze so Fu Rongjun wondered if he misheard, after all Xing Zhi was an unfeeling god that even his sister, Luo Tian, couldn¡¯t tempt. How could someone like that have any feelings of tenderness toward a woman as masculine as Shen Li? Shen Li¡¯s injury was more serious than Fu Rongjun initially thought. It took them all afternoon just to stop the bleeding and bring some color back to her skin. She no longer looked like someone knocking on death¡¯s door. Fu Rongjun relaxed as things improved. He asked, ¡°High god, what kind of monster had the ability to injure the Azure Sky King like this?¡± as he directed the qi in Shen Li¡¯s body. Fu Rongjun¡¯s impression of the king was that of a bloody monstrous general that no one could take down. It really shocked him to see her in such a vulnerable state. ¡°This matter with the immortals may be more complicated than expected¡­¡± Xing Zhi muttered. ¡°The mastermind behind it all is still loose. Furthermore, I don¡¯t know if there are any other conspiracies. Shen Li is severely poisoned. It¡¯s not a good idea for her to return to the Demon realm in her current condition. The best course of action is to rest for tonight. Early tomorrow morning you should go to the Demon realm and tell the emperor about the situation so he can mentally prepare himself. After that you must return to heaven. This is a grave matter so you should not delay.¡± Fu Rongjun blinked. ¡°Me? Go?¡± He was somewhat unwilling. ¡°It was with great difficulty that we resolved the matter with Yangzhou. But¡­ I didn¡¯t have any time to play¡­¡± Xing Zhi looked Fu Rongjun in the eyes. With a smile he said, ¡°My lord wishes to have some fun? Would you like me to call forth two divine creatures for you to play with?¡± Divine creatures from the Heavens Beyond the Heavens were not to be trifled with; people, even immortals, couldn¡¯t handle them, much less survive ¡°playing¡± with them. Fu Rongjun quickly nodded his head. ¡°I will leave tomorrow, however there are still many in Yangzhou who have inhaled the miasma. What should be done about them?¡± ¡°I have already cut off the miasma¡¯s origin. The four cardinal seals have also been restored to their proper state.[notes] The miasma will eventually peter out on its own. As for those sick patients, I have a solution.¡± Xing Zhi checked on Shen Li¡¯s complexion before continuing. ¡°There is no other issue here to resolve. Go and prepare to leave early tomorrow morning.¡± Fu Rongjun curled his lips unhappily. He turned away and left looking for Xi. The sound of his voice drifted inside as he called for her. ... ¡°Catch,¡± Shen Li whispered. She opened her eyes with difficulty. She was awake and coherent. Xing Zhi raised her up and held her against his shoulder so she would be more comfortable. ¡°Are you hurting anywhere?¡± Shen Li tugged at Xing Zhi¡¯s clothes. ¡°Fu Sheng, did you capture him?¡± ¡°Fu Sheng?¡± ¡°The one that burned Xing Yun¡¯s yard that year.¡± Shen Li clenched her teeth. ¡°I hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss at the time, but the events of that night were too well orchestrated. That time we went to Prince Rui¡¯s[notes] manor and Xiao He[notes] found out about the secret he was keeping from her, there was demonic aura in the air, but I had ignored it. It never occurred to me¡­¡± At the time, Shen Li had felt a faint demon aura, but had dismissed it thinking that it was coming from those sent by the emperor to retrieve her. ¡°Now he¡¯s even snatched the land gods and turned them into strange beasts. Just shameful! I don¡¯t know how a nobody bastard like him got the audacity to use magic to commit such evil deeds, but when I catch him¡­¡± Xing Zhi looked thoughtful. He didn¡¯t know what he was feeling. He patted her back and said, ¡°First heal your wound. Everything comes later.¡± Shen Li slowly let out a breath. It was an automatic reaction to being held by his side. The realization that she was so relaxed in his presence made her uneasy so she tried to twist her body away. ¡°It¡¯s better if I lie down.¡± Xing Zhi acted like he didn¡¯t hear and instead moved cold air from his hand into her body. Shen Li assumed he was healing her so she obediently remained in his embrace and stopped trying to twist away. ¡°Is the poison in my body hard to purge?¡± ¡°It is somewhat difficult.¡± Although his words were worrisome, his voice was light and relaxed so Shen Li wasn¡¯t worried, instead she asked. ¡°When can we return to the Demon realm?¡± ¡°In time,¡± Xing Zhi answered absentmindedly. His voice was faint as he spoke. ¡°Wait until I reduce the miasma concentration further and after I teach the people here how to dispel the residue.¡± ... That night Fu Rongjun dismantled the barrier around the temple after the miasma stopped flowing. He took Xi to sit on the rooftop. ¡°Do you want to see the stars?¡± Xi blinked her large, hopeful eyes at him. ¡°Is that possible?¡± Fu Rongjun smiled. ¡°If you want to see them, I can show you.¡± So saying he waved his hand and a cool breeze blew across the sky. The sheet of miasma hanging above Xi¡¯s head disappeared to reveal a clean crisp sky dotted with stars. Xi gasped in admiration. ¡°They really appeared! How pretty!¡± Fu Rongjun gazed at Xi affectionately. ¡°In my eyes, you are as beautiful as the stars.¡± Xi turned to stare blankly at Fu Rongjun. He held her gaze as his lips slowly descended on hers. ¡°Xi!¡± A loud voice clearly filled with anger yelled out Xi¡¯s name nearly breaking her ear drums. Xi turned to the source of the voice at once. She could see Yan standing below them. Ru Fongjun shouted angrily down to Yan before she could say anything. ¡°You again?!¡± Yan¡¯s eyes were like sharp arrows stabbing straight into Fu Rongjun¡¯s body. Fu Rongjun was the kind of person to take advantage of the weak but was himself afraid of those stronger than him. He knew Yan could kill him but he also knew Yan couldn¡¯t act on that desire. In the current situation all Yan could do was try to kill Fu Rongjun with his fierce glare. ¡°He¡¯s always like that. Don¡¯t pay him any mind.¡± Fu Rongjun said as he took Xi¡¯s hand in his. Xi drew back and pulled her hand out of his grasp. ¡°I¡­ I should go down.¡± Fu Rongjun moved closer and whispered in her ear. ¡°I know you like him, but right now he has another woman. How terrible is that? If you don¡¯t let him be a little jealous, a little nervous, you¡¯re going to always in the palm of his hands.¡± Fu Rongjun smiled at Xi with a twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t this lord a master of love? Believe in me.¡± Xi stared like a hopeful fool at Fu Rongjun. ¡°Great immortal is helping me?¡± ¡°Of course! But payment is required. You must reward this lord with a kiss.¡± Xi¡¯s face turned beet red. Waving her hand she immediately said, ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t.¡± Fu Rongjun burst out in laughter. ¡°You are so fun to tease.¡± He reached for her waist and pulled her against him in an embrace. He turned them around so even their shadows were out of sight. Yan was stunned as he stood below the roof looking up at them. A myriad of emotions washed over him one after the other. Astonishment was quickly replaced by anger only to by shoved aside by a growing sense of panic. It tore at his heart. This girl, that had grown up beside him, that had always belonged to him, was being stolen by this guy! He couldn¡¯t contain his panic. CH 39 You may want to let the chapters build up and read this later. If you do choose to read and you get confused just check out the notes. This chapter may need redoing. I''m still not certain I have it all correct, but at this point I don''t want to look at it anymore. I''ll see how the story unfolds and maybe fix this up later if I notice any inaccuracies. Just be forewarned you may have to come back and reread the last part of this one. Shen Li¡¯s recovery was exceptionally fast; her body had mostly healed by next morning. When she opened her eyes and looked around she saw that Shi Luo, the sleeping woman Yan had been caring for, was awake and sitting quietly in a corner. Upon noticing her gaze, Shi Luo waved. Shen Li returned the greeting. Turning in the other direction Shen Li saw Xing Zhi leaning against a pillar with his eyes closed. A ray of sunshine shone through the torn window paper[notes] onto his face. He looked at leisure and idle. In a daze, it reminded Shen Li of the tiny courtyard and the man who habitually sat in his rocking chair under the grape trellis. Shen Li closed her eyes and calmed her thoughts to clear her mind. When she opened them again she found Xing Zhi staring at her. "How is your body?¡± ¡°Good...¡± Shen Li purposefully blinked twice before swiftly standing up and opening the temple door. Morning light streamed in, bathing her in a warm glow. Even without any wind, the miasma had dissipated overnight and the air was considerably cleaner. Shen Li sucked in a deep breath. Her face was still pale but her eyes were bright and clear. With a slight smile she said, ¡°We didn¡¯t catch the mastermind, but to experience this kind of peace is also good.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s shoulders were stiff from sleeping against the pillar all night. He kneaded his arm. ¡°In my opinion it¡¯s because Your Highness lacks wisdom and doesn¡¯t have nearly enough life experiences.¡± His words came out husky from having just woken up. Shen Li raised her eyebrows at this. ¡°It¡¯s strange, but before meeting high god, whether it was on the battlefield or in a personal fight, I have never been injured like this. Suddenly after meeting high god every fight hurt and every injury is serious.¡± She continued in a semi-mocking tone. ¡°Can¡¯t say for sure, but if this continues I might even die. If that happens high god better be ready to make proper compensation.¡± Xing Zhi laughed. ¡°Utter nonsense.¡± Shen Li turned her head to look at him. Now joking she said, ¡°I hate to say this high god, but my body is very precious. Xing Zhi stood up and patted his clothes, arranging the fabric carelessly to one side before speaking. ¡°Should that day come, then I, Xing Zhi, will compensate you for the loss.¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t expect him to say such a thing. She stared blankly at him for a moment before smiling and shaking her head. What could she say to that? ¡°Ah!¡± came an alarmed cry came from outside the temple. Shen Li recognized Xi¡¯s voice immediately. Shi Lou was still sitting quietly in her corner when the cry rang out. She leaned forward to look outside. With her brows still wrinkled, Shen Li stepped through the doors. She hadn¡¯t reached the source of the noise when a clamor broke out. Many people were standing in a circle and whispering as they watched. Xi stood inside the circle . Her voice sounded anxious as she cried out. ¡°Brother Yan! What are you doing?!¡± Shen Li broke through the crowd just in time to see Fu Rongjun thrown to the ground. Instead of looking embarrassed, he looked pleased with himself, as though he¡¯d just gotten his away with something wicked. Standing next to him was Yan. Though he looked sallow his body was emitting a great aura of murderous intent. It was as though he was trying to kill Fu Rongjun with the power of his gaze alone. Xi moved to stand in front of Fu Rongjun, blocking him from view. She resentfully said, ¡°Brother Yan! That¡¯s too much!¡± Yan¡¯s face was cold. ¡°Get out of the way. Today is the last straw!¡± Fu Rongjun coolly said, ¡°Your good senior brother is very violent Little Xi!¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t have to think about it; she could tell what was happening immediately. Her expression was cold as she stepped forward and kicked Fu Rongjun in the butt. ¡°What is this? Stand up. Stop and harassing people.¡± Angry, Fu Rongjun turned around to see who kicked him. His anger turned into surprise when he saw it was Shen Li. He said, ¡°Tough guy! That was a fast recovery!¡± Xing Zhi slowly walked over. Seeingt this, Fu Rongjun gasped and energetically sprang up into a proper standing position. He waved his hand, shooing away the people who were watching. ¡°That¡¯s enough. There¡¯s nothing more to see here. Return home.¡± The crowd dispersed but one person remained behind. When Xi caught sight of who it was, her expression froze and she dropped her head in silence. Yan watched as Xi lowered her head, he turned to find Sh¨© Lu¨® standing there, her face getting paler by the second as she looked at them. He stared in surprise at her. Though the angry expression on his face softened, his hands curled into fists. Xing Zhi had a slight smile playing on his lips as he reached the group. ¡°Fu Rongjun, this play ended so quickly I didn¡¯t get to see it.¡± Fu Rongjun¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°High God Xing Zhi, yesterday you commanded me to leave for heaven post haste. I, Fu Rongjum, wouldn¡¯t dare delay even a little bit.¡± ¡°Oh? Now you want to leave?¡± Hearing this made Yan¡¯s heart boil with rage. He pulled his sword out of its scabbard and aimed it at Fu Rongjun¡¯s belly. Ignoring the danger, Xi hurriedly interposed herself between the two. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yan curved the sword mid-air and threw it to the ground. The loud clang of the sword surprised both Xi and Sh¨© Lu¨®. Xi stared in stunned silence at the normally calm and reserved Yan. It seemed he could no longer restrain himself. In an angry voice he yelled, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what you were doing! Staying out all night with some strange guy!¡± Xi stared blinking at Yan for some time before replying. ¡°Lord immortal showed me the sky¡­¡± Yan¡¯s face turned green. Shen Li glanced doubtfully at Fu Rongjun as she asked, ¡°Seriously?¡± Fu Rongjun brought two fingers up in a gesture of an oath. ¡°Of course, yes.¡± He glanced at Yan. ¡°Little Xi¡¯s senior brother is full of fire isn¡¯t he? Was jealousy nibbling at his bones when he couldn¡¯t find her the entire night?¡± Xi looked at Yan with bright, hopeful eyes. Yan¡¯s own eyes were dark and hard to read. He shot a glance at Sh¨© Lu¨® but otherwise didn¡¯t say anything. The hopeful light in Xi¡¯s eyes dimmed considerably. She had the sudden urge to ask him why he cared so much about Miss Sh¨© Lu¨® . He had told her there was a reason, but hadn¡¯t told her what it was. Xing Zhi spoke up, breaking the silence. What he said stunned everyone. ¡°All this flirting is quite dizzying. The ladies must be tired. Young Master Yan will you take a walk with me?¡± All eyes turned to him. Laughing he said, ¡°Please do not misunderstand. I simply wish to take a walk.¡± There were no people, wildlife, or heavenly beings in the woods outside the temple. Together, the two walked in silence, their steps taking them farther and farther away from the building. Finally Xing Zhi spoke. ¡°Young Master Yan is studying under the Dao to learn magic correct?¡± Yan hesitated but answered frankly. ¡°Honestly speaking, I¡¯m ashamed of myself. I have followed my master since I was a child, but I haven¡¯t learned the slightest bit of magic. My master says I don¡¯t have an affinity for it so I can only learn some martial arts.¡± Xing Zhi silently walked two more steps before speaking. ¡°If Young Master Yan wishes, there is a spell I can teach. This spell can force poisonous miasma out of the body. Is Young Master Yan interested?¡± ¡°I want to learn but¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°If Young Master Yan wishes to learn, then it will surely be a success.¡± Xing Zhi stopped moving and raised an arm up to lightly touched Yan¡¯s forehead. Bright light flowed forward. It encompassed all of Yan¡¯s vision and engulfed his body. Yan¡¯s eyes had turned an awe inspiring, bright, lively silver. Though the smile on Xing Zhi¡¯s face was slight, it was clear it was a happy one. ¡°Qing Ye,***SPOILER*** it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°My old friend Xing Zhi.¡± Qing Ye (Yan) sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would ever meet again.¡±[notes] ¡°Had it not been for the young ladies of the past generation intersecting, I would never have known your reincarnated form.¡± Xing Zhi shook his head.¡± The forces of the Heavenly Dao are powerful. It¡¯s only because I am a god that I am here now. But even as a god I am unable to peer in or deviate from the path set. To be able to find you is already truly fated.¡± Qing Ye laughed a small bitter laugh. ¡°Before I was na?ve and behaved frivolously, but with each passing generation, I understand how binding the Heavenly Dao is. All of us, you and I, without exception are just grains of dust and sand. Fortune and strength are all bestowed by the heavens. It will give and it will take. No matter who you are, it is fruitless to resist.¡± He sighed. ¡°My friend Xing Zhi, the Heavenly Dao will not like you rousing my godhead. It is surely not good idea!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do anything unnecessary beyond this, but will you allow your present incarnation to use your meridians to learn a miasma dispelling technique?¡± Xing Zhi paused before continuing with, ¡°Also open your Heavenly Eye and look through your previous lives. Find the one you have been seeking. This way your red thread won¡¯t continue to be wrongly entangled.¡±[notes] Qing Ye laughed. ¡°Contrary to popular belief, you quite like to meddle don¡¯t you? This matter won¡¯t be looked upon favorably by the heavens.¡±[notes] That made Xing Zhi laugh. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I want to ask you. Do you remember a person named Fu Sheng?¡± Qing Ye muttered to himself. ¡°A little bit. In the early days back before I was king***SPOILERS*** and the crown prince was scheming various murders, I heard there was an advisor by that name. This Fu Sheng person played a crucial role in the fight for the throne between myself and the crown prince. I remember he was executed.¡± ¡°Is there a person in this generation that resembles him?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± He thought for some time before replying. ¡°Oh. There really is a person. In this life, I was orphaned at a young age after my parents suffered some misfortune. I survived two years of hardship before meeting a young lady. With her help I was able to escape the misfortune following me. Then I chanced to meet Xi¡¯s parents but at the same time the young lady who helped me before passed away. Thinking about things now, the person who harmed my parents really did resemble Fu Sheng.¡± Xing Zhi was silent. A cold light had settled in his eyes as he thought over Qing Ye¡¯s words. As he did this Qing Ye¡¯s silvery light eyes began to fade. With a small smile Qing Ye said, ¡°Your spiritual powers can only hold me here for so long. It is time for me to bid you farewell. I do not know when we will meet again. Take care of yourself my friend.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened but he laughed nonetheless. ¡°And you as well.¡± The brilliant light faded and Yan fell to his knees. Xing Zhi supported him. ¡°Try touching the ground.¡± Yan¡¯s body was so weak he didn¡¯t really have much choice but to brace his hands on the ground. He noticed his palms were warm. Upon looking down he saw the ground directly under his touch was purified. ¡°This¡­ this is?¡± ¡°Purification technique,¡± Xing Zhi said. ¡°Your ability just woke up so you¡¯ll suffer some discomfort. Go back and rest. You¡¯ll be able to eliminate the poison from the others in a few days.¡± Yan was amazed. He jogged back to the temple as soon as he was able to stand up. After watching Yan¡¯s figure disappear, Xing Zhi picked up a stone and threw it at a tree behind him. "How long does Your Highness intend to stand there?¡± Shen Li slowly came out from behind the tree. She cleared her throat before speaking. ¡°I was just out on a casual stroll.¡± Xing Zhi laughed. ¡°Is that so? Then why not accompany me in my walk?¡± CH 40 The bare tree branches lent a desolate feeling to the forest. It felt like late autumn. Throughout their walk though Shen Li remained silent, she kept looking askance at Xing Zhi. He couldn¡¯t help but finally laugh out loud. ¡°So hesitant. This is not the Azure Sky King I know.¡± Unable to hide her curiosity once the silence was broken, Shen Li asked, ¡°Heaven''s matter I do not know much about. However this I do know. Today in heaven, there is only one god. But just now with Jing Qing?[notes] what was that? ¡°I am the only one now¡­ however a long time ago there were other gods in the Heaven Beyond the Heavens other than myself.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes became distant. ¡°For you, it would be considered the days of ancient antiquity. Even I, myself, can not to remember how long ago.¡± The smile on his lips became indifferent as he continued, ¡°Yan was the previous generations Prince Rui. He was the beautiful god, Silver Hair Silver Eyes, Qing Ye. He was my close friend.¡± Shen Li gave him a sidelong glance. She had been giving him many as they walked, but this time she was appraising his appearance. His beauty was the kind that would elicit envy in others. Without thinking she blurted, ¡°How does high god compare?¡± Xing Zhi tilted his head to the side and shot her a glance. An enchanting smile played on his lips. He answered in a smug, boastful voice. ¡°Naturally I am more beautiful.¡± Instead of offending her, his complacent tone only served to make her laugh. ¡°I also agree.¡± Her frank agreement surprised Xing Zhi. He stared at her, but she was already focused on another topic ¡°What happened? Why is your friend no longer a god?¡± ¡°He fell in love with a mortal.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes dimmed again. ¡°He moved against the heavens and used his powers to save the person. His godhead was abolished because of it.¡± In surprise Shen Li asked, ¡°Who¡­ who could possibly punish a god?¡± ¡°Gods are subject to the laws of the Heavenly Dao at birth. These laws are meant to keep balance and order. The world would fall into chaos if the gods used their power for personal reasons.¡± He turned to look at Shen Li. ¡°The heavens are no different from the rest of the world.¡± He continued walking as he spoke from the side. ¡°Qing Ye was stripped of his godhead and sent to live in the mortal realm, to suffer through the wheel of reincarnation, to tragically fail in love.¡± Shen Li thought of Prince Rui and his plight, of how in the end he couldn¡¯t be with either of the women he cared about. Now as Yan he also had two females by his side but... A sense of misgiving grew in her heart. ¡°Who did the person he love reincarnate as?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the only one who knows that. All I did was awaken his divinity and cleared the obstruction in his spiritual force. If he can find the one he¡¯s been searching for then all will be well.¡± Xing Zhi looked skyward. I only hope the Heavenly Dao will not be excessive and terminate everything.¡± Shen Li stopped at looked at Xing Zhi. ¡°I do not believe the matter is as complicated as that. Qing Ye¡¯s godhead is gone but it does not mean the heavens will negatively interfere with the course of his lives. As Prince Rui, he and the princess shared a common fate.[notes] Naturally he was fond of the princess. But in this life he is Jing Yan. And in this life he grew up with Jing Xi. It¡¯s obvious he cherishes her. The two generations are not related. His destiny is mainly in the hands of fate; however he still has free will. And that free will¡¯s influence will impact his fate.¡± Xing Zhi also stopped, turning to look at her. ¡°That is a novel idea. But no matter how you phrase it, all of Yan¡¯s previous lives served to shape him into the person he is now. His feelings have evolved from that. Neither you nor I can influence the matter. We can only observe.¡± Shen Li silently mulled his words over. Changing topics she said, ¡°Just now you said Qing Ye¡¯s godhead was abolished, yet you chose to awaken it. Aren¡¯t you afraid of incurring heaven¡¯s wrath?¡± ¡°The offense Qing Ye committed was not a heinous one. So though heaven made him mortal as punishment, his body more or less still retains the same aura. I failed to notice it because it had dispersed so much. It was when you asked if they were bound to repeat their fates that I became suspicious and began looking at the situation more closely. Though his aura was incredibly weak, I was able to draw it out. It is sufficient to purify the miasma in the people¡¯s body.¡± He paused and smiled. ¡°As for heaven¡¯s wrath, escaping it is impossible. Judgement will be passed for all offenses.¡± If any change at all incurred heaven¡¯s wrath then why not make a great change and make it worthwhile? The words were on the tip of Shen Li¡¯s tongue but she swallowed them back. Based on what Xing Zhi said, Qing Ye, because of his heart... She remembered the night she returned drunk to the manor. Xing Zhi had smiled as he talked about gods not having emotions like affection or kindness. She realized what he said wasn¡¯t true. It wasn¡¯t that the gods didn¡¯t have emotions, it was that they couldn¡¯t show their emotions. Xing Zhi hid the expression in his eyes and smiled at the silent Shen Li. ¡°That¡¯s enough for our walk. We should return.¡± The moon shone brightly in the clear night sky over Yangzhou. Lamps were lit along the city walls, and though not as glorious as in the past, they nevertheless brought the character of the city back to life. Fu Rongjun had obediently returned to the Demon realm to relay the message from Xing Zhi. But he only left after making sure Yan drank a good amount of vinegar. In his own way Fu Rongjun was sincerely trying to help Xi with her romance but considering his lecherous nature Shen Li knew it wasn¡¯t the only reason. She was sure he had enjoyed taking advantage of Xi in the process. Xi was sad to see him leave. She had taken his efforts to assist her seriously. It wasn¡¯t just Xi, many of the other girls in the temple also wore glum expressions and were sighing sadly. The sight only made Shen Li indignant. Fu Rongjun had failed to start anything with Mo Fang when he was in the Demon realm. Once in the Mortal realm he switched targets and fooled around with every girl he could find. He was the epitome of a fickle, insincere person! ¡°Such a lecherous, unfaithful person! He won¡¯t change no matter where he goes.¡± Shen Li''s disdain showed easily in her words. Xing Zhi was just getting up after driving the miasma out of the body of a middle-aged man when he heard Shen Li cursing Fu Rongjun. He turned and saw several women. They were wearing white cloth that he recognized were made by the Heavenly Temple¡¯s craftsmen. The fabric had to be left behind by Fu Rongjun. ¡°He left the place a mess.¡± Shen Li thought about the pain the girls would go through. ¡°Clearly that idiot didn¡¯t have anything to do with clearing the miasma in the city!¡± ¡°Is Your Highness mad Fu Rongjun got credit for it?¡± ¡°The Demon realm isn¡¯t free and unfettered like the Heavenly realm. There are constantly campaigns to be fought, and because of this our system for reward and punishment is very clear cut. Meritorious deeds are appropriately credited to those who contribute.¡± Shen Li was good but she was also very vain. The thing she enjoyed most was the feeling of crushing her enemies underfoot, followed closely by the adoration and cheers of the people. The fact that she didn¡¯t get either on this mission rubbed her the wrong way, so of course she was unhappy. ¡°I worked hard to settle an affair for the Heavenly realm, even getting injured and poisoned in the process. But do I get any credit for it? No. Not one bit. Those in heaven really are generous!¡±**[sarcasm] Xing Zhi laughed in spite of himself. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s contributions have been firmly etched in my memory. I will be sure to relate them to the Heavenly Emperor upon my return so he can properly reward you.¡± Shen Li glanced at Xing Zhi. ¡°I would be happy to eschew any rewards if my marriage to Fu Rongjun would be abolished and I would be glad to slay any number of demonic beasts to make up for any loss.¡± Xing Zhi did not give her a reply. In the silence the sky lit up with a multitude of bright colors. The city walls shook with the resounding boom that immediately followed the lights. Xing Zhi smiled. ¡°Shen Li, look. Yangzhou is putting on a fireworks display.¡± Shen Li turned to find several people at the end of the street lighting fireworks. The fireworks flew into the air and burst out in a glorious display of colors. The atmosphere was lively and festive, much like at new year¡¯s. The doors on every house were flung open and people were streaming out of their homes and filling the streets. The city, once dead, was alive again. The man Xing Zhi had healed coughed. ¡°It¡¯s a new day. Yangzhou is finally alive again.¡± The fireworks made the crowd cheer and the air became celebratory. Shen Li was touched by the display. Whether it was the human world or the demon world, the people looked forward to a bright tomorrow in the same way; their hearts harbored the same simple wishes and desires. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Xing Zhi said. ¡°We should get closer to the celebration, cast off this suffocating air.¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t move, instead she said, ¡°Fireworks are just explosions in the sky. How does it have the power to move people? To make a place come alive?¡± As she was wondering this Xing Zhi grabbed her wrist with his own warm hand, and pulled her forward without explanation. She was forced to move in order to keep up. ¡°They¡¯re celebrating life and giving thanks. Why not celebrate with them? It¡¯s not often we get to take part in the mortal realm¡¯s celebrations, so while we¡¯re here why not enjoy it?¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± Xing Zhi pulled Shen Li through the noisy crowd before she could finish her reply. The fireworks burst deafeningly in the sky, popping in fast succession, their tempo increasing after each one. Those in the crowd stared up in wonder and awe, their faces reflecting all the bright colors of the sparks. They cheered exuberantly at each firework, the joy clear in their expressions. Xing Zhi looked like he was enjoying it too, like he was sharing in their joys as well. His robe reflected a rainbow of colors as he dragged her behind him. It was unreal. He didn¡¯t seem real. They were in the middle of the crowd when she stopped abruptly and yanked her hand out of his. ¡°You¡¯re too beautiful! Don¡¯t walk ahead of me!¡± He was too distracting. She couldn¡¯t focus on anything else around her. Xing Zhi stopped and focused his attention on her. ¡°Shen Li,¡± he said, but the crowd and the noise drowned out his voice. She leaned in toward him. ¡°What?! I can¡¯t hear you!¡± She gave him a puzzled look, unable to make out what he was saying. Xing Zhi didn¡¯t want to repeat himself again, instead he smiled slightly as he stroked her head. Turning around he continued to walk in front of her. Shen Li imitated the shape he made with his mouth, thinking carefully about each word, so focused that the world around went quiet. She thought what he said was Perhaps it was her imagination but she thought he said: I can protect you. CH 41.1 A few days faster than Xing Zhi estimated, the injury on Shen Li had healed almost, but the poison in the body had not been completely eliminated. Xing Zhi wanted to let her stay in the human world for a few more days, after the poison was removed, then returned to the Demonic Realm. Shen Li could not accept. She was afraid that Demon King would know what to arrange after the matter. Xing Zhi had to rush back to the Demonic Realm. They didn¡¯t think when they came back to the Demonic Realm, learned that Fu Rongjun was still in the Demonic Realm. When he returned to the Demonic Realm, he began to stick to Mo Fang. He followed Mo Fang and sometimes hindered the official duties of Mo Fang. Shen Li was particularly angry when he heard it, just wanted to make the flowery guy stupid, so that he could no longer be annoying, and the immortal who stayed in the Demonic Realm at this time was not only Fu Rongjun. Luo Tian Goddess. She was not really a goddess, but the title that the Sky World gave her. She was the sister of Fu Rongjun, the granddaughter of the Emperor, the woman who liked Xing Zhi¡­ The last one, Shen Li did not hear from other people¡¯s mouth, she did not know, but when she and Xing Zhi met the goddess in the Demonic Realm¡¯s Court, Shen Li had to say that she saw it at a glance¡­ ¡°She is the King Bi Cang, Shen Li.¡± The Demon King just finished introducing Shen Li, and Shen Li had not had time to nod. The goddess saluted Xing Zhi and asked: ¡°I don¡¯t know why you will go with King Bi Cang?¡± This problem Shen Li naturally would not be stupid to answer her, just looked at Xing Zhi, saw how he would answer. He smiled faintly and said: ¡°Just walking together, what¡¯s so strange about it?¡± The goddess looked serious: ¡°Now King Bi Cang is the wife of my brother, and it is not appropriate for you to walk with her.¡± Speaking of this, Xing Zhi did not care about other things and explained: ¡°This is not going to happen with the King Bi Cang. I had planned to travel around before going back to heaven, but I suddenly saw Yangzhou City be full of miasma. I was curious to go and explore, this time I met King Bi Cang looking for Fu Rongjun in the city. The miasma matter is very big, so we will investigate together, and later, Fu Rongjun should say it to you. King Bi Cang suffered a little poison, it is not appropriate to return to the Demonic Realm, so I will let Fu rongjun go first to inform the news, and I will help her to expel the gas, Thus l delayed the time back.¡± Some words were true and some were false, and the speaking was natural, he was not afraid that the party will expose him. Xing Zhi looked at the goddess to smile with deep gaze, ¡°So, goddess can still feel what is wrong?¡± The goddess saw it and her cheek became red slightly, quickly turned her head: ¡°Heavenly Emperor are doing his own things, it is You Lan¡¯s fault. I hope you will forgive.¡± Beauty¡­ was really helpful. Shen Li believed as this, but there was a bit of disdain in her heart. She smiled slightly and turned around. Xing Zhi glanced at Shen Li and smiled, continuing to ask You Lan: ¡°What is goddess here for?¡± ¡°It is for the invitation of Blossom Feast.¡± You Lan replied, ¡°The Blossom Feast, three hundred-year-old a time, will be held next month, and the Queen let me send the invitation to the Demon King and invite him to the Feast.¡± Xing Zhi Nodded: ¡°lf You don¡¯t say that I almost forgot about it.¡± You Lan said with a smile: ¡°It is no problem for Heavenly Emperor to forget it. Some days later, l will send it to you.¡± ¡°Demon King.¡± The chilling call of Shen Li broke the inexplicable pink emotion in the room, ¡°There is a poison matter of facts in the human realm¡ª Yangzhou that l have something to inform. Begging the demon, can you end this?¡± Stared at the Demon King, the words were sharp and You Lan squinted at her. You Lan dwarfed her body bowed: ¡°If so, You Lan will leave.¡± She went out slightly, and squinted her eyes in front of closing the door. The room was quiet, and Shen Li¡¯s light turned to stop on Xing Zhi: ¡°Don¡¯t Heavenly Emperor go? Are you going to listen to the politics of the Devils?¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyebrows were slightly moved, and the anger of Shen Li was disappeared. On the contrary, his eyes were filled with smile: ¡°Don¡¯t go, I said earlier, the miasma of Yang Zhou is very important, so it is natural for me to stay and listen.¡± Shen Li still want to drive him out, and the Demon King swayed his hand: ¡°The things of the Demon Realm do not dare to hide to the Heavenly Emperor, Shen Li, let¡¯s talk.¡± Shen Li had to endure the fire, and adjusted the tone to Demon King: ¡°This time, the report of miasma matter may be incomplete by Fu Rongjun. Before the discovery of the thief¡¯s nest, we found that the land gods disappeared everywhere, all of them were robbed by thieves, I don¡¯t know what they are going to do, and then they all say that the people who catch them are with demon gas, and they are suspected to be the people of the devil. When I fight against the thief, I also feel that he is with demon gas. I know the name of the person, Fu Sheng. Demon King, do you know when did the devil have such a person?¡± ¡°Fu Sheng¡­¡± The voice of the Demon King was slightly heavy. He had been thought for a long while. ¡°I have never heard of such a person. Can his magic still be strong£¿He will be not simply to make you injury seriously. ¡° Shen Li shook her head: ¡°It was not Fu Sheng who hurt me, but a few monsters he raised. They looked like human beings, or monsters, but they still had some intellectual minds. The three monsters were very powerful and well matched. When they finally died, they can also listen to the order to revive. ¡°Thinking of the scene, Shen Li can not help but frown, ¡°There are only a few monsters like this. It will be a bad thing to make hundreds of them.¡± Her words surprised the Demon King: ¡°made?¡± His fingertips deducted twice on the table, ¡°made¡­¡± Xing Zhi Looked at the devil: ¡°What does Demon King think of? Just say it.¡± The Demon King sighed: ¡°No¡­nothing.¡± He paused for a while. ¡± Are there other situations?¡± ¡°There is nothing redundant. Just these points make us have to guard against them.¡± The Demon King nodded: ¡°I will send people to go to the human realm to inspect.¡± His tone is a little slower: ¡°You and the Heavenly Emperor should be tired, it is better to go back and take a break. This will be not solved, though we are also anxious.¡± He raised his hand and touched the head of Shen Li. ¡°Firstly, raise your body. You haven¡¯t rested recently.¡± Shen Li let him kneaded twice: ¡°Demon King must not be too worried. If the thief dares to act against the devil, Shen Li will make them to cry back.¡± The Demon King smiled slightly and shook his head: ¡°Go back.¡± CH 42 c42: On the Rooftop [Host: justreads.net] [February 29, 2020] ... Mo Fang stepped forward pushing Shen Li behind him. With a cupped fist salute he said, ¡°Her Highness did not mean to offend Goddess.¡± Xing Zhi narrowed his eyes. His tone was slightly raised when he spoke. ¡°Oh General Mo Fang knows Her Highness¡¯s mind? That is indeed rare.¡± Hearing the ill-will in Xing Zhi¡¯s tone made Mo Fang frown. He was about to reply but Shen Li beat him to it. ¡°Why bother making things more difficult for yourself Mo Fang?¡± Shen Li dragged Mo Fang back by the wrist. She gave him a quick look of dissatisfaction. Mo Fang stared blankly back for a moment, not understanding, however he dropped his eyes like an obedient child and quickly situated himself behind Shen Li. ~¡°Goddess Lou spoke rudely to my general. I couldn¡¯t bear it. How exactly did I bully her?¡± Shen Li looked at Xing Zhi before continuing. ¡°High God, it looks like you¡¯re only here to criticize and help her bully me.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s voice became even more strange. ~¡°Oh? Is Your Highness angry for your general? You treat your men like they¡¯re little children.¡± ¡°Better than High God who plays at being the hero for the damsel.¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t hold back. She countered in a bitingly, cold tone. She expected him to get angry at her outburst, but he didn¡¯t. Instead she could see an ever so slight upward quirk of his lips. With gloomy eyes, she retreated a step. Xing Zhi¡¯s expression was unexpectedly cheery. It instantly reminded her of the past and anger burst in her chest. It was like before; he was playing her in the palm of his hand again. It was a two-man show with her being the puppet. Damn it! Fine! She narrowed her eyes refusing to bite farther onto the bait he extended. This fish was going to swim away even if it meant tearing a bloody hole in her cheek to escape. How treacherous! To harm herself just to get away. Xing Zhi thought he had nailed her securely to the hook only to watch her escape. Shen Li¡¯s face cooled. ~¡°If High God wishes to avenge the goddess, then please report the wrong to the Demon emperor. I will accept whatever punish is called for. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I will be leaving.¡± Shen Li dragged Mo Fang away with her without waiting for Xing Zhi to reply. Youlan, still feeling thoroughly wronged, stared at Shen Li¡¯s retreating figure then at Xing Zhi¡¯s enigmatic expression as he too, looked at Shen Li leaving. ¡°The people of the Demon realm don¡¯t know how to behave according to proper etiquette. For the Azure Sky king to treat a heavenly person this way¡­ The allegiance she pledged is surely insincere. It will cause disaster one day.¡± Xing Zhi turned to her and nodded his head. Then he said, ~¡°That¡¯s the way she is. It may be bad, but she might squeeze your neck the next time you provoke her.¡± There was a chilly undertone to his voice. ¡°Who knows, your corpse may not even stay in one piece.¡± Youlan felt a sudden chill on her neck. She looked at Xing Zhi weakly. ¡°If that happens, will High God oversee justice for me?¡± Xing Zhi gave Youlan a kind smile as he spoke but his voice was firm. ~¡°That is unlikely. The Demon emperor is very fond of the Azure Sky king and will likely defend her. It is unlikely the Heavenly realm will go to war, after all maintaining a peaceful relationship between the two realms is very important. However Goddess may rest in peace; I will be sure to place some fruit as tribute for you.¡± Youlan remained standing in the garden as, in a daze, she watched, the fluttering movements of Xing Zhi¡¯s white robes as he walked away. ... Shen Li¡¯s pace was fast as she walked out of the palace. It wasn¡¯t until Mo Fang whispered, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± that she slowed down. He shot her a glance before asking, ~¡°Why are you angry all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Angry?¡± Shen Li abruptly stopped. Unable to react in time, Mo Fang collided into her back. The force made her stagger and nearly fall down, which in turn caused Mo Fang to frantically grab for her waist. Shen Li was preoccupied and didn¡¯t notice his actions. Mo Fang on the other hand was quite red-faced. He quickly released her and took two steps back once she was steady on her feet again. With a thud, he knelt on both knees and with another thud executed a fierce kowtow. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me!¡± He looked like he¡¯d been caught committing a grievous crime. Shen Li glanced at him. It wasn¡¯t a big deal and she didn¡¯t take it to heart, but Mo Fang¡¯s reaction made her feel embarrassed. She coughed twice. ¡°There was no harm done. Stand.¡± Mo Fang rose slowly but kept his chin tucked to his chest. Shen Li couldn¡¯t see his face but she could see how red his ears were. She turned her head away pretending to not notice. In a low voice she said, ¡°I just finished straightening out the goddess, but High God Xing Zhi came by and ruined it. Why wouldn¡¯t I be annoyed?¡± Mo Fang had wanted to say something, but he lost his train of thought. Instead he said, ¡°So it is then.¡± ¡°Besides even if High God Xing Zhi is incredibly powerful, he wouldn¡¯t dare do anything excessive to me here.¡± Shen Li paused as she tried to find a reason. ¡°It¡¯s just that there wasn¡¯t anyone else around and High God Xing Zhi is really hard to pin down. I could only suffer in silence, so I was trying to get away as fast as I could.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Shen Li resumed walking as she continued. ¡°That goddess spoke so rudely to you. If I hadn¡¯t been there, would you have just accepted the humiliation?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Ha?! Why should my men yield to those in heaven? They¡¯re arrogant and willful about everything. They ride rough-shod over people and bully the weaker immortals. It¡¯s clearly a problem with their house, but they try to shift the blame onto someone else. Listen if either of them give you trouble in the future, whether it¡¯s Fu Rongjun or his sister, you let me know and I will be glad to use martial law to punish them. Troubling our generals like this, it¡¯s shameful! They¡¯re slapping us in the face!¡± ¡°Your Highness says this but¡­¡± Mo Fang raised his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it would be inappropriate.¡± Both Fu Rongjun and Goddess were the Heavenly emperor¡¯s grandchildren. Plus Fu Rongjun was Shen Li¡¯s fianc¨¦. If they forced the issue, he was afraid Shen Li would have a hard time later. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. We can¡¯t let outsiders think our generals are easy to bully.¡± Shen Li waved her hand. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Your Highness, wait.¡± Shen Li turned around at Mo Fang¡¯s call. Feeling that his gaze was not properly respectful, he dropped his head down and looked at the floor. ~¡°I heard Your Highness was injured in the Mortal realm¡­¡± ¡°Oh, that. It was nothing, just killing a couple of ya shou.¡± Mo Fang knelt on one knee. ~¡±My impulsiveness caused Your Highness to be punished and sent to the Mortal realm to search for Fu Rongjun. And now Your Highness is so injured. I deserve severe punishment!¡± Demon generals didn¡¯t have the best personalities, particularly Mo Fang; he was very short-tempered. Back then Fu Rongjun had been so annoying that Mo Fang impulsively kicked him. This led to an angry Fu Rongjun running away to the Mortal realm, which of course led to the Demon emperor sending Shen Li down to retrieve him. Shen Li had been confused why Mo Fang hadn¡¯t gotten angry with the goddess. It turned out he was holding himself back because of the aftermath with Fu Rongjun. He hadn¡¯t wanted his actions to affect her. Unexpectedly, Mo Fang still felt guilty about the whole affair. She sighed then she said, ¡°Rise.¡± He didn¡¯t get up, so she stepped forward and forcefully yanked him up. ¡°OK, it¡¯s your fault. You made the Demon realm lose face today. As punishment you must drink. Do you accept?¡± Mo Fang stared intensely at Shen Li¡¯s hands holding his shoulders. She dropped her hands when she noticed. Mo Fang nod. ~¡°I will do as Your Highness commands.¡± ¡°Great. Better to do so now than later.¡± Shen Li waved her hand. ¡°All right, let¡¯s walk back to the barracks. You can tell me the names of everyone not on duty and we can drink together.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ... Mo Fang looked at Shen Li as she listened to the soldier names be called out. His gaze was soft. A flash of white caught his eye as he turned his head. Though that person¡¯s expression was unchanged, his eyes were definitely lonely looking. Seeing the eye-catching figure made his lips quirked upward slightly at the sight. Turns out bullying someone¡­ felt pretty nice. Everyone was a mess that night after three rounds of drinks. The servants had to support their respective generals home. The tavern sent notice to Rou-ya to pick Shen Li up, but when she got there, a drunken Shen Li refused and used the excuse of not wanting her drunkenness to disturb High God Xing Zhi. After saying so she turned away dismissively. There was no way Rou-ya would be able to move Shen Li. She could only look to Mo Fang and ask, ¡°General what should we do?¡± ¡°If Your Highness does not wish to return home, then how about spending the night at my residence?¡± Mo Fang said after a moment of silence. Shen Li nodded. ¡°OK.¡± With that decided, Rou-ya returned home and Mo Fang helped Shen Li walk back to his home. The streets were deserted, and the lights were just bright enough to illuminate the pathway. It was silent but for the sounds of footsteps: one stumbling, the other sure and steady. He glanced at Shen Li who had nearly fallen asleep. Her Highness guarded her heart fiercely, but allowed others to see her unguarded tipsy self, even letting him take her to his home. She trusted him... had complete confidence in the Demon realm. It really was too much... Mo Fang looked at the road in front of them. ¡°Your Highness, I don''t want this walk to end,¡± he said softly. Shen Li wasn¡¯t completely lucid and misheard. ¡°Ah, yes the stars are nice. Let¡¯s go to the roof and look at the stars.¡± The sentence, so out of the blue, made Mo Fang laugh. ¡°Yes, let us gaze at the stars from my rooftop.¡± ... Rou-ya was just closing the gates of the estate when, out of nowhere, a figure in white surprised her. With her hand to her chest she asked, ¡°High God is still up? Standing there, nearly scared me witless.¡± ¡°Mm. There was a nice breeze so I came out to enjoy it. Your master has not returned yet?¡± Rou-ya smiled. ¡°Oh, it turned out High God was waiting for Highness. No Highness was a little drunk so she¡¯s staying at General Mo Fang¡¯s place. If there is something on High God¡¯s mind, there¡¯s no harm in waiting until tomorrow when Highness comes back to discuss it.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Xing Zhi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and enjoy the breeze.¡± He materialized through the wall, not waiting for Rou-ya to open the gate. ¡°This High God¡­ sure acts like a ghost.¡± ... Shen Li reclined comfortably once she climbed up onto the roof. A realization struck her heart as the cool night air sobered her. Gazing at the stars on top of a roof alone with her subordinate, this situation... if anyone saw, it would be too ambiguous. But she just got there. To leave so soon would be awkward. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mo Fang silently sit down next to her. Shen Li was stuck so she decided to stay put for the time being. Who knew how long they sat there silently looking at the sky when Mo Fang finally broke the silence. ¡°Did Your Highness see any stars?¡± Shen Li shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s too much miasma. I couldn¡¯t see any.¡± Mo Fang turned to look at her directly. ~¡±I saw.¡± Shen Li wasn¡¯t dense. She looked Mo Fang in the eyes. Under normal circumstances she would have ordered him to look away and wipe those thoughts from his mind. But for some reason she couldn¡¯t do it today. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Maybe she was too drunk, maybe the cool breeze was doing things to her, or maybe something happened to her heart today... ¡°Why?¡± She raised an arm up and looked at the back of her hand. ¡°This hand is covered in blood, have only held a spear, never touched a sewing needle. The owner of such hands... what makes me worthy of your attentions in this way?¡± The question surprised Mo Fang. How was she not worthy? He stared in silence at her for a moment before speaking. ¡°There are differences between Your Highness and ordinary women, but there are similarities as well. The way I see it, your red-tasseled spear is your needle and the Demon realm the fabric with which you embroider the beautiful mountains and lakes on.¡± Shen Li stared hard at Mo Fang. Her face was a comical half smile, as she sighed. ¡°Mo Fang... you always say the silliest things. Also, you shouldn¡¯t spill your secrets so easily.¡± ~¡±I didn¡¯t misspeak. Nor was I using empty flattery. You really are someone worthy of me admiring and loving.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Shen Li finally said after being silent for a long time. She dropped her arm. ¡°It won¡¯t do.¡± He knew it was impossible. He looked down hiding his eyes. ~¡±I know our statuses are different. I know I should not dare, but I wanted to let Your Highness know how I felt. Status wasn¡¯t the issue. It was because she couldn¡¯t let go... ¡°Azure Sky King! So it was you! You¡¯re trying to steal my man?!¡± The sudden scolding came from below. Shen Li moved over and saw an excessively frilly dressed Fu Rongjun looking up at the them with an angry face. He pointed at her. ¡°This is too much!¡± The two reacted differently: Shen Li raised an eyebrow. While Mo Fang¡¯s face sank but he did not get angry. ¡°Your Highness, it will be better if you return home and stay away for a bit.¡± ¡°Ha!? Stay away? Have you forgotten what I just said earlier? I will punish you with martial law later!¡± Shen Li teleported to Fu Rongjun. ¡°It seems like your memory is really bad.¡± She raised her fist wanting to beat him. Fu Rongjun raised his arms protectively in front of his face as he shouted. ¡°High God! Do you see how she treats me?! How can you force me to marry her?!¡± Shen Li¡¯s arm stiffened. She turned her head and saw Xing Zhi leaning against the wall underneath the eaves. Had he been there since she got on the roof with Mo Fang? Had he been listening to them talk? How... ill-mannered! Xing Zhi could see her eyes were as cool as ever, but the smile she had on her face didn¡¯t reach her eyes. CH 43 Chapter 43 ¡°Do people in the heavens have a habit of eavesdrop on others?¡± Shen Li sneered ¡°Enter uninvited in the middle of the night, this is the etiquette of the heavens?¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes sank but did not speak Fu Rongjun said angrily ¡°You ¡­You ¡­a woman, alone with a man on the roof watching the stars in the middle of the night! This is the way things are done in your demon world?! What look at the stars! What is it to look at the stars! Do you think that I¡¯m blind??¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t say a word, instead, she shaped her fingers into claws, and attacked straight at Fu Rongjun¡¯s eyes. Jun Yung raised his hand just on time trying to block and barely escaping: ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill the witness?¡± ¡°Since you have blind eyes it¡¯s better to dig them out, as to not waste them, don¡¯t you think?¡± Fu Rongjun hurried to hide behind Xing Zhi: ¡°High God, take a look, there is no reason for this!¡± However, Xing Zhi dodges and didn¡¯t let Fu Rongjun hide behind him. Instead, he stared straight at Shen Li with a smile as he spoke ¡°There is no need to refuse the general Mo Fang¡¯s kind intentions. If that is what the King wishes, I¡¯ll not interfere.¡± As soon as those words came out, all three were shocked. The two men looked at Xing Zhi in surprise, but Shen Li¡¯s face became sullen. According to her understanding, he was unwilling to cancel the marriage. She thought that he might have an unsolvable reason. Now, he just saying that out of anger! Shen Li felt conflicted in her heart. What qualifications did he have to be jealous and angry? He was the one that decided the marriage, and he was the one who pushed her away, but now he is angry with her? Why? Just because he discovered that the toy in his palm was actually desired by others, and found that things did not follow his plans. Wasn¡¯t he just throwing a tantrum? How childish! She smiled: ¡°Shen Li didn¡¯t dare to agree to General Mo Fang¡¯s intentions. Isn¡¯t it because of the marriage contract that the High god proposed? If the High God is willing to withdraw the marriage contract, Shen Li will definitely nod and agree today.¡± She raised her hand and bowed, ¡°I hope that the gods will fulfill his promises!¡± The arc of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips fell slightly, his face was completely cold, and his eyes met Shen Li quietly. After a while, he lowered his head and smiled suddenly: ¡°The King is too serious, your marriage contract with Fu Rongjun is negotiated by the Emperor of Heaven and all his officials. How can it be decided by only one person? It¡¯s just that if you really like General Mo¡¯s so much, considering Fu Rong¡¯s nature¡­ Heaven would not be unreasonable.¡± Jun Fu Rong couldn¡¯t help but interject: ¡°Why is the god slander me so¡­¡± Shen Li only smiled coldly, with a slightly dumb expression, ¡°Thank you, High God, for your guidance.¡± It turned out that she was the only one who was serious. After being played around so much she wants to lose her temper, get angry¡­ but she looked on the roof, Mo Fang looked at her firmly, but his eyes could not hide his loss. Thinking about what she said just now, Shen Li felt terrible. Because of the marriage contract, she rejected Mo Fang? Didn¡¯t this give Mo Fang false hope? How could she say such irresponsible words! It turns out that she is the one who really looks like a child¡­ ¡°This matter is over, Fu Rong will inform the goddess Luo Tian, ??and they will go back to the heavens with me tomorrow, the time spent here is too long.¡± Xing Zhi said lightly, ¡°King, general, I bid you farewell, I fear we will not meet in the future. Please take care.¡± The seals are fixed, the matter with the kidnapped gods has also been reported to the heavens There¡¯s no reason why an ancient god, with such a noble status, would stay in the demon realm. Even if it was heaven, he wouldn¡¯t go there often. He should go back to his outer sky, sit and watch the stars change, time passing, and continue to be a cold and indifferent bystander. To him, everything is just nosy. She will never see him again¡­ Shen Li lowered her eyes. If there were a few traces of fire in her heart before, then at this time, these fires were all turned into helplessness, and she asked discouraged: ¡°Why did the high god come to this place today?¡± Xing Zhi looked at the horizon, not knowing what he was looking at: ¡°I have come to look for Lord Fu Rong. His coming to the Demon Realm has also caused you a lot of trouble. This is the negligence of heaven education. Rest assured I will report what I¡¯ve witnessed here to the Heavenly Emperor.¡± He hesitated then said ¡°If the King ends up marrying into the Heavenly realm, Fu Rong will not dare to be as rash as he has been so far.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this! High God PLE ¡­¡­ !¡± With a move of Xing Zhi¡¯s finger, Jun Fu Rong opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say a word. Xing Zhi continued: ¡°The remaining poison in the king¡¯s body has not been completely removed, please rest early.¡± ¡°High God doesn¡¯t need to worry.¡± Xing Zhi turned his gaze, paused for a moment on Shen Li, and then dragged Ru Rong who was on the side. His figure disappeared in a flash. After he left, the breeze slowly climbed up, clearing the thin miasma mist in the sky, revealing a clean starry sky, bright and dazzling. The stars flickered in the sky as if they were talking ¡°Please look at the stars as a parting gift.¡± This is the power of the gods, a wave of the sleeves can eliminate the miasma, but the shadows the stars cast were still there. Shen Li watched the shadows quietly in a daze. Whether he left, Shen Li thought to herself, not seeing him is also good. His two identities, she thought that she already distinguished the two apart. But, now, what does it matter if she didn¡¯t? What does it matter if she couldn¡¯t control her own heart or not? He is not here anymore. Anyway, she will forget it sooner or later, it¡¯s just a matter of time. ¡°My King.¡± Mo Fang said quietly on the roof, ¡°The starry sky left by God Lord Xing Zhi is very beautiful, Do you want to look at it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shen Li only stared at his shadow, ¡°If I don¡¯t know how pretty it is, I won¡¯t miss it in the future¡­ I¡¯ll stop bothering you today, I¡¯ll go back to my house.¡± Mo Fang was silent for a while: ¡°I¡¯ll send the king out.¡± T/L note: Here is where the previous translator stopped. The street was Busy the next day when Xing Zhi and his party left. The Demon Lord personally saw them off. Almost all the civil and military officials of the Demon Realm were there, but Shen Li didn¡¯t go, squatting in the room with a hangover as an excuse. ¡°How long has he has not opened its mouth to eat?¡± Shen Li still felt distressed when she looked at the skinny parrot, ¡°You think that he is going to die?¡± Rouya were listening to the excitement outside, and answered Shen Li distractedly: ¡°From what I heard, he hasn¡¯t opened its mouth since it came back from the Demon Emperor¡¯s palace.¡± Shen Li raised her eyebrows and tentatively placed a little food on his mouth. He opened his mouth with a ¡°ga¡±, and his voice finally returned [1] and was as loud as ever: ¡°The god harmed me, my lord! The gods are not a good thing. The High God! His Royal Highness harmed me ah! ¡° ¡°Oh? How did he hurt you? ¡° ¡°He made me mute King! He also made fun of my plucked feathers saying that it made me look like the king! He said so himself ah! Danm gods !, Ah, King, I suffered so much! ¡° ¡°He made me mute King! He also made fun of my plucked feathers saying that it made me look like the king! He said so himself ah! Damn gods! Ah, King, I suffered so much! ¡° Plucked feathers ¡­ from the beginning, he remembered everything, he concealed from her, he hushed and cast a spell on the parrot, for so long that the parrot almost starved to death, just to keep her in the dark. [2]Shen Li felt that she should be angry, but she smiled inexplicably. ¡°Bullying a bird that is incompetent is really a despicable thing that only that God can do.¡± The voices outside grew louder, and Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but look out the door, only to see a golden light flashing across, and the cheers on the street slowly fading after reaching its peak. He finally left. Life suddenly became quiet, and Shen Li suddenly realized that before she knew it, Xing Zhi had been by her side for a long time, and they had experienced many things together. Suddenly, she felt a little uncomfortable without such a person. But life always goes on. She still went to court as before and listened to what happened in all parts of the Demon Realm. The news from the border was no longer as gloomy as before. The soldiers had a good life, and their life might be even more beautiful than in the capital. This made Shen Li think about the days when she was with Xing Zhi, fixing the seals. In the mountains, the bottom of the lake, and in the ruins, there were only the two of them¡­ ¡°Shen Li.¡± The demon Lord¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in her ears. Shen Li suddenly returned to her senses. Everyone in the conference hall looked at her. Shen Li coughed, ¡°What is the matter ?¡± ¡°Recently, the Beihai demon clan has slightly improved. Just now, everyone recommended the talents to go to Beihai. This time, they will not be fighting, this is only for training. Let the capable newcomers go out and exercise.¡± Shen Li has done this a few times and brought recruits to the battlefield to hone their skills and courage. She pondered a little: ¡°Since it is a task of exploration, we should send a careful general.¡± She swept in front of everyone. After a lap, she suddenly stopped on Mo Fang¡¯s face. After that day, Shen Li felt that she was not worthy of the Mo Fang, and wanted to apologize to him, but felt that it would do more harm than good. She couldn¡¯t make up her mind and didn¡¯t know how to face Mo Fang, so she consciously or unconsciously avoided him. At this time, Shen Li look at him face-to-face and got nervous. ¡°General Mo is careful and strategic, so let him lead the troops.¡± She has a certain selfish intention to dismiss him, but Mo Fang is indeed an excellent candidate. The demon emperor nodded: ¡°Does the generals have any objections? He waited for a little bit, and when nobody objected he proceeded ¡°Since there are none, let¡¯s end today¡¯s affairs.¡± The demon emperor turned his head to look at Shen Li and said, ¡°Shen Li, you stay.¡± Shen Li was agitated, guessing that she should be scolded today. Accompanying the Demon Emperor she walked around the freestone road, and sat down in the pavilion by the lake, the emperor dropped a chess piece on the stone table and said: ¡°Play a few games with me.¡± Shen Li complied. However, after half an hour, the outcome was already decided and Shen Li lost. The Demon Emperor put down the pieces in his[3] hand and said: ¡°In this round of chess, you are panicked and confused. Seeing that the attack is not successful, you messed up your position. This is not Shen Li¡¯s style.¡± Shen Li lowered her head. ¡°Ever since Fu Rong is gone, you are often distracted.¡± Shen Li was shocked, thinking of the annoying Fu Rong¡¯s, the corner of her mouth twitched: ¡°The lord has misunderstood.¡± The Demon Lord silently observed the chess pieces on the board, and suddenly said with a smile: ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m tired recently and don¡¯t want to move, so regarding the invitation to the Hundred Flowers Banquet, it¡¯s better if you go in my place. Anyway, you will marry him in the future. It¡¯s wise to get familiar with the environment of the heavens earlier.¡± Shen Li was startled: ¡°Lord¡­¡± The Demon Lord stood up and patted her head: ¡°This is an order, and you can¡¯t refuse.¡±. End of chapter T/L NOTES: that¡¯s it, guys! My first translated chapter! I¡¯ve translated from the beginning instead of using the previous translator part, only because I think this way adds more flow to the reading and you can get used to my style. I hope you guys like it, I was a little insecure about posting this translation, but in the previous translator site, she gave permission so I think it¡¯s all good. For now, I¡¯ll not keep a schedule but I will try to update this often, I haven¡¯t decided yet if I will cut the chapters, some are HUGE, so I¡¯ll think how I¡¯ll do this later. If I made any mistakes, please comment, and I will do my best to correct them, ok, I spoke too much already, until next time! [1] I don¡¯t know if you guys remember this, but back in chapter 27, Xing Zhi put a spell on the parrot, preventing him from speaking. Xing Zhi smiled calculatingly at Parrot as Shen Li¡¯s footsteps got closer. He harshly said, ¡°Zip your lips!¡± The squawking abruptly stopped. It was as if Parrot¡¯s beaks were glued shut; he couldn¡¯t open it no matter how hard he tried. All he could do was frantically jump around in the cage. [2] Here, she refers to when he cast the spell on the parrot, but, as you can see in the chapter on the previous translator site, the translator in a note, said that was never mentioned what Xing Zhi was afraid the parrot would tell Shen Li. Now, , we can see that apparently he said something like ¡° Featherless, just like your owner.¡± Proving that he remembered everything from the start. I¡¯m assuming this was missed on the translation, or in the raws, sometimes, more than you would think, sentences are incomplete in the raws, I guess this has something to do with the differences in structure between English and Chinese sentences. [3] In previous chapters, we discovered that the Demon Emperor is actually a woman, but for the sake of not having to change the way he/she is addressed In public or private, I will keep the ¡°HE¡± ¡°HIM¡± unless his identity as a woman turns out more relevant to the plot. Also, I¡¯m changing ¡°Demon Emperor¡± to ¡°Demon Lord¡± after this chapter, only because it reads better. CH 44.1 Chapter 44.1 In the nine-fold sky, the clouds are overflowing with color. The Heavenly Emperor in the Tianjun Temple is shaking his head and sighing. Someone knocked softly on the door, and the waiter outside whispered: ¡°Emperor, the High God is here.¡± ¡°Please, please, let him enter ¡± The Emperor got up to welcome him. When Xing Zhi walked in, he clasped his fists and bowed, ¡°High god has been away for a long time.¡± Xing Zhi lightly smiled and replied: ¡°Even outside the door, I could still hear the emperor sigh and sigh, can the emperor be upset?¡± The emperor smiled. ¡°The heavens are stable and comfortable. Only the abnormal movement of the lower realms can make people a little more vigilant. What else could possibly happen?.¡± The emperor led the way into the room and pointed to the jade on the table. He said: ¡°I sighed like this today because I saw a jade cup at Tianyuan Xianjun a few days ago. I was overjoyed. I wanted to find a cup and exchange it with Tian Yuan Jun, but he loved the cup very much. He refused to exchange with me.¡± The Emperor sighed as if he was very sad. When he stopped, he smiled slightly without words. Compared with the demon¡¯s world, the days in heaven were really comfortable. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, I really loved that jade cup but I can¡¯t ask for it now. It¡¯s really regrettable. If I force Tian Yuan to give me, I¡¯ll lose my face, it is really distressing.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not meant to be, naturally you should let it go¡± This was originally words of comfort to the Emperor, but as soon as he said the words, Xing Zhi himself bowed his eyebrows, and inadvertently pulled out his lips in an Inexplicable arc, three-point coolness, seven-point self-deprecating, ¡°It won¡¯t be good to lose control.¡± The emperor also shook his head and smiled: ¡°I have lived for so long, always telling myself to be pure-hearted, this is the first time I encountered something I like. No matter, this encounter, I cannot control it, it is just a hopeless situation.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xing Zhi responded a little distracted. Unable to let it go, he finally gave up his heart, but he was unwilling. Heh¡­the purer, the more persistent¡­¡± He shook his head and laughed, ¡°The emperor¡¯s problem, I myself don¡¯t have the answer.¡± The emperor took a look at Xing Zhi: ¡°This¡­what kind of thing did you want to see in the lower realm?¡± Xing Zhi smiled quietly, and the emperor hurriedly said, ¡°This can¡¯t be done, if the High God has this kind of thoughts, that¡¯s a disaster for the Three Realms!¡±[1] Xing Zhi stopped looking down: ¡°The emperor is worrying too much.¡± The emperor was relieved, ¡°It should be that I worry too much. Since ancient times, the purity of the High God is unmatched by the immortals today.¡± Xing Zhi smiled and changed the subject: ¡°I¡¯m here to find the emperor to tell you something.¡± Xing Zhi told the Emperor of Fu Rong¡¯s actions in the demon world, and the emperor turned blue when he heard it, he immediately ordered people to go to Jiang Fu to fetch Fu Rong. When Fu Rong arrived and saw Xing Zhi, he knew that he was in trouble so he tried to leave, but the emperor already started talking. ¡°The Hundred Flowers Banquet will be held soon. If the gods return to the sky outside the sky, would be troublesome, so it is better to stay here for a while.¡± Xing Zhi pondered and nodded his head and said: ¡°Alright, I haven¡¯t visited my old friends for a long time.¡± Jun Fu Rong was punished to kneel. He kneeled there on the long steps in front of the Tianjun Hall for nine days and nine nights, the cold jade steps in front of the Tianjun Hall were too cold. It looked beautiful, but after kneeling on, he could not see the beauty of it. Jun knelt and fainted and woke up, he passed out and woke up a few times, confessed his mistake until his voice was hoarse. In the end, his parents went to intercede for him along with his brothers. The emperor only slightly calmed down and sent him back to his house. Since then, Jun Fu Rong has written down the hatred for Xing Zhi, but the gap between them is too big, he can¡¯t get revenge anyhow, he can only hate him. Before his body could recover, Fu Rong heard the news that Shen Li of the Demon Realm was coming to the Banquet on behalf of the Demon Lord. The Heavenly Emperor had the same idea as the Demon Lord and arranged for Shen Li to stay in Fu Rong¡¯s yard. The intention was to let the two start a relationship. What else can they do? If Shen Li doesn¡¯t take advantage of this to kill him, then thank God! Thinking about this, Fu Rong was awake all night with sorrow, and sighed constantly, making the people around him unhappy. However, no matter how sad Fu Rong was, it couldn¡¯t prevent the disaster, and Shen Li finally came. The gatekeeper knew that the Azure Sky King had arrived at the Southern Heaven Gate alone so he sent someone to hurriedly inform the heavenly emperor. After a long time, the envoy came to lead Shen Li. The emperor leisurely said a few words, and asked about the situation of the Demon Realm, soon after he told his servant to take Shen Li to Fu Rong¡¯s mansion. Shen Li has never visited the heavens before. Although she has heard of the beauty of it, she didn¡¯t expect that such a beautiful place could exist in this world. There is an amiable mist everywhere, auspicious cranes passing by, and she could occasionally hear the sound of the fairy piano and smell the sweet fragrance of flowers. Shen Li followed the messenger through the heavens, rubbing shoulders with the fairies who were walking with them, feeling the soft fabric of their gorgeous dresses occasionally blowing in the wind, leaving a soft fragrance on her nose. Before reaching Fu Rong Monarch¡¯s mansion, Shen Li didn¡¯t say a word, thinking of the people of the Demon Realm in her heart, her eyes were a little gloomy. ¡°Greeting the King.¡± The servant of the Fu Rong¡¯s mansion immediately went out to greet her, ¡°Royal Highness forgive me, my master recently ¡­ uh, suffered a penalty, he is recuperating right now, so he couldn¡¯t come personally to greet you.¡± Shen Li could guess the cause and effect without thinking so she nodded: ¡°It¡¯s okay, let Fu Rong Jun rest well.¡± It doesn¡¯t matter, she thought, this is also good, this way, she doesn¡¯t have to see him and make her mood worse. Seeing that Shen Li was so good at talking, the little servant raised his head and glanced at Shen Li boldly. He thought he would be a fierce female looking like a sturdy man, but he didn¡¯t expect to be just a girl who dressed a little like a man. He was slightly startled and blinked for a while. He quickly recovered and led Shen Li into the house: ¡°King, enters the mansion first, your residence and people to serve you have already been arranged for you.¡± Shen Li nodded, and entered the mansion Jun Fu Rong made arrangements. Her servant was a very smart girl, her big eyes blinking and blinking was very pleasing. But Shen Li was a person who had experienced countless times on the battlefield, and she was born with a keen sense, she could easily sense the hostility from others. No matter how concealed the little girl¡¯s eyes, Shen Li still noticed her bad intentions immediately. She didn¡¯t take it to heart. From the moment the gatekeeper guard saw her when she arrived at the heavens, the look she received was not quite right. People here seemed jealous, or disdainful, or contemptuous, Shen Li knew that these were not for her personally, but only because she was a demon. She was even a little grateful. Fortunately, she was the one who came to this banquet, not the Demon Lord. Just thinking that the Demon Lord would be treated like this in the heavens, Shen Li felt unspeakable anger. Shen Li only thought that the little girl who came to serve her was the same as other immortal gods, prejudiced against demons, but she never thought that in that same night she would taste that malice in her own food. The big-eyed girl was waiting by her side. Shen Li took a bite, swallowed it into her stomach, and then took another bite casually: ¡°Does Heaven also sell poison?¡± She chewed something in her mouth, her tone was flat, ¡°It¡¯s a pity but I think the person who bought this will lose money.¡± The big-eyed girl was startled, her face paled, and she turned her head and ran outside. But before her foot crossed the threshold, a silver light shot down in front of her eyes, and she heard a ¡°clang¡± sound, the furious silver spear was inserted in front of the girl, she gasped with fright, her legs weakened and she fell straight in the ground. ¡°The person who dares to poison this king actually only has this much courage.¡± Shen Li was still eating her food leisurely, ¡°The heavens really raise stupid things.¡± ¡°Why are you here? How can you be worth of Lord Fu Rong? Such a despicable Demon!¡± These words really struck at Shen li¡¯s nerves. She put down her chopsticks, laughed angrily for a long time, thinking that there was too many ways to refute this girl, but instead she just said: ¡°Since you like Lord Fu Rong so much, let¡¯s go to the emperor¡¯s palace together to make things clear, and ask him to grant a marriage for you and Lord Fu Rong, since you are the one who deserves him.¡± TL/comment: I understand why Heavenly Emperor would want this marriage, but why would the Demon Lord think this is good? After she marries, first she will be miserable, second, she would be suppressed there for sure, and the Demon Lord will lose a powerful general. But I¡¯m sensing a plot twist that will explain that. I didn¡¯t read ahead so I guess we will find out. Till the next one! [1] So, here, what i could infer was that all this thing with the Jade cup was a way of Heavenly Emperor hint to Xing Zhi that he could not act on Shen Li. That¡¯s why this sentence was kinda left in the open, like they were talking about it from the start, so when the emperor asked why he stayed in the lower realm, the reasoning just became more evident. The first part seems pretty obvious, but that sentence was a little strange, like after all that metaphor he just directly asked Xing Zhi¡­ so whats the point ? Maybe he was playing dumb? idk, but now i dislike this emperor even more, please stop pushing your dumb grandson on the MC! CH 44.2 Chapter 44.2 The big-eyed girl was startled to see that Shen Li actually got up and walked towards her. When she breathed out, again and again, she suddenly felt a strange fragrance drifting from the end of her nose, and her head was suddenly dizzy. Shen Li naturally smelled this too. Originally, this poison did not hurt her much, but now the drug finally merged in her body, and the effect of it was overwhelming, causing Shen Li to freeze in front of the girl with her Limbs being slightly soft. At this moment, Shen Li frowned, her gaze turned, coming out of thin air, a poisoned needle was pinched between her fingers, and another was coming from the other side, she heard a faint sound of breaking through the air. Shen Li also reached out to catch it, but poison in the body interfered with her senses and made her miss it. At this time, a poisonous needle pierced Shen Li¡¯s fingertips, and the venom instantly spread to the whole body from the fingertips, making the whole body paralyzed. At the same time, two other women all appeared in the house, one raised the big eye girl from the ground, and the three stared at Shen Li. Looking at her like she was her worst enemy: ¡°Lord Fu Rong was never yours, and never will be !¡± The corner of Shen Li¡¯s mouth twitched, she pulled out the silver needle from her fingertips and rubbed her painful forehead. This¡­ these celestial girls¡¯ imaginations are really something. I think they are lacking some lessons. She rolled her sleeves and walked towards the three of them. The three of them were so frightened that Shen Li felt it was funny ¡°So many poisons, and still is impossible for you¡± Shen Li smiled coldly: ¡°Being poisoned by Jun Rong¡¯s presence for so long, this king will let you see what a real man is today.¡± That night, the screaming and crying of the woman in the Fu Rong Monarch¡¯s Mansion awakened most of the heavens. Jun Fu Rong also woke up from his sleep, punched the bed board, and said, ¡°What is it? Is this a female ghost!?¡± The servant outside the door opened the door tremblingly: ¡°My Lord, this seems to be from the Azure King courtyard.¡± Jun Fu Rong was taken aback, and he immediately ordered someone to lift himself to the entrance of Shen Li courtyard. The courtyard door was open, and three fairies were tied with their hands on the beams of the room. The brazier was burning, and the three of them were crying and crying. Shen Li sat idly aside, using her silver spear from time to time she poked the firewood in the basin to make the flames burn more vigorously: ¡°Cry, wait until the tears have poured out the brazier, and this king will stop.¡± Jun Fu Rong People who always pity and cherish jade were furious at this scene: ¡°Shen Li! What are you doing!¡± Shen Li glanced at Jun Fu Rong obliquely, ¡°The three of them wanted to die for you. this king is fulfilling their wishes. ¡°Lord, please, Lord, save me!¡± The three cried loudly, and Fu Rong¡¯s knee hurts so much that he barely couldn¡¯t stand up. He slapped the servant next to him on the head and cursed, ¡°What are you still doing here ?! Go save them !¡± ¡°Who dares to save?¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes condensed, she stuck the red tasseled spear on the ground, the bricks and stones cracked, a flash of silver light accompanied by Shen Li¡¯s faint voice shook everyone¡¯s heartstrings, ¡°First fight with this king.¡± She glanced at the people outside the courtyard faintly, and her eyes trembled with fury. Everybody looked at each other, but no one dared to step forward. The three fairies cried alarmingly. There have been many people outside Monarch Fu Rong¡¯s mansion. Everyone came to ask what happened. In the end, the emperor made a noise and entered Fu Rong¡¯s mansion. He uttered a loud scolding, and then Shen Li turned off the fire, broke the rope, and put down the three of them. She said to the emperor who arrived in the middle of the night: ¡°Shen Li remembers that when Lord Fu Rong and Lord Xing Zhi were in my demon world, although the demon world is not as beautiful as the Heaven, we also spare a good deal of courtesy and treated them well. Now Shen Li only came, and on the first night someone tried to poison me!¡± Her food is still on the table, the strange fragrance was still in the air, as well as the silver needle that hit Shen Li. ¡°Only this night, I received a three-point gift. Dare to ask the Emperor, is this how does heaven treat guests?¡± The Emperor was shocked when he heard this. Immediately went to check the food, and the needle, he saw that the facts presented were true, the emperor¡¯s face was purple with anger, and he pointed at Jun Fu Rong without speaking for a long time. With a final sigh, he said to Shen Li: ¡°It was my inconsideration that caused Azure to suffer this unpleasant thing. The three fairies will be confined for a hundred years from now on.¡± Shen Li said: ¡°Thank you,emperor for advocating justice for Shen Li, but Shen Li is still here and will stay here for a while, Lord Fu Rong is also here¡­ Shen Li is afraid that something will happen again.¡± None of these girls¡¯ tricks can hurt Shen Li¡¯s essence, but who knows how many women or men Lord Fu Rong has provoked, only this night there were three of them. It¡¯s better to be cautious. Shen Li didn¡¯t say these words, but the emperor should be able to think that so she bowed and said ¡°I also hope that the emperor will find another quiet place for Shen Li.¡± The emperor pondered a little. At the same time, the servants around the Heavenly Emperor whispered a few words to him, and the Heavenly Emperor nodded and said: ¡°There is a quiet courtyard in the west of the Heaven Realm, but the location is slightly off, and the interior layout is also slightly simple. I wonder if Azure King will dislike it. ??¡± People who can ride in the clouds and drive the fog aren¡¯t afraid of the distance, and a ¡°simple¡± courtyard of heaven still must be better than what she is used to. So She said: ¡°As long as it is quiet, Shen Li will move there tomorrow.¡± The emperor nodded: ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay; you have already met the High God when you were in the demon world before, and it won¡¯t be embarrassing if you live together.¡± This ¡­ the only one in this heaven that can be called High God is¡­. Why didn¡¯t the emperor said that sooner ?? Shen Li opened her mouth, but it was too late to refuse. It would be embarrassing for them to live together¡­ It would be embarrassing, okay! CH 45.1 Chapter 45.1 On the next day, Shen Li was not in a hurry to go to the place called Xiyuan arranged by the Emperor of Heaven, and she even resisted a little bit, so she wandered around the heavenly realm It would be pleasant if were not for the way everyone was looking at her¡­ Carefully scrutinizing, it wasn¡¯t just one or two, everyone looked at her like this, which really made Shen Li feel unbearable. She wasn¡¯t angry or feeling wronged, she was just annoyed. If they really didn¡¯t like her, just lift a knife and slash, why this passive-aggressive behavior? Shen Li couldn¡¯t stand it at last. Instead of being watched like this, she might as well go to Xiyuan and be embarrassed with Xing Zhi. What surprised Shen Li was that when she arrived at the legendary courtyard, there was no one inside, and it was quiet like no one lived in it for years. She was even more surprised when she noticed that the layout of this small courtyard was exactly the same as that small courtyard on earth they used to live. There were trees and plants, stone tables and chairs in the front yard, and a small pond dug under the vines in the backyard. The room is much larger than before, and there are many wing rooms on both sides. The wooden structure of the house does not show how many years it has been built. It gave a timeless feeling. Compared to Xing Yun¡¯s house(Xing Zhi reincarnation as human, from the beginning of the novel), this should be considered an upgraded luxury version, but for those in the heavens that ate used to using luminous glass to make tiles and precious woods for houses, this house was indeed really simple. Such an environment also let Shen Li subconsciously relax her guard. Shen Li thought to herself, his memory was not erased when he went to the lower realm, so his small courtyard must be arranged according to this layout. She still remembers that the furnishings here the same, so the formation must be present here too. Staying here will help her concentrate on clearing the toxins in her body. This poison that was worrying her was not the one left by the three fairies, but the poison born by the monster she defeated back in the Demon¡¯s world. She doesn¡¯t know how this poison was cultivated that It took such deep roots. Even with Shen Li¡¯s fast recovery speed, it still took so long. There is still some residue, it is not easy to get rid of it. Shen Li strolled around the house leisurely, and couldn¡¯t help but think of the man of those days in the lower realm. With his white clothes, resting in the sun under the vines, so leisurely and contented, perhaps, only when he was in the lower realm, wearing a mortal body, that¡¯s why he could be so casual. Returning to High God¡¯s position, with too many emotions and scruples that Shen Li couldn¡¯t understand. Different identities can really change a person too much¡­ Shen Li was distracted thinking about the past when she heard the sound of fish fiddling in the water. Shen Li glanced at the pond in the backyard and walked over to look at the fat koi swimming in the pond. She raised her eyebrows slightly: ¡°A fish that no one feeds can grow so fat. The water in the heavens is good.¡± She sat down by the pond and fiddled with the clear water in the pool. Suddenly, a white and tender hand grasped Shen Li¡¯s wrist. Shen Li was startled, her eyes met a pair of big watery eyes, and then, with a flash of silver light, several pairs of crystal clear eyeballs stared directly at her face. These koi¡­ turned out to be children. She was still in a daze, and suddenly heard one of the children giggling: ¡°Big sister is coming to play with us?¡± Shen Li listened to the sound of splashing water and shook her head subconsciously, but there were already several pairs of white hands grabbing her arm. ¡°Sister, come to play!¡± The children¡¯s crisp voice was like a reminder, pulling Shen Li into the pond. Shen Li sighed fiercely and before she could do anything she was pushed to the bottom of the pond. The pond was much bigger than it seemed from outside, it was like a huge lake, but she still could see the light reflecting in the surface and illuminating even the bottom of the lake. Shen Li¡¯s fear of water is almost innate. She could hear the sound of water ¡°buzzing¡± in her ears and her heart panicked slightly. Fortunately, she can still control her emotions, but when the children with fishtails saw that she was trying to swim to the surface, dragged her ankles as if playing. Shen Li wasn¡¯t calm anymore, watching these children giggling and showing their white teeth, Shen Li felt that these cute faces were just like ghosts from hell. She began to struggle, frantically scolded the children, but as soon she opened her mouth, water poured into her throat, unconsciously she tried to breathe, but more water came into her mouth. She started to kick the children, using her hands and feet together to reach the light, her posture was ugly and she wants to but couldn¡¯t scream. When she finally stuck her nose out of the water before she could even take a breath a little kid jumped out of the water in excitement, slamming Chen Li down again. Shen Li¡¯s heart was burning with anger, just want to make a fire, boil the water in the pool, and scald these little kids, and when she comes ashore, pick them up and eat them one by one. But she didn¡¯t have the opportunity to resort to such a vicious trick. She only felt that the current around her had inexplicably become faster. Before she could react, a huge force pulled her out of the pond. Shen Li and several naked mermaid children fell to the ground like dead fishes. She clutched her chest and coughed vigorously, making her face blush. The children were also bouncing on the ground, a fishtail slowly turning into a human leg. Xing Zhi Put a white face towel on Shen Li¡¯s face, but Shen Li threw the face towel angrily, pointed at the well-dressed man in white, panting, ¡°twice¡­twice!¡± Xing Zhi naturally knew that she was referring to the time when she was practically a chicken and he threw her in the pond for a bath. He just smiled and said: ¡°This time was not my fault¡± He casually folded a thin vine, walked along, and gently twitched the white buttocks of the children on the ground, ¡°Come on!.¡± The children clasped their bare buttocks, slightly aggrieved, and staggered into the house with unstable steps. CH 45.2 Chapter 45.2 Xing Zhi glanced at Shen Li, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± After a while, Shen Li eased her breath and calmed down. She heard noises from the house,It were the child crying. Shen Li thought about Xing Zhi¡¯s breaking a thin vine, wondering whether Xing Zhi was punishing those children¡­ Shen Li thought,¡± Well, they should be punished. ¡° Entering the room, going around the screen at the door, she saw Xing Zhi propping his head, reclining on the couch. The thin vines in his hands swaying from one to the other, and a row of naked Children stood obediently in front of him, all of them with red eyes from crying. Seeing Shen Li coming in, Xing Zhi glanced at her, and then looked at the children: ¡°Um, where¡¯s the apology?¡± The child at the end cried, wiped away tears, and said vaguely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, oh oh, I didn¡¯t know you can¡¯t swim, oh, I will never play like this again.¡± As soon as his voice fell, the other kid continued: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, oh, sorry. We just want to play with others too much.¡± Then came the sound of apologies and sobbing, mixed with sniffles. The scene was a bit chaotic. A group of half-old children, bare butts, they seem to be apologizing, but she couldn¡¯t understand a word from all the crying. After a while, Shen Li covered her face with one hand and waved the other to the children: ¡°Okay go back by yourself, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± The children choked, staring brightly at her, and nodded slightly then suddenly they charged, running out like they were escaping from hell. The room was quiet, and then Xing Zhi sat up straight: ¡°Since when did Azure king became so benevolent?¡± ¡°Such a group of half-sized and small children crying in front of me with bare buttocks, made me feel that I was abusing them. Like an old witch.¡± Shen Li said patiently, ¡°Only the High god can see this scene and be indifferent.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not really indifferent to them ¡± Xing Zhi played with the fine vine in his hand, ¡°In fact, I think their crying faces were very funny.¡± Tl/note : *cof* sadistic *cof* Shen Li rubbed her temples. She thought it would be embarrassing to see Xing Zhi again before when she was walking into the yard, she was even more convinced of it. However, after the incident, there was no embarrassment between the two, Shen Li only felt tired and cold because of the unintended bath. ¡°The Heavenly Emperor asked for a room to be arranged, last night and today, Shen Li just wants to sleep peacefully.¡± ¡°You can choose a room on the left side.¡± Xing Zhi couldn¡¯t believe that the first day of living together passed by in such a silly way. After that, nothing much happened. Although they lived in the same courtyard, they rarely saw each other. It was estimated that he was practicing in a closed house. Without seeing him, all the mental preparations Shen Li¡¯s had done were a waste, but this is good, she thought, if this situation can continue until the Banquet, they will never meet again, of course, unless he attends the wedding banquet when she marries Fu Rong¡­ With a pain in her head, Shen Li quietly glanced at the little carp spirit behind her from the bronze mirror. But the little carp spirit didn¡¯t realize that she was hurting Shen Li. She still combed happily: ¡± Your hair is really good!¡± She said, ¡°but it¡¯s too thick and straight, not like a woman¡¯s hair at all¡­¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t answer him. These little carp spirits were originally Xing Zhi attendants, and they followed the order to serve her, but the more they serve, the more chaotic they became ¡­ Shen Li suddenly felt her back wet. A small carp spirit cleaning the room overturned the water basin that Shen Li used to freshen up. The water splashed all over the floor, wet Shen Li¡¯s back and the other carp spirit that was dressing Shen Li. Knowing that she had done something wrongs she stared at Shen Li with a blank and panicked expression. ¡°What are you doing!¡± The carp spirit behind Shen Li was angry, and her hand forcefully pulled down many roots of Chen Li¡¯s hair. Shen Li held her head and took a deep breath. But in the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back the anger and regardless of whether her hair was combed or not, she stood up and took the two children one by one. She lifted them up and shook them. Both of them turned into their Koi shape, Shen Li embraced them, kicked the door open, and went out. Every time she saw one carp spirit, she used the same trick and finally threw all the fat carp with different patterns in her arms into the pond. ¡°You are not allowed to come out. I will steam you if you come out again.¡± She stood by the pool and threatened the little carp spirits viciously. Everyone had red eyes and their heads aggrieved on the water. One asked: ¡°But The god said, the king is different from the other immortals. If you don¡¯t eat, you will be hungry. If we don¡¯t serve you, the king will starve to death¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be hungry.¡± Shen Li turned around and walked two steps before turning around to warn. Don¡¯t come out!¡± The carp spirits stopped talking, only staring at Shen Li beamingly. Shen Li grabbed her hair and wanted to tie it up as easily as usual. When she looked back, she saw Xing Zhi standing in his white robe and leaning against the door of his room, with the morning light reflected in his slightly bent eyes. Excessively beautiful ¡°Why are you causing trouble early in the morning?¡± Shen Li has held the fire in her stomach for a few days, so now she couldn¡¯t control anymore: ¡± You ordered them to add chaos to my life.¡± Xing Zhi raised his eyebrows: ¡°I never ordered anything like this.¡± Little Carp said aggrieved, ¡°We are really just serving the king¡­¡± Shen Li rubbed her forehead and blurted out: ¡°Is this called serving? If you really want to serve me, then serve me yourself.¡± This was originally Shen Li¡¯s angry words, but when her voice fell off, she didn¡¯t expect that Xing Zhi would calmly say: ¡°OK.¡± The air seemed to be quiet for a moment, not only Shen Li was slightly startled, but also the little carp spirits in the pond. A soft sound of ¡°boom¡± broke the silence. Shen Li turned her head and saw that the goddess Luo Tian stood at the door of the backyard in a daze, the fruit she was holding rolled all over the floor. She turned her head quietly and looked at her: ¡°Why did Youlan come?¡± Youlan hurriedly bent over and picked up the fruit as if she came back to her senses, and explained, ¡°Heavenly emperor asked me to inform Azure King that today is the day to enter the marrow pond. I heard that the King would live with High God, so I stopped by to bring a few fairy fruits for the High God and the King. The courtyard door was open, so I came indirectly¡­¡± She didn¡¯t say any more, but everyone Know what she heard. Xing Zhi just nodded, his expression was extremely calm. Shen Li coughed, turned, and left: ¡°Since it is the order from the heavenly emperor, no delay, let¡¯s go quickly.¡± The miasma of the Demon Realm is heavy, and Shen Li stays in the Demon Realm all year-round. Purifying in the pond is one process that Shen Li knew before she came. Youlan looked at Shen Li¡¯s back walking quickly, then looked back and stopped, and finally bowed, put the fruit in the house, and left with Shen Li. ¡°Master.¡± Leaving Xing Zhi courtyard, Youlan suddenly called Shen Li, as if after pondering for a long time, she finally couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°Youlan went to the Demon Realm a few days ago. Although she hasn¡¯t been to the Demon Realm for too long, she still has seen the environment of the demon world, I know that the people of the demon clan must be dissatisfied with the heavens.¡± Shen Li paused and looked back at her: ¡°Goddess has something to say, just say straight.¡± Youlan solemnly said, ¡°But it¡¯s okay to be dissatisfied or to complain. I also hope that the King and the people of the demon world can make sense of it and accept it.¡± She stared at Shen Li with a fixed gaze, ¡°There is only one ancient god in these three realms, and no one can bear the cost of losing him.¡± Shen Li suddenly remembered that Qingye¡¯s godhood( best friend of Xing Zhi, reincarnated in Prince Rui) was cut off because of his personal love he went against the heavens¡­ So Youlan¡¯s words mean that she thinks the Demon Realm has the heart to rebel against the heavens, and Shen Li is trying to seduce the High God, intending to kill him?¡± Shen Li smiled, feeling extremely absurd: ¡°Goddess, regardless of whether I can be as capable as you expect, If Xing Zhi doesn¡¯t have the ability to keep his godhood, it¡¯s his business. Tell me What¡¯s the use of you telling me this?¡± After saying that, Shen Li turned her head and left, leaving Youlan alone with cold eyes. Tl/comment : The entire family is annoying! CH 46 Chapter 46.1 The immortal energy in the pond was lingering, but it was not a good place for Shen Li. When the strong immortal energy washed away her miasma, it also faded a lot of her demon energy. An hour¡¯s bath made Shen Li exhausted like a big battle. If she wants to restore her magic power, she would have to wait until after the Banquet. Shen Li smiled coldly. She understood that this was exactly the effect the immortals of the heavens wanted. It faded her magic power and reduced the threat. These morally respectable immortals are always on guard against the demons, guarding¡­ ¡­Even if they had already surrendered that way¡­ A loud ¡°clam¡± sound came from outside the Marrow-washing Hall, and then the roar of the beast seemed to shatter the beams of the room. Shen Li raised an eyebrow in surprise; there are monsters in the heavens too? She put on her clothes, tied her hair, and opened the door from the marrow hall with a kind of playful mentality. Above the huge auspicious color cloud in front of the hall, a huge white lion rushed towards Youlan frantically, and the attendant of the Washing Marrow Hall stood in front of Youlan with a pale face, protecting her. However, the lion had already forced Youlan to the corner of the wall, unavoidable, the attendant rolled on the spot, rolled under the lion¡¯s crotch, and fled in embarrassment. Only Youlan stood in the corner of the wall, trembling with pale lips. Staring blankly at the white lion. The white lion roared, raised his claws, and attacked Youlan. Shen Li frowned. She fell in front of Youlan and raised her hands to block. The white lion¡¯s paws seemed to be less strong than the Shen Li arm that was blocking him. The Lion froze, but although his move was blocked, Shen Li frowned. She felt that her breath was unstable and she was unable to push the white lion away. She knew that it must be the merit of this marrow washing pond. When the white lion stalemate, Youlan behind her suddenly said, ¡°I don¡¯t need the help of people of the demon race.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Shen Li heard this, she immediately loosened her hand, and the white lion claws greeted Youlan with murderous intent. Youlan didn¡¯t expect Shen Li would let go because of what she said, she immediately gasped in fright, her face was pale, and she froze in place when her claws were about to touch her cheeks, she only heard Shen Li say, ¡°If want to keep your face, say Please. If you want a favor, then ask for it appropriately.¡± Youlan didn¡¯t dare to turn her head, the wild beast¡¯s rage made her cry of fear. Youlan¡¯s hand quietly caught Shen Li¡¯s clothes, and Youlan¡¯s voice was three-pointed fearful, three-pointed unwilling: ¡°Please¡­ please.¡± Shen Li knew that Youlan was unwilling and bitter, but she was still satisfied. She smiled contentedly, sighed in a low voice, pushed away from the white lion¡¯s paw, and swept Youlan¡¯s thin waist with the other hand, jumped over the top of the white lion¡¯s head, and fell behind it. When Youlan opened her eyes, she was lying limp and sitting on the ground. Shen Li said: ¡°Originally if you didn¡¯t ask me, I didn¡¯t intend to save you, but you came to the marrow washing hall with me. ¡°It would be quite a coincidence if something happened here. I just don¡¯t want others to gossip anymore.¡± Youlan, who had only escaped a catastrophe, couldn¡¯t bother with Shen Li¡¯s teasing. She only glanced behind Shen Li, her face turning pale. Shen Li glanced back and saw that the white lion had already swooped in front of the two of them, and was waving the huge claws at them. It was fine for Shen Li, she could run, but it would be a burden to carry Youlan. Shen Li looked at the White Lion, she was too weak to fight it, but if she didn¡¯t Youlan would die for sure. Without time to think about it, Shen Li hugged Youlan, protecting her, and receive the furious claws in her back. Her flesh was lacerated and blood was spilled. Youlan was so frightened that she screamed, how often she had seen such a scene in her life? After one blow, the white lion¡¯s second claw was about to strike, and for a while, Shen Li hugged Youlan and rolled out of the way, escaping the white lion¡¯s attack range. Youlan¡¯s hand accidentally touched Shen Li¡¯s back, her hands stained with blood. Her lips trembled, ¡°Are you¡­are you okay?¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t even wrinkle her brows: ¡°It¡¯s just skin and flesh injuries.¡± Seeing that the white lion wanted to pounce again, she knew that the white lion was actually staring at Youlan. Shen Li¡¯s eyebrows darkened: ¡°Why he¡¯s targeting you?¡± Youlan stared blankly at the blood on her hand with a pale face and did not answer. Shen Li knew that she had just been in the marrow-washing pool and she would not be able to fight against this white lion. She had fought monsters for many years and was very familiar with the temperament of beasts. When a beast realizes that it could not defeat the opponent, it Will shrink back. This time, her purpose was not to kill the white lion but to force it back, as long as she won it in momentum. Youlan, who was sitting behind Shen Li, suddenly felt heat all over her body. She looked up at Shen Li in a daze. In the backlight, the profile of this woman¡¯s face was so handsome that she almost forgot her gender. Suddenly, there was a flash of red light in Shen Li¡¯s body, and the surrounding air moved frantically Youlan seemed to suddenly hear a phoenix screaming, brightening the sky, the scorching breath of her whole body became heavier. The white lion on the opposite side roared fiercely, refusing to back down. Suddenly it has become a battle between the two momenta. The immortals around them had already been pushed far away by the blowing air. Only Youlan behind Chen Li could clearly see that the bright red under Shen Li¡¯s eyes became more and more flooding until it dyed her entire eyes. There was another extremely loud cry. Those hot waves of air seemed to condense into a dazzling phoenix in the air, whizzing towards the white lion, and the white lion, which had been roaring constantly, took a step back. The phoenix was on top of it was hovering, as if ready to dive and bite it. The white lion dodged from side to side, and finally uttered a ¡°Woo¡±, his figure suddenly became smaller, and finally turned into a white hairball, curled up on the floor trembling. The murderous aura suddenly stopped, Shen Li took a step forward, but one hand grabbed her sleeve. She turned her head and listened to Youlan lowering her head and whispering: ¡°Danger¡­Danger. Don¡¯t go, wait for the heavenly generals to come. Look again.¡± Shen Li raised her eyebrows, this goddess is suddenly behaving with such a gracious temper. She grabbed the goddess¡¯s hand and took her away: ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Shen Li turned to leave and didn¡¯t see Youlan looking up at her back and touching her hand again, her expression inexplicably complicated. Tl/Note: Reading this, I wish all the ML in novels were replace with Shen Li, Including her own ML, seriously, she doesn¡¯t need a man, she is too awesome ! This ML has to step up his game. Chapter 46.2 Shen Li walked to the white hairball and leaned over to pick it up. The white long-haired dog opened his black eyes and looked at her watery, with a begging whimper in his throat. She shook it without pity: ¡°Say, what kind of evildoer are you?!¡± The long-haired dog trembled even harder. ¡± Azure King! The King is merciful!¡± The white-bearded old man rushed from a short distance until Shen Li was in front of him and bowed to her, saying, ¡°This is the divine beast¡¯s calamity raised by the High God, it¡¯s not a monster!¡± It¡¯s a kind of pet? Shen Li threw the white dog to the old man with white beard that hugged him ¡°Are you gods becoming big farmers here in the heavens? ¡°Oh, listening to the king¡¯s tone, it seems to complain that everything is my fault.¡± A voice sounded from the side and the immortals around all saluted. When Xing Zhi appeared, the old man with a white beard hurriedly put down the white dog/lion, leaned over and bowed, ¡°Xiao Xian is guilty.¡± Xing Zhi helped the old man with hand, his eyes fell on Shen Li, and the light in his eyes moved: ¡°Injured?¡± Shen Li folded his hands and bowed: ¡°Thanks to the blessing of the gods, I only suffered a little skin injury.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s fingertips moved. In the end, he still suppressed his emotions. He only bent over to pick up Midou (The white dog/lion¡¯s name) and touched its head. Midou¡¯s grieving rubbed against his palm, and he asked softly, ¡°What happened?¡± The old man with white beard said: ¡°Xiao Xian obeyed the lord¡¯s order to bring Midou from Tianwaitian(the house of the heavenly emperor) to Xiyuan (Xing Zhi house). I don¡¯t know why but Midou was suddenly mad when she got here. I couldn¡¯t hold it, and Midou ended up hurting the Azure King and Luotian goddess. It¡¯s really Xiao Xian¡¯s fault.¡± Xing Zhi glanced at Youlan from a distance, and was silent for a long time: ¡°It¡¯s not your fault for the sudden madness of Midou. You send the Azure King back to Xiyuan, and then find a physician to check on her.¡± He turned around, walked up to Youlan, and lifted her up from the ground, and said, ¡°You follow me.¡± Youlan nodded with a pale face. When Shen Li returned to Xiyuan, she didn¡¯t wait for the physician. She really couldn¡¯t believe the people of the heavens, so she wrapped her wounds and changed her clothes. Seeing that the old man with a white beard had found a rope in the backyard to secure the dog. Shen Li stopped and said: ¡°Don¡¯t trap him.¡± The old man hesitated slightly: ¡°But if it hurts the King again¡­¡± ¡°This will not stop him if it turns mad again, so save it. Don¡¯t Waste the rope.¡± Moreover, Shen Li is not stupid. As a sacred beast, how could it go crazy for no reason? Seeing Xing Zhi today wanting to talk privately with Youlan, Shen Li knew that Youlan herself must have caused this disaster. Thinking of this, Shen Li sighed a little. She had only come to the heavens for a few days, and she had been attacked by so many, intentionally or unintentionally, seems that she is really incompatible with this place. The old man with a white beard thought for a while, but he didn¡¯t insist on using the rope He muttered: ¡°That¡¯s fine, if you like it, you can play with it. Originally, the gods were also looking for it to pass the time. ¡° After hearing this, Shen Li stiffened slightly, pushed the door of the room last, and returned to her room blankly. Shen Li sat in the room for a long time, wondering what he thought of himself now. She felt like that long-haired dog, for the High God, she was a fun way to pass the time. In the evening, someone knocked at the door twice, but when Shen Li went to open the door, no one was seen; only the hot food was placed at the door of the room. Shen Li was not worried and went back to eat her food. This person¡¯s craftsmanship hasn¡¯t degraded at all, but this kind of thing will inevitably give Shen Li a bit of emotion. She put the bowl away, and when she bought the bowl to the door, she suddenly saw Xing Zhi walking out of a room opposite her. She knew that was not his room, but Shen Li often sees him coming out of there. The two met, Shen Li just nodded to Xing Zhi, and closed the door without saying anything. ¡°Is the food still to your taste?¡± He said in a low voice, then he cleared his throat, glanced at the closed door, and smiled in a way that could only be described as bitter. ¡°Is the food still to my taste?¡±He said a little bit louder ¡°The wound isn¡¯t bothering you, right? If you are bored, you can play with Midou. It won¡¯t hurt you anymore¡­¡± There are so many things to say, but he shouldn¡¯t say it, and the other party also didn¡¯t give him a chance to speak. It¡¯s so frustrating¡­ So that¡¯s how it feels. At night, Shen Li couldn¡¯t sleep, and simply went out and walked in the yard. The moon in the celestial world is extremely round and bright, shining and illuminating the house in the night. Shen Li saw that there seemed to be a little bit of light overflowing from the opposite room. She knew that this was the room that Xing Zhi often went to, and her heart suddenly became curious. Could there be any rare treasures in it? Shen Li glanced at the closed door of the Xing Zhi room and walked quietly to the opposite room. She pushes the door and entered the room, carefully closing the door. Shen Li turned her head and saw a huge screen, which was different from the usual flowers, trees, mountains, and rivers. It was a dark blue night sky with stars dotted above. Like a sky curtain with the stars and rivers flow with the wind, it is actually a moving painting. Shen Li was amazed at it and felt that there was a strange treasure hidden in it. But when she went around the screen, she was shocked. This is not a normal room, but like another space opened up. There was no floor under her feet and no roof above her head. Shen Li seems to have walked into the painting on the screen just now. The sea of ??stars and clouds was an entirely different world. What surprised Shen Li the most was that there seemed to be small characters engraved on the bright stars. She squinted her eyes and looked even more shocked. Shen GuanYue, Shen Lu Xing, Shen Qing Ye¡­ This is actually¡­ a shrine to the spirits of the ancient gods! ¡°It¡¯s best not to come in here.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s voice was light, but he still frightened Shen Li. Gathering courage, she turned to look at him. Xing Zhi smiled when he saw Shen Li¡¯s vivid expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before?¡± CH 47.1 Chapter 47.1 Shen Li stared blankly at Xing Zhi, analyzing this situation in her heart. The Shrine of the Ancient Gods was an extremely important place, which was not easily accessible. It¡¯s just¡­ Is it really okay to put casually such an important place in such a room? People in the heavens live so comfortably that they don¡¯t even know it! They don¡¯t even bother to set a barrier at the door¡­ ¡°I think I should go, right ?¡± Although Shen Li is a Demon and always disliked the style of the gods she still has some respect for the ancient gods. Xin Zhi just smiled: ¡°Too late¡± He looked up at the sky with flashing souls and said, ¡°You being here isn¡¯t a problem, a long time ago people come to worship it, but now it¡¯s been a long time since someone has came to see them.¡± Xing Zhi said it was ok, so she didn¡¯t have to rush out. She looked up at the sky full of stars that seemed to be spiritual tablets, and gradually they formed a circle, enclosing Shen Li and Xing Zhi as if was a group of people surrounding them. They looked the same, with a slight smile on the corners of their lips: ¡°This place is the same as the scenery of the outer sky. Before they¡¯re always lined up like stars, it is rare for them to move around, I guess, seeing you today s they¡¯ve all come to watch the excitement, they are very happy.¡± Shen Li glanced at him and saw that although the corners of his lips were just lightly bent, the rest of his face was showing joyful emotions, which was the same as her. The smile was very different, and Shen Li knew that Xing Zhi was really happy at this time. She looked at the floating spiritual tablets and suddenly felt a little bit desolate in her heart. For Shen Li, all she saw were the words engraved on these spiritual tablets, while what he saw were his former friends, friends who would never return. No one knows how many years he has lived until now. He is called an ancient god in the Three Realms, he enjoys the highest courtesy, lives alone in the sky, lying on the stars, watching the world¡¯s major events, but no one can accompany him anymore¡­ He stands too high for anyone to touch. ¡°Do you feel¡­ lonely?¡± Shen Li asked these words in a ghostly manner. Xing Zhi turned his head to look at her, he was silent for a while, and then smiled: ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think, but if the demons, my generals and subordinates all become silent stars, If I had to live alone in the demon¡¯s empty world¡­ ¡­¡± Shen Li paused, ¡°I would not survive.¡± Xing Zhi smiled: ¡°I had to be ok with it, the responsibility is on my body. Whether if it is loneliness or life or death, it¡¯s not under my control. ¡° Shen Li looked at him: ¡°Should God hold everything in the world in his palm?¡±(here based on the context, she means that Xing Zhi have to carry this burden, in English sounded more like that he owns the word, but that doesn¡¯t suit the context) ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He stopped, ¡°I am the only one now. Even if life and death are beyond my control unless I end my life my power will stay in the mountains and rivers forever.¡± ¡°Shen Li was stunned: ¡°Die? The gods can also die?¡± ¡°Naturally, everything lives and dies, even Gods cannot escape. Although I had a long life, but in the end, when that day comes, I will use the power of heaven and earth to merge with the world. A ray of vitality merges into the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas. Although the gods are extinguished, their divine power will remain forever, and they will continue to guard all things and stars.¡± Shen Li was taken aback, ¡°If this is the case, then these ancient gods turned into, a ray of vitality in between heaven and earth?¡± Xing Zhi shook his head ¡°Thirty percent of the lifespan is exhausted, the remaining 70% are all changed even before they died because they did things against the way of the heavens so they were stripped of their godhood, forever reincarnating so they could feel the sufferings of the world. Their divines forms were destroyed, all their divine powers are gone and all the magic techniques they left between the heavens and the earth will eventually disappear.¡± He looked up, ¡°These spiritual tablets are here by the kindness of the heavens they left thoughts for the remaining gods to remember and mourn.¡± He watched the people around him leave one by one, and the increasing number of tablets. ¡°That is to say, the gods who have lived for the longest time in conformity with the heavens will still have their powers spread in the world, and the gods who have been deprived of their godhood by the heavens will leave nothing¡­¡± Shen Li was dazed, suddenly a terrible thought crossed her mind. ¡°If something happens to you now and your godhood is taken away, then all your spells will disappear. Then the ruins where the monsters are¡­¡± He stopped and nodded: ¡°The ruins are another space created by me. If I was robbed of the godhood without my power to sustain the spell, it would naturally disappear.¡± Shen Li¡¯s face sank: ¡°Thousands of scorpion-tailed foxes. Will the monster beasts run out?¡± ¡°No.¡± The arc of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips is slightly lighter, ¡°They will disappear together with the ruins, but at the same time, the demon world will be involved in and fall together.¡± Shen Li was surprised: ¡°Why!¡± ¡°Even if it is a god, it is extremely difficult to open up such a huge space.¡± Xing Zhi waved his hand, and a ray of light crossed his palm, ¡± I could create the ruins only by relying on the power of mountains and rivers and the space itself. Therefore, I use the power of the Five Elements of the Demon Realm to infuse the divine power to make the Ruins.In the beginning, the Demon Realm and the ruins Xu were connected together. Exist and co-exist.¡± Shen Li stared at Xing Shi in disbelief, and said angrily: ¡°You did such a thing regardless of the descendants of the Demon¡¯s Realm!¡± The ruins are connected with the Demon Realm, if there is any turbulence in the Ruins, wouldn¡¯t the Demon Realm be the first to suffer!? ¡°At that time, opening up another space was the fastest way to solve the monster chaos.¡± His expression was cold, and even now, he did not regret it when it came to the decision of the year. ¡°If you didn¡¯t do that, it would all be gone now, even the Demon¡¯s world.¡± Shen Li gritted her teeth, knowing that in a battle, she would sometimes make sacrifices for a certain benefit. But this kind of sacrifice¡­ End of part1. CH 47.2 Chapter 47.2 ¡°You can¡¯t make any changes.¡± Shen Li gritted her teeth, ¡°Nothing at all, you must live to the end of your life.¡± Xing Zhi lowered his head and smiled: ¡°This is natural, you don¡¯t even need to mention. What¡¯s more, I am the only god in the outer sky today, and the entire outer sky is maintained by my divine power. If something happens to me, the outer sky will be overturned, and all the stars and rocks will fall on the nine-layer heavens (the heaven where they are right now), it will surely cause the collapse of the nine heavens and endanger the people of the world.¡± Xing Zhi said lightly, but he pressed a heavier stone on Shen Li¡¯s heart. Thinking of what Youlan said to her, hen Li lowered her eyebrows. She was right, she couldn¡¯t risk it. No one could bear the cost of losing him, it¡¯s not only his life that he is protecting but all lives in the three realms, such a heavy responsibility. It¡¯s really hard to bear¡­ ¡°So.¡± Xing Zhi spoke softly, his expression was extremely bland, but his emotions were surging in his eyes were reflected in the bright galaxy, and he said every word clearly, ¡°Shen Li, I can¡¯t like you.¡± The warning in his words was so obvious, but she didn¡¯t know who exactly he was warning, Shen Li, or himself. Shen Li¡¯s heart twitched inexplicably, she turned her head: ¡°The God is joking, how can Shen Li dare to have any illusions about the God now? As long as the god stops teasing Shen Li from time to time¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t control it.¡± Xin g Zhi suddenly interrupted Shen Li¡¯s words, but he said with a smile knowing that he was being irresponsible ¡°I can¡¯t help it, I want to tease you.¡± This guy¡­ Shen Li clenched her fists, the anger that surged upwards, made her turn her head, stare straight at Xing Zhi, her tone was cold, and she didn¡¯t even bother to use the honorific title: ¡°What do you mean?¡± He said that he has a heavy responsibility and cannot be moved. He was the one pushing her away, and he was also the one bringing her closer. Shen Li couldn¡¯t bear it anymore, and couldn¡¯t bear it at this time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!?¡± (TL/note: Shen Li dear, would you pls turn into a phoenix and peck his eyes out for me?) Xing Zhi stopped and nodded: ¡°I was about to ask you, is there something wrong with me ?¡± Is this¡­ he is admitting to it¡­? Shen Li stared at Xing Zhi, and she suddenly thought ¡°is this really happening?¡± All kinds of emotions flooded her heart, and she couldn¡¯t find any word to say. There was silence in the room for a while, and even the spiritual tablets flew back to their positions. Only then did Shen Li slowly react to the meaning of Xing Zhi, and then suddenly realized that this person was really despicable. His words are so ambiguous, but the meaning behind them is so clear: The right thing would be not have any emotions at all. But he said he couldn¡¯t do it, then¡­Shen Li nodded suddenly: ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± She took a deep breath, held the suffocation in her chest, stared at Xing Zhi, and said, with a powerful voice, ¡°This king will stop giving this kind of trouble to High God.¡± This is not something she can control alone, but what can be done? The person who takes the heavy responsibility of the entire world is already this shameless in front of her¡­ The only solution is to let her do it; Azure King will not second-guess things anymore. Xing Zhi smiled: ¡°Azure King¡± Xing Zhi looked sideways into Shen Li¡¯s dark pupils, filled with stars, making Xing Zhi lost for a moment. He turned his head and blinked, ¡°Just Looking at you¡­ I think It is necessary to treat the symptoms rather than the root cause.¡± Shen Li sneered, ¡°Thins King will Definitely live up to High Gods trust.¡± She turned around to go, but she stopped suddenly when he called her out: ¡°King¡­¡± Shen Li paused, waited for a while, and then Xing Zhi said: ¡°There is still something I have to ask for¡± Before Shen Li could agreed, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I have lived or when my life will expire, but if one day, my deity disappear and become the vitality of heaven and earth, leaving a spiritual tablet here, I hope that the King will visit and clean up in your free time.¡± No matter how great her determination was, Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but turn back slightly at this time: ¡°Why me?¡± Xing Zhi smiled: ¡°Because I want to see you.¡± Because, even if one day he dies, he still wants Shen Li to come and see him, so he can remember these feelings, and if she came to visit, maybe she will think of him too. If she forgets him¡­ then he would be too lonely. CH 48 Chapter 48.1 The Baihua Banquet starts tomorrow. Shen Li didn¡¯t saw Xing Zhi since that talk. Even under the same roof, it is extremely easy for two people with magical power to avoid each other. After that, Xing Zhi still cooked food and delivered it to Shen Li¡¯s door, but she didn¡¯t eat any of it, so after two days, Xing Zhi stopped delivering food. However, Shen Li couldn¡¯t let herself be hungry. Although she didn¡¯t like the immortals in the heavens, she still had to go out and walk around every day. On this day, she swayed to the venue for the banquet of hundreds of flowers and wanted to fill her hunger with a few fairy fruits. Unexpectedly, she just took a peach in her hand, and when she turned around, the goddess Luo Tian stood behind and stared at her. Shen Li let out a clear cough: ¡°The peaches of the heavens are quite big.¡± Then she threw the peaches back. But Youlan said: ¡°This peach is not big, it is from a peach tree that has been fruiting for a hundred years. It is not a rare thing. You can taste this peach, and then taste the next plate that has been fruited for five hundred years. So you can make a judgment on what is better.¡± Is this¡­ her way to say that I can eat the peaches? Shen Li blinked and looked at Youlan. Youlan turned away, her eyes showed some embarrassment. She walked over to Shen Li, picked up three peaches, took a pot of wine, stuffed it in Shen Li¡¯s arms, and walked quickly with her head lowered. Shen Li looked at the food in her arms, but still did not react, what does this goddess mean now? Want to choke her to death through these few fairy peaches? Maybe she is trying to frame her for stealing the fairy fruit? There was a little fairy servant who was busy by her side, Shen Li turned her head and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it considered stealing if I eat what your goddess gave me?¡± The little fairy was taken aback: ¡°The Azure King is joking, since it was given by the goddess, naturally is not stealing.¡± Shen Li raised an eyebrow and decisively took a peach and put it in her mouth. She went all the way back to Xiyuan drinking wine and eating peaches slowly, but Shen Li felt that something was wrong when she walked into the room. The celestial light was too bright. Once she fell on the bed, she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. Shen Li tugged the quilt and buried her face in it and muttered, ¡°I just I knew he was not at ease, waiting for me here¡­¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t wake up until the bell that the Baihua Banquet rang through the nine heavens, and it took a full ninety-nine and eighty-one times to wake Shen Li. She stretched her head under the quilt, and when she saw the sky outside, she woke up instantly. She came here on behalf of the Demon World, and being late would be a big joke. She turned over and sat up, quickly tied her hair up, and opened the door. Xing Zhi was no longer there, and he didn¡¯t even call her! Shen Li¡¯s heart was burning with evil fire, but she helplessly suppressed it. It was probably for the best. They couldn¡¯t even have the affection of roommates¡­ As she walked to the front yard, Shen Li wanted to fly away, but suddenly a red light flashed across the sky. Shen Li frowned. At first, she thought it was a firework from the heavens, but she saw the red light getting closer and was actually coming straight towards the Xiyuan. Shen Li frowned again, still hesitating whether to stop it or not. She saw the red light suddenly accelerate to fall on the roof of the Xiyuan lobby, only hearing a ¡°boom¡±, the earth trembled, the Xiyuan lobby collapsed, and the hot flame spread instantly, burning an orange-red sky. Heaven¡­ was being attacked? This thought flashed in her mind, Shen Li raised her head and looked into the distance, only to see a fireball from an unknown source hit Xiyuan again, and one of the places where it fell was the wing where the spiritual tablets were placed! That first real smile that she saw coming from the corners of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips crossed Shen Li¡¯s heart. The demon energy that was washed away in the marrow pool had not been completely recovered yet but She barely hesitated, and her figure flashed on the roof of the side room. Shen Li snorted and barely pushed out a semi-circular barrier to protect the house below. However, the power of the fireball was completely beyond her imagination. It was extremely hot and carrying huge pressure. If it weren¡¯t for Phoenix¡¯s natural fire, she might have been burned to ashes before she could catch the pressure. She heard a sound of ¡°Ka-cha¡± under her feet, it was a crisp sound of shattering tiles. She gritted her teeth, and the red light spread in her eyes. With a deep breath, her whole body¡¯s mana turned into a wave of golden light, and she rushed towards the fireball with overwhelming power. The fireball shattered from inside out, turning into dusty fire spots, scattering around her wings. Shen Li stood alone on the roof, the wound on her back open, dripping blood slowly from her hands, However, there was no time to rest, more fireballs kept coming. Shen Li¡¯s face was solemn, without avoiding or hesitating, with a fist clenched, the bottom of her eyes was determined not to shrink. After the eighty-one bell rang, the Emperor of Heaven leaned slightly and said to Xing Zhi: ¡°God is seated.¡± In such a situation, even the Heavenly Emperor cannot sit in the highest position, but no one knew that Xing Zhi hates to sit in this location. The white jade seat on the highest steps, is too cold¡­ah Red light flashed across the sky, the eyes of the immortals followed it, and they smiled: ¡°Which car is that? It looks really majestic and beautiful.¡± But after the lights fell, there was a loud noise, and the sky was bright red, the clouds covered with fairy mist trembled, the cups and plates fell, and everything turned into a mess. The Gong Fairy couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in a low voice. However, after the panic, there was a terrible silence. At this time, no one in the comfortable heavens reacted to what happened. Xing Zhi stood up and saw several fireballs chasing the previous red light in the distance. His eyebrows sank, and he felt flustered in his heart. ¡°Report!¡± The strong voice of the guard was particularly harsh at the silent Baihua Banquet. He ran all the way through in a gorgeous and cumbersome armor and made a crisp ding-dong sound. But no one wanted to appreciate the voice of jade, only the guards shouted in panic: There is¡­ there is a fire attack! Going to Xiyuan!¡± The immortals were shocked. The guard¡¯s voice was hoarse and trembling: ¡°It¡¯s burning up!¡± As soon as the breeze passed, no one saw when Xing Zhi disappeared. When everyone came back to their senses, they thought ¡°How could they let High God fight alone?¡± After Heavenly Emperor regained his senses, he hurriedly recruited generals and hurriedly assigned the task, he personally led a team of people to Xiyuan quickly. Azure King went to a banquet on behalf of the Demon Realm, but she never arrived. She should be in Xiyuan. If she was attacked in Heaven¡¯s Realm, it will not be easy to explain to the Demon¡¯s Realm. (TL/note : This is your concern really ? Stinky old guy humpfh!) Moreover, Xiyuan also enshrines the spiritual tablets of the ancient gods¡­ The anxious Emperor knew that those spiritual positions were extremely important to High God and none of them could be lost. If the guard were not enough to stop the attack and the god becomes angry, it will be very bad. Chapter 48.2 The fireballs smashed down the house one by one, and the roof tiles under Shen Li¡¯s feet all shattered. She cursed the idiots in the heavens more than once in her heart. Even in such an important place, they didn¡¯t think of putting a defensive enchantment. And she had been defending the place for a while now, where did everyone go? With such a high-profile attack, fireballs crossing the sky, and no one stopped the attacker?! The idlers gods really have lived a long time comfortably, and their brains are too slow! If the Devil Realm wants to attack the Heaven Realm in the future, Shen Li feels that in only one day she could make this group of wine and rice bags bow their heads! Another fireball fell. This force was a bit heavier than before. Shen Li heard the roof beams creaking under her feet. Obviously, this wing room could not be supported for long, and these attacks were endless¡­ Shen Li gritted her teeth, her heart felt very aggrieved. She has always been good at offensive and defensive and likes to fight quickly. Today, being on the defensive for so long would be better for her to be cut by the enemy directly. The wound on her back kept cracking, the blood had soaked her clothes, and the loss of too much mana gradually made Shen Li a little unable to hold it, as if her body was hollowed out, one by one, fireballs hit her. Sustaining the protective enchantment, In addition to her injures and the huge pressure made her fall on her knees, and the burning flames were even more troublesome. Without magic power, fragments of fireballs pierced into the already thin enchantment of Shen Li and burned her cheeks. A red mark was left on her cheeks, but Shen Li was always indifferent to skin trauma, the only thing she feared was that sparks would burn her eyes. As soon as she thought about it, a spark rushed towards her pupils, Shen Li closed her eyes subconsciously and bowed her head to hide. However, at this moment of trance, another fireball was able to hit the place where Shen Li was standing. The huge impact caused the soles of Shen Li¡¯s feet to soften, and one knee fell on the beam of the room fiercely. With a ¡°click¡±, the beam broke off, and a piece of the roof was sunken in the place where Shen Li was kneeling. Suffering from this sudden blow, the unstable aura in Shen Li¡¯s body was even more chaotic, and the blood kept surging, even if she was trying desperately to suppressed it, there was still blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth. However, at this critical time, she didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion or what, but she felt a cool air burst out from the broken beams of the house, wrapping around her body, alleviating the burning pain. But Shen Li didn¡¯t have the mind to feel the coolness. She just felt that it was the first time in her life that she had not even seen the enemy and was forced into such a situation. It was really embarrassing! She was angry, and when she raised her head, she saw a fireball that was bigger than before coming quickly in her direction. The word ¡°bad¡± flashed across her mind but before anything could happen, she suddenly felt a severe cold all over her body, and the huge pressure was instantly removed. White clothes appeared in front of her eyes, and Shen Li, who was kneeling on one knee, saw only one back, standing against the light. Because Xin Zhi was going to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet, the buns on his head were more neat than usual, but he still looked lazy, and the hot wind blew his clothes and long hair, making him look cool. His figure blocked all the heat and pressure. Shen Li covered her chest with one hand and felt that her heart that had just been beating rapidly due to the battle was at this time, comforted, and eased. This figure¡­ could bring so much security. For Azure King, a sense of security was a rare thing to experience¡­ The heatwave was approaching, and the huge fireball was carrying a force that seemed to turn everything into ashes, surging forward. Xing Zhi¡¯s face was calm, only gently probing his hand. The fireball stopped the attack suddenly like a vicious dog that was tied with a leash around his neck; it had reached the limit of the rope and could no longer move forward. ¡°Go!¡± Xing Zhi shouted and waved his sleeves. But that wasn¡¯t really necessary, Shen li thought, because she saw that the huge fireball was easily thrown back¡­ Thrown ¡­ back. Shen Li could understand why heaven didn¡¯t allow gods to be sentimental. With such a powerful force, if they could do what they want and use this power for selfish reasons, then wouldn¡¯t the world be in chaos? The side where the fireball flew back was lighted with a blazing fire, and as expected, no fireball struck again. Thinking of the other party¡¯s running from his life, Shen Li only felt funny, but when her heart loosened, her body became more tired, and she lost too much blood to control her body. She leaned back and rolled down from the dilapidated roof. However, before she fell to the ground, someone picked her up, and unexpectedly, the person who grabbed her didn¡¯t only grab her hand, instead, he held her entire body. The warm palms were pressed against her already soaked back, and the wounds on her cheeks were gently stroked with cold hands. Xing Zhi¡¯s face was magnified before her eyes, and even though Shen Li was so exhausted at this time that she couldn¡¯t see anything else, Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes Shen Li could still understand. He was angry. He was saying, ¡°Shen Li, don¡¯t you want to live anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to die.¡± She heard her vague voice, ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± ¡°For this house to force yourself to be like this¡­¡± He seemed to try his best to endure his emotions, ¡°You are¡­how careless.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes were about to close and her tired muscles couldn¡¯t support her head anymore. She slammed her head forward, her forehead pressed against Xing Zhi¡¯s shoulder, her voice was small and fuzzy, ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­Let you lose this.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes shone and a warm smile spread on his lips when he saw those spiritual tablets. Shen Li just glanced at him, but deeply remembered it, and could never forget it. Xing Zhi clenched his fists as if he was struggling for a long time. He wrapped Shen Li¡¯s with a quilt with one hand, and firmly pressed the back of her head with the other, pressing her into his arms. The strength was sometimes tight and sometimes loose. He¡­ couldn¡¯t control himself. It turns out that there is such a person, in front of her he couldn¡¯t even grasp the strength to hold her. A finger touched her hair lightly, his lips were just next to Shen Li¡¯s ears, his eyes drooped, his expression low, three points helpless and seven points bitter. He only said to Shen Li, ¡°Azure King¡­ Are you really trying to help me control myself?¡± The Emperor finally led the guards and hurried over. Except for the wing room that Shen Li was desperately protecting, everything else was burnt to ashes. Xing Zhi held the Shen Li in front of a pile of broken walls and tiles. With his back facing everyone, no one could see the expression on his face. The Emperor of Heaven was slightly startled: ¡°God Xing Zhi¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come.¡± Xing Zhi said lightly, ¡°I¡¯m helping Azure King heal.¡± He said, ¡°No one is allowed to come over.¡± As expected, no one dared to step forward. Xing Zhi held Shen Li in front of everyone and embraced Azure King who still had the same heroic appearance as usual, but then everyone saw that, compared with Xing Zhi, Shen Li was so petite¡­ after all. Azure King was also a woman; it was not surprising at all that she looked like one. (TL/note: No, really?? you dumb gods !) CH 49 Chapter 49.1 The emperor ordered a thorough investigation of the attack on the heavens. However, three days later, the fireball thrown back by Xing Zhi was found in the northern corner of the heavens where it made a mess. There was not a single living person. The gods set up camp and there and let soldiers look for clues. After searching for so long, their inefficiency has made all the wise immortals worry. What was more worrying was that the people who attacked the heavens this time weren¡¯t the demons and not even monsters, but the nature of the attack seemed to be from the Beihai (Beihai means north of the sea) clan who has been living in the deep sea of the north. They always were an extremely meek and peaceful race. They have never provoked war for thousands of years, but this time they attacked the heavens like crazy. If they dare to do this in the heavens¡­ What unbearable things have they done in the lower realms? The Heavenly Emperor was furious and immediately went to Beihai to find out. However, before he could go, the Demon Realm handed over an urgent letter dated five days ago. The content of the letter made the Emperor pale¡­ Xiyuan collapsed, so Shen Li had to move back to Fu Rong Jun¡¯s mansion, this time to prevent someone from taking advantage of her serious injury Fu Rong, personally added a enchantment to the room where Shen Li lived, and Xing Zhi moved into Jun Fu¡¯s mansion without hesitation. Two distinguished guests stayed at his home, so Fu Rong Jun couldn¡¯t do anything outrageous in the mansion anymore, and he was very unhappy in his heart. On this day, he called his acquaintance Xian Jun to play with him, and the other party laughed at him: ¡°The rumor is that when this Azure King was injured, the High God was furious. He even hugged her. It seems that the two of them have a very close relationship. If you marry her in the future¡­ your life won¡¯t be easy.¡± Jun Fu Rong heard this and his face paled He swept the chess piece, stomped his feet, and said angrily: ¡°You really are using this to ridicule me! I called you so I can forget all of this!¡± The other party just laughed, and suddenly they heard messy and fast footsteps. They looked around and saw Youkan walking into the yard with her face ugly. When she saw Fu Rong she said coldly ¡°Where is the Azure King ?¡± Fu Rong was startled, and rubbed his forehead in distress: ¡°Let me tell you, Sister Huang, It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t add to the chaos right now, that person is now protected by the High God, how can we do anything? You stop and go back.¡± Youlan¡¯s eyes were cold while she stared at Jun Fu Rong. She just asked again: ¡°Where is the Azure King ?¡± Only then did Fu Rong realize that something was wrong, but he still hesitated a little : ¡°In¡­in the backyard wing, in order to heal her injuries, I set up a barrier for her¡­¡± ¡°Take me there.¡± Then without waiting for Fu Rong she hurried forward. But after taking two steps, she saw that Fu Rong wasn¡¯t following, so she turned her head and stared at him fiercely. Fu Rong trembled with fright and hurriedly walked forward to lead Youlan. He asked as they walked: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Youlan ignored him, and when she walked to the door of the small courtyard, Jun Fu Rong suddenly paused, ¡°I will open the barrier, so you can go in, but you have to go alone, I will not go, I am afraid to see the High God¡­¡± Youlan stepped into the yard without hesitation. The barrier was closed behind her. This time it seemed that Fu Rong had spent some time thinking about Shen Li¡¯s healing place. The winding path was quiet, and the trail was full of fragrant vegetation. Separated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Youlan walked faster but stopped when she was about to walk out of the fragrant woods because she faintly saw Xing Zhi and Shen Li standing at the door through the shadow of the tree, Shen Li¡¯s expression was unhappy, the two of them were arguing. ¡°Why do you need to spend so much time caring about one skin injury?! It¡¯s a waste of time!¡± Xing Zhi stood inside the door, his hands blocking the door, his expression indifferent, and Shen Li¡¯s anxiety became more and more clear, ¡°Let me out! ¡± You can¡¯t go out until the injury is healed.¡± Xing Zhi said it lightly. ¡°The injury is healed! Those fireballs are not as powerful as imagined¡­¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the spiritual energy in the room overflowing and my friends protecting your body with divine power, do you think you could speak so loudly today? ¡° Shen Li was taken aback and suddenly remembered that at that time, she felt that her whole body was cooled a lot. It turned out¡­that the power of the spiritual tablets leaked out to protect her¡­ Shen Li felt that those ancient gods were really amazing. This was extremely kind of them. Even if there was only a memorial tablet left, they still took the time to protect her. Shen Li continued: ¡°So, High God will help Shen Li say my thanks when I go to worship next time. Also, you said so yourself, since I was protected, the injury isn¡¯t all that, and it¡¯s almost healed now, let me go out soon.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Shen Li was furious, and asked every word: ¡°Why are you doing this to me?!¡± ¡°What are you planning to do, that you need to go out so much?¡± Shen Li smiled: ¡°Five days have passed, but the heavenly realm has not caught the mastermind. Even if the person who is investigating the news only set off the day before yesterday, they should be able to run from the heavens to Beihai in two days! It wouldn¡¯t take dozens of days to go back and forth, they probably were lost or already died by now! ¡° Shen sneered,¡± What efficiency! ¡° Xing Zhi just smiled ¡°Those who should be in a hurry are not in a hurry, but you the one who has to heal, wants to go there to catch them.¡± ¡± I¡¯m almost blinded by being locked up here!¡± Shen Li gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, ¡± if it was in the past, I would definitely shoot out the nest of those bastards.¡± ¡°You were beaten by someone and feel unwilling to lose. You want to get it back at them.¡± Xing Zhi smiled and exposed her. Shen Li didn¡¯t want to look at him. Because of her anger, her mouth puffed subconsciously, because of anger, her mouth puffed subconsciously, but the arc was extremely small. If you didn¡¯t look closely, you wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it. But as she moved Xing Zhi could see her slightly bulging cheeks. The uneven skin tone was the traces of her previous burns. Thinking about her falling in his arms that day Xin Zhi almost subconsciously pressed lightly that piece of skin with his thumb and rubbed it twice. ¡°I will avenge you.¡± He spoke softly. When she heard his slightly kind voice Shen Li was stunned for a moment. She looked up at Xing Zhi and then pushed away his hand with a slap. She stared at him solemnly, her eyes cold and wise. There were three red fingerprints on Xing Zhi¡¯s wrist. He looked at Shen Li for a while, then dropped his hand, letting his wide sleeves cover the mark, he smiled, and for a moment he didn¡¯t know what to say. Chiapter 49.2 ¡°High God.¡± Youlan suddenly spoke and walked out of the fragrant woods. She bowed: ¡°God, Azure King.¡± The two looked at Youlan. Before they had time to ask, Youlan said anxiously ¡°Lord, the Heavenly Emperor invites you to the Lingxiao Palace, there are important things to discuss.¡± Shen Li frowned when she heard the seriousness in Youlan¡¯s words: ¡°Lead the way.¡± Xing Zhi raised his eyebrows slightly: ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Heavenly Emperor didn¡¯t just send a letter?¡± Youlan said in a low voice, ¡± High god, it is really important.¡± He stopped asking and nodded: ¡°So, let¡¯s go together.¡± In the Lingxiao Hall, the civil servants and generals of the Celestial Realm were separated on two sides. The Emperor of Heaven was sitting on the dragon chair with a serious face. Seeing Xing Zhi and Shen Li coming together, his brows wrinkled slightly, making people look at the first seat on the left.[1] He opened his mouth and said: ¡°Azure King, here is a letter from the Demon Realm, please take a look.¡± The attendant presented the letter to Shen Li, and Shen Li took it and only glanced, her face turned pale. Severely: ¡°When did the news come?¡± ¡°It came five days ago.¡± The Emperor sighed a little, ¡°The attack caused the immortals to be busy and neglected this letter. No one showed to me until today.¡± Shen Li¡¯s expression became colder, she said, ¡°Emperor, what happened?¡± ¡°The capital of the Demon Realm was also attacked by the Beihai Clan. The Demon Lord was in a coma. A dozen demon generals died, and it happened everywhere¡­ The situation is extremely critical.¡± Shen Li¡¯s brows tightened every time the Emperor said a word. This is the battle report of five days ago, and now the situation must be even worse. Shen Li has a lot to say about the efficiency of the Celestial Realm, but at this time any complaints to allies are useless. The more critical the situation, the calmer she has to stay to analyze the situation. Shen Li closed her eyes, cleared the emotions in her heart, and said coldly after a moment: ¡°In this way, the attack on the heavens five days ago was a feint[2], it was the method of the other party to attack the west.¡± If they really wanted to attack the heavens, how could there be only such a spot for launching fireballs, and how could they hit a secluded place like Xiyuan? The other part was just using a trick to get everyone in heaven tired of running up and down, so there would be no time to take care of other things. Heaven couldn¡¯t help the Demon Realm, so the other side¡¯s main troops attacked the Demon Realm¡­ The Demon Lord was in a coma, and a dozen generals died¡­ Such heavy casualties, the Demon Realm shouldn¡¯t have suffered so much. The Demon¡¯s Realm is different from the Celestial Realm, Shen Li is very clear on that. Those generals are all elites. ¡°Shen Li begs the emperor to allow her to return to the demon world right now.¡± ¡°This is natural.¡± The emperor waved his hand, and someone else presented a few boxes full of pills. ¡°The Demon Lord is in a coma because he was injured badly. Azure King, take these boxes of pills back to the demon world and give them to the Demon Lord. If someone fires up soldiers against the Demon Realm again, you will be able to help the Demon Realm to suppress the thieves in a short time.¡± .¡±Thanks for the emperor¡¯s kindness.¡± Shen Li took the pill without delay, turned, and left. Seeing Shen Li¡¯s figure disappearing at the entrance of the High Heaven Palace, Xing Zhi¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, and he suddenly heard the emperor calling by his side: ¡°High God, what do you think about this?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a coincidence that the Demon¡¯s world was attacked. I believe that this should be a power struggle, and the Beihai clan may also be a borrowed cover.¡± The Emperor nodded: ¡°The High god and I have the same thought. The Demon Realm has been submissive to the Heaven Realm for many years, there are many dissatisfied people among them, and some people are bound to make trouble. If they want to overthrow the current regime of the Demon Real to establish a new king¡­ and if the new king as opposed to the heavens, this would be very troublesome.¡± The civil and military officials were a little noisy for a while, and they were all talking softly with the people around them. The emperor turned his head and looked at Xing Zhi: ¡°High god have been exhausted recently, and the Hundred Flowers Banquet has not been successful. I am really incapable.¡± Usually, Xing Zhi would say a polite sentence, but today he didn¡¯t say a word. It looks like he agreed with the emperor¡¯s words and said silently, ¡°You are incompetent.¡± The emperor stayed silently, and all the hundred officials too. Finally, the emperor coughed twice and said with a little embarrassment: ¡°The High God has been away from the outer sky for a long time, and the outer sky is the source of the world¡¯s fresh air. These days, the heavens are slightly chaotic, and the evil spirit is a little bit heavy¡­ High God¡­¡± ¡°I will return to the outer sky tomorrow.¡± Xing Zhi faintly said a sentence and walked away. There was a moment of silence in the Lingxiao Palace, and the Heavenly Emperor said: ¡°After this incident, many shortcomings of the heavens have been exposed, and everyone saw it. After all, it is comfortable to live for a long time. Such a small matter was enough to make heaven fall into chaos. Once again, dear immortals, what should be investigated and cleaned up, it¡¯s time to reorganize it.¡± All of them agreed. Shen Li walked to the southern heavenly gate, not knowing what to think of all of this, She turned her head inexplicably and suddenly saw Xing Zhi standing ten feet away behind her, staring at her calmly. Shen Li clasped her fists and bowed deeply: ¡°Thank you High God for taking care of me these days, Shen Li says goodbye.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s mouth moved, lowered his head with a smile, and whispered softly: ¡°I can control it now.¡± Hearing that, she turned her head without any attachment, and her long, bundled hair drew a neat arc in the air. She jumped down and walked past the southern gate. Many days from now she would still think about this moment constantly. Why he didn¡¯t call her up that day, why he let her go so easily¡­He obviously still had something to say. [1] : In the traditional seating arrangement, the left or eastward side is considered most honorable, the seat facing the door most venerable of all. The second most prestigious seat is opposite the first, the third is adjacent to the first seat. And the fourth seat is next to the second. [2] A feint attack is designed to draw defensive action towards the point under assault. It is usually used as a diversion to force the enemy to concentrate more manpower in a given area, to weaken the opposing force in another area. CH 50 Chapter 50.1 At the moment she stepped into the Demon Realm, Shen Li felt that the air was three times worse than in the past, even more filthy. It was different from the usual miasma. Now there was killing and violent intent permeating the air everywhere, even the people in the capital were anxious. Shen Li walked from the central avenue of the capital to the Demon¡¯s Lord palace with a calm face. The broken houses along the way told of the panic the Demon Realm suffered that day, and the white banners hung messy and deserted by the roadside, this place isn¡¯t the Demon¡¯s capital she knows, but more like a ghost of the former city. In front of the palace gate, the guard had a white cloth strip on his head. The expression on his face was not like the usual calmness, but a bit of strong majesty. The guard on the left side saw someone rushing towards the palace gate, and didn¡¯t recognize Shen Li. He only raised the spear in his hand and yelled: ¡°Stand, stop!¡± Shen Li frowned and said with a slightly harsh expression ¡°Why are you so flustered!¡± The two guards were stunned. After seeing that the person was Shen Li, one of the guards twitched his mouth, Shen Li didn¡¯t know whether he was crying or laughing: ¡°The King¡­ the lord¡­ the lord is back.¡± His legs seemed soft. He knelt on the ground and squatted both heads fiercely, ¡°Azure King is back! The king is back!¡± Another guard stared at Shen Li silently and wiped his tears. Shen Li clenched her fists: ¡°What is this behavior? Crying on the job!¡± Her voice was majestic, ¡°No matter what happened, as a soldier of this King you shouldn¡¯t cry on duty! Don¡¯t let this king see someone who is crying and shaking the morale of the army, cut it off now!¡± The two guards kowtowed. Shen Li calmed down a bit: ¡°Where is the Demon Lord?¡± ¡°Back to the king, the Demon Lord is resting in the dormitory now¡­¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t he woken up yet?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Shen Li only felt that her heart was burning. The Demon Lord was powerful and very good at strategy not to mention that there was always Yan Chi Rong to protect him. It is usually extremely difficult to hurt him. This injury was so severe¡­ Shen Li rushed to the Demon Lord¡¯s sleeping hall. Before she got close, she saw the maidservants coming back and forth from the sleeping hall. The water basin in their hands fell and stained the ground bright red. Could it be that the Demon Lord injury has worsened? Shen Li became more anxious and rushed straight into the hall. People kept greeting Shen Li. They were officials of the Demon Realm. However, Shen Li didn¡¯t have the intention to respond to them. She went around the screen and went inside as soon as she lifted the curtain, the medical officer at the door could not persuade her. The Demon Lord¡¯s robes on the bed were not changed, and a little blood dripped from the neck. A medical officer pressed a clean cloth on his neck. However, the cloth soon became wet, and the maidservant had to take it to wash it. And then replaced with a clean one. The bloodstains on his clothes were dry. The mask on his face was not taken off, only the lower jaw was removed, and his lips were exposed to make it convenient for the servants to feed him medicine. The color of his lips revealed that his body situation was terrible. His lips were blue¡­ Shen Li took out the pills there were in her arms and said loudly, ¡°Here are a few boxes of elixir given by the Heavenly Emperor. Physicians, please come to see if there are any that can be used now.¡± As soon as she said this, regardless of etiquette, the doctor on the side quickly took the pills off Shen Li¡¯s hand, poured them out one by one, and carefully identified them, and then took one of them and put them in the mouth of the Demon Lord. In a moment, the blue color on his lips faded slightly, and the blood on his neck slowly stopped. ¡°This pill is useful! This pill is useful!¡± The medical officers were ecstatic, and someone rushed to Shen Li to worship, ¡°Azure King, really is the savior of the demon world.¡± ¡°Forget the flattery, the Demon Lord is hurt to this extent. What¡¯s going on?¡± The physicians looked at each other, and after a while, an old physician replied: ¡°Master, the Demon Lord suffered only a sword wound on the neck. This wound was not critical, it just hurt the flesh. The thing that caused the devil to be unconscious¡­ is poison.¡± Shen Li frowned, ¡°What kind of poison?¡± ¡°It seems to be a kind based on miasma. This Poison can make people lose their minds, and then the person who was poisoned will fall into a coma. If there is a wound on the body, the wound will not heal, and the bleeding will not stop. But this kind of miasma is slightly different from the other miasma, it seems to be very harmful to the body of the demon, but it will not cause great damage to other things. This is like a poison made to go against the demons.¡± Miasma poison¡­ Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but think of the poison that Fu Sheng used when she was in Yangzhou City, but at that time the poison was not that powerful, and the miasma was dispersed with a little mana. Now this poison has something to do with the poison at the time¡­ Shen Li guarded on the Demon Lord side for a while, after eating the pill again, the blue color on the Demon¡¯s lips faded away, and a pale white slowly emerged. Shen Li could imagine how pale this face must be after under the mask. She looked at him quietly for a while, her fists could not help clenching: ¡°Where are Qing Yan and Chi Rong?¡± The guard on the side replied: ¡°The two envoys didn¡¯t show up in this campaign.¡± Shen Li¡¯s complexion darkened. What a coincidence, it was almost as calculated¡­ She was silent for a while and asked: ¡°Those generals¡­ Where are the generals who died?¡± ¡°They are still lying down in a military camp outside the city. It may take a few days to be buried.¡± ¡°Why?¡± The guard¡¯s voice was extremely low: ¡°According to military regulations, after the war, the soldiers must be buried before the generals can be buried ¡° Chapter 50.2 Shen Li turned her head to look at him blankly: ¡°Five days have passed, but the soldiers haven¡¯t been buried yet?¡± The guard lowered his head and said nothing. Shen Li¡¯s head was empty for a moment, she stood up and took a slow breath, closed her eyes, and calmed her emotions, ¡°Keep the Demon Lord safe, and be sure to wake up the Demon Lord as soon as possible.¡± After saying this, she left the Demon Lord¡¯s bedroom. She drove the clouds from the Demon Lord¡¯s palace straight to the military camp outside the city. Before she even got close she could feel a deep and decadent smell in the wind blowing from there. The closer she gets the more she could hear people crying, some were hoarse, some were stern, it was unbearable to hear. Shen Li flew over this area very quickly and fell into the barracks. The soldiers were busy. No one saw her. Shen Li dragged a soldier and asked, ¡°Where are the generals?¡± The soldier¡¯s eyes were dull. Looking up at Shen Li for a while, the light slowly came into his eyeballs: ¡°Master¡­¡± He called out in disbelief and blinked, then saw that Shen Li was still there. He was so excited that he held Shen Li¡¯s shoulders for a while. ¡°The King¡­Azure King¡­¡± he shouted with flushed face, ¡°The King is back! The King is back!¡± Everyone stopped working and looked there, everyone was overjoyed to see Shen Li standing there. However, listening to their cheers, Shen Li¡¯s heart became even more serious. The Demon World is not a mess of loose sand without rules. These soldiers should not behave as if she was their savior. They should be orderly and act according to the expected plan no matter what happens, and usually, that¡¯s what they do. If things were normal, even if they lose one battle would be impossible to see them like this. It seems that the situation is more serious than imagined. Shen Li was thinking. Suddenly seeing two generals hurriedly walking in front of her, Shen Li immediately greeted them: ¡°General Dao Mu, General Shi Fang¡­¡± She just said hello, but she barely had time to speak when the two knelt in front of her with a ¡°puff¡± sound. ¡°This general is incompetent!¡± ¡°This general is guilty.¡± Their foreheads slammed to the ground with great strength, their faces showed extremely unwilling anger and irreparable regret. ¡°General¡­¡± Shen Li¡¯s face moved. No matter how much she told herself to be calm and composure at this time, she couldn¡¯t help but be moved by the bows of these two veterans. How big a blow is it to make the proud soldiers of the Demon Realm so depressed. .. She stretched out her hand to support the two generals, ¡°Let this King understand what happened to the Demon Realm first.¡± The two veterans got up slowly. They led Shen Li to the back of the barracks and explained: ¡°Five days ago, A team of men and horses suddenly attacked from the south.¡± After only opening his mouth, Dao Mu¡¯s expression was already anxious. Shen Li felt it was strange, and Shi Fang finally took the conversation and said: ¡°The opponent only has two hundred men and horses¡­¡± Shen Li was startled and couldn¡¯t believe it: ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Two hundred people.¡± Shen Li suddenly understood why the soldiers were so upset. The capital guard army had a little more than 100,000, and the total number of generals must be more than two hundred. So many soldiers were trampled by a mere two hundred people¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the other party¡¯s background?¡± Shen Li¡¯s voice was muted, and she had to say that even if she had not experienced the fight, she would inevitably be bothered when she heard this number. ¡°The soldiers carried the flag of the Beihai clan. Those soldiers were big men without armor, shirtless, and no weapons. They only fought with people with their bare hands, broke their necks, or beat them to death. What¡¯s more, they just tore people with great power.¡± Shi Fang¡¯s voice did not fluctuate, but even if he said these words so plainly, he still looked startled, ¡°Their skin seemed very different from ordinary people. It was difficult for ordinary soldiers to injure them even with swords or guns. Only the generals who have a little Taoist cultivation level could still hurt one or two by pouring mana on the blade.¡± ¡°Can I see their bodies?¡± The two generals looked at each other. ¡°No, at the end we decapitated at least 30 or so enemies, but their corpses were taken back by the opponent. Only eight or nine enemies were captured by the demon king. They were fried into the mud.¡± Shen Li pondered for a moment. The descriptions of the two generals made her involuntarily think of the three sturdy men she met in the city wall of Yangzhou when she and Xing Zhi were investigating the matter of the gods who were kidnapped. If those two hundred people who attacked the Demon Realm were really like them their strength should not be underestimated. Thinking of the mysterious Fu Sheng, Shen Li asked: ¡°Do they have a leader?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a very young man. He looks no different from ordinary people, but his swordsmanship was weird. He was injured by the sword.¡± Fu Sheng¡¯s figure immediately appeared in Shen Li¡¯s mind. It makes sense to think about it this way. Those big guys are his subordinates, and the miasma was his thing, but how could he belong to the Beihai clan? Previously he was in the human world trying to kidnap the mountain gods, and now the attacks on both Heaven and Demon¡¯s Real¡­¡­ Shen Li whispered: ¡± By attacking the Demon¡¯s world¡­ what he is trying to do?¡± The General heard her Muttering to herself, his fists clenched and he said: ¡°The Demon Lord¡¯s golden seal was taken away by him.¡± The golden seal, a symbol of the power of the demon world. Thinking of the riots happening all over the Demon Realm at the same time, Shen Li¡¯s eyebrows sank, is it really to seize power? But what kind of power can be seized just by taking a gold seal¡­ Shen Li was thinking and walked to the hall where the general¡¯s bodies were lying. Her face was stern as she stepped in. There were a lot of generals inside, and everyone let Shen Li pass. A row of coffins, dozens of corpses. The people lying here, Shen Li could remember all their names, but now she could no longer recognize their faces, some of them are incomplete, some are totally unrecognizable. Shen Li stops in front of a coffin. Live, there was only a sword and some broken pieces of armor in the coffin, and the bloodstains on it seemed to see people. ¡°Who is this?¡± she asked softly. ¡°It¡¯s General Mo Fang.¡± The general behind her replied, ¡°He was on the battlefield, desperately fighting with three enemies, and finally he was surrounded by several of them¡­and he was¡­ he was devoured by one of them¡­¡± Mo¡­ ¡­Fang Was swallowed by the opponent¡­ swallowed? CH 51 Chapter 51.1 Shen Li shook her head: ¡°If I can¡¯t see the body, I won¡¯t believe it!¡± The surrounding generals all bowed their heads and remained silent. The hall was silent for a long time, and a voice muttered: ¡°This general saw with his own eyes¡­¡± The bearded general looked slumped, ¡°This general saw the Mo Fang general being eaten by them.¡± Shen Li held the coffin and looked at the broken sword and broken clothes inside. A sense of powerlessness entangled her footsteps. She couldn¡¯t walk, her legs turned soft. ¡°This general also saw it with his own eyes.¡± Someone else whispered, and more and more people confirmed. Shen Li had to believe the fact that Mo Fang died tragically. Her five fingers were clasped on the thick coffin, and her fingertips turned white for applying too much force. With a ¡°Kala¡± sound of breaking, she left a fingerprint on the thick solid wood coffin. ¡°I understand.¡± She nodded, her voice was extremely low, but it looked like a broken string, and everyone¡¯s heart hung up after hearing it, ¡°This King knows now¡­¡± She lowered her head, as if in silence. She didn¡¯t show her emotions, but this bow made people feel that this woman who had always straightened her back was like a hedgehog whose thorns had been pulled out. At this moment, there was no aggressiveness. The demons were defeated and Mo fang and other generals died tragically. If she was there¡­ If she were there, would things not be so bad¡­? Shen Li clenched her teeth, but after a while, she raised her head again and turned to leave the side of Mo Fang¡¯s coffin. She continued to read the remaining tags on the corpses of the generals, and then slowly walked outside the mourning hall. Shen Li kept walking, step by step, each step firmer, each step calmer. Shen Li knew better than anyone that people cannot come back from death, regret is useless, what she can do is let the living continue to live. She will protect them. Stepping out of the mourning hall, the decayed smell in the air was still pungent. Shen Li stepped onto the training platform, put one hand on her chest, and the other pointed directly at the sky, she whispered a spell, and a white brilliance slowly came from her body. Ascending, a beam of bright light centered on her, spreading around The scene was very beautiful but also extremely sad. The sorrowful cry seemed to break people¡¯s hearts. Shen Li saw from a distance that many people were crying and chasing after the bleak light in the place where soldiers were buried as if wishing to go with them. Shen Li dropped her hands and clenched her fists: ¡°I, Azure King, Shen Li, swear by my life.¡± Her voice was not loud, but the generals under the training platform could hear clearly, ¡°This hatred will be reported!¡± The wind passed, shaking Shen Li¡¯s hair, countless shining lights floated in front of her as if her soldiers used the last strength to go along with her vows. The sky was getting darker, and the same moon was shining in different places. A young man in a purple cloak stood quietly by the grass and trees by the river: ¡°Oh? Has Azure King returned to the Demon Realm?¡± ¡°Yes, this subordinate also receive this news. Shen Li came back to the Demon Realm this afternoon.¡± The black-clothed masked man bowed his head to the ground and replied respectfully, ¡°She brought back the pill from the heavens to relieve the Demon Lord poison, and then used the spirit technique to extradite tens of thousands of resentful spirits in the capital.¡± ¡°Oh, just like a savior. No wonder the Demon Lord and all those mediocre people tried to protect her.¡± The young man¡¯s fingertips lightly touched the rough bark. ¡°I searched the entire Demon Palace without finding even a breath of Phoenix Fire Pearl. It seems that the Demon Lord has given the bead to Shen Li. It seems that now I have to deal with her¡­¡± ¡°General Fu Sheng, we have lost fifty-eight demons and some bodies in the last battle. It hasn¡¯t been spliced ??yet, and I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy to fight again in such a short time.¡± ¡°No matter how powerful Shen Li is, she is only one person.¡± Fu Sheng groaned for a while. Bring Shen Li out, then I will kill her and retrieve the Phoenix Fire Pearl.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man in black agreed with his fists, and then hesitated again, ¡°General, but Young Master¡­¡± Fu Sheng¡¯s eyes were cold: ¡°You must not let the young master know before this matter is done. In the face of Shen Li, the young master was too soft too many times. I have to kill Shen Li to get the Phoenix Fire Orb and to eliminate it. After Shen Li dies, the young master will not have any objections, even if he gets mad, he won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± Chapter 51.2 Fu Sheng¡¯s eyes were cold: ¡°You must not let the young master know before this matter is done. In the face of Shen Li, the young master was too soft too many times. I have to kill Shen Li to get the Phoenix Fire Orb and to eliminate it. After Shen Li dies, the young master will not have any objections, even if he gets mad, he won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡± A black air rose from his fingertips, but within a short time he enveloped the tree, and after a while, all the leaves were withered and black. Qi grew stronger, and finally condensed into a small black bead and fell on Fu Sheng¡¯s palm. He swallowed the beads in one mouth. ¡°But before these things, find me a few strong living people to help me regulate my internal breath.¡± ¡°Subordinates will obey.¡± The wind blew and the withered leaves fell and scattered. It was already the second day when Shen Li arranged the affairs of the barracks. She took time to return to her palace, but she saw that although Rouya(Shen li servant) was frightened, she was still in good spirits. She was there with her hair on her body intact. One person and one bird, from the moment Shen Li stepped into the door, started talking loudly, telling her the panic of that day. Shen Li listened quietly, and only touched Rouya¡¯s head to comfort her ¡°I¡¯m here now, so I won¡¯t let anyone insult you again.¡± Rouya was startled and made a noise with her mouth suddenly closed. She looked at Shen Li with red eyes and then cried out with an ¡°uh¡± sound. She was really frightened. After resting for a while in the palace, Shen Li changed her clothes, put on light armor, and was about to enter the palace again but before she could go out, Rouya called her, and wailed for a long time and finally said, ¡°The lord must take care! Rouya and Shishi [1] are waiting for you to come back!¡± (I guess this is the name of the parrot) Shen Li smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just go to the palace and I¡¯ll come back in the evening. ¡° Rouya nodded, but watching Shen Li walk out of the mansion door without looking back, she felt an inexplicable panic in her heart, like¡­like she would never come back again: ¡°Lord, take care!¡± Rouya Shout out again. Shen Li waved her hand and didn¡¯t look back: ¡°I will.¡± Although the Demon Lord¡¯s poison has faded, he has lost too much blood before and is still unconscious. The civil servants were anxious, but they had no choice so the three elders sat in the meeting hall to replace the devil with temporary powers. Shen Li sat on the left side of the chamber, quietly listening to the officials below reporting the follow-up situation of the riots in various places. It was almost as if it was to contain the local army. When the enemy attacked the capital, riots occurred. However, after a few days, they gradually subsided. Shen Li frowned when she heard that something like that happened. The only explanation for this is¡­ ¡°There is an inner spy, a traitor.¡± One of the elders said this quietly, ¡°Not only planning the riots, this old man has been studying the route of the other party¡¯s retreat, the person must be familiar with the structure of the Demon Kingdom, otherwise it would be impossible to withdraw so soon.¡± And what¡¯s worse is that chaos occurred in various places at the same time, which means that there are spies everywhere¡­ ¡°I agree.¡± Shen Li said coldly, ¡°These spies are not only familiar with the local area, but also familiar with the army structure of the Demon Realm. They must be people in the army. In this war, the missing people, the people who are walking secretly, capture the three clans, and judge them one by one.¡± Shen Li has never been a softhearted person. This order was issued without hesitation. ¡°Report!¡± A hurried voice came from outside the hall, and the messenger broke into the door, kneeling and clasping his fists, ¡°My lord! Those¡­ those invulnerable monsters have appeared again!¡± Everyone was shocked, and Shen Li stood up immediately. Her gaze was cold ¡°Where? How many?¡± ¡°There are only four or five, and the direction they are going is Xu Tianyuan!¡± The meeting hall became noisy, everyone knew that there were thousands of monsters in Xu Tianyuan. If the enemies break through the barrier and let those monsters out that would be a catastrophe! ¡°Xu Tianyuan¡¯s barrier will not be broken.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone.¡± She asked the messenger calmly, ¡°Apart from the movement, do they have other actions?¡± ¡± Yes ¡­ they burned and killed along the way. ¡­Wherever they passed, they left no one alive¡­¡± ¡°Bastards!¡± The general listening couldn¡¯t take anymore ¡°They think that there¡¯s no one in the Demon Realm anymore !?¡± clasped his fists and knelt down: ¡° Please let this general fight!¡± The meeting hall was noisy for a while, and some civil servants persuaded: ¡°Before in the capital, you had no chance, but now you think you can win the battle? It¡¯s better for us to solve the mystery of their bodies first, and then there can be a way to overcome it!¡± ¡°How can we let them be arrogant now! We are fighting for our lives and¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Shen Li scolded coldly, ¡°How can a general of the Demon Race be so desperate? It really makes people laugh.¡± There was silence in the conference hall. The discussion hall fell silent. Shen Li stood up, wearing light armor, and murmured slightly: ¡°This time, this king will meet those monsters.¡± [1] I believe this is the name of the parrot CH 52 Chapter 52.1 Shen Li had previous experience of fighting against such weird people, but according to what the soldiers and generals said, those weird people seemed to be even more powerful now. Just in case, Shen Li deliberately asked three generals of the army to go with her. They all fought against those weird people a few days ago and were more experienced and capable than others. ¡°The point of this trip is not to kill the enemy, but to catch them alive, even if only one person is captured back it¡¯s good enough. Bring back the creature to study so we can find out their fatal points in case they attack us later.¡± Shen Li urged before departure. Then said, ¡°But don¡¯t try too hard.¡± General Dao Mu smiled: ¡°Is the King treating us as new soldiers? The most unpleasant things on the battlefield, we know. We¡¯ve seen it all.¡± Shen Li nodded: ¡°Several generals are all elites in the army, your clan doesn¡¯t lose to anybody.¡± She sighed and set off. Shen Li didn¡¯t need to return to the palace to change, she has always been in light armor, ready to go on expeditions. Riding on the clouds, they traveled extremely fast. From time to time, they could see down the red field of the land where the demons had fought. They hurried away, trying to get there as fast as possible. Not far to the north was Tianyuan Xu¡­ With sharp eyes, Shen Li glanced down on the cloud and saw that a creature was grabbing a child, holding the child¡¯s arms with both hands and opening his mouth, as if he was about to tear the child to eat. The child was so scared he forgot to cry only staring at the creature in a daze. Suddenly, a silver light slashed from the right side, and the spear blade was like a knife, slashing down, cutting off the demon¡¯s hand. Shen Li knew how strong their bodies were, so this shot did not spare any effort and cut off the hand of the demon. The blade of the weapon hit the ground fiercely, and its strength poured into the earth vigorously, the surrounding vegetation trembled. The creature raised his head and hissed. The blood from his two broken arms splashed on the child¡¯s face. However, the child just looked at Shen Li¡¯s back, as if he had not realized that he had been rescued. Shen Li didn¡¯t have time to take care of the child and only threw him behind her into the grass. She raised her spear and stepped forward without giving the demon a chance to react. The tip of the weapon was covered with fierce mana and went straight through his heart. Such an attack could not kill the demon, but Shen Li didn¡¯t want to kill him, as long as he couldn¡¯t move, it would be enough. However, she hadn¡¯t even pulled out the tip of the gun when suddenly she heard someone shouting in the air: ¡°Lord, be careful!¡± A fierce palm made of wind roared behind her, Shen Li managed to dodge it, avoiding the blow. Pulling out her spear and grabbing it horizontally she swept and cut straight through the neck of the man behind her. Blood spurted out, and in just a moment, Shen Li was already covered in blood. Suddenly there was a sound of fighting in the air. Shen Li raised her head and saw that three creatures were fighting the three generals in the air. When did these creatures learn the technique of flying clouds¡­? They are constantly getting stronger¡­ Shen Li was surprised at first but regained her concentration when suddenly felt a strange movement behind her back. ¡°I see that Azure King has been living well.¡± Shen Li¡¯s palm tightened in her silver spear, her head had not even turned back to look at the person speaking when something hit her spear. The tip of the spear bent like cotton, all her strength was taken off, She quickly pulled away and retreated. Ten meters away, she turned her head to look at the person again. He wore a green uniform, his face unchanged: ¡°Fu Sheng?¡± Shen Li said coldly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my blessing that Azure King can remember me.¡± In spite of his polite words, Shen Li Knew that this person had evil intentions, and knew that there must have been some kind of conspiracy that brought her here today. Her brows sank, her ears heard the three people and three creatures still fighting in the air. Under the circumstances, it was really unnecessary for Shen Li to confront him now and add casualties. However, she didn¡¯t have the heart to retreat and listened to what Fu Sheng said: ¡°I¡¯ll not lie to you, the truth is, I came to see Azure King this time because I need something you possess.¡± Shen Li sneered, but before she could speak, he smiled again and said, ¡°Naturally, I know that Azure king would not be willing to give this to me freely. So¡­¡± The air surrounding them suddenly became murderous, and his eyes were cold: ¡°I¡¯ll trouble the King to die today¡± ¡°Fu Sheng You¡¯re daydreaming.¡± Such provocation made Shen Li¡¯s eyes even more chilly, and neither of the two acted first. The surrounding airflow gradually became bitter, and the vegetation between the two had been torn apart silently and turned to ashes. The airflow expanded and spread to the side. The bushes shook, the leaves trembled in the wind, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, until they couldn¡¯t hold on anymore and flew away, the tree trunk cracked with a sound and burst fiercely. ¡°Ah!¡± The child who was hiding behind the tree cried out, the force when the tree was exploded pushed him two feet away. I Can¡¯t go on like this! The child¡¯s cry was like a signal, touching Shen Li¡¯s nerves. She stomped forward with her toes, using her whole body, and the whole person flew out like an arrow. Fu Sheng couldn¡¯t avoid or hide. When Shen Li attacked him, he suddenly noticed a powerful aura pressing him down on the ground. Shen Li¡¯s spear tip was slightly tilted but coming directly at Fu Sheng. Fu Sheng suddenly turned to his side and turned his hand into a claw aiming at Shen Li¡¯s heart. But Shen Li had already predicted his moves, the silver spear was retracted, and its tail hit Fu Sheng¡¯s hand. At first, it didn¡¯t look like a strong attack, but it touched Fu Sheng¡¯s palm so his skin was directly burned. Leaving a scorched palm. Unexpectedly, at some point, Shen Li had cast a fire spell on the red spear, making the entire silver spear extremely hot. The child who was rescued by Shen Li looked at Shen Li with bright eyes, full of admiration and worship. Shen Li waved her hand, the child cleverly knew what she meant, and immediately ran away. She turned over and leaped, holding her spear body and falling ten steps away from Fu Sheng, her movements were like a dance. She said, ¡°This is a gift to you.¡± She was burned by fire in the heavens. She still remembers clearly. This is retribution. Fu Sheng looked at his scorched hands, raised his head, and laughed sharply: ¡°Interesting, you are worthy of being my opponent!¡± As soon as the voice fell, he didn¡¯t stop at all, his figure moved, and his movements were ten times faster than before. He rushed forward, no swords or weapons only turning his fingers into claws, and fought with Shen Li empty-handed. The two of them staggered, sometimes turning into the wind and fighting into the sky, sometimes turning into light and disappearing in a flash. In an instant, Shen Li had exchanged no less than a hundred moves with him. The more she fought with him, the stranger she felt. This person¡¯s moves were somewhat similar to her own, but when you pay more attention, the subtleties were somewhat different. The same tactics of open and close hand [1] were supposed to be extremely tough, but he used them to be a bit insidious and unpredictable. ¡°Azure King isn¡¯t joking¡± After one move, the two stood on both sides in the air, and he smiled strangely, ¡± But I think your subordinates don¡¯t have the same ability .¡± As soon as Shen Li heard these words, she looked down and suddenly found that not far below, the three generals were fighting with the three creatures. At this time, the creature whose neck was cut by Shen Li also joined in. Four to three made the already struggling generals even more powerless to fight. At this time, two of them were obviously injured, their attacks were weak, and the situation was critical Shen Li was anxious, she leaned down and rushed towards that side, but how could Fu Sheng let her go? He followed behind. Shen Li was furious: ¡°Go away!¡± ¡°Forgive me, I can¡¯t .¡± Fu Sheng stretched his hand forward, his nails soaring, his five fingers gathered together, and his nails stood in front of Shen Li like a knife. ¡°I¡¯m your opponent !.¡± As he spoke, one of the creatures hit General Dao Mu¡¯s abdomen with a punch. , Shen Li Saw the general spit out a mouthful of blood. The red light in the depths of her eyes surged, and her whole body was trembling. ¡°I said, get out!¡± Shen Li said while waving her silver spear but Fu Sheng raised his hand to block it. His nails were harder than Shen Li had imagined, and Shen Li¡¯s spear was even stronger than Fu Sheng expected. Everyone was shaken a few meters away by their strength, but Shen Li did not hesitate, she continued rushing away to the generals. Fu Sheng looked at his nails, the light in his eyes moved, and he caught up again. With a low shout, Shen Li cut off one of the creature¡¯s head with the spear, broke a gap between the other creatures and the generals, and protected the three from falling to the ground. The red tasseled spear plunged into the ground, and the red flames formed a barrier to separate herself from the three. The Azure King ordered ¡°You three withdraw. I¡¯ll fight with them.¡± [1]I guess the technic Shen li is refering, is maybe something like this ? ( changing position of the hands) Chapter 52.2 The Azure King General ordered ¡°You three withdraw. I¡¯ll fight with them.¡± Before the three generals could speak, suddenly a gap was torn out of the flame barrier, and five sharp nails penetrated the barrier. The flame barrier broke, Shen Li gritted her teeth, and the red light in her eyes was even worse. The heatwave rolled everywhere. She forced the chasing Fu Sheng back a few steps, and shouted: ¡°Retreat!¡± Without worrying about the generals, she could find a way to escape. The three generals also understood the situation at this time, that the most difficult thing to deal with was not the creatures, but the youth in the green robe. They were already injured, and if they drag on now, they would only hurt Shen Li. The three of them glanced at each other, and as soon as they thought about running, they were interrupted by a creature¡¯s roar, and two other creatures ran out of the bushes and ran into the three generals. Dao Mu was already injured, and the other two generals stepped in front of him to protect him, blocking the attack in front. But no one noticed that the creature whose hands were pierced by Shen Li¡¯s was actually alive. At this time, the creature climbed to Dao Mu¡¯s footsteps and bit his calf off in one bit. Dao Mu gritted his teeth to resist the severe pain, raised the big knife in his hand, and slashed down, cutting the creature¡¯s head straight, thinking that he could die today, but he wouldn¡¯t die alone. The creatures who had fought in the air before fell again and surrounded the generals. The two generals in front couldn¡¯t protect themselves, much less help Dao Mu. They only heard Dao Mu¡¯s unbearable scream, as he was dragged by those creatures. The creatures tore his limbs, with blood spattering, they ate and swallow his flesh. Shen Li was trying to draw Fu Sheng away, and suddenly heard the screams behind her. She caught a glimpse of such a scene in the surrounding light. Her head went blank, and she didn¡¯t even feel it when Fu Sheng¡¯s five fingers swiped on her back. It turns out¡­ they really eat people¡­ It turned out that the general of her Demon Realm¡­ was killed in such a way¡­ Fu Sheng smiled crazily: ¡°Isn¡¯t this scene beautiful? Thanks to this battle my pets were able to have a good meal! ¡° The general that valued her so much, living beings who guarded this land with her¡­ ¡°Bastard¡­¡± Shen Li¡¯s fingertips were white while holding the silver spear. ¡°Bastard.¡± She lowered her head, gritted her teeth and was about to take a step towards the generals, when Fu Sheng stretched out his hand to stop her again: ¡°You are not allowed to save people until the battle is over¡­¡± He didn¡¯t have the time to finish when Shen Li raised her head suddenly. Fu Sheng was slightly startled, he saw a trace of scarlet coming out of Shen Li¡¯s eyes, her black and white eyes, accumulating bright red liquid that looked like blood, sticking from the corners of her eyes, falling down across her cheeks a drop finally fell and sank into the ground. In an instant, Shen Li¡¯s airflow rioted around him, like a hurricane swirling across the world. The golden hairband on Shen Li¡¯s head broke and her black hair was scattered, violently whipping the air surrounding her, and its roots slowly turned red, like magma. Shen Li only felt an extremely hot breath surging in her gut, slowly burning her blood and the reason in her mind. The red silver spear rose out of the white mist, and as the airflow stirred around Shen Li, the hot breath stopped abruptly. In the blink of an eye, Shen Li disappeared and went straight to the place where the creatures gathered. She did not bother using a weapon, she slapped one of the creature¡¯s heads with her bare palm. The head of the creature instantly ignited in flames. The creatures let out screams that could pierce eardrums, but Shen Li seemed to hear nothing. Turning around, she hit her palm above the chest of another creature, flames burned in his chest. However, she didn¡¯t stop there. She slapped all the creatures in the scene, and they all burned up without exception. Finally, after all the demons were burned to ashes, Shen Li waved her palm and shot at one of the generals, but the palm with the scorching temperature stopped three inches from the general¡¯s heart, without touching it. Shen Li bowed slightly and shook her head in confusion as if trying to get her sanity back. Finally, she turned her head and her scarlet eyes glared at Fu Sheng. In an instant, her figure fell in front of Fu Sheng: ¡°You damn thing!¡± She spoke every word with difficulty, and as soon as her voice fell, she waved her claws at Fu Sheng. Fu Sheng stretched out his hand to block, only to feel that his nails that were as hard as iron, instantly softened. Shen Li¡¯s hand slapped his cheek unimpeded. This slap was extremely loud, and Fu Sheng retreated several feet away and immediately murmured an ice spell. Condensing ice, clutching his cheek that was hit by Shen Li, ice and fire collided with each other on his cheek. The pain did not make him lose his mind, but it made Fu Sheng¡¯s eyes even colder. ¡°As expected of¡­ The Phoenix.¡± His tone was indistinct, and before he could adjust to the injury on his face, Shen Li attacked again. The silver spear radiating dazzling light struck with the momentum of the thunderbolt, unstoppable. Fu Sheng was stunned. He was being suppressed and forced to retreat all the way. Finally, he found a gap, so he set up the cloud, turned, and fled. Shen Li chased him away. A general yelled on the ground: ¡°KING! Don¡¯t chase him! He is full of tricks!¡± Shen Li couldn¡¯t even hear him, chasing Fu Sheng¡¯s figure, she disappeared into the air after him¡± As she ran all the way to the human world, Shen Li suddenly felt that the surrounding water vapor was heavier. She was distracted, and Fu Sheng escaped to the sea. Taking advantage of Shen Li¡¯s distraction, Fu Sheng sent a signal to the sky. In no time, several people in black suddenly appeared beside him. When Shen Li turned her head and saw them, the red spear swept out the air, and the flames rushed towards the black-clothed men. Two people who didn¡¯t have time to react were burned to ashes on the spot. The other ones quickly avoided and separated. They chanted a spell very cooperatively. The moisture in the air instantly became icy, turning into very small ice scum, and pressed against Shen Li¡¯s body, as if to surround her. An inexplicable arc suddenly cracked at the corner of Shen Li¡¯s mouth. The heat in her abdomen became even more intense. The heat circulated in her body, causing clusters of flames to appear on her skin. The heatwave burned away all the water vapor. The people in black were shocked, and looked at Fu Sheng with a slight fluster: ¡°My lord, the water technique has no effect on her!¡± The water technique¡­ These three slightly familiar words sting Shen Li¡¯s eardrums and a white figure slowly emerged in her increasingly chaotic mind, and she seemed to hear him sigh: ¡°You made yourself so embarrassed again.¡± How can these people know the water stop technique¡­ that is obviously a god¡¯s spell. Shen Li was slightly stunned. Fu Sheng saw her distraction and suddenly shouted: ¡°Summon all the creatures!¡± Receiving the order, the man in black took out a strange musical instrument in his hand. He blew it two or three times and there was a roar in the distance in harmony with him. With a wave of his hand, Fu Sheng turned all the waves into ice arrows, piercing sharply towards Shen Li. The murderous intent was approaching, and Shen Li suddenly came back to her senses. She did not dodge, and the flames all over her swelled up, burning out all the ice in an instant. Before Fu Sheng had time to see her movements, he felt his jaw warm. Shen Li had already grabbed his lapels: ¡°Say, how did you learn the Stop water technic?¡± Fu Sheng smiled: ¡°The King seems to be extremely concerned about that god¡¯s affairs.¡± Shen Li stared at him coldly as she put her hands in his heart. With one thought she could burn him to ashes. A thunderbolt fell from the sky between the sparks and flints, forcing Shen Li to throw Fu Sheng away, she retreated a few feet away and then turning her head to face the new opponent. There stood a young man with black clothes and black hair. His face couldn¡¯t be more familiar to Shen Li. ¡°Mo¡­ Fang¡­¡± CH 53.1 Chapter 53.1 Mo Fang looked at Shen Li for a long time, finally his eyelids drooped slightly, and he looked sideways at Fu Sheng behind him, with a cold expression: ¡°Who allowed you to do this?¡± ¡°The subordinate is guilty.¡± Fu Sheng had no intention of denying what he did. ¡°It¡¯s just that the thing that Azure King holds is something we can¡¯t give up. The subordinate has to take it. I concealed from the young master because I feared that the young master would indulge in the past and harbor unnecessary kindness. I thought it would be better to let the subordinates get rid of it first so the young master wouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask again, who allowed you to do this?¡± Mo Fang¡¯s expression was stern. There was a majesty between his brows Shen Li saw before. Fu Sheng¡¯s jaw was clenched and he said silently,: ¡°It¡¯s this subordinates¡¯ own opinions.¡± He seemed to be subdued, but deep in his eyes there was a bit of disapproval, ¡°But today, Azure King must die¡­¡± ¡°Go.¡± Mo Fang only said a word indifferently. Fu Sheng raised his head and looked at Mo Fang in dissatisfaction, and repeated: ¡°Azure King must die today.¡± Mo Fang closed his eyes lightly, seeming to endure with all his strength: ¡°I said, go. This is an order.¡± ¡°So¡­¡±Fu Sheng stepped back a little distance, ¡°Please forgive the young master for his subordinates¡¯ crimes of disobedience.¡± Mo Fang was angry, his breath was heavy and he heard Shen Li startled voice: ¡°Young Master?¡± Mo Fang clenched his fists and turned his head to look at Shen Li, her eyes were red, and her normally bundled hair was now out of shape, adding a bit of embarrassment to her. The roots of her hair were red, and the red was still slowly spreading to the rest of her hair. The corners of Mo¡¯s lips moved ¡°The King¡­¡± he involuntarily called out. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Shen Li only stared at him blankly, as if she couldn¡¯t understand such a name for a while, her scarlet eyes looked up between the two of them, and then glanced at a circle of creatures surrounding them from all sides. There were many fragments of thought scattered in her mind, her people dying, broken clothes and swords, no corpses, and military spies who were familiar with the demon world¡­ ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± She suddenly realized. Mo¡¯s eyebrows drooped slightly and did not answer. Shen Li stood quietly in the air, her voice seemed to be extremely weak: ¡°Thinking about the past, I still remember that was I who promoted you to a general in the king¡¯s capital. I have known you for three hundred years. I went to the battlefield with you no less than ten times. Our friendship lasted between life and death, I entrust you my people and regarded you as a brother¡­¡± Shen Li¡¯s voice paused, her breath moved a little, and her tone gradually rose, ¡°I have to ask. Did I treat you badly? Did the Demon Lord treat you poorly? The Demon Realm has never harmed you! Now you are killing my people, killing my generals, and killing my Lord! You have become the traitorous general of the rebel army!¡± She raised her spear and pointed at Mo Fang ¡°Who are to take the lives of my people ?!¡± Mo Fang remained silent. Instead, the Fu Sheng behind him laughed loudly: ¡°If you have never truly joined the army, how can you become a rebel? If you have never belonged there, how can you talk about treason!?¡± Fu Sheng said loudly, ¡°How precious is my young master? Forced by the situation, he had to condescend and be humiliated in the current demon world! If you want to talk about treason, the demon you are now loyal to is the real traitor! The thief who stole our world!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Mo Fang said in a low voice and looked at Shen Li ¡°My King, it is my fault to lie to you. I know that my sins are serious and there is no forgiveness¡­¡± ¡°Since you have confessed your sins, what qualifications do you have to call me your King?¡± Shen Li¡¯s voice was extremely low, and the red tasseled spear in her hand was tightly held. Fu Sheng sneered: ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t slander yourself. You did nothing wrong, it¡¯s these foolish and loyal people who don¡¯t have eyes.¡± Fu Sheng paused, clasped his fists and begged Mo Fang, ¡°Young Master, we spent all our efforts to attack the Demon¡¯s Realm for the Phoenix Fire Orb, and now this subordinate has determined that the Phoenix Fire Orb is on Shen Li. There is only this pearl in the world. If this pearl is not seized, our hundred years of planning will go to waste. I hope the young master will not be emotional, please consider the overall situation.¡± Mo Fang clenched his fists tightly, and once again spit out the word ¡°go¡± with great difficulty. Fu Sheng¡¯s expression was cold, as if he had made some determination, and stopped talking to persuade him. Only quietly winking aside, a man in black saw it, nodded, and was just about to leave, but suddenly felt his chest hot, he didn¡¯t know when Shen Li¡¯s hot silver spear had passed through his chest. With a wave of Shen Li¡¯s hand, the red tassel spear flew back to her with the corpse of the man in black hanging on it. Between her fingers, the man in black wearing the silver spear was burned by the flames and instantly turned to ashes. The bright red in Shen Li¡¯s eyes was even worse, almost swallowing her still clear black pupils: ¡°If you want to grab something from this king, first put your life down.¡± Fu Sheng frowned, waved his hand, and ordered loudly: ¡°Go!¡± Mo Fang was still waiting to speak but Fu Sheng squeezed his wrist fiercely, with a sly and gloomy tone he said, ¡°Young Master please, keep the big picture in your heart!¡± Mo Fang was startled. With this delay, all the creatures received the order and rushed forward. Although Shen Li was ten times more brave than usual at this time, she still couldn¡¯t help but be wary of so many creatures. These creatures were truly furious. As long as the master gave an order, even if they were crushed, they would not hesitate to complete his instructions. Although there was a fierce flame burning around Shen Li, the creatures ignored the pain of being burned. Using their bodies as shields, four of them hugged Shen Li¡¯s limbs separately, making her unable to move. Shen Li burned four of them, but four more came, with this repeating for a long time, the battle gradually consumed her mana. She was slightly weakened and was inadvertently dragged into the sea by the creatures. Seeing this, Fu Sheng made a seal in his hand, the curse was whispered, and his hand pointed downward. The white mist plummeted and covered the water. After Shen Li sank, the sea immediately condensed into ice, and he didn¡¯t care about the life and death of those creatures who sank with Shen Li. Looking at the seawater that was gradually freezing, Mo Fang clenched his fists tightly. Fu Sheng glanced at Mo Fang: ¡°When the breath of Shen Li disappears from the ice after I take out the Phoenix Fire Ball from her body, I will leave her corpse for the young master as a memorial.¡± Mo Fang was silent for a long time as if he had made a great determination, his voice solemn: ¡°Let her go.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Master. Only a little bit more and we can succeed. How can I give up at this time.¡± ¡°If I say to you, to let her go, you obey, or I¡¯m letting you go.¡± He was not asking but threatening. Fu Sheng quietly looked at Mo Fang for a long time: ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to step on this subordinate¡¯s corpse.¡± Before Mo Fang could speak, he suddenly heard the cracking sound of ¡°Kala¡± on the ice surface. TL/note: I mean, why are still talking instead of beating the crap out of this insubordinate asswhole? You¡¯re too soft Mo Fang, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re only the second ML Fu Sheng was startled and turned his head to look: ¡± Impossible¡­¡± Before he could react, a heatwave broke out of the ice, and the red tassel silver spear pierced Fu Sheng¡¯s chest with the momentum of breaking a bamboo. The tip of the spear pierced his chest without hesitation. Shen Li¡¯s eyes were redder than blood, and her black hair had all turned crimson. She was like the evil spirits Shura [1] in the murals of the Demon World, just coming for his life. TL/note : If I knew how to make digital art I would make a fan art of this moment, I mean COME ON! She is waaay to awesome ! [1] Asura (ÐÞÂÞ) (°¢ÐÞÂÞ) ¨C also known as Shura or Ashura. Warlike beings commonly depicted with three heads and six arms. Well-known for their anger, belligerence, and great strength. They once warred with the Devas and were cast out of the Heavens. Link to chinese bestiary CH 53.2 Chapter 53.2 Shen Li¡¯s eyes were redder than blood, and her black hair had all turned crimson. She was like the evil spirit Shura in the murals of the Demon World, coming for his life. ¡°This king is going to step on your corpse today.¡± After saying that, she pulled out the spear, the bloodstained silver spear was like evil itself. The extremely hot temperature made Mo Fang feel uncomfortable. Shen Li didn¡¯t give Fu Sheng a chance to breathe, and the spearhead swept across, aiming straight to his head. When Mo Fang saw this, he tried to stop Shen Li from the side. It was that moment that gave Fu sheng time to stagger to the side. The people in black hugged him and hurriedly supported him. After letting Fu Sheng run away, Shen Li turned to look at Mo Fang. Before he could speak, she slammed his chest with a palm. The fire ignited from her heart and burned his heart and lungs. Mo Fang tried to concentrate and calm down. He roughly suppressed the rising flames, when he finally succeeded and took a sigh of relief, he saw that Shen Li started attacking him again. ¡°You should also pay for the generals of the Demon Realm!¡± Mo Fang drew back, and the corners of his lips moved bitterly: ¡± If I could die, I¡¯d be dead.¡­¡­¡± Shen Li couldn¡¯t listen to his words at this time, she was busy attacking him with her spear. Mo Feng on the other hand, only defended but did not attacked, repeatedly evading, and in a blink of an eye, he led Shen Li a long distance. A black aura gushed out of Fu Sheng¡¯s palm. He pressed his wound and looked at the two fighting figures with cold eyes. He said in a gloomy voice: ¡°The young master wants to lead Shen Li away. You must not let Shen Li escape this time. Stop the young master, take the creatures to trap Shen Li. After I take a rest, I will take her life.¡± He finished his command, and the man in black followed his orders. The man in black chose a creature from his side, with one hand on the creature¡¯s shoulders he said: ¡°Good boy, I¡¯m only doing this because it is necessary, so just treat it like your duty to our master. I thank you for your great loyalty to the master.¡± As soon as the voice fell, the creature¡¯s eyes burst out, and he turned his head stiffly. He saw Fu Sheng¡¯s five fingers turn into claws, and penetrate his fleshy breastbone, his beating heart suddenly pinched, and the pain was beyond words. Without hesitation, Fu Sheng pulled out his heart and pushed his body away. The creature fell into the sea like a discarded toy and disappeared on the waves. Fu Sheng bit down the creature¡¯s bloody heart and swallowed it into his stomach without even chewing. After a while, he finished eating the heart and wiped off the bloodstains on the corners of his lips. He breathed a sigh of relief to the sky as if he was very happy. The wound on his chest that was made by Shen Li was healing at an incredible high speed Black qi gushed from the wound and finally healed entirely. The black qi went up along his chest, turned on his neck, climbed up his cheeks, and finally got into his eyes that were entirely white. When the black qi reached his white eyes, it tinted them black making them like the eyes of an animal. He then stared straight at Shen Li with a chilling gaze. At this time, the heat in Shen Li¡¯s abdomen almost made her feel pain. However, it was this pain that caused her body to continuously gush out huge power, which seemed to be able to burn mountains and rivers. She did not know why, but while fighting, all reason was gradually eroded by a hot ¡°kill¡± word consuming her mind. Someone attacked behind her, but it didn¡¯t matter. Shen Li knew that she could continue to fight no matter how badly injured she was. She continued to attack Mo Feng, her moves all fatal. Mo Fang struggled to avoid Shen Li¡¯s blows, but when he saw a creature attacking her back, his heart was startled. He also saw that Shen Li had no intention of avoiding it at all. He was anxious and subconsciously wanted to stop Shen Li, but she used his distraction and her red spear went straight to his throat relentlessly. He hurriedly avoided but was still scratched by the spear. Blood gushed out, and Mo Fang stared blankly at Shen Li¡­ She¡­really wanted to kill him, she didn¡¯t hesitate even a bit. And he was right. As far as Shen Li was concerned, he made such a hateful thing, how can she not kill him? This time, Mo Feng discovered that her blade was too honest [1], and he couldn¡¯t accept it¡­ The creature behind Shen Li attacked again but Shen Li didn¡¯t even turn her head. A heatwave raged out all over, pushing Mo Fang and the creature a few feet away. Shen Li shot to the front as soon as she saw Mo Fang, and continue her attack, this time, aiming at his heart. Mo Fang gritted his teeth, a purple light appeared on his hand, he held a sword that seemed to carry the light of thunders in his Palm. With a crisp ¡°ding¡± sound, he resisted Shen Li¡¯s blow. If it had been an ordinary weapon, it would have been damaged a long time ago, but the purple sword was not only intact, even its brilliance increased. At this time, Shen Li didn¡¯t care about the amazing weapon and only shot at Mo Fang again with her spear in a vertical position. Mo Fang blocked with his sword horizontally, and the two huge forces collided discharging a powerful wave of air. She heard a ¡°Ka¡± sound and saw that her red-tasseled silver spear and the purple sword actually split a big hole on the ground. Shen Li¡¯s scarlet eyes moved slightly, she felt that the weight of the silver gun in her hand was greatly reduced, and her anger disappeared. But in the next moment, the weapon that had accompanied her for hundreds of years made a ¡°pop¡± sound and broke in two pieces After cutting off the silver spear, the purple sword¡¯s momentum remained unabated, and it almost reached Shen Li¡¯s neck. Mo Fang didn¡¯t have time to apologize, and only said: ¡°My King, there are no guards in the southeast.¡± Shen Li dropped her hands in a daze, and the two pieces of the silver spear sank to the bottom of the sea. She raised her head and looked at Mo Fang: ¡± Today, after all of this, how do you expect me to believe you?¡± Mo Fang bit his teeth: ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then forgive Mo Fang for his disrespect.¡± Disregarding the flames on Shen Li¡¯s skin, he grabbed her wrist intending to take her away. Shen Li was stunned by him, but at this moment, she suddenly felt a chill in her back. When she looked down, she had five fingers through her chest. Mo Fang turned his head in amazement, seeing Fu Sheng behind Shen Li, his pupils tightened. There was blood gushing out of Shen Li¡¯s mouth, her chest didn¡¯t hurt, but the fire in her stomach became more and more uncontrollable. Fu Sheng laughed wildly behind her: ¡°The Phoenix Fire Orb is finally on my hands! We can finally start!¡± He wanted to pull his hands, but Shen Li suddenly grabbed him. ¡°I said¡­¡± She gently closed her scarlet eyes, ¡°If you want to grab something from this King, you have to offer me your life.¡± She no longer suppressed the burning heat in her abdomen, letting it spread with the blood, burning her limbs. She could feel the blood evaporating every inch, and she knew that she was being slowly burned to death by the fire in her body. She heard Fu Sheng screaming behind her: ¡°Impossible! Impossible! Why doesn¡¯t the water stop technique work?! The water stop technique¡­ Ah! The plan is ruined! It can¡¯t be!¡± All the creatures not far away screamed bitterly, and even those men in black were not immune. The corners of Shen Li¡¯s lips twitched slightly. She didn¡¯t know the purpose of these people or what they were planning with Mo Fang, but now, she has the two masterminds, and also the creatures under them. She could just kill all of them, that way, no matter what conspiracy they have, they can¡¯t complete it. In addition to this immediate problem, whether it is for the Demon Realm, the Demon Race, or the Demon Lord, or even¡­ even the Heaven, this would be also good. The fire burned in her heart, Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but curl up, Fu Sheng behind her no longer made a sound, and Mo Fang couldn¡¯t breathe. She finally couldn¡¯t help letting out a painful grunt: ¡± It hurts¡­ ¡° Until now, she didn¡¯t dare to show a trace of weakness, but the pain¡­was too much. She wants the Azure King, Shen Li, to be remembered for her heroic death. The world must not know that in the last moments of her life, she was still the same as an average woman¡­ scared, and could not help but cry¡­ Countless ashes were scattered in the sea, being pushed away by the undulating waves. The sea breeze rose as if blowing in the clouds, where the only gasp remaining in the air was dissipated. In the outer sky, the white hairball rolled on the side of the man with a wide white robe, and between the black and white chess pieces. Xing Zhi was playing against himself, during a moment of contemplation, he picked up the teacup intending to drink, when suddenly he felt a breeze blowing in his face, he inadvertently raised his eyes, and murmured strangely: ¡°Today, there is a strange wind in the outer sky.¡± He put down the teacup, and only heard the sound of ¡°click¡±. The teacup shattered from the bottom, leaking his content in the chessboard. The tea dripped in a mess. [1] Here the crude translation was ¡°However, at this time, Mo discovered that the blade of the gun was too cold, and he couldn¡¯t accept it¡­¡± But, it didn¡¯t made sense ¡°cold¡± here, so I translated character by character (ǹÈÐʵ) ǹ = Qi¨¡ng = Variant of Rifle or Spear. ÈÐ = R¨¨n = edge of blade ʵ=Sh¨ª= Real / true / honest / really / solid / fruit / seed / definitely So, I decided that, without using too much imagination, which could diverge too much from the original meaning of the author, this was the best way to translate the sentence, I hope it wasn¡¯t too odd. CH 54 Chapter 54.1 ¡°The people who attacked the demons and heaven¡¯s realm this time have been wiped out by the Azure King.¡± The messenger from the demon¡¯s realm was dressed in a plain robe, with his jaw on the ground, and quietly reported to the heavenly emperor. The emperor nodded: ¡°Very good, very good. I didn¡¯t expect Azure King to be so capable. I would dare to ask where Azure king is now? She was successful in suppressing the evil this time, and I want to give her a good reward.¡± ¡°Thank you, Heavenly Emperor, but there¡¯s¡­no need¡­¡± The demon envoy placed his hands on the ground and clenched them into fists. After a long silence, he finally controlled his emotions, and said in grieve: ¡°The Azure King has been killed in battle.¡± The Heavenly Emperor was stunned for a moment, but before he had time to react, he heard a ¡°squeak¡± sound. Someone actually pushed open the door of the Celestial Conference Hall and entered without an invitation. In the backlight, a person in a white robe stood at the door. The people in the room couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face. He had been standing there for a long time, seeming to be distracted and in a daze. But when he stepped into the house, his expression was no different from the past¡­ In the backlight, a person in a white robe stood at the door. The people in the room couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face. He had been standing there for a long time, seeming to be distracted and in a daze. But when he stepped into the house, his expression was no different from the past. ¡°How come the High God is here?¡± The emperor stood up to greet him, but Xing Zhi didn¡¯t stop as if he hadn¡¯t heard the emperor¡¯s words. He just stared at the envoy of the demon world and asked: ¡°Just now, who are you talking about?¡± The envoy saw him and bowed respectfully and said: ¡°Back to the High God, the Demon¡¯s realm Shen Li, also known as Azure King, died yesterday on the eastern sea.¡± Xing Zhi was silent for a long time, and then shook his head: ¡°Absurd, how can you report such news without verification?¡± As soon as this statement came out, not only the messenger was stunned, but even the Emperor was shocked. The communication between the two realms must be accurate, no one would report unless verified. How can the messenger not know this kind of thing¡­? The messenger bowed to the ground: ¡°If I lied about this, this humble servant is willing to be struck by a thousand lightning¡± Xing Zhi looked cold: ¡°Don¡¯t swear before the gods, your wish may be fulfilled.¡± The messenger clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles were white, and his voice couldn¡¯t conceal his grieve ¡°High God may not know this, but this servant meant what he said, if I¡¯m lying, then I don¡¯t mind being struck by lightning.¡± There was a moment of silence in the room. You couldn¡¯t even hear the breath of the people present; it was like a heartbeat that had stopped. ¡°Where is the corpse?¡± Xing Zhi said, after all that, he had to believe the news. ¡°The Azure King died with the enemy in the Eastern Sea. When the corpse disappeared into the sea, it was impossible to find it. The general who rushed away at that time only recovered two broken pieces of her spear.¡± There was moment of silence and then Xing Zhi said ¡°Where in the Eastern Sea¡­?¡± ¡± The sea is wide my lord, after the general who found the broken spear came back, he could no longer find the exact location again¡­¡± The messenger seemed to feel regret, ¡°No one knows where the King is now.¡± Xin Zhi felt like something was passing through his heart, the pain was as if his blood would overflow, and an invisible force was gripping the wound fiercely, trying to stop the blood from exploding but instead, only leaving him without a pulse. But Xing Zhi¡¯s complexion was as usual, as if he was feeling nothing, and said to the emperor: ¡°Yesterday, I noticed a slight airflow in the outer sky, and I seemed to feel something was happening in the lower realm. Today I heard that Azure King died in the human realm, and there must be a fierce fight before she lost her life. Azure King is powerful, if they could cause her harm, then the others are a threat and harmful to the human world. I want to explore the lower realm. I don¡¯t know what the heavens will do?¡± Saying like that, Xing Zhi left no room for rejection, so the Emperor just nodded. ¡°This would be fine, May I find some helpers for you?¡± ¡°No, they will get in the way.¡± Although it was normal for Xing Zhi to say a few embarrassing words to the emperor, normally he wouldn¡¯t be so straightforward. The emperor coughed twice: ¡°So, High god will take care of this, I hope you take care of yourself.¡± When Xing Zhi was about to turn around and go out, the envoy of the demon world called him: ¡°High God, please wait. The general present said that he had heard the spell from the enemy. He used the water stop technique. And as far as the humble messenger knows, in this world, only the High God knows this technique. This humble servant does not doubt the lord, but¡­¡± ¡°Stop water technique?¡± Xing Zhi glanced at the envoy ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the real Stop water technique¡± After that, without further explanation, he turned and left. On the way to the lower realm, he thought to himself that not long ago, he was still thinking that Shen Li might become a troublesome existence, so it was better for her to disappear, but he never thought that she would really disappear so easily. He never thought that if she really disappeared, he would feel so empty. Xing Zhi reached the human world in an instant. The emperor was right. He is the High God, and he belongs to the world. This life is no longer his own. He should protect the common people of the Three Realms and put the overall situation as the most important. He has so many impossibilities in his life¡­ The clouds on the sea were low, the wind was surging, the rainstorm was approaching. Xing Zhi was standing on the Eastern Sea, watching the sky-turning waves below, listening to the thunder roaring above, still, for him, the world was silent. Chapter 54.2 ¡°Shen Li.¡± He whispered her name, the tight wound in his heart seemed to be suddenly torn apart, and the biting cold wind was infused within his body. He looked around, looking for someone, but the vast sky was desert. Where could he find her? A thunderbolt passed by, and the rainstorm was pouring in an instant. He stood in his white clothes between the sky and the sea, lightning, and thunder, passing through. Lightning could harm even the body of a god, but he was in the transition of light and shadow at this moment. After the deafening thunder, he suddenly saw a figure struggling in the huge wave. She stretched out her hand and asked him painfully for help: ¡°¡­please¡­help¡­¡± She said before a giant wave buried her head. His pupils shrank, without thinking, he rushed down almost instinctively. He reached out and fished, only to catch a handful of seawater flowing from his fingers¡­ It was an illusion¡­ The giant wave stopped on its own movement and then rushed forward, he only stared at his empty palm, dumbfounded. In the waves, he could not hear thunder, but each flash of lightning was like a sharp blade that splits time and space, bloodily cutting out the memories related to Shen Li from his mind. Those pictures of joy or anger at this time became a knife to torture him, over and over again, piercing countless holes in his heart, the memories were bleeding out of him, letting him in a panic trying to hold them all tightly. He was cover to death with all of them, like blood rushing out of all his nooks and crannies, and then like the teacup that broke yesterday, that broke and made a mess, making people at a loss and unable to clean up. He suddenly remembered that not long ago, Shen Li was still teasing him, saying that since meeting him, she was always being injured, she said that eventually being near him would kill her. How did he answer? He seemed to say¡­ he would pay her with his life. Shen Li was now asking him to fulfill his promise. The corner of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips twitched a chuckle. After the waves passed, Xing Zhi was completely drenched. Shen Li, Shen Li¡­You took it too seriously. He raised his arm and touched the waves that just hit him with his fingertips. A white light flashed, and the thunderclouds in the sky suddenly became much closer, the temperature was lower, and his lips opened slightly. He whispered a spell softly, and an extremely cold light swept across the sea and sky, in just a moment, thousands of miles of the sea had frozen into ice. Xing Zhi stood on the undulating sea, but at this moment, what was under his feet was an ice surface as hard as bluestone. The waves were still in the shape of the waves, but they were no longer flowing. The thunderclouds scattered in the sky and the raindrops turned into ice particles, rustling down, rolling everywhere. There was no sound between the sea and the sky as if everything had returned to silence. Xing Zhi quietly stepped on the ice, and with every step a golden light flashed, wavering several feet away. He seemed to be looking for something, focusing only on his feet. He thought that even if Shen Li was turned into ashes, he would still find her ashes in the ocean. He walked forward step by step, not distinguishing the time, the day, and the night, every step was focused on Shen Li. But the Eastern Sea had no end, no matter how long he walked, in front of him was only this frozen sea, nothing else. ¡°High God¡­¡± A person in front of him blocked his way, he looked up at her: ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Youlan quietly knelt down on the ice: ¡°I hope High God will understand the sufferings of the common people, the Eastern sea has been frozen for ten days and ten nights, the lives of the Eastern sea are miserable, High God¡­¡± Seeing Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes were red because of the long absence of rest, Youlan with pale lips, lowered her eyelids and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss¡­¡± This shouldn¡¯t have been said to the god. Gods cannot be emotional, they are people who have no sorrow. Since there is no sorrow, how can she be sorry for his loss? Xing Zhi looked at the endless sea in the distance and smiled quickly: ¡°Is it obvious?¡± Youlan bowed her head and dared not answer. Xing Zhi stopped and took two steps forward: ¡°In the past, I never knew how big the Three Realms were. With the body of a god, wherever I go, it is a momentary thing. However, only now I know that the Three Realms are so big that even Eastern Sea is too big.¡± He smiled, ¡°It¡¯s also God¡¯s will if I can¡¯t find it.¡± After saying that, he waved his hand, the water stop technique was withdrawn, the atmosphere between heaven and earth changed greatly, and the ice on the sea slowly dissipated. With the removal of the spell, Xing Zhi felt a pain in his chest. By freezing the Eastern Sea, he finally rebelled against the Heavenly will. Now he was paying the price. A mouthful of blood gushed out from his throat. Youlan was shocked, but came forward and supported Xing Zhi: ¡°High God, are you ok?¡± Xing Zhi shook his head and wanted to say ¡°It¡¯s okay ¡°, but when he opened his mouth, another mouthful of blood came out, falling on the ice that hadn¡¯t melted yet. Xing Zhi grinned. With a smile, he stretched out his hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. How could he have thought in this life that he would still be so embarrassed? It turned out that this was the taste of being bitten by the power of heaven. After hiding all this time, after all, he couldn¡¯t avoid it. If he had known, he would have treated Shen Li a little better, at least, he could have protected her from those serious injuries¡­ He could¡¯ve told her¡­ that he liked her¡­ It¡¯s a pity that he couldn¡¯t say it anymore. It¡¯s a pity that Shen Li couldn¡¯t hear it anymore. TL/note: Wow that chapter ending was so freaking sad. But¡­ I won¡¯t lie, I was a little happy to see that Xing Zhi was FINALLY affected by something, maybe I¡¯m being too mean, but come on! It took her death to make him emotional. I hope now he stop with all the hesitation and begin to search for a way for them to be together, oh, and maybe stop the evil creatures and all that¡­ but mostly, for them to be together xD ( I¡¯m pretty sure she didn¡¯t die, being the protagonist and all.) CH 55 Chapter 55.1 In the gloomy room, only the fire from the corner was crackling, projecting her shadow on the stone wall behind, illuminating the shape of a big ¡°X¡±. Her hands and feet were all pulled by heavy mysterious iron chains. Her wrists and ankles weren¡¯t fixated by handcuffs but with nails, as thick as thumbs, which were pierced directly in her bones. All her limbs were painful, and even if she didn¡¯t move, the weight of her body made her wrists unbearable. The joints had swelled a lot, and the wound around the nails was black and ulcerated. It made people unbearable to look closely. The hanging person seemed to have passed away at this time, with no breath. But the person opposite her knew, that within a short while, this woman would wake up again. Her vitality was always surprisingly strong. ¡°Cough¡­cough! Cough!¡± As he was thinking this, the woman opposite suddenly coughed violently, as if she was about to cough up her internal organs. Her voice alarmed the guards outside and only heard a few yells: ¡°Hey, Azure King is awake again. Go and tell the lord to come.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your turn to go, the lord¡¯s resurrection took longer than ever. During the past two days, his body was upset and his temper was bad. I went there twice, and I almost lose my head last time. It¡¯s your turn to report this time.¡± ¡°Tsk! Okay, okay, guard the door closely.¡± The outside quieted down. The person inside looked at the woman across from the two iron fences, and muttered: ¡°Why I have to be here? She fights and fights every day, as if she doesn¡¯t even feel pain, I hate it, it makes me sick.¡± ¡°Knowing that the people who trapped me are not happy, I feel relieved.¡± The other party said this in a faint voice, causing Bei Xiaoyan¡¯s mouth to twitch, and say dissatisfied: ¡°Azure King Shen Li, today you are not deaf, and your voice is good, OK? It¡¯s rare for a day to have such a beautiful beginning. Can¡¯t you talk a little louder?¡± Shen Li hung her head and sneered: ¡°This kind of ghost place, no day will be beautiful, so every day I hope I will lose my senses¡± Bei Xiaoyan bent over and spied Shen Li¡¯s eyes that were blocked by her hanging hair, and said: ¡°Well, I can¡¯t see your eyes today. How about smell and touch? As long as the sense of touch is not there, you can survive today. ¡± ¡°I have to count my blessings, today my five senses have been restored by a third, and it turns out that touch is in that percentage.¡± Bei Xiaoyan shivered, he crotched to the corner and shrank: ¡°Then you have to hold back, I don¡¯t want to hear your screams while I see flesh and blood flying across the room. It will scare me to death.¡± Shen Li bent her lips and didn¡¯t speak anymore. She didn¡¯t know how long it had been since the first battle at sea that day, she only faintly heard from Bei Xiaoyan¡¯s mouth that it was about three months away now. In March. It would be okay if it was in the human world, but if a whole month passed in heaven or the demon world¡­ she was afraid, what happened in this month outside? The people in the Demon Realm just think that she is dead, and she doesn¡¯t know how the Demon Lord¡¯s injuries have recovered, or whether the order of the city was restored to normal Puya and the Parrot will be sad when they know that she has been killed in battle¡­ And in the Outer Sky, that High God¡­ would he be indifferent as always? Suddenly a sordid desire was formed in her head. She wanted to take a look at his expression, she wanted to see the look on Xing Zhi¡¯s face when he heard she disappeared, but now, she could only think about it. There are too many burdens on Xing Zhi, he can¡¯t lose that indifferent face, even if the entire world were sad, he can¡¯t be moved. This is the attitude that a god should have. Shen Li calmed down, putting aside her mixed thoughts. She didn¡¯t know when she was imprisoned there. The flames of that day were the last scene she remembered. When she woke up again, she had been arrested, and her body seemed to be quite different from before. Her body seemed empty, no matter how she wanted to mobilize her mana, there was no breath. Just like a mortal who has never practiced, but her skin and flesh are much stronger than before, and the temperature was always extremely hot, burning. Although she couldn¡¯t feel it herself, Bei Xiaoyan threw a few pieces of mud from the ground at her, but everything that touched her body was directly roasted and scattered into gravel. Therefore, the extremely cold mysterious iron was used to lock her, and only this thing was suppressing the burning qi in her body. Even if Shen Li wanted to escape from this place. She couldn¡¯t rely on her strong and hot skin. Without magic power, she couldn¡¯t do anything. Even more troublesome than her lack of powers, were her five senses, sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste, and vocal cords. Every day, she has several senses that disappear inexplicably. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t see, others, she couldn¡¯t hear. Or like now, two senses disappeared, three senses appeared, and they changed every day, which made her feel annoyed. But considering that she couldn¡¯t even move, her five senses were not as important as usual to her. After the first few days, Shen Li got used to it. Sometimes when she was severely beaten in the interrogation, Shen Li even felt a little thankful that they disappeared from time to time. The lack of pain and thick skin made her feel a lot better. Seeing that the other party tried his best to torture her, but she didn¡¯t feel anything. She only despised him with cold eyes. Every time she thought of such a scene, she felt an inevitable sense of superiority in her heart. Chapter 55.2 Shen Li was thinking about this when she heard a ¡°Kara¡± sound. Suddenly, the man in black led the man in a green robe into the dungeon slowly. A flame was imprinted on the person¡¯s face, and the light and shadow intertwined on it, making his burned wrinkled skin look even more frightening and disgusting. However, today¡¯s Shen Li doesn¡¯t have to face this terrible face. ¡°How is the King today?¡± His hoarse voice pierced Shen Li¡¯s eardrums, but Shen Li just sneered and ignored him. It was Fu Sheng. The person who tortured her these days was also the person who arrested her. After experiencing that kind of roasting, Shen Li survived, after all, she was a phoenix, a talented one, she wasn¡¯t afraid of fire. But she couldn¡¯t believe that this guy also survived. Shen Li even wondered if everything that day was a dream made up by herself. She wondered if was all her imagination, that the spy who betrayed the demon world was Mo Fang, that she fought Fu Sheng at sea, and that she burned herself on the sea. However, after a few days trapped there, when she¡¯d occasionally recovered her hearing, she heard the small chats of the guards outside the door and some whispers from Bei Xiaoyans mouth. So Shen Li knew that everything was real, and she really burned. Mo Fang is a real spy, and Fu Sheng is a real¡­immortal. He actually possesses the power of resurrection, so he can resurrect himself over and over again without hurting the vital points. Only then did Shen Li know that his name, Fu Sheng actually meant ¡°resurrection¡±. Really a difficult guy, but fortunately, She burned him, and now he was like a ghost of what he used to be. His mana is not as good as before. Almost all of those creatures were burned clean by her, and even Mo Fang was burned by her. They had to give up their plans for now and could be said to have suffered heavy losses. They couldn¡¯t even go out and do evil for the time being. At least, this would give the Demon Realm a little time to recuperate. With this extra time, they could take advantage to establish a deeper connection with the Heavenly army, even if the Heavenly soldiers are no longer useful, no matter what, the demon soldiers could steal their heavenly magical weapons and use them, and their combat power could be increased by at least ten times. If only she could go back¡­ A trace of pain came from her wrists and ankles, interrupting Shen Li¡¯s conception. Even if Shen Li could bear it no matter how much pain she felt, at this time, she frowned due to the pain. The mysterious iron chain pulling Shen Li¡¯s wrists and ankles was struck loudly, and the iron nails that penetrated her bones trembled. Such small vibrations are more nerve-wracking than large-scale shaking, it was itchy and impossible. Scratching, and the pain couldn¡¯t be relieved. If she could go back¡­Shen Li gritted her teeth, enduring the itch and pain. She could only say this in her heart, but she knew, that she would never go back. Her only hope was that Fu Sheng would hurt her a little harder day by day so that she would die soon. This way, she could get rid of the pain. Then someone took a strong light that was shining in front of Shen Li¡¯s eyes, and someone used this firecracker to blast in Shen Li¡¯s ears. The sound of the explosion made Shen Li subconsciously tilt her head. Fu Sheng grinned coarsely: ¡°I wanted to come back today. I heard that your hearing and touch were restored. Your voice should also be good. Then, Azure King still does not plan to hand over the Phoenix Fire Orb today?¡± This question again¡­ Although Shen Li hated this person so much and didn¡¯t want to answer, she really felt helpless about this issue: ¡°I ate it.¡± She said. She knew that the Phoenix Fire Orb mentioned by these people¡¯s mouth was the ¡°Blue Sea Blue Bead¡± that the Demon Lord gave her. But according to the Demon Lord, it was born with her, and she also ate it according to what the Demon Lord said. But Fu Sheng now asked her to surrender the bead that had been digested for a long time¡­ Shen Li smiled and mocked: ¡°You come and take.¡± As soon as Fu Sheng gritted his teeth, he raised his hand to slap Shen Li. However, the hands in his robe were still covered with traces of being burned. He forcibly resisted his anger, ¡°Since Azure King refuses to cooperate, she will suffer more of the bitterness of flesh and blood.¡± After he said that, he raised his hand, and the attendant next to him proposed the mysterious iron whip he had prepared. Fu Sheng covered his mouth and coughed twice and stepped aside, and then was nothing more than a flogging. Shen Li held her head down, Bei Xiaoyan in the cage opposite was paler than Shen Li. Seeing her like this, he seemed to see himself like this. He shrank in the corner, trying not to attract the attention of outsiders. But when Fu Sheng turned his head, he still saw him curled up in the corner. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You cooperate with us in this way, knowing that you can say nothing, and we will not treat the third prince badly.¡± Bei Xiaoyan nodded. He was so scared that he did not dare to take a breath. The flogging continued until Fu Sheng was tired. He waved his hand and left the dungeon first, the attendants followed. The cell door was locked, and only the torch was left, he and Shen Li. Seeing Shen Li covered in blood, Bei Xiaoyan was a little bit afraid to speak. The cell was quiet for a long time. Instead, Shen Li first asked: ¡± You told them all the information of Beihai, they seized the royal power of Beihai and turned the Beihai clan into a puppet, yet, the third prince has no guilt?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Bei Xiaoyan said with a shiver, ¡°I naturally feel guilty¡­ but I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m not you, I can¡¯t bear such pain, and my concubine mother is guilty. I have been discriminated against by others since I was a child. The Beihai royal family has no affection for me. I betrayed them¡­ but it was also a helpless act.¡± Shen Li said hoarsely, ¡°Everyone has hardships, but it is still a betrayal. It is hard to be forgiven.¡± Bei Xiaoyan said silently. ¡°If it is the world or themselves, people would still choose themselves¡­ you¡­why you have to be tough with them, it¡¯s already like this, you can just give him whatever he wants.¡± Shen Li¡¯s body was hanged on two iron chains, even in this situation, she laughed: ¡°I really ate it¡­ I¡¯m not lying.¡± Bei Xiaoyan looked at her like she was a monster. Shen Li only said: ¡°The third prince need not worry, this king is invincible ¡­¡± Bei Xiaoyan lowered his head and muttered: ¡°I really don¡¯t understand you, You can still laugh in this situation.¡± Of course, she can laugh, she has been trained. After sitting down for an unknown period of time, Bei Xiaoyan gradually became sleepy and sank into his dreams. After hearing a few crisp sounds, Bei Xiaoyan was startled, he opened his eyes and saw a man in black standing in front of Shen Li. He clenched his fists, raised and lowered his hands in Shen Li¡¯s ears, as if he wanted to touch her but didn¡¯t dare to touch: ¡°My King¡­¡± He called out sadly, extremely hoarse. With a purple sword in his hand, he cut off the profound iron that trapped Shen Li¡¯s limbs, and hugged the unconscious Shen Li into his arms, ¡°I will take you out.¡± These five words were dumb but resolute, and no one could refute them. CH 56 Chapter 56.1 Shen Li woke up amidst the turbulence, and she saw the scenery in front of her eyes. She could smell the scent of grass and wind. She thought to herself, her senses of sight and smell are restored today¡­ But what did Fu Sheng planned now? Is this a new way to torture her? The illusion in front of her was like the outside world, so vivid and free, she couldn¡¯t help but yearn for it. Obviously, she had only been imprisoned for a while, but to Shen Li, these sceneries were like things from a previous life, distant. She moved her fingertips, wanted to stretch out her hand, and wanted to recall the feeling of the wind passing through her fingertips. The surrounding scene suddenly stopped, and Shen Li saw that she was in a forest now, a face that surprised her appeared in her vision ¨C Mo Fang. It turned out that this was not an illusion, it was Mo Fang who saved her¡­ why? After betraying the Demon World, did he also betrayed Fu Sheng? The corners of her lips trembled, as if she was trying to say something, in the end, she just shook her head and pushed the man away slightly. The mysterious iron nail on the wrist had not been taken out yet, it was this light effort in pushing him that made Shen Li almost fall. She didn¡¯t feel any pain today, but her body still convulsed. Mo Fang hurriedly put her down. He let her sit down, leaning against the tree, and then knelt down on his knees, silently bowing his head in front of her, as if confessing guilt and apologizing. Shen Li closed her eyes, as he was completely invisible. Actually, she could speak, but she will continue to act like now, only because she has nothing to say to Mo Fang. The generals of the Demon Realm, the corpses that were placed in the coffins with their rags and swords, have already drawn a clear line between them. In Shen Li¡¯s heart, the brother who had marched with her and that risked his life with her has already died in that war. He made sure of it. This is the result he wants, and Shen Li will respect the result of his choice. Kneeling in front of her now is the enemy of the demon clan, who slaughtered the demons, and killed the demon generals. If she had the means to it, she would fight him right at this moment. Mo Fang knelt for a long time, intending not to get up before Shen Li called him, but the slight vibration from the ground made Mo Fang¡¯s face frown a little bit. He knew that he could not delay any longer. If he did not leave at this time, he was afraid no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t help Shen Li escape. He squatted his head severely at the moment: ¡°My King, I¡¯m sorry for this insult.¡± He got up, took Shen Li, hugged her, and continued walking. Walking through the woods and passing the last row of trees, there was a white stone beach outside. Mo Fang placed Shen Li next to the two beach boulders and asked her to sit on the stone. He wanted to say more, but the ground trembling was more and more obvious. Mo Fang only gritted his teeth secretly, picked up a stone at random, made a decision, and shaped the stone into Shen Li¡¯s appearance, holding it in his arms, he turned around and ran to the other side without looking back. Only then did Shen Li slowly open her eyes, she did not look at the direction Mo Fang left, instead, she looked at the clouds on the horizon that were being blown by the sea wind, her eyes were dim. The sky was getting darker, and the glow of the sea and sky turned in one. Like a dream. Shen Li narrowed her eyes slightly, becoming more sleepy. The stars change and the morning sun was born. The first ray of sunlight across the sea calmly fell on Shen Li¡¯s face. She was motionless and slept very deeply. There was a slow footstep on the beach that creaked the sand. When he walked around the boulder, his shadow was stretched by the light. He walked a few steps towards the beach, suddenly his figure stopped, turned his head, and saw the silhouette of the one who was trapped in the two stones sleeping soundly. Xing Zhi stopped blankly there, unable to move forward for a while, fearing that if he moved, the image would disappear. It wasn¡¯t until Shen Li coughed twice, and the trembling air swayed in front of her that he realized that it was not an illusion, but a living Shen Li. He stepped forward because he hurried, he stepped on the hem of his clothes and almost fell. However, when he approached Shen Li, he slowed down and half-kneeled in front of her: ¡°Shen Li.¡± He stretched out his hand and touched her cheek with his fingertips. Her hot skin hurt fingers, burning from his fingertips all the way to the tip of his heart. But he didn¡¯t let go, the entire palm of his hand was pressed on her face, holding her cheek, gently rubbing, ¡°Shen Li.¡± He whispered to her as if he had forgotten everything except her name. This was Shen Li, the demon King who everyone thought died in battle, the woman who would never come back, it was really Shen Li! The burning pain spread, but Xing Zhi felt happy for the pain. He breathed quickly, he pressed his forehead lightly against Shen Li¡¯s forehead. Her body temperature was too hot, even for Xing Zhi, but he only smiled, like he was delirious. He pushed Shen Li¡¯s head into his arms, and smiled softly in the temperature that was almost burning him up He whispered softly in her ear : ¡°You¡­ saved my life.¡± Chapter 56.2 But after a while, Shen Li never woke up. Her breath was extremely weak. Xing Zhi let go of her a little bit, trying to feel her pulse but when his eyes fell on her wrist, he saw the black profound iron still piercing her bones, he stopped for a moment. After he understood something, Xing Zhi¡¯s breathing paused, he glanced blankly across her limbs. When he saw that her limbs were also pierced his breathing stagnated for a long time, and his face turned pale: ¡°What are you¡­why didn¡¯t you took better care of yourself?¡± He lowered his head and looked at Shen Li¡¯s hand. For some reason, he didn¡¯t dare to touch it, but how could he understand her injury without touching it? He had to do it. His eyelids drooped slightly, and the fingertips touched her limp palm, but with a light touch, Shen Li¡¯s hand convulsed subconsciously. When Xing Zhi¡¯s wrist and hers rubbed slightly, Shen Li¡¯s throat made a muffled groan, and she clenched her teeth. Her frowned brows told of her pain. Xing Zhi¡¯s heart tightened, and white cold air condensed in the palms holding Shen Li¡¯s wrists, the expression on her face immediately eased a lot. She almost never showed her pain in front of people. If it weren¡¯t for her to be in her sleep, she might not show it at all. Xing Zhi was angry and really wanted to give Shen Li a severe lesson. This Azure King was always too proactive for her own good. However, when he saw that Shen Li continued to fall asleep even after experiencing such pain, as if she was used to it, for a moment, he couldn¡¯t even remember to breathe. He only felt that the apex of his heart shrank, and the blood squeezed the pain in his heart to the limbs. He couldn¡¯t control the trembling arc of his fingers for a while. All this time, she must have been extremely sad. Because no one could protect her, so she had to do her best to endure. ¡°¡­I will protect you.¡± He whispered, the hand stroking Shen Li¡¯s cheeks was extremely soft, but his expression was firm without hesitation. ¡°In the future, I will not care about the collapse of the sky and the destruction of the Three Realms. I will protect you without fear¡­¡± His voice fell, suddenly feeling that the person in his arms was breathing slightly differently, she turned her head and woke up. Shen Li¡¯s eyes were pitch black, she couldn¡¯t see anything, and there was no sound in her ears, but her sense of touch told her that there was a person in front of her, and her sense of smell could smell the heavy smell of the sea: ¡°I can go by myself.¡± she said coldly, ¡°Today, you and I are strangers. If we meet on the battlefield next time, I will not show mercy to your men. You will either kill me today or leave me alone.¡± The person on the other side did not answer. Naturally, even if the other party answered, she would not hear it today. But the person in front of her did not move, Shen Li could feel him near her. Cold fingers touched her eyes lightly, Shen Li frowned, and turned her head away, while that hand reluctantly pinched her ears, Shen Li was slightly angry, trying to raise her hands to stop him, but as soon as her arms moved, a deep pain surged in, making her face even whiter. After gritting her teeth and enduring this wave of pain, Mo Fang finally let go of her. Shen Li said: ¡°Mo Fang if you still remember a trace of the past in your heart, let me go.¡± Shen Li¡¯s always had very high self-esteem. At this time, enduring Mo Fang is due to the fact they are in the enemy¡¯s territory, but also because she still has her self-esteem and pride. Her five senses disappeared all at once, and she was unable to act. She had to be supported by someone even when she raised her hand to walk. She was so embarrassed that she didn¡¯t want others to see it. The person on the opposite side was silent for a long time, before reaching out his hand to wrap her neck. Shen Li was startled, and before she knew what he was going to do, she was caught by his other hand. He actually hugged her horizontally, the mysterious iron on her hands and feet rubbed against his bones as he walked, but Shen Li was even more frightened by this holding posture. [TL/note: the princess carry pose ~ ] She and the Mo Fang have been on the battlefield many times, and when they were injured or was inconvenient to move, Mo Fang also helped her, but they either helped her walk or carried her in his back, or even carried it on his shoulders, but never tried to carry her like this. This attitude. such a posture¡­ She had once seen a certain general carry his wife into the bridal chamber like this. Therefore, she was a little bit resistant to this posture, being held in such a hug, like¡­like being treated as those little daughters-in-law, it felt awkward. Shen Li was furious, exhausting the last bit of breath in her body she yelled: ¡°Bold! Let me go down!¡± The man ignored it, and Shen Li realized that something was wrong. This wasn¡¯t like Mo Fang¡¯s ordinary attitude. Even after the betrayal, he came to rescue her and treated her respectfully. When he left yesterday, he still bowed before her. How could he become so slutty in just one day! [TL/note: hahaha I loved this description xD] An extremely ominous thought arose in Shen Li¡¯s heart. The place where Mo left her was the seaside. There might be some human villages and towns nearby. Today, the guy who touched and hugged her was probably a mountain fisherman. This kind of human rough guy! She smelled the strong smell of the sea on this person. Shen Li made a decision and her face became harder to look like. Now that he is holding herself like this, is it probably because he intends to do the same as the general holding his wife. He dared to do this! The more Shen Li thought about it, the more anxious she became, and with all her strength, she raised her elbow and hit the fisherman¡¯s throat fiercely. The fisherman paused, and Shen Li struggled to escape from his arms, but before she could escape, the pain in her limbs made her convulse. She could bear the pain mentally, but her body was already overloaded. She was shaking constantly, and suddenly she felt that she had been changed to a new position. The man seemed to find a place to sit down, he let her sit in his arms, and then he held her waist with one hand and patted her back with the other. It was like caressing with pity, and it was like telling her, it¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t hurt you, I will protect you. CH 57 Chapter 57.1 Shen Li hasn¡¯t recovered her vision for three days in a row. She was in prison before, and both her arms and legs were locked. It didn¡¯t matter whether she could see or hear, but now she was outside. In a strange place, she urgently needs to understand the surrounding environment, where is it, is it safe, how far is it from the devil, and how far is it from where she escaped? The most important thing is that she wants to know who the one who rescued her was¡­ She has no magic power and can¡¯t detect the depth of the other party¡¯s power. She can only understand some scattered and shallow information through the occasional smooth facial features, such as the other party is a man. He should be a fisherman. He doesn¡¯t like to talk. In these three days, even when her hearing was restored, she didn¡¯t hear anything from him. Judging from her intuition, this person should be harmless, but for people who have not yet meet, Shen Li still has some caution in her heart, and what makes Shen Li most puzzled is why he wants to save her? Not looking for money or showing off, and taking care of everything without asking for anything is the most suspicious thing in Shen Li¡¯s eyes now. There were footsteps outside, and Shen Li opened her eyes, but she was still blind for now. The black iron on her hands and feet made her unable to move. At this time, she was a useless person and could only lie on the bed to be served by someone. This made her feel extremely decayed even considered killing this fisherman and never let anyone else know about it. There was a faint sound. This man moved very softly, unlike those rude wild men. Shen Li smelled the food and was about to eat: ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it is noon or night¡­¡± She muttered unconsciously. She didn¡¯t intend to be answered, but there was a sound of putting down the bowl of food and a slightly hoarse male voice said: ¡°Noon.¡± This voice was strange and tight, and Shen Li froze for a moment. He responded to her so she continued to ask: ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°The beach.¡± He paused and added a few more words, ¡°On the Eastern Sea.¡± Mo Fang actually sent her to the Eastern Sea. Could it be that he was expecting someone to pick her back¡­ The demon lord¡¯s behavior and style are both clear to Mo Fang, and he will never hold back once he has confirmed that she died. The demon Lord never had any unrealistic illusions, she has been missing for such a long time, all the demons must have confirmed that she is dead by now. So It is impossible that he would send someone to find her, as for the heaven¡­ no one will come to find her. Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but think of Xing Zhi. Although after she met Xing Zhi, she seemed to be injured all the time, every time he would show up to save her¡­ but now¡­ A spoonful of rice soup was placed next to Shen Li¡¯s mouth, and the taste was delicate and fragrant. Shen Li felt extremely hungry and felt that although this soup was not the best she ever had, it was pretty good for a mortal. She moved her fingers and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± But when she moved her shoulders and was about to get up, her body was already cramping, and her limbs pulled her back to the slate bed like rocks, making her unable to move. She felt no pain today, only a feeling of weakness and decadence rose from the bottom of her heart. Azure King, Shen Li¡­when has she been so embarrassed? With a soft sigh, the fisherman fed the rice soup into her mouth without saying anything else. Shen Li quietly drank the rice soup fed by the fisherman and finished a bowl. The other side said, ¡°You want more?¡± Shen Li was silent for a long time before saying: ¡°These four profound irons are formed by the combination of the inside and the outside chains. The inner iron core was wrapped inside my body. At that time, they used the inner iron core to pass through the bones and flesh, and then attached the outer profound iron together, tightening the two, one iron chain at each end, so that I could not break free.¡± Her tone was indifferent, and her tone hardly fluctuated, saying as if the person who had been pierced through was not herself, ¡°Fleeing for the past few days, the link between the chains has been loosened, and I want you to help me separate them, so I can free myself. It may be a little ugly, but if you help me with this, this king is willing to accept your wish and repay you.¡± The other party did not respond for a long time. Shen Li couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s expression and didn¡¯t know how the other party would answer, so she felt the time she waited a long time. ¡°Okay.¡± He responded with just one word, but it seemed as if he had made greater determination than her. ¡°If so, you can help me, before my sense of touch returns.¡± The fisherman tidied up other things, put a pot of hot water next to Shen Li¡¯s bed, and then put his hand on her wrist. Shen Li smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so meticulous in your work. Do you have any notion of ??cultivation? If you want to become an immortal, after we treat my wounds, I can help you.¡± The other party chuckled, ¡°I think, being an immortal It¡¯s not so good these days.¡± Shen Li seemed to feel something: ¡°The immortals are extremely at ease, the most uncomfortable in the heavenly realm ¡­ I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s just one person¡­¡± The fingertips on Shen Li¡¯s wrist trembled slightly, but he didn¡¯t speak anymore. He grasped the protruding profound iron on both ends of Shen Li¡¯s wrist and tried to untangle it. The twist was indeed loosened. If she could apply a little more force, the mortal should also easily twist it. The fisherman¡¯s two twists have caused a thin sweat on Shen Li¡¯s forehead. She closed her eyes and adjusted her breath: ¡°As soon as possible.¡± She won¡¯t give up, but her body has a limit. The other party worked hard and unscrewed the profound iron and the iron core in it. Shen Li had a few drops of blood leaking out of her blue and white wrists as if the blood was about to dry up. If she took this thing any later, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to use her hands and feet anymore. The profound iron from one wrist was pulled out and hit the ground heavily. It seemed to be extremely hot. When it fell on the ground, only a soft sound of ¡°chi¡± sounded, the white air rose, and then quickly cooled down. The man seemed to feel nothing and continued to unscrew the profound iron in Shen Li¡¯s other wrist with his bare hands. However, Shen Li was convulsing at this time, there was no time to pay attention to these details. She only felt that the blood in her body was flowing extremely fast, the heartbeat seemed to explode, it was extremely difficult to breathe, and the brain gradually became chaotic, adding many messy pictures to her already dark mind. Chapter 57.2 She seemed to see that when she was very young, the Demon Lord taught her spear skills and spells, and there was a gloomy eye next to them watching them, Shen Li was inexplicably flustered, she stepped back two steps, turned around, and ran. But when she turned her head, she saw that Mo Fang was already standing behind her, looking at her coldly. Behind Mo Fang, that one-eyed ghost floated there, chilling, just like Mo Fan, he was looking coldly at her. Mo Fang¡¯s eyes gradually became a little different from the original, the light from those eyes became colder and colder. Shen Li¡¯s heart tightened. She turned and ran in the other direction. The road ahead seemed to have no end, just endless darkness. Behind her, strange laughter kept coming, as if to push her into a desperate situation. Shen Li was almost out of breath. She simply stopped and waved her hand, trying to grab the silver spear and fight the incoming person, but only heard two ¡°clicks¡±, and the two pieces of her spear fall in front of her. She froze for a moment, and the laughter behind her became closer. Shen Li gritted her teeth and turned her head, waiting to see who the evildoer was. But the laughter stopped abruptly, and the surrounding air was silent as if nothing was there, but that only lasted for a moment, soon she saw that there was a small slit in front of her, and the wind blew out gently. Shen Li slowly looked up, only to find that this was actually the gate of Xu Tianyuan.[TL/note: House of Xing Zhi in the heavens] It was the same as the one she saw when she searched for Xu Tianyuan by herself that night. There was no miasma oozing out, only a slit. Suddenly, the one eyed-ghost floated over, staring at Shen Li with cold eyes. Shen Li gasped with horror. ¡°I will kill the gods¡­¡± He said grimly: ¡°I will kill the gods! I will kill the gods!¡± The sound became louder and louder, and Shen Li was shocked: ¡°Shut up.¡± She squeezed uncomfortably. She said only these two words, but black miasma came out from the gap in the gate of Xu Tianyuan. Shen Li was forced to retreat by the miasma, the voice grew louder and Shen Li shouted, ¡°Shut up!¡± Her eyes flashed, and crimson flames rose from her body as if she was about to burn out everything. ¡°Shen Li.¡± A soft and cold call came from the other side. She looked to the side with red eyes, still in the small courtyard under the vine frame. The man in white clothes was lying on the bamboo rocking chair. He stretched out her hand, ¡°Come and get some sun.¡± He said it lightly as if he hadn¡¯t seen the chaos on her side. Shen Li stared at him blankly, and then looked sideways at the raging fire all over her body. She shook her head: ¡°If I don¡¯t go there, I will harm you.¡± The smile on the face of the person over there did not diminish, but he took his hands back. Shen Li dropped her head quietly. As Shen Li burned her body, she suddenly felt a hint of coolness covering her whole body. She looked up in a daze, the man had walked to her, then smiled and hugged her into his arms. Patting her back gently, comforting her like a child: ¡°I¡¯m safe, it¡¯s okay.¡± The crimson in Shen Li¡¯s eyes slowly faded. She knew that she should leave this embrace, and her responsibilities and his responsibilities were compelling. The two should drift away, but¡­May God be kind and forgive her for being unable to break free and ignore him at this moment. Just let her¡­ finish this dream. She relaxed her body, allowing him to support her body. In the emptiness of darkness, she seemed to melt into him. Opening her eyes, the sunlight was a little dazzling, and Shen Li saw someone sitting on a chair by the table. He was falling asleep deeply with his head supported by one hand, the wide white robe dragged the ground, the green jade hairpin was loosely holding a few strands of black silk hair that covered half of his cheek. In the backlight, he was too beautiful¡­ Which fisherman could look so tragically nice ¡­¡­ Shen Li¡¯s heart moved, and she didn¡¯t know what expression she should make for a while, but after a long period of daze, she grinned silently: ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! I was really picked up by you again, fate is so unkind, how could we two be so fateful!¡± All the profound iron on her limbs had been taken out, and the wound was wrapped in white cloth strips, which were not human fabrics. It seemed that the cloth had been torn from his body. The wounds on the limbs all felt cold, and they had been treated by him. Shen Li turned her head, closed her eyes, and stopped looking at Xing Zhi. How could she not know what Xing Zhi was thinking? He knew that if Shen Li knew that the person taking care of her was him, she would definitely ask to leave immediately. It was as decisive as when he said goodbye that day. They are all so aware of each other¡¯s responsibilities, and they know each other so well that they could guess what choices the other party will make. But¡­Xing Zhi never thought that Shen Li would also be weak and want to indulge in warmth sometimes. Shen Li didn¡¯t open her eyes, she didn¡¯t want to see what would be his behavior right now, the memory of her was still there, vivid. She would be kind to Xing Zhi for now, forgiving him for letting go of responsibility. Just this once. Until her wound was healed, she would no longer be the Azure King, she is willing to be just Shen Li, picked up from the beach by a fisherman with a hoarse voice, and then spend some time peacefully. CH 58 Chapter 58.1 Xing Zhi Listened to Shen Li walking slowly and stepping to boil water outside, he estimated the time and figured that the water was almost ready. Shen Li suddenly said to him: ¡°I can see things today. I didn¡¯t believe that even though you are a fisherman, the house would be so well arranged. This is very good.¡± The white clothes flashed by on the side of the door, and the figure dodged to the side. Shen Li heard a clamor and sounds of ding and clank, thinking that the people outside were in a panic. After all of that, this scene was just embarrassing. Shen Li waited for a long time, and there was no sound outside, but she could imagine the frowning and wry smile of Xing Zhi. It was¡­ so comfortable. Shen Li tilted her head inward and bent her mouth. After she had enough fun, she stepped in. When she turned her head, she saw a dark young man dressed in coarse linen, really like a fisherman working by the sea all year round. Shen Li blinked and heard him say in the hoarse voice she was used to these days: ¡°Girl¡¯s eyes are better?¡± Shen Li looked at him carefully: ¡°My five senses come and go. Today, my senses of taste, smell, and touch are broken, but it¡¯s a lucky day to be able to hear and see.¡± The youth frowned slightly: ¡°Why is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specific reason. I couldn¡¯t do this before so let me do this now. Shen Li stared into his eyes, and said, ¡°Thank you, son, for taking care of me and taking off the chains out of my limbs, I really troubled you. I don¡¯t want to impose, but I¡¯m still unable to move freely, I¡¯m afraid I have to ask you to take care of me for a few more days.¡± He gave an understatement, ¡°Hmm¡±, then sat down and took a teacup to drink tea, but as if he felt that he shouldn¡¯t have agreed so fast, he took a meal with the teacup and after pondering for a while, he said with a clear cough: ¡°I have to go to sea every day to work, and the girl is seriously injured. I have delayed a lot of time to take care of the girl a few days ago, and I can¡¯t delay it in the next few days.¡± The corners of Shen Li¡¯s mouth moved slightly: ¡°I will give you a sum of money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of money, but of time. You delayed it, but life doesn¡¯t wait.¡± Shen Li choked. Thinking that she shouldn¡¯t accept his words. She thought she was taking advantage of him, but now it seems to be the opposite. But she should continue with the act. He shamelessly said, ¡°It¡¯s better to be like this. The girl agreed to grant a wish before, but that was not the time. Why don¡¯t you give me one more ?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°For now your word is enough, if I tell you now I fear the girl won¡¯t be able to do it, so keep it for now. So I can help you heal your injuries with all my heart.¡± Shen Li looked at him for a long time: ¡°The son was originally such a talkative person.¡± ¡°Before the girl was like a person who could die of anger with just a few words, I didn¡¯t dare to say much. But now¡­¡± He finally drank the tea in his hand, and the edge of the cup covered the curve of his lips, ¡°Isn¡¯t this because the girl promised me to make a wish?¡± It was that if Shen Li did not agree he would throw her out. Shen Li was very clear he wouldn¡¯t but she still looked at him and replied: ¡°Okay, I accept your double wish. As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you achieve it.¡± He put down the teacup, the curvature of his lips remained as usual, but he only smiled for a moment, then he turned his head slightly. Looking at Shen Li¡¯s direction, he pursed his lips, changed the smile on his lips, and said, ¡°I have cooked fish soup, can the girl taste it?¡± Shen Li nodded, although, even if she eats fish she wouldn¡¯t taste it. Eating the soup and drinking water, was the same. Even after living in this hut for some time, Shen Li¡¯s limbs were hurt too badly, and it was much slower than usual. Her five senses still did not recover. She told herself not to worry. But every time someone had to feed her, she hated herself very much, and more importantly¡­ ¡°I want to go to the toilet¡­¡± Shen Li said hardly in her voice. In fact, they have done this many times, but she didn¡¯t know at that time that was Xing Zhi helping her. Shen Li just treated as an ordinary fisherman, she always thought that she could hurt his head to make him forget. But now she knows it is Xing Zhi. First, she is injured and she can¡¯t kill him even if she wishes. Second¡­ She¡­ is even shyer around him anyway¡­ Third, he is a god, someone who should be prideful, he shouldn¡¯t have to do this for anyone¡­ When Shen Li¡¯s thoughts were a mess, he took out the chamber pot placed in the corner as usual, and he specially modified Shen Li to make it convenient for her current body so that she could sit on it. Xing Zhi probed into Shen Li¡¯s quilt, loosened her belt, and then pulled her pants down. Shen Li¡¯s clothes were long. He arranged her clothes in the quilt before removing her from the quilt. He carried her out, put her on the chamber pot, let her sit down, and left the door without changing his face. Shen Li sat and adjusted her emotions for a long time, and then relaxed. But the last thing was to clean up, she would rather die than let him do it. Struggling with the pain of the open wound, she cleaned it up by herself, and then drooped her head and shouted: ¡°Okay.¡± She walked in from outside the house again. When he put the quilt on Shen Li, he saw blood oozing out of her wrist, his brow wrinkled slightly and the corners of his mouth moved, but in the end, he said nothing. After each incident, Shen Li always felt awkward for a while. After Xing Zhi set her up, he left the space for her and went to the yard by himself. In fact, he had nothing to do, so he just watched the room in a daze. After some more time, Shen Li was barely able to walk. She was inevitably a little eager to make herself run, but even walking two steps was too much and she would fall. It was okay when she didn¡¯t have the senses. If it didn¡¯t hurt she could just get up and continue walking, but once the sense of touch recovers, if she falls to the ground, the joints of the limbs would be too painful, and if she couldn¡¯t bear it, she would have to shake her teeth and stay on the ground for a long time¡­ So every time she practiced walking in the house, she would make sure that Xing Zhi was absent. She was already embarrassed enough, especially in front of Xing Zhi¡­ hapter 58.2 The time Xing Zhi was absent was getting longer and longer. After breakfast in the morning, no one was seen. Shen Li also practiced moving her limbs day by day, but she couldn¡¯t force the recovery speed of her bones and muscles. Shen Li¡¯s vision did not recover that day. She touched the table and walked, she was tired, and she wanted to pour some water. When she touched the teapot on the table, she found that her fingers were not under her control, she tried her best to hold the handle of the kettle tightly, but she couldn¡¯t. It was more difficult to restore the flexibility of the fingers than to resume walking and running. Those small muscles and bones were not fully restored. It was a hundred times more difficult to take a teacup and hold a pair of chopsticks than walking and running. Shen Li was a little stuck at this moment. She desperately wanted to hold the pot handle, but she was unable to succeed. If so¡­ If so, how could she hold a weapon in the future? How could she protect her people? Touching her arm, she let the teacup fall to the ground, the cracking sound was harsh. There was a rush of footsteps outside the door, Shen Li was angry, and with a flick of her hand, she flicked everything out of the table: ¡°Get out!¡± The moment the door opened, the teacup fell on the door frame, cracking the porcelain. The film hit over the person¡¯s brow bone, and blood immediately ran out. Xing Zhi stopped without frowning, he stepped forward in two steps, grabbed Shen Li who was about to fall and helped her to sit by the bed. For a moment, the blood falling from between his eyebrows fell on the back of Shen Li¡¯s hand. When she was blind, his touch was always more sensitive than usual. When he turned to clean up the other debris in the house, Shen Li grabbed his hand. Xing Zhi looked back at her, Shen Li¡¯s mouth moved, but she never said a word. The hand holding his hand became tighter and tighter, and she refused to let go. He squatted down in front of her and looked up at her slightly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shen Li was silent for a long time, then she turned and slightly bowed her head: ¡°I hurt¡­ I hurt you¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Knowing that Shen Li couldn¡¯t see, he smiled softly in front of her, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t let go when he responded like this: ¡°For physical reasons¡­I¡¯ve been a little impatient recently.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± There was silence between the two. I don¡¯t know how long later, Shen Li loosened a hand, touched Xing Zhi¡¯s face, and poked his cheek with her index finger: ¡°Here is it hurt?¡± Xing Zhi allowed her fingers to lie on her face without stopping her. Only smiled and answered: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°Not there.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sensing that he seemed to be playing with herself, Shen Li was slightly angry and poked fiercely: ¡°Here!¡± A feeling of wet fingertips came, but he heard a muffled hum. Shen Li retracted her hand: ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ it got in your eyes¡­¡± Xing Zhi sighed, took her hand, and placed it on the brow bone: ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± The blood seemed to flow a lot¡­ Shen Li asked: ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Xing Zhi remained silent for a while then nodded: ¡°It hurts.¡± As if it had been cut by a sharp knife, the chilly pain in his browns was followed by a hot pain and a feeling Shen Li fell silent: ¡°I¡¯ll try to¡­control my temper.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to control yourself.¡± Xing Zhi whispered, ¡°Here, you don¡¯t need to have control.¡± He wanted her to act recklessly. After venting her temper, Shen Li calmed down and thought about it. She insisted on practicing every day, but she was no longer so eager for quick success. After practicing this way, her body recovered faster, and her five senses were better. When she didn¡¯t have the sense of touch, she focused on sight and hearing, and when she didn¡¯t have the sense of hearing, her sense of smell was strengthened. After a while, her five senses were unexpectedly improved. For Shen Li, this was a victory. One day, when Shen Li was able to walk steadily without holding a chair or table, she suddenly wanted to go outside to see. Unexpectedly, she opened the door and stepped out. It was this step that made her see the behavior of standing in the yard. He did nothing but stood in the sunshine like a young man by the sea and quietly met her. He never left. He has been silently accompanying her in his way. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± Shen Li said. ¡°I cooked fish soup.¡± A very ordinary conversation, but it made her feel warm. Since Shen Li has been able to take care of herself, Xing Zhi really left the yard. He made breakfast early in the morning and put it on the table to let Shen Li get up and eat, and then he packed up and went out to sea with the nearby fishermen. At noon, he returned alone again, carrying the fish that he had caught in the morning, setting firewood on the fire, and cooking lunch for Shen Li. When Shen Li¡¯s sense of smell recovered, she could always smell the fishy smell of the sea, but it was different from the original smell. At that time, he was full of the smell of sea breeze, without the slightest fishy smell, as if he was just in the sea for months letting the wind blow in his skin, and now he has everything on his body, salty, fishy, ??bloody¡­ He is serious about pretending to be a fisherman¡­ Just like when he was reborn as a mortal, although he had his memory intact, he also only focused on doing what mortals should do in life. Shen Li really admired such a mentality of being at ease. Shen Li has been bored recently. After waiting for her trip in the morning, she walked around the yard twice, feeling really bored, and simply stepped out of the yard to see how the nearby fisherman worked. She knew that still, She couldn¡¯t walk fast, so when she reached the nearest fishing village, the people who went out fishing in the morning had already returned. They all unloaded the fish from the boat outside, but one just stood on his own boat and looked at something. He was rubbing his eyebrows, seeming to have a headache. Shen Li was a little curious. She walked up the wooden trestle and walked to the place where the boat was parked: ¡°Did you not catch the fish?¡± Before she finished speaking, Shen Li glanced at the things on his boat, a boat of pearl mussels and exotic treasures, but none of them were edible. Shen Li had not yet recovered her mana, so she couldn¡¯t detect the breath of the gods on his body, but the Dragon King is not a stupid one. Knowing that the High God was casting a net on his sea, how can he let go of this good opportunity to give gifts? The fish was also dragged out by the Dragon King. After seeing such a bunch of things, Shen Li couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. Xing Zhi was still a little unhappy, but seeing Shen Li smiled, he curled his eyebrows: ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I want to see how the fish are caught.¡± Shen Li pointed to his boat without a fish and said, ¡°But it seems that you didn¡¯t fish today.¡± He stopped and nodded: ¡°Yes, I deliberately added these things today.¡± This person really didn¡¯t even hiccup when lying. Shen Li sat down on the trestle bridge: ¡°Let me see, so many babies, take a few to sell for money.¡± Xing Zhi shook his head and only picked up a few pearl mussels: ¡°Too many are useless, so I¡¯ll throw them back into the sea in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Shen Li called to him, ¡°I¡¯ll choose a few first!¡± She hurriedly jumped into the fishing boat, he tried to help her while she walked, but the fishermen who came back and forth afterward walked in a hurry. Someone didn¡¯t pay attention to bumping into Shen Li, and Shen Li went straight down, slammed into his arms. She was hugged firmly, her chest pressed against his chest, and she could almost feel the other¡¯s heartbeat. This hug was as warm and safe as in that dream. CH 59 Chapter 59.1 The hug was too real and the heartbeat was too crazy. Shen Li was shocked by her own heartbeat. She tried hard to stop, but she almost tripped over the fishing net behind her. He sighed: ¡°So reckless if you fall into the water, who do you have to rely on to save you?¡± As soon as he said that, he stopped for a moment. He turned his head and coughed unnaturally, but Shen Li seemed to have not heard what he said. She only looked down at the treasure in the boat and said, ¡°Can I choose for myself ?¡± Xing Zhi looked at Shen Li¡¯s profile with some surprise, and then softened his gaze: ¡°Well, if you can find something you like, I will give it to you.¡± Shen Li looked at the clamshells in his hand. Although she had been in the heavens for a short time, she already knew that Xing Zhi was a person who never accepted gifts. Picking up one or two from the Dragon King was meant to give the Dragon King a face. , But if he accepts it all, it holds a different meaning. Shen Li didn¡¯t respond to him but just buried her head in search for a while. In a boat of jewels, there was only one white round stone that looked a little more rustic. Shen Li picked it up and said, ¡°It looks like this stone is just right. I want it, and everything else is up to you.¡± Xing Zhi nodded: ¡°I¡¯ll change the pearls for a few fish, and then let¡¯s go home for dinner.¡± The two climbed up the wooden trestle and stopped. They were looking for someone to exchange the pearls, but Xin Zhi just said a few words to an honest fisherman, and a strange voice came from beside him: ¡°This little brother is fishing for clamshells again.¡± The person stepped forward. He glared fiercely at the honest fisherman. The fish in the fisherman¡¯s hand was about to be handed over to Xing Zhi. When he glared at the fisherman, the fisherman shrank his hand, but the man still pushed him directly and said in disgust, ¡°Go go, you greedy thing is blocking Lao Tzu¡¯s way.¡± The fisherman hurriedly took the fish, gave a look of apology to Xing Zhi, and then left quickly. The gaze of Xing Zhi then slowly fell on the person, he smiled calmly, and saw him lifting the belt of his pants, saying: ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know who I am. I¡¯m the eldest son of the village chief, Wang Bao. I see that my little brother [TL/NOTE :he is referring to Xing Zhi here in a close way] exchanges mussel shells for fish every day. I think you don¡¯t like mussel shells. It just so happens that there is a lot of fish in my place. You can trade with me. These mussel shells here and those on your boat, Give it to me.¡± ¡°No.¡± Xing Zhi said indifferently, ¡°I want to throw it away.¡± He was really telling the truth, but in Wang Bao¡¯s ears, another meaning emerged. His voice was slightly raised: ¡°Bold! I am the eldest son of the village chief! Why did you want to throw away those treasures and refused to give them to me!? Do you have an opinion about me? If you have an opinion about me, you have an opinion about the village chief! Be careful, I can destroy you.¡± Shen Li behind him squinted her eyes. She couldn¡¯t see the guy who bullied Xing Zhi, but she just wanted to scold him, Xing Zhi pulled her hand as if he didn¡¯t see the arrogant and domineering person in front of him, he pulled Shen Li and left. Wang Bao was furious, and stood in front of Xing Zhi blocking his passage: ¡°Stop! Didn¡¯t you hear this uncle talking to you?!¡± As soon as his voice fell, his gaze happened to fall on Shen Li who was standing behind Xing Zhi. Today, what Shen Li was wearing was what Xing Zhi arranged for her. The cotton white clothes that he brought, had a lot of patches, her face was haggard, and she looked a little weak. The person¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and he looked up and down Shen Li: ¡°You could give me that wife of yours, to show me some courtesy.¡± Shen Li sneered. If she was not injured, she might have stepped on this rude man right there. ¡°You have a good eye.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s voice was faint, a bit more chill than usual. Shen Li was aware of it. In her opinion, Xing Zhi was originally a God who rarely revealed the true emotions in his heart. And when he did show, he would be very selective about where, when, and whom would see it. But at this moment, Shen Li was keenly aware that Xing Zhi¡¯s emotions were not calculated, ¡°I should commend you for having such a pair of eyes.¡± Before the words fell, Xing Zhi already punched Wang Bao in the face. He stunned him on the ground without even struggling. Wang Bao closed his eyes and fainted. The place where he was beaten by Xing Zhi was swollen and ugly. Without blinking his eyes, Xing Zhi stepped on Wang Bao¡¯s face with one foot, and then continue to walk as nothing happened. Shen Li stared at Xing Zhi in a daze. She stared blankly until Xing Shi led Shen Li back to the yard with no expression on his face. He finally said, ¡°I was also beaten? Why do you keep looking at me like this?¡± Shen Li blinked and said in a daze, ¡°No, I just¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to use such a direct method.¡± He just punched him¡­ shouldn¡¯t Xing Zhi be the kind of person who makes insidious tricks behind people¡¯s back? After a pause, a few complicated emotions flashed under his eyes, for a while, he turned to look at Shen Li: ¡°He offended you.¡± Shen Li was slightly startled, and said, ¡°Uh¡­it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°If it were you, how would you deal with it?¡± ¡°I would beat that arrogance out of him.¡± ¡°So, I just chose the way you would choose.¡± He turned his head and coughed, seeming to be aggrieved and uncomfortable, he whispered, ¡°I thought you would be a little happier this way.¡± Shen Li looked at his back and was slightly stunned. After reflecting on what he meant, Shen Li¡¯s cheeks flushed suddenly¡­ Is he¡­ to please her¡­ ¡°I¡¯m feeling great.¡± She said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m very happy.¡± She lowered her eyelids in silence, looked at the ground, softened her steadfast and hard gaze, and the emotions in her heart were like wave after wave. Shen Li also knew that perhaps only by putting on this disguise, he could be kind to her like this. He wanted to spoil her, so why not let him be at ease for a while¡­ Chapter 59.2 At night, Shen Li could not sleep and her ears suddenly moved. Her hearing has become much sharper these few days, and her voice is even better than before. To be precise, she heard someone entering the yard. There were about four people, but as soon as she heard the vain footsteps, she knew that the visitor had not even practiced martial arts. Shen Li laid on the bed and continued to sleep. They walked into the yard and stopped. But how could Xing Zhi be unprepared? Sure enough, the four of them hadn¡¯t even reached the main hall, and suddenly heard two muffled ¡°hums¡± sounds, as if two of them had fallen, and the other two panicked. In the chaos, they separated and ran around, one person rushed into the room where Shen Li was sleeping and the other rushed towards her. The door was opened, but Shen Li didn¡¯t even open her eyes. She only smelled the smell on the person¡¯s body and guessed that this person was the bullying Wang Bao they met during the day. He was panting hard as if he was frightened, but after a while, he seemed to see Shen Li on the bed and approached slowly. When he walked to the bed, Shen Li heard a ¡°gudong¡± sound of him swallowing his saliva¡­ Shen Li felt sick in her heart, she opened her eyes that were cold as ice, and with the moonlight coming through the window Wang Bao could see the was murderous intent in them. Wang Bao was so horrified by her eyes that he backed away, and when he reacted, he immediately said, ¡°Don¡¯t yell girl, you don t need to call him!¡± Seeing that Shen Li didn¡¯t say anything, he felt a little relieved and said, ¡°You are sleeping in separate rooms. Why? ¡°He seemed to had an enlightenment, ¡°I, I am the eldest son of the village, I don¡¯t know how many times better than your husband who can only fish, why not follow me today as my lover ?¡± ¡°How can you compare yourself with him ?.¡± ¡°Shen Li opened her mouth and sat up, with a soft voice she said ¡°The difference between you two is like the difference between clouds and mud.¡± ¡° Wang Bao was taken aback he looked at Shen Li blankly, and listened to her cold voice: ¡°This king has lived for a thousand years, but this is the first time I was molested by someone like this. This experience is really rare, but it¡¯s a pity that you were too stubborn. I have no more mercy to grant.¡± ¡° Thousand years? ¡°Wang Bao was dumbfounded. Shen Li was too lazy to speak any more, so she stood up and waved her hand like a slap. She hasn¡¯t fully recovered from her injury now, and this palm has spared her strength, but for Wang Bao, this was already too much. After receiving the punch of Xing Zhi, his face was still swollen, and Shen Li¡¯s palm hit him symmetrically. Wang Bao wailed and backed away. But how could Shen Li let her go so easily? She stretched out her hand to drag him but she inadvertently grabbed his trouser belt. Wang Bao was pulled and turned twice. The trouser belt stayed to Shen Li¡¯s hand and his pants fell down. Shen Li didn¡¯t want to do this, but she heard Wang Bao¡¯s voice. He exclaimed: ¡°Wh..why are you doing this¡­!¡± The corner of Shen Li¡¯s mouth twitched. Suddenly she felt dark in front of her eyes, and a cool palm covered her eyes. The man behind sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t look at the dirty stuff.¡± ¡° Shen Li relaxed her posture, letting her body lean in the arms of the person behind her. When he put down his hand, the door of the room opened wide, and Wang Bao was panicked, running away. Shen Li turned around and glanced at Xing Zhi: ¡± I can cope with this situation without others¡¯ intervention. ¡° Xing Zhi just smiled:¡± I know, but you can choose to be temporarily unable to cope. ¡° ¡± Why? ¡° ¡°Because I will help you.¡± ¡° Shen Li lowered her head and said nothing. In fact¡­her body has already chosen that way. On the second day, Xing Zhi got up early and went out fishing as usual. Shen Li slept in the bed until she woke up naturally, but the moment she opened her eyes, she noticed something was wrong. She couldn¡¯t see anything, no sound, and no touch. She had no sense of smell either. She wanted to open her mouth to speak, but her throat was tightly closed. She knew that she was definitely speechless now. She couldn¡¯t verify whether she still exists now. She seemed to have fallen into a void, and there was nothing in it. Maybe she died. She couldn¡¯t tell. Shen Li controlled her emotions and allowed herself to sink and float in the darkness. She didn¡¯t panic, just thinking that it should be fine after this day, but how long this day is, and what time it is now, she didn¡¯t know. If Xing Zhi saw her that way¡­ she didn¡¯t know what would happen. She seemed to be the only one in the world, wandering in the void, as if she could never go out. She began to feel fear, what if she couldn¡¯t get better? What if she is like this from now on? She still has many things to do, many things to say, and so many unwillingnesses¡­ how can she spend the rest of her life here? Shen Li wanted to escape from this place. She allowed herself to run non-stop, but in the endless darkness, she didn¡¯t know if she was running or not, she couldn¡¯t see the direction, the road, or even herself, life and death were the same¡­ Time seemed to pass extremely fast and extremely slow. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been in the dark, and suddenly she could hear some sounds in her ears. Someone was calling her: ¡°Shen Li, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The person suppressed his emotions so hard, but Shen Li heard the distress in his words, so much distress as if to drown her. She smelled the outside smell, the smell of the sea on his body, and a very faint scent. It was a unique scent that belonged to Xing Zhi. A smell of gods, so it made people feel at ease¡­ Her limbs gradually recovered the feeling, she knew she was being held in his embrace. He was holding her so tightly, it seems like he wanted to protect her, and at the same time, rely on her. She raised her arms vigorously, hugged him back, and stroked his back. ¡°Have you been here all the time?¡± She heard her voice extremely hoarse and was so tired that she couldn¡¯t say the next word. He hugged her even tighter, making Shen Li feel that the bones were strangled in pain, but it was this kind of pain that made her feel strangely warm and comfortable. ¡°I have been here all the time.¡± He swore in her ear. ¡°I will always be here.¡± Shen Li smiled: ¡°Then next time, I won¡¯t be so scared.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s throat choked and he couldn¡¯t say anything else. CH 60 Chapter 60.1 From then on, before Xing Zhi went out, he had to wake up Shen Li once to confirm whether she could perceive external things. In the first two days, Shen Li was still relatively cooperative. Within a few days, Shen Li became impatient. When he stopped to wake her, she only covered her head with the quilt: ¡°I can see and hear, but the sense of touch is gone, no problem. You can go, you can go.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s outstretched hand stopped in the air, hearing Shen Li¡¯s breathing, he looked at her dumbfoundingly, and seeing how she was behaving now, who would have thought that she was so scared that day? Her face was pale, her body trembling, and her hands and feet were cold. Maybe it was only in her unconsciousness that she would express that emotion. If this woman, Shen Li, was even half-conscious, she would never allow herself to be so fragile¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t have any food at home, so I didn¡¯t make breakfast. I¡¯m going to the market to buy some ingredients, and I will be back soon. If you feel hungry, get water and cheat your stomach.¡± The person in the quilt responded dully. Xing Zhi shook his head and went out. However, Shen Li woke up not long after Xing Zhi left, lying on the bed in a daze, she felt that the feelings devoted to Xing Zhi were too much now, so much that it was almost beyond her control. Before she thought that after this period of time is over, she could just suppress all over again, but¡­ what if¡­ she couldn¡¯t suppress it anymore? Shen Li had never relied so much on people. She felt a sense of danger of burning her body ¡­ She sighed and couldn¡¯t sleep anymore. She lifted the quilt and got out of bed to wash, but she just walked to the yard and wanted to fetch water when she heard a few soft movements, Shen Li¡¯s eyes condensed, knowing that today¡¯s people are by no means as useless as those few rascals of a few days ago. She lowered her eyebrows and turned her head slightly: ¡°Who is there?¡± A few sounds of ¡°thum¡± settled, and five people in black stood separately in the yard: ¡°The King didn¡¯t make it easy for us to find you .¡± Shen Li turned around with cold eyes, staring at the person who was talking. The person immediately winked at the person next to him, and several people surrounded Shen Li. Everyone has heard of the deeds of burning Fu Sheng and destroying dozens of creatures and their companions. They have all seen her tragic situation in the dungeon. She was wounded like that. Now she stands in perfect condition. In front of her, it was inevitable to be scared, and for a while, no one dared to step forward. The headed person gritted his teeth and said: ¡°What are you afraid of? Master Fu Sheng said that she must not have regained her mana, now she is a useless person. At this time, If the master hears that we found her but didn¡¯t catch her, you all will have to suffer the punishment!¡± The last sentence seemed to awake them. After hearing the fear in everyone¡¯s hearts, a few people gave each other a glance and just wanted to do something, but they heard Shen Li sneer: ¡°I already defeated your master before. Don¡¯t move indiscriminately.¡± The few people were already scared so as soon as she said this, they were even more panicked, and the leader shouted: ¡°She must be bluffing people, do it!¡± She was already without mana, and these people were cruel in their hearts, raising their hands and chanting. A white air overflowed from their fingertips, slowly condensing in front of them. After their formula stopped, they saw that the white gas actually condensed into an arrow. Shen Li knew that she was standing still, but between the electric light and flint, a barrier suddenly opened in front of her, and the white robe was blown in front of Shen Li¡¯s eyes by the wind generated by the impact. After the dust settled, Xing Zhi steadily stood in front of Shen Li, his expression cold. Several people on the opposite side were stunned: ¡°Impossible¡­ He actually blocked the water stop technique with his hand¡­¡± ¡°Water stop technique?¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°You said this technique?¡± Xing Zhi lifted his sleeves, an extremely cold breath swept out, but it was impossible to see the shape. When the reaction came, the man in black had been frozen into an ice sculpture. ¡°The younger generation tried to learn the art of the gods.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s voice was as indifferent as usual, but it was shuddering in their ears: ¡°Go back and tell Fu Sheng, the gods will stop by, and come to visit in the future.¡± Yes¡­Xing Zhi Shenjun¡­¡± One person was frightened, his legs weakened, and he staggered back and fell straight to the ground. The other three were frightened and ran away hurriedly. The man who fell down got up and ran outside, but he stopped when he heard Xing Zhi say: ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Ah¡­Ah¡­¡± The man¡¯s legs trembled, and the bottom of his pants soon became wet. He was scared he peed his pants ¡± Move this thing away.¡± He pointed at the ice sculpture, and the man in black nodded hurriedly, carried the ice sculpture desperately, and moved away in a panic. Shen Li looked stunned behind him: ¡°I have been fighting on the battlefield for many years, but I never knew that a name could scare the opponent like this. Your title is really prestigious.¡± ¡°What about the prestige, I didn¡¯t have time when it was supposed to work, causing you to be hurt¡­¡± Xing Zhi said indifferent and slightly bitter. He swallowed the second half before he finished. Shen Li was joking first, she did not think he would take this so seriously, so she was slightly taken aback. She vaguely felt that since she was injured, his behavior seems to be a little different from before. If this was before, he wouldn¡¯t say things like this no matter what. Shen Li was silent, and there was silence in the yard for a while, before he asked, ¡°My identity¡­you already knew it before?¡± Shen Li was slightly startled, and said ¡°Didn¡¯t you already knew that I was aware?.¡± Xing Zhi remained silent There are some things that both parties know, but it¡¯s quite different when they are stated clearly. Chapter 60.2 Xing Zhi could no longer play the ordinary fisherman now, and Shen Li is no longer the Shen Li who lodges at the fisherman¡¯s house. One of them is the God of Xing Zhi from the outer sky, the other is the Azure King of the Demon Realm. Shen Li shoulders the responsibility as the guardian of the Demon Realm. And his responsibility is the safety of the three realms. Now that Fu Sheng has come and sent soldiers, they should wake up from that dream, was time to face other things¡­ ¡°My body is almost healed, but the mana has not been restored, and staying in the human world is not an option. I¡¯ll have to trouble the god to send me back to the demon world.¡± He refused without even looking at her, ¡°No.¡± Shen Li was stunned by such a straightforward answer: ¡°Why?¡± She said with caution as if he was playing tricks ¡°I don¡¯t want to send you, if you are capable, go back by yourself.¡± Shen Li was slightly angry: ¡°How can you let me go back with my own !¡± Now she can¡¯t even probe where the entrance to the Demon Realm is, let alone fly through the clouds and mist, shuttle between the two realms. ¡°You are doing this to embarrass me!¡± Xing Zhi smiled and said ¡± So, you know. ¡° Shen Li was silent for a moment then she took a deep breath and said: ¡°I want to return to the Demon Realm. First, the situation is chaotic now, not to mention the external and internal troubles of the Demon Realm. The atmosphere of the Heaven Realm is very strange recently. Although with the condition of my body I can¡¯t do anything real when I go back, the marriage contract with Fu Rong is still there. At this time, the wedding will definitely alleviate the disparity between the two worlds. It is a good thing to be united now. Second, the Demon World may have a way to get my mana back and restore my five senses, it¡¯s better than doing nothing¡­¡± ¡°First, canceled.¡± Xing Zhi poured a cup of tea on the table and said softly, ¡°Azure King and Fu Rong¡¯s marriage contract has been canceled.¡± Shen Li was stunned: ¡°Wha¡­wait! Why!¡± When she desperately tried to escape the marriage, they were tied together, but when Shen Li finally saw benefits in it, this person actually told her that her wedding with Fu Rong¡­ was canceled? ¡°On the entire three Realms is well known Azure King was killed.¡± Xing Zhi said faintly ¡°How can Heaven¡¯s grandson marry a dead person? Therefore, your marriage is canceled. Both Heavenly Emperor and Demon Lord recognize this. Shen Li froze for a moment, for some reason, her first thought was: ¡°Jun Fu Rong must have been very happy to hear this.¡± Xing Zhi took a sip of tea and shook his head: ¡°No, he was heartbroken when he heard that Mo Fang was dead. It seemed that after going on a hunger strike for two or three days, he heard that Mo Fang was a traitor and spy, and he was even more traumatized, so he almost cried.¡± Hearing Mo Fang¡¯s name, Shen Li¡¯s eyebrows also sank, but she did not give him too much detail. When he thought about it, he stopped and said: ¡°Second, I have the method to restore mana and five senses. And this method is in the human world. I was planning to let you heal completely before telling you, but since you are so impatient, I can tell you now.¡± Shen Li was overjoyed: ¡°Really?¡± Although she hasn¡¯t complained about the current situation where all her magic power is lost, in her heart she hopes that they can recover as soon as possible. After all, Azure king is proud and without power, Shen Li would not ever be the same. ¡°From here to the north, crossing the North Sea, and bypassing an ice-snow plain, you will see a snowy mountain. There is a big demon living in it. There are many rare things for people to buy and sell, and there may be more things than in the heavens. So there may be a way or medicine to restore you.¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°So, maybe I can find a new weapon!¡± Xing Zhi was startled and suddenly coughed twice, as if I thought of something slightly embarrassing: ¡°You don¡¯t need to find a new one. Your broken spear, I have already picked it up for you. But I put it in the sky, but I can go and bring it to you.¡± Has her broken spear been connected? This didn¡¯t seem strange at first, but when you think about it¡­ She is the lord of the demon world. It stands to reason that her things after her death should be left to the demon world for safekeeping, why did he get the two pieces of the spear? And also Reconnect it and place it in the outer sky? Her gun has been influenced by demonic energy all the year-round and has killed countless people. The evil spirit is compelling. It should be in conflict with the spirit of Xing Zhi. Wouldn¡¯t it be a big damage to his body if he took the gun? Putting this aside, he said that he took the gun and put it in the sky, how could the demons allow it? Outsiders don¡¯t know, but Shen Li knows it in her heart. For the demons, she is the Azure King, the Demon Lord¡¯s disciple, and like a daughter. A Child¡¯s ¡°relic¡± Can¡¯t be easily given. Shen Li frowned and looked suspiciously. Xing Zhi turned his head and said, ¡°I will take you north in two days.¡± He got up and left. ¡°Hey, wait a minute.¡± Shen Li called to him, ¡°Do you have any injuries on your body?¡± Xing Zhi turned around and smiled: ¡°What kind of injury can I have?¡± Yes, he was such a powerful god, How could he get hurt? In the darkroom, one person stood quietly, his broad robe almost covered his face: ¡°The High God¡­¡± He whispered softly ¡°The plan is not yet completed, he appeared too early.¡± He turned his head. Looking at the black-clothed youth on the side with cold eyes, ¡°Young Master, is this the result you wanted?¡± Mo Fang only said coldly: ¡°Everything else will do, but leave Shen Li alone.¡± Fu Sheng laughed mockingly: ¡°Young Master¡¯s kindness is overwhelming! Where was this kindness when you escape from the Demon¡¯s capital ?! I clearly remember that there was a general who wanted to ¡°save¡± you out of the creature¡¯s hands. It was you who killed him in secret with a sword. Heh! Why didn¡¯t you have such kindness at that time!?¡± Mo Fang quietly closed his eyes. Fu Sheng continued: ¡°I Can¡¯t do anything to Shen Li¡­ But you know that Phoenix Orb is the most indispensable thing in the plan, but you still let her go! Young master, this childish love made you blind? The sacrifice of these centuries will be ruined on that Shen Li? If the Lord knew it, he would be extremely sad.¡± ¡°I will find an alternative.¡± Mo Fang said after a long silence, ¡°You, I want you to go north to the place where the Golden Snake Demon is. I heard that there are many rare and exotic treasures in his place. Look for it. If you can find something to replace the Phoenix Fire Pearl, you can¡¯t move on Shen Li.¡± Fu Sheng Sneered: ¡°If I can find it, I won¡¯t move Shen Li again.¡± Mo Fang turned and left. Fu Sheng sat quietly for a while, and someone suddenly reported: ¡°My lord, among the hundred human beings captured, after being fed the pill, ninety-five of them died and three became complete demons. Two of them fell into a coma.¡± ¡°Defective product, kill them.¡± Fu Sheng waved his hand and sent the person away. He thought for a while and then said, ¡°Take the few people who escaped from Xing Zhi¡¯s hands and give them pills. They have learned spells, and if they succeed, they should be even more powerful.¡± ¡°Yes, sir, there is one more thing, the third prince of Beihai seems to have no more secrets to confide.¡± Fu Sheng nodded: ¡°So, take out the core and put it together with the other two for safekeeping.¡± CH 61 Chapter 61.1 The cold wind roared, and a huge stone gate was embedded in the valley, blocking all the way up the mountain. Many people waited in front of the mountain gate, in groups of two, talking softly or closing their eyes to rest their minds ¡°Is it cold?¡± Xin Zhi asked ¡°What do you think?¡± Shen Li took down the fox fur cloak that he put on her, and put it in his arms, ¡°You can put it on yourself. I think the temperature is just right.¡± Those who come to this Mountain to do business, all know cultivation. Some are monsters who dominate one side, some are masters of the cultivating sects, their bodies were hundreds of times stronger than ordinary people but still, the cold in the mountain here was not the same as elsewhere. The wind and snow seemed to carry a bit of mana, which can pierce people¡¯s bones. Even magic barriers couldn¡¯t stop them. There is no need to avoid the cold here, which is indeed too eye-catching. Xing Zhi took the fox fur and put it on himself, but Shen Li waited impatiently. She looked at the huge stone gate in front and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it said that the door will open when it gets dark? The sun has already been set for a long time. Why not let people in?¡± Xing Zhi looked at the sky: ¡°It¡¯s probably the master¡­forget it.¡± As soon as his voice fell, the firelight automatically lit on the mountain gate, and it opened inward with a creak. The stairs inside seemed to grow, the torches on both sides of the road were all lit by themselves, and the crowd slowly walked inside. Shen Li couldn¡¯t see the end of the long mountain road. She raised her eyebrows: ¡°What is the origin of this Snow Mountain Golden Snake Monster? It seems very eye-catching. Why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?¡± Xing Zhi smiled: ¡°This only means you don¡¯t put much thought in deals and trades.¡± Xing Zhi hesitates for a moment then said: ¡°This demon maybe even older than me. So you must treat it as respecting your elders, even with all this pomp.¡± Shen Li was a little surprised: ¡°Older than you? Then it must be a demon from ancient times!¡± Xing Zhi heard what Shen Li said, his body stiffened. He turned his head slightly, frowning, staring at Shen Li¡¯s face for a long time. Shen Li was horrified by him and looked back. After finally confirming that Xing Zhi was staring at her, Shen Li just wanted to ask him what was wrong, but suddenly realized that she just blurted out something that she shouldn¡¯t say¡­ ¡°Uh¡­¡± Shen Li pondered for a while and comforted, ¡°I feel that for your age, you still look pretty good¡­¡± That seemed to be the wrong words¡­ Shen Li scratched her head. She¡¯s good at killing people, but she is a little bit powerless to comfort people, ¡°I mean¡­ Actually, looking at you, nobody would say how old you are¡­¡± Seeing Xing Zhi¡¯s eyebrows move, she sinks. She Li sighed: ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry I said the wrong thing.¡± Sure enough, comforting people was not her strength! ¡°Do you care about this?¡± He asked lightly after watching her for a long time Shen Li waved her hand hurriedly: ¡°I don¡¯t mind, of course, I don¡¯t mind.¡± When she raised her head, she met his eyes that were holding a smile with the arc of the eyes slightly bent, his smart eyes had jumping flames in them, as he smiled straight at her. Shen Li¡¯s heart trembled, and her heartbeat was a bit turbulent. Xing Zhi didn¡¯t bother anymore with the topic: ¡°The mountain road is too long, you are injured, it is not suitable for climbing by yourself, I will carry you up.¡± He stretched out his hand, but Shen Li was stunned for a long time When she finally recovered, she staggered slightly. Taking a step back: ¡°This, how can this be done. I¡¯ll go this way by myself!¡± As if he was expecting her to refuse, the hand that was offered remained there: ¡°Then I will hold you.¡± When Shen Li shook her head, he just grabbed her hand, and put Shen Li¡¯s hand straight into his palm, without looking at her a second time, with a very natural appearance. Shen Li was stunned, but she didn¡¯t think it would be so easy to withdraw her hand anymore. Xing Zhi was acting like he cast a spell in their hands, making her unable to break free, so she just watches his back as she follows his footsteps. His hair gently brushed her cheek as they walked, and Shen Li felt that Xing Zhi before her eyes was probably not the same as before. How can she draw a line between them with this kind of behavior? Ascending to the top of the mountain, the wind and snow were even worse, and the people who came to do business follow the guidance of torches and entered a palace-like hall. Shen Li also intended to do that, but as the crowd walked, his hand was holding her even tighter. He pointed to the weedy path and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± Xing Zhi was right. Sure enough, she couldn¡¯t walk two steps on this path. The scenery in front of her instantly flowed, and a glorious lake appeared on the top of this snow-covered hall. A very beautiful attic stood quietly in the center of the lake, and the mahogany and willow trees beside the building were so beautiful that they were a bit magical, like an illusion. With two ¡°pupu¡± sound, Shen Li looked down and saw a little girl crawling out of the ground. She stood up and patted the ash on her body. A tiny tail swayed back and forth behind her ¡°This is the owner¡¯s residence, no idlers can enter!¡± ¡°I ask you to inform that High God Xing Zhi came to visit¡¯ The little girl looked at Xing Zhi for a long time, and suddenly became stiff, her eyes glowed with blue light, her voice changed, like a seductive woman: ¡°Oh, what kind of wind bring the God here ?¡± Shen Li was startled by the child¡¯s changes, she became suspicious. Xing Zhi just looked back at her, and calmly said: ¡°It¡¯s all about a spiritual problem.¡± ¡°Oh, I see that God also brought a pretty girl to see my Lady, please come in, please come in.¡± After saying that, the little girl waved her hand, and a path glowing with blue light appeared and extended to the center of the lake. Shen Li was surprised: ¡°This Golden Snake Demon is actually a woman?¡± She asked, stepping on the faint blue light, only to feel that the surrounding scenes changed in a blink of an eye, and she has already reached the center of the lake. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be a woman?¡± A soft voice soudend in Shen Li¡¯s ears. Shen Li turned her head with a little surprise and saw that a coquettish woman wearing a gorgeous red skirt and holding a fan was standing behind her. The woman smiled while looking at Shen Li. Shen Li thought the other person was too close, so she took a step back. The Lady Jin smiled, and her figure floated to Xing Zhi¡¯s side: ¡°This girl that High God brought is very guarded.¡± Xing Zhi just smiled: ¡°In front of the Lady Jin, even I can¡¯t relax my guard.¡± ¡°Someone prestigious as the High God, how can you say that the slave house? It¡¯s cold outside, let¡¯s go in and talk about it.¡± After that, Lady Jin turned and entered the house. Xing Zhi wanted to follow, but he was grabbed by Shen Li, her brows frowned: ¡°This person¡­ is there no problem? Xing Zhi pondered the meaning of Shen Li¡¯s words, and asked with a smile, ¡°Which kind of trouble are you talking about?¡± ¡° Shen Li replied solemnly: ¡°Does she know how to use magic tricks, to ¡­ you know ¡­¡± When Xing Zhi heard the words, he lowered his head, and laughed as if he was too happy to control it. He patted Shen Li¡¯s head: ¡± Don¡¯t Worry, I won¡¯t be hooked away.¡± These words were too intimate, and Shen Li¡¯s cheeks became red. Xing Zhi caught a strand of Shen Li¡¯s hair and twisted, and whispered softly, ¡°On the contrary¡­If she could use this kind of enchantment, I¡¯m afraid I would be the person who had to worry¡­¡± Chapter 61.2 Although there was no brazier in the small building, the temperature in the house was much warmer. Xing Zhi took out the fox fur and let the little girl who came take it away. Lady Jin sat down at the table. There was a game of chess on it. She beckoned to Shen Li, ¡°Will the girl accompany the slave¡¯s family to the next game?¡± ¡°Sorry Lady, Shen Li¡¯s is too weak at chess, so I would prefer not to show my incompetence.¡± Lady Jin pouted. ¡°Okay, okay, then the god can play with me.¡± Xing Zhi smiled but didn¡¯t move and Lady Jin gave up and put the chess pieces down ¡°Everyone that comes here wants something. So let¡¯s talk about it. High God has a problem and can¡¯t solve it by himself so he came to ask for help from this slave.¡± ¡°Can Lady Jin have a way to cure her?¡± ¡°The pretty girl is sick?¡± The Lady Jin walked slowly to Shen Li, and she looked at Shen Li up and down: ¡°Well, her complexion is weak, she must have been severely injured sometime before she came, but this injury has recovered and there should be no major problems. .What do the gods want me to treat?¡± ¡°She has not recovered her magic power, and her five senses disappear from time to time.¡± ¡°Oh, this is a strange thing.¡± The Lady Jin laughed and said, ¡°Come on, girl, stretch out your hand to let the slave take the pulse.¡± Shen Li stretched out her hand, and Lady Jin rolled up her sleeve, but when Lady Jin saw the hideous scar on Shen Li¡¯s wrist, she was slightly startled: ¡°This¡­it turns out that you¡¯ve been hurt this much!¡± Her fingers lightly touched the wrinkled flesh, but as soon as they touched, her fingers pulled back: ¡°The girl¡¯s skin is too hot.¡± Is it¡­hot? Shen Li was surprised These days, she touched Xing Zhi a lot, and he never showed any discomfort, she thought that her body was just a little hotter than usual, not as hot as before when she was in captivity, so she didn¡¯t expect it would still¡­burn. If it was like this then¡­ As she was thinking about it, a cloud of white gas condensed in Lady Jin¡¯s hand, and she dared to touch Shen Li¡¯s wrist. ¡°If this hurts, this lady will blow on it for you.¡± A gesture of coaxing the child. This banshee[1]¡­is teasing her! The corner of Shen Li¡¯s mouth twitched: ¡°Thank you, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± The Lady Jin took her pulse seriously this time, Shen Li only felt a very fine breath entering her body from her wrist and walking slowly along the meridian examining her whole body. While doing the examination, Lady Jin was still busy pursuing her mouth and complaining: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for many years, but it seems that the High God is useless compared to the past, and can¡¯t even take care of himself. The girl¡¯s injury is like this, and you don¡¯t even seem worried, I guess you¡¯re too insensitive!¡± Xing Zhi just smiled and said nothing. Seeing that Xing Zhi ignored her, she said to Shen Li again: ¡°The girl must be unhappy following him. Why don¡¯t you kick him and follow this lady? You are a woman so, this lady¡¯s family will take good care of you.¡± Shen Li was sweating silently on her forehead, she finally knew what Xing Zhi¡¯s whispering meant. This golden snake demon¡­ is actually more interested in women than men¡­ ¡°Hmm.¡± Lady Jin suddenly pondered, ¡°It turned out to be like this.¡± Shen Li looked up at her, and the golden lady said: ¡°The girl is in the body of a phoenix. From the view of this lady, the girl must have been in Nirvana[2] not long ago. It is reasonable to say that both body and the spiritual power should have great progress, but it seems that inside the girl¡¯s body there was a powerful thing. At the time of your Nirvana, the fire burned this thing and melted it into your bloodline, causing a conflict with the original spiritual power, the two opposed each other, and the result is that your mana is temporarily loss and your five senses are sometimes good and sometimes bad. If this remains like this for too long, this situation will only get worse, and the girl may really become a useless person.¡± Shen Li thought of the panic she felt that day when all her five senses were lost and felt sad. ¡°Only by allowing the two forces in your body to merge with each other and dredging the meridians, can you truly complete your Nirvana rebirth.¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Can the Lady Jin have a way? If the Lady is willing to help, Shen Li will repay you in the future!¡± Lady Jin concealed her lips and smiled: ¡°This Lady does have a way, as for the repayment¡­ can the girl promises herself to me ?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Shen Li choked but Xing Zhi said: ¡°The stars in the outer sky have been brighter than usual in recent years. If Lady Jin is willing to heal Shen Li, Xing Zhi is willing to pick the stars in return.¡± Lady Jin¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Ohohoho ! Thousands of years ago, This lady asked you a star from outer sky, but didn¡¯t you refused back then? Why are you giving me this so easily now?¡± Her eyes rolled and she smiled. She glanced at Xing Zhi: ¡°This lady had misunderstood the High God before, so you actually regarded this girl so seriously! How could you not show your care earlier? Otherwise, this lady wouldn¡¯t dare to try to hook up with this girl in such a manner!¡± Shen Li turned her head to look at Xing Zhi, and opened her mouth, wanting to ask,¡ª It¡¯s ok for you to pick those stars casually? If it is picked, what will happen to you? But Xing Zhi just looked at Shen Li and shook his head with a light smile. Shen Li swallowed all the questions in front of Xing Zhi¡¯s light smile. He didn¡¯t let her speak, as if he was afraid of the accountability. ¡°It¡¯s decided then! This Lady will help the girl to treat her illness. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not early today. You are tired when you had to go up the mountain. Go back to sleep and we¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡± Lady Jin walked back two steps, and as if remembering something she turned her head to Shen Li, ¡°I almost forgot to say that once the treatment starts, you must receive treatment every day for nine days, and no day less. If you give up in the middle, you will die.¡± Shen Li clasped her fists: ¡°I will trouble Lady Jin.¡± [1] So, Initially, I was very confused by this choice of word. Banshee is the direct translation, but, I guess the author used this word as an insult and not to tell us what class of monster Lady Jin is. After all, the banshee is a monster of Celtic mythology and not Chinese. At least, I couldn¡¯t find any Chinese reference of this monster. I chose to keep like the original but thought was better to explain in case anyone gets confused as I did.] ¡°Banshee: The banshee is a wailing ghost of Irish legend that appears shortly before someone¡¯s death. It is not a part of traditional Oriental folklore. The translations use quite different methods of translating this word. The Mainland Chinese version simply translates it as Å®¹í n¨·gu¨« ¡®demon woman¡¯. On the one hand, this loses some of the original. On the other hand, this detail is not important to the total effect ¡ª Chinese readers don¡¯t really need to know exactly what a ¡®banshee¡¯ is, only that it is an unattractive kind of female demon.¡± Link = http://www.cjvlang.com/Hpotter/bktitle/banshee.html [2] Yeah, not the band. ( Sorry, I couldn¡¯t resist ) Here, I think the author was referring to the state Shen Li was when she fought Fu Sheng and Mo Fang as Nirvana, some kind of enlightenment. Below more information about the ¡°Nirvana¡± in Buddhism. ¡°The word nirvana comes from Nibbana, which means ¡°to extinguish, to erase¡± in Pali, a dead language similar to Sanskrit. Within Buddhism, this concept can be used in various situations, such as to designate death. It is often said, for example, that Buddha, the founder of the religion, entered pari-nirvana, or the final tranquility when leaving his earthly life. Buddhists also believe that when a person arrives Buddhists also believe that when a person reaches the end of samsara ¨C the cyclical existence of rebirth and suffering to which all beings are subject ¨C he attains nirvana.¡± Link: https://super.abril.com.br/mundo-estranho/o-que-e-o-nirvana/ CH 62 Chapter 62.1 The next day, it was snowy outside, and Lady Jin led Shen Li and Xing Zhi through the trading hall. There was no one in the hall. The hall was never open to the public during daylight. The rare treasures in the hall were on display. Shen Li turned her head looking at everything, Lady Jin saw that and smiled: ¡°Everything here is sold by this lady, but if the girl is attracted to it, this Lady can just gift it to you, and if you want to kiss me for it, that¡¯s alright too.¡± [TL/note : If Xing Zhi were as proactive as Lady Jin, we would have suffered much less in this novel xD] Shen Li¡¯s mouth twitched, and Xing Zhi behind her turned her head straight, forcing her to look straight ahead: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lady Jin smiled: ¡°This lady was just joking. High God is so jealous, it¡¯s really stingy!¡± . Xing Zhi pushed Shen Li forward and ignored Lady Jin. Passing through the main hall, walking through a piece of snow, and walking to a cave, Lady Jin turned around and said: ¡°High God should wait here. Inside is the place where this Lady will treat the girl, and I hope God will keep watch here, and don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± Xing Zhi paused and then said: ¡°Even if I go in, I can still guard..¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± Lady Jin held Shen Li¡¯s hands. ¡°This lady will undress the girl later. How can a woman¡¯s skin be seen by a man at will, even if you are a god, that¡¯s not okay? If you still have to come in, I¡¯ll let you. You will treat the girl and I will guard and guide you from the side, but there will be some invasive treatment, god, you¡­¡± Her eyes were charming when she whispered ¡°Can you do it?¡± The smile on Xing Zhi¡¯s face did not diminish: ¡°So, I¡¯m guarding outside.¡± Facing the provocation of Lady Jin Shen Li was surprised a lot by Xing Zhi¡¯s soft words, she was taken aback, and then she listened to Xing Zhi said, ¡°But, I still hope Lady Jin will also be careful, don¡¯t do unnecessary moves, you don¡¯t want to touch the bottom line.¡± When his voice fell, Shen Li only felt that the chill was even worse around him, but Lady Jin smiled and said to Shen Li, ¡°Come on, girl, let¡¯s go in.¡± Lady Jin Guided her into a dark cave. When she completely entered the cave, Shen Li paused suddenly. There was nothing in it, and the sound seemed to be isolated by a thick stone wall, and she couldn¡¯t smell anything either. It was as if she was without all her five senses all over again. The feeling of total loss was the same, only the hand that was held by Lady Jin told her that everything was ok. ¡°Girl?¡± Lady Jin asked softly. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Shen Li tried to adjust her emotions. When she opened her eyes again, all fragility faded away from her face and posture ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The person leading her was no Xing Zhi¡­ She has to arm herself as the invincible Azure King¡­ Lady Jin¡¯s golden eyes lit up in the dark, and she smiled softly: ¡°This Lady really likes girls¡¯ temperament.¡± Moving on, Shen Li vaguely saw a glimmer of light, it was a simple place. In the stone room, there was a stone bed covered with dry straw. Behind the stone bed, there was a big bottomless hole. Lady Jin took Shen Li to the stone bed and let her sit down, and said with a smile, ¡°Here It¡¯s the place where This Lady practiced and meditated.¡± Shen Li looked at the dark cave extending downward strangely: ¡°Where does that lead?¡± ¡°There?¡± Although the Lady Jin was still smiling, the next words she said were a warning ¡°It¡¯s not a place where the living creatures should go. The girl knows that this lady is a monster. Since I¡¯m a monster, I will inevitably give birth to some evil thoughts. The cave is pretending to be the evil thoughts and desires that this lady has separated for tens of thousands of years. This lady sealed them in the depths of this mountain. For so many years,that I don¡¯t even know what they look like underneath. However, if the girl cherishes her life, she must remember, don¡¯t go in, don¡¯t be curious about it.¡± Shen Li nodded: ¡°Sorry, I asked too much.¡± The Lady Jin smiled: ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s something I had to tell you. Then, girl, please undress.¡± Shen Li put her hand on her belt, suddenly she thought of something, her figure paused and she asked: ¡°Should I¡­ take everything off?¡± Lady Jin laughed happily: ¡°You can take it off everything if you want, this lady doesn¡¯t mind.¡± As soon as she finished her words, something pierced through the cave with a sharp light, piercing directly at the feet of the Lady Jin. Shen Li fixed her eyes on it and saw it was actually a sharp ice arrow. This¡­should be something made Xing Zhi¡­ ¡°Oh, the god is angry.¡± Lady Jin chuckled, ¡°This lady almost forgot the god can eavesdropping through the magic barrier. It¡¯s nothing, girl, you can just take off your shirt. ¡° Xing Zhi¡­ was eavesdropping?¡± For some reason, when she thought of this, Shen Li¡¯s undressing hands were a little difficult to continue, but now she couldn¡¯t be hesitant or embarrassed about this kind of thing, Shen Li gritted her teeth and took off her clothes. When she turned her head again, the Lady Jin was no longer in the stone room. Shen Li was taken aback: ¡°Lady Jin?¡± ¡°This Lady is here.¡± Hearing the sound of ¡°rustling¡±, Shen Li saw that a golden snakehead drilled from the straw. After coming out, she climbed onto Shen Li¡¯s legs, wrapped her waist, and finally put her head on Shen Li¡¯s shoulders: ¡°Well, with this body, this lady feels that the girl¡¯s body temperature is just right. It¡¯s really warm.¡± Shen Li felt the cool snake¡¯s body rubbing against her, sometimes tight and sometimes loose, and she was half-naked! She told herself to be calm again and again, but it was inevitable that she was a little bit ashamed: ¡± But with this body, how will the Lady treat me?¡± ¡°Simply put, I will inject my spiritual power into your body, help you dredge your blood, and balance the two forces in your body.¡± She finished her inspection and said, ¡°Oh, there are so many wounds on the girl¡¯s back, which really makes this lady feel distressed. But¡­ I really like it, it¡¯s bloody, so handsome, well, no, no, this Lady doesn¡¯t want the outer stars anymore, in the end, I still want you.¡± Then, her forked tongue stuck out and swept under Shen Li¡¯s cheek. Shen Li silently pushed her head away. Fortunately, this person is now in a snake body, otherwise¡­she probably couldn¡¯t help but beat her. ¡°Swish¡± there was a sound coming through the air, countless small ice arrows pierced in the Lady Jin direction. Her snake¡¯s tail waved, blocking all the ice arrows, and she giggled in Shen Li¡¯s ear, ¡°Girl, you see, High God really cares about you.¡± Shen Li said with endurance: ¡°Heal the wound .¡± ¡°I was just joking, the two of you are really boring, huh.¡± Lady Jin raised her head slightly, ¡°You said to heal the wound and I will heal the wound. If there is some pain, you have to bear it¡± Chapter 62.2 After speaking, the snake¡¯s body tightened on her body, and a tingling pain came from her neck. Shen Li seemed to be able to clearly see the sharp teeth piercing her skin, and a cold breath rushed into her blood. With the flow of blood, her limbs turned cold, but there was a sense of smoothness. After this breath circulated in her body for a long time, it suddenly stopped in the abdomen. Gradually, a scorching air was drawn out by it. There was no mana in Shen Li¡¯s body, but after this scorching appeared, she suddenly felt that the long-sleeping mana in her body was also recovering, and immediately fought with the hot air as if they were about to swallow each other. Sweat oozed from Shen Li¡¯s forehead, and her abdomen was so hot that she felt pain. The sensation was the same as that day when she was about to fry herself up¡­ The snake body that the Lady Jin wrapped around her abdomen suddenly emitted a cold air suppressing the burning pain there and the power Lady Shin inserted in her body acted at the same time, enveloping the two entangled auras, and forcing them to fuse together. Finally turned into a breath that Shen Li had never felt before, hiding in her body. The cold air continued to move forward, dealing with the places where four or five breaths intertwined in the same way. After about an hour, the breath returned to Lady Jin¡¯s and she let out a sigh. The wound on Shen Li¡¯s shoulder that was bitten by her, slowly healed. Lady Jin said, ¡°Today is the first day, so I will only deal with these few places. After I adapt to this process, I will merge in a few more places. Does the girl feel uncomfortable now?¡± Shen Li clenched his fists and then released the palms: ¡°No¡­ it just seems a little strange¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I feel a little more refreshed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lady Jin¡¯s body flashed brightly, and she stood in front of Shen Li in a human form again. ¡°Then girl, put on your clothes, I¡¯ll take you out.¡± ¡°Lady¡­ I have a question.¡± Shen Li groaned for a long time before finally speaking, ¡°Someone said that the Phoenix Fire Orb¡­that is the scorching force in my body, It originally belongs to me. That person said I was born with it. If that¡¯s the case then why it conflicted with the spiritual power in my body?¡± ¡°Born with the orb?¡± Lady Jin tilted her head and thought, ¡°Oh, the girl is the famous Azure King. ¡± This power is innate to the King, and in the simple view of this lady, it must be your acquired spiritual power and the innate power that restrained it, which made the two forces unable to merge.¡± The magical powers she learned¡­ Everything she learned was from the demon lord, and the Phoenix Fire orb was also given to her by the demon lord. Since the demon Lord knows the Phoenix Fire Orb, he must know the spiritual power in her body and the power of the phoenix fire orb would clash¡­ if so¡­ why he had been teaching her this way for so many years? For the next five days, Shen Li stayed in the cave with Lady Jin every day. Before each treatment, Lady Jin always molested her. The first and the second time, Shen Li was mortified, but after many times, she became numb to it. Lady Jin knew the right and the left, and she would not do anything excessive, but she often distracted and chatted with Shen Li when she was treating her injuries. Ancient anecdotes that when told by her had a special flavor. She even told about a lot of things she had done and seen before, what she said was too interesting. In the beginning, she was considered the most beautiful and was teased by the gods giving flowers and presents, but in the end, she lost in beauty to Xing Zhi, she told with anger. So she didn¡¯t step out of her house for a whole century. In the end, She had to rely on Xing Zhi to coax her with wine to relieve herself. Shen Li was amused. It turned out that Xing Zhi was such a person before she met him. But later, the gods died one by one, the sky became more and more empty, a close friend was punished by the sky at night, and thus fell into reincarnation forever. Looking at the changes in the mountains and rivers, he is the only one left, alone in the world. He has experienced so many losses, how can he not be indifferent? The relationship between Shen Li and the Lady Jin became more harmonious amidst these strange things, and Xing Zhi would always stay outside the cave. Hearing the things they talked about and wishing to forget. He raised his hands to his forehead and sighed: ¡± Being a demon snake, she really has a long tongue.¡± So after five days, Xing Zhi stopped using magic to snoop, just stayed outside, waiting for Shen Li to come out. After getting acquainted with Shen Li, Lady Jin spoke a lot more directly. After healing her injuries that day she suddenly said: ¡°Good sister, after thinking about it for many days, I still think I should tell you about this.¡± Shen Li looked at her. . The Lady Jin said: ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can feel it. The burning power in your body doesn¡¯t seem to be pure demon energy or immortal energy. In addition, you said to me earlier that the source of this breath is the phoenix fire orb. I boldly guessed that what you have is more like a monster energy core.¡± ¡°Monster?¡± Shen Li asked Lady Jin nodded, and then turned over in the dry straw on the bed, and took out a gray bead. She wipes off the dust on it and said: ¡°Look, this is my energy core.¡± The light on the core rose sharply, and Shen Li twitched the corner of her mouth: ¡°You threw your inner core just like this everywhere? If I remember it incorrectly, the monster will die without this thing!¡± Lady Jin smiled: ¡°Sister, I¡¯m no longer an ordinary monster, don¡¯t use common sense to measure me.¡± She narrowed her eyebrows, ¡°But, I¡¯ll tell you seriously, Doesn¡¯t my sister think her life experience is a bit weird?¡± CH 63 Chapter 63.1 Shen Li frowned: ¡°I only know that I was born on the battlefield. My mother and father were both members of the demon army. I was raised by the Demon Lord. For thousands of years, no one has ever questioned my identity, I don¡¯t think my life experience is weird.¡± Lady Jin said silently: Perhaps your Demon Lord is hiding a lot of things from you¡­ When you get well, you might as well go back and ask him.¡± After saying this Lady Ji looked at her own hands and then helped Shen Li to tie her belt, ¡°After two more treatments, I can¡¯t touch you like this anymore. This lady is really reluctant to part ways.¡± Shen Li smiled: ¡°Lady Jin is kind to Shen Li, wait for Shen Li to deal with trivial matters, after everything is done, I will definitely come to Lady Jin to drink tea and play games and comfort your loneliness.¡± Lady Jin covered her mouth and smiled: ¡°If so, this Lady can wait.¡± Before she could say anything more, her eyes snapped sharply, and a bit of killing intent appeared on her eyes ¡°Oh, today is a strange day, there are some desperate guys who came to this lady¡¯s house to run wild.¡± Shen Li said with a serious face: ¡°They¡¯re difficult to deal with?¡± ¡°It is a little difficult to clean up, but Sister you don¡¯t need to be afraid. Whit me and God Xing Zhi here, we will turn them from bone into rotten meat, easy to digest.¡± You wait here until your sister has dealt with them after I will come and take you out.¡± Shen Li frowned: ¡°I¡¯ll go together with you .¡± But Lady Jin pressed her down: ¡°How much mana did you actually recovered? You have lost your sense of touch today. Where are your weapons, do you want to go into battle with your bare hands?¡± Shen Li was stunned by Lady Jin¡¯s words. Finally, Lady Jin touched her head, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s ok to be protected by someone before you are completely cured. Let me go this time.¡± After Lady Jin left, there was no sound in the hole, and Shen Li looked at her palm, this feeling of powerlessness really made people unable to adapt. She is not used to sitting at the end of the shield, enjoying the victory without fighting, she should¡­ Suddenly, Shen Li heard a very fine wind in her ears, but there shouldn¡¯t be the wind in this almost closed hole. Shen Li¡¯s eyebrows sank slightly, her gaze fell on the corner of the cave, the extremely small noise awakened her already extremely sensitive hearing, she should¡­fight! Shen Li raised her head quickly at the exact moment that a sharp edge flew over her head. A few strands of hair fell down. Her gaze immediately followed in another direction, where something appeared and disappeared before she could see what it was. Shen Li squinted slightly her eyes. Suddenly: ¡°Who is coming?¡± It was reasonable to say that there with Lady Jin guarding outside, even a mosquito couldn¡¯t fly in, how come this guy¡­ The person finally stepped out of the shadows and showed his figure, that face, Shen Li remembers well. It was the person who had attacked her in the seaside hut not long ago. She still remembers this person carrying the person who was frozen by Xing Zhi and running away. Now he has found her again, but¡­ he seemed to be different from last time. He hunched down on the ground, with a stubborn face, grinning teeth, and spit from the corner of his mouth. If it weren¡¯t for his human figure, Shen Li would almost think he was a beast. Why did he¡­ become like this? Without waiting for Shen Li to figure it out, the man screamed and rushed forward. Shen Li dodged aside, avoiding dangerously. However, this man moved extremely fast. When he stretched out his hand, his sharp five fingers scratched Shen Li¡¯s waist. Shen Li gritted her teeth and the mana that was so hard to recover quickly condensed a magic barrier. She blocked him, and avoided to the side, the man quickly followed. His fighting power was not the same as a few days ago! Shen Li knew that in her condition she couldn¡¯t fight hard with him. Turning her gaze to see the dark passage behind the stone bed, Shen Li thought about it, dodged, and retreated back to the stone bed. She deliberately exclaimed, pretending to be behind the stone bed. When she stumbled and leaned back, the man flew forward. Shen Li was on the bed, raising her feet, and using the power of her pounce to lift him straight into the passage. Seeing the person falling, Shen Li breathed deeply, and suddenly heard Xing Zhi¡¯s breathless call: ¡°Shen Li!¡± She turned her head and saw Xing Zhi had run in at some point. ¡°How is it outside¡­¡± Before she could complete the word, Shen Li only felt the tightness of her back clothes. She turned her head in amazement and saw the man like a ghost crawling out of hell, pulling her clothes, still behind her. A pair of scarlet eyes looked at her. Shen Li hadn¡¯t seen it clearly yet when a huge power surged in, surrounding her. Shen Li had nothing at hand, she felt a sense of weightlessness as she was dragged into the abyss. At the moment she fell, she seemed to feel a cold breeze and someone holding her hand, warm and forcefully. Someone accompany her to fall into the abyss desperately¡­ There were cold water droplets on her face, Shen Li opened her eyes, and saw the darkness all around her. She was¡­ she fell into the abyss or she lost her five senses again? What was this situation? Shen Li pinched her face and felt a little pain. Presumably, she didn¡¯t lose all her senses, but seeing that her sense of touch has been restored, she must have fallen here a long time ago [TL/note: Because her senses change in a daily basis] She didn¡¯t know if there was enough time for Lady Jin to cure her. If she got hurt again, she was afraid it would be terrible. She stood up and touched the hard rock wall with her fingers. She thought that this place should be the rock cave at the bottom of the passage. Her current mana was not enough to let her fly out. Could it be¡­that she would have to climb up with both hands and feet? When she was feeling helpless, Shen Li suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming from the other side of the cave. The steps were light and steady. It was the sound of Xing Zhi walking. She was overjoyed and called out: ¡°Xing Zhi !¡± Chapter 63.2 The footsteps of the other side accelerated, and in a blink of an eye he was in front of her: ¡°You are awake.¡± He said, ¡± Are you blind today?¡± Shen Li was taken aback: ¡°There is light here?¡± ¡°No, but the stone you picked from the boat that day is actually shining, although I can barely see when holding it.¡± Shen Li nodded: ¡°I just thought I could not fly out of here by myself, This is great, Now that you have found me, let¡¯s go out together¡± Xing Zhi stopped and pondered for a while: ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to get out. I¡¯ve explored this place several times before you wake up. It looks like an ordinary stone cave with eight passages around, but these passages are all sealed and we can¡¯t get out, and the hole where we fell isn¡¯t above our heads. It seems there are seals everywhere.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Lady Jin seems to have said that this is the place where she threw her evil desires, so it makes sense that she would put a seal here.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± Xing Zhi said, ¡°She chose a good place. This place is a sealed place between heaven and earth. It is easy to enter and difficult to leave. With her power, it is indeed a good place to seal a monster, but¡­¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s voice stopped with a wry smile, ¡°This will be bad for us.¡± ¡°This¡­ you are saying that you can¡¯t break this¡­?¡± ¡°There is a way, but it takes time, and you can¡¯t wait.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s voice was slightly condensed.¡± ¡°There are three more hours before you need to receive treatment, and just three, I can¡¯t do anything in just three hours.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to wait then.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°Maybe Lady Jin can save us from out there.¡± Xing Zhi sighed: ¡± This is all that we can do for now.¡± There was a moment of silence in the cave. Xing Zhi suddenly asked: ¡°Is it cold?¡± Shen Li shook her head and listened to Xing Zhi who said: ¡°I am a little bit cold.¡± ¡°Well, perhaps if you get a little closer.¡± Shen Li moved a little closer Xing Zhi slightly curled the corners of his lips behind her: ¡°A bit more .¡± Shen Li exploded: ¡°I¡¯m standing next to you!¡± Xing Zhi laughed, and his breath was sprayed behind Shen Li¡¯s ears, her cheeks turned numb and slightly red. Shen Li hung her head and was silent for a while, then asked : ¡°Lady Jin said that the force that opposes my own spiritual power may be a monster power.¡± Her voice was a little dull, ¡°Since she can see it, you should also, after all, you and I have been in contact for some time now.¡± Xing Zhi only said ¡°um¡±, and did not explain what it meant. Shen Li opened her mouth, and wanted to ask ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention it to me?¡± But she didn¡¯t dare. No matter, Shen Li said in her heart, what is the need to mention it? Everyone has their own mind. Time passed slowly, getting closer to the time when Shen Li should receive treatment, but there wasn¡¯t a sign of Lady Jin. Xing Zhi suddenly said, ¡°How did she¡­ How did Lady Jin treat you?¡± Shen Li knew his intentions as soon as he asked this, because¡­she thought the same way. He should be able to do the treatment thing as well, but¡­ Shen Li stabilized all emotions and calmly said: ¡°She bite the skin around my neck, inject mana, and then use mana to calm my body.¡± She omitted a lot because she thought that although Lady Jin only asked her to take her coat, she took off all of her clothes. Just to make it easier for her to use a snake body to cool her down. Xing Zhi frowned: ¡°It¡¯s just that?¡± Shen Li affirmed: ¡°It¡¯s just that.¡± Xing Zhi was silent for a moment: ¡°This time, I¡¯ll help you.¡± He knew in his mind that the time was approaching, so he lifted Shen Li Hair away. He pulled the clothes around her neck gently and pushed them aside. Her neck appeared before his eyes, and he could vaguely see the collarbone of Shen Li. Thinking of long ago, when he was still a mortal walking through the earth, the hairless phoenix turned into a naked girl in the cool night breeze. At that time, he put a blanket on her without changing his face and heartbeat. Now¡­ Now it was just the collarbone, but it made him feel a little lost¡­ It¡¯s really hopeless. Shen Li waited for a long time, and noticed that Xing Zhi¡¯s breath had been lightly falling on her skin, she was a little nervous so she couldn¡¯t stop her mouth.: ¡°Is my neck dirty?¡± As she said, she reached out and rubbed it. Xing Zhi sighed and grabbed her hand: ¡°It¡¯s very clean. His voice was slightly hoarse. He bit on it. Xing Zhi¡¯s teeth were not as sharp as Lady Jin¡¯s. Her skin wasn¡¯t so easy to pierce. But he didn¡¯t want Shen Li to feel pain, so he just pressed his teeth lightly on Shen Li¡¯s neck. Shen Li gasped in a ¡°hiss¡±, slightly angry: ¡°Are you playing with me? Can¡¯t you be more serious?¡± Xing Zhi just wanted to hold his forehead. In the end, he had mana attached to his teeth, and with only a single tap, he broke the skin and flesh, and the smell of blood spread slightly in his mouth. He sent the mana into Shen Li¡¯s blood and followed slowly with the flow of her blood. However, he did not expect it to be like this. The more he spread his mana, the more small auras fought in Shen Li. However, whenever he resolved a conflict, Shen Li¡¯s body became hotter. He just started the process, but, Shen Li was already sweating and her body was even hotter. Although she held back, Xing Zhi had already clearly felt her physical discomfort. Xing Zhi immediately condensed the cold air with his palms and sent it into Shen Li¡¯s body from both shoulders, but the speed of the cold air could not keep up with the heat rising in her body. It was hard to handle¡­ Xing Zhi¡¯s heart sank, and his hands reached in front of Shen Li and untied her belt. ¡­ Shen Li was already a little confused by the heat at this time, unable to estimate the surroundings. Xing Zhi¡¯s palm finally touched her skin, but Xing Zhi found that even the barrier of his own clothes would hinder the transmission of cold air. Thinking of what he was going to do, his figure stiffened. The moment when he paused, the aura in Shen Li¡¯s body also paused, and Shen Li immediately hummed in discomfort. If it hadn¡¯t been uncomfortable, how could Shen Li behave like this? Xing Zhi returned to his senses, closed his eyes, and concentrated. The white robe fell, and he hugged Shen Li into his naked arms. CH 64 Chapter 64 FULL A cool hand came from behind, clasping her shoulders, Xing Zhi¡¯s skin pressed against hers, causing Shen Li to unconsciously let out a comfortable sigh, the hot temperature in her body was slightly reduced. Xing Zhi wrapped her waist with his arms, and because Shen li slightly arched her back when he bit her neck again, her back couldn¡¯t touch his cool skin so she unconsciously moved in his lap, trying to get closer to him. Xing Zhi sensed her intentions, and the hand that was around her waist gently lifted her up and let her back touch him. The skin touched, and his heartbeat was noticeably chaotic for a moment. Shen Li¡­ Her bare chest was between his two arms that were encircling her body. As long as he opened his eyes, he could see her feminine figure, her breasts were standing firmly in the air, that part was a little different in color, like a budding flower, making people want to touch it. Concentrate! He warned himself. He was keenly aware that there were evil thoughts slowly condensing around him. The evil thoughts and desires that Lady Jin has accumulated over tens of thousands of years were there¡­ These things had no real form, but they had the power of enhancing the already existent thoughts and desires on people¡¯s hearts. Xing Zhi was helping Shen Li during her treatment, it could not be interrupted and nothing could go wrong! He closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and concentrated on letting his mana work in Shen Li¡¯s body, solving her mana conflicts one by one. With the inflow of Xing Zhi¡¯s power, the heat of Shen Li¡¯s whole body was gradually suppressed, and her brain who was burned by the high temperature finally recovered a little sense. She could not see with her eyes, but her sense of touch was extremely sensitive. She knew that she was in front of him. Two naked men¡¯s arms were encircling her, and a strong and cool body was stuck behind her. She knew who was holding her. Shen Li admitted that at this moment, her brain was almost blank. Xing Zhi¡¯s head was close to her ears, and he was biting her neck. This was a dangerous posture because Xing Zhi could kill her by biting her carotid artery with too much strength, she had to be calm, but she already started to freak out. This sense of crisis, as well as the magic power he continuously injected into her body, made her more clearly and profoundly realize the existence of this person, and realize that they were now¡­ glued together in an almost unforgivable, intimate position. She could feel the beating of his heart, the breath he exhaled on her shoulders, and his slightly moist lips around her neck, and occasionally she could even feel the arc of his throat subconsciously swallowing. Everything was so clear and true. Even if Shen Li couldn¡¯t see. She also gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tightly, as if she could feel a little less like this as if her heartbeat would calm down a bit as if this¡­ those strange impulses Would slowly disappear¡­ But Fuck! Her dark world now was full of Xing Zhi sounds, his smell, his heartbeat, breathing, and the rubbing sound of his arm gently moving on her skin. All of this made it hard for her to¡­ She couldn¡¯t resist it. Shen Li moved her body uncomfortably, and Xing Zhi behind her took a heavy breath. He hugged Shen Li¡¯s hands tightly, as if warning her not to move, it would be over soon¡­ Xing Zhi could feel that his breath was already in her entire body. Now, Lady Jin could finish the treatment later. Xing Zhi forced himself to calm down. At this time, how could he still think about other things¡­ but Shen Li took a deep breath and expanded her chest. He let go as if he was afraid of strangling her, but when he hugged her again, he buckled his arm on Shen Li¡¯s shoulder and accidentally touched one of her exposed nipples. As if electricity passed through her body, Shen Li became stiff, and her breathing was almost still. She didn¡¯t know what Xing Zhi thought at this time, but Shen Li felt that if he touched her again¡­ she was afraid she would lose her mind. She must have gone crazy, and if she is crazy, she shouldn¡¯t harm Xing Zhi¡­ ¡ªWhy not? No, it¡¯s not the same. Shen Li wanted to refute that self, ¡ªHe is a god, and he is in charge of the world, so he can¡¯t be afflicted¡­ ¡ªHe can¡¯t, but why do you want to accompany him in this depression? It¡¯s his business that he can¡¯t have personal affairs, what that has to do with you? You are Shen Li, no one stipulated that you can¡¯t have personal affairs, since he needs restraint, then you can make him stronger, you can satisfy your own selfish desires and even keep him from violating the ways of heaven¡­ Shen Li was shocked. ¡ªJust in this cave, no one will know. She heard her voice full of the ultimate temptation ¡ª You have always suppressed yourself, restrained yourself. What the world needs, what the people of the demon world need. But what about yourself? Right here, indulging in this life once, no one will know¡­ ¡ªHeaven¡¯s will can¡¯t blame Xing Zhi, this is just your fault, it was you who couldn¡¯t restrain yourself.¡± The voice faded, but the feeling of her skin became more sensitive. Perhaps it was her illusion. The arm around her was trembling inexplicably. His breath left her body and finally, his mana returned to his own mouth. [TL/note: I feel that we readers are that voice. beggin for this to happen hahaha~] The two should separate now, however, he did not let go of her, his teeth left Shen Li¡¯s flesh, but his lips did not leave, he stopped there quietly, doing nothing, but he seemed to be kissing her. Her neck veins were pulsing, the mood was ambiguous and extremely dangerous. ¡°¡­Zhi¡­¡± She rarely called his name like that. ¡°Huh?¡± He muffled, the voice from his throat was hoarse and extremely magnetic, and easily stirred Shen Li¡¯s restless heartstrings. She stroked his hand that was holding her waist with one hand, stretched back with the other hand, hugged Xing Zhi¡¯s head, and gently pressed and squeezed him. Shen Li listened to her muttering voice and said: ¡°Don¡¯t move, just ¡­ don¡¯t move.¡± Xing Zhi pressed his lips to her neck motionlessly, feeling the vitality of her pulse, because of her movements, blood bead oozes from the bitten wound, Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes are dim, not knowing if it was intentional or not, the tip of his tongue slid across Shen Li¡¯s neck, licking the blood oozing out of her. The gentle movement and the gentle tip of the tongue easily broke the last string in Shen Li¡¯s heart. She had not put down the hand that held Xing Zhi¡¯s head, and she turned her whole person in his arms, and her other hand hugged his back, almost impatiently printing her lips on his. The smell of her blood flowed between the breaths of the two. ¡°Stop.¡± She called softly, her voice slightly confused, but the next sentence was extremely firm, ¡°I will treat you too.¡± The person kissing her seemed to move the corners of his mouth. After a while, he vaguely replied: ¡°Yeah.¡± After he agreed to this, Shen Li left his lips and fumbled a little. She sucked hard on his neck, and the place immediately became red when she stopped. Shen Li said, ¡°This is my mark for strengthening you .¡± She emphasized, ¡°I made you stronger.¡± ¡°Shen Li.¡± Xing Zhi said suddenly, ¡°Has anyone ever told you that when a woman always emphasizes a word, it is very inviting?¡± He covered the back of Shen Li¡¯s head with one hand, pushed her in front of him, and unceremoniously covered her lips so that she had no time to speak. Shen Li let him kiss her, but her hand caught Xing Zhi¡¯s hand that was in her waist, placed the hand in her chest, and then pressed his hand down on her. When his palm touched the softness, Shen Li¡¯s body stiffened, and within a moment, she wrapped her arms around him and used all the techniques she knew to tease with her lips and tongue. Xing Zhi¡¯s palms covered her breasts until Shen Li¡¯s mind became blurry, he touched the tip slightly, and Shen Li¡¯s body became stiff involuntarily. So he touched again, and then boldly kneaded with two fingers, Shen Li¡¯s body softened, and her throat let out an extremely depressing moan before she fell softly, Xing Zhi had already wrapped her waist. ¡°Shen Li.¡± Xing Zhi stopped, ¡°I really hope you don¡¯t regret it.¡± Shen Li smiled: ¡°The one who will regret¡­it should probably be you.¡± She dropped her hand and put them in his bottoms. She fumbled and touched the hot thing inside. The shape was slightly straightened, he gasped because of Shen Li¡¯s hand, and She raised her head quickly and kissed his lips again. This was so unexpected that Xing Zhi stopped, and then leaned back and fell to the ground. Shen Li also pounced on his chest. Sitting on his lap she patted his chest and lower abdomen with one hand, and finally stopped at his chest again with her fingertips, ¡°Don¡¯t stop me.¡± She said, gently leaning down, putting that part on her mouth, ¡°You can¡¯t do it by yourself.¡± Xing Zhi said but she only gave Xing Zhi a slight bite and he frowned. ¡°Shen Li.¡± She heard him call her name but ignored him because she had reached the last place between them with one hand. If there is a god¡¯s will, Shen Li thought, then it can blame her. Shen Li sat on Xing Zhi and buried him quietly in her body. The tearing pain almost made her unable to continue, but this was their only time doing this. Therefore, no matter how painful it is, she made her mind, she would continue, even if it split her, grind flesh and blood, she would continue. She wanted to be with Xing Zhi so much in her heart, she wanted to be with him all the time! When he entered completely, Shen Li lost all her strength in an instant, panting heavily, crawling on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as fast as her own, she felt him gently touching her own head, and heard his distressed voice: ¡°Does it hurt¡­?¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes became wet instantly. She lay on his chest, and her voice was trembling: ¡°It hurts.¡± She said, ¡°It hurts.¡± It hurts to have to leave you, it hurts to be with you. Shen Li was overwhelmed and didn¡¯t know what expression she should do. CH 65 Chapter 65.1 Xing Zhi stroked Shen Li¡¯s head lightly, and finally sat up still connected with her. He hugged Shen Li in his arms, patted her back gently, and pressed her head against his neck and said: ¡°I will be there for you, I will always be, no matter if the sky is broken, Shen Li, I will always be by your side.¡± Shen Li couldn¡¯t help trembling with pain. In the end, she bit his shoulder. In this situation where any touch was extremely sensitive, his muscles tightened, and the things below couldn¡¯t help but move inside Shen Li. Shen Li softened all over, but Xing Zhi supported her, Xing Zhi hugged her waist and held her: ¡°Don¡¯t cry Shen Li.¡± Shen Li actually did not shed tears. She was sure that tears were weak and feeble, and nothing could be changed when she shed them, but with Xing Zhi¡¯s words, she actually felt a sense of powerlessness, letting her tears go and soak his shoulders: ¡°You can¡¯t say that, you¡¯re not feeling this pain.¡± Xing Zhi sighed softly, admitting defeat, and said: ¡°I also hurt.¡± Her bottom was too tight, and Xing Zhi inside her made her feel numb, sore, and bubbly, ??and she could even feel Xing Zhi¡¯s pulse, thinking about¡­being strangled, she didn¡¯t feel well. Shen Li hugged him and laughed, but after a while, tears came out again, she wiped away the tears, and continued to laugh: ¡°We two¡­¡± Shen Li said, ¡°It¡¯s really unreasonable.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s unreasonable.¡± Xing Zhi replied softly, his lips gently rubbed against the edge of Shen Li¡¯s neck, and slowly descended, reaching the front of her chest, gently touching her in the same way she did to him before, licking him. The tip of his tongue agitated her already tense emotions. ¡°Xing Zhi¡± Shen Li hugged Xing Zhi¡¯s head, her body¡¯s senses were concentrated on her breasts. Shen Li felt that the paint underneath was slightly relieved, so she boldly moved her waist a little. The connecting place just rubbed lightly, and the man who was buried in her chest tightened and groaned. ¡°It turned out that I¡­¡± Xing Zhi¡­just chuckled against Shen Li¡¯s skin, it turned out that the High God persistence was no more than that¡­ He had already restrained his itching so hard, but with only one light movement, Shen Li had instantly disintegrated his line of defense and broke into his heart like an army. Fortunately, Shen Li didn¡¯t move for a second time, because it was this light movement that had caused her body to tremble involuntarily from pain. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± She was breathless, ¡°Why¡­ why would anyone be keen on this.¡± Obviously, this was more uncomfortable than being cut by a knife! Breath flowed between the two of them, and they both calmed down for a while, and then Xing Zhi said ¡°If it hurts, we can stop.¡± Shen Li gritted her teeth: ¡°You can still say that.¡± She breathed hard, her lower abdomen tightened, but after the pain, a tingling sensation spread between the two, her fingers tightly clasped Xing Zhi¡¯s back. Teeth bit his shoulders: ¡°Today even if it is a painful death, I will never stop!¡± This is the only time she could be with him. Shen Li gritted her teeth, this was the first and perhaps the last time, completely possessing each other, she tried her best to keep the burden of the Three Realms out of her heart and threw away all her identities and their responsibilities, and burdens. How can she give up now? She wants him, even if she tears herself apart, even if she dies, even if she falls to the bottom of hell, she wants him. For at least one moment in this life, she¡¯s only Shen Li, giving herself wholeheartedly to one person, and integrating that person into her body. She dare not ask for too much, nor can she ask for too much, that¡¯s it. A moment is enough. She moved up and down with a trembling body, the feeling of friction was extremely painful for Shen Li, but it was bliss for Xing Zhi. Shen Li¡¯s blood flowed from the depths of her body, and it even wetted the area where she was connected with Xing Zhi. His complexion instantly turned red, and his breathing became uncontrollably heavy. He hugged Shen Li tightly with both hands, feeling her body trembling from pain. But listening to her groaning as she couldn¡¯t help it, the joy in his body was exchanged for the pain in his heart that seemed to be crushed. He felt Shen Li¡¯s despair. It was not difficult for him to guess what Shen Li was thinking. It was precise because of understanding Shen Li and seeing through her mind, Xing Zhi couldn¡¯t control but to feel worried for her¡­ She is such a brave person, He couldn¡¯t help but like this kind of person¡­ ¡°Shen Li.¡± He called her name hoarsely, ¡°I will be with you.¡± He said, as if swearing, ¡°We will always be together.¡± Shen Li¡¯s movements became more intense, and Xing Zhi knew that she didn¡¯t feel happy. He hugged her tighter, controlling all his senses that were mobilized by Shen Li, and just quietly hugged her tightly. Shen Li could no longer move. He gently patted her on the back to calm her down: ¡°So, don¡¯t be afraid. You don¡¯t need to be so afraid.¡± Shen Li sat on him, slowly calming down. She stretched out her hand to touch his face, and smiled swiftly: ¡°It¡¯s really strange, why although I¡¯m so close and hugged you so tightly, why do I still feel¡­horrified.¡± ¡°Trust me.¡± Xing Zhi dropped a kiss on her neck and inhaled lightly ¡°Shen Li, trust me.¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t know how to believe him, she just turned her anxiety into action, so she lowered her head, and kissed his lips fiercely again. She didn¡¯t want to think about anything anymore, now she will just do what she wanted to do, and later when she wakes up, she can try to fix it. She wanted to take the initiative again, but Xing Zhi suddenly moved on his own. This made Shen Li somewhat unaccustomed, but both positions were hurtful, so she didn¡¯t bother to use any more force, relying on Xing Zhi. However, Xing Zhi¡¯s movements were extremely soothing. Shen Li occasionally heard men discuss such things in the military. She knew that a man would never be this calm in normal situations. The body above under her body was hot but his breath was also restrained, She knew that he was controlling himself. In this situation¡­ He was still taking care of her¡­ Shen Li¡¯s heart was crossed, her heart was in such a state anyway, at least, shouldn¡¯t one of them be happy? She touched around Xing Zhi¡¯s back, using her lips and tongue back and forth in his neck. She heard Xing Zhi swallowing unbearably, and moving a little bit faster under her body, but still restrained tightly. Shen Li bit his ear and softly said: ¡°Hurry up, it¡¯s okay.¡± Xing Zhi smiled, utterly dumb: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will hurt.¡± Shen Li hugged him: ¡°I¡¯m fine, I can hold it back.¡± After a quick stop, he sighed slightly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you understand.¡± He raised his head and bit Shen Li¡¯s chin, slightly condemning, ¡°I want you¡­happy.¡± They both just want to make each other happy. Shen Li resisted the pain and took the initiative to act: ¡°Xing Zhi, you don¡¯t know, I am happy enough now.¡± As soon as she moved, she made Xing Zhi unable to restrain himself. He turned around, pulled the clothes on the side, and placed them under Shen Li. Switching up and down positions, his movements were much smoother. Shen Li¡¯s hand caught countless marks on his back, but she didn¡¯t say anything, only occasionally squeezed his name out of her throat, as if he was the only one she could perceive as if they were the only ones in this world. The only thing that survived and lingered on her mind: ¡°Xing Zhi.¡± Her voice was a little broken, ¡°You know? I want to be with you.¡± ¡°Then we will be together.¡± He leaned down and gently touched Shen Li¡¯s lips. His breathing became more rapid and his movements underneath became faster. Shen Li gritted her teeth and Xing Zhi¡¯s body began to spasm. The scorching heat dissipated, and his breathing was chaotic. ¡°But this is not¡­¡± Her wheezing was so disorderly, but her words were so clear and cold, ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡± Chapter 65.2 Shen Li was exhausted, so she closed her eyes, and fell asleep quietly. When she woke up again, her vision had recovered. She looked around and found out what the stone cave actually looked like. Xing Zhi was still there. In the stone cave, the air didn¡¯t flow, and the extremely ambiguous smell seemed to have been coiling around the two of them and the clothes that Xing Zhi used to cover them. Shen Li smiled and thought that this was similar to sharing a bed¡­ She sat up, and put her hand to pull her clothes from him , but he didn¡¯t move, letting her pull for a long time without succeeding. Shen Li frowned and Xing Zhi with his eyes closed just let out a soft sigh: ¡± I¡¯ve been waiting for you to speak with me.¡± He opened his clear eyes, there was no confusion of someone who just woke up. Shen Li said silently, ¡°Wake up now, give me the clothes.¡± He still didn¡¯t move, and only said: ¡°After four or five hours, you should receive treatment again¡­¡± After hearing these words, Shen Li still didn¡¯t react for a while. When she reacted, her face became stiff. Yes, she should receive treatment after four or five hours, so that she could get stronger and leave, it was inevitable! To think that the two have been sitting there naked for four or five hours¡­ And¡­ this situation¡­speaking in such ambiguous words¡­ Her face was burning! God! Shen Li stayed quiet for a long time, and dragged the clothes out from under Xing Zhi with great strength: ¡°It will be cured when the time comes.¡± Pulling apart Xing Zhi¡¯s clothes, Shen Li generously put on her clothes in front of Xing Zhi. But when she turned around, she saw that Xing Zhi was also dressed. He smiled softly: ¡°Azure King and I always treated each other with courtesy, and I cannot be abrupt now.¡± Shen Li nodded, sat down, and solemnly said: ¡°What happened today was all my fault. God does not need to blame himself.¡± Seeing her saying this seriously, Xing Zhi stopped for a while, and shook his head then smiled: ¡°First, I don¡¯t blame myself. Second, what exactly is your fault? Third, Shen Li, Why are you acting like you took advantage of me? Finally¡­¡± Xing Zhi suddenly got up and walked to Shen Li in an instant. He knelt on one knee, bent over, and raised Shen Li¡¯s chin. When Shen Li didn¡¯t react, he printed his lips on her. After grinding her lips for a while, he let her go. He didn¡¯t dodge Shen Li¡¯s dazed gaze, his smile was a little helpless, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, and I¡¯m always sober.¡± Shen Li seemed to froze, forgetting all his reactions. After a long while, she pushed him forward violently. He didn¡¯t move, and she fell to the ground by herself. Shen Li covered her lips and looked at him: ¡°You are crazy.¡± Xing Zhi chuckled: ¡°About me, from the moment you were buried in the Eastern Sea, I was never normal again.¡± ¡°No.¡± Shen Li said with a serious face, ¡°No! You can be crazy, others can be crazy, even the Three Realms can be crazy, but you can¡¯t. You are their lives, you can¡¯t be crazy.¡± ¡°What can I do then.¡± Xing Zhi said ¡°I have stepped into the abyss, I struggled and refused, but in the end, destiny still never let me go, Shen Li, what do you think I should do?¡± Shen Li was silent, Xing Zhi looked at her for a long while, and said: ¡°Only emotions will not be a problem, if I never do anything against the sky, I won¡¯t be backlashed by the heavens. Shen Li, can you believe me ¡­?¡± He smiled ¡°Would you like to help me, and try this with me? Outer Sky is free from outside interference, we can stay there forever.¡± Shen Li looked at him, then shook her head: ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± There are so many things that have yet to be resolved, Fu Sheng is still alive, the Demon Kingdom has been threatened and her life has gradually become confused. And,although the sky is stable, stability is not the life state that Shen Li pursues. In this stone cave, She can tell herself that she is only Shen Li and can tolerate her own greed for a while, but once she goes out, she is Azure King, there is a home with her name in the Demon Realm, and there are so many generals and soldiers under her, they are her responsibility. Even if Xing Zhi¡¯s actions were free, easy and bold enough, Xing Zhi vowed that he would not violate the way of heaven and Shen Li couldn¡¯t let go of this responsibility. Moreover, even if they really do go to the Outer Sky together, such a woman who will cause him trouble and leave he uncertain, how can the heavens tolerate a High God that may collapse at any time? CH 66 Chapter 66.1 There was silence in the stone cave for a long time, and Shen Li asked as if thinking of something: ¡°I have forgotten before. Isn¡¯t there a man in black under Fu Sheng¡¯s who fell with us?¡± Xing Zhi was startled, he shook his head and smiled: ¡°Shen Li, I have lived for so long, and only now I met a woman like you. After all of that, you can just turn and talk about business right away, as nothing happened.¡± He said The half funny and half helpless ridicule made Shen Li let out an unnatural cough. After watching her for a long time, he narrowed his smile and turned his face straight: ¡°The person disappeared when he fell. It seemed like a waste of energy to look for him. We have to save our energy as much as possible.¡± Thinking back to the scene at that time, Xing Zhi frowned slightly, ¡°Such a scene makes me inevitably think of some past events.¡± Shen Li looked at him curiously, Xing Zhi was frowning. He raised his eyes and his gaze met her, he concealed a trace of emotion in the depths of his eyes, pondered for a while, and said: ¡°Back then, you should know about the monsters that messed up the demon world.¡± Thousands of years ago, the monsters wreaked havoc in the demons and heaven¡¯s worlds. Xing Zhi tore a gap in space and sealed all of them, it was the seal of Xu Tianyuan. Shen Li knew this past so she nodded quietly. Xing Zhi slightly curled his lips: ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t know it completely. Thousands of monsters appeared in the Demon Realm, but they didn¡¯t come out of thin air. They were made by the last Demon Lord Liu Ming using forbidden techniques. At that time, Liu Ming was dissatisfied with the incompetence of the heavens, unwilling to subdue to the heavens, and wanted to take the place of the heavenly emperor. However, his plan to deploy the army to attack the heavens was strongly opposed by the ministers of the court, they feared that a war with the heavens would only harm the people of the Demon realm. ¡° ¡± Liu Ming was unwilling, he was refining thousands of monsters in private, intending to attack the heavens, but because of the large number of monsters and powerful forces, he couldn¡¯t control it. So the monsters almost destroyed the Demon Realm and the Demon Realm was unable to resist. This story was passed to the Heaven Realm, and the Emperor of Heaven came to find me. Then, there was the matter of sealing the monster and beasts later. ¡° Shen Li was stunned to hear this. She remembered the battle with the horrible fox, and that it was a monster that had not fully recovered its mana but already made the soldiers of the devil world and her so desperate. So it can be seen how powerful thousands of monsters were at that time. Such a powerful force was actually refined by one person, and that person¡­ he is too terrifying. His horror does not come from his strength, but his unsatisfied heart. He creates monsters without restraint. If Xing Zhi hadn¡¯t sealed it, then they would have killed all of them, including herself. ¡°At the time when I first entered the Demon Realm, I fought against monsters for the first time. I didn¡¯t know what they were. After fighting for three days and three nights, I discovered that they were extremely difficult to kill by swordsmanship, and even if they were killed, they were only turned into black energy that would be absorbed by other nearby companions, enhancing the power of another monster. ¡° If so¡­ sealing them was indeed the fastest way. Shen Li couldn¡¯t help feeling that the Xing Zhi was resolute and clever at that time, and she felt a little embarrassed to think that she had questioned him before. ¡°So far, what have you thought of all of this?¡± Xing Zhi suddenly asked Shen Li. Shen Li was stunned, and then she thought about what he had just said before telling all of this to her, her face turned white. ¡°Those creatures and the man in black who are chasing after me are a bit similar to those monsters?¡± He stopped and nodded: ¡°When we encountered them for the first time in Yangzhou, they weren¡¯t complete, but this time when they came, it made me feel that the people who made them have good skills.¡± Shen Li gritted her teeth: ¡°It must be Fu Sheng. What a ghost! But how does he know the method of refining monsters in the first place? And your water stop technique¡­what are they trying to do¡­¡± Xing Zhi touched her head: ¡°You are not good at scheming and tend to forget things. It is really hard for you to think about this game transparently.¡± Shen Li squinted her eyes in dissatisfaction, and Xing Zhi smiled like he was teasing a cat. He said: ¡°First, to answer your first question, in my opinion, Fu Sheng may not know all the methods for refining monsters, otherwise, he would have already made the monsters directly, why bother to make so many creatures that look like semi-finished products? He should know one part, but the other part can¡¯t be known for some reason. What is strange now is: From where did this partial knowledge come from? I remember that Liu Ming had been cut down by my sword. No one in the world should remember the technique of refining¡­¡± Xing Zhi pondered for a while, and temporarily put aside this doubt, ¡°And the second question and the third question may be answered together. First of all, their so-called ¡®stop water technique¡¯ seems to me to be nothing more than a child¡¯s play. That¡¯s was just an ice trick. Without divine power, they can¡¯t manipulate the magic. Secondly, do you still remember King Rui we met before?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°Last time you heard me talking with his reincarnation, he is the fallen god Qingye and is my best friend. Although the water stop is my spell, I have taught Qingye some things. Do you remember that first life, Fu Sheng also appeared? Maybe he managed to spy on Qingye, trying to learn about those memories when he was a god and learned a little bit about this water stop technique.¡± Shen Li suddenly realized: ¡°Now that I think about it, he might have voluntarily tampered with a lot of things at the beginning, such as the crown prince looking for you who was just a human at that time. Another example is when he burned your small courtyard and forced us to seek refuge in King Rui. When we were in King Rui¡¯s mansion, I felt devilish energy¡­ It turned out to be him.¡± Xing Zhi nodded: ¡°You remember things clearly. Please continue to guess and try, what was his purpose?¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes rolled: ¡°Forcing me to leave you, and then I was captured by the Demon Realm chaser and was a force to agree with the marriage with Fu Rong¡­ He wants me to marry Fu Rong?¡± Shen Li was surprised, ¡°What for?¡± ¡°The point isn¡¯t who you would marry, but that if you marry, then you would have to go to heaven. The corner of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips twitched, ¡°He wanted you to leave the Demon Realm.¡± Chapter 66.2 Shen li understood, but there were even more questions covering her face now. Looking at Shen Li¡¯s frowning brows, Xing Zhi smiled and continued to guide her: ¡°During that time, if I hadn¡¯t extended the date of marriage between you and Fu Rong, you would probably be already married to the Celestial Realm. Soon after, something happened at the Demon Realm, do you remember? Shen Li recalled for a moment, and her face turned white, she stood up suddenly: ¡°Xu Tianyuan¡­their purpose is Xu Tianyuan!¡± [TL/remember note: the ruins, where all the monster were sealed by Xing Zhi] At that time, the monster escaped and severely injured the soldiers defending the border. Mo Fang went to defend and the general went to support, and then Zi Xia desperately sent a letter back to the capital before he died. Mo¡­Mo Fang was seriously injured, but, Mo Fang is on the monster¡¯s side, how could he die? Soon after, Xing Zhi came to the Demon Realm to reshape the seal, following that, the mountain gods of the human world were captured one after another. Although they didn¡¯t know the specific purpose of capturing the mountain gods, it must be related to the semi-finished demon man Fu Sheng created! At that time, she was still fighting three demons in Yangzhou City. ¡°In this way, the method they obtained to refine the monster beast probably came from the Xu Tianyuan¡­¡± Shen Li rubbed her eyebrows, there was some confusion in her mind, so many things happened, at the time she looked just at the surface. It seems that everything was just happening naturally. It turns out that under the surface, there was another hand pushing things forward. Shen Li asked: ¡°You knew about these things early?¡± Xing Zhi shook his head, ¡°It was only after there were more clues that things were slowly connected together.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°We have to get out of here quickly. Report these things to the Demon Lord in order to take countermeasures.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes drooped slightly: ¡°Although I don¡¯t want to say that, I have to. I advise you to be two guards against the current Demon Lord. ¡° Shen Li was startled when she heard these words, and Xing Zhi looked up at her with a cool gaze ¡°After sealing the monsters thousands of years ago, my vitality was greatly damaged, and I couldn¡¯t manage the demon world anymore. The new Demon Lord was chosen by the demon clan. At the time, there were still many people among the demons who were dissatisfied with the demon world¡¯s surrendering to the heavens and taking care of the seals. However, the Demon World was in chaos at that time, and they were eager to choose a talented person who could take up this important task as the demon lord. They did not pay much attention to their personal position and preferences. I can¡¯t say exactly what kind of person the current Demon Lord is, but I¡¯m sure that he is hiding something from you.¡± Shen Li didn¡¯t hesitate when she said: The Demon Lord might be hiding something from me, but he would never harm me, I believe him.¡± She replied decisively and firmly so Xing Zhi became slightly startled, and immediately lowered his eyes and said: ¡± If you could believe me that much, it would be good.¡± His voice was extremely small, but Shen li heard it, she turned her head and said: ¡°This is different. The Demon Lord is also a teacher and¡­a Father. Without him, I wouldn¡¯t have survived. He has saved me countless times in times of crisis. Now, even if he lied to me my entire life, If in the end, he wants my life, I would give it to him.¡± Xing Zhi looked at her quietly, then he lowered his eyes and smiled and said in a very low voice: ¡°How can I let you die for him¡­ after that¡­ you would just leave me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­How can I be willing.¡± In the stone cave, there was a moment of silence, and Shen Li turned her head and changed the subject ¡°Speaking of which, how Fu Sheng knows that we are here? With your power, no one would be able to follow us.¡± Xing Zhi shook his head: ¡°If I guessed it right ¡­ they didn¡¯t came for us¡± Shen Li was startled, they came to this snowy mountain, maybe they came for those rare treasures? But this didn¡¯t feel right¡­ If they wanted those treasures, why come all the way to this remote cave? The only explanation is that their goal was Lady Jin. Shen Li frowned: ¡°When we fell, you left Lady Jin alone to block Fu Sheng, will she be able to do that? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her, even if she can¡¯t stop him, escaping is her best ability, we should wait.¡± ¡°Oh, This Lady had the trouble of coming down to save people. I¡¯m so sad to hear God saying that.¡± A coquettish voice came from the top of her head, and Shen Li looked up. The stone was still sealed, but her voice was as clear as it was only separated by a layer of paper, ¡°This Lady can¡¯t believe this, the god must apologize to this Lady, otherwise, This Lady will leave you here and go out.¡± Xing Zhi pondered for a while. ¡°So, I won¡¯t apologize. You can go back.¡± Shen Li glared at him, and Lady Jin smiled: ¡°Oh, how dare God! You still want to stay with my sister, so I have to take you out.¡± After saying that, a big hole was pierced in the top of his head, and the dark passage led directly to the top, ¡°Quickly come out.¡± These three words were said quickly and urgently. His figure flashed, he took Shen Li¡¯s waist and flew into the passage. The stone room above was Lady Jin¡¯s stone room. She stood by the stone bed when Xing Zhi and Shen Li jumped out, she finished performing the seal, a golden light was sealed on the entrance of the cave, sliding down against the stone wall. They could hear countless shrill screams below, hitting the golden light, intending to escape. When the golden light flourished, all the voices disappeared. Lady Jin wiped the sweat on her forehead and sighed, ¡°I finally sealed these guys.¡± She turned to look at Xing Zhi and Shen Li, with an ambiguous corner of her eyes, she asked Shen Li ¡°When you were below there, nobody bullied you, right?¡± Shen Li coughed, pulled away from the hand that was still holding her waist, and said with a stern face: ¡°The God is pure and upright, he doesn¡¯t have these evil thoughts.¡± The golden lady listened, her eyebrows drooped: ¡°It seems he can¡¯t¡­¡± The tone seemed extremely disappointed. In the end, she¡­ was looking forward to how they would be played by her evil thoughts¡­ Shen Li silently wiped a cold sweat. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, Lady Jin¡¯s eyes flashed: ¡°How do you get treated yesterday¡­¡± She just started talking, but suddenly she frowned, and said in a deep voice: ¡°Be careful!¡± Lady Jin turned her head and just listened. A scream behind her pierced her ears and she fell to the ground. At the same time, a cloud of black energy like arrows rushed out of the tunnel, passing by Lady Jin, leaving a string of a women¡¯s sharp and wild smile behind. ¡°This is terrible¡­¡± The Golden Lady was lying on the stone bed with her ears covered. Shen Li hurriedly went over to help her, listening to Lady Jin¡¯s whisper, ¡°This is impossible. How¡­ what is this power that can break my seals¡­¡± Xing Zhi was silent, and then spoke: ¡°You are inhaling the emotions and desires in our hearts¡­¡± Lady Jin looked up at him: ¡°God, I dare to ask how powerful your desires and emotions are ?! This is so painful!¡± CH 67 Chapter 67.1 ¡°Since it¡¯s my fault, I will help you¡± As soon as Xing Zhi said this, Lady Jin¡¯s said hurriedly: ¡°Don¡¯t! I can do this by myself. You can¡¯t figure out its temperament.¡± Shen Li frowned: ¡°What the hell was that just now? I see its sharp sound seems to hurt you a lot.¡± ¡°This Lady threw thousands of years of evil thoughts inside that place. Sometimes, it can also condense into a shape on its own, which is somewhat similar to my shadow. Because it was originally in my body and mind, even if separated from me, it knows my weakness. ¡°You said so yourself, so wouldn¡¯t be even harder for you to face it alone? Shen Li said, ¡°This is happening because of me, let me handle it.¡± Lady Jin turned her head, her weak boneless hands gently touched Shen Li¡¯s face, her eyes waved ¡°My dear sister, how can you be so good to me? It really makes this Lady¡¯s heart touched.¡± After she said, she pouted and caressed Shen Li¡¯s face. Pulling away, Lady Jin rushed into the air. Xing Zhi smiled and curled his lips without a smile: ¡± You spoke well.¡± Lady Jin curled her lips: ¡°It understands me, but I also know it better, it¡¯s something that came from me after all. I can handle it !¡± She adjusted her clothes and got off the stone bed. ¡°But that thing can confuse people, draw out bad thoughts and evil thoughts in people¡¯s hearts, and then keep sucking them to make itself stronger. When fighting with it, you mustn¡¯t be tricked.¡± She looked at the two of them, Shen Li was flushed she turned her head and coughed unnaturally. Lady Jin smiled and narrowed her eyes: ¡°At this point, it is a very troublesome thing. To prevent it from harming people, this lady must catch it back as soon as possible.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°This lady will leave now, you two take care.¡± Her figure flashed and walked extremely decisively. Shen Li said ¡°Wait¡± but before she could say anything else she saw another golden light in the room, and Lady Jin appeared in front of the two again: ¡°Ah, I forgot to say that the time for the last treatment is approaching. So just do like the last time and let High God take care of it for you. After the treatment, my sister¡¯s body may fall asleep for a while, and your five senses will be restored after you wake up. As for the magic power, she must rely on daily meditation and breathing and slowly recover it. ¡° She blinked at Shen Li, ¡°One last time, don¡¯t waste it.¡± With a gust of wind, she was gone. Shen Li looked at the place where Lady Jin disappeared and twitched her mouth. Lady Jin¡¯s malicious thoughts were stripped away? Shen Li doubt it! This was clearly a hint! And she just runs away after saying this, Lady Jin doesn¡¯t know that this was very irresponsible ?! Shen Li turned to look at Xing Zhi, intending to talk about serious matters, she saw Xing Zhi pinching his chin, he looked at her with a serious face and nodded: ¡°Speaking of which, it is indeed time to start the last treatment¡­ Should we fall into the hole again? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be more serious?¡± Shen Li¡¯s ears were red, and she reprimanded him in a deep voice. But Xing Zhi just smiled: ¡°Master, dare to ask, which sentence was not serious?¡± Shen Li was silent. At the moment of embarrassment, a golden light flashed before Shen Li¡¯s eyes. Shen Li is like a frightened bird: ¡°What else do you want to say now ?!¡± Lady Jin looked hurt: ¡°Hey, you just rolled your eyes¡­sister¡­why did the younger sister treat this Lady like this? Her eyes were gleaming with tears and Shen Li looked at her embarrassed: ¡°Sorry¡­ I just lost control for a moment, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°This Lady wanted to say that I might spend some time to catch this evil thought. That guy named Fu Sheng who came for trouble before, you intend to find him to settle the scores right? If you do this, you must remember to bring back my monster core.¡± Lady Jin said aggrieved ¡°That day you fell, I was anxious and didn¡¯t notice, but after I realized that my monster core was missing. Although I don¡¯t need it anymore, I don¡¯t want him to have it ..¡± ¡°Fu Sheng took your monster core?¡± Shen Li sternly interrupted her. Muttered, murmured in a deep voice, ¡°Why does he want your monster core?¡± ¡°This Lady doesn¡¯t know.¡± Lady Jin waved her hand, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to guess this time and later be wrong.¡± Lady Jin went away again. After listening to what Xing Zhi had said under the stone room, Shen Li knew that Fu Sheng must be very purposeful in doing things. At this time, he took away Lady Jin¡¯s monster core. Is this connected with his plans? And why this ¡­? Seeing that Shen Li¡¯s brows were frowning deeper and deeper, Xing Zhi stretched out his index finger to rub her brows, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand it now, but we can solve this mystery later. Now the priority is to cure your body.¡± Shen Li¡¯s body stiffened slightly, but the treatment had to be done. She nodded, then turned her back to undress. Xing Zhi only looked at her back, his eyes cool. There were scars all over Shen Li¡¯s back, which were from her past and meritorious service. He didn¡¯t do anything, just watched quietly. As if time had stopped, he stood there quiet until Shen Li turned her head back strangely: ¡°What?¡± Xing Zhi shook his head, smiled helplessly, and said, ¡°It hurts?¡± Shen Li was slightly startled by these three words. The corners of her mouth moved, but at the last moment she turned her head to avoid his look: ¡°It¡¯s ok, doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± But Xing Zhi still didn¡¯t move. Shen Li was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°God, regarding the injuries and pain, our memory can deceive us¡­ Because if you always remember the pain too clearly, you will never be able to embrace a new life. My training helped me choose by myself, remember or forget, I chose to forget. And in so many years of training, my body and brain have already turned this forgetfulness into a skill.¡± Shen Li turned to look at Xing Zhi: ¡°The pain yesterday was forgotten yesterday. These injuries have long ceased to hurt, I had even forgotten that they were still there.¡± Xing Zhi remained silent, but gently took her into his arms: ¡°Shen Li.¡± He whispered behind her, ¡°I want to protect you, give you a safe life, are you willing?¡± Shen Li was silent for a long time, and only sighed: ¡°Heal this injury first.¡± She said, ¡°This time¡­don¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t forgive myself if that happens again¡­¡± Xing Zhi chuckled in her ear: ¡°Who do you think I am? If you don¡¯t want it, I won¡¯t force it. And¡­you were so aggressive yesterday, so now it makes sense that you¡¯re uncomfortable.¡± He said. Shen Li¡¯s cheeks blushed. Shen Li still felt a strange feeling in her heart but she knew that she shouldn¡¯t. After that, the time passed and the treatment was over. Chapter 67.2 When the mana that helped Shen Li to dredge the meridians returned to Xing Zhi¡¯s mouth, Shen Li only felt a strength all over her body, and her eyelids were so heavy that they could hardly be lifted. Before going to bed, Shen Li struggled and said, ¡°I should¡­ go back to the demon world¡­¡± Xing Zhi hugged her and stood quietly for a while, then put her down and helped her dress up. He touched Shen Li¡¯s head and said: ¡°I know you will be angry, but now, no matter what, I won¡¯t let you go back to the Demon Realm.¡± When Shen Li woke up again, she felt that she was flying. She rubbed her eyes and saw the sight. The wind was blowing on her face, and her sight was present. She felt that she was being held by somebody, so touch was also present. She smelled what seemed to be the smell from somebody skin, her sense of smell returned. She raised her hand and bit her own mouth. She felt a little salty taste, so the taste was also there! She recovered all five senses!! ¡°Xing Zhi !¡± She yelled extremely happily, the happiness in her voice couldn¡¯t be hidden. The person holding her responded softly. Shen Li smiled happily: ¡°My five senses have finally recovered!¡± Xing Zhi was infected by her emotions; he also smiled slightly and narrowed his eyes. Then Shen Li said: ¡°Now, I only have to meditate, and I¡¯ll be able to recover my mana in a few days. Then I will help the Demon Realm and settle the account with Fu Sheng!¡± As soon as her voice fell, the curve of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips narrowed slightly. He said, ¡°Why not let me avenge you ?¡± Shen Li was taken aback, but she replied: ¡°He attacked the demon real, tried to kill me, and then tortured me. I will personally pay this grudge.¡± Xing Zhi argued: ¡°He intends to ruin my seals. I should take care of it.¡± Shen Li was surprised: ¡°This is not a competition. We are dealing with the same enemy. I want to avenge myself, but that doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t help. If you want to go, let¡¯s join hands.¡± Xing Zhi was silent for a moment: ¡°I would like to do this alone.¡± Shen Li felt wrong, frowned, and asked about another matter that was bothering her, ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost at the eastern gate.¡± Shen Li frowned: ¡°What did you bring me to the heavens! Didn¡¯t I said that I wanted to go to the demon world?¡± She said that and struggled to leave Xing Zhi¡¯s embrace. She was furious, ¡°What the hell are you going to do!¡± ¡°The outer world has its own enchantment, no outsider can enter, it is the safest place, you will wait there after I finish everything, you can come out.¡± Shen Li said with a sharp voice: ¡°You want to put me under house arrest?¡± Xing Zhi glanced at her: ¡°If you see it like that, then sure, then sure, I¡¯m putting you under house arrest.¡± ¡°Absurd!¡± Shen Li scolded, ¡°You are really crazy. It won¡¯t happen!¡± Xing Zhi stopped talking, and when he entered the Eastern Gate, the guard at the gate saw him and was about to kneel and bow. But seeing the person he was holding in his arms, he was stunned for a while, and the two guards hurried forward. He stopped: ¡°God! God! This is¡­ Azure King? She¡­ she¡¯s not¡­¡± Shen Li was angry and shouted: ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Azure King, tell the God to stop being crazy and put me down!¡± But before her voice fell, she felt her throat tighten, and she couldn¡¯t speak anymore! How dare he?![ yeah, how dare you Xing Zhi, you waited until now to recognize your feelings and now you turned from indifferent to overprotective, I mean, from bad to worst. ] One of the guards muttered to himself as if dumbfounded: ¡°I really thought¡­¡± The other guard gave him a stern look, and he immediately turned around and ran to Heavenly Emperor¡¯s residence. Another guard dragged Xing Zhi and said, ¡°High God, are you going back to the outer sky?¡± Xing Zhi ignored him and walked away. The guard hurriedly called out, ¡°God please stay! Because you were in the lower realm a few days ago¡­Uh¡­acting in the Eastern Sea¡­ and slightly agitated, Heaven is a bit unstable, and it is not good for God to go back now¡­¡± Heavens are unstable? Heaven¡¯s instability must be because the only god was reproved by heaven¡¯s will¡­ Shen Li stared at Xing Zhi in a daze, what did this guy do in the eastern sea ?! It turns out that he was wounded before, was it the backlash of the power of the heavens¡­? Xing Zhi stopped moving forward and paused ¡°Someone got hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that a few stone tiles fell sporadically, but it didn¡¯t hurt anyone. It¡¯s just that the heavenly stone tiles were very heavy. They smashed the nine layers of heaven into some small holes and fell into the lower realm. Fortunately, they only fell into the mountains without hurting no one from the Lower Realm.¡± There were only a few tiles, but they were enough to cause damage. Shen Li gritted her teeth secretly, facing this reality, if she still thought on indulging her feelings, it would be too selfish. ¡°Well, I will discuss with the emperor afterward, you go and guard the gate of heaven.¡± Xing Zhi faintly fell and turned and wanted to leave, the guard had to stop him, and heard a loud shout from the horizon. ¡°High God stay! High God stay!¡± The emperor didn¡¯t take the imperial carriage and came to the gate riding a cloud alone. He got off the cloud and hurried forward, almost staggering. Seeing that Xing Zhi was holding Shen Li, the Emperor sighed heavily, ¡°God! You are! You are¡­why!¡± Xing Zhi was silent. Behind the emperor, hundreds of civil and military officers in the heavens stepped on the clouds, and they were crowded in front of the Gate for a while. Everyone looked at Shen Li and then at Xing Zhi, and then looked at each other a few times, everyone sighed. Shen Li thought that she couldn¡¯t even count how many of them were showing dissatisfaction and scolding her in their hearts. How could Shen Li fail to understand their expressions, if she was in their places, she would probably spurn them tool¡­ But even in this environment, Xing Zhi just smiled, and quietly said to Shen Li, ¡°Shen Li, have ever thought that one day you would have the role of the ¡± seductive demoness¡± ?¡± Shen Li was startled and just wanted to sigh, even with this situation, Xing Zhi was still making jokes¡­ this could also be considered a talent. When everyone saw Xing Zhi¡¯s reaction, they all looked down and became quiet. Among them, the emperor was the first to put his hands in front of him, clasp his fists, and bow. ¡°I¡¯m asking to High God to pity the sufferings of the three realms, life is not easy.¡± Behind the emperor, hundreds of officials bowed and knelt on the ground. ¡°High God, please have mercy on the sufferings of the Three Realms, life is not easy for the common people!¡± Amidst this condemnation, Shen Li could not move, could not speak, and stopped silently. Shen Li looked at the heavenly emperor who kneeled down. In the past these immortals were so proud, now they are willing to beg. That was all they could do. Shen Li didn¡¯t know how she felt when she saw this scene, she smiled bitterly in her heart. Xing Zhi, you see, if we are together, no one wants to bless us. Even so¡­Are you going to risk it? CH 68.1 Chapter 68.1 On the south gate, the atmosphere was tense as the immortals knelt down uniformly. Xing Zhi didn¡¯t even open his mouths to help them get up. He only held Shen Li and smiled. ¡°I know the sufferings of the three worlds, and I know life isn¡¯t easy for the common people, but until now, I never actually harmed the public. It is really wrong for the immortals to talk about crimes that have never happened. ¡° An impatient immortal raised his head and said with anger: ¡°The gods have frozen the Eastern Sea using the water-stop technique for ten days and ten nights, violating the way of heaven, resulting in damage to the divine body. The outer sky became unstable, the tiles and stones passed through the heavens and fell into the lower realm. It destroyed thousands of mountains and forests, and the continuous fire burned for half a month! Hundreds of mountain gods had to cast spells for days to put out the fire, dare to ask the gods, can¡¯t this matter be considered a crime!? ¡° He Froze the Eastern Sea for ten days and ten nights! Shen Li was stunned, he really lost his mind at the time! Xing Zhi was silent for a while: ¡°This matter is my fault, and I acknowledge my sin.¡± The immortal added, ¡°I understand that High God can¡¯t always control his emotions. So we can let it pass this time. At least this matter we manage by persuading the mountain gods, but what if there is another accident next time? Today, the High God found Azure King and took her away. This is a disaster hanging on the top of the three worlds, dare to ask the High God, how can we feel safe!? ¡° Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes were slightly cold, and the Heavenly emperor saw that, so he said hurriedly: ¡°High God is not strange to Yuan Jun Su Ri¡¯s hot temperament, he spoke too aggressively, hope God¡¯s anger will be calmed down, it¡¯s just that¡­ what Yuan Xian Jun said wasn¡¯t unreasonable, so I hope that the High Gog thinks twice.¡± The Emperor said. The kneeling hundred officials also followed: ¡°We ask the High God to think twice.¡± Shen Li look at Xing Zhi and then looked at the people present. Xing Zhi with a bleak expression and a cold voice said: ¡°This matter is my fault. Shen Li has nothing to do with it. I hope that the immortals will not make random accusations. Besides, my mistake was moving divine power and violating the way of heaven, being with someone isn¡¯t a mistake.¡± As soon as these words came out, the immortals immediately became noisy, after all, what he said means that he was planning to do things in his own way! Sure enough, he acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard their discussion, his eyes were fixed on the emperor, his tone was determined, and he said, ¡°This time the outer sky is unstable, I will have to deal with it on my own later. The forest of the human world was burned, and I am willing to take responsibility. But about Shen Li, I won¡¯t retreat.¡± He lowered his eyes and looked at Shen Li who was staring at him in his arms. For a moment, he involuntarily softened his eyes, ¡°Never mind you, even if it¡¯s her, I won¡¯t let her say no to this.¡± ¡°If there is anyone who is dissatisfied¡­¡± Xing Zhi raised his head and curled his lips with a smile, ¡°¡­ Let me borrow the words of Azure King and say: I¡¯ll not hesitate to fight with you.¡± The noise disappeared, and there was silence. In the stunned eyes of everyone, Xing Zhi took Shen Li back to the Outer sky and no one dared to stop them. In the outer sky, the stars were in the sky, and the place where the High God lived was filled with eternal awe and peace. Xing Zhi put Shen Li on his own bed, and after covering her with the quilt, Xing Zhi looked at Shen Li with a wry smile and complained: ¡°I am always forced by the three realms, who in the world can be said to be shackled like me?¡± Shen Li stared straight at him, knowing what to do, he moved her fingertips a little, and Shen Li¡¯s throat loosened, she said: ¡°You stand on the highest place, are loved by the people, and have the strength of heaven. Who is worshipped like you in these three worlds?¡± Shen Li said, ¡°There is nothing free in this world.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°Nothing is cheap. You can¡¯t take advantage of it.¡± Xing Zhi smiled: ¡°I¡¯m just complaining about a sentence or two, this can also teach you a lesson.¡± Shen Li looked at him for a while and said seriously, ¡°In the demon world, I have never done heavy work. The food I eat and the clothes I wear are all provided by others. I have no other skills. I only have my strength. Fighting is the only thing I can do to protect the peace of the demon world. So I can let the people who have done heavy work and are willing to provide for me live peacefully.¡± Shen Li paused then said, ¡°God Xing Zhi, perhaps everyone has something to do in life, a responsibility, but also a mission.¡± Xing Zhi looked at her, the curvature of his lips was the same, but the brilliance in his eyes dimmed slightly: ¡°The way you¡¯re telling me this, it makes me believe you think I don¡¯t know this truth.¡± Shen Li closed her eyes and cleared all emotions in her eyes: ¡°I like you, and I want to be with you more than anyone else, like sitting in that small courtyard under the vines, basking in the sun and blowing in the wind. I like you so much, I wish I could melt all my flesh and blood into your body, I wish I could breathe with you all the time. It¡¯s impossible for you to know but sometimes, I like you so much that I can¡¯t even recognize myself.¡± She said every word so seriously, but every word was deliberately stripped of emotions: ¡°I know that in my whole life, I could never love someone so deeply as I love you, but, I also understand that these feelings are not the only reason for me to live.¡± ¡°I still have things to do, and you have to bear your responsibilities. So, Xing Zhi¡­¡± ¡°Even if I am not the only thing in your life worth living for, I¡¯m one of the reasons.¡± When Xing Zhi interrupted Shen Li, he smiled and touched Shen Li¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s enough for me.¡± CH 68.2 Xing Zhi was determined to be obstinate until the end. For three days, Shen Li was imprisoned. Even though Xing Zhi brought her meals every day, the rest of the time he was very busy. He did not even have time to exchange more than a few words with Shen Li before turning around and leaving soon after. Shen Li knew that he had to patrol the entire Outer Bounds of Heaven. He had to see if there were places that slackened due to the shaking. Without Xing Zhi by her side, Shen Li was able to meditate with peace of mind and adjust the aura in her body. The Outer Bounds of Heaven had abundant spiritual energy, which unexpectedly assisted Shen Li in her recovery. Within three days, Shen Li recovered sixty to seventy percent of the powers in her body. Additionally, the sixty to seventy percent of powers that she recovered were much purer than before. This made Shen Li extremely happy, but being kept in the cage all the time, it left her without a place to practice with the powers surging through her body. Thinking about the state of the Demon World when she left, Shen Li sighed a little. She did not know how they were doing now, whether the Demon Lord¡¯s injury was healed, whether the broken defensive barrier in the capital city was repaired, and whether Xu Xu and Rou Ya were living happily in the King¡¯s Mansion. They must have been very sad when they received word about her ¡®death.¡¯ So right now, the news that she was found by Xing Zhi should be traveling back to the Demon Realm. They should gain some peace of mind, but if they did not see her, then they would still be worried¡­ When Shen Li sighed again, she heard slightly hasty footsteps coming towards her direction. It was not Xing Zhi. Xing Zhi had never exhibited behaviors that were slow or hurried. In an instant, Shen Li frowned and became alert. The graceful figure of a woman appeared in Shen Li¡¯s eyes. It was You Lan, running all out of breath. When she finally saw Shen Li, her face was overjoyed. However, when she saw dozens of icicles standing in front of Shen Li, her face turned white all over again. Shen Li frowned at her: ¡°What are you doing here?¡± In two steps, You Lan reached Shen Li and said: ¡°The Heavenly Emperor wants to do something to you, so I came to take you away.¡± Baffled, Shen Li was still frowning. When You Lan saw this, she took two steps forward again: ¡°Yesterday, I accidentally passed by the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s palace hall. There, I heard he was consulting with several generals. Today, they planned to lure the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi to the Mortal Realm, then someone will go to the Outer Bounds of Heaven to make you take the Souleater Heart Pill.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°This medicine will make the consumer¡¯s soul leave the body and scatter into dust, but the body will still be intact. Then after the consumer¡¯s soul dies, it will take over the consumer¡¯s body and act according to the master¡¯s instructions. The Heavenly Emperor wants to kill you, and then make your body into a puppet.¡± You Lan said anxiously, ¡°Based on the time, they should be here soon, but¡­ These- these icicles, what should we do?!¡± Shen Li was silent: ¡°I have two questions. First, isn¡¯t there an enchantment barrier in the Outer Bounds of Heaven, so how did you all get here? Second, why should I believe you?¡± ¡°The bloodline of the Heavenly Emperors carries the qualification to enter the Outer Bounds of Heaven, this qualification was granted by the deities in ancient times. Those generals are all my uncles, like me, they carry the bloodline of the Heavenly Emperors, so they can enter the Outer Bounds of Heaven. As for trusting me¡­¡± You Lan paused. Suddenly, she lowered face, ¡°King, if you have seen the Divine Sovereign¡¯s appearance during that time, then you will no longer harbor the idea that if you¡¯re not here, he¡¯ll get better. I just¡­ Don¡¯t want the situation to get worse.¡± Again, Shen Li was silent: ¡°Was it you, who persuaded him?¡± You Lan¡¯s eyes displayed her sadness: ¡°It was the Divine Sovereign, his heart was dead.¡± She sighed softly and closed her eyes, as if she could not bear it any longer, ¡°However, even so, every day, he still kept wandering around the Eastern Sea. The person, who was closest to heaven, was like someone who was abandoned by heaven. He could only search and wait hopelessly, but fortunately¡­¡± She raised her eyes and glanced at Shen Li, hiding in her eyes were several different emotions, ¡°Fortunately, the King is safe and sound. ¡± Shen Li lowered her eyes, recalling Xing Zhi¡¯s moods on the day she came across him on the coast. Perhaps it was something she would never understand in this life of hers¡­ Shen Li took a deep breath and said, ¡°Take a step back.¡± Following her directions, You Lan took a step back. She saw Shen Li wrapping her hand around one of the icicles and a raging flame burst out from her palm, encircling the icicle. However, after the raging flame engulfed the icicle, only a few beads of water dropped and the icicle did not even melt. As Shen Li frowned, You Lan said: ¡°This must be condensed by the Divine Sovereign using the Water Prohibition Technique, so ordinary flames can¡¯t do anything to it at all.¡± Shen Li snorted: ¡°Who said my flame was ordinary.¡± After saying that, she gripped the icicle in her hand and her palm flushed red. As she released a low groan, the icicle she was holding suddenly emitted white smoke. In less than a moment, the icicle softened and Shen Li kicked it outward to squeeze out of the gap. Seeing the cold air coming off of her palm, Shen Li shook her hand: ¡°This Water Prohibition Technique is pretty formidable.¡± For something that Xing Zhi made with just a casual wave of his hand, it was already so difficult to dissolve. If he was a little more serious, then would that not mean that she would have been locked up in here forever. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°If the generals of the Heavenly Realm come, then it¡¯s a trivial matter. But if Xing Zhi returns, then it¡¯ll be even harder to get away. ~~~~~ The author has something to say: The captured woman ran away ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q Everyone is guessing that Ah Jiu is going to start the abuse, in fact, this part actually belongs to the flow of the plot, so I will not abuse it~ ¨q(¨s3¨t)¨r CH 69.1 Walking into the great hall of the Outer Bounds of Heaven together with You Lan, Shen Li¡¯s nose swiftly picked up something. She turned her head towards the side and her footsteps stopped immediately. You Lan, who was hurriedly leading the way in front, heard Shen Li¡¯s footsteps getting farther away. She looked back and saw that Shen Li was walking toward the middle of the great hall in a daze. While in front of the great hall, there stood a red-tasseled silver spear. You Lan had seen it before, it was Azure Sky King¡¯s spear, but¡­Was this silver spear not already broken? Although she had heard that the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi forcibly demanded the spear from the Demon Lord¡¯s hand, she never thought that he would actually repair the spear. After the spear was repaired, it was even placed in the great hall of the Outer Bounds of Heaven. The silver spear and Shen Li seemed to have a heart-to-heart connection. Every time Shen Li took a step closer, the silver spear exuded sounds of buzzing excitement as if welcoming its own master. Shen Li stood in front of the silver spear for a while. She carefully looked at it for a very long time. Suddenly, she smiled and reached out to hold the staff of the spear, just like many thousands of times before, when she and it were fighting together as one. As the silver spear made revolutions in her hand, the aura of death stirred the quiet atmosphere in the Outer Bounds of Heaven. With the sounds of small tinkling bells, the end of the spear was thrust into the hard flagstone. Turbulent air surged out, lifting up You Lan¡¯s hair and robes outside the great hall. You Lan stared dazedly at the woman in the great hall, looking at the smile on her lips, the buzzing silver spear in her hand, and the sharp blade glowing with intense light as if it was chanting a joyous song. From head to toe, Shen Li¡¯s majestic aura was so dazzling that it made people not dare to look at her, but that was what made it so beautiful, too. This was the real Shen Li. Holding the spear and straightening her back, she looked like the Azure Sky King who could hold up the falling sky all by herself with her own power. ¡°Great partner, I thought I would never be able to fight side by side with you again.¡± Shen Li stroked the red tassel on the spear. However, the feeling of ruefulness only appeared on her face for a moment. She collected the expression on her face and whispered softly, ¡°I will have to trouble you in the future.¡± After saying that, the silver spear turned into a ray of light in her hand and disappeared. Then she walked towards You Lan, her steps becoming more and more resolute: ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly. I don¡¯t want to fight with your people from the Heaven Realm at this time.¡± You Lan was stunned for a moment, and then she quickly led the way. After walking a short distance, she suddenly felt a slight disturbance in the air. It was very likely that the people from the Heaven Realm had finally come. You Lan looked back at Shen Li, a little stumped for words. Was it her misperception? Why did she feel that the present Shen Li seemed to have sharper senses than before. Shen Li and You Lan hid their aura to escape the generals and stepped into the Heaven Realm from the exit. Since the last attack, the security in the Heaven Realm had indeed become a lot stricter, but the cultivation of these guards was not enough to detect the whereabouts of You Lan and Shen Li. They made a beeline straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate. When passing through a place, Shen Li looked down and involuntarily asked: ¡°After that day, was the Heaven Realm attacked again?¡± You Lan followed her gaze and looked down. Then she immediately understood: ¡°King, don¡¯t you remember? That¡¯s Lord Fu Rong¡¯s residence.¡± Shen Li was slightly stunned: ¡°Lord Fu Rong? Why has his residence become like this now?¡± As she looked, she only saw that the courtyard had been bombed by something, and there was even a big hole in the ground. The colors of the red safflower and green grass in the courtyard had faded away, so wan as if it was washed away by something. You Lan let out a sigh of disappointment that bordered on resentment, but there was also sorrow in her words: ¡°That brother of mine, who isn¡¯t worthy of any respect, has not done anything worthy for the pride of his family since he was a child. This time, after knowing the Demon Realm¡¯s General Mo Fang¡­ Oops, he can¡¯t be called a general anymore. After knowing that that person died, my brother went almost crazy. His spiritual power exploded and it blew up his own courtyard. His spiritual power was really pure, so it actually purified even the flowers and plants. After that, he lost consciousness for a long time. Then later, he learned the news about Mo Fang¡¯s mutiny. His entire person became very uncommunicative, and he did not allow anyone to take care of the courtyard. That¡¯s why you see it like this now.¡± How could that fickle Lord Fu Rong really be hurt? Additionally¡­ His magic was truly very pure. So before, he was not bragging just to brag about his ability in this area. Shen Li did not bother to think too much about other things, she just glanced at it and continued to move forward. Almost at the Southern Heavenly Gate, You Lan and Shen Li hid in the dark first. You Lan said: ¡°The Divine Sovereign should be busy in the Mortal Realm right now. If you want to go find him, then go east.¡± Shen Li shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Demon Realm.¡± For a moment, You Lan was stunned, then she understood Shen Li¡¯s meaning and her eyes dimmed: ¡°Although I don¡¯t understand what your perseverance is about, but if it¡¯s possible, I, You Lan, hope that you two can face it together.¡± While Shen Li was silent, You Lan bowed to her, ¡°I¡¯m going to lead the guards away first, and when there¡¯s an opportunity, King, please depart by yourself.¡± After saying that, she stepped out and said something to the two guards, leading them away in another direction. Within that moment, Shen Li moved like the wind, and in a flash, she leapt down from the Southern Heavenly Gate and disappeared into the sea of ??clouds. You Lan knew that she was gone, so she did not bother to look back. Her eyes were looking high and far: ¡°It appears that I have made a mistake about the movement on that side just now.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s just like a dream.¡± After passing through the small gap between the two realms, Shen Li stepped into the Demon Realm. With just a single inhale, Shen Li breathed in the air in the Demon Realm and immediately frowned. CH 70.1 It was another violent coughing episode, as if he was coughing out all of his internal organs. Shen Li patted his back lightly and asked softly, ¡°You were injured last time, why hasn¡¯t the injury healed yet?¡± The Demon Sovereign shook his head: ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been too tired in the last few days¡­¡± Before he could even finish speaking, his hand that was holding onto Shen Li¡¯s wrist froze. Then he pushed Shen Li¡¯s sleeve up and checked Shen Li¡¯s pulse. After a while, he sighed; the emotion in his voice was indistinguishable, ¡°That pearl¡­ You have finally absorbed it completely.¡± For a moment, Shen Li patted the hand on her back, the tone of her voice deepened slightly: ¡°Master, Shen Li has something to ask.¡± She pondered which words to use, ¡°This time, in the face of danger, Ah Li was fortunate to have the help of the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi. Also, another person, Fan Qi Yu, he was the expert who helped heal me; he said that this Azure Sky Oceanic Pearl was more like a demon¡¯s nuclear core. While you, Master, the cultivation that you taught me, the magic and the spiritual force were all incompatible with this Azure Sky Oceanic Pearl. Master¡­¡± ¡°Since you already know so much, and things have progressed up to this point, I shouldn¡¯t lie to you anymore.¡± The Demon Sovereign tried to suppress his coughs, ¡°Help me to the desk and let¡¯s go to a different spot to chat.¡± Once again, it was that same Teleportation Array Formation under that same desk. Just like last time, when the Demon Sovereign gave her the Azure Sky Oceanic Pearl, the array formation sent the two of them to the mysterious Sacrificial Hall that was as silent as death itself. In the hall, the pearl enshrined on the high altar was no longer there. The Demon Sovereign declined Shen Li¡¯s continued support of his arm and lightly pushed her away. As he slowly advanced, he took off his mask and his physique changed, returning to the body of a woman. Before the high platform, she stood quietly for a while: ¡°It was such a long time ago, so long that I can¡¯t even remember much about the details, but I have always remembered what your mother looked like when she and I were here together paying homage to our former master.¡± ¡°My¡­ Mother?¡± ¡°Your mother entered the sect three months after me. After she formally became a disciple, she lived with me in the same room. Every day, she came to pay homage to the master with me. She had an easy-going temperament and was favored by the master. She also attended to the master¡¯s needs. The master¡¯s favorite hobby was to refine medicine. So on occasion, he would impart knowledge to her and teach her the Puppet Refining Medicine Technique. She was talented and intelligent. In less than three years, out of all the master¡¯s disciples, she inherited the most skills from the master. This was a good thing, but¡­¡± The Demon Sovereign lowered her eyes, ¡°The former master still had other thoughts of his own. As the level of his refining technique became higher, it was more difficult for him to be content with the status quo. In the end, he created a type of monster. While this type of monster, you have already fought against them.¡± Shen Li¡¯s voice deepened: ¡°They¡¯re the monsters in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, your mother¡¯s master and my master was the former Demon Sovereign of the Demon Realm, Liu Ming.¡± The Demon Sovereign stepped onto the platform and wiped the dust on the high altar where the pearl was enshrined with her fingers, ¡°When the first demon beast was successfully created, as the master¡¯s disciples, everyone was happy and excited. As far as the Demon Realm¡¯s army was concerned, it was a big killing tool. However, when the master started to frantically create demon beasts one after another, the situation began to lose control. On some occasions, the demon beasts would tear down fellow disciples and swallow them into their bellies, there were also demon beasts that escaped and harmed the citizens of the Demon Realm. ¡°The protests in court were getting louder, but the master was obstinately willful in getting his own way and kept creating more demon beasts. It seemed that he really wanted to form an army of demon beasts as he planned, and then control such an ¡®army¡¯ to attack the Heaven Realm, to pull down those high and mighty immortals from above; to have them bow down to the Demon Sovereign and make the Demon Clan the ruler.¡± Shen Li shook her head: ¡°When the soldier becomes the dictator of the army, the general becomes useless, but the general is the brain, the soldier is the blade. An army without a brain is just a bunch of killing machines. I¡¯m afraid the demon beasts weren¡¯t even under that person¡¯s control¡­ At that time, in the Demon Realm, there must have been a lot of lives lost.¡± The Demon Sovereign nodded: ¡°At the same time, whether it was in the court or in the sect, there were voices of opposition, but your mother strongly supported Liu Ming¡­¡± Shen Li was stunned, while the Demon Sovereign said with a sigh, ¡°They also saw the demon beasts¡¯ damages. Liu Ming¡¯s own powers were not enough to control so many demon beasts, so he devoted his efforts to refining the king of the demon beasts that was several times stronger than other demon beasts. At the beginning of the Demon Beast King¡¯s birth, he was just a child and was just like any other child. Liu Ming named him Feng Lai. He was given to your mother, so that she could take care of him. He absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and grew up. Compared with other demon beasts that randomly appeared in the realm, he was more like a naturally borne monster, and therefore his power was even purer and stronger. ¡°Feng Lai grew up very fast. In just three months, he was like an ordinary teenager. No one could even have imagined that a demon beast like him would fall in love with his caretaker.¡± Feeling astonished, as if Shen Li could not believe the full meaning behind the Demon Sovereign¡¯s words. The Demon Sovereign frowned: ¡°No one could even have imagined that your mother also fell in love with him.¡± Stunned, Shen Li lowered her head and stared at her palm, murmuring in a trembling voice: ¡°I am¡­ the child of a demon beast? I am¡­¡± When she recalled the appearance of the scorpion-tailed fox running out of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, she immediately frowned, ¡°The child of that kind of demon beast¡­¡± The Demon Sovereign was silent for a moment: ¡°Not long after that, the officials in court secretly reported the disasters with the demon beasts to the Heaven Realm. The Heaven Realm was shocked and sent troops to the Demon Realm. However, by that same time, Liu Ming had already created several thousand demon beasts, so the soldiers of the Heavenly Realm suffered a disastrous defeat. After they returned, the Heavenly Emperor finally asked the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi to descend into the lower realm. By himself alone, he fought against the several thousand demon beasts, beheaded Liu Ming, and captured Feng Lai. Finally, he joined forces with the soldiers of the Heaven Realm and forced thousands of demon beasts to the border and opened up the Ruins of Heavenly Poles to seal all of the demon beasts within it.¡± ¡°After Xing Zhi sealed the demon beasts away, his vitality was severely damaged and he immediately returned to the Outer Bounds of Heaven. While the army of the Heaven Realm quickly evacuated. At that time, although all the demon beasts were sealed away and Liu Ming was already dead, the Demon Realm was still in chaos. One faction claimed to support the youngest son in the womb of Liu Ming¡¯s concubine as the ruler, while the other faction was determined to abandon the style of Liu Ming¡¯s party and establish a new ruler. The two factions were constantly fighting. After a war that lasted for several months, I understood the style of Liu Ming¡¯s party. If they were not completely exterminated, then they would make a comeback in the future. There were still those who supported overthrowing the Heaven Realm by using the demon beasts¡¯ powers. I have done outstanding military service on the battlefield, it was unintentional, but I was nominated by several elders to ascend to the throne of the Demon Sovereign. Then after that, the last time that I saw your mother¡­ CH 70.2 ¡°Was on the battlefield at the border. When we defeated Liu Ming¡¯s party completely, they were planning on how to enter the Ruins of Heavenly Poles and escape into the seal. Your mother was there, too. At that time, she was really close to giving birth. I secretly took her away from the battlefield and found a place within the vegetation to help her give birth. At that time, I just found out that after your mother knew that Feng Lai was sealed away, she carried you to the border all by herself. However, after she arrived, she was not allowed to enter the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Then after she knew what the members of Liu Ming¡¯s party were plotting, she joined them. She wanted to go in to see your father, who was sealed away.¡± As Shen Li clenched her fists, she bit her lips to hold her tongue. ¡°After giving birth to you, your mother bled incessantly and she knew that she would not survive. While the demon beast¡¯s aura in your body was too heavy. In order to protect you from being hunted down by people from the Heaven Realm and the Demon Realm, she used the last of her strength and extracted the aura of the demon beast from your body. She transformed it into the Azure Sky Oceanic Pearl. Then she left it in my hands. In the end, she died from exhaustion. Her last wish was that she hoped that you could roam the blue sea and azure sky for the rest of your life, without the shackles of your identity. Unlike your father, who is still suffering from imprisonment. Now that I think about it¡­ The moniker Azure Sky King was bestowed upon you by your mother.¡± So there was such a person who sacrificed her life for hers, but she did not know anything about it. When she did finally find out, it was already too late. Feeling extremely powerless, Shen Li asked in a hoarse voice: ¡°Where¡­ Are her bones now?¡± ¡°She said she wanted to accompany your father, but she didn¡¯t allow me to erect a gravestone. She feared that someone would find her, and you would be implicated by someone¡¯s groundless accusations. So, I buried her next to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, but I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to find her anymore.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing beside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles.¡± Shen Li fought battles there, her expression darkened, ¡°Nothing¡­ Absolutely nothing.¡± The Demon Sovereign sat down on the steps of the high platform, patted the space beside her, and motioned for Shen Li to come over. With her head lowered, Shen Li walked over and sat down. The Demon Sovereign patted her head: ¡°Since you were a child, you have been practicing magic and spiritual force with me. Everything that I taught you were spells that can overcome the power of the demon beast in your body. Like your mother, I was also just as afraid. If one day, outsiders knew your identity, would they hate you? However, every day, you were growing up and living so brilliantly. Then I had second thoughts, you have the right to know about your own background. When the scorpion-tailed fox escaped from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, I didn¡¯t want you to go, but at the same time, I wanted you to go. Then I found out that you had been to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles where the miasma leaked out, but you weren¡¯t contaminated by the miasma. I thought to myself that you have excellent self-control and that it was time. So, I returned the Azure Sky Oceanic Pearl to you. After returning it to you, I have been afraid all the time. If you become an unfamiliar Shen Li, then what should I do¡­¡± ¡°Master¡­¡± Shen Li said, ¡°Giving birth to me was kindness, raising me was also kindness. How could Shen Li forget your kindness for your upbringing overnight? No matter what my background is, Shen Li is Shen Li. It has nothing to do with my identity.¡± The Demon Sovereign patted her head quietly for a while, and then said, ¡°Fu Sheng and the others are probably the remnants of Liu Ming¡¯s faction. After a thousand years of recuperation, they are finally making a comeback. The matter about Mo Fang, he should be the child borne from Liu Ming¡¯s concubine. I know that friendship is very important to you, but since he has already betrayed you, you can no longer be merciful to him when you see him on the battlefield. ¡° Shen Li recalled that day when Mo Fang rescued her from that hut, but the feeling of hesitation only flashed in her mind momentarily. She nodded and replied: ¡°Ah Li understands.¡± ¡°Additionally¡­ The Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi and you¡­¡± The Demon Sovereign paused, noticing the slight stiffness in Shen Li¡¯s body. Then she released a sigh, ¡°For the past thousand years, I have been grateful to the Divine Sovereign for saving the Demon Realm from extreme misery. He proposed that Fu Rong Jun should marry you. Back then, I didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do. Until this time, the situation where Fu Rong Jun¡¯s powers exploded and purified all the plants in his courtyard circulated down to the Demon Realm, only then did I know that Fu Rong Jun had this ability. If you marry him, you will surely be purified by his immortal powers every day, and the demonic aura in your body will completely dissipate. Although the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi may not know your true identity at that time, he may be aware of your powers to some extent. ¡°He is the Divine Sovereign. His responsibilities are just too great. If one day he knows about your true identity, I¡¯m afraid he will kill you for all living beings.¡± The Demon Sovereign¡¯s tone was very serious. Shen Li just quietly looked down at the ground: ¡°I think¡­ He probably knows about it already.¡± For a moment, the Demon Sovereign was stunned. Shen Li continued to say: ¡°Back then, the mortal that I fell in love with, Xing Yun, was his reincarnation in the Mortal Realm¡­ At that time, Meng Po¡¯s decoction washed away all the cultivation in his body, but did not wash away his memory of being a deity. And in that lifetime, before I followed you back to the Demon Realm, in order to save his life, I gave him five hundred years of my cultivation.¡± Shen Li smiled, ¡°No matter how the demon beast¡¯s powers are removed, there will still be some aura retained in the body. He should¡¯ve known it by then.¡± While he was in the Demon Realm, he took her with him wherever he went to reconstruct the seals. At that time, maybe he had the intention to kill her, but in the end he could not do it¡­ Shen Li suddenly realized that at that time, Xing Zhi had begun to act a little differently from his usual self. He was no longer the indifferent Divine Sovereign, who had only the lives of all beings in his heart. So during that time¡­ He kept his distance from her, neither too close nor too far¡­ So Xing Zhi, even he could be shaken in that manner. ~~~~~ The author has something to say: ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q It¡¯s a pity, no one guessed Shen Li¡¯s identity correctly, but Jiu Ye still wants to give out mooncakes, so let¡¯s give these mooncakes to the three readers who left the first messages yesterday~ They are: Qing Tian Lian Kong, Sha Ta and NNN, these three ladies~ Come to Weibo and send a private message to me and tell me the address~ I want to go pack and send mooncakes already~ Burst into blooms~ CH 71.1 Suddenly, the ground shook and the Demon Sovereign¡¯s face became solemn in an instant. When she placed her mask back on, her physique changed again, turning back into the cold and indifferent sovereign king in black: ¡°If the vibrations can come all the way in here, then there must be some sort of changes out there.¡± Pulling Shen Li along, the Demon Sovereign drew a magic array and returned to his sleeping chamber in a blink of an eye. Before Shen Li could even open the door to go out, she felt an extremely heavy miasma pervading the air. As she frowned, she saw that the Demon Sovereign had already opened the door to head out. No matter how many battles of slaughtering Shen Li had witnessed, at this time, what she was seeing at the Demon Palace still surprised her. Just a moment ago, the palace that was still majestic had collapsed completely. The pavilions and buildings were reduced to ashes. While everywhere in Gong City there were corpses lying about and blood running like water. Not too far in the distance, a big cyan dragon suddenly raised its head to the sky and roared, as if its noise could penetrate to the ninth level of heaven. It was so loud that it could wake up the dead. As if in disbelief, the Demon Sovereign murmured in a low voice ¡°The Ruins of Heavenly Poles¡­ A demon beast.¡± He gritted his teeth, ¡°Actually managed to escape.¡± Shen Li was also surprised, this¡­ Was actually a demon beast from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles! It fled from the border to the capital! Furthermore, if one demon beast escaped, then more was bound to come¡­ In an instant, Shen Li¡¯s silver spear appeared in her hand and she positioned it in front of the Demon Sovereign. Suddenly, at the same time, she saw a person standing high above on the dragon¡¯s head. When Shen Li was able to discern his appearance clearly, she clenched her fists and her voice sounded like an Asura from hell: ¡°Fu Sheng.¡± Once again, he created this mess. Once again, the lives of these clansmen¡­ Were lost in his hands! As the new hatred and old hatred flooded into her heart, Shen Li¡¯s eyes suddenly turned crimson-red. Her fingernails suddenly grew long. She could no longer hear the Demon Sovereign trying to stop her. She had not even uttered a sound yet and her body was already like electricity, in a flash, she appeared behind Fu Sheng with a move intent to kill. Her silver spear was raised and she thrusted it towards the back of Fu Sheng¡¯s nape. When the spear stabbed Fu Sheng in the neck, it ruptured his blood vessels and splattered blood everywhere; still Shen Li did not stop. However, when she saw the figure of ¡°Fu Sheng¡± gradually dissipating with the wind, she turned and swept the spear around. The tip of the spear streaked past a person behind her. As the fine black hair on the side of his temple and ear scattered away, Fu Sheng quickly took two steps back, bending over the dragon¡¯s spine, smiling gloomily: ¡°The King¡¯s skill has greatly improved.¡± Without recollecting her strength, Shen Li withdrew the silver spear, and rotated it in her hand like a flower bud in full bloom. When she released a low growl, the tail end of the spear suddenly plunged into the demon dragon¡¯s skull below her. The brute force was like a heavy hammer, hitting the top of the demon dragon¡¯s head, slamming its head into the ground. With a loud ¡°rumble¡±, as dust flew up, the dragon¡¯s tail swept around for a while. Then finally, it became motionless and implanted itself to the ground. The giant demon beast got knocked out cold by this blow of hers. As the dust settled around Shen Li, she held the silver spear on the dragon¡¯s head, while her crimson-red eyes fell on Fu Sheng like a cold sword. Unlike the uncontrollable red eyes from some time ago, this time, her eyes were filled with madness, but they were extremely rational, coupled with an aura of death that could instill fear into anyone. The tail end of the spear was pulled out from the dragon¡¯s skull, and Shen Li rushed the tip of the spear at Fu Sheng, ¡°Come here and die!¡± As each word boomed resoundingly, her powers surged violently which made Fu Sheng shudder slightly. However, the more he shuddered, the crazier the smile on his face became. ¡°Hahahaha! Bravo! Bravo! Azure Sky King has become so powerful now, it¡¯s really a great blessing to our generation!¡± His body appeared to have completely recovered from the burn he sustained last time. There were no traces of burn marks on his face. The corners of his lips curled up coldly, ¡°Today, I came here to lure you back to the Demon Realm, but since you¡¯re already in the Demon Realm, that¡¯s even better than expected¡­¡± When Shen Li heard these words, she frowned instantly. As Shen Li wondered about what evil scheme this person had, she glanced at the demon beast under her feet and asked in a low voice: ¡°What did you do to the enchantment barrier at the Ruins of Heavenly Poles?¡± ¡°Heh, it was the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi¡¯s own fault that caused the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles to slacken. How can this be blamed on me, too?¡± Fu Sheng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, and then he smiled, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, why did the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi make a mistake? Hmm, I should really be blamed then. However, you, the King, have accused me wrongly with these words.¡± He smiled inexplicably, ¡°Right now, I¡¯m the person in this world who does not want the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles to be broken. If the seal is destroyed, then it will be a trivial matter to the Demon Realm. However, if the demon beasts were all buried together along with it, then I¡¯m going to have a major headache.¡± The seal in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles was very powerful. When Xing Zhi established that seal, he connected it to the powers of the five elements in the Demon Realm. Only by relying on the power of nature could this great enchantment barrier be formed. In the past thousand years, the Ruins of Heavenly Poles had already been integrated into the Demon Realm. If the Ruins of Heavenly Poles disappeared, then the demon beasts within it would certainly be destroyed. As for the Demon Realm, it would be buried along with them. Shen Li knew about this, so for Fu Sheng to say that he was not going to destroy the seal was a good thing for the Demon Realm. However, whatever words that were coming out of his mouth could only make one think that there was an even more terrifying scheme. Shen Li¡¯s figure moved again. Shen Li slashed the top of Fu Sheng¡¯s head with her spear: ¡°What the hell are you planning!¡± Shen Li asked sharply. Suddenly, Fu Sheng smirked and waved his sword to fend off Shen Li: ¡°This time, I¡¯m here to invite you, the King, to discuss important matters.¡± He raised his sword and took the initiative to attack. As the sounds of the two weapons interlocked, his voice also sounded, ¡°But you, the King, are an integral part of the plan!¡± ¡°How can this king do what you want?!¡± As soon as her voice faded away, red flames were already adhered to Shen Li¡¯s silver spear and she thrusted it directly at Fu Sheng. Fu Sheng used his sword to block. However, before the sword¡¯s body touched the silver spear, he saw that the sword was bending, and then it went limp. Shen Li¡¯s spear went straight for Fu Sheng¡¯s throat. In a panic, Fu Sheng leaned backwards and rolled onto the ground, dodging the strike, but making an embarrassment of himself. As he touched his scalded, red throat, some crazy emotions were fliting between his brows. CH 71.2 ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ This is how it should be.¡± He muttered to himself absentmindedly, ¡°This is how it should be.¡± As if he had lost his mind, he looked at Shen Li and laughed loudly, ¡°Azure Sky King! Today, I will inevitably take you away! Today, I will fulfill my thousand-year-old wish!¡± Suddenly, a short flute appeared in his hand. As soon as the flute made a sharp and clear sound, a dark cloud abruptly appeared in the sky. While above the dark cloud, there were thousands of demons! As Shen Li¡¯s eyebrows sank, she remembered the last time when she came back from the Heaven Realm. At that time, she recalled the state of the Demon Realm, the corpses of generals stationed in the tents and white curtains hung up by thousands of households. She clenched her silver spear and swore: ¡°This time, I won¡¯t let you act recklessly ever again.¡± However, when Shen Li was all ready and prepared, a wind passed in front of her and a black figure stood before her. The Demon Sovereign calmly said: ¡°Take a step back.¡± Surprised, Shen Li was momentarily stunned: ¡°Master?¡± The Demon Sovereign turned his head and glanced at her indifferently: ¡°Leave here and go to the Heaven Realm.¡± Stunned, Shen Li asked: ¡°Master¡­ Why?¡± Before the Demon Sovereign could answer, Fu Sheng suddenly burst out laughing: ¡°Shen Mu Yue, oh, Shen Mu Yue, after so long, your senses are still so keen. You definitely deserve to be the master¡¯s proud disciple.¡± The Demon Sovereign kept silent, while Fu Sheng said with a laugh, ¡°Shen Li, don¡¯t you want to save the Demon Realm? I have a way to sever the relationship between the Demon Realm and the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. If you¡¯re willing to help me, the Demon Realm will no longer have to be shackled to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles.¡± When Shen Li frowned, the Demon Sovereign interrupted Fu Sheng¡¯s words, reminding Shen Li: ¡°Don¡¯t be deceived by his words.¡± ¡°Whether it is deception or not, it is up to the King to decide.¡± Fu Shen said, ¡°Xing Zhi borrowed the Powers of the Five Elements to connect the Ruins of Heavenly Poles to the Demon Realm. As long as the Powers of the Five Elements are cut off, the connection between it and the Demon Realm will be cut off. Among the Five Elements, I have already found four substitutes¨C Metal, Wood, Water, and Earth, which only leaves Fire. As long as the Five-Element Seal is substituted for, the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles will no longer have anything to do with the Demon Realm.¡± Fu Sheng smiled gloomily, ¡°King, will you be willing to help me?¡± Shen Li frowned: ¡°You want me to replace the Seal of Fire?¡± As the smile on Fu Sheng¡¯s face became even crazier, the expression on the Demon Sovereign¡¯s face turned even colder: ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense anymore. By using the power of nature in the Demon Realm to feed the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, it will still decline. There are several things in this world that can compare with the powers of Heavenly Laws, but even if he did find four things as substitutes, he can only use them to maintain the Ruins of Heavenly Poles for a short while. He just wants to release the demon beasts before the Ruins of Heavenly Poles collapse.¡± Fu Sheng grinned: ¡°The Mountain God is Wood, the Land God is Earth, the Third Prince of the Northern Sea is Water, and the Great Golden Snake Demon¡¯s nuclear core is Metal. King, you should understand everything that I¡¯m saying.¡± Shen Li was stunned speechless. ¡°I will help you break the connection between the Ruins of Heaven Poles and the Demon Realm, and you will help me release the demon beasts. At that time, when the Ruins of Heavenly Poles collapse, it will not harm your Demon Realm.¡± Shen Li¡¯s stunned speechless expression only stayed on her face for a moment, and then her eyebrows sank: ¡°So what? Thousands of demon beasts will still harm the people of the Demon Realm. Since it is also destruction, I naturally can¡¯t let you do it happily.¡± Fu Sheng smiled slightly: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡± The short flute in his hand made another sound. Sounds of fighting grew louder in the air. As the dark cloud carrying the demons capsized, the Demon Sovereign blocked Shen Li: ¡°Their target is you, hide in the Heaven Realm and don¡¯t let them catch you!¡± Shen Li gnashed her teeth together: ¡°How can I leave by myself at such a time!¡± ¡°If they capture you and substitute the seal, then at that time, the Ruins of Heavenly Poles will be wide open, all the demon beasts will escape, and the chaos will be even more difficult to control.¡± The Demon Sovereign said sternly, ¡°This is the Ruler¡¯s Command! Now leave quickly!¡± The Demon Sovereign pushed her back, and advanced forward by himself. A long silver sword suddenly appeared in his hand. He took off his mask and his physique changed. When she released a low growl, she waved the long sword in her hand towards the sky, a huge magic array unfolded in the horizon, obstructing the demons¡¯ forward advancement. Since she was a child, it was this long sword that had taught her martial arts, from the simplest blocks to various complex moves, from her unsteady grip on a wooden stick until she could carry a spear and go into the battlefield alone. In addition to Master, she not only taught her martial arts, but also accompanied her for almost all of her life. She studied magic and martial arts so hard so that Master and the Demon Realm could live in peace under her very own protection. However, right now¡­ Right now, the master had to fight with all her might just because of her. The Demon Realm had to suffer many disasters just because of her. At this moment, forcing her to abandon the things that she wanted to protect no matter what and escape alone, was this not¡­ Doing things in the wrong order?! How could she leave?! Fu Sheng laughed crazily: ¡°Shen Mu Yue! You¡¯re overestimating your capabilities more and more! I want to see how you can stop thousands of demons with this broken body of yours!¡± As soon as Shen Mu Yue smirked, her expression was full of disdain: ¡°You¡¯re just an insignificant defective good, how dare you hoot so arrogantly?¡± Such an expression was quite similar to Shen Li¡¯s. Or perhaps it was better to say, she influenced Shen Li¡¯s character greatly. She had always been Shen Li¡¯s goal. She had always been the one Shen Li worshiped. She had always been the one Shen Li aspired to become. Shen Mu Yue¡¯s words seemed to sting the most obscure part of Fu Sheng¡¯s heart. The expression on his face immediately changed. His face twisted with hatred: ¡°Death is near at hand, yet you¡¯re still a hard-mouth.¡± The short flute in his hand made another sound. The demons in the air rushed towards the protective barrier that she had just conjured and landed on the ground. Dozens of demons rushed over, as if they wanted to bury Shen Mu Yue within the swarm. Her eyes turned cold and the icy sword in her hand vibrated. The sword energy rose and dozens of demons were pierced in the throat. However, they did not die. They squirmed on the ground for a bit, and then crawled back up again. This circle of demons had not even been resolved yet, and there were sequential circles of dozens of demons surrounding her. Fu Sheng laughed wildly. Shen Mu Yue flicked her wrist around and her eyes circled from side to side, as if she was looking for an opportunity to strike. However, at this time, a sharp pain rose up in her thoracic cavity, and she suddenly vomited a mouthful of black blood. Her old injury was flaring up again. The pain was coming in waves, causing her to slightly arch her back. The demons seized this opportunity, rushed up at her, and buried her within the swarm, as if to tear her apart and eat her up. Meanwhile, a raging flame came burning up from the center surrounded by the demons. Every demon who was burned by this fire immediately had their skin scorched and flesh melted. Additionally, as the flourishing fire spread, as long as it was near someone, fire would immediately spread all over the person¡¯s body. The surrounding demons¡¯ wails were constant as the fire dispersed everything. Shen Li stood in front of Shen Mu Yue with the silver spear in her grip. Clutching her chest, Shen Mu Yue said through gritted teeth: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave?!¡± Shen Li just stared at Fu Sheng coldly: ¡°Why does the Demon Sovereign only think about Shen Li being taken away by them, but not how Shen Li will send them away?¡± Seeing the raging flames all over her body, Fu Sheng laughed even more treacherously. Shen Li¡¯s eyebrows twisted into a frown, ¡°Your scheme, you can go and show it to the King of Hell!¡± ~~~~~ The author has something to say: ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q Her Majesty the Empress is powerful and domineering again~ CH 72.1 The onslaught of slaughter began, thousands of demons had Shen Li and the Demon Sovereign surrounded in the center. Whereas Fu Sheng flew into the air, coldly looking down at the scene where Shen Li was wielding her silver spear and making blood splatter everywhere. Her spear was extremely hot. After it plunged into the bodies of the demons, the demons burned. More and more demons were turned to ashes by the flames. However, Fu Sheng was not anxious, he was waiting, waiting for Shen Li, whose power had not completely recovered, to be weary and exhausted. Obviously, this Raging Flames Technique consumed a lot of stamina. Within a quarter of an hour, Shen Li¡¯s complexion turned quite pale, while the demons rushed in like an endless wave, as if they could never be killed off. Upon seeing this, Shen Mu Yue wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and marked a seal on the ground. An excessive amount of powerful magic swept all the demons outside the periphery of the magic array. As she coughed heavily, black blood sprayed onto the ground. Without bothering to raise her head, she said: ¡°Kill Fu Sheng!¡± Knowing that Shen Li could not be persuaded to leave, she simply changed her tactics and commanded Shen Li, ¡°These people have no self-awareness. So kill Fu Sheng. Without him, the demons will only scatter like loose sand.¡± Shen Li raised her head, gazing up at Fu Sheng, who was standing high up in midair, with her frosty eyes. Shen Li glanced back at the Demon Sovereign and gritted her teeth: ¡°Master, you must hold on.¡± With the magic array blocking the demons, Shen Li, who was at ease for the time being, leapt away from Shen Mu Yue¡¯s side. Fu Sheng felt his vision blur, as the silver spear came toward him. He raised his sword to block. Fu Sheng¡¯s strength was not weak, but now Shen Li¡¯s reaction was much sharper than ever before. It was a fierce close-quarters fight, within three to four strikes, Shen Li struck his chest with a single shot. However, Fu Sheng¡¯s face did not show any pain, she only saw his eyes were full of madness, as if he was expecting something. Shen Li felt something bad. She was about to withdraw her spear and turn around when she suddenly felt the light behind her dim. The Demon Sovereign yelled: ¡°Be careful!¡± Before the warning could even enter her eardrums, Shen Li turned around and saw a ferocious bloody mouth from a large beast had opened. It was the mouth of the demon dragon that had just woken up from being unconscious on the ground. It opened its mouth and devoured her into its belly. Fu Sheng¡¯s wild laughter and the bloody smell in its mouth filled Shen Li¡¯s five senses. In this electrifying moment, as her pupils constricted, the sound of wind blowing suddenly came. As if everything had stopped, a familiar embrace took her into its arms, and the faint scent that was barely detectable miraculously eliminated all the stench. The man¡¯s arm was implanted around her waist, holding her tightly. Cold energy condensed in the palm of the flying deity in white, freezing the ferocious bloody mouth. The dragon¡¯s head was frozen into a ball of ice. As Xing Zhi¡¯s face turned icy, a soft ¡°break¡± was spoken, and the dragon¡¯s frozen head shattered with countless cracks in an instant. Then after hearing a loud noise, the dragon¡¯s head instantly exploded into pieces. The divine power remained unabated and ran through the dragon¡¯s entire body, tearing the demon dragon into fragments of dregs. Blood and flesh scattered all over the sky. When everything was settled, the stunned people suddenly came back to themselves. In his unwillingness, Fu Sheng gritted his teeth and ignored Shen Li¡¯s silver spear that had penetrated his chest, and abruptly jumped back. His blood spilled out, but it was not bright red in color, it was rather bluish-black. He stood in the distance, condensing magic in his hands to cover the hole in his chest, waiting for the wound to heal. He raised his eyes and looked at Xing Zhi on the other side, but saw that Xing Zhi did not even bother to glance at him. Xing Zhi just stared at the person in his embrace with a frown. Seeing Fu Sheng running away, Shen Li subconsciously wanted to give chase, but the hand wrapped around her waist held her tightly so that she could not move even the slightest. Shen Li looked up, but when she saw Xing Zhi gazing at her with an ice-cold face, Shen Li could not help but stiffen her back, feeling an indescribable guilt in her heart. As her eyes darted back and forth, her expression looked just like an uncertain child, who was caught doing something bad. Seeing her expression, an enormous fire rose within Xing Zh¡¯s heart. At the same time, he only released a sigh and smiled bitterly: ¡°Even the rods conjured from the Water Prohibition Technique could still be melted, you have really become quite skillful.¡± Shen Li cleared her throat and said: ¡°The Divine Sovereign is wrong.¡± Before a large audience such as this one, Shen Li was extremely uncomfortable being in Xing Zhi¡¯s embrace. She twisted her body slightly, trying to get out of Xing Zhi¡¯s imprisonment. However, Xing Zhi just embraced her tighter and used his other hand to lift her chin, forcing her to look up at him. ¡°Shen Li, I did everything to save your life. It¡¯s not for you to continue to throw your life away.¡± Stunned, Shen Li looked away awkwardly: ¡°I will protect myself¡­ I¡¯m not as precious as you think I am¡­¡± As the smile on Xing Zhi¡¯s face subsided, he immediately interrupted Shen Li¡¯s words: ¡°You are far more precious than you think you are.¡± Seeing Shen Li¡¯s startled face, Xing Zhi was silent for a moment. Then he just smiled helplessly and patted her on the head several times, ¡°When it¡¯s time for you to hide behind someone¡¯s back for protection, it¡¯s best that you cooperate. So give me a chance, yeah?¡± Due to his pats, Shen Li nodded her head repeatedly. Inadvertently, she caught a glimpse below, the magic array around the Demon Sovereign was shrinking. She immediately felt nervous and blurted out: ¡°But not right now.¡± As Shen Li erected her silver spear upright, Xing Zhi released her, but threw her behind him: ¡°It¡¯s from this moment on.¡± As his eyes fell leisurely on Fu Sheng, he said with a smile: ¡°I do not like people who pester endlessly, nor do I like things that require constant involvement. No matter what your intentions are, let¡¯s settle it all today.¡± He smiled and said lightly: ¡°Will you commit suicide? Or must I do it?¡± Fu Sheng¡¯s wound recovered very quickly. At this time, there was no trace of the hole in his chest. He smirked cruelly: ¡°Who in the Three Realms does not know the Divine Sovereign¡¯s power, how can I dare to attack the Divine Sovereign?¡± He looked at Xing Zhi, ¡°It¡¯s just that things have already advanced to this point, commit suicide¡­how can I be willing to¡­¡± Before he could even finish his words, the short flute in his hand sounded again, and the demons below looked up and immediately switched their target. The demons flew over and left the Demon Sovereign¡¯s side. The Demon Sovereign appeared to be unable to support the magic array any longer, and the magic array burst. She fell forward and blacked out on the ground. Shen Li was greatly alarmed and Xing Zhi said: ¡°Protect her, take her to the Outer Bounds of Heaven. When I¡¯m done with the matters here, I will go back and find you.¡± Shen Li gnashed her teeth together. Although she did not want to leave the people of the Demon Realm, she did not have any other choice at this time. With a flash of her figure, she left Xing Zhi¡¯s side. When she had just approached the Demon Sovereign, Fu Sheng suddenly grinned a strange smile: ¡°The Divine Sovereign cares about Shen Li, did you not think that I was expecting you to come¡­¡± As soon as he finished speaking, an ominous thought flashed in Xing Zhi¡¯s mind. When he looked down, he saw a dark shadow suddenly appear silently behind Shen Li. Just when Shen Li was about to lift the Demon Sovereign up, that dark shadow stretched out its hand to cover her mouth and nose. Not knowing what was in his palm, Shen Li did not even make an attempt to struggle and fell into the arms of the person behind her as soon as she closed her eyes. Fu Sheng laughed: ¡°Take her away!¡± CH 72.2 The dark shadow dragged Shen Li away and disappeared. Fu Sheng laughed zealously at the sky: ¡°The thousand-year-old wish! The thousand-year-old wish will finally come true! Hahaha!¡± That deranged look of his actually made him seem like he was crazy with joy. However, his laughter abruptly came to a grunting stop at its peak, when a sharp icicle pierced through his heart. He did not know when Xing Zhi stood before him. Xing Zhi¡¯s face was expressionless and his voice was as cold as ice, ¡°Where did you take Shen Li?¡± As black blood poured out of Fu Sheng¡¯s mouth, it landed on that transparent icicle. He looked at Xing Zhi, grinning: ¡°Based on the Divine Sovereign¡¯s abilities, how can you not have guessed where?¡± He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I want her to go replace the Seal of Fire. I want her to be a burial object when the Ruins of Heavenly Poles collapse! How does the Divine Sovereign feel when he sees the woman he loves die in the seal that he made?! Haha!¡± As Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes turned even icier, countless needle-like icicles stabbed into all of the blood vessels in Fu Sheng¡¯s body. As Fu Sheng¡¯s body convulsed involuntarily, his lips still carried that crazy smile. With Xing Zhi¡¯s speed, he should be able to reach the Ruins of Heavenly Poles before that black shadow. When Xing Zhi turned around and was about to leave, his body was suddenly restrained. It was the demonic energy from Fu Sheng¡¯s body overflowing and wrapping itself around his ankle: ¡°I won¡¯t let you go. You won¡¯t be able to get to Shen Li¡¯s side before she successfully becomes the seal.¡± The demons rushed towards Xing Zhi and tried to use the Attrition Warfare Formation to stall him. Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes flickered with murderous intent; the wrath of the deity which made heaven and earth cry mournfully. As the wind whistled and screamed, it carried his voice, as if his voice came from hell: ¡°Seeking death.¡± As the Water Prohibition Technique swept past, heaven and earth were purged. Meanwhile, Shen Li had no idea what was going on in the Demon Palace. The poisonous miasma was spreading throughout her body. She knew that this kind of poison was the same poison that Fu Sheng had used on her last time when she was in the Mortal Realm in Yang Zhou City. At that time, this poison was cured by Xing Zhi, but now¡­ Fu Sheng had refined this poison even more, making it more vicious! As Shen Li gritted her teeth, out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the person, who was moving very quickly, carrying her. His eyes were soulless, his face was completely covered in red stripes, and his canine teeth were extremely long, almost like the fangs of a beast. However, even if this person became this way, Shen Li still recognized him¨C ¡°Mo Fang¡­¡± She squeezed out these two words from her throat. For a moment, Mo Fang¡¯s figure slowed down. However, it only lasted for a moment. Then with an expressionless face, he took Shen Li to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. He was just like any other demon, he had no self-assertion and simply obeyed orders. Recalling how Mo Fang had looked last time when he took her out of the dungeon, Shen Li only felt sadness in her heart. With much difficulty, she said: ¡°Why did you willingly become like this¡­¡± Those scarlet-red eyes seemed to move and they glanced at Shen Li. However, his body continued to move forward, his speed riding the clouds was so fast that Shen Li could not believe it. After becoming a demon, his powers had increased, too¡­ ¡°My Lo¡­¡± Mo Fang¡¯s lips moved slightly, as if it was extremely difficult to control his own mouth to say what he wanted to say, ¡°Let blood¡­ Escape.¡± Stunned, Shen Li did not know what kinds of feelings surged up in her heart. This person betrayed the Demon Realm, betrayed her, but even now he was still helping her. In Shen Li¡¯s world, it was actually very simple: friends, enemies, and insignificant people. However, right now, she did not know which classifier to use with Mo Fang. Maybe the human heart was a complicated thing, how could it clearly distinguish these simple standards? Shen Li bit her lower lip. As soon as she exerted force, blood spilled out from her lips. Just as she expected, the strength in her body recovered little by little. However, Mo Fang was moving too fast, Shen Li could already see the mountain range that separated the Ruins of Heavenly Poles from the land of the Demon Realm in the distance. At that moment, she bit her lip even harder. As blood flowed out, her strength poured back into her limbs. Suddenly, she jumped up and pushed Mo Fang away. She whirled around and landed on the ground. At this time, she was already standing beside the gate of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. The miasma filled the air, even more so than when the scorpion-tailed fox ran out the first time. Mo Fang stood on the other side of the miasma, his scarlet-red eyes were very striking. However, seeing Shen Li escape from his grasp, his body rushed forward as if he had self-awareness. He did not withdraw his sword. He approached Shen Li with his bare fists. He clenched his teeth, as if trying to control something: ¡°Go¡­¡± He squeezed out these two short words, ¡°Go quickly!¡± After saying that, a long sword appeared in his hand. He held the hilt of the sword towards himself and stabbed it into his own abdominal cavity. Shen Li was stunned. As Mo Fang vomited a mouthful of black blood onto the ground, he knelt down on his knees, and the scarlet-redness in his eyes faded just a little. With much difficulty, he said: ¡°Your Majesty, hurry up. I can¡¯t control it for too long¡­¡± ¡°Why¡­¡± Mo Fang closed his eyes tightly: ¡°It was fate that I had to betray you, but¡­ Once this love was given¡­ I, Mo Fang, didn¡¯t dare to want to hurt you nor could I do it.¡± As the corners of Shen Li¡¯s lips moved, Mo Fang¡¯s eyes widened and he shouted sharply: ¡°Go!¡± However, before his voice faded away, he only heard several treacherous laughs: ¡°My son is not filial.¡± Carried by the miasma, that voice drifted out from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Hearing this voice, Shen Li was startled, this¡­ This was actually the voice she heard in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles the last time! At that time, he shouted frantically, ¡°I will kill the gods,¡± but now¡­ As Shen Li was still thinking about it, something sticky like a lizard¡¯s tongue shot out from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. When it was about to capture Shen Li, Mo Fang moved in front of Shen Li to block it. He slashed it with his sword and the tongue instantly split in half. Black blood kept pouring out of Mo Fang¡¯s abdomen. He turned his head and glanced at Shen Li, just like he had done many times in the Demon Realm, watching her quietly from behind her back. Only in moments when Shen Li was not aware of it, would he dare to show his own emotions on his face. In this exact moment, to be able to look at her in such an upright and frank manner once more¡­ It really¡­ Could not get any better. ~~~~~ The author has something to say: This is the rhythm nearing the end, can you all see it? ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q CH 73.1 When Shen Li¡¯s gaze touched upon Mo Fang¡¯s eyes, she was stunned. For a short while, a myriad of sad emotions filled her heart. However, by the time she sorted out her emotions, a tapered tongue abruptly shot out from the center of the tongue that Mo Fang had hacked off; the tip of the tongue was like a sword. As a ¡°ding¡± sounded, the sharp-edged tongue shattered the long sword that Mo Fang was using to block. When the blade broke, the tip of the tongue simultaneously penetrated Mo Fang¡¯s heart. Then like a broken puppet, it threw him away. While behind him, his hot blood splattered all over Shen Li¡¯s face. When Shen Li¡¯s eyes went wide, the scene appeared to move in slow motion within her sight. As she looked at the figure that was thrown away, many scattered images flashed through her mind¡¯s eyes. The scenes were of them, either fighting on the battlefield together, or returning from victory together, or toasting and laughing together after singing and dancing. She even remembered the time when she left the Demon Realm to escape from the arranged marriage. Back then, Mo Fang injured her severely and made her revert back to her true form, letting her escape to the Mortal Realm, so that people in the Demon Realm could not find her. Thinking about it now, at that time, Fu Sheng had hoped that she would marry into the Heaven Realm, so that they could execute their plans in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. However, Mo Fang let her go. Therefore, he had already planned to disobey Fu Sheng. This person¡­ Had harmed the Demon Realm, but towards Shen Li, he was never willing to harm her. This kind of person¡­ When a howling whistle was heard coming from inside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, the sharp-edged tongue swung forward, trying to wrap around Shen Li. Suddenly, Shen Li¡¯s entire body emitted an aura of death. As her eyes turned red, the sharp-edged tongue had not even veered in front of Shen Li yet, she already threw her silver spear and the tip of the spear nailed that tongue into the ground. A startled scream was heard coming from a demon beast inside the gate. Shen Li was not in the mood to bother with it, instead she quickly rushed straight to Mo Fang¡¯s side, seeing his entire body soaked in blood, drenching the ground black. As Shen Li crouched down, the light in her eyes dimmed. She stretched out her hand but was unsure whether to touch him or not. ¡°Now, finally, there will no longer be any dilemmas.¡± He uttered hoarsely. His eyes stared at Shen Li calmy, while his expression stayed indifferent, as if there was no joy or sorrow, ¡°Your Majesty, can you please forgive me¡­¡± Shen Li¡¯s lips trembled: ¡°I won¡¯t forgive you. Get back up. After this matter, you still have to atone for your betrayal.¡± The corners of Mo Fang¡¯s lips quirked up: ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t anymore.¡± Shen Li bluntly interrupted him: ¡°Get up for this king! Even a calamity fire can¡¯t burn you to your death, right?! With such minor injuries, don¡¯t think that you can deceive this king to sympathize with you!¡± Despite having said this, Shen Li still clenched her fists in reluctance. She had seen too many deaths. She was all too familiar with this kind of death, the moments before dying. ¡°I had a heart defect since I was a child, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to live for long. However, for an entire three hundred years, every day, Fu Sheng fed me his blood, so that I, like him, have the ability to come back to life, but¡­ There is no power that will not be exhausted in this world. Fu Sheng¡¯s power is about to be exhausted, and I¡­ Won¡¯t be able to continue to live anymore.¡± As Shen Li gnashed her teeth together, her throat tightened, silent and speechless. ¡°In this life, I, Mo Fang, was born through hatred and lived because of other people¡¯s plans. I couldn¡¯t even ask for death. Only at this moment, did my wish come true¡­¡± The scarlet-redness in his eyes disappeared, making way for black eyes that were as clear and limpid as the sunniest depth in a pool. Using all the strength that he had left, his eyes reflected all the radiance that he possessed: ¡°Your Majesty¡­ I like it most¡­ When you tie your hair up and it dances freely with the wind. It¡¯s like a war flag that will never fall¡­¡± He said: ¡°Don¡¯t lose anymore¡­¡± Then the radiance disappeared and everything was a deathly stillness. Shen Li clenched her fists so hard that they almost trembled. The sharp-edged tongue that was nailed by Shen Li seemed to regain its strength and began to squirm again. Calmly, Shen Li stood up and her palms loosened. The red-tasseled silver spear disappeared. When it reappeared, it was held tightly in her grip. The wound on the tip of that tongue healed quickly, and it came towards Shen Li like a snake. ¡°Why¡­¡± The fringes of hair on her forehead blocked her eyes, ¡°Is he not your young master?!¡± With a wave of her silver spear, she slapped the tongue that was sweeping towards her back. Shen Li¡¯s entire body exuded an aura of death, ¡°Even your own people, you won¡¯t even spare! It¡¯s so crazy and ridiculous!¡± ¡°Hehehehe.¡± A strange laughter came from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, ¡°My son is not filial. He actually delayed major affairs several times because of his personal affairs. So, naturally I should take care of his life.¡± After hearing this, Shen Li frowned deeply: ¡°Liu Ming¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard my own name in a long time. It does make one feel strange.¡± The cruel voice inside laughed strangely, ¡°Come on, little lassie. Quickly enter the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. If you don¡¯t hurry up, then the Divine Sovereign will catch up.¡± When he finished speaking, a figure in white appeared about three steps away from Shen Li. As soon as Xing Zhi showed up, he did not even utter a single word, just stretched out his hand, grabbing at Shen Li. However, another black energy was even faster than him, it wrapped directly around Shen Li¡¯s waist and dragged her into the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Immediately, raging flames ignited all over Shen Li¡¯s body. However, when she heard a shrill scream coming from the black energy, it sounded like Fu Sheng¡¯s voice, the flames around Shen Li burned even more vigorously. The flames burned the black energy until there was nothing left. Still, she unexpectedly forgot to guard against that sharp-edged tongue that was leaping towards her back once more. It was also very afraid of the fire, but under the order, it directly wrapped Shen Li up, risking its skin being burnt and its flesh being cooked. It dragged her through the small crack in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Xing Zhi was livid and a transparent blue sword made of ice suddenly appeared in his hand. However, in this place, the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles was here. Xing Zhi did not dare to brandish his divine sword as he desired. His figure moved, wanting to catch up, but the miasma suddenly rose up and covered the ruins. In an instant, dozens of demon beasts escaped from it! They had Xing Zhi surrounded! Just within this moment of delay, Shen Li was already dragged into the ruins. Shen Li only felt darkness all around her, and the tongue that wrapped itself around her immediately pulled back. The flames on her body illuminated the surrounding environment. Countless demon beasts were wandering around in the darkness, surrounding her and watching her coldly. Shen Li looked back, wishing to escape from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, but there was only darkness behind her and the gate was nowhere to be found. CH 73.2 Suddenly, a mass of ghostly fire floated in front of Shen Li, slowly taking its shape. Finally, it took the shape of an eye. Shen Li looked at it and said coldly: ¡°Liu Ming?¡± It laughed cruelly: ¡°Little lassie, so we meet again.¡± Shen Li frowned: ¡°How are you still alive?¡± Liu Ming must be dead, because he was beheaded by the Divine Sovereign. He was beheaded, so there was no possible way for him to still be alive. However, this eye¡­ That eye narrowed slightly, as if smiling, ¡°No need to guess, little lassie, my body is indeed dead now, this is just a remnant of my soul.¡± When his voice faded away, a loud noise was coming from outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Shen Li knew that this sound of activity must be Xing Zhi¡¯s handiwork. As soon as the surrounding demon beasts moved, many eyes disappeared. It appeared that they ran out to block Xing Zhi¡¯s actions. ¡°Little lassie, we can¡¯t hold back that person outside for long. The big plan will be completed, come with me quickly.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± As Shen Li sneered, raging flames exploded all over her body. The scorching aura forced Liu Ming to move back. Then Shen Li said, ¡°Why should this king follow your orders? Today, let us perish¡­¡± When she was about to say the last word, Shen Li suddenly recalled Xing Zhi¡¯s previous words. She frowned, but her eyes were resolute once again, ¡°No matter what evil intentions you all have, Xing Zhi will definitely not let you all succeed.¡± She believed in one person and was willing to trust him with everything she had. ¡°Little lassie, do you really think that deities are omnipotent?¡± Liu Ming sneered, ¡°In the past ten million years, why do deities keep disappearing? It has been so long, why hasn¡¯t the Heavenly Laws created any new deities?¡± He laughed strangely, making Shen Li¡¯s mind suddenly go blank, ¡°The power that can oppose the Heavenly Laws is too unreasonably powerful. At the beginning of ancient times, heaven and earth were in chaos, perhaps heaven and earth still needed them to open up a clean and clear place for all living things in the world. But now, the world no longer needs the powers of deities. They can only be enshrined and can only be imprisoned, so the deities are dying, because they no longer have any meaning to exist.¡± Liu Ming sneered: ¡°Do you know that they are already the abandoned children of the Heavenly Father. The Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi is just proof that the ancient deities are just struggling while at death¡¯s door.¡± As Shen Li¡¯s heart turned really cold, Xing Zhi¡¯s light smile appeared in her mind and her heart felt pain for a period of time. ¡°A thousand years ago, when he established the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, he not only borrowed the powers of the five elements, but also had to rely on the heaven and earth in the Demon Realm to form it. However, over the past thousand years, much of his divine powers have disappeared. Do you think he still has the energy to establish another Ruin of Heavenly Poles?¡± Seeing that the flames around Shen Li were fluctuating, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, due to her emotions, Liu Ming continued, ¡°The useless people in the Heaven Realm depend on Xing Zhi¡¯s power to run amok in the Three Realms. If it¡¯s just that group of useless people, how can they stand up to me, the top of the demon clan? So, just kill them¡­¡± Shen Li closed her eyes to calm her mind: ¡°It¡¯s true that the Heaven Realm has good-for-nothings. It¡¯s true that the demon clan suffers from grievances. However, I don¡¯t agree with your approach, making demon beasts, hurting yourself before hurting others. What wrongs did the common people of the demon clan commit? Why should they die in vain for those in power who felt unsatisfied with the status quo?¡± Shen Li opened her eyes and stared at him with a scorching gaze, ¡°I won¡¯t help you.¡± Liu Ming was silent for a moment: ¡°You¡¯re not even willing to help your father?¡± Before Shen Li could react, he continued, ¡°Besides, to help or not to help, right now, it is beyond your control.¡± He called out softly, ¡°Fu Sheng.¡± Suddenly, a mass of black energy revolved around Liu Ming¡¯s side: ¡°This subordinate is here.¡± There was nothing else he could do to even condense a body, so he could only appear like this¡­ ¡°How long can you still last?¡± The black energy was silent for a moment. Then it finally replied respectfully: ¡°I can still hold on for one incense stick of time.¡± * one incense stick of time ¨C about 60 minutes ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± Liu Ming¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°Now go.¡± The black energy seemed to bow his head kowtowing on the ground: ¡°As you command.¡± As soon as Shen Li frowned, she saw the black energy rushing towards her like a piece of black cloth, wrapping around the flames over her entire body. Startled, Shen Li tried her best to release her magic. The Ruins of Heavenly Poles trembled, but that black energy did not dissipate at all. It was like he wanted to use all of his life force in this moment, forcefully suppressing the flames. Until the flames on Shen Li¡¯s body were completely wrapped up, the flames could only burn within the black energy. As Shen Li struggled, the black energy did not move in the slightest. Shen Li gnashed her teeth: ¡°He killed Mo Fang, and now he is ordering you like this! He had never regarded you as a human at all!¡± Suddenly, a demon beast¡¯s claws grabbed Shen Li, who was surrounded by the black energy. Without the burning of the flames, the demon beast took her away without any difficulty. Shen Li was furious: ¡°You¡¯re really stupidly loyal!¡± As for Fu Sheng, who turned into the black energy, he just remained silent. Liu Ming¡¯s laughter was extremely frenzied and joyful: ¡°This was the purpose I aimed for when I made them. They¡¯ll never betray me. They¡¯re even more loyal than a dog.¡± As Shen Li gritted her teeth, burning with hatred, Liu Ming¡¯s expression changed suddenly, ¡°Little lassie,, do you feel it?¡± As soon as his voice stopped, Shen Li suddenly felt that there was a heat wave coming in from the distance. The temperature of this heat¡­ Stunned, Shen Li stared in that direction blankly. A sphere of light held by iron chains was particularly dazzling in the darkness. In the sphere of light was a huge phoenix with gorgeous wings and beautiful physique. Its every feather was tinged with fiery flames. Even in deep sleep, that kind of posture could still make one feel its formidable power. Once Shen Li felt the faint aura coming from its body, it only made her feel this inexplicable familiarity. It was a kind of tremor due to a blood relation that penetrated the distance of time and space, which made it nearly impossible for Shen Li to move her eyes away. Liu Ming smiled: ¡°This is my proudest work, which is also your father¨C Feng Lai.¡± ~~~~~ The author has something to say: This is the rhythm of the end, can you all see it? ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q CH 74.1 Her father¡­ To Shen Li, this form of address was very unfamiliar to her. Her knowledge of this person only came from a few short descriptions given by the Demon Sovereign. Even before the Demon Sovereign had told her everything, she did not even know that her father was a demon beast. However, their bloodline was so bewildering. Just standing off to the side, looking at the existence that was so similar to her own true form, Shen Li could fully attest that there was a connection between them. As that eye floated swayingly towards the sphere of light, he chanted something in a low voice. Suddenly, the sphere of light vibrated: ¡°Good child, good child.¡± Liu Ming was so excited that his voice almost cracked: ¡°You should wake up. Wake up, it¡¯s time to go out.¡± As soon as Shen Li¡¯s figure moved, the black energy that was wrapped around her body held her even tighter, so much so that it wrapped around her nose and mouth, making her unable to form a sound. Suddenly, the sleeping phoenix opened its eyes and a beam of light flashed in the phoenix¡¯s eyes. The light swept out from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles to places far away in the distance. As the iron chains that surrounded the sphere of light trembled, the entire ruins lightly shook, too. Liu Ming gave a fierce smile, his eye was filled with madness: ¡°Get up, I have already ordered people to replace the remaining four seals. After replacing you, you don¡¯t need to be the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles anymore. You will soon be free.¡± So he was using her to replace her father¡­ Shen Li smiled wryly. Therefore, even if she refused, she could not even refuse with peace in mind¡­ The raging flames on the phoenix¡¯s plumes were scorching hot. In the sphere of light, it could not spread its wings, but it was not even angry when it was the one being shackled. The raging flames on its body burned so much that it was almost white, so dazzling that Shen Li could not look straight at it. However, in the blink of an eye, the scorching light diminished. When Shen Li looked back, she saw that the fire phoenix¡¯s body had morphed. Its wings slowly turned into arms with five individual fingers, and skin grew on its face, turning into facial features of a human. While the feathers on its body turned into orange-red clothes that were well-fitted like they were sewn close to the body. As he raised his head, his Adam¡¯s apple slid gently within his smooth, contoured neck. Then a very soft sigh came out from his lips. The breath seemed to carry the heat that had accumulated for thousands of years. It sprayed onto the inner wall of the sphere of light, causing the sphere to suddenly make a ¡°ka-cha¡± sound. ¡°Liu Yu¡­¡± Before his eyes even opened, he instinctively called out this name. Then slowly, the blurriness in his eyes became clearer, ¡°Liu Yu.¡± Liu Ming slowly floated to the place before him: ¡°Good boy, look at me.¡± Only then did Feng Lai¡¯s eyes slowly converge and fall on Liu Ming. Liu Ming was so excited, ¡°Just wait a little bit, I will release you soon.¡± ¡°Where is Liu Yu?¡± ¡°Liu Yu¡­ Has been dead for a long time.¡± As Feng Lai¡¯s body froze, he quietly lowered his head: ¡°Dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Liu Ming¡¯s voice was so sly, ¡°Abandoned by the world, died because of the deities, and the person who caused her death is just outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles¡­¡± ¡°She can¡¯t die.¡± Feng Lai clenched his fists tightly, ¡°I still haven¡¯t made it back yet, how can she die?¡± The flames around him flickered, causing the sphere of light to tremble. Shen Li wanted to explain and stop him, but the black energy coiling around her seemed to have exhausted all of her life force, preventing her from budging. Then the sphere of light split open. Liu Ming¡¯s eye was wide open and his voice was shaking violently with excitement: ¡°Come out, child. Kill the deity out there and avenge Liu Yu, come out!¡± As the sphere of light burst completely, Feng Lai was like a mysterious arrow shooting off from the bow, rushing toward one direction. Liu Ming, who was floating before him, was still laughing heartily. However, the laughter abruptly grunted to a stop. It was because the flames on Feng Lai¡¯s body had completely consumed the last remnant of his soul! In the direction that Feng Lai left, there was only an extremely bright light left in his wake. When Shen Li heard a loud noise in the distance, the light from outside leaked into the dark Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Then the demon beasts rioted and ran frantically in the direction that Feng Lai had left. Shocked, Shen Li wanted to rush forward and stop them. However, Fu Sheng stubbornly dragged her and pulled her towards the iron chains. Shen Li was furious: ¡°Liu Ming is now dead! Why do you still follow his orders and do such a thing?!¡± Approaching the iron chains, Fu Sheng no longer coiled around Shen Li, but the aura of her raging flames immediately attracted those iron chains that proceeded to bind Shen Li¡¯s hands and feet like they had self-awareness. As if something was connected to her bloodline, Shen Li only felt her entire body become powerless, as if her strength was drained completely by the iron chains. The trembling in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles stopped and everything was temporarily quiet. As Fu Sheng was drifting around Shen Li, his voice as if exhausted: ¡°Congratulations to the Lord on achieving his greatest wish.¡± However, apart from achieving their wish, they had nothing else left. ¡°What a bunch of stubborn lunatics.¡± Shen Li said coldly, only in exchange for Fu Sheng¡¯s endless silence. CH 74.2 Outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, two figures were fighting against each other. One was extremely cold ice and the other was extremely hot fire. With every mutual collison, the force created a tremor between heaven and earth every time. All of a sudden, the red figure abruptly stopped attacking. With a wave of the divine sword in the deity in white¡¯s hand, Feng Lai was knocked down from midair and made a big hole in the ground. However, before the dust even settled, Xing Zhi pursued and attacked. Within the misty yellow sand, the force of the fighting between the two figures tore a huge fissure in the earth. Meanwhile behind the two of them, although the Ruins of Heavenly Poles had stopped collapsing, the gate was still open and the demon beasts inside were rushing outside, carrying sinister expressions. However, it was like they were blocked by some invisible force and could not escape. At that time, when Xing Zhi had temporarily formed the enchantment barrier, he had already blocked thousands of demon beasts by himself, and then he began to fight against Feng Lai by himself, too. He was already at his limit. Then, when Xing Zhi was fighting against Feng Lai, a demon beast suddenly clawed the enchantment barrier with its sharp talons. Suddenly, a tiny hole broke through the enchantment barrier! Without a change in his expression, Xing Zhi just waved his hand in the air and the crack in the enchantment barrier became whole again. However, it was just in this moment of delay, Feng Lai¡¯s extremely eye-catching longsword suddenly attacked. Xing Zhi raised his sword to block, but he did not block the strike in time and the sharp sword with the poisonous flames slashed directly at Xing Zhi¡¯s shoulder, and his blood gushed out. This was already a serious injury, but he did not even frown and went from defensive to offensive, forcing Feng Lai to retreat. As the poisonous flames burned on his shoulder, Xing Zhi conjured the Water Prohibition Technique in his left hand. He covered the wound, extinguished the flames, and stopped the bleeding. However, by the time he finished doing these things, Feng Lai had disappeared, going who knows where when he looked up again. Xing Zhi frowned, there was no time to pursue him right now. When his head turned back, the demon beasts in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles were struggling to get out. Xing Zhi knew that behind them, in the darkness of the ruins, Shen Li was still there. He put the divine sword away and walked towards the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. However, even with such a slight movement, the wound on his shoulder opened again and the blood soaked a major part of his clothes. Xing Zhi simply recovered the wound and re-conjured the Water Prohibition Technique to stop the bleeding. Standing in front of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, the demon beasts inside all carried a sinister expression. They were full of resentment as if they wanted to swallow him up. As he looked up at them, his gaze was frosty: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get out of the way.¡± He stopped looking at them. As his eyes gazed in front of him, with each step, he entered the enchantment barrier. The demon beasts that were crowding at the gate, temporarily scurried off to the side to make way for him, letting Xing Zhi to amble slowly into the dark depths of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. In the darkness, a slightly-built demon beast saw that there was a wound on Xing Zhi¡¯s right shoulder, so it quietly hid behind him. When he walked by, it suddenly rushed forward, but no one saw how Xing Zhi made his move. When they all came back to themselves, that demon beast had already turned into mincemeat, hovering in the ruins and turning into ashes. No other demon beast dared to advance toward him again. All the demon beasts were crowding the gate of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Therefore, the deeper he went, the quieter the place became. And when he saw a place where there was a faint firelight, there was only a lone figure dangling on the iron chains. ¡°Shen Li.¡± He called out softly. The person whose eyes were closed in resting mode opened her eyes. He was standing too far away, and the flames on Shen Li¡¯s body could not illuminate him. Shen Li smiled: ¡°You¡¯re late. The guys who plotted against us and harmed us, not one of them is left. We got rid of them with our own hands.¡± Just a moment before Xing Zhi¡¯s arrival, Fu Sheng, who was only a remnant of black energy, had turned into ashes and disappeared into the endless darkness of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. When Xing Zhi slowly walked toward her, only then did Shen Li see the injury on his shoulder. Alarmed, her expression sank: ¡°He¡­ Injured you?¡± Xing Zhi reached out and stroked her cheek, but the blood on his hand was inadvertently smeared onto her face. Seeing her smeared face, Xing Zhi smiled: ¡°Yes, I was badly beaten by my father-in-law. Then my father-in-law ran away.¡± Unable to laugh, Shen Li was silent for a while, and then she sighed: ¡°Just now, I was only imprisoned here for a short time, I felt lonely and uncomfortable. There was nothing around me, it was like losing all of my five senses, even for myself, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m alive or dead. This experience is really unpleasant. To think that he was imprisoned here for over a thousand years¡­¡± Xing Zhi lowered his hand and asked softly: ¡°Do you blame me?¡± It was he who established the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. It was he who imprisoned Feng Lai as the Seal of Fire for a thousand years of his life. And now, it was because of this that Shen Li had to suffer such a tragedy and was used as a substitute¡­ ¡°Blame? Maybe just a little bit.¡± As Xing Zhi¡¯s throat tightened, he lowered his eyes. Shen Li¡¯s hands and feet were trapped, but when she saw Xing Zhi like this, she gave a quick smile and rubbed her head against his chin: ¡°I¡¯m just expressing my personal feelings.¡± ¡°Do you think that I, Shen Li, am such an idiot who can¡¯t see the situation clearly?¡± Shen Li said, ¡°From your point of view, what you did is understandable. Let¡¯s change positions, if I stood in the same position as you back then, then I would only do the same thing as you. You took on your responsibilities, did what you had to do, and like a hero, you saved so many people. You are the most amazing deity in this world.¡± Touched, Xing Zhi reached out and took a hold of Shen Li¡¯s head, pressing her head onto his uninjured shoulder: ¡°In this long life of mine, it is my greatest luck to meet someone like you, Shen Li.¡± Shen Li was silent, she knew that he still had something to say. Facing today¡¯s situation, there had to be a definitive answer. As expected, after a while, Xing Zhi patted her on the back and said: ¡°Shen Li, I¡­¡± ¡°I will be with you.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°No matter what, I will always be with you.¡± For a moment, Xing Zhi was stunned, and then he nodded and chuckled: ¡°Okay.¡± CH 75.1 Ch 69.02 Editor & Translator: Sonrisa t.n.t ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ¡°Shen Li, do you still remember what I told you before that when the Ruins of Heavenly Poles collapses, all the demon beasts will be buried within it.¡± Xing Zhi embraced Shen Li gently within his arms and said softly, ¡°Simply put, when I established the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, I could only support it with the Powers of the Five Elements, except for the Seal of Fire, which I borrowed the power from your father, the other four were all based on the powers of heaven and earth within the Demon Realm.¡± His ordinary words inadvertently made Shen Li recall some sweet memories that resided within her heart; outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, the moon on the mountain and the water in the lake. At that time, one of them was suspicious, while the other even carried murderous intentions. However, regardless of what was hidden in their hearts at that time, when Shen Li recalled the memories now, she only remembered that moment when the moonlight broke through the miasma. Compared to anywhere else, it was the most beautiful scene ever. ¡°When I reconstructed the seal, you were with me. I think you understand it clearly, too. When the time comes, if the Ruins of Heavenly Poles are destroyed, then the Demon Realm cannot be saved either.¡± Shen Li nodded: ¡°Mhm, the tree on the mountain is the Seal of Wood, the water in the spring is the Seal of Water, the stone slab under the training platform of the barracks is the Seal of Earth, and the iron chains around the the Ruins of Heavenly Poles is the Seal of Metal. The three outside happen to form the shape of a triangle, which surrounds the ruins, while the metal hangs on the ruins, and the fire resides within the ruins, this ought to be a foolproof magic array. However¡­¡± ¡°Mhm, but the other party has found a substitute for these five elements.¡± When Xing Zhi clasped Shen Li¡¯s shoulders, the ever-present smile on his face subsided and he said firmly, ¡°Shen Li, for what¡¯s coming next, I need you to listen carefully, because it is up to you to decide.¡± As soon as Shen Li¡¯s face became solemn, she listened to Xing Zhi speak: ¡°You and the other four substitutes have already replaced the original seal. This Powers of the Five Elements is far less powerful than the original Powers of the Five Elements that was born from heaven and earth, so this seal can only support the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, and cannot imprison the demon beasts within it. Therefore, right now the gate of the ruins is wide open. Although I have forcibly seal the exit with an enchantment barrier to prevent them from escaping, this is not a long-term solution. There¡¯s only one way to solve the problem with the demon beasts.¡± Shen Li gazed at Xing Zhi: ¡°What you¡¯re saying is to bury the demon beasts together with the Ruins of Heavenly Poles?¡± Xing Zhi nodded: ¡°Right now, it¡¯s fortunate that the four seals that connect the Ruins of Heavenly Poles with the Demon Realm have all been replaced. If the ruins collapse, then it will not affect the Demon Realm. Right at this moment, the only one who will be affected¡­¡± He stretched out his fingertips and stroked Shen Li¡¯s cheek, ¡°Is just you.¡± Shen Li was silent for a long time, but then she smiled: ¡°With these types of choices, you already know how I¡¯m going to choose.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s heart tightened and he withdrew his fingers: ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°Then why hesitate.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°Destroy the Ruins of Heavenly Poles.¡± For a long time, Xing Zhi gazed at Shen Li quietly. In the end, he helplessly released a bitter smile: ¡°In any case, it¡¯s your own life. At this moment, you should at least hesitate before agreeing¡­¡± However, if she hesitated, then she would not be Shen Li. When making decisions, this woman was always too straightforward. Shen Li pursed her lips, but in the end, she just blurted out the word ¡°sorry.¡± Seeing Xing Zhi looking at her, Shen Li said, ¡°The life you saved with all your might is going to be lost again. This time¡­ Don¡¯t go and seal the Eastern Sea anymore. I was still curious about why the Dragon King was so eager to give you gifts when we were in the Eastern Sea¡­ Look at how you scared them¡­¡± ¡°Heh.¡± Xing Zhi could not help but laughingly shake his head. After controlling his laugh, he patted Shen Li¡¯s head and said as if he was making a promise, ¡°Not this time and no one will be scared.¡± He said, ¡°I will accompany you. I will be with you until the very end.¡± Shen Li stared at him in disbelief. As if talking to himself, Xing Zhi said: ¡°To destroy the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, it will consume an enormous amount of divine power, and now my divine power is gradually fading away. It will be difficult to cast a spell to destroy the ruins while supporting the enchantment barrier outside. Fortunately, those four seals outside the ruins were moved, so I will take them to the Outer Bounds of Heaven and connect them with it. Then I will use the powers of the Outer Bounds of Heaven to imprison the demon beasts. Finally, I will destroy the Ruins of Heavenly Poles and take the Outer Bounds of Heaven with it. Henceforth, there will be no more troubles in the Nine Heavens. Killing two birds with one stone.¡± When that time came, the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi would die, and the Outer Bounds of Heaven and the Ruins of Heavenly Poles would both disappear together, leaving the Heaven Realm undamaged and the Demon Realm unharmed. He already¡­ Planned it so thoroughly¡­ ¡°Actually.. You can complete these things outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, why are you¡­¡± Xing Zhi smiled lightly. Even though the injury made his face pale, his eyes carried a warmth that was never seen before: ¡°Because I can¡¯t imagine a world without you anymore, Shen Li. To terminate my life with you is the most benevolent ending that I can think of.¡± Immediately, Shen Li felt a pain in her heart. She wanted to reach out and hug the person in front of her. Perhaps he had always lived a more pessimistic life than anyone else, so even his wish was so humble that her heart could not stop aching. ¡°I¡¯m only afraid that in the end, I won¡¯t be able to even terminate¡­¡± Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Shen Li abruptly shot upwards and bit his lips. Then as she carefully caressed his lips, she softly said, ¡°Not going to happen. I will plague you, just like that lifetime when you were a human, I will stay by your side for all time.¡± Xing Zhi released a sigh, grabbed Shen Li¡¯s waist with one hand, and pressed the back of her head with the other, making the kiss deeper. Then when he released her to gasp for air, he said with a sigh: ¡°During that time¡­ All you wanted to do was run away.¡± Leaving each other¡¯s lips, Xing Zhi pressed his forehead against Shen Li¡¯s forehead and quietly said: ¡°It will be a little dark in here, so don¡¯t be afraid. I will come back to accompany you when I have taken care of those four seals properly.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± CH 75.2 When Xing Zhi left the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, the Heaven Realm had already sent the Heavenly Troops and Generals to appear outside the ruins. However, when they saw that the deity who had always been up high and untouchable was wet with blood, everyone was shocked. A general stepped forward to ask about Xing Zhi¡¯s situation. Xing Zhi just waved his hand and said: ¡°In a moment, I will leave here for a bit, so my divine powers may be weakened. I¡¯m afraid that I will have to trouble you to support this temporary enchantment barrier outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles for a while.¡± The general was taken aback for a moment: ¡°It¡¯s naturally our duty, but I don¡¯t know if we can take on such a big responsibility¡­¡± ¡°We can.¡± Xing Zhi had not said anything yet, when a voice suddenly interjected beside him. Fu Rong Jun, who was dressed in plain clothes, walked forward slowly. He was followed by You Lan and Immortal Wu Yuan, who had clashed with Xing Zhi in the Heaven Realm. The three bowed respectfully to Xing Zhi: ¡°We will live up to the entrustment of the Divine Sovereign and guard the enchantment barrier of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles.¡± Xing Zhi sized Fu Rong Jun up and said with a smile: ¡°Fu Rong Jun, in the future, you may be successful.¡± After speaking, he turned around to leave, but his footsteps paused and he asked, ¡°Feng Lai¡­ That phoenix demon, where is he now?¡± ¡°Seems like he was heading towards the capital of the Demon Realm. His speed was too fast, no one could catch up with him. The only thing to do was to wait for him to stop before pursuing him.¡± ¡°If from now on¡­¡± When Xing Zhi began to speak, he paused for a long time. Finally, he only smiled lightly, ¡°All of you just have to see how your abilities are.¡± After saying that, he left without delay. At the Demon Palace, the insides and outsides were a complete mess. The ground was stained with blood, and the defenders of the Demon Realm were cleaning up the battlefield. Everyone carried the same solemn expression on their faces. Accompanied by several generals, Shen Mu Yue walked on the capital¡¯s streets to check if there were any surviving demons around. When passing by the Azure Sky King Mansion, Shen Mu Yue¡¯s footsteps paused, she saw Shen Li¡¯s maid standing at the door, waiting anxiously. From behind, a general called out: ¡°Demon Sovereign¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She waved her hand, ¡°If she comes to ask me, I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t have the strength to face it.¡± The generals behind her were completely silent, but someone comforted her: ¡°The Divine Sovereign will definitely bring the King back safely.¡± Even before the voice faded away, she saw a flash of light in the sky. Shen Mu Yue frowned slightly. Then her expression immediately went blank and she murmured to herself, ¡°She can¡¯t come back anymore¡­ She can¡¯t come back anymore.¡± The flash of light in the sky seemed to have sensed some kind of aura. It turned around abruptly and landed directly in front of Shen Mu Yue. The generals immediately became alert. Shen Mu Yue lifted her hand up to signal them to stop and said softly, ¡°Withdraw.¡± After the dust settled, the man in scarlet stood quietly while his eyes fell on her: ¡°Shen Mu Yue?¡± ¡°Feng Lai.¡± She lowered her eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again in this lifetime.¡± Feng Lai asked directly: ¡°Where is Liu Yu?¡± Shen Mu Yue looked up at him: ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡± She said very calmly, ¡°After a thousand years, I¡¯m afraid that even her bones can¡¯t be found.¡± The light in Feng Lai¡¯s eyes disappeared. He gritted his teeth and strugglingly said: ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­¡± His hoarse voice carried a bit of weakness, ¡°She said that she ate the Immortal Pill, she would never grow old or die, she would live forever¡­¡± ¡°Even deities have to one day return to heaven in death, let alone Liu Yu.¡± Shen Mu Yue looked at the people behind her, several generals understood and they all withdrew, ¡°After you were sealed into the Ruins of Heavenly Poles a thousand years ago, Liu Yu went to the ruins alone. She wanted to enter the seal to be with you. However, in the end, she died in front of the ruins and I buried her with my own hands.¡± Feng Lai clenched his fists. Shen Mu Yue glanced at him and said: ¡°She left you a daughter.¡± Startled, Feng Lai looked at Shen Mu Yue blankly: ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°She left you a daughter and continued her life in another way.¡± Shen Mu Yue looked at him quietly, ¡°It¡¯s just that you are here now, so I think that A Li has replaced you and became the seal of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles.¡± For a moment, Feng Lai was stunned. As he frowned, he carefully recalled that when he first woke up, he only saw Liu Ming in front of him, was there something else¡­ Something else¡­ There was a cluster of lights wrapped up in black energy, could it be that there¡­ ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then the Azure Sky King Mansion is where A Li lives. You can go in and have a look. Remnants of her aura should still be there. You should be able to sense who she really is.¡± Feng Lai looked at the plaque, and then stepped into the mansion. At the door, Rou Ya saw him and was hesitating whether to stop him or not, but she heard a voice say: ¡°Let him in.¡± Rou Ya was stunned, not knowing who the woman in black was. She just scratched her head and said: ¡°But¡­ My lord is not here. I don¡¯t know where she is risking her life again¡­¡± Ignoring Rou Ya, Feng Lai walked straight past the door. Rou Ya hurriedly called: ¡°Oh, hey! Don¡¯t just rush in. My lord will be angry when she comes back!¡± As if he did not hear her voice at all, Feng Lai walked around the rooms and suddenly stopped: ¡°It¡¯s really true¡­ Really¡­¡± Shen Mu Yue followed him in and quietly said: ¡°I buried Liu Yu in front of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Right now, A Li is also in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. In a way, both mother and daughter are now together.¡± Feng Lai lowered his eyes: ¡°Liu Yu, does she love children¡­¡± ¡°More than her own life.¡± Closing his eyes slightly, Feng Lai did not say another word and just turned into a ray of light. He left the capital as quickly as he had come. Shen Mu Yue looked at the sky quietly: ¡°I used this method in exchange for A Li¡¯s life, do you blame me? Even if you blame me¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­¡± As soon as a breeze passed by, it was as if someone had released a helpless sigh. CH 76.1 In the Outer Bounds of Heaven, the eternal loneliness flowed silently. Stepping on the stairs paved with green jade slabs, the blood from Xing Zhi¡¯s shoulders dripped down along the entire path. Suddenly, whether from blurred vision or weakened legs, Xing Zhi unexpectedly fell on the long steps. The wound frozen by the Water Prohibition Technique abruptly split open, and a luminous searing flame gushed out. Xing Zhi frowned and conjured magic to freeze the flame again, suppressing the flame down by force. The wound could not be healed¡­ It turned out that his divine powers had degenerated to such a level¡­ Apparently, even without this tribulation, his life as a deity was already about to come to an end. A deity¡­ Who was really abandoned by heaven! As Xing Zhi looked up at the river of stars hanging in the sky of the Outer Bounds of Heaven, he abruptly laughed: ¡°If we talk about being indifferent and heartless, there is nothing in the world that can be compare to you; created to be used, thrown away to be discarded¡­ How is a deity¡¯s power comparable to the Heavenly Laws? It¡¯s all just babbling nonsense. Now that I think about it, no matter who it is, we¡¯re just something that you¡¯re playing with.¡± Then he released a long sigh that seemed to make his breath sweep far away into the emptiness of the Outer Bounds of Heaven, ¡°Heaven¡¯s not benevolent at all!¡± However, Xing Zhi was just feeling rueful. As he glanced at the seemingly endless long steps, he covered the wound on his shoulder with one hand to press down the raging flame and continued to walk up step by step. It was unknown how long it took him, but the long steps finally came to an end. In that place, there was a wide platform. As Xing Zhi walked to the Altar of Deities, each step he took was solemn. When Xing Zhi walked to the center of the Altar of Deities, a golden brilliance immediately wrapped around his entire body, making his black eyes glow brightly. On the ground, he crouched down and knelt on one knee. Then he poured divine power into the slab of green jade stone. On the circular altar, another radiance appeared from the ground, as if it reflected in accordance with the stars in the sky. It was disorganized yet harmonious. As Xing Zhi¡¯s magic poured into the slab even more, in those golden lights, some silhouettes could be faintly seen. Like Xing Zhi, they were dressed in spacious robes, but their actions and postures were completely different. This was the place where the deities would only come when they had important matters to discuss. Each deity had his own seat. These images were the afterimages that they had left here for the past millions of years. From a long time ago, when the deities were still around, a decision could only be implemented with the approval of the majority, but now, only one person, Xing Zhi, was left¡­ He placed the four seals from outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles onto the ground. It was not difficult to connect the seals to the Outer Bounds of Heaven. In only a moment, Xing Zhi felt a light breeze in the air that had been motionless for ten thousand years, carrying the miasma from the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. It was extremely minute, but it was easy enough to capture. He could imagine how happy the immortals outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles would be at this time. The temporary enchantment barrier was broken, but the gate to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles was now closed, so the demon beasts could no longer escape¡­ For a while, Xing Zhi knelt down on the ground due to his exhaustion. Finally, when he suppressed all the pain that he felt, he fixed his eyes ahead without looking at the afterimages of his friends from long ago, which he had never laid eyes upon. As always, he only gazed at the flight of steps, walking down step by step. Anyone could be weak. Anyone could recall the past. However, Xing Zhi could not, he still had things to do and people to save. The blood on his shoulder saturated his clothes, flowing down his arm to his fingertips, and dripped along the ground. He was so focused on walking and keeping himself on the path that he did not look back, so he did not see the Altar of Deities stained with his blood, while the golden lights were never-endingly bright. After leaving the flight of green jade steps, Xing Zhi immediately rode on the clouds. Now that the Outer Bounds of Heaven was connected to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, he searched for the area richest in miasma and went in that direction. Within a short period of time, he entered the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. In the darkness, it was extremely difficult to distinguish one¡¯s orientation, so he searched for a long time before he saw a little light like a shining star. He hurriedly went forward, but when he reached Shen Li¡¯s side, he slowed down. He saw that her eyes were gently closed, she had quietly fallen asleep. Her expression was peaceful, as if she was having a beautiful dream. For a moment, Xing Zhi could not bear to wake her up. He had seen Shen Li¡¯s sleeping face before, her brows were furrowed, her breathing was extremely shallow, and she seemed to be on guard all the time. If anyone around her dared to conspire against her, she would immediately jump up and crush that person to his or her death. So for her to have such a peaceful sleeping face was very rare. So he stood quietly beside her. Right now, all he needed was a spell to destroy the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. However, after he recited the incantation completely, every time a part of the ruins collapsed, it would take away a part of his divine power. If it was before, when his divine power was taken away, it just made him a little tired, but now it was different, with the disappearance of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, it would exhaust all of his strength¡­ As Shen Li¡¯s eyelashes fluttered, she slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Xing Zhi standing in front of her with a light smile, Shen Li could not help curling her lips into a smile in response: ¡°I had a beautiful dream, then I woke up and saw you. It couldn¡¯t get any better.¡± Then from now on, I would let you have a beautiful dream every day, and I would let you wake up beside me every day¡­ Even though Xing Zhi¡¯s lips moved, he could not say this promise out loud. He just smiled and asked lightly: ¡°What did you dream about? That made you so happy?¡± ¡°Just now, I¡­¡± As she spoke, an uncontrollable smile already appeared on her lips, ¡°Under the grapevines, I saw you reclining in the rocking chair, basking in the sun, holding a book that you haven¡¯t finished reading in your hand, sleeping soundly. The sun was so warm, it filtered through the grape trellis like specks of stars in the sky sprinkled on your face. It was so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes away.¡± When Xing Zhi reached out to stroke her smiling cheek, he smiled with her, too. However, his throat was choked up, so much so that he could not speak. She was aware of the emotions in his heart, Shen Li hurriedly asked: ¡°Back then, why did you take me home?¡± As if he remembered something, Xing Zhi shook his head and smilingly said: ¡°I have never seen such an ugly bird that didn¡¯t even resemble a phoenix, so I wanted to take it home and observe it carefully.¡± He paused, ¡°But fortunately due to my curiosity, I took it home.¡± With some resentment, Shen Li muttered: ¡°After my feathers grew back, I was still very beautiful¡­¡± ¡°You are most beautiful just like this.¡± Xing Zhi took her into his embrace and snuggled quietly against her for a while, ¡°Shen Li, are you afraid?¡± ¡°A little bit. But since you¡¯re holding me, I¡¯m not anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very scared.¡± Shen Li may have an afterlife, but after his death, he would either scatter away into ashes or become a wisp of vitality among heaven and earth¡­ He embraced Shen Li even tighter, ¡°If you run away with someone else, I won¡¯t be able to get over it¡­¡± For a moment, Shen Li was stunned, but then she smiled again and said, ¡°When did the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi lose so much confidence in himself? Who else in the Three Realms can be compared with you?¡± CH 76.2 Xing Zhi did not answer, Shen Li only heard the incantations softly recited by her ears. Those incantations seemed to turn into golden floating lights, sweeping across the darkness of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles and disappearing into the surroundings. Shen Li was stunned. Suddenly, the iron chains that bound her were vibrating from within itself, and Shen Li asked, ¡°Is the Ruins of Heavenly Poles about to collapse?¡± ¡°The space of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles is too large, if it collapses immediately, something unexpected will happen. This incantation will make the ruins slowly collapse from the outside to the inside.¡± Shen Li smiled helplessly: ¡°To watch how I¡¯m going to slowly die¡­ Xing Zhi, you¡¯re really heartless.¡± The softest part of Xing Zhi¡¯s heart appeared to be struck hard by these words. He could only breathe lightly, suppressing the pain radiating from within all the bones in his body to his limbs. The wound on his shoulder split open again, and without uttering a sound, he suppressed the pain. His brows did not even furrow, he only stroked Shen Li¡¯s head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ For making you feel afraid together with me¡­¡± Shen Li stared at him for a long time, and then she finally bumped his chest lightly with her head and said helplessly: ¡°Who told you to apologize! It¡¯s me, my heart aches for you!¡± Having carried so much burden on her back, she could not even choose a quick and painless way to die. Xing Zhi was bound by the invisible power of the Heavenly Laws all of his life¡­ After hearing these words, Xing Zhi fixed his eyes on her, and finally he just smiled: ¡°The feeling of having someone¡¯s heart ache for me is not that bad at all.¡± The deities in heaven were too high up, not to mention mortals, even immortals could only look upward. They would admire, worship, and revere, but in their frame of mind, they would never look at them as weaklings. Who would feel sadness because of the deities¡¯ lack of choice? Who would feel heartache because of their helplessness? Everyone had forgotten why the deities are heartless, it was not because they lack a passionate heart, but because they were simply restricted too tightly. She tried to move her hand, but was prevented by the iron chains, Shen Li¡¯s expression fell, but suddenly, the iron chains vibrated again, Shen Li heard sounds of ¡°click-clack¡± coming from the distance, the chains holding her hands in place shattered, turning into pieces of scrap metal that fell into the unknown abyss. Shen Li stared blankly at Xing Zhi, maybe it was an illusion, she felt that the rosy color on Xing Zhi¡¯s face was slowly fading away. Xing Zhi turned his head away, avoiding Shen Li¡¯s gaze, and looked elsewhere: ¡°The gate to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles may have collapsed. These iron chains are connected from the gate. It is not only used to control the Seal of Fire, but also to extract the power of the Seal of Fire to mutually balance the other seals.¡± He paused, ¡°Shen Li¡­The gate collapsed, which means that none of us can get out.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Shen Li nodded, she stretched out her hand and embraced Xing Zhi¡¯s waist, ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t even plan to get out. So being like this is just great.¡± On his chest, she found a steady place and stuck her face there. She was so comfortable that she released a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do this for a long time, you don¡¯t even know how hard I¡¯ve endured it.¡± For a moment, Xing Zhi was stunned, then suddenly he smiled and embraced Shen Li in return. The loud noises from the collapsing of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles were getting closer and closer, but Xing Zhi and Shen Li appeared to not hear anything. They snuggled quietly against each other, as if they were hiding in the safest haven, no longer worried about the violent storms in the outside world. ¡°Bang!¡± A loud noise different from the previous sounds of collapse was heard. Xing Zhi frowned and turned his head around to see a beam of scorchingly hot fire cleave the chaotic darkness in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. Shen Li took her head out of Xing Zhi¡¯s embrace to see a luminous brightness burn a hole in the pitch-black darkness. She saw the stupefied immortals outside, and Feng Lai who came towards them step by step. The corners of Shen Li¡¯s lips twitched slightly, the light on his body was so dazzling that Shen Li could not even see his countenance, but she knew that kind of aura even after having felt it only once. Every step he took was slow and steady, but he walked up to Xing Zhi and Shen Li¡¯s side in a blink of an eye. With a flip of his palm, the poisonous flame on Xing Zhi¡¯s shoulder was instantly collected into his palm. He glanced at Xing Zhi, and then his eyes fell on Shen Li. After taking a closer look at her facial features, Feng Lai¡¯s lips moved, but he finally turned his head away, looking into the depths of the pitch-black darkness of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. He proceeded forward: ¡°On behalf of your mother, keep on living.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Li suddenly felt a strong force wrap around her body. The crimson flames wrapped around her and Xing Zhi, dragging them towards the light outside the Ruins of Heavenly Poles. When Shen Li came back to her senses, she knew what he was going to do. She became very confused. Through the barrier surrounded by the flames, she could only see the dazzling figure getting farther and farther away. No¡­ She had not even seen clearly yet. She had not even felt it clearly yet. No¡­ She wanted to escape from these flames that bundled her up, but she could not even exert any strength. The darkness in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles was getting farther and farther away. This force placed them firmly on the ground before disappearing forever. Shen Li reached out her hands to embrace it, but only had enough time to touch the last of its warmth. The flames were obviously scorchingly hot, but it did not hurt at all¡­ Her eyes followed the direction where the flames disappeared. The gate to the Ruins of Heavenly Poles was no longer there, in its place was a black cave hanging in mid-air, as if a wound had been torn out of the sky, and the luminous brightness that Feng Lai used to send them out had long since disappeared. The tips of Shen Li¡¯s finger trembled slightly. Just when she was at a loss, she suddenly felt a warmth on her shoulder. Stunned, Shen Li looked back only to see Xing Zhi leaning against her shoulder with blood gushing out of his mouth. CH 77.1 The blood in Xing Zhi¡¯s mouth kept gushing out. He covered his mouth and wanted to push Shen Li away, but his hands were so weak that before he could push her away, he fell over sideways, lying on the ground, vomiting big mouthfuls of blood. In this moment, his spotless white clothes, his slender fingers that were always clean, and his face that always wore an indifferent smile were all stained with blood. ¡°Xing Zhi¡­¡± In a daze, Shen Li called out to him. Emotions she never had before, fear and panic, gripped her heart. She practically knelt down next to Xing Zhi¡¯s side, holding him in her lap. Her fingertips and lips were trembling more than Xing Zhi was, ¡°Why¡­¡± She reached her hand out to wipe the blood from Xing Zhi¡¯s lips, but immediately thereafter, blood gushed out, staining her sleeves red with wetness, ¡°Aren¡¯t we already out?¡± Her voice trembled beyond recognition, ¡°He took my place and got buried in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles¡­ He¡­¡± Shen Li choked with emotions, ¡°Why are you still like this?¡± As her ice-cold hands gripped him tightly, Xing Zhi¡¯s eyes looked calmly at Shen Li. Those calm unwavering black eyes seemed to contain the power to calm people down. Even as he swallowed the fishy-smelling blood that was surging up in his throat. Even though his breathing was weak, there was no weakness in his expression: ¡°Deities¡­ Have no reason to exist anymore.¡± With the disappearance of the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, the Outer Bounds of Heaven would disappear along with it. There would no longer be anything that could threaten the survival of the Three Realms. There would no longer be a need for a power that could oppose the Heavenly Laws to exist between heaven and earth. It was time for deities to step down from this position formed by heaven. ¡°Even if deities have no reason to exist anymore, so what?!¡± Shen Li held his hand tightly, her voice cracking, as if it was being squeezed out of her throat, ¡°Xing Zhi has a reason to exist! Not as a deity, just you, just Xing Zhi. You still have so many reasons to live¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s possible¡­¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°The only reason for me to live is you, Shen Li.¡± As the Ruins of Heavenly Poles trembled violently in the sky, the scope of darkness gradually narrowed. No matter how hard Xing Zhi gritted his teeth, the blood still overflowed from the corners of his lips. He felt Shen Li¡¯s hands trembling non-stop, completely flustered unlike her usual majestic self. ¡°Shen Li, you¡¯re this thing that doesn¡¯t know how to take care of yourself¡­ That doesn¡¯t know how to love yourself¡­¡± Xing Zhi coughed, ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I want to take care of you for you, and love you for you¡­¡± Shen Li¡¯s heart ached sharply, as if her blood vessels had been crushed into pieces: ¡°Then why don¡¯t you do what you promised?!¡± Xing Zhi smiled, shaking his head. Suddenly, he coughed violently. There was so much blood that Shen Li could barely hold onto his hand. Perhaps because her expression was too sad, Xing Zhi smiling said, ¡°Each word dripping blood¡­ Today, I will persevere until the very end. Also, at last, I can be a cuckoo for once, be part of the same species as you for once.¡± * cuckoo ¨C this type of bird has a beak that is a bright, blood-red color Shen Li gritted her teeth: ¡°At this time, only you can make such a joke¡­¡± Just with this one phrase, it brought back so many memories of the past; even Xing Zhi became silent. After a long silence, he grinned, carrying some degree of groaning and helplessness that was mixed with a bit of begging: ¡°Then, Shen Li, you should just smile.¡± As her tears fell down onto Xing Zhi¡¯s face, the warm teardrops ran across his blood-stained cheeks, making a pale trail. Shen Li smoothed her lips into a smile. Xing Zhi turned his head away and closed his eyes. He sighed: ¡°It¡¯s really¡­ A horrible-looking smile¡­¡± Just after saying this, Xing Zhi¡¯s face suddenly turned really pale and his muscles suddenly tightened. At the same time, the Ruins of Heavenly Poles trembled violently and sounds of shattering came from the sky. Distractedly, Shen Li turned her head to take a look. She saw that the black space in the sky shattered like porcelain by an invisible force. When the shattered pieces turned to ashes, even the demon beasts sealed inside, regardless of their ambitions, all disappeared without a trace with the passing breeze, Then the sun penetrated the miasma, shining on this land that was covered by the gloom of the ruins for the past millennium, sweeping away all the darkness. In the scorching sunshine, Shen Li seemed to see a cluster of weak flames dancing in the air. Like leaves, the flames were slowly floating down, sinking into the ground. ¡°Shen Li.¡± She heard Xing Zhi ask her softly, ¡°Is this the sunshine in your dream?¡± When Shen Li looked at him, she no longer saw any blood gushing out from the corners of his lips. However, for some unknown reason, she became even more frenetic, ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± She said, ¡°It¡¯s not it. You have to accompany me to find that kind of sunshine, that kind of scene.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a pity¡­ But¡­ I believe that you will find it in the future¡­¡± He slowly closed his eyes as if he was utterly exhausted. ¡°That kind of sunshine.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s hand that was holding onto Shen Li¡¯s palm gradually lost strength. Shen Li lowered her head, holding the back of his hand against her cheek: ¡°You bastard¡­¡± She said in a hoarse voice, ¡°You know perfectly well that the one I¡¯m looking for, the one basking in that kind of sunshine is you, Xing Zhi¡­ You bastard.¡± Tell her, where could she possibly find another Xing Zhi?! Alas, there was no longer anyone else to give her an answer. Out of nowhere, an endless golden brilliance fell down from the sky. The golden brilliance was like the heavy snow in the middle of winter, cloaking the sky and covering the earth in its entirety. Quietly standing nearby, the immortals looked up at the sky. Suddenly, someone shouted: ¡°It¡¯s the divine light! It¡¯s the divine light of the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi returning to heaven in death!¡± Abruptly, all of the immortals knelt down in unison. They bowed their heads and gave a kowtow, ¡°Respectfully sending off the Divine Sovereign.¡± ¡°Respectfully sending off the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi.¡± The last deity in this world had disappeared. Did the Heavenly Laws finally recognize him, therefore, he left the world with the identity of a deity? Did the Heavenly Laws finally allow him to become a wisp of vitality among heaven and earth, existing with all things, benefiting from the same lifespan as heaven and earth¡­? Then as for her, even in reincarnation, she would never be able to see Xing Zhi again. Shen Li raised her head to look at the golden light that filled up the entire sky. In that radiant brilliance, all of the light in her eyes gradually dimmed. There would no longer be such a person anymore¡­ In her arms, she embraced the body that was gradually becoming cold. She gently pressed her cheek against his cheek, as if she wanted to die together with him, with his last breath. It was unknown how long it took, but someone walked up and called out softly: ¡°Azure Sky King.¡± Shen Li did not respond. For a moment, that person paused, but then proceeded to say, ¡°Azure Sky King Shen Li, the Divine Sovereign has returned to heaven in death. His divine consciousness is no longer present. His body can¡¯t stay in the lower realm arbitrarily. In all successive generations, after the deities return to heaven in death, they will all pass through the True Fire of Samadhi and transform into something intangible. Azure Sky King, please hand the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi over to me.¡± * the True Fire of Samadhi ¨C a type of fire burns really fast and cannot be extinguish by wind or rain Only then did Shen Li raise her head to look at the person. It was actually the Heavenly Emperor himself. He came to the Demon Realm to take Xing Zhi away. She lowered her head and resumed that same posture of pressing her cheek against Xing Zhi¡¯s cheek: ¡°No way.¡± The Heavenly Emperor¡¯s face changed slightly, but seeing Shen Li like this, he did not even get angry. He only said: ¡°The honorable body of the Divine Sovereign can only be cremated with the True Fire of Samadhi. Only then can we ensure the greatest integrity in the world.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Shen Li sneered, ¡°When he was still alive, no matter what, you all wanted him to defend the integrity of the Three Realms and protect all living things. Now that he¡¯s died, you all can¡¯t even spare his bones. You all even want his corpse to make a contribution in keeping the peace in the Three Realms?¡± As her hands that were embracing Xing Zhi tightened, her eyes flashed red, and a strip of barrier burned in front of the Heavenly Emperor. The raging fire was so scorching hot that it burned away a few strands of hair from the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s temples, forcing the Heavenly Emperor to take a couple of steps back. ¡°If you all have the ability, then snatch him from this king¡¯s hands.¡± As the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s eyes sank, he heard Shen Li say once more: ¡°If you all actually snatch him away and burn him today, then in the future, I, Azure Sky King Shen Li, will definitely attack the Nine Heavens, and undoubtedly will burn down your Heaven Realm without leaving a single piece of armor behind!¡± Her voice was not loud, but the decisiveness in her words made everyone present feel terrified. Across the flaming barrier, all the immortals saw Shen Li¡¯s bloodshot eyes staring at them coldly. During this deadlocked moment, You Lan suddenly walked up to the Heavenly Emperor and bowed: ¡°Heavenly Emperor, the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi had been shackled by all living things in the Three Realms for all of his life, at least right now, he should gain his freedom.¡± She knelt down and bowed, ¡°I, You Lan, beg the Heavenly Emperor to be lenient.¡± ¡°Heavenly Grandfather.¡± Fu Rong Jun also lifted his robes and knelt down beside You Lan, ¡°Even though the Divine Sovereign had returned to heaven in death, everyone here with eyes could still see that the Divine Sovereign wanted to be with the Azure Sky King. Heavenly Grandfather, you respect the Divine Sovereign very much, so at this time, why not give him a little more respect and leniency. I, Fu Rong Jun, beg Heavenly Grandfather to be merciful.¡± Seeing the two juniors like this, the Heavenly Emperor frowned. Suddenly, behind him, there were sporadic sounds of kneeling and scattered voices of pleading were heard. Stunned, he turned around and saw that all the immortals present were bowing their heads and kneeling down on their knees, begging him. The Heavenly Emperor¡¯s gaze swept around. He sighed and turned his head to look at Shen Li, who was behind the flaming barrier. Finally, his gaze landed on Xing Zhi¡¯s face with his peacefully closed eyes: ¡°Forget it!¡± He released a deep sigh, ¡°Forget it, forget it!¡± After saying that, he turned away and abruptly left. Only then did Fu Rong Jun and You Lan get up. They glanced at Shen Li behind the flaming barrier, and left without saying a word. The other immortals also followed them and gradually departed. It was not until everyone was gone that Shen Li withdrew the flames. As she embraced Xing Zhi, she sat quietly: ¡°You¡¯re free now.¡± She said hoarsely, ¡°You see, no one will use the identity of a deity to imprison you anymore.¡± However, Xing Zhi could no longer give any sort of reaction. Shen Li embraced him, burying her head in his ice-cold neck, inhaling the faint fragrance on his body, and imagining that he would get back up in the next moment. When all of the golden lights in the sky disappeared and the trails left behind in the yellow sand were all blown away by the wind, it was unknown how long Shen Li sat there until someone called out to her from the distance: ¡°My lord!¡± It was the people from the Demon Realm, who came to find her. Shen Li looked up and saw that the first person in front was the Demon Sovereign. She was not wearing her mask, so she did not transform into a man¡¯s figure. She came over eagerly. She looked at Shen Li in silence for a long time. Finally, she crouched down and looked into her eyes. She said soothingly: ¡°Silly child, it¡¯s time to go home.¡± ¡°Master¡­¡± Shen Li raised her head to look at her, her eyes completely lost the radiance of the past, ¡°I lost two people who should not have been lost.¡± Her voice was so hoarse beyond recognition that it made Shen Mu Yue¡¯s heart soften when she heard it: ¡°A Li¡­¡± She did not know what else to say; she just paused for a while, and finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home first.¡± CH 77.2 A year later. After the Ruins of Heavenly Poles disappeared, the miasma in the Demon Realm decreased day by day, and the demons infected by the miasma became less and less. Without the external battles, the disputes of interests in court became fiercer and fiercer. Shen Li did not like these open and covert battles, so all day, she simply claimed that she was sick and did not go to court nor to the Council Hall. Besides, there was no war going on for her to worry about. Therefore, in the Demon Realm, she would stroll around the capital every day. On occasion, she would drag a few generals, who were goofing off, out to drink with her or put a few new recruits, who were bullying others, in their place. As such, she was given a new moniker, A Stroke of Bad Luck. After Rou Ya heard this, she felt very indignant for Shen Li: ¡°It was his family that was hit by a stroke of bad luck! Don¡¯t let me find out which unlucky dude spread this, once I find out, I, Rou Ya, will tell Xu Xu to peck his head bald!¡± Shen Li, who was sitting on the chair, leisurely took a sip of tea: ¡°There¡¯s nothing bad about it.¡± She said, ¡°I have always been a person with very bad luck.¡± When Rou Ya heard these words, she was taken aback and her face fell. She still remembered that when the king came back covered in blood with the corpse of the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi, Shen Li seemed to have completely lost her soul at that time. After taking the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi to the Snow Sacrificial Hall, she spent three months alone in that place of icy snow with her wounded body. Ultimately, the Demon Sovereign could no longer stand it and forcibly dragged her out. When she came out, she fell seriously ill. The illness spiraled around her intermittently for three to four months. After Shen Li recovered from the illness, she seemed to have come around and returned to her previous self. However, Rou Ya knew that this version of Shen Li, her heart was already broken and shattered. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯m not coming back to the mansion.¡± Shen Li finished her tea and said softly, ¡°Just prepare a meal for youself.¡± For a moment, Rou Ya was stunned, but suddenly she remembered that tomorrow would be the first anniversary of the Divine Sovereign¡¯s death. Rou Ya nodded, slightly worried. Shen Li glanced at her, then ruffled her hair: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all in the past. I understand that.¡± Her father and Xing Zhi saved this life of hers. Even if she did not live for herself, she should live well for them. She had to take care of herself and love herself. If Xing Zhi could not help her take care of herself, then she just had to do it herself. As Rou Ya nodded, she watched Shen Li walk away and could only sigh. The door to the Snow Sacrificial Hall was once again opened. As the chilly iciness poured out from inside, Shen Li closed her eyes gently. Such coolness reminded her of Xing Zhi. She walked into the Snow Sacrificial Hall. She had placed Xing Zhi¡¯s body in the naturally occurring seal of this realm, in order to preserve his body from decaying and to prevent people with evil intentions from stealing his body. ¡°Xing Zhi.¡± When she broke through the layers of frost and looked up at the icicle in the center, her pupils unexpectedly constricted. In that icicle¡­ There was no one! Stunned, Shen Li quickly stepped forward and looked around the icicle in the center, but she did not see Xing Zhi¡¯s figure. Suddenly, her heart panicked, but along with it, a new hope slowly ignited. She clenched her fists, forcing herself to calm down. However, at this moment, Rou Ya¡¯s shout was heard from outside the Snow Sacrificial Hall: ¡°My lord! My lord!¡± When Shen Li came out of the Snow Sacrifice Hall, she saw Rou Ya rushing towards her, completely out of breath: ¡°There¡¯s! There¡¯s¡­ There¡¯s a demon beast! On the main street!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a snow demon!¡± Shen Li pushed Rou Ya out of the way and quickly left; her footsteps were stumbling around because of her trembling legs. She just looked straight ahead, searching for the familiar aura, running all the way to the main street of the capital. Like a madwoman, searching for someone in front of her, suddenly, she heard loud noises in front of her, exclamations from the people and reprimands from the officers and soldiers. She pushed through the crowd and saw a figure in white standing in the street. Even though his back was facing her and his head of black hair had already turned white, Shen Li still knew that it was this person. She was so sure. She abruptly stepped forward and embraced him from behind. ¡°I know it¡¯s you.¡± She said, ¡°I know it¡¯s you!¡± Shen Li did not know how the people around her reacted. She only felt that her hands were being covered by a pair of ice-cold hands: ¡°Be gentle.¡± He said, ¡°It hurts.¡± Only then did Shen Li dare to loosen just a little. When the person turned around, she saw the familiar features still carrying the same smile from the olden days. He said: ¡°Shen Li, at this time, you should be laughing.¡± When Shen Li heard this, her tears flowed even more happily: ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Not gonna be as you wish.¡± Xing Zhi sighed: ¡°Can¡¯t you just listen for once.¡± He leaned down, lifted Shen Li¡¯s chin up, and imprinted his lips on hers, ¡°After all, I am still your own husband.¡± When the surrounding exclamations faded into the background, Shen Li just ignored everything, hugging and kissing him in the middle of the street. The Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi came back, but his divine power was extremely weak. It was as weak as an ordinary immortal. Even his body was not up to par as that of an ordinary immortal. Shen Li was worried that the residual miasma in the Demon Realm would hinder him, so she took him to the Mortal Realm and bought a small house, just like the one when he was still Xing Yun. The people from the Heaven Realm came to find him several times, but Xing Zhi avoided seeing them, displaying an attitude of shunning the world. It was because of this attitude, the people of the Heaven Realm tactfully stopped coming to find him. Shen Li and Xing Zhi settled down in the small house. Life appeared to have returned to the way it was before; the sickly scholar and the domineering queen. They were in the backyard planting grapes. As the two of them started to plant grapes together, they were chatting and working: ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how I came back?¡± Xing Zhi asked Shen Li. Shen Li paused: ¡°I¡¯m curious, but I¡¯m afraid to ask.¡± She confessed, ¡°If I ask and find out that this is all a dream, what will I do?¡± For a moment, Xing Zhi was stunned, thinking to himself that Shen Li must have been very frightened this time. He smiled, and did not say anything more. He was not anxious, he still had a lot of time to tell Shen Li that this was reality. It was just that¡­ He looked up at the sky, the Outer Bounds of Heaven shattered into smithereens, the golden images of his old friends¡­ He lowered his head and loosened the soil. Those memories of the ancient deities would only be like a dream to future generations. He could imagine that in the Western Garden of the Heaven Realm, those memorial tablets that floated around by using the last remaining divine powers of many deities should have completely vanished by now. It was because¡­ They turned the last bit of their powers into life force for him to survive. His friends and his past could no longer be found again. ¡°Shen Li.¡± He called out to her suddenly, ¡°I¡¯m no longer as strong as I used to be, do you despise me?¡± Shen Li glanced at him and automatically asked: ¡°Why would I despise you? In the beginning, I fell in love with just a sick and weak mortal.¡± They went around in a circle and still returned back to the starting point. For a moment, Xing Zhi was stunned, but then he immediately smiled and said no more. The last deity in this world was gone, but in its place was an idle immortal. Year after year, the time in the Mortal Realm passed very slowly, the grape vines in Shen Li and Xing Zhi¡¯s little backyard had already produced large bunches of grapes. One day, under the grapevines, on the rocking chair, the sun was shining on Xing Zhi¡¯s face. His eyes were closed while taking a break, suddenly he heard a voice say: ¡°Taste these grapes.¡± Xing Zhi opened his eyes and saw Shen Li standing beside him. Against the backlighting of the sun, her silhouette was simply too beautiful. When Xing Zhi reached out to take the grapes, he suddenly remembered something and said: ¡°Shen Li, you still owe me two wishes from before.¡± Stunned, Shen Li pondered for a long time, and seemed to remember something about this matter: ¡°What else do you want to wish for?¡± ¡°My first wish, in the future, every summer, you will help me pick grapes.¡± Shen Li went and laid down on the rocking chair next to him, nodding in agreement: ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°My second wish¡­¡± Shen Li turned her head to look at him: ¡°Are you going to make all your wishes today?¡± At the exact same moment, Xing Zhi also turned his head to look at her. They were so close that they were breathing one another¡¯s breath. Xing Zhi smiling said: ¡°It¡¯s because my second wish will take a long time to accomplish.¡± He moved his body over and quietly dropped a kiss on Shen Li¡¯s lips. ¡°Help me have as many children as a bunch of grapes.¡± Startled, Shen Li pushed him and ran away: ¡°You¡¯re completely crazy and ridiculous!¡± In the backyard, only Xing Zhi¡¯s neverending chuckles were left. At the same time, the sunshine was just perfect. ~~~~~ The author has something to say: Because there¡¯s a lot of details~ So I wrote it up to this point Orz At this point, the main text is finally over~ Releasing a long sigh of relief~ There will be a side story~~ Tomorrow morning, the side story about Shen Li¡¯s parents will be updated~ It¡¯s still eleven o¡¯clock~ It¡¯s probably going to look more like a short story~ CH 78 Ch 78 ~ Side Story: Feng Lai (Beginning) Editor & Translator: Sonrisa t.n.t ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ A loud noise sounded, and the underground rooms suddenly trembled, as if an extremely hot air wave was washed out from the depths. Liu Yu¡¯s figure slanted to the side, therefore, she had to hold onto the wall so as not to fall to the ground. When the tremor subsided, the disciples behind her were all whispering, making a guess at what type of demon beasts the Demon Sovereign made this time, which caused such a big shift at the beginning of its birth. Everyone was deeply worried and gravely disheartened. Liu Yu glanced at them, but kept silent and moved forward. She pushed open the sturdy wooden door, and the next path was only available to those who had obtained permission to walk on it. In the passageway, there was a torch burning. Maybe it was probably Liu Yu¡¯s imagination, but she thought that the flame was burning brighter today than before. She walked to the end of the passageway toward the stone door that was tightly closed. Liu Yu raised her hand and lightly knocked on the knocker. In a moment, the stone door collapsed with a loud rumble, and Liu Yu was stunned. A dazzling light in the room shone through the thick dust, so blindingly that Liu Yu could not help but squint her eyes slightly. ¡°It¡¯s done! Hahaha! It¡¯s finally done! It¡¯s finally done!¡± Liu Ming¡¯s hoarse voice carried an almost insane joy, while the silhouette of his back was somewhat terrifying in the blazing light. Liu Yu slowly walked to his side: ¡°Master¡­¡± She looked past Liu Ming¡¯s body and saw that the room was in disarray. The pill furnace was toppled over and there were flames burning everywhere. In the firelight, a young child was standing quietly. His eyes were closed as if he was asleep. He looked to be about six or seven years old and was pretty much the same as any other child, but there were just burning flames around him. Liu Yu was slightly startled: ¡°Master¡­ This is?¡± ¡°Feng Lai.¡± Liu Ming¡¯s eyes contained a burning light. He grinned, ¡°His name is Feng Lai.¡± Liu Ming stepped forward, walked through the fire, stopped in front of Feng Lai, and carried him out of the sea of ????fire. Feng Lai was still fast asleep, Liu Ming looked at him with a strange smile: ¡°With him, I can make more demon beasts and I don¡¯t have to worry about not being able to control them. I just need to control this child.¡± Such a small child¡­ Was the demon beast that the master used all his strength to refine? ¡°But he hasn¡¯t awakened yet.¡± Liu Ming shoved Feng Lai into Liu Yu¡¯s arms, ¡°You take him back to lie down first, while I check if there¡¯s anything wrong.¡± After saying that, he went back into the still burning room to search for answers. Liu Yu stared blankly at Liu Ming, then looked at the child in her arms. Finally, she released a sigh and accepted the order. From underground, she walked out of the stone palace with the child in her arms. Behind her, the disciples were all pointing in her direction, some said that the master was crazy, while others just shook their heads and sighed. Liu Yu ignored it all, she simply took Feng Lai back to her room. Looking at the child¡¯s tender face, Liu Yu also felt that the master was no longer normal. Such a puny child, there was no way that he could control those demon beasts. When she was just thinking about it, she suddenly saw the child¡¯s eyelids move slightly. Liu Yu moved closer and stared at him distractedly. The child opened his eyes, and her face was clearly reflected in a pair of red pupils. ¡°Feng Lai?¡± Liu Yu saw her smile reflected in his pupils in full bloom. The child¡¯s eyes were even clearer than the water in a creek, ¡°My name is Liu Yu.¡± Feng Lai blinked at her, as if he did not understand what she was saying. Liu Yu pondered for a while, thinking that since this child was created by the master, he should be like a baby. He did not understand the world at all, so he possibly could not understand her words. Liu Yu wanted to get up and pour him a cup of tea, but before she could even take a step, one of her sleeves was suddenly held taut. Unprepared, Liu Yu was stunned, then she asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Feng Lai said nothing. Maybe¡­It was the fear of being alone. As Liu Yu thought about it, she bent down and picked him up from the bed. Dazedly, Feng Lai allowed her to pick him up and subconsciously wrapped his arms around Liu Yu¡¯s neck. He turned his head and breathed onto Liu Yu¡¯s cheeks. Liu Yu carried him to the table and sat down. She allowed Feng Lai to sit on her lap. Then she picked up a cup, poured him tea, and brought the cup up to Feng Lai¡¯s mouth: ¡°Want to drink tea?¡± The fragrant smell drifted into Feng Lai¡¯s nose. He blinked, and his eyes finally moved away from Liu Yu¡¯s face, landing on the green-colored tea. He opened his mouth and carefully gave it a taste. The taste took him by surprise. His eyes widened and fell on Liu Yu¡¯s face again. Liu Yu smiled: ¡°Tea.¡± She taught him, ¡°This is tea (ch¨¢).¡± ¡°Explode (zh¨¢)?¡± ¡°Tea (ch¨¢).¡± ¡°Wipe (c¨¡)¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s tea (ch¨¢).¡± ¡°Tea (ch¨¢).¡± Listening to him saying it right after a while, Liu Yu was also surprised: ¡°You¡¯re so smart.¡± ¡°So smart.¡± Liu Yu rubbed his head. When they were chatting happily, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a visitor with a gloomy face stepped into the room, almost asking in a questioning tone: ¡°What kind of demon beast has the master refined again?!¡± The smile on Liu Yu¡¯s face subsided slightly. She touched Feng Lai¡¯s head and said softly, ¡°Senior Sister.¡± Shen Mu Yue said angrily before entering the room: ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know how many people of the Demon Clan have been injured by those monsters before?! Doesn¡¯t he know how many soldiers have died because they went to catch those demon beasts?!¡± She walked around the screen and saw Liu Yu holding a child with strange-colored eyes in her arms. She was startled, ¡°Whose child is this?¡± Liu Yu was silent for a moment, and then sighed: ¡°This is the new demon beast that the master just refined.¡± For a moment, Shen Mu Yue was stunned, then suddenly, she became furious: ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± She flicked one of her sleeves, and the strength released from her sleeve shattered the screen. After the noise settled down, the room was extremely quiet. Shen Mu Yue calmly looked at Liu Yu, ¡°You still plan to continue to help him?¡± Liu Yu was silent. When Shen Mu Yue did not hear an answer, her face turned ashen and she slammed the door on her way out. The shards of the screen were all over the place, Liu Yu just sat there, a little out of strength, feeling unspeakably oppressive inside her heart. Actually¡­ She did not even question her master at that time. Still, the number of demon beasts was beyond their control nowadays. Instead of trying to destroy the demon beasts in other ways, it was better to follow along with the master¡¯s plan by creating a more powerful demon beast and having him control them¡­ Before she was able to completely think about the troubling matters in her heart, Liu Yu suddenly felt warmth on her eyebrows. Feng Lai¡¯s small fingers gently landed on her frown, he rubbed it for a bit and flattened those wrinkles. For a moment, Liu Yu was stunned, but then she smiled: ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± She held Feng Lai¡¯s hand and thought helplessly, the master made such a child like this¡­ How could she be at ease letting this child deal with so many demon beasts? Feng Lai seemed to like Liu Yu very much. He was always sticking close to her side and refusing to come down. When Liu Ming saw that, he simply handed Feng Lai over to Liu Yu to look after, while he threw himself into the busy process of refining demon beasts. Liu Ming had never explained to Liu Yu how she should educate Feng Lai, nor did he mention how he should be raised, as if the master just wanted someone to feed Feng Lai and let him live. If she thought about it carefully, the only thing that was explained to her was to let Feng Lai have more contact with demon beasts. However, for a child who did not understand anything, how could Liu Yu feel at ease when he would be alone with demon beasts? She always had him by her side. Feng Lai was smart and sensible. He was able to learn everything quickly. Therefore, within ten days, he was able to enter and leave the alchemy room with Liu Yu. Occasionally, he would even help her out. However, even with Feng Lai¡¯s help, Liu Yu was still very busy. Additionally, she had to take care of Feng Lai¡¯s daily needs and meals. In the past fortnight, she had become quite haggard. In court, the criticisms about the demon beasts were on the rise. The elders invited Liu Ming and his disciples to the Discussion Hall to discuss the demon beasts. Before leaving, Liu Yu arranged all of Feng Lai¡¯s meals and then, she hurriedly left. No one thought that this meeting would be discussed for three days straight. The elders wanted to convince Liu Ming to give up on the demon beasts, but Liu Ming refused to take a step back and they remained deadlocked for three days. In the end, Liu Ming flicked his sleeves and walked away after saying this: ¡°The matter of me using the demon beasts to attack the Heaven Realm has been decided, anyone who opposes can leave.¡± The elders had no choice but to end the meeting. It was only then that Liu Yu was able to leave the Discussion Hall. When she returned to her room, she did not see Feng Lai. So as soon as she asked someone, she found out that he had been in the alchemy room for three days and three nights. Liu Yu went looking for him. When she pushed open the door and entered the room, she saw Feng Lai reach out his hand to take something out of the still burning furnace. Liu Yu was so frightened that she hurriedly pulled him back by his waist and dragged him out without waiting for an explanation. Feng Lai immediately exclaimed: ¡°Wait a minute! Liu Yu, wait! I almost have it!¡± Feng Lai¡¯s strength was stronger, so Liu Yu could not overpower him. When he took out the item, his dirty face was full of smiles. However, Liu Yu just simply lifted up his sleeve, pressed down on his arm, and gave it a thorough once-over. After she was sure that he was not burned, she was relieved. Once her heart was at ease, her anger rose uncontrollably. Her expression became severe and she shouted: ¡°You don¡¯t want this arm anymore! Give me a knife, I will chop it off!¡± Her words were intense, it was evident that she became very worried. Feng Lai was startled by her scolding. When he was just about to show the item in his hand to Liu Yu, he took his hand back silently. From the side of the pill furnace, he obediently pulled out a knife. He handed it to Liu Yu and then stretched out his arm. Liu Yu was stunned and stared at Feng Lai: ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to chop off your arm? Are you forcing me?¡± ¡°Since you want to chop it off, I¡¯ll let you chop it off.¡± His eyes did not evade her eyes, as if he was saying, I would give you whatever you want. As Liu Yu looked at him, her heart suddenly felt something. She stood in front of Feng Lai for a long time, then finally, she grabbed the knife in his hand and threw it off to the side. She made a stance to slap him hard on the head, but in the end, the force of the slap was unbelievably light. As Feng Lai looked at her quietly, he saw a helpless smile on her face: ¡°Stinky boy.¡± When Feng Lai allowed Liu Yu¡¯s hand to randomly rub his head, he did not know that the look in his eyes became mottled like broken rays of light due to her touches. Suddenly, Liu Yu¡¯s hand stopped and with it, she made some gestures for a moment: ¡°Are you growing too fast?¡± she asked, ¡°Why do you suddenly feel so much taller?¡± Feng Lai did not answer this question, and just handed the item in his hand to Liu Yu: ¡°Medicine pill.¡± He said, ¡°It should be able to relieve fatigue.¡± After three days of fiddling with this, the item that he reached his hand in to get out of the fire was this? Liu Yu took the medicine pill, put it under the tip of her nose, and sniffed it lightly. She sighed: ¡°This¡­ Is poisonous¡­¡± For a moment, Feng Lai was stunned, as if all his strength had been immediately drained in an instant. Liu Yu looked at his expression, she then smiled and immediately swallowed the medicine pill. Feng Lai was startled and stretched out his hand to stop her, but Liu Yu had already swallowed it. His heart tightened: ¡°Liu Yu!¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, it¡¯s alright.¡± Liu Yu smiled, ¡°Although it¡¯s a little toxic, it¡¯s still very effective in dispelling fatigue. Thank you, Feng Lai.¡± Feng Lai stared dazedly at her. Today, he understood two emotions, one was loss and the other was heartbreak, or maybe it should be called heartfelt. CH 79 Ch 79 ~ Side Story: Feng Lai (Middle) Editor & Translator: Sonrisa t.n.t ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ In a span of one month, Feng Lai had grown up into a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy. Along with the growth of his body, his mind and strength grew, too. After Feng Lai accidentally melted the pill furnace, Liu Yu knew that he was powerful and would not be bullied by other demon beasts, so she no longer watched him as closely as before. However, Feng Lai was still fond of sticking to Liu Yu¡¯s side, unless Liu Yu gave him clear instructions to do something else. At other times, he just sat there in a daze, staring at Liu Yu, and did not desire to go elsewhere. Liu Yu was very at ease with him, and had never looked at Feng Lai like he was a demon beast, but¡­ ¡°The blood flowing inside him is a demon beast after all, and you still just let him go everywhere!¡± That day, Liu Yu was tinkering with medicinal pills in the alchemy room. Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Shen Mu Yue walked into the room angrily, shouting, ¡°Follow me to the front yard!¡± ¡°He only went to the front yard to help me get some stuff.¡± Liu Yu turned back in astonishment: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Shen Mu Yue stepped forward and grabbed Liu Yu¡¯s hand. She dragged her and walked out the door. The medicinal herbs that Liu Yu was holding spilt all over the ground. She still had a slight frown on her face, but when she stepped out of the door, she was stunned. Towards the direction of the front courtyard, a blazing light soared to the sky. Liu Yu was stunned, Shen Mu Yue still wanted to say something, but she suddenly saw Liu Yu¡¯s figure flashed by and quickly disappeared. Going to the front courtyard, Liu Yu¡¯s black pupils were dyed red by the blazing flames. The buildings and vegetation were all ablaze with fiery flames. Some people were even on fire, screaming and rolling on the ground. Those who were not on fire, scattered and fled. The scene ahead was very chaotic. Liu Yu¡¯s eyes swept around frantically. Suddenly, in the dense fire, she saw Feng Lai in black standing there quietly. Before him, there were four to five people trapped in a circle surrounded by flames. It looked like someone had already fainted from the stifling smoke. As Feng Lai stared at them, his eyes were terrifyingly red without a hint of emotion. He was just like the other demon beasts that Liu Ming had created. He became a bloodthirsty monster with no emotions. ¡°Feng Lai¡­¡± Liu Yu said, her voice trembling slightly. She hurried forward, and as usual, she reached out to grab his wrist. However, she did not expect that Feng Lai would suddenly turn around. When those pair of shocking blood-red eyes looked into Liu Yu¡¯s eyes, the scorching hot, murderous aura pierced straight into Liu Yu¡¯s heart like a sword. For a moment, Liu Yu was stunned. She did not have time to react to anything when Feng Lai suddenly raised his hand, raging flames swept across Liu Yu¡¯s neck like a knife. In that electrifying moment, Liu Yu only felt that the back of her collar tightened, which dragged her back a few steps and allowed her to narrowly avoid the fatal blow. ¡°Are you crazy?! Don¡¯t you know he¡¯s a monster?!¡± Shen Mu Yue¡¯s scolding sounded from behind her. Liu Yu turned her head slightly and glanced at Shen Mu Yue blankly: ¡°Senior sister¡­I¡­¡± It was just that she had never thought that Feng Lai would hurt her. However, before these words were spoken, a mouthful of warm blood suddenly rushed out of her mouth, startling Shen Mu Yue: ¡°Liu Yu!¡± Liu Yu was also surprised: ¡°Why¡­¡± Before she could finish her words, she suddenly felt weak, her legs became jelly, and she fell into Shen Mu Yue¡¯s arms. She was panting heavily, clutching her chest. It felt like there was a fire burning within her thoracic cavity, making it very difficult to bear. ¡°Where does it hurt?¡± When Shen Mu Yue checked her neck, she only saw a red scald on her neck and no other wounds anywhere else. However, Liu Yu appeared to be in great pain, clutching her chest unable to say a word. Shen Mu Yue became anxious, when she saw her close her eyes, she called her name constantly. In her anxious state, a person suddenly knelt down beside her. Shen Mu Yue¡¯s entire body froze all over. She just wanted to escape with Liu Yu, but she never thought that a pair of hands that were still soft and tender grabbed Liu Yu¡¯s hand tightly. Those hands looked like they were taking away the scorching heat from within Liu Yu¡¯s body, allowing Liu Yu¡¯s breathing to gradually become smoother. The blazing flames all around were also slowly extinguished. Shen Mu Yue frowned, her eyes still on guard. She turned her head to stare at Feng Lai, only to see that the teenager¡¯s head was lowered. As his tears fell one after another onto Liu Yu¡¯s hands, he kept apologizing: ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it, I didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡± He was so terrified like a criminal who was about to be executed. Shen Mu Yue was stunned. However, when she saw that Liu Yu¡¯s breathing had stabilized and that Feng Lai was currently like this, she simply turned her head and asked the group of people who were surrounded by the flames: ¡°What¡¯s happened?!¡± Of the five people, one had fainted from the stifling smoke, while the remaining four were all paralyzed, sitting on the ground. One of them said with a trembling voice: ¡°We¡­ We just wanted to question what the Demon Sovereign was doing nowadays.¡± He appeared to still have some lingering fears, ¡°But we only said a few bad things about the Demon Sovereign¡­ Did we deserve to die for such a sin?¡± Shen Mu Yue was silent for a moment, then she turned to look at Feng Lai again. Feng Lai did not even utter a word of explanation, he just stared intently at Liu Yu. It was as if everything else had nothing to do with him. After seeing Liu Yu¡¯s closed eyes trembled slightly, his breathing lightened, as if he was afraid of scaring Liu Yu. ¡°Was it really like that?¡± Liu Yu asked weakly as she opened her eyes and looked at Feng Lai, ¡°This was¡­ The reason you wanted to kill them for?¡± Feng Lai was momentarily stunned. He looked into her eyes for a long time, then he lowered his head and said: ¡°They also said bad things about you¡­¡± This moment should have been a lesson to teach him. However, when Feng Lai said it like this, Liu Yu suddenly seemed to have lost all the reasons to teach him a lesson. It was because of her that this child became so angry¡­ Liu Yu struggled to sit up. When she looked around, she sighed: ¡°Even so, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± Liu Yu looked at him quietly: ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The situation had already developed to this point, therefore, everyone else had nothing to say. Feng Lai was a demon beast created by Liu Ming, so no one had the qualifications to punish him, not even Liu Yu. Being able to get an apology, compared to those fellow disciples who were eaten by other demon beasts, was already too good to be true. Shen Mu Yue asked Liu Yu softly: ¡°Can you still walk?¡± Liu Yu nodded. Shen Mu Yue did not waste any time, she stood up and immediately arranged manpower to clean the scene and treat the wounded. Liu Yu looked at Shen Mu Yue¡¯s back quietly, then she said emotionally: ¡°If one day, Senior Sister is able to be in a position of power, she will be very capable and fearless.¡± ¡°Go back and rest.¡± Shen Mu Yue said these words lightly and walked away. As Liu Yu looked at Shen Mu Yue¡¯s back getting further away, she laughed. When she wanted to stand up, she noticed that her legs were still weak. Feng Lai, who was next to her, squatted down silently and presented his back to Liu Yu. For a moment, Liu Yu was stunned, but then she smiled. Without any reservations, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry herself up. ¡°Feng Lai.¡± Leaving the front courtyard and walking on the quiet path, Liu Yu asked softly, ¡°Why¡­ Why did you hurt me? You couldn¡¯t control it?¡± Feng Lai¡¯s footsteps immediately stopped: ¡°Is your body¡­ Still feeling unwell?¡± Liu Yu was stunned, then she immediately smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right now.¡± Feng Lai was silent for a moment: ¡°At that time, when I heard what they were saying, I just felt very angry. Then after that, I didn¡¯t know what happened.¡± His voice became melancholic, ¡°It was like I¡­ Became another person.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not another person.¡± Liu Yu noticed his unease, and one of her hands that was hugging his neck slid down a little, so that the palm of her hand was on his chest. Then she patted his chest lightly, ¡°You¡¯re just too powerful and you can¡¯t control it yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very powerful?¡± He hesitated for a moment, then asked, ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°In regards to having powerful strength, I can¡¯t say whether I like it or dislike it.¡± Liu Yu pondered about her next words, then she said, ¡°It¡¯s like a blade, I can¡¯t say that I like it, but if it¡¯s used to slice vegetables, I will be happy when I see it. But if it¡¯s used to kill people, I will naturally feel fear when I see it. It¡¯s the same concept in regards to your power, you can use it to kill or to protect. Do you understand?¡± Feng Lai thought about it for a while: ¡°If I protect you, then you¡¯ll like me, is that what you mean?¡± ¡°Mhm¡­ You can pretty much say it like that.¡± Feng Lai nodded and no longer said anything else. On a sunny afternoon, after Liu Yu had recovered, she got busy tidying up another room in her courtyard. Then she moved all of Feng Lai¡¯s things into that room. During that time, Liu Yu also asked Feng Lai to come help her. Feng Lai silently finished what Liu Yu had him do. Finally, when Liu Yu looked at the tidy room, she informed him with a smile: ¡°Okay, starting from today, you will move out of my room and live here.¡± Feng Lai had been living in Liu Yu¡¯s room for a while. At first, it was because he was small and she was too lazy to clean up another room. However, now that Feng Lai had grown so big, it would be inappropriate for them to live together like that. Feng took a look around the room, then looked at Liu Yu: ¡°Me, I¡¯m moving out?¡± ¡°Mhm, tonight, you¡¯re sleeping here.¡± Feng Lai looked at the expression on Liu Yu¡¯s face, as if to confirm whether she was angry or had other emotions, but what he saw was just Liu Yu¡¯s happy smile after finishing something. She¡­ Did not want to be together with him¡­ For a moment, the deepest and softest part of his heart seemed to be struck by something, which made him purse his lips up and involuntarily take a step back. Liu Yu was puzzled: ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Feng Lai did not look up at her, he just nodded and said: ¡°Mhm, I like it.¡± Liu Yu patted him on the shoulder and returned to her own room. She closed the door, blocking Feng Lai¡¯s seeking gaze from outside. The corners of Feng Lai¡¯s lips moved as he finally lowered his head and whispered: ¡°Actually¡­I don¡¯t like it.¡± That night, Liu Yu tossed and turned on the bed and never fell asleep. For over a month, there was another sound of breathing accompanying her to sleep. Today¡¯s sudden absence made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. It was unknown how late it was in the middle of the night, when Liu Yu, who had not fallen asleep, suddenly heard a ¡°click¡± at the door. She rolled over and sat up. She walked gingerly to the door and pulled the door open abruptly. Suddenly, the boy, who was leaning against the door fast asleep, fell into the room on his head which woke him up from his beautiful dream. As he wiped the corner of his mouth, he raised his eyes to look at Liu Yu, but did not dare to speak. Liu Yu crouched down in confusion and looked him in the eye: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go back to your own room to sleep?¡± Feng Lai was silent for a long time. Finally, he looked up at Liu Yu: ¡°Are you still angry that I hurt you last time?¡± Liu Yu was taken aback: ¡°I¡¯m not angry, not at all. But¡­ Why did you suddenly mention this?¡± ¡°Then do you hate me?¡± Liu Yu scratched her head: ¡°Not at all.¡± Feng Lai¡¯s eyes looked down, feeling somewhat wronged: ¡°Then why did you kick me out?¡± Immediately, Liu Yu understood and laughed: ¡°It¡¯s not because of hate or anger. I¡¯m having you live in another room because you¡¯ve grown up. We are different, a man and a woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still young.¡± Hearing such a phrase, Liu Yu did not know whether to laugh or cry: ¡°You¡¯re already so big!¡± Feng Lai appeared to be extremely disappointed: ¡°How on earth can I still live together with you when I¡¯m completely grown?¡± ¡°About this¡­¡± Liu Yu pinched his nose, ¡°You can marry me, then.¡± ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ The author has something to say: The Side Story of Feng Lai is divided into beginning, middle and ending~ Tomorrow, I will update the ending~~ CH 80 Ch 80 ~ Side Story of Feng Lai (Ending) Editor & Translator: Sonrisa t.n.t ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ Feng Lai looked at Liu Yu blankly: ¡°What does marry mean?¡± Liu Yu smiled and patted his head lightly: ¡°This can only be understood through experience and cannot be described in words. When it¡¯s time for you to understand it, then you will naturally understand it. So before you understand it, obediently go back and sleep in your room.¡± Feng Lai did not make a move to leave. Liu Yu looked at him for a very long time. Finally, she sighed as if admitting defeat: ¡°Okay, I will stay with you until you fall asleep. Come, let¡¯s go back to your room.¡± She took Feng Lai¡¯s hand and went toward his room. However, Feng Lai just stood still and did not move even a little bit. With his red pupils, he looked at Liu Yu silhouetted against the moonlight, ¡°Then I won¡¯t sleep.¡± If he did not fall asleep, then Liu Yu would always be with him. Startled, Liu Yu looked into the teenager¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, she felt that she had raised this child to be too dependent on her¡­ The matter about sleeping separately, Liu Yu was really adamant about it, even though Feng Lai stuck himself to Liu Yu for a few days. After thinking about it, Liu Yu felt that maybe Feng Lai¡¯s world was too monotonous. Apart from her, there was nothing else. Therefore, Liu Yu caught a bird and gave it to Feng Lai. Originally, the tiny bird was meant to be something for Feng Lai to play with, but Liu Yu did not expect him to be so happy after getting it that he no longer pestered her as much. Liu Yu was very pleased, but after a few days, the tiny bird suddenly passed away. It was probably because the tiny bird could not withstand the demon beast aura on Feng Lai¡¯s body, which was becoming more powerful by the day. Feng Lai cupped the tiny bird¡¯s body in his hands and went looking for Liu Yu: ¡°Liu Yu, what¡¯s wrong with it? Why doesn¡¯t it move and doesn¡¯t look at me anymore?¡± Feng Lai¡¯s eyes were so sad that Liu Yu could not bear to look into his eyes. She stroked Feng Lai¡¯s head and said, ¡°The little birdie is dead.¡± Feng Lai looked at her: ¡°What does dead mean?¡± ¡°It simply means that it will no longer move, it will no longer be able to open its eyes to look at you.¡± Liu Yu explained to him, ¡°It means that¡­ It¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably¡­ Because you can¡¯t control your own power yet.¡± With a blank expression, Feng Lai did not ask Liu Yu anything else. He just buried the tiny bird with her. Since then, Feng Lai never raised another tiny bird again, never bothered Liu Yu to have her sleep next to him again. Feng Lai¡¯s power was still growing, so Liu Ming ordered Liu Yu to take Feng Lai to the place where the domesticated demon beasts lived every day. As such, Feng Lai would be familiar with the other demon beasts and learn how to subdue them. Although Liu Yu was still worried, she recalled the power of his flames. Therefore, she still took Feng Lai there, but she followed close to Feng Lai¡¯s side, fearing that when the demon beasts came, one of them would accidentally hurt Feng Lai. However, in the end, Liu Yu did not expect that the one who got wounded was herself, and the one who got protected¡­ Was also herself. When the barrier made of raging flames unfolded around her, Feng Lai stared at the demon beasts outside the barrier with blood-red eyes. Outside the barrier, those bloodthirsty demon beasts surrounded them. While clutching her arm that was slashed by a demon beast due to her carelessness, Liu Yu said through gritted teeth: ¡°I was too careless.¡± She looked at the little demons that were burnt to ashes by Feng Lai with a sigh, ¡°These animals have already detected the scent of blood, so I¡¯m afraid that it won¡¯t be a good day.¡± Outside, there were at least dozens of demon beasts staring at her and Feng Lai. Once they found an opportunity, they would pounce on her and Feng Lai and devour them both completely. Liu Yu frowned; Feng Lai was not completely grown yet, so it was inevitable that he would be at a disadvantage compared to so many of the other demon beasts¡­ She was anxious, but then she saw Feng Lai turn his head to glance at her: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± He said, ¡°No matter what, I will get you out of here.¡± As the firelight illuminated the teenager¡¯s overly beautiful face, Liu Yu¡¯s heart suddenly throbbed. She turned her head away hurriedly and scolded herself for this inexplicable moment. When she came back to herself, she still wanted to discuss the next step with Feng Lai. However, Liu Yu saw Feng Lai walking out of the barrier of the raging flames. Before Liu Yu could even shout, Feng Lai waved his hand and a huge raging flame burst out from his palm, burning a black path on the ground. No matter if it was demon beasts or trees in front of him, they were all completely burnt by this blow. Obviously, for the current Feng Lai, using such a large amount of power was still extremely exhausting. Therefore, his flame barrier weakened a lot. Feng Lai turned his head back, and before he could say ¡°let¡¯s go,¡± he suddenly saw something black pierce through his flame barrier. From behind, it struck Liu Yu¡¯s waist and wrapped her entire body up. Feng Lai¡¯s pupils immediately constricted. His probing hand reached out to grab Liu Yu, but that long black thing was just a little faster than his movements, dragging Liu Yu and pulling her outside the barrier. It turned out to be a frog-looking demon beast, and that long black thing was the frog¡¯s tongue! It dragged Liu Yu back into its mouth. Feng Lai only heard a ¡°glug-glug,¡± did not even hear Liu Yu make a sound, and she was swallowed by it. Dazedly, Feng Lai froze in place. The frog did not look at Feng Lai again, it simply turned around and jumped away. ¡°Stop!¡± Feng Lai¡¯s voice was hoarse like a malicious spirit from hell, ¡°Stop!¡± His figure flashed and in an instant, the jumping frog was suddenly torn in half in mid-air. As its belly was ripped open, its internal organs splattered to the ground. Among the watery blood, there was something struggling under the weight of the frog¡¯s skin and flesh. Feng Lai rushed forward, used his sharp claws to slice open its flesh, and carefully pulled Liu Yu out. ¡°Liu Yu¡­¡± As his voice trembled, his reddened eyes broke into pieces of glistening stars. ¡°Hack!¡± Laying on the ground, Liu Yu coughed heartwrechingly. ¡°Liu Yu¡­¡± Helplessly, he looked like he was about to cry, ¡°You¡­¡± He wanted to grab Liu Yu¡¯s hand, but he was afraid that he would hurt her by holding onto it too tightly. Gradually, he came to understand that Liu Yu was different from him. When he got injured, he felt no pain. The injury would even heal quickly. However, this was not possible for Liu Yu. Compared to him, Liu Yu was almost like she was made of porcelain, so easy to break, ¡°Are you gonna die soon¡­¡± Liu Yu¡¯s body was completely covered in the demon frog¡¯s digestive juices. The digestive juices were poisonous, making it difficult for her to breathe. Her fingers quickly twirled a heart-protecting spell to protect her heart¡¯s arteries and veins. She turned her head to look at him, but was momentarily stunned. Feng Lai looked panic-stricken and helpless, just like that day when he came to her with the tiny bird¡¯s dead body. In the deepest part of his eyes, he was completely at his wits¡¯ end. Just like that, Liu Yu became heartbroken. ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± She tried to calm her breathing, ¡°I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ve taken the Immortality Pill. I can¡¯t grow old and I can¡¯t die.¡± With all her might, she raised her hand to touch Feng Lai¡¯s cheek, ¡°So, don¡¯t show this expression on your face, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± The muscles on Feng Lai¡¯s face trembled uncontrollably. Even the frog¡¯s lumps of flesh were trembling on the ground as if they were about to recover. Feng Lai¡¯s eyes immediately turned cold. Suddenly a cluster of flames emerged out of nowhere, burning the flesh to ashes. He picked up Liu Yu bridal-style, and turned around to stare at the demon beasts behind him. A suffocating energy overflowed from his body, which shocked the demon beasts, making them retreat to the side. Only then did Feng Lai look down at Liu Yu: ¡°I¡¯m taking you back.¡± In an instant, the words that he said softened immediately. While Liu Yu, who was held in Feng Lai¡¯s arms, just realized that this child had grown again without her knowledge¡­ Following the course of time, it had only been two months since Feng Lai was created, and after half a month, Feng Lai¡¯s appearance was no different from that of an ordinary young man. When he stood next to Liu Yu, they resembled a couple. Gradually, gossip about Liu Yu and Feng Lai had spread among the disciples. It was not because Liu Yu had never heard about the gossip, she just did not want to pay attention to it. Or¡­ It was because she could not deny that she did seem to have strange thoughts about Feng Lai and could not control it herself. While at the same time, the oppositional forces in court grew stronger and stronger, but Liu Ming ignored them completely. A few days later, the domesticated demon beasts escaped from the place where they lived and killed hundreds of people. The elders in court were furious. Hundreds of officials and Liu Ming¡¯s disciples wrote a petition to him, asking him to exterminate the demon beasts, but Liu Ming ignored them. Due to this, Shen Mu Yue broke off her master and disciple relationship with Liu Ming and went to discuss the eradication of the demon beasts with the other opposers. At this moment, Liu Yu¡¯s heart was also shaken. Finally, she decided to find a time to go see Liu Ming, have a real discussion with him, and persuade him. However, no matter where she went, she could not find Liu Ming. She had no choice but to give up. On this very day, Feng Lai also disappeared. It was not until the next day that Feng Lai came back from outside covered in blood. Astonished, Liu Yu looked at the blood on his clothes: ¡°This is¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°Liu Ming told me to command the demon beasts and kill all the opposers.¡± Liu Yu suddenly felt weak from head to toe. Her knees immediately softened and she fell on the chair. Feng Lai hurriedly stepped forward to support her, crouching on the ground and looking up at her, saying eagerly, ¡°I didn¡¯t listen to him. Liu Yu, don¡¯t panic. I have always remembered your words, so I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± Only then did Liu Yu¡¯s eyes clearly see the frown on Feng Lai¡¯s face: ¡°All of this blood¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± He said lightly, ¡°Liu Ming was very angry and sliced me with a blade, but it didn¡¯t matter, the wound had already healed, and I didn¡¯t feel any pain.¡± Liu Yu grabbed onto Feng Lai¡¯s sleeve and looked at the blood all over his body. She thought about the amount of cuts he had to suffer at that time. She thought about the pain that was drilled into his bone marrow: ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to dodge it, you¡­¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s your master, I can¡¯t listen to his other demands, but if it¡¯s just a few strikes, then it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°It does matter!¡± Liu Yu bent down, grabbed her sleeve, and wiped the bloodstains off his face. The more she wiped, the more her hand trembled, ¡°Next time, you have to dodge it. No matter who hurts you, dodge it. If you can¡¯t dodge it, then do everything possible to protect yourself. Do you understand?¡± Seeing the pain in Liu Yu¡¯s eyes, Feng Lai looked at her calmly: ¡°When I¡¯m injured, Liu Yu feels hurt?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She stared into his eyes and said sternly, ¡°Yes.¡± At such a close distance, with such clear eyes, Feng Lai could hear his uncontrollable heart beating wildly. For some unknown reason, he suddenly stepped forward and lightly touched Liu Yu¡¯s lips with his lips, and then his face turned red first: ¡°I won¡¯t make Liu Yu feel hurt.¡± Before his voice faded away, he turned around and left, leaving Liu Yu alone in the room, covering her lip in stunned silence. In the evening, a knock was heard on the door. Feng Lai came in and saw that Liu Yu was still sitting in the same position from this morning. He was slightly taken aback: ¡°Liu Yu, you haven¡¯t left your room all day nor eaten anything.¡± He placed the tray in his hand on the table. As if she was awakened by the sound, Liu Yu turned her head to glance at him. Feng Lai had already changed into clean clothes. While he stood beside her, he handed her a pair of chopsticks. Liu Yu took the chopsticks, she looked at the food, but did not start to eat. It was as if she pondered for a long time, then looked at Feng Lai: ¡°Do you- do you¡­¡± The words lingered on her lips, but she could not utter them. Feng Lai crouched down and slightly raised his face up to look into Liu Yu¡¯s eyes: ¡°I like you.¡± He said, ¡°In the past few days, I have heard a lot of words. I understand what it means to marry. I also understand what it means to like. Liu Yu, I like you. I only like you. What about you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The child that she raised suddenly confessed to her and immediately threw the question right back at her, Liu Yu did not know how to answer, ¡°I¡­¡± Her hesitation made Feng Lai doubt himself, and a look of disappointment slowly appeared within his eyes. Liu Yu¡¯s heart immediately ached. She stopped sitting on the stool. She stopped making Feng Lai look up at her. Instead, she crouched down opposite him. She took Feng Lai¡¯s hand and placed it on her heart, letting him feel her wildly beating heart. She said: ¡°If you can¡¯t stand even the tiniest bit of that person¡¯s grievance and sadness, that means that you like that person, then I must feel the same way as you¡­¡± Feng Lai¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He gazed at her, and the smile on his lips could not be contained. ¡°I like you!¡± He swooped forward and took Liu Yu into his arms, ¡°I like you!¡± He kissed Liu Yu¡¯s lips, but it was only a touching of lips without any other movements. Finally, he asked suddenly, ¡°Liu Yu, when I marry you, I can sleep with you again?¡± Liu Yu¡¯s heart was beating like a drum: ¡°Yes¡­ You can.¡± The next day, Liu Yu became Feng Lai¡¯s wife. It was just that no one held a wedding for them and no one came to congratulate them. The both of them did not even wear the formal attire that newlyweds should wear. In a place that only the two of them knew, they became a married couple. After the third month since Feng Lai was created, there was a lot of opposition in court. Liu Ming approached Feng Lai again. Feng Lai still did not listen to him. Liu Ming was furious and withdrew his sword to kill Feng Lai. However, he was no longer going to be obediently beaten. Grudgingly, Liu Ming flicked his sleeve and left abruptly. Within the next few days, Fu Sheng was created to replace Feng Lai. Fu Sheng was indeed much easier to control than Feng Lai. However, Fu Sheng still did not have Feng Lai¡¯s formidable powers. If he wanted to control the demon beast, then it was very likely that he still lacked strength. Liu Ming thought of every possible method to develop a medicine that would simply make Feng Lai a puppet. At this time, someone in court reported the chaos with the demon beasts to the Heaven Realm. The heavenly generals and troops descended into the lower realm, but they were outmatched and outnumbered by thousands of demon beasts. Then, not long after, the Heavenly Emperor asked the Divine Sovereign, Xing Zhi, to descend into the lower realm. Liu Ming became impatient and put the unfinished medicine into Feng Lai¡¯s drinking water. After taking the medicine, Feng Lai fell unconscious. The Divine Sovereign, Xing Zhi, used the power of one person to stop thousands of demon beasts, captured Feng Lai, beheaded Liu Ming, and established the Ruins of Heavenly Poles¡­ In the darkness, the noises drifted further and further away. When Shen Li opened her eyes, she saw the moonlight coming in from the window. She was momentarily confused about where she was currently at. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xing Zhi, who was beside her, placed his hand on her waist and asked with a hoarse voice that was beginning to wake up, ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Shen Li shook her head: ¡°I dreamt of them¡­¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Many people.¡± Shen Li said, ¡°It was a very long dream.¡± She said softly, as if she could see Liu Yu standing alone with her growing belly. Among the chaos of war, Liu Yu was struggling arduously across rivers and mountains. When she finally reached the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, she kept watch over the entrance hoping to see Feng Lai on the other side, but in the end, she died outside the entrance separated from Feng Lai. Her bones were buried into the yellow sand. Shen Li closed her eyes and suddenly remembered the moment when Feng Lai opened his eyes in the Ruins of Heavenly Poles, and released that extremely hot sigh, which hid his longing for a millennia. To him, this millennia was just a big dream. However, after he woke up from the dream, he lost his most precious thing. Therefore¡­ In the end, did he step back into the Ruins of Heavenly Poles without a second thought? Maybe it was to save her, the daughter who he had never met, or maybe it was to just follow in Liu Yu¡¯s footsteps¡­ However, no matter what it was, no one could verify it. All of it was buried in the disappearing Ruins of Heavenly Poles¡­ ¡°Xing Zhi.¡± She turned sideways, placed her head close to Xing Zhi¡¯s side, and also reached out to hug his waist, ¡°Tomorrow, let¡¯s go to the Demon Realm and see.¡± ¡°Mhm?¡± ¡°I want to go see the place where they left, one more time.¡± ~~~~~ The author has something to say: The Side Story of Feng Lai ends here~ The online serialization part also ends here~~~~ Ah Jiu will also write a side story about Shen Li and the Divine Sovereign, Xing Zhi, around 10,000 words, which may involve a cluster of small grapes~ This side story will not be published online, but will appear in the published book edition~ It is said that the review of the publishing market has been relatively strict recently, and the literary works involving the subject of gods, demons, and monsters are relatively low, so the publication may take some time. Additionally, a new pit is under construction, but because Ah Jiu is currently looking for an internship, the opening time of the new pit is uncertain. If the pit is opened, it will definitely be declared on Weibo. Please support me at that time~~~ *pit ¨C new book project (?) Finally, after finishing the first 280,000-word text, Ah Jiu expressed her great relief and joy~ Thank you for your support along the way~ Accept my bow CH 81 Ch 81 ~ Side Story 2 ~ Wedding Editor & Translator: Sonrisa t.n.t ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ It was noon and Xing Zhi was cooking in the kitchen, while Shen Li was practicing with a short spear in the yard. When Xing Zhi had all the food served on the table, without him needing to call out to Shen Li, she immediately put away the spear and with a few quick steps, she arrived at the dining table and sat down. When she saw that there was meat, she jabbed it with her chopsticks. As Xing Zhi held his rice bowl, he scrutinized Shen Li from across the table. Suddenly, he said: ¡°Shen Li, do you think we are a little out of harmony?¡± Shen Li quickly gobbled up the food in her mouth and blinked fixedly at him: ¡°Nope, our yin and yang are at peace, so we¡¯re very harmonious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incorrect,¡± Xing Zhi said solemnly, ¡°Where do you think you have the look of femininity?¡± As Shen Li put down her bowl and chopsticks, her expression was just as unflinching, ¡°What I meant was, you are yin and I am yang. Our yin and yang are at peace, so we¡¯re very harmonious.¡± Xing Zhi finally could not continue bluffing and broke into a smile: ¡°That¡¯s not bad either.¡± The two were chatting happily when they heard a thumping knock on the door outside their residence. Shen Li looked at Xing Zhi: ¡°The people from the Heaven Realm are looking for you again?¡± When Xing Zhi declined to make a comment, a girl¡¯s crisp-sounding yell came from outside the door, ¡°Is this the home of the Azure Sky King and the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi? I¡¯m the Northernmost Snow Mountain¡¯s Lady Jin¡¯s servant.¡± ¡°Lady Jin?¡± Shen Li was stunned. They have been in the Mortal Realm for twenty years. In these twenty years, they practically did not have anything to do with Lady Jin. The news about her, no matter how small, was still heard from other people. It was said through the grapevine that after Lady Jin had parted with them, she tracked down that evil energy of hers to the Mortal Realm. No one knew if she found her evil energy or not, but no one expected that she would find a man that she was fond of. However, this man was an immortal cultivator, influenced by the fallacies of the immortal sects in the Mortal Realm; his mind was somewhat contentedly wooden. He was very devoted to the concept that human beings and spirit beings were from different paths. Therefore, he refused to accept Lady Jin. Lady Jin was also a very devoted person; she stayed by that man¡¯s side for twenty years. In the Mortal Realm, she made such a disturbance that everyone in the immortal sects knew all about it. Shen Li heard about it while engaging in idle gossip with the bordering land immortals. So far, Lady Jin¡¯s courtship had not been fruitful, so why did she suddenly send someone here? Perhaps she wanted Shen Li and Xing Zhi to give her a hand? With a doubtful mind, Shen Li put the bowl down and went to open the door. At the door¡¯s entrance, a little girl in her teens was standing there. She looked up at Shen Li, bowed and saluted: ¡°Hello, my lord. I¡¯m here to deliver the invitation for my master.¡± ¡°Invitation.¡± Baffled, Shen Li asked. ¡°She also celebrates birthdays?¡± She could even keep count of her own age¡­ Shen Li took the red invitation from the little girl and opened it. All at once, Shen Li¡¯s entire body was shocked, ¡°She-she¡¯s getting married?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°With that rumored Taoist priest?¡± Shen Li read the invitation again and again, ¡°Next month?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Shen Li was silent. These two people have made such great progress, but she did not hear any of those bored land immortals talking about it. It could only mean that this matter was really sudden, so the news about it had not spread. Once again, the little girl gave Shen Li another bow and said: ¡°The master has specifically ordered me to tell the King and the Divine Sovereign this, please remember to bring the stars from the Outer Bounds of Heaven. You have owed her for several decades.¡± Then the little girl respectfully took her leave. After Shen Li closed the door, she took the invitation into the room and placed it on the table: ¡°The Outer Bounds of Heaven has already collapsed, where can we go to find stars for her?¡± Without a change of expression, Xing Zhi kept eating: ¡°Just pick up some stones.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good¡­ After all, it¡¯s Lady Jin, who¡¯s getting married. It only happens once every tens of thousands of years.¡± ¡°Shen Li, do you know what the stars in the Outer Bounds of Heaven look like in your hand?¡± Shen Li shook her head, while Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°That¡¯s just it. Give her some stones and tell her that these are the stars in the Outer Bounds of Heaven. Right now, there¡¯s really no stars left for her to do any comparison. She will still be very happy to receive them.¡± Shen Li clasped her forehead: ¡°The question is not whether or not she will be happy, but rather won¡¯t you feel unconscionable by doing this?¡± Looking at Xing Zhi¡¯s calm eyes, Shen Li halted for a moment, ¡°Whatever, forget that I even asked.¡± She opened the invitation again, ¡°When will we set off? Can your body withstand the freezing cold of the snow-capped mountains?¡± ¡°In any case, I have the body of a deity.¡± Xing Zhi smiled and looked at Shen Li, ¡°You should know how healthy my body is.¡± Immediately, Shen Li¡¯s cheeks flushed red and she coughed lightly, ¡°No matter how good it is, it¡¯s not as satisfyingly fast as before. We should leave a little early. I haven¡¯t seen Lady Jin for so many years, I miss her terribly.¡± However, marriage? Shen Li stared at the invitation and frowned. She really could not associate Lady Jin, the one in her memory, with the word marriage. Shen Li had always thought that Lady Jin should be a woman who was always free and happy, untouchable from the mundane world. How could she be associated with such a mundane thing? ~~~~~ Above the snow-capped mountains, a cold wind with magic was blowing as always. Xing Zhi did not care about his dignity; he just kept adding more clothes onto himself along the way. From the foot of the mountain to halfway up the mountain, he was already wrapped up in four to five jackets with a large fox fur coat on the outermost layer. From a distance, he looked like a snowball. However, Shen Li was only wearing a single coat. She gazed at the endless mountain road in front of her, then she turned back to look at Xing Zhi, whose lips were slightly blue from the freezing cold. As her heart ached, she could not help but criticize: ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were in good health?¡± Xing Zhi sighed helplessly, ¡°I thought you would understand it when I added a few more clothes onto myself.¡± He glanced at Shen Li rather aggrievedly. Then he untied his fox fur coat, opened his jackets, and embraced Shen Li into his arms, ¡°I¡¯m cold, don¡¯t you know how to take the initiative to fawn over me?¡± He wrapped Shen Li in his loose jackets and complained softly, ¡°So unromantic.¡± The temperature from Shen Li¡¯s body quickly made his clothes nice and warm. Even though they had been together for a long time, Shen Li¡¯s face still got red: ¡°It¡¯s not easy to walk like this.¡± She struggled slightly. Before Xing Zhi could speak, a gust of wind suddenly passed by before him. Lady Jin in a wedding dress abruptly appeared in front of the two of them. Seeing Shen Li and Xing Zhi in compromising positions, she feigned shyness and covered her face: ¡°Oh, my, my, I haven¡¯t seen you, my little sis, for so many years. As soon as you appear, you make my humble self jealous.¡± Shen Li gently pushed Xing Zhi away. Xing Zhi had no other choice but to let her go, he said disappointedly: ¡°The jacket is no longer nice and warm.¡± Seeing this person with an indifferent face acting like a spoiled child, the corners of Shen Li¡¯s lips quirked up. Lady Jin covered her lips and laughingly said, ¡°It¡¯s all my humble self¡¯s fault for allowing the Divine Sovereign to freeze. But who told my humble self to be anxious? After so many years, my humble self misses my little sis very much.¡± After saying that, she took a few steps down the stairs and lifted Shen Li¡¯s hand up, stroking it again and again, ¡°It¡¯s still a woman¡¯s hand that feels the most comfortable to the touch. I heard that my little sis has been living in the Mortal Realm for the past few years. How¡¯s life?¡± As Lady Jin kept chattering on incessantly, Shen Li was keenly aware of the weak aura in her body and held her wrist in return. Xing Zhi¡¯s health had always been poor. So, when she was in the Mortal Realm, Shen Li also learned some medical skills to a certain extent. When Shen Li explored her pulse, she frowned: ¡°Why is the aura in your body so weak?¡± Lady Jin¡¯s smile did not change, as she pushed Shen Li¡¯s hand away seamlessly: ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve been busy recently, so it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± She did not wait for Shen Li to respond and said to Xing Zhi, ¡°The Divine Sovereign doesn¡¯t look as good as before, hmm. Let¡¯s not stay too long in this snowstorm; I¡¯ll take you all to the manor now.¡± Lady Jin¡¯s place was still the same as before. She was only open for people to do business at certain times of every day. Lady Jin used an array to send Shen Li and Xing Zhi to the main hall where business transactions took place. The hall was resplendent, bustling with noise and excitement than ever before. When everyone in the hall saw Lady Jin suddenly appear with two other people, they all stopped their work and stared at them. Lady Jin smiled: ¡°Oh my, my humble self is about to get married, so I can¡¯t let all the guests see me this way. My husband will be jealous.¡± Immediately, the atmosphere in the hall became lively. Someone jokingly said: ¡°Lady Jin, are you really going to get married? In the past three days, I have been coming to do business every day, but I have never seen your husband. Maybe he doesn¡¯t care about you, his wife, at all?¡± ¡°Naturally, it was because my humble self had hidden him, so how can I let you see him?¡± Lady Jin stared at the person, who was just talking, her eyes slightly cold, ¡°Today, these distinguished guests have come by to visit, so we will not be doing business anymore. Please take your leave.¡± For a moment, that person was stunned. Only then did he realize that he had said something wrong and wanted to apologize, but when he saw Lady Jin¡¯s expression, he suddenly felt a chill settle in his heart. He threw the item in his hand away and ran off hastily. The people in the hall were in an uproar for a while, but they all consciously dispersed. Shen Li quietly glanced at Lady Jin and asked: ¡°You¡¯re not forcibly snatching a man?¡± Lady Jin glanced at Shen Li helplessly. Then she immediately released a long sigh: ¡°It¡¯s just coercion and a promise. He and the people in his sect were injured, so my humble self promised to save them if he promised to marry me. This can¡¯t be considered as snatching. Additionally¡­ My humble self instinctively feels that he probably likes me too.¡± Beforehand, Shen Li had heard from the land immortals that Lady Jin had chased that man for more than twenty years and he had never relented. He must be a very stubborn person, who also cared very much about his dignity. Now that he was being coerced by Lady Jin, he must definitely dislike Lady Jin. So, how accurate could Lady Jin¡¯s ¡°instincts¡± be¡­ When Shen Li was about to say a few words of persuasion, she heard Xing Zhi say: ¡°That¡¯s how it should be.¡± His expression was deadly earnest, ¡°That person must like you, or he would never agree to marry you anyway. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. First, you have to cook the rice with him, and then you won¡¯t have to jump around.¡± Xing Zhi¡¯s words shot right into Lady Jin¡¯s heart. Immediately, she chose a fox fur coat off a vendor¡¯s stall next to her and beaming with delight, she presented it to Xing Zhi, ¡°The Divine Sovereign is right. You can take this fox fur coat made from a thousand-year-old snow fox; it¡¯s much more useful than your layers of jackets.¡± Without any ceremony, Xing Zhi accepted the fur coat. Lady Jin laughed squintingly, ¡°My humble self has already arranged a room for you both. You all get there first. After my humble self tidy up the place in here, I¡¯ll go find you, little sis, and explain the entire situation clearly.¡± When Shen Li and Xing Zhi exited the resplendent hall, Shen Li frowningly looked at Xing Zhi, ¡°How do you know that the man likes Lady Jin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Xing Zhi said, ¡°But it¡¯s better to let her pester that man than to let her pester you.¡± Xing Zhi squinted his eyes and smiled, ¡°You are mine.¡± Shen Li commented: ¡°Selfish and shameless.¡± ~~~~~ After Lady Jin ordered the servants to tidy up all the things in the room, she had just left the hall when she saw a maid in a hurry, ¡°Lady, Mister Mu is coughing again.¡± Nervous, Lady Jin hurriedly followed the maid. Stepping into the small Red Plum Courtyard, Lady Jin burst into the room. She saw Mu Zi Chun leaning against the head of the bed, coughing up blood. Without saying a word, Lady Jin stepped forward, grabbed his wrist, and heedlessly sent spiritual energy into Mu Zi Chun¡¯s body. It was not until he stopped coughing and was lying down peacefully, did she feel a sense of relief. With trembling fingertips, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Then Lady Jin closed her eyes and calmly adjusted her inner aura. ¡°Are you unwell?¡± When Lady Jin opened her eyes, the smile on her face was the same as before, ¡°My husband, does this mean your heart aches for my humble self? My humble self is really happy.¡± The eyes of the bedridden person lingered calmly on her face for a moment. Then he immediately turned his eyes away, ¡°Stop imagining that your love is reciprocated.¡± He paused for a moment and then he said, ¡°Before, you said that you had cured the members of my sect, and then you drove them down the mountain. At this moment, can they end up like me?¡± His words were full of doubts. The smile on Lady Jin¡¯s face subsided slightly, ¡°Zi Chun, I disdain lying to people.¡± Lady Jin had never been someone who was fond of explaining, but in Mu Zi Chun¡¯s presence, she had always made an exception, ¡°Those injuries sustained by the members of your sect may be tricky to human beings, but it¡¯s not too much trouble for me. When I said that I cured them, then I wouldn¡¯t lie to you. While you, you¡¯re still lying here, coughing up blood because your injuries are different from theirs.¡± Mu Zi Chun was speechless. Lady Jin¡¯s heart was slightly stung, but the smile on her face brightened, ¡°These words were what I said. My husband, if you don¡¯t believe me, then my humble self is at a loss, too.¡± She got up and left, ¡°It¡¯s not good for your health to stay in this room all the time. Today, the weather is sunny and cloudless. When you have enough rest, go out for a stroll.¡± As Mu Zi Chun¡¯s eyes followed the back of her silhouette, the closed door blocked his vision. Lady Jin could not stand upright any longer and held onto the door frame. Beside her, the maid went forward worriedly. Lady Jin shook her head in refusal. After a while, she regained her strength and walked away. ~~~~~ It was nighttime, the white snow reflected the red plums in the courtyard. Mu Zi Chun walked into the yard wearing a snow-white fox fur coat. The stars in the sky were so bright that they appeared to have been wiped spotlessly. This night sky was rarely seen in the Mortal Realm. Mu Zi Chun could not help but become a little enthralled. Suddenly, he heard whispering voices from outside the courtyard: ¡°Today, there¡¯s a guest. The lady went out to pick the guest up in person.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so rare to see our lady take this so seriously.¡± ¡°I was fortunate enough to have a look from afar. That man is very beautiful. He¡¯s a hundred times more beautiful than the man in this courtyard. His body and his temperament, mmm-mmm. I heard that our lady has a very close relationship with him¡­¡± ¡°Really? Today, this person seems to have made the lady unhappy again. It¡¯s practically every day. No matter how good the lady¡¯s patience is, the lady¡¯s patience will still be worn out. Now that there is another person¡­ Tell me, do you think that this wedding will go as planned?¡± ¡°How can you and I guess what the lady is thinking?¡± The voices gradually faded away through the wall, where a red plum branch passed through from the yard¡¯s wall to the other side. Mu Zi Chun was standing under the plum tree, he reached out and broke off a red plum. He held it in his hand, looking at it. Then he threw it in the snow, stomped on it with his foot, and went back to his room. ~~~~~ Meanwhile, in Shen Li and Xing Zhi¡¯s wing of the courtyard, Lady Jin downed a mouthful of wine and sighed melancholically: ¡°Back then, after I got rid of that evil energy, I reverted back to my true form. That was when he saved me. It was just a slight glimpse! It was that damn glimpse that made my humble self spend twenty years on him!¡± As Shen Li ate, she kept her silence. Whereas, Xing Zhi was drinking tea and listening with relish. Originally, this was supposed to be a welcoming dinner, but it unknowingly became Lady Jin¡¯s complaining session. While drinking, she recounted her past with Mu Zi Chun, and now she started to complain again. ¡°It¡¯s been twenty years; even a stone should already warm up. This mortal is really a thousand-year-old block of ice. Even if I have the True Fire of Samadhi, I can¡¯t thaw him.¡± She leaned on Shen Li, hugging her arm and saying aggrievedly, ¡°Tell me, my humble self has lived for so many years, is it easy to find one that¡¯s pleasing to the eye? I have spent so much blood, sweat, and tears, the heart of my humble self feel so bitter!¡± She rubbed against Shen Li¡¯s shoulder, looking like a coquette. Shen Li put down her chopsticks and asked: ¡°Does he have someone he likes?¡± Thinking of the rather harsh but passionate path between herself and Xing Zhi, Shen Li sighed ruefully, ¡°Or does he have some sort of difficulty that makes it hard for him to be with you.¡± ¡°Do you think that everyone is like the old Divine Sovereign; weighed down with responsibilities and couldn¡¯t fall in love?¡± As if he was being praised, Xing Zhi nodded: ¡°That¡¯s right, not everyone is as patient as I am.¡± Shen Li¡¯s lips twitched. For the past few years, Xing Zhi¡¯s behavior had become more and more shameless¡­ Lady Jin said, sighing: ¡°Mu Zi Chun is just a lump of wood! Those immortal sects from the Mortal Realm have instilled their teachings into his head. He insists on believing that if I am not a part of his race, then I must be different. He always thinks that I have some sort of ulterior motive in getting close to him. Even when I coerced him into marrying me a few days ago, he still asked me in a deadpan way¡­¡± Lady Jin gave an impression of Mu Zi Chun¡¯s frown and seriousness: ¡°In the end, what do you want?¡± Lady Jin slapped the table and shouted: ¡°In the main hall, did you not see the rare treasures that my humble self have? A mortal even had the nerve to ask my humble self what I wanted! But at that time, I wasn¡¯t even angry.¡± Lady Jin reenacted the look she had at that time, softening her expression and smilingly said, ¡°At that time, I replied, ¡®I want you.¡¯ What a sweet reply, no?¡± She paused, her expression changed again. She imitated Mu Zi Chun¡¯s expression and said solemnly: ¡°¡®You¡¯re not even serious! Just babbling nonsense!¡¯ Did you hear that?! Did you hear that?! That¡¯s what he said about me! After he said that, he turned around and left!¡± Shen Li was amused by the many changes in her expression. Lady Jin said aggrievedly: ¡°Do you know how sad I was at that time?!¡± ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you interpret his boring behavior as an expression of shyness?¡± Xing Zhi suddenly said, ¡°I have dealt with a lot of immortals. Those who became immortals with their mortal bodies were mostly taciturn and wooden. They¡¯re very constrained about their own emotions. Maybe, he thinks that you¡¯re just teasing him and he can¡¯t get back at you, so he can only quickly escape. ¡° Lady Jin widened her eyes at Xing Zhi. While Shen Li was frightened by Xing Zhi¡¯s analysis, she had to ask: ¡°In your opinion, what kind of mentality do those mortals have?¡± Xing Zhi whirled the teacup in his hand and smiled: ¡°He doesn¡¯t have someone he loves, nor does he truly hate you. What he can¡¯t let go is just his stubbornness. So, let¡¯s put him to the test. Let¡¯s see what kind of mentality this mortal man has towards you, Lady Jin?¡± Lady Jin looked at Xing Zhi expectantly: ¡°How do we test?¡± Xing Zhi laughed: ¡°You¡¯ve stuck by his side for 20 years, and he¡¯s aloof and indifferent. It may be because he¡¯s used to you being there and has long accepted it. Then, how about if you take back all the things you gave him?¡± Xing Zhi dumped the remaining tea in the teacup onto the ground, ¡°Leave him with nothing. Come, think about what you have given him. Let¡¯s take it back one by one.¡± Seeing the smile in his eyes, the corners of Shen Li¡¯s lips twitched. This guy, was he helping Lady Jin, or¡­Was he thinking that this was fun? What a bellyful of evil tricks¡­ Lady Jin pondered for a while. In the end, she said: ¡°It seems like I have never given him anything.¡± She was at a loss, ¡°But then again, it seems like I have given him everything that I have.¡± These words not only left Shen Li stunned, but even Xing Zhi was stunned. Xing Zhi knew better than anyone what kind of person Lady Jin was. Therefore, for her to say these words so despondently, her love was deeply rooted. Xing Zhi restrained his stunned expression and smilingly said: ¡°Then, let¡¯s take you back. Oh, during this time, you will fall in love with someone else first.¡± Lady Jin asked: ¡°Who?¡± The three people were silent for a moment. Then Xing Zhi sighed: ¡°There¡¯s no other way, then I¡¯ll have to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Shen Li suddenly interrupted Xing Zhi¡¯s words. She shot Xing Zhi a glance, ¡°What¡¯re you looking at? You are mine.¡± After saying that, she flicked a spell and turned into a handsome man. Beside her, she grabbed Lady Jin¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Lady, in the next few days, you¡¯ll love only me.¡± Lady Jin looked sideways at Xing Zhi¡¯s subtle expression. As she covered her lips, she smilingly said: ¡°Didn¡¯t my humble self fall in love with the King long ago?¡± Even as Xing Zhi sighed, there was nothing he could do, so he just let Shen Li do as she pleased. Shen Li was just discussing about some details with Lady Jin again. As the twilight was getting a little darker, Lady Jin was getting a little more clear-headed. She slapped the table and stood up, it was like she had suddenly remembered something, ¡°What time is it now? Tonight, I haven¡¯t checked on Mu Zi Chun yet!¡± Shen Li and Xing Zhi looked at each other quickly. Then Shen Li asked doubtfully: ¡°You go to see him every night?¡± ¡°He¡¯s injured.¡± Xing Zhi commented lightly: ¡°Will he die?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not to that point¡­¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t go.¡± Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°Did you forget what we said just a moment ago? We¡¯re taking it all back and leaving him with nothing. Let¡¯s get started tonight.¡± It was late at night and Lady Jin had just left the wing. Xing Zhi released a sigh: ¡°This drama of helping another person teach her husband a lesson is really not worth it when my wife is caught in the mix.¡± Shen Li raised her eyebrow, ¡°You were clearly teasing her!¡± She paused, ¡°How can I just stand by and watch you play around?¡± ¡°How can this be good?¡± Xing Zhi stood up and embraced Shen Li, who was arranging the sheets at the bed, from behind, ¡°Our upright Azure Sky King has gone bad.¡± ¡°Since the day I met you, I¡¯ve been bad.¡± Shen Li allowed him to embrace her for a while, and then she suddenly asked, ¡°However, will this plan of yours really work?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll work.¡± Xing Zhi said softly, ¡°I understand the sense of loss better than anyone else.¡± ~~~~~ The snowy scenery in the entire garden was just perfect. Mu Zi Chun was standing in the garden surrounded by the overwhelming scent of red plums, making him feel slightly absent-minded. From last night¡­ He had experienced such a rare peaceful day. Since he was brought here by Lady Jin, there was not a moment that went by that he was not pestered by her presence. Suddenly, he acquired a day of freedom. Unexpectedly, he felt disappointed that this peaceful calm made his entire body feel so out of place, even his heart felt absolutely empty. Thinking back on yesterday, when he heard that Lady Jin had personally gone to pick up her guest, he could not prevent his eyes from darkening. Was that her old friend? What was their connection? What was that person like¡­ ¡°The red plum blossoms in the Lady¡¯s courtyard are really gratifying to look at.¡± A man¡¯s clear and lively voice came from the other side of the garden, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t see this scene the last time I was here.¡± ¡°My humble self¡¯s place is an illusion of magic with four rotating seasons to capture the most beautiful sceneries in the world. The last time you were here, the scenery just happened to be late spring and early summer. This time, you get to see the following scenery, which is midwinter. There are still quite a few other sceneries of the four seasons that you haven¡¯t even seen yet.¡± As Lady Jin¡¯s voice became soft and tender, she chuckled lightly, ¡°If Ah Li likes it, then you can stay at my humble self¡¯s place for a long time, how about it?¡± Mu Zi Chun stared fixedly at the path where the voice came from. Slowly, two silhouettes came forth, leisurely strolling through the fine wintry forest. Lady Jin and the man were very close together, looking very intimate. ¡°Ai-ya, Zi Chun.¡± When Lady Jin saw him, her expression was the same as usual, but she did not rush up to grab onto him like before. She just stood beside that man and introduced him: ¡°Ah Li, this is the husband who is going to marry me, Mu Zi Chun.¡± The man raised his eyebrows and sized him up with an inquisitive eye. Mu Zi Chun frowned, feeling a bit resistive towards this type of stare, secretively thinking about the relationship between this person and Lady Jin. Suddenly, he saw that man, whose name was Ah Li, gave a bitter smile, held Lady Jin¡¯s hand, and said: : ¡°Lady Jin, oh, Lady Jin, did you ever blame me for leaving you so heartlessly back then? When we meet again after so many years¡­ You tell me that you¡¯re about to get married¡­ Oh, do you know how much my heart hurts?¡± Wh¡­ What? To hear the other party suddenly blurt out such straightforward words, not only Mu Zi Chun was stunned, but Lady Jin was also stunned. She looked at Shen Li for a long time, until Shen Li stealthily poked her in the back, and that was when she suddenly came back to her senses. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Having lived for so many years, Lady Jin quickly joined the conversation. As her eyes filled with the radiance of spring, she bashfully smiled, ¡°What are you saying, Ah Li? Even in front of Zi Chun.¡± Shen Li slanted her eyes and met Mu Zi Chun¡¯s head-on. The chill in that man¡¯s eyes made Shen Li extremely satisfied. If before, she was still a little uncertain, then at this time, her heart was completely put to rest and she could focus on acting out this drama. She withdrew her eyes and did not look at Mu Zi Chun again. As if he did not exist, she said to Lady Jin: ¡°If your two hearts beat as one, then never mind. However, I have heard people say before that this person¡¯s heart is not partial to you at all, so why force it?¡± Lady Jin was silent, as she was waiting for Mu Zi Chun to refute. However, as expected, there was no sound coming from that side. Lady Jin bowed her head and smiled bitterly. She knew that it would be like this, but she¡­ Still could not help feeling disappointed. ¡°Whether she forced me or not, what does that have to do with you?¡± Mu Zi Chun suddenly said, ¡°Your words went too far.¡± As Lady Jin¡¯s eyes lit up, Shen Li suppressed the smile on her lips with much difficulty, ¡°Oh?¡± She casted a glance at Mu Zi Chun¡¯s clenched fists, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then the rumors are not credible? In fact, you do care about Lady Jin? ¡° Mu Zi Chun said coldly: ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Of course, it has something to do with me.¡± When Shen Li seized Lady Jin¡¯s shoulder, she raised her eyebrows and smiled unbridledly, ¡°The woman I love, how can I allow her to suffer any grievances?¡± The two of them were stunned again. Then Lady Jin¡¯s eyes immediately brightened even more. She looked at Shen Li with admiration: The Azure Sky King was so bold! ¡°Since you don¡¯t treat her with sincerity, then forgive me for offending you. Even if I, Shen Li, have to fight for her, I will take her away from you.¡± Mu Zi Chun¡¯s expression became even colder. He glanced at Lady Jin, but saw that Lady Jin was looking intently at Shen Li. The brilliance in her eyes seemed to say, ¡°Okay, yes, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Suddenly, Mu Zi Chun felt that this kind of gaze was causing him to feel stuffy, which made his fists clenched even tighter. After a while, he sneered, ¡°What were you doing before all this?¡± Shen Li was thinking about how to answer him, but she saw Mu Zi Chun turn around and leave, ¡°You can do whatever you want. In any case, I¡¯m just a prisoner nowadays.¡± Shen Li raised her eyebrows and followed Mu Zi Chun¡¯s back. Seeing his back disappear at the bend of a corner, Lady Jin sighed, ¡°Ah Li, forget it, this is embarrassing me¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s quite effective.¡± Shen Li laughed, ¡°Lady, why don¡¯t we make a bet.¡± ¡°Bet on what?¡± ¡°Before you all get married, Zi Chun will completely surrender. Do you believe it or not?¡± Stunned for a moment, Lady Jin laughed in spite of herself, ¡°I¡¯ve waited twenty years and haven¡¯t even seen him surrender yet¡­ But I hope that I will lose this bet in utter defeat.¡± ¡°This bet will definitely be as you wish.¡± Off to the side, a red plum branch suddenly swayed, shaking off clusters of new snow. The red plum blossoms on the branch changed brilliantly. In an instant, it changed into Xing Zhi. Bundled up in the fox fur coat that Lady Jin gave him yesterday, he breathed out a white puff of air and said, ¡°If you lose, what¡¯re you going to give my Shen Li as a prize for the bet?¡± Shen Li looked at him, ¡°Why¡¯re you turning into plum blossoms here?¡± ¡°If not, how can I see a good show?¡± Xing Zhi replied with a smile and turned his eyes back to Lady Jin. Lady Jin chuckled, ¡°The Divine Sovereign, you¡¯re still the same as before, unwilling to take any losses.¡± She paused for a moment and said: ¡°What kind of rare treasures that you, the Divine Sovereign, have never seen before, it all must not be that rare. However, my humble self just happens to have an ancient relic. When worn on the body, it can help the injured gods regulate their energy and maintain good health. In the past, this thing may not have been well-regarded by the Divine Sovereign¡¯s former self, but right now, it is a great treasure to the Divine Sovereign¡¯s present self. If you, the Divine Sovereign, wear this thing on your body every day, then in the future, it is not impossible for you to regain your former divine powers.¡± Shen Li said excitedly: ¡°Really? Lady Jin, why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?!¡± Lady Jin covered her lips and laughed, ¡°My humble self doesn¡¯t guard against you, little sis. Isn¡¯t my humble self just guarding against the Divine Sovereign of today?¡± Xing Zhi also chuckled, ¡°With such a treasure, I will do my best. In order to make this bet have an earlier outcome, tomorrow, I will also step in.¡± Looking at the people around her, Shen Li sighed, ¡°You actually got to watch the show, and now, you¡¯re taking advantage of the situation. Lady Jin¡¯s loss is not light at all.¡± ~~~~~ The pale slender hand of a young woman in her prime, wearing white robes, brought a white jade teacup up to her lips and took a sip. She curled her index finger slightly, and gently hooked the locks of hair blown by the wind behind her ear. She laughed lightly, ¡°I think Lady Jin is happy to let us take advantage of the situation. After all, she¡¯s the one who benefits in the end.¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes roamed all over Xing Zhi¡¯s face for a while and said, ¡°To be like this today, you are yin and I am yang, which is just like how we used to live together in the past.¡± Being quite cooperative, Xing Zhi leaned on Shen Li and said, still using a light tone, ¡°Can you, Ah Li, adapt to it?¡± Shen Li squintingly smiled, ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Ah Li, do you like it?¡± Shen Li lowered her head and gently covered Xing Zhi¡¯s lips with her own, ¡°I like it.¡± Then without any hesitation, Xing Zhi embraced her back. With poignant emotions, the two of them snuggled against each other just like how they usually did in the small courtyard every day. Suddenly, a murderous aura came towards them. Shen Li did not even bother to frown. She just waved her hand to block and a protective shield made of magic blocked the menacing sharp sword. She exerted a little force, only to hear a loud noise. The attacker was pushed about thirty feet away, he staggered a few steps outside the pavilion before he stood still. Shen Li let go of Xing Zhi and stood up. Together, the two of them looked at the person standing outside the pavilion, only to see Mu Zi Chun¡¯s ashen face, a face like an Asura, ¡°Is this how well you treat Lady Jin?¡± Shen Li turned to look at Xing Zhi behind her, Xing Zhi was also looking at her in return. Suddenly, he hugged her arm. Then he sobbed like a cute, helpless-looking bird: ¡°Ah Li, who is this person? How can he be so vicious?¡± Immediately, Shen Li tingled all over and the corners of her lips twitched. She whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t act too overboard, I can¡¯t endure it¡­¡± Xing Zhi whispered back: ¡°I have faith in you.¡± You should not have faith in me like that¡­ Seeing that the two of them were still whispering intimately in front of him, Mu Zi Chun said sternly: ¡°Such a fickle person like you, who lyingly told her that you won¡¯t let her suffer any grievances. Do you know that what you¡¯re doing today gives her the biggest grievance?¡± ¡°Then let her suffer a grievance once in a while.¡± Mu Zi Chun gritted his teeth, ¡°You¡¯re lying to her.¡± Shen Li raised her eyebrows to look at him, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Mu Zi Chun¡¯s throat choked. Shen Li calmly said: ¡°So what if I¡¯m fickle? So what if I lied to Lady Jin? What does this have to do with you? I only want Lady Jin¡¯s wealth and properties. I¡¯m just deceiving her. After I get all of her prized possessions, I will divorce her¡­¡± ¡°And use her valuables to support a concubine.¡± Xing Zhi added. Shen Li went along with it: ¡°That¡¯s right, and use her valuables to support a concubine. What do these things have to do with you? Don¡¯t you dislike Lady Jin? It just so happens, when I get married to Lady Jin, I¡¯ll definitely let you go. Isn¡¯t this exactly what you want? Why are you so angry?¡± ¡°You bastard.¡± Mu Zi Chun gritted his teeth with hatred. When he was about to raise his sword to attack, he suddenly saw a figure. Lady Jin was standing on another path, staring blankly at him. For no reason at all, Mu Zi Chun panicked and shouted sternly at Lady Jin, afraid that she would be hurt, ¡°This type of person, don¡¯t think about him again!¡± ¡°Then who should I think about?¡± Lady Jin¡¯s voice was unexpectedly calm, ¡°Think about you?¡± Mu Zi Chun was taken aback. Lady Jin looked at Shen Li, ¡°It¡¯s fine to have intentions on me, at least it gives me a chance. It¡¯s better than someone who doesn¡¯t have any intentions on me nor gives me anything in return.¡± The light in Mu Zi Chun¡¯s eyes, little by little, froze into ice, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing right now?¡± ¡°What am I doing?¡± Lady Jin laughed, ¡°Choose a person that I can¡¯t be with. Isn¡¯t this what I did to you? What? Is my humble self only allowed to do this to you? Is my humble self not allowed to do this to another?¡± Mu Zi Chun¡¯s face turned completely pale. ¡°Before, you were so reluctant, and now, you¡¯re almost healed, so just leave. My humble self has been pestering you for so many years. Now, I¡¯ve finally found a way out¡­ I¡¯m letting you go. You¡¯ll return to your immortal sect. You¡¯ll no longer be tormented by me, a demoness.¡± After she said that, she walked towards Shen Li. Shen Li stretched out her hand to stop Lady Jin knowingly and said with a smile: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Lady Jin would have a deep-rooted love for me.¡± Lady Jin did not answer Shen Li¡¯s words, she just looked at Mu Zi Chun from the corner of her eye. She only saw the emotions that looked like anger or pain in his eyes, but he did not say another word to stop her. As the three of them left Mu Zi Chun¡¯s line of sight, Lady Jin smiled bitterly, ¡°Look, I¡¯ve already said it up to this point, but he¡¯s still like that, so I can see that I won this bet. Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi, you can¡¯t win the thing that you want.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure.¡± Xing Zhi said, ¡°When you return, tell the attendants to pack up all of his things, send him down the mountain, and say that you¡¯re going to marry Shen Li and can¡¯t allow an outsider like him to stay. You¡¯ll see if he agrees or not.¡± Shen Li hurriedly said: ¡°This isn¡¯t possible. It was so difficult for Lady Jin to finally bind Mu Zi Chun to her side. It¡¯s okay to say to let him go, but it certainly can¡¯t happen. Otherwise, Lady Jin¡¯s efforts will all go to waste¡­¡± Xing Zhi only looked at Lady Jin, ¡°What do you say?¡± Lady Jin was silent for a moment, ¡°If he wants to leave, I will let him leave. I am really tired. I forced him to get married. I wanted to bind him to my side, but this test that you all did, made my heart feel uncertain. If I have to spend the next thousands of years with someone who doesn¡¯t care about me at all, then I¡¯d rather¡­ Just live by myself, free and easy as before.¡± Shen Li was stunned. ¡°I¡¯ll go tell the attendants to pack his things and send him down the mountain.¡± Even though Lady Jin had a smile on her lips, her eyes were full of disappointment. Shen Li opened her mouth, but nothing came out. ¡°Hey!¡± After Lady Jin left, Shen Li came back to her senses and said regretfully, ¡°I think the two of them have feelings for each other. It¡¯s just that the immortal cultivator is too inflexible and inarticulate¡­ Are we really going to let them miss out on each other like this?¡± ¡°My lord, do you really think that I¡¯ll let things develop like this?¡± Shen Li¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°What bad ideas do you have in mind?¡± Like a stratus cloud floating in a light breeze, Xing Zhi smiled, ¡°You just need to knock Lady Jin unconscious later.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t do it now. Besides, Lady Jin is not wary of you.¡± ~~~~~ After Lady Jin told the servants to pack up Mu Zi Chun¡¯s things, she ordered them to send Mu Zi Chun down the mountain. She did not bother to go send him off, but just sat rigidly in her room. An attendant came to report that the Azure Sky King wanted to see her. Lady Jin had no suspicions as to why she was there. However, as soon as Lady Jin saw Shen Li, she slashed towards her with a blade. Lady Jin only felt darkness settled in front of her eyes and promptly lost consciousness. At the same time, Xing Zhi was standing behind Shen Li. He turned his head back and with his extremely indifferent voice, he said to the attendants, who were completely befuddled: ¡°The Azure Sky King just killed your master. From now on, this Northernmost Snow Territory belongs to the Azure Sky King and you all are also her subordinates.¡± When the attendants heard this, they were dumbfounded, even Shen Li was dumbfounded. The attendants cried out loud and scrambled out of the room. Shen Li hauled Xing Zhi over and asked: ¡°What¡¯re you doing by saying that?¡± As soon as Xing Zhi gave a reassuring smile, the sound of a deafening bell was heard coming from outside. It resounded throughout the Snow Territory for ??thousands of miles. ¡°Hurry up, grab Lady Jin¡¯s neck. Someone will come to take her away later. You can just casually fight back with him and let him take Lady Jin away. Then we just have to wait to get the prize and return home.¡± Still in doubt, Shen Li followed Xing Zhi¡¯s words. Sure enough, like what Xing Zhi just said, within a short period of time, Mu Zi Chun hurriedly came over. When he saw that Shen Li was strangling Lady Jin¡¯s neck with one hand, he attacked like a madman, forcing Shen Li to earnestly block two of his strikes so that he could not hurt her. For a mortal immortal cultivator to be able to achieve this level, he must have used all of his might¡­ When Mu Zi Chun carried Lady Jin away, Shen Li listened to the deep and resounding bell outside, ¡°Did you even think about¡­ How will we deal with the aftermath?¡± ¡°The aftermath?¡± Xing Zhi yawned, ¡°Is that our business, too?¡± ~~~~~ Lady Jin and Mu Zi Chun¡¯s wedding was held as scheduled. Xing Zhi presented Lady Jin a stone that he had picked up from somewhere, and euphemistically called it a fragment of the stars left in the Outer Bounds of Heaven. In return, Lady Jin gave Xing Zhi a piece of jade pendant. Lady Jin¡¯s wedding was done ostentatiously, and Shen Li was happy to see the sweet smile on Lady Jin¡¯s face. On the way back home, Xing Zhi was silent for a long time, and then he asked carefully: ¡°Do you want a wedding?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Shen Li was stunned. ¡°I used to think that a wedding was just a formality. Therefore, it was unnecessary. But after attending the ceremony these last few days, I suddenly felt that it was a pretty good thing to announce the identity of my significant other to the world.¡± Shen Li continued to stay stunned. Xing Zhi stroked her head and said: ¡°Ah Li, marry me. I will give you a wedding that is blessed by a hundred thousand deities.¡± Shen Li pondered, ¡°Alright, but you have to do it as soon as possible, otherwise when my stomach gets bigger, it won¡¯t look good in wedding attire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s really rare to see the Divine Sovereign Xing Zhi staring so bewilderedly like this.¡± As the corners of Xing Zhi¡¯s lips rose up uncontrollably, his lean fingers pressed lightly against Shen Li¡¯s belly. He bowed his body slightly to rub against Shen Li¡¯s ear, and sighed, ¡°My wife, what more can I ask for¡­¡± ~~~~~ Epilogue ~~~~~ The next year¡­ In the small courtyard, the cries of two babies could be heard¡­ Then the next year¡­ Along with Mu Zi Chun, Lady Jin brought her baby to visit Shen Li, who was pregnant again¡­