Er’er hadn’t noticed the Supreme Gods’ meaningful glances at all. She was only secretly calculating in her heart, thinking that Qian Tian Supreme God’s suggestion was truly quite feasible.
She had tucked away the spirit pill that Xin Wu had thrown earlier. Consuming it would greatly increase her cultivation level. If her meridians were also fully opened, then even with her slow cultivation, she could still leave behind her low-level immortal rank and become an imposing upper immortal.
The big shot was so powerful that opening someone’s meridians would be effortless for him. If she could just catch him when he was in a good mood and make a deal with him, it might work out.
Her eyes gleaming, Er’er looked toward the big shot’s location with great delight.
But what she saw was only a patch of embers where the big shot had been.
Er’er:?
Where was her big shot? He had just been there a moment ago.
Anxiously looking around, Er’er saw Xin Wu falling outside the main banquet platform like a kite with a broken string, like ink smeared on damp rice paper. His shattered silhouette merged into the cloud layer in the blink of an eye, no longer visible.
As for Li Ye, although his form was more stable than Xin Wu’s, he was still falling powerlessly out of that grayish-brown smoke, his red clothes fluttering like fire as he tumbled toward their direction.
…
…
Without thinking, Er’er flew up to catch him.
In her imagination, such a rescue scene should be beautiful, like when the big shot had saved her earlier—how radiant with golden light, how flowing with elegant robes!
However, the reality was that as soon as she caught Li Ye, she was struck dizzy by the powerful impact, nearly fainting.
Li Ye glanced sideways, seeing her pale face, and couldn’t help but snort.
“What are you showing off for?”
Trembling as she grabbed his shoulder, Er’er wiped her face with one hand. Not daring to complain that he was too heavy, she could only swallow her grievance and ask, “Are you alright?”
His brow furrowed slightly as Li Ye turned away his head, saying in a strange tone: “Why ask such unnecessary questions? How could I not be alright?”
“Just now, that intense fighting…”
“I have eighty thousand years of cultivation.” He interrupted her, speaking firmly. “It’s a level that a low-level small immortal like you cannot imagine. No matter how intense the fight, I won’t lose.”
Er’er: “…”
Was he an eighty-thousand-year-old Supreme God or an eight-year-old child? Why couldn’t he properly respond to someone’s concern? What was the benefit of being so stubborn?
Sighing, she patted his back. “The Supreme God is naturally the most powerful.”
His expression darkened slightly as Li Ye said, “Call me Master.”
“Yes, Master. No problem, Master.”
After spending so much time together, Er’er had learned the best way to survive—never argue with a Supreme God. Whatever a Supreme God said must be right, and if it was wrong, she would apologize first.
Such an obedient little immortal had no reason to be strangled.
Secretly admiring herself, Er’er supported his body and brought him back to the Storage Primordial Supreme God’s pavilion.
Qian Tian was still eating fruit on the side. Looking up to see Li Ye, this great Buddha, had come again, his face immediately fell: “I truly just wanted to eat immortal fruit in peace.”
“Supreme God, don’t worry,” Er’er smiled. “They probably won’t fight again.”
Xin Wu had already left, and Li Ye seemed seriously injured, so he definitely wouldn’t destroy another immortal pavilion.
Seeing outsiders here, Li Ye was not in a good mood. He raised his hand to stop Er’er from pushing him into a seat and said in a deep voice: “I was just passing through and shouldn’t stay long.”
“Your ‘passing through’ is quite grand,” Qian Tian shook his head. “But it has been several tens of thousands of years since we’ve seen the Supreme God appear in this place.”
“Indeed,” Storage Primordial sized him up warily, forcing a smile. “Those who don’t know might think something had gone wrong with the Immortal Banquet Platform.”
What could go wrong?
Li Ye coldly stared at the immortal fruits on the table: “I came to see a few old friends.”
Hearing this, Er’er was relieved. Thank goodness, the big shot hadn’t come specifically to catch her, so everything was fine.
However, why did Qian Tian Supreme God’s gaze toward her suddenly become strange? He seemed somewhat surprised, yet also somewhat sympathetic.
“Let’s go,” the big shot turned impatiently.
Er’er snapped back to attention and hurriedly followed to support his arm.
The big shot cultivated fire-system immortal arts, so his body often had flames, making Er’er feel hot whenever she touched him. But this time when she made contact, she was surprised.
From his forearm to his palm was completely cold.
Her heart tightened. Er’er vigilantly looked around, then stood on tiptoe with all her strength to support his body.
Li Ye turned his head in puzzlement: “What are you doing?”
“Are you about to collapse?” She lowered her voice, whispering stealthily close to him. “It’s alright, lean on me a bit, they won’t notice.”
“Ridiculous,” Li Ye maintained a stern face as he swept his sleeve. “What virtue or ability does Xin Wu have to make me collapse?”
“Your complexion is very poor.”
“It’s from the wind.”
“Oh.” Er’er nodded, adding more strength to the hand supporting him.
This behavior was underestimating him. Li Ye said quite displeased: “If you let go of me now, I can still walk in a straight line.”
“Mm-hmm, I know, I know.” Perfunctorily nodding, Er’er hesitated for a moment before stuffing the spirit pill in her hand into his mouth.
Li Ye’s face darkened as he opened his mouth to spit it out, but unexpectedly, this little thing suddenly acted as if she had eaten a leopard’s gall, reaching out to cover his mouth.
I especially added a layer of sugar frost. It’s sweet,” she said indignantly. “Such good, pure spirit energy—don’t you dare spit it out!”
He had seen her docile and submissive many times, but this gesticulating appearance was truly fresh. Li Ye unexpectedly quieted down, his hazy pupils slowly moving across her face.
Perhaps because Heaven hadn’t given her good aptitude for immortal cultivation, it had instead given her an exceptionally delicate face. When she looked pitiful, it was particularly enchanting. Even when angry, she was like a kitten extending its paws—the tip of her nose slightly red, her eyes brimming with emotion.
Li Ye couldn’t understand why she would think he needed this tiny bit of spirit energy, but in her view, this pill was probably a remarkable treasure. Because she was worried about him, she had painfully stuffed it into his mouth.
—Worried about him.
This feeling was too unfamiliar. Li Ye uncomfortably wanted to shake his head, but as his head turned slightly, his lips just happened to brush across her palm.
The face before him instantly flushed red. Her fingertips curled slightly as she looked at him, somewhat at a loss.
Something inexplicably sank in his chest.
“I swallowed it,” he said in a muffled voice.
Er’er sighed in relief, quickly withdrawing her hand. She wanted to wipe it on her clothes, but the big shot in front of her kept staring at her for some reason, so she didn’t dare make this movement openly, only hiding her hand behind her back. “Do you feel better?”
“Mm.”
He had responded, but his body was still cold. Er’er felt his palm, frowned, and shook her head, then stood on tiptoe wanting to feel his forehead.
Li Ye looked disdainfully at these short hands: “I’m fine now.”
“The Immortal Master said that when someone who cultivates fire-system immortal arts grows cold, it’s extremely dangerous,” Er’er said seriously. “It shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
With helplessness between his brows, Li Ye sighed several times wearily, finally unable to resist her persistence, and leaned his body slightly forward.
As they flew out of the Immortal Banquet Platform on a cloud, the oncoming light outlined the two figures, as if a towering tree had lowered its high branches to a bird.
Er’er laboriously reached up to touch his forehead, then felt her own with her other hand. She muttered something under her breath, urging his cloud to move faster.
Zhu Yan had already returned to the Upper Bing Palace. Although he had suffered some injuries, he still stood waiting at the palace gate.
When Li Ye heard that Er’er had gone to the Immortal Banquet Platform, his expression was very displeased. Zhu Yan sighed, thinking that if there was to be a scolding later, it would be good to have someone else present to help mediate.
However, after waiting for an hour, Zhu Yan didn’t witness a bloody disciplinary scene, but only a chattering little immortal and a helplessly sighing Supreme God.
“This is a method I learned in the mortal realm. When you’re sick, just bundle up under the covers and sleep it off. Why won’t you listen? The bed is right there ready to use, and I’m not a stingy person—what’s wrong with letting you sleep for a while?”
“I know you, Supreme Gods value dignity when meditating, but dignity can’t heal injuries properly. Lying down is certainly more efficient than sitting. I’ve even created three ultra-soft pillows stuffed with goose feathers. Won’t you try them?”
“Don’t think about going anywhere else for the time being. With your ice-cold body, if you collapse outside again, no one will be able to catch you.”
It was like five hundred ducks quacking simultaneously in front of him. Zhu Yan’s head was spinning. He looked forward in astonishment to find that Li Ye wasn’t angry, and there was even a trace of pleasure in his expression.
“Zhu Yan, pour tea.”
“Yes.” Stuffing two paper balls into his ears, Zhu Yan calmly entered to arrange the tea set.
Er’er followed closely behind Li Ye. Seeing that he was about to sit on that high throne again, without thinking, she reached out to pull him toward the pear wood table instead.
With this light tug, she managed to move him.
Zhu Yan, holding the teapot, wanted to speak but stopped, finally swallowing a breath forcefully.
“The tea is here,” he said, placing the tea set over without lifting his head. “The Ding Clan has some miscellaneous affairs to attend to. I’ll trouble Small Immortal Er’er.”
“Alright.” Er’er took the teacup, lowered her head to sniff it, and frowned. “You’ll need to drink medicine later. This tea isn’t suitable—just drink some warm water to moisten your throat.”
Li Ye glanced at Zhu Yan, who had slipped away quickly. After his silhouette completely disappeared outside the great door, he finally grunted: “Who said I’m drinking medicine?”
“I know Supreme Gods can heal themselves without medicine, relying on the circulation of natural spirit energy, but you’re already weakened. If external aid can help you recover, why waste energy doing it yourself?”
Er’er felt like a fussy old nursemaid, but if she didn’t say anything, Li Ye would certainly never think of taking medicine himself. After all, being such a lofty big shot, he would rather endure than spend hours brewing medicine.
So she generously rolled up her sleeves: “Leave it to me.”
Asking the big shot outright to open her meridians would be rather embarrassing. She needed to contribute something before daring to ask for help. Er’er very conscientiously went outside the palace to set up a medicinal stove, meanwhile rummaging through the pile of things the big shot had reclaimed for her earlier to find useful immortal herbs.
When bubbles began to gurgle in the medicine pot, Er’er returned to Li Ye’s side, using all her strength to pull him onto that magnificent raised bed.
The soft, fluffy bedding was tucked up to his chin. Li Ye lay there with a pitch-black expression as she patted him like one would comfort a three-year-old. “After a nap, the medicine will be ready to drink.”
“Immortals don’t need sleep.”
“Is that so?” Er’er pondered. “But sleeping is truly a most wonderful thing. You don’t have to think about anything, and all your meridians can relax. With good luck, you might even have a sweet dream.”
That is just a waste of time that mortals indulge in.
Li Ye wanted to retort, but she had already started muttering to herself: “I once dreamed of a chicken leg bigger than a house. At that time, there was a famine in the mortal realm, and the palace had no meat to eat. That dream made me so happy that when I woke up, I could still taste the meat’s fragrance.”
“Another time I dreamed of a rabbit. It looked small from a distance, but up close it was as big as a horse, with fur that was soft and white, carrying me as it flew through the sky.”
The more she spoke, the happier she became. Er’er curved her eyes into crescents, clapping her hands as she earnestly said to him: “You should take a nap. It can be so, so sweet.”
So this was her reason for sleeping like a pig in the mortal realm, oblivious to everything?
Li Ye wrinkled his nose in disdain, but her voice was so fine and soft, murmuring on and on, that he truly began to feel a hint of drowsiness.
His dreams would not be sweet. Li Ye knew very well that when he closed his eyes, he would only see the pouring fire from the heavens tens of thousands of years ago, and a woman’s heart-wrenching cries.
But he still followed her wish and quietly closed his eyes.
The voice speaking beside the bed suddenly grew softer.
“Supreme God?” A mosquito-like call.
Li Ye lay motionless, feeling her lean forward slightly, her soft fingertips touching his eyelashes.
“So long,” he heard her marvel.
Then she got up and returned to the medicinal stove.
The boiling fire was turned down, but the medicine pot still made gurgling sounds. She seemed to have burned herself, yelping and jumping a couple of steps in place, then tiptoed to the window to lower the thick curtains. The fabric brushed against her fingers, making a smooth, rich sound.
These noisy yet delicate sounds—Li Ye hadn’t heard them for a very, very long time.