Li Ye sat alone in Upper Bing Palace.

Beside the throne stood a tall dragon-shaped stone carving. Light entered from the side windows, always shrouding him in shadow, leaving only his hazy pupils emitting a cold glow.

Previously, this scene would have been desolate and solitary, the vast palace containing only his presence.

But now.

The bamboo fence outside echoed with clucking chickens; the large white goose whose voice he had strangled flapped its wings and whooshed past the doorway, leaving several feathers behind; the pear water boiling in the stove bubbled with gurgles; a stupid donkey, catching the fragrance, scraped its hooves and began to bray.

Li Ye wanted to lose his temper.

This was Upper Bing Palace, not some peasant’s cottage. Why keep so many random, messy creatures making such a racket, not allowing him a moment’s peace?

Last night he had very much wanted to kick that stupid donkey down from the ninth heaven while Er’er was asleep.

However, for some reason, the person who had been sleeping soundly suddenly floated before him in a long nightgown, asking with a reproachful gaze: “Isn’t it behaving well?”

…

…

Nonsense! A donkey that did nothing but bray all day—how well-behaved could it be?

Li Ye very much wanted to press her head down and make her look at the divine stones and heavenly treasures around them. Was this a place to raise donkeys?!

But a half-asleep person is extremely fragile. A pair of eyes looked at him, glistening with moisture, pitiful, both aggrieved and ingratiating, as if at the slightest “no” from him, she would immediately be devastated.

So Li Ye swallowed his anger and withdrew his foot that had been ready to kick the donkey.

It wasn’t that he cared for her. He was a Supreme God—what feelings could he possibly have for a small immortal? It was just… just that he didn’t want more trouble. Considering that she was helping suppress Kan Ze, indulging her a little wouldn’t hurt.

As a result, today this stupid donkey looked at him with mocking eyes, braying while scraping its hooves.

Li Ye coldly gathered divine fire.

A “ding-a-ling” sound suddenly came through the air.

“Master, a guest has arrived,” Er’er’s voice followed.

His hand paused, and Li Ye ferociously withdrew the fire, then sat back in the shadows, resuming his cold and aloof demeanor.

Er’er led Xin Wu across the threshold.

Xin Wu looked with a complex expression at the bamboo fence and stove by the door, almost stepping back out to check the plaque again.

Had he come to the wrong place?

But looking up as he entered, the one sitting above was indeed that beast Li Ye.

He clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Li Ye wasn’t sitting there waiting for him to come. Lowering his eyes to see this person, he immediately said: “I told Zhu Yan that he should deliver the item.”

The implication was clear: you need not have appeared here.

Such a blatant dismissal would have embarrassed anyone else, but Xin Wu seemed quite at ease. As if he hadn’t heard Li Ye’s words, he conjured a noble consort couch for himself and lazily sat down on it.

“Zhu Yan gave the treasure to your little disciple. With her meager cultivation, without my protection, who knows if she might have been intercepted on the way?”

Li Ye coldly looked at Er’er, who hurriedly took out what she had been carrying and presented it before him: “It’s here. I didn’t lose it.”

Taking the box, Li Ye didn’t open it, merely saying lightly: “Everyone in the ninth heaven knows your cultivation is low. Instead of cultivating, you’re running around everywhere?”

Xin Wu:?

Was he scolding Er’er or him?

Er’er felt wronged: “I had already meditated for several hours before leaving. I wanted to ask True Lord Zhu Yan something, which is why I went out.”

“What matters would he know that I don’t, requiring you to run so far?” Li Ye felt she was making excuses. “If you can’t even calm your mind, you might as well lead that stupid donkey back to the mortal realm early.”

Er’er: “…”

Once there were outsiders present, the big shot became so strict.

But she couldn’t blame him. If she were a Supreme God who had accepted such a dull-witted disciple, she would also feel embarrassed.

However, she truly hadn’t been slacking off. She had gone to find Zhu Yan originally to ask if there was a method to break through the seven meridians and eight networks by herself, but unexpectedly met Xin Wu on the way.

In the big shot’s eyes, explanations were just covers. She sensibly didn’t say more, only hanging her head dejectedly as she returned behind a side screen, setting up an isolation barrier to begin cultivation.

“After so many years, you’re still so inhuman,” Xin Wu watched, shaking his head. “Aren’t you afraid of hurting the little girl’s feelings?”

“It’s none of your business.” Li Ye displeasedly returned his gaze to him. “It’s getting late. Are you still staying here?”

“I’ve presented Mirror Flowers and Moon in Water with both hands, and I can’t even sit a moment longer?” Xin Wu snorted with laughter. “If you have the ability, make my soul scatter. Then I won’t come to offend your eyes again.”

If he could, Li Ye would very much like to oblige him, but Xin Wu had an immortal body. No matter how many times they fought, he couldn’t destroy his core.

The creation of heaven and earth was so unfair. Some immortals cultivated for ten thousand years just to secure a stable core, while others were born undying.

Averting his gaze, Li Ye said: “Speak plainly if you have something to say.”

And then get out quickly.

Xin Wu laughed lightly, looking at him with interest: “Your little disciple is suffering under you. Why not let me take her? The things I can teach her are more suitable than what you teach.”

Li Ye raised his hand.

“Hey, last time you didn’t let me finish. This time, at least, hear me out completely.” Xin Wu waved his hand. “Since you seem to cherish her, allowing her to cause havoc in this Upper Bing Palace, you should also know that she has extremely heavy water element spiritual energy. Forcing her to cultivate your immortal techniques will only harm her internal organs.”

Eyelids half-lowered, Li Ye gave a cold laugh without responding.

Xin Wu wanted to say more, but suddenly realized something.

“You…” he raised an eyebrow. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

Something he could detect, how could someone who was with the little girl every day not know?

A beast was indeed a beast. He wasn’t afraid that the little girl would cry when she learned the truth.

Xin Wu stood up, waving his hand to dispel the noble consort couch, shaking his head as he walked out: “Be careful of retribution, Supreme God.”

His trailing tone carried a sigh, making Li Ye extremely displeased.

Did this demon, who had killed countless, have the position to warn him about retribution?

Besides, if he feared retribution, he wouldn’t have targeted Kan Ze in the first place.

Closing the palace doors with a sweep of his sleeve, Li Ye sat on the throne quite unhappily, sulking for a while. Although he didn’t know exactly what he was angry about, he quickly consoled himself.

Xin Wu’s tendency to meddle in others’ affairs was his problem. The little thing beside him was utterly devoted to him anyway. Even if he gave her away, she wouldn’t be willing to go.

Thinking this way made him feel much better. Li Ye opened the spirit box in his hand, also taking out the key he had kept before.

Tens of thousands of years ago, a great battle had occurred in the ninth heaven. At that time, his divine consciousness hadn’t been clear, so he couldn’t know the situation, but Mirror Flowers and Moon in Water had been present, naturally recording what he wanted to know.

Being a heavenly treasure written in the Creation Register, Mirror Flowers and Moon in Water was, of course, extremely spiritually intelligent. He didn’t need to go through it day by day; it could reveal what the holder most wanted to know on its own.

The jade piece fell into the groove of the purple light cluster, and the gleam from the spirit box suddenly rose like smoke, expanding before him into a water mirror.

As the water mirror opened, it revealed a pair of delicate white hands and a slightly open light pink collar.

Li Ye:?

He instinctively glared at this treasure.

What happened to its spiritual intelligence? Was this what he wanted to see?

What a joke!

The mirror trembled, seemingly sensing his anger, and hurriedly released the sound as well.

“Is it difficult at Upper Bing Palace?”

“Somewhat.”

“If you really can’t stay, you might as well come to my place.”

“…”

Li Ye recognized it—this was on the way back, when Xin Wu was attempting to lure away his little disciple.

With a snorting laugh, he rubbed his thumb.

That little thing’s entire focus was on how to please him; where would she have time to entertain this undying creature? Seeking his own…

Before he could finish his thought, Li Ye heard that charming voice continue: “Supreme God, to open someone’s seven meridians and eight networks, how many years of cultivation does the caster need to expend?”

“Seven meridians and eight networks?” Xin Wu laughed. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to find someone to help, but it seems to trouble their cultivation. So if the Supreme God knows how much cultivation power is required, this small immortal can prepare elixirs in advance as compensation. Perhaps then someone will agree.”

“For others, it would cost a thousand years of cultivation. You might not be able to gather enough elixirs in several years.” Xin Wu laughed quietly. “But if you want help, why not ask me? I don’t lack these things.”

Er’er looked at him in surprise, then began to seriously consider.

“Take your time thinking,” Xin Wu licked his pointed teeth. “When you’ve decided, just come find me.”

…

The sound disappeared here, leaving only the howling wind.

Li Ye thought he was listening calmly. It was just a disciple without ambition and a few teasing words from an improper demon. He had lived for tens of thousands of years—what hadn’t he seen?

But, inexplicably, his anger couldn’t be suppressed. It poured out from him, spreading all the way, burning so fiercely that the chickens and ducks outside the palace began to scream in agony.

Was she so eager to ascend to upper immortal status that she would form an immortal bond with anyone?

He had underestimated how shameless these small immortals could be.

He had thought she was completely focused on him, but it turned out that in her eyes, he was just someone beneficial to her cultivation. If she could get what she wanted from him, she would ask him; if not, she would turn to ask others.

Truly cheap and hypocritical, no different from other female immortals elsewhere—calculating, obsequious, all just to take shortcuts to ascension.

Black murderous energy permeated the flames, fiercer than usual. Li Ye showed no intention of restraining it, allowing the black energy to wrap around the scorching fire, gradually burning through the barrier set up behind the screen.

Er’er, amid cultivation, suddenly sensed something wrong and jerked back to awareness.

What was happening? Why was there a smell of roasted meat in the air?

Lowering her head to sniff, she saw flames spreading to her crossed legs.

!!

Jumping up in alarm, Er’er flew swiftly to a nearby dragon-carved pillar, frantically calling out: “Master, there’s a fire!”

Li Ye sat on the throne with one leg crossed, turning his face to look at her, his expression numb and cold.

Er’er shuddered at his gaze.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen him angry before, but this current appearance was truly terrifying, as if returning to that prophetic dream where he turned to look at her, and in the next moment would erase her existence.

With cold hands and feet, Er’er was full of confusion, but still couldn’t help asking one more question: “Did I do something wrong?”

Proud as Supreme God Li Ye was, he naturally wouldn’t answer her question. He merely stretched out his hand, grasping her on the stone pillar, unable to move.

Then his aura crawled up, brutally invading her limbs and joints through the old wound on her wrist, roughly searching for something.

As if being roasted over a fire, Er’er’s cheeks flushed red with pain, her hands gripping the stone pillar until the skin broke.

“How pitiful.”

Amidst the heart-piercing pain, Er’er heard Kan Ze’s voice again.

“A small immortal like you, trying to change the situation with your strength—you’re still too naive.”

Seeming uncomfortable from the fire as well, Kan Ze’s voice was somewhat hoarse: “Having troubled you for so long, I truly feel guilty. Before I leave, I should give you a little something.”

Leave?

Her pupils contracted slightly as Er’er belatedly realized—the big shot’s fire wasn’t aimed at her but at Kan Ze?

But Kan Ze had already merged with her meridians throughout her body. For Kan Ze to disappear, wouldn’t that mean…

Before she could think further, an overwhelming, stabbing pain exploded in her chest.