“Keep making things up.” He coldly withdrew his sleeve.

Er’er widened her eyes and shook her head repeatedly. “How can telling the truth be called making things up?”

Allowing her to live this long truly showed he was much more broad-minded than she had imagined. Besides, he could have refused to save Senior Brother Meng Wan, as it truly had nothing to do with him. Since he was willing to relent, it meant kindness had not yet abandoned him.

Er’er gazed at him with starlight filling her eyes.

Li Ye felt somewhat uncomfortable being stared at like this. He coughed lightly and turned his head away, thinking to himself: who would care about this bit of praise from her?

After staring at the distant misty clouds for quite a while, he couldn’t resist glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

She was still looking at him, her eyes bright and sparkling like precious pearls fallen into a lake. Catching his sidelong glance, she raised her eyebrows and sweetly broke into a smile.

“…”

What was there to smile about?

…

…

His ears growing hot, Li Ye tightly pressed his lips together. When he spotted the eaves of the Upper Bing Palace piercing through the clouds in the distance, he immediately accelerated, rushing back to the great hall like a streak of flame.

Er’er was nearly thrown off balance by his cloud’s turbulence. She stumbled as she landed at the entrance of the Upper Bing Palace, barely managing to steady herself by grabbing onto the door frame.

What happened? She felt somewhat confused.

Zhen Huan Gong landed behind her, his expression quite peculiar. Passing by her side, he unusually deigned to stop.

“Is he always like this around you?” he asked.

Er’er immediately waved her hands: “It’s not my fault. I didn’t say anything just now.”

Who was trying to blame her? Zhen Huan Gong frowned, wanting to ask more, but seeing the little immortal’s silly appearance, he felt he wouldn’t get anything useful out of her.

How could Li Ye have mundane feelings for someone like this? Impossible, impossible. However, he thought about it, he must be overthinking.

Perplexed, Zhen Huan Gong waved his sleeve and stepped through the main door.

Li Ye hadn’t ascended to his throne but had gone behind the screen. Zhen Huan Gong stood in the front hall, staring incomprehensibly at the pile of gaudy decorations for a long while, then turned to Er’er and said, “There isn’t much time to waste. Go call him out.”

“Alright.” Without much thought, Er’er turned and followed the path behind the screen.

The great lord sat with his back to her at the tea table, leisurely pouring tea. Even hearing her footsteps, he didn’t turn around, only saying: “I’m tired.”

Too exhausted, wanting to rest, not willing to help.

This resistance was so obvious it seemed almost cute. Er’er chuckled and walked over to obediently massage his shoulders. “Why don’t you just tell me how to nurture the soul fragment, so you can rest undisturbed?”

“Don’t want to talk.”

“Then just gesture with your hands.” She extended her hand in front of him, flexing her fingers nimbly.

The gesture was somewhat comical. Li Ye glanced at it, the corner of his mouth slightly curving up, before he sternly suppressed his smile.

“Nurturing a soul fragment requires a magical artifact as a foundation. For your senior brother with his level of cultivation, it’s simple. Just go to Upper Bing Palace’s storehouse and pick up whatever you find.” He said disdainfully, “It’s only troublesome for Qian Tian.”

Er’er suddenly understood and turned to go find a magical artifact, but just as she turned, he caught her wrist.

“What’s the rush?” He frowned.

“Zhen Huan Gong said we can’t delay any longer.”

Li Ye snorted coldly, his chin casually pointing to the lamp stand on the table.

Er’er followed his gaze and suddenly realized that the lamp stand was emitting a soft glow—it too was a magical artifact.

“Human life is brief, always like a candle on a stand,” he said. “This is most suitable.”

Saying he didn’t want to help, yet he had already prepared everything? Er’er took the candlestick in surprise, looked at it, then looked at him.

The lord’s features were too stern, but how could his heart be so soft?

“Thank you.” She gripped the candlestick tightly and took out the glass vial from her sleeve.

The man remained seated, sipping his tea without moving.

But just as she was about to transfer her senior brother’s soul fragment into the candlestick, the great lord clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

With a twitch of her eyebrow, Er’er immediately turned around humbly and respectfully, bending down with a smile to ask, “How should I transfer it?”

“You don’t even know this?”

“This humble immortal is dull-witted. I request the Supreme God’s guidance.” She smiled with narrowed eyes.

Reluctantly taking the candlestick, Li Ye acted with divine fire as his guide, cleanly and efficiently transforming Meng Wan’s soul fragment into light and placing it on the lamp wick.

“Use spiritual energy as lamp oil. Nurture it until he can burn with a flame three inches high, then it can be returned to his physical body.”

Er’er watched with curious eyes. Upon hearing this, she immediately poured out all her spiritual energy, condensing it into rich lamp oil.

Her all-or-nothing approach displeased Li Ye greatly, but he remained silent, only watching coldly.

Having struck the Timeless Bell, she didn’t have much spiritual energy left. After using it as lamp oil, her small face instantly turned deathly pale. Nevertheless, she was happy, feeling around and digging deep to extract all the remaining spiritual energy from her meridians.

After giving it all, she could barely stand, swaying unsteadily before collapsing onto the nearby stool.

“Is it done now?” she asked happily.

Li Ye didn’t particularly want to answer her and had turned his face away, but with her spiritual energy depleted, she was dizzy and unfocused—he wasn’t paying attention, and she nearly fell to the ground.

Reaching out to catch her, he fiercely said, “It’s not done. Tomorrow it will need lamp oil, and the day after that it will need lamp oil. Your pitiful amount of spiritual energy isn’t enough to nurture his soul fragment.”

These words were practically hissed through gritted teeth next to her ear. Er’er trembled slightly, her cheeks quivering along with her.

“You…” she said with an unfocused gaze, “don’t always be so fierce.”

She hadn’t yet seen what he was like when truly angry.

Impatiently gathering her outer robe, Li Ye wanted to pick her up and tuck her into the bedding, but at that moment, Zhen Huan Gong outside finally couldn’t wait any longer and angrily strode past the screen.

“What are you two…”

Doing.

The last three words weren’t uttered, replaced by suddenly constricted pupils.

The two figures reflected in his pupils were ambiguous and enchanting, causing him to take three large steps backward.

In broad daylight and under the bright heavens, Li Ye was pressing the female immortal toward the bed!

Shameless! Defying heavenly laws!

“Release her!” he shouted in anger.

Li Ye was just about to cover the little thing with a blanket when he heard these words, his expression immediately darkening.

“Release who?” He looked up.

“You still ask!” Zhen Huan Gong’s face reddened as he stamped his foot in place. “You haven’t even become immortal partners, how can you ruin her reputation like this?”

Er’er lay there dizzy and confused, only hearing someone roaring but unable to make out what he was saying. Vaguely hearing something about reputation, she was somewhat surprised. Weren’t cultivators supposed to disregard mortal rules? The great lord had always been quite intimate with her. If reputation mattered, then she would be deeply sinful.

In her mind, the great lord being with her meant he was the one at a disadvantage.

So, even though she wasn’t fully conscious, Er’er shamefully shrank further into the blanket.

Li Ye noticed this, his expression growing even more displeased. With a wave of his hand as he stood up, the Phoekill Blade let out a long cry and landed in his palm.

“Wait.” Realizing he hadn’t come to interfere in trivial matters, Zhen Huan Gong quickly raised his hand to stop the conflict. “Save the person first. Qian Tian’s soul fragment is in worse condition than the mortal’s injury. If you won’t think of anything else, at least remember that he helped you once thirty thousand years ago.”