“Helped me?”

With contempt in his eyes, Li Ye pressed the tip of his blade against the marble floor and lightly scraped it.

The grating sound pierced straight through to the crown of the head. Zhen Huan Gong’s expression changed as he immediately formed a hand seal to protect his spirit, frowning as he said, “Am I wrong? At that time, in all of the Nine Heavens, he was the only one who spoke a good word for you.”

Hmm? At that time?

Er’er curiously exposed half an ear.

However, Zhen Huan Gong showed no intention of continuing, only saying, “If you won’t help, even without evidence, I’ll complain to the Heavenly Diviner.”

The Heavenly Diviner oversaw all matters of the Nine Heavens. Bringing a case before him meant opening the celestial prison to detain and interrogate those involved.

Hearing these words, Er’er felt something was amiss. She turned her head to look outside and, sure enough, killing intent had risen in the great lord’s eyes, and the flames on the Phoekill Blade had grown more intense.

She gritted her teeth, threw off the blanket, sat up, and grabbed his hand.

…

…

“Go ahead and report, who’s afraid?” A clear voice rang out from the bed.

Li Ye was about to flare up when her shout caught him by surprise.

Er’er looked even angrier than him, her fine eyebrows standing on end, eyes wide open, one hand pulling him back, the other on her waist. Standing at the edge of the bed, she fiercely said, “You don’t even have the proper attitude when asking for help, and within a few sentences you’re already threatening? Not only was the Supreme God willing to help in the first place, but even if he truly chose to remain uninvolved, he would have done no wrong. Who are you trying to intimidate by bringing up the Heavenly Diviner?”

Zhen Huan Gong was stunned by her outburst: “You…”

“What about me? Am I wrong? Qian Tian’s soul fragment is severely injured, and right now the only one who can save him quickly is Li Ye. Not only do you fail to show gratitude, but you bring up old debts and talk about favors. Who would feel comfortable hearing that?”

“In our mortal realm, speaking like this would get you exiled!”

Zhen Huan Gong: “…”

Looking at Er’er’s fierce expression, he belatedly realized his mistake.

With Li Ye’s terrible temper, he had always responded to gentleness, not force. According to experience, after what he had just said, Li Ye would certainly have fought with him, with life and death hanging in the balance, let alone saving anyone.

Though he understood the reasoning, Zhen Huan Gong still couldn’t help but say, “But I wasn’t wrong.”

Er’er narrowed her eyes and huffily pushed the great lord back, then formed hand seals.

Yellow-red flames erupted like a tidal wave rushing toward Zhen Huan Gong. The glass vial in his hand was swept away by the flames and gently placed on the table, then, with a thud, he was thrown out through the main gate of the Upper Bing Palace.

“You audacious little immortal!” he raged.

“I am an Upper Immortal!” Er’er slammed the door shut.

The flames in the great hall quickly dissipated into smoke, and Er’er’s imposing manner gradually weakened after the door closed.

She shrank her neck in slight fear and silently apologized at the door.

The great lord wasn’t actually that volatile, but you shouldn’t provoke him. If you speak nicely, the great lord wouldn’t kill people on a whim.

More importantly, this was the Upper Bing Palace! If a fight truly broke out, Zhen Huan Gong would share the same fate as Kan Ze. She had already witnessed one tragic scene and didn’t want to see a second.

Slowly turning her stiff neck, Er’er prepared herself to face Li Ye’s remaining anger.

Surprisingly, however, Li Ye stood by the bed with the Phoekill Blade already sheathed, his aura calm and his gaze relatively benevolent.

“Why are you so angry?” he asked.

How could she not be angry? In that situation, it was too late to persuade him not to be angry. The only good approach was to act even angrier than him.

Thinking this to herself, Er’er blinked guiltily and walked over, scratching her head: “Did I overstep my bounds? If he seeks revenge against me, you’ll have to protect me.”

The person before her snorted, glancing at the glass vial on the table.

Realizing he intended to save the person, Er’er’s eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly asked, “Do you still have the Mirror of Dreams and Lunar Waters with you?”

“Why?”

“No particular reason, just… You see, I did contribute a tiny bit in getting the key, right?” She made a small gap between her thumb and index finger and grinned. “So let me have a look too. I’m quite curious about some of Taihe Xianshi’s past.”

Such a treasure would normally be kept in an array formation and worshipped elsewhere, but in Li Ye’s hands, it was no different from an ordinary mirror in the mortal realm. He casually took it out from his sleeve pouch and tossed it to her.

“Don’t look too long; it’s draining.”

“Yes, sir!”

Using this excuse, Er’er stepped out from behind the screen and walked to another corner of the great hall, leaving that space entirely to him.

Li Ye watched her silhouette disappear beyond the screen, then returned his gaze to the glass vial, his expression quite disdainful.

But after standing for a moment, he still waved his sleeve and sat down at the table.

A fiery red barrier silently descended behind the screen.

Er’er watched from a distance, feeling a softness in her heart.

This person had such a hard mouth and such a fierce face, yet how sweet he was. He always said he wouldn’t help, yet every time, he was the one who helped.

Qian Tian’s soul wasn’t as easy to handle as Senior Brother Meng Wan’s; it would probably take some time. Er’er looked at the Mirror of Dreams and Lunar Waters in her arms.

There wasn’t anything about Taihe Xianshi’s past that she wanted to know; this was just an excuse to step out and give him face.

But, since she had it in hand, why not check up on him?

Li Ye had probably already thoroughly investigated her background, but when it came to him, she was always at a loss.

Still feeling a bit weak, Er’er found a comfortable corner to sit down, activated the Mirror of Dreams and Lunar Waters, and focused on her search.

Some of the earlier images were from when the great lord was riding the clouds in his sleeve pouch. She carefully looked further back, and after a long while, finally found some old scenes.

The great lord Li Ye from tens of thousands of years ago was still proud and cold, but compared to now, he had less fierceness and more tranquility. Even when standing in a crowd, he seemed somewhat lonely.

The original Er’er thought that a Supreme God was the highest existence, surely possessing everything they desired. But as she watched, her eyebrows knitted together.

There weren’t many scenes about Li Ye, but whenever he appeared, he was alone. The immortals from tens of thousands of years ago were unwilling to accept him. On the Immortal-Gazing Terrace from who knows how long ago, he even hesitantly tried to initiate conversation.

But that person didn’t notice his initiative and brushed past him, leaving only a cold breeze.

Li Ye’s open mouth closed again.

Later, there were people discussing his frightfulness, people questioning his origins, and finally, people acknowledging his power.

But wherever the great lord was, no one would stand within ten steps of him.

The great lord’s cultivation grew increasingly abundant, and his expression grew increasingly cold.

The last time he appeared in the scene was with a face full of hatred and gloom.

“It’s you,” he coldly uttered these two words to the Mirror of Dreams and Lunar Waters.

Her heart trembled, and Er’er instinctively reached out, wanting to smooth his face, but as soon as her hand touched the illusion, the Mirror of Dreams and Lunar Waters closed.

The small crystal fell back onto her knee, and Er’er looked down at it, feeling an indescribable heaviness in her heart.