The morning dew still lingered in his loosely tied black hair, carrying the fragrance of grass leaves blown by the wind, a scent that calmed the heart.

Er’er had wanted to argue, but seeing that Li Ye’s complexion wasn’t very good, and remembering how he had protected her so recklessly earlier, she swallowed her words.

Pursing her lips, she muttered, “How do you have time to follow us so far? What about the people in the Netherworld?”

“Which person do you want to ask about?”

“Who else?” Her voice grew smaller as she continued, “Lady Zhong Qin.”

The hands holding her paused slightly, and Li Ye lowered his head in confusion: “Why do you still care about her?”

“It’s not that I care.” She turned her head away ambiguously, saying awkwardly, “Just asking casually.”

Feeling somewhat deceived, Li Ye frowned with displeasure: “She told me that you were angry with me and wanted to coax you. She said I couldn’t simply let you return to Taihe Immortal Sect, but should follow you and find an opportunity to appear before you, then you would no longer be angry.”

“She tricked me?”

…

…

Er’er blinked in bewilderment: “Huh?”

Why would Zhong Qin teach him how to coax someone?

“The daughter of the Netherworld is indeed cunning.” Stopping the traveling clouds, Li Ye turned around. “Let’s go back and settle accounts with her.”

“Hey, don’t.” Grabbing his sleeve, Er’er wanted to laugh but was utterly perplexed. “Could you first explain what this is all about?”

With a somber face, Li Ye very reluctantly relayed what Zhong Qin had told him within the barrier to the person in his arms. Finally, he said coldly: “If she deceived me, I will make her suffer ten times the shoulder-piercing pain.”

Er’er: “…”

It felt as if a sudden breeze had blown away the dark clouds that had been hanging over her head, leaving her torn between laughter and tears: “So you used the Star-Turning Art to heal her because of this?”

Li Ye remained silent, his eyes showing a hint of frustration.

Er’er couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head: “You should have just said so earlier.”

Seeing her small face brighten again, Li Ye raised an eyebrow and experimentally lowered his head, gently brushing his chin against her forehead.

She didn’t avoid him this time, only muttering something softly, then raised her head and brushed against him as well.

His heart relaxed, and Li Ye suddenly embraced her tightly.

“Hey…” Er’er hurriedly struggled. “I can’t breathe.”

Despite her words, she still smiled. After many consecutive cloudy days, the sun had finally broken through. Her soft little face rubbed against his face a couple of times.

Although it wasn’t very comfortable, his holding her so tightly made it seem as if he was afraid of losing her.

Even knowing it wasn’t meant that way, Er’er felt very happy.

The light of dawn appeared on the horizon, and because a High God was pleased, today’s rosy clouds were exceptionally brilliant like fire.

Long Xu stood on some unnamed mountaintop, her pale bluish face slightly flushed in the distant morning sunlight.

She gazed admiringly, her eyes full of fulfillment.

Rustle, rustle.

Someone walked slowly toward her, treading on the dry leaves atop the mountain.

As if knowing who the visitor was, Long Xu didn’t turn around or flee, allowing his immortal-binding rope to restrain her once more. Her purple eyes remained fixed, without blinking, on the golden light on the opposite mountain peak.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Zhong Su asked with a smile.

Still not turning around, Long Xu reached up to tuck back her wind-tousled hair, narrowing her eyes slightly: “Can you withstand the light?”

Clutching his chest in feigned distress, Zhong Su sighed: “I am, after all, the Crown Prince of the Netherworld. How could I fear light like ordinary pawns?”

“Then there’s no need for Your Highness to trouble yourself with this trip.” Long Xu scoffed. “After sunrise, I would have returned on my own.”

“I was worried.”

Gently stroking her hair, Zhong Su’s eyes were full of affection: “This place is too close to where that person resides. I was concerned.”

Long Xu carried the unique, enchanting poison of the Netherworld; if she left the Netherworld for more than three days, her soul would scatter. Zhong Su knew she was intelligent and would surely return on time, but he also feared that in a moment of madness, she might not even care about her own life.

“In the end, I still lost.” He sighed, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re not afraid of death, but I fear your death.”

Long Xu laughed softly, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

The farthest mountain visible before her was where Xin Wu was in seclusion. She didn’t know why she had insisted on coming here before stopping, when there was absolutely no possibility, when she had already come to hate so thoroughly.

Fool.

Withdrawing her gaze, she rose, shaking off Zhong Su’s hand and stepping back onto the traveling clouds.

Glancing at her wobbling clouds, Zhong Su shook his head, reaching out to lift her down, his voice as gentle as water: “Since I’m here, why are you still being so stubborn?”

She neither struggled nor placed her hands on his shoulders. Long Xu was like a wooden beauty, allowing him to hold her and carry her onto the traveling clouds, numb and compliant.

However, just as Zhong Su’s clouds had barely risen into the air, dark clouds and lightning surged from all directions within a hundred li.

Crack—

A massive lightning bolt pierced the sky not far from him. Zhong Su paused, and the expression in his eyes changed.

He reacted quickly, forming a barrier to bring Long Xu to the ground, but the lightning seemed to have developed a mind of its own, pursuing them relentlessly, forcing him to dodge left and right before finally landing on the middle slope of a certain mountain.

Taking a deep breath, Zhong Su’s eyes showed anger, though his lips still bore a smile: “You’re a High God after all; why engage in such underhanded actions? Why not come out and meet face to face?”

The erratic lightning stopped, and a fierce wind arose in the forest, blowing so strongly that one could hardly open one’s eyes.

Yet after quite a while, no immortal energy manifested in the surroundings.

Long Xu descended from Zhong Su’s embrace, her eyes showing not a ripple of emotion: “He won’t come out. He just doesn’t like the sight of us and has simply left.”

Zhong Su seemed about to speak but held back, finally displaying a smile and waving his sleeve: “Fine, then you go first, and I’ll follow behind you.”

Long Xu nodded and flew eastward on her cloud. Zhong Su followed, and indeed, no more lightning fell from the sky.

Her eyes full of mockery, Long Xu almost laughed coldly, her heart desolate, as if a bucket of ice shards had been poured into it.

As they were about to leave the boundary of those immortal mountains, she couldn’t help but say: “Even mortals don’t need to remain faithful to one person for life; immortals need it even less.”

Zhong Su thought she was speaking to him and looked at her in confusion. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, he suddenly caught a whiff of immortal energy.

“I never asked you to remain faithful to me.”

A white robe whirled with the wind, and someone yawned, his face full of indifference: “Princess, please don’t misunderstand.”

Her heart tightened, and Long Xu clenched her fists, taking two deep breaths before slowly raising her eyes.

Xin Wu had been in seclusion for a long time. For some reason, the demonic aura around him had diminished considerably, making him appear more like an immortal sage. But with just one glance at him, she could recall their countless intimate encounters, and couldn’t help but want to laugh coldly.

“Congratulations to the High God on emerging from seclusion.”

Staring at her steadily, Xin Wu mocked lightly: “I have not emerged from seclusion. My divine consciousness was disturbed by you two, forcing me to come out and receive guests.”

His floating form was not his physical body.