The verdant hem of her skirt swept across the red threshold, curling into the front courtyard like a willow leaf. Li Ye followed slowly behind, thinking that this little creature was truly easy to please—just some mundane objects could make her skip about with joy.

The mortal palace had excess grandeur but insufficient elegance, yet when she was placed within it, it seemed perfectly fitting. She raced through the courtyard toward the rear hall, then with a flying leap, plunged into the soft blankets on the Noble Consort’s couch, hugging a freshly sun-dried brocade pillow and taking a deep breath.

“This is wonderful,” she kicked her legs straight out in delight for a while, then turned to look at him. “Do you know? I’ve had a wish since I was little.”

Li Ye stepped through the doorway, glancing around at the furnishings, and asked casually, “What wish?”

Grinning, Er’er lay on the soft blankets and said, “I wanted to live idly in the palace for my whole life, learning nothing, doing nothing, having sheep’s milk and bird’s nest soup for breakfast, mountain delicacies and seafood for lunch, and light porridge with fine noodles for dinner. When bored, I’d just sweet-talk Father Emperor and Mother Empress for some rewards to hoard.”

Li Ye listened with raised eyebrows.

True to her nature, even her wishes showed no ambition.

“Now that you mention it,” amusement flickered in his eyes, “your journey to the Ninth Heaven must have been quite arduous for you.”

“Wasn’t it?” She pouted pitifully. Originally, I had a good life at the immortal sect, but after ascending to heaven, I was either struck by celestial lightning or encountered dangerous situations. New wounds pressed on old ones, with hardly any good days. At first, you didn’t even like me and were always thinking about killing me, making me unable to sleep soundly. My waist has lost two inches.”

Was she blaming him now? Li Ye snorted lightly: “In the Ninth Heaven, there are many other immortals who have suffered more than you.”

“I know, but others are others, and I am me,” perhaps because the environment was too familiar, Er’er’s princess temperament emerged as she said haughtily, “I don’t like suffering, and I fear pain.”

Her words were soft, with a hint of coquettishness.

If anyone else had said this, Li Ye would certainly have waved them away with his sleeve. Who could cultivate immortality without suffering? Such delicacy would be better suited for reincarnation.

But coming from Er’er’s mouth, he felt his heart soften. He stepped forward to sit beside her couch and reached out, wanting to smooth away all her wounds.

“Hey, there’s no need now, they’re almost healed.” she raised her hand to block him, simultaneously taking his hand into her embrace, nuzzling it like a cat and sighing contentedly, “Having you here is enough.”

His chest warmed slightly, and Li Ye lifted the corner of his mouth in a place where she couldn’t see.

Let her be lazy, he thought. After all, he could protect her, and with him, she could enjoy comfort and pleasure however she wished.

The little one’s fair neck and the crimson soft blankets were entwined together, looking extremely delectable. Li Ye glanced sideways for quite a while, and finally couldn’t resist, lowering his head to bite her once.

Then her neck was tinged with a beautiful shade of crimson.

His eyes darkening, Li Ye suddenly felt that the mortal rulers who bent themselves for beauty were not incomprehensible. In moments of intense emotion, who would still have the mind to care about state affairs? Even if the sky collapsed outside, it had nothing to do with him; he only wanted these few feet of warmth in his arms.

A dull thunder rumbled distantly on the horizon, but blocked by the thick, carved redwood windows, little sound remained. The pearl-studded curtains trailed from the stepped bed’s canopy to the floor, rippling like waves on a wind-brushed lake.

For a moment, Li Ye thought that he too seemed to have a wish now.

He wanted to be someone who could accompany her in a life of hedonistic pleasure and idleness.

Thus, in the following days, Er’er truly opened her eyes each morning to sheep’s milk and bird’s nest soup. She didn’t even need to leave her soft couch, as “palace maids” transformed from candlesticks came to attend to her washing and meals. Lunch was, as she wished, full of delicacies, and even Li Ye, who normally didn’t much care for mortal food, picked up his chopsticks to join her.

In the evening, the brilliant stars seemed to hang just above the flying eaves of the palace. They set up a table in the front courtyard, each with a bowl of spring noodles sprinkled generously with scallions.

Li Ye thought she would show some surprise, but she didn’t. This little creature adapted quite naturally, as if the four words “eat well, do nothing” were inscribed in her bones, perfectly innate.

He smiled and began to contemplate establishing a formation boundary right here.

Outside, the fires of war spread, and the situation grew increasingly severe. Zhong Qin exerted great effort and finally made her way to the Queen Mother of the West’s immortal mountains.

But she was thoroughly angered by the nearly completed formation boundary before her.

“Supreme God,” she approached, suppressing her fury, “The Ninth Heaven is without a leader, and no one can win everyone’s allegiance. But you only need to show yourself to resolve the trouble. Why do you abandon those countless lives and hide here alone?”

Li Ye glanced at her, still working on the formation boundary, and replied indifferently, “What I promised you was to bring you to the Ninth Heaven, and after revenge, to grant you more than half of the territory. Have I not fulfilled that?”

“…The Supreme God has indeed kept his promise.” Her fervor diminished somewhat as she looked at the palace behind him, but she still frowned. “But why do you abandon the excellent position as ruler of the Ninth Heaven to come here and indulge in nonsense with her? She is just a little girl from the mortal realm, but you are different. You are meant to rule the world. How can you allow yourself to be confined by a small puddle, without seeing the vast ocean?”

Contempt flickered in his eyes as Li Ye placed down a few more formation bricks: “What is a puddle, what is an ocean—have you truly seen clearly?”

The pursuit of fame and gain in the Ninth Heaven was the most meaningless thing.

Zhong Qin was stunned, somewhat hesitant. But only for a moment, before her gaze regained its clarity: “I beg the Supreme God to consider the greater situation.”

“It’s none of my concern.” Placing down the last brick, Li Ye sealed off the entire Seven-Colored Immortal Mountain.

Zhong Qin was thrown out, landing with disbelief still evident on her face. How could someone be so foolish? Just as the great matter was about to succeed, he rejected the position of power delivered to him.

The Queen Mother of the West appeared behind Zhong Qin at some point. She reached out to catch her staggering body and sighed softly.

“That place is safe,” said the Queen Mother. “He has made up his mind to retreat from the world with that little immortal.”

“Absurd!” Zhong Qin grew anxious. “If he withdraws, who knows how long the heavens will continue in this state of contention? My royal father is already at death’s door, and my elder brother exhausts himself daily in running about…”

“You all,” the Queen Mother interrupted softly, “may as well take advantage of the victory to redivide the three realms. There is no need to fixate on the Ninth Heaven.”

The Ninth Heaven was not suitable for ghosts and spirits to exist. Forcibly trying to win, there was a sense of hardship.

Zhong Qin lowered her eyes, avoiding the topic out of guilt, only muttering, “That little immortal is truly harmful, bewitching Supreme God Li Ye at this critical moment. Does she know what consequences this will cause?”

A minor immortal is just that—without any sense of the bigger picture, selfish and self-serving.

The Queen Mother opened her mouth to speak, but her immortal aura was too strong. Zhong Qin felt uncomfortable standing close to her and stepped back before she could speak, perfunctorily cupping her hands: “I’ve troubled you greatly. I must return to report, so I’ll take my leave now.”