“No wonder Senior felt no sense of reality while on Earth. It turns out you fell into a nest of apes with whom you had no common language.”

Xiang Haikui nodded repeatedly, withdrawing her gaze from Jing Ran, her eyes unfocused and wandering. “When Senior saved me that day, it was out of a love for apes, right? After all, Senior seems to really like animals, such as Psyduck.”

This is truly fucking ridiculous!

Xiang Haikui’s gaze finally settled on the gauze curtain in front of her. The light purple veil undulated with the surging spiritual energy, much like her emotions.

She didn’t want to get involved in this other world’s racial conflict, but having heard so much, she couldn’t help forming her judgments.

Given Han Qi’s actions, as a fellow human, it would be a lie to say she felt no empathy for him, so she couldn’t easily judge whether Han Qi was right or wrong.

But the Heavenly Race… no, just the upper echelons of the Heavenly Race, were truly garbage.

Sure, their population was large, twice that of Earth.

But this world’s area was dozens of times larger than Earth’s.

The upper realm seemed even larger and governed more than one mortal world.

There was no resource shortage issue at all; they were swimming in abundance.

Simply put, they relied on their strength to consume all the meat, let the obedient humans drink the soup, and kicked over the bowls of the disobedient Mountain and Sea Clan.

When she learned that her senior was Di Jun, the “pure love” filter made her doubt her judgment, thinking perhaps she had been biased and misunderstood him.

Now, it was confirmed.

Feeling like sitting on pins and needles, Xiang Haikui wanted to stand up.

Just as she had the thought, her arm was gently pressed down by the man beside her. “I’m sorry.”

Jing Ran slightly bowed his head in apology. “I rarely explain my actions to others. Making you unhappy was my fault. Also, Xiang’s classmate has been speaking to me in an accusatory tone, which displeases me as well.”

“I wasn’t accusing—” Xiang Haikui began to explain.

“Before, when you looked at me, I was worth 100 points, but since knowing my identity, it seems I suddenly lost a zero.”

Jing Ran raised his eyelids slightly, meeting her gaze. “So, fortunately, when you confessed to me back then, something went wrong. If I had truly been captured by you, I would certainly be heartbroken today upon awakening.”

“Xiang’s classmate’s affection was merely a momentary impulse that couldn’t withstand the test. Fortunately, my nature is cold, and I don’t understand the word ’emotion,’ so I never took it seriously.”

His voice was still deep and icy, but somehow one could hear a trace of loneliness.

To be honest, Xiang Haikui couldn’t distinguish the truth from falsehood.

But the poison of “pure love” was overwhelming.

She even genuinely imagined in her mind: if they were still on Earth, after years of secret admiration, she had won him over.

Then, if they both came to the cultivation world and faced this situation, what would she choose?

In a state of complete lack of belonging, would she try to see things from his perspective and stand with him at the pinnacle of the Three Realms, safeguarding the vast territory he had conquered?

While she was lost in thought, Jing Ran placed his palm on the ground and stood up. “Enough, neither of our minds is calm, so meditation is inefficient. Come, I’ll take you to tour the Other Shore City. Since it was occupied by my elder brother, I haven’t visited for thousands of years.”

“Oh.”

Xiang Haikui also stood up, following him out of the Soul Nourishing Pool.

Outside the hall knelt rows and rows of people, like at an ancestral worship ceremony.

“Not used to it?” Without waiting for her answer, Jing Ran waved his sleeve, driving them all away.

Xiang Haikui followed by his side as they headed toward the Twelve Palaces. The Palace Masters, or other high officials if the Master was absent, all came out to greet them.

This wasn’t sightseeing; it was like accompanying a leader on an inspection tour.

According to the layout of the Other Shore City, even touring all Twelve Palaces wouldn’t take them into the city proper.

This city of eternal light on the sea had the Twelve Palaces positioned like the twelve time divisions on a clock, forming a circle.

They were the twelve gates to enter the inner city.

Those lotus lanterns floating along the River of Forgetfulness would, according to certain rules, enter through these twelve gates.

The Twelve Palace Masters were presumably what Chinese mythology called the Ten Yama Kings of Hell.

It was truly boring. While the Palace Master was reporting their work, she slipped outside.

Leaning against the railing, she gazed at the boundless sea.

Looking down, she saw winding spiral stairs.

She followed the spiral stairs downward, stopping at a spot with an open view.

Just as she was comfortably enjoying the sea breeze, she suddenly heard a woman speaking on the stairs below.

“This time, the Di Jun has returned from tribulation with a human woman. He seems quite fond of her, even taking her into the Soul Nourishing Pool…”

“Enough, she’s just a plaything. Is that worth reporting as important news?”

Xiang Haikui leaned on the railing, looking down. “Why does this sound so sour to me?”

Gossiping so openly behind someone’s back without using spiritual sense to check if anyone was around—they were either brainless or held significant status in the Underworld.

The Underworld ruler Jin Ying was female, and after the boss left the Palace of Extreme Pleasure, Luo Yunxiu replaced him as the Palace Master.

After the previous Underworld Lord’s forces were purged, most of those promoted were women.

The mistress and servant below both looked up. Just as the servant was about to speak, a fiery golden light suddenly descended from above.

In an instant, the servant was devoured by the golden light, without even a chance to cry out, turning into specks of ash.

The woman seemed dazed, standing motionless beside the ashes.

“Di Jun, please calm your anger!” A black light descended, and Jin Ying appeared on the railing one level above Xiang Haikui.

Jin Ying lowered her head and signaled to the woman with her eyes, seemingly telling her to quickly kneel and apologize not to the Di Jun, but to Xiang Haikui.

The woman bit her lip, her face showing some reluctance. As her knees began to bend, the golden light descended again, instantly incinerating her into nothing.

Clean and efficient, giving no chance to react.

Jin Ying said nothing more, sweeping all the ashes into the sea with a wave of her sleeve.

The corner of her eye glanced at Xiang Haikui, her gaze growing colder.

Before Jin Ying appeared, Xiang Haikui had no idea who had struck, and the speed was so fast she couldn’t have stopped it even if she wanted to.

She looked at the ashes drifting away and pressed her lips tightly together.

“Young lady.” Jin Ying had still not asked for her name. “Someone has come to the Other Shore City asking for you by name.”

Xiang Haikui’s heart skipped a beat, but then she remembered Jin Ying knew her boss. “Is it Lu Xiqiao?”

Jin Ying asked, “The young lady indeed knows him?”

Xiang Haikui nodded. “Where is he?”

Jin Ying pointed in a direction. “The Twelve Palaces are not a place he can enter. I’m afraid the young lady will have to go there herself.”

“Thank you, Underworld Lord.”

Xiang Haikui didn’t even tell Jing Ran, immediately rushing off to find Lu Xiqiao.

Jin Ying, watching her lightened footsteps, transmitted, “Di Jun, are you going to let her wander freely like this? Yin Changli is extremely familiar with the Other Shore City. What if, without anyone knowing…”

“No need for your interference.”

“Yes.”

…

At the base of a spider lily, Lu Xiqiao tilted his head back, staring at the towering buildings whose tops he couldn’t see, unable to look away.

“I had no idea palaces could be built like this.”

They looked like a chaotic beehive, but there was order in the chaos. With red lanterns hanging from the eaves and ghostly flames circling around, they created a sense of eerie beauty.

Xiang Haikui no longer doubted him and walked around him with her hands behind her back. “Your cultivation has reached the peak of the ninth rank, hasn’t it?”

Just one step away from entering the Tribulation Period.

Lu Xiqiao was still looking up in admiration. “Yes, but Senior Bai said…”

Xiang Haikui corrected him, “He’s not surnamed Bai. His surname is Yin, the ‘Yin’ that means ‘sinister.'”

“I see. Senior Yin said that since I just merged, it’s best not to advance too quickly, or else the Impure Fruit might affect my mental state…” Mentioning the Impure Fruit, Lu Xiqiao’s eyes revealed a hint of evasion. Changing the subject, his face once again filled with smiles. “By the way, Sister Kui, you…”

Xiang Haikui pulled the topic back: “Listen to him. He won’t harm you.”

Lu Xiqiao nodded. “Since Sister Kui says so, I’ll follow his advice.”

Xiang Haikui flew to sit on a petal extending from the base, swinging with the petal like on a swing. “Also, I won’t see you as frightening or treat you as an aberration just because you consumed your elder brother.”

These words made Lu Xiqiao tremble slightly.

“You don’t need to pretend in front of me when you’re feeling bad. According to Senior Yin, after the merger, the Impure Fruit will affect you and infinitely magnify the negative emotions you’ve suppressed.” Xiang Haikui patted the spot beside her. “Come sit.”

Lu Xiqiao blinked rapidly several times, nodded, and flew up to the petal.

Xiang Haikui leaned back, crossing her hands behind her head as a pillow, looking up at the red lanterns above. “Your situation is quite miserable now, but it’s nothing because there might be even more miserable things waiting for you in the future…”

Lu Xiqiao had been feeling touched, but hearing this, his face immediately darkened with extreme annoyance. “Sister Kui, if you don’t know how to comfort people, could you please not babble on like this?”

This wasn’t comfort; it was like twisting a knife in the wound.

Xiang Haikui laughed heartily and patted his back with an extended arm. “I can’t understand your pain, and I’m happy that it’s you who survived, not Lu Xigou, so don’t expect any comfort from me.”

To Lu Xiqiao’s ears, this was the best comfort.

“Ah, right.” He almost forgot. “Senior Yin asked me to relay a message to you.”

“What is it?” Xiang Haikui sat up.

Lu Xiqiao said, “He said the employment relationship between you two is no longer valid.”

Xiang Haikui nodded, having guessed as much.

Now he definitely wouldn’t take care of her anymore, since “peace of mind” wasn’t as important as his “great undertaking.”

And since her enemy was her senior, with his suspicious nature, he would surely cut off all contact with her.

Even someone with her intellect could understand his thinking.

Xiang Haikui yawned. “Be quiet. I’m going to sleep for a while.”

She had been rushing about these past few days, utterly exhausted. Now, having temporarily found peace with a familiar friend by her side, she could rest easy.

…

The Underworld had no distinction between day and night, so Xiang Haikui had no idea how long she had slept.

Waking up groggily, Lu Xiqiao was still sitting beside her. She reached out to grab his sleeve, wanting to use his strength to sit up.

However, that arm turned and gripped her wrist, pulling her up.

Xiang Haikui’s drowsiness instantly vanished—Lu Xiqiao didn’t have such courage.

Sure enough, sitting beside her was Jing Ran. “Seeing you sleeping so soundly, I didn’t wake you.”

She asked, “How long have I slept?”

Jing Ran thought for a moment. “Two or three days.”

Looking up again, Xiang Haikui noticed that the palace on this spider lily seemed to have been cleared of people.

No wonder she hadn’t been disturbed.

Xiang Haikui exclaimed, “Ah!” and held her head in frustration. “Senior, what exactly do you want? Can you just give it to me straight? You remind me of that idiot Meng Xilou, you know?”

Jing Ran looked at her, his expression suddenly becoming gloomy. “You also remind me of a… dog I once encountered by the roadside, abused and covered in wounds.”

Xiang Haikui’s gaze instantly darkened.

“Because it had been bullied so much, it no longer trusted people. When I passed by and felt sorry for it, wanting to feed it some dog food, it bared its teeth and even bit me once. It deserved to die by the roadside.”