Ru Xin smiled. “Nope.”


  “My little wifey, if you still don’t open up, I’ll have to burst through the door!”


  With a gentle sound, a string of white bubbles surged upwards. The mud slid off the cauldron.

  The cauldron opened, and Ru Xin emerged. Their eyes met, both smiling.

  It had been almost three years since they last saw each other, but within their smile, it was as if they had just separated yesterday.

  “You cultivate too slowly. So much for giving you the Water God Seal! You haven’t even undergone the second heavenly tribulation yet!”


  Li Qingshan studied her. She had already made her fishtail vanish, turning back into human form. Her skin became even more glossy, like soft, white jade of the highest grade. Even her lips became a natural red jade, and her flowing eyes were a rare black jade.

  She seemed like a beauty sculpted from jade that an immortal had breathed life into, springing alive and possessing her own bearing of otherworldliness.

  “Since when was undergoing the second heavenly tribulation so easy? You can’t compare me to a certain beast. Oh, I’m not talking about you.” Ru Xin smiled.

  “Even if you didn’t place special emphasis, I would know you’re talking about me. Envy and jealousy is useless. This is the difference between a genius and a mortal person. Oh wait, I forgot, you don’t count as a mortal person either.”


  “I’m otherpeople,” Ru Xin said as she tossed a jade bottle to Li Qingshan. “Take it and drink it, you beastial genius!”


  “What’s this?” Li Qingshan opened the bottle and saw the faint, red liquid rippling inside.

  Ru Xin had once given him a bottle of medicine like this before. It could balance water and fire, and it achieved wondrous effects when he consumed it while he was breaking through to Daemon Commander. On top of that, this bottle of medicine seemed even denser and more pure than the last.

  “It’s stomach ache medicine… It gives you a stomach ache!”


  “There’s no such thing like that. Just how did you refine this? Didn’t you say that there’s no Flower of Water and Fire?” Li Qingshan asked.

  It was a tiny bottle of medicinal water, but to him, it was more precious than any spiritual pill or wondrous medicine. But the more it was like this, the more he wanted to know about its origins.

  “You’re an adult man- no, an adult beast, so why are you still being so fussy? If you keep going on with this nonsense, you’re not getting anymore in the future. How’d you go in the south?” Ru Xin changed the topic of conversation.

  “With what I’m capable of, I’ve obviously been running amuck freely in the measly south. I’m known as the ‘King of Savages’ now. I’ve a dwelling established on Savage mountain and countless powerful cultivators under my command. I was just about to invite you along so that you can enjoy life with me.” Li Qingshan fiddled around with the jade bottle in his hand.

  “King of Savages!” Ru Xin was taken aback. Clearly, she also knew what kind of place Savage mountain was and what the King of Savages meant. However, she smiled. “Don’t you find this nickname to be very stupid? You can tell with a single glance that you’re completely unqualified. You don’t deserve it at all.”


  “It doesn’t matter what it is, but it’s still got the word ‘king’ in it. Though, surely you need to tell me why you want to go to the South sea before we go to the south?”


  Although she had intentionally changed the topic, how could Li Qingshan let her slip by so easily?

  “I’m a Merfolk of the South sea. I want to go back because I miss home. Isn’t this a perfectly-reasonable excuse?” Ru Xin laid out her hands.

  “Even you said it is an excuse. You better come clean obediently. Don’t make me use force!”


  “It’s not like you’re my man, so why do you care so much?”


  “If you’d like it, I could be your man!”


  “Sure enough, I wouldn’t want that at all.” Ru Xin considered it very seriously.

  “Hey, just what’s so unmentionable? Tell me!”


  Li Qingshan really was frustrated. He was tempted to pry open her mouth. He grabbed her by the shoulders, about to spit out a few threats and force her to confess, but when he looked into her eyes, the words in his mouth turned into a long sigh. He released her and shook his head with a wry smile.

  “You win, alright? My damned grandmother!”


  “You called me?” Ru Xin smiled in response.

  “Let’s go! We’ll go to the south. You can tell me when you feel like it! I have to say, you did remind me that certain things can’t be dealt with force!”


  Li Qingshan was powerless.

  “It’s not that you can’t.” Ru Xin smiled slightly. “It’s that you refuse to!”


  “Hmph, as long as you understand!”


  Li Qingshan left his mirror clone behind in the marsh to hold onto the Water God Seal before taking off on a cloud, heading to the south with Ru Xin.

  On the cloud, Li Qingshan told Ru Xin what he went through in the south. As always, she had her fair share of sneers and scorn, but she was unable to hide her concern either. Li Qingshan’s current situation did not seem particularly optimistic to her. The King of Southern Yue definitely did not hold any kind intentions towards him. Once the Mist province declared war against the Green province, he would definitely start with him.

  The King of Southern Yue was weaker than the Dragon King of Ink Sea, but if Li Qingshan wanted to stand a chance, he would have to use Northmoon’s power, and once he exposed himself, the Dragon King of Ink Sea would rush over immediately. The Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga would probably want him gone too. He was nowhere close to running amok freely.

  “What, you’re worried about me?” Li Qingshan saw how she frowned slightly and could not help but smile.

  Surprisingly, Ru Xin did not respond with foul language. Instead, she said seriously, “It’s best if you stir up a little less trouble and spend a good few years cultivating in seclusion on Savage mountain. When the opportunity arises, go back to the Green province!”


  “What about you?”


  “We’re cultivators. Shouldn’t we make sure we go down our own paths properly?” Ru Xin said.

  The path of every single cultivator was different. Perhaps they might cross from time to time, but they would be heading off in different directions at the end of the day. If they would end up obstructing one another because of their feelings, they were better off not meeting at all and remaining unshackled.

  “Who’s supposed to refine medicine for me then? We’ve known each other for so long. Since when have I ever been afraid of trouble? Once we get to the south, pay a visit to the Fire Melt mountains with me. Heh, that’s the mortal enemies of your Merfolk of the South Sea, though I don’t think you really see race!” Li Qingshan said.

  Li Qingshan was in no hurry to consume the medicine that balanced fire and water. He had just emerged from a lengthy period of secluded cultivation, so he was ready to make a move. He was better off following the plan, going to the Fire Melt mountains and obtaining the divine wutong tree before ingesting it. The effects would probably be better like that.

  “Why are you going to the Fire Melt mountains?” Ru Xin’s expression was rather strange.

  “I want to negotiate with that Fire Devouring King and see if I can borrow the divine wutong tree for a few days.”


  “The divine wutong tree!” Ru Xin’s expression changed slightly. “That’s the fire devourer’s holy tree, as well as where their royal family is located. Even fire devourers are forbidden from approaching the tree without good reason. Why would they lend it to you?”


  “You sure know a lot. Think of some ideas for me to get the Fire Devouring King to change his mind,” said Li Qingshan.

  “Fire devourers have violent tempers. They’re belligerent, battle-hungry, and extremely vengeful. They’re very difficult to get along with. I’d advise you to give up. Even if you’ve provoked the Myriad Poison Ancestor, I wouldn’t worry. At his age, he’d second-think anything he does, but the Fire Devouring King can really leave you with absolutely no footing in the south!” Ru Xin said.

  “Aren’t you just inciting me into negotiating with the Fire Devouring King?”


  Li Qingshan smiled. Ever since he spoke with the Golden Cicada Spirit King and the Great Banyan Tree King individually, he was determined to obtain the divine wutong tree. He really wanted to see just how tough of a nut the fire devourers were to crack.

  “That’s definitely not what I mean!” Ru Xin suddenly raised her voice and looked at Li Qingshan, talking sternly.

  Li Qingshan had never seen her lose her composure like that, which surprised him. “I just mentioned it casually. What’re you taking it so seriously for?”