"Lu Ziyin, don't you find it strange..." Women's intuition was sharper, and she tapped her chin. "That demoness, she killed her companions, the ghost cultivators, without batting an eye. Yet, you see, though we are as insignificant in her eyes as ants she could crush with a flick of her wrist, after our two clashes, we were completely unharmed?"
It was an inconceivable matter.
Lu Ziyin was also stunned by her words. Come to think of it... it was true.
The power the opponent displayed was enough to destroy everything. Yet, they stood before her, utterly defenseless, but she had dealt a heavy blow and then set them down gently.
Danyai's calm heart was stirred by Rulan's words once more, his temples throbbing a few times.
Some things couldn't be thought about too deeply, nor could they be investigated closely. He couldn't be sure, nor could he find certainty.
This matter was indeed bizarre and inexplicable.
To be honest, Rulan had once suspected if the black-cloaked figure was truly a demon.
It was precisely because of this suspicion that Rulan had asked Lu Ziyin about the Huang Tong Crystal.
As soon as her mind calmed down, she recalled that the fake "Lu Ziyin" had a Huang Tong Crystal in his hand. But... that disciple from the Qiyao Sect had died. He had died quite miserably, his body not even remaining intact, and right before all their eyes...
She had indeed suspected him, but then she thought that if he had lost his life, and if he truly was that fake "Lu Ziyin," then what was the point of all this?
Perhaps, she was being too conspiratorial. Maybe the crystal the disciple from the Qiyao Sect held, which looked very, very similar to the "Huang Tong Crystal," was just that – "very similar"...
"Thinking like that, your perspective is too narrow. How could we, ordinary righteous immortals, guess the thoughts of a great demon? Whether she kills or not might entirely depend on her personality and mood," Lu Ziyin raised an eyebrow.
Danyai had many things weighing on his mind. It was rare to encounter these two people who blabbered about anything and everything, which drew out a hint of his desire to confide.
He asked, "If a demon doesn't kill, but saves people, what does she want?"
Rulan, always driven by her affections and with a sharp tongue, retorted, "She wants a person, of course. Don't the opera plays often write about demon lords falling for immortal maidens, eventually reforming and saving the world?"
Danyai was silent for a moment.
It seemed like this answer was worth pondering.
He imagined himself in the scenario, and the more he thought about it, the more captivated he became.
Then, as if finding it amusing, he nodded with a low chuckle.
"...Makes some sense."
Rulan's lips twitched. She had just said it casually, so why was he so eager to agree? Was he serious?
—
The tower stood beneath the azure sky, wisps of ethereal mist, thread by thread, permeating between the white towers. After Wei Li took Gu Junshi away, he had led them to believe he would leave the central area of the "Dragon Island Secret Realm." In reality, he had doubled back and chosen a seven-story white tower to bring her into.
This cluster of white towers, resembling a maze, was more suitable for avoiding attention than the open grounds outside.
He had just landed, his arm around her waist, when her legs buckled. He quickly and clumsily held her firmly by the waist.
At that moment, he had no romantic thoughts whatsoever, only concern for her condition. "What's wrong?"
Her neck tilted back, and the brim of her straw hat fell backward. She reached out to pull it, but Wei Li's hand pressed down on it. Her hands were very cold, exuding a damp, clammy slipperiness. In contrast, the fox demon's body was likely very warm due to its dense fur, like a warm patch pressed against her back.
"At this point, what are you still hiding? Are you so afraid of me seeing you?" Wei Li asked coldly.
The blood on his chest hadn't even dried yet, this heartless woman!
Gu Junshi thought for a moment and said, "I'm not afraid, I'm just worried you'll regret it."
Wei Li was a pretentious fox, vain, greedy, sharp-tongued, and arrogant, possessing a multitude of flaws. She was mainly afraid that if he knew she was Gu Yi, he would at least be furious, if not jump into a river in shame.
Wei Li completely misunderstood Gu Junshi's good intentions. He leaned closer to her and said fiercely, "Regret? What would I regret? Even if you looked like the ghosts you released—" He dared to utter harsh words, but Wei Li, after a brief imagination, if she truly looked like those malevolent spirits... Wei Li took a deep breath, his gaze suddenly less insistent, "Then I... won't look."
Gu Junshi chuckled softly.
Wei Li felt a sense of regret at not being able to see her current expression. He could only imagine her smile in his mind based on the change in her voice. His tone unconsciously carried a hint of grievance. "This is the first time you've truly smiled at me."
"Do you think I'm very bad to you?" Gu Junshi understood his implication.
Seeing that she was leading the conversation further astray and not mentioning what had happened to her body, Wei Li followed her lead. "Tell me yourself, have you ever been good to me? Things happened not long ago, have you forgotten all of it?"
Gu Junshi, however, believed that as long as she hadn't taken off his fox head, it was considered being good to him.
After all, the first time they met in this life, he had made a harsh move against her. If she were truly an ordinary mortal, who would she seek to reclaim her grievances from?
Of course, Wei Li didn't know these things. He only felt that since he had known her, he had been suppressed everywhere and never gotten the better of her.
Gu Junshi regained some strength, her stiff body barely able to stand. She pushed Wei Li away. "You saved me just now, so consider it a debt you are owed."
Seeing her return to her distant and indifferent demeanor, Wei Li felt a tightness in his chest. He was a celestial fox, naturally proud, and would not show his disappointment. He casually raised his slender chin. "You've become quite spirited now. Tell me, what happened just now? Why were you standing there like a block of wood for Liu Jiang Fusheng to stab you, without fighting back? Didn't you say you didn't like him?"
Gu Junshi leaned against the ivory-white wall, tilting her head slightly. Wei Li couldn't see that fine sweat had beaded on her forehead, and her brows were slightly furrowed as if in unbearable pain.
But her gaze remained calm, and her tone didn't change at all. "I don't think I ever said that."
"What? You clearly said before—"
She said, "I only said that the things I did for him were not out of liking him."
Wei Li was stunned by her convoluted answer. After a moment of thought, he understood. Her meaning was that even if she liked him, it wouldn't stop her from using him to achieve her goals.
He now wanted to send her back and have Liu Jiang Fusheng stab her with a sword. Why had he bothered to meddle?
Wei Li's gaze inadvertently swept over her, then froze abruptly. "Your... your stomach... why does it look a little... swollen?"
Because she was leaning against the wall, her upper body had a slight incline. The fabric, like flowing, thick liquid, seemed to cling closely to the contours of her body, revealing a slender and graceful figure with well-proportioned limbs. However, the abdominal area... seemed to have an unusual bulge?