The exit passage of the Secret Realm had already opened, and Su Wanqing and Xiao Jingyuan, having escaped danger, happened to arrive here as well.
Su Wanqing’s hair bun was disheveled, her delicate face smudged with dust. Xiao Jingyuan bore over a dozen wounds, the most conspicuous being a shoe print on his chest.
Seeing Shen Qingci, Su Wanqing’s eyes reddened slightly.
Shen Qingci strode forward and took out a medicinal pill from his Storage Ring. “Wanqing, keep this healing medicine.”
Su Wanqing shook her head. “No, I can’t accept something so precious from you.”
Just as Shen Qingci was about to force the medicine into her hands, his sister’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him.
“Brother Qi An, make sure you keep the Bone-Regenerating Blood-Merging Pill I gave you.”
Shen Qingci’s brow twitched. He withdrew the medicine and walked back.
Su Wanqing’s outstretched hand froze midair.
“You gave him the Bone-Regenerating Blood-Merging Pill?!” Shen Qingci strode before his sister, demanding angrily, “That was meant to save your life!”
Shen Qinghe said with complete confidence, “So what? Brother Qi An wanders around outside all day—he needs this pill more.”
“Sister Qinghe, this is where you’re wrong. How could you casually give a Bone-Regenerating Blood-Merging Pill to an outsider?” Su Wanqing walked over and advised gently.
Shen Qingci’s expression softened slightly. At least Wanqing understood propriety.
Shen Qinghe blinked her large, clear black-and-white eyes, puzzled. “Brother once gave you the Life-Preserving Bead he worked so hard to obtain, which can ward off one Death Tribulation.
But you and my brother aren’t Dao Companions—just friends. How can you accept the Life-Preserving Bead with such peace of mind?”
Su Wanqing bit her lip. “Then I’ll return it to you.”
As she spoke, she reached for her Storage Bag, but Shen Qingci stopped her. “What’s given is given. There’s no taking it back.”
Shen Qinghe became even more emboldened. “Then don’t meddle with what I give Qi An.”
Shen Qingci’s veins bulged with irritation, his fists clenching and unclenching. That Bone-Regenerating Blood-Merging Pill—he would take it back himself.
He turned his head and saw that Shen Qinghe and the others had disappeared at some point.
“Where are they?”
Uncle Zhong’s expression was complicated. “They’ve already left.”
Shen Qingci immediately prepared to chase after them on his sword, but behind him came a cry of “Ah!” as Su Wanqing collapsed to the ground, looking weak.
He paused. His sister wasn’t in mortal danger for now, at least. He’d deal with that white-haired man later.
What mattered most now was Wanqing—she must have been badly injured.
Shen Qinghe directly brought Lizhu to Ethereal Peak, where she resided—also the place with the densest Spiritual Energy in all of Azure Profound Sect.
Lush green trees, clear mountain springs, spiritual birds singing freely—life thrived everywhere. Just standing here made one feel refreshed throughout the body.
As soon as they landed, several maidservants approached. “Young Miss.”
“Arrange for him to stay next door to me, and bring him some sets of clothes.” Shen Qinghe instructed. “Also prepare a bath for me. I want to bathe.”
“Yes.”
The maidservants dispersed to their tasks. Lizhu asked, “Where are those treasures?”
Shen Qinghe waved a hand. “I’ll tell you after I’ve bathed.”
Lizhu pressed his lips together, gazing quietly at her hurriedly retreating figure.
Shen Qinghe had more important matters to attend to now.
Back in her room, she first took out the Xuantian Heart-Protecting Mirror, which had already lost a corner, and rummaged through materials to try to repair it.
This was her Natal Magic Tool—without it, she would lose her greatest means of self-preservation.
But no matter what material she used, the Heart-Protecting Mirror showed no response at all.
Such a fine life-saving Magical Artifact… truly, completely ruined.
Shen Qinghe slumped by the table, her expression dejected. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She pressed her hands together, drew out a wisp of her Divine Soul, and attached it to the damaged part of the Heart-Protecting Mirror.
Soon, the damaged area restored itself to its original state.
A smile crept onto her face.
Of course, this wasn’t a true restoration—it was only possible because the Xuantian Heart-Protecting Mirror was her Natal Magic Tool, allowing her to temporarily patch it with her Divine Soul.
The Xuantian Heart-Protecting Mirror could still protect its wearer now, but only against harm from those below the Foundation Establishment Stage.
In short, it could only ward off ordinary people…
One could say it was useless to a Cultivator.
But right now, it was of great use to her.
“Miss, the bath is ready,” said the maidservant.
Shen Qinghe put away her belongings, slipped off her outer robe, and headed to the bath.
The surface of the bath was scattered with fresh flowers—the fragrance she loved.
But this time was different from before. As she stepped into the warm water, she faintly sensed something amiss.
She looked up and caught sight of a flash of white hair.
A young man was hanging upside down, gazing at her with a cold, indifferent look.
Shen Qinghe froze for a moment. “Why are you here?”
“Afraid you’d run,” said Lizhu.
Shen Qinghe was about to say something when the foot she’d submerged in the bath was seized by something ice-cold, dragging her into the water.
A sinister, gender-ambiguous laugh echoed from the water: “A Pure Yin Body… I want it…”
“Help!”
Shen Qinghe cried out in panic. Fortunately, just as she was about to be pulled under, her hand was caught by the young man.
With a tug, she was yanked into his embrace.
Bubbles gurgled up from the water, as if something was about to emerge. Terrified, Shen Qinghe clung tightly to Lizhu. “What is this?”
Lizhu gazed calmly at the pool: “A Pool Demon. It likes to hide in baths—the moment when humans are least guarded. It drags people into the water and drains their essence, favoring young women most.”
The water in the bath congealed into a shadowy black figure, extending two hands dripping with black water that gradually spread into a watery mist, enveloping them.
“Two of you, not bad either. I happen to be hungry.”
Shen Qinghe cast a water-type spell, but as it merged into the water, the mist visibly became even more solid.
Lizhu said flatly, “Ice-type spells would work.”
Shen Qinghe had ice-type attack incantations in her Storage Bag, but she hadn’t brought them with her, and she hadn’t even learned ice-type spells. “I don’t know any.”
Lizhu gave her a look of utter speechlessness. “Then fire-type.”
Shen Qinghe was about to say she didn’t know that either, when Lizhu grasped her hand. A ball of flickering flame had appeared in her palm without her noticing.
“Hehe, water overcomes fire. Trying to use fire against me—how laughable.”
The watery mist drew closer and closer. But when it touched the flame, it couldn’t extinguish it. Instead, the mist instantly evaporated and dispersed, and the remaining water was encircled by the fire, which traced it back to the Pool Demon’s body.
“What kind of fire is this? How is this possible? Nooo!” The Pool Demon shrieked in agony as all the water in the bath evaporated from the heat.
Yet the fire was sentient, refusing to spread to anything else.
With its last strength, the Pool Demon transformed into a wisp of black qi and shot out through the window.
Lizhu glanced at it but didn’t give chase.
Anyone tainted by his flames was doomed to die.
“So hot.” Shen Qinghe felt the room was scorching. Steam billowed around her, and she was dizzy from the heat, instinctively clinging even tighter to the man.
Lizhu frowned in disgust and was about to push her away, but his hand brushed against something soft. Once again, he froze.
This thing was softer than anything he had ever touched. Just feeling it, he could sense its softness and elasticity, and it was also… rather large?
The area around his heart grew uncomfortable again. He quickly withdrew his hand, but didn’t push her away this time.
“Lizhu, can you make it cooler in here?” the young woman murmured.
“Troublesome,” the young man scoffed.
But after saying that, he withdrew his power, and the temperature around them gradually dropped.
Shen Qinghe felt much better, and her consciousness slowly returned.
Seeing Lizhu’s bright red ears, and then looking at how closely the two of them were pressed together, she laughed inwardly.
It must be so difficult for a righteous cultivator like him to not push her away because of her timidity.
Someone who respected female cultivators like this was exactly the kind of person she was looking for.
“Lizhu, didn’t I say I wanted to ask you for a favor?” Shen Qinghe said, a little embarrassed. “I know this might go against some of your principles, but if you help me, I’ll give you plenty of heavenly treasures and earthly jewels—you can take your pick.”
“I know.”
Lizhu’s eyes instantly turned pitch black, and a dark longsword appeared in his hand.
The young man’s blood began to tremble with excitement.
He was curious—what piece of his flesh and blood did this seemingly harmless woman want? Then he would cut off the same piece from her body. That scene would surely be delightful.
“Go ahead.” He urged, unable to wait any longer.
Shen Qinghe was confused. She pushed the sword aside. “Go ahead with what?”
“Aren’t you after my flesh and blood? This sword is very sharp—it won’t hurt at all,” Lizhu said.
The corner of Shen Qinghe’s mouth twitched violently. Perhaps it was because her brother had sheltered her too well that she didn’t know the outside world could be so terrifying—people casually demanding flesh and blood.
And judging by Lizhu’s demeanor, he seemed already accustomed to it.
“Has someone asked for your flesh and blood before? Those people are all perverts. Don’t ever agree to them in the future.” Shen Qinghe pushed the sword further away. “Also, when a sword pierces your body, it does hurt. You can’t let people hurt you carelessly.”
She hadn’t forgotten how Lizhu had remained expressionless when those evil cultivators had wounded him with their swords.
She really wondered how he had grown up—he must have suffered so much pain.
A flicker of confusion appeared on Lizhu’s face. “It hurts?”
“Of course it does. You’re made of flesh and blood too,” Shen Qinghe said.
Lizhu touched the hollow place on his chest. Something was beating there again.
“Oh, right. Here’s the Xuantian Heart-Protecting Mirror. Make sure to keep it on you at all times.” Shen Qinghe handed him the mirror.
Lizhu was startled. The moment he took the mirror, he sensed something. “There’s a wisp of your divine soul inside?”
Shen Qinghe waved her hand. “Don’t worry, it won’t affect me. I only extracted one ten-thousandth of my divine soul.”
“Do you know that anyone above the Great Convergence Stage can lock onto you with just a wisp of your divine soul, and even kill you from a thousand miles away?”
Shen Qinghe didn’t mind. “It’s fine. Not to mention there are hardly any Great Convergence Stage cultivators in this world, I trust your character. You wouldn’t do something like that.
If you’re not reliable, then there’s no one in this world worth trusting.”
After all, Young Master Li Zhu was famously upright and honorable.
Combined with the young man’s behavior earlier, Shen Qinghe had already come to regard him as an exceptionally good person.
Lizhu glanced at her and accepted the mirror. “Then what exactly do you want?”
She didn’t want his flesh and blood, yet she offered up her own divine soul.
Lizhu was truly curious about what this human was thinking.
Shen Qinghe bit her lip, a blush spreading across her face. “I want you to be my Dao Companion…”