This was the first time Luo Ningning had invited someone to practice dual cultivation with her, so she had been somewhat nervous and shy. Then she heard that blunt remark. She choked on her words. “Cough, cough, cough… No! It’s just dual cultivation!”
Xie Shiqi frowned. “What’s the difference?”
Luo Ningning said, “I’m only sleeping with you for the purpose of cultivating together and advancing together… It’s not as though I’m going to become your Dao companion and have children with you. Of course I’m not pursuing you, much less mating with you!”
Xie Shiqi’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and a pair of wolf ears suddenly sprouted from the top of his head. Luo Ningning stared in surprise at the wolf ears that had appeared so abruptly, and a guess suddenly popped into her mind.
Wait… Could it be that whenever this wolf becomes aroused, wolf ears and a wolf tail suddenly appear?
She felt that this guess was somewhat plausible. Unexpectedly, Xie Shiqi’s next words were, “Oh, you only want to suck my essence qi.”
His expressionless face hardened as he forcefully thrust a branch into the fish. With a snort, he said, “So this is what all of you who practice the Hehuan Sect’s demonic arts say to your ‘dual-cultivation partners.’ ‘It can increase your cultivation and restore your body’—indeed, that is quite a temptation. No wonder those male demons all become muddle-headed and are deceived completely.”
Luo Ningning: “??”
…This expression of his didn’t look like he was aroused at all! Luo Ningning became furious. “What are you talking about? Do you think I’m trying to deceive you?! So you’d rather believe that bad female demon neighbor who sucks people’s essence qi than believe me?!”
She had already decided that if Xie Shiqi dared to say yes, she would smash his head with Changqin. However, Xie Shiqi seemed to have noticed her anger and tactfully replied vaguely, “I never said I didn’t believe you.”
Flames rose from his fingertips. He expertly wrapped the fish in them, then quickly handed the cooked fish to Luo Ningning. The anger she had been holding in suddenly had nowhere to go, leaving it suspended awkwardly in her chest.
She took the branch anyway and nibbled at the fish. Deciding not to quibble with this crude, uncultured Ancient Ferocious Beast, she said, “I’ve been meaning to ask: where did you hear that ridiculous rumor about the Hehuan Sect’s demonic arts sucking people’s essence qi? The dual cultivation of my sect clearly benefits both parties. With a Pure Yin Body and a single spirit root like mine, I may not be able to completely eliminate the damage caused by your demonic qi, but I can help you recover your former strength sooner. I saw how badly you were suffering from the demonic qi, and I urgently need to improve my Hehuan cultivation method, so I wanted us to help each other.”
Xie Shiqi suddenly looked at her. “When you wanted to improve your Hehuan cultivation method in the past, did you also go find someone to help each other?”
Luo Ningning didn’t even know whether this wolf had been listening to her. “A Pure Yin Body. I said I have a Pure Yin Body. Don’t you understand what that means?”
Xie Shiqi’s wolf ears twitched. “Oh… Then I have a Pure Yang Body too.”
Luo Ningning: “…Heh. Does that even need to be said?”
If this idiot wolf had ever had a woman, she would change her name to Luo Shasha on the spot. Recalling the teachings of the Hehuan Sect and the demonstrations given by her senior and junior sisters, she continued explaining, “Besides, I’m not pursuing you either. To those of us who practice the Hehuan cultivation method, dual cultivation doesn’t mean anything in particular. It has nothing to do with love—it’s merely a method of cultivation, one that seeks mutual benefit. Even if you and I practice dual cultivation, our relationship would only be that of cooperative partners, not lovers. We could part ways amicably at any time.”
The flames at Xie Shiqi’s fingertips suddenly leaped higher, charring a small fish. He flew into a rage and threw the roasted fish onto the ground. “So you want to mate with me, but only be cooperative partners with me… and then part ways amicably?!”
Luo Ningning was startled. “Huh? I already said it isn’t mating…”
Xie Shiqi shot to his feet. “You wicked cultivator, don’t even think about it! In my tribe, who isn’t faithful and devoted, recognizing only one beloved in their entire life? In this lifetime, I will only sleep with my Dao companion!”
Luo Ningning was stunned. She hadn’t expected that the tribe of this Ancient Ferocious Beast would be so particular about such things. But when she thought of his statement that “only my parents, wife, and children may sit on me,” she felt that these conventions did have a basis.
She immediately abandoned the idea. It wasn’t that she had long since decided to live recklessly and freely, passing through a field of flowers without letting a single petal touch her. In truth, she had considered the “junior disciple of the Hehuan Sect” identity that her mother and sect had given her. That consideration had been a clash between the values of love she had held in her previous life and the Hehuan cultivation method of this life. The result of that consideration was: “Let fate decide.”
Her current state was probably one in which she retained the beautiful, devoted view of love from her previous life while also being able to accept the Hehuan cultivation method of Dao cultivators. Thus, whether she would one day pursue simple cultivation, fall in love, or even form a bonded partnership was all possible. She had not planned out her path in advance.
But given the current situation, although they could practice dual cultivation and part ways amicably afterward, it was clearly unsuitable for them to begin a relationship intended to culminate in forming a bond. They had known each other for barely a month, and she still knew far too little about this wolf. What little she did know included quite a lot that displeased her. Once the secret realm closed, she would naturally leave the Land of Inheritance, and the two of them would have no chance to meet again. It was better not to provoke him from the very beginning.
Luo Ningning tried to reason with him. “I didn’t know. Since your tribe has that sort of custom, then just pretend I never said anything. Why are you being so fierce? And why are you calling me a wicked cultivator?”
Xie Shiqi’s ice-blue eyes glared viciously at her. “Are you not a wicked cultivator? It’s not as though I’ve never seen human cultivators before. What other sect is as outrageous as yours?!”
Luo Ningning disliked hearing him criticize the Hehuan Sect. “How are we outrageous? Have you heard of the Ruthless Dao? If they can have the Ruthless Dao, why can’t we have the Hehuan Sect? You need to learn to accept the diversity of cultivation methods. Whether it’s the orthodox path or the unorthodox path, as long as it can lead to ascension, it is the Great Dao.”
Xie Shiqi sneered. “A mouthful of nonsense! You were probably deceived by some old wicked monster from that sect. You’ve fallen into a pit of fire without even realizing it!”
Luo Ningning immediately became unhappy. “Who are you calling an old wicked monster?! The sect master of my sect is as beautiful as a flower, with countless admirers beneath her skirt. More importantly, she’s super, super good to me! All those precious magical artifacts of mine were given to me by her!”
The two of them glared at each other. In the end, Xie Shiqi was the first to turn his head away. He paced two steps from side to side, then stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from Luo Ningning. Suddenly, he became solemn and earnest, advising her with painstaking sincerity.
“How can matters between husband and wife be mixed together with cultivation? Your cultivation method is fundamentally a wicked and crooked path. Your cultivation is still shallow, and your learning is too miscellaneous. You can still switch to another path entirely. Why not abandon darkness and turn toward the light as soon as possible? Since we have met, I cannot stand by and watch you remain stubbornly deluded. How about this? I’ll give you a hundred times as many precious magical artifacts. Stop practicing that wicked cultivation method of yours and return to the righteous path at once.”
Luo Ningning: “…”
Luo Ningning took a step back. How exactly was she wicked, and how was she supposed to change? She was counting on the Hehuan cultivation method to save her life. She also didn’t want to keep arguing with this wolf about all sorts of nonsense.
“There’s no need for that. I won’t give up the Hehuan cultivation method. It will be of great use in the future. Wolf Lord, since you can’t accept my path of cultivation, then I simply won’t ask you to practice dual cultivation with me. In any case, in another day or two, I’ll be able to go find Long Tianzong.”
Xie Shiqi slowly turned his head back. “Who is Long Tianzong?”
Luo Ningning said, “The person I’ve been waiting for.”
Xie Shiqi stared at her gloomily. “You know that his name is Long Tianzong, but do you know what my name is?”
Luo Ningning: “…”
She began to feel that the situation was becoming somewhat ominous. “What is your name?”
Xie Shiqi glowered coldly at her. “You’ve been with me for over a month, yet you never even asked my surname or given name… and you dared to bring up dual cultivation with me?”
Luo Ningning also felt that she should never have brought up dual cultivation with this wolf. They had merely met by chance; wasn’t it enough for them to have a form of address for each other? Why was this wolf settling accounts with her now?
She pleaded, “Wolf Lord, I was wrong. Bringing up dual cultivation was my mistake. Just pretend I didn’t say anything tonight. If you’re willing to tell me your name, then tell me. If you aren’t, I’ll continue calling you Wolf Lord from now on. Is that all right?”
Xie Shiqi stood there with cold pride. After a moment, he indifferently tossed her a single word:
“Hmph.”
Luo Ningning thought the matter had passed just like that. Unexpectedly, Wolf Lord hadn’t forgotten it at all. He began his wolfish lesson.
First, he stopped roasting fish for Luo Ningning. Of the remaining few fish, Xie Shiqi roasted them all and ate them himself. After finishing, he would glance at Luo Ningning, his expression seeming to say: Are you going to admit your mistake soon?
If Luo Ningning had been a glutton, he might have tempted her. But she was a picky eater to begin with. So she lazily leaned against the small boat and smiled brightly and innocently.
“Wolf Lord, why are you being so particular today? Since you like eating fish, why don’t you use your original form to eat more of them in the water? Gutting and roasting them here—isn’t that just a waste of your demonic power?”
Xie Shiqi withdrew his gaze and turned his head away indifferently.
The next day, the two of them relocated at noon as usual. Xie Shiqi transformed into a giant wolf and let her ride on his back. Luo Ningning thought he had finally stopped dwelling on what happened the previous night.
But halfway through the giant wolf’s run, he suddenly slammed on the brakes.
He stopped where he was, neither speaking nor moving. Luo Ningning didn’t understand what was happening and assumed there were enemies nearby. She endured it for the time it took half an incense stick to burn, but Xie Shiqi still showed no sign of moving, and the enemy never appeared. At last, Luo Ningning couldn’t hold back any longer.
She bent down toward the giant wolf and whispered into his ear, “Wolf Lord, what’s going on?”
A warm, moist breath carrying a sweet fragrance brushed past him. The furry ears atop his head suddenly trembled. Xie Shiqi angrily shook his head. “Can’t you see?”
Luo Ningning: “?? See what?”
She cautiously scanned her surroundings, but still found no ambushing demon. Xie Shiqi clicked his tongue. “Southeast.”
Luo Ningning puzzledly stared toward the southeast with all her might. After a long while, she shook her head. “I don’t see anything… There’s only a Qiankun Bag.” She suddenly realized. “You mean that Qiankun Bag?”
Xie Shiqi stood straight, lifting his chin slightly. “Do you want it?”
Luo Ningning tried to figure out what this wolf was thinking. “It’s all right, I suppose. Then… shall we go take a look?”
Xie Shiqi said earnestly, “Stop practicing that wicked cultivation method of yours. Not only will I find you a Qiankun Bag, I’ll find you an even better cultivation method in the future, as well as a better sect and a better master. I guarantee your path of cultivation will be smooth from here on out.”
Luo Ningning: “…”
This wolf was far too fixated on saving this fallen girl. Luo Ningning rubbed her forehead. “Thank you for your concern, but there really is no need. Please continue on your way. I suddenly don’t feel like looking at that bag anymore.”
The giant wolf forcefully snorted several times through his nose, then once again began sprinting, leaving the Qiankun Bag far behind them.
Luo Ningning had thought this wolf would torment her repeatedly for several more days. Unexpectedly, that very evening, just as Xie Shiqi was asking her in a sarcastic tone whether she wanted to eat fish that night, the ground suddenly began to shake.
The tremors seemed to come from the depths of the earth. The entire Land of Inheritance rumbled with a deep resonance. Brilliant light filled the sky, and within the multicolored radiance, human figures could vaguely be seen descending rapidly toward a certain location.
Luo Ningning was surprised at first, then delighted. She turned toward Xie Shiqi, her brows and eyes curving into a smile.
“I don’t want any! Wolf Lord, the person I’ve been waiting for has arrived. Please take me over there.”