Chapter 197: A Pill
Li Ji covered her mouth with a soft laugh and nodded to them. “We’ll stop here for today. I’ll have Feiyan take you to the Dragon Palace and get you settled in.”
Feiyan immediately thrust his enormous dragon head toward them. “Let’s go. Strangers the first time, familiar the second—this is already our third trip.”
Ye Chenyan looked slightly surprised. He glanced at Li Ji and asked, “We can’t take it today?”
“There’s no need to rush.” Li Ji’s expression remained calm. “Tianji Zi left the two of you here on your own. That alone should have told you that obtaining the Realm Stone wouldn’t be so simple.”
“Rest for the day.”
Once they had followed Feiyan away, Ren Jiangliu stole a glance at Li Ji. He cleared his throat and adopted the solemn air of someone discussing official business.
“...You’re letting him pass that easily?”
“Tianji Zi vouched for him. Naturally, I believe he has the potential of a Supreme.” Li Ji did not turn around. “There was no real need for a test in the first place. I was simply curious what kind of person the son of the Nine Nether Demonic Sovereign and Tianxuan Nü had become.”
“It was only a formality. What comes next will be his true trial.”
“Besides, I’ve already told him everything he needed to know.”
She turned toward the water mirror.
Inside it, the maid whose throat Ye Chenyan had seized earlier gave her a small nod.
Ren Jiangliu showed no surprise. He withdrew his gaze and muttered, “True.”
Then he sneaked another glance at Li Ji and softened his voice.
“You haven’t seen me in a long time.”
Li Ji did not answer immediately.
Ren Jiangliu lowered his head and stared at his fingers. “Did I do something wrong? Did I make you angry? Before, you clearly...”
“Before, I didn’t know you were the young sect master of Stillwater Sect. I thought you were merely a water cultivator who had nearly drowned, so I looked after you a little.” Li Ji spoke indifferently. “Young Master Ren seems to have misunderstood something.”
“I didn’t misunderstand anything! You... you...” His face flushed, but he still stubbornly held his ground. “You clearly liked me before. Then once you learned I was the young sect master of Stillwater Sect, you started ignoring me instead.”
He grumbled, “And here I was thinking we could guard the Realm Gate together until the day it shifts, carrying the Sea of Returning Ruins away, until seas turn to mulberry fields...”
Li Ji let out an almost inaudible sigh. “Since you are the young sect master of Stillwater Sect, you have responsibilities of your own.”
Ren Jiangliu opened his mouth to argue, but Li Ji’s cool gaze settled on him.
“A dragon won’t die for lack of romance. Neither will a human.”
Ren Jiangliu choked.
Yet he still refused to give up, looking at her pitifully. “How would you know? You won’t even pay attention to me. I’m practically dying of heartbreak already.”
Li Ji: “...Leave.”
She silently looked away.
Without another word, she transformed into an enormous white dragon and once again coiled herself above the Realm Gate.
Ren Jiangliu gazed up at her hopefully. “I can stay with you in the Dragon Palace! I’d just have to marry into the Dragon Palace. I can do that!”
The enormous white dragon kept her eyes closed as though she had heard nothing.
Ren Jiangliu simply sat down cross-legged and stayed with her in front of the Realm Gate.
“Besides, my parents are still young. They’re both Integration cultivators, and neither of them has even reached a hundred yet. They’re in the prime of their lives. They can always have another child.”
His expression was perfectly serious.
“Stillwater Sect can have another heir. It’s not like they need me specifically.”
Li Ji: “...”
Ren Jiangliu continued chattering away.
Apparently unable to endure any more of it, Li Ji sighed softly.
“...Have them actually produce another heir first. Then we’ll talk.”
...
Meanwhile, Feiyan brought Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan back to the Dragon Palace.
The palace was much livelier now than when they had first arrived. Sea folk of all shapes and sizes moved through its halls, casting curious looks their way.
Yu Qingtang even saw a group of shrimp soldiers and crab guards hauling an enormous fish into a giant shell.
He smacked his lips and asked Feiyan, “The Dragon Palace feeds its guests, right?”
“We don’t have rice,” Feiyan answered honestly. “But there’s all the fish, shrimp, and shellfish you could want.”
“Oh, right. The Clan Head was worried you wouldn’t be able to tell which ones you could eat and which ones you couldn’t, so she specifically ordered all the sea folk to put on clothes. If it isn’t wearing clothes, you can eat it.”
Yu Qingtang: “...”
What a fascinating identification system.
He solemnly nodded his understanding and swept his gaze over the shrimp soldiers and crab guards wrapped in scraps of cloth.
Just then, the cloth around one crab began slipping dangerously loose.
A mermaid darted over and hurriedly wrapped it tight again, then cast a wary glance in Yu Qingtang’s direction.
“Be more careful,” she gently admonished the crab. “It’s bad enough that you refuse to take human form. At least wear your clothes properly. What if that cloth falls off and someone grabs you and throws you into a pot?”
She looked genuinely worried.
“I’ve heard some humans don’t even mind eating things raw. They’ll eat them alive.”
Yu Qingtang: “...”
Thanks for the concern, but he didn’t like raw food, nor did he intend to chase after some naked crab and bite it in the ass.
Perhaps he had been staring for too long, because Feiyan followed his gaze and reminded him, “You can’t eat any of those.”
“I know!” Yu Qingtang snapped irritably. “I can see they’re wearing clothes!”
“Good.” Feiyan visibly relaxed. “Come with me. I’ll show you where you’re staying. Someone will bring fish over later, so you don’t need to catch any yourselves.”
The corner of Yu Qingtang’s mouth twitched. “Thanks.”
The Dragon Palace’s buildings were constructed around enormous shells, but the room prepared for them looked almost no different from a room on land.
According to Feiyan, they had specially asked people from Stillwater Sect to help build it for receiving human guests.
There was just one problem.
Only one room had been prepared.
Yu Qingtang stared at the large, soft bed against the wall and sank into deep contemplation.
“Qingtang, they brought the fish. You...” Ye Chenyan came in carrying a pot of fish and turned to call him.
His gaze followed Yu Qingtang’s.
Straight to the bed.
Their eyes met.
Both fell silent.
“Ahem!” Yu Qingtang abruptly turned around and beckoned him over. “Food first. Nothing in heaven or earth is more important than eating.”
“Let’s try the Dragon Palace’s fish... Hiss—”
He had barely leaned over to look into the fish soup before his eyes widened in shock.
“Can you actually eat this thing?”
“Huh?” Ye Chenyan lowered his head and examined the fish in the pot as well. He raised an eyebrow. “It probably just looks strange. It should still be edible. Surely they wouldn’t go so far as to poison us.”
Yu Qingtang opened his mouth. “Then...”
“I know.” Ye Chenyan expertly set the pot on the table and finished for him. “I eat first, and you watch my face to see what happens. We’ll find out whether I’m tough enough to survive it. Right?”
Yu Qingtang gave him a foolish grin. “Hehe.”
Ye Chenyan looked at him in amusement and waved him over to sit.
Then he picked up his chopsticks and took the first bite.
“Mm...”
He nodded thoughtfully. “Probably poisonous. Maybe you shouldn’t eat any.”
As he spoke, he picked up another piece of fish and put it into his mouth.
“Hm?” Yu Qingtang blinked.
It took him a beat to realize what was happening.
He immediately snatched up his chopsticks and joined the fight for the food.
“Do I look stupid to you?!”
“That’s too much, Ye Chenyan! You were trying to keep it all for yourself!”
Ye Chenyan’s eyes curved with laughter. He made a token effort to block Yu Qingtang with his chopsticks, then quickly raised his hands in surrender and pushed all the food toward him.
Yu Qingtang bit down on his chopsticks and gave him a sidelong look.
“You’re learning bad habits.”
Ye Chenyan leaned back innocently in his chair and widened his eyes. “Really?”
Yu Qingtang pointed at the fish, then at him, and lifted his chin.
He knew exactly what he’d done.
“Oh...” Ye Chenyan drew the word out and tilted his head. “But lately, you’re the only person I’ve been spending time with, so...”
Yu Qingtang instantly distanced himself from all responsibility. “Don’t pin this on me! You figured it out all by yourself. Natural talent!”
Ye Chenyan muffled a laugh. “Full?”
“Full.” Yu Qingtang put down his bowl and chopsticks. “Time to sle—”
He suddenly turned a wary look on Ye Chenyan.
Ye Chenyan blinked innocently.
“How about you go outside and exercise for a while first?” Yu Qingtang suggested sincerely. “I’m afraid now that your stomach’s full, you’ll start thinking thoughts you shouldn’t.”
“What thoughts?” Ye Chenyan asked despite knowing perfectly well.
He laughed quietly, hooked a finger through Yu Qingtang’s belt, and dragged him toward the bed while shamelessly arguing, “Feiyan said they don’t have rice in the Dragon Palace. We didn’t eat any rice today.”
Yu Qingtang struggled to escape.
Then something light and gauzy dropped over his head.
He froze.
Instinctively, he pulled the fabric off—and immediately turned pale with alarm.
“Why did you bring this thing back too?!”
Wasn’t this the merfolk silk that hadn’t actually been on him at all, only conjured over his body inside the illusion?!
“Ahem.” Ye Chenyan cleared his throat.
He seemed slightly embarrassed, though the hand holding Yu Qingtang in place did not loosen in the slightest.
“I was too embarrassed to get a proper look at it earlier...”
“Would you put it on again for me?”
Yu Qingtang slowly clenched the merfolk silk in his hands and held it protectively against his chest.
“If I put this on, am I making it safely through tonight?”
“Mm...” Ye Chenyan sank into serious thought.
Yu Qingtang sucked in a horrified breath. “You have to think about it that long?!”
“I wasn’t thinking about whether I could promise that.” Ye Chenyan slowly pressed him down into the bed, laughing under his breath. “I was thinking about whether I should lie to you.”
“Then lie.” Yu Qingtang turned his head away with the heroic resignation of a man prepared to die and played dead. “I’m not very smart anyway. I’m easy to fool.”
Ye Chenyan’s expression shifted.
Then he saw Yu Qingtang secretly crack one eye open and look at him.
In a tiny voice, Yu Qingtang added, “But once I figure it out afterward and realize you lied to me, I’ll still be sad.”
“So I recommend honesty.”
Ye Chenyan scratched his forehead, looking genuinely troubled, then laughed helplessly.
“Well, that ruins everything.”
“I can’t stand seeing you sad either.”
He sighed.
With a twitch of his fingers, the demonic weapon suddenly transformed into a chain and loosely bound Yu Qingtang’s wrists, leaving them hanging from the headboard.
Yu Qingtang’s eyes flew wide.
He stared blankly up at his bound hands, then immediately pushed with his legs and scrambled all the way to the head of the bed, watching Ye Chenyan with intense suspicion.
“What are you doing?!”
“D-d-don’t do anything crazy! I’m actually a very traditional person! I don’t accept this kind of intense play!”
“N-no matter what, we have to take things step by step!”
Ye Chenyan reached out and caught his ankle.
He raised an eyebrow and gave a light tug, effortlessly dragging Yu Qingtang back toward him.
Then, deliberately lowering his voice, he asked, “Traditional... what does that look like?”
Yu Qingtang’s entire face turned scarlet.
He stammered helplessly, unable to get a single answer out.
Ye Chenyan kissed his cheek.
Yu Qingtang immediately buried his face in the bed. His ears were red enough to drip blood, and even his neck had turned crimson.
“I-I don’t know!”
“Agh...” Ye Chenyan wrapped an arm around him and rested his chin on Yu Qingtang’s shoulder. “Compared to what happened earlier, this feels much more like a trial.”
Embarrassed though he was, Yu Qingtang still sensed that something was off.
He shifted one leg and lightly kicked Ye Chenyan.
“Why did you tie me up? You’re not planning to go do something dangerous, are you?”
“Which part of this entire trip hasn’t been dangerous?” Ye Chenyan countered with complete confidence.
He hooked a finger around Yu Qingtang’s and lowered his voice.
“Originally, that dragon woman told me not to tell you, so we wouldn’t create any unnecessary complications.”
He sighed softly beside Yu Qingtang’s ear.
“But you said you’d be sad.”
“So I have no choice but to tell you first—I can’t lift the Realm Stone.”
“The Realm Stone only recognizes someone with the potential of a Supreme. Right now, that person isn’t me.”
“It’s you.”
Yu Qingtang seemed only half to understand.
He nodded. “Oh. Then I’ll help you pick it up.”
“That won’t work.” Ye Chenyan shook his head gently. “If you pick it up, it will recognize you as its master. Then you’ll become the master of this realm.”
“Hiss...” Yu Qingtang scratched his head awkwardly. “Then what do we do?”
“Deceive Heaven,” Ye Chenyan whispered.
A sly light flashed through his eyes.
“We fool it.”
Yu Qingtang looked bewildered and turned his head toward him. “Fool who? The Realm Stone? Is it as dumb as I am?”
“Uh...” Ye Chenyan found that question rather difficult to answer.
All he could do was coax him. “You’re not dumb.”
Yu Qingtang turned his head back blankly. “Oh.”
“Originally, we needed a certain treasure.” Ye Chenyan sighed softly. “My master calculated that it was in the hands of your master, Daoist Idle Crane. But when he went to ask for it, something unexpected happened.”
Yu Qingtang froze, looking slightly guilty. “Don’t tell me he refused to hand it over? My old man can be a little stingy sometimes, but if you explain how important this is, he’ll still—”
“That wasn’t it.” Ye Chenyan’s eyes curved with laughter. “The pill was stolen by your Eldest Senior Sister.”
He tapped Yu Qingtang’s storage ring.
“And now it’s with you.”