Genius Beast Tamer

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Little White asked, puzzled, "Master, why are you no longer interested in the affairs of the King of Documents and the King of Northern Han?"

Han Wuxie smiled slightly, squinted at Jin Ying, and said, "What you all know is that the Prince of Wenshu and the Prince of Beihan both fell in love with the same woman. When the Prince of Beihan's fiancée saw that the Prince of Beihan was in danger, she took the woman hostage, which made the Prince of Wenshu and the Prince of Beihan stop fighting. However, the Prince of Beihan's fiancée ultimately failed and killed the woman, causing this tragedy. The Prince of Beihan's fiancée felt extremely guilty and wanted to commit suicide to atone for her sins. The Prince of Beihan eventually stopped her and forgave her, knowing that she was only trying to help him. The woman was already dead, and the Prince of Beihan could only accept his fate. Looking at his pitiful and remorseful fiancée, he felt pity for her and eventually married her. Because of the woman's death, the Prince of Wenshu became depressed and stopped going out."

Golden Eagle was taken aback, then nodded blankly, saying, "How did you know?"

Han Wuxie shook her head with a bitter smile, a trace of sadness flashing in her eyes, as if she sympathized with the dead woman. She said in a low voice, "This is only what you see on the surface. The reason I stopped asking is because I know that the answer is nothing more than this version. But the real story is obviously not like this. Only those involved know the truth. I can't get the real answer from you."

Jin Ying remained silent for a long time, then nodded, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. The story on the surface already seemed tragic; the real story was probably even more miserable.

Han Wuxie waved his hand and said, "Let's continue talking about the other kings."

Jin Ying nodded and continued, "King Dongli has a water-attribute divine root, King Moyao has an earth-attribute divine root, King Yunkong has a lightning-attribute divine root, and King Tanyu, although not a divine root, has an ice-attribute profound-grade divine root that is second only to a divine root. All four of them have their own sects, but they all belong to the type of people who will not offend others unless they offend them, and they do not go out much from their sects."

Han Wuxie nodded knowingly. Based on this analysis, apart from the Flame King, no one else had any intention of opposing him. His only enemy was the Flame King. Could it be the Flame King? No, the Flame King has his own forces. It's probably not his brother!

"Does the Divine Wind King have a younger brother?" Han Wuxie suddenly asked.

Jin Ying nodded and said, "He does have a younger brother named Xuan Minxu, who is very famous in the God Realm. He is gentle and polite, and kind. During the time when the Divine Wind King was in a coma, he managed the Divine Wind Palace and the Xuan Family very well. I heard that he is also a God King, but no one has confirmed whether this is true or not. He also rarely goes out."

A cold glint flashed in Han Wuxie's eyes. So it really was his younger brother. Kind on the surface? The person he saw that day, riding a blood dragon, was clearly a treacherous villain. This villain was a master of disguise. Kind? How laughable!

Han Wuxie asked in a low voice, "What is the name of the Divine Wind King?"

He vaguely sensed that the woman before him was particularly curious about the Divine Wind King, so he directly began to tell the story of the Divine Wind King: "The Divine Wind King's name is Xuan Minfeng. He wasn't born into a good family; it's said that he was conceived by the Xuan family patriarch in a brothel in the mortal realm. Unexpectedly, the child of a mortal and a god possessed divine roots. Initially, the Xuan family patriarch didn't care about this child, but after learning he possessed divine roots, he brought him back to the divine realm. At the time, the Xuan family patriarch's wife made a huge fuss, and the Xuan family patriarch also thought it absurd to bring a mortal child to the divine realm. However, later, upon learning that this child possessed divine roots, the Xuan family patriarch..." The former opponents became supporters. In the end, the wife of the Xuan family head could no longer cause trouble; she was already six months pregnant. However, the child she gave birth to was not a divine being; that child was Xuan Minxu. The Xuan family paid little attention to this legitimate son, but instead valued Xuan Minfeng, the child brought from the mortal realm. Finally, the Xuan family head passed away, entrusting the entire Xuan family to Xuan Minfeng. Xuan Minxu, as the legitimate son, was only responsible for helping Xuan Minfeng manage the family—to put it bluntly, he was a steward. Strangely, however, Xuan Minxu never complained, so he became famous in the divine realm for his kindness and good temper.

So that's how it is! Han Wuxie's lips slowly curled up as he gradually sorted out his thoughts. Because he lacked ability and his cultivation was too low, he couldn't even show his jealousy and resentment. Therefore, Xuan Minxu had been enduring it all along, appearing kind and good-tempered on the surface, but the resentment in his heart had not diminished but increased, making him more terrifying than those who were just pretending to be angry. Such a person was like a tiger poised to pounce, looking like a docile kitten lying on the ground from a distance. But when you get close, or if you are careless, he will tear you to shreds.

He should know that Xuan Minxu is not a good person, right? Han Wuxie couldn't help but frown. He doesn't have the memories of when he was a spirit now. If Xuan Minxu pretends to be kind in front of him, will he be fooled?

She shook her head again. No, he wouldn't be fooled. If he completely trusted Xuan Minxu, his body would have been destroyed during his coma. He must have had a backup plan, which is why Xuan Minxu couldn't do anything about his body and had to go to the Immortal Realm to find his soul.

Seeing Han Wuxie lost in thought, Jin Ying was puzzled, thinking to himself that she really cared about the Divine Wind King.

Jin Ying continued, "It is said that Xuan Minfeng is very cold-blooded, even ruthless. Perhaps it is related to the war between gods and demons 30 million years ago. Before that, he was a carefree and wicked man who talked and laughed. However, after that war between gods and demons, he gradually became ruthless and cold-blooded, making people fear him."

"Talking and laughing, carefree and unrestrained, a wicked person?" Han Wuxie smiled slightly. This was indeed very similar to Hua Qianye, but obviously this was Xuan Minfeng's past self. Now Xuan Minfeng was a cold and unfamiliar person. Why was that?

Xiao Bai asked the question that was on her mind: "Why did Xuan Minfeng become a different person after the war between gods and demons?"

Jin Ying smiled bitterly: "It's still because of women. Like Wen Shu Wang, he changed because his beloved woman died. Wen Shu Wang lived in seclusion and was melancholy. He sealed his heart and became cold and ruthless. These god-kings have achieved the highest status, but in the end, they can't escape the love between men and women."

Han Wuxie was startled, as if he was getting closer to that question. His secret, why he appeared in the Immortal Realm, why he chose to become the master of his natal magic weapon, everything, was about to be revealed?

Kamikaze Palace.

Xuan Minfeng threw away the wine jug in his hand, stood up, and shook himself lightly. His clothes were as clean as ever, without a single wine stain. His expression showed no signs of drunkenness, but rather a clearer and colder one.

His blue robes shimmered, yet his handsome, devilish face was cold and ruthless. He stood proudly on the throne of the God-King, looking down at the hundred chief gods bowing in the hall.

"Congratulations on the awakening of the Divine Wind King!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

Hyun Min-pung remained expressionless, his gaze as cold as a knife. The people in the hall couldn't help but tremble. If they felt a little fear and apprehension towards the smiling tiger Hyun Min-wook, they were truly trembling and terrified of Hyun Min-pung.

These hundred people are the main gods he cultivated. Even though they have been asleep for 20 million years, they have served under Xuan Minxu for many years and would never betray him.

"What has Hyun Min-wook been doing all these years?" His voice was as cold as an ice river on the horizon.

A man in black robes stepped forward and handed a book to Xuan Minfeng. This man looked very honest and kind, with firm and unwavering eyes. He was handsome, but also quite ordinary in the God Realm. There were too many handsome people in the God Realm, so he seemed rather unknown. However, he was Meng Changhe, Xuan Minfeng's most trusted subordinate.

Xuan Minfeng casually flipped through a few pages of the book, his gaze turning gloomy. A flame shot out from his eyes, burning the entire book to ashes.

Upon seeing this, the entire hall fell silent.

Xuan Minfeng glanced at the hundred main gods and finally let out a long sigh.

"The Flame King still wants to be my enemy!" His voice was somewhat emotional, but there was no change in his expression. His face remained cold and ruthless, and his eyes even carried a hint of contempt and mockery.

"Your Majesty, the Flame King has grown rapidly during the years you were in a coma, and his current power should not be underestimated," an old man stepped forward and bowed.

This man is called Mo Haifeng, the chief strategist of the Divine Wind King. These subordinates who benefit from this all call the Divine Wind King "King," which is why they could call Xuan Minxu "Master" so easily and without any reservations in the past. In their hearts, masters can be changed at any time, but there is only one true king.

Xuan Minfeng glanced at him indifferently and nodded, saying, "I haven't been awake for long, so I'm indeed not familiar with the current situation in the God Realm. How's it going in the Demon God Realm? After receiving news of my awakening, those flea-like fellows should be getting restless, right?"

Mo Haifeng couldn't help but smile at these words. Although the king seemed cold, he was actually quite witty. If that woman hadn't died back then, the king wouldn't have changed so much.

Mo Haifeng was the former personal bodyguard of the Xuan family patriarch. After the patriarch passed away, he followed Xuan Minfeng and felt like a father to him. However, he was also aware of his own limitations. Although he regarded the king as his own child, he was still just a subordinate.

Mo Haifeng truthfully stated, "Upon receiving news of Wang's awakening, even the Demon God deeply regretted not being able to kill Wang while he was unconscious."

"I will make them regret it even more!" His voice was as cold as a demon from hell, and his eyes seemed to flash with the back of a gentle woman, but it was too late for him, he didn't even have time to pull her back, she had already perished in the war between gods and demons.

The old man standing next to Mo Haifeng stepped forward. Like Mo Haifeng, he was also a bodyguard of the Xuan family head before his death. However, the role he played was very different from Mo Haifeng's. If Mo Haifeng represented the family head as a loving father, then this old man, Zhou Ming, played the role of a strict father.

Zhou Ming said, "Now that Your Majesty has awakened, please consider marriage first. The Xuan family cannot be without an heir. If Your Majesty does not marry, your younger brother cannot marry either. As an elder brother and the head of the Xuan family, please take responsibility and consider marriage first!" Although the man's words were appropriate and sounded like a request, his tone was stiff and sounded more like a command.

Xuan Minfeng coldly glanced at the man, his voice ethereal yet chilling: "What? I've slept for twenty million years, and Xuan Minxu hasn't touched a woman for twenty million years?" He sneered, "Then we'll have to find him a doctor!"

The meaning behind his words couldn't be clearer: if Hyun Min-wook hadn't touched a woman for 20 million years, then there must be something wrong with his body, some kind of hidden ailment.

"She's never been the principal wife!" Zhou Ming said in a low voice. "If the king doesn't marry, he can't establish a principal wife. There's an order of seniority, so please, king, marry first! All these years, the women around him have been just playing around."

"Oh." Hyun Min-pung didn't say anything more, but just gave a faint "oh".

It's unclear whether he was responding because he knew Hyun Min-wook had suffered these past years, or because he knew he would get married.

This ambiguous answer left Zhou Ming feeling helpless, but he could only keep quiet. The king's expression was gradually turning cold, and he seemed to be filled with murderous intent. If he kept too close an eye on him, it might backfire. He should let the Xuan family patriarch bother him himself in the future. He was just a subordinate after all.

Seeing Zhou Ming calm down, Mo Haifeng breathed a slight sigh of relief. He was really worried that the old man was out of his mind and might anger Wang.

Xuan Minfeng's eyes were like a bottomless abyss, and no one knew what he was thinking. Suddenly, he smiled, like melting frost, so enchanting that it made people tremble.

What's going on? Wang laughed? Is he getting old and his eyesight is failing him? Mo Haifeng was completely baffled.

Xuan Minfeng narrowed his alluring eyes and said with a faint smile, "Gather the beauties, I will choose my consorts!"

"What?" Mo Haifeng was dumbfounded. Could he have misheard with tinnitus?

Zhou Ming blinked blankly, thinking he had persuaded the king, and was overjoyed. Now the Xuan family patriarch could finally rest assured.

Hyun Min-pung's next words left him helpless.

"Whether I choose the right person or not depends on who you are looking for. I want a divine woman in her early twenties from the divine realm, whose life force must be in her early twenties! Not someone who looks twenty but is actually millions of years old."

"This..." Zhou Ming was speechless for a while. After a long while, he came to his senses and wanted to say something, but Xuan Minfeng had already left gracefully.

Mo Haifeng sighed and said with a wry smile, "Brother Zhou Ming, you've shot yourself in the foot today! Everyone knows that it's very difficult to find a woman in her early twenties with a life force in the God Realm. Even if you do find one, she's usually a native of the God Realm with very low cultivation. Very few of them become gods unless they have a Xuan-grade divine root. In that case, it's possible to reach the level of a Heavenly God in just twenty years after birth. However, such a woman would probably be proud and arrogant, and the King would hardly be interested in her."

Zhou Ming smiled bitterly, "The king is deliberately making things difficult for me! But no matter how difficult it is, as long as he agrees to marry me today, even if it's hard to find a wife, I will find a woman he likes. I can't let him keep remembering the dead! I didn't want to cause trouble today, but the Xuan family patriarch is watching me, so I have no choice but to step forward."

Mo Haifeng sighed again, and after a long while, he said nothing. He patted Zhou Ming on the shoulder to comfort him.

Zhou Ming maintained a bitter smile, feeling utterly melancholy. Where could one find a genius in their twenties?

……

The night was hazy, and the moon was dim, as if lonely and desolate, obscuring the view.

Han Wuxie stood on the mountaintop gazing at the night sky, his thoughts drifting, his face contorted with worry, unable to find rest.

The Deer King, in his gentle and handsome form, approached slowly with a warm smile, loosening his belt. He said shyly, "I feel guilty towards you and don't know how to make amends. I've thought about it for a long time, and perhaps this... is the best way to make amends!"

Han Wuxie withdrew his gaze from Guan Ye and turned to the newcomer, whose outer robe had slipped down and was taking off his inner robe.

Han Wuxie froze, a wicked smile playing on her lips, and walked toward him. The Deer King stood motionless, his eyes wide with surprise, thinking she had truly accepted him. But she walked straight past him, and only after she was a distance away did she say nonchalantly, "Deer King, this is not something you would do. If it were Zhu Fengmo like this today, perhaps I would understand, but your actions make me somewhat uncomfortable. I know you're trying to make me happy, but I don't like this method. Don't do this again."

She spoke to him as if he were a child, as if she were educating an ignorant child, but little did she know that this only made the Deer King more embarrassed. After she finished speaking, she left without looking back.

The Deer King stood there for a long time before picking up his outer robe from the ground and putting it on. A soft laugh came from behind him. He frowned and looked towards the source of the laughter, which was Golden Eagle.

Golden Eagle strode over, chuckling with amusement, "I never imagined that the high and mighty Nine-Colored Deer of the Deer Clan would become someone else's contracted beast. Not only that, but it would do such a thing to please its master. It's truly unbelievable."

The Deer King glanced at him indifferently. At this moment, the Deer King was no longer gentle, but indifferent. He ignored him, put on his clothes, and prepared to leave.

Golden Eagle blocked his path, laughing, "No matter what, we'll all be serving the same master in the future, so why can't we have a proper chat?"

"Chat? You came here to chat with me? I thought you came here to cause trouble." The Deer King's voice was unfriendly. He glanced coldly at Golden Eagle and tried to leave, but Golden Eagle stopped him again.

"There are many things I don't know about our master. Tell me about her." Golden Eagle's tone softened slightly.

The Deer King said in a low voice, "You don't need to know about the past. Just do your job. If she asks you about the divine realm, just answer. If she doesn't ask, just pretend you're invisible and don't bother her."

"Is that so?" Golden Eagle narrowed his dangerous eagle eyes, a smirk playing on his lips as he feigned curiosity and confusion. "But instead of doing what air should do, you seem to be trying to do what her husband should do. Your act of undressing today has truly surprised me. If I tell Xiaobai, Zhufengmo, and Bing, what do you think they'll do?"

The Deer King's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly calmed down and said in a low voice, "You are welcome to go and say it."

"Is that so?" Golden Eagle seemed to be pondering something, snapped his fingers, and chuckled, "I see!"

The Deer King raised his eyelids and looked at him with displeasure.

Golden Eagle chuckled, "So that's how it is! I finally understand! No wonder you weren't afraid of me telling anyone; those three are the same as you, all destined to serve the master! Today it's your turn, but the master clearly isn't in the mood. Who's next?" He suddenly smiled wickedly, "When will it be my turn?"

"What nonsense are you talking about! You'd better forget what's on your mind, or I won't let you off the hook!" The Deer King's face instantly turned cold, and his murderous gaze glared at the Golden Eagle like a blade.

"Don't lie to me! I'll have to serve you sooner or later anyway, won't I?" Golden Eagle said with some distress. "I've heard that many contracted beasts are like lovers to their masters, but since even gods can only contract one beast, having a lover isn't a big deal. I never imagined that our master could contract so many beasts!" Golden Eagle said somewhat reluctantly, "Although our master is very attractive to me, with particularly captivating eyes, sharing her with you is truly a difficult thing."

"Shut up!" The Deer King roared in fury. He had never been so angry before, and he punched the man hard.

Golden Eagle was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that this seemingly gentle man would resort to violence so readily. Rubbing his eyes, Golden Eagle was extremely angry and said, "Am I wrong?! If it weren't for this, how could such a noble race as the Nine-Colored Deer do such a thing! Offering yourself up like that, how could you do such a thing! If she didn't ask you to, why would you do it! And why aren't you afraid that the other contracted beasts will find out?!"

The Deer King struggled to suppress his anger and said in a low voice, "If she didn't need you, I would have killed you right now!"

Jin Ying patted his military uniform and said with a playful smile, "Can you kill me?"

"You think I'm afraid of you just because you unleash the power of a top-grade divine beast with a piece of clothing? Don't forget, the Nine-Colored Deer also possesses a treasure passed down through generations." The Deer King sneered, his gaze turning sinister. "The divine artifact in your hand was only obtained today, while I've already mastered mine—"

"Stop! I know, I know, at most it's a draw. Anyway, you can't kill me, and I can't kill you. I just want to understand her situation. Can't you talk to me calmly? I didn't come here today to watch your striptease; I just wanted to ask you something. Who knew I'd witness this? Why did you, Nine-Colored Deer, do this?"

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, the Deer King frowned, but considering that he was Han Wuxie's contracted beast, he still spoke up and told Han Wuxie's background and purpose for coming to the God Realm.

"I see." Golden Eagle nodded slightly. No wonder he was asking about the God King; he was looking for someone, the Divine Wind King?

Jin Ying raised an eyebrow and asked, "And what about you? Why did you do that? She clearly has someone she likes, why bother throwing yourself at her? She doesn't even care, so why bother?"

The Deer King smiled slightly, a smile tinged with sadness, and said softly, "She is very lonely, and this is the loneliest time of her life."

"So you want to take advantage of someone in distress?" Golden Eagle looked at Deer King with the eyes of someone looking at a villain. It's not that he was wrong to think that way, but Deer King's behavior was just too much like that. The master couldn't find his lover, so he was naturally the most heartbroken. At this time, he threw himself into his arms, wanting to comfort his master's heart. Wasn't that stealing someone?

"Yes, I am a very petty person." The Deer King smiled slightly, patted the dust off his clothes, but his gaze turned slightly cold, and he said in a low voice, "Today I learned that the Divine Wind King is going to take a concubine."

"What?" Golden Eagle was taken aback, frowning as he asked, "Is the one we're looking for really the Divine Wind King?"

The Deer King nodded solemnly and said, "It is him."

Jin Ying instantly understood, and said with some guilt, "You wanted her to forget that person before she found out about this? That's why you took off your clothes and put on this act?"

The Deer King did not answer, but said in a low voice, "Her mother forced her father to write a letter of divorce and leave the imperial family because she was unwilling to share a husband with another man. Her inherent pride could not tolerate such a thing happening to her."

Jin Ying's expression turned serious, and he said in a low voice, "We must keep this a secret. The fact that she is willing to work so hard to become a god for a man shows that her love is very deep! She will definitely not accept your sudden actions today. I think you should take it slow. As long as you let her transfer her feelings to that man, and then expose the fact that the Divine Wind King has taken a concubine, she should be able to let go of the past and perhaps she will not go to the Divine Wind King anymore, since the Divine Wind King does not remember her."

The Deer King nodded, looked up and gave the Golden Eagle a deep look, and said in a low voice, "I have already spoken to Xiaobai, Zhufengmo, and Bing about this matter. They think the same way as you. Since I am the most skilled among the four, I will try first today. I am not good at making girls happy, so I used a clumsy method today. Tomorrow it will be Zhufengmo, the day after tomorrow it will be Bing, and then it will be Xiaobai. As long as one of us succeeds in diverting her attention from Hua Qianye, no, we should call him Shenfeng Wang now. As long as one of us succeeds in transferring her feelings to Shenfeng Wang, we will not have to worry about her being too heartbroken when she finds out that Shenfeng Wang is getting married."

Golden Eagle narrowed his eyes, his bright pupils gleaming in the night. His voice was gentle, carrying a masculine quality: "You've been by her side for so long, and she hasn't fallen in love with either of you. Now you're trying to win her heart, but I'm afraid it won't work. I do have many ways to coax girls, but none of them are like what you did today!"

"You mean you want to try too?" The Deer King raised an eyebrow slightly and said in a low voice, "If you're just playing around, you should forget it. The others won't agree either! We all truly love her. In the past, because she loved Hua Qianye too much, we knew we couldn't compare to her, and we also knew she wouldn't tolerate sharing a husband or having two husbands. So we didn't want to make things difficult for her, and could only hide our love for her and obediently be the contracted beasts we were supposed to be. Although today's matter was made to make her forget the Divine Wind King, it's also an opportunity for us, an opportunity to go from contracted beasts to lovers. We're all trying to make her happy, but we all love her. We can't tolerate others toying with her feelings. If you're not sincere, then get lost!" The last sentence, "get lost," seemed to come from deep in his throat, extremely low and full of threat.

Golden Eagle smiled arrogantly, narrowing his eyes as he said, "Besides the fact that she's someone with a future, there's an even more important reason why I became her contracted beast: I really like her. If I didn't like her, no matter how powerful she is, I wouldn't agree to become her contracted beast!"

The Deer King pondered for a moment, then nodded hesitantly and said, "You are her contracted beast, so you probably won't play any tricks. If you try to toy with her, you'll only be asking for trouble. Your fate is in her hands! My agreement alone is not enough. Go and see Xiaobai and the others."

The Deer King returned disappointed, which made Little White overjoyed. They had initially agreed to sort by cultivation level, which had infuriated him. He was afraid that his master would be snatched away before he could even use his charm.

Upon hearing that Golden Eagle was also going to participate in the "Bewitching the Master's Heart" event, Little White looked dejected, shook its head, and said unwillingly, "His cultivation level is also very high. Doesn't that mean we have to wait another day? No way, I don't want to be last! I was clearly the first contracted beast; it should be according to the order of the contracts!"

Zhu Fengmo glanced coldly at Xiaobai, who trembled in fright, clearly indicating that ranking them according to cultivation level was a foregone conclusion.

Zhu Fengmo's actions seemed to have dealt a blow to Xiaobai, but she also gave him a sweet word, saying on his behalf, "The order we arranged before cannot be changed casually. If he suddenly wants to join, then he can only accept being last. Otherwise, we will not agree to his participation."

"Yes, yes, it has to be last! Otherwise, I won't allow him to participate!" Xiaobai said with a grin.

The Deer King smiled at Ice and asked, "They agreed to his participation, but he has to be last. What do you think about this?"

She said coldly, "I've already said it, we're doing something stupid, it's useless, she won't care about us."

Xiao Bai glared at Bing angrily and sneered, "If that's the case, then why did you even participate!"

Bing was conflicted and remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and choosing to acquiesce.

"Well, you're last one now!" Little White patted Golden Eagle on the shoulder, beaming with a bright smile. "I've finally escaped last place!"

Golden Eagle said with a hint of provocation, "I hope I don't get a chance to play, otherwise the four of you are just too useless! You can't even coax girls, are you unworthy of being called men?"

"What did you say!" Xiaobai glared at him angrily.

Ice swept her gaze across him with a cold stare. If looks could kill, Golden Eagle would probably be riddled with holes by now.

Zhu Fengmo stared at Jin Ying with venomous eyes, like a viper ready to strike at any moment. He sneered, "You won't have a chance to appear."

The Deer King sighed softly. Today, his opportunity had been wasted.

Early the next morning.

Han Wuxie originally wanted to go out of the mountain to see what was happening outside, but the Deer King stopped her, saying that he was going out to gather intelligence and that she should stay in the mountain to cultivate properly.

Cultivation? But after arriving in the God Realm, my cultivation encountered a bottleneck, and I made no progress.

"Why are you sighing like that?" Zhu Fengmo walked over with a smile.

Han Wuxie was taken aback and looked at him in confusion. Why was he dressed up so carefully today?

At this moment, Zhu Fengmo walked over with a gentle smile, dressed in a silver-white robe with intricate patterns and flowing light that made each step radiant. His long, black, silky hair cascaded down, and his bangs were styled high, making his forehead appear long and wide, elongating his face. His long eyes turned upwards towards his temples, and his amber pupils, like glass, shone with a bewitching light. His wicked smile was slightly upturned, carrying a hint of seductive wickedness. A large area of ​​his chest was exposed, and his slightly tanned skin looked very healthy.

"Are you going out?" Han Wuxie asked.

Zhu Fengmo had already walked to her side, her voice slightly tipsy as she said, "I'm not going out. Xiaobai and the others have gone out to gather information. I'll stay in the mountains with you."

"Wasn't it only the Deer King who went out?" Han Wuxie asked, somewhat puzzled.

Zhu Fengmo took another step closer, seemingly casually, and smiled, "Little Bai is playful and wanted to go out for a stroll. Bing was curious if there were any foxes here, so she went out to check as well. Golden Eagle is a busybody; you told him the story of the Document King, the Flame King, and those two women was fake, so he wanted to know the truth and went out too. As for Purple Eyes, he said there's a main god in the God Realm who plans to reincarnate, so he wanted to ask where his past master is now. The Deer King really went out to inquire about the Wind God King. So everyone is out of the mountains, and I'm the only one keeping you company."

Han Wuxie nodded understandingly, then smiled and said, "Since everyone has gone out, let's go out too! I haven't had a proper chance to explore the God Realm since we arrived!"

Zhu Fengmo's gaze faltered for a moment, then she quickly shook her head, saying, "Your cultivation level is too low; you can't go out!"

Han Wuxie pursed his lips and said, "I've hit a bottleneck. I'm going out for a walk to clear my head. Maybe I can get some inspiration from things in the God Realm?"

"The air is fresh in the mountains; it's much better to rest and recuperate there than to face potential dangers outside!"

Han Wuxie didn't understand why he was stopping him, nor why the Deer King said the same thing. He was even more puzzled and glanced at Zhu Fengmo with a suspicious look.

Zhu Fengmo was a little nervous, always feeling guilty in her presence. He quickly changed the subject, saying, "You haven't properly taught me how to play the zither yet. If you feel you've hit a bottleneck and don't want to practice anymore, you've got some free time. How about you teach me?"

Han Wuxie certainly remembered his promise. He had promised to teach him to play the piano, and he would not break his word. But why did he feel that something was strange about him? Why did Xiaobai and the others leave, leaving him all alone? Wasn't it too much of a coincidence?

Zhu Fengmo had already taken out her zither, and said with a wicked smile, "I'll play it for you first, and then you can point out my mistakes?"

Han Wuxie nodded, seemingly a little absent-minded.

A melodious zither tune arose, indicating that his zither skills had greatly improved and were no longer the noise he had played in the misty swamp years ago.

He played a tender melody somewhat awkwardly, his gaze lingering on Han Wuxie, and he raised what he considered his most handsome smile.

When Han Wuxie met his smile, she frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable, but eventually closed her eyes and focused on listening to the music.

The other person closed their eyes. No matter how beautiful their smile was, no one would appreciate it. Zhu Fengmo's smile stiffened slightly and gradually faded. The melody she played became even more lingering.

The low and high notes blended subtly, like two butterflies flying high and low, yet still entwined and inseparable.

Han Wuxie slightly curled the corners of her lips. Only after the piece was finished did she open her eyes and praise, "You've made great progress."

Zhu Fengmo smiled faintly and handed her the zither, saying, "Shouldn't you show us something too?"

Han Wuxie smiled and took the zither, but played a piece with a completely opposite mood to the one he was playing. It was a piece for battle, with a very exciting rhythm, like soldiers bidding farewell to their lovers and fearlessly rushing to the battlefield.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhu Fengmo's eyes. She understood that the piece she had just played was meant to please her and express her love, but she responded with such a resolute piece. She was telling herself that what she was pursuing was not herself, but the battlefield, and that battlefield referred to the Divine Wind King who had forgotten her. Even though she knew that there would be many difficulties and it would be hard for the Divine Wind King to fall in love with her, she was still determined to walk towards him without hesitation.

After Han Wuxie finished playing the piece, he asked with a gentle smile, "How was this piece?"

Zhu Fengmo pretended not to understand the deeper meaning of the music, and only praised the surface aspects, saying: "You played it smoothly and the rhythm was clear. No one can match your piano skills. I have also played this piece, but I could not play it smoothly and naturally on the transition notes. It always went out of tune unnaturally."

As he spoke, he picked up the zither and played the same tune that Han Wuxie had played. Just as he had said, the key changed at the turning point. The originally carefree and resolute soldier became indecisive, took a few steps toward the battlefield, and then returned to his lover's side. In the end, he turned the tune into a lover's song, abandoning revenge and only wanting his beloved to smile.

Han Wuxie frowned unhappily, his voice calm but meaningful: "I thought your piano skills had improved, but it still doesn't sound good. I advise you to stop playing. Even if you like something, you may not have the talent to do it. You can be an appreciator. Often, the appreciator is much happier than the one who is playing it."

Zhu Fengmo frowned deeply. "Is it really impossible? Am I just not good enough? Even without Hua Qianye, will she still not like me?"

His smile turned somewhat melancholic. Yes, it was so much better to be an admirer, witnessing her and Hua Qianye's love, such a beautiful love. But if one were to become involved, to interfere, it would be disastrous. But... but sometimes, many things can't be escaped simply by wanting to detach oneself from the situation! Once you're deeply involved, how can you extricate yourself?

Han Wuxie stared at him expressionlessly, clearly seeing the subtle expressions on his face. He knew he was being pricked with needles, but he also knew that he was still obsessed because he was his contracted beast, and he shared a sliver of his understanding with him. He knew that his heart was still unwavering.

Han Wuxie sighed softly, feigning exhaustion, and said, "It's frustrating not being able to break through this bottleneck. I need to go back and review some books to see if there's any way to overcome it."

After speaking, she turned and left without waiting for his reply.

Zhu Fengmo spoke from behind her, his voice low and hoarse: "You understand my music, that's what makes us kindred spirits, isn't it?"

Han Wuxie paused, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "Perhaps your playing level is far inferior to mine, and I cannot understand it."

"Whether the skill of playing the zither is good or bad is not important; what is important is the state of mind of the player. This is what you once told me," Zhu Fengmo said softly.

Han Wuxie nodded and said, "Yes, I once said that only the player himself knows what his state of mind is. If the playing is extremely bad, then it is impossible to convey it to others. The so-called soulmate is someone who can know the player's state of mind regardless of whether the playing is good or bad. But I did not hear it this time. I don't know if you did not put it into your heart, or if I am no longer your soulmate and can no longer listen to your heart."

Zhu Fengmo's hand trembled slightly. He lowered his eyes and after a long while, he let out a long breath and forced a gentle smile, saying, "It's because I didn't put my heart into it today, so you are still my confidant, right?" His voice even carried a pleading tone.

---Aside---

Alas, the poor Deer King failed, and the poor Snake King is in trouble too. Keep trying! (What is the male lead doing? Oh, God Wind King, if you don't meet the female lead soon, she might get stolen away!)