Genius Beast Tamer

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After Han Wuxie and the others left the cave, less than half an incense stick's time later, a man dressed in black with a cold and handsome face entered the cave. When he saw the two corpses on the ground and realized that his plan had failed, a sinister smile appeared on his face.

……

Han Tianci possessed the talent to find treasures. When he arrived at the place where Han Xingyu had discovered the Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng, Han Tianci looked around. Soon, his eyes lit up and golden light flashed in his pupils.

"There it is!" Han Tianci pointed to an old tree, and upon closer inspection, he discovered that a seven-leaf ginseng leaf was hidden in the pile of weeds around the tree roots.

Han Xingyu looked in the direction Han Tianci pointed and muttered, "It doesn't seem to be the one I saw before. I remember seeing the Five Leaves."

"Who cares about seven or five leaves, as long as it's Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng!" Han Tianci excitedly ran towards the seven-leaf section.

Just as Han Tianci was about to reach out and pluck the seven leaves, the Deer King anxiously stepped forward, stopped him, and shook his head, saying, "You can't just pull it out like that, it will run away."

Han Xingyu pouted and scolded, "I already told you, what I found before has already escaped, and you still acted so rashly! You're really brainless!"

Han Tianci lowered his head somewhat shyly and asked, "Then how should I dig it so it won't run away?"

The Deer King's eyes were gentle as he softly patted Han Tianci's head and comforted him, "I have lived in the Desolate Forest for many years. Ginseng diggers often come to the Desolate Forest to try their luck. I once saw an old ginseng digger. Although I have never dug ginseng myself, I can give it a try."

"Can you do it?" Han Tianci raised his head, his eyes filled with hope.

Han Tianci had a very good impression of this refined and elegant Deer King. Compared to Xiao Bai's loud and boisterous nature, Bing's icy temperament, and the Snake King's flamboyant personality, the Deer King's temperament was indeed much better than theirs.

The Deer King smiled gently, his gaze lacking overly confident arrogance but instead radiating wisdom, and said kindly, "I will do my best."

The Deer King squatted beside the ginseng, carefully observing the orientation of the seven leaves. He did not dig up the ginseng immediately, but first set up a frame on both sides of the ginseng with tree branches, and then fixed the ginseng to the frame with a red rope. Several copper coins were hanging on the red rope, as if there was a deeper meaning in it.

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, the Deer King smiled warmly and explained, "The red rope and copper coins form a ginseng lock, meaning to prevent ginseng from escaping. Ginseng locked in the ginseng lock basically cannot escape."

The Deer King suddenly knelt down in front of the ginseng, picked up a small, milky-white stick, and began to dig for the ginseng.

"What is he using?" asked the tall man who was leading the group of six who had come with him.

The Deer King hesitated for a moment, then said sadly, "Deer bones."

"Deer bones?" Han Wuxie frowned, asking with a touch of sadness, "Is deer bone necessary for digging ginseng?"

The Deer King looked melancholy and said sadly, "The skewer is usually made of deer bone, and it's also called a quick skewer."

The Deer King lay on the ground, carefully digging out the Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng. It took two whole hours to dig it out intact, ensuring that all parts of it were preserved.

Murong Liyun carefully accepted the Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng and put it away.

In the past, he did not know that digging for ginseng was such a complicated and painstaking task, and thus he finally understood why ginseng is called the king of herbs and is so precious and rare.

The reason for cherishing it so much was not only because obtaining the Golden Blood Tiger Skin Ginseng represented whether her mother's life could be saved, but also because of her gratitude to Deer King, Han Wuxie, Han Tianci, Han Xingyu and others, indicating that she would cherish their kindness.

Seeing that Han Wuxie seemed determined to continue on her journey, Murong Liyun kindly suggested, "Miss Han, it's getting late. Why don't we rest at the inn ahead and continue our journey tomorrow?"

Han Wuxie looked up at the sky and nodded slightly, saying, "If we miss the post station, we'll have to camp out in the open. We really shouldn't continue on our way."

……

"Everyone dreams, but dreams can be good or bad; how can one tell the difference?"

"A moment of triumph, yet the road ahead is long and uncertain. Life is like a dream; how can one divine the good or bad fortune within that dream?"

"Every talent bestowed by nature has its purpose, so why do I have no opportunity to use my abilities?"

"Soaring high need not be in dreams; knowing evil, doing evil, all for the sake of pursuing dreams! The drunkard's heart is not in the wine; resolute and unwavering, will he ride the phoenix and the dragon?"

Long sighs drifted into the room from outside the window. The magnetic voice was pleasant and gentle, slightly tipsy, filled with a deep melancholy about the good and evil of life, and a helpless bitter laugh. This piqued Han Wuxie's curiosity. Who was it that was lamenting, sighing, and feeling melancholy, with a hint of guilt and hesitation?

In the stillness of the night, a melodious tune drifted from the zither. The opening notes, with their ethereal harmonics, transported the listener to a scene of rippling blue waters and swirling mist. The melody, beginning in the second section from the middle register, deepened and remained so throughout the piece. The zither's unique vibrato and glissando techniques, repeatedly evolving around the core notes, profoundly revealed the player's melancholic and anxious inner world.

The deep, resonant melody in the lower register, rising in layers, uses exaggerated swirling techniques to depict a scene of rushing clouds and water, breaking the oppressive atmosphere and expressing the performer's turbulent thoughts.

The music gradually shifts into the lower register, the melody ascends and then falls back, and the final reappearance of "the sound of water and clouds" is just a powerless aftershock, revealing the infinite emotions in the player's heart.

Because of the player's superb musical skills and his conflicting emotions, Han Wuxie became even more curious. Her intense curiosity led her to push open the door and search for the source of the music...

At first glance, his calm and elegant posture seemed to suggest all the emotions he could not express, in a way that seemed to last forever.

Her jet-black hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her bangs concealed her deep eyes. Her dark, deep eyes gave her a wild, unrestrained, and alluringly sexy look.

His fingers, like those of a pianist, had neatly manicured nails; each finger was a masterpiece of artistry, its length and joints perfectly proportioned, like a work of art sculpted by nature. His dark attire couldn't conceal his extraordinary bearing; his sword-like eyebrows slanted into a few strands of black hair at his temples. His handsome profile was flawlessly proportioned.

"You played very well, but music comes from the heart. The piece was too somber, and that somberness affected the listeners. It's not good to let everything become somber."

Han Wuxie didn't know why she had abruptly interrupted his playing. Perhaps it was because of the contradictory and melancholic melody. Although he played it well, his own mood became somewhat depressed, and he felt very uncomfortable.

He turned his head, his bangs were lifted by the wind, revealing a mischievous smile, even his thick eyebrows seemed to ripple, as if he was always smiling. His fair skin set off his pale pink lips, his handsome and prominent features, and his perfect face shape. In particular, the dazzling diamond stud in his left ear made him look radiant.

"Music arises from the heart, and indeed, I feel melancholy at this moment." He sighed softly, his gaze becoming wistful and unfocused.

Unconsciously, he murmured again: "Everyone seeks dreams, dreams are good and dreams are bad, how can one tell the difference? A moment of triumph, but the road ahead is long and uncertain. Life is like a dream, how can one divine the good or bad fortune within? All the talents bestowed by Heaven have their purpose, why do I have no place to use my abilities? Soaring high need not be in dreams, knowing evil, doing evil, all for the sake of pursuing dreams! The drunkard's intention is not in the wine, resolute and unwavering, will I ride the phoenix and the dragon?"

After saying that, he picked up the wine glass next to the zither, took a small sip of the wine, and looked somewhat pained, as if he didn't like drinking at all, but was forcing himself to taste the spiciness and bitterness of the wine.

"Don't you like drinking?" Han Wuxie frowned at him. "If you don't like it, why force yourself to drink?"

"Many things are not things I like to do, but things I have to do."

"Your music and the things you said seem to suggest that you did something very bad, but you had no choice but to do it for the sake of your dream."

"Although we have never met, you have understood everything." He smiled slightly, looking at Han Wuxie with a meaningful gaze.

Han Wuxie awkwardly avoided his gaze, and said in a somewhat flat voice, "I'm just curious, why do you play such annoying pieces when you clearly have such good piano skills?"

"Annoyed? You mean my music disturbed you? I'm very sorry, I'm just too upset, and playing the zither is the only way I can vent my frustrations." He smiled bitterly, "Today I sent someone to kill my brother."

Han Wuxie seemed to sense something, his brows furrowed even more, and he remained silent.

The man in black hesitated for a moment before continuing, "My purpose is for my dream. I don't want to kill him, but I have no choice but to make this choice. It is clearly evil, yet I have to do it."

"What do you think I should say?" Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes, a hint of mockery in them. "Should I say you're right, or wrong?"

"Your eyes have already told me," the man in black said helplessly. "But if I don't do that, he will steal my dream."

"You should strive to achieve your dreams through your own efforts. Even if you never achieve them in your lifetime, at least you tried..."

The man in black interrupted, "I've tried my best!"

"Are you saying that your efforts are just to achieve your goals by any means necessary?" Han Wuxie had already guessed the other party's identity. He felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, especially his somewhat wicked smile. Murong Liyun also had such a smile. Upon closer inspection of the man in black clothes, there was a strange pattern on it that was similar to the one on Murong Liyun's clothes. The only difference was that the pattern had the character "Kai" embroidered in the middle.

"Using any means necessary is the only effort I can make." He sighed bitterly, looked deeply at Han Wuxie, and said, "You are at the early stage of Martial Emperor. To have such cultivation at such a young age, you are obviously a direct descendant or direct successor of a great family or sect."

Han Wuxie remained silent.

The man in black finished his wine and said with a bitter smile, "You wouldn't understand the suffering of being born out of wedlock. Although I am the second young master, my status is far lower than my younger brother and elder brother. My mother was just a maidservant whom my father took a fancy to. In the family, the son of a maidservant can't learn what he wants, and can't get what he desires."

Han Wuxie was slightly taken aback. A bitter look spread across the black-clad man's eyes. He poured himself another cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.

"Do you know? When I was very young, my older brother was able to learn martial arts from our father, but I couldn't!"

"I am born out of wedlock! Those born out of wedlock cannot compete with the legitimate heirs, therefore I cannot learn martial arts, and I cannot become stronger!"

"I've always resigned myself to the fact that I'm born out of wedlock, so I can't learn, I can't steal knowledge, and I can't beat my older brother in anything! I deliberately act stupid and clumsy because only in this way can I have a better life, at least so that when my older brother becomes the head of the family, he won't kick me out!"

Han Wuxie frowned, clearly disapproving of the man in black's mindset.

The man in black curled his lips into a faint smile. "You think that's ridiculous, right? It is ridiculous! Later I realized I wasn't pretending to be stupid at all; I was genuinely stupid from beginning to end! Now I've learned my lesson and won't be so stupid anymore! Since my younger brother was born, I've finally begun to realize my past foolishness! My brother was able to learn martial arts from our father at the age of three. He was clearly born out of wedlock, but because his mother was favored, he was able to learn martial arts! When I was a child, watching my older brother learn, I always maintained a calm mindset, trying to tell myself that I was only born out of wedlock and couldn't compete with my older brother! But after my brother could learn martial arts, all the reasons I had tried to convince myself before became a joke! I was born out of wedlock, and so was my brother, yet he could learn everything and possess everything!"

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Later, I knew perfectly well that my mindset was being twisted little by little. I could have stabilized my emotions in time, but I let myself get worse, let my father hate me even more! I started secretly learning, learning to be cunning and treacherous, and even started to hate myself! But all I wanted was to become stronger, to become the head of the family, to make all those who looked down on me bow and scrape before me! That was my dream, so I had to eliminate all obstacles for it! Although I knew my younger brother didn't understand anything and respected me as his second older brother, for me to succeed, he had to die!"

Han Wuxie remained silent, as the other person's words, "I just want to become stronger," seemed to evoke memories of his past life. If he hadn't met Hua Qianye, would he have become twisted as well?

The answer is absolutely yes!

If I hadn't met Hua Qianye, hadn't received those goals from him, hadn't given me hope and told me that I could cultivate spiritual roots and become stronger, would I have resorted to extreme methods to become stronger?

Could it be that because of the Heavenly Family's treatment of Father and Mother, they would devise a sinister plan to take revenge on the Heavenly Family?

Without the ability to turn things around, people who want to do so will probably resort to extreme measures and any means necessary, right? Only those who accept their fate, those who give up and are unwilling to seek revenge or turn things around, will swallow their family's oppression and endure it silently.

What wrong has the man in black done? He did nothing wrong as a child, yet he suffered unfair treatment. He could only survive in that oppressive family by secretly learning martial arts and becoming cunning!

Just like when I was five years old, before I left the Tian family, when faced with bullying from my peers, I could only remain silent or occasionally retaliate in a sinister way. I simply didn't have enough strength to fight them.

I only came here seeking the sound of the zither, but I encountered the culprit who caused Murong Liyun's arrest today. Is it really just a coincidence?

Han Wuxie narrowed her eyes slightly, the wisdom in them making her mind very clear.

Han Wuxie gave the other person a deep look. After the other person poured out their grievances, she said nothing, turned around with an indifferent attitude, and wanted to leave.

The man in black was clearly surprised that the other party would leave without saying a word.

He called out to Han Wuxie, "Are you just going to leave like this?"

"What else?" Han Wuxie continued walking.

The man in black flashed and appeared in front of Han Wuxie.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" The man in black frowned; this was completely unexpected.

Han Wuxie shook his head and smiled, his gaze suddenly turning serious as he squinted at him and said, "Because it was unexpected, you find it strange? Actually, I can tell you that it wasn't unexpected at all. Although I know that everything tonight was part of your scheme, and your goal was to keep us out of it, I still fell into your trap. My indifferent departure is my answer to you: I won't meddle. Once we're out of the desolate forest, the Murong family's affairs are none of my concern."

"You..." The man in black was taken aback. He was speechless. Everything he had done tonight was indeed intentional.

Inside the cave, the bodies of two members of the Hei family were found. One had died from poisoning, but his opponent before his death was clearly a powerful figure of equal strength. The other had died from the pressure of divine sense and swordsmanship. The swordsmanship was a secret manual passed down only by the Qiankun Sect, indicating that the person was a high-ranking member of the Qiankun Sect.

When they arrived at the post station and learned about their strength, they were somewhat frightened.

A young girl at the early stage of Martial Emperor, two young boys at the Martial King level, and the others, although not highly cultivated, were all quite skilled. What surprised me most was that the transformed beasts beside them actually included Saint-level experts!

Originally, he planned to find out the identity of the person who rescued Murong Liyun after arriving at the post station. If the identity was not special, he would kill the whole group. However, it was obviously impossible now. Even if he wanted to kill them, he did not have the ability. Even if he did have the ability, the trouble he would cause afterward would be beyond his ability to handle. The powerful influence of the Qiankun Sect in the martial arts world was not something he could afford to offend. Being able to learn the Qiankun Sect's secret sword technique, coupled with their cultivation at such a young age, meant that killing them would not be a simple matter. It would inevitably attract countless reclusive masters who were no longer alive.

Not only can I not touch them, but I also have to fear their interference. If Murong Liyun has such a strong backing, not only will this plan fail, but I will also never have another chance to make a move in the future!

The only solution now is to stop these people from interfering, and after rescuing Murong Liyun, to stop worrying about the Murong family's affairs.

All these elaborate schemes today were meant to lure out the leader of that group, this extraordinary young girl. He wanted her to know that he deeply regretted harming his younger brother, and to express his helplessness and childhood pain. Because she was young, she was naturally soft-hearted and might advise him to think more positively, or even help him instead.

Unexpectedly, the girl said nothing, but when he asked her, she had already seen through his intentions.

Although he may have achieved his goal, the feeling of being seen through beforehand made him feel very awkward.

Seeing that the other party remained silent for a long time, Han Wuxie asked impatiently, "Is there anything else?"

The man in black didn't say anything, but his gaze towards Han Wuxie was filled with even more inquiry, and a strange emotion seemed to flash in his eyes.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Han Wuxie said indifferently, "Since there's nothing else, please move aside. I'm very sleepy."

The man in black took a step to the left, and Han Wuxie left without looking back. Watching her departing figure, the man sighed softly. Only after she was far away did he murmur, "I clearly achieved my goal, but why do I feel like I've lost so much?"

Back in his room, Han Wuxie was clearly in a bad mood, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

A soft, intrigued voice drifted from inside the room, "What? Because he plays the piano very well, you had too many expectations, and now you're disappointed after learning who he is and what his purpose is?"

A flying pillow hurled itself towards the source of the sound. Han Wuxie sat bolt upright, huffing, "Hua Qianye, when I ask you to come out, you never do! And when I don't want you to come out, you always bother me! Do you really enjoy hiding in your ring watching what's happening outside? Do you think this is a show?"

After she finished complaining, Hua Qianye's gaze suddenly became serious, and he asked, "If you went there because of the music, and the person you saw was not that person, and had no ulterior motives, but was handsome, well-mannered, and elegant, would you fall in love with him?"

"What do you mean by liking or disliking someone!" Han Wuxie said somewhat awkwardly, "I was just very curious, that's why I went out to see who was playing the piano."

Hua Qianye moved swiftly, sitting down next to Han Wuxie. Turning her gaze to Han Wuxie, she smiled wickedly and said, "Shouldn't you be at the age where you dream of your Prince Charming?"

"Hua Qianye, what are you talking about? You always say nonsensical things! What's going on lately!" Han Wuxie was a little annoyed. Ever since he forced the Snake King to stay as his contracted beast, this guy has been saying strange things!

"Is it simply because the other person plays the piano well?" Hua Qianye asked, squinting.

"Otherwise what?" Han Wuxie pouted unhappily and said, "You know, I've always loved music, and I admire people who play the piano well. The so-called soulmate is someone you love music with, someone you get to know through music, someone you understand through music, someone whose music expresses their feelings, and someone who understands you! I just really want to find someone..." She was a little embarrassed and realized that she was getting more and more out of line, so she immediately stopped talking.

Hua Qianye finished her sentence for her, saying, "Looking for a confidant?" He smiled mischievously, his voice slightly strange, and asked, "So, are you looking for a female confidant or a male confidant?"

"Hua Qianye! What are you doing out here?!" Han Wuxie bared his teeth like an angry kitten, "In the middle of the night, you just came out to berate me?"

Hua Qianye suddenly stopped smirking, narrowed her eyes, and got to the point: "We've been lingering in the desolate forest for quite a while."

"I know I'll definitely arrive at the Martial World tomorrow," Han Wuxie said sullenly.

"What are your plans once you arrive in the martial arts world?" Hua Qianye asked her earnestly.

Han Wuxie curled his lip. "What plans could I possibly have? Nothing but cultivation."

"Let's recruit some subordinates," Hua Qianye said casually.

"Subordinates?" Han Wuxie touched his fingers and said, "Can't we contract with many beasts? How about I find some more beasts to contract with?"

"There are too many beasts, and you can hardly control them. It's still unknown how many contracted beasts your talent can actually bring you. Don't waste the opportunity rashly. There are no more worth contracting in the desolate forest."

"Then what kind of subordinates should I recruit?"

Hua Qianye said in a profound and unfathomable tone, "Martial arts practitioners on the martial arts continent."

"Martial arts practitioners?" Han Wuxie scoffed. "So you want me to be like Xingyu, taking any promising ones as subordinates? Using our secret manuals as bait?"

Hua Qianye nodded in satisfaction and said, "That's exactly right."

Han Wuxie, somewhat confused, lay down lazily, looked up at Hua Qianye, and asked, "Why would I do that? Am I going to start a sect in the martial arts world?"

Hua Qianye pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "If we can successfully transform our internal energy into spiritual roots, then those masters in the martial arts world might also be able to do the same. If we can do that, then bring more people back to the Immortal Realm. Even if you and your two younger brothers can return to the Immortal Realm, with your meager strength alone, you won't be able to do anything."

"Aren't you thinking a bit too far ahead?" Although Han Wuxie understood that Hua Qianye was planning for him, he still said with some distress, "We don't even know if my brothers and I can go back. How can we have the mind to gather so many people? We have immortal blood, which is different from ordinary mortals. Our aptitude is much better than theirs. If we can't even successfully cultivate spiritual roots, how can those ordinary mortals possibly do it? I think it's better to wait until I successfully cultivate my own spiritual roots before considering recruiting people."

"If that's the case, then you're recruiting subordinates who are completely afraid of you, who might betray you at any time if recruited by someone else in the Immortal Realm, and who aren't trustworthy or willing to share hardships! You're neither very strong nor very weak right now. You're treating the talents you recruit from an equal standpoint. It's just that you have more secret techniques than them. Although you initially used these techniques to lure them to join you, during the process of cultivating together and enduring the hardships of developing spiritual roots together, you'll build a level of trust and friendship that no one else can interfere with. At that time, perhaps you won't treat them as subordinates anymore; perhaps they'll become brothers! Just like Xiao Bai now, because of the three years you've spent together, you've already regarded Xiao Bai as your good friend, a brother you can trust, haven't you?"

Han Wuxie hesitated for a moment, pondered for a while, and then said, "Sharing hardships can indeed build trust. If I am already very powerful, instead of cultivating spiritual roots with them, I would take them as my subordinates after I have spiritual roots. They would obey me out of fear of me. If I am fortunate enough to take them to the Immortal Realm, those who obey out of fear will inevitably betray me out of fear! They will also betray me because someone stronger than me puts pressure on them!"

"So what you need to take on are those tough nuts to crack, those who initially even won you over!"

"How can I possibly subdue them then?"

Hua Qianye said confidently, "The secret manual I'm giving you is an irresistible temptation for martial artists in the mortal world."

Han Wuxie nodded, thinking of Qinglang and Heifeng, people who lived in seclusion in the Nine Provinces Continent, and who were somewhat crazy because of their internal energy cultivation methods, let alone the martial arts fanatics in the martial arts continent.

Hua Qianye narrowed his eyes with a cunning glint and smiled wickedly, saying, "The more obsessed someone is with martial arts, the more stubborn they are when they listen to you because of the secret manual. And the more stubborn they are, the less likely they are to betray you."

Looking at Hua Qianye's cunning, fox-like appearance, Han Wuxie couldn't help but chuckle, muttering under his breath, "A big, wicked fox!"

Hua Qianye remained unperturbed, moving closer to Han Wuxie's face and raising an eyebrow, saying, "Do you think foxes are bad? That ice fox is quite dull and slow-witted!"

Han Wuxie curled his lip in displeasure and said, "Bing is an exception. He's just shy and timid, not a blockhead!"

"Are you helping your pet to teach me a lesson?" Hua Qianye smiled dangerously.

Just as Han Wuxie was about to say something, that guy pressed his lips against hers again. Han Wuxie was so angry that her teeth itched. She was clearly a soul, and she shouldn't feel anything, but looking at his beautiful face so close to hers, staring at each other with wide eyes, her heart kept racing uncontrollably!

Hana Chiba only gave it a light peck.

Even though I knew perfectly well that what I was doing was pointless, and that neither of us felt like we were actually kissing, I felt inexplicably satisfied. I felt special, special in her heart. Because of this action, this closeness, I could always hear her nervous heartbeat. Although I knew that the suddenness of the action had caught her off guard, causing her heart to race, a voice in my head kept telling me, 'Her heart is racing because of me, because of my kiss.'

But after that fleeting moment of awareness, a clear mind returned. Sometimes I hate my own clarity, because with that clarity, I know that the kiss was nothing at all. She didn't feel anything, and I didn't feel anything when I kissed her. It was all just my own illusion, not real.

Sometimes, I wish I could be a little more oblivious, so oblivious that I could forget—that I'm just a soul that could disappear at any moment.

Han Wuxie patted her chest to calm her restless heart. She lowered her eyes and secretly glanced at him beside her. Seeing him lost in thought, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of unease.

The room was silent for a long time. Finally, Han Wuxie couldn't hold back any longer. She turned around to face him, pursed her lips, and asked, "Last time you kissed me as a reward, what's the reason this time?"

Hua Qianye hadn't expected this little girl to ask him that, and for a moment he couldn't think of a good reason.

Han Wuxie suddenly narrowed his eyes, a sly smile flashing in them. He took a book from under his pillow, flipped through it, and muttered, "Actually, I did tell Sister Mo Wu."

Hua Qianye was stunned. This little girl did indeed sleep in the same room as Mo Wu last night when they were in the Deer Clan. Because Mo Wu was a woman, it was not convenient for him to spy on the little girl's every move, so he could only refrain from looking at her all night.

"What did you tell Mo Wu?" Hua Qianye frowned slightly.

Han Wuxie slightly curled the corners of his lips, deliberately using a book to cover his face, and said in a calm tone, "I asked Sister Mo Wu, if a man helps a woman and silently protects her, and then one day, the man kisses the woman in a very unusual way, and later uses a very absurd reason to end the kiss, and then the woman insists on keeping another man by her side, the man who kissed her behaves very strangely, even rarely seeing the woman, why is that?"

Hua Qianye couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and tried her best to remain calm as she asked, "Then how will Mo Wu answer you?"

Han Wuxie put down the book, her bright eyes fixed on Hua Qianye's. She pouted and asked doubtfully, "Sister Mo Wu said that man loves that woman very much, but Hua Qianye, do you love me very much?"

Hua Qianye's heart tightened. Han Wuxie approached little by little, still looking at him with a very curious and puzzled gaze.

As she gazed at the pretty little face that was getting closer and closer, Hua Qianye pursed her lips, subconsciously wanting to nod, but in the end she remained clear-headed and couldn't manage to forget that she was just a soul.

"You asked Mo Wu about how a man treats a woman, but I am not a physical man, but a man in spirit form. And you are not a woman either; you are at most a young girl, or even a little girl who doesn't understand anything. How can you use the example of a man and a woman to ask her?" Hua Qianye's tone was extremely self-righteous, and even somewhat blaming Han Wuxie.

Han Wuxie was somewhat taken aback, and scoffed, "You always come up with a bunch of twisted logic! If not this example, then what would the answer be if it were a man in a spirit form and a little girl?"

Hua Qianye replied with a wicked smile, "The answer is that the soul can only stay in the ring. Even if it doesn't want to protect the little girl, it has no choice. Everything is for its own benefit, simply to prevent the little girl's ring from being stolen. It's not silent protection; it's just constantly being vigilant for its own interests!"

"Oh," Han Wuxie replied lazily, frowning unhappily. "Then how do you explain the kiss?"

"The first kiss was a reward, as I said before," Hua Qianye said with a playful smile. "The second kiss..." He hesitated for a moment, then chuckled wickedly, "was just for fun!"

"Fun?" Han Wuxie glanced at him with a skeptical look.

"It's fun," Hua Qianye replied earnestly.

"I don't find it fun at all," Han Wuxie said coldly.

Hua Qianye frowned slightly, but quickly tried to smooth it out, feigning nonchalance as she said, "Because the last time I kissed you, your heart was pounding like a drum. I just wanted to see if it would pound like that this time too. Sure enough, it did. How fun!"

Han Wuxie narrowed his eyes, clearly noticing the unreality in his gaze. He pursed his lips, not refuting, but instead turned his attention back to the book in his hands, and said lazily, "Besides asking Sister Mo Wu the question she asked earlier, I asked some other questions as well."

Hua Qianye frowned. He felt that if he asked her any questions, he might fall into a trap. But if he didn't ask, it felt like a million ants were crawling around in his heart, making him very uncomfortable.

Han Wuxie glanced at him furtively, and seeing that he hadn't asked anything for a while, she didn't wait any longer and continued, "I asked Sister Mo Wu, if a man kisses me, why does my heart beat faster?"

"Why?" Hua Qianye finally couldn't help but ask.

Han Wuxie sighed and said, "Sigh, Sister Mo Wu said that if someone kisses me and I feel my heart beat faster, it means I hate that person."

"Hate her? What nonsense is she spouting!" A flash of extreme anger appeared in Hua Qianye's eyes.

"Is Sister Mo Wu talking nonsense?" Han Wuxie grinned mischievously. "If it's not annoying, then what is it?"

Looking at the little girl's mischievous smile, Hua Qianye sighed inwardly. This little girl was getting more and more cunning, and he was increasingly unable to outwit her. He had fallen into her trap again.

Hua Qianye frankly stated, "It's because I like it."

"Oh?" Han Wuxie's smile turned sweet, and she narrowed her eyes, saying, "So, does that mean I like Hua Qianye? Like in this book, when someone kisses you, your heart races, and instead of pushing them away, you freeze in shock. Is that because you like them? So, does that mean I like Hua Qianye?"

Hua Qianye then noticed the book in Han Wuxie's hand, quickly snatched it away with a hand formed from wind, and frowned, saying, "This is a book about mortals talking about love! Who gave it to you! Who allowed you to read these things!"

Han Wuxie curled his lip and said indifferently, "Can't I read it? I saw Zhu Fengmo reading it and just picked it up. At first, I was just curious about what kind of book it was, but it happened to address a question that I had, so I started reading it."

"Zhu Fengmo? That snake?" Hua Qianye's gaze turned even colder. She knew that the snake following her would bring her no good and would be corrupting her without her even realizing it!

Han Wuxie wanted to take the book back, but Hua Qianye arbitrarily confiscated it, put it in her ring, and coldly said, "You're not allowed to read this kind of book anymore."

"Why can't I watch?" Han Wuxie asked, somewhat unconvinced.

"You're too young to read this. This is a book only for married women," Hua Qianye casually offered, her expression serious and earnest.

Han Wuxie rolled her eyes and snorted, "I remember you saying before that mortal girls are already of marriageable age at fourteen or fifteen! If we calculate it according to mortal age, then I'm already of marriageable age, so why can't I look?"

Hua Qianye stubbornly insisted, "You're not an ordinary girl; you're an immortal from the celestial realm."

"At this point, am I an immortal from the celestial realm?" Han Wuxie curled his lip and said, "Fine, I won't look then!" After saying that, he suddenly added, "Anyway, I've already seen everything I needed to see!"

Hua Qianye's expression was slightly embarrassed, and her eyes seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

Han Wuxie looked up at him, squinting, and said, "Hua Qianye, answer my question from before."

"What's the problem?" Hua Qianye asked, feigning ignorance.

Han Wuxie narrowed his dangerous eyes and said in a low voice, "Don't think you can change the subject just because you confiscated my book! Just like in the book, my heart raced because of your kiss, Hua Qianye. My first reaction wasn't to push you away, but to freeze in shock. The book says that this is what it means to fall in love with the person who kisses you! So, have I fallen for you, Hua Qianye?"

---Aside---

Episode 4: The Beasts Attack. That concludes the episode. Please look forward to the next episode—Episode 5: Above the Martial Venerable.

I'm begging for monthly tickets, flowers, diamonds, and donations—anything goes! I've been updating 10,000 words a day for so long, but I'm running out of ideas, experiencing writer's block, and losing motivation. I need all kinds of encouragement! ~π_π

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