Page 745

Chapter 104

No matter what she did, the boy would always be by her side, silently following her like a shadow.

After feeding the small beast, Lan Xi, as usual, brought her little follower to the waterfall behind the Taibai Hall.

The thousand-foot waterfall, with a rainbow hanging over its top, found Lan Xi leaning boredly against a tree.

"Xiao Qingqing, will you perform a sword dance for me?" Lan Xi asked the boy beside her. She felt that life as an immortal was truly boring. If it wasn’t for the presence of the handsome Xiao Qingqing all these years, she would have surely been bored to death.

The boy would never refuse her requests.

And so, he stood in front of the waterfall, sword dancing, the surging water behind him playing a song of pride—his seven-foot longsword casting shadows in a bid to elicit a smile from her.

When he finished his swordplay, she would clap joyously for him, then wave her hand, pointing to the spot beside her, and command, "Come here, sit by my side."

So, he stuck his sword in the ground and sat down next to her.

She produced a jug of wine, filled with Immortal Drunkenness Wine, the exclusive brew of the Heavenly Court.

She handed it to him, smiling. "Good swordplay deserves good wine. I toast to you."

The boy hesitated for a moment, then took the jug, tipping his head back to drink a mouthful delightfully—perhaps the wine was too fragrant, he couldn’t help but take another sip.

Lan Xi watched the boy, a sweet smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. As he drank, he slightly tilted his head back, his beautiful hair like a waterfall cascading behind him, his neck’s jade-like smooth lines sensuous, even his chin emitting a captivating luster.

The boy felt tipsy after just two sips, for he was but a mortal, lacking a foundation in cultivation. Even sharing his life with Lan Xi, he couldn’t harness Spiritual Power for his own use.

Immortal Drunkenness Wine, a drink that could intoxicate even immortals—he had done remarkably well to manage two sips.

Lan Xi, watching the boy as he flopped to the ground, his eyes hazy from drunkenness, took the jug and drank a few mouthfuls herself—in the midst of the fine wine, the towering waterfall, the valley wreathed in immortal qi, and the exceptionally dazzling sunlight of the Immortal Realm.

In this moment, she felt life couldn’t possibly be better.

Lan Xi took another sip of wine, smiling blissfully at the boy lying on the ground beside her, "Xiao Qingqing, you’ll stay with me for the rest of your life, won’t you?"

The boy’s cold eyes warmed up a bit, touched with a hint of drunkenness, his head turned to look at the young girl beside him, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "As long as Your Highness wishes it!"

He would accompany her through lifetimes.

Lan Xi immediately reached out to pinch the boy’s cheek, "Of course I wish it! You’re so handsome, and the days in the Immortal Realm are so dull. Without you by my side, how am I supposed to get by? Xiao Qingqing, have another drink."

The boy hurriedly shook his head, for if he drank more, he would surely pass out.

If he closed his eyes, he wouldn’t be able to see her. What if she encountered danger?

Seeing his refusal, Lan Xi was not angry; she simply picked up the jug and started to drink by herself. After emptying the jug, she clutched it, feeling as though the figures in front of her were multiplying.

"Xiao Qingqing, where... where are you? Which one is the real you?"

Even though he was right in front of her, she couldn’t grasp him.

Just as she was about to fall to the ground, he quickly extended his hand to steady her.

The young girl, supported by his hand, clung onto him like a lifeline, her arms reaching around his neck, burying her face into his chest, "Mmm mmm mmm... I’ve finally caught you. Xiao Qingqing, I’m so sleepy!"

Lan Xi fell asleep in his embrace.

The boy looked at her rosy cheeks, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings with her breaths. The golden sunlight made her skin glow luminous and translucent, like the finest of gems, dazzling to behold.

He slowly laid her down, letting her lie on the grass with her head resting on his leg.

Even though he was very sleepy, each time he saw her rosy lips curving into a faint smile, he forced himself to stay awake.

There were many ferocious beasts in the back hill, and if he slept, Lan Xi would definitely be in danger.

After all, Lan Xi was divine, and her power was a deadly temptation to those beasts.

Due to the effects of alcohol, the boy grew drowsy. He drew his longsword, cutting his finger—pain could bring back his senses.

Lan Xi slept for three full days, and when she opened her eyes, a circle of wild beasts surrounded them, wary of the boy’s sword, so they stood off at a distance, not daring to approach.

There were also many carcasses of wild beasts on the ground.

Lan Xi got up from the youth’s leg, supporting her dizzy head, "Xiao Qingqing, did I drink too much?"

"Yes! It’s okay. With me here, you won’t be in danger," the youth said in a gentle tone.

Lan Xi, smelling the pungent scent of fresh blood, stood up, and instantly the birds and beasts behind her scattered like a receding tide.

Her gaze unintentionally swept over the youth’s palm, and what she saw was a bloody, indistinct mess.

He possessed half of her Divine Blood, so his body had a strong healing ability. Yet the bloody wounds, clearly inflicted by his own sword, were not healing automatically. Why not?

"What did you do to yourself?" Lan Xi grabbed his hand, hurriedly took out some Hemostatic Medicine and a handkerchief, and began to bandage his wounds.

"I can’t hold my liquor very well and felt a bit dizzy. I was afraid that if I also fell asleep, you would be in danger. So..." The youth stopped mid-sentence, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, "I’m fine, it’s all my fault. I’m just not good with alcohol."

"So, to stop yourself from sleeping, you cut your own hand?" Lan Xi glared at him, her expression stern with anger. The once beautiful face was now cold as ice.

The youth did not expect her to be so angry, thinking she was upset with his incompetence, and so he hung his head in shame.

Lan Xi finished bandaging his wound without uttering a word, then turned and disappeared from the spot, her face expressionless.

When the youth found her again, the back mountain was littered with corpses, countless ferocious beasts lay dead on the ground. Fresh blood dyed the valley’s Immortal Herbs red, forming rivulets.

The youth had never seen her kill before; she had never even harmed a small animal.

Now, she wielded the Goddess Sword, with every swing and cut, blood splattered three feet high.

She stood amongst the ferocious beasts like a demon, her white clothes stained with blood, ensuring those beasts would never dare to attack her again.

Only then did she sheathe the Goddess Sword and looked toward the youth who had been standing stupefied not too far away.

The youth stood frozen in place.

In a flash, a terrible thought crossed his mind. Was it because he was injured that Lan Xi became angry, and then she killed those ferocious beasts that wanted to harm her?

This explanation seemed both plausible and implausible.

He wasn’t sure why Lan Xi suddenly became angry and started slaughtering.

The matter of Lan Xi killing the ferocious beasts, of course, could not be hidden from Immortal Taibai.

Immortal Taibai was naturally furious, ordering Lan Xi to kneel on the Tai Chi Platform for self-reflection and to state the reasons for slaying the beasts.

Even though the ferocious beasts at the foot of Mount Taibai were savage, they were still living beings. If raised and taught properly, someday they could transform into human form, which would be a meritorious act.

Lan Xi did not hide the truth, telling Immortal Taibai directly that the beasts took advantage of her drunkenness to try and take her power.

She killed a few as a warning to others, so that in the future, no one would dare to be insolent in front of her.

She might have been better off not explaining; her confession only made Immortal Taibai even more irate.

On the Tai Chi Platform, Lan Xi knelt in the center, with Immortal Taibai standing in front of her, pointing at her in unrestrained fury, "At such a young age, you harbor such a heavy intent to kill. You are to be the future Goddess, in charge of all life. Just because others covet your power, you wish to kill them all. In the future, won’t you want to destroy the whole world?

Besides, those little beasts couldn’t even harm you. "

Lan Xi said nothing, kneeling with her head bowed.

Immortal Taibai, fuming with rage, said, "Not speaking, do you think you’ve done nothing wrong? You’re simply stubborn. Mi Xi, send your junior sister to the Lotus Realm for reflection until she realizes her mistake, and only then can she be released."

Lan Xi shrugged indifferently and was taken by Mi Xi to the Lotus Realm.

At the top of Taibai Hall, there was a lotus pond with five or six golden lotus flowers in bloom.

Despite each lotus housing its own world, once sent inside, one could not come out without the permission of Immortal Taibai.

The Lotus Realm inside was vast and boundless, with expansive space, but devoid of any creatures. Moreover, time flowed slowly within; one month inside was equivalent to just one day outside.

After Lan Xi was confined there, it didn’t take many days before the emptiness of the realm nearly drove her mad.

She conjured up wine, drank until she woke, and then woke up to drink again, until at last, she felt like she was about to go insane from the confinement.

The worst part was that ever since she came here to be punished, her little follower had been called away by the master.

She remembered that her follower had been injured before and that the wound had not healed; she pondered over it and was certain that the problem lay with the sword in his hand.