Chapter 20 Why don't you let her see it?

The old ancestor was determined to die.

Seeing the two of them so affectionate, Liu Tianshi didn't care and continued to scrutinize Dijiang with his squinting eyes.

"Stone" has a different mind than normal people. She didn't intend to compete with Duan Jiuyou for a man; she simply wanted to see what he looked like.

She said, "I like handsome men the most. If you say some nice things, I might soften my heart and fix your blades for you."

"Why should I let you see?" Duan Jiuyou absolutely loathed Liu Tianshi. He stepped forward and blocked Di Jiang's path. "Do you think you're worthy of negotiating with us? If you refuse, I'll stay here until you're exhausted. When you fall asleep, I'll force you to revert to your original form and repair the Lingtian White Blade!"

"Before I go to sleep, someone will definitely go to inform the city lord. If the commotion gets out of hand, how will we handle it?"

Liu Tianshi remained unmoved, lightly tapping his long, nail-painted fingers on the table to summon a talking bird. This bird was similar in nature to Duan Jiuyou's Feifei, both being divine creatures that could vanish in an instant and deliver messages over a thousand miles.

Liu Tianshi bent a finger, letting the talking bird hop onto his knuckle, and teased the bird as he said to Duan Jiuyou, "You probably don't want Du Heng to know you're here, do you?"

"You're really going too far!!"

Duan Jiuyou stared at Liu Tianshi with a fierce expression for a long time, then turned around with his hands on his hips and spoke softly to Di Jiangshi.

"Why don't you let her see it?"

—Promising!

"The Emperor's lips curled into a smirk, and he's already sold me out over such a small storm?"

Di Jiang pushed Duan Jiuyou aside and said to Liu Tianshi with a calm expression, "Yuan Dan won't last more than a few days. Even if Jiuyou and I couldn't save him, we've done our best. Once we leave, what you want to do may not be possible."

Di Jiang said, "Zhaozhao City has a barrier that ordinary immortals cannot enter. Only Jiuyou and I can help you with what you need to do. Since it's a mutually beneficial arrangement, why bother with these trivial matters? We don't have much patience. If we get annoyed, you'll be the one who ends up with nothing."

The emperor, however, took the lead and turned the tide in just a few words.

Liu Tianshi's arrogance gradually weakened, but his voice rose again unwillingly: "It's all because of this scar on my face! You gods don't treat us like human beings. You use us without a care in the world. How could you know the suffering of us artifacts!"

Di Jiang, impatient with her complaints, grabbed Duan Jiuyou's arm and headed for the door.

Liu Tianshi shouted anxiously, "Heart-Gathering Lotus! I need that Heart-Gathering Lotus on the other side of the river! If you bring it to me, I will sharpen the Sky-Piercing White Blade for you!"

She tried to lead them back, but in her haste, she didn't even put her shoes on properly. She took a few steps barefoot, wincing from the cold, but still made a "please" gesture with her hand, leading the two back into the room.

She said, "I didn't know that Zhao Zhao City had such a wonderful medicine. It was Qi Xinghe who pointed out the way, and that's how I learned that it could restore one's appearance. He really isn't as heartless as you all imagine. To help me recover, he accompanied me to cross the river to get the flowers three times. Unfortunately, our magical powers were too weak, and we couldn't even get close to the riverbank. Later, he gave me these Purple Ning Flowers. The fragrance of these flowers can also preserve youth, but the effect is quite small, not as good as—Duan Jiuyou!!"

As Liu Tianshi was speaking, she saw Duan Jiuyou push open the window, grab two pots of purple lilies, and tiptoe outside to throw them. She really disliked the fragrance of the flowers and had been enduring it for a while, rubbing her nose for ages. If she continued to be exposed to the smell, she was afraid she would break out in a rash.

Liu Tianshi was furious, wishing he could pick it up immediately.

Why did you throw it?!

“I’m allergic to this flower,” Duan Jiuyou said, his nose red. “Don’t you think it smells bad after a while? I’ve never heard of Zi Ning flower having any anti-aging effects. Qi Xinghe must be lying to you to keep you on your toes and make you continue to clean up his messes.”

"What deception? Don't think you can see through everyone just because you've found a few more immortal partners. The Milky Way is not as bad as you say!"

"Now you're calling him 'Galaxy' again? Isn't it the same as when you called him a bastard before?"

Duan Jiuyou suspected that Liu Tianshi had developed mental problems. On the one hand, he knew that Qi Xinghe was not a "good person," but on the other hand, he still clung to the old friendship and insisted on finding some good in him.

Liu Tianshi couldn't win an argument with Duan Jiuyou, and although he was angry, he didn't dare to offend her. He suppressed his anger and said, "Although no one is there to help you pick the Heart-Gathering Lotus, it is not something that ordinary people can do. The river is deep, and it was formed from the stagnation of the Melting River. Anyone or anything that touches the river will turn into a puddle of pus. You can't travel on the river by boat; you can only travel by riding the clouds. However, there is a thick miasma above the river. If you inhale it, you will be in mortal danger."

Duan Jiuyou said, "Wouldn't that mean neither approach is feasible?"

“But you can do it,” Liu Tianshi said casually. “You’re not afraid of sharp blades, nor of lightning, so what can a little miasma do to you?”

Liu Tianshi's words were extremely selfish; he didn't care about the other person's life or death at all, just to restore his appearance.

Duan Jiuyou's expression didn't change much. She's never been afraid of death. Let alone crossing the dense miasma of the river, she even uses the Heavenly Thunder Sword on her own when she has nothing else to do.

"No." Di Jiang said calmly, a chill already creeping into his eyes as he glanced at Liu Tianshi.

Liu Tianshi spoke lightly, but it was Duan Jiuyou who risked his life.

He knew that Duan Jiuyou was not afraid of death, and he also knew that she often "courted death", but that was different from her wanting to die.

The miasma might not be fatal, but what if she becomes mentally unstable or insane? Does Liu Tianshi have any medicine that can cure her?

"Why not?" Duan Jiuyou was actually quite eager to try. He was never afraid of any "adventure" that might end his immortal life.

Emperor Jiang's expression remained unchanged, but this time his tone left no room for argument.

I disagree.

Unless there is another option, he could choose not to save those thousands of lives.

Di Jiang remained adamant, and Liu Tianshi did not dare to press him. She knew that this matter was difficult and not everyone would dare to take the risk. She gave them time to consider and personally escorted them out.

This time, Di Jiang and Duan Jiuyou did not use the teleportation technique, but walked side by side on the street.

The clear moonlight fell on the empty and clean long street, reflecting a water-washed brilliance. Duan Jiuyou's eyes shone, and a smile spread across his face, growing deeper as he walked.

She suddenly took a few steps ahead, tilted her head and said to Di Jiang, "Why didn't you agree to let me go just now? Were you worried that I would be in danger? Actually, I'm tough and resilient. I can handle anything, from crossing rivers to swirling miasma."

However, she was still gratified that he was willing to worry about her, after all, in a sense, the two of them would eventually be "ruler and subject". She was willing to devote herself wholeheartedly to restoring the old country for him, even though he had already obtained it by his own hand, but she destroyed it. Now that she was "correcting her mistakes" and willing to be a loyal subject, she naturally hoped to gain his trust and love.

There was another thing, which was Duan Jiuyou's own little scheme.

The Hou clan adheres to the principle of one clan ruling the world. In the second attempt to seize the Heavenly Time, a fierce battle with the Dragon Clan is inevitable. The more Emperor Jiang values ​​her, the more influence she has in front of him. Only if her words carry enough weight can Bai Yanxing's life be spared, and the life of the entire Heavenly Ascension Dragon Clan be spared.

"Liu Tianshi is now considered to have a head of bronze and a body of iron, so why does he still dare not cross the river?"

The Emperor's attention was still focused on today's matter. Liu Tianshi hadn't told them the truth. There must still be potential dangers within the river crossing. She herself didn't dare to go, but instead let Duan Jiuyou, who was "unbreakable," take the risk. Even if Jiuyou had a divine body to protect him, he might not be able to escape unscathed.

Di Jiang said, "Liu Tianshi is more worried than we are about this deal falling through."

So you admit you were worried about me?

Duan Jiuyou's smile grew even brighter, and he didn't care about Liu Tianshi's little scheme.

Di Jiang looked at her for a while with a hint of confusion, wondering what she was happy about. After a moment of silence, he said in his ever-calm tone, "Of course I'm worried. Your life is more valuable than those people in Yuan Dan. Your disciples from the Ao Sect are already formidable enemies, living and dying. If something happens to you while you're by my side, given how much they care about you, they will inevitably become my enemy again. I don't need to create trouble for myself and make another enemy for the Desolate Clan."

His rare sincerity was a way of saying that he didn't consider Duan Jiuyou an outsider. He himself thought there was nothing wrong with what he said, but for some reason he angered the smiling man.

Di Jiang watched as Duan Jiuyou's upturned features quickly turned down, his face darkening instantly. By the time he spoke, his expression was one of utter malice, as if to say, "You really deserve to die."

"What did you say?"

She only asked that one question, but Di Jiang felt like he heard at least ten swear words.

He stared expressionlessly at the "ugly kid" standing before him, hands on her hips. He rarely faced a woman alone, much less a woman like Duan Jiuyou who dared to turn on him. He had always thought she was emotionally unstable and had a bit of a headache with her quick temper.

—When a man is with a woman, he has to be sweet-talking and not be so blunt. He should think carefully and embellish his words before speaking. If she is happy, his life will be much easier.

Suddenly, the face of the vassal and the words he had repeatedly told him flashed into Di Jiang's mind.

This happened a while ago. When Di Jiang kicked "Xiao Cui" out of the abandoned house, his ministers spent the whole night reading books and coming up with ideas for him, hoping that he could coax Duan Jiuyou back.

The emperor didn't know what kind of books his vassals were reading, but when they talked about these things, they acted as if they were seasoned veterans.

Di Jiang had always thought Feng Chen was a complete fool. Although Feng Chen possessed three souls and six spirits, he had suffered a brain injury in his childhood, losing a horn and thus becoming mentally deficient. He didn't believe the fool's words could help him, so he said to Duan Jiuyou, "Your life is of great benefit to me, and it is only right that I protect you."

Duan Jiuyou gave him a cold shoulder the rest of the way.

Di Jiang was in a bad mood because of Duan Jiuyou's antics. He couldn't figure out what he had done wrong. Since she ignored him, he naturally wouldn't take the initiative to talk to her either. The two walked home in silence.

Spring chill is like water, night cool as ice. It's not cold in the afternoon and evening, but now it feels like all the cold accumulated throughout the day has been poured down like a bucket of cold water.

There was no charcoal prepared where they lived, nor was there an old deaf man who would burn charcoal for them. Di Jiang was suffering from a chronic illness and was barely getting by. The house was cold everywhere, and there was nothing that suited them.

He was unhappy, so he didn't turn on the lamp and sat alone on the edge of the bed staring at the cold quilt. This time, even "Duan Xiaocui" didn't care about him.

Suddenly, a cluster of light appeared in Yu Guangli's peripheral vision.

Duan Jiuyou turned on the light across the way. The light was like a warm ray of sunshine, making people feel that her room must be warm.