"I'll get angry," Qian Laiye threatened.

"Then be angry. You can go find my master, or even complain to Demon-Slaying Island. What's the use of being angry with me?" Xia Xiang crossed her arms, looking like a rogue.

“Yes, Demon-Slaying Island,” Qian Laiye pointed at Xia Xiang, “and you call yourself a Demon-Slaying Warrior? This kind of behavior is a disgrace to Demon-Slaying Island!”

Xia Xiang didn't care. "I thought that with my master's mouth, the reputation of Demon-Slaying Island in the Twelve Dimensions would have been ruined long ago. Why would I need to embarrass myself?"

"Besides, I was kidnapped by Huai'an; it wasn't my own choice at all. Why would I care so much about the reputation of Bamo Island? What would I gain from that?"

Qian Laiye was speechless. The Swift Walker had used quite a few vulgar insults when he cursed the Demon-Slaying Island...

"Besides, this is all the principal's fault," Xia Xiang said earnestly. "I told you to draw a line, but you insisted on drawing a transparent one, so I had to find one myself."

"This is all fate! You know that heavenly secrets cannot be revealed!" Qian Laiye jumped up in anger.

They were given hints, and they still can't see it and they blame him? Why don't they reflect on whether their own intentions are not pure enough!

Xia Xiang raised an eyebrow and replied seriously, "Then how can you be sure that my knowledge of the contents of the Golden Pen Dragon Inscription isn't fate?"

Qian Laiye: ......

"And, my dear principal, you've heard Elder Pan mention me, haven't you?" Xia Xiang draped his arm over Qian Laiye's shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I always seek revenge!"

"That black loach and his five life-size figurines have really annoyed me. If I cut them down beforehand, you'll have to redraw them."

"State your conditions!" Qian Laiye's beard bristled with anger as he gritted his teeth and said.

"It's nothing," Xia Xiang said, letting go of him.

"It's about maintaining the friendship between the Gold Dimension and the Demon-Slaying Island, protecting Ji An, and me, who's currently being targeted."

"But Ji An isn't important, what's important is me, whose emotions are a bit unstable!"

"I'll have to trouble you to talk to that black mudfish. If he doesn't touch me, I'll settle the score after everything's over. But if he jumps in front of me again, I might do something neither of us can afford to do!"

"From now on, there will be no more friendship between Demon Island and the Gold Dimension!" Qian Laiye's expression was one of utter despair and impotent rage. "Remember your promise, and protect what you see."

"OK," Xia Xiang said playfully, "Good afternoon, Principal!"

After Qian Laiye left, Xia Xiang jumped up with joy, "Killing two birds with one stone, how clever I am!"

I was originally planning to talk to him about a collaboration, but I didn't expect him to come to me on his own.

——

Xia Xiang's family and Dong Chengwei are not home right now; she is the only one making a phone call.

"Huai'an, I was attacked by someone who looks exactly like you. Do you know him?"

Xia Xiang was startled when she heard the black dragon call him "Zun" because she had accidentally revealed his true form during the fight.

A long silence followed on the other end of the phone.

A hoarse voice came through, "I know you."

Xia Xiang hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Then he... are you...?" Is he a clone or...?

There was another long silence on the other end of the phone. Huai'an's tone carried a barely perceptible plea, "If you can, please help me save him when everything is over."

"Since you know him, you must also know his sister, right?"

"Mmm," Xia Xiang replied.

"Please do your best to protect her without disrupting the order of time and space. Consider it a favor I owe you."

Xia Xiang got excited now, "Even if you didn't say anything, given how much that person likes her, they wouldn't let anything happen to them."

"And that's not all you owe me!!!"

"Yes, I owe you a lot," Huai'an said helplessly.

"Of course!" Xia Xiang and Huai An never stand on ceremony.

Huai'an was speechless, but decided to pay her some interest first. "I sent you a card. It's my secret stash of money from the Gold Dimension. You can spend it as you please, my creditor."

Xia Xiang was even happier, but not wanting Huai An to notice, she feigned disdain and said, "You're smart to know what's good for you."

"Is there anything else? I'm very busy!" Huai'an's voice returned to its previous indifferent tone.

"Oh right, I was just wondering if I can put that ring on and take it off myself." Xia Xiang suddenly remembered the important thing.

“Of course not,” Huai’an said directly.

"Could the ring only suppress the abilities of the Demon Slayer Warriors without changing their appearance?" Xia Xiang asked again.

“That’s fine,” Huai’an explained. “The altered appearance is based on your original face, plus the impression the person who puts the ring on you has of you, which is why I suggested that you have the same person wear the ring.”

Xia Xiang: "So, the person who puts the ring on my finger can imagine what I look like when I'm twelve and that won't change, right?"

"Yes," Huai'an replied.

"Okay, thank you," Xia Xiang said politely to Huai An for the first time.

"Okay, I'll hang up now," Huai'an said.

"Wait a minute," Xia Xiang suddenly spoke.

"Hehe, you can't bear to part with me," Huai'an's laughter came from the other end of the phone.

Xia Xiang roared, "I wouldn't bear to part with you, my foot!"

Huai'an said casually, "Go ahead and say it."

"Is the order of time and space really that important, so important that it can't protect your family?" Xia Xiang asked sadly. "Even with your strength, you can't change their predetermined fate?"

"Xia Xiang, time and space are capable of being repaired; rules are rules." Huai An's tone was serious and earnest.

So many people are trying to change the course of events, but what's meant to happen will happen, it's just taken a different turn. Who can predict whether something even worse will happen on that turn, making the ending even worse?

Xia Xiang replied weakly, "I know, I was just asking, I didn't mean to do anything."

"You can't do it, and you can't even think about it!" Huai'an was a little angry. He knew her too well and could only issue a stern warning.

"We cannot believe that human will determines the future. There were quite a few demon-slaying warriors who perished along with time and space. Perhaps they were unwilling to believe until their deaths that it was their tiny change that led time and space to an even worse end."

Xia Xiang was surprised by Huai An's strong reaction and apologized repeatedly.

"You absolutely must not interfere in the struggle between good and evil!" What could Huai'an do but forgive her after issuing another warning?

Just as Xia Xiang was about to say goodbye, Huai An whispered, "I was there when he had the car accident. All I could do was watch."

"..." Xia Xiang's guilt reached its peak, to the point where she would suddenly get up in the middle of the night and slap herself twice.