Chapter 389 Huali, please, is it okay?
The demon king held a jade porcelain plate in his hand, on which were several freshly baked plum blossom pastries.
He was dressed in a wide-sleeved casual robe with a moon-white cloud pattern, his dark hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of hair hung down his neck. He had a relaxed, homely air about him. He first nodded slightly to Fu Yan and the other two before naturally placing the porcelain plate on the table in front of Hua Li.
"Here, the kitchen tried out some new fillings. Do you think the sweetness is just right this time?"
As Huali nodded and picked up a piece, Luo Chuan naturally bent down and straightened the hem of her skirt that was gathered behind her.
After giving Luo Chuan a thumbs up, Hua Li smiled and looked at the three of them, continuing, "This house is so well built, thanks to Fu Yan's array, Mu Feng's wood, and Li Yuan's pearls. Thank you so much."
Fu Yan shook her head, "No need to be so polite."
"If anyone should say thank you, it should be me who thanks you properly." Mu Feng covered his mouth and coughed lightly. "Thanks to you, Hua Li, Wanbao Street in Linfeng County has become a tourist attraction. All the vendors on the street are clamoring to build a temple for you."
Upon hearing this, Huali immediately waved her hand, "Keep it low-key, keep it low-key." But she couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
What a joke! Who doesn't like to hear nice things?
It will be cloudy.
These few words subtly eased the slightly awkward atmosphere. Huali then turned to Luochuan beside her and asked, "Didn't you say you'd invite everyone? Why isn't anyone else here?"
"Today's banquet is specially held to thank these five distinguished guests." A voice as clear as the tide under the moonlight rang out from behind him.
Yan Xi walked out and winked at Hua Li: "Didn't my little benefactor always say that she wanted to properly thank these people? Wouldn't a special invitation make it even more grand?"
The all-knowing Steward Ao: He knew it.
Almost at the same moment Yan Xi appeared, Li Yuan, who was about to pick up his teacup at the guest seat, immediately stopped. The Cangming Sea Lord's gaze, like a sharp blade tempered with ice, pierced through the air and precisely fixed on the little bird's face.
Beyond the anger, there was a bitterness and resentment that he himself was unaware of.
Yan Xi naturally saw Li Yuan's appearance.
His smile didn't reach his eyes; he glanced back indifferently, his eyes revealing a condescending disdain from someone in a superior position.
Just then, a clear and melodious Buddhist chant, like a spring flowing in a secluded valley, broke the stalemate.
"Amitabha." Lian Zhuo slowly stepped out.
The Buddhist disciple exuded a serene aura, which subtly dissipated the tense atmosphere before looking at Huali: "The eyes of Luo Shenshu?"
“He’s nearsighted and can’t see the road clearly. I heard Wen Jin say that Xuanbing Crystals are useful, so I got him a pair.” At this point, Hua Li turned to look at Wen Jin, who had just walked in, “Wen Jin, did you see that?”
The Demon Lord sat down listlessly. "I see it, it looks like..."
“Like a little fool,” Shen Yu continued. “If they’re glasses, why are they made so poorly? How could the shopkeeper have the nerve to take your money like that?”
Huali: "......"
A vein throbbed on her forehead, and she said with a forced smile, "Is it possible that they only provide the raw materials, and I process the rest myself?"
Shen Yu paused, then cleverly changed the subject. His hawk-like eyes swept over the three people seated, and he raised an eyebrow: "Zhan Li isn't here?"
"Not only is Zhan Li absent, but Wen Tingyun is also missing." Hua Li noticed this as soon as she returned, but she could understand.
"Sigh, their situation is rather...special. If they don't want to come, they don't have to. We can still eat together."
These two brothers, one of them has a leg problem and was hoping that Qi Ran would cure his leg, but now that Qi Ran has failed in her mission and left, his dream has been shattered. It's understandable that he's not here.
And as for Zhan Li, that goes without saying.
He had already sunk so low that Xianbo privately messaged her to borrow money. Now that he's not going back to the Wu Clan to inherit the family fortune, what else does he want to do?
It's not easy, it's not easy for anyone.
Hua Li shook her head. "Let's eat and talk. Try this osmanthus wine, it's especially delicious. The flowers were picked by me recently, so they're very fresh." With a wave of her spiritual power, everyone's cups were instantly filled with wine.
Only Lian Zhuo was a cup of light osmanthus tea. The Buddhist disciple didn't even look at it, picked it up and took a sip.
Mu Feng watched this scene, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, who would have imagined that the Nine-Tailed King of the Holy Capital Demon Realm, the Demon Lord, and the Buddha's Son—figures who never meet—would one day live under the same roof?
Moreover, they probably didn't even realize the unspoken understanding between them.
This moment—
Every detail was like a sharp needle, piercing the hearts of Li Yuan and the other two.
Indeed, nothing asserts sovereignty more than the tangible, everyday intimacy we see now.
When Fu Yan received the invitation, she knew it wasn't made by Hua Li.
Having chosen to come, he was prepared to face many difficulties.
But the truth is, nothing happened.
But it was precisely this that made him realize more clearly that this life itself was already the strongest barrier.
She was truly well taken care of.
Seeing the atmosphere, which had just started to improve, become stagnant again, Huali was at her wit's end.
King Meow took a sip of wine, then sprawled out on the small mat and started snoring.
"So you should have secretly invited Fu Yan and the others back then. If you hadn't let the little bird and fox know, there wouldn't have been so much trouble."
"That won't do."
Hua Li raised her wine glass, her clear voice breaking the silence: "Fu Yan, Li Yuan, Mu Feng, let's all have a toast together."
The girl's gaze was sincere, and the crimson feather on her left ear swayed gently with her movements. The vibrant red color further accentuated her fair and lively appearance, making her breathtakingly beautiful.
"It's a celebration that we can meet again after that great disaster, and that we can sit here peacefully like today."
"I really think it's great, really great."
His words subtly refreshed the atmosphere.
As everyone raised their cups to drink, Huali continued to explain to Aobai:
"What you're saying won't just cause less trouble, it will cause even more trouble. Besides... I genuinely want to thank them."
"Back then, the ten key points of the formation were all indispensable. So even if one person hadn't given their all, we wouldn't be where we are today."
"So I don't care what they think or who they're doing it for. I only know that I should thank them for their perseverance so that I can be happy with everyone now."
"Therefore, Ao Bai, they deserve a solemn and sincere thank you."
Ao Bai understood. "So you're afraid of being disrespected?"
"That's just one of them. Another is that I absolutely cannot invite them alone."
"Although neither Fu Yan nor Mu Feng, apart from Li Yuan, had that kind of feeling, the word 'alone' itself carries an ambiguous undertone."
"Now that I have a boyfriend, I have to avoid anything that might make him feel uneasy or misunderstand me from the outset."
Ao Bai smacked his lips: "...Li Yuan? I don't think so."
Karin didn't understand the kitten's implied meaning, so she casually stroked the kitten's head and said, "It's okay, it's alright if the kitten doesn't understand."
Ao Bai tried to save face, saying, "I am the embodiment of Heaven's will."
"The clone of the Heavenly Dao, commonly known as the premature baby of the Heavenly Dao, is something you don't understand, which is even more understandable."
Ao Bai: "..." The real blind man is someone else.
Just as it opened its mouth to teach Huali a "little lesson," Shen Yu suddenly spoke up:
"This is a specialty of our Canglan Prefecture: spicy rabbit meat. Li Yuan, you probably haven't seen it in the Cangming Sea before. You can give it a try."
Li Yuan: "...Thank you."
Lian Zhuo also raised one palm and looked at Fu Yan, "I haven't yet congratulated Fellow Daoist Fu on assuming the position of Sect Master of the Myriad Talismans Sect."
Wen Jin didn't say a word, but tapped the table lightly with his fingertips twice, which was a kind of congratulation.
Fu Yan nodded, his voice clear and cold: "I have not yet officially succeeded to the position. After the ceremony, I would like to invite the Buddha, the Demon Lord, and a few others to join me."
Chief Steward Ao marveled.
"How did we actually start chatting? I'm already prepared to fight." Meow Meow King straightened up, his cat eyes wide open.
In contrast to Steward Ao, King Pear had a knowing smile on his face.
She understood from the moment she entered and saw the banquet.
Love is always about mutual support and growth; having a mouth is a good thing.
Because she didn't hide anything and conveyed her thoughts clearly, they understood her needs.
And because of her, he was willing to temper his sharpness and treat her with courtesy and goodwill.
Meow Meow King was full of questions. "Wait a minute, wasn't today supposed to be a trap? Are these ghosts, apart from Lian Zhuo, really that kind?"
"No," Karin shook her head honestly.
“But they noticed my hesitation.”
"Knowing that I wanted to express my gratitude in person, but was worried that the wrong way would cause misunderstandings, I simply took the initiative to arrange this banquet."
"Although there may be some ill intentions involved, it is ultimately just because 'I want to'."
Ao Bai: "What are you babbling about? Drink!"
*
There was no chaotic scene; everything became natural and relaxed thanks to the self-discipline and courtesy between the host and guests.
It can only be done before... the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Right now, the sweet aroma of osmanthus wine fills the air. After a few rounds of drinks, the burning liquid begins to subtly take hold, transforming into a captivating bittersweetness and resentment that seeps into some people's minds, turning into a long-suppressed burning courage.
When Li Yuan saw Yan Xi placing the cleaned fish meat into the rosewood bowl for the fourth time, he could no longer remain a bystander.
He raised his eyes, and those once sharp eyes now held only an overwhelming sadness.
"Rosewood".
Li Yuan's voice was hoarse, tinged with the smell of alcohol:
"You know what? I used to feel like a vine in the mountains, desperately trying to grow taller, even though I could see the sunlight and feel the warmth right above me..."
"But even though I stretched out all my branches and used all my strength, I still couldn't reach that cloud."
Upon hearing this, Yan Xi and the others' eyes turned cold, while Fu Yan and Mu Feng wore complicated expressions.
Li Yuan forced a smile, but found he couldn't manage it.
During the great battle years ago, he forcibly extracted the dragon pearl to suppress the black energy, causing his cultivation to regress back to the Nascent Soul stage. If it weren't for this invitation, he didn't know when he would see her again.
There are some things he can't give up, and he never will.
"Actually, I thought back then that even if I couldn't touch it, it would be nice to occasionally catch a glimpse of light filtering through the clouds, but..."
His gaze suddenly shifted to Yan Xi beside him, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp!
"But why... why is it that even a sacrifice that was just casually thrown into the water and had no control over its own destiny... can swim into the most precious light in my heart?"
"Why...is it?"
Yan Xi's polite smile instantly vanished, replaced by undisguised malice and mockery in his eyes.
No wonder he's the son of Aquaman, a worthless idiot.
If Guanlan hadn't been pleading for him all this time, how could he have survived until now?
He even dared to say such disgusting things to his little benefactor.
Yan Xi's lips parted slightly, but just as the incantation of his words began, a voice spoke even faster than his.
"Li Yuan, I'm very unhappy with how you described the little bird."
Hua Li's voice was not loud, but it was resolute: "This is the last time I will explain to you that I went to the Cangming Sea for the little bird. He is not a sacrifice, but my one and only treasure."
"Besides, you're wrong. There's no question of one of us swimming into the other's light. Because the bird itself is dazzling enough."
Mu Feng's knuckles turned white as he gripped the wine glass, forcing back the bitterness and downing the glass in one gulp.
He was the last person to arrive at this landscape. By the time he came, the tapestry of her life had already been painted in vibrant colors.
The blank spaces were no longer suitable for him to write.
But he had already seen the most beautiful scenery, so how could he be willing to give it up?
Huali's unwavering protection, like the strongest bulwark, instantly quelled the storm in Yanxi's eyes.
In the suffocating silence, Li Yuan slowly looked at Hua Li.
Unexpectedly, the light in his eyes did not settle; instead, it became deeper and darker, like two stubborn sparks hidden in the ashes of a burnt-out fire.
“I understand…” Li Yuan said softly, a chilling understanding in his voice. Hua Li, startled by his gaze, awkwardly moved closer to Luo Chuan.
Luo Chuan raised his hand and gently ruffled the little girl's hair, drawing out his words in her ear: "Drinking so much again, be careful the bad fox doesn't eat you up~"
"So that's how it is."
Li Yuan looked straight at Hua Li, "Then...is it true that if I could also become 'one of them,' Hua Li, when I am belittled and questioned by others, you would stand in front of me without hesitation, just like you protected Ji...protected him, and firmly choose me?"
Huali: "???" Dude, do you want to hear what you're saying?!
Li Yuan leaned forward slightly, like a gambler facing certain death, betting his last chip:
"Hualin, I do."
This time, his voice lacked the previous questioning and resentment, leaving only a resolute determination to go all in.
"Huali, I love you. I don't ask for possession, I don't ask for favoritism, I don't even ask you to protect me the way you protected him," Li Yuan groaned, sensing the rising killing intent around him, disregarding everything:
"I only ask for one of those places, even if it's the most insignificant one, even if it's just a place where your gaze occasionally lingers for a moment... as long as... as long as I can stay in a world where you are."
"Karin, please, is it alright?"
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