Sang Dai ran all the way outside. Qiu Chengxi and Liu Lixue were already eating.
They were sitting in the dining hall, looking at Sang Dai in confusion as she grabbed some water and gulped down several cups.
Qiu Chengxi: “Elder sister?”
Liu Lixue: “Madam, does our Lord not allow you to drink water?”
Sang Dai: “…I’m just a little thirsty. It’s nothing.”
But Qiu Chengxi, being a fool, looked at Sang Dai up and down and asked, “Elder sister, your face is red. Are you running a fever?”
Liu Lixue shot him a glare. “If you don’t know how to talk, don’t speak. My Lord and Madam… are Dao companions.”
Sang Dai’s face turned even redder. She didn’t dare look at them, focusing on holding her bowl and drinking her porridge.
Qiu Chengxi suddenly realized what was going on, and his heart shattered into pieces.
Sang Dai only wanted to finish this meal quickly and get back to work.
But at that moment, a certain fox gracefully took a seat, sitting right beside her.
His clothing was luxurious and wide-sleeved. Whether intentionally or not, the edge of his sleeve brushed against Sang Dai’s leg, making her feel as though she were pinned in place, too afraid to move.
Su Xuan expertly peeled shrimp, placing the shrimp meat onto Sang Dai’s small plate. “Eat some dishes first. What’s so good about that plain porridge?”
Sang Dai softly replied, “I can peel them myself. You eat.”
The fox snorted coldly. “Taking several breaths just to peel one shrimp?”
Sang Dai was speechless.
She had rarely eaten meals before, having relied on fasting most of the time. She’d almost always just consumed spiritual pills, occasionally buying a bowl of porridge or some pastries. She had no real cravings for food and couldn’t understand why Su Xuan, a demon cultivator at the Grand Completion Stage, placed so much importance on meals.
In any case, as long as she ate with him, things like peeling shrimp or removing fish bones were always done by Su Xuan.
She didn’t say more and murmured softly, “Thank you.”
Qiu Chengxi’s heart shattered once again.
How was he supposed to steal her heart at this rate?
Su Xuan was practically giving Sang Dai his entire heart!
The meal tasted like chewing wax to Qiu Chengxi, and he couldn’t eat anymore. He got up and bid farewell to Sang Dai.
“Elder sister, I need to attend to the guests. You eat first.”
Sang Dai didn’t have time to respond before seeing Qiu Chengxi turn and leave in a hurry, his steps so quick it seemed as though he was running away from something.
Liu Lixue bit his chopsticks, chuckling, “Heartbroken, he needs some time to recover.”
Sang Dai gave an awkward smile.
The little fox’s fox tail seemed ready to curl upward with pride. In one go, he peeled half a plate of shrimp and placed it in front of Sang Dai. “Eat.”
Sang Dai and Liu Lixue: “…”
Liu Lixue rested his chin on his hand, smiling. “It seems the Lord has taken another step forward. When will you achieve the ultimate union?”
Unfortunately for Sang Dai, she understood the remark this time.
Su Xuan responded sourly, “You’d have to ask a certain someone.”
A certain someone: “…One shouldn’t speak while eating or sleeping.”
Liu Lixue burst into laughter at her remark but couldn’t help feeling a bit sentimental.
He had grown up with Su Xuan and knew about the matters between Su Xuan and Sang Dai. In the past, he had been just like Su Xuan, never holding out hope that Sang Dai would show Su Xuan a kind expression. But unexpectedly, even the coldest heart could eventually be warmed by a furnace.
Sincere feelings can overcome any obstacle.
Shaking his head, Liu Lixue quietly resumed eating.
After ensuring a certain sword cultivator was fed, Su Xuan finally picked up his chopsticks and started eating at his own leisurely pace.
As Su Xuan ate slowly, Liu Lixue leaned back against his chair, patting his slightly full stomach with a sigh.
“Chunqiu Pavilion may be in the wilderness, but the food isn’t bad.”
Sang Dai nodded in agreement.
Liu Lixue glanced at Sang Dai and asked, “Miss Sang, you’ve been away for so long. Do you miss the food of the Beast Realm? The commoners in the Beast Realm certainly miss you.”
Sang Dai replied, “I… I miss them too.”
Liu Lixue suppressed a smile and continued, “Our Lord needs time to recover from his injuries. Recently, some matters have arisen in the royal family of the Beast Realm, and our Lord will need to return to handle them. Miss Sang, would you like to stay in the Beast Realm for a while and taste its delicacies?”
Sang Dai responded gently, “Sure, thank you, Young Master Liu.”
At this point, she turned to look at Su Xuan, who was eating at a slow, unhurried pace.
He remained calm, his expression serene, as though he hadn’t heard a word of Liu Lixue’s earlier conversation.
After some hesitation, Sang Dai asked, “Su Xuan, is there anything I can help with regarding the royal family’s matters?”
Su Xuan paused his eating and looked at her.
Sang Dai placed her hands together on the table, sat up straight, and said, “I can help you. Whatever you need to do, there’s bound to be something I can assist with.”
At the very least, Sang Dai had no problem fighting. There likely weren’t any demon cultivators in the royal family who could beat her.
Her demeanor was resolute, as though she was already prepared for a brawl.
Su Xuan suddenly laughed, his once cold and stern face softening in an instant as his brows relaxed with delight.
Liu Lixue also covered his mouth to laugh, shaking his folding fan. “Miss Sang, you’re simply too adorable.”
Sang Dai: “Did I say something wrong?”
She was somewhat at a loss. Sang Dai didn’t understand what exactly was going on with the royal family. Clearly, Su Xuan had already become the Beast King, holding the entire spirit beast clan’s power in his hands, yet the royal family still caused trouble right under his nose, making things unpleasant for him. However, Su Xuan seemed wary of something and had never made a move to overthrow the royal family.
Su Xuan handed the shrimp in his hand to Sang Dai’s lips. “Open your mouth.”
Sang Dai instinctively opened her mouth.
The shrimp was fed into her mouth.
Only then did she react, chewing the shrimp while mumbling, “What are you doing?”
Su Xuan smiled. “You don’t need to meddle in the royal family’s matters. It would dirty your hands. There are some things I will tell you slowly. What you need to focus on now is eating properly and taking care of yourself—getting plump and healthy, that’s all.”
Liu Lixue chimed in, “Miss Sang, the royal family’s issues are complicated and not something that can be solved with fighting. There’s no need for you to get involved. You’ll learn about these matters sooner or later, but for now, you should focus on taking care of yourself and cultivating in peace. After all, the person behind all this…”
At this, their expressions turned serious.
Liu Lixue sighed. “As you said, you couldn’t discern his cultivation level. His extraordinary self-healing ability is almost unnatural. He could even tear open spatial rifts with his bare hands—something even a tribulation-transcending cultivator can’t do. He’s not a snow owl with the power of bewilderment, so how can he achieve this with a human body?”
During the time Su Xuan had been unconscious, Sang Dai had been pondering this very question.
That person’s cultivation was bizarre, and so was the person himself.
“The Lord is aware of these matters as well. Moreover, the person behind all this said he would wait for you at Linglong Town. But recently, the City Lord of Linglong Town is preparing for his tribulation. To prevent any risks, the entire city has been sealed off. We can’t enter, nor can we tear open spatial rifts like that person.”
They had no choice but to wait for the City Lord of Linglong Town to finish his tribulation and reopen the city gates before they could enter.
Sang Dai and Su Xuan were quite alike—when lost in thought, they became very quiet.
Neither of them spoke, leaving only Liu Lixue to carry the conversation.
He fanned himself lightly, frowning slightly. “But it really is quite the coincidence. How long has the City Lord of Linglong Town been stuck at the peak of the Nascent Soul Stage? At least five hundred years, right? For someone with an Earth-grade spiritual root to reach this level is already the limit. So why is he suddenly ascending to the Soul Transformation Stage now?”
Cultivators with Earth-grade spiritual roots often reached their limit at the Nascent Soul Stage, and for the Linglong Town City Lord, who had been at this stage for over five hundred years, there had been no signs of further progress. It was almost certain he would remain a Nascent Soul cultivator for life. Yet, not long ago, he suddenly ordered the city’s gates to be sealed, prohibiting entry or exit.
Because he was preparing for his tribulation.
Tribulation is the most vulnerable time for a cultivator. Under heavenly lightning, they are unable to handle any other matters. If anyone dared to disrupt the process, it would almost certainly mean death. Moreover, the Linglong Town City Lord seemed to have offended quite a few people in his younger days.
Su Xuan put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. “Perhaps the Linglong Town City Lord’s tribulation is also connected to that person behind the scenes?”
He didn’t believe in such coincidences.
That person wanted to lure Sang Dai to Linglong Town, and not long before that, the City Lord of Linglong Town had ordered the city to be sealed.
“It’s definitely not a coincidence. For now, follow me back to the Spirit Beast Hall. Once Linglong Town reopens, the royal family matters should also be resolved. At that time, I’ll go with you.” Su Xuan tilted his head to look at the sword cultivator beside him and added, “As for the matters concerning the Weisheng family head and Immortal Bai Yu… we’ll investigate together. Don’t worry.”
He had also learned about Sang Dai’s parents. Yesterday, while Sang Dai was bathing, Liu Lixue had conveyed the information to him via sound transmission.
When discussing it, both Su Xuan and Liu Lixue had been very cautious, fearing they might see tears on the sword cultivator’s face.
But in truth, she was very calm and very quiet.
Sang Dai simply nodded. “Alright, I understand. Let’s do as you’ve said.”
Su Xuan let out a breath of relief.
As long as she wasn’t heartbroken, that was enough. To suddenly discover that one’s own parents had been murdered, and even their entire clan wiped out, was not something easily accepted.
But Sang Dai remained composed. Crying wouldn’t solve irreversible problems. The only thing she could do was find out who was behind it all.
At that moment, the fox suddenly spoke again. “There’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“I was lured away by Bi Fang back then. He’s working with that person.”
Sang Dai furrowed her brows. “Bi Fang? That Bi Fang?”
“Yes, the ancient divine beast from the Bi Fang clan. He’s the last of his kind.”