After a conversation, Li Qingshan told them to focus on cultivation and not to fall behind.
“It’s not like I have my sister’s talent. Even if I cultivate for another century, I won’t be able to face the second heavenly tribulation. I might as well stay here instead and spend some more time with you. It’ll be far better than staying in that tiny box. You’re smothering me to death!”
After meeting again after so much time, how could Ye Liubo just leave like this? She embraced Li Qingshan and fumbled around.
“The space in there is anything but small, so it’s more than enough for you!” Li Qingshan slapped her bottom gently. “Right now, I’m not strong enough, so even I have to bide my time, but there will be one day when the nine provinces will be free for me to roam and free for you to roam too!”
“Then we await that day’s arrival. Liubo, let’s go!” Ye Liusu said.
“Fine!” Ye Liubo said with great reluctance.
The moment they returned to the Asura Field, a pitch-black figure suddenly appeared in the room. The darkness consolidated and turned into a night roamer who bore some resemblance to Ye Liusu, except she was much more mature and curvy. It was Ye Mingzhu.
“Mother!” Ye Liusu said, and Ye Liubo bowed reluctantly.
“Liusu, what’s happened?” Ye Mingzhu frowned. After undergoing the second heavenly tribulation and gaining control over the night roamers, her bearing had become even nobler than before. All of her words and actions carried an imposing aura, as well as much more charm.
Ye Liusu roughly told her what had happened.
“I see!” Ye Mingzhu felt a deep sense of regret. As it turned out, he had been heavily injured for the past few years and had lost control over the Azure Field, which was no wonder why there had always been no news. If she had known about this earlier, she would have tried to refine the Asura Field from within. Not only would she gain an arcane treasure, but she could even take it a step further and completely break free from Northmoon’s control. She definitely was capable of something like that with her cultivation, but it was too late for regret now, so she continued to ask some probing questions.
“Is sir Northmoon doing well?”
“He still needs a bit more time to recover, but there’s no need to feel trapped, mother. He said that one day, the nine provinces will be free for us to roam!”
Ye Liusu comforted her mother with complete confidence. She could vaguely sense that with her mother’s change in mentality, she definitely would not be satisfied with remaining in the tiny Asura Field forever.
“I believe a day like that will come!”
Ye Mingzhu smiled in delight, but she did not believe that at all. He had completely fallen out with the Dragon King of Ink Sea. Clearly, there was no chance for him to rise up again. All he could do was hide away like a rat.
Returning to her dwelling in the canopy of the banyan tree, her expression changed, and the light in her eyes dimmed and shone. Perhaps this was an unprecedented, heaven-sent opportunity. If she let this opportunity slip by, he might become even more powerful once his strength recovered. She would not have another opportunity then.
She was already sick and tired of this lifestyle, trapped in this tiny space and being ordered around like a servant. She was no longer that matriarch of the Spider Shadow clan. Instead, she had undergone the second heavenly tribulation and obtained unimaginably great strength!
As a result, she gritted her teeth with determination and made up her mind.
Li Qingshan was about to stow the Asura Field away when he suddenly felt a soul sense extend out of the Asura Field. “Master, there’s something I’d like to report!”
“What is it?”
“I want to report it to you in person, master!”
Li Qingshan frowned and considered it before waving his hand and letting Ye Mingzhu out of the Asura Field. He studied her, and sure enough, she had become much more tempting. If he had the opportunity in the future, he might as well try her out. He asked, “What’s the matter?”
Ye Mingzhu saw him and thought, Sure enough!
Clearly, he’s not like this because he wants to! From his external appearance alone, he probably only possesses fifty or sixty percent of his strength when he’s in peak condition. He’s a Daemon General at most. I should be able to defeat him now!
With these various thoughts, she said with complete sincerity, “I’m worried about master’s safety. If there’s anything you need my help with, please call me at any time!”
It was true. If Li Qingshan needed assistance, she was without a doubt the best choice there was, as she had undergone the second heavenly tribulation and was a powerful assassin.
“You’ve come to take a look at how much strength I have, I think!”
Li Qingshan leaned against his hand and smiled. He could trust Ye Liusu and Ye Liubo, but before he possessed enough strength to protect himself, he would never let Ye Mingzhu out of the Azure Field, or there would be the threat of betrayal. If he did not want to be betrayed, the best thing he could do was not give them the opportunity to.
“You’re mistaken, master!” The reputation and power Li Qingshan had built up over the years still remained. Ye Mingzhu’s face changed drastically with that, and she immediately dropped down to her knees. “You’ve shown me great, kindness, master! Even the stars and moon can bear witness to my loyalty to you!”
The noon sun poured through the exquisitely-designed skylight and into the hall, making the place seem extremely bright. Her delicate face did not show any of her usual aloofness or pride. It was filled with a sense of being wronged and obedience.
“Really? Then why did you have to tell me that in person? Isn’t it all the same if you told me in the Asura Field?” Li Qingshan played along with interest. His scarlet eyes reflected the sunlight, shining brightly as he tapped his finger gently.
“How can I be easy at heart without seeing master in person?” Ye Mingzhu had only wanted to get out of the Asura Field as soon as possible before his strength recovered, but she never thought she would succeed so easily. She had yet to think of any appropriate excuses, but her reactions were not slow. With a thought, she said, “Actually, I couldn’t stand the pain of lovesickness, which was why I wanted to see you, master!”
“Oh?” Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow as if he had never expected her to say that. He smiled. “So that’s how great my charm is. What, you want to become my woman too?”
“Yeah, ever since I first saw master…” Ye Mingzhu began to describe her mental journey of falling in love with Li Qingshan.
“Alright, I’m very touched. Seeing how deeply in love you are with me, I’ll accept your feelings despite my reluctance.”
Li Qingshan listened for a while. At the start, he found it quite satisfying, but after a while, he found it as cringe-worthy as possible. He did not practise a “Xiezhi Transformation”, but he was not a fool who could be tricked with a few praises. He did not believe a single part of Ye Mingzhu’s emotional confession.
“Thank you, master!” Ye Mingzhu said in utter delight.
“You can return to the Asura Field for now. I’ll call you out when I need you!” Li Qingshan waved his hand. Although he had already recovered to the age where he was capable of that, he did not have that much of a thirst.
“I want to spend some more time with master!” Ye Mingzhu brushed past her chest unintentionally as her gaze suddenly became seductive.
“Really?”
Li Qingshan’s eyes narrowed slightly as if he was trying to see through Ye Mingzhu. His lips curled into a mysterious smile, but it did not seem to be joy arising from a beauty offering herself to him.
Ye Mingzhu hesitated before nodding. “Yes!”
“Then come over!” Li Qingshan was not planning on doing anything in his child-like form right now, but he suddenly changed his mind.
Ye Mingzhu was about to stand up when Li Qingshan said, “Don’t stand up. Come over like that!”
“Yes, master!” A sliver of sunkenness flashed through Ye Mingzhu’s eyes, arriving before him on her knees.
“Do you know? With some people, the more you oppress them, humiliate them, and treat them as a servant, the more obedient they become. On the other hand, if you treat them well and give them strength, their ambitions grow instead. They never consider anything along the lines of feelings or gratitude. They only consider the costs and benefits. Mingzhu, are you that kind of person?”
Li QIngshan bent over. His forehead almost touched Ye Mingzhu’s as he gazed deeply at her with his scarlet eyes.
“Of course not!” Ye Mingzhu’s heart tightened. Has he guessed what I was planning to do?
Since she came out, she had no plans on returning to the Asura Field. As long as she merged with the shade of the Mist province jungle that never saw the light of day, no one could find her. With how vast the world was, where could she not go with her cultivation? However, she did not turn around and flee immediately after leaving the Asura Field because she wanted to try something, which was assassinating Northmoon!
Since she had decided on betrayal, then they would definitely end up fighting. The level of danger was the same. If she succeeded, then she could take over everything he possessed. Even if the assassination failed, she could flee. She was confident that even if she could not win, escaping would be no problem at all.
By then, all she had to do was spread the news that he was still alive, and he would struggle to escape the fate of the Dragon King of Ink Sea hunting him down and killing him. This was the heaven-sent opportunity she was seeing. If she won, she would win everything, but even if she lost, she would lose nothing. Of course, she had to go for the gamble!
“That would be for the best!” Li Qingshan smiled.
Ye Mingzhu eased up inside. Looks like he’s just too cautious, which is why he intentionally warned me, or he would have directly attacked me. This instead proves his current feebleness. In the past, he would have never wasted his time on something like this. If someone were bold enough to betray him, he would just directly kill them.
In the past, he had casually given her the Origin Spirit pill not because he trusted her, but because he was not afraid of anything she was capable of. He was afraid now. She became even more confident in her plan.
She needed to make him drop his guard completely. As a woman, she was obviously going to use one of the sharpest weapons she possessed. “I’m willing to do anything for master!”
“That’s fantastic!” Li Qingshan did not hold back. He hoisted her up violently and pressed her against the lotus pedestal, ripping off her armour without the slightest tenderness at all and recklessly fiddling around with her bulging, soft chest.
Ye Mingzhu let out a soul-stirring moan, but she sneered inside, He has finally taken the bait, but with how you’re like right now, this is probably all you’re capable of!
As if he were replying to her thoughts, Li Qingshan’s figure suddenly expanded. His demon heart shone with resplendent light, going from a delicate boy to a vicious-looking man in the blink of an eye. He snickered.
The blooming lotus petals on the pedestal completely enveloped them.
The rays of sunlight shifted bit by bit, gradually dimming before vanishing completely. There was no source of light in the hall. It was pitch black.
“It’s getting late, so are you still not going to do it?” Li Qingshan caressed Ye Mingzhu’s smooth back and smiled.
“What are you saying, master?” Ye Mingzhu said lazily.
“I’m joking with you!” Li Qingshan began to chuckle.
Ye Mingzhu began to giggle, but before her laughter had even stopped, her right hand turned into a dagger as black as shadow, plunging straight into Li Qingshan’s heart!
