With the last bite of lon swallowed down through the throat.
Ace let out a breath, finally allowing himself to take in his surroundings.
The house was built entirely of stone, an image of thick, solid, and unyielding.
Next he drifted his gaze upward.
The ceiling was also made of rock.
Then, a disturbing thought struck him.
What if it falls? Won't I just get extra injured?
And now that the idea had planted itself in his mind, he could not stop thinking about it.
His stare lingered on the unshifting ceiling.
It was fine now… but what if it really wasn't? What if it had just been waiting for him to relax? Wouldn't that be the perfect mont for it to fall?
Slowly he got himself to turn his attention to another issue.
His bed was another oddity. It looked like it was made of stone, looking cold, hard and very uninviting.
Yet, sohow, when he lay on it, it was… comfortable? Like sinking into the softest bed. The contrast was way too unsettling.
He was still frowning at the contradiction when—
"Master! You're awake!"
A chirpy, overly enthusiastic voice rang out.
Ace turned his head just in ti to see Liu i bounce into the room, practically vibrating with energy.
Her eyes shone with a dangerous glint, one that never boded well for anyone but herself.
Oddly enough, her steps had an awkward rhythm, almost like she was limping.
"Liu i," he greeted, his voice steady despite the pain.
"Yes, Master?" she bead, now standing right next to his bed.
His eyes narrowed. "Why are you limping? Sothing happened?"
"Haha! Don't worry about it!" She waved a hand dismissively. "I was just acting."
Her eyes flickered over him, scanning him up and down. Then, tilting her head slightly, she asked in a light tone, "Master, who hurt you?"
He thought for a mont before finally speaking up.
"Do you rember that old man who threatened during the Dragon and Phoenix Tournant?"
Liu i blinked, her expression blank for a second. Then, as if a switch had flipped, her eyes brightened.
"Ohhh! You an the white-haired, ugly old man?"
Ace coughed, caught off guard. "Uh… yes. That one."
Liu i humd, rocking on her heels.
Her lips curled into a slight smile, her fingers idly twirling a strand of hair.
Then, she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"Master… let kill him."
Ace gave her a flat look. "Liu i, he's a Legend-rank cultivator. You're still Dark Gold."
"Okay, but…" She twirled a strand of hair, eyes glinting. "Does he have infinite spirit apples like ?"
Ace's eye twitched. "They're my spirit apples."
"Doesn't matter, Master. Ignore those unimportant details. They're useless." She waved a hand dismissively.
"I have ti on my side. He's old. I'll just outgrow him." She bead excitedly.
Ace pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right, right. So you're willing to wait a few thousand years just to outlive him?"
Liu i's smile faltered while her expression darkened slightly.
"No way. No way." She shook her head. "I said I'm going to kill him. If the world kills him before , I'll fight the world."
Ace stared at her for a long mont.
"Haha, I appreciate your concern, but don't worry. Master will be fine."
Liu i huffed, crossing her arms. "Humph. You're bad."
"Hey, how am I bad—?"
Liu i didn't answer. She just turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Ace blinking after her.
The mont she was gone, Shan Yifeng entered.
Ace narrowed his eyes. "Were you waiting outside all this ti?"
"Yes, Master," Shan Yifeng said, nodding firmly. "Also, just so you know—Sister and I share the sa view. We want to kill that old man with our own two hands."
Ace let out a breath, shaking his head. "Humph. I'll consider it then. Co here, Yifeng."
Shan Yifeng walked closer and sat next to him.
Ace leaned in slightly, lowering his voice,
"Yifeng… you should really keep your senior sister in check. You're the older one of the two."
Shan Yifeng's expression didn't even waver. "Master, I tried. She almost bit ."
Ace nearly choked on air. "…Bit you?"
"Master… I think Sister i might be part demonic beast."
Ace raised a brow. "Huh?"
"She really bit . In my sleep. Who does that?"
Ace stared at Shan Yifeng. "You sure you weren't just dreaming?"
"Master, I woke up screaming."
Shan Yifeng rolled up his sleeve, revealing perfectly indented teeth marks.
Shan Yifeng sighed and rolled up his sleeve. "Look at this."
"See?" He pointed at it like it was irrefutable evidence of a cri. "I'm sure no normal human bites this viciously."
Ace glanced at it, then back at Shan Yifeng. "Don't worry. She's as humane as one possibly can be."
Shan Yifeng rolled his sleeve back down, unconvinced.
"Mmm… By the way, Master," he said hesitantly, "did you give Sister i permission to cut down the spirit apple trees?"
Ace frowned. "I don't think so…" He paused.
His expression darkened slightly. "Wait. Is she cutting them down?"
"No, no," Shan Yifeng reassured him quickly. "She tried to… but Elder Lily took care of her."
Ace raised a brow. "Took care of her?"
Shan Yifeng nodded solemnly. "It was fun to watch. Elder Lily made sure Sister i couldn't walk properly for the next few days."
Ace blinked.
Wait… what?
Was that the reason why Liu i ca in limping earlier?
So it wasn't just for dramatic effect?
His expression turned complicated. "Huh… Wait—why are you suddenly calling Lily 'Elder Lily'?"
Shan Yifeng tilted his head.
"Isn't it natural? Elder Akha, Elder Lily, Grand Elder Shane… and then there's 'Wild Card Elder' Yuu."
Ace froze. "…Wild Card Elder?"
"Mm-hmm." Shan Yifeng nodded earnestly. "Master, what does 'Wild Card' even an?"
Ace's eye twitched. "How would I know? You guys are the one who made it up…"
Shan Yifeng looked genuinely confused. "But Elder Lily said you'd know if I asked."
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