Actually: I'm Not Interested in You

Seeing Liu Tao clench her teeth, Liu Ding sneered. "Serve me? Today, I've finally seen you clearly. No matter who wins the position of sect lord, I'm afraid you'll eagerly offer yourself up to him."

"Nonsense!" Liu Tao shrieked. "My parents only allow me to be with Liu Ji."

"Isn't that just your snobbish attitude laid bare?" Liu Ding mocked. "I truly pity your family. All these years, because of your brother's death, you've constantly targeted me. You don't understand the truth, and I can't be bothered to argue with you. I don't need to feel the slightest guilt over your brother's death, because I bear no responsibility whatsoever."

"No? Everyone who went with you to capture the Golden Lion cub back then unanimously identified you as the real culprit who lured out the female Golden Lion." Liu Tao's little face turned livid.

"Heh heh. Justice lies in people's hearts. They're as shortsighted as you today, merely cowed by the tyranny of that so-called family genius and afraid to speak the truth. Once Liu Ji falls from the vanity of being a genius someday, you'll understand what really happened."

With that, Liu Ding picked up his long robe and strode toward the door of the fighting room. He had no interest in repeating the ending from that dream world, where he had died miserably for a girl who was not worth it. As he opened the door, Liu Ding looked back and tossed out one final sentence:

"A year from now, I'll stand proudly in the Sect Lord Contention arena. But as for you, I have no interest at all."

With a toss of his head, Liu Ding proudly walked out of the fighting room. His bare upper body, glistening with sweat, appeared before the young members of the clan in the martial hall. Their faces were filled with astonishment. Looking into the fighting room again, they saw Liu Tao standing there blankly, soaked from head to toe as though she had been pulled from the water.

At that moment, Liu Tao looked like a lotus emerging from the water in their eyes, incredibly alluring. Liu Ji's face twitched as he reached out to stop Liu Ding. "Stop! What did you do to Liu Tao?"

"Get lost!" Liu Ding barked, imposing without anger. At the same time, the fierce aura of his recent breakthrough spread outward.

Liu Ji jumped in fright and involuntarily retreated several steps. He was not sure whether Liu Ding had taken a Soul Forging Pill. Liu Ding was now a Four-Vessel Martial Apprentice. If he had consumed a Black Tortoise Soul Forging Pill, then theoretically, he could rise to the realm of Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons.

If that was the case, rushing forward recklessly would only bring trouble upon himself. He hurriedly extended a hand and took out the Phoenix Soul Forging Pill, staying on guard.

Seeing how bedraggled he looked, Liu Ding let out a disdainful sneer and strode away. Sunlight shone upon him, casting a golden glow around his body. An unruly, defiant aura seemed to flourish beneath the sun.

Under everyone's gaze, Liu Ji suddenly realized just how humiliating he must look right now. To salvage his dignity, he shouted at Liu Ding's departing back, "You little hooligan! Don't think I don't dare touch you. I'm only keeping the promise I made to Xiao Zhi—not making things difficult for you before the Sect Lord Contention. But if you dare shamelessly harass Liu Tao again, I won't go easy on you!"

Liu Ding paused. Although that thick-headed Liu Tao had made him quite angry, he still did not want her to be ruined by a worse scumbag like Liu Ji. After a brief thought, he said, "Is that so? I've held her, hugged her, touched her, kissed her, and just now, heh heh. Let's see how you won't go easy on me."

"You—" Liu Ding's extremely suggestive words, combined with the scene right before his eyes, made Liu Ji's face flush the color of raw liver. But when he suddenly saw Zhi'er approaching, he immediately changed his tune and shouted, "You little hooligan! You and Liu Tao are so unclear with each other—how can you face Xiao Zhi? I advise you to leave Xiao Zhi as soon as possible and stop harming her. Otherwise, at the Sect Lord Contention, I'll beat you into an idiot again!"

Looking at Zhi'er as she came closer, her eyes full of confusion, Liu Ding smiled and gently asked her, "If I became an idiot again, would you still want me?"

"Stop talking nonsense." Zhi'er shot him a look. "If you became an idiot again, I wouldn't need to worry about so much."

"Heh heh, Zhi'er still cares for me most." Liu Ding chuckled, took Zhi'er's little hand, and walked away with her.

This response without an answer made Liu Ji leap with rage. "You little hooligan, just wait! If I don't beat you back into an idiot at the Sect Lord Contention, my surname isn't Liu!"

After saying that, he gritted his teeth. When he turned back and saw Liu Tao glaring at him with eyes fixed wide open, her clothes soaked through while she remained on display before the young clan members without realizing it, he turned his head away in irritation.

His earlier words, using her to show off before Liu Zhi, had already dealt Liu Tao a deep blow. This expression of his made her fury boil over. "Your surname wasn't Liu to begin with. Your original surname is Nie. Liu Ding was right—I really was blind!" With a bang, she slammed the door to the fighting room shut.

"That little hooligan again!" Liu Ji was so furious he nearly went berserk. He swung around and smashed a fist viciously into the weapon rack in the martial hall. All kinds of weapons tumbled down, clattering across the floor.

After pulling Zhi'er along for some distance and making sure no one could see them, Zhi'er flung Liu Ding's hand away and looked at him with dark, quiet eyes. "What was that about just now?"

"I broke through just now. That guy Liu Ji couldn't stand it and started making trouble for no reason." Liu Ding blinked. He believed that Zhi'er would definitely be distracted by this good news.

"You really broke through?" Zhi'er's large eyes swept over Liu Ding, and she was indeed overjoyed. She grabbed the pulse point on his wrist again to confirm it, then drew a deep breath.

"This successful breakthrough to Five Soulforging Cauldrons was all thanks to Zhi'er." Liu Ding smiled ingratiatingly and turned his hand over to hold Zhi'er's little hand.

"And you still say that? You turned me into a beggar." Zhi'er smiled as well.

Liu Ding scratched his head awkwardly. "Don't keep bringing up living off a woman. It's so embarrassing."

"You know how to be embarrassed?" Zhi'er huffed. "You live off me, yet you flirt with other girls."

That made Liu Ding even more awkward. He solemnly swore, "I swear, from now on, I'll never go looking for that little tyrant Tao again."

"Once you've achieved your goal, you throw her out of your mind. You're so heartless and faithless—I can't feel at ease." Zhi'er pulled her little hand free and let go of Liu Ding's hand.

"Ah?" Liu Ding was dumbfounded. "You mean I have to take responsibility for her?"

"You dare?" Zhi'er glared with her beautiful eyes.

Liu Ding was speechless. A woman's heart truly was like a needle at the bottom of the sea—impossible to fathom.

"Come on, go for a walk with me." Zhi'er was actually in a very good mood. Pulling Liu Ding along, she lingered through the scenic places near the clan grounds. The entire afternoon was filled with her tinkling laughter.

When they returned home, Liu Ding collapsed completely. Why did women love wandering around so much? Fortunately, Zhi'er thoughtfully brought in a basin of Du Meridian Fluid and let him soak comfortably until his strength returned.

However, though his normal energy had recovered, the Du Meridian Fluid's cultivation effect had become negligible. Liu Ding shook his head. "I only advanced to Five Soulforging Cauldrons. Does that mean I have to stop here?"

"Why not try refining the Soul Method within that Small Jade Bottle?" General Jiang's voice drifted faintly through the room.