"You know I'm going to seek out the Heavenly Dao Immortal Venerable, don't you?" I asked.
"I know. You wouldn't be yourself otherwise. That doesn't count as upsetting the existing balance of power, so you may ask, but you mustn't force her. An exchange of interests isn't a bad thing, provided you have something to offer that would make her willing," Fairy Haoxi said calmly.
I nodded. "I won't ask her to give Qingcheng back to me for nothing. We can leave. Let's go right now."
I couldn't wait another moment. If I waited any longer, everyone would learn what had happened to Xue Qingcheng. I had to get her back before that happened. I believed I could do it, and I had to.
Fairy Haoxi sighed. "You really are crazy. You dragged your feet at every turn before, yet now, for her sake, you're suddenly so eager. Fine, I'll take you. But don't forget that the real purpose of this trip isn't merely to recover your woman. It's to find you a way to keep that one in check. If you can't do that, I won't help you with this."
"Enough talk. Let's go now!" I said impatiently.
Fairy Haoxi shook her head again, then looked at Han Shanshan as she walked in. "Master, what am I supposed to do? I haven't even finished my work here."
"Close enough is good enough. It's not as though you'd let me copy everything without holding anything back anyway. Hurry up and take him up there. He'll never have any peace of mind if he stays here, so let him go. Consider it a personal favor I'm asking of you," Han Shanshan said with a sigh.
"All right. Since you've put it that way, Master, I'll count this as working for free.