Brotherhood Took a Strange Turn, Dugu Yan Arrived Uninvited—What a Freak

A hint of pale dawn appeared on the horizon.

Li Zhexian rolled over and sat up from the bluestone steps where he had slept.

"Last night..."

He had a dream.

In the dream, a mysterious figure was brewing wine.

Li Zhexian had been merely an observer.

Yet he had seen every technique and step of the brewing process clearly and completely.

"Unbelievable."

Li Zhexian murmured. Soul Power surged across his body, shaking the dew from his hair into drifting mist.

In that mysterious figure's hands, Spirit Beast blood, Immortal Flower juice, Spirit Light Water, even the killing intent of the abyss and the most steadfast desires of love could all be brewed into intoxicating Fine Wine.

The crisp morning air.

Left the hungover Li Zhexian feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

There was no trace left of last night's melancholy.

"That's right. Since good wine is so hard to find, why don't I brew it myself?"

"The strange things needed for brewing are easier to find than fine wine!"

He solemnly cupped his hands toward the distant sky.

"Though I don't know who you are."

"You taught me how to brew wine. I, Li Zhexian, thank you."

Having solved a major problem.

Li Zhexian was in an excellent mood.

That morning, he went to meet Xue Qinghe.

The moment the two met by Lotus Lake.

Seeing Li Zhexian's gleaming white teeth, the smile at the corners of Xue Qinghe's lips gradually faded.

"Knowing that the Imperial Dou Team has returned doesn't mean you need to be this happy, does it?"

Li Zhexian raised a sword-like brow.

"The Imperial Dou Team is back? How did it go?"

Xue Qinghe said blandly:

"They lost. A very powerful seven-man team appeared in Suotuo City. I think they were called the Shrek Seven Devils. They defeated the Imperial Dou Team."

Li Zhexian nodded in understanding.

He was not surprised.

Those seven... or rather, Tang San, were favored children of the Douluo World. They held the protagonist's script.

Though his appearance.

Had caused many plotlines to stray from their original paths.

As far as their current strength was concerned, Tang San and the Seven Devils had not been affected.

As Li Zhexian thought this, he turned and saw Xue Qinghe's cold expression, teasing:

"Qinghe, why are you always angry?"

"Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a girl."

Xue Qinghe's heart jolted.

"Who... who's angry?"

Li Zhexian shook his head with a smile.

"I'm in a good mood today. It has nothing to do with the Imperial Dou Team."

Xue Qinghe curled his lips.

"Why are you telling me? It's not like I want to know."

The two sat side by side on small stools, fishing rods in hand as they watched the tranquil lake.

After several minutes of silence.

"Why are you in such a good mood today?"

Li Zhexian shot Xue Qinghe a sidelong glance.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to know?"

Xue Qinghe gritted his teeth, looking embarrassed and annoyed.

"Are you going to tell me or not?"

"No."

A flush of angry red spread across Xue Qinghe's delicate cheeks, making him look rather good.

He simply rolled up his sleeves and suddenly pounced on Li Zhexian beside him.

"This Crown Prince has been too nice to you!"

Xue Qinghe straddled Li Zhexian's waist, his right hand clutching the latter's collar.

"Are you going to tell me or not?!"

Pufferfish made as if to rush out of the Reed Marsh.

Snake Lance hurriedly stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

Pufferfish glared.

"Didn't you see that?!"

Snake Lance looked at the two figures tangled together in the distance. After a long silence, he said:

"It's not a big deal."

"Li Zhexian doesn't know the Young Master is a woman."

"They're just close as brothers."

"Li Zhexian's talent is monstrous. Building a good relationship with him will benefit the Young Master."

Pufferfish calmed down.

"You're right."

Looking at Li Zhexian beneath him.

Xue Qinghe suddenly realized just how intimate their actions were.

Suppressing the flutter in his heart, he stood up.

"Li Zhexian, this Crown Prince has matters to attend to. I left the food you wanted over there. Eat lunch yourself."

With that.

Without waiting for Li Zhexian's response.

He fled as though escaping.

Watching Xue Qinghe's back vanish from view, Li Zhexian shook his head in amusement.

"I'll eat by myself, then. It's not like anyone's fighting me for it."

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Zhexian strolled back to the little courtyard with a stalk of grass between his teeth.

He arrived at the courtyard gate and was just about to unlock it.

When he suddenly seemed to sense something and sniffed.

"Hmm?"

Li Zhexian's eyes flickered. He took out the Clear Spring Wine Gourd, took a mouthful of wine, and held it in his mouth.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he unlocked the gate and pushed it open.

The instant he turned around to close it.

Whoosh—!

The sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out behind him.

Li Zhexian did not even look. He joined his index and middle fingers into a sword gesture, then spun around with a sweeping strike.

The azure Soul Power bursting from his fingertips carried an innate sharpness.

Swoosh—!

A strand of purple hair drifted down.

"So you really are Jian Jiu. I didn't expect you to be so young."

Dugu Yan stood with her arms folded, leaning against the courtyard wall. As she looked at the White-robed Youth several meters away, a trace of wariness flashed through her seductive emerald eyes.

Only by facing him personally could one understand how fast and sharp Jian Jiu's sword was.

He had not even drawn his sword.

Yet she had already fallen into a disadvantage.

"I don't like strangers showing up uninvited."

Li Zhexian sat on a stone stool in the courtyard and tilted his head back for a drink.

He showed no courtesy to this unexpected guest.

"You pathetic loser, what do you want with me?"

Li Zhexian was not surprised that Dugu Yan had uncovered his identity.

After all, she was Poison Douluo's granddaughter.

But he did not know why Dugu Yan had come looking for him.

Could it be because he had refused to take off his mask for her at the Soul Fighting Arena that day?

"Just as expected of blood relatives. Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo are both eccentric and impossible to read."

At the words "pathetic loser," Dugu Yan narrowed her eyes.

"You know the Imperial Dou Team lost in Suotuo City?"

Li Zhexian did not answer.

Dugu Yan continued:

"Among Suotuo City's Shrek Seven Devils, there are several formidable geniuses."

"Especially the one called Tang San. He might be able to make you draw your second sword."

Li Zhexian shook his head and chuckled.

"What a clumsy attempt at provoking me."

"If there's nothing else, leave. I have no interest in wasting words with you."

As he spoke, he rose and headed toward the house.

Yet Dugu Yan behind him curled up her lips.

"Three, two, one..."

Bang—!

The instant she said "one," Li Zhexian's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

"You..."

He turned back in alarm, his face turning pale as he looked at Dugu Yan approaching him.

"Heh."

Dugu Yan folded her arms and looked down at Li Zhexian.

She liked this posture. It accentuated the heavy curves of her chest.

She took the Faceless Man mask from the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch and tossed it before Li Zhexian.

"Put it on."

"You'll do whatever I tell you to do."

"If you dare defy me, I'll make the poison flare up and kill you."

Li Zhexian: "..."

He saw the excitement in Dugu Yan's green eyes.

Fuck!

She's a freak!

Do all people who play with poison have bad brains?!

Li Zhexian had originally wanted to see what Dugu Yan intended to do.

But this truly made his scalp tingle.

He could not keep pretending anymore.

Li Zhexian sprang up, the Azure Lotus Sword already in his hand.

Sword light flashed.

It was unbelievably fast.

Before anyone knew when it had happened, the Azure Lotus Sword was resting against Dugu Yan's slender neck...