After giving Xiao Zhan a perfunctory answer, Xiao Li quietly made his way to Xiao Yi Xian's courtyard.
Although he would come of age tomorrow, unfortunately, Xiao Li was still technically in a puppy-love relationship.
"Xiao Yi Xian, I'm here." Seeing the girl in the courtyard, Xiao Li's lips curled into a smile. But when he remembered that she was only twelve, a strange feeling rose uncontrollably in his heart.
It wasn't that strange he kept agonizing over it. The problem was, she was twelve—a age when even a normal man wouldn't feel desire.
Xiao Li sighed. Looking at the five-foot-tall Xiao Yi Xian, he decided to treat it like playing a little-girl-raising game.
"Big Brother Xiao Li." Xiao Yi Xian smiled sweetly. Ever since she and Xiao Li had started dating, the little girl had been smiling more and more.
Watching Xiao Yi Xian smile like a flower in bloom, Xiao Li remembered the real reason he'd come today, and his expression turned serious.
"I came to talk to you about something today. Come on, let's go inside," Xiao Li said.
"Huh?" Xiao Yi Xian froze, then a blush crept across her face. "Isn't it... too soon? Didn't you say we'd wait until I grew up..."
Xiao Li's expression was solemn. "The sooner we deal with this, the better. We can't put it off."
Xiao Yi Xian gritted her teeth. Since she'd already become a Dou Zhe, her body should be strong enough. "All right, Big Brother Xiao Li. You... you have to be gentle, okay?"
Xiao Li finally realized something was off. So they hadn't been on the same wavelength at all.
He tapped the little girl on the head and said, laughing helplessly, "Don't let your imagination run wild. This is serious. I won't do that sort of thing before you come of age."
Xiao Yi Xian nodded, her face burning red. She cursed herself for being an idiot, then hurried after Xiao Li.
Inside the room, Xiao Yi Xian sat upright. She'd realized that whatever Xiao Li wanted to discuss had to be important; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so serious.
Looking at the sweet girl before him, Xiao Li's throat felt dry. He didn't know how to begin. "Xiao Yi Xian, do you know about your constitution?"
Xiao Li's words struck like a sharp sword, instantly shattering all of Xiao Yi Xian's hopes. Her lips trembled, and her face paled. "Big Brother Xiao Li, you... you know?"
Xiao Li nodded. "You probably have the Woeful Poison Body. On the Dou Qi Continent, there's an extremely unusual constitution known as the Woeful Poison Body. Its appearance almost always brings calamity."
Xiao Yi Xian trembled uncontrollably. After she'd accidentally killed the entire village when she was three, she'd known there was something different about her constitution. But she'd only understood that her body was unusual; she hadn't known it was the Woeful Poison Body.
"Big Brother Xiao Li, are you going to leave me?"
Xiao Li froze. It felt as if something had struck him hard in the heart. "Of course not. Besides, I've already found a way to treat you."
The tears at the corners of Xiao Yi Xian's eyes stopped. Joy flooded her face. "Really? You really won't leave me?"
As he held Xiao Yi Xian, who'd thrown herself into his arms, Xiao Li gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Isn't the important thing that I've found a solution?"
"As long as you don't abandon me, that's the best news of all." Xiao Yi Xian smiled dreamily.
"All right, all right. Now listen to the rest." Xiao Li chuckled, his heart softening.
Xiao Yi Xian obediently settled onto Xiao Li's lap, tears still clinging to her cheeks.
Xiao Li gently wiped the tears from her face, then spoke softly.
"The way to cultivate the Woeful Poison Body is to consume poison. Once you ingest poison, your Woeful Poison Body will transform the poison within it into an extremely special kind of poison Dou Qi through a strange process. The more potent the poison, the more it'll help you grow stronger. So you don't need to cultivate painstakingly; you only need to keep consuming poison to increase your strength quickly."
Before Xiao Yi Xian could feel happy, Xiao Li poured a bucket of cold water over her.
"Of course, nothing in this world is perfect. The Woeful Poison Body can rapidly increase your strength by consuming poison, but poison is still poison. Your Woeful Poison Body can keep the poison from consuming you, but when you've taken more and more poison—so much that even your constitution can no longer suppress the poison Dou Qi inside you—the agony of ten thousand poisons eating at your body will slowly kill you in the most torturous way."
A trace of fear appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's face, and she instinctively burrowed deeper into Xiao Li's arms.
Xiao Li stroked her head tenderly, then continued, "There's a way to solve it, too. Three Heavenly Flames and a few other materials should do the trick."
That would've been simple enough. Xiao Yan could treat Xiao Yi Xian in the future. But during the treatment, all of Xiao Yi Xian's clothes would be destroyed. Now that she and Xiao Li had pledged themselves to each other, how could Xiao Li stand for that? Even if Xiao Yan was his own younger brother, it was still out of the question.
So Xiao Li had thought of another solution. For instance, if he could obtain Strange Lightning with an effect similar to that of a Heavenly Flame, it ought to work as well.
The second option was to find the Nether Poison Flame among the Heavenly Flames. It should be a good match for Xiao Yi Xian, and might work. Besides, there was more than one of every Heavenly Flame except Nihility Devouring Flame and Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, so it wouldn't interfere with Xiao Yan becoming an Emperor.
The third option was the simplest: find Xiao Yi Xian clothes that wouldn't burn in a Heavenly Flame. But clothes that could withstand a Heavenly Flame... there really didn't seem to be many in the original story. Xiao Li might have an easier time finding Strange Lightning than something like that.
Perhaps it was a man's possessiveness at work, but Xiao Li still preferred to treat Xiao Yi Xian himself.
After explaining the possible solutions and their chances of success, while of course leaving out what lay ahead for Xiao Yan, Xiao Li patiently waited for Xiao Yi Xian's reply.
Nestled in Xiao Li's arms, Xiao Yi Xian said, "As long as you stay by my side, that's all I need."
Xiao Li was speechless. How had she become such a lovesick fool at such a young age? He couldn't think of anything he'd done to make Xiao Yi Xian like him so much.
Sure enough, when a man pursued a girl by every means possible, he'd most likely end up losing everything. It was the things he let slip unintentionally that truly captured a girl's heart.
"All right, then. We'll see what I can find." Xiao Li shrugged. For Xiao Yi Xian's life, he could put his own possessiveness aside.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded firmly, then lifted her face to look at Xiao Li. "Big Brother Xiao Li, give me a kiss."
Xiao Li's mouth twitched. He flatly refused. "No. How old are you? I haven't even brought up what happened the other day, and now you're asking for more. You have no shame."
Xiao Yi Xian pouted. "Then why did you lick your lips when you left that day? Weren't you savoring the memory?"
A few dark lines appeared on Xiao Li's forehead. "You little rascal. Who taught you to say things like that?"
Xiao Yi Xian put her hands on her hips. Her adorable little-loli look made it impossible for Xiao Li to get angry.
"Xun Er. She said that's how I can keep you firmly in the palm of my hand."
"Xun Er..." Xiao Li gritted his teeth. That wretched Xun Er had turned the once-adorable Xiao Yi Xian into this. Worse, she'd taught her far too early. If Xiao Yi Xian kept acting like this over the next few years...
Looking at Xiao Yi Xian's increasingly mature figure, Xiao Li held his forehead. His bottom line was going to keep slipping.
"By the way, Big Brother Xiao Li, don't keep calling me Xiao Yi Xian."
"Then what should I call you?"
"Call me Xian Er." Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head, a shy expression on her face. A pet name like that was more fitting for the relationship between them. Xun Er had been right after all.
"All right." Xiao Li paused, then smiled. "Xian Er."