Here I Delight, Forgetting Shu

Xiao Bai shuddered. The composure he had maintained before the young girl instantly fell apart.

When the cool, aloof fairy sat cross-legged beside him and changed into a Bean Yellow Smoked Shirt identical to Mu Yun's, the hills and valleys in his heart turned into lofty mountains to be gazed upon, snowy-white and overwhelming. Only then did Xiao Bai come back to himself, gritting his teeth as he said loudly:

"This is a classic illusion!"

—Only powerful, fair-skinned, beautiful Bad Women welcome me!

Wind and fire swayed; dusk stretched on in winding splendor.

Having changed into a warm-colored smoked shirt, Master Yuhu seemed faintly gentler, more virtuous, infinitely accommodating.

She held a teacup in both hands, her cherry-colored thin lips brushing the rim. The sight sent Xiao Bai straight into a daze.

"This was my first time seeing Princess Fei Yue in the Snow Flame Sect. Even Junior Brother Lin Xizi, whom I hadn't seen for years and who had become a woman, came to bring you a gift."

And you still dared say women didn't welcome you?

Suppressing a laugh, Mu Yun joined in fanning the flames.

"Could it be that you're a male fox spirit? Though you lack Charm Arts, you were born with Alluring Bones?"

One blow had blackened two people.

"There was no other reason. I was simply handsome."

Bearing the double pressure, Xiao Bai turned the roasting meat and said indifferently:

"Besides, among those of the same rank, my swordsmanship was no weaker than Lan Daozi's, while my body arts surpassed even your emperor father's. Wasn't it perfectly normal for women to welcome me?"

Somewhat satisfied with Xiao Bai's answer, Yuhu took a sip of Peach Petal Tea and changed the subject.

"As for Lin Xizi's Swastika Spirit Sword, you'd better not take it to heart. There's something strange about this matter. I have a bad feeling."

Mu Yun followed up by mocking Xiao Bai.

"First, he'd have to reach Foundation Establishment. He's still a hundred and eight thousand miles away from that."

Yuhu shook her head. She knew Xiao Bai's advancement speed best, and she earnestly advised:

"Find a few more Dao companions, and you should reach Foundation Establishment very soon."

Xiao Bai was so moved that hot tears filled his eyes.

"Madam, you're the one who understands me—"

Before he could finish—

Whoosh!

Someone flew out of Hundred Herbs Peak.

A slender, delicate hand tore off a piece of roasted meat and placed it into cold lips.

Her clear eyes rippled faintly, and two peach-red flushes suddenly bloomed upon her plain face.

"So Martial Granduncle could taste your craftsmanship, today's roasted meat was even more delicious than usual."

Mu Yun's expression darkened. She caught Yuhu's hidden meaning.

"Stop talking nonsense! Only fox spirits would be moved by Charm Arts. The Devil Race are creatures from another dimension—how could they possibly be affected by mortals?"

As she spoke, she shaved off a slice of roasted meat with the tip of her sword and placed it in her mouth.

The dancing light in her eyes suddenly froze.

"This taste..."

Sky-Reaching Peak was the Snow Flame Sect's tallest mountain, yet it was not its geographical center.

At the very center of the Snow Flame Sect stood, in fact, a squat mountain whose peak had been cut away.

Its rocks stood like a forest, its vegetation hung upside down. Snow covered the mountain's exterior, while earth fire rolled across the rocky platforms, scorching hot as summer.

It was precisely the core node where the three flame veins of the Monster Beast Mountain Range converged—

Earth Fire Peak.

It was where the Snow Flame Sect forged spirit artifacts, as well as where the Artifact Forging Elder and his disciples lived and cultivated.

Forging spirit artifacts was the Snow Flame Sect's flagship industry for earning foreign currency. Thus, although Earth Fire Peak had always kept a low profile, its status within the sect was extremely high.

A row of mountains resembling a barrier stood arranged like swords, much like the Sword Fence atop the Main Affairs Pavilion.

Evening.

A golden flying carriage pulled by two Eagle-Horse Beasts slowly flew toward Earth Fire Peak.

Princess Fei Yue had caught up with Mu Yun at Hundred Herbs Peak that afternoon, then hurried to Earth Fire Peak by evening.

It left the Artifact Forging Elder, at his advanced age, with no choice but to personally receive her.

After all, following the Sect-State War, most of the spirit artifacts forged by the Snow Flame Sect had been sold to the Xiahou Dynasty.

War was war, business was business. Everyone needed to survive.

Of course, this was also thanks to One Sword Fox's indiscriminate slaughter on the battlefield. Back then, she had been an inspector-catcher of the Dao Supervision Palace.

At Earth Fire Peak's mountain gate, Gongshuzi cupped his hands in greeting.

"Princess, have you come to have Master Gao make toys for you again?"

The bright, graceful girl wrapped in a pink dress gave a slight curtsey, properly resembling a princess.

"You are the Master Gao. He can only be considered a gifted disciple."

"Please come in."

After having a cup of tea in the main hall, Fei Yue entered Master Gao's cave residence under the guidance of two female disciples.

Master Gao's so-called cave residence was simply a personal artifact-forging factory connected through the interior of the mountain.

Master Gao was Earth Fire Peak's chief Core Disciple.

Those who bore the title of chief were undoubtedly geniuses, such as Lan Daozi, and One Sword Fox in the past.

Deep within the cave residence.

A tall, thin young man was using sandpaper and a rasp to carve spell seals into a Great Blunderbuss.

Iron rings sealed his eyes and ears. The spell seals on those rings glimmered with dark-red light, giving off an eerie coldness and oppression.

After the two accompanying female disciples left, Princess Fei Yue stepped lightly into the depths of the cave residence and used the black-diamond storage ring on her right middle finger to inspect the spell seals on the Great Blunderbuss's outer wall.

"The quality is perfect, but I need quantity and speed more. Can't you ask your junior brothers and sisters to help?"

Master Gao remained focused on his carving, not even lifting his head.

"They're far too lacking... This isn't something that can be forged in batches."

"You'd better hurry."

Fei Yue stroked the blunderbuss's wall. The lively light in her eyes suddenly became as deep as earth fire.

"I'll reveal a piece of intelligence to you. The Demon Alliance is gathering heavy forces. They'll very likely launch a massive attack on the Snow Flame Sect within a month. You need to speed up."

Yet Master Gao shook his head.

"Once a demon becomes a demon, it can never return to being a spirit beast... No matter how the world changes, someone still has to make things, doesn't he?"

Chaoge City, Yellow Rock Mountain.

Dao Supervision Palace dungeon, eighteenth level.

The most vicious criminals within the Cambrian Kingdom were imprisoned here.

And most of them were powerful figures with backing!

Otherwise, they would have long since been ground to ashes and scattered to the winds.

For instance, this old man with a crimson face, his entire body covered in black flower patterns.

A sword had pinned his dantian to the prison wall, while Pythagorean Chains threaded through all four limbs and his hundred bones, connecting him to the foundation.

Every place on his body from which he could exert strength had been firmly locked down. He could not move at all.

The old man was an elder of some devil sect. He had survived until today by keeping silent about the devil sect's location...

Not only was he alive, he had even encountered a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to break out of prison.

He knocked his head against the three-foot-thick iron wall and shouted in a dry, withered voice:

"Hey, neighbor, have you heard? Master Yuhu of the Snow Flame Sect actually took a young Laborer Disciple as her companion and just completed the Sect Tour Ceremony."

Though he could not use even a thread of spiritual power, he still sent his dry, hoarse voice into the neighboring cell.

Unfortunately, there was no response next door.

He shouted again as though no one else existed:

"I also heard that this Laborer Disciple was not only young and strong, handsome and dashing, but also exceptionally skilled with the sword. He charmed Master Yuhu so much that she forgot her own status."

The neighboring cell was silent as a grave. Only after a long while came the drip-drip sound of pouring wine, followed by a drunken woman's reply.

"When heaven wanted rain and a mother wanted to marry, what did such trifles have to do with me?"

Seeing that his chance had come, the old man continued fanning the flames.

"Stop pretending! Who in the world doesn't know you fancy Master Yuhu? Don't you want to get out and take a look? How about it—we break out together. If you and I cooperate, we'll definitely escape!"

After he spoke, the neighboring cell answered with wondrous snores like wind roaring through a bamboo forest, along with a rich, intoxicating scent of wine that seeped to the bone like spring rain soaking a valley.

"Here I delight, forgetting Shu... Only a fool would go out."

The harem in this book had no yuri. There was only the sort of big-sister leader in a girls' dormitory who liked calling other roommates first wife, second wife, and third wife.