In the Yi Fang, Elder Huai sat at the bedside of Lin Xue, reaching out to check her delicate wrist, examining her condition.
Elder Huai was filled with amazement at how Lin Xue had reached Body Tempering Peak in her sleep.
How did this little Demon manage it? He had studied for over ten days and still couldn’t figure it out.
He vaguely suspected it might have something to do with the Beast Core Shard in the Healing Medicine.
But other Demons had taken the Beast Core Shard before, and there had never been such a rapid increase in cultivation.
It seemed it could only be attributed to Lin Xue’s special physique.
Zhang Zongnian stood by and asked with concern, “How is my little sister? When will she wake up?”
Elder Huai stroked his long beard, about to answer, when suddenly the door to the Yi Fang burst open with a loud “Kuton” sound.
Shu Er swaggered in, flanked by two followers.
Shu Er walked with absolute steadiness, showing no sign that his leg had been broken just ten days before.
Elder Huai frowned and rose to his feet. “Second Lord, your leg seems to have recovered well?”
Shu Er bared his buck teeth in a grin. “That’s right, my leg is all healed. Old Huai, your medical skills aren’t bad at all. I’ll be sure to reward you handsomely in the future!”
As he spoke, he strode straight to Lin Xue’s bedside, shoving Zhang Zongnian aside. His two rat eyes stared fixedly at Lin Xue’s face.
Zhang Zongnian, after all, was only at Qi Refinement Third Level Complete, and when pushed by this Demon at Body Tempering Peak, he staggered back several steps.
A trace of anger flashed across his face.
One of Shu Er’s Rat Demon followers glared at Zhang Zongnian and shouted, “You Human Cultivator, how dare you not kneel before our Second Lord? Don’t you know the rules of the cave?”
Zhang Zongnian suppressed his anger.
He lowered his head, lifted his robe, and knelt down, saying, “Greetings, Second Lord.”
Shu Er wore an arrogant expression, hands behind his back, not sparing Zhang Zongnian a glance, nor telling him to rise.
His rat eyes just kept scanning Lin Xue’s features up and down.
Seeing that this rat-faced beast still didn’t let him stand, Zhang Zongnian clenched his fists and lowered his head, hiding his fury.
Since it was unclear if Lin Xue’s rise in cultivation was due to absorbing the medicine’s power, Elder Huai hadn’t given her any drugs today.
Without the masking effects of medicine, Lin Xue’s complexion had become much rosier, as if she were merely sleeping and would soon awaken.
Seeing this, Shu Er was delighted. He pointed at Lin Xue and asked, “This little Demon’s body seems to have recovered quite well. When will she wake up?”
Elder Huai replied vaguely, “She has indeed recovered well these last few days, but when she’ll wake depends on her own physique.”
Shu Er rubbed his hands, a lecherous smile spreading across his face.
“Actually, whether she wakes or not doesn’t matter. She can sleep for all I care. As long as she’s recovered well, that means she can handle some fun. Can I share a room with her now?”
At these words, Zhang Zongnian immediately looked up, his barely contained anger flaring once again.
His face flushed red, his eyes blazing with fury.
Elder Huai’s expression changed and he quickly intervened, “Second Lord, you mustn’t! The Cave Lord has just become a Great Demon. Now is the time to cultivate you with all his strength. You’ll soon ascend to Great Demon yourself and face the Lightning Tribulation. That tribulation is truly fearsome—you must preserve your Yang, you mustn’t lose your essence!”
Shu Er waved his hand carelessly. “Of course I understand all that. To tell you the truth, tomorrow I’ll—”
Suddenly remembering Shu Da’s warning not to speak carelessly, he stopped himself abruptly, feigned a few coughs, and continued, “Cough cough cough, my big brother already promised me a few days ago that once I become a Great Demon, he’ll marry this little Snake Spirit to me! She’ll be mine sooner or later!”
As he spoke, he looked down at Lin Xue on the bed, growing more pleased and excited the more he looked, his pride swelling.
Who would have thought that Shu Er would one day sleep with such a beautiful female Demon?
If it weren’t for his capable big brother, he might have remained a bachelor all his life.
Having a powerful big brother was truly wonderful.
Elder Huai heard Shu Er’s words and silently thought, This isn’t good.
With the Snake Spirit left in the cave, it was only a matter of time before she caught the eye of this lecherous rat.
Fortunately, he had scared Shu Er into holding back for the sake of surviving the Lightning Tribulation, so for now, he wouldn’t lay a hand on her.
Before he became a Great Demon, she would remain safe for the time being.
But the Human Cultivator nearby had surely been provoked.
Over the past ten days, Zhang Zongnian had visited Lin Xue every day.
Nominally, he and Lin Xue were sworn siblings, but the way he looked at her was hardly that of a brother to a sister.
Elder Huai saw clearly—this Human Cultivator had definitely fallen for the little Snake Demon.
Now, hearing Shu Er’s words, how could he bear it?
Trouble was brewing!
As expected, at that very moment, a voice filled with suppressed anger sounded behind him: “Who said my little sister is going to marry you!?”
Shu Er, still grinning smugly, was startled by the outburst and turned to look at the speaker.
Hearing Shu Er say that Shu Da had promised Lin Xue to him as a wife struck Zhang Zongnian like a bolt of lightning.
He could no longer restrain his fury.
He stood up from the ground, fists clenched, jaw tight, and said, “Who said my little sister is going to marry you!?”
Shu Er stared at Zhang Zongnian in disbelief, almost not trusting his own ears.
What the—this Human Cultivator is rebelling? He dares speak to me like that?
Doesn’t he know that I, Shu Er, am now the Second Cave Lord of Luoyun Cave?
Since Shu Da killed Hong Lao San in a single move and humiliated Hong Yanzhi in front of everyone, which Demon in the cave doesn’t show me the utmost respect?
This Human Cultivator dares to shout at me?
Is he out of his mind?
Dogleg A, standing behind Shu Er, immediately shouted at Zhang Zongnian, “Are you looking to die? How dare you speak to Second Lord like that?”
Dogleg B, not to be outdone, yelled as well, “You Human Cultivator want to rebel? Who told you to stand up? Get back on your knees before the Second Lord!”
Zhang Zongnian’s eyes burned with rage and he was about to question Shu Er further, but Elder Huai pressed a hand to his shoulder, smoothing things over.
“Zongnian, don’t be rash. Your sister marrying Second Lord is Cave Lord Shu Da’s arrangement. It’s a good thing.”
He gave Zhang Zongnian a meaningful look.
“Second Lord is the Great Cave Lord’s own brother and is sure to become a Great Demon soon. The Great Cave Lord only made this arrangement to encourage his brother to cultivate. When Second Lord ascends to Great Demon and marries your sister, our cave will have a double celebration! It’s a good thing!”
Zhang Zongnian understood Elder Huai’s hint: Shu Er still needed time to become a Great Demon, and for now, Lin Xue was safe.
If he confronted Shu Er now, it would not be wise.
Lin Xue was about to wake up. Once she did, all he needed was to give her the first part of the Changsheng Jue.
After she used the Foundation-building Pill to form her foundation, the two of them could leave at once.
If Shu Er still dreamed of marrying Lin Xue, let him keep dreaming!
Zhang Zongnian forced down his anger.
He fell silent, lowering his eyelids and standing quietly to the side.
Shu Er, however, was not pleased.
Good heavens, I’m now the Second Cave Lord of Luoyun Cave at Xixia Mountain, the number two in charge.
Yet this little Human Cultivator shouts at me, then stands there stiff-necked?
He really doesn’t know his place!
Shu Er glared with his rat eyes, snorted coldly, and said, “Kneel for me! Did I say you could stand?”
Zhang Zongnian clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and knelt down again.
Fine, I’ll endure!
Lin Xue once taught me that a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him!
For now, don’t provoke this damned rat.
Everything will wait until Lin Xue wakes up.
Elder Huai tried to mediate with Shu Er, “Second Lord, Zongnian is Miss Lin Xue’s older brother. According to human custom, when you and Miss Lin Xue marry, you’ll have to call Zongnian ‘Sworn Brother-in-law.’ We’re all one family, let’s not quarrel.”
He had a good impression of Zhang Zongnian.
Zhang Zongnian knew a bit about human medicine, and in these ten days, their many exchanges had benefited Elder Huai greatly.
He didn’t want to see Zhang Zongnian suffer from a moment’s impulse.
The two Doglegs behind Shu Er, who had been full of righteous indignation, immediately changed expressions at these words.
Right, this pretty boy would be Second Lord’s Sworn Brother-in-law in the future!
Just now, they’d yelled at him, but after the Snake Spirit married Shu Er and became the Second Lady, would she take revenge on them?
The two little Demons couldn’t help but worry about their own futures.
Shu Er forced a smile uglier than a cry. “Sworn Brother-in-law?”
He looked Zhang Zongnian up and down, sneering, “This little Demon is a Snake, but this pretty boy is a human. They’re not real siblings—what kind of Sworn Brother-in-law is that?”
He remembered following Shu Da to deliver wine to the warehouse, when he saw Lin Xue and Zhang Zongnian holding hands, happily preparing to leave together. The thought soured his mood.
It’s said girls love handsome faces. Whether human or Demon, most females prefer pretty boys.
This little pretty boy really was good-looking, and they had been so close that day. Could it be the Snake Spirit likes him?
Were they pretending to be siblings when in truth they were lovers?
Lin Xue and Zhang Zongnian were captured together by Hong Yanzhi. Who knows what happened before?
At this thought, Shu Er’s face changed.
Added to Zhang Zongnian’s recent anger, the more he thought about it, the less he liked it.
He felt as if a big green hat was being placed on his head.
Looking at Zhang Zongnian again, he grew increasingly uncomfortable.
Shu Er gritted his teeth with hatred, wanting to strip Lin Xue on the spot and check if she was still chaste.
But for the sake of surviving tomorrow’s Lightning Tribulation, he forced himself to resist the urge.
He glared at Zhang Zongnian. “Tell me, what is your real relationship with this Snake Spirit?”
Zhang Zongnian saw that Shu Er suspected the truth, and replied coldly, “We are Sworn Sibling.”
Shu Er sneered, “If you’re siblings, then do you object to me marrying this Snake Spirit?”
Zhang Zongnian bit his lip. “Marriage is a major affair. My sister should be willing. Second Lord, have you ever asked for her opinion?”
Shu Er acted as if he’d heard the world’s biggest joke and burst into laughter. “What, I should ask her opinion? Are you addled with fever?”
“Everything in this mountain belongs to the Shu family. The Snake Spirit is naturally Shu family property. If I, the Second Lord, want to take my own property as a wife, do I need her permission?”
“Let me ask you, do you need to ask your stool if you can sit on it? Do you ask your bed if you can sleep on it?”
Zhang Zongnian hung his head, swallowing his surging fury, and said nothing.
Shu Er went on, “This little Demon belongs to my Shu family. If I want to marry her, I’ll marry her. If I want to sleep with her, I’ll sleep with her! If I want to kiss her, I’ll kiss her!”
With that, a new thought flashed in Shu Er’s mind.
That’s right, though I can’t sleep with her yet, I can kiss her!
The Snake Spirit’s lips were full and rosy, looking extremely tempting. If I could kiss and lick them, that would be wonderful!
Without hesitation, Shu Er turned, leaned over the still-unconscious Lin Xue, and puckered his rat mouth, moving in for a kiss.