「The next day.」

Perception No. 1 Group

Fairy Mo Yan: "Why is Boss Po Xiao never around? I still want to return the Dream Crystal Stone to him."

Liuyue Xue: "[Surprised emoji] How are you even up?"

Fairy Mo Yan: "It was nothing. When I came out of seclusion, I casually grabbed Chi Xue Child’s Life-Saving Elixir. It seemed super expensive, so I just went ahead and ate it."

Liuyue Xue: "@Chi Xue Child."

Fairy Mo Yan: "[Haughty emoji] It’s no use. He can’t catch mdkfng@#￥%"

Blade Master Hai Bian sent a message: "I hear the Life-Saving Elixirs from Chi Xue Child’s sect are incredibly high-grade. Every disciple gets one when they join, and they never get a second one. Mo Yan is such a spendthrift. Isn’t she afraid of getting beaten to death?"

Liu Yiyi: "I feel so much better after giving Mo Yan a good beating. I slept so soundly last night. But if Mo Yan were the type to be scared, she would have learned her lesson the last few times. Anyway, I really can’t get in touch with Fellow Daoist Po Xiao today. I wonder if he’ll go to East Water Island."

Fairy Mo Yan: "So, should we go? But I have to go home first to get the money."

Liuyue Xue was very surprised: "How are you still okay?"

Fairy Mo Yan sent a disdainful emoji: "He’s just Chi Xue Child."

Chi Xue Child: "Don’t mind her. She’s over here crying. But East Water Island is a nice place. The popsicles there are pretty good. My third senior brother brought one back for me once. Want to go and try them?"

Everyone: "..."

’Going all that way just for popsicles?’

Liu Yiyi: "I don’t mind. My teacher’s there anyway."

Liuyue Xue: "I submitted the materials for the Luoling Ancient Flower and they were accepted. I don’t have to farm this year, so I can go too."

Blade Master Hai Bian: "I don’t mind either."

Xiao Xiaomo: "You guys take Chu Qing and Chu Qing with you. @Chu Qing"

Chu Qing: "No way. I have to study, I’m not going. I have exams soon, and if I don’t rank in the top five, my sister will beat me up."

But just as he sent that message, Chu Qing immediately sent another one: "My dear sister is worried about her little brother’s grades. As her brother, I wouldn’t dare trouble her with such concerns. I can only bury my head in my studies to repay her... instructive hammerings."

Chen Yi: "Looks like Chu Qing doesn’t want to go either. Their parents should be coming back soon, right? Head, does that mean you don’t have to look after them anymore? Does that mean we don’t have to suffer along with them?"

Xiao Xiaomo: "Mhm, they called me. They said they’ll be back in a day or two and will make a stop at East Water Island to look around, so I’m planning to send these two rascals there directly. After that, they can come back whenever they want. Or they don’t have to come back at all."

Chen Yi: ".... Head, you’re brilliant."

Liu Yu: "The Head is both wise and brave."

Chu Qing: "Sister Xiao, my sister is smithing. She’s at a critical stage and can’t leave home. She’ll go berserk."

Xiao Xiaomo: "It’s fine. She won’t have much of an outburst. She just had one a little while ago."

Chu Qing: "..."

’So inhumane. That’ll still be really painful, and I’m just a kid. All I want is to study in peace.’

Xiao Xiaomo: "@Liuyue Xue, I’m leaving them to you guys. If you have to, just knock them out and drag them there."

Everyone: "..."

’As expected of someone with a street-tough past. So ruthless, even to her own people. And they’re just kids. But neither of them is a big problem. Chu Qing can be ignored. The only one who’s a bit of an issue is Chu Qing. But even if Chu Qing is Tier Two, she’s no match for the likes of Chi Xue Child and the others. If they all attacked together, one move from each of them would be enough. Mo Yan’s Nightmare Space, Liu Yiyi’s Flash Technique, Liuyue Xue’s Heaven-Breaking Spear, the might of Chi Xue Child’s Red Sword. Combined, few at Tier Two could withstand them. Chu Qing couldn’t possibly be that overpowered.’

At that moment, Chu Qing was looking at the screen, swinging a hammer nonstop. She was not happy. Not happy at all.

But she was also a well-behaved child. Since Sister Xiao told her to go, she couldn’t disobey.

But she just wasn’t happy, and when she wasn’t happy, she wanted to hit things.

So she did.

Just then, Chu Qing weakly said from the side, "Sister, can we not hit the head?"

By now, Chu Qing’s head was already bleeding.

Hearing Chu Qing’s words, Chu Qing adjusted her aim slightly and then struck with even more force.

THUD, CRACK.

His shoulder shattered.

Despair washed over Chu Qing’s face. Why was it always him who got hurt?

*******

「Jiang Zuo’s House.」

"Do you think I should grow my hair out? Like, waist-length." Su Qi sat in front of Jiang Zuo, letting him tie her hair.

"No need," Jiang Zuo said.

"Why not? Because I’m already married?"

Jiang Zuo didn’t say anything. ’What’s the point of growing her hair so long? It’s a pain to tie up, a pain to wash, and a pain to sleep with. And it doesn’t necessarily look better. The way it is now is better.’

"So do you like me with long hair or short hair?" Su Qi asked.

Jiang Zuo said calmly, "Isn’t it all you?"

Su Qi pouted. "Is it so hard for you to say you like it?"

Jiang Zuo: "I remember saying it a few days ago."

Su Qi: "But I wouldn’t mind if you said it again."

Jiang Zuo arranged the rest of her hair over her shoulders and said, "Alright, get up and get dressed. Next time, you should get dressed before you have me tie your hair. Otherwise, it’ll just get messy again when you pull on your clothes."

With that, Jiang Zuo stood up.

"I let you have a look and you’re still complaining. What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you," Su Qi said as she started getting dressed.

After breakfast, Jiang Zuo prepared some food for Sweet Potato and the others.

A new vase had also been bought for the house. Jiang Zuo would just have to wait until he got back to see it.

’I’ve really been wanting to kill these guys lately. I’ve never dared to break a single one of Su Qi’s things, yet these little rascals have smashed almost all of them. Simply unforgivable.’

Seeing the look in Jiang Zuo’s eyes, Sweet Potato and the others felt nothing, but Duan Qiao was trembling in a corner. It felt that this monster’s departure would be a calamity for it.

’But I did fish some things up recently. If I hand them over now, maybe that will keep me safe.’

"Um," Duan Qiao had just begun to speak when Jiang Zuo already went inside.

Duan Qiao: "..."

Duan Qiao looked at Sweet Potato and said, "Xiaohong, this bridge doesn’t like your master. Let me beat you up for a bit."

Sweet Potato: "Gah?"

And so, on the balcony, a battle of the ages unfolded.

The battle concluded with Duan Qiao’s narrow victory by half a move.

Such is the loneliness of a master. In the end, Duan Qiao sat by the pond with a serene expression and began to fish.

’I can fill this whole balcony with treasures. Will anyone come and disturb me? Impossible. Shi Qi and Shiba were defeated by Sweet Potato long ago. Now, Sweet Potato has been defeated by me. I am now the number one on this balcony, the top dog.’

******

Meanwhile, Jiang Zuo and Su Qi had arrived at the airport. They had a morning flight, but to reach East Water Island, they would have to wait until the early morning of the next day.

’It seems to be much farther than even the Holy Land. Even the Celestial Cloud Mountain Range isn’t this far. This is the farthest we’ve ever traveled.’

Su Qi was both excited and worried, deeply afraid that something might happen along the way.

Jiang Zuo looked at Su Qi, then took her hand and said, "Relax. You don’t have to think about anything."

Su Qi paused for a moment, then smiled at Jiang Zuo. "Okay."