Jiang Ke’er almost laughed her head off.
She never expected that Qiao Xiaoxian would take that offhand remark she made to annoy her so seriously.
Of course, she wouldn’t consider a future virtual idol as a marriage partner.
But if she didn’t explain, given how seriously Qiao Xiaoxian took things…
In fourteen hundred years, she’d probably go and kill the person playing that virtual character.
“That was just a joke. What were you thinking?” Jiang Ke’er laughed.
Then she put on a straight face and said solemnly, “I mean, I want to marry you. I want to be on top.”
“…”
This time it was Qiao Xiaoxian’s turn to laugh so hard she shook.
She lifted Jiang Ke’er’s chin with a contemptuous smirk.
“Want to turn the tables? Go to sleep. You can have anything in your dreams… Just make sure you sleep deeply.”
“What are you going to do to me while I’m asleep again?!” Jiang Ke’er’s eyes widened in horror.
“Hmph! From today on, you’ll never get to be on top of me again! I swear!”
Jiang Ke’er was dead serious!
Sure, the power of the ancient god had been sealed away by Lao Gan Ma once more, and she couldn’t beat Qiao Xiaoxian again… but Jiang Ke’er still believed she could win this war without gunpowder.
That was why she insisted on earning money to support the family herself—her real goal was to take the dominant role in their life and become the pillar of the household!
When that day came, Qiao Xiaoxian would naturally be too embarrassed to lie on top!
Unfortunately, her business had been pitifully slow so far, and the family’s livelihood relied entirely on Qiao Xiaoxian’s odd jobs.
The income ratio between them had reached a pathetic 1:100. Jiang Ke’er couldn’t see any hope of turning things around.
“Sigh…”
Still, she shouldn’t argue with money.
Working a few days on Uncle Zhao’s fishing boat was better than sitting idle in front of the blacksmith shop.
“Open a martial arts school,” Qiao Xiaoxian advised.
“No,” Jiang Ke’er shook her head.
“You can’t settle down,” Qiao Xiaoxian said again.
“Then let’s try,” Jiang Ke’er pouted.
“The Fox Tribe’s seal hasn’t been broken yet.”
Jiang Ke’er’s expression darkened. This time, she stayed silent.
Of the Nine Seats of the Tribulation Immortal Hall, including the Splendid Robe Man, she had only killed eight.
The Splendid Robe Man was the Chief Seat.
The mysterious Third Seat was still missing, whereabouts unknown.
During Qiao Xiaoxian’s coma, Jiang Ke’er had taken the newly acquired tokens to the Void Realm, hoping to break some of the seals on Xun Fang and ease her suffering.
But before she could even approach Xun Fang, she sensed the presence of ancient immortals.
More than one.
The disappearance of the Immortal Gate prevented immortal-level power from entering Shenzhou from the Immortal Realm, but it couldn’t stop them from entering the Void Realm.
They knew Jiang Ke’er would eventually come to free these sealed great foxes, so they changed tactics, setting up an ambush near Xun Fang, waiting for her.
And her last actions had already thoroughly alarmed the ancient immortals. This time, they held nothing back—over a dozen of them came at once.
Jiang Ke’er knew she would have to fight them eventually, but not now. She wasn’t stable enough yet.
Even with the power of the ancient god, it wasn’t enough, because she herself was too weak to channel a significant portion of that power.
At most, she could take on two ancient immortals, but she couldn’t withstand a group beating.
Fortunately, Shenzhou had become her absolute safe haven. Those immortals could die of frustration, but they couldn’t come down.
Even if they tried to take the Void Realm–Ancient Scholarly Realm–Shenzhou route, it was hopeless, because the Ancient Scholarly Realm would also block any immortal-level power from entering.
So she could develop peacefully in Shenzhou without worrying about any immortal-level trouble.
“That’ll have to wait at least a few decades,” Jiang Ke’er said helplessly.
“I need to cultivate to the point where I can insta-kill ancient immortals before I can save them… At least I need to give birth to an immortal first, right? I’m only at the Seven Luminaries Realm.”
Freeing the great fox definitely wasn’t something she could accomplish now.
Fortunately, Xun Fang was usually asleep, so she couldn’t feel the pain. Staying hidden in the seal was also perfectly safe.
Whether it took decades or millennia, to her it was just a matter of closing and opening her eyes—a snap of the fingers.
So Jiang Ke’er had plenty of time to cultivate. No need to rush.
“What about the Underworld Province? How long are you, the Queen of the Earth, going to slack off?” Qiao Xiaoxian continued.
Jiang Ke’er fell silent again.
That day, she had snatched the remaining Five Paths of the Wheel of Reincarnation from the Tribulation Immortal Hall. Combined with the one she had won in the Shenzhou Cup, she had gathered all six parts of the Wheel of Reincarnation.
Once her artifact refinement technique improved, she could fully repair the wheel, restore the Underworld Province, and reestablish the order of reincarnation.
“You can’t settle down,” Qiao Xiaoxian said.
“Because there’s still unfinished business.”
Qiao Xiaoxian understood that feeling. Back then, the safety of her clan had been constantly on her mind, forcing her to abandon the idea of retiring with Jiang Ke’er.
With responsibilities still upon her, how could she talk about retirement?
It wasn’t until now, when the Dragonkind had built a city by the East Sea and settled completely, that Qiao Xiaoxian finally breathed a sigh of relief and could stand by Jiang Ke’er’s side with peace of mind.
But she knew they weren’t ready to retire yet.
She could temporarily leave the world to cultivate, and she could live a peaceful life with Jiang Ke’er, but one day, Jiang Ke’er would have to step forward.
To accomplish her great deeds.
Only when everything was settled could they truly retire.
It was natural to rest when you were tired from flying too long, but a sleeping dragon would always have its day of awakening.
Jiang Ke’er’s current desire to discard everything and deliberately seclude herself was still too premature.
“Not in a hurry. We’ll talk about these things in a few decades,” Jiang Ke’er forced a smile.
“I’m still so weak anyway…”
“True. Let’s drop it,” Qiao Xiaoxian pulled Jiang Ke’er into a hug and said softly, “Don’t be afraid. No matter how many years pass, I’ll be here guarding you…”
“Who’s afraid?” Jiang Ke’er suddenly bristled.
“Mm-hmm, good that you’re not, good that you’re not,” Qiao Xiaoxian quickly stroked Jiang Ke’er’s head to soothe her.
Let nature take its course.
Jiang Ke’er knew all this too. She understood that she had been avoiding entanglements with the outside world a bit too deliberately.
But she still decided to give herself a break. She would live a carefree mortal life for a few decades or centuries, and only worry about it when she got bored.
After all, cultivation progress was like a download progress bar—getting anxious didn’t help!
But there was no need to deliberately avoid the outside world. Just let things unfold naturally.
Do what needs to be done. Don’t be tied down.
“When does Uncle Zhao’s fishing boat leave?” Jiang Ke’er asked.
“Now.”
“Ah! Then why aren’t you taking me there?!”
*
Holding his dying mother in his arms, Pei Min’s expression was wooden.
He had only just learned that two years ago, when his mother sold the house to accompany him on his journey, she had already been seriously ill.
For two years, in search of Jiang Ke’er and the true Sword Dao he sought, his mother had traveled with him across almost all of Shenzhou.
Wherever there was a legend of Jiang Ke’er’s appearance, they went to look.
They had been robbed by bandits, bullied as beggars, conscripted as soldiers and fled, caught up in one war after another, walking the line between life and death.
But they had given everything, and all they got in return was a body full of scars.
“Min’er, don’t hold a grudge.”
Pei’s mother’s weak voice tore at Pei Min’s heart.
“There are some things in this world that can’t be achieved no matter how hard you try. Everyone is at the mercy of circumstances… but don’t hold a grudge.”
“…I understand.”
But how could you ask me not to hate?
Ah, he has respect for one identity and hatred of the other it seems