Chapter 47: I Love You to Death

  Back in the quiet Xiao Nei Valley, Shui Xian's eyes were red-rimmed, her delicate body pounced forward, blocking Xiao Dou, and scolded with a remorseful face:

  "You see through me, don't you? You dislike me, don't you?"

  Xiao Dou grasped her small hand and roared: "Shui Xian, I don't understand. Why do you hide so many things from me? Why don't you trust me? Can't we siblings be honest with each other and speak the truth?"

  "Listen, I'll tell you the truth. Following your train of thought, not to mention me, but even you yourself, your body may be alive, but your heart will be dead! If I don't intervene, when can you let go?!"

  Xiao Dou said loudly with a bad tone: "Didn't I tell you, I will teach them survival skills before the apocalypse, we can teach them together and then let go. But what about you? You don't tell me anything, you don't trust me at all. Sometimes I even don't recognize you anymore."

  "What did I do wrong!" Crying, Xian's small face was covered in tears as she continued to shout defiantly: "Think about it, back then if I hadn't helped them reach the Dan stage, you would have fought me to the death. And now, if I couldn't help them, you'd fight me to the death too! Who's more important, them or me? I'll tell you, in my heart, you're more important than they are, even more important than the person I like!"

  Watching his sister cry, Xiaodou felt uncomfortable too, but this kind of thing couldn't be avoided. Taking a deep breath, he said confidently:

  "Narcissus, I always believe that as long as we are together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and heart to heart, there is nothing that can't be overcome. If the time comes when I am unable to bear it, I will let go. The way of advancing and retreating, everything, you can teach me, as long as what you say makes sense, I will listen to your words!"

  "You're absolutely, absolutely the kind of person who says nice things but can't actually do them. But I've remembered what you said today, and you should remember it too. If you can't follow through, don't blame me for abandoning you as your sister. And besides, everyone has a few small secrets in their heart - I'm not going to tell you about the people I like, am I?"

  Xiao Dou gently helped her sister wipe away tears, still pouting with a small face and saying: "You guys just like to play with sad love stories, how boring! I didn't want to know, but now I do... Water Fairy, your situation seems similar to mine, both of our counterparts are geniuses, you don't stand a chance either!"

  "Hehe~" Water Fairy's small face regained its confident smile and said: "You think I'm as stupid as you, huh? To achieve success, one must endure and not show their hand, openly competing while secretly scheming, and at the last moment, make a surprise move. You little thing, in front of me, Water Fairy, you still dare to call yourself a young master? Hmph~ He's now just a poor sheep caught in my trap!"

  Xiao Dou's face was filled with admiration and a sly smile as he said: "Shui Xian, good Shui Xian, good sister, please teach me too. I also want to be successful, I can endure and not fight, what competition, fighting, as long as I can marry Fei Er, Xiao Dou will call you Grandma!"

  The Water Fairy slapped him and smiled triumphantly: "Hmph, now you know my power, good. Your affairs are all taken care of by me, as long as you listen to me and do things according to my will, everything is in my hands, including the descendant of a god, the number one beauty of Jiuhua Mountain!"

  Xiao Dou was very happy today, humming a little tune as he went to refine his equipment, and then... unexpectedly - he succeeded!

  Celebration ceremony! In the Valley of Mountain God, over a thousand people gathered together, all with surprised faces looking at the low-grade fire-element flying sword being offered on the stage. What it represents, everyone knows - from now on, everyone will have their own favorite magical weapon or flying sword, or maybe some great knife, axe, flying dart, armor, shield, gourd, treasure mirror...

  Little Separation Makes Reunion Sweeter, pouting her small mouth and giving Xiao Dou a quick peck on the cheek, then shaking him with great joy.

  "Oh, Xiao Dou, you're so adorable! I'm totally in love with you! Remember, you promised me that the Five Poisonous Beasts would be the best, look into my eyes... the best!"

  Xiao Dou looked at her with a greedy gaze, and said helplessly: "Yes ~ my aunt, with the spiritual stone, I'll buy whatever small beast you want first."

  Sit down and celebrate with fellow disciples this moment that has been awaited for decades, drinking to the point of dizziness, confusion, and disorientation, unable to find one's way even in the north...

  The next day, Xiaodou looked at the thick stack of drawings with a helpless expression. They were all the designs for the favorite artifacts of his junior brothers and sisters. Starting from the first one, he refined it, but it broke into pieces. Another one broke again, and yet another one still broke... It wasn't until the 195th time that he succeeded!

  Xiao Dou thought helplessly that just the raw materials of Ling Shi had already cost several times more, but fortunately, now the apprentices were running around everywhere, searching for the deep mountains and old forests within Jiuhua Mountain, and they could still find them without much effort.

  But if you want to buy a flying sword now, it's extremely difficult! Looking at them practicing, living, and raising a group of double-pupil mice every day, collectively going up the mountain to find materials, what a perfect life!

  At this time, it also made Xiao Dou, otherwise he would really be embarrassed to do so at other times. A large amount of materials were sent over, and he began to frantically refine them. The success rate was also slowly increasing from one in two hundred, one in one hundred, one in fifty...

  One day, Leng Han rushed over with a tired face and smiled awkwardly: "Xiao Dou, sorry to trouble you, the boss gave me trouble, those kids, I only knew later that they came here to ask for artifacts, let me tell them!"

  Xiao Dou helplessly smiled bitterly and said: "Boss, it's not that serious, let alone the fact that we brothers don't talk about these formalities, even if we were to calculate, Boss you gave me that refining cauldron, isn't that worth more than 10,000 flying swords?"

  "Ten thousand flying swords!" Leng Han's expression was dazed as he said, "In the past, I could settle it with just one sentence, but now that's simply a luxury. Looking at my brothers taking iron swords and wearing iron armor to fight to the death, this old man's heart is in pain! In the past, I didn't think much of it, whoever didn't cultivate diligently would die, but after this battle, I realized the importance of brotherly love!"

  Xiao Dou looked at Leng Han Ming, who was once carefree and elegant, and felt a pang in her heart. She jumped up and down, arguing: "Boss, I..."

  "Little Bean!" Suddenly, Shuixian interrupted Little Bean's words and walked out with a gentle smile: "As your older sister, I won't allow you to go out and risk your life. Give up on that idea!"

  Leng Hanling also nodded and said: "That's right, you little kid can't go out now. It's too dangerous outside. I barely made it back alive. You don't have any equipment at all, just that useless lovesick bracelet is not enough to save your life. Those tens of meters high magical beasts! Without a powerful artifact in hand, going out there would be nothing but seeking death!"

  Shuixian walked over and patted Xiaodou's shoulder, chuckling: "Xiaodou, it's not like Young Master Leng said, after a few decades, when we've all used up the elixirs, your sister will still have some family assets left. At that time, I'll definitely let you soar to great heights, although it can't compare to Young Master Leng, but becoming a small leader renowned in Jiuhuashan is still possible!"

  Xiao Dou's inner monologue was filled with indignation: "This Shui Xian is really sinister, it seems that Leng Lao Da will fall into the trap this time. Hmm, poor Leng Lao Da... But I won't say anything, after all, this is also a good thing. I haven't wronged Leng Lao Da, yeah, let's just leave it at that!"

  The cold and gloomy voice suddenly brightened, then dimmed again as it said: "With Water Fairy as the first military strategist, you're really lucky, Xiao Dou. Alas... everything has changed, what should change has changed, what shouldn't change has also changed. Even that White Xiaofei you liked has changed. Change is good, let's all change!"

  Xiao Dou pulled Xiao Bo's neck and cried out: "What? Xiaofei has changed, what has she become? Has she become someone else's wife? Wa... I won't live anymore ~ Wuuu ~"

  Leng Han Ming frowned and said, "Nothing, but she met her fiancé, and I heard they got along well. Originally, the two were supposed to become dao companions after a hundred years of getting along, but now that this has happened, especially with the guardian aunt who had protected Xiaofei for hundreds of years being beheaded by someone... The most crucial thing is that Xiaofei saw it all! Hehe~ Little Dou, if you see Xiaofei again, you might not even recognize her. That aura of killing, those bloodstains, are more terrifying than my subordinates! She charged into the group of demonic beasts, one sword for each, and was practically invincible!"

  "Ah~" Xiaodou scratched her head, with a puzzled expression, saying: "That little girl who plays with toys all day killed someone? Hmm~ it's unimaginable, but I'm still very angry. If I see that fiancé of hers, I'll definitely take him down."

  Leng Han Ming shook his head and said, "You'd better not mess around. Xiaofei has changed in some ways, but her temper hasn't changed one bit. She still doesn't allow others to get hurt because of her, which is why she guards those sisters with her life. Besides, although you and her fiancé are both at the late stage of foundation building, you... anyway, you can't beat him even if you use all your might!"

  Xiaodou helplessly scratched his head and said: "Rotating eyes, since the last time I was still in the Qi refining period, I showed off to Xiaofei once, but after that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't use it again. It's really infuriating! No way, I must get rid of her fiancé! Xiaofei is my woman!"

  "Alright, you love her and have told her so. If fate permits, you two will be together in the future. For now, let's focus on our cultivation. Once we've reached the mid-stage of Core Formation, all 225 of us will listen to your guidance as a late-stage Core Formation cultivator. Then, we'll set out and conquer the world together! You'll become a successful man, and Xiaofei will look at you with newfound respect!"

  Looking at Xiao Dou, he still had a dissatisfied face. Han Leng gritted his teeth and said coldly: "You little stinker, having good water fairy help you is such a lucky thing, 225 mid-term Dan forming subordinates... no way! In the future, you little brat will be even more arrogant than me, really asking for a beating!"

  Seeing off the gloomy and cold humming, Shuixian pouted and said: "He won't let me catch him that easily, huh? Sigh... That would make me feel so unaccomplished. It's true, it would be more fun if it was a bit more challenging! Don't you think, Xiaodou?"

  "Not...!" Xiaodou's indignant voice trailed off: "Ah, what will happen to Lao Da in the future? Water Fairy, you'd better say something! What kind of scheme are you going to come up with for him?"

  "Shui Xian glared with big, round eyes and said: 'What do you mean I schemed against him? I've never made a move. Let me tell you the most important principle - if you want to always stand undefeated, then you must always endure and not make a move. Only by never making a move can you always stand undefeated!'"

  "Are you not going to make a move? How can that be, people say that as long as you confess, there's a 50% chance of success. Girls are meant to be chased!"

  "Half of the reason is that you failed, but if you learn from me, keep changing and strengthening yourself, and quietly guard her, one day there will be an opportunity to emerge, and when that time comes, it's your chance to win with a single blow, laugh to the end!"

  Xiao Dou smiled foolishly: "Shui Xian, you seem to be talking sense, huh? Alright, I'll quietly protect Xiao Fei, and then... how did it go again? Ah yes! Endure in silence until the last moment, and then strike with a sure win. Hehe, Xiao Fei will be mine!"

  "This principle I think you only understand half of it, the key is at the last moment, can you bear to be ruthless? If in the last moment you can't bring yourself to do it and don't make a move, then you will lose everything!"

  "You always underestimate me, just wait and see, in the end I'll snatch Xiaofei away from you! Yeah, you didn't expect Old Big to be so down on his luck!"

  "Alas, my young master," sighed the Water Immortal. "When you have time, read more books. In 500 years, a small cycle of war will come, and after this scene, we will face many more. Each time, half of the sect's people die, leaving behind a smaller group of elites with broader cultivation resources, allowing us to rise again. In such a perilous era, can't I care about him by planting a few moles?"

  "Ugh..." Xiao Dou smiled miserably: "Hmph... although it's unbearable, but this can't go on like this, whatever, as long as I protect the people around me, I don't care about others' lives! Alright, leave these troubles to you, I'm going back to study!"