37: I don't like to smile.

Pervert?

Chen Qingxuan looked completely bewildered.

At this moment, Ji Li spoke up to explain: “I already told Qian You everything that happened. She knows that everything you did was to help her Bloodline Awaken."

"Mhm! Mhm!" Ji Qianyou nodded repeatedly in agreement, lifting her small face from Chen Qingxuan's arms. "Revered Master, Qian You didn't realize you were so good to me... I won't ever complain about you again."

...

Hearing this, Chen Qingxuan suddenly understood.

Feeling the sweet and soft little disciple in his arms, he couldn't help but smile.

But the next moment, he didn't forget that he still needed to continue 'courting death', so he wiped the smile off his face and looked at Ji Li, "Since that's the case..."

"Cough!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ji Li interrupted with a light cough.

Sensing that Chen Qingxuan wasn't willing to let the matter rest, she could only say, "Qian You now fully accepts you as her Revered Master. I presume you should be satisfied now?"

These words seemed to be about the master and disciple pair's relationship, but in reality, they were a reminder to Chen Qingxuan... not to go too far.

What else did he want?

To be honest, Chen Qingxuan certainly didn't have the guts to act presumptuously in front of a Demon Lord.

But if he didn't strike while the iron was hot tonight, making Ji Li afraid to easily regard him as an ant she could trample on, then his future situation would remain grim.

So, after taking a deep breath, Chen Qingxuan stood up and said, "Apologize!"

"You..."

Hearing this, Ji Li immediately frowned in displeasure.

Ji Qianyou blinked her long eyelashes. "Revered Master, what's wrong with you two?"

"Qian You, go back and rest first. Your Revered Master has something to discuss with your mother," Chen Qingxuan said, lovingly stroking the little girl's head.

"Emm... okay!"

Ji Qianyou looked at Chen Qingxuan, then at her speechless mother, clearly sensing the unpleasant atmosphere.

But in the end, she obediently returned to the Sleeping Hall.

After her daughter left.

Ji Li's pair of crystal-red Phoenix eyes stared at the man before her. "Haven't you made enough trouble?"

"Heh~ You make it sound like I'm the one who's wrong." Chen Qingxuan was unconcerned, meeting her gaze with righteous indignation. "My demand is simple: either kill me—consider it my mistake for trusting you—or apologize to me. Otherwise, even if an immortal comes, I will leave the Demon Emperor Palace. I mean it!"

...

Ji Li clenched her pink fists in anger, her Phoenix eyes flickering with fury.

This is outrageous!

How dare he speak to her in such a tone... Who does he think she is?

If an outsider saw this scene, their jaw would drop. Even if Ji Li wasn't someone who treated human life like grass, she was still a Demon Lord who dominated a region.

For her to be lectured by a young man inferior to her in strength, age, and experience—wasn't this unprecedented?

If it were anyone else, Ji Li would have struck already.

But Chen Qingxuan... truly made her feel the helplessness of having all the skills to flirt, but being the one who was being flirted with.

Perhaps it was the hope that Chen Qingxuan could help her daughter better develop the Demon Emperor Bloodline in the future, or perhaps it was Chen Qingxuan's superb acting that tricked her into feeling guilty... Regardless, Ji Li couldn't bring herself to strike.

"I admit, stepping on you was indeed inappropriate..." Ji Li closed her eyes, inhaled, and was about to speak to ease the tension.

"I don't care at all whether you step on me or not. Even if you said you wanted to step on me right now... I'd willingly lie down for you to step on," Chen Qingxuan declared loudly. "You can even stuff it in my mouth!"

"?

Ji Li thought she had misheard.

But before she could speak, Chen Qingxuan continued, "What truly makes me angry is that you suspected I would harm Qian You. I am her Revered Master, after all... I absolutely cannot stand it when people doubt my character."

...

Character... Ji Li's mouth twitched violently upon hearing this.

Her instinct told her to refute that Chen Qingxuan had no character, but the latter's appearance of having suffered extreme injustice... made her swallow the words she was about to speak.

She didn't want the situation to escalate further.

"I have never apologized, and I won't!" After a brief silence, Ji Li gritted her teeth and said, "This Lord will, at most, give you some Spiritual Objects as compensation... Either you accept this and stop, or this Lord will simply imprison you. You kept saying you wanted to help Qian You grow. Now she has accepted you as her Revered Master... Shouldn't you be happy?"

Ji Li raised her hand and tossed out a handful of Spiritual Objects.

It looked like she was throwing trash, but in reality, every Spiritual Plant was over a thousand years old, worth an astronomical fortune!

It was clear that while she was verbally uncompromising, she was utterly generous in her actions—or rather, this was also a form of acknowledgment for Chen Qingxuan.

Feeling the dense Spiritual Qi, it would be a lie to say Chen Qingxuan wasn't tempted. Some Spiritual Objects couldn't even be bought with money.

It must be said, this widow was truly generous with her wealth!

"Hmph!"

Since things had reached this point, Chen Qingxuan took the hint, snorted, and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment."

"I'm returning to the Sleeping Hall to rest."

...

Sleeping Hall... Ji Li's eyes lit up when she heard this.

But the next moment, she still said, "I have one more thing I want to ask you."

"What is it?" Chen Qingxuan turned around indifferently.

Ji Li took two steps forward. "Qian You said you pressed her hand onto something earlier... What was it?"

Gulp~

Chen Qingxuan nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

But quickly, he regained his composure. "The contract of indenture... as long as she signs the contract of indenture... she will be mine from now on... the kind that can never escape for life."

Ji Li was speechless. "I'm not joking with you."

"I'm not joking either. I'm telling the truth. The day I entered the Demon Emperor Palace, I stayed for this very purpose."

Chen Qingxuan confessed boldly.

Having said that, he swaggered away with the Spiritual Objects.

"Tch~"

Ji Li was so angry she laughed.

The contract of indenture?

She had long since checked her daughter's body. Apart from gaining a purer Demonic Power after the Demon Emperor Bloodline Awakening, there was absolutely no trace of any secret technique.

Besides, what use was a contract of indenture in the face of strength?

In Ji Li's opinion, there was no such thing as a contract of indenture; it was just an excuse Chen Qingxuan used to deliberately provoke her.

But to come up with such an excuse... was quite childish.

He couldn't possibly think she would believe him, right?

...The next day.

When Chen Qingxuan arrived at the back garden, Ji Qianyou had already entered Cultivation as usual.

Ji Li was also there.

But today, she didn't 'dare' to wake him, perhaps afraid that Chen Qingxuan would find an excuse to throw a tantrum.

It must be said that Chen Qingxuan's series of death-courting actions indeed achieved the desired effect.

Unlike before, Ji Li was not quietly watching her daughter Cultivate from one spot. Instead, she was setting up a barrier in this spacious back garden.

After all, the Demonic Power of the Demon Emperor Bloodline was different from the ordinary Yao Race's Profound Power. If she wanted to prevent the Demon Emperor Bloodline from being exposed, she naturally had to ensure that the Cultivation Qi did not leak out.

"Revered Master!"

Ji Qianyou cheerfully raised her small hand to greet him, several times more affectionate toward Chen Qingxuan than before.

Chen Qingxuan walked over with a smile. "Qian You, your Revered Master wants to know what motivation allows you to Cultivate so diligently and hard?"

"To kill all the Human Race under heaven!"

Ji Qianyou stated powerfully.

After speaking, she tilted her head, blinked at Chen Qingxuan, and asked, "Revered Master, why aren't you smiling?"

"Your Revered Master doesn't like to smile."