Chapter 17: I Will Never Hurt You

The Xia Emperor, Di Hao, and the others watched helplessly as the immortal fruits and wines on the table that Lü Dongbin had slapped flew off.

You, Lü Dongbin, are after all a renowned powerhouse in the Three Realms, revered as 'Patriarch Lü' by countless sects across the three thousand great worlds and billions of minor worlds. Is it really necessary to get so excited over the love affair of two little Wanxiang Realms? At most, treat it as a bit of amusement—why be so stirred?

Yet they all understood that this was Lü Dongbin's nature: he delighted in mingling with the mortal world, took pleasure in it, cared about the romances of insignificant people, and often played the role of matchmaker.

…

The group from the Black-White College on the imperial city square had long been extremely tense, staring at the huge Moon and Water Landscape Painting high in the sky.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, hurry, hurry! Ah, yes, yes, kill them!" Mu Zishuo urged anxiously, watching the already frenzied Ji Ning within the painting.

"Hurry, hurry." The Mad Immortal also watched anxiously, only relaxing at the very end. "Fortunately, that Xiamang Qi is just a Wanxiang Realms cultivator. No matter how powerful his 'Ten Thousand Poison Stingers' are, they can be suppressed with some pills—at least for a short while, he'll be fine."

"What!"

Mu Zishuo, Little Qing, the Whitewater Hound, the Mad Immortal, Cangjiang Zhenren, Beishan Baiwei, and the others were all stunned.

Because...

Ji Ning and Yu Wei were actually embracing!

"This, this, this..." Mu Zishuo stammered.

"Master and Miss Yu Wei..." Little Qing was also astonished.

Beishan Baiwei was the first to react, laughing and slapping his thigh: "My brother Ji Ning is truly remarkable. The test of the Moon and Water Landscape Painting at the Immortal Destiny Convention has let him win the beauty."

"Mm." The Mad Immortal soon shook his head with great satisfaction. "Our Black-White College will have a beautiful tale to tell!"

…

Jiuyou, however, watched silently. At that moment, she felt as if heaven and earth had gone still.

"He ended up with his senior apprentice-sister after all."

"That's right."

"I am I, and he is he! But should I wish for them to stay together forever and always be happy, or should I hope they separate as well?" Jiuyou wanted to offer blessings, but when she searched her heart... deep down, she still harbored a faint hope, a hope that Ji Ning and Yu Wei would also part.

Jiuyou was a cultivator who had awakened to her true heart. She immediately examined her inner self and silently said: "The tribulation of love is hard to overcome. Although I have awakened to my true heart, looking at Ji Ning always stirs ripples in my heart lake. If I want to go further on the path of immortality, I must never see him again."

"It's good for him, and good for me." Jiuyou made her decision: after the Immortal Destiny Convention ended, she would return to the Dongyan clan and, unless absolutely necessary, never meet him again.

The Dongyan Patriarch, standing beside and slightly behind, noticed Jiuyou's gaze.

It was a gaze of resolve!

The Dongyan Patriarch gently shook his head. Ji Ning and Jiuyou reaching this point was not the outcome he had hoped for, but this was Jiuyou's choice from her true heart, and he would not interfere.

…

Inside the Moon and Water Landscape Painting.

Yu Wei also held Ji Ning tightly. She felt the warmth of his body and a sense of fulfillment and happiness. How long had it been since she last felt such happiness? Too long. In both her past and present lives, she had only experienced brief happiness in childhood. Now she had it again, and tears streamed down her face.

She moved, holding Ji Ning even tighter.

Her mind involuntarily recalled the terrifying existence from her past life, making her tremble. Yu Wei bit her lip until it bled and silently vowed: "I swear, even if my soul is scattered, I will never hurt you. Never!"

Having made this inner decision, Yu Wei felt relieved. Having prepared herself to have her soul scattered for Ji Ning, the knot in her heart dissolved.

"My man." A smile appeared on Yu Wei's face.

Ji Ning held Yu Wei, breathing in her natural fragrance. The fine hairs on her neck brushed against his cheek. Ji Ning felt an unprecedented peace of mind, a calm he hadn't felt in a long time. He could sense that the woman before him was very close to his heart, as if they were one.

"From now on," Ji Ning whispered softly in Yu Wei's ear, as if making a vow, "Yu Wei, you are my woman."

"And you are mine." Yu Wei also whispered.

Both felt each other's intentions.

You would die for me.

I would die for you.

On the path of immortality ahead, we will walk together, never to part.

"Yu Wei." Ji Ning released her and looked at her ashen, darkened complexion. He quickly asked, "The poison you've been hit with?"

"The toxin of the Ten Thousand Poison Stingers is peculiar." Yu Wei gently shook her head. "The elixirs I have can only suppress it for an hour or two. To neutralize this strange poison, I need either a rare immortal pill that can cure countless poisons or a specially formulated antidote. There's no way to do it within the world of the Moon and Water Landscape Painting. I have to get out."

Ji Ning gritted his teeth. Yu Wei was so close to passing the trial, but now she had to leave. If the poison wasn't neutralized and broke out, she would die.

"Alright, don't be reluctant." Yu Wei smiled, looking at Ji Ning with eyes full of happiness. "Actually, winning you is better than any reward from the Immortal Destiny Convention."

"Mm." Although Ji Ning wanted to spend more time with Yu Wei, he still urged, "You need to get the poison treated quickly. This toxin won't be easy to remove."

"This is the Grand Xia imperial capital, and many experts from outside have gathered. Removing the poison won't be hard." Yu Wei nodded. "Take these talismans."

Whoosh.

Instantly, a large number of talismans appeared around them.

Yu Wei looked at Ji Ning.

"Hum—" An invisible force descended, directly teleporting Yu Wei away.

Ji Ning collected the talismans. In fact, the talismans he had obtained from killing Xiamang Qi and Feixue Zhenren were enough for both him and Yu Wei to pass the trial. But Yu Wei had been poisoned by the Ten Thousand Poison Stingers and had to leave to get treatment.

Swoosh!

Ji Ning immediately took a step and vanished in a streak of light.

…

Main Hall of the Heavenly Immortal Palace.

The nine Pure Yang True Immortals were all watching the Moon and Water Landscape Painting.

"Yu Wei is about to come out. Xiamang, teleport her over here." Lü Dongbin quickly said.

The Xia Emperor, seated high on his throne, simply smiled.

Whoosh.

A black-clad girl, over 1.7 meters tall by Earth's standards, with skin as smooth as white jade, appeared in the main hall of the Heavenly Immortal Palace, right next to the nine Pure Yang True Immortals.

"Hm?" Yu Wei was stunned when she saw her surroundings.

The Xia Emperor sitting high above, the other Pure Yang True Immortals—their auras, not deliberately restrained but naturally emanating, made Yu Wei feel terrified. In her past life, she had seen Celestial Immortals, more than one. The beings before her gave her an overwhelming sense of power, far beyond Celestial Immortals.

Yu Wei glanced behind her; the nearly thousand Celestial Immortals there also had astonishing auras.

"Disciple of the Black-White College, Yu Wei, pays respects to Your Majesty." Yu Wei immediately knelt, extremely reverent.

"Quite clever." The Xia Emperor praised with a smile. "Rise."

Lü Dongbin, however, looked at Yu Wei with great interest. In truth, the other eight Pure Yang True Immortals present had no regard for Yu Wei—a mere reincarnated female immortal. Only Lü Dongbin was interested in her.

"Little girl." Lü Dongbin directly tossed a wine flagon toward Yu Wei.

Yu Wei caught it, her eyes full of confusion.

"Drink it." Lü Dongbin ordered directly.

Yu Wei looked at the flagon in her hand. Though uneasy, she knew she couldn't refuse. She immediately lifted the flagon and drank, tilting her head back and gulping. As she did, her neck, which had been somewhat ashen, began to change color, rapidly turning white. In just a moment, Yu Wei transformed from a 'gray girl' into a 'white girl.'

"My poison?" Yu Wei was astonished. The poison in her body was no ordinary thing, yet drinking wine had cured it.

"Little girl, the immortal brew you drank is no ordinary thing. It's a secret vintage of the Xia Emperor, not easily brought out. Even ordinary Celestial Immortals rarely get to taste it. This was specially given to Lü Dongbin by the Xia Emperor." The Northern Earth Immortal Elder said with a chuckle.

Yu Wei immediately knelt to express her gratitude.

"No need. Just a flagon of wine." Lü Dongbin said nonchalantly. "Alright, you may leave."

"Leave?" Yu Wei looked at the vast Heavenly Immortal Palace, with nearly a thousand Celestial Immortals behind her... Nearly a thousand might not sound like many, but seated in two rows, they stretched far into the distance.

Yu Wei didn't know where to go.

"Go sit beside King Yan." The Xia Emperor commanded.

"Yes." Yu Wei breathed a sigh of relief. With a quick glance, she spotted Yuchi Xiyue behind King Yan.

…

With a troubled mind, Yu Wei walked to behind King Yan and sat down cross-legged, close to Yuchi Xiyue. The Celestial Immortals present all watched the black-clad girl; they had seen Lü Dongbin gift her a flagon of wine. These Celestial Immortals naturally knew of the famous Lü Dongbin from the Three Realms, but almost none of them had ever spoken with him.

"Who is this girl, to be able to converse with Patriarch Lü?"

"I don't know."

"She should be from the Black-White College. That Ji Ning is from the Black-White College."

The Celestial Immortals discussed among themselves.

Yu Wei sat behind King Yan, close to Yuchi Xiyue.

"Yu Wei, you're amazing!" Yuchi Xiyue transmitted excitedly. "You actually got to talk to Patriarch Lü. My grandfather never even spoke with him."

"Mm." Yu Wei was still in shock.

In her past life, she had heard of Lü Dongbin, a famous powerhouse of the Three Realms.

"By the way, have you and Ji Ning pledged your love?" The commandery princess Xiyue's eyes lit up. As Ji Ning's cousin, how could she not care about her younger brother's lifelong matter?

Yu Wei blushed slightly but still nodded and transmitted: "Mm." However, she was also a bit worried, because rumors said that Commandery Princess Xiyue was very fond of Ji Ning. That was why, when Ji Ning first arrived at the Grand Xia imperial capital, Xiyue had taken him to the Yan King's manor, and it was because of her that King Yan had treated him so well!

A mere genius—what status did King Yan have? If not for Commandery Princess Xiyue, would he have specially assigned golden-armored guards to protect Ji Ning?

Surely Commandery Princess Xiyue had taken a liking to Ji Ning! Everyone guessed so, and many in the Black-White College thought the same. Yu Wei also guessed so.

"Does Commandery Princess Xiyue also like Ji Ning? Will she be unhappy?" Yu Wei worried.

"Wonderful!" Commandery Princess Xiyue transmitted excitedly. "Yu Wei, you must treat Ji Ning well, and have children as soon as possible."

…