With a single sentence, the awkwardness that Lu Xingzhou and Jiang Yuan had deliberately avoided was brought to light, and the false “nothing happened” bubble they maintained was instantly burst.

Jiang Yuan’s face burned, and she immediately jumped up, “That was because I was ensnared! It was an accident!”

Dugu Qingli nodded silently, “I’m familiar with this situation.”

Jiang Yuan was furious, “How can you compare me to you!”

Dugu Qingli thought, *You’re even stealing my lines, what else is different about us?* But after a quick calculation, she realized that lines aren’t exclusive to anyone, so her thought seemed unreasonable. She changed her reply, “You’re not entirely wrong, after all, I wasn’t… *selling myself* before that.”

Jiang Yuan stomped her foot, “I, Jiang Yuan, am not unwanted! Unless I’m *gored by a pig*, I wouldn’t fight over a man like you! I’m warning you, don’t tell anyone about this accident, so it doesn’t affect my future prospects!”

Dugu Qingli eyed her suspiciously, analyzing the truthfulness of her words. If she really wasn’t going to fight for him, who would go around spreading rumors? *Just go as far away as possible, okay?*

Meanwhile, Lu Xingzhou hesitated to speak. Firstly, you really *were* gored by a pig… Secondly, you’ll actually have a hard time finding a partner, at least in Daqian. Everyone in Daqian knows that Lu Xingzhou and Jiang Yuan had a marriage proposal. If it were in the past, it would be one thing, but with Lu Xingzhou’s current status of “power over the world,” who would dare to contend with Marquis Lu for a woman? No one would risk guessing whether there were still lingering feelings between the two.

If the Tianshuang Kingdom and the Demon Realm knew about this, Jiang Yuan probably wouldn’t find a partner even abroad. With Lu Xingzhou’s standing in the Tianshuang Kingdom and the Demon Realm, no one would dare to compete. For now, it might still be possible, assuming people abroad aren’t too clear about the situation.

Additionally, opposing factions might try something. Thinking of this, Lu Xingzhou suddenly felt a little uneasy. If some opposing faction deliberately tried to pursue Jiang Yuan, given her silly desire to distance herself from him, would she be easily deceived? The thought of that scenario brought a hint of gloom to his eyes.

Dugu Qingli sensed it keenly and turned to look at Lu Xingzhou. It was strange; Lu Xingzhou hadn’t been this gloomy in a long time. How did these conversations make him so dark? The little white-haired girl, a bit worried, reached out and took Lu Xingzhou’s hand.

Feeling the cool touch of her delicate hand, Lu Xingzhou snapped back to reality and gave a self-deprecating smile. “If Miss Jiang is unwilling to speak, then so be it. I suppose Miss Jiang wouldn’t dare to act rashly without Grand Master Jiang’s permission… Next time we return to the capital, I will discuss this with Grand Master Jiang.”

Jiang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly, exactly, that’s it. Go ask my grandfather.”

“Also…” Lu Xingzhou paused, his tone shifting slightly. “This Lu is willing to help Miss Jiang find something because we fought side by side this time, and I want to compensate you for your lack of gains. The Imperial Blood that Miss Jiang mentioned, looking across both realms, there shouldn’t be a higher-grade treasure. It exceeds the bounds of compensation.”

Jiang Yuan mumbled, “I was just saying that; what I actually meant was that you don’t need to put on a show.”

Lu Xingzhou said, “But if Miss Jiang, as a collaborator, wishes for my help in finding something, we can discuss some conditions.”

Jiang Yuan waved her hand weakly, “Forget it, you. I was just saying, I didn’t expect anyone to find it, so what’s there to talk about?”

Lu Xingzhou asked, “What if I have a clue? Or something similar?”

Jiang Yuan scoffed, “You wouldn’t even know what Imperial Blood is if I didn’t tell you, and now you suddenly have a clue? A man’s mouth truly is a deceitful ghost.”

Lu Xingzhou blinked. “What if I really do?”

Jiang Yuan waved her small hand. “Then you can name any condition you want!”

The words caught in her throat before they were fully out, as she stared blankly at Lu Xingzhou pulling out a piece of blood encased in ice. The blood swirled within the ice, appearing to be alive. Jiang Yuan slowly opened her small mouth, her peach-blossom eyes revealing extreme shock and longing. Her little heart pounded so loudly that Dugu Qingli could hear it.

Lu Xingzhou observed her expression. “You recognize it?”

“R-recognize it.” Jiang Yuan stammered, “How… how do you have this…?”

This blood was actually also from the Bingyu Sect. Ling Qixuan didn’t recognize its use at the time and casually gave it to Lu Xingzhou as a favor. The power contained within the blood was definitely beyond the super-grade, but it was certainly far from the so-called Imperial Blood; it couldn’t be Imperial Blood. But Lu Xingzhou thought there might be some connection, and sure enough, taking it out completely stunned Jiang Yuan.

“Don’t tell me this is Imperial Blood?”

“N-no, it’s not.” Jiang Yuan’s mouth felt a little dry. “Although it’s not Imperial Blood, it’s from the generations very closely related to Imperial Blood… Where on earth did you get it?”

“So it’s useful to you?”

“Yes, very useful.” Jiang Yuan looked up, her eyes holding a pitiful plea. “Can I have this?”

Dugu Qingli: “…And you still say you’re not a beggar.”

Jiang Yuan sniffled, not daring to retort. She wanted this too much. She had casually mentioned the almost impossible condition of Imperial Blood, and she never imagined Lu Xingzhou would actually produce something like this. Honestly, even if there really was Imperial Blood, she might not be able to absorb it for her current cultivation and could only watch. In contrast, this diluted version from a few generations later was like a divine gift to her now, perfectly manageable.

Lu Xingzhou said, “You said I could name any condition?”

Jiang Yuan subconsciously clutched her collar, stepping back warily.

Lu Xingzhou looked her up and down, then scoffed, “Give it a rest. I didn’t want you even when you threw yourself at me.”

Jiang Yuan was indignant but dared not speak, forcing a smile, “Yes, yes, Marquis Lu has countless beauties by his side, how could he fancy a beggar. What conditions does Marquis Lu have? Do you want to know about the ancient realm? Should I tell you now?”

Dugu Qingli: “…”

Lu Xingzhou wanted to laugh, but he deliberately kept a straight face. “That would be too difficult for you. I already said I’d ask your grandfather.”

Jiang Yuan swallowed her anger. “Actually, I can decide.”

“Because you’re a little princess?”

Jiang Yuan smiled apologetically, not answering, while secretly calculating if she could beat the two of them.

“I heard you and Chu Yun are good friends?”

“Yes, yes, Yun’er and I are very close. Marquis, for Yun’er’s sake…”

Lu Xingzhou didn’t think Pei Chuyun would genuinely be that good of a friend to her. He said, “Do you know that Chu Yun once served as my maid?”

“Ah?”

“Serve as my guard for one year, and this is yours.”

Jiang Yuan gritted her silver teeth, making a clacking sound. “My Jiang family members do not serve beneath others!”

“But you still want to find a partner, so you’ll be beneath someone sooner or later.”

Jiang Yuan: “?”

Dugu Qingli finally understood the source of Lu Xingzhou’s behavior; he was actually jealous. And he still claimed he wasn’t a “selling-himself” third party. Sometimes she felt Jiang Yuan was quite unlucky. This blood was also from the Bingyu Sect. If Ling Qixuan hadn’t generously given it to Lu Xingzhou, it would now be in this treasure trove, distributed to Jiang Yuan as a matter of course. But Ling Qixuan gave it away, so the blood was no longer part of the Bingyu Sect’s spoils but Lu Xingzhou’s… and now this smelly man was using it to manipulate her. So tragic.

Thinking of this, the little white-haired girl squeezed Lu Xingzhou’s hand, unsure if she was pitying the foolish Jiang or if she herself was jealous.

Feeling the little white-haired girl’s jealousy, Lu Xingzhou finally sighed and directly handed the blood to Jiang Yuan. “Alright, just take it for now… If you won’t serve beneath others, then as a collaborator, protect me under my command for a year. That should be acceptable, right?”

“Ah?” Jiang Yuan held the ice block, dumbfounded. This condition was certainly acceptable, but shouldn’t the item be given *after* completion? If you give it now, and I don’t fulfill my part, wouldn’t you suffer a huge loss? Actually, Jiang Yuan didn’t even think her “protection” was worth this price. She had seen Lu Xingzhou’s strength; he wasn’t inferior to her at all, and beside him was a stinky white-haired person who could demonize at any time, equally terrifyingly strong. Outside, on the wheelchair, sat a Yan Jun who could bounce around in front of the Wu Xiang Ice Demon… Where would he need her “protection”? And the price offered was so priceless. No, “priceless” wasn’t enough to describe it; this was something that could drive the ancient realm wild.

Lu Xingzhou sighed, “Just think of it as me believing your current strength isn’t enough, so I’m helping you improve it first. Alright, alright, it’s getting dark, let’s go rest.” After speaking, he pulled Dugu Qingli and left, as if not wanting to talk more with Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan held the ice block, watching his retreating figure. Her peach-blossom eyes gradually showed a hint of complexity, and she bit her lower lip.

Dugu Qingli walked hand-in-hand with Lu Xingzhou towards the Bingyu Sect guesthouse, silent all the way, seemingly admiring the night view of the Bingyu Sect. On both sides of the mountain path were ice-cold flowers, crystal clear and white, blooming under the moon, faintly shrouded in ice mist, truly beautiful.

Lu Xingzhou casually plucked one and handed it to Dugu Qingli, carefully saying, “My apologies, don’t be angry.”

Dugu Qingli looked expressionless. “What sin have you committed?”

Lu Xingzhou cautiously replied, “I shouldn’t have been so greedy and thought about Jiang Yuan again.”

Dugu Qingli said, “Greedy isn’t quite right… It’s just that you did it in front of me, and I wasn’t happy.”

Lu Xingzhou also turned to look at her. The young girl lowered her head, gently sniffing the ice-cold flower, a scene worthy of a painting. Seeing Lu Xingzhou looking at her, Dugu Qingli added, “But when I squeezed you, you immediately gave up, and I became very happy again.”

Lu Xingzhou scratched his head.

“Lu Xingzhou…”

“Hmm?”

“I used to not understand why men and women would give each other the reproductive organs of plants; such a vulgar implication was somehow considered beautiful.”

Lu Xingzhou: “?” *No, how did that become a vulgar implication? How did you analyze the data?*

Then Dugu Qingli continued, “But when you picked a flower and gave it to me, my heart also pounded… and so I understood that men and women in the world all feel this way.”

Lu Xingzhou reached out to touch her head, but he raised his hand and then felt too embarrassed.

“Because a man says one thing and she’s unhappy, says another and she’s happy, and casually picks a flower and she’s joyful…” Dugu Qingli whispered, “They say the heart of cultivation should be like the moon reflecting in a cold river, without ripples. I used to think, ‘What’s so special about that? Aren’t people born that way?’ Now I know, it’s really different. It turns out a person’s emotions truly can be completely out of their own control.”

Lu Xingzhou remained silent.

“I now somewhat understand Aunt Fuyao’s madness. She felt that her heart was swayed by a man’s words, and that this was unacceptable… Caught between a rock and a hard place, she made regrettable choices, and in the end, couldn’t go back, only left with regret.”

“What about you?” Lu Xingzhou finally asked, “How will you choose?”

Dugu Qingli stopped, turned to look at Lu Xingzhou, her blue eyes clear and pure. “If the cold river were personified, when the moon appears, the ice and snow would glow, and when the moon hides, the world would darken. So-called emotions moving with a person are nothing more than that. But Lu Xingzhou, can you become the moon that reflects eternally upon the cold river?”

On a distant cliff, Yuan Muyu sat in a wheelchair, gazing at the moon from the cliff edge. The soft voices of the young man and woman drifted into her ears. Yuan Muyu looked at the moonlight, silent for a long time.