Chapter 123: Master, I Am Not a Fool

Life since joining Ye Wuya had become colorful! Though it could be a bit dull at times, it was far better than being alone.

"Master, I'm not a child anymore. How about I marry you?"

Ye Wuya paused, then gave a faint, amused smile. "Silly girl!"

He said no more. Jiang Xiaoxiao was like a naive little girl, possessing a psychological age that did not match her appearance. Her twenty-year-old face hid the mind of an eleven- or twelve-year-old, a result of the long years of lonely life she had endured. Over these past days, she had set aside her initial awe of Ye Wuya, and her innocent, childlike side had slowly emerged.

After that sigh and the dismissal of the topic, Ye Wuya remained silent. She would understand in time. What did it mean to be a master? A master is like a father; Ye Wuya held onto these traditional, conservative values firmly. He might not be able to help Jiang Xiaoxiao with her cultivation for now, but he could guide her in the ways of the world. Otherwise, if she went out like this, she would surely be picked clean to the bone.

"Master, I'm not silly!" Jiang Xiaoxiao pouted, her voice filled with feigned indignation.

"Alright, alright! You're not silly. Let's save this topic for later!" Ye Wuya felt helpless. With a young girl just beginning to understand her own heart, one wrong word could easily bruise her spirit.

"When is 'later'?" Jiang Xiaoxiao pressed, unwilling to let it go. It seemed that if Ye Wuya did not give her a satisfactory answer, she would keep asking forever.

Ye Wuya thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, let's say when you reach the level of an Empress, that should be about right."

Ye Wuya had his own reasons. Becoming an Empress was no easy feat! In the last ten thousand years, there had only been the Demon Empress. Even the Blood Demon from six thousand years ago had not claimed the title of Emperor; how could it be so simple? Besides, by the time that happened, centuries or even millennia would have passed. Jiang Xiaoxiao would be grown up, and perhaps she would have long forgotten these words.

However, Ye Wuya did not realize that this casual remark would cause him no end of trouble in the future.

"Really?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked skeptically.

"Really!" Ye Wuya nodded. This silly girl—she took the bait so easily! Perhaps it was just a passing fancy.

"Master is the best! When I become a powerhouse on the level of an Empress, I will definitely work hard." Jiang Xiaoxiao made up her mind; she was determined to become an Empress! The first Empress in ten thousand years—that would be her!

Ye Wuya gave a bitter smile. What was this? Corrupting a minor? Or perhaps a "Project to Raise an Empress"? Would he end up with two Empresses in his sect? Xue Qing was already a Demon Empress; even if her cultivation was lacking, she held the title. Thinking of Xue Qing, then of Ye Ruyue and Ye Ruxue, Ye Wuya’s expression darkened.

That old man did not seem like a nameless nobody. Even in death, Ye Wuya could never forget his face. He had been living a happy life until that man appeared and shattered everything. He longed to tear him to pieces right then and there.

"Master, what's wrong?" Jiang Xiaoxiao noticed the change in Ye Wuya—the stillness, the coldness! An immense hatred swirled around him, accompanied by a murderous intent that reached for the heavens.

"Nothing, just thinking of some things." Ye Wuya calmed down. He could not command powerhouses on the level of the Nine Holy Lords, and he had no idea what those nine women thought of him now. He could not risk his life to venture into the Immortal Moon Sacred Land; he had to rely on himself. If his true identity were exposed, without the "Blood Demon" skin to hide in, Jiang Xiaoxiao might leave him too. Then he would truly be alone in every sense. After all, Xue Qing had already sensed that something was wrong with him; how could the wife of the Blood Demon not know? It was just that nothing had been brought into the open yet. Once it was, he would be facing the entire world.

Without Jiang Xiaoxiao as his shield, he might not even be able to enter the Azure Cloud Sect. After straightening these thoughts, Ye Wuya felt the crushing weight of his situation. He had to save Ye Ruyue and Ye Ruxue, find a way to win Xue Qing back, and constantly guard against his identity being unmasked. He was like a pawn on a massive chessboard, ready to be discarded at any moment.

The game looked like a dead end, yet it left him with many loopholes—as if it had been prepared specifically for him. All he could do now was survive this game until he had a chance to turn the tables.

He picked up another portion of breakfast, knowing it was meant for the Vice Sect Leader. He began to eat, having been biding his time; he would need his strength to keep up his act. He had scoured the Azure Cloud Sect’s scripture library and found nothing but ordinary cultivation methods. This meant he had yet to find the technique he truly needed. These traditional methods were useless; they could not control the "Source Qi" within him. This left Ye Wuya deeply frustrated.

He took a bite.

Eh?

Ye Wuya froze.

The taste! It was... wrong! There was no vast spiritual energy, no energy at all. Had he eaten the wrong thing? He took another bite to confirm his senses weren't failing him. It was just ordinary food! It lacked the refinement of the meals he usually ate.

He looked up at Jiang Xiaoxiao in confusion.

Jiang Xiaoxiao giggled and said, "Master, I got this from the Azure Cloud Sect's kitchen."

No wonder, Ye Wuya realized. If it came from the communal kitchen, it would be a far cry from what Jiang Xiaoxiao made herself.

"Is this what that guy eats every day?" Ye Wuya couldn't help but ask.

"Yup, yup! Hehe! He doesn't deserve to eat the food I cook." Jiang Xiaoxiao chuckled.

Seeing her like this, Ye Wuya sighed inwardly, "I never knew this girl held a grudge so well."

"When I wasn't out these past few days, did he eat this too?"

"Yes!" Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded innocently.

"And what about my food?" Ye Wuya asked.

"I fed it to Xiao Qing!" Jiang Xiaoxiao said.

"Who is Xiao Qing?" Ye Wuya asked, feeling a strange sensation in his heart.

"A little dog I adopted in the Azure Cloud Sect!" she blurted out.

Ye Wuya: "..."

The Vice Sect Leader: "..."

Feeding his food to a dog instead of giving it to him—just how deep was her grudge? Perhaps only Ye Wuya could receive such treatment.

He sighed and finished the meal in a few bites. Jiang Xiaoxiao dutifully cleared the plates away, then asked, "Master, why haven't we seen that guy today?"

Ye Wuya knew exactly who she meant—that freeloading Vice Sect Leader.