Wine and women have actually reduced him to such a wretched state; from today onward, he swears off alcohol

Su Ji realized immediately that his words had struck a chord.

He wasted no time pressing his advantage.

"I thought I was merely a passing traveler on your long journey to immortality, a burden you could discard at any moment!"

"That you were only helping me because I coerced you against your will."

"I never imagined I held such an important place in your heart!"

"I deserve to die! I should be struck down by lightning!"

Su Jiu: "..."

This guy... truly, no ivory could ever come from a dog's mouth!

She raised her foot in anger, ready to kick Su Ji.

But just as her toe lifted, she suddenly remembered something. She froze, then slowly lowered her foot.

Su Jiu's gaze fell upon Su Ji's still-pale face.

She reached out and gently placed her hand over Su Ji's dantian.

A stream of pure spiritual energy probed inside.

Su Ji: ???

What's this? Is she actually checking my spirit roots?

Fortunately.

He had a clear conscience.

He had simply been too exhausted yesterday and slept like the dead.

The next moment, Su Jiu's expression changed drastically.

"Your Dao Foundation..."

Her voice trembled with a trace of disbelief.

"It cracked?"

Su Ji's body stiffened slightly.

He hadn't expected Su Jiu to inspect his injuries so directly.

Su Ji nodded.

"Yeah, it shattered."

So what if the Dao Foundation shattered?

What was the fuss?

Since Su Ji dared to play this risky game, he naturally possessed a method of restoration from the Night King's inheritance.

Su Jiu's fingertips began to tremble uncontrollably.

She looked up, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was heartache, there was lingering fear.

But more than that, there was an unspeakable self-reproach.

She had... actually lost her temper with Su Ji earlier...

She had even wanted to kick him...

For a moment, the room fell into silence once more.

Seeing Su Jiu on the verge of tears, Su Ji thought to himself, "Great opportunity."

He turned his hand over to clasp hers, which was still pressing on his dantian, and slowly pulled it up to his chest.

A weak yet gentle smile appeared on Su Ji's face.

"I was being beaten back steadily by him. But then I thought, if I died there, wouldn't I never see my Junior Sister again?"

"So, I just decided to blow myself up along with that bullshit City Lord."

Su Jiu's heart trembled violently.

Looking into Su Ji's sincere eyes and hearing his deeply affectionate words, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Just as her spirit wavered and she was about to completely surrender to the moment.

Su Ji's hand started rubbing the back of her hand naughtily.

He leaned close to Su Jiu's ear, lowering his voice to an ambiguous whisper meant only for the two of them.

"I just don't know... how do you plan to compensate me for this injury, Junior Sister?"

"How about... you don't leave tonight?"

The emotion and guilt Su Jiu had just felt were instantly replaced by a towering wave of embarrassment and indignation.

This guy!

He really is still that same despicable Su Ji!

Su Jiu's newly arisen guilt vanished in a puff of smoke.

She yanked her hand back, her face flushing crimson. She glared at the face inches from hers, nearly grinding her silver teeth to dust.

Su Jiu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to kick Su Ji into the stratosphere.

Wait.

Su Jiu's mind spun rapidly.

Based on her understanding of Su Ji, although he never spoke seriously, he was terrified of death.

If his Dao Foundation were truly shattered beyond repair, he would be hugging her thigh right now, snot and tears flowing, crying and begging for a cure.

How would he have the mind to take advantage of her here?

Unless...

The mist in Su Jiu's eyes cleared, replaced by clarity.

"So, Senior Brother, you have a way to repair your Dao Foundation yourself, don't you?"

Su Ji's smile stiffened slightly.

He immediately dodged the question, his face switching to an expression of tragic reminiscence, his tone heavy.

"Junior Sister, you have no idea how tragic it was! I held the resolve to die!"

"I thought then, if I could just see you one last time, death would be worth it!"

Su Jiu didn't buy it at all and interrupted him directly.

"What herbs do you need? How long will it take to recover?"

Seeing his attempt to be sentimental fail, Su Ji immediately switched to a beaming, animated expression.

"How could I let him have his way?"

"Let me tell you, I soared into the nine heavens, viewing that Lord Anyang as nothing but an ant! I let out a cold snort, stood with my hands behind my back, and felt that this world wasn't big enough to contain even half of Su Ji!"

Su Ji got more excited as he spoke.

"I thought then, heaven will not tolerate this villain! So, with a voice like a great bell, I shouted at the scoundrel!"

"With your three-foot puny life..."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

Su Jiu couldn't stand listening to Su Ji spitting everywhere as he rambled on.

She walked to the table, grabbed a handful of the purple-skinned grapes the maidens hadn't finished feeding him that morning, marched over to Su Ji, and stuffed them right into his open mouth just as he was about to speak.

Su Ji's chatter came to an abrupt halt, his mouth stuffed full.

He instinctively chewed a couple of times, the sweet and sour juice exploding in his mouth.

Su Jiu watched his comical appearance with bulging cheeks. Her anger dissipated significantly, though her face remained stern.

Su Ji swallowed the grapes in a few gulps and spoke bluntly.

"Delicious."

A "kind" smile suddenly bloomed on Su Jiu's face—a smile that made Su Ji's hair stand on end.

"Then shall I continue feeding you, Senior Brother?"

There's a trap.

Su Ji instantly judged there was a pitfall here.

But as the saying goes, knowing there are tigers on the mountain, one still goes to the mountain.

If one does not enter the tiger's den, how can one get the tiger's cub?

What if Junior Sister has thought things through and wants to feed me with her mouth?

This risk was worth taking!

Thus, instead of showing any wariness, Su Ji wore an expression of pleasantly surprised shock. He lay back down on the soft bed behind him without hesitation: "That would be wonderful!"

He lay sprawled out, even patting the empty space beside him, winking at Su Jiu.

"Come, Junior Sister, your Senior Brother is ready."

Su Jiu looked at his shameless, dead-pig-doesn't-fear-boiling-water demeanor, her smile becoming increasingly "gentle."

She moved with lotus steps to the bedside.

Su Ji closed his eyes, full of anticipation.

However, what he received was not the soft, warm little hand he imagined.

Instead, it was something cool, smooth, and carrying a faint fragrance...

Su Ji's eyes snapped open.

A slender ankle, the arch of the foot curving beautifully.

Each toe looked as if carved from the finest white jade, tinged with a soft pink.

Su Ji's breath hitched.

Su Jiu looked down at him from above, her cold eyes now filled with the thrill of revenge.

She gripped a plump purple grape... with her toes.

Then, under Su Ji's stunned gaze, she slowly brought the grape toward his mouth.

"Senior Brother, open up."

Her voice was sickeningly sweet.

Su Ji's brain went "buzz."

He swore that in all his years, adding up both his lives, he had never seen such a magnificent thing...

Seeing Su Jiu's provocative look, Su Ji felt not a shred of anger at the intended humiliation. Instead, an unprecedented competitive spirit was kindled within him.

He was Su Ji. What sort of scenes hadn't he witnessed before?

In the very next moment, he actually opened his mouth.

Su Ji bit down.

He closed his eyes, savoring the taste with great care.

Hmm...

This grape seemed even sweeter than the last one.

It even carried an... indescribable, delicate fragrance.

He ate with relish, even deliberately making a satisfied smacking sound with his lips.

The smile on Su Jiu's face froze.

She had originally intended to use this method to humiliate him...

But he... how could he...

Why did he look like he was actually enjoying it?

Seeing Su Ji look as though he still hadn't had enough, Su Jiu felt a rush of heat surge from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head. Her entire face instantly turned so red it looked as if it might bleed.

A mix of emotions intertwined, leaving her mind completely blank.

She yanked her foot back abruptly and jumped off the bed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She pointed a trembling finger at Su Ji for a long moment, unable to squeeze out a single word.

Su Ji sat up in bed, wearing an expression of endless reminiscence.

"Junior Sister, don't go. I haven't had enough yet."

"You... You are shameless!"

Su Jiu finally managed to squeeze out the words.

She felt utterly defeated by this guy.

When it came to having thick skin, ten of her couldn't compare to a single Su Ji.

Su Jiu turned to flee. She felt that if she stayed any longer, she would be so angered that her Dao Heart would become unstable.

Su Ji wasn't about to let her run away just like that.

With a flash of movement, he intercepted Su Jiu and gently embraced her from behind.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."

Su Ji rested his chin in the crook of Su Jiu's neck. Feeling her soft, delicate body trembling slightly in his arms, his voice softened.

"I know I was wrong."

Su Jiu's body stiffened. She didn't struggle, but simply lowered her head even further.

"I won't do it again."

Su Ji whispered his promise, though he was secretly sighing with emotion in his heart.

To think that wine and women could reduce him, Su Ji, to such a sorry state.

From this day forth, I'm quitting drinking!