A Little Celebration

"Don’t you realize how much of an eyesore you are here?"

Nangong Xiyun really wanted to drive Jiang Ningshu away, but both were formidable figures, and any attempt to force her out would inevitably lead to a fight.

Nangong Xiyun had no intention of clashing with Jiang Ningshu at this moment—if she were to fight anyone, it would be Su Luo.

"I know, but do I need to listen to you?" Jiang Ningshu replied carelessly, still sitting and watching.

"Fine, watch if you want."

Nangong Xiyun and Su Luo soon became shamelessly intimate.

It had been a while since they last had the chance, so of course, pleasure came before anything else.

Nangong Xiyun was growing increasingly dependent on Su Luo in this regard.

The result? Jiang Ningshu ended up witnessing the entire spectacle.

And Nangong Xiyun went all out, as if taking revenge on Jiang Ningshu for past grievances.

Jiang Ningshu’s verdict? "Mediocre."

By the next day, it was finally over.

Nangong Xiyun looked thoroughly satisfied.

Jiang Ningshu had now seen what true ferocity looked like, though it barely fazed her.

"Su Luo, are you alright?" Little Yu asked, supporting Su Luo.

Though Su Luo wanted to sound tough, Nangong Xiyun had been even wilder than usual, leaving him no choice but to admit weakly, "I’ll manage."

Could it have been because Jiang Ningshu was watching?

The thought was unsettling, so he decided not to dwell on it.

Little Yu fell silent. Truthfully, she also wanted to be with Su Luo—Nangong Xiyun had stirred her desires too—but seeing Su Luo’s condition, she figured it was better to wait.

"Has Li Siyi not arrived yet?" Su Luo glanced around but saw no sign of her.

"No, she’s probably still handling some affairs," Nangong Xiyun answered.

Though Li Siyi wasn’t as high-ranking in the sect compared to figures like Nangong Xiyun, she was reliable and methodical, so most tasks were delegated to her.

"And as her master, you just dump everything on her?" Jiang Ningshu couldn’t help but speak up for Li Siyi.

Nangong Xiyun had no choice. Her usual approach to problem-solving relied on brute strength, and using force often led to unnecessary conflict.

"What’s the big deal? Weren’t you the same when you were the Demon Lord, dumping work on others?"

Jiang Ningshu fell silent.

Dumping work on others? More like she had no other option. But admitting that would only make her sound worse.

The silence grew heavier.

At this point, Su Luo suggested, "In that case, let’s prepare something special as a surprise for Siyi."

Since they had nothing else to do anyway.

Though Li Siyi didn’t seem like the type to need surprises, it wouldn’t hurt to do something nice for once.

"A surprise? What kind?" Jiang Ningshu asked.

"How about a celebration banquet?" Su Luo proposed uncertainly.

"Can a gathering of just a few people even count as a banquet?" Nangong Xiyun wondered.

There were only five of them at most, plus Xiao Pa.

Xiao Pa had learned to make herself scarce at the right times.

Su Luo insisted, "Why not? We barely made it out alive from the Wildlands, after all."

It was just an excuse—their trip to the Wildlands had been completely uneventful.

"You call that 'barely making it out alive'? Still, I’m in," Jiang Ningshu nodded.

"Then let’s do it."

"Agreed."

Once decided, they sprang into action.

Nangong Xiyun went to gather fresh ingredients.

Jiang Ningshu, Little Yu, and Su Luo handled the decorations.

Xiao Pa also joined in, mimicking their efforts.

But halfway through, Li Siyi arrived.

She blinked in confusion. "What are you all doing?"

Su Luo sighed. "You’ve got the worst timing."

The surprise had been ruined before it was even ready.

"Should I leave?"

"Now that you’re here, you might as well help."

"Alright." Li Siyi pitched in before asking again, "So, what’s this about?"

"We were planning a surprise for you, but since you showed up early, there’s no point hiding it now."

"I regret coming."

Little Yu laughed. "We can pretend you never arrived."

"No need. The thought alone is enough." Li Siyi smiled, realizing this still counted as a pleasant surprise.

Soon, the decorations were complete.

One side was adorned with vibrant flowers, their fragrance filling the air.

The other side featured an array of ornamental artifacts to set the mood.

Lanterns and glowing gemstones hung from the surrounding trees.

All in all, the setup was a chaotic mix.

Su Luo could have done better, but he slacked off, leaving most of the work to Little Yu, Li Siyi, and Jiang Ningshu.

As long as they were happy, it didn’t matter—this wasn’t some grand event.

By then, Nangong Xiyun had returned with fresh ingredients.

"Time for me to show off my skills."

Su Luo was confident no one present could outdo him in cooking.

While he handled most of the dishes, everyone else contributed one dish each.

For them, it wasn’t a problem—no one was likely to produce inedible horrors.

Xiao Pa also joined in, showcasing her grilled fish technique.

"Let’s eat!"

Though they weren’t usually food enthusiasts, Su Luo’s cooking was irresistible.

"This one’s my favorite."

"Really good."

"Teach me sometime?"

Even Jiang Ningshu and Nangong Xiyun, who were usually at odds, refrained from bickering during the meal.

Little Yu chatted more than usual, clearly enjoying the atmosphere.

Li Siyi leaned against Su Luo’s shoulder—she’d been exhausted from handling sect affairs.

Even in the Wildlands, despite knowing how things would unfold, venturing into a land teeming with beasts had been mentally draining.

This was a rare moment of relaxation.

The entire evening passed in joyful revelry.

Late at night, when all was quiet...

Li Siyi, unsurprisingly, sneaked into Su Luo’s quarters.

The others pretended not to notice, busying themselves with their own affairs.

"Su Luo, could you visit me at the Seven Stars Sword Sect sometime? I miss you too."

"Since you asked, sure."

Though Su Luo couldn’t shake the feeling that sneaking into the Seven Stars Sword Sect to see her would feel like an affair.

......

While Su Luo was enjoying himself, deep in the Wildlands, the mood was anything but pleasant.

"Grand Priest, who forced you to use the altar for reincarnation?"

The Beast Lord had fully recovered from his injuries, only to learn of this news, which left him seething.

With half the altar destroyed, restoring it would take ages.

"It was him."

The Grand Priest conjured an image of Su Luo.

"So it’s him again."

The Beast Lord’s fury flared—old grudges piled atop new ones.

"You know him, Beast Lord?"

The Beast Lord recounted his past encounters with Su Luo, seeing no reason to hide it.

"Beast Lord, he will undoubtedly become an obstacle to our conquest of the human race."

"True, but even he won’t stop us."

The Beast Lord issued orders, mobilizing the beast army to prepare for their invasion of the human realm.

The plan remained unchanged—only the timeline needed slight adjustment.

In the meantime, the Beast Lord intended to awaken his divine beast bloodline and strengthen his forces further.

Once the strategy was finalized, the Grand Priest withdrew.

Alone, the Beast Lord crushed Su Luo’s image with a single punch.

"Humans—every last one of them will die."