One even teased with a sly smile, "Xiao Liu, come to the living room with me. I have a makeup kit in my bag; let's get you dolled up."

Liu Wan's face grew even hotter, but she couldn't resist her colleagues' enthusiasm and was reluctantly coaxed into the living room.

Xu Lai was very satisfied. He just hoped Taotie would put in some effort. He kicked Taotie and said, "Go on, have a nice chat with the girl. Talk about hobbies, life, the future."

Xu Lai thought of something and added a solemn instruction, "You are not to talk about fighting and killing! If I find out you did, I'll throw you into the Samsara Sea."

Taotie looked aggrieved. You come back from the Samsara Sea severely injured every time. If I go, won't I just be reincarnated on the spot?

He trudged into the living room, utterly depressed.

Xu Lai turned the roasting sheep, sighing helplessly. He didn't actually enjoy playing matchmaker. For tens of thousands of years, Taotie had been obsessed with battle. If Xu Lai and Baize hadn't been watching over him, he would have turned the Immortal Domain upside down long ago. One could tell just from those Taotie cubs who had caused such tempests in the Immortal Domain that not a single member of this clan was easy to manage.

"Just get married and settle down, so your old ancestor stops coming to me every time, sniffling and weeping, asking me to find a good match for you..."

Xu Lai massaged his temples. In those bygone years, he had indeed been, as the Immortal Domain claimed, endlessly charming with countless confidantes. But whenever he mentioned finding a match for Taotie, they would all make excuses to leave, not even bothering to give him a polite refusal.

"My life is so hard."

As Xu Lai lamented, he began to wonder if a whole roasted sheep would be too greasy for dinner and considered adding a few other dishes. However, the Nine-horned Star Sheep possessed a magical effect: youth preservation. Of course, the effect only lasted for about ten thousand years.

Even so, it was madly sought after by every female cultivator in the Immortal Domain, leading to the Nine-horned Star Sheep clan being hunted relentlessly. If The Seventh Divine General hadn't suggested Xu Lai implement the "Endangered Species Protection Policy," this clan, which had been hunted for dozens of eras, would have already been driven to extinction.

The one currently being roasted was a traitorous sheep that had colluded with the Rebel Clan, which was why the Nine-horned Star Sheep chieftain had gifted it to their benefactor, The Seventh Divine General. Xu Lai had then shamelessly asked The Seventh Divine General for the sheep for the sake of these female employees from Above the White Clouds.

After all, what girl doesn't wish for eternal youth?

「Meanwhile.」

In a seaside area of Mount Haitang, a dense swarm of marine creatures bobbed in the water, nearly occupying the entire coast. They wore expressions of cruel bloodlust. Though they varied in species, they all remained behind a single massive jellyfish.

That was the Demon King, Mu Cheng.

He extended a tentacle to halt his minions' advance, his expression wary. One had to be cautious here. This was Xu Lai's residence, the place where two Demon Kings had been killed—one of whom was the Thunder Beast, a peak Demon King! The Thunder Beast had been a veritable tyrant in Sakura Country, yet even a terrifying existence like that had met its doom here. Mu Cheng was far weaker than the Thunder Beast; he didn't want his grand plans to capsize in a gutter. So he remained where he was, intending to rest and regroup.

But then… an aroma wafted down from the mountaintop, as if from a barbecue. Unlike an ordinary human barbecue, this scent struck them to their very souls, making the brains of all ten thousand Sea Demons tremble. If not for their Demon King's oppressive aura holding them in check, they likely would have lost control and rushed up the mountain to devour everything in sight.

However, Mu Cheng wasn't faring much better. He had a powerful intuition. If I could eat that enticingly aromatic meat, it would advance my boundary more than consuming all the spiritual energy in the Spirit Vein before me!

He wanted to eat it. He had to eat it!

Mu Cheng's form shifted into that of a handsome young man. He turned and said coldly, "Wait here for my signal."

"King, when can we eat the humans?" one of the Sea Demons asked, already impatient to feast. It was agonizing to see several human tourists on the beach, yet be forbidden from eating them.

BANG!

The body of the Sea Demon that had spoken instantly exploded.

"Are you also questioning my decision?" Mu Cheng asked indifferently.

The other Sea Demons shivered, lowering their heads in the water to show their submission. With a cold snort, Mu Cheng's figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was at the foot of Mount Haitang. His eyes shone brightly as he greedily drank in the rich spiritual energy, feeling every cell in his body tremble with excitement.

Mu Cheng scowled at the haitang flowers lining the path; their vibrancy was unpleasantly garish. With a dismissive wave of his sleeve, every haitang flower on the mountain withered and died. After doing this, he touched the Crystal Ball hidden in his stomach, which sealed a peerless ferocious beast. Brimming with self-satisfaction, he ascended to the mountain's peak.

But Mu Cheng failed to notice that all across the mountain, the haitang flowers were blooming anew, even more enchanting than before.

「On the first floor, in the living room.」

All the staff from Above the White Clouds had moved to the backyard. Some were soaking in the hot spring pool, while others sat in wicker chairs, gazing out at the sea and the brilliantly-lit skyline of East Sea City. The view was endlessly delightful. By unspoken agreement, the women had left the living room to Liu Wan and Taotie.

With her head bowed, Liu Wan clutched her chest, feeling her heart thudding in embarrassment. She had a medical condition: her heart rate was much slower than the average person's. Her entire life, she had never known the feeling of excitement; nothing had ever managed to stir her interest. School, work—everything was just a matter of course. As for things like falling in love, the thought had never even crossed her mind.

She had assumed her life would continue on this bland, unremarkable path, but today… Liu Wan had seen the man roasting the sheep. The moment she saw him, she finally understood what it felt like for her heart to be stirred, and she understood why two completely unrelated people would choose to live their lives together. The feeling of her heart racing and her face flushing was just so terribly mortifying.

Liu Wan didn't speak. Taotie wasn't one for conversation either.

After a full ten minutes of silence, Liu Wan decided to break the impasse. She whispered, "Tomorrow is Saturday. Would you like to… go see a movie together?"

"Audacious!" Taotie shot to his feet, his face filled with murderous intent. Those scoundrels lurking in the sea dare to destroy the Mistress's favorite haitang flowers and approach the manor with killing intent… Kill! Kill! Kill!

In that single instant, the nearly ten thousand Sea Demons in the water lost all ability to fight.

"You don't like movies?" Liu Wan's delicate frame trembled with fright. Her lips quivered as she said, "Then… then we won't go."

Taotie ignored her and headed straight for the door. There's one left. I, the Heavenly Court's First Divine General, shall deal with it personally!

"..."

Receiving no response, Liu Wan's eyes grew red. Does he dislike me? It makes sense. I'm not pretty, and I don't have any particular strengths. It's no wonder he's disgusted by me being so forward.

She wandered disconsolately into the backyard and, facing her colleagues' nosy questions, forced a smile. After being barraged with inquiries, she recounted what had just happened.

When they heard the story, the women grew anxious. The good-natured Ruan Tang kicked Xu Lai. "Your friend might not like Xiao Liu, but that's no reason to bully her, is it?"

With a dark expression, Xu Lai said, "Let me explain on my friend's behalf. He's just dealing with a troublemaker at the door—he has a fierce temper."

He, too, had sensed the uninvited guest at the door. But he hadn't expected Taotie to be so tactless. You could have at least explained yourself to the lady!

Ruan Tang looked skeptical. Someone at the door? The doorbell didn't ring, how could there be anyone?

She took Liu Wan's hand and said, "Come on, let's go to the door and have a look."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.