Chapter 22: The Brotherhood Turns Sour, Dugu Yan Shows Up Uninvited, This Guy Is a Pervert

The horizon began to show a hint of pale morning light. Li Zhexian, who had been sleeping on the blue stone steps, flipped up and stood.

"Last night..."

He had a dream. In the dream, a mysterious figure was brewing wine. As a bystander, Li Zhexian had observed the techniques and steps of the brewing process with absolute clarity.

"Incredible."

Li Zhexian murmured, his soul power surging to vibrate the dew from his hair into a dissipating mist. In the hands of that mysterious figure, the blood of soul beasts, the sap of immortal flowers, water of spiritual light, and even the killing intent of the abyss or the most intense desires of love could all be fermented into intoxicating nectar.

The crisp morning air left the hungover Li Zhexian feeling refreshed. There was no trace of the gloom he had felt the night before.

"That's it. Since good wine is hard to find, why not brew it myself? The strange ingredients required for brewing are surely easier to come by than the finished vintage!"

He bowed solemnly toward the distant horizon. "Though I do not know who you are, I, Li Zhexian, thank you for teaching me the art of brewing."

Having solved a major problem, Li Zhexian was in excellent spirits. He went to meet Xue Qinghe in the morning. The moment they met at Lotus Lake, Xue Qinghe’s smile faded upon seeing Li Zhexian’s bright, toothy grin.

"You don't have to be so happy just because the Imperial Fighting Team has returned, do you?"

Li Zhexian raised an eyebrow. "The Imperial Fighting Team is back? What was the outcome?"

Xue Qinghe replied indifferently, "They lost. A formidable seven-member team appeared in Soto City, seemingly called the Shrek Seven Devils; they defeated the Imperial Fighting Team."

Li Zhexian nodded in understanding. He wasn't surprised. Those seven—or rather, Tang San—were the darlings of the Douluo world, holding the protagonist’s script. Although his own presence had caused many plot lines to deviate from their original paths, the current strength of Tang San and the Seven Devils remained unaffected.

Thinking this to himself, Li Zhexian looked at Xue Qinghe’s cold expression and teased, "Qinghe, why are you always so angry? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a girl."

Xue Qinghe’s heart skipped a beat. "Who... who is angry?"

Li Zhexian shook his head with a smile. "I’m just in a good mood today; it has nothing to do with the Imperial Fighting Team."

Xue Qinghe curled his lip. "Why are you telling me? I don't even want to know."

***

The two sat side-by-side on small stools, holding fishing rods and watching the calm lake surface. After several minutes of silence, Xue Qinghe asked, "Why are you in a good mood today?"

Li Zhexian glanced at him sideways. "I thought you didn't want to know?"

Xue Qinghe gritted his teeth, his face showing a mix of shame and annoyance. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Not telling."

A flush of annoyance rose on Xue Qinghe’s delicate cheeks, which, unexpectedly, looked quite charming. He simply rolled up his sleeves and suddenly lunged at Li Zhexian. "I’m giving you face, and you’re pushing it!"

Xue Qinghe straddled Li Zhexian’s waist, his right hand grabbing the latter's lapels. "Are you going to say it or not?!"

***

Pufferfish was about to rush out of the reed marsh, but Snake Lance hurriedly held him back.

"What are you doing?" Pufferfish glared.

"Can't you see?!" Snake Lance looked at the two figures tangled together in the distance. After a long silence, he said, "It's not a big problem. Li Zhexian doesn't know the Young Master is a woman. It’s just deep brotherly affection. Li Zhexian’s talent is monstrous; maintaining a good relationship with him is beneficial to the Young Master."

Pufferfish calmed down. "You’re right."

***

Looking at Li Zhexian beneath him, Xue Qinghe suddenly realized how intimate their actions were. He suppressed the fluttering in his heart and stood up. "Li Zhexian, I have matters to attend to. I left the food you wanted there; eat your lunch yourself."

With that, he fled as if escaping, not waiting for a response. Watching Xue Qinghe’s back disappear, Li Zhexian shook his head in amusement. "Eat by myself it is; at least no one will fight me for it."

After eating his fill, Li Zhexian strolled back to his courtyard with a blade of grass in his mouth. Just as he reached the gate and prepared to unlock it, he suddenly sensed something and twitched his nose.

"Hm?"

Li Zhexian’s eyes flickered. He took out his clear spring wine flask, took a mouthful, and held it in his mouth. Then, with a natural expression, he unlocked the gate and pushed it open.

The moment he turned to close the door behind him, *whoosh!* A sound of air being pierced erupted behind him.

Li Zhexian didn't even look. He joined his index and middle fingers into a sword gesture and swept them backward. The cyan soul power spitting from his fingertips carried an inherent sharpness.

*Swish!* A strand of purple hair drifted to the ground.

"You really are 'Sword Wine,' and so young, too."

Dugu Yan leaned against the courtyard wall with her arms crossed, looking at the white-clad youth a few meters away. A hint of wariness flashed in her alluring emerald eyes. Only by facing him directly did she realize just how fast and sharp Sword Wine's sword was. Before he had even drawn a blade, she had already fallen into a disadvantage.

"I don't like uninvited strangers." Li Zhexian sat on a stone stool in the courtyard and took a drink of wine. He was not polite to uninvited guests. "You loser, what are you looking for?"

Li Zhexian was not surprised that Dugu Yan had discovered his identity; after all, she was the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo. But he didn't know why she was seeking him out. Could it be because he hadn't agreed to take off his mask that day at the spirit fighting arena?

"As expected of blood relatives, Dugu Yan is just like Dugu Bo—eccentric and unpredictable."

Hearing the word "loser," Dugu Yan narrowed her eyes. "Do you know the Imperial Fighting Team lost in Soto City?"

Li Zhexian did not respond.

Dugu Yan continued, "Among the Shrek Seven Devils in Soto City, there are a few formidable geniuses. Especially the one named Tang San; perhaps he could force you to draw your second sword."

Li Zhexian shook his head and chuckled. "A clumsy provocation. If you have nothing else, leave. I have no interest in wasting time with you."

As he spoke, he stood up to walk toward the house. However, a smirk tugged at the corners of Dugu Yan’s lips.

"Three, two, one..."

*Thud!*

As the final "one" fell, Li Zhexian’s legs went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

"You..." He looked back in shock, his face turning pale as he stared at the approaching Dugu Yan.

"Heh." Dugu Yan crossed her arms and looked down at Li Zhexian. She quite liked this posture, which accentuated the heavy curves of her chest. She pulled the Faceless Mask from her wishful hundred-treasure pouch and tossed it before him.

"Put it on. You will do whatever I tell you to do. If you dare to defy me, I will make sure your poison flares up and kills you."

Li Zhexian: "..."

He saw the excitement in Dugu Yan’s green eyes. *Damn it! This woman is a pervert! Is everyone who uses poison brain-damaged?*

Li Zhexian had originally intended to see what Dugu Yan was up to, but this really set him off. He couldn't keep pretending anymore. Li Zhexian sprang up, the Azure Lotus Sword already in his hand.

A flash of sword light—impossibly fast.

The Azure Lotus Sword was already resting against Dugu Yan’s slender neck before she knew it...