Xu Xian thought to himself that it was just as he expected—the Sovereign wouldn't have come if there were no profit in it.
As for killing him, the best time to strike would have naturally been the day of the ascension.
Since He didn't act then, doing so now would simply be asking for trouble.
Of course, Xu Xian would never believe that the Sovereign had suddenly had a change of heart, reformed, found his conscience, or was being magnanimous.
He hadn't acted simply because he was wary of Li Shuhe; his presence today was because of her as well.
Li Shuhe remained silent, her slender, grey fingers still gripping the hilt of the sword at her waist, but she turned her gaze toward Xu Xian.
Xu Xian, however, was lost in thought and didn't notice.
The Sovereign keenly caught this detail. His gaze flickered between the two several times before he spoke again to persuade them:
“We both know very well that we’ve only covered a tenth of the way to the Spirit River those monsters mentioned. The journey is long and filled with variables. That Spirit River Crossing will surely be guarded by powerful dark Ancestral Spirits. Those fellows are extremely difficult to deal with—like me, they are hard to kill. Relying on yourselves, you might not be able to break through. Cooperation is the only way to survive.”
It was a trade without collateral, made only for the sake of survival.
Li Shuhe’s brows knitted together. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but then she closed it again. She wanted to say that if he hadn't caused trouble by destroying five provinces, the dark creatures wouldn't have noticed them, nor would they have mobilized two Ancestral Spirits in such a grand fashion.
If one counted the three on the banks of the Spirit River, that would be five in total. Now that the enemy had discovered them and knew their intentions, an inescapable dragnet would surely be laid before the Spirit River, waiting for them to fall into the trap.
For her alone, it wouldn't be hard to fight her way through, but carrying Xu Xian and the others was indeed a bit taxing.
However, she said nothing. For one, what had happened was already set in stone and couldn't be changed, so words were useless. For another, that was far too many words, and saying them would be truly exhausting.
Thus, she kept her brows furrowed and turned her gaze to the youth beside her. She felt that letting him handle the negotiation would be much easier.
The two were already acquainted, and Xu Xian needed the experience. By all logic, it was the best course of action.
Xu Xian understood her meaning and said in a low voice, “You’re in such a state, why should we cooperate with you?”
The Sovereign ignored Xu Xian and looked at Li Shuhe, asking knowingly, “Can this brat make the decisions?”
Li Shuhe immediately nodded.
The Sovereign’s gaze became intriguing. “Fine, then I’ll talk to you.”
Xu Xian said coldly, “Answer me.”
The Sovereign said indifferently, “A starved camel is still larger than a horse. No matter how bad my state is, could I be worse than you or those eight ants?”
The words were harsh, but they were the truth.
“Besides, the journey to the Spirit River is long. I’ll have plenty of time to recover. By the time we arrive, my injuries will be healed, and I might even be stronger,” the Sovereign said with total confidence.
After hearing this, Xu Xian let out a cold laugh. “I see. You want me to wait for you to heal so you can kill me afterward.”
The Sovereign’s complexion grew even more ruddy as he laughed cheerfully. “Haha, you brat, you really are a scoundrel.”
“Oh?”
The Sovereign explained, “Judging a gentleman’s heart by a scoundrel’s standards.”
Xu Xian was also amused and mocked, “Even if I, Xu Xian, am a scoundrel, you, Sovereign, are certainly no gentleman.”
The Sovereign didn't bother arguing with him.
Bickering, reasoning, or sophistry? He and Xu Xian had gone through it more than once.
Whether in the heart demon dream or in reality, he had never won an argument against him. This kid didn't just have a poisonous tongue; his logic was also incredibly strong, often leaving others speechless.
Thus, the Sovereign asked, “Then what do you want?”
Xu Xian replied, “I don't want anything!”
The Sovereign asked again, “Then are you cooperating or not?”
Xu Xian said, “I don't trust you.”
He didn't agree, but he didn't refuse either; he simply said he didn't trust him.
The Sovereign understood. Xu Xian was actually interested in cooperating. In such an unknown and high-risk flight, who would mind having an extra companion who could both tank and fight?
Xu Xian was no exception; his only concern was the Sovereign himself.
One couldn't blame him. The history between them was truly too complicated to explain in a short time.
Just like Li Shuhe before them, the relationship between her and the Sovereign was also very complex...
The Sovereign said frankly, “It doesn't matter whether you trust me or not. What matters is that we both have to admit our enemy is the master of this darkness. Cooperation will maximize the chances of us both staying alive. I can return to my former peak in the Immortal Land, and you can rise and make a comeback there. That is enough.”
“As for you worrying about me killing you? I won't deny that I really want to finish you off, but don't you feel the same way about me?”
Xu Xian shook his head in rebuttal. “It’s different. Facts have proven that I can't kill you, but you truly can kill me. Otherwise, this conversation wouldn't be happening.”
The Sovereign looked at Li Shuhe without evasion and said directly, “You can't, but she can.”
Xu Xian looked at the Sovereign as if he were a fool. Li Shuhe might be able to, but she wouldn't necessarily listen to him.
The Sovereign exposed the truth, “If I’m not mistaken, this lady is a descendant of the Li family, isn't she?”
Li Shuhe gazed at him indifferently, neither admitting nor denying it.
The Sovereign’s gaze fell upon the sword at her waist, and he said with an air of great seniority, “I recognize this sword. It belonged to Wei Sheng Su Yue.”
Hearing this, a ripple of emotion passed through Li Shuhe’s misty eyes.
Xu Xian was also stunned. He thought to himself, 'Wei Sheng Su Yue—it’s a nice name, but does it have something to do with the Li family?'
But seeing Li Shuhe’s reaction, the Sovereign was clearly right, so Xu Xian looked on with suspicion.
The Sovereign answered his own question, clicking his tongue in lament, “She was one of the three First Ancestors of the Li family. Who would have thought that in the Heavenly Sword Province of the Era of Ancient Immortals, the small Li family would actually have three Immortal Emperor powerhouses living in seclusion, each more fierce than the last? Tsk tsk, this sword stabbed me more than once.”
That was a lost past, a history the Sovereign was reluctant to mention.
It was also that era that caused him to sleep in Fanzhou for a million years.
Xu Xian couldn't help but feel moved by the mention of the three First Ancestors.
In Li Taibai’s stories, these three ancestors had appeared. However, the story was too long, and they were only briefly mentioned in a few words.
Li Shuhe also fell into a brief memory, inexplicably saying, “Li Wen, Wei Sheng Su Yue, Li Nianwei.”
Xu Xian instinctively looked at her.
She continued, “They were a family of three, the three First Ancestors of my clan.”
Xu Xian’s pupils dilated slightly. “This...”
A family of three, and all three were emperors.
Li Wen was the father, Wei Sheng Su Yue was the mother, and Li Nianwei was the daughter.
Xu Xian could only say one word: impressive!
“Emperor Wen, Emperor Yue, Emperor Nian. The three ancestors exhausted their strength and fell to seal the Undying. They passed away at the Shangyue Platform, leaving this sword to be passed down to me...”
She spoke very slowly, and her words were concise.
Xu Xian followed along well enough, but the Sovereign was different. He looked quite uncomfortable, frowning as he asked, “Is it that hard for you to speak? Can't you say it a bit faster?”
Li Shuhe glanced at him and ignored the comment.
The Sovereign looked at Xu Xian. “Don't you find it exhausting to listen to?”
Xu Xian looked at the Sovereign. Sensing the hidden meaning, he took the opportunity to suggest, “He’s right. Maybe you should just kill him to avenge the three ancestors. Use this sword to settle the score and end everything.”
The Sovereign’s cheek twitched. “...” How shameless!
Li Shuhe looked at her sword. “...” Good idea.
Xu Xian signaled with his eyes for her to strike.
Li Shuhe shook her head and sighed. “Sigh...”
It wasn't that she was unwilling, but that her heart was willing while her strength was lacking.
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