The three disciples bowed respectfully. "Fourth Highness."
"Little Fish, I want to talk to you alone," Henry Xiao said.
Lily Bai nodded and flew off to the side with him.
"Fourth Highness, is there something you need?"
"Back at the Guardian Drake Lord's manor, I didn't take you away. Are you upset with me?" Henry Xiao asked.
"Of course not," Lily Bai replied. "I can feel your sincerity, Fourth Highness."
"Actually... that woman... Lucia Lu, she's a heinous traitor," Henry Xiao said. "If I'd insisted on taking you away, I would've enraged my mother and been branded unfilial. So I let them use the Chrono Dial to check! Once it cleared things up, you were safe."
"So what exactly did Lucia Lu do that was so unforgivable? Dying wasn't enough—they had to burn her soul too? And now, anyone who looks like her gets dragged into this mess?"
"She..." Henry Xiao's eyes grew complicated at the mention of her.
There was hatred, anger, and something else in his gaze.
"You can't tell me?" Lily Bai asked.
"She caused the death of my Father Emperor," Henry Xiao said.
"What?!" Lily Bai was so shocked she nearly fell off the cloud.
"Wait, isn't His Majesty the Celestial Emperor supposed to be the most powerful cultivator in the world? How could Lucia Lu possibly be that formidable—even the Celestial Emperor couldn't handle her?"
"It's not like that," Henry Xiao replied. "There are a lot of secrets involved—I can't say more. In the future... I'll tell you slowly."
By 'in the future,' he meant after marrying her.
Lily Bai fell silent for a moment, then said, "Fourth Highness, I'm useless—I might never be able to break the Wildlands Tribulation Thunder Array."
"It's fine!" Henry Xiao said. "I'll talk to my mother for you—"
"Fourth Highness!" Lily Bai looked at him. "Please, just spare my life!"
"What?" Henry Xiao frowned.
I only found out today that I actually look like your sworn enemy—the one who killed your father!
If you marry me and bring me back, Her Majesty the Celestial Empress, your brothers and sisters, all the gods of Drake Abyss—won't they think of all those unhappy memories every time they see me?
The way they looked at me today—I really can't handle that again! If I have to live in Drake Abyss and face that atmosphere every day, even if Her Majesty doesn't kill me, I'll probably die young from the stress!
Henry Xiao wanted to slap himself.
Why did he blurt out the truth so impulsively?
"Fourth Highness, I'm begging you—for my own good, please don't bring this up again!" Lily Bai said. "I... I'm honestly really afraid of dying."
She turned to leave.
But Henry Xiao grabbed her shoulder. "Little Fish! Listen to me! They only reacted that way because it was their first time seeing you. Once they get used to you, it'll be fine. If it really doesn't work... I'll leave Drake Abyss with you and live in seclusion!"
Lily Bai shook her head. "Sorry, I have parents, a younger brother, an aging master, and the Sigil Sect needs me to hold it together. I really can't just disappear into seclusion with you. I'm truly sorry—goodbye!"
But Henry Xiao panicked and grabbed her again. "Lily Bai, it's an arranged engagement—can you just call it off so easily?"
Lily Bai was about to reply when she suddenly looked behind Henry Xiao, her pupils shrinking.
Two Divine Guards.
One was cold as ice;
The other kept sneaking nervous glances at the icy one.
Henry Xiao sensed someone behind him too. He spun around and frowned. "What are you doing here?"