"I declined simply because I don't want to." Shen Mo answered with a shrug.
Although he heard a lot of praises about his father, Xian Hei; Shen Mo was never convinced he can be like him one day. Moreover, at that time, Shen Mo is still an apprentice. He declined Xian Qing's endless proposals until she finally stopped pursuing him when he built a righteous sect. Having a demon king who is a predecessor of a righteous sect is way off.
"I see you are about to make a breakthrough from the mortal levels." Shen Mo purposely changed the topic. He raised his hand and a jade box appeared in his grasp. "Take this. It contains a leveling pill to assist your breakthrough and benefit your ascension."
"Ge... Gege, many thanks." Tian Liangzai stuttered. He showed a look of embarrassment when Shen Mo suddenly looked away.
"I'm finally a big brother!" He cheered in his head although he appeared serious outside. Shen Mo can't stop himself and snapped his fingers. A bunch of gold grasses filled Tian Liangzai's arms as Shen Mo cleared his throat. "You are nearly two thousand years old but you're still at Core Formation? Outsiders would have laughed so take these life-prolonging elixirs. Get a little bit stronger without getting older, you could have embarrassed our family."
Tian Liangzai smiled wryly and tried not to let a single grass drop. Although Shen Mo sounds like a nagger, Tian Liangzai knew he didn't mean to be mean.
"Hurry and start cultivating. Don't waste time." Shen Mo emphasized.
Tian Liangzai hummed with a determined tone and ran forward. He waved goodbye to them before rushing in a different direction. Shen Mo smiled without Tian Liangzai on sight.
"Ah, it feels good to be responsible." Shen Mo murmured but he heard Jin Xuanwan scoff.
"Like, helping a potential demon king become strong?"
Her question made Shen Mo pause. He never thought of that! What filled his mind a moment ago is the role of a big brother!
"No. He's not going to be a demon king." Shen Mo said even though he is doubting it. He knew Xian Qing and he just realized Tian Liangzai will become a demon king. He and Tian Liangzai are the only offspring Xian Hei left.
"Sure, sure, he won't be." Jin Xuanwan said in sarcasm. She walked closer to Shen Mo and asked, "Can we go see your disciple after the wedding?"
"Don't rush me." Shen Mo poked her forehead and pushed her.
Speaking of which, he missed Cai. That obedient girl always pleased him with her great comprehension. He can't wait to return and guide her to immortality.
"By the way, I head the Golden Dragon Realm's Prairie Sanguinaria has gone extinct. I think I remember Weiwei telling me that."
Jin Xuanwan raised a brow at what Shen Mo said.
"You must be deaf. Golden Dragon Realm is not a place you can belittle. We still grow that herb." Jin Xuanwan corrected him but Fenghu gave her a strange look. "What?"
"You just informed him that our realm still cultivates that rare herb." Fenghu pointed out.
Jin Xuanwan didn't know she was tricked and this realization caused her to pause. Prairie Sanguinaria is an evolved mystic flower. Golden Dragon Realm has a faster flow of time than the outside world. It develops faster and evolves beyond Wu's comprehension. Prairie Sanguinaria is one of those evolved objects and it is meant for purifying negativities and even refining the body of a cultivator to withstand yin absorption. Only the Golden Dragon Realm produced that herb and one of the reasons outsiders wished to break through the barrier.
A residence of the palace has a lot of rooms. Shen Mo insisted for them to share a residence with him. It was a good place and a mini version of a mansion.
That night, Shen Mo was invited for a family dinner. He had expected this and also dragged Jin Xuanwan with him. He can't leave her alone or she might get into trouble. This is still the Demon Realm after all.
Jin Xuanwan wore a strange look on her face after meeting Shen Mo's relatives. She thought they are as decent as Tian Liangzai or Xian Qing, but no!
There is this demon called Ren Tou, a distant uncle of Shen Mo. He likes reciting poems regarding war, mostly describing the horrible death of his enemies. Another is Xin Li, a distant cousin too that seems to be a sickly ghost officer. He speaks less and appears gloomy, even the wedding of his five thousand years old aunt can't make him proud.
In short, most of Shen Mo's relatives are bloodthirsty psychopaths.
She can't believe he shares the same blood as them! Every time she looks at the always smiling, seemingly innocent Shen Mo, she felt tricked...
"Du Zhi Ming, haven't seen you for a thousand years!" Shen Mo's eyes lit up when a lady entered and occupied the last chair, which is next to him.
Jin Xuanwan is on the other side of Shen Mo. She curiously peeked at the new arrival. That name just sounds so stinky so she wonders if this Du Zhi Ming is another walking dead cousin of his.
Out of her expectation, Du Zhi Ming is not a walking dead, nor a demon in need of mental consultation. She is actually very pretty. Du Zhi Ming is dressed in a red cheongsam that exposed her long creamy legs and trapped her bountiful chest tightly. Her hair is short and encased her round porcelain face. She has a pair of seductive red eyes, willow eyebrows, and little red pouted lips. There is a mole beneath her right eye which seems to add more to her allure.
"Stinky human." Du Zhi Ming said without looking at anyone and sipped on the offered wine.
When her voice fell, everyone went quiet. They grinned at Shen Mo, even the gloomy Xin Li did.
"Did she just curse you?" Jin Xuanwan whispered and held back her laugh.
"She means you." Shen Mo's face turned sour but he accused it was Jin Xuanwan.
Du Zhi Ming placed her goblet on the table and snorted, "Shen Mo, I am referring to you, humph. Moreover, your name is far uglier than mine."