Night Tour flew out of the Autumn Water Pool. The dark night, with its fierce winds and desolate mountains, made the place even more eerie and terrifying. Yet, his mood was excellent—he could see flowers even in withered branches and fallen leaves.
"Mutual Affection."
These four words kept echoing in his mind.
What was once a personal matter had turned into a mutual bond between two people. The feeling was somewhat surreal.
When he returned to the Celestial Sea Cave, Ah Ni had already returned from foraging. His little face was full of discontent.
"Cave Lord, Cave Lord! We haven't even enjoyed a few days of peace, and you're heading out again? And all the way to the distant Red Sky? Didn't you already meet Little Jian? Why are we going there again?"
Ah Ni pouted, conflicted in his emotions.
In the past, the Cave Lord would sleep all day like a lazy pig, not even flinching if his tail caught fire. Ah Ni had often daydreamed that if one day the Cave Lord could act like a proper six-clawed Celestial Dragon, he might get the chance to bask in reflected glory and strut around arrogantly.
But now that his Cave Lord had truly taken on a dragon-like demeanor, Ah Ni found himself longing for their peaceful past.
Night Tour raised his hand to tousle Ah Ni's head. "There are matters to resolve. Stay here and focus on cultivating. With Hai Yazi around, the cave is the safest place you could be."
"But Ah Ni wants to go too!"
"No."
"Su He gets to go, but Ah Ni can't? Cave Lord, you're playing favorites!"
"Be good and listen."
"Are you two done yet? Hurry up already!" Su He interrupted. His fingers, adorned with ten gleaming storage rings, clinked as he carried his precious Spirit-Gathering sapling, looking every bit like he was about to embark on a grand journey. With a wave of his sleeve, a two-zhang-long luxurious golden flying ship appeared at the cave entrance.
Leaping onto the ship, he placed the sapling at the bow. "Let's set off before anyone blocks our way. Right now, I'm nothing less than a moving treasure trove."
After giving Ah Ni a few more instructions, Night Tour stepped onto the ship's deck. His brows furrowed slightly. "At this ship's speed, when will we ever get there?"
"You're such a pauper! Poor people really lack vision!" Su He reclined lazily on a bench, gathering his fiery red hair behind his head as he shot Night Tour a disdainful sideways glance. "This is the top-grade flying artifact, the Golden Sky Piercer. Its speed is only slightly slower than me!"
"So it's still slower than you."
"But it's a tireless artifact. As long as we supply it with pentagonal star crystals, it can run indefinitely." Su He formed a hand seal, and the Golden Sky Piercer slowly rose into the air. With a snap of his fingers, the ship shot through the night sky like an arrow. "Traveling across the Four Lodgings Realm carrying you—a dragon pig—is no big deal. For such long distances, even Jin Yu wouldn't last."
Night Tour had to concede the point and said no more. He moved to the bow, standing against the wind.
When Su He, still recovering from old injuries, woke from his meditation, he found Night Tour still standing at the bow, deep in thought.
"What's got you so distracted?" Su He asked curiously.
"I've been thinking about things I've never thought of before." Night Tour hesitated before speaking. "Su He, my recent fortune has been weak. It may not improve, and I might even be plagued by misfortune…"
Su He snorted disdainfully. "Your bad luck can't be worse than mine."
He had only sought to undergo nirvana in the Eight-Cold Hell, but a bored dragon had caught him instead. The humiliation and torment weren't worth mentioning, and now he was a wanted man in the Four Lodgings Realm. His streak of bad luck had him nearly in tears.
Night Tour glanced at Su He's hands, sparkling with storage rings, and raised an eyebrow. Su He might as well have had the words "filthy rich" engraved on his forehead.
"If this is bad luck, then there's no justice in the world," Night Tour commented.
Su He quickly hid his hands behind his back, glaring defensively. "These are all earned through my own efforts! Luck has nothing to do with it!"
Night Tour, uninterested in Su He's wealth, said mildly, "I won't hide it from you. You know Xiao Lou is cursed with a soul imprint…"
As Night Tour recounted the story, Su He froze for a moment before jumping to his feet. "That's insanely vicious! Is that monk a lifelong bachelor turned psycho?"
Not waiting for a reply, Su He continued, "And you! Even if you don't like the dragon girl, there are countless women in the world! Why trouble yourself over her? Just how much do you like her? Enough to die for her?"
"No."
"No, what?"
"No deliberate trouble-seeking, nor is she irreplaceable. For Night Tour, everything had happened naturally. For the first time in his life, he liked a girl, wanted to be near her, to protect her. That was all.
"I follow my heart in everything I do, without considering anything else."
"In short, you're just selfish, pathetic, and reckless."
"I'm telling you this so you're prepared. Traveling with me might bring disaster your way. If you're afraid and want to leave…"
"You're the one cursed, and you don't care. Why should I be scared?" Su He's gloom lifted, and he clapped Night Tour's shoulder in a brotherly gesture, grinning brightly. "You've got this bro moved with your consideration!"
Night Tour glanced at the arm resting on his shoulder.
What he'd been about to say was: If you're afraid and want to leave, just leave all your valuables with me first.