xiǎng dào cǐ chù ， lǐ fán mù lù qí sè 。
想到此处，李凡目露奇色。
Thinking through this, Li Fan's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“ yī zhī jiǎo zhàn zhe ， xiān cháo zuǒ biān zhuǎn liǎng quān 。 zài cháo yòu biān zhuǎn sān quān 。”
“一只脚站着，先朝左边转两圈。再朝右边转三圈。”
"Turn two circles to the left first. Then turn three circles to the right."
wèi le yàn zhèng ， lǐ fán yòu lěng shēng fēn fù dào 。
为了验证，李凡又冷声吩咐道。
To verify his instructions, Li Fan issued a cold command again.
rú guǒ shì zhī qián de wèn tí shì yǒu xiē shī lǐ huà ， nà me lǐ fán xiàn zài de yāo qiú ， zé kān chēng yǒu xiē lí pǔ le 。
如果是之前的问题是有些失礼话，那么李凡现在的要求，则堪称有些离谱了。
If the previous questions were somewhat impolite, what Li Fan now demanded was truly out of the ordinary.
ràng yī wèi chū cì jiàn miàn de zhù jī nǚ xiū shì ， zuò chū rú cǐ guài dàn huá jī de jǔ dòng 。
让一位初次见面的筑基女修士，做出如此怪诞滑稽的举动。
He asked a newly acquainted Foundation Establishment female cultivator to perform such bizarre and comical actions.
rèn hé zhèng cháng rén ， dōu bù kě néng dā yìng 。
任何正常人，都不可能答应。
No normal person would agree to this.
dàn piān piān ， lù xuě jìng zhēn de yī bǎn yī yǎn ， rèn zhēn de wán chéng le zhěng tào dòng zuò 。
但偏偏，陆雪静真的一板一眼，认真的完成了整套动作。
But surprisingly, Lu Xuejing did it meticulously and seriously, completing every action as instructed.
zhǐ bù guò ， tā sǐ sǐ dīng zhe lǐ fán ， yǎn zhōng hǎo sì yǒu huǒ yàn zài rán shāo yì bān 。
只不过，她死死盯着李凡，眼中好似有火焰在燃烧一般。
Her eyes were fixed on Li Fan, burning with flames. She seemed eager to tear him apart.
hèn bù dé bǎ lǐ fán cuò gǔ yáng huī 。
恨不得把李凡挫骨扬灰。
Li Fan was no ordinary figure; he wasn't easily scared by a young girl just out of her cocoon.
lǐ fán yòu shì hé děng rén wù ， zěn me kě néng bèi yī chū chū máo lú de xiǎo gū niáng xià dào 。
李凡又是何等人物，怎么可能被一初出茅庐的小姑娘吓到。
He smiled slightly and said to Lu Xuejing, "It seems you still don't fully understand your current situation."
wēi wēi yī xiào ， duì lù xuě jìng shuō dào ：“ kàn lái nǐ hái shì bù qīng chǔ mù qián zì shēn chǔ jìng 。”
微微一笑，对陆雪静说道：“看来你还是不清楚目前自身处境。”
"Indeed, for an old fisherman with whom I have no prior knowledge, I did dare to speak disrespectfully... Perhaps I was indeed too uncontrolled."
“ ń ， duì bù zhī dǐ xì de yú fù lǎo rén ， dōu gǎn chū yán bù xùn …… kě néng dí què shì qiàn guǎn jiào le yì diǎn 。”
“嗯，对不知底细的渔父老人，都敢出言不逊……可能的确是欠管教了一点。”
"You must not stop turning until I give the command," Li Fan said coldly.
“ xiàng gāng cái nà yàng zhuàn quān ， méi yǒu wǒ de fēn fù bù néng tíng 。”
“像刚才那样转圈，没有我的吩咐不能停。”
Lu Xuejing's eyes flashed with a hint of humiliation, but her body obediently began to spin.
lǐ fán lěng shēng shuō dào 。
李凡冷声说道。
Li Fan didn't interfere for now. Instead, he pondered why this situation had come about.
lù xuě jìng yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī qū rǔ ， rán ér shēn tǐ què hěn lǎo shí 。
陆雪静眼中闪过一丝屈辱，然而身体却很老实。
When the old fisherman handed Lu Xuejing over to him earlier, his description was "an item" or "thing."
huá jī de zhuǎn qǐ quān lái 。
滑稽的转起圈来。
Clearly, in the eyes of the old fisherman, this inexperienced young girl belonged to him as an object.
lǐ fán zàn shí méi yǒu qù guǎn tā ， ér shì sī kǎo qǐ le zhī suǒ yǐ huì chū xiàn xiàn zài zhè ge chǎng miàn de yuán yīn 。
李凡暂时没有去管她，而是思考起了之所以会出现现在这个场面的原因。
After obtaining the Steal Heaven and Change Sun Order, he exchanged it for this "item," which now belonged to Li Fan.
zhī qián yú fù lǎo rén jiāng lù xuě jìng jiāo gěi lǐ fán de shí hòu ， duì tā de xíng róng yòng shì “ jiàn ”“ dōng xī ” děng cí 。
之前渔父老人将陆雪静交给李凡的时候，对她的形容用是“件”“东西”等词。
As the owner of the item, Li Fan naturally had full control over it.
xiǎn rán ， zài yú fù yǎn zhōng ， zhè wèi bù ān shì shì de xiǎo gū niáng ， shì shǔ yú tā de wù pǐn 。
显然，在渔父眼中，这位不谙世事的小姑娘，是属于他的物品。
Though he didn't know how the old fisherman managed to do this, Lu Xuejing's complete obedience suggested that this was a fact.
ér hòu ， qǔ dé tōu tiān huàn rì lìng de tā ， zuò wéi jiāo huàn ， yòu jiāng zhè jiàn “ wù pǐn ”， zèng sòng gěi le lǐ fán 。
而后，取得偷天换日令的他，作为交换，又将这件“物品”，赠送给了李凡。
"Correct in terms of possession."
yú shì ， zhè jiàn wù pǐn de guī shǔ quán ， jiù luò dào le lǐ fán shēn shàng 。
于是，这件物品的归属权，就落到了李凡身上。
"But what significant use does it have?"
zuò wéi wù pǐn de zhǔ rén ， lǐ fán zì rán duì qí yōng yǒu zhǎng kòng yī qiè de quán lì 。
作为物品的主人，李凡自然对其拥有掌控一切的权力。
Even if a Foundation Establishment female cultivator were as beautiful as a flower, she would be of no great use to Li Fan, who sought eternal life above all else.
suī rán bù zhī dào yú fù lǎo rén shì rú hé zuò dào de ， dàn cóng rú jīn lù xuě jìng duì lǐ fán yán tīng jì cóng de biǎo xiàn lái kàn ， zhè yǐ rán chéng wéi le jì dìng de shì shí 。
虽然不知道渔父老人是如何做到的，但从如今陆雪静对李凡言听计从的表现来看，这已然成为了既定的事实。
Li Fan thought aloud, "Unless..."
“ dōng xī shì duì le 。”
“东西是对了。”
He didn't stop Lu Xuejing from spinning and directly asked, "Tell me about your mother."
“ dàn shì dà yòng ， yòu tǐ xiàn zài hé chù ne ？”
“但是大用，又体现在何处呢？”
Lu Xuejing's eyes lit up with hope. She spoke hesitantly, "My mother is named Lu Xi Chan, the Chief Array Mage of the Strategy Hall in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, with a cultivation realm of Fusion Dao..."
bù guò zhù jī nǚ xiū shì ， jiù suàn shēng de zài mào měi rú huā ， zài yī xīn qiú cháng shēng de lǐ fán miàn qián ， yě jué duì tán bù shàng yǒu duō dà yòng chǔ 。
不过筑基女修士，就算生的再貌美如花，在一心求长生的李凡面前，也绝对谈不上有多大用处。
The words struck Li Fan like a bolt from the blue, and his eyes flashed with excitement as he looked at Lu Xuejing.
sī lù kè
思路客
"Strategy Hall's chief... Cavern Heaven must be set up with the Heavenly Mysteries Locking Spirit Array, Five Elements Great Cavern Heavens..."
“ chú fēi ……”
“除非……”
"Could it be so?"
lǐ fán niàn jí cǐ chù ， méi yǒu ràng lù xuě jìng tíng xià zhuàn quān de dòng zuò ， zhí jiē wèn dào ：“ jiāng nǐ mǔ qīn de xìn xī gào zhī yú wǒ 。”
李凡念及此处，没有让陆雪静停下转圈的动作，直接问道：“将你母亲的信息告之于我。”
In an instant, Li Fan had a theory.
lù xuě jìng yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī xī jì zhī sè ， duàn duàn xù xù dì shuō dào ：“ mǔ qīn dà rén míng jiào lù xī chán ， wàn xiān méng cè zhèn táng shǒu xí zhèn fǎ shī ， hé dào xiū wèi ……”
陆雪静眼中闪过一丝希冀之色，断断续续地说道：“母亲大人名叫陆溪婵，万仙盟策阵堂首席阵法师，合道修为……”
"I don't know what the old fisherman saw in me. But since he has offered such a good opportunity, I can't afford to miss it."
xiǎo gū niáng de huà luò rù ěr zhōng ， lǐ fán xīn zhōng yī zhèn ， yǎn zhōng gèng shì shǎn guò yī dào jīng guāng ， kàn xiàng lù xuě jìng 。
小姑娘的话落入耳中，李凡心中一震，眼中更是闪过一道精光，看向陆雪静。
"If I could probe some information about the Five Elements Great Cavern Heavens, even if it's just true now, it would be worth it. If I could enter from within and observe firsthand, that would be ideal."
“ cè zhèn táng shǒu xí 、 dòng tiān xū bù zhì tiān xuán suǒ líng zhèn 、 wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān ……”
“策阵堂首席、洞天需布置天玄锁灵阵、五行大洞天……”
Li Fan's eyes burned with determination.
“ nán dào shì zhè yàng ？”
“难道是这样？”
But he didn’t let this sudden good fortune cloud his judgment. He quickly regained his composure.
chà nà jiān ， lǐ fán xiǎng dào le yí gè kě néng 。
刹那间，李凡想到了一个可能。
"A Fusion Dao Sage, the Chief Array Mage... Her strength is undoubtedly profound. Even though I now control her daughter, using it to coerce or seek any benefits might just be a path to death."
“ bù zhī dào yú fù lǎo rén jiū jìng cóng wǒ shēn shàng kàn dào le shén me 。 bù guò jì rán yǐ jīng bǎ zhè dà hǎo jī huì fàng dào wǒ de miàn qián ， dìng rán bù kě cuò guò 。”
“不知道渔父老人究竟从我身上看到了什么。不过既然已经把这大好机会放到我的面前，定然不可错过。”
"I need to plan carefully."
“ rú guǒ néng cè tàn dào yī xiē wǔ xíng dà dòng tiān de xìn xī ， nǎ pà cǐ shì zhí jiē hái zhēn ， yě shì zhí de 。 rú guǒ néng qīn rù dòng tiān zhī zhōng ， cóng nèi bù guān chá ， nà gèng shì zài hǎo bù guò 。”
“如果能测探到一些五行大洞天的信息，哪怕此世直接还真，也是值的。如果能亲入洞天之中，从内部观察，那更是再好不过。”
After an indeterminate amount of time, seeing Lu Xuejing's anger gradually fade and her face filled with pleading, Li Fan had his strategy.
lǐ fán mù guāng zhuó zhuó ， xīn zhōng yǒu xiē zhèn fèn 。
李凡目光灼灼，心中有些振奋。
"Stop!"
bù guò ， tā méi yǒu bèi zhè tiān jiàng zhī xǐ chōng hūn tóu nǎo ， hěn kuài jiù lěng jìng xià lái 。
不过，他没有被这天降之喜冲昏头脑，很快就冷静下来。
He finally called out.
“ hé dào xiān zūn ， yòu shì shǒu xí zhèn fǎ shī 。 shí lì dìng rán shēn bù kě cè 。 suī shuō wǒ xiàn zài qǔ dé le tā nǚ ér de zhǎng kòng quán ， dàn ruò shì xiǎng yào yǐ cǐ wèi píng ， yāo xié 、 móu qiú shén me hǎo chù ， kǒng pà zhǐ shì qǔ sǐ zhī dào 。”
“合道仙尊，又是首席阵法师。实力定然深不可测。虽说我现在取得了她女儿的掌控权，但若是想要以此为凭，要挟、谋求什么好处，恐怕只是取死之道。”
Lu Xuejing sighed in relief and stopped spinning.
“ jù tǐ zěn me zuò ， hái dé hǎo hǎo móu huà yī fān 。”
“具体怎么做，还得好好谋划一番。”
"You can go home now," Li Fan said bluntly.
bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， kàn zhuó yǎn zhōng de fèn nù yǐ jīng zhú jiàn xiāo shī ， chóng xīn biàn dé lèi yǎn pó suō 、 liǎn shàng mǎn shì qiú ráo shén sè de lù xuě jìng 。
不知过了多久，看着眼中的愤怒已经逐渐消失，重新变得泪眼婆娑、脸上满是求饶神色的陆雪静。
Lu Xuejing was initially taken aback. She looked at Li Fan incredulously.
lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng màn màn yǒu le zhǔ yì 。
李凡脑海中慢慢有了主意。
Then a look of sheer joy appeared on her face.
“ tíng ！”
“停！”
She instinctively wanted to flee, to get away from Li Fan.
tā zhōng yú hǎn dào 。
他终于喊道。
But voices echoed around her like demons.
lù xuě jìng rú shì zhòng fù ， tíng zhǐ le huá jī de dòng zuò 。
陆雪静如释重负，停止了滑稽的动作。
"Remember, our relationship is your most important secret. You must not reveal any information about it to anyone in any way."
“ hǎo le ， nǐ kě yǐ huí jiā le 。” lǐ fán zhí jiē shuō dào 。
“好了，你可以回家了。”李凡直接说道。
"If someone notices or even suspects something..."
lù xuě jìng xiān shì yǒu xiē è rán ， nán yǐ zhì xìn de kàn zhe lǐ fán 。
陆雪静先是有些愕然，难以置信的看着李凡。
"You should end it yourself."
suí hòu liǎn shàng yǒng xiàn chū yī sī kuáng xǐ 。
随后脸上涌现出一丝狂喜。
Li Fan's voice was icy cold.
shēn tǐ huī fù le zì yóu ， tā xià yì shí de jiù xiǎng yào táo lí cǐ chù ， yuǎn lí lǐ fán de shēn biān 。
身体恢复了自由，她下意识的就想要逃离此处，远离李凡的身边。
Lu Xuejing trembled slightly.
ěr biān què jiē lián chuán lái xǔ duō è mó bān de dī yǔ 。
耳边却接连传来许多恶魔般的低语。
"Once you return home, don't say anything. Just act as usual and wait for my instructions."
“ jì zhù ， wǒ liǎng zhī jiān de guān xì ， shì nǐ zuì zhòng yào de mì mì 。 nǐ bù néng xiàng rèn hé rén yǐ rèn hé fāng shì tòu lù chū nǎ pà yī sī xìn xī 。”
“记住，我两之间的关系，是你最重要的秘密。你不能向任何人以任何方式透露出哪怕一丝信息。”
"If anyone asks, just say that the old fisherman caught you and knocked you out. After being saved by a stranger, you couldn’t express your gratitude before they disappeared without a trace."
“ rú guǒ bié rén yǒu suǒ chá jué ， nǎ pà zhǐ shì chǎn shēng huái yí 。”
“如果别人有所察觉，哪怕只是产生怀疑。”
A spirit token flew to her side.
“ nà me ……”
“那么……”
Li Fan's voice echoed, "Put it away."
“ nǐ jiù zì wǒ liǎo duàn ba 。”
“你就自我了断吧。”
"Alright, go now."
lǐ fán de shēng yīn bīng lěng wú bǐ 。
李凡的声音冰冷无比。
Following his instructions, Lu Xuejing tucked the spirit token away and fled towards the distant horizon.
lù xuě jìng de shēn qū wēi wēi chàn dǒu 。
陆雪静的身躯微微颤抖。
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, watching the girl disappear into the distance.
“ huí qù zhī hòu ， shén me dōu bú yào shuō ， yī qiè biǎo xiàn rú cháng 。 jìng dài wǒ de tōng zhī 。”
“回去之后，什么都不要说，一切表现如常。静待我的通知。”
"Playing with a tiger is perilous but rewarding. As long as I remain cautious and act decisively if anything goes wrong, I can minimize risks."
“ ruò shì yǒu rén wèn qǐ ， zhǐ shuō nǐ zì jǐ bèi yú fù zhuō ná ， shī qù le yì shí 。 zhī hòu bèi mò shēng rén suǒ jiù ， dàn què lái bù jí biǎo shì gǎn xiè ， ēn rén jiù yǐ jīng xiāo shī wú zōng le 。”
“若是有人问起，只说你自己被渔父捉拿，失去了意识。之后被陌生人所救，但却来不及表示感谢，恩人就已经消失无踪了。”
"Perhaps it isn't as dangerous as I imagined. The old fisherman's methods are mysterious; even I couldn’t sense them."
yī méi tōng xùn líng fú fēi dào tā de shēn biān 。
一枚通讯灵符飞到她的身边。
"If not for that girl’s obvious behavior, I wouldn't have thought of such a bizarre and unreasonable situation happening."
lǐ fán de shēng yīn yī tóng xiǎng qǐ 。
李凡的声音一同响起。
Suddenly, Li Fan seemed to realize something.
“ shōu qǐ lái ba 。”
“收起来吧。”
"This feeling... is somewhat similar to the strange?"
“ hǎo le ， nǐ zǒu ba 。”
“好了，你走吧。”
The image of the people in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace and the Ox-drawn Carriage Master from the Cavernous Cloud Sea flashed through his mind.
dé dào le zhǔ rén de fēn fù ， lù xuě jìng jiāng tōng xùn líng fú shōu qǐ 。
得到了主人的吩咐，陆雪静将通讯灵符收起。
"The Heaven's Saber sword was hidden within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. Everyone there turned into something strange."
tóu yě bù gǎn huí ， cháo zhe yuǎn chù tiān biān fēi dùn 。
头也不敢回，朝着远处天边飞遁。
"Is even the owner of the Heaven's Saber like this?"
lǐ fán mī zhuó yǎn ， kàn zhe xiǎo gū niáng yuǎn qù de shēn yǐng 。
李凡眯着眼，看着小姑娘远去的身影。
"What happened back then?"
“ yǔ hǔ móu pí ， suī xiōng xiǎn wàn fēn ， dàn yí dàn gōng chéng ， zé dé lì qiān bǎi bèi 。”
“与虎谋皮，虽凶险万分，但一旦功成，则得利千百倍。”
As Li Fan lost himself in thought, a sudden feeling surged within him.
“ zhǐ yào xiǎo xīn jǐn shèn yī xiē ， chá jué bú duì ， lì mǎ hái zhēn 。 zé néng jiāng fēng xiǎn jiàng dào zuì dī 。”
“只要小心谨慎一些，察觉不对，立马还真。则能将风险降到最低。”
Looking up, he saw Lu Xuejing, who had been flying high, suddenly turn into just a tiny black dot and plummet straight down.
“ huò xǔ ， shì shí shàng bìng méi yǒu wǒ xiǎng xiàng de nà me wēi xiǎn 。 yú fù de shǒu duàn guǐ yì ， lián shēn wèi dāng shì rén de wǒ dōu wú fǎ chá jué 。”
“或许，事实上并没有我想象的那么危险。渔父的手段诡异，连身为当事人的我都无法察觉。”
She crashed through several branches before vanishing from his sight.
“ ruò fēi nà gū niáng shí zài bù kān ， biǎo xiàn de guò yú míng xiǎn ， kǒng pà wǒ yě bù xiǎng dào huì yǒu rú cǐ lí qí 、 bù jiǎng dào lǐ de shì qíng fā shēng 。”
“若非那姑娘实在不堪，表现的过于明显，恐怕我也不想到会有如此离奇、不讲道理的事情发生。”
At the same time, an image flashed in Li Fan's mind: Lu Xuejing writhing on the ground with extreme pain, her body contorted, convulsing uncontrollably. She seemed like a human without air or a fish out of water, desperately struggling for survival.
“ děng děng ……”
“等等……”
Li Fan looked at this scene and understood something.
chà nà jiān ， lǐ fán sì hū yì shí dào le shén me 。
刹那间，李凡似乎意识到了什么。
As an item belonging to its owner, it couldn't leave without permission.
“ zhè zhǒng gǎn jué ， sì hū gēn guǐ yì yǒu diǎn xiāng sì ？”
“这种感觉，似乎跟诡异有点相似？”
Though Li Fan had verbally instructed her earlier, he hadn’t exercised his rights as the owner because he didn't know what those rights were.
lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng ， bù jīn yòu fú xiàn chū cóng yún hǎi yún shuǐ tiān gōng zhōng de zhòng rén 、 yǐ jí qīng niú lā chē de fū zǐ 。
李凡脑海中，不禁又浮现出丛云海云水天宫中的众人、以及青牛拉车的夫子。
But now, Li Fan felt the reality of his position.
Thinking through this, Li Fan's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Turn two circles to the left first. Then turn three circles to the right."
To verify his instructions, Li Fan issued a cold command again.
If the previous questions were somewhat impolite, what Li Fan now demanded was truly out of the ordinary.
He asked a newly acquainted Foundation Establishment female cultivator to perform such bizarre and comical actions.
No normal person would agree to this.
But surprisingly, Lu Xuejing did it meticulously and seriously, completing every action as instructed.
Her eyes were fixed on Li Fan, burning with flames. She seemed eager to tear him apart.
Li Fan was no ordinary figure; he wasn't easily scared by a young girl just out of her cocoon.
He smiled slightly and said to Lu Xuejing, "It seems you still don't fully understand your current situation."
"Indeed, for an old fisherman with whom I have no prior knowledge, I did dare to speak disrespectfully... Perhaps I was indeed too uncontrolled."
"You must not stop turning until I give the command," Li Fan said coldly.
Lu Xuejing's eyes flashed with a hint of humiliation, but her body obediently began to spin.
Li Fan didn't interfere for now. Instead, he pondered why this situation had come about.
When the old fisherman handed Lu Xuejing over to him earlier, his description was "an item" or "thing."
Clearly, in the eyes of the old fisherman, this inexperienced young girl belonged to him as an object.
After obtaining the Steal Heaven and Change Sun Order, he exchanged it for this "item," which now belonged to Li Fan.
As the owner of the item, Li Fan naturally had full control over it.
Though he didn't know how the old fisherman managed to do this, Lu Xuejing's complete obedience suggested that this was a fact.
"Correct in terms of possession."
"But what significant use does it have?"
Even if a Foundation Establishment female cultivator were as beautiful as a flower, she would be of no great use to Li Fan, who sought eternal life above all else.
Li Fan thought aloud, "Unless..."
He didn't stop Lu Xuejing from spinning and directly asked, "Tell me about your mother."
Lu Xuejing's eyes lit up with hope. She spoke hesitantly, "My mother is named Lu Xi Chan, the Chief Array Mage of the Strategy Hall in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, with a cultivation realm of Fusion Dao..."
The words struck Li Fan like a bolt from the blue, and his eyes flashed with excitement as he looked at Lu Xuejing.
"Strategy Hall's chief... Cavern Heaven must be set up with the Heavenly Mysteries Locking Spirit Array, Five Elements Great Cavern Heavens..."
"Could it be so?"
In an instant, Li Fan had a theory.
"I don't know what the old fisherman saw in me. But since he has offered such a good opportunity, I can't afford to miss it."
"If I could probe some information about the Five Elements Great Cavern Heavens, even if it's just true now, it would be worth it. If I could enter from within and observe firsthand, that would be ideal."
Li Fan's eyes burned with determination.
But he didn’t let this sudden good fortune cloud his judgment. He quickly regained his composure.
"A Fusion Dao Sage, the Chief Array Mage... Her strength is undoubtedly profound. Even though I now control her daughter, using it to coerce or seek any benefits might just be a path to death."
"I need to plan carefully."
After an indeterminate amount of time, seeing Lu Xuejing's anger gradually fade and her face filled with pleading, Li Fan had his strategy.
"Stop!"
He finally called out.
Lu Xuejing sighed in relief and stopped spinning.
"You can go home now," Li Fan said bluntly.
Lu Xuejing was initially taken aback. She looked at Li Fan incredulously.
Then a look of sheer joy appeared on her face.
She instinctively wanted to flee, to get away from Li Fan.
But voices echoed around her like demons.
"Remember, our relationship is your most important secret. You must not reveal any information about it to anyone in any way."
"If someone notices or even suspects something..."
"You should end it yourself."
Li Fan's voice was icy cold.
Lu Xuejing trembled slightly.
"Once you return home, don't say anything. Just act as usual and wait for my instructions."
"If anyone asks, just say that the old fisherman caught you and knocked you out. After being saved by a stranger, you couldn’t express your gratitude before they disappeared without a trace."
A spirit token flew to her side.
Li Fan's voice echoed, "Put it away."
"Alright, go now."
Following his instructions, Lu Xuejing tucked the spirit token away and fled towards the distant horizon.
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, watching the girl disappear into the distance.
"Playing with a tiger is perilous but rewarding. As long as I remain cautious and act decisively if anything goes wrong, I can minimize risks."
"Perhaps it isn't as dangerous as I imagined. The old fisherman's methods are mysterious; even I couldn’t sense them."
"If not for that girl’s obvious behavior, I wouldn't have thought of such a bizarre and unreasonable situation happening."
Suddenly, Li Fan seemed to realize something.
"This feeling... is somewhat similar to the strange?"
The image of the people in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace and the Ox-drawn Carriage Master from the Cavernous Cloud Sea flashed through his mind.
"The Heaven's Saber sword was hidden within the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace. Everyone there turned into something strange."
"Is even the owner of the Heaven's Saber like this?"
"What happened back then?"
As Li Fan lost himself in thought, a sudden feeling surged within him.
Looking up, he saw Lu Xuejing, who had been flying high, suddenly turn into just a tiny black dot and plummet straight down.
She crashed through several branches before vanishing from his sight.
At the same time, an image flashed in Li Fan's mind: Lu Xuejing writhing on the ground with extreme pain, her body contorted, convulsing uncontrollably. She seemed like a human without air or a fish out of water, desperately struggling for survival.
Li Fan looked at this scene and understood something.
As an item belonging to its owner, it couldn't leave without permission.
Though Li Fan had verbally instructed her earlier, he hadn’t exercised his rights as the owner because he didn't know what those rights were.
But now, Li Fan felt the reality of his position.