The Pill Fairy left, leaving Meng Qi and the others a bit befuddled. As women, they could clearly sense her feelings for Long Chen.

Furthermore, they also knew what Long Chen had done in Pill Valley as Long San. Originally, he had been keeping it secret, but Tang Wan-er had wheedled him until he had spat out the truth.

Back then, Tang Wan-er had actually gotten quite jealous, but when she saw the Pill Fairy in person, she found that her pure-hearted nature made it very difficult for one to feel badly toward her.

In truth, women were just that curious. When the Pill Fairy had invited Long Chen to join her, they had felt jealous, but when Long Chen had turned her down, her sad expression and lonely figure had made them feel pity.

How Long Chen had acted toward the Pill Fairy when he had seen her in the Skywood Divine Palace had also satisfied the three of them, so after discussing it, they had decided to give the Pill Fairy a chance.

Meng Qi was their representative in expressing their goodwill toward the Pill Fairy. Her attitude was their attitude. However, the Pill Fairy had actually declined.

“Is this her way of winning her face back after Long Chen refused her first?” wondered Tang Wan-er.

“How could that be possible? She’s not that kind of petty person,” said Meng Qi.

“Long Chen, what’s going on?” Tang Wan-er turned to Long Chen.

“Perhaps… you’ve just misunderstood and she doesn’t have such thoughts at all.” Long Chen shrugged helplessly. The hearts of women were so difficult to understand. Anyone who could understand them could directly be bestowed the title of a god.

“We’re being serious here!” rebuked Tang Wan-er.

“I’m not kidding. There really is nothing between us,” said Long Chen.

There really had been nothing between them. They hadn’t had a kiss or anything like that. He had always felt great respect for the Pill Fairy, but nothing more.

“Long Chen, are you really this dumb or are you just acting?” asked Meng Qi.

“What?”

Meng Qi shook her head. “It seems you really don’t understand women. The Pill Fairy gave you her identity plate to allow you to leave Pill Valley. Do you really think that was purely out of the kindness of her heart?”

Long Chen looked at Meng Qi, speechless.

Meng Qi couldn’t help sighing. “Fool, she was unwilling to see you die in Pill Valley and would rather take the responsibility herself to let you live. Do you realize her actions are equivalent to a betrayal? Do you know how serious the consequences would be? You might be a fool, but she’s not. If it weren’t for her feelings toward you, would she be willing to do such a thing? If you had used that identity plate at that time, then even if she could escape death since she’s the valley master’s daughter, her future prospects would surely come to an end. Did you not think of that outcome?”

“Well...” Long Chen’s heart pounded. At that time, he had thought that Pill Fairy was just helping him because of her feelings of right and wrong. He hadn’t considered all of this. Only now that Meng Qi told him did he realize he had been thinking too simply.

However, this was too crazy. He and the Pill Fairy hadn’t even been together for that long, and they hadn’t had any life and death experiences together. He was unable to believe that the Pill Fairy had fallen for him.

“Long Chen, I order you to win back the Pill Fairy!” said Tang Wan-er solemnly.

“Are you talking in your sleep?” Long Chen looked at her with surprise.

“Who’s sleeptalking? I’m being serious.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re definitely testing me again. I won’t fall for it,” said Long Chen.

Tang Wan-er often laid traps for Long Chen in her words. Sometimes when they saw a beautiful woman, she would intentionally have Long Chen appraise her. If he refused, she would say it was because he felt guilty and had definitely had those thoughts toward that woman. On the other hand, if he did as she asked and appraised her to prove his innocence, she would demand why he had been looking so closely if he hadn’t been having those kinds of thoughts. Either way would end up with some torment for him.

That was why Long Chen’s guard was immediately raised when Tang Wan-er said this. He refused to fall for her trap again.

“You fool, this time it’s real!” raged Tang Wan-er.

“You said that every time, and every time, the only real thing was the trap!”

“You!” Tang Wan-er clenched her teeth furiously.

Meng Qi interjected, “Long Chen, this time Wan-er is being serious. This is our collective view as well. There’s no need for you to find it curious. We might get jealous, but we understand you. It’s not that you have no feelings for the Pill Fairy but that you don’t dare to have them. We’re happy you feel that way, but there’s no need for you to express your innocence. Just tell me, if the Pill Fairy was married off to someone tomorrow, would you feel alright in your heart?”

“I…”

“Remember, you can’t lie in front of me!” Meng Qi looked closely into Long Chen’s eyes.

This question wasn’t something Long Chen could answer. To say that he didn’t like the Pill Fairy would be a bald-faced lie. The time they had spent together would always be in his memories. The two of them had worked together to kill Xuan Jizi, they had helped Wan Qing together, and she had been the one to tell him that the second volume of the Nirvana Scripture was in the Heaven Dragon Flame Region.

Then, when he had been chased down and surrounded by Pill Valley, she had let him pass, even giving him her jade pendant that would allow him to escape. She would rather face the punishment than him. How could his heart not be moved?

The reason he didn’t admit it was because he didn’t want to hurt Meng Qi and the others’ feelings. However, if there came a day that the Pill Fairy married someone else, he would definitely feel sad.

“Go. We all love you, so we can understand the pain of losing you. You aren’t really fickle-hearted. No one can say anything for sure about the fate that draws people together. If there comes a day you lose her, it might even become a heart-devil for you. It’ll be a regret you can never make up for. When the day comes and your cultivation base stagnates, how are you supposed to lead us through this world? How are you supposed to lead the Dragonblood Legion to the peak of the martial path?” Meng Qi reached out a hand and rubbed Long Chen’s cheek softly.

“Meng Qi…” Long Chen was incomparably moved. She was really the one who understood him the best. She always thought of him.

“Go. We support you,” said Meng Qi softly.

“I’m supporting you too. However, hehe, it’s just this one time!” Tang Wan-er laughed.

“That loathsome woman is coming back.”

Just as they were talking, Shen Bijun walked over to them. Liu Ruyan drew their attention.

Meng Qi, Chu Yao, Tang Wan-er, and Cloud’s smiles vanished. Their feelings toward Shen Bijun were the opposite of what they felt toward the Pill Fairy.

Shen Bijun acted as if she didn’t see their expressions. When she was ten feet in front of Long Chen, she stopped. “Long Chen, since you already have your wives and have no destiny with me, I won’t act shamelessly. I won’t bother you anymore. This jade pendant is a small token I’ve always carried with me. I hope you can keep it with you in the future. I suppose that can count as fulfilling my dream.”

Shen Bijun took out a very high-quality ancient jade pendant. Divine marks were carved into it. It was definitely no ordinary object.

Upon looking at the jade pendant, tears streamed down Shen Bijun’s face. She made the pendant slowly float over to Long Chen.

Bang!

A lightning arrow shot through the air, blowing the jade pendant to dust.

Everyone jumped in shock. They saw Long Chen with his hand raised. That attack had clearly come from him.

“Long Chen, do you hate me so much?” Shen Bijun’s expression was the very picture of grief. She looked absolutely heartbroken as she covered her face and ran away.

Long Chen’s expression was gloomy. He sent a message to Meng Qi, Chu Yao, Tang Wan-er, Liu Ruyan, and Cloud. “If you encounter Shen Bijun in the future, don’t have any mercy. Kill her with your full power. She’s extremely sinister and will use any means necessary for her goals. She’s expressing love for me so that no one will suspect her once she kills me. That, or it’s to create a reason for her to kill me. Although I’m not sure what exactly her goal is, that jade pendant was definitely tampered with and might have been able to kill me. I already gave her one chance before, but she still wants to kill me, so I don’t mind being vicious.”

Long Chen was infuriated. He had never encountered such a sickening woman. She was capable of doing anything.

“Long Chen, you went too far! There’s no need for you to hurt others like this!”

“Someone who doesn’t understand how to respect others will never receive other people’s respect.”

“Just because she likes you doesn’t mean you can trample over her dignity. How can your heart be so vicious?”

The sight of Long Chen destroying Shen Bijun’s tablet, as well as the sight of her sobbing as she left, immediately caused quite a few people to stand up and criticize Long Chen out of a sense of justice.

Liu Ruyan’s expression sank, and the whip in her hand began to glow. Long Chen immediately grabbed her hand and shook his head. “Leave it be. There’s no meaning in quibbling with some brainless haters. There are far too many people who like to talk and criticize others without having any skill.”

“You’re growing more and more unlike yourself,” said Liu Ruyan frostily.

Tch, he was being looked down upon again. It seemed Liu Ruyan was quite warlike herself.

At this time, a bell rang out again, signifying the end of this portion of the pageant. Everyone was summoned and led down another path.

Shen Bijun’s expression was still aggrieved as she followed Di Xin, Han Feifei, and Wang Shan. Long Chen saw many experts who hadn’t been close to Di Xin before now standing closer to him.

Those Empyreans hadn’t had a negative or positive feeling for Long Chen before. However, now Long Chen sensed that he was being rejected by them.

He didn’t know if it was because of Meng Qi and the others that had caused them to become jealous, or because he had rejected Shen Bijun and brought out their desire to protect the weak.

It went without saying that Shen Bijun’s acting was top-notch. Each of her schemes was win-win for her. Whether Long Chen accepted or declined, she was the winner. She had managed to push Long Chen into the heart of the struggle.

The only one who wasn’t glaring at him with hostility but still maintaining a certain distance from him was the Pill Fairy. In fact, she didn’t even dare to look at him. The atmosphere between them was a bit awkward.

When everyone reached the end of the path, they arrived at a set of gates. Those gates opened, revealing a sight that made everyone jump in fright.