Chapter 4: Stupidity Beyond Belief!

The first step in coaxing a fool is making him grateful.  

Qin Miaoyan decided to take the “benefactor” route and actually began administering medicines to help Li Fuguang recover.  

Admittedly, she could have reconnected his severed meridians in the blink of an eye—she could even forcibly boost his cultivation if she wanted. But she couldn’t do that.  

So she lied, claiming she was injured.  

After Qin Miaoyan said, “When I was dealing with the parasitic vines that day, I was caught off guard by a sneak attack. These days, I can’t recklessly use my spirit power, or else I could have healed you,” she had prepared several excuses to make him believe that a master of the Cocoon Soul Realm could be injured by mere parasitic vines.  

Her excuses ranged from, but were not limited to, suffering an inner demon backlash at the time.  

But before she could even voice them, Li Fuguang immediately responded, “Esteemed One… was it because you were ambushed while catching me in the abyss?”  

Qin Miaoyan: “…” Hah?  

Maybe she should just throw this brat out of the valley. She wasn’t sure if stupidity was contagious, but prolonged exposure couldn’t be good.  

Yet when she looked at his face, her obsession refused to settle.  

Back then, the man she had loved was someone she had deliberately pursued for security. It had taken great effort to win his approval, yet he had remained restrained, keeping their relationship chaste and proper. Even when news of his death reached her, she had never truly tasted him.  

Now, this replacement before her made Qin Miaoyan feel as if she had returned to those humble days, unable to resist indulging.  

So she forcibly ignored the brat’s idiocy. Since he had already crafted an excuse for her, wouldn’t it be a waste not to play along?  

Thus, Qin Miaoyan said, “I was careless at the time.”  

“It was because of me!” Li Fuguang’s face was filled with emotion, his starry eyes brimming with guilt and gratitude, clear as a pristine stream—truly breathtaking.  

But Qin Miaoyan didn’t like this kind of naive, innocent fool. Among humans, she preferred the type of upright gentlemen—reserved, dignified, and profound.  

If she looked at him any longer, she might punch him for his sheer stupidity.  

So she lowered her head slightly, stirring the bitter medicinal soup in the bowl, unconsciously furrowing her brows. “It’s also because my inner demons have been acting up lately, weakening my defenses. How could I blame you?”  

“Esteemed One, you’re so kind!” Li Fuguang snatched the large bowl of medicine and gulped it down in one go, as if he had no sense of taste.  

Qin Miaoyan: “…”  

Originally, she didn’t need to make him drink such foul concoctions. The healing pills she had could circle the entire Nether Valley several times over.  

But she had wanted to play a little game—if he complained about the bitterness, she could feed him a sweet treat. Wouldn’t that be romantic?  

A little back-and-forth, maybe even sucking on a finger, and an affair would naturally blossom!  

But Li Fuguang drank the medicine in one go, wiped his mouth without so much as a frown, and grinned at Qin Miaoyan, those infuriating cheek dimples appearing again.  

“Hehehe… I’m kinda hungry.”  

As if on cue, his stomach let out two loud growls.  

Idiot!  

Qin Miaoyan: “…” Gnashing her teeth, she reached into her sleeve and crushed the prepared sweet treats into dust with a burst of spirit power.  

Tomorrow, she’d double—no, triple the bitter herbs in his medicine!  

But soon, Qin Miaoyan smiled again. “Ah, I forgot—you still need to eat. I’ll have Xiao Chun prepare something for you shortly.”  

“Thank you, Esteemed One!” Li Fuguang beamed once more.

Qin Miaoyan really wanted to slap him and tell him to stop smiling—what a waste of that face!  

With his looks, if he just stayed silent and still, he’d be the very image of the dignified gentleman she adored—the composed and steady Upright Immortal Leader.  

But the moment he used that face to eat, drink, or do anything mundane, Qin Miaoyan desperately wanted to turn him into a puppet!  

Still, she already had a plan in mind, so she held back for now. After all, while puppets could be collected, they weren’t much fun to play with.  

She watched Li Fuguang, imagining how she could mold him into the version she desired—one that would surely be utterly delightful in the end.  

What she didn’t realize was that this little brat had stirred her competitive spirit. Her beauty had always been an unstoppable weapon—there wasn’t a man she couldn’t conquer. She refused to believe this whelp wouldn’t willingly transform into exactly what she wanted!  

Qin Miaoyan stepped out briefly, pretending to instruct Xiao Chun to prepare a meal. In truth, Xiao Chun was her puppet, an extension of her will—just one that looked human.  

Soon, she returned, personally carrying a plate of pastries.  

Setting them on the table, she pushed them toward Li Fuguang. “Have some to tide you over.”  

Li Fuguang stared at the delicate treats, then at Qin Miaoyan, his expression brimming with gratitude once more.  

He grabbed them and ate—not one at a time, but three or four pieces at once, stuffing them all into his mouth in one go.  

Qin Miaoyan: “…” *I’ll endure.*  

*Is he a pig?! That’s such an ugly way to eat!*  

Actually, it wasn’t ugly—she just preferred refined, ethereal immortals who acted above mortal needs.  

But stuffing his mouth wasn’t enough—Li Fuguang had to speak while cramming four or five pastries in at once. “Your Excellency, you’re so kind.”  

Qin Miaoyan: *If you dare spray crumbs, I’ll shove this plate down your throat!*  

Fortunately, Li Fuguang didn’t spew crumbs, and the way he looked at her only grew more fervent.  

Unconsciously, her standards had already lowered—just seeing him not make a mess was enough to satisfy her.  

And as she watched his cheeks puff out, she noted that his mouth wasn’t actually that big, yet he could stuff so much in without spilling a crumb. Some new, devious idea must have crossed her mind, because she smirked in a way that was hard to interpret.  

Li Fuguang polished off the entire plate in four bites, only to see Qin Miaoyan smiling. But even after swallowing, he’d barely taken the edge off his hunger.  

Scratching his temple, he thought about his usual appetite—he’d need to eat a lot more soon—and felt a little embarrassed.  

These past few days, his meals, lodging, and medicine had all been personally delivered by Qin Miaoyan. In truth, she was keeping him from seeing others in the valley under the pretense of letting him rest. Li Fuguang not only believed it but was convinced she treated him exceptionally well.  

So, without filter, he sat cross-legged on the bed and said, “In this world, aside from my father and mother, only Your Excellency has been so good to me.”  

Qin Miaoyan smiled, knowing he was overflowing with gratitude. She considered whether to seize the moment and make a small demand—just to satisfy herself a little.  

“Your Excellency’s life-saving grace—”  

*Yes, yes, repay it with your body,* Qin Miaoyan mentally supplied.  

But Li Fuguang’s next words were: “How about I kowtow to you a few more times?”  

Qin Miaoyan: “…” *Get out!*  

*Stupid mutt!*  

Li Fuguang actually started to rise and kneel, but Qin Miaoyan shot to her feet, ready to kick him straight out the window.  

Luckily, “Xiao Chun” arrived just then, carrying a food box.

Qin Miaoyan gritted her teeth and grabbed Li Fuguang’s arm to stop him from kneeling, but her tone couldn’t help turning sharp.  

She snapped at him irritably, “A man’s knees are worth gold! I’m not your ancestor, why do you keep kneeling?”  

Li Fuguang froze at her words.  

Qin Miaoyan inwardly cursed and quickly reeled back her temper, softening her voice to coax him. “Let’s eat first.”  

But Li Fuguang just grinned, his smile bright and radiant like a flower in bloom.  

“Indeed, Your Eminence couldn’t be my ancestor—my parents should be around your age.”  

Qin Miaoyan: “…Hah.”  

She thought, *I’ll fuck your ancestors.*  

Li Fuguang began eating.  

Qin Miaoyan watched him, watching until… she actually felt tempted to take a bite herself.  

But she quickly snapped out of it, her disgust returning as she saw how fast the little brat devoured the food. In no time, half the dishes were gone.  

This time, he didn’t speak first. Qin Miaoyan struck up a conversation, feigning concern. “Which immortal clan or country do your parents belong to? Maybe I know them.”  

Li Fuguang paused at her question and replied, “Your Eminence probably wouldn’t know them. My parents aren’t part of any sect or noble family.”  

Qin Miaoyan gave an indifferent “Oh,” though in truth, she couldn’t care less who his parents were.  

Even if they were heavenly sovereigns, royalty of some kingdom, or mighty figures in the Cultivation World, she’d still play with their son without hesitation.  

She didn’t press further about his parents and instead asked, “I keep forgetting to ask—what’s your name, and how old are you?”  

“I see you’re at the Illusion Shattering Realm but haven’t formed a Dao Heart Spiritual Shield yet,” Qin Miaoyan tempted him. “Perhaps I could help you forge one, or even find you a decent Dao Heart Spiritual Pet.”  

Surely the brat had noticed how her Nether Valley was practically overflowing with treasures?  

She estimated his age—early-stage Illusion Shattering Realm, which, compared to junior disciples of immortal sects, would put him around seventy or eighty?  

After all, the current Cultivation World was far from what it used to be. And given that this kid clearly had no proper master—she hadn’t seen him attempt to channel spiritual energy these past few days—his cultivation must be sloppy.  

Reaching early-stage Illusion Shattering Realm at around a hundred years old sounded about right.  

“I didn’t tell you?” Li Fuguang set down his bowl and chopsticks, wiping his mouth, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “My name is Li Fuguang.”  

“And by this New Year’s Eve, I’ll be nineteen!”  

Qin Miaoyan stared at him, unsure whether to scold him for wiping his mouth with his sleeve or to be stunned by his surname.  

“You’re surnamed Li?” Qin Miaoyan’s expression turned strange.  

Li Fuguang nodded.  

Qin Miaoyan thought of her former lover, who had also been surnamed Li. *What a coincidence*, she mused. *They look so alike—maybe they were from the same family lineage centuries ago.*  

But before she could ask about his ancestry, she suddenly processed what he had just said.  

“You said you’re… how old?”  

“Nineteen by New Year’s Eve. I was born on New Year’s Eve, hehehe.”  

Qin Miaoyan: “…Hah?”  

“Nineteen?”  

“Mm.”  

Not seventy-nine, eighty-nine, or a hundred and nineteen—but *nineteen*?  

He… was *nineteen*!  

Qin Miaoyan’s face twitched at the revelation. Thinking of his cultivation level and his pure Wood Spiritual Root, for a brief moment, she resented the heavens for their unfairness.  

When she was nineteen, she had been scheming for survival in the palace, not daring to take a single misstep—lest she end up a corpse in a well the next day.  

Back then, she hadn’t even known if she would live long enough to leave the palace.

Later, she barely managed to survive until the age when she could leave the palace and found a man to rely on, preparing to marry.  

Then a palace coup happened, and the man died.  

Alone outside the palace, she was bullied and beaten by street thugs before being captured by the Heretical Sect to serve as human fodder for breeding abominations.  

Step by step, she crawled her way out of the stinking pits of blood and filth to reach her current position as the Supreme Ruler of Nether Valley.  

It was no exaggeration to say she had climbed over her own “corpses” to get here.  

She had sold herself out countless times. To attain the Dao, she had even carved open and reforged every last one of her Meridians—only then did she gain all this.  

Yet there were people like him, whose missing brain cells could string together a zither, effortlessly possessing everything she had once deemed unattainable.  

Qin Miaoyan laughed.  

She looked utterly delighted.  

But those who knew her understood—when she laughed, nothing good ever followed.  

Unfortunately, almost no one who truly knew her was still alive.  

Her former master, the previous Supreme Ruler of Avici Valley—that old bastard had known her well. A shame, really. He had died the most gruesome death of all.  

Chopped into pieces and fed to the fish by Qin Miaoyan.  

So when Qin Miaoyan laughed, Li Fuguang assumed she was genuinely happy.  

After finishing his meal, he asked curiously, “What has made Your Eminence so joyful?”  

Qin Miaoyan looked at him, tears of laughter welling in her eyes, and said, “There is indeed something amusing…”  

If it were some centuries-old geezer, learning that their target was a mere teenager—a tender sprout—they might give up out of shame.  

But Qin Miaoyan wouldn’t.  

She couldn’t wait to break him, to trample him underfoot, to see how he’d ever grow up healthy and strong!  

“Your name is quite lovely,” Qin Miaoyan remarked. “Fuguang—the sun’s radiance.”  

“Your parents must have truly wished for you to be healthy and bright.”  

Not just to live under the sun—but to become sunlight itself.  

What an immense name.  

What a pity.  

He had met her.  

“You’re the first to ever compliment my name,” Li Fuguang said earnestly, a hint of bashfulness in his voice. “And the first to treat me so kindly.”  

“I’ve been imposing on Nether Valley for days now, indebted to Your Eminence’s aid. I feel terribly guilty…” Li Fuguang continued. “Once I recover enough to return home, I’ll surely bring lavish gifts to repay Your Eminence.”  

“Tch, what lavish gifts could you possibly have?” Qin Miaoyan’s tone was laced with scorn, her mood twisted. “All the treasures of this world are already in my valley.”  

Yet, contrary to her expectations, Li Fuguang didn’t show the slightest displeasure.  

Instead, he nodded. “Your Eminence speaks truly. Compared to your valley, my family’s possessions are indeed unworthy.”  

“Even the food here is better than at home—hehe.”  

Qin Miaoyan: “…” May you choke on it!  

But his stupid “hehe” somehow scattered her darkening mood, as if all her malice had been crushed between his two enormous cheek dimples and vanished without a trace.  

Annoying.  

Disgustingly naive!