Qiao Xuan was caught off guard and pressed down by a paw. Seeing that the dumb dog wasn’t satisfied after one lick, it came closer again. Qiao Xuan hurriedly tried to avoid it but couldn’t struggle free…

He had just cleaned himself, only to be licked all over his head and face, drenched in slobber. He was on the verge of a breakdown!

The giant wolf gently lifted its paw and pinned the little slave by the side of the pool, rendering him immobile. The little slave was only wearing an inner garment, which had long been soaked by the spring water. Now, lying there panting heavily, his collar slightly loosened from the struggle, revealing skin that was starkly pale compared to his face…

The giant wolf squinted its eyes, lowered its head, and sniffed closer.

Its hot breath was practically burning his skin…

Under the giant wolf’s paw, Qiao Xuan’s face was full of despair from being licked all over, while the giant wolf seemed to be marking him with its scent…

Seeing the dumb dog pushing its luck, extending its paw to flip him over, Qiao Xuan couldn’t take it anymore! He slapped the dog’s head hard, shouting angrily, “Enough already?! Let me go!”

A chilling, murderous glint suddenly flashed in the wolf’s dark golden eyes, as if it found him incredibly audacious.

But Qiao Xuan wasn’t backing down today. He glared coldly at the wolf, with a look that screamed, “Try me, and I won’t hold back!”

The giant wolf breathed heavily, seemingly enraged.

However, a few seconds later—

The giant wolf stepped back coldly, turned, and walked out of the pool.

Qiao Xuan stared at it as it left, finally letting out a sigh of relief, then dunked his head back into the water for another wash.

…

Since that failed escape attempt, Xue Ming had been watching him even more closely. No matter where Qiao Xuan went, as long as he turned around, there’d always be a huge white wolf with dark golden eyes staring at him from the shadows…

Qiao Xuan: I’ve never seen such a clingy dog! Can’t you go play by yourself for a while?

Qiao Xuan was incredibly frustrated. One day, as he sat there blankly, staring at the transparent water droplet in his palm, he thought that if he really didn’t want to stay in this godforsaken place, he could use it to return to the Heavenly Realm. But recalling the scene he saw in the illusion, he didn’t want to give up so easily…

However, this dumb dog was watching him too closely, leaving him with no chance to escape.

The snow-covered mountain was always quiet, with just him and the dumb dog around, just like five hundred years ago. Qiao Xuan sighed and stood up, ready to leave.

Suddenly—

A light flashed across the sky, and a woman in purple stood in the wind, her flawless beauty made even more ethereal by the pure white snow around her…

In that fleeting moment—

Qiao Xuan really thought he had returned to five hundred years ago.

He rubbed his eyes and stared at the woman in front of him, finally having to admit—he wasn’t dreaming. It was really the goddess Ruohua!

She had come again!

He stared at the scene before him in a daze. Five hundred years ago, it was Ruohua’s appearance that made Xue Ming leave him without hesitation to follow her. And this time…

Qiao Xuan’s eyes drooped in disappointment, hiding the excitement in them.

The goddess really is a savior, isn’t she?

Back in the Heavenly Realm, when Jiang Weiqing blocked his way, it was her who stepped in to resolve it. Now that he was trapped here, once again, she had come to save him!

Now that the goddess Ruohua had come, that dumb dog wouldn’t have time to watch him anymore, right?

Qiao Xuan was filled with a flood of emotions. When he came here to undergo his tribulation, being abandoned did feel a little disheartening, but now that his memory had returned, he felt he was silly to have cared so much back then. What’s the point of getting mad at a dumb dog? It’s just that a dog he raised had run off with someone else. Sure, it was disappointing, but that’s all it was. No one seriously holds a grudge against a dog.

Although he didn’t know why Ruohua had come this time, it was definitely a good thing for him…

It’s like having a pillow delivered when you’re sleepy.

Qiao Xuan quietly stepped back, ready to leave the stage to them.

Ruohua’s expression remained calm, her gaze falling on the giant wolf ahead. This wolf demon was not only still here, but it had also taken in another ugly slave…

But she didn’t care about any of this. She was just passing through on her way to the Underworld. Recently, the ruins of Dongqian Saint’s residence had collapsed, and the seals within had disappeared. She had no idea what had happened… Even the seal in the Underworld seemed to be loosening…

Five hundred years had passed, and she was no longer the same as before. She had to venture into the Underworld again.

As for the wolf demon, it seemed it had improved quite a bit.

The giant wolf stared at the woman in front of it, then suddenly turned and grabbed Qiao Xuan, who was trying to sneak away again, in its mouth!

Qiao Xuan, once again caught in a failed escape attempt: …

At a time like this, you still have time to pay attention to me???

Goddess, your goddess is right in front of you!

However, the giant wolf ignored the goddess, coldly glaring at Qiao Xuan as if saying, “Try running again, and I’ll bite you to death,” holding him firmly in its mouth without letting go!

Qiao Xuan was completely stunned. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go!

He still remembered how, back then, this dumb dog had gone all starry-eyed at the sight of the goddess. It even transformed into its human form just for her. At that time, Qiao Xuan didn’t even exist in its mind. It probably wouldn’t have cared if he had died right in front of it…

But this time, not only was the dumb dog indifferent, but it even kept its eyes on him.

This gave Qiao Xuan a bad feeling.

Could it be that the dumb dog realized it couldn’t catch up with the goddess, so it gave up? If Ruohua could no longer distract it, how would he escape?

No, no…

Ruohua was also slightly surprised and glanced at Qiao Xuan. This ugly slave, with his hunched and pitiful appearance, seemed to matter to Xue Ming. Her gaze grew contemplative…

Speaking of which, back then, when the little slave had thrown himself into Wang Chuan, he hadn’t just saved Xue Ming; he had also saved her.

It was a bit of a pity.

Ruohua collected her thoughts and took the initiative to speak, her voice clear and bright: “It’s been a long time. I’m just passing through to the Underworld. I hope the demon lord won’t mind.”

The giant wolf lazily glanced at her, with a look that said, “Go ahead, it’s none of my business,” as it carried Qiao Xuan back to the cave.

Ruohua chuckled, shook her head, and prepared to leave.

Qiao Xuan was absolutely frantic!

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go!

A long-awaited reunion, finally seeing the goddess of his heart again—how could it be so casual, like they were parting without a second thought?

If Ruohua left just like that, how would he ever get away? His expression changed as an idea popped into his head. He began prying at the wolf’s mouth while urgently saying, “You have a guest! Shouldn’t you at least greet her?”

The giant wolf remained unmoved.

Qiao Xuan scolded with a stern face, “That’s very rude!”

The giant wolf gave Qiao Xuan a cold look, filled with impatience and a bit of confusion. Why should it greet the guest? It had already let her pass. Wasn’t that good enough?

If it were anyone else who had trespassed so casually, it would have bitten them to death by now.

Clearly, Qiao Xuan didn’t think that was good enough. He spoke seriously, “As the master of this place, you should show some hospitality. At the very least, you should escort her.”

Qiao Xuan looked earnestly at Xue Ming, thinking, Hurry, hurry, offer to escort Ruohua to the Underworld!

That way, I can tag along!

The giant wolf stared at Qiao Xuan for a long time, then suddenly opened its mouth and let him down.

Qiao Xuan was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

But then the giant wolf leaned close, its dark golden eyes fixed on him. It opened its mouth and growled in a low, deep voice: “You… want… to go?”

Qiao Xuan: “…”

Was it that obvious?

His body stiffened, his expression frozen. The dumb dog wasn’t thinking he was trying to escape again, was it?

The giant wolf leaned closer, staring at him intensely, its gaze filled with frustration and unease. It didn’t want to go to Wang Chuan, didn’t want to go back to that horrible place… But this little slave seemed intent on leaving, always trying to escape from its side…

What do you really want?

Just say what you want directly.

Qiao Xuan instinctively wanted to step back. Despite calling it a dumb dog, the intuition of a beast was sometimes the most terrifying. He would never truly underestimate Xue Ming…

It might have already sensed something…

At that moment, the giant wolf spoke coldly, “If I take you there, will you stay?”

It seemed it hadn’t spoken for a long time, its tone was cold and stiff.

Qiao Xuan looked into the giant wolf’s dark golden eyes, which held a solemn and serious expression amidst the coldness. He was momentarily stunned. It was compromising—to keep him from leaving.

For a second, Qiao Xuan felt an absurd feeling rise in his heart. Why? Why did it insist on keeping him?

Clearly a huge, savage beast, but at this moment, it looked at him like a lowly big dog, begging its master not to leave…

Despite its fierce, cold tone.

After speaking, the giant wolf knelt in front of Qiao Xuan, gazing at him deeply. But seeing Qiao Xuan still dazed and not responding, it grew impatient and grumbled, “Get on.”

Qiao Xuan snapped out of it.

His expression grew complicated.

After a moment, he grabbed onto the giant wolf’s white fur and climbed on. Once he was securely seated, the giant wolf shot off at lightning speed.

The fierce wind howled past his ears, and Qiao Xuan gripped the wolf’s neck fur tightly. His thoughts began to drift. Back then, he never got such treatment. That dumb dog wouldn’t even let anyone touch it, let alone ride it. It wouldn’t even let Ruohua ride it. Now, it had become so casual…

If the demons down the mountain saw this, they’d probably think this was an impressive ride, a story they could gossip about for a hundred years!

But…

Qiao Xuan lowered his gaze.

I never promised I wouldn’t leave.

Ruohua stood at the boundary between life and death, with thunderclouds surging ahead. Hearing the noise behind her, she turned her head, revealing a look of surprise.

Qiao Xuan saw Ruohua too and felt extremely awkward. In his eyes, Xue Ming was Ruohua’s dog. It was only because Ruohua didn’t want it… No matter what, it wasn’t his dog! He was just borrowing it for now; the dog was still hers—he wasn’t going to steal it!

With that thought, Qiao Xuan came up with a plan.

He was definitely going to leave, but before that, he might as well help bring Xue Ming and Ruohua together! Helping Xue Ming chase after his crush could be seen as repayment for the ride to Wang Chuan. This way, if Xue Ming successfully won over the goddess, it wouldn’t have any reason to keep thinking about him…

A perfect plan!

Qiao Xuan put on a timid and cautious expression, respectfully smiling at Ruohua, “The demon lord has come to see you off.”

Ruohua’s eyes gleamed with contemplation. She didn’t believe for a second that Xue Ming had come to see her off.

But this ugly slave…

Didn’t seem as simple as he appeared.

Why did Xue Ming value him so much?

However, she didn’t say much. As long as it didn’t interfere with her plans, nothing else mattered. She simply smiled and nodded.

Xue Ming didn’t spare Ruohua a glance. In fact, it seemed displeased that Qiao Xuan was even talking to her. The little slave was never this respectful or polite with it—at most, he just seemed cautious and afraid…

The giant wolf’s eyes turned cold as it turned its head, opened its mouth, and let out a deafening roar. The thunderclouds ahead parted, revealing a passage!

In a flash, it darted forward with Qiao Xuan on its back, moving like lightning!

Ruohua’s eyes narrowed as she transformed into a streak of light, closely following behind.

As soon as they landed, the passage behind them disappeared.

Qiao Xuan looked at the land ahead, a mixture of white and gray. The ground was desolate and gray, the sky a vast expanse of white. The air was cold and damp, the earth devoid of life, and there wasn’t a hint of vitality in sight—only an endless, suffocating gloom.

This was the frozen wasteland leading to the Underworld.

The giant wolf glanced back, seeing that Qiao Xuan was sitting securely, and sped forward again.

As a powerful wolf demon, hailed as the demon lord, Xue Ming had tough skin and could fight, so running nonstop for ten days wasn’t a problem.

Ruohua, as a deity of the Heavenly Realm and a dragon princess, was naturally powerful and didn’t require rest either.

Qiao Xuan wasn’t human either. Although he wasn’t as strong as the other two, he was still a divine bird from the Heavenly Realm, capable of withstanding the cold…

But the problem was—he was currently playing the role of a human.

A weak, frail mortal.

So, considering his condition, their journey was quite slow. Xue Ming stopped every half day to let Qiao Xuan rest and recover.

Ruohua could have gone ahead on her own, but she stayed behind to accompany them. Realizing that Xue Ming didn’t have any magical items and wasn’t good at taking care of people, she even gifted Qiao Xuan a protective armor to shield him from the cold.

There was no distinction between day and night here, and after a few hours, Xue Ming stopped again.

Ruohua casually set up a formation to block the cold, then sat down to meditate with her eyes closed.

The formation was obviously set up for Qiao Xuan’s sake, as neither of the other two needed it.

Xue Ming acknowledged this favor and, for once, gave Ruohua a rare glance. Then, with a sweep of its tail, it pulled Qiao Xuan into its fur.

Qiao Xuan: …

He seriously felt that something was wrong with this whole journey, but he just couldn’t figure out why things had turned out this way!

He was clearly supposed to be a side character…

So why had it become Xue Ming and Ruohua escorting him?

Qiao Xuan closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, though he was wide awake. He couldn’t help but think back to the events of the past. Back then, although Xue Ming reluctantly brought him along, it didn’t care for him at all, its heart and eyes solely focused on the goddess Ruohua… He had nearly frozen to death multiple times on that journey. By the time they reached Wang Chuan, he was barely hanging on with just a breath left.

Now, he wasn’t a mortal anymore; he could walk this path alone.

But Xue Ming refused to leave him behind, treating him like a fragile object, guarding him with utmost care. Even Ruohua had been protecting him the entire way.

Why are you both like this!

This is such a great opportunity—please, I beg you, go fall in love!

Don’t worry about me. I won’t die. I’m not that fragile!

Back then, I managed to make it through alive too!

Qiao Xuan’s feelings were incredibly complicated. He felt like an exasperated father worrying about his dog son. The dog had a crush, but its emotional intelligence was too low to know how to pursue its feelings. It had failed once before, and now it was sulking and refusing to go to the goddess. Let me tell you, that’s not the way! Boys need to have thick skin! Rejection is no big deal; just keep trying. Chase her all the way to the Heavenly Realm if you must! One day, you’ll win her over. How can you give up so easily?

And as for the goddess Ruohua, I’m telling you, stop liking Jiang Weiqing, that psycho! He’s nowhere near as good as this dumb dog! Sure, the dumb dog might not be as dazzling or emotionally intelligent as Jiang Weiqing, but at least it’s loyal. It treasures you more than its own life, unlike Jiang Weiqing, who’s a two-faced psychopath—looks all elegant on the surface but would kill even his own partner without hesitation. He’s a second-hand mess, a complete scumbag!

You can’t judge someone by their appearance alone. Miss out on this loyal dog, and you’ll regret it!

No, this won’t work…

Qiao Xuan was worried as he drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later.

The giant wolf licked Qiao Xuan awake.

There was no place to wash his face here, so Qiao Xuan, wearing a gloomy expression, wiped his face and climbed onto the giant wolf’s back.

After more than ten days of travel, they finally arrived at a sea of white flowers.

Beyond this sea of flowers lay Wang Chuan.

They stopped once again.

Qiao Xuan looked at the beautiful flowers swaying before him, his eyes flickering with thought. Quietly, he walked over, picked a few flowers, and then sneaked back to the giant wolf’s side.

Because of the wolf’s large body, it was enough to completely shield him from view, so Ruohua couldn’t see.

Qiao Xuan elbowed the giant wolf and held out the flowers to it.

The giant wolf looked at him in stunned surprise. It stared at the flowers in the little slave’s hand, thought for a moment, and wondered: Were these flowers meant for it? Why would the little slave give it flowers? Did the little slave like it? Was this how humans expressed affection?

At the thought, it felt inexplicably happy…

But just then, the little slave lowered his voice, speaking so only the wolf could hear, “Take them and give them to the goddess. She’ll like them.”

Oh, so they weren’t for me.

The wolf’s gaze instantly turned icy.

It lifted its paw and stomped on the flowers in Qiao Xuan’s hand, grinding them into the ground, completely crushing the beautiful flowers into a mess of dirt.

Qiao Xuan: “…”

Qiao Xuan stared at the crushed flowers on the ground, feeling a surge of frustration. What the hell is wrong with this dumb dog! I’m trying to teach you how to win over a girl, and you go and do something like this?! Not only do you have no sense of romance, but you’re also destroying the flowers! If Ruohua sees this, do you think she’ll still like you?

Qiao Xuan quickly glanced at Ruohua, only to find that she was intently focused on the path ahead, seemingly unaware of the scene that had just played out.

Qiao Xuan felt both relieved and disappointed.

Relieved that Ruohua hadn’t seen it, disappointed that she hadn’t even looked back.

He looked again at the giant wolf beside him, radiating an aura of “don’t come near me,” not sparing even a glance in Ruohua’s direction.

You’re just a dumb dog living in a cave, with no emotional intelligence or sense of romance. That’s fine, but I’m teaching you, and you won’t even learn! How do you expect to win over the goddess like this?

She’s a goddess from the Heavenly Realm—how could she possibly be interested in someone like you?

Even if you’re a loyal dog, you’re still a wild beast that eats raw flesh and drinks blood. You have nothing in common with her. She’ll never fall for you. If you really love her, you need to learn how to integrate into her world!

Forget it, forget it…

I’ve seen enough.

Even if I had a hundred and eighty different skills, I couldn’t play matchmaker for this pair. I give up!

Qiao Xuan stopped caring and squinted his eyes, looking toward the direction of Wang Chuan. They were almost there.

The area ahead was dangerous, so Xue Ming and Ruohua both walked slowly.

As they walked through the beautiful sea of flowers, ghostly figures began to appear around them—men, women, old, and young, all with semi-transparent bodies and blank stares, silently moving forward…

These were the souls of the dead from the mortal realm. Their spirits would come here, crossing this sea of flowers to reach the Bridge of Forgetfulness.

Xue Ming walked lightly.

Ruohua’s expression was serious as well.

No one disturbed the spirits.

After passing through the sea of flowers.

Ahead lay a dark, endless river, its origin unknown, and its destination a mystery.

There was only one bridge across the river.

In front of the bridge, countless souls lined up, slowly moving forward.

But that was the bridge for the dead, and they couldn’t cross it. To reach the Underworld, they had to cross the river, but this was no ordinary river.

Although the surface seemed calm and peaceful now, it was actually filled with vengeful spirits who couldn’t reincarnate. They would tear apart any living creature, dragging them into the river to become part of them, suffering eternal torment, forgetting their past, and becoming creatures neither dead nor alive.

At the riverbank, Xue Ming refused to go any further.

Ruohua turned back with a smile, “I’m leaving now.”

With a wave of her hand, a small white boat appeared on the river. Ruohua lightly leaped onto the boat, and the river water surged. Countless vengeful spirits tried to bite at her, but Ruohua casually waved her hand, easily killing them, and the boat quickly drifted away, disappearing from sight.

Qiao Xuan glanced back at the giant wolf, his eyes filled with complicated emotions. Perhaps this was for the best. This time, you don’t have to risk your life for Ruohua. Loving someone doesn’t mean you have to throw away your life.

Since Ruohua doesn’t care for you, don’t be a hopeless fool anymore.

Just let it go.

The giant wolf looked at the little slave in front of it, staring into his eyes. For some reason, it felt uneasy. It bared its teeth and bit Qiao Xuan’s sleeve, dragging him back.

I’ve brought you here. Now it’s time for us to go back.

This place is dangerous. We can’t go any further.

But Qiao Xuan didn’t move.

He had finally arrived here—there was no way he was going back.

Besides, this was his only chance to break free from Xue Ming.

Don’t follow me. I’m leaving.

Qiao Xuan’s eyes suddenly turned sharp. With a wave of his hand, he cut his sleeve and leaped into the river. At the same time, the water droplet he had been holding in his palm burst into a brilliant white light, surrounding him completely. The vengeful spirits screamed in agony and turned into mist, disappearing upon contact with the light.

I’m no longer the little slave who needed your protection…

He looked up at the giant wolf on the riverbank.

Then, his eyes widened in shock.

The giant wolf, its eyes bloodshot, let out a low growl and leaped into the river after him!