In the animal kingdom, leaders like chimpanzees and wolves cannot easily reveal their weaknesses because other males are always watching and waiting for a chance to take over.

Vulnerability is often more terrifying than death.

Kneeling down, Xuan Ji met Sheng Lingyuan's gaze and, as if possessed, reached out to touch the scar that was revealed when he smiled.

The scar was located near the outer corner of his eye, dangerously close to his eyeball. When Xuan Ji's fingers touched it, Sheng Lingyuan couldn't help but blink.

But he didn't flinch.

It was as if he had surrendered, laid down his armor, and offered his throat for the taking.

He didn't care about the "danger" anymore.

Without thinking, Xuan Ji blurted out, "But I was born for you."

Sheng Lingyuan closed his eyes and sighed heavily after a while. "Save it. I think you were born to annoy me," he said.

"I was born to annoy you," the troublemaker replied.

People either feared you, respected you from afar, kowtowed to you three times and bowed nine times, or hated you, plotted against you, and wanted to harm you... but I'm the only one who can make you covered in chicken feathers.

When I'm bored, I'll cause trouble for no reason, bother you with trivial matters, and make you so angry that smoke comes out of your seven orifices, and you look like a raging fire.

"I only want you and don't want anything else from you, so I dare to make you angry and make you laugh. You have hurt me countless times, but I still open up my heart to you and let you stab me again." Xuan Ji said, feeling sorry for himself. "But you treat me like this. You make arrangements for others and they have to accept without question. If I do something, it's considered 'acting on my own.' The Emperor and the Great Qi have been gone for three thousand years!"

Xuan Ji couldn't help but kick him in the shin. "Who do you think you are?"

Sheng Lingyuan was stunned by the kick.

Throughout history, anyone who had physical conflict with him must have wanted to kill him, otherwise, no one would dare to lay a hand on the Emperor.

For a moment, he didn't even think about retaliating and blurted out, "How dare you!"

"Feudalism has been buried in the ground, Your Majesty. When will you abdicate from your spiritual monarchy?"

Xuan Ji's shoe was covered in dust from stepping on the ruins of the Bureau, leaving a clear imprint on Sheng Lingyuan's leg.

"I have to endure everything you give me, and even after enduring it all, I still have to show gratitude and respect by kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times. Screw that!"

Sheng Lingyuan: "..."

"The fire of Chiyuan has been burning for thousands of years, always ready to erupt. Since the beginning of the great war that destroyed the Vermilion Bird Clan, I, as a half-human, have been struggling to maintain and guard Chiyuan for my entire Clan. Am I not worthy of the Emperor's attention? I don't need you to feed me or show me any pity. As a lonely man, I only ask that you look at me and see that I am not some pet or palace concubine, but your man!"

These weren't human words, and Sheng Lingyuan finally realized this and kicked him back.

Xuan Ji took the blow without flinching and said, "I will be as reckless as I want! I won't leave!"

The Emperor's vocabulary for cursing was limited, and he was at a loss for words after Xuan Ji's retort.

They were both nearly ten thousand years old when added together, with the age of half a mountain and sea.

They argued without restraint, but in the end, they didn't solve anything and forgot what they were arguing about.

One of them even cried, losing all sense of dignity, and they ended up leaving footprints on each other's legs.

After a moment of staring at each other, Sheng Lingyuan couldn't help but hold his forehead and ask, "Alright, enough already. How old are you?"

Xuan Ji replied expressionlessly, "Thirteen years old and some unknown number of days. Anyway, I'm not yet fourteen and legally incapable of making decisions. I have to wait for someone to arrange everything for me, even for trivial matters."

Sheng Lingyuan: "..."

It's impossible to be together forever, so they wanted to indulge in some pleasure while they could. But afterwards, one of them refused to forget and forgive.

Sheng Lingyuan asked weakly, "What do you want to do then?"

Xuan Ji said firmly, "From now on, don't lie to me or keep secrets from me. Don't try to find an excuse to send me away and act alone."

Sheng Lingyuan retorted, "If it weren't for you using those shady methods to trick me with those fishes, I wouldn't have had to..."

Xuan Ji picked up a piece of paper with a local geography map printed on it and threw it at him, "I don't believe you didn't find anything! Otherwise, why would you be in such a hurry to deceive me into showing you the mermaid's language?"

Sheng Lingyuan was caught off guard by his sudden outburst.

It was not like the style of this old fox to flip-flop so quickly. Even if he wasn't angry himself, he would still assess the situation and keep the other party in a state of unease and impatience before speaking.

If he said too little, the other party might take advantage of him, but if he said too much, the other party might get really angry. He would never waste a single drop of saliva if he could help it.

Sheng Lingyuan remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

"If the Vermilion Bird bone seal can survive, and you must return to the Chiyuan, you must take me with you. Wherever you bury yourself, seal me there too - don't tell me that the Emperor who claimed to be proficient in the secrets of all the races can't even seal a 'sword spirit'.

"From now on, even if you wake up, don't call me, I'm already sick of this world. If this time the Chiyuan can't handle it, I can always become a 'wandering soul' again. Practice makes perfect, and I've already reserved a Heart-Piercing Grass puppet for this. Even as a ghost, I won't let you go."

Sheng Lingyuan smiled bitterly, "Can you see but not touch?"

"That's not the case," Xuan Ji habitually lit a cigarette and replied coldly, "It's just that you can see but not touch, but I can."

After hearing this, Sheng Lingyuan was speechless.

He could only reach out and took the half-smoked "poisonous cigarette" from Xuan Ji's hand, took a puff, and was choked like a boiling kettle.

Xuan Ji licked the cigarette butt he had just smoked and put it out.

"How does it taste?"

"Cough... not as good as... cough cough... not as good as the Soul Shock..."

Xuan Ji savored the various aftertastes on his tongue and was inexplicably comforted by this sentence. His bloodshot eyes gently curved.

"I can guess Dan Li's plan too," said Xuan Ji as Sheng Lingyuan coughed and calmed down a bit.

He slowly gathered the files on the ground and continued, "I don't think it's a bad thing to be a weapon spirit. At least I'll have an unbreakable connection with you. What's the point of pursuing the Vermilion Bird's true form? I have hands and feet, and I can earn enough money to eat, drink, and have fun without worrying about the country's endangered wildlife funds. That old thing bullied me when I was young and ignorant three thousand years ago. Now that I have wings, why should I still follow his plan? Who does he think he is? Even you can't control me."

Sheng Lingyuan's throat, which had just cleared up, began to itch again.

"Your Majesty, can you promise me?" Xuan Ji asked.