The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

After leaving the place where the dragon bear died, Chu Xiu found a secluded spot to meditate and recuperate to recover from his injuries.

Two days passed, and unbeknownst to him, the outside world was already abuzz with the news of that massive explosion.

All the major powers in the four directions of Dongsheng Shenzhou sent people to investigate the explosion site, only to find that it was not the birth of some rare treasure, but the occurrence of an unprecedented battle!

Within the Yuling Sect, news spread throughout the entire sect that after the reconnaissance team led by the Yellow Dragon Demon General returned, the Dragon Bear Demon General's soul had been scattered, leaving only a trace of his aura.

"Hey, have you heard? Dragon Bear Demon General! The Dragon Bear Demon General, who was ranked among the top three hundred demon generals in his lifetime, was reborn by someone using a secret technique, but then suddenly died outside the border!"

"The explosion was so powerful, who doesn't know about it? This demon general, what a tragedy, he couldn't even escape with a wisp of his soul!"

"This matter has attracted much attention from all sides. His Majesty the Demon Emperor also dispatched the Yellow Dragon Demon General to investigate, and he has now returned, but no information about the person responsible for the explosion has been released..."

"Could it be that that person also died in the aftershocks of the explosion? After all, according to my commander's estimation, even the number one ranked Golden Dragon Demon Commander would have been seriously injured if he had encountered that explosion head-on!"

"Indeed... Aside from those few unfathomable demon generals, I really can't think of many people with the same strength as the Dragon Bear Demon General who could have survived that explosion..."

……

Chu Xiu returned to the Yu Ling Sect's military camp, and along the way, he heard discussions about the explosion everywhere.

He didn't understand these remarks, but went straight into the city and found Haiyou on the top floor of Lingxiu Pavilion.

"General!" Hai You rushed forward upon seeing Chu Xiu, his expression full of worry. "General, are you injured?"

"Was that explosion caused by the general?"

Chu Xiu shook his head and denied it: "I didn't create it. With my current strength, I can't do that."

"However, I was there at the time. The dragon bear died in the explosion, leaving only this wisp of its soul."

Chu Xiu waved his hand and threw the remnant soul of the dragon bear in front of Hai You.

Haiyou glanced at it only once before raising his hand and annihilating the remnant soul of the dragon bear.

"Fortunately, the general did not accept my suggestion that day and led the battle army there."

"Otherwise... the entire Battle Formation Army would have been wiped out in that explosion... and the news that the general survived would have also leaked out."

Haiyou patted his chest with a look of relief, but then felt a wave of lingering fear.

Little did she know that her good intentions and what she thought was a foolproof plan would almost kill her childhood sweetheart!

Thinking of this, Hai You felt a deep sense of guilt.

She looked at Chu Xiu: "General, you have completed the task I entrusted to you. I wonder what reward you would like? As long as Hai You can do it, I will do it without hesitation!"

"Even if... the general wants me instead..."

Seeing Hai You's cheeks gradually turning red, Chu Xiu sensed something was wrong and quickly said, "I only need a drop of Hai You's mermaid blood tear. Also, please do not reveal my whereabouts that day."

Haiyou looked disappointed and could only nod, saying, "Haiyou understands. Please rest assured, General, there is no Liu Er here. This matter is known only to you and me."

"General... do you truly only want a single drop of my blood and tears?"

Haiyou looked at Chuxiu with some anticipation.

Chu Xiu, unable to bear Hai You's burning gaze, turned his head slightly and said, "Only blood and tears are needed."

Upon hearing this, Hai You lowered his eyes and said, "The miraculous effects of mermaid blood and tears seem to have no effect on the general. Could it be that you asked for it because of that child?"

Chu Xiu did not deny it: "That child has special significance to me. It's just a pity that she cannot cultivate. Only by consuming mermaid tears can she achieve immortality and not be a fleeting beauty."

Upon hearing this, Haiyou's gaze turned somewhat sorrowful: "Why is the general so kind to a human girl... could it be..."

Could it be... that the alligator dragon has a taste for this?

Although Haiyou didn't ask directly, this was what he was thinking.

The female merfolk possess a unique ability to freely alter the age and appearance of their physical bodies; if the alligator dragon so desires, she could do so as well…

Seeing that Hai You's questions were getting more and more outrageous, Chu Xiu immediately denied it: "Don't talk nonsense! I, Chu... I, Tuolong, am a righteous gentleman and have absolutely no dirty thoughts!"

"It's just that the child's parents died in the war, and I can empathize with her, which is why I feel especially sorry for her."

Haiyou suddenly realized what was going on and finally dismissed those strange thoughts from his mind.

The gaze directed at the alligator dragon held a hint of pity, devoid of any resentment.

Haiyou knew perfectly well that the mistakes Tuolong had made in the past were either due to being misled by villains or related to his bloodline deficiency, and were not his true intentions.

She and Tuolong were childhood sweethearts and had even been engaged. Now, Tuolong's personality is completely different from before, and she shouldn't continue to resent him for past events.

Now that her enemies are dead and her old friends have returned, Haiyou felt a sense of relief after her thoughts were cleared. Her face was no longer tinged with sorrow, and she looked even more gentle and charming with her radiant appearance.

Even Chu Xiu, who was almost indifferent to women, couldn't help but be somewhat captivated by her beauty.

On a whim, Chu Xiu suddenly asked, "Your engagement with Huang Long has been dissolved?"

Upon hearing this, Hai You was secretly delighted, but showed no emotion on his face. He nodded calmly and said, "Yes, I have already asked my father to return all the betrothal gifts. From that day on, I have no further relationship with Huang Long."

Chu Xiu touched his nose, realizing that his question might cause Hai You to misunderstand, but he had already spoken and didn't know how to make amends. He was afraid that saying more would only make things worse.

He had no choice but to change the subject, and with a wave of his hand, he took out the sub-array flag of the intercontinental teleportation array that had been damaged by the explosion, and asked, "I have something that needs to be repaired. I wonder if Miss Hai has any trustworthy array master friends?"

Hai You leaned down slightly, carefully examined the broken array flag in Chu Xiu's hand, and then smiled and said, "General, have you forgotten what abilities my Merfolk clan possessed to be able to establish itself in the talent-filled Yu Ling Sect?"

Chu Xiu then remembered that the battle formations of the Yu Ling Sect's battle formation army were all designed by the merfolk.

If there is anyone in the Yuling Sect who can repair the array flags of this intercontinental teleportation array, they must be from the Merfolk race.

"May I ask?" Hai You extended his hand, tilted his head, and looked questioning.

Chu Xiu nodded and placed the array flag in Hai You's hand.

Haiyou took it, put on a pair of glasses, and carefully observed the array patterns engraved on the array flag.

"The array patterns on these flags are extremely intricate and contain endless wonders. They must have been created by an ancient demon array master."

"Our clan originated from the ancient Merfolk, and for generations we have relied on studying array formations for survival. Perhaps there are records of ancient array formations in our family's collection of books."

Haiyou returned the battle flags to Chuxiu.

"General, you may wish to wait a few days while Haiyou returns home and searches the area. If he finds anything, then we will inform you."

"Alright, then we'll have Miss Lao Hai."

Chu Xiu was overjoyed and clasped his hands in thanks.

"Furthermore, Miss Hai, please do not let others know that I intend to repair this formation."

"Don't worry, General..."

Hai You said gently, "General, you and I are old acquaintances, and you helped me avenge my great enemy. Why be so polite to me?"

"General, just like when we were children, call me... Little You, is that alright?"

"Uh……"

The hardest thing to bear is the affection of a beautiful woman...

Given that he still had something to ask of Haiyou, Chu Xiu had no choice but to nod in agreement.

It's just a title. As long as he stays true to himself, he won't be seduced by this woman's charm or looks!

The land of gentle pleasures and the grace of beautiful women—that is the graveyard of heroes!