Neither of the two girls had ever imagined that someone could be so outrageously domineering.
What made it even more absurd was that the terrifying chi-beast, after a brief moment of shock, began nodding frantically.
After all—who would want to die if they could live?
To show its sincerity, it voluntarily handed over the suffering Mingjun.
Only then did Shenhe and Yun Jin remember that their original purpose had been to rescue someone—not to escape this place.
When Mingjun was finally delivered to them, both women found it hard to believe.
That was a demon god's retainer.
At its peak, its sheer size rivaled Mount Tianheng itself. The disasters it could unleash were enough to wipe out an entire city with ease.
"Tsk… it actually chose to surrender."
Luo Li had originally intended to kill it outright. After escaping once, it shouldn't have been lucky enough to escape a second time.
But the chi-beast wasn't stubborn at all.
With things turning out this way, Luo Li couldn't exactly behead it without asking questions.
He fell into brief contemplation, considering how to deal with it.
The chi-beast, trembling with anxiety, didn't dare move an inch.
It knew very well—obedience was its only chance at survival. Any trace of rebellion would mean immediate annihilation.
"Forget it," Luo Li said at last. "You'll stay here. When the Chasm reopens, go mine there."
Chi-beast: "..."
Me—a demon god's retainer—reduced to mining?
"Any objections?" Luo Li asked calmly.
The chi-beast shook its head furiously, declaring the decision wise beyond compare.
Living was all that mattered. Mining was fine. Mining was great.
If the Sea Demon God were still alive, it would probably drown this disgraceful thing in the depths out of sheer embarrassment.
With the matter ending in such a dramatic fashion, Shenhe's gaze lingered on Luo Li for a long time.
After casually implanting a large amount of Honkai energy into the chi-beast as insurance, Luo Li ensured control.
If it ever disobeyed, he could instantly transform it into a Honkai beast—erasing its consciousness and forging a new one.
Only after everything was settled did he return to the three women.
Seeing that Mingjun had already regained consciousness, though still weak, Luo Li said casually,
"All done. He just needs a few days of rest. Let's go."
With the chi-beast's submission, the barrier that had plagued the area dissipated.
That terrifying, sinister presence vanished without a trace.
Fifteen Minutes Later
At the Village at the Foot of Mount Tianheng
Having narrowly escaped death, Mingjun repeatedly thanked them all.
But when his gaze fell upon Shenhe, his expression grew complicated.
"Ah He… you've finally come back."
On the way back, Yun Jin and Rosalyne had learned the name of the goddess-like girl—and that she was a disciple of an adeptus.
Shenhe replied softly,
"Uncle Mingjun, I only passed by. I was originally headed for Liyue Harbor."
In other words, her coming here had been an accident.
Yet Luo Li noticed her eyes flicker subtly.
It seemed that even after living in the mountains for over a decade, cultivating a detached heart, Shenhe was still not entirely unmoved.
Even if she didn't understand whether she still felt attachment to family and kin, some vague emotion had guided her back—to see how her once-obsessed father had ended up.
Mistaking her cool demeanor for indifference, Mingjun sighed.
"This was my fault back then. If only I'd stopped your father sooner… things wouldn't have come to this."
Yun Jin asked curiously,
"Was there more to it?"
Her intuition told her this might be the very truth she had been searching for.
With a heavy sigh, Mingjun looked at Shenhe's solitary figure and began recounting the past.
Back then, Shenhe's family had been happy.
But everything changed after her mother fell gravely ill and passed away.
Her father, desperate to resurrect his wife, sought forbidden arts.
Eventually, he obtained a secret method—by offering a living sacrifice to a summoned "Seelie," one could reclaim the life of the dead.
That sacrifice… was Shenhe.
The outcome was, of course, tragic.
Her mother did not return.
Believing he had killed his own child, her father collapsed into despair.
After struggling on for several years, he ultimately took his own life.
After hearing the story, Yun Jin fell silent, her gaze unconsciously filled with sympathy as it rested on Shenhe's proud, solitary back.
Although she had found the real-life prototype of Divine Damsel Destroys the Demon, and her goal was achieved, Yun Jin felt no joy.
To think that Shenhe bore such a painful past.
The only consolation was that the child had survived alone, fought her way through despair, been taken in by an adeptus, and grown into a peerless beauty.
Rosalyne felt nothing in particular.
Compared in misery, she was a professional.
Five hundred years of blood and tears were far more painful than Shenhe's emotional numbness.
As for Luo Li—even more so.
Having witnessed the deaths of countless friends and lovers, his heart had long reached tranquil clarity.
"Since Miss Shenhe is heading to Liyue Harbor," Yun Jin suggested,
"Why don't we all go together?"
Shenhe nodded in agreement.
After fighting side by side, a sense of camaraderie had formed. She was more receptive than she would be with strangers.
More importantly, it was because of Luo Li.
Since he claimed to know her master, Cloud Retainer, Shenhe was willing to travel together—and perhaps ask about her teacher along the way.
Leaving the village at the foot of Mount Tianheng, the group made their way back to Chihu Rock in Liyue Harbor.
Along the way, they grew more familiar with one another.
Yun Jin shook off her earlier gloom and said cheerfully,
"I've gained new inspiration for Divine Damsel Destroys the Demon. I hope to present a performance that will satisfy you, Mr. Luo Li."
"I look forward to it," Luo Li replied.
He had high expectations for Yun Jin's opera.
Though young, she already possessed the aura of a famed performer.
Elegant, clever, and beautiful—watching her perform was a pleasure in itself.
"I won't disappoint you," Yun Jin said with a smile, glancing at the sky.
"It's getting late. How about I treat everyone to dinner at Xinyue Pavilion? I'm on good terms with the owner—I should be able to arrange an extra table."
With new inspiration and new friends, Yun Jin was in high spirits.
Rosalyne frowned slightly.
She wasn't pleased that her time alone with Luo Li had been interrupted.
But seeing him readily agree, she swallowed her dissatisfaction in silence.
Shenhe hesitated briefly—then nodded.
The aloof goddess may have seemed distant, but her actions showed she was far more approachable than she appeared.