"We would have to rely on Yan Sword Immortal then. Mo Xilan, that deceitful girl—her true form is both old and ugly. You probably wouldn't be interested in the slightest."

A moment of silence passed before Miss You continued, "Furthermore, you were willing to die to help her with her Crossing Tribulation. Given her temperament and how deep her feelings for you were back then, if it wasn't Dual Cultivation with you, who else could it have been? Were you thinking that as long as you got past this hurdle, Yan Sword Immortal would undoubtedly forgive your past transgressions and become utterly devoted to you? And indeed, as it turned out, she even gave you her body… That couldn't have been easy, right? Were you just trying to trick her into giving you her body?"

Wang Mu finally shook his head. "Miss You, if I had been doing it deliberately, why didn't I succeed back then? No, why haven't I managed to deceive any of you even now? If you don't believe me, back then, I had countless opportunities to take your bodies… Why would I have waited until now? Am I that kind of shallow person?"

Silence hung between them for a moment.

I have to make things clear, Wang Mu thought. Back then, I merely wanted to 'conquer' and 'collect' all of you. As for bodies... a 2D wife was just a fantasy. How could I have had so many other thoughts?

"Miss You, if you distrust me this much," Wang Mu said, his voice steady, "then why are we even talking about this?"

"What about Ao Qing then?" Miss You stamped her foot. "Did you think I couldn't see how you two were just now?"

"We were only fighting just now. Ao Qing herself said it was because of my Infinite Demon Body," Wang Mu explained. "What other meaning could there be?"

"Hmph." Miss You crossed her arms. "Ao Qing has been with me for many years. I understand her personality better than anyone. Ao Qing carries the ancient True Dragon Bloodline of the Ice Sea, and her temperament is extremely stubborn," she said calmly. "Do you know how I found her back then?"

Wang Mu was startled and shook his head.

"That was over a hundred years ago, when I was traveling in the Dongling Sea. Little Ao Qing was then the renowned Third Princess of the Dongling Sea, famed for her beauty and Bloodline. She attracted many sea beasts from other sea regions who sought her hand in marriage. She was still young then, but suitors from the Four Seas came endlessly. The Sea Clan has always liked such things, setting up child betrothals and the like. Later, Ao Qing rejected all marriage proposals, secretly angering many among the Sea Clan."

"Once, after she left the Dongling Sea region to conjure clouds and rain in other waters, a group of Demon Dragons from the Western Extreme Sea secretly tailed her. Accompanied by a large contingent of Sea Clan elites, they cornered her. They demanded she sign a marriage contract on the spot, threatening to destroy her beauty and her Bloodline otherwise. The strength of the Western Extreme Sea was comparable to that of the Dongling Sea. That was when I encountered her," Miss You said. "Do you know what Ao Qing did then?"

"What did she do?" Wang Mu asked.

"She immediately tore off her own Dragon's Horn and ferociously attacked that group of Demon Dragons. In the end, countless Dragon Scales had been scraped off her. Her entire dragon body was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with not a single intact spot visible. Although she was defeated, she made sure they didn't gain the slightest advantage. She even frightened those Demon Dragons... They scurried away with their tails between their legs. Back then, she was on the verge of death." Miss You's voice dropped to a whisper.

Wang Mu was silent.

"Later, I happened to pass by and witness this. I rescued her, and she began her Cultivation by my side. That's her character—preferring death over submission."

Miss You's voice turned cold. "Even in death, she would never let anyone ride her! Unless…"

Unless… that person held a place in her heart.

"So, tell me, Brother Mu."