Chapter 387: Be-Be-Be-Be My Girlfriend, Oh Yeah~

The reason it was called the Demon Locking Tower was obvious—it locked up a whole bunch of demons inside.

But when Wang Shouyi, Chen Huaian, and the others arrived at the Demon Locking Tower, they felt something was off.

Too quiet.

Way too quiet.

Compared to the chaos they’d experienced entering the Qinling Mountains—their flying boat being destroyed, and the attack by wandering ghosts—this tower now gave off the vibe of a shy little girl.

“What do you think, Brother Wang?”

Chen Huaian stood frozen at the entrance of the Demon Locking Tower, unable to move because Li Qingran was gripping his hand so tightly.

“Anything out of the ordinary must have something behind it.”

Wang Shouyi frowned slightly as he observed the tower’s gates. They were wide open now, but no demonic roars, no signs of demons at all—just bottomless darkness inside.

“I suggest we send some Ascenders in first to check things out.” Wang Shouyi glanced around, then said in a low voice only Chen Huaian and Li Qingran could hear, “Senior, what do you think?”

“Isn’t that a little inhumane…”

Chen Huaian hesitated.

Even though Ascenders were destined to be his enemies, he still felt a bit sorry for them. They were like people who got sold off and were still helping their sellers count the money.

“No worries.” Wang Shouyi’s gaze was cold. “These Ascenders enjoy the sect’s resources, so they naturally have to do their part. There’s no such thing as getting paid without working. Senior doesn’t need to bother with it. Just leave this to me.”

Wang Shouyi moved quickly.

He promptly arranged for a team of twenty Ascenders.

Who knew what promises he gave them, but even knowing the high risk of entering the Demon Locking Tower, they still looked eager and ready to go.

“Senior, everything’s in place. Now we just wait.”

Chen Huaian saw Wang Shouyi walk over with a calm smile and didn’t know what to say.

Everyone waited outside for half an hour.

There wasn’t a single movement from inside the tower.

The calm look on Wang Shouyi’s face vanished.

He furrowed his brow, staring at the soul lamps of the twenty Ascenders that remained unchanged, completely baffled. “That’s not right… If they’re still alive, they should’ve come out by now. And if they’re dead, the soul lamps should show something, right?”

Li Qingran gazed at the towering Demon Locking Tower.

Even by the standards of the Cangyun Realm, this was a grand structure. The tower had nine floors, each smaller than the one below, but even the first floor alone was larger than the main hall of the Sword Pavilion.

Having twenty cultivators enter such a massive multi-level structure was like ants going into a labyrinth.

“Maybe they just got trapped inside?” Li Qingran guessed. “They’re not in danger, but they can’t get out?”

“But I gave them sound-transmission jades. The jades are still active—if they were trapped, wouldn’t they say something?”

Wang Shouyi stood up, a hint of viciousness appearing in his expression. “Bunch of useless idiots, can’t get anything done!” He paced back and forth at the tower entrance for about another fifteen minutes, then finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

“You, you, you, and you!”

He pointed out another twenty people from the Ascender group.

“Take this Demon Binding Rope and head in. If anything happens, use the sound-transmission jade. If I don’t respond, then tug the rope!”

Wang Shouyi tied the other end of the rope to himself.

This rope was made from special materials from the Kunlun Heavenly Palace. It could extend over a thousand meters and had a suppressing effect on demons of all shapes and sizes.

The previous twenty had gone silent.

These twenty were obviously more hesitant.

But faced with Wang Shouyi’s fierce gaze, they eventually followed orders and entered the tower.

“Master, this Wang Shouyi is really scary…”

Under a tree near the Demon Locking Tower.

Li Qingran sat beside Chen Huaian, whispering into his ear, “He didn’t seem like this before. Why is his personality so different all of a sudden?”

Chen Huaian had noticed the change too.

He could only connect it to the whole Ascender situation.

He still hadn’t figured out how to explain all this to Li Qingran.

He was confused himself.

So he just made something up: “Hmm… maybe it’s the kind of authority that comes with high position. If he didn’t show a bit of cold-bloodedness, it’d be hard to manage his subordinates.”

“Really? Then why aren’t you like that, Master?”

“What’s different about me?” Chen Huaian pointed at himself.

Li Qingran lightly traced her finger along his palm, smiling with her eyes narrowed:

“Master also holds a high position—you’re the Grand Elder of the Sword Pavilion and the Chief of the Demon-Slaying Bureau in this world. Why don’t you order your people around like that?”

“Ahem, your master… your master is past that phase.” Chen Huaian felt a tickle in his palm and in his heart, but still tried to act serious:

“Back in the day, I was the same. If I’d accepted a naughty disciple like you back then, you’d have gotten a real taste of discipline!”

“Oh! Then scold me once, Master!” Li Qingran’s big eyes sparkled with curiosity and eagerness. “Let me get a taste of it now, so I’ll be mentally prepared when it happens in the future!”

“I can’t even pretend to be mad.” Chen Huaian was speechless.

“Just one time, come on, just once!” Li Qingran clung to his arm, swinging it back and forth, pouting. “I really wanna see it!”

Chen Huaian felt his head about to explode.

That beautiful face in front of him, that delicate nose, those cherry lips, that snowy-white skin, that perfect figure, that…

How could he possibly be mad at her?

He used to hear people say, “If your partner’s pretty, even in a fight you’ll wanna slap yourself instead.” Back then he thought it was just exaggerated talk. After all, people say crazy things when they're angry.

But now he was sure—it wasn’t an exaggeration at all.

He honestly didn’t know how to get mad at Li Qingran.

Unless… she started getting cozy with some other man!

No, wait!

Li Qingran hadn’t even said she’d be his Dao companion!

Danger! This was extremely dangerous!

In that instant, Chen Huaian felt an intense sense of crisis. He straightened up and said seriously, “Disciple, your master has something to discuss with you.”

He originally wanted to ask if Li Qingran would consider finding a Dao companion.

But then he thought that sounded weird.

He couldn’t just blurt out:

“Disciple, how about being my Dao companion?”

That was way too inappropriate.

He thought and thought, hesitated over and over.

“Master?” Li Qingran saw how awkward he looked and held his hand tighter, smiling gently. “I’m your disciple—what could you possibly not say to me?”

Maybe it was the warmth in her palm or the tenderness in her eyes, but Chen Huaian suddenly found the courage.

He threw caution to the wind and blurted out:

“I still don’t have a girlfriend—how about being mine?

That way, when we go out, we’ll have each other’s backs!”

…