Chapter 1137: Snacks of Love  

In the end, Zhang Lie brought Wilbow to the Zongming world.

Li Zongming welcomed them with a curious look on his face. "What happened, Zhang Lie?"

Zhang Lie spread his arms. "What else? I'm right here."

"But how did you end up with this fellow?" Li Zongming pointed at Wilbow.

"He's here to serve as a bodyguard for your world for now."

Li Zongming's face turned dark. "Hold on, I'm a little confused. You beat the king of keys, didn't you? What happened to him?"

"He's dead."

Li Zongming continued, "In that case, why are you with someone who used to belong to the king of keys?"

"He surrendered and is willing to follow me instead."

Li Zongming glanced at Wilbow suspiciously. "How do you know he truly intends to do so?"

Wilbow clutched his chest. "Please don't doubt my unwavering loyalty!"

Li Zongming cried out as he extended a hand, "What loyalty? You were with the king of keys! Now that Zhang Lie's killed the king of keys, you're willing to follow him instead. You're a lily-livered coward! Dig out your liver if you dare—we'll see whether it's as red as it should be."

Wilbow pulled out a knife, cut open his stomach, then rummaged within it and pulled out a blood-drenched liver, which he placed on Li Zongming's hand. As he sheathed his knife, the wound healed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Entities on the level of superior kings could heal quickly from any wound that wasn't charged with energy or connected to natural law—for instance, attacks infused with genetic energy or the world's energy. All other types of attacks were little more than scrapes.

Li Zongming glanced speechlessly at the liver in his hand.

Wilbow sketched out a cut on his chest with his dagger. "My heart's red, too. Do I need to dig it out for you?" Li Zongming hurriedly shook his head. "No, no, that's disgusting!"

Li Zongming was used to the bloodiness of war, but even so, it was different from having a bloodstained liver in his hand—just like how it would be disgusting to see someone eating his own excrement despite the fact that everyone produced excrement daily, or feeling disgusted upon seeing others dig their noses when you did the same thing as well.

Zhang Lie pretended to be ignorant. "I don't know whether he's truly loyal, either, so I'd like to leave him here for now."

Li Zongming cried out, "Isn't that the same as leaving a potential bomb in my world?!"

"Yes, it is."

"You admit to it that easily? Why not leave him in the draconian world?"

"The draconian sage isn't as strong as you are."

Li Zongming was again rendered speechless by Zhang Lie's response.

Zhang Lie continued, "You're stronger than the draconian sage, so if he does something, you'll be able to stop him. On the other hand, the draconian sage would be at a loss as to what to do with him. Furthermore, I'm not frequently in the draconian world anymore, and it'd be difficult for me to keep an eye on this fellow."

Furthermore, the draconian world possessed his monarch-grade farm, the most important resource he had in the third realm.

"And what of Qianlin's safety?"

Zhang Lie hesitated a little before nodding. "I'll take her with me as I leave."

Li Zongming sighed. "Tell her yourself. It's between the two of you, so it's better if I don't butt in."

Zhang Lie headed straight to the palace to find Li Qianlin, who was, as always, so beautiful it looked as though she had stepped out of a portrait. Despite the fact that Zhang Lie had just been through a heated battle, the two of them had seen each other quite recently.

Li Qianlin said, "Father told me that you went off to fight another incredibly strong foe, the most ancient superior king."

Zhang Lie nodded. "He really was quite strong."

"What was the outcome?"

"Well, I'm back." magic

"Did you manage to kill him?" Zhang Lie nodded.

Li Qianlin beckoned him in. "I made you a few snacks, which I made myself."

Zhang Lie strode in and immediately sampled one. "The taste is exquisite. You've gotten much better—and these are fresh, aren't they?"

Li Qianlin nodded. "I made them today. I make a new serving daily, waiting for you to return."

"No wonder you've gotten so much better recently." It was because of all the practice she had gotten from making them so frequently.

"I didn't make them daily to get better, but because I was waiting for you." She worked at the snacks with all her heart, wanting to see Zhang Lie's pleased expression when he tried them. Li Qianlin continued to smile. "I was hoping to see you return every day, ready and waiting for my snacks."

/p>Zhang Lie felt as though he was consuming not just the snacks, but also her heartfelt wishes and blessings.

Li Qianlin propped up her lower jaw with her hands curiously. "Can you tell me about it?"

"What?"

"What happened to you during this last excursion away from the Zongming world."

Zhang Lie explained how he had tracked down the king of keys and finally engaged in a battle to the death with him.

Li Qianlin listened patiently, her eyes intently on Zhang Lie's face.

Zhang Lie could sense Li Qianlin's eyes turn moist.

Li Qianlin clutched her chest. "I made snacks daily hoping for your return—but I was so worried you might never return! That's why I did this daily, pining and hoping to believe that you would one day return and tell me all about your exploits."

Zhang Lie lowered his head. "I'm sorry for making you worry."

"There's no need. Perhaps I'm too useless—unlike Sun Mengmeng, I can't fight alongside you, and neither can I help you. All I can do is make you snacks."

Zhang Lie shook his head vehemently as he tugged on Li Qianlin's hands. "That's nonsense! Your snacks can warm my heart and wipe away my stress. What I've worked so hard to accomplish all this time is to be able to taste these delicious snacks, to enjoy these periods of relaxation and rest that can warm my heart."

Zhang Lie's corny words made Li Qianlin laugh, lifting her mood. "It's nothing so exaggerated."

Upon witnessing that Li Qianlin's moods were shifting for the better, Zhang Lie continued even more fervently, "No, I've been understating it, even. I'm sure I've been born just to sample your snacks, surely!"

Li Qianlin laughed. "Thank you for comforting me." The worry and concern she had felt waiting for Zhang Lie day after day—all of it dissipated like smoke. "I had been thinking of drugging the snacks to make you stay by my side, but it looks like I won't have to resort to that after all."

Zhang Lie glanced at the snack in his hand, not sure if he should consume it after the recent revelation.

Li Qianlin laughed again at his hesitation.