Strength.

This group of women—known on Blue Emerald Island as the Purple Flowers—wanted strength. If they became cultivators and gained that strength, they could protect themselves without Liu Xing. However, Liu Xing hesitated to teach them cultivation, since their end goal was not self-preservation.

As Su Nian grew more relaxed and her mother's song faded, many of the women decided to sleep. They were tired. If not physically, their minds were certainly burdened by the massacre his shark had shown them. The only one who refused to do so was Fang Ruxue. When he asked why, she said, "Someone needs to stay up. If something happens, I can wake them up."

When Liu Xing said that he could do that, she shook her head. "You're actually the one who needs rest the most. When was the last time you slept?"

His face scrunched up as he tried to remember the last time he had slept. After a moment, he realized it was after Elder Xia Juetian died. He had run, carved out a cave, and then slept there. That morning, he had met Yang Liangyu, who had almost been captured by three cultivators. As a Lock Opening cultivator, he could stay awake for weeks; as a Core Splitting cultivator, he could likely stay awake for months. Still, it was a good idea to sleep occasionally. It would freshen a weary mind.

Suddenly, Liu Xing realized that sleep was a good idea. Once the thought sparked, his desire for it grew until he was sorely tempted to land. In the end, however, he shook his head. While sleep was tempting, he was on a tight schedule and needed to keep moving.

"Esteemed cultivator… Liu Xing, I am sorry," Fang Ruxue suddenly said, facing him directly.

Liu Xing raised his eyebrows. "For what?"

"For being your burdens," she said, clenching both of her fists. "My father always praised my observation skills, and I can feel the weariness emanating from you. You're different from the cultivators I've heard about in legends and stories. In those, they are godly beings who always triumph. They are smart, strong, and never show their weakness."

Liu Xing flashed her a little hollow smile. "Are you disappointed with me?"

He was indeed strong, but it would be a stretch to say that he was smart, and he had shown them his moments of weakness several times.

"I thought since you're a cultivator, you're different from us, but in reality, you're not. I can read you like I read any mortal man, and I know for a fact that you have contemplated ditching us several times already."

"A little advice for you. While I have no problem being compared to mortals, other cultivators could be offended by that," Liu Xing said, attempting to change the topic of conversation. He had indeed contemplated ditching them several times, and he was ashamed of the thought.

"But in the end, you decided not to," Fang Ruxue continued. "I am grateful for your decision, but I know that each time you decided against it, we felt like more and more of a burden to you."

Liu Xing sighed. "So, what do you want? You want me to just put you on some random island and go on my merry way? If you can read me, then you must know that I would never do such a thing. The Mirror Tide Empire certainly sees me as an enemy, and you, by association, will be their enemies too. Without protection, you would be in great danger."

Fang Ruxue gave back his flute, which he put inside his spatial bag. She then looked at him straight in the eyes, her gaze sharpened, and a glint of annoyance flashed in them.

"You're underestimating us," Fang Ruxue said. "You think we're so weak that we can't even protect ourselves."

"In a world where one man's pet could kill dozens of people in a single breath…" Liu Xing trailed off, not intending to continue. After all, she had seen what Tide Walker did to those who dared to attack them.

Fang Ruxue's eyes began to tremble, as if the memory of the massacre was playing out behind them. Her gaze flickered to his hair, where Tide Walker slept peacefully, its belly full of qi. She looked at it the way one might look at a small child who had just mercilessly killed its own parents. Liu Xing understood that the trauma was catching up to them—seeing Tide Walker's massacre, almost dying to the seaweed creatures, being swallowed by a whale, almost snapped by Bewitching Princess, kidnapped by demonic cultivators—it would not be strange for her to carry these traumas for the rest of her life.

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"The point is," Liu Xing continued, "I don't want any of you to get hurt. It would be a lie to say that I don't care about you. I just… I don't have a solution right now, but I'm sure I will find one shortly."

Giving them strength was a good idea only on paper. He was afraid that if they attained power, they would just run straight to their deaths trying to avenge their families. But seeing Fang Ruxue's expression made him understand it was more than that. Making them cultivators would alter their lives entirely, and he doubted there was a cultivator in this world who had never spilled blood. Would they be strong enough to live like that?

Fang Ruxue inhaled deeply, trying to rein in her emotions. She placed a hand on her chest, as if sensing her own heartbeat, and then closed her eyes. The wind howled and the moon glinted. Several moments later, Fang Ruxue opened her eyes. There was still a hint of fear and uncertainty in them, but there was also resolve. A strong resolve.

"Make us cultivators," Fang Ruxue said. "We will not be burdens to you anymore."

Liu Xing began to laugh. His laugh was light, almost like someone who had heard a ridiculous joke, but everyone awake knew it was hollow, a sound used to mask other feelings.

"It's as if you can read minds," Liu Xing said. "One moment I think about giving you power, and the next, you ask for it. The man who falls for you must be miserable. With your ability to ask for the right thing at the right moment, if you asked for the moon, he wouldn't stop until he'd successfully wrapped it up for you." His laughter began to die down. "I'm not that kind of man, though."

In fact, her request convinced him not to make them cultivators. It was a little petty, and he didn't fully understand where his refusal came from. Part of it stemmed from not wanting to be manipulated. Part of it was his reluctance to share sect secrets, as there were rules against it. And part of him was afraid they would use the power not to protect themselves. It would take time to unravel these feelings, to sort out the main reason for his refusal, but in the end, while he couldn't fully comprehend his feelings, he decided not to make them cultivators… for now.

Hearing his refusal, Fang Ruxue pursed her lips. "Then what is your plan? Will you protect us forever? Does that mean we're now your wives, or perhaps concubines?"

"Of course not!" Liu Xing exclaimed. He was quite surprised by the direction she took. "As I said, I'm still trying to figure it out. There must be a better solution for this. Just give me some time!"

"Alright, but remember we have the right to choose our path. Once we choose, no matter what you say, we will not back down," Fang Ruxue said, giving him a glare. "With all we've been through together, we're not really strangers anymore, but you're not our father or our husband, so remember your position and your boundaries."

Liu Xing blinked several times, surprised by her outburst. But instead of feeling angry or offended, he took it silently and began to pinch his chin. What she said was true. He was not their father or their husband. He could not dictate their lives. Hell, even a father and a husband couldn't dictate the lives of their wives or daughters. So what right did he have?

None.

However, that didn't mean Liu Xing had no control at all. After all, while he couldn't demand anything of them, they couldn't demand too much of him, either. He had the right to refuse what they wanted if it was connected to him, such as knowledge on how to become a cultivator.

"Let me get this straight. You want to be a cultivator so you can seek revenge? Is that right?"

Fang Ruxue was silent for a moment, then she nodded. "That is true, but it's not just that." She looked behind her, where the women were sound asleep. Not all of them were sleeping, though. He knew some were pretending, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Fang Ruxue continued, "This is my new family. I want to protect them no matter what. And just recently, I felt so helpless as my new family was in great danger again and again. Every time it happened, a desire bloomed in my heart," she inhaled deeply, then exhaled, "I want to gain power so I can protect them."

"Power to protect…" Liu Xing muttered. That was indeed a noble goal. A person with such resolve should be a saint candidate. However, a good lie is a twisted truth, and it seemed Fang Ruxue was also a good actress.

Liu Xing stood, jumped to the turtle's head, warned the women, and then began spreading the invisibility once again.

As the invisibility swallowed the turtle statue and its passengers, Liu Xing focused one of his Eyes of Lightning on her face. Fang Ruxue was pretty, smart, and observant. He was sure she was quite cunning, too, and if an opportunity presented itself, she would seize it. She would be a great cultivator, one who could perhaps advance quite far in the path to immortality. However, as the invisibility began to touch her face, her mask of confidence crumbled. She cast her eyes down, her shoulders tight.

He couldn't give her power… not if she was still so unsure about it herself.

The flying turtle soon became fully invisible again. He heard the rustle of limbs and clothes behind him as the women linked hands, reassuring one another. About thirty minutes later, the most forward of his Eyes of Lightning saw a silhouette in the dark distance. As he saw that island, Liu Xing was sure that was his destination. His gut feeling was certain about it.

Liu Xing increased their speed, his mind focused on finishing his most pressing mission.

At that time, Liu Xing was sure of his decision, but later, he would come to regret it deeply.

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