Chapter 16.2

The demon hunters felt it inappropriate to detain a woman further and said from behind: “It’s dark, and the road is long; shall we escort the Lady home?”

“No need,” Lady Wang pushed Xu Qianyu out the door, her steps unyielding, the hem of her skirt fluttering. “The cultivator left behind protective treasures, thank you.”

The two pretended to support each other as they walked a distance from the temple. Xu Qianyu still sensed the lingering fragrance of magnolia at her nose. She let go of Lady Wang, but Lady Wang did not release her, the manner of her embrace having subtly changed.

Now, she held onto the back of her clothing as if lifting a small kitten, guiding her along with gentle pushes.

The mountain path was rugged and lacked lanterns, and several times Xu Qianyu nearly tripped over stones. Each time, Lady Wang would swiftly pull her, using great force to unobtrusively place her back on level ground, preventing her from falling.

Lady Wang was significantly taller than her, and though she appeared timid in the temple, she now displayed the composure of an elder: stable and dependable. Xu Qianyu felt her anger diminish considerably, and she calmed down. However, she sensed that the person beside her was gradually growing weak, their pace slower than before, as if they were physically unwell and silently enduring.

Xu Qianyu, as she had in the temple, slowly leaned closer, expressionless as she supported Lady Wang’s arm. Lady Wang’s body stiffened, yet she did not push her away, still maintaining a restrained stance, as if relying on Xu Qianyu without fully doing so. Just as Xu Qianyu intended to ask where Lady Wang lived, so she could do a good deed to the end by escorting her home, she suddenly heard Lady Wang speak, her tone extremely cold: “Don’t apply white clay mud to your skin in the future.”

Then she continued, “Do you know that there is only one thing in this world that’s covered in mud?”

“What?” Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but turn to look at her.

“It’s called ‘Flower’s Chicken.’”

“…” Xu Qianyu had heard Guan Niang mention this; Huazi on the street would catch live chickens and, to remove the feathers, cover them in a thick layer of mud, then roast them over a fire until the mud dried and hardened. Once the mud was broken open, the roasted chicken not only had no feathers but was also incredibly flavorful.

But how dare Lady Wang act this way?! She frowned, ready to scold her. Suddenly, Lady Wang tugged at her collar and then gently pushed her away, speaking in an unmistakably light tone:

“Go wash up.”

Xu Qianyu turned around, and the wind blew through the grass, revealing a shallow pool of water in the mountains. The water’s surface shone with a thick and uniform indigo, the color of the sky, and at its center floated a shimmering crescent moon. Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but wonder how Lady Wang could find this place in the dark.

Suddenly, Xu Qianyu noticed that the pool was dotted with many glowing things that resembled fireflies. She reached out to grab one, but when she opened her hand, it was empty. She crouched down and began to play with the water, causing many sparkling points to leap into the air. She had never seen such a scene and stared wide-eyed.

Shen Suwei had already discerned that she was not a fox but an ordinary little girl. Those “ears” were merely two hair buns, and he felt it was inappropriate to leave her alone in the temple. He casually took her along. This girl was extremely wild; perhaps she relied on her small amount of spiritual power and didn’t realize the danger, treating everything as a game. Hence, he hadn’t loosened his grip on her all the way.

This was a spiritual pool, and he let Xu Qianyu go, taking the opportunity to catch his breath and adjust his energy. Otherwise, if the transformation technique couldn’t hold, it would turn into a scene of a living person suddenly appearing, which would be terrifying.

But his intention was to ask Xu Qianyu to wash her arms. Along the way, she had rubbed against him, getting his sleeves all muddy. Hearing the rustling sounds, he opened his eyes to see Xu Qianyu had neatly undone her skirt, leaving only her undergarment. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “You…”

“What?” Xu Qianyu glanced over, raising her chin, displeased. “Didn’t you tell me to wash?”

With that, she tossed aside her undergarment, her calves splashing into the pool. She lowered her body and dove into the water with a splash, letting out a long breath, her fair arms cutting through the water until she disappeared from view.

Xu Qianyu was very afraid of the heat in summer. She had a water cart in her room and needed someone to fan her. When the city wasn’t sealed, she often went south to play in the water, but she hadn’t been able to do so this year. Now, seeing the sparkling points in the water, she picked up a stone and tossed it in, confirming the pool was shallow. She felt excited and wanted to jump in to bathe.

Guan Niang had kindly reminded her that she could play however she wanted at home; however, going into the water late at night in the wild was inappropriate, just in case someone saw her.

But she wanted to play. It was unlikely anyone would come up the mountain in the late hours, so she probably wouldn’t be seen. As for that Lady Wang, who hadn’t spoken a word all day, she wouldn’t be bored enough to gossip about the Miss of the Shui family swimming in the wild, would she? She didn’t even know who she was.

Shen Suwei saw her dive into the center of the lake like a duck in the blink of an eye and knew she couldn’t be called back. He felt speechless. After confirming there was no one around, he casually picked up a branch and pushed her clothes that were left by the pool to one side.

Xu Qianyu’s dress was made of fine material, and when his fingers touched it, it felt thin and soft. She was young and active, her body temperature higher than others, so the fabric felt slightly warm to the touch. Shen Suwei paused, pinched the hem of the dress, and with a flick of his wrist, all the white clay stuck to it instantly turned to ash and vanished.

Shen Suwei sat by the water’s edge, channeling his spiritual power while keeping a watchful eye on the girl in the water. He understood that mortals were as fragile as ants; it was hard enough to bring her out. If she accidentally drowned, it would be a disaster.

After circulating his energy for a complete small cycle, he opened his eyes to find Xu Qianyu still splashing around in the pool. After completing another cycle, he saw that she had gathered several empty shells of nuts and strung them together as a float, playing tirelessly. He had never seen such a playful girl and, after a moment of silence, spoke gently, “You’ve been swimming for a while. Is the water cold?”

Xu Qianyu knew Lady Wang was probably getting anxious, urging her to come ashore in a gentle manner, just like Guan Niang often did. It was a bit of a buzzkill, so she deliberately replied, “Not cold.”

Even so, considering that Lady Wang was still bearing her illness, she took a deep breath and plunged back under. When she resurfaced, she found herself right at Lady Wang’s feet, clutching the edge and looking up defiantly with water dripping down her face, “Are you coming, Lady?”

Shen Suwei suddenly stared straight at her.

But not because of what she said.

Xu Qianyu emerged from the water, her hair sticking to her temples, and her face flushed, revealing her original features. She looked even younger than Xu Qianqian, appearing only about fourteen or fifteen. The painted bodhi flower on her head had lost its color, exposing a dot of cinnabar on her forehead.

The bright red cinnabar reflected the light from the water, glowing subtly.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was the charm technique of the Supreme Elder of the Penglai Immortal Sect, the lotus seed heart curse.

The Supreme Elder (Elder Taishang) had a treasured light red sword, extremely poisonous. If one was harmed by it, it would leave a lasting scar of bright red. If the tip of the sword lightly pricked, it would turn into a stunning mark of cinnabar.

Just like the cinnabar on Xu Qianyu’s forehead.

On the day he heard about Xu Qianqian’s marriage, Shen Suwei listened as Xu Binglai discussed it with the Supreme Elder’s attendant, who first mentioned that the sect leader had a child in the mortal world who shouldn’t exist. The Supreme Elder had been in seclusion for a hundred years, leaving all sect matters to the sect leader. Yet, he had specially sent a message this time, forbidding them from searching, but the sect leader still wanted to find her.

Later, Xu Binglai said, “It shouldn’t be that hard to find. When I left, I only took my life sword and left behind four magic items. Any of them could lead us to her.”

“Then why can’t we find her?”

“Ha.” Xu Binglai sneered softly, unable to hide his disdain. “They’ve indeed searched one by one; scattered in different places across the four seas. As expected, mortals are greedy and shortsighted; they probably sold the magic items the moment I left.”

Zhehe said, “It’s probably as the Supreme Elder (Elder Taishang) said; there is no fate. There are many complicated matters at hand, so please consider it, sect leader.”

Xu Binglai took a sip of tea, and after a while, coldly withdrew, “Then let it be.”

However, outside the curtain, suddenly a breeze blew through the window, causing a thin piece of paper from the jade table to fall to the ground. Shen Suwei bent down to catch it.

He saw that the paper depicted a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, with the word “Water” written beside her in faint ink.

The girl had delicate features, and on her forehead was a cinnabar dot. But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t painted with a brush; rather, it was marked by the light red sword, slowly radiating spiritual power.

As he realized the intricacies of the painting in that brief moment, Xu Binglai and Zhehe suddenly began discussing Xu Qianqian’s marriage. Afterward, Xu Binglai lifted the curtain to see them off. In the few steps Zhehe took toward him, Shen Suwei quickly folded the paper in half with his fingers and pressed it on the table, then silently knelt down.

Once Zhehe left, Xu Binglai glanced at the neatly folded page and sighed, patting his shoulder.

Folding it meant he accepted the task. In the past, Shen Suwei had assisted the sect leader countless times in this silent and tacit manner; he was exceedingly clever, composed, and decisive, like a sharp sword in the sect leader’s hand. Therefore, Xu Binglai relied heavily on him.

Shen Suwei understood that the sect leader intended to outwardly comply with the instructions of the Elder Taishang but secretly go against them; he wanted to find that girl privately.

The words in the inner chamber were meant for his ears.

The wind blowing the paper down was intentionally shown to him.

Xu Binglai wanted to pass this hot potato to him. He could refuse, but coincidentally, the matter concerning Xu Qianqian pressed upon him at the same time.

This was the cost of rejecting Xu Qianqian’s marriage and forcing Xu Binglai to take his side.

However, this matter was different from before; it was not for the benefit of the sect but rather a personal affair of the sect leader, one that arose from an error. Thus, Xu Binglai felt a rare sense of embarrassment.

“This matter is not urgent… Just do your best. If it doesn’t work out, then forget it. You decide how to handle it,” Xu Binglai left an opening and walked away after finishing his words.

Now, Shen Suwei looked at Xu Qianyu’s face through the white veil.

Cultivators have sharp senses, and even with a layer of gauze, the world remained clear. Xu Qianyu’s age matched perfectly, but her appearance differed from that of the girl in the painting. Her eyes were somewhat large and round, giving her an imposing presence when she looked at others.

However, the painting was inaccurate.

Because it seemed that even the Master did not know what this child would grow up to look like.

Xu Qianyu had already climbed ashore, the hot mountain wind seeping through her sleeves, slowly drying her clothing. She didn’t want to wear a slip anymore, so she lazily wrapped two pieces of skirt around herself instead. Lady Wang sat quietly beside her, seemingly watching her, her plain white garment fluttering in the wind.

Lady Wang said, “Which family’s young lady are you? I shall bring gifts to visit you another day.”

Xu Qianyu suddenly widened her eyes, staring at her for a moment, then said, “Which lady are you?”

“The wife of the Wang Changshi of the Nanling Wang, Lady Wang.”

“Oh.” Xu Qianyu nodded, “Then I am Miss Cai from the Cai Duke’s residence in Northern.”

At this moment, Xu Qianyu was no longer angry with Lady Wang and noticed her gentle demeanor, which felt somewhat familiar. In truth, she didn’t mind befriending this lady afterward; her lavish lifestyle meant she had countless acquaintances, even with foxes.

But there was no way, as Lady Wang had seen her swimming in the wild. For the sake of maintaining the reputation that her mother had worked hard to uphold, it was best to keep their distance in the world.

The author has something to say:

Xie Wangzhen: Who is she? (Completely mistaken)

Little Island: Help!! (Screaming) (Close eyes) (Jade bottle hits face)

The crematorium is gradually heating up.

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In his past life, Shen Suwei was commanded by his Master to bring Little Island along for cultivation, and he let go.

Senior Brother: “You…”

Little Island: Da da da da da da… (Ran off without a trace)

Senior Brother: “Listen to me…”

Little Island: Splash splash splash (Swam back) “You say.”

Senior Brother: “Let me tell you some precautions…”

Little Island: “There’s fish!” Splash… (Dove underwater)

Senior Brother: …Damn it.

(Joking, it wasn’t actually like that; the last life was quite miserable.)