Chapter 62: Mingtang and Qinghe (Part 5)

Xu Qianyu had trouble sleeping in new places; ever since arriving at the Zhao residence, she would wake up once or twice in the middle of the night.

In a drowsy mood, she reached out and realized the person beside her was gone, giving her a momentary jolt. She held out for a while but eventually couldn’t resist closing her eyes again. After a bit, she woke once more, only to find that Zhao Qinghe still hadn’t returned.
“How long has she been gone?”
The system, worn out by the ordeal, responded wearily, “About an hour or so.”

Xu Qianyu lay there, her heart feeling heavy and restless, unable to fall back asleep. She struggled to sit up, growing increasingly anxious and a bit upset.
She almost forgot they were still technically rivals.
She had been nothing but sincere with her senior sister, even staying with her at night out of concern for her fear. But if she were truly afraid, how would she dare to sneak out in the dead of night? It was clear the other had held something back from her, secretly going off to hunt demons while she slept, leaving Xu Qianyu feeling somewhat betrayed.

Xu Qianyu sat with her knees pulled up, just as Shen Suwei climbed in through the window. Their eyes met, and both frozen.
“Sister, where did you go?” Xu Qianyu questioned.
Without a change in expression, Shen Suwei stared at her for a moment. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.”

Xu Qianyu tilted the corner of her mouth: “Sister, why go through the window when there’s a door?”
Shen Suwei walked into the room, hung up her cloak, and really couldn’t think of what to say:

“…Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I can’t sleep either.” Xu Qianyu’s expression remained gloomy. “Next time you go for a walk, remember to call me.”
“Okay.”
Since Xu Qianyu was sprawled across the bed, taking up his space, he had no choice but to sit temporarily on a stool.

After waiting for a while, he turned his face, his complexion as flawless as white jade: “Are you still not asleep?”
Only then did Xu Qianyu slowly kick the quilt and lie down.
“Move in a bit.” Shen Suwei gently poked her shoulder with his fingertip.

Xu Qianyu didn’t even open her eyes, cold as ice: “I’ll sleep on the outside; you can climb over.”
“……” Shen Suwei thought for a moment. Knowing Xu Qianyu’s temperament, if he moved her directly, she would probably throw a fit and he wouldn’t get any peace. So he carefully propped himself up on the bed and lay down on the inner side.

In the latter half of the night, there were cries for help from a disciple. Shen Suwei sat up and saw Xu Qianyu snuggled up to the pillow in the dim moonlight, her sleeping face calm and blurry. He carefully climbed over her, lowered the curtain, and left.
When dawn broke, Xu Qianyu touched the bed and found that Zhao Qinghe was missing again. She really didn’t call her.

Even in her anger, she couldn’t help but be secretly shocked: Did this senior sister not need to sleep at night?
Xu Qianyu always thought of herself as diligent, but upon encountering someone like this who worked tirelessly day and night, she realized her efforts were far from enough, leaving her somewhat flustered. In the Water Moon Flower Realm, disciples could only see their own scores and not know others’ progress or how many points their senior sister had. She thought about how she had fallen in ranking, and feeling this way filled her with a sense of crisis.

The next day, the Guo family sent a message, and the supervision over Zhao Qinghe by the attendants relaxed somewhat. Shen Suwei was untied and could have two meals a day, moving around more freely. It seemed that Guo Yi’s search for a marriage partner had been finalized.
However, as soon as she stepped outside, Xu Qianyu grabbed her. She looked up at him, her eyes fixed: “Sister, I want to sleep with you today too.”

Xu Qianyu had never seen Xue Ling kill demons; he posed no threat to her, so all her thoughts were focused on Zhao Qinghe. She decided that from this day forward, she would keep a close watch on this senior sister’s progress and would never let up.
M
Shen Suwei said nothing and calmly took her back to the pavilion. Being with him was definitely safer and more comfortable than being with Xue Ling, and it also fulfilled their master’s request.
But at night, when sleeping, Xu Qianyu insisted on lying on the outside; she wanted her body as a barrier to prevent her senior sister from sneaking out to score points.
Shen Suwei quietly leaned against the wall. Xu Qianyu’s hand slowly crept out from under the quilt and covered his hand.

Shen Suwei: “…What are you doing?”
“Sister, I’m scared; I want to hold your hand while I sleep.” Xu Qianyu used her own method to counteract his, firmly grasping Zhao Qinghe’s hand. After a moment, her fingers slowly shifted and adjusted, tenaciously intertwining with his.

Locking her in.
That way, if the senior sister got up, it would alert her, and she could join in the demon-slaying too.
Only then did Xu Qianyu contentedly fall asleep.
Shen Suwei opened his eyes, his eyelashes unmoving for a while. He had held Xu Qianyu’s hand numerous times, but they were all innocent gestures, without any ulterior motives. He had never held hands like this with anyone else and had no idea it could feel this way.

This way of holding hands had a strong sense of intrusion, and in an instant, it made him feel a surge of fighting spirit, as if the other person’s aura was like vines creeping up a wall, weaving into the cracks of the bricks. Being so close to her, he found himself unable to move for a moment.

But with a task to complete, he still had to get up at night.
“Zhao Mingtang.” He leaned down to wake Xu Qianyu. “Shall we go for a walk?”
“Let’s go.” Xu Qianyu quickly replied.
Shen Suwei stepped over her to reach the bedside, but her hand was still tightly grasped by him, dragging Xu Qianyu sideways on the bed. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings a few times before they finally closed heavily.

Seeing her struggle, Shen Suwei sighed and extended his other hand, fingers together: “You don’t have to go.”
“I want to go!” Xu Qianyu suddenly opened her eyes stubbornly, struggling to sit up.
Xu Qianyu stood up and pulled out a piece of crystal cake wrapped in oiled paper from the food box, planning to eat it if she got too sleepy. Shen Suwei really couldn’t wait for her, so he tossed his cloak over her and disappeared.

As the two separated, Xu Qianyu didn’t mind much; she grabbed the pastry before heading out. She only needed to keep her total time comparable to her senior sister’s; as for the number of demons slain, that depended on their own abilities.
In the heavy, damp night air, she indeed felt cold and tightened her cloak, standing in the courtyard for a moment, becoming more awake, and beginning to calmly eliminate the demonic energy. There was more magic at Zhao’s house at night than during the day, and a layer of light black demonic energy filled the air. After a moment, a tile fell from above her head. Xu Qianyu quickly dodged, and the tile smashed onto the ground, splintering into powder.

An ugly object the size of a palm flew past above her. Xu Qianyu leaped onto the roof. That thing ran very quickly; she shot an arrow from her sleeve but missed. It squeezed through the cracks in the bricks and into a room. Xu Qianyu leaped down from the courtyard and directly pushed open the door to the corresponding room. 
Before her was a dark room with a cushion under the table. Countless tablets were piled high on the table, and in front of the tablets was an incense burner, its red flames spreading all the way to the ceiling, as if countless pairs of eyes were silently looking at her.
It was a place like an ancestral hall.

That thing darted between the tablets, knocking down two of them with a “bang.” Xu Qianyu hurriedly caught them, not daring to make a sound. Afraid of making too much noise, she thought for a moment, took out the crystal cake, bit half of it, embedded the other half into a frozen needle, and rolled it under the table, then held her breath, remaining still.
She stilled her breathing; the pastry emitted an oily fragrance mixed with the aura of the magical artifact. After a moment, that thing fell from among the tablets and landed on the ground to push at the crystal cake. Xu Qianyu suddenly lunged forward with a dagger, striking it squarely. The creature lay on the ground, resembling a mouse, with a tumor on its face and wings on its back, a low-level demonic creature that had taken shape. It would consume human vitality and undermine the foundation of the old house.

Magical artifacts also have limitations on usage. This dagger has been used too many times; its brilliance has dimmed, and moments later, it dissipated along with the demonic energy.
Xu Qianyu returned the ancestral tablet of the Zhao family to its rightful place according to the years of birth and death, adjusting the incense burner that had been knocked away by the demon. In the end, only one tablet remained in her hands, but there was no corresponding incense burner.

Had it been knocked over somewhere? She searched around but couldn’t find it, rubbing the tablet in her hand.
Taking another look, the name on it was Zhao Junzhu.

According to the naming patterns of Zhao Qinghe and Zhao Mingtang, this name caught her attention.
He was born fourteen years ago and died seven years ago, making him the youngest among the tablets.

“Zhao Mingtang.”

Xu Qianyu turned around to see Zhao Qinghe leap in through the window and join her. Xu Qianyu stared at her for a while. Zhao Qinghe was dressed lightly, and when she jumped in, her skirt lifted, exposing a glimpse of her fair skin. Compared to her careful personality, this was somewhat bold and carefree. Within the sect, she must be a refreshing and unrestrained senior sister.
“Have you finished your walk?”

Shen Suwei nodded slightly.
Xu Qianyu directly handed the tablet to her. “Sister, who is this relative of ours?”
Shen Suwei glanced at the name and the years of birth and death, her gaze growing slightly serious. Suddenly, she remembered what Zhao Fukun and Mrs. Zhao had said that day about “cutting off descendants.”

“From the age, he shouldn’t be your son.”
Shen Suwei said, “Based on the name, he’s probably from our generation.”
Is it because he died too young that there are no traces of him left in the family?

---

The next day, Xu Qianyu heard Mrs. Zhao’s slightly angry voice from outside the window: “They really changed the marriage proposal. I can’t understand Guo Yi. Didn’t he say before that he was deeply in love with Qinghe and would marry no one else? Could it be that it was all a lie? If he sincerely wanted to marry Mingtang, that would be fine, but with the wedding coming up, why is he running to the brothel every day? Isn’t he just missing a few days? What kind of life will Mingtang have after she marries? Mingtang has always loved to compare herself with Qinghe. This time, she might be acting on impulse. Once she wakes up, she will definitely cause a scene.”

Zhao Fukun was silent for a while and said, “Let her marry first; if we can delay for a day, that’s a day. If it really doesn’t work, we can have her divorced.”
These words comforted Mrs. Zhao, and she murmured, “Yes, let her hold on for a while. If it doesn’t work out, we can just bring her back.”

A maid came to report that Xue Ling was requesting an audience. Zhao Fukun waved his hand, advising her to turn back, as he already knew what Xue Ling would say: “Zhao Mingtang is definitely going to marry Guo Yi; there’s no room for discussion. Give this child some silver, comfort him a bit, and let it go.”

When Xu Qianyu entered, Mrs. Zhao spoke to her gently and with great affection. Xu Qianyu was eating the pastries that Mrs. Zhao had given her when she suddenly said, “Mother, I dreamed of my younger brother.”

Mrs. Zhao’s expression changed dramatically, and she hurriedly added a piece of vegetable to her bowl: “After so many years, how come you dreamt of Junzhu?”
Xu Qianyu took in her expression and saw that this deceased Zhao Junzhu was either a branch of the family or Mrs. Zhao’s child—her and Qinghe’s biological younger brother: “He’s still so small.”

Mrs. Zhao’s face appeared dazed, as if she did not want to discuss this topic: “What did your brother say?”
“My brother said…” Xu Qianyu hesitantly fabricated, “He congratulated me on getting married?”
Mrs. Zhao’s expression darkened, as if she couldn’t eat, and she sighed while putting down her chopsticks.

“Mother, he said there’s not enough money. Aren’t you going to burn some paper money for him?” Xu Qianyu said.
It seemed that the customs here were similar to those in Nanling. If they were expressing their grief, why didn’t they set up an incense burner for the young son? There wasn’t the slightest hint of nostalgia, but instead a demeanor of avoidance.

Mrs. Zhao forced a smile and said, “Yes, we should burn some paper money.”
That night, Shen Suwei was originally heading to the northern garden, the only place in the Zhao mansion she hadn’t been. As soon as she entered the woods, she sensed a disciple seeking help and changed her course.

This place was where the maids resided. As soon as she pushed the door open, the overwhelming dark energy fled upon seeing Shen Suwei, and moments later, it was completely destroyed by golden light. The others were frozen against the wall by icicles, leaving only a young girl tied to a chair.

This girl was simply dressed, but two large flowers adorned her head, and her face was thickly painted with makeup, her lips even painted on the outside.
She was tied up like a silkworm cocoon; her mouth gagged. Upon seeing Shen Suwei, she began to “whimper.” Shen Suwei untied her and asked calmly, “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

The girl first threw her a flirtatious glance, then raised her finger in a delicate manner, tilting her head to touch her braided hair: “I’m called Xiaoyue, a performer from Huajing who sings and entertains. Due to my poor family background, I was hoping to sell myself as a maid in the Zhao mansion, but once I entered, I was tied up. Along with me were two other unfamiliar sisters; the people in the mansion said they were of appropriate age and suitable appearance to be young masters’ wives. Seeing that they were unwilling, I secretly let them go overnight, and as a result, I ended up in trouble myself.”

Listening to her refer to herself as a “little girl” repeatedly, Shen Suwei glanced at the three large characters above her head, “Ruan Zhuqing”: “Is it because your appearance is unsuitable that you were left behind?”
Ruan Zhuqing replied, “They just don’t appreciate it.”

Shen Suwei suddenly leaned down. She currently wore Zhao Qinghe’s form, which was originally cold and striking. Now with a tear mole, she had a certain charm, causing Ruan Zhuqing to hurriedly dodge back: “What is this immortal sister doing? I’m going to get shy…”

Shen Suwei wiped off the lipstick that Ruan Zhuqing had applied and said gently, “You are a respectable girl, not a courtesan. There’s no need to act coy.”
Seeing Ruan Zhuqing close her eyes, her heavily made-up face actually revealed a hint of blush. She let go, her tone becoming cold: “If you can’t do makeup, just use light makeup. It’s better to have fewer decorations on your head than more.”

Ruan Zhuqing was taken aback. This sister was earnestly guiding her on how to dress as a woman. When she saw Shen Suwei tie her back up again, she panicked: “Why did you tie me back again?”

Shen Suwei gagged her mouth again, leaving a loose knot in the rope: “Wash your face clean and compete to be the ‘young master’s’ wife.”
Ruan Zhuqing: “…” She closed her eyes and nodded.
Ruan Zhuqing was originally an inner disciple who had come to Huajing to collect materials for refining weapons and had no intention of participating in the grand selection, so she wasn’t bound by the rules and could grab a sturdy man.

As Shen Suwei walked out, the talisman on her body ignited, and Xu Binglai’s voice came through: “Suwei.”
Shen Suwei quickly found a secluded spot and replied, “Master, what’s wrong?”
Xu Binglai said, “I asked you to bring Xu Qianyu out to keep an eye on her safety, not for that purpose. Are you…?”

“No.” Shen Suwei replied coldly. “The disciple would never overstep the rules.”
Xu Binglai thought for a moment and realized that if she were to violate the rules while observing, she would have been sent back long ago: “Then what’s the situation with Xu Qianyu’s score?”

This group of disciples was divided into eight teams, each assigned to different locations with varying tasks but of equivalent difficulty. The sect leaders and elders gathered together to observe the disciples’ performances through the projection array.

When the view shifted to the Zhao family, the elders were discussing the unexpected presence of Xue Ling, with Hua Qingsan making sarcastic remarks, saying that the world was already full of surprises, and if they couldn’t even adapt to this little random occurrence, how could they be inner disciples? As a result, everyone just watched Xu Qianyu throw a tantrum at her wedding, feeling quite nervous about it.

After that, her score suddenly skyrocketed, and Hua Qingsan’s expression darkened to the point it seemed he could drip water from it.
Shen Suwei observed Xu Qianyu wandering around the courtyard while yawning and quietly said, “She’s been up all night, hunting demons.”

“?” Xu Binglai felt this was serious; it was reckless and harmful to her health, which was not a good strategy. “You should advise her.”
Shen Suwei replied, “I can’t persuade her.”
At that moment, Xu Qianyu walked over. Shen Suwei discreetly extinguished the talisman, maintaining an expressionless face as she looked at her.

“Elder sister.” Xu Qianyu noticed that since she had come out to hunt demons, her senior had completely stood still and never competed with her. She had seen her skill before; it was like lightning, absolutely not lacking. Why was she acting this way? The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, and she hesitantly asked, “Did I take your snacks?”

“No.”
“Then why aren’t you… out for a walk?”
“I’m afraid.”