Chapter 573: Even Cats!?

Ye Wenxin felt super awkward. Big Sis Cat had already led her past the narrow path and greeted Asuka. Ye Wenxin gave a token greeting as well. Asuka grimaced. It didn’t seem to be out of fear of Ye Wenxin’s presence. She was clutching her stomach like some underlying condition had flared up.

It looked like the onset of period cramps. Ye Wenxin wasn’t very familiar with Asuka, so she hesitated to ask directly. Suddenly, Asuka spoke, “Lady Ye, please wait.”

Ye Wenxin stopped despite her utter confusion. Big Sis Cat immediately distanced herself to give them privacy. She squinted her eyes, very interested in their conversation.

Ye Wenxin couldn’t understand why Asuka, who had always shown dislike toward her, would suddenly act differently.

Could the peach blossom chains even change a person’s thinking and make them adore her?

While Ye Wenxin pondered why Asuka had called out to her, Asuka said, “With the Flower Lord’s birthday approaching, I advise you to avoid wandering around too much, Lady Ye. We wouldn’t want you meeting a tragic end at the hands of another dynasty’s envoy.”

Ye Wenxin let out a bitter smile. Asuka was outwardly advising her to be cautious because she was a demon. But she was really implying Ye Wenxin should avoid causing offense to dignitaries from other dynasties, lest she end up paying with her life. It was a perfectly reasonable warning from a scholar. However, delivering it while suffering from her menstrual cramps made her appear strict.

Asuka’s pained frown sent a pang in Ye Wenxin’s healer heart. She suggested, “Try three mace of lily and two mace of goji berry…” (mace = 3.78 grams)

She recited the most uncomplicated remedy for menstrual pain but immediately regretted it. As someone who possessed the Heavenly Book’s missing pages, Asuka surely already knew something as basic as this. Ye Wenxin’s concern seemed unnecessary.

Asuka froze briefly, then tugged awkwardly at her overly conservative collar. “Thanks for the advice.”

Maintaining an expressionless face, she quickly hurried off, still clutching her stomach. Baffled by the sight, Ye Wenxin couldn’t resist pulling out the book fragment to contact Wen Susu.

“Can you stop calling me whenever you’re bored!?” Wen Susu snapped on the other end. She was frustrated with herself for ever giving Ye Wenxin the fragment. Otherwise, Ye Wenxin wouldn’t be pestering her every few days.

Ye Wenxin ignored Wen Susu’s irritation. “This Asuka is a chosen one. Since she has your missing page, could she have powers like yours?”

Ye Wenxin was worried Asuka might be as difficult to deal with as Wen Susu. Managing Long Qingyue, that big trouble, was already hard enough. Wen Susu was currently neutral, which made her easier to handle. Asuka, however, appeared to be leaning toward a hostile stance.

Her expression earlier might have been subtle, but Ye Wenxin could sense Asuka’s suppressed disgust. It was intense, as if Ye Wenxin were some deep-seated enemy of hers.

“No, she’s just smarter than most. If you don’t approach her deliberately, she won’t pay much attention to you.” Wen Susu replied calmly now that she knew Ye Wenxin was asking about Asuka.

“But she seems to hate rabbits… and even rejects me as a rabbit demon. What’s the reason? I won’t have the chance to retrieve your missing pages if I can’t get close to her.” Ye Wenxin’s tone carried a hint of threat.

Wen Susu’s recent evasiveness was starting to make her quite unhappy.

“It’s nothing serious, just an unresolved inner demon,” Wen Susu answered vaguely. Her replies were becoming shorter, which deepened Ye Wenxin’s suspicions.

“Are your powers gradually disappearing? You seem to be saying less and less lately.” After a silent moment, Ye Wenxin directly voiced her question.

“If they are, what would you do about it?” Wen Susu responded at last as if in anticipation.

Ye Wenxin was silent again. Whether Wen Susu’s powers were vanishing or not had nothing to do with her. She had only been helping Wen Susu by coincidence. She didn’t truly need her.

“I’d let you handle it on your own, of course. What else could I do?” However, Ye Wenxin couldn’t bring herself to say something so heartless.

Wen Susu’s laughter came through, filled with wistfulness. “Cold-hearted as ever, Demon Lord Gu Qingcheng. You don’t pity this Heavenly Book, soon to disappear from the world.”

Ye Wenxin chuckled without saying anything more. Then, she heard the next words.

“I won’t disappear so easily, though. Please, pursue Asuka with everything you’ve got.”

Wen Susu issued yet another demand.

Ye Wenxin was not only bewildered but also furious. Wen Susu had been the orchestrator of the kitsune incident. After the kitsune chose to be with Ye Wenxin, the curse no longer affected her.

As the same thing was happening again, Ye Wenxin found it completely unacceptable.

“Oh, and Long Qingyue will be arriving soon. This is your best and only opportunity,” Wen Susu added helpfully, yet gave no reasoning for the last part.

She severed the connection before Ye Wenxin could ask more. Clutching the book fragment tightly, Ye Wenxin muttered irritably, “Some Heavenly Book she is, always so secretive and clueless when questioned.”

As her frustration flared, she looked at the gradually darkening evening. Habitually, she stepped into the shadows, concealing herself in the darkness…

The day had flown by. Ye Wenxin had been unusually busy these past few days. After discovering that a certain part of a demonic beast was one of the ingredients for spirit wine, she began researching how to make it herself.

Envoy Hua Ju and Big Sis Cat joined to help, enjoying the work. With Wen Susu’s assistance, they had managed to produce a batch of spirit wine that would serve well enough in a pinch.

Due to the lack of fermentation, the taste wasn’t as sweet and smooth as the original spirit wine. This wine was quite spicy. Its fragrance spread through the air, exciting nearby demonic beasts. The few other ingredients mixed in also helped strengthen the body and had significant restorative effects for demonic beasts.

At first, Ye Wenxin only wanted to be self-sufficient. She never imagined she would end up creating a unique alcoholic drink.

Although the Cozy Gang had a stable pill business, it didn’t suit the mass market. On the other hand, this wine could be consumed by people at various levels. Ye Wenxin began to consider how to promote it.

She thought the Flower Lord’s upcoming birthday would be a dandy opportunity to showcase it.

However, Ye Wenxin felt she had forgotten something again due to preoccupation. When Big Sis Cat mentioned that prominent figures from various countries would be arriving, she finally remembered.

The deadline for that one-year promise with Long Qingyue was fast approaching.