Chapter 47

By the time they arrived at Longque City, it was already evening.

The summer heat had reached its peak, but the cool evening breeze dissipated the day’s stifling heat. Having abandoned their carriage a mile outside the city, Liuyu and her companions walked into the city.

“I’m hungry,” complained the ghostly girl, her eyes darting around as she nudged the blue-clad demon beside her. “Mountain demon, hurry and find us something good to eat.”

The mountain demon rolled his eyes at her. “In a place where even the city walls are left with gaping holes, what good food do you expect to find? The Lady’s fortress shouldn’t be too far; just hold on a bit longer.”

The ghostly girl’s face immediately fell. That fortress was still quite far away, and she was hungry now.

A package of oiled paper was handed to her.

“Want some malt sugar to tide you over?”

The ghostly girl took the malt sugar offered by Dansui, her eyes brightening. She quickly unwrapped it and popped a piece into her mouth. As soon as her tongue tasted it, her expression changed drastically.

“This… this candy tastes awful… I’m going to die…”

Lan Zhu was startled and quickly pushed the ghostly girl off his hand, looking towards Dansui.

“What did you give her to eat?”

Dansui laughed heartily.

“Haha, it’s malt sugar made from the wheat grown in Xiling City. Is it really that bad?”

It turned out to be made from the wheat grown in Jiuyou, no wonder it tasted so bad.

Lan Zhu’s smile turned wicked. “Serves you right for being greedy, putting anything in your mouth without thinking.”

The ghostly girl, her face ashen, quickly leaped onto Lan Zhu’s shoulder and started pulling his hair.

Ignoring the commotion behind them, Liuyu and Mo Lin observed the situation inside Longque City as they walked.

Liuyu remarked, “The defense forces of Longque City are even weaker than I expected. At this hour, we’ve barely seen any patrolling cultivators. No wonder Yue Niang recommended this place as a starting point for the Jimo clan’s rise.”

“Don’t like hearing it?”

Liuyu lifted her chin slightly, looking away nonchalantly.

“Then I won’t say it next time.”

Her slightly open nightgown revealed a firm chest, heaving with his frustrated breaths that she could hear.

“…No.”

Liuyu’s lips curved slightly, and she pretended not to have heard clearly, asking again:

“No what?”

There was a long silence from him.

So long that Liuyu almost thought he wouldn’t answer when he finally squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth.

“No, I don’t dislike hearing it.”

That was really difficult for him to admit.

Liuyu turned her head, and upon meeting his ashamed eyes, she suddenly raised her head and kissed him.

As her soft, moist lips touched his, Mo Li’s mind went blank for a moment.

The chaotic thoughts that had been tangling up in his mind vanished with that kiss.

She kissed him so fleetingly that Mo Li instinctively held the back of her head to deepen the kiss.

But she blocked him with her hand pressed against his chest.

Though her hand was slender, it wasn’t as delicate as a typical woman’s. If he didn’t use real force, Mo Li found it hard to get any closer.

With a smile in her eyes, she blinked and asked:

“Then why did you plant the Golden Thread Jade?”

…How terrible.

But despite such a deliberately probing question, he found it endearing.

His breathing grew heavier, and he said hoarsely:

“I want to give you what he can give you.”

Liuyu was stunned, and the hand on his chest suddenly lost its strength.

Mo Li took the opportunity, suddenly grasping her wrist and pressing her onto the bed.

As he rubbed against her lips, his other hand wrapped around her waist, lifting her lightly, pressing her against his chest.

If she were an ordinary woman without cultivation, with Mo Li’s strength, he might have broken her ribs.

Liuyu initially intended to push him away a bit, but perhaps his words softened her heart, and her resistance turned into a response.

She held Mo Li even tighter.

As if making up for the years of coldness and distance in their past life.

The intense kiss suddenly stopped.

Mo Li felt the pressure of her hands on his back, and his heart, sinking in the darkness, seemed to be lifted by those hands.

To this day, he couldn’t find a reasonable explanation for Liuyu’s sudden change in attitude towards him.

He hadn’t done anything for her.

Or rather, before he could do anything, she had sentenced him to death.

But overnight, everything changed.

He wanted to find this answer, he had to find it, or else, even if she slept peacefully in his arms, Mo Li would still fear that one day she might revert to her former self.

Until now.

He revealed his vulnerable side, something he shouldn’t have shown anyone, and she didn’t laugh at him or say empty comforting words, but responded with silence and a hug.

Such a light hug.

It wasn’t enough.

Far from enough.

Mo Li tightened his arms, pulling her into his lap, wanting to embed her into his body.

Liuyu heard something soft and slimy wriggling inside the tent, making a faint rustling sound. She raised her head slightly, looking at the phoenix and dragon pattern on the canopy, and stopped him:

“I’m sleepy.”

There were still many things to be busy with tomorrow.

The tentacle that had reached out to touch the pill box stopped.

The demon ghost, lowering its head inside her disheveled collar, looked up.

“Do you know what Grandma Mu told me that day on Yushan?”

He licked his lips and, feeling Liuyu’s slight tremor, said leisurely:

“She told me to take care of your health, that we shouldn’t waste our good time on the bed, not to indulge, to be moderate…what do you think?”

Liuyu grabbed his nightgown:

“I think she’s very right. To be honest, I think Grandma Mu’s origins might not be that simple. Not only can she dismantle such complex demonic language for laymen to learn, but she’s also very knowledgeable about the Jiufang family. She could completely fulfill the role of an advisor. Even in this regard, we should listen to her more.”

Listening to her serious yet teasing tone, Mo Li’s face showed a meaningful smile.

He didn’t smile often, so when he did, it was especially stunning.

“I also think so. Since she said once a week for such matters is enough, I can only reluctantly comply.”

Liuyu opened her eyes slightly.

This demon ghost had learned to be cunning!

The next day, Mo Li woke up very early.

Because they planned to visit the ghostly Great Wall to the south to investigate the Xiangli family’s situation in Taiping City, Mo Li had to handle some of Jiuyou’s affairs before they left.

Liuyu, however, was too tired to open her eyes.

Human energy is indeed limited.

Back home, she never stayed in bed, but in Jiuyou, she had to think about so many chaotic things and deal with Mo Li, who clung to her like a lustful ghost at night. As dawn approached, she slowly got up.

The quickest way to wake up was practicing swordsmanship. Liuyu called on Chao Yuan, who had just changed shifts with the maid, to find an empty spot in the Extreme Night Palace for practice.

“—Miss, it seems you’ve improved a lot suddenly.”

After only twenty moves, Chao Yuan’s forehead was already covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Liuyu, however, was still at ease.

The practice sword hairpin was of low quality, and the jade sword in her hand soon ran out of jade energy and broke. The maid brought a box of new hairpins.

“Hmm, maybe I’ve had some insights recently.”

For someone who had been at the peak of the Nine Realms, sparring with Chao Yuan, who had just entered the Seventh Realm, was indeed a bit unfair.

Liuyu turned to look at Chaoming, her eyes bright:

“Why don’t you both try attacking together?”

“All of us used disguise spells. How did you match each of us?”

Having finally landed on her feet, Yueniang hurriedly rushed to Liuyu’s side, looking up with a flattering smile:

“Of course, it’s because of the exalted one’s otherworldly and extraordinary aura, like a celestial being descending to earth… Okay, fine, it’s because I was bored the other day and dismantled my master’s glazed mirror, extracting the Dispersing Light Array from it.”

The goblin at the back furrowed its brows. What Dispersing Light Array could be extracted from a glazed mirror? What nonsense was this?

“Did you understand that?” the goblin asked Lan Zhu.

Lan Zhu, who had just finished five bowls of noodles in one go, yawned sleepily:

“Understand what?”

… Forget it, the demon ghosts of their Polar Night Palace indeed needed to read more books.

Liuyu, however, did understand.

Precisely because she understood, she felt startled.

Liuyu scrutinized Yueniang and said, “Let me see.”

Sensing Liuyu’s interest, Yueniang eagerly closed her eyes and focused her energy.

When she opened her eyes again, intricate golden patterns appeared in her right eye, identical to the Dispersing Light Array embedded in the glazed mirror.

“This is it.”

Yueniang explained:

“I’ve improved it so that you don’t need to use the glazed mirror. You can differentiate disguise spells by directly activating the array.”

Mo Lin’s eyes also showed a hint of change.

Don’t underestimate the act of eliminating the need for the glazed mirror; this alone greatly enhances efficiency in practical use.

If during the initial battle between Liuyu and Fang Fuzang, Fang Fuzang had directly activated the array, there wouldn’t have been a situation where the glazed mirror was shattered by Liuyu, rendering it impossible to see through disguises.

Fortunately, this young girl was recruited to their side—

Catching a glimpse of Liuyu’s expression, Mo Lin’s gaze settled.

“I see, so it was you.”

Liuyu’s words were slow, laced with complex and obscure emotions.

No wonder in her previous life, the security in the Immortal Capital of Jade Peak had become increasingly stringent in the year of her death, making it harder for her to remain hidden.

After much investigation, Liuyu discovered that after the Twelve Generals of the Immortal Capital came under Yan Wushu’s command, they somehow managed to see through any disguise spells without needing the glazed mirror.

Liuyu had always thought this was Yan Wushu’s idea.

Who would have thought—

Yueniang, expecting praise from Liuyu, found the girl’s expression different from what she had anticipated.

Confused, Yueniang could only force a flattering smile.

“Your Majesty need not worry; this Dispersing Light Array is used to detect the enemy’s disguise spells. I have improved the Jade Appearance Silk Paper so that when we disguise ourselves, neither the glazed mirror nor the array can see through it.”

She quickly retrieved the Jade Appearance Silk Paper from her bosom and offered it with both hands, closely watching the expression of the exalted one before her.

Liuyu’s deep gaze fell on the shimmering silk paper, her expression unreadable.

“Very impressive,” she said, pinching Yueniang’s cheek, her eyes curving, “How should I reward you?”

Yueniang instinctively felt the crisis had passed but wasn’t sure why, and stammered:

“No, no need for a reward, Your Majesty is so kind to me; it’s all part of my duties—”

Her face! Her face was going to be pinched swollen!!

Liuyu almost wanted to pinch a piece of flesh off her cheek, so she could understand what it felt like to have her face altered.

In her previous life, Liuyu had never paid attention to Yan Wushu, not knowing how he climbed the ranks so quickly.

But from the clues in this life, it seemed his ability to serve multiple masters was not just due to his own skills but also related to his extraordinarily talented sister.

Fortunately.

When Yan Yueniang pursued her to Jiuyou, Liuyu didn’t let her go due to Yan Wushu’s anger.

Someone who could easily break disguise spells, even if she didn’t use her, couldn’t be left to her enemies.

“Researching this must have been expensive. Where did you get the money?” Liuyu asked.

Yueniang honestly replied, “It was from the pocket money Your Majesty previously gave me, and some I tricked from my master.”

Seeing Yueniang with tearful eyes from the pinching, Liuyu snorted lightly and let go.

“In the future, you don’t have to pay for these expenses. Tell your master that it will be separately funded from me—here, take this.”

She threw a heavy object into Yueniang’s arms. The little girl, with red marks on her face, looked at it in bewilderment.

“Wow—Divine Jade! It’s Divine Jade!”

The little girl, who seemed to have forgotten the pain, raised the Divine Jade high, her eyes sparkling.

Divine Jade, worth a fortune, was priceless. The energy contained within it was an invaluable material for cultivation or embedding into magical artifacts.

A few months ago, she was just a little servant doing chores for her family. Now, a few months later, she had received a piece of Divine Jade for herself!

“Your Majesty, will you only pinch one side of my face? Please pinch the other side too, or I won’t feel comfortable accepting this jade…”

The girl, following behind Liuyu eagerly, wished she had a little tail to express her excitement.

Seeing Yueniang clinging on again, Mo Lin, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed her and tossed her aside, saying coldly:

“Call your master here and stop getting in the way.”

Fang Fuzang had been waiting inside the hall for a while. Seeing them delayed outside, he stepped out to welcome them.

His gaze swept between Yueniang and the others who had undone their disguises, but he didn’t ask any questions, merely stepping aside to let them in, pulling Yueniang behind him.

After everyone was inside, he admonished her:

“What time is it? Why aren’t you asleep yet?—What’s that in your arms?”

“Divine Jade, given by Her Majesty!” Yueniang said with a beaming smile, “Only I have it, master doesn’t.”

“Hmph, if you don’t sleep soon, I’ll confiscate it.”

Upon hearing this, Yueniang’s face changed, and she quickly dashed to her room.

Fang Fuzang sighed in frustration.

At this moment, Liuyu and Mo Lin had already reached the top floor of the fortress’s tallest main building.

Looking around from the three-story main building, muffled sounds continuously emanated from all directions within the fortress, shrouded in thick night fog.

It was the night-watch demons working the soil.

Although human vision was not clear in the darkness, Liuyu could still discern some non-human appendages in the night fog, silently digging, compacting earth, building walls, and plastering. A house was rising from the ground at a visible speed.

Lanterns hanging from the eaves swayed gently in the wind, with a thread of candlelight flickering on the verge of extinguishing.

“No wonder the noodle vendor advised us not to climb the mountain while we were eating noodles.”

Liuyu rubbed her forehead helplessly and said, “This really does look like a haunted mountain.”

“Whether it’s haunted or not,” Mo Lin turned his head to look at her, “this fortress can accommodate at least ten thousand people once it’s built. The entire Dragon Sparrow City only has thirty thousand people. You’ve spent a fortune, nearly exhausting your dowry, to build such a large fortress. What are you planning to house?”

The night breeze tousled a few strands of her hair, and Liuyu’s elbow rested on the wall, her pointed chin nestled in her palm.

“Of course, it’s to house my ambitions.”

Her tone was light-hearted as if joking, but her gaze towards the endless night was deep like an ink sea.

Mo Lin stared at her profile.

He was all too familiar with that expression.

It was a blend of ambition and hatred, even with a hint of unease, yet all well-hidden beneath a calm exterior.

“Then it might be a bit too small.”

Liuyu glanced back at him.

She didn’t say anything, but he seemed to understand everything.

Even though for this life’s Mo Lin, they had been together day and night for just over two months, it felt as if they were more in sync than their century-long marriage in their past life.

Her long eyelashes lowered slightly, and Liuyu merely glanced at his hand. That hand then pressed against her slightly closed palm, forcefully prying open her fingers and intimately interlocking with hers.

Liuyu remained standing there, unmoving, while Mo Lin, with his gaze fixed on her, kissed the back of her hand and said, “We need to conquer more cities to properly place the young lady’s ambitions.”

Liuyu smiled.

The next morning.

Taiping City awoke to the faint light of dawn.

In the residence of the Xiangli clan, the master had not yet risen, but the maids and servants had already been busy for an hour. Steward Si Tu Nan, almost considered half the master of the house, finally arrived late and took a seat in the chair in the middle of the corridor.

The steward serving him handed over tea and account books. Si Tu Nan, with his two mustaches quivering under his breath, quickly skimmed through them.

His brows furrowed again.

“Didn’t I tell you all to save money last month? Why has so much been spent again?”

The steward hurriedly replied, “You know, Taiping City has been emptied by those wretched slaves, and we’ve been tasked with opening up wasteland to plant spirit crops. Every day, refugees and tenant farmers flood into our house like water. People need to eat—”

“Turns out refugees are human.”

As Si Tu Nan spoke, his mustaches trembled under his breath, and the layers of fat on his belly jiggled as well.

He chuckled sarcastically and said to the steward, “Since they are so precious, why not share your food with them to let them have their fill?”

The grey-clad steward smiled awkwardly, “You must be joking, joking…”

Si Tu Nan suddenly changed his expression and kicked him in the leg, producing a crisp sound as his knee hit the ground hard.

“Let me tell you, the young master is about to break through, and the master has repeatedly emphasized that the planting of spirit crops must not miss the farming season. We have limited money and not enough manpower. If there’s any mistake in the progress of the spirit fields in ten days when the master inquires, I’ll use you as fertilizer, understand?”

The steward, sweating profusely from pain, quickly responded, “Understood, understood, we’re already looking for more hands. Another group of refugees arrived at the estate today, and we’ve cut their wages and food in half, also…”

“What else?”

“Also, we’ve been quickly finding replacements for those demanding high wages, replacing them with cheaper labor.”

Only then did Si Tu Nan’s expression soften. He rolled up the account book and patted the steward’s face with it, saying, “You’re quite clever. Remember, cutbacks are necessary, but the progress must not slow down.”

The steward agreed repeatedly. Si Tu Nan waved him away, and the smiling steward limped away.

Once he was out of earshot of the five-stage cultivator, the grey-clad steward’s expression changed.

He spat bitterly, “They want the horse to run fast without feeding it. They still think it’s like the old days when they could command demons? Damn it, in this era, every family is working hard to gather refugees for their own use. Where am I supposed to find people who work hard without needing to eat?”

Other families might be understandable.

The Xiangli clan, armed with the “Complete Book of Immortal Farming,” had exclusive rice strains that yielded far more than ordinary rice available in the market. Besides the Yinshan clan, they were the least short of food in the world.

Yet, on their territory, people often starved to death.

An attendant handed him a handkerchief, “The recruitment officer in the estate this morning mentioned that among the new batch of refugees, there are a few who are quite capable, especially one young man who is extremely strong, capable of doing the work of ten men.”

Hearing this, the grey-clad steward’s eyes lit up.

“Good, good, this man must stay. Has he opened his Qihai?”

“I don’t think so.”

“If he can really do the work of ten men, I’ll give him some pills… no, I’ll deduct a part of his wages in advance and give him some low-priced pills from our house. If he has any talent, he can work like fifty men.”

The grey-clad steward laughed, his knee pain forgotten.

Fifty fewer wages, just double his pay, anyone could do the math.

“But I heard he has a condition—” The attendant said while helping the grey-clad steward onto a cart, “He has a young wife. He said she can’t work. If we let her stay in the estate with him, he will work without demanding a wage increase.”

I’ve never heard such a foolish request. Could it be that he’s really just a simpleton with brute strength?

The gray-clad steward almost laughed his face off, sitting leisurely on the cart heading to the manor, saying,
“Don’t mention him bringing a little wife; I could even send him another one… it’s not worth much.”

At this moment, Liuyu, who was at the Xiangli family’s estate, was unaware of this conversation. She sat leisurely in the shade of a tree by the field, watching the tall figure before her sweatily swing his hoe, his shirtless back glistening in the sun.

The scorching heat of the midday sun made the sweat beads slide down his well-defined muscles.

The mechanical devices made by the Zhongli family passed by him slowly, but they couldn’t keep up with his speed or strength.

Many people at the estate cast sidelong glances at this young man.

The workers resting briefly by the field all silently observed, many gazing at Liuyu with unspoken thoughts, as she appeared delicate and frail.

Liuyu, however, seemed oblivious to it all.

She was casually chatting with an older woman beside her, and seemingly unconsciously, mentioned the Jimo family from Longque City.

“…I’ve heard that although the Jimo family isn’t as large as the Xiangli family, they do provide hearty meals. If it weren’t for the fact that we’ve run out of money and I’m in poor health, unable to make it to Longque City, we wouldn’t have come to the Xiangli family…”

The older woman looked Liuyu up and down, pinching her arm.

She glanced at Mo Lin, then at Liuyu, and clicked her tongue.

“Well, that’s true. With your man looking like that, who would be weak if not you?”