Chapter 28: Shame

The man before her overlapped with her dear friend from a century ago, filling Liu shuang with both joy and sorrow. Having died under heavenly thunder, her only regret and unwillingness were slowly being fulfilled at this moment.

“Shaoyou, how have you been these years?” Liu shuang never dared to imagine that Shaoyou was actually the young master of Kunlun.

She had always thought he was a wandering immortal from the ancient peach wood clan. Seeing Shaoyou again was nothing short of immense fortune for her.

Shaoyou was puzzled. Last time, she had been unreasonable and seemed eager to get rid of him, but now her attitude had completely changed.

Thinking she might be up to her old tricks again, Shaoyou frowned, his tone carrying a faint chill, “Fairy, didn’t you just see me not long ago? How is this a long-awaited reunion?”

These words were like a bucket of cold water, sobering Liu shuang from her joy at seeing Shaoyou.

The Shaoyou before her looked at her with a cold gaze, his brow slightly furrowed. Though his expression wasn’t overly obvious, his attitude was still somewhat gentle. But Liu shuang knew him well enough to sense his displeasure.

He didn’t like her as she was now. Only she had memories of the past; Shaoyou wouldn’t remember her.

Liu shuang quickly composed herself. She didn’t ask for much. She had once regretted not being able to travel the mountains and rivers with Shaoyou and share flower-brewed wine. All her regrets in this life could now be fulfilled.

She took a deep breath and quickly assumed her role as Chishui Liu shuang.

“Young Master Jimo, I was rude during my last visit to Kunlun. Please don’t take it to heart. I was impolite and made mistakes.” She curtsied, “I hope Young Master Jimo can forgive me.”

Shaoyou sat down and began brewing a pot of tea. His movements were fluid and graceful as he glanced at her, “I don’t blame you, Fairy.”

Liu shuang said, “Now that Young Master Jimo has forgiven me, can we get along well?”

As soon as she spoke, before Shaoyou could respond, the expressions of the people present shifted.

Bai Yuxiao thought, So Chishui Liu shuang has become clever, knowing how to play the part and feign friendship to borrow the Shennong Cauldron.

Bai Zhuixu was surprised. Liu shuang’s dislike for Jimo Shaoyou and her resistance to the marriage were well-known throughout Kongsang. They had thought forcing her to apologize would be difficult, but now her interaction with Jimo Shaoyou was nothing like that.

There was no tension. In front of Jimo Shaoyou, Liu shuang’s attitude was full of admiration and even affection… closeness?

Did Liu shuang like and feel close to Jimo Shaoyou?

Yan Chaosheng, who had been silent in the corner, now looked up, his cold gaze falling on Liu shuang before slowly shifting to Shaoyou.

Yan Chaosheng felt a pang of discomfort.

He couldn’t quite explain why. Earlier, when Liu shuang used her spiritual power to scatter characters in the peach forest, he had been surprised. The two Bai brothers hadn’t noticed, but he recognized the technique—it was one he had learned from a wandering immortal he met in his childhood.

Though Yan Chaosheng had lost his cultivation, his unique demon eyes remained. He could see the characters carried by the spiritual power into Kunlun.

She was bowing to that man.

Yan Chaosheng frowned, inevitably speculating about Liu shuang’s intentions. Among the four who had come to Kunlun, only he didn’t know the full purpose of her visit. He thought Kongsang didn’t want to antagonize Kunlun and had sent their young master to apologize.

That made sense, but the look in her eyes when she first saw Jimo Shaoyou was far from hatred and reluctance to marry.

When Jimo Shaoyou turned, she stepped forward, her eyes shining with a light Yan Chaosheng had never seen before.

Yan Chaosheng had to admit, from their first encounter to the lotus platform, and even on the journey from Kongsang to Kunlun, not even Bai Zhuixu had elicited such a look from her.

He stared intently at Liu shuang.

She was standing so close, almost leaning into Jimo Shaoyou’s embrace! Was she that desperate? She claimed she didn’t want to marry Jimo Shaoyou.

Yan Chaosheng sneered. This was far from reluctance—she couldn’t have been more obvious.

Not only did she ask how Jimo Shaoyou was doing, but she also wanted to get along well with him. What could a man and woman do together?

Indeed, as he had previously thought, Chishui Liu shuang was just like those decadent immortals he had encountered before. This kind of immortal… Waves of displeasure surged within him.

He had even considered letting her off after she had learned her lesson!

He mentally mocked himself, whether it was directed at Chishui Liu shuang or the version of himself that had carried her back that night.

His tangled thoughts eventually coalesced into a cold glint in his eyes.

By now, Shaoyou had finished brewing the tea. With a wave of his sleeve, teacups flew to each person’s table. He said, “If Fairy Chishui likes Kunlun, you are welcome to stay anytime.”

Yan Chaosheng thought to himself, Anyone could tell this was a cold, polite gesture. On the surface, it allowed Chishui Liu shuang to visit Kunlun anytime, but Shaoyou was talking about Kunlun, not about spending time with him.

Yan Chaosheng glanced mockingly at Liu shuang. She was momentarily stunned but showed no anger. Holding the teacup Shaoyou had handed her, she smiled softly, “Good. I will definitely come to Kunlun often in the future. If I anger Young Master Jimo again, you can always kick me out.”

Shaoyou was slightly taken aback, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

Crack.

Yan Chaosheng crushed the teacup in his hand, and everyone turned to look.

With an expressionless face, Yan Chaosheng gathered the fragments, “This disciple has been impolite. Please forgive me, Young Master Jimo.”

Shaoyou nodded, “It’s alright.”

Yan Chaosheng sneered inwardly. He must have been blind on the journey to think that Chishui Liu shuang was merely a bit spoiled and didn’t realize she would harm him like this, believing she was different from Bai Yuxiao.

He had thought she had realized her mistake and felt guilty, which was why she had treated his injuries on the lotus platform. He had thought she was inherently kind and brave, which was why she had confronted Bi Xun in Taichuan City. He had thought, he had thought she felt something for him…

Now, recalling this, he was both angry and annoyed. She was clearly fickle, having unclear relations with Bai Zhuixu and pretending to be at odds with Bai Yuxiao. If they were truly at odds, how could Bai Yuxiao have avenged her by crippling his cultivation?

And now there was Jimo Shaoyou.

Yan Chaosheng remembered long-forgotten events.

Before he joined Kongsang, there had been women who liked him. He had been born with good looks. Among demons, beauty was not scarce, and their appearance often surpassed that of immortals, especially the fox clan, which had produced many stunning enchantresses, still celebrated in mortal tales.

When Yan Chaosheng shed his childlike form and became a youth, the little wolf demon was still alive.

They, a group of youths, traveled from one mountain forest to another, with countless female demons vying for Yan Chaosheng’s attention.

Yan Chaosheng had no experience with romantic matters. Every day of his life, he struggled to survive to see the next sunrise. The soft bodies of the female demons pressing against him, their alluring glances, made his cheeks flush and left him flustered. Yet, since they meant no harm, he couldn’t bring himself to crush their throats.

For the first time in his life, he was adored by so many.

As a young demon, he hadn’t yet aspired to cultivate immortality. His companions were still alive, and his heart wasn’t as cold as it was now.

He had even fantasized about finding a female demon to settle down with once he became stronger. He would protect her, ensuring she never suffered hunger or was bullied like he had been.

At the start of his path of bloody battles, what he truly desired was simply to be loved and to have a home.

Yan Chaosheng had been born in the form of a child, with no memories before that. Though he never spoke of it, sometimes when he walked alone under the moonlight, seeing other demons with homes to return to, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy and loneliness.

So, when he learned that female demons liked him, the young Yan Chaosheng felt both shy and hopeful.

But this feeling lasted only two days. On the third day, no one fawned over him anymore. By chance, Yan Chaosheng encountered a female demon who had recently expressed a desire to merge spirits with him, rolling in the flowers of the mountain forest with the little wolf demon.

A patch of bright flowers was crushed beneath them.

Yan Chaosheng heard the female demon’s moans of pleasure, rising in pitch, and their fragmented voices.

The little wolf demon asked in confusion, “Didn’t you like our boss?”

The female demon giggled, “Him? Everyone thinks he’s so handsome, so he must be impressive, but he can’t even transform into his true form. He’s a defective demon.”

The little wolf demon panted, “The boss is very strong. Don’t talk about him like that.”

The female demon didn’t care, “I don’t want to bear children with his defective bloodline. You’re much better…”

Under the bright moonlight, the young Yan Chaosheng clenched his fists and walked away with a cold expression.

That night shattered Yan Chaosheng’s youthful fantasies. From that moment on, he realized that being unable to transform not only subjected him to bullying as a child but would also lead to disdain as an adult, no matter how hard he tried.

No matter how much he strived, in the eyes of other demons, he was still a defective demon who couldn’t even transform into his true form.

The demon realm was different from other races. Appearance and strength were closely linked—the higher one’s cultivation, the more beautiful and enchanting their form. Yan Chaosheng had a strikingly handsome face, but his bloodline and strength didn’t match it.

Yan Chaosheng didn’t blame the little wolf demon or the female demon. But from then on, he rejected all advances from female demons. Some were attracted to his looks and didn’t want offspring with him, only seeking a fleeting affair. He sneered coldly, no longer the flustered youth, and harshly told them to leave.

This memory felt like it belonged to another era. Two hundred years? Or three hundred?

In the long years that followed, he focused solely on becoming stronger, yearning for power and the path of immortality. He never thought of such matters again.

Yan Chaosheng’s face tightened. Now, Chishui Liu shuang had broken his resolve.

He had truly believed she felt something for him…

It had been so long since he last felt the sting of humiliation and anger.

He didn’t know whether he was more angry at Liu shuang’s fickleness or at his own self-delusion.

Yet the girl was still chatting with Jimo Shaoyou. So this was how she sounded when she spoke softly and tenderly.

“Young Master Jimo, have you traveled to the mortal realm? Can you use willow leaves to make paper cranes for communication?”

“Young Master Jimo, in the seventh month of the mortal calendar, you can go boating on the lake and watch lotus girls picking lotus pods. It’s quite charming.”

“Young Master, Kongsang is also beautiful. When you visit Kongsang in the future, I will make sure to host you well.”

Unlike her reserved demeanor with Bai Zhuixu, her confrontational attitude with Bai Yuxiao, or her insincerity with him.

She looked at Jimo Shaoyou, her eyes filled with starlight, a sense of trust that couldn’t be put into words.

It was as if her outer shell had disappeared, revealing only her softness to Jimo Shaoyou.

Yan Chaosheng watched with a cold sneer. He hadn’t known that Chishui Liu shuang, who was kept within Kongsang and not allowed to venture out, had such extensive knowledge. She was really… with an ugly face, more affected than a rabbit demon.

Jimo Shaoyou occasionally responded, and she smiled with her entire being.

Yan Chaosheng didn’t touch his teacup again. Otherwise, the scene before him would remind him of his previous thoughts, filling him with endless anger.

He could only mock her in his heart—a ugly wretch, offending people and now shamelessly clinging to them. The young master of Kunlun would never fancy her.

Initially, Bai Zhuixu was also full of doubts, thinking Liu shuang was employing some delaying tactic. But as he listened to her chatting happily, with Shaoyou even refilling her teacup, she didn’t mention the Illusion Pearl at all.

Bai Zhuixu had no choice but to speak up, “Young Master Jimo, to be honest, we came here today to ask for a favor.”

Shaoyou said, “Please speak, Young Master Bai.”

“Young Master accidentally swallowed the Illusion Pearl and lost her original appearance. Kongsang wishes to borrow the Shennong Cauldron from Kunlun to dissolve the Illusion Pearl within her.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Chaosheng looked up.

His sense of humiliation and anger lessened. So Chishui Liu shuang’s enthusiasm was because she needed to borrow a divine artifact, not because she fancied Jimo Shaoyou?

No wonder. Borrowing a divine artifact, given her track record of offending people, would indeed be difficult.

Yan Chaosheng had heard of the Illusion Pearl. It was said to be a pearl that could alter one’s appearance. Even the highest-ranking immortals, including the Heavenly Emperor, couldn’t see through the transformed appearance. But once swallowed, one could never regain their original form.

So Chishui Liu shuang didn’t look like this because of the Illusion Pearl.

What did she originally look like?

Shaoyou took a sip of tea. His expression was calm and composed. Earlier, when Liu shuang spoke to him, he responded unhurriedly, occasionally smiling with grace and propriety.

Now, hearing them mention the Shennong Cauldron, Kunlun’s divine artifact, his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke with composure, “The Shennong Cauldron is a matter of great importance. I cannot decide alone. I must consult my father and then give Fairy Chishui an answer. You may stay in Kunlun for now.”

Bai Zhuixu was anxious but could only say, “Thank you, Young Master Jimo.”

Shaoyou nodded, “Shatang, show our guests to their rooms.”

A white-robed maid stepped forward with a smile, leading Liu shuang and the others out.

Bai Yuxiao whispered, “Brother, does Jimo Shaoyou’s response mean he will lend it or not?”

Bai Zhuixu shook his head with a slight bitter smile.

He prided himself on being steady, but today he realized that compared to this young master of the Jimo clan, he still had much to learn. Bai Zhuixu was about to comfort Liu shuang, telling her not to be disheartened, that they would eventually gain Kunlun’s approval.

“Young Master Jimo will lend it,” Liu shuang suddenly said.

“How do you know, Young Master?”

Liu shuang said, “He may seem cold, but he’s actually a very good person.”

Having known him for a century, Shaoyou had almost never disappointed or upset her. Liu shuang hadn’t understood his humility and kindness before, but in this life, she knew there was no one better than Shaoyou.

Even though Liu shuang now had a different body and lacked a heart, she held onto the belief that after a tumultuous life and returning with scars to see Shaoyou again, he was still the man who would patiently explain the ways of the world to her among the flowers.

Although their meeting in this life had been somewhat unfortunate, and Shaoyou’s initial impression of her wasn’t good.

But having lost him once, Liu shuang now knew how to protect and cherish what she had.

Whether Shaoyou lent the Shennong Cauldron or not didn’t matter. After all the twists and turns, having survived death and being able to see her old friend safe and sound was the greatest gift fate could offer to Liu shuang.