Chapter 5

“Wasn’t the young lady’s display of power a bit too much today?”

The water in the small kettle boiled and bubbled, as Chao Ming poured hot water into the teapot, preparing tea.

The tea leaves swirled in the boiling water, releasing a slightly bitter and astringent fragrance.

“Although most of these demon spirits are rather slow-witted, occasionally there are a few clever ones. If one of them gets too clever and thinks the whole incident was arranged by the young lady in collaboration with the Faceless Spider, wouldn’t that just cause more trouble?”

“Do you think so?”

Liuyu took a small sip of her tea, then glanced at the young bodyguard beside her, blinking her pure, innocent eyes.

“Then that would be terribly unjust for a good person.”

Actually, it wasn’t unjust at all.

Because, Liuyu indeed had allied with the Demon-slaying faction, led by the Faceless Spider.

The so-called Demon-slaying faction referred to a group of lunatics dissatisfied with the coexistence of the Nine Underworlds’ demon spirits and the human race of Da Chao. They sought to reopen the Heavenly Gate and bring the demonic forces from beyond the heavens back to the world.

They hated humanity and also resented Mo Lin.

They hated him for having such great power yet still choosing to coexist with humanity instead of avenging their century-long enslavement.

Liuyu had witnessed how these fanatics stirred up chaos in the Nine Underworlds, massacring countless demon spirits and ordinary humans. She had also seen how they secretly ambushed Mo Lin as he returned wounded, leaving him with deep, bone-cutting wounds on his waist and abdomen.

But Liuyu still formed an alliance with them.

At that time, she didn’t trust Mo Lin.

She simply believed that once he learned of the collapse of the Yinshan clan, he would use her to gain control over the remnants of their power to prepare for his future invasion of Da Chao.

Thus, Liuyu reached an agreement with the Demon-slaying faction—

She would help them break free from Mo Lin’s encirclement, while the Faceless Spider and others would keep Mo Lin’s demon spirits occupied, allowing the others at the Spirit Collection Platform to retreat south to the Demon Spirit Great Wall and return to Xian Du Yu Jing to support the already unstable Yinshan clan.

Liuyu lowered her gaze.

Teaming up with scum like the Faceless Spider… it was one of the few things she truly regretted in her life.

Oh, wait.

She had been reborn, so what happened in her previous life didn’t count anymore.

Liuyu loosened her grip on the teacup, as if convincing herself, and her gaze became a bit more natural.

She leaned back slightly, nestled into the lounge chair, thinking:

To kill the female servant by her side, incite a conflict between her and the Extreme Night Palace, and corner her in the Nine Underworlds, isolating her completely—

She had to personally deal with the Faceless Spider.

Then, she would pretend that the betrayal of Mo Lin in her past life had never happened.

Mm.

Perfect.

As Liuyu became lost in her thoughts, Chao Ming seemed hesitant, wanting to speak but holding back.

“What is it you want to say?”

Seeing Liuyu glance at him, Chao Ming quickly gave up on his hesitation and asked:

“Master, I don’t mean to question your decision… I’m just curious why you suddenly decided to stay in the Extreme Night Palace? Did something happen?”

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the mountain cherry blossoms, casting a golden glow onto the blue and gold dress, sparkling like floating light on gold, luxurious and extravagant.

Liuyu, pretending to rest her eyes, slowly spoke:

“Do you think the Yinshan clan is doing well now?”

A bit confused, Chao Ming quickly responded:

“Rising rapidly, on the rise?”

“No,” Liuyu raised her hand to shield herself from the too-dazzling light, opening her eyes to say, “It is surrounded on all sides.”

Four hundred years ago, the evil demons descended upon the world, swallowing Da Chao. The imperial court was weak, and the noble families rose to power.

The ancestor of the Xiangli clan cleaved open the Heavenly Gate with a single sword, joining forces with the ancestors of other noble families to seal the demons behind the Heavenly Gate, a battle known as the Demon-sealing War.

The chaos and darkness of the early Da Chao ended, and the new emperor, supported by the Xiangli clan’s ancestors, changed the era name to “Zhao Ye,” meaning to illuminate the long night, bringing peace to the world.

With the new dynasty came the hundred-year glory of the Xiangli clan.

For a hundred years, the Xiangli clan produced many talented individuals, but at the height of their power, one ambitious man plotted to take the throne of Zhongzhou for himself.

In a single night, the various noble families of Da Chao united to divide the Xiangli clan, leaving only a second-rate family to barely survive.

The great immortal families of Da Chao would rather hinder each other than allow one to dominate.

At that time, the Xiangli clan, ruling the world with the emperor, was much like the Yinshan clan, now wealthy enough to rival nations.

Chao Ming seemed to understand and thoughtfully remarked:

“…But Master, did you not come to the Nine Underworlds in the first place to monitor it under the guise of marriage, sending intelligence to Da Chao, proving that the Yinshan clan had no ill intentions? If you were really forming an alliance with the Nine Underworlds… wouldn’t the noble families have more reasons to attack the Yinshan clan?”

Liuyu smiled:

“Since it’s just an excuse, if one excuse is gone, there’s always another. If people want to kill me, what does it have to do with me?”

In her past life, Liuyu diligently gathered intelligence on the Nine Netherworlds for the people of the Great Chao.

She knew when Mo Lin had been injured, how his cultivation had advanced that month, who in the Nine Netherworlds defied him, and whether they leaned toward evil spirits or demons—all details, big and small, were reported back to the Great Chao.

But what was the result?

They still accused the Yinshan family of colluding with external enemies.

And it wasn’t just any demon or spirit; it was the evil beings sealed beyond the Heavenly Gate.

When the demonic calamity struck, it sank the land of Shenzhou, turning it into a hundred years of ruin—being associated with those evil beings was a greater crime than the rebellion charge against the Xiang family. Anyone involved would be killed.

Since no matter what she did, the hidden aristocratic families wanted the Yinshan family dead, it meant that whatever she did was permissible.

She would never again try to prove her innocence.

Unless something unexpected happened, every named aristocratic family in the Great Chao had enemies within her family. Since they all wanted to kill her, what mattered now was only the outcome—who would care about the thoughts of someone already doomed?

Even living with a tarnished reputation was better than having her entire family wiped out, turning into a pile of vengeful blood-soaked earth.

“If that’s the case… did we go too far with what we did recently?”

Chao Ming coughed lightly, trying to hide his awkwardness.

“The one called Shanxiao over there… he’s looking at us with an unfriendly gaze.”

Following Chao Ming’s gesture, Liuyu saw a young man in blue, heavily adorned in silver jewelry, holding up several large pieces of furniture with his hands, moving slowly, gasping for breath, his back slightly hunched.

Standing by the road was a maid in a silk dress, speaking in a detached and polite tone:

“Lord Shanxiao, please move faster. These large items need to be inside the building before noon so we can prepare the inner chambers in the afternoon, cleaning and setting up…”

Shanxiao couldn’t hold back anymore: “How much stuff did you bring?! Did you move the entire Yinshan household?!”

The many maids in the courtyard exchanged glances, covering their mouths, and laughing quietly.

“Lord Shanxiao, don’t joke. Our young miss is thrifty, and the things from the Extreme Night Palace are still quite new. It would be a shame to lose them. These are just the three main pieces for the inner and central rooms, most of the dowry is still at the Gathering Spirit Platform.”

“In the Yinshan family’s bedroom, the bedding, lacquered tables, and screen vases are three times as many as these. If we wanted to move everything, we’d probably need all twelve Nuo Gods to help.”

Three times more…

Shanxiao glared at the young lady lounging in the chair.

As expected of the daughter of the former ruler of the Colorless City.

Such extravagance, wasn’t all this money from the blood and sweat of their demon kin who used to entertain people in Colorless City?

Liuyu, lying on the lounge chair, rested her arm on it, plucking a grape from the fruit tray that Chao Ming was holding, biting into it, her gaze playfully drifting to the young man with a face full of displeasure not far away.

She puffed her cheeks, her eyes curved into a smile, “Keep it up, if you break anything, you won’t be able to sell those noisy silver accessories on you to make up for it.”

Shanxiao: … He would go complain to the Master! This was going too far!

Once the angry blue-clad demon walked off, Chao Ming raised an eyebrow at Liuyu and said:

“So this is… your way of forming an alliance?”

It seemed more like adding fuel to the fire.

Liuyu merely bit into the grape, her clear eyes even brighter than the dark grape in her fingers.

As if saying—

What else would I do?

“Though I need to borrow the power of the Nine Netherworlds, do you think they don’t need me?”

Liuyu gazed at the layered cities below the Extreme Night Palace.

At the farthest north was Yushan, the base of the Jade-faced Spider.

In her past life, the Jade-faced Spider had managed to negotiate with Mo Lin for nearly a hundred years, indicating that it had some ability. But for all its skill, when the Colorless City was burned, it had no achievements, not even qualifying to join the Twelve Nuo Gods.

She wouldn’t believe that it had no help behind it.

Recalling a clue she unintentionally discovered in her past life, Liuyu’s eyes curved in self-satisfaction:

“This time, I’m willing to form an alliance with them; that’s their good fortune.”

So, who needed whom was still up in the air.

“Echo, it’s here.”

Chao Yuan’s emotionless voice suddenly interrupted Liuyu and Chao Ming’s conversation.

Liuyu quickly snapped back to attention and stood up from the lounge chair.

The “echo” Chao Yuan mentioned referred to the communication array of the Immortal Capital, Yujing.

The Nine Netherworlds of the North and Yujing in the southernmost part of the Great Chao were far apart. Even using the best communication array, it would take at least an incense stick’s time to connect.

Liuyu walked quickly to the array and looked at the spiritual light flowing through it, feeling the familiar longing from both her past and present lives.

At that moment, Chao Yuan seemed to remember something and added slowly:

“But it’s not the Master or Lady Jing, it’s Miss Ning.”

…Tan Ning?

The light in the array swirled, and a figure in a snow-blue dress gradually became clear.

The girl was at the peak of her youth, with a peach blossom complexion, her hair pinned more elaborately than usual, decorated with several jade and pearl hairpins, adding a touch of elegance to her beauty.

She looked like the perfect embodiment of what common folk would imagine a noble lady to be.

Her speech was graceful, her entire demeanor refined, and she carried herself with proper manners. When interacting with other noble families at the Lingyong Academy, she was like the tassel hanging from her hairpin—never exceeding the boundaries she set for herself.

A boring, awkward oddity.

That was how Liuyu had always viewed her adopted sister, Tan Ning.

Yet, this pretentious, strong-willed girl, who had once tried to compete with her for the title of the most beautiful in Yujing, in her past life had nearly exhausted her life force to activate the Yinshan family’s protective mountain formation, growing old in an instant, an irreversible fate.

Seeing the youthful face once more, Liuyu’s gaze softened, a hint of nostalgia.

But Tan Ning didn’t feel the same.

“Mother’s not here, Father’s not here. If you have something to say, say it; otherwise, I’ll close the communication.”

The girl’s face was cold, and with no one else around, she made no attempt to hide her true feelings in front of Liuyu.

When Tan Ning heard that the Jiuyou line in the communication formation had responded, she was somewhat surprised.

Since Yinshan Liuyu had departed for Jiuyou, apart from contacting Xiandu Yujing on the day of her arrival to report her safety, in the following month, whenever her father had tried to inquire about her situation, Yinshan Liuyu had always dismissed him with “Everything is fine, nothing new to report.”

That was just how she was.

When she was out training, she wouldn’t send word home for several months. She disliked being bound by the family.

Every time Tan Ning heard the elders of the clan mention Liuyu’s name, though she still smiled on the outside, deep down she felt a pang of bitterness.

Someone who didn’t appreciate the affection of others never lacked for admirers.

Such is the unfairness of the world.

But she never expected that today, Liuyu would take the initiative to activate the communication formation and contact the family.

Moreover, it didn’t seem like there was any urgent matter.

When she remembered what day it was, Tan Ning’s confusion gradually faded, replaced by a slightly smug expression.

“You… you’re not complaining about being mistreated in Jiuyou, are you? Coming to whine to your family?”

The more Tan Ning thought about it, the more she enjoyed the idea.

She had heard that the leader of the demons in Jiuyou hadn’t even come to greet Liuyu when she arrived, and had left her outside the Extreme Night Palace for an entire month in another palace while he went off to Qingye to deal with the plague demons.

Liuyu, the star of the show, had never been treated like this before.

Seeing her familiar family—though Tan Ning, her half-sister, could hardly be considered a real family member—it still brought back the old atmosphere from when she was at home, and her mood naturally improved a little.

Even Tan Ning’s clumsy provocation didn’t bother her anymore, and she even had the energy to joke.

“Yeah, yeah, my husband is a three-headed, six-armed, green-faced, fanged monster, full of resentment toward our Yinshan clan. I just can’t stand living with him anymore.”

Liuyu reclined back into her lounge chair and gestured for Cha Ming to bring her the osmanthus cake from the table.

In her previous life, she had lived on an erratic diet, and after waking up, she couldn’t resist eating something.

Just then, the Mountain Demon passed by, stopping in its tracks.

“You’re talking nonsense! Our Lord is a charming and graceful person, not like you say!!”

Liuyu shot him a glance.

“Oh, right, not only does he look terrifying, but like his subordinates, he’s also uncultured.”

Mountain Demon: “…”

Wasn’t he supposed to be graceful and charming?

What word did he get wrong?

Tan Ning was somewhat shocked.

After the shock, she began to doubt the truth of her words.

Half of the demon species had human bloodlines. Even if they were born with nothing but a skeleton, they could grow flesh and blood as they matured, just like humans. How could they be as frightening as she described?

Lack of culture, though, was likely.

Demons, after all, were slaves. It would be strange if they could read.

“Who told you to insist on marrying into Jiuyou? Now that things are settled, even the newly built Refining Jade Room in your backyard is being used by Mother for me…”

When she said this, Tan Ning’s face showed some mixed emotions, but in the end, she couldn’t help but ask:

“Are you really going to come back?”

Liuyu examined Tan Ning’s face, which seemed to show a bit of sympathy for her, but also a clear reluctance for her to return and compete for favor and resources. Her originally delicate features twisted in a comical way.

It was a bit amusing.

Liuyu rested her chin on her hand and tapped her cheek with her fingertip.

“The Refining Jade Room?”

At the mention of this, Tan Ning’s brows and eyes softened, clearly proud.

“Yeah, Mother said since you’re not home, the newly built Refining Jade Room is just sitting empty, so it’s specially been given to my weapon refiner.”

The Yinshan clan was well-known for Liuyu’s generosity towards her family and servants. If something was worth a fortune, she would casually give it away, with no rule that others couldn’t use it if she wasn’t.

But others didn’t include Tan Ning.

Liuyu’s things would be burned before being given to her.

But now, Liuyu was far away, and with her mother’s permission, what could Tan Ning do about it?

Tan Ning braced herself for Liuyu’s furious outburst.

But she didn’t expect this.

As she turned her gaze, she found herself staring into a pair of almond eyes full of laughter.

In those eyes… there was an odd tenderness.

“My Refining Jade Room is so far from your courtyard. It’s inconvenient to go back and forth. Why don’t you move into my courtyard instead? Also, Aunt Liu is there; she can help me look after the flowers in the courtyard.”

Tan Ning: “…”

She might really need to report this to her mother soon.

If nothing unexpected happens…

Yinshan Liuyu might have gone mad.