Chapter 72

When Mo Lin came out of the council hall, Fang Fucang was crouched outside the main building, resting with his head down.

A puppet person and Yue Niang stood to his left and right, tilting their heads as they peered inside from under his armpit.

Yue Niang: “Are you really crying? No way, Master, you wouldn’t really…”

Without lifting his head, Fang Fucang grabbed her head as she tried to peek inside.

“Go stand with your puppet person and don’t force me to slap you both.”

Yue Niang felt very innocent.

She broke free from Fang Fucang’s hand and turned to see Mo Lin approaching. She quieted down a bit, hiding behind Fang Fucang’s shoulder and softly greeted, “Greetings, Master.”

Only then did Fang Fucang look up.

Mo Lin’s gaze briefly scanned the puppet person, rumored to have a Seventh Realm strength, before settling back on Fang Fucang.

He raised an eyebrow and spoke with an indifferent tone.

“Still not married, but acting all pitiful—who are you showing this to?”

Fang Fucang silently grumbled to himself.

You’re so high and mighty, you’re so calm.

If your wife was about to marry someone else, you’d probably be more anxious than anyone.

However, Fang Fucang did not dare say more and silently stood up.

“Miss has opened the communication array and is contacting the Heavenly Capital Yujing inside. She asked me to wait for the Master here, and once you’re done, we can go in together and discuss.”

Rescuing Yin Lanruo wasn’t difficult, but since it would involve much more, it was essential to coordinate with Yujing on that matter.

Mo Lin nodded lightly.

As he passed by Fang Fucang, he said:

“Go change into clean clothes and shave off that stubble. Are you planning to go steal a bride looking like a beggar?”

How fierce!

Yue Niang, hiding behind Fang Fucang’s back, pulled herself in even more tightly.

However, Fang Fucang, looking at Mo Lin’s retreating figure, couldn’t help but show a glimmer of excitement on his previously gloomy face.

Stealing a bride.

Was the Master implying—

Would they steal a bride from the Shentuo family for him?

In the inner room, the incense burner emitted a wisp of heavenly essence.

“…This is the situation in its entirety.”

Liuyu, nestled in a rosewood lounge chair, told the story of Jiufang Qian and Fang Fucang to the Yinshan Zefu couple and Nangong Yao, who were on the other end of the communication array.

Her fingers gently played with an orchid potted plant made of jade on the edge of the table, continuing:

“Yin Lanruo took a great risk to steal the remaining fragment of the Xian Gong Kai Wu manuscript from the Shentuo family and sent it to me. Whether she did this purely for her husband or to try and gain favor, now that I’ve used her materials, I must return the favor.”

Yinshan Ze gently shook his waist fan, and the luxurious red jade beads in his dark, silky hair clinked softly in the breeze.

“I’ve already had people inquire about Yin Lanruo’s situation with your subordinate,” he said, with a sigh.

“Twenty years ago, the relationship between the Yinshan and Jiufang families was still cordial. Many alliances were formed between the families during that time. Ten years ago, Yin Lanruo married into the Fang family, though perhaps it wasn’t out of genuine affection. Eight years later, due to the deteriorating relationship between the Yinshan and Jiufang families, they were forced to divorce. In the end, it’s a grievance of our family.”

Having said that, Yinshan Ze’s gaze flickered slightly as he looked at Liuyu.

“On this matter, our family indeed has some responsibility…”

“Being loyal and righteous is certainly admirable, but we must also weigh whether we have the strength to carry it out,” came a soft voice.

Nangong Jing, dressed in a simple white robe with a jade hairpin, had eyes and brows sculpted as if carved with a delicate blade, both sharp and expressive.

Though her tone was light, her words carried weight.

“Earlier today, the Zhongli family sent fifty puppet generals to the Shentuo family’s city. Your uncle and your husband can put on a show, but the Shentuo family and Yin Zishi’s puppet generals won’t be playing along. Have you thought of a strategy?”

Mo Lin, who had entered the room, did not rush to join the conversation. He leaned against a flower rack behind a beaded curtain, observing Liuyu, who appeared unusually tense.

Since childhood, Liuyu had never shown hesitation in front of the teachers at Lingyong Academy.

The only person she feared was her own mother’s examination.

Thus, when Nangong Jing asked, she immediately adopted a serious posture and responded solemnly:

“…Shentuo Xiang only wants to protect his family’s safety. Yin Zishi is determined to rise to power within the Zhongli family. While Zhongli Lingzhao might push for this marriage to weaken the Imo family, how much weight does her order really carry in the face of such interests?”

Liuyu understood very well why Zhongli Lingzhao would do this.

Fang Fucang and Yin Lanruo were once a married couple. If Zhongli Lingzhao didn’t interfere and the Imo family intended to ally with the Zhongli family, Liuyu thought that, with some effort, she might be able to push for this marriage.

However, Zhongli Lingzhao did not want to see the Imo family grow stronger.

It was all because Imo Gui had made her lose face.

It couldn’t be blamed on her acting impulsively. With her background, having everything go smoothly, she had never been taught to hold back when facing difficulties.

Small matters don’t require restraint, but the bigger ones are much harder to endure.

Yinshan Ze blinked, his eyes full of affection as he looked at Liuyu.

“Our Liuyu is really clever…”

“And how do you plan to leverage these two people’s interests?”

Nangong Jing’s voice was clear, like water.

Liuyu replied, “Relying on supplies and relying on talent.”

The eight words, like precious gems, finally brought a hint of a smile to Nangong Jing’s face.

Inside another communication array, Nangong Yao spoke up:

“Did Brother-in-law understand?”

“I don’t understand.”

Yinshan Ze smiled faintly, his fingers playing with the fine patterns on his waist fan. The sunlight outside passed through the fan slats, casting its light on his pale skin and light brown eyes, making them look like two beautiful pieces of amber.

“Does it matter if your sister understands?”

Seeing that Nangong Jing seemed satisfied, Liuyu slightly raised her chin and tugged at a jade leaf nearby.

“But what about my mother? Did you only just learn about the Divine Seal of China?”

Nangong Jing simply drank his tea without speaking, and Yinshan Ze lightly brushed his eyelashes before revealing a smile.

“Within the King’s capital, aside from the Young Emperor’s palace, there is nowhere that is not under your mother’s watch. As for matters in the King’s capital and the Immortal Capital of Yujing, you don’t need to worry about them for now. Just take care of yourself.”

Liuyu turned her eyes away in disinterest.

“The little yellow-haired girl, trying to compete with your mother… you still have a hundred years to go.”

Yinshan Ze spoke in a slightly self-satisfied tone, but before he could continue, a cold, determined voice interrupted.

“I don’t think so.”

The pearl curtain swayed lightly, and everyone inside and outside the communication array turned to look at the figure of the dark-clad demon lord approaching Liuyu.

“Liuyu is only nineteen. If we wait another two hundred years, with the same age, perhaps she could compete.”

The three of them watched as Mo Lin seated himself on the cushion next to Liuyu.

Usually, his posture was wild and uninhibited, but today, despite speaking bluntly, he sat in proper accordance with the formal etiquette of the Immortal Capital, kneeling in an orderly fashion by Liuyu’s side. This surprisingly made Yinshan Ze and Nangong Jing feel as if they were attending a wedding ceremony, bowing to the elders.

Nangong Yao, who had been drinking and admiring the view by a cliff, laughed aloud.

“Today, with this outfit, you finally look like a demon lord, not like before in Longdui City, when you dressed like a little guard.”

Liuyu emphasized, displeased:

“This outfit was made for him by the embroiderer I hired. Otherwise, if he wore his own old clothes, it wouldn’t be nearly as good as the one from Chaoming.”

Yinshan Ze was still thinking about Mo Lin’s words. He hid his smile behind his fan but then pretended to be displeased when he opened it.

“Boy, how dare you mention my wife’s age?”

Mo Lin hesitated for a moment but still replied calmly:

“…But you were the one who mentioned the little yellow-haired girl first.”

Yinshan Ze blinked and immediately leaned toward Nangong Jing.

“Quickly scold your son-in-law. The little brat dared to argue with me!”

Liuyu widened her almond-shaped eyes and also turned to Nangong Jing to complain:

“Control your husband! How can he curse like that?”

Nangong Yao laughed aloud, and Nangong Jing, who had his hand on Yinshan Ze’s face, only felt a headache.

Mo Lin sat there quietly, listening to the four of them talk about world affairs, their conversation turning into a mix of jokes and laughter.

An unusual feeling suddenly emerged.

Having never been in such an environment before, his instinct made him feel an impulse to escape and return to a place he was more familiar with.

But a voice deep inside told him—

This was fear.

In the past, when observing from the shadows, he never felt this way because he knew these intimacies and affections had nothing to do with him.

But now, in the midst of it all, with everyone’s attention on him, their concern for him made him uncontrollably feel a sense of fear.

It was like someone with nothing, holding onto a treasure too heavy to bear.

Easy to drop and break.

And too easily crushed by over-cherishing.

Fear filled his heart, making it difficult for him to purely enjoy this moment.

“…What’s wrong?”

It wasn’t until the communication array was cut off that Mo Lin snapped out of his thoughts at Liuyu’s voice.

Liuyu observed his distracted expression:

“My father coughed a few times just now. Did you hear it?”

Mo Lin thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Although cultivators are strong, they can still get sick. Your father seems to have a frail constitution. It might just be because of the cold.”

Liuyu gave him a glance.

“Frail? You must be overthinking it. My mother might be frail, but when she married into the Yinshan clan, she had already missed the age for cultivation. To this day, her cultivation level is only at the fifth realm. But my father is a true genius who reached the ninth realm within a hundred years. If he acts weak, it’s just to tease my mother.”

That’s why she had found it strange earlier.

With her father’s personality, if he were truly sick, he’d want to tell the whole world.

But when Liuyu saw him cough earlier, the motion had been faint, almost too subtle to notice, covered by the tea.

Or maybe he had just choked?

Liuyu felt uncertain.

“Do you want to go home?”

Mo Lin’s words exposed her thoughts, and Liuyu wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

In this lifetime and the previous one, Liuyu hadn’t returned to the Immortal Capital of Yujing for over a hundred years. Even though they had the communication array to see each other, sometimes a hug meant more than a thousand words.

“Will you come with me?”

Mo Lin firmly held her weight, settling her into his embrace.

“Do you want to leave me in the Nine Hells and go back to marry someone else?”

Liuyu hadn’t expected this answer and laughed out loud.

The reason she asked this question was, of course, for another reason.

The aristocratic families near the Demon Ghost Great Wall had this attitude toward the Demon Ghosts, let alone the corrupt and self-important aristocrats in the Immortal Capital Jade Capital.

Moreover—

Liuyu had never asked him about his opinion on the Yinshan family.

Did he hate them?

Did any of her relatives have enemies among them?

Liuyu had never thought about what the colorless city really meant before.

Since her birth, the world had always had this massive entity. The aristocratic children around her would envy her because the colorless city belonged to her family. Although Liuyu didn’t take pride in it, its existence was so natural that she rarely thought about whether the colorless city should be destroyed.

Until she fell in love with a Demon Ghost from the colorless city.

Until she personally experienced the days of hiding like a street rat, living day to day, even being considered inferior to others.

It was only then that she realized, Mo Lin should hate her.

Just like how she hated the people of the Jiufang family.

But he had never made her feel that hate, from the beginning to the end.

“You…” Liuyu hesitated, rare for her, “You seem to get along quite well with my father?”

Mo Lin’s eyes flickered slightly. He noticed her unspoken thoughts from her hesitation.

The last time they communicated with Yinshan Ze, she hadn’t cared about this matter.

It should have been because she didn’t like him much at that time.

…But she had memories of her past life. Did she not like him even in her past life, during that long period of time?

He knew he shouldn’t bring up old matters, but when he thought of this, a trace of greed stirred in his heart.

The origins of the colorless city… maybe it was better not to tell her.

Yinshan Ze had originally not allowed him to mention it to Liuyu. He was just… complying with Yinshan Ze’s request.

“Because he’s your father, and he gave you to me.”

He held her face, said nothing, yet as though saying everything.

Liuyu gazed into his deep pupils, and her heart suddenly raced.

Because of guilt.

Although she had many excuses in her mind, such as “If there were no colorless city, the Demon Ghosts would have been exterminated by the aristocratic families long ago,” or “My father didn’t slaughter people in the colorless city, and he even issued a ban on killing.”

She could tell herself these things to comfort herself, but after seeing the scars on Mo Lin’s body, she couldn’t bring herself to say those things in front of him.

“You’ve already done a lot, there’s no need to blame yourself.”

Seeing her furrow her brows tighter and tighter, Mo Lin couldn’t help but kiss them gently apart.

He thought to himself, he’s truly no good.

“If you really want to make up for it, why not do it in another way?”

Liuyu knew what he meant and snorted lightly.

“I certainly know I’ve done a lot. For the Demon Ghosts, I even offended so many aristocratic families. In the future, when I lead the Demon Ghosts out of the Demon Ghost Great Wall, all debts with you guys will be wiped clean.”

Mo Lin swallowed the truth he almost blurted out.

His gaze wandered over her translucent, pearl-like face.

“Then just pity me alone.”

He lowered his head and kissed her soft lips, a feeling of degradation spreading in his heart.

But thinking about Fang Fucang and his wife, who had been forcibly separated, he swallowed the slight guilt that arose.

Let him be the villain.

He’d rather deceive her into pitying and sympathizing with him more than to see her, after learning the truth, wave at him in the future and say:

—Turns out I don’t owe you anything, so we’re even. I’m going to find the person I really like now.

Just imagining that made him want to swallow the girl in his arms whole.

Liuyu was kissed until she was breathless.

“…Pity me, pity me, but can you take a break for one day?”

She blinked her misty eyes lightly.

“I’m so tired, I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

Mo Lin looked into her eyes, and he could already tell what she was thinking from her expression.

She must have calculated that she needed to rush back to Longdui City tonight and make arrangements for the wedding snatching tomorrow, so she wanted to take a nap in the afternoon and didn’t want to get entangled with him.

Little liar.

“I want to rest too.”

He moved Liuyu from his left leg to his right leg and looked down at where she had been sitting earlier.

There was a small wet stain on the dark green hem of his robes.

His eyes tinged with a faint blush, and he gently rubbed the wet stain.

“But it seems like the young lady doesn’t really want me to rest.”

Liuyu: “…”

When I return, I’m throwing away that box of pills! Even the box!