Chapter 94

“Miss, Miss Ning has turned back. Should we stop her?”

Chao Ming glanced at the stone path behind them, where she had been following Liuyu.

“Although we’re on our own turf and there’s no need to worry about safety, at times like this, it’s not a good thing for Miss Ning to go meet Young Master Zhanghua.”

Liuyu walked ahead, her hand hooked with Mo Lin’s, speaking with a light laugh:

“You almost have ‘Tanning is easy to deceive’ written all over your face.”

Chao Ming scratched his nose, not denying it, only saying, “It’s hard to say about others, but for Young Master Zhanghua to deceive her, it should be as easy as pie.”

That’s true.

Liuyu looked at the shadow of Misty Mountain on the eaves and thought about the previous life when she rescued Tan Ning. The two of them hid their heads together in an ice cave deep in the snow, speaking words to encourage each other.

— “Don’t laugh at me for liking him so much in the past. You’re not me, and I’m not you. The second young lady of the Yinshan family knows exactly why she came to this family: first, for the loyalty of the Tan clan; second, to demonstrate the Yinshan family’s belief that background doesn’t matter; and only last, because of me.”

— “Because of inferiority, I had to be strong. But I didn’t compete with you for Zhanghua because I wanted to be strong; it’s just that, in this family, only he and I are in the same situation.”

— “We’re like the little cat and dog that Third Uncle picked up. We covet that noble, well-kept family cat, wanting to become her, to occupy her, to stay under this roof that doesn’t need wind or sunlight. But it seems… we always do it in the wrong way.”

The soft yet sorrowful tone echoed from the past and reverberated in Liuyu’s ears.

The answer she gave to Tan Ning then was something Liuyu planned to say to her again in this life.

However…

That would have to wait until she herself saw Zhanghua’s true face.

Passing through a moon gate, the demon ghosts at the feast were drumming and dancing.

The rhythm of the demon drums was accompanied by red and green silk ribbons fluttering in the air, and the beautiful fox demons were dancing in masks with angry expressions. Liuyu saw a demon secretly stretching its limbs and casting strange, dim shadows in the crackling bonfire.

When Liuyu and the others arrived, Miaoyi was hiding behind a small pine tree, spying.

“—What are you hiding here for, trying to eavesdrop?”

When Miaoyi heard Liuyu’s voice, she turned around and quickly wrote several lines on her board:

【It’s so lively! It looks so fun! Your dad went in to dance too, I want to play too!!】

Liuyu followed the direction Miaoyi pointed and saw a figure in red clothes, wearing an exaggerated mask, who had somehow mixed in with the demon ghosts and was eagerly imitating their dance.

Meanwhile, Nangong Jing had already returned to the inner chambers of the house.

The pavilion inside was brightly lit, probably preparing for the battle tonight.

Her father really is fortunate.

Liuyu was pulled by Miaoyi into the group of demon ghosts. The girl was eager, mimicking the demons’ movements with enthusiasm.

【I’ve seen the description of ghost plays and immortal festivals in the poems of the Nine Nether Demons. Was it as lively as this? No, the scene must be even bigger than this, right? I’ve grown tired of the lanterns of the Immortal Capital Yujing, I want to see what the ghost plays and immortal festivals in the poems are like!】

Liuyu casually picked up a mask and put it on Miaoyi’s face, answering nonchalantly:

“Next time, don’t do this for your brother, Miaoyi. I’m married now. In this life and the next, I can never be your sister-in-law.”

The mask covered Miaoyi’s expression, and only the flickering firelight reflected on the mask, which was a size larger than her face.

It made her look more like a child.

After a long time, Miaoyi flipped the board over.

【If I can’t be your sister-in-law… can I be your second sister-in-law?】

Liuyu took a deep breath: “Of course not. That question’s a bit unreasonable.”

【Alright】

【But why? I admit that this demon ghost Mo Lin is indeed more handsome than my older brother or second brother, but Liuyu, you’re not that shallow. He killed Nangong Yao, he’s so close to Jimo Gui, and also…】

The last two words were scratched out by Miaoyi. Liuyu knew she wanted to say, “and he’s teaming up with the Jiufang family to fight the Yinshan family.”

Liuyu extended a finger and, amidst the drumming, pushed the mask on Miaoyi’s head, gazing at her with a faint smile.

“You want to know why?”

“Miaoyi, I can tell you why, but since I’m sharing such an important secret with you, you should also share a secret with me in return. It’s only fair, right?”

Miaoyi blinked slowly, finally realizing what was going on, and started thinking with the part of her brain she didn’t usually use.

Liuyu had only been back in the Immortal Capital Yujing for a few days when Jimo Gui also appeared at the Lingyong Academy.

The demon ghost Mo Lin and Jimo Gui teamed up, working closely together, not only stealing subordinates carefully trained by the Zhongli family but also defeating Zhongli’s elite forces in one go.

And today, Liuyu had returned with that demon ghost.

Miaoyi looked towards the corridor not far away, where a dark-clad demon ghost surrounded by others was constantly being toasted.

The handsome and aloof features were a stark contrast to the intense possessiveness brewing in his dark pupils when he looked at Liuyu. It was as if he wanted to swallow her whole. How could there be any trace of indifference?

The answer was already obvious.

Liuyu whispered in her ear:

“Actually, I am…”

【Ahhhhhh, I’m not listening, not listening, not listening!!!】

Miaoyi sealed her ears with energy and protested while running away, holding her board.

Liuyu followed closely behind her, using her finger to cut through the energy around her ears, softly whispering into Miaoyi’s ear.

“Listen carefully. I promised to give the Nine Nether Demons and the Dazhao human clan the same respect. I’ve used the surname ‘Jimo,’ which represents the demon ghosts, to walk among Dazhao, becoming a guest of the immortal family. I also took the secret techniques passed down in each clan and made them public, not only to common folk but to allow all demons to access these so-called family secrets.”

Liuyu pressed Miaoyi’s shoulder, and the firelight danced in her bright eyes. Without any further explanation, she pushed the truth into Miaoyi’s ear.

“I am Jimo Gui, the respected wife of the demon ghost Mo Lin, and I am also the Liuyu you know from the Yinshan family.”

Miaoyi stared at her in shock, even if she was slow to realize it—she knew.

It’s over. The Jiufang family and the Yinshan family are going to be at odds to the death now.

【What secret do you want to exchange with me?】

Liuyu looked at the line of words Miaoyi wrote on the board with great struggle. A complex emotion welled up in her heart.

What she said might still be a secret by day, but by tomorrow morning, when news of Nangong Yao’s resurrection and his attack on the Zhongli family spreads, it won’t be a secret anymore.

Miao Yi, however, believed it to be true and thought that Liuyu had really revealed a secret to her that no one else knew.

Liuyu stared intently into Miao Yi’s clear eyes, suppressing any unnecessary soft-hearted thoughts.

She parted her lips and asked in a coaxing tone, “Where did your family hide the Heavenly Armor Thirty-One that you stole from the Zhongli family?”

Miao Yi was somewhat surprised: How do you know that puppet general is called Heavenly Armor Thirty-One?

Liuyu’s gaze was calm and determined as she looked at Miao Yi.

“Because it belongs to me.”

It was a soul that had wandered through countless worlds for her, lingering in the mortal realm, unable to find its way home.

Miao Yi seemed to sense an unprecedented seriousness in Liuyu’s gaze.

But she knew very little after all.

After thinking for a moment, Miao Yi wrote:

[I’m just responsible for transporting it back home. As for where it went afterward, I really don’t know. My eldest and second brothers have different responsibilities, and Father doesn’t allow us to know too much.]

Liuyu slowly let go of Miao Yi’s shoulder.

If the three children of the Jiufang family each had their own duties, Miao Yi, being the strongest, was emotionally sensitive and easy to soften, so she was suited for heavy labor that didn’t require much brainpower.

Jiufang Zhanghua, who was good at scheming and socializing, was sent to handle matters with the noble families and in the court.

The remaining Jiufang Shaogeng was likely the one Jiufang Qian trusted the most.

In Mo Lin’s memories from his previous life, it was Jiufang Shaogeng who led the Jiufang family members to bring Mo Lin, who had transformed into a demon, back to life, and then sent him to the Zhongli family to become a puppet general.

Anything Miao Yi couldn’t know would likely be left to Jiufang Shaogeng.

In other words, if Liuyu wanted to quietly take back the Heavenly Armor Thirty-One, the only possible way would be to extract information from Jiufang Shaogeng.

…How could this be possible?

Jiufang Shaogeng’s slight affection for Ji Mo Gui could be crushed down and counted—at least seven parts of it were due to his greed for the Zhongli family’s interests. The remaining three parts would vanish once he found out that Ji Mo Gui and Yinshan Liuyu were the same person.

“Miss Miao Yi, the golden jade soup is ready.”

Cheng Bo appeared behind them, holding a tray with a steaming bowl of soup.

Miao Yi sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, slowly drinking the soup.

Cheng Bo asked with a smile, “Is it to your taste, Miss Miao Yi?”

Miao Yi raised her face and nodded.

[It’s still just as delicious.]

But it would probably be the last time she tasted it.

She put down the bowl.

Miao Yi waved at Yinshan Ze, who was dancing with someone, then looked at the demon beside her who was staring at them from the corridor. She wrote:

[He seems to like you very much. Do you like him that much too? There’s no pressure, right?]

Liuyu’s voice came softly with the night wind, and Miao Yi had never seen her with such gentle eyes.

“Yes, I like him very much, very much.”

For some reason, after hearing these words, Miao Yi’s eyes suddenly felt damp, not from sadness, but from happiness for her.

Miao Yi waved her hand:

[I’m going home now. It’s late and cold. No need to send me off. Stay with Uncle and Auntie.]

Without turning back, she ran off, the sounds of laughter and noise growing more distant behind her.

When she stepped outside the Yinshan family’s estate, everything was silent, only the soft sound of snow falling on the silk umbrella in her elder brother’s hand.

She got into the white-feathered peacock carriage with a lantern hanging on it, and as the wheels rolled, she heard her elder brother ask:

“What did Liuyu say to you?”

Miao Yi lowered her head and wrote on the cardboard: [Big Brother, when will you and Second Brother get rid of Father? If this goes on, Liuyu and we will really reach a point where we cannot coexist.]

Jiufang Zhanghua’s dark eyes froze for a moment as he looked at his innocent younger sister.

Before the City of Colorless was destroyed, he had never really paid attention to these two younger siblings.

Occasionally, when he returned to the estate and passed by them, surrounded by Jiufang family guards, Jiufang Zhanghua never felt envy, only pity.

A father who treats children like livestock to be trained.

A husband who treats wives and concubines as slaves, punishing them for the children’s mistakes.

Living under such a person’s shadow, what difference was there from living in hell?

Jiufang Zhanghua once thought he was different from them.

But in the end, he realized that no matter how much he despised it, this was the only place he could call home. Only Shaogeng and Miao Yi were his waiting family who needed protection.

“I’ve told you before, for a weak beast to devour a stronger enemy, it must wait for the right time and strike in one blow.”

He gently stroked Miao Yi’s hair.

“Be patient, the time will come. Father will be dealt with by our hands, and Liuyu will definitely become your sister-in-law.”

Miao Yi froze for a moment and hurriedly wrote:

[As for sister-in-law, let’s forget about that. A forced marriage never tastes sweet. I don’t think you and Liuyu are possible. She really seems to like that demon. I’ve never seen Liuyu smile so happily.]

The young man’s indifferent gaze seemed to freeze upon hearing this.

The details of Liuyu being with that demon appeared one by one in his mind, and memories that had been deliberately suppressed after realizing Liuyu’s true identity suddenly flooded in.

Under the pomegranate tree by the Luo River, the girl wandered in the moonlight, rushing to embrace the injured demon as soon as he returned.

A demon with tough skin and flesh, nearly impossible to kill, was carefully protected by her as if she were guarding fragile porcelain, looking just like an ordinary girl lost in love.

He had once looked down on her, and once thought it was laughable that he had mistaken Liuyu for Ji Mo Gui.

It turned out the laughable one was him.

Even when she stood before him, showing such obvious signs, he still failed to recognize her.

Because he had never seen Liuyu truly fall in love with someone. He didn’t know that the girl, who seemed uninterested in love, was…

It turned out that she just didn’t show him that side of herself.

Jiufang Zhanghua’s breathing was uneven as he stared at the words on the paper, his eyes bloodshot as if he wanted to burn a hole through them.

Yes.

Even the smile she showed to that demon, Mo Lin, was unprecedented.

Jealousy and hatred burned within him, threatening to burst from his chest.

The Jiufang family estate was right in front of him.

Inside the courtyard, several personal guards surrounded Jiufang Shaogeng, seemingly reporting to him on the current battle situation between the Zhongli family and the Yinshi family.

“… By the ugly hour at the earliest, and the mao hour at the latest, the Zhongli family’s main force in Xiandu Yujing will be uprooted.”

The guard spoke slowly.

“The Zhongli family has never been good at war. In the past, they relied on the secret refining formula to control the lower-tier Shentu family, using them to fight their battles. Who would have thought that the demon Mo Lin’s battle on the frontier would make the Shentu family lose faith in the Zhongli family? Today, another unexpected enemy, the Jimo family, severely damaged their elite forces. These families have joined forces to strike, and the Zhongli family deserves to perish.”

Another guard added, “But who could have imagined that the Jimo family, Mo Lin, and the Yinshi family would all stand on the same side? Wasn’t the Jimo family allied with the Zhongli family before? To betray them like this… Do they no longer care about their family’s reputation?”

Jiufang Shaogeng had just undergone two rounds of treatment from celestial doctors. At this moment, he was lying on a reclining chair, with his meridians filled with silver needles, and he was told that he needed at least half a month of rest before he could use his Qi Sea.

But this did not stop him from listening to the battle reports while sneering:

“Betrayal? It’s only called betrayal when you lose. When you win, it’s called a hero in chaotic times. No wonder Yinshi Liuyu can endure this humiliation of sharing her husband with another woman. It turns out she is relying on Jimo Gui’s support.”

Jiufang Zhanghua and Miaoyi stopped at the door. Jiufang Shaogeng raised his eyes to meet their complicated expressions.

Miaoyi couldn’t hide her unease, and her face was almost written with embarrassment for her second brother.

But Jiufang Shaogeng, unaware of the truth, raised an eyebrow mockingly:

“I heard that the Yinshi family’s people were waiting on the Yi River boat for the new year, but they got shut out, right? There’s a rude saying… What’s it again? A hot face stuck to what?”

Miaoyi wanted to tell her second brother the truth, but when she thought about how Liuyu had shared secrets with her tonight, she hadn’t given Liuyu any useful information. The words were at the tip of her tongue, but she held them back.

Meanwhile, Jiufang Zhanghua silently met his younger brother’s mocking gaze without offering any explanation.

He simply asked:

“When I returned, I saw Fang Xun was assigning people. Is our family going to intervene and help the Zhongli family tonight?”

Fang Xun was Jiufang Qian’s most trusted confidant.

It could be said that all of Jiufang Qian’s wives and concubines combined had spent less time with him than Fang Xun.

But Jiufang Shaogeng shook his head:

“No one expected that the Yinshi family had hidden Nan Gongyao as a trump card. He has been unstoppable, crushing the Zhongli family’s guards, and they lost their elite forces during the day. Tonight, it’s already too late for them—no one, not even the Great Luo immortals, can help them. He’s off to do something else.”

Jiufang Shaogeng recalled his father’s words.

Tonight’s surprise attack had been nearly silent. Everyone in Xiandu Yujing saw the Yinshi family’s boat appear on the Yi River, but who could have predicted that just past midnight, before they had even disembarked, the Yinshi family suddenly launched a siege on the Zhongli family?

Such a precise and swift move could only have been orchestrated by Nan Gongjing.

This woman, born into a humble family with low cultivation, was as calm as autumn waters and as fierce as thunder.

Since she left the Central State royal capital, the Yinshi family had lost their market, Nan Gongyao had died, and she had remained unmoved, biding her time. Now, when the opportunity arose, she commanded Nan Gongyao and the Yinshi family’s troops to strike swiftly and decisively, wiping out a top-tier family.

This woman, whom even Jiufang Qian feared… actually stood on the same side as Jimo Gui.

A sense of danger like a blade dripping blood made Jiufang Shaogeng’s eyes flash with intensity.

If it weren’t for that damned demon Mo Lin injuring him, he would have volunteered to witness this spectacle tonight.

But right now, there were no other normal people in Xiandu Yujing who were as enthusiastic as he was.

Who could have thought that the Yinshi family, which seemed to have no hope of revival, would make a dramatic comeback and strike the Zhongli family off guard?

Nan Gongyao was actually alive!

The demon Mo Lin and the Yinshi family had staged a play together!

And that wasn’t all. The various noble families who had stayed up all night began to recollect intelligence they had gathered earlier from near the Demon Wall. Some of it mentioned that the Jimo family had close ties with demons.

At first, no one understood the full extent of this, and it was believed that the Jimo family had simply had no one else to turn to, so they had to use demons.

But what if the Jimo family had not just recruited ordinary demons, but the leader of the demons from the Nine Hells?

The Xiahou, Chishui, and Zongzheng families, along with other Yujing aristocratic families, not only continued to closely monitor the battle situation tonight, but they also immediately issued orders to investigate any younger members of their families who had a history of rash behavior.

Including those who had been with Tan Ning at Lingyong Academy.

And those who had gone to Tian Shu Street to watch the drama unfold.

Anyone who fit that description would be brought in for questioning to see if they had tried to take advantage of the Yinshi family’s fall.

If they had, before the Yinshi family came knocking, the heads of those families needed to figure out how to calm the Yinshi family’s fury.

As for the reason, some of the more calculating families had already sensed the coming storm.

“This upheaval in Xiandu is definitely not like the previous petty scuffles. We thought the Yinshi family was a hundred-legged worm that couldn’t die, but who would have thought they could revive like this? Nan Gongjing, Mo Lin, and Jimo Gui—how did they all team up? This doesn’t make sense?”

The families in brocade robes, holding ivory folding fans, discussed the matter all night and still felt something was missing, unable to understand it fully.

The night wind blew through the room, stirring the thick incense and carrying sparks from the Zhongli family’s estate in the distance.

The tiny, flickering lights of the sparks shone like fireflies, bringing with them the scent of death and burning.

It was the downfall of a once-prosperous aristocratic family.

Someone looked outside, lightly shaking a fan, and sighed:

“How many rises and falls throughout the ages… A hundred years of prominence, and a great family falls just like that.”

On the first day of the new year, no family in the capital of Yujing could sleep.

Liu Yu leaned on the windowsill outside the study of Nangong Jing, gazing out from this vantage point, where the entire bustling city could be seen almost in its entirety.

She could also see the lights that had not been extinguished all night.

Behind her, Fang Fuzang was quietly sitting with Yue Niang, reciting the entire “Xian Gong Kai Wu” book, while Nangong Jing, who had been busy all night, was resting on a beautiful woman’s couch. Yin Shan Ze, after carefully covering her with a thin blanket, stood between Liu Yu and Mo Lin, watching as Nangong Yao and his party entered the mansion.

Yin Shan Ze smiled faintly and said:

“I hope your uncle brings back some good news.”

For example, if the old lady of the Zhongli family had passed away smoothly, and “Xian Gong Kai Wu” became a rare book, there would be no one left in the world who could control the Tianjia Thirty-One except Yue Niang.

With that, their next steps would be much easier.

Liu Yu thought the same.

Below, besides the servants welcoming Nangong Yao, even Yin Shan Qi, who had always had a poor relationship with Nangong Yao, was present.

Because Nangong Yao’s victory meant that Yin Shan Qi no longer had to hide and could live the same carefree, luxurious life as before, he naturally came out for a stroll.

However, Liu Yu’s gaze shifted to a figure hidden in the shadows.

It was Tan Ning.

Since she spoke with Jiufang Zhanghua last night, she had gone straight to her room, and Liu Yu thought she must have been too tired.

But now, seeing that Tan Ning had not come to find her angrily, as Liu Yu had expected, but had instead returned to her room and closed the door, Liu Yu raised her eyebrows in surprise.

In an instant, she made a connection.

Jiufang Zhanghua…

No matter how many times he reincarnated, he would still do the same thing, walking the same path.

Liuyu looked at the dark figure lost in thought, standing by the window.

When he was thinking, he always had the expression of someone contemplating how to kill.

Mo Lin was thinking about how to take back the puppet general from the Jiufang family.

That version of himself from the past was indeed a hidden danger. Even though the Zhongli family had fallen, as long as the puppet general remained in the Jiufang family, it would still be a huge threat to them.

He had to destroy it… or he had to…

“Mo Lin.”

Suddenly hearing Liu Yu’s voice, Mo Lin shifted his gaze and asked:

“What is it?”

Liu Yu just smiled at him, moved behind Yin Shan Ze, and secretly hooked his finger.

Mo Lin’s furrowed brows, caused by his concerns, relaxed instantly.

“Nothing, I just called you.”

Liuyu turned her head and looked at Tan Ning’s departing back.

Thanks to Mo Lin, she was able to live another life.

This time, Jiufang Zhanghua still wanted to deceive Tan Ning?

In his dreams. Her dear younger sister, only she could play tricks with her.