CHAPTER 22 (PART 2)

At its highest point lay the mountain range that housed Yunhua Sword Sect.

Yu Youyou lifted her head, gazing in that direction. Under the moonlight, the sect was shrouded in thick mist, exuding a sense of aloofness and cold grandeur.

Her past self had spent a few months here as well.

Back then, Yu Bumie had used her—still an infant—as a hostage to deter the pursuing demon clan, allowing the protagonist, Cui Neng’er, to escape safely back to Yunhua Sword Sect.

However, once they returned to the sect, the child’s existence became a burden to Yu Bumie. A certain Elder, who had always been at odds with him, accused him of colluding with demons, citing the child as evidence.

Perhaps due to the demon clan’s innate abilities, her past self still remembered events from infancy.

At the time, she had been abandoned in a desolate courtyard within Yunhua Sword Sect, with only a mute servant delivering milk to her each day. Whether she cried or laughed, no one paid her any attention.

Later, Yu Bumie formed a Dao companion bond with the protagonist, Cui Neng’er, and they had twin children. With the backing of her family, no one dared trouble him anymore.

After Yu Youyou was sent to Tonghua Commandery, Yu Bumie’s cultivation advanced at an astonishing rate. Now, most disciples of Yunhua Sword Sect were unaware of those past events. Even those who knew likely chose to forget.

“Xiao Yu!”

A shout from the distance pulled Yu Youyou’s attention back. She squinted in that direction and saw Qi Nanfeng and Su Yizhi running toward her, each holding a candy figurine.

“Yunhua Commandery is fascinating! Swords are sold everywhere—even the candy figurines are shaped like swords.”

Qi Nanfeng, in high spirits, handed Yu Youyou a sugar sword before leaning forward to sneak a glance at Qu Qingmiao and the elders.

After confirming that no one was paying attention, he lowered his voice and whispered, “Listen, I just saw something wild—there’s a black market here, and the entrance is right nearby! I saw a cultivator walk straight into a wall.”

Su Yizhi added, “I checked out the local pill shop earlier. It seems Yunhua Commandery lacks a sect dedicated to medical cultivation. On top of that, sword cultivators love to fight for no reason, so all kinds of healing pills are outrageously expensive.”

He gestured with his fingers, looking heartbroken. “They’re three times the price in Tonghua Commandery!”

That one sentence was enough to spark Yu Youyou’s interest.

The three of them exchanged sneaky glances. After making sure that the elders and Senior Sister weren’t watching, they quietly slipped into a dark alley.

The layout of Yunhua Commandery’s black market was nearly identical to that of Tonghua Commandery.

However, perhaps due to greater discrimination against demons here, the number of demonfolk present was noticeably smaller. Whenever one appeared, the surrounding human cultivators would silently close ranks, exuding a sense of vigilance.

Still, the rules of the black market remained intact, preventing outright conflict.

The number of medicine stalls here was only a fraction of what was in Tonghua Commandery, yet the number of buyers was staggering. Every stall was surrounded by a crowd.

Most of them carried swords, still bleeding from fresh wounds—clearly sword cultivators fresh from a fight.

In the spirit of understanding the local specialties, the three of them decided to check out the competition before setting up their own stall.

There were almost no raw spirit herbs being sold, as few here knew how to refine pills. Most of the products available were already processed medicines.

The most outrageous part…

“Authentic Hemostasis Pills from Pill Cauldron Sect, fifty spirit stones per pill.”

“Antidote Pills personally refined by inner sect disciples of Pill Cauldron Sect, one hundred spirit stones each.”

…

Looking down the row, every single stall was using Pill Cauldron Sect’s name!

“They’re frauds. All of them.” Su Yizhi could tell at a glance. “The medicinal properties in these are barely refined—low-quality pills at best. And yet they have the audacity to slap our sect’s name on them and sell them at such high prices.”

“Exactly! They’re ruining our reputation!” Qi Nanfeng was indignant.

The three continued forward.

At the busiest stall, they saw a sign.

“Reselling authentic Master Tu’s spirit pills from Tonghua Commandery’s black market—Pain Relief Pills, 200 spirit stones each. Odd-Tasting Fasting Pills, 50 spirit stones each!”

Well, well!

The only one selling real products wasn’t even using Pill Cauldron Sect’s name?!

This time, it was Yu Youyou’s turn to be indignant. “This is outrageous! I sold them for one hundred per pill, and they turned around and sold them for an exorbitant price! And what’s with this ‘Weird-Tasting Fasting Pill’? Mine is called ‘Delicious Fasting Pill’!”

She didn’t even need to check—whoever was selling these must be one of those gambling addicts from the Tonghua County black market. Yu Youyou could only hate herself for not realizing this sooner.

If she had known earlier, would someone as stingy as her have let others make spirit stones off her pills? Of course not! She would’ve sold them herself!

Having suffered from counterfeits, the three of them decided to set up their own stall.

However, just as they finished laying out the oilcloth and hadn’t even displayed their various pills, the once bustling crowd nearby suddenly grew restless before falling into abrupt silence.

The sword cultivators who had come to buy medicine all took a few steps back into the shadows in unison, looking both apprehensive and respectful.

Yu Youyou sniffed the air. A strong, overwhelming scent of blood reached her nose, and…

This sweet, metallic scent seemed somewhat familiar.

The once noisy black market plunged into eerie stillness.

Crouching on the ground, Yu Youyou looked into the distance. A masked figure in a black robe was walking leisurely toward the tallest building in the black market.

Behind him, the gathered rogue cultivators of the black market all lowered their heads. Whether human or demon, they all stepped aside to clear a path for him.

He walked neither fast nor slow, his stride carrying a hint of lazy indifference.

In the dimly lit, chaotic black market, his tall and slender figure was illuminated by the flickering lanterns, casting a long shadow.

Above, a cascade of silver-white hair draped down to his waist, strands lifting slightly with his movement, resembling drifting snowflakes on a winter’s night.

Trailing behind him was an enormous, pure-white tail—elegant, noble, soft, and fluffy, shimmering with a beautiful sheen.

It was a stunning sight, yet no one dared to look directly at it, let alone touch it.

Even the three newcomers could tell—this person was undoubtedly a supremely powerful great demon of this place.

From her hiding spot in the corner, Yu Youyou, relying on her short stature to stay unnoticed, openly stared at the large, fluffy tail.

“Hiss… so envious.” She sighed with heartfelt admiration.

After the madness of summer shedding, her own tail had nearly gone bald. Though it was growing fuller again as the temperature dropped, there were still several patchy bald spots.

She discreetly pinched the tail coiled around her waist, feeling even more regretful.

Tsk.

The texture was still far from ideal.

Tang Yuan had barely returned from studying abroad when the long-standing engagement between the Tang and Jiang families fell upon her and Jiang Xian. The old gossip about how she once declared in high school that she would chase him, only to embarrass herself, resurfaced.

Back then, they were just teenagers.

She was adored by all, while he remained aloof and handsome, completely indifferent to her advances.

At the time, Jiang Xian never gave it much thought.

He certainly never imagined—

That time would change things, and one day, he would look at her with a gaze far more intense than the scorching summer of their seventeen-year-old selves.

….

The year Jiang Xian fell in love with Tang Yuan, he finally looked back and realized—

Someone had been waiting for him, again and again, through countless heartaches.

—

“I’ve been waiting all this time. Why did you only come now?”