Le Gui, despite not being short, was still noticeably smaller among the towering beauties, whose average height was at least one-seventy-five. It was as if a small dent had appeared on an otherwise smooth surface. To make matters worse, the performance outfits were issued in standard sizes. On the other hand, the fabric draped elegantly and swayed with every movement. On her, it was too tight… and too long.

In the brief moment their gazes met, Le Gui accidentally stepped on the hem of her dress and nearly fell flat on her face.

Di Jiang: “…”

The others: “…”

For a second, the entire pavilion froze.

Le Gui pretended nothing had happened, tugging up her dress before continuing the routine. The other dancers, who had just been worried for her, suddenly found themselves in awe of her composure.

To make such a blunder before His Lordship and still carry on as if nothing happened—was this sheer ignorance or true fearlessness?

The performance continued, but Le Gui found herself growing more and more exhausted. Judging from the subtle expressions around her, she knew she looked like a plump little goose that had wandered into a flock of elegant white swans. Every movement she made was unintentionally comical.

She cast another pleading glance at Di Jiang, silently begging for an end to her suffering.

Di Jiang averted his gaze and looked out the window instead.

Le Gui: “?”

“He’s embarrassed,” the Seer Mirror, still tucked at her waist, spoke in a hushed voice. “He’s lived for thousands of years, and this might be the first time he’s ever experienced secondhand embarrassment.”

Le Gui: “…”

[Damn it! And whose fault do you think this is?!]

With her face hidden behind a sheer veil, Le Gui was filled with frustration. Seeing that Di Jiang still refused to acknowledge her distress, she finally lost her patience.

Before everyone’s stunned eyes, she suddenly charged straight toward him.

The immortals and mortals who had been standing watch for days were instantly invigorated, as if their long hours of boredom had finally paid off.

Was she attempting to assassinate Di Jiang? That would be entertaining.

The Hehuan Sect had long straddled the line between the Immortal and Demon Realms, appearing to be on friendly terms with both sides yet never truly belonging to either. If one of their own tried to assassinate Di Jiang and failed, neither faction would have to take responsibility. And if, by some miracle, this woman was incredibly powerful, they wouldn’t mind lending a hand.

While the other sects watched with curiosity, the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect turned pale with fear. She had personally insisted on bringing Le Gui here. If this girl committed such an outrageous act, the entire sect would bear the consequences.

Her heart sank, and she was about to intervene—only to see Le Gui bypass the table in front of Di Jiang and squeeze right into the seat beside him.

From the looks of it, she wasn’t attempting an assassination—she was seducing him. Some in the audience were disappointed, while others breathed a sigh of relief. But without exception, everyone looked at Le Gui with pity.

A reckless woman like her would probably not even have a whole corpse left.

Even the supreme seat of the Immortal Realm felt a bit cramped with two people sitting in it. Di Jiang cast a casual glance at the person stubbornly squeezing against him and spoke indifferently, “Do you have a death wish?”

See! He’s going to kill her! Everyone tensed up at once.

“I don’t want to die—I want you,” Le Gui replied, realizing the seat was too small. Without hesitation, she slid onto his lap.

[Now, this was much more comfortable.]

Gasps filled the room. Some people couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath, only to hurriedly close their mouths, realizing their reaction had been too obvious.

Under countless watching eyes, Di Jiang’s hand holding the wine cup slowly rose, his fingers shifting toward Le Gui’s throat.

He was probably going to strangle her to death. Or maybe he would shove the wine cup down her throat. Everyone present had seen all kinds of gruesome deaths before. While they felt sympathy for this foolish girl, no one stepped forward to stop it.

But Di Jiang’s hand suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Le Gui hesitated, then curiously lifted her veil and took a sip of his wine. The intense spice instantly shot up to her head, and she doubled over, coughing violently against Di Jiang’s chest, her whole body trembling.

Di Jiang glanced at her, his expression unreadable. Then, he suddenly pressed a finger to her forehead.

Le Gui flinched and instinctively grabbed his hand. “Your L-Lordship, in front of so many people… this isn’t appropriate, is it?”

[Is he really about to toy with me in public just like last time? This devil has such heavy tastes!]

Without a word, Di Jiang infused spiritual energy into her, instantly clearing the burning sensation in her throat.

Le Gui let out a relieved sigh. Realizing she had misunderstood him, she suddenly felt a bit guilty. Even though Di Jiang didn’t know what she had been thinking, she still felt embarrassed. To make up for it, she clutched his sleeve with a flattering smile. “Thank you, Your Lordship.”

Di Jiang ignored her and simply held out his cup. Le Gui immediately responded and leaned forward to pour him more wine.

…That’s it? He’s not going to kill her?

Everyone in the room was shocked. Only the Hehuan Sect’s leader had mixed feelings.

For thousands of years, she had sent the most beautiful and alluring disciples of her sect to Wuyou Palace, all in an effort to please Di Jiang. Yet every single one of them ended up sweeping floors or cleaning windows, never even setting foot in Diyun Peak. She had thought Di Jiang had no interest in women, but now… it seemed he just had unusual tastes.

Had she known this sooner, she wouldn’t have wasted so much effort.

“Juzi, you must serve His Lordship well. Do not be disrespectful to him,” she spoke up, trying to reassert her presence.

“Juzi?” Di Jiang’s gaze shifted toward Le Gui. His eyes carried a trace of thoughtfulness.

Le Gui blushed slightly. “That’s my name.”

“How stupid,” Di Jiang remarked casually.

[What does Juzi’s name being stupid have to do with me, Le Gui? If it weren’t for your crazy behavior, I wouldn’t even be using a fake name!]

“You’re the stupid one,” Di Jiang added indifferently.

Le Gui pretended not to hear him and lifted the cup to his lips. “Drink, Your Lordship.”

Di Jiang glanced at her before reluctantly taking a sip.

He might have done it reluctantly, but in the eyes of others, it was anything but ordinary.

No one had expected Di Jiang—who had kept a cold face in the Ascension Pavilion for so many days—to soften his expression in front of a mere disciple from the Hehuan Sect.

And not just any disciple, but a useless one—a girl born with useless spiritual roots, unable to cultivate at all.

He likes this type?

Everyone exchanged looks filled with disbelief.

“…Your Lordship, they’re staring at me. It’s annoying,” Le Gui muttered, lowering her voice.

Di Jiang took a slow sip of his wine. Without even lifting his gaze, he responded casually, “Shall I kill them all?”

The entire room tensed.

Le Gui had spoken in a whisper, and with her being so close to Di Jiang, no one had dared to eavesdrop.

But Di Jiang had spoken loud and clear.

And what did he say?

Kill them all?

Surely, that ‘all’ referred to them, right?!

Le Gui froze for a moment. And she had no doubt that if she nodded, Di Jiang would slaughter everyone here without hesitation.

When she failed to respond, Di Jiang lowered his gaze to look at her, only to find her with an expression of barely-contained delight.

[So this is what it feels like to be a femme fatale? I suddenly understand the joy of Daji. Emperor Zhou of Shang set fire to the beacon towers just to amuse her—oh wait, that wasn’t Emperor Zhou, but close enough. Ahhh, I never thought I, Le Gui, would one day play the role of a bewitching enchantress! My charm is simply too powerful to resist!]

Di Jiang’s expression darkened. “I should kill you too.”

Le Gui: “?”

She had long grown used to his unpredictable moods, but seeing it in action still left her dumbfounded. Immediately, she became as obedient as possible, pressing herself against him, pouring tea, serving wine—doing anything to keep him appeased.

Fortunately, her long-term experience of dealing with the boss under high pressure allowed her to master a whole set of skills to please the boss without any instruction. By the time the performance ended, Di Jiang hadn’t mentioned killing anyone again.

As the last note of music faded, Di Jiang lazily glanced at the gathered crowd. “I’m going to rest now. Get lost.”

[So arrogant. So audacious. Your Lordship, you’re making enemies like this.]

Le Gui jumped in to back him up. “You all heard him! Leave.”

Di Jiang turned his gaze to her. “You too.”

Le Gui froze. “Me?”

Di Jiang’s face remained expressionless.

[…If I had known this earlier, I wouldn’t have worked so hard serving you.]

Le Gui was full of grievances but dared not voice them. She reluctantly got up from his lap.

The others had been suffering under Di Jiang’s silent oppression for too long. The moment he dismissed them, they fled as if granted amnesty. Even the Hehuan Sect members obediently lowered their heads and made their exit.

Only Le Gui was left, moving at an agonizingly slow pace, clearly unwilling to leave.

“Are you really letting me go?” Le Gui hesitated, feeling reluctant. People truly are strange creatures—when she was down the mountain, she had no desire to seek him out, but now that she had found him, she didn’t want to leave.

“I want to stay with Your Lordship,” she said pitifully.

Di Jiang glanced at her. “Did you enjoy yourself in the town below?”

“…Even though I want to follow Your Lordship, if you don’t allow me to stay, you must have your reasons. I will obey unconditionally,” Le Gui replied. As she spoke, she suddenly grabbed the edge of her sleeve and wiped it across the top of his foot before dashing toward the exit. Just as she reached the doorway, she couldn’t help but stop. “Your Lordship, can I come to find you again tomorrow?”

Di Jiang gave her a sidelong glance. “It’s best if no one finds out that we know each other. Otherwise, before the trial tournament begins, I’ll have to reshape your face into something unrecognizable.”

Le Gui pouted. “Understood.”

“You’re not going to ask why?” Di Jiang raised an eyebrow.

Le Gui huffed. “You always have your reasons anyway.”

Di Jiang let out a quiet chuckle.

By now, Le Gui had developed a conditioned response to his laughter. The moment she heard it, she ran off without hesitation. Di Jiang clicked his tongue in amusement before lowering his gaze to his foot.

She had wiped it so hard that his skin was slightly red, but at least the bloodstains from earlier, which he hadn’t bothered to clean off, were now gone.

Le Gui ran a long way before finally stopping to lean against a tree, panting heavily. “That was terrifying! How did Your Lordship know I was wandering around town? Did you tell him?”

“I never even saw him, so how could I have tattled?” the mirror retorted, displeased. “He sensed the demonic energy in me, which shares the same origin as his. That’s how he knew we had arrived.”

Le Gui clutched her chest. “So scary!”

…Now she realized it was scary? Yet when she was busy loitering around town, she hadn’t felt scared at all. The mirror was too exhausted to argue with her anymore. In truth, ever since they had entered the mountain, it had felt an inexplicable pull, as if something unseen was drawing it in, making its soul restless.

Le Gui, oblivious to its change in mood, took a moment to catch her breath before heading toward the main group of the Hehuan Sect. However, after only a few steps, she suddenly stopped.

“Now what?” The mirror, having been paired with her for only a few days, was already growing numb to her antics.

Le Gui moved her ankle in fascination. “My foot doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Her ankle had been sore for days, and the strain from continuous dance practice had aggravated the sprain, nearly causing inflammation. Yet now, it felt perfectly fine, as if it had never been injured at all.

“Oh, lucky you,” the mirror remarked offhandedly.

Le Gui inspected her ankle closely, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

By the time she returned to the Hehuan Sect’s main camp, a full fifteen minutes had passed.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our little junior who has soared to new heights,” someone sneered the moment she stepped into the courtyard, which had been constructed with enchanted artifacts. “Why aren’t you at Dengtian Pavilion serving His Lordship? What brings you back to our humble little gathering?”

“Oh, she wanted to stay, but didn’t she act all high and mighty, ordering us to leave like she was the lady of the house? Then His Lordship’s next words were to tell her to get lost too!”

“Did she really think she could seduce him? No wonder she, a mere mortal, was so desperate to climb to the mountaintop. Turns out it was all just an attempt to get close to His Lordship.”