Le Gui had at least some self-awareness. She knew full well that someone like Di Jiang, with his looks, would never suddenly fall for someone like her. But this was just her nature—the more nervous she got, the more she couldn’t help but let her thoughts run wild.

Like right now. After casually blurting out nonsense in her head, she instinctively sensed a subtle yet ominous shift in Di Jiang’s gaze. Her inner voice immediately shrieked like a panicked groundhog:

[Ah! Ah! Ah! So terrifying!]

Di Jiang: “??”

Despite the mental breakdown, Le Gui kept a calm expression as she set down the wine jar and lowered her gaze, moving toward the tail end of Hehuan Sect’s formation. She had only taken two steps when the voice behind her sounded, indifferent yet unmistakably commanding:

“Stop.”

[Who? Me?]

Le Gui froze. Noticing how her senior sisters all turned their gazes to her in unison, an ominous feeling crept over her.

[No way… he’s calling me?]

Hesitantly, she turned around, only to meet Di Jiang’s eyes once again.

[Ahhh, he really is calling me! Ahhh, someone save me!]

Di Jiang studied her thoughtfully, his slender, deathly pale fingers tapping against the wine jar in a slow, rhythmic pattern—each tap landing like a hammer on her heart.

Le Gui’s gaze darted around as she debated whether to say something. Before she could decide, he spoke again, his voice as even as before:

“Step forward.”

[Step forward? Why? Does he need a better aim?]

Still, Le Gui obeyed and stepped forward.

Di Jiang continued to stare at her.

[Ahhh, why is he looking at me like that? His gaze is so terrifying! What does he want?!]

Her palms were damp with sweat.

The corners of Di Jiang’s lips lifted slightly. “Step back.”

[Why! What is the reason! What does he want! Surely he didn’t overeat and suddenly find someone like me appetizing?!]

Le Gui took a step back.

Di Jiang: “Step forward.”

Le Gui: “…”

Di Jiang: “Step back.”

Le Gui: “…”

Everyone around them was utterly baffled. No one understood what Di Jiang was trying to do. But he seemed to have found something more entertaining than drinking, repeatedly instructing Le Gui to step forward and back. At first, she was internally screaming in terror. After a while, she just went numb.

[I’m so tired. Just end it all.]

Before coming here, they had agreed that if anyone caught Di Jiang’s attention, the others would offer their support. However, that agreement definitely did not include Le Gui, a mere mortal who had only been accepted into the sect at the last minute before their trip to the Demon Realm.

If an ordinary-looking mortal like her had a chance, then surely the rest of them—masters of seduction—could do even better.

With this confidence, Senior Sister Li smiled charmingly and bowed toward Di Jiang, attempting to draw his attention. “Your Lordship—”

Before Senior Sister Li could finish, blood suddenly spurted from her mouth. Her confident expression crumbled into sheer panic as she instinctively dropped to her knees.

“Your Lordship, please spare me—” Cough!

The disciples of Hehuan Sect were thrown into shock by this unexpected turn of events. Any lingering thoughts of seduction were instantly crushed.

Le Gui was just as terrified. She had no idea what was happening. Before she could process it, Di Jiang completely ignored the kneeling, blood-spitting Senior Sister Li and instead hooked his finger at her, his tone filled with intrigue.

“Come and serve the wine.”

[Why me, of all people?]

“Unwilling?” Di Jiang arched an eyebrow, his expression seemingly relaxed. However, a dangerous glint flickered in his narrow eyes.

[Of course, I don’t want to!]

Le Gui immediately knelt beside the table, putting on her most sincere face. “It is my honor to serve Your Lordship.”

Di Jiang studied her up close, as if observing some rare and peculiar creature.

Objectively speaking, Di Jiang was breathtakingly beautiful. However, his aura was that of a strikingly venomous serpent—so deadly that even a strand of his hair could probably kill. Being under his gaze was suffocating.

Le Gui picked up a wine jar, her fingers trembling as she carefully poured him a cup.

Under the peach blossom tree, the breeze was gentle, carrying soft petals that drifted down, covering Le Gui’s shoulders. At first, she was anxious about serving Di Jiang, but as time passed and he made no move to kill her, her mind inevitably began to wander.

[Why hasn’t he done anything yet? Don’t tell me… he really does fancy me?]

As if responding to her thoughts, Di Jiang glanced at her again.

Le Gui blinked, subtly straightening her posture.

[I must be a little attractive, after all.]

Di Jiang’s expression turned slightly unreadable.

The table held eighteen wine jars, each capable of filling ten cups. She poured, and he drank. By the third jar, her wrist was sore. By the fifth, she could barely lift her arm. Seeing how many more remained, she gradually sank into despair. By the tenth, she was completely numb, abandoning any foolish notions that the boss might have a thing for her.

Bi’an Terrace was blessed with natural advantages, and the wine brewed there was far richer than anything found elsewhere. On top of that, these particular wines had been aging for a thousand years. Even just inhaling their scent made Le Gui feel lightheaded.

The mindless repetition of pouring was tedious. With her impending “resignation” from Hehuan Sect and the hazy effect of the alcohol, Le Gui found her thoughts drifting uncontrollably.

[This guy looks good from a glance, but even better up close. The strongest being in the Three Realms, yet he looks like he was sculpted to perfection. What a waste being some Lord here. If he were in the real world, he’d make an absolute fortune as an idol…]

[Wait, he’s probably already filthy rich. That ruby I stole earlier? That alone could buy a house back home.]

[His skin is ridiculously pale. Even paler than mine. Like Snow White. If there’s no color difference anywhere… then wouldn’t his…]

Her train of thought suddenly derailed.

[Damn, this wine is way too strong. Just a few whiffs and I’m already dizzy. If he drinks this much, will he get tipsy enough to… lose control?]

[So nervous. So excited. So terrified. Should I struggle a little? Logically speaking, a big boss like him shouldn’t have any weaknesses, which means he’s probably also…]

[Wait, does he even have shame? What if he suddenly decides to—right here, in front of everyone—]

[Ah, whatever. If I get the chance to sleep with him, who cares if someone’s watching!]

Le Gui’s thoughts spiraled completely out of control, oblivious to the increasingly strange look Di Jiang was giving her.

The morning on Diyun Peak seemed never-ending. Le Gui had been pouring wine until her head felt dizzy. Her thoughts drifted further and further until she imagined Di Jiang sweeping the wine jars off the table and pressing her down forcefully. Just as the image became unbearable, she finally lost all strength and collapsed onto a pile of empty wine jars.

Dead?

The members of Hehuan Sect caught a glimpse of her falling figure from the corner of their eyes, their hearts tightening in shock. However, none dared to look in that direction.

Three seconds later, Le Gui, who seemed to be lifeless, suddenly sat up and shouted, “Dried radish is way better than fresh radish!”

Then, with a thud, she collapsed again.

Everyone: “……”

Le Gui had a long dream. In it, she learned the art of flying. She soared through the sky, floating higher and higher until she reached the peak of Diyun. Just as she was about to enjoy the view, a chaotic symphony of musical instruments rang in her ears.

She woke up with a jolt, sat up, and was met with the familiar sight of her small room in Wuyou Palace. Everything was eerily quiet.

[Thank goodness, it was just a dream. If that noise had been real, I’d have been driven insane… Wait a minute! Wasn’t I serving wine to Di Jiang? How did I end up back in my own room?!]

As her memories before passing out gradually pieced together, Le Gui hastily patted herself all over. After confirming that all her limbs were intact, she was shocked. She immediately threw off the covers, intending to find her colleagues and ask what had happened. However, as soon as her feet touched the ground, her knees went weak, and with a thud, she knelt straight down.

The moment Senior Sister Li entered the room, she saw Le Gui kneeling before her as if offering a grand ceremonial bow. She was taken aback. “Why are you kneeling to me?”

“…Nothing, I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me all this time.” Facing her leader, Le Gui put on her warmest, most sincere smile. “By the way, I have something to say to Senior Sister Li.”

“Well, you’re quite thoughtful.” Senior Sister Li raised her hand slightly, signaling her to get up.

Le Gui’s legs were still weak, but under her gaze, she mustered her strength and stood up. “Senior Sister, how is your health now?”

Rule number one in the workplace: Always ask about your superior’s well-being before bringing up other topics. She still remembered vividly how her superior had coughed up blood last time.

Unfortunately, because of that incident, Senior Sister Li had become a laughingstock among some people. At Le Gui’s question, she immediately grew wary, but after confirming there was no trace of mockery in her tone, she responded indifferently, “I’ve already recovered.”

“That’s good to hear…” Le Gui first expressed concern before smoothly transitioning to her main question. “I remember I was serving wine to the His Lordship. How did I end up back in my room?”

“Tsk.” Senior Sister Li glanced at her. “You only sniffed the wine a few times before getting completely wasted. It was only thanks to His Lordship’s mercy that you weren’t killed. Do you even know how long you’ve been asleep?”

Le Gui made a random guess. “One day?”

“Five days!” Senior Sister Li scoffed.

Le Gui suddenly understood. “No wonder I’m starving.”

Senior Sister Li chuckled softly, then gave her a scrutinizing look. “What exactly did you do that day to make His Lordship take such an interest in you?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Thinking back to Di Jiang’s bizarre behavior that day, Le Gui was genuinely confused.

Senior Sister Li didn’t believe her. “Don’t try to fool me. I, too, was born a mortal. I know that when mortals play tricks, even ten cultivators might not match them. There’s no one else here, so just speak frankly.”

She had personally kept an eye on this mortal girl for the past few days, all to seize the opportunity to learn the secret behind attracting His Lordship’s attention. If Le Gui refused to tell her, then wouldn’t her efforts have been wasted?

“I really didn’t do anything.” Le Gui was helpless.

Senior Sister Li narrowed her eyes, clearly growing displeased.

Since her leader’s mood directly affected whether she could leave this job smoothly, Le Gui quickly tried to appease her. “I truly don’t know why His Lordship was acting so strangely that day. If I did, considering how kind you’ve been to me, how could I possibly keep it from you? Besides, His Lordship has already left. Is there any point in discussing it further?”

“His Lordship has left?” Senior Sister Li froze. “Where did he go?”

[To hell, obviously. Where else?]

Their eyes met, and Le Gui caught a flash of confusion in Senior Sister Li’s gaze. A bad feeling suddenly crept up in her heart.

Of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to blurt out something like ‘Isn’t the Lord dead?’ Instead, she asked another question, “Senior Sister, during the days I was unconscious, was His Lordship… still doing well?”

“You’ve never cared about His Lordship before. Since when did you start showing such concern?” Senior Sister Li looked at her warily. “Don’t tell me you think that just because His Lordship spoke to you a few more times during the wine offering, you have a chance to enter Diyun Peak?”

[Sorry, but I’ve never wanted to go there.]

From her expression, Le Gui immediately understood—Di Jiang was still alive and well.

[…Wait a minute, this isn’t right. In the original novel, he was supposed to die after drinking under a peach tree. Why is he still alive? Did I somehow get transported into a fanfiction version?!]

She had never been well-versed in the novel’s details, and now, the supposedly doomed male supporting character had inexplicably survived. Her brain was in chaos, unable to comprehend why the plot had changed.

Senior Sister Li, seeing Le Gui so lost in thought, finally ran out of patience. Her tone turned colder. “Le Gui, as I recall, you’ve always been an obedient child. Don’t tell me that just because His Lordship spoke to you a few times, you’ve forgotten your place?”

“Hm?” Still deep in thought, Le Gui looked up blankly, and for a moment, she felt like she was staring at the head of the dead senior sister.

Senior Sister Li continued, “Do you remember who spoke on your behalf, giving you the opportunity to serve in Wuyou Palace?”

“Of course, it was you, Senior Sister Li. Back when Hehuan Sect selected ten disciples to enter the Demon Realm, one disciple fled on the day of departure. The Senior Sister wanted to return to the sect to select another candidate, but it was you! You personally chose someone as plain as me to join at the last minute. That’s how I got the opportunity to work in such a wonderful place—ah, no, to serve in such a wonderful place,” Le Gui immediately switched to her model employee tone. “Your kindness to me is something I will never forget.”

Senior Sister Li seemed satisfied with her response and was about to speak again when Le Gui suddenly pulled a bitter face. “But unfortunately, I’m just mud that can’t be shaped into a proper vessel. Even in a great environment like Wuyou Palace, my heart constantly yearns for a quiet life in the countryside. So after long consideration, I’ve made a difficult decision, Senior Sister…”

“I want to resign!”

“…Resign?” Senior Sister Li repeated the word hesitantly.

Le Gui immediately nodded. “I told you before I went to Diyun Peak. I wanted to leave back then.”

Senior Sister Li paused for a moment, recalling how she had interrupted Le Gui multiple times that day. Finally, she realized. “You want to leave Wuyou Palace?”

“Yes!” Le Gui tried to contain the excitement of quitting. “Senior Sister Li, I want to leave Wuyou Palace and return to the mortal realm.”

Clang— Clang—

The bell of Diyun Peak rang again. The winds shifted, and dark clouds rolled in— a sign of impending turbulence.

At the peak, within a palace that had inexplicably restored itself overnight, a half-man-tall bronze mirror hovered mid-air. Di Jiang lounged lazily on his throne, allowing the mirror to greedily absorb the spiritual energy seeping from his fingertips. Only when the mirror emitted a faint purple glow did he cut off the flow of energy.

The surface of the mirror rippled like water before gradually forming a blurred hydrangea flower. A voice emerged, “Master, you just said that as long as you are within two meters of that woman, you can hear her thoughts?”

Di Jiang remained silent, gazing idly at the mirror.

The hydrangea in the mirror scattered into specks of purple light before quickly reforming. “That woman is an ordinary mortal and has not cast any spells on you. What you heard were her true thoughts.”

“Her true thoughts?” A smirk tugged at Di Jiang’s lips, and a dangerous glint flashed through his sharp eyes. “Why can I hear her true thoughts?”

“That is a second question, which requires additional spiritual energy payment.” The purple glow dimmed as the hydrangea trembled eagerly.

Di Jiang flicked his finger, and three cracks instantly spread across the mirror’s surface. The hydrangea let out a wretched scream.

“Her thoughts…” Amidst the mirror pitiful cries, Di Jiang’s amusement only deepened. “Interesting.”