Chen Xi immediately thought of Yun Xiu. No one else fit the bill.
That meant Yun Xiu had likely been reborn too!
Chen Xi’s expression grew solemn.
First it was her, then Ji Ya and Yi Xian’er, and now Yun Xiu and Jiu Youyue… Why did it seem like most of the women connected to Zhen’er had been reborn?
“No need for formalities between family.” In front of Yan Zhen’s master, Jiu Youyue showed a rare flash of shyness. “Might Beautiful Master Chen Xi lend a strand of Starlight Glazed Fire to this disciple’s daughter-in-law?”
The words “disciple’s daughter-in-law” made Chen Xi’s skin crawl.
“Don’t get so chummy yet. We still don’t know if you’re telling the truth.”
“It’s true! If you don’t believe me, call Yan Zhen in to confront him. This little lady not only knows his real name but also some of his… private features.”
“Private features?” Chen Xi was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Jiu Youyue’s cheeks flushed faintly.
“You know, the kind only dual cultivation partners would know about.”
Like how, when he got excited, a faint dragon mark would appear there—one that could sear straight into the depths of one’s heart.
Chen Xi understood at once. She spat inwardly and said coolly, “If you do that, Zhen’er will be furious. Haven’t you considered his feelings?”
“Of course this little lady cares about him.” Jiu Youyue hurriedly explained, “But since Beautiful Master Chen Xi doesn’t believe me, I have no choice but to resort to this.”
“Since you’ve put it that way, This Seat isn’t opposed to lending you a strand of Starlight Glazed Fire.”
“Beautiful Master Chen Xi agrees?!”
“First, answer a few questions from This Seat. Be honest.”
“This little lady will answer everything she knows.”
“Besides you, Yun Xiu has been reborn too, hasn’t she?”
Jiu Youyue’s expression faltered. She hadn’t expected Chen Xi’s intuition to be this sharp. With an inner apology to Yun Xiu, she nodded.
“Senior Sister has been reborn too.”
“You still call her Senior Sister?”
Jiu Youyue spoke with deep meaning. “She’ll be my sister-in-law soon enough anyway. Calling her Senior Sister is a habit—feels more natural.”
Chen Xi caught the implication and felt a twinge of displeasure.
“So you sisters deliberately waited here for Zhen’er?”
“Not deliberately.” Jiu Youyue looked a bit guilty. “Just going with the flow… Little Zhen, or Yan Zhen, isn’t he looking for the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame? Without our help, he might run into some trouble.”
“That’s true enough.” Chen Xi nodded. “But This Seat sees your injuries aren’t that severe. You don’t need Zhen’er to take care of you, do you?”
Jiu Youyue flushed slightly. Fortunately, she saw herself as a demoness with thick skin. If it were Yun Xiu here, she’d probably want to sink into the ground.
“Th-this is just to give him an excuse later. He saves us, so it’s only right we repay the favor by helping him.”
“Hmph. No other motives?”
“Well, a little.” Jiu Youyue blinked. “We were dao companions in our last life, but we only got together later on. Now that we’re reborn, we want to get close to him sooner… As for Senior Sister’s thoughts, heh.”
“But you’re still deceiving Zhen’er.”
Jiu Youyue’s heart skipped a beat.
“Beautiful Master Chen Xi, please don’t tell Yan Zhen about this, or we’re done for.”
“You’re being upfront, so This Seat will let it slide—for you. But Yun Xiu…”
Truth be told, Chen Xi still held a grudge against Yun Xiu.
People from Cloud Heaven Palace had killed Yan Zhen’s grandfather, earning his deep hatred. He should have slain the enemy to vent his rage, but because of Yun Xiu, he turned that into self-torment. It even triggered a heart demon when Yan Zhen broke through to Mystic Ancestor later, nearly driving him out of control.
Even after it all ended, Yan Zhen still harbored feelings for Yun Xiu, occasionally showing a trace of melancholy that broke Chen Xi’s heart.
She couldn’t do anything in their last life. This time, she’d let Yun Xiu taste some bitterness.
“Beautiful Master Chen Xi, y-you don’t seem to like Senior Sister much?”
Chen Xi snorted coldly.
“Some woman of unknown origins deceiving This Seat’s precious disciple—why should This Seat like her?”
Jiu Youyue broke out in a sweat. She thought it wasn’t that bad. After all, Senior Sister was the Great Palace Lord of Cloud Heaven Palace, having reached the Mystic Lord Realm before thirty—a heaven’s proud daughter even among a continent’s holy lands.
And Senior Sister had fallen for Little Zhen Zhen back when he was just a Mystic Scholar, even leaving him her inner armor as a token of her feelings. It was all genuine.
Fate had simply played a cruel trick, forcing her and Little Zhen Zhen to stand against each other and leading to that tragic end.
“Senior Sister isn’t that bad. She truly likes Little Zhen Zhen—it’s just her mouth that’s stubborn. Please show mercy, Beautiful Master Chen Xi.”
“This Seat knows her limits.” Chen Xi said indifferently, “That’s all. Come forward.”
Jiu Youyue obediently stepped closer and knelt on one knee before Chen Xi.
“Extend your hand.”
Jiu Youyue did as told.
Chen Xi raised her slender jade finger. A burst of seven-colored radiance flickered at the tip as she pressed it to Jiu Youyue’s palm, imprinting a Seven-Colored Lotus Fire Seal there.
“The fire seal has seven colors, seven lotus petals. It can summon Starlight Glazed Fire seven times—for self-defense, healing, or attack. For attacks, it’s effective only against those below Half-Saint.”
“Thank you, Beautiful Master Chen Xi.”
“Go.”
Chen Xi said no more. With a flick of her black sleeve, she expelled Jiu Youyue from the Crystal Stone Space. Then she softly called for Yan Zhen.
At his beautiful master’s summons, Yan Zhen came scampering in excitedly, afraid that demoness might have run off with his master.
“Master!”
“Zhen’er, your master has bad news for you.”
Yan Zhen’s heart sank at her words. He asked weakly, “What bad news?”
“After verifying just now, it’s confirmed: Yun Xiu is the Great Palace Lord of Cloud Heaven Palace—your fiancée’s master.”
“Ah? H-how… how could that be?”
“Not only that. She’s known who you are for a while now. She recognized you as her disciple’s fiancé.”
“Eh?”
Yan Zhen froze. H-how was that possible? If Yun Xiu had recognized him as Yan Zhen instead of Chen Zhen, why agree to his confession? Why become his lover before leaving the Demonic Dragon Mountain Range?
No, wait—maybe that’s exactly why. She ended their lover relationship once they left the mountains. So that was part of her thinking!?
Yan Zhen’s mind cleared in a flash, but he still couldn’t quite accept it. In the script, he was supposed to romance Yun Xiu all the way to the Great Marsh Desert—ah.
So it had turned into this premature fake romance? Nice one!
“Th-then the reason she pretended not to know me…”
“Probably because she was worried it’d be awkward between you. After all, Zhen’er, you saw her body while treating her.”
Somehow, that made it feel even more awkward.
Was this some kind of son-in-law test!?
No way. Before their fake lover relationship ended, he absolutely couldn’t let her know he knew she’d recognized him! And he had to act like a proper gentleman! No creating any awkward memories for when they met face-to-face later!
