Chapter 33: Catching Demons (2) Part 4

After speaking, without waiting for an answer, she scurried back to Yun Jinxue, took the two horses, and said with a smile: “That’s my mother. Immortal Lords, please, this way.”

Madam Sheng let out an “Oh my,” turned right and stopped, turned left halfway and froze again.

Her round fingers gripped the doorframe as she stammered: “Oh my, oh my, these, these two fairies — have they come down from heaven?”

The two stood before the main gate — one red, one white, both with graceful, transcendent bearing.

In the warm glow of the lanterns, Yun Jinxue said: “My junior sister and I are both from the Divine Zenith Sect. We’re heading to the Great Yan Forest and would like to impose upon your esteemed residence for one night’s rest.”

Sheng Yuqing called out loudly from behind: “Mother! Don’t chat at the doorway! First bring the two Immortal Lords inside to sit.”

Only then did Madam Sheng react, hurrying into the house — yet nearly tripping over the threshold, stumbling before steadying herself.

But that stumble seemed to shake loose quite a few little milk dumplings from her. Several round children, no taller than her knee, appeared from who knows where, babbling as they stretched out their short-fingered hands, wanting to steady their mother.

Lover-of-children Yun Jinxue, upon seeing this scene, felt her heart instantly soften into a spring brook. She used all her strength to keep the corners of her lips from curving up, but inside, she was already wailing like ghosts and howling like wolves.

Heavens! This is too unfair — how can there be such adorable children!

Each milk-dumpling child wore a handwoven tiger-head hat, making them look even rounder and cuter.

Madam Sheng’s hands were full of items, unable to hold them, so she wiggled her knee: “Go pester your sister. Mother is busy now.”

Because two strangers stood at the door, all the children shyly hesitated, unwilling to approach, until Sheng Yuqing returned from settling the horses: “Immortal Lords, please go sit inside. No need to stand in the courtyard.”

Madam Sheng said: “Right, right, the two immortals, follow me.”

Sheng Yuqing also walked forward, one hand behind her back. One child held that hand, and the others each held the collar of the child in front, like a game of hawk-catches-chicks without the hawk, forming one long chain.

The three entered the front hall — not large, but impeccably clean and tidy.

Madam Sheng set things down, rubbing her hands: “Have the Immortal Lords eaten?”

Sheng Yuqing said: “The Immortal Lords ordered a meal from Four Seas Delicacies. I’ll go heat it up. Mother, you go prepare the rooms.”

Madam Sheng said: “Alright, alright. Immortal Lords, please sit, please sit.”

Yun Jinxue said: “This is truly putting you to trouble.”

Madam Sheng beamed: “Not at all, how is this trouble? But you two are truly beautiful. This is the first time I’ve seen such immortals — truly eye-opening!”

As she spoke, she put her fists beside her eyes in a magnifying gesture.

Yun Jinxue couldn’t help smiling: “You flatter us too much.”

Sheng Yuqing laughed: “Mother, go quickly.”

Madam Sheng flashed a thumbs up, turned, and hurried off to prepare the rooms.

Sheng Yuqing picked up the food box to go heat the food, but Yun Jinxue stopped her: “No need for further trouble. It was just packed up from the restaurant — in this short time, it couldn’t have gone cold.”

She opened the food box, unwrapped the outer cloth and lid. Seeing the dishes were indeed still steaming, Sheng Yuqing was finally at ease and asked: “Will the two Immortal Lords want a bath tonight?”

Yun Jinxue said: “If it’s possible, washing up would be best.”

Sheng Yuqing asked further: “We have a pool here. May I ask— will the two Immortal Lords bathe together, or one after the other?”

Yun Jinxue paused. She originally meant to answer one after the other, but since it was a pool, changing the water might not be so convenient. It was already so late — making this girl heat water batch after batch would be too troublesome.

As she hesitated, Jiang Yanyu answered crisply: “Together.”

Sheng Yuqing said: “Alright, then you two eat first. I’ll go prepare the bathwater.”

Yun Jinxue said: “Thank you for your trouble.”

“No need to be so polite.”

Sheng Yuqing walked out, those little glutinous-rice-ball children trailing behind her. From around the corner came her voice again:

“Aiya, you little ones, I told you to hold the hems, not the collars — what if you choke the one in front…”

The voices faded completely, and the hall fell quiet.

Jiang Yanyu walked to the table, broke apart the chopsticks, and began eating, nodding as she went: “Not bad, indeed as delicious as the rumors say.”

Yun Jinxue also came to taste: “Mm, very good.”

Jiang Yanyu leaned closer and asked: “Is my cooking better, or is this place better?”

Yun Jinxue gave her a reproachful glance: “Yours, alright?”

Jiang Yanyu made a “tsk” sound and slowly leaned back: “I feel Senior Sister isn’t very sincere. It seems my daily cooking doesn’t suit Senior Sister’s tastes. Then I may have to go on strike.”

Yun Jinxue laughed lightly, helplessly: “You’re the best. You’re the most delicious. Sincere enough now?”

Jiang Yanyu: “…Oh.”

She leaned forward again, elbow propped on the table, chopsticks picking through the dishes. For some reason, her ears suddenly felt hot.

Ah, it was all that walking earlier. She’d broken a sweat.

By the time they finished eating, Sheng Yuqing had also finished preparing the bathwater. Learning that both Immortal Lords had brought spare clothes, she simply led them to the bath chamber.

Opening the door and stepping inside, the air immediately grew stifling, so hot that sweat broke out in an instant.

Through the swirling steam, they could see four thin screens shielding a circular pool about nine chi wide. A layer of rose petals floated on the surface — vividly red and striking, their fragrance filling the nose.

Yun Jinxue thought to herself: Why did Yuqing prepare roses as well? That seems a little too thoughtful.

Jiang Yanyu entered a step after her, saw the scene inside, raised an eyebrow, and closed the door, locking it tight.

Yun Jinxue carried her spare clothes, slowly walking past the screens. She placed the clothes on the cushion beside the pool. Just as she was about to undress, she looked up and saw Jiang Yanyu approaching — and her speed in undoing the buttons slowed considerably.

Speaking of which, whether before or now, she didn’t seem to have any experience bathing with others.

As a die-hard southerner, she had never truly witnessed what a public bathhouse was like and had always believed bathing was such a private matter that it should be done quietly, alone, with no one else around.

Friends washing up together while chatting and casually admiring each other’s bodies — while it sounded interesting, it was absolutely unimaginable for someone like Yun Jinxue, who was extremely prone to shyness.

Her speed in removing her clothes grew slower and slower. Yun Jinxue watched the girl’s back and gave herself a mental pep talk.

This was practically a child she had raised from infancy. And they were both women. It’s nothing, it’s nothing.

Jiang Yanyu didn’t seem to share her psychological pressure. She removed her boots and socks, her flawlessly shaped feet pacing slowly along the pool’s edge, like two pieces of exquisitely carved fine jade.

As if walking a tightrope, one foot placed precisely before the other, she circled a small half of the pool, casually unbuckled her sash and tossed it aside, then turned around, continuing to walk slowly backward.

Within the loose red robes was a white that flickered in and out of view. Sometimes catching the eye, sometimes obscured by red, one could faintly glimpse an impossibly slender waist and graceful, curving lines.

Yun Jinxue said softly: “Won’t you get in the water quickly? Mind you don’t catch a chill.”

Jiang Yanyu shook her head and murmured two words: “Not cold.”

She still walked slowly backward along the pool’s edge, lips faintly curved, eyes narrowed, peeling off that red robe bit by bit. It was like the moment a rose bloomed, from bottom to top. Skin as white as porcelain, a long, elegant neck.

Through the steam, everything appeared hazy and seductive, intensely striking.

Yun Jinxue was somewhat dazed. Wait — when had her little junior sister grown so… big?

She was a woman now, not a girl anymore.

When had this happened???

Perhaps it was because the room was too hot, slowing down her mind’s reaction speed. Yun Jinxue stared at that whiteness that nearly shook her spirit, unable to utter a word for a long while.

The red robe was fully shed. A finger hooked around the back of the neck, lifting the inner garment collar, pulling the whole thing off. It was the collapse of a red snow mountain, piling into a crimson slope among the deep mist at her feet, then kicked aside by her foot.

Jiang Yanyu watched her the entire time, a smile playing on her lips.

After her clothes were removed, she didn’t continue forward. Instead, she slowly sat at the pool’s edge, dipped one foot into the water, then gently lifted it. Several rose petals settled on her instep — red against white, strikingly dazzling.

Jiang Yanyu smiled and said: “I tested the water for Senior Sister. The temperature is just right.”

Was it because the stifling air in the room had heated everything?

Yun Jinxue felt as if that voice had gently stroked the shell of her ear before entering, soaking into her heart with a tingling sensation.

Jiang Yanyu untied her braids. The hair that had been bound by ribbons all day now fell in soft waves, cascading over her shoulders and neck.

She tilted her head slightly, gathering her hair over one shoulder. Inky black spilled across jade white, making those brows and eyes even more devastatingly captivating.

Yun Jinxue: …

She now somewhat understood what the peerlessly beautiful arch-villainess of the later period truly looked like.

Such bloody and brutal methods, a villain who couldn’t be forgiven — yet still garnering such frenzied devotion was no wonder at all.

After all, who could resist such a gorgeous rose in bloom?

Her knuckles flushed pink from the steam. Jiang Yanyu dipped her fingertips in water, sprinkled some on her body, and let it slide down along the curves and valleys.

She gazed languidly at the other woman, like a new, pale branch emerging amid a pool full of rose petals.

Yun Jinxue watched that bouquet of red roses smile at her.

“Is Senior Sister not going to undress?”