Li Jiangying almost thought they were going to start fighting, but they didn’t. The Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable’s tolerance was truly impressive, which only made Li Jiangying even more curious about what past connection the two shared.
With a blank expression, Zhu Yue stood up and returned to the bow of the boat, gazing at the beautiful scenery of Bright Moon Lake to cleanse her eyes.
[T/N: Zhu Yue means Chasing the Moon]
Li Jiangying, smiling, pulled over a silk cord hanging from a pillar. She dampened it with warm tea and began wiping Li Yueying’s face. As she wiped, Li Yueying’s entire face became a smeared mess of black and red.
It seemed there was a bit too much makeup powder, rouge, and eyebrow pigment.
Li Jiangying fell silent and put down the thin silk cord. “A Yue.”
“A Ying.” Li Yueying suddenly leaned in close, their faces nearly touching.
The abstract, smeared mess filled her entire field of vision. Li Jiangying closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight. “Promise me, don’t look in a mirror before washing your face.”
Although it felt like her efforts were for nothing, at least besides Zhu Yue, no one else should be able to discover Li Yueying’s true identity.
“I don’t know why this is, but since Jiangying says so, I’ll do it.”
“Good, I’ll listen to A Ying in everything.” She tilted her head and gave a shy, bashful smile. It was at that moment Li Jiangying opened her eyes. She recoiled in fright, shrinking back, then turned her head and began appreciating the lake scenery like Zhu Yue.
The painted barge soon arrived at the pier of Mid-Lake Island. Zhu Yue, graceful and generous, invited Li Jiangying and Li Yueying to disembark. The shores of the small island were covered in wildflowers, with a cobblestone path cut through the center.
Zhu Yue acted as if she were sincerely inviting the two to visit, leading them into her grand and magnificently decorated City Lord Manor. The manor was built against the mountain, its terrain rugged and complex. It was fortunate that Li Jiangying had a good memory; otherwise, she would have been hopelessly lost.
“Daoist Ying, A Yue.” Zhu Yue addressed them as they stood on a corridor built over an inner lake. She smiled at them. “This Venerable One has prepared a residence with beautiful scenery. I trust you will like it.”
“Where is it?” Li Jiangying asked curiously.
“The Chasing Moon Star-Picking Tower.” Zhu Yue spoke softly. As she said the name, her gaze rested persistently on Li Yueying, who wore a bamboo hat, gentle and lingering.
After a moment’s thought, Li Jiangying reached up and took the hat off Li Yueying’s head. She was then treated to the sight of the Devil Venerable Zhu Yue’s expression instantly stiffening with disgust.
Li Jiangying sneered inwardly. Bright Moon Lake, Mid-Lake Island, Chasing Moon Star-Picking Tower. Are you afraid people won’t know you have some kind of saucy past with Li Yueying? Too bad my relationship with Li Yueying isn’t exactly what you think. You want to make me jealous? No way!
Li Jiangying pretended she knew nothing. Since Zhu Yue enjoyed acting, still calling them “Daoist Ying” and “A Yue,” and insisted on maintaining this last layer of pretense, how could Li Jiangying not oblige her?
So Li Jiangying looked at her with deep emotion and immense gratitude, simultaneously reaching out to grab Li Yueying’s paw. “City Lord, you are truly too hospitable, beautiful, and kind. A Yue and I will certainly enjoy ourselves thoroughly.”
Zhu Yue’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold, superficial smirk. “Make sure you do.”
The Chasing Moon Star-Picking Tower was built in the center of the inner lake, with four water corridors connecting it to the shores in each cardinal direction. Blooming lotuses and cattails grew in the lake, with white birds occasionally flying past. The scenery was beautiful and pleasant.
The tower itself was even more striking. It had nine floors in total. Zhu Yue led Li Jiangying inside to look around. The bottom three floors were the main hall, a reception hall, and a music room. The middle three floors were the library and reading area. The top three floors were the bedchamber, a cultivation training room, and an open-air terrace.
When they reached the bedchamber, Li Jiangying looked at the exquisite and comfortable large bed, her words dripping with implication. “The City Lord has put in so much effort. Sleeping on this must be very comfortable.”
Zhu Yue gave a hollow laugh and didn’t take the bait, instead continuing the tour upwards. The tower was octagonal. The terrace had a pillar erected in each of the four cardinal directions, a Bagua diagram drawn on the floor, and three meditation cushions and a divination compass in the center, clearly for stargazing and divination.
And besides stargazing, standing on the terrace offered a view of the entire City Lord Manor. Li Jiangying guessed this place might have been built by Zhu Yue for herself and wondered why she was offering it as guest quarters.
Descending from the terrace into the training room, Zhu Yue spoke pointedly, “For some reason, this Venerable One seems to detect no Devil Qi on you, Daoist Ying. Could it be that you have yet to step onto the path?”
Li Jiangying replied airily, “With someone protecting me so tightly at my side, I’ve unavoidably become a bit lazy.”
Zhu Yue shifted the conversation, turning to Li Yueying. “I see that A Yue seems to be injured. This training room gathers Water and Wood Devil Qi. If A Yue practices here, it can help her wounds heal faster.”
At this moment, Li Yueying still looked somewhat listless. She remained silent with her smeared face, expression unreadable. Her eyes saw only Li Jiangying; whatever anyone else said, she couldn’t take it in.
Li Jiangying had to answer for her. “Naturally, naturally. Many thanks for the City Lord’s kindness.” She didn’t bother asking how Zhu Yue had seen that Yueying was injured. Experts like them could probably tell with a single glance.
After leading Li Jiangying and Li Yueying through the entire Star-Picking Tower once, Zhu Yue left a perfunctory “rest well” and promptly left.
Watching the City Lord’s figure disappear into the distance, Li Jiangying impatiently pushed Li Yueying back to the training room. She leaned on her knees, panting. Good lord, going up and down seven or eight floors is quite tiring.
“Quick, quick! Circulate your energy and heal!” Li Jiangying urged frantically. Who knew if that Zhu Yue would suddenly change her mind and decide to use them for target practice?
Li Yueying sat cross-legged in the center of the training room, blinking her ghost-like eyes. “Jiangying, I’m fine.”
“Fine my foot!” Li Jiangying suddenly frowned and looked at her suspiciously. “Speaking of which, I don’t think I’ve ever really seen you cultivate. Why is that?”
Li Yueying remained silent, her gaze gradually becoming unfocused. Li Jiangying’s heart softened. She got up, went downstairs to fetch a basin of clear water and a cloth, and knelt before her to wipe her face.
“Forget it, if you don’t want to say, don’t.” How complicated Li Yueying’s past was, Li Jiangying didn’t know and couldn’t guess. What exactly had transpired between Li Yueying and herself was now impossible to investigate. There was only one thing Li Jiangying was absolutely certain of: she must be very, very important to Li Yueying.
The beauty beneath the comical makeup gradually revealed itself. Li Jiangying smiled contentedly and took the initiative to hug her shoulders.
In that moment, Li Yueying was undoubtedly overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. She didn’t even know if she should hug back. Her arms were open, her face a picture of helplessness and surprise. “Jiangying…”
“Yueying.” Li Jiangying whispered in her ear. “Right now, I don’t dare trust anyone but you.”
Li Yueying took a sharp breath and embraced her tightly, nuzzling intimately. “Jiangying, don’t be afraid. No one can hurt you.”
“You’re lying.” Li Jiangying said sadly. “If you’re not strong enough, how can you protect me? You’re too badly hurt.”
Li Yueying grabbed one of her hands, brought it to her lips, and gently nibbled, licked, and sucked. The way she looked at her seemed ready to swallow her whole. “I will become stronger. Jiangying, don’t leave, okay?”
“Then behave and cultivate to heal yourself.” Li Jiangying said mercilessly. “When you’re a bit better, I still plan to ask you what exactly your relationship is with that Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable!”
“Zhu Yue?” Li Yueying still looked at her stubbornly and obediently shook her head. “I forgot.”
“Forgot?! Forgot??” Li Jiangying was speechless. “Alright, hurry up and cultivate!”
Using both soft and hard tactics, Li Jiangying finally succeeded in getting Li Yueying to actively cultivate. The price was that she also had to stay here with her.
With nothing else to do, Li Jiangying simply sat cross-legged and began to meditate. This meditation made her realize that this place was indeed different. It seemed a formation was set up, deliberately gathering Wood and Water element Devil Qi. As a result, the other three elements’ Devil Qi were extremely scarce.
Even for Li Jiangying, whose constitution was purely and intensely Fire-element, she could, with the help of the training room, absorb Wood and Water Devil Qi to cultivate. Of course, it was still unavoidable that she would also absorb the tiny amount of Fire-element Devil Qi present here.
But this novelty quickly faded, because even if Wood and Water Devil Qi entered her body, they still vanished without a trace the moment they circulated to her Dantian.
Li Jiangying was very disappointed and eventually dozed off, her mind wandering.
In the eastern part of the Devil Domain, night had fallen, and the sky was covered with dark red clouds.
A figure who seemed to walk very slowly but moved with incredible speed, their feet barely leaving the ground and making a faint clicking sound with each step, hid beneath a black robe. At this moment, she hesitated by a stone tablet at the roadside.
It was a small town’s boundary marker, so passersby were not few.
A boy of thirteen or fourteen noticed this silent, introverted black-robed Devil Cultivator. The boy’s eyes darted around, revealing a hint of cunning.
He quickly stepped forward and called out with a laugh, “Hey, Fellow Daoist, what are you doing here?”
The black-robed figure seemed startled and turned around swiftly. The boy noticed that beneath her large hood lay a shroud of black mist. Tsk, I’m really curious who this is.
Calling him a boy wasn’t entirely accurate; he merely had a youthful appearance. Devil Cultivators—looks were hardly reliable. But he liked his appearance and often used it to gain benefits and play pranks.
The black-robed figure looked at him, seeming somewhat afraid? The boy was puzzled and also amused, so he deliberately shouted, “What are you doing, sneaking around so furtively!”
The black-robed figure stirred, emitting an ethereal, airy sound. “I wanted to ask for directions.”
“Ask away.”
“From here, to Flying Swallow Capital, how far is it?”
“That’s very far.” The boy guessed this must be a weak Devil Cultivator, scared even by his appearance, and resorting to mystifying tricks to hide their face. “If I were to walk, it would take a month!”
“Thank you.” The black-robed figure nodded slowly, producing that strange clicking sound. Then she asked, “Flying Swallow Capital, which direction is it?”
“Eh? You don’t know? Should I point her in the wrong direction?” The boy suddenly became curious about who this person was. He abruptly took a step forward, grabbed the hem of the black-robed figure’s garment, and yanked it up.
Flap! The robe flew up, revealing two legs made of white bones beneath, entwined with Netherworld Ghost Fire.
The boy involuntarily gulped. He took a step back in terror, looking at the black-robed figure as if staring at some horrifying monster. “You—you’re a Ghost Cultivator?”
