Chapter 45 Part 2

The renovated Moon Shadow Devil Palace felt slightly unfamiliar to Li Jiangying, but luckily, the overall layout hadn’t changed. Although… which palace was the Jade Nether Hall the Tao clan was staying in?

In the past, it was so ruined that all the plaques had disappeared. God knew what the original names of these minor palaces were.

Li Jiangying exited the Scripture Pavilion area and, upon rounding a corner, spotted Li Yueying crouched in the shadows.

Her heart leaped, and she stepped back in surprise. Li Yueying was huddled in the dark, making herself as small as possible. With an almost greedy, longing gaze fixed on Li Jiangying, she gnawed on her own hand, sharp teeth grinding back and forth to suppress her desire.

“Jiangying…” she called Li Jiangying’s name, her voice muffled and indistinct.

Li Jiangying’s heart softened. She moved toward her, but the Little Madwoman, as if frightened, clumsily shuffled backward.

“What’s wrong?” Li Jiangying’s outstretched hand froze mid-air. Puzzled, she crouched down, meeting the manic Li Yueying at eye level.

“Jiangying will hate me,” Li Yueying muttered, her expression telling Li Jiangying plainly that she was dying to pounce and cling to her desperately, yet was forcibly restraining that urge. The madwoman’s mind was chaotic. She mumbled, “Miss Jiangying so much… miss her so much… so so so much… No, Jiangying won’t let me get close… Can’t let Jiangying fly away… I’m very good, just secretly watching… Jiangying can’t hate me.”

She stared at her, babbling her crazed murmurs.

In that instant, Li Jiangying couldn’t identify the complex emotions surging within her. Forcing a smile, she stood and slowly approached Li Yueying.

With every step Li Jiangying took, Li Yueying shuffled back a little. Finally, Li Jiangying strode forward and swept her into an embrace.

Kneeling on the ground, Li Jiangying hugged the curled-up Little Madwoman to her chest.

The Little Madwoman froze. She sniffed Jiangying’s scent, chewing on her own finger, her chaotic mind momentarily unable to form a single thought.

“Jiangying…” she whispered faintly.

“I’m here.” Li Jiangying gently stroked her back, letting the tense Li Yueying gradually relax. She praised her without reservation, “A’Yue is so good. A’Yue is so obedient. A’Yue has done wonderfully.”

Li Yueying trembled all over. Carefully, she grasped a stray lock of Li Jiangying’s long hair with her fingers. “Really?”

“Really.” Li Jiangying caressed her head, warmth appearing in her eyes. “So I won’t fly away.”

Only then, with this promise, could Li Yueying finally throw her arms open and throw herself completely into Li Jiangying’s embrace.

“Yingying…” she sobbed into the crook of her neck, laying her entire heart bare without the slightest concealment. “Missed you so much, missed you so much, I really missed you so much!”

Missing her had driven her truly mad. Sleepless nights and restless days. For countless days and nights, Li Yueying had obsessively replayed every single moment of those three months with Jiangying. She extracted every trace of Jiangying’s lingering presence from her own flesh, blood, and marrow, desperately trying to fill her hollow heart.

And so, she had finally waited for her Jiangying.

“I missed you too.” It was true. During that entire year spent alone, she’d often thought of the crazed yet coldly ruthless Li Yueying, wondering how she was faring without her by her side.

Maybe she was well cared for—after all, no one dared slight Li Yueying now that her injuries were greatly healed. But more likely, she was still respected but kept at a distance.

After all, everyone feared a madwoman.

Li Jiangying stood, lifting Li Yueying with her. Li Yueying wrapped her arms around her neck, her head constantly nuzzling against Li Jiangying’s chest, as if she couldn’t bear to be separated for even a quarter of an hour longer!

Li Jiangying began walking toward Li Yueying’s sleeping palace. As for the Tao clansmen… cough, cough, one or two days wouldn’t make much difference.

Times had changed. The reborn Li Jiangying could easily carry Li Yueying all the way to her palace, with no more embarrassing incidents like falling down the stairs at that brothel.

By the time they reached the sleeping palace, Li Yueying had quieted considerably. She blinked obediently, watching as Li Jiangying laid her on the large soft bed, peeled off her dirty clothes, and cleaned her hands and face with a damp cloth.

Li Jiangying sat beside her, expression turning serious as she began recounting how her Divine Sense had been invaded and controlled. But the Little Madwoman just looked blankly confused, as if she didn’t quite grasp what it meant.

Indeed, her intelligence wasn’t too high right now. However, she still understood the core concept: someone wanted to hurt her Yingying. Li Yueying clenched her fists and bared her teeth in fury. “Who is it! I will kill them!!!”

Li Jiangying spread her hands. “Don’t know.”

Li Yueying was dumbfounded. “The b-bad guy… where?”

“Haven’t found them yet.”

The furious look faded from Li Yueying’s face. She instinctively bit the knuckle of her index finger, furrowing her brow deeply in thought.

Li Jiangying watched her with interest, quite curious to see what conclusion she’d arrive at.

After a painstaking mental struggle, Li Yueying clapped her hands together decisively and faced Li Jiangying with righteous valor. “Jiangying, sleep with me! I will protect you!”

Li Jiangying held her forehead and sighed. She should’ve known this silly child’s nature by now.

She didn’t answer directly. Instead, she changed the subject, asking Li Yueying what she’d done during the past year. Li Yueying thought for a moment, then counted on her fingers: “Missed Yingying, missed Yingying, and missed Yingying!”

Li Jiangying: “…” She stood and lightly tapped her on the forehead. “I’m heading out for a bit.”

“Why?!”

“To find Cui Yu for a meal.”

“NO!!!” I’m going with Yingying!” Li Yueying clung to Li Jiangying’s waist, absolutely refusing to be separated again.

Left with no choice, Li Jiangying had to help her back into her clothes, then drag the Little Madwoman along to find Sister Jiang and Cui Yu. Because of this troublesome child’s presence, Sister Jiang and the others became particularly restrained. They directly yielded the space, leaving Li Yueying quite happy—she got to share a meal with her Yingying!

After that, Li Jiangying dragged Li Yueying to familiarize herself with the renovated Moon Shadow Devil Palace. They located the Jade Nether Hall, but she didn’t enter, instead looping back with the Little Madwoman to the Flowing Firefly Palace where the Moon Shadow Devil Venerable resided.

After all this back-and-forth, the sky had darkened. Having been in seclusion for a year, Li Jiangying occasionally craved a bit of laziness. She decided to skip tonight’s cultivation and simply sleep like an ordinary person!

Li Jiangying tossed Li Yueying onto the bed. She helped her remove the outer clothes, which had already been rumpled beyond recognition in just half a day, then cleaned her up and loosened her hair. Immediately, Li Yueying’s face flushed bright red. She raised both hands to cover her face and started rolling back and forth on the bed.

“Jiangying Jiangying Jiangying, dual cultivation dual cultivation dual cultivation!” she chirped in delighted excitement, babbling nonstop.

Then, a quilt landed on top of her. Li Yueying eagerly opened her eyes, propping herself up to pounce onto her Jiangying—only to find empty space.

“Huh? Why is there no Jiangying under the blanket?”

Li Yueying was completely baffled. Following the long legs in her peripheral vision upwards, she saw Li Jiangying grinning down at her. “Ji-Jiang…ying?”

“Dual cultivation?” Li Jiangying shot back a question.

Li Yueying immediately nodded frantically like a chick pecking at grain. She held up one index finger, beginning her attempt to persuade Li Jiangying: “Yingying wants to get stronger.” Then another index finger. “Dual cultivation makes you get stronger faster.” The two index fingers touched shyly. “So we must dual cultivate!”

Li Jiangying’s mouth twitched. She had to admit, that logic was surprisingly sound. Though…

“Didn’t you not want me to get stronger?”

At these words, Li Yueying, secretly proud of her own cleverness, suddenly froze. Rigid on the bed, her excited expression slowly faded, replaced by utter devastation.

Li Yueying’s head drooped as she sobbed mournfully: “It’s too late!!”

Li Jiangying: “???”

“It’s already too late!!! Boohoo…” Li Yueying grew more distressed the more she spoke. She flopped onto the bed and started rolling around in a tantrum. “Jiangying has already gotten strong! I couldn’t stop her anymore!! Boohoo! Too late! Jiangying will hate me, no no no!”

Li Jiangying was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, watching the Little Madwoman roll on the bed in utter misery. She flicked her finger—thwack, thwack—landing two precise knocks on her forehead, then blew on her fingers coolly.

Cultivation’s great, cultivation’s awesome. Now, hitting her didn’t even hurt her hand as much!

“Alright, enough nonsense.” Li Jiangying climbed onto the bed, grabbed a pillow, and swatted her. “Any more noise and I’m leaving!”

“Mhm!” Li Yueying immediately clamped her mouth shut and ceased all rolling.

Li Jiangying shed her own outer robe, shoes, and socks. After cleaning up briefly, she climbed properly onto the bed. “Tonight, I’ll stay with you and sleep.”

Whoosh—a certain someone’s blood-red slit-pupils lit up like beacons. Li Jiangying smilingly tapped a fingertip to her forehead: “But, dual cultivation is forbidden!”

In an instant, Li Yueying’s face fell. “Jiangying…”

“If you’re obedient, I’ll give you a reward.”

“What reward?” Li Yueying rubbed her forehead against Li Jiangying’s fingertip.

“I’ll hold you to sleep tonight.”

Li Yueying actually pouted, a disgruntled yet cowed little protest: “Not enough! Jiangying was already going to hold me to sleep!”

Li Jiangying: “…” She looked at her expressionlessly for a moment, then lay down, turned on her side, and said nothing.

Li Yueying immediately panicked. She scrambled over and hugged Li Jiangying from behind, urgently trying to appease her: “I was wrong! Yingying, hold me! Or I can hold Yingying, that’s fine too!”

Li Jiangying, facing away, secretly curled the corner of her lip. “So are you a good girl?”

“I’m the best girl!” Li Yueying shamelessly sang her own praises, gently nuzzling against her Jiangying’s back.

Stillness was fine, but that nuzzle… the soft sensation made it impossible for Li Jiangying to ignore. She turned over, patted her head to settle her down, then wrapped her arms around her, cuddling as they drifted toward sleep.

The lamps were extinguished from across the room. In the darkness, Li Yueying’s eyes glimmered faintly. A moment later, Li Jiangying sighed and opened her eyes, looking down slightly at the Little Madwoman huddled in her arms. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I just want to look at Yingying a little longer,” Li Yueying whispered. “I’m scared… what if I wake up and find this was all a dream?”

“It’s not a dream.” Li Jiangying coaxed softly, “It’s real. I’m right here.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Really really?”

“Really really.”

“Really really really?”

Li Jiangying smiled helplessly, unwilling to continue this silly game with the hyperactive Little Madwoman. She reached out and covered her eyes, forcing them shut.

Li Jiangying leaned down and gently kissed her brow.

“Goodnight, A’Yue.”

A long while later, the lashes beneath her palm fluttered faintly. Li Jiangying heard Li Yueying whisper softly in reply: “Goodnight, Yingying.”

~~

Perhaps because Li Jiangying had been in seclusion for a year, the Little Madwoman’s condition had worsened. This childish, silly state persisted for three full days before slowly fading. During those three days, Li Jiangying was so thoroughly clung to she couldn’t take a single step without her.

When Li Yueying finally regained her senses, she was lying on Li Jiangying’s lap, listening to her Jiangying spin a little story about the adventures of Happy Yingying and Yueyue loving each other.

Li Jiangying told the story terribly, jumping all over the place. One moment they were playing house in a forest; the next, they were crusading against an evil Devil Cultivator to rescue a princess. Despite being the head of Devil Cultivators herself—and apparently one of the top-tier evil figures among them—Li Yueying still listened with rapt attention.

But now Li Yueying was clear-headed. She expressionlessly rose from Li Jiangying’s knee and said, “Since you’re so eager to save princesses, why not go down to the dungeon and keep Liang Yiman company?”

Li Jiangying: “…”

The woman, now restored to her normal self, sat sideways on the couch, propping her head with one hand as if still sorting through her chaotic thoughts. On her face, the flush of excitement gradually faded, replaced by an icy, aloof pallor.

“Her Highness is awake.” Li Jiangying tactfully stood. “In that case, I should take my leave.”