Chapter 15: Master

Jiang Wan was the last Clan Leader of the South River. In other words, after the South River was destroyed, she had perished with it.

Shen Sheng looked over at the woman who was resting. For some reason, her heart felt unbearably oppressed. The word “last” was just too cruel.

The last Clan Leader. What did that truly mean?

Shen Sheng continued reading, her lips pressed tightly together. She took a deep breath. Before her eyes suddenly flashed the image of Anu’s flawless form that night. Even calling it pure and untainted would not be an overstatement.

The book said that Jiang Wan was also born of the South River Water. Who her master was, no one knew. Her innate talent was extraordinary.

Women born of the South River Water were born with half a divine soul, meaning they stood a cut above ordinary people from the start, making their path of cultivation much smoother.

In the book, Jiang Wan was beautiful and wise, the very embodiment of the most beautiful immortal. There were almost no flaws to be seen in her.

Until later, when it was discovered that she had dealings with the evil devil and was secretly protecting it.

In that moment, Jiang Wan was castigated by all the gods. The reverence of the past turned into endless accusations. She fell from the head of the gods straight into hell, cursed and reviled by all.

Reading this, Shen Sheng’s small face hardened. Her eyes flashed with resentment. These gods must have had poor eyesight. Jiang Wan was most likely wronged.

Jiang Wan’s power made the gods begin to panic. She had colluded with the evil devil and intended to destroy the Divine Race.

The gods gathered, wanting to kill Jiang Wan. At that moment, the evil devil appeared, seemingly confirming the relationship between the two.

Jiang Wan was no longer a god but a devil—a devil willingly fallen, entangled inextricably with the evil devil.

To exact revenge upon the South River, Jiang Wan helped the evil devil kill the gods and destroyed the South River that the gods had sworn to protect with their lives.

Shen Sheng: “…” What kind of garbage writing was this?!

She was so furious she threw the book directly into the charcoal brazier, then went to pick up the next one.

She flipped through over ten volumes in succession. The common points they shared were: firstly, the South River Water could indeed allow two women to bear children; secondly, the last Clan Leader of the South River was Jiang Wan; thirdly, the South River Water had dried up, the gods had withered away, and the mortal world held only ordinary humans—there were no more immortals or gods.

As for why the South River Water dried up and why the gods withered away, every book told a different story.

Some wrote that Jiang Wan colluded with the evil devil and betrayed the Divine Race. Some wrote that in the final battle between Jiang Wan and the evil devil, she was killed by it.

A few mentioned that the South River Water went against the Heavenly Dao and was thus destroyed by certain immortals who sought to uphold the righteous path.

The South River Water made women more independent, while men became… optional. It defied the natural laws of the Heavenly Dao.

Therefore, it should not have been allowed to remain in the world.

Without the South River, men and women joined, men and women loved each other, in accordance with the natural order.

Shen Sheng’s eyes were dazzled and confused from all the reading. She rubbed her sore eyes, her mind a chaotic mess. Should the South River have existed or not?

Who was god, and who was devil?

By the time darkness fell, Anu woke up. A single, weak lamp was lit inside the Library Pavilion. Shen Sheng, leaning close to it, was flipping through pages, skimming ten lines at a glance. The rapid motion of her page-turning made the lamplight flicker continuously, alternating between light and shadow.

The girl under the lamp was exceptionally diligent. Her thin silhouette held a firm resolve.

Anu’s body shifted. She stood up. Hearing this, Shen Sheng turned her head. “You’re awake. I’ve read so much, but I don’t know what’s true or false.”

“Discern it yourself,” Anu said.

Looking at the shadowy figure in the darkness, Shen Sheng thought of that deserted, empty manor and the sudden appearance of hot tea. She pressed her lips together and asked, “Are you the last god?”

A god who came from a thousand years ago.

Anu let out a cold laugh. “Does it matter so much whether I am a god or not?”

“It doesn’t matter. But I’m hungry and want something to eat. Can you summon some food?” Shen Sheng blinked, rubbing her grumbling stomach.

“Eat outside the palace.” Anu lifted her feet and walked away.

Shen Sheng hurriedly put the books back in their places, then rushed to catch up with Anu.

The winter night was cold, yet the bustling streets, under the glow of lanterns reflecting on winter snow, were bright with sparkling lights.

Nanqian had no curfew. Taverns opened day and night. The red-light districts, in particular, attracted many aristocratic young men.

Shen Sheng had just returned; many shopfronts on the street had changed and were now unfamiliar faces.

Anu headed straight for the largest tavern in the Imperial Capital. Shen Sheng looked left and right a few times, then followed closely behind.

To her surprise, before Shen Sheng even entered, she was blocked by someone. She looked up to see a familiar face—a former playmate, Su Lian, the daughter of Duke Ping of the Su family.

“Ah Sheng, I heard you returned from the dead!” Su Lian, surprised, blocked Shen Sheng’s path. Shen Sheng glanced ahead—Anu had already gone inside.

She quickly said, “I didn’t die, I didn’t die! Why are you here? We’ll talk another day!”

“What are you rushing off to?” Su Lian turned her body to look and only caught a glimpse of the back of a Daoist robe. She let out an “Oh!” “That back looks a lot like the State Preceptor.”

“You also know the State Preceptor?” Shen Sheng, who had been about to hurry off, paused in her steps. Her eyes lit up.

The two entered the tavern together. The tavern was packed with patrons. A waiter came to lead them, and Shen Sheng asked which direction the woman in the Daoist robes had gone. The waiter immediately led the two of them forward.

Su Lian said, “The State Preceptor is just the State Preceptor. Many people know her. Her origins are very mysterious. Rumors say she’s an immortal, but no one can confirm it. However, some people have tried—they set fire to her house. The strange thing is, she survived, completely unharmed. And in return, she had the arsonists hacked to pieces, their remains fed to the dogs.”

Su Lian spoke very animatedly. Shen Sheng’s reaction was very calm. Anu’s temperament would indeed lead her to do such things.

If others do not attack me, I will not attack them. If others attack me, how could I possibly let them go?

If it were her, she would also kill that person.

Once the other side had already moved to kill, sparing them would just be inviting death upon herself.

Walking to the door of the private room, the waiter immediately scurried away, not daring to linger even a bit. Su Lian also wanted to flee. “Ah Sheng, let’s catch up when we have time. Oh, right, I’m about to get married.”

With that, she ran off as if she’d seen a ghost, leaving behind a bewildered Shen Sheng.

Shen Sheng tilted her head, watching the figure fleeing in panic. Was the State Preceptor truly that terrifying?

No, no, no. The State Preceptor was quite wonderful.

The woman under the lamplight looked a bit frail, but graceful in her every move.

Shen Sheng strode in without the slightest fear.

Under the lamp, the woman’s eyelashes quivered, her long, fine lashes veiling the mockery in her eyes. “Aren’t you afraid?”

Her red lips were vibrant, her black hair like a raven’s wing, the lamplight casting an almost fragile beauty upon her face.

“Afraid of what? I’m no ordinary person. I am Shen Sheng, the Young General. There’s nothing in this world that frightens me.” Shen Sheng sat down beside her, carefully scrutinizing the fragile-looking person. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Ever since leaving Cinnabar Peak Palace, Anu’s complexion had been noticeably weaker than usual. Even a whole afternoon of sleep hadn’t improved it.

Anu straightened up and said flatly, “Su Lian is going to be a secondary consort to the Crown Prince. You know what you need to do.”

“I know. Keep my distance,” Shen Sheng reacted immediately. She had grown up in the Imperial Capital too; she understood all these schemes and intrigues.

The tavern owner arrived, pushing open the door with a face full of appeasing smiles. “Ah, the State Preceptor has arrived. What would you like to eat?”

“Ask the Young General what she likes,” Anu said, her expression indifferent.

The owner immediately turned to Shen Sheng. “Ah, so it’s Young General Shen. You’ve returned.”

The only person who could bear the title “Young General” was Shen Sheng, the youngest child of the Shen family who had retaken Juzhou City.

Shen Sheng ordered some of her favorite dishes and requested two portions of desserts packed to take home. She then asked Anu, “What do you like to eat?”

“I’m not hungry. Eat your own,” Anu said, slanting a glance at her.

Shen Sheng leaned in, eager. “Do you immortals need to fast from grains or something?”

She was so close, her breath tickled Anu’s face, making Anu’s eyelashes tremble. Anu didn’t avoid it; instead, she met Shen Sheng’s gaze directly.

The two exchanged a glance right under the owner’s nose. The owner, however, seemed oblivious and stood there quietly awaiting the State Preceptor’s words.

Absolutely no sense of tact.

Anu let out a cold laugh. “No fasting. I eat your flesh and blood.”

“Alright, alright. Add some more light vegetable dishes.” Shen Sheng was afraid of her and hurriedly sent the owner out.

Only then did the owner eagerly scuttle out.

Shen Sheng asked again, “Who is your master?”

Hearing this, Anu lifted her eyelids, and waves surged within her eyes. “You.”

“Don’t joke around. You are an immortal, and I’m just mere flesh and blood. How could I possibly be a master to an immortal like you?” Shen Sheng propped her chin on her hand, looking up at the ceiling, then down at the floor, only to finally return her gaze to Anu’s exquisite face.

“I read the records. Your master is a mystery.”

“I told you, it’s you.”

Shen Sheng grew frustrated. This person never told the truth.

After dinner, Shen Sheng carried the packed desserts, paid the bill, and led Anu back to the Shen Manor.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to the docks to pick up my eldest sister-in-law and the others. If you’re not going to the palace, then just stay here and take care of Buyan and Buyu.”

Anu walked alongside her. “They can take care of themselves. Staying alive is all that matters.”

“Really, you’re so cold-hearted! Fine, I’ll leave it to my fourth sister-in-law,” Shen Sheng lamented with a sigh.

Anu quietly followed her footsteps. The bright moon hung high, but Anu’s face was utterly devoid of color.

Back in her courtyard, Buyan and Buyu had usurped her bed. On the floor, a set of bedding was conspicuously laid out.

Shen Sheng: “…” These two children were even more ruthless than their mother!

Shen Sheng passed the desserts to the maid, and in the process, shooed the two children off to eat. When she turned around, Anu had already lain down on her bed and was asleep. Her face was still terribly pale, as if she were suffering from some illness.

The room really should have three beds. Otherwise, she’d never have a bed to sleep on for the rest of her life.