“La la la la la la.”
The people chasing after Du Xuan gradually slowed to a halt.
The Snake Demon hadn’t employed any special powers, so her voice couldn’t carry very far. The slightest noise would drown it out entirely.
Yin Luan didn’t stop. She kept on singing.
A gentle breeze swept in, as if eager to waft her song even farther.
With her pursuers gone, Du Xuan stopped running as well. She panted for breath while glancing back at her companion.
Cold moonlight bathed the Little Snake Demon’s face, rendering her even more strikingly beautiful.
Though she’d never admit it aloud, Du Xuan knew full well that Yin Luan’s beauty was the sort that could ensnare men and women, young and old alike—people of every age.
Even she found herself utterly captivated by that exquisite, moonlit visage, her gaze locked in place, unable to tear away.
Those eyes, those brows, that mouth—taken singly or together, from any angle at all—they were so breathtakingly lovely they scarcely seemed human…
Thank goodness she didn’t flaunt her charms like this on a regular basis. Who could possibly resist?
She herself might even succumb without thinking, swept away into clouds and rain together, scaling those lofty peaks… Wait—peaks?
Du Xuan snapped back to her senses in an instant. She slapped her own cheek—not too hard, not too soft.
What the hell? Had she fallen under the Little Snake Demon’s spell too?
No way. Just looking at those indecent peaks filled her with irritation. She’d die before admitting the woman was pretty!
The gathering crowd stood in silent appreciation of the Little Snake Demon’s song. Some remained on their feet; others sank down to sit.
Du Xuan pursed her lips at the sight. From a distance, she flashed her companion a thumbs-up, then turned to round up more of the city’s residents.
And so it went: Little Snake sang, while the Demon Subduing Division Lord herded people in. With the square at its heart, the throng grew ever larger.
For all the numbers, the mood stayed hushed and serene.
The city’s stifling, oppressive air seemed to ebb away bit by bit, yielding to tranquility and peace.
The black night slowly receded.
By the time the first rays of dawn sunlight pierced the distant horizon, every soul in Earthstone City had slipped into slumber.
When they awoke, they’d shake off the hypnosis entirely.
“Impressive,” Du Xuan said, handing the Little Snake Demon a bowl of water. “You sang straight through for nearly the whole night, without so much as a breather.”
The Demon Subduing Division Lord’s admiration was sincere.
She hadn’t expected someone with the airs of an Eldest Young Lady to prove so resilient. Belting out songs all night long was no less grueling than trading blows in the ring for hours on end.
A keen nose, a beautiful voice, solid fighting skills… A rare talent like this might actually make a fine addition to the Demon Subduing Division.
“Truth be told,” Yin Luan replied, downing the water in one gulp, “did I have you enchanted? Are you regretting that failed night raid from last time?”
“As if anyone would fall for you!”
Absolutely not. A woman like this would shatter the solemn atmosphere back at headquarters. She couldn’t be allowed in.
Exhausted after their long night, the pair returned to the inn.
Du Xuan collapsed onto the bed and passed out immediately, but the Little Snake Demon stayed wide awake, forgoing any rest.
The temperature was climbing; sleep was out of the question now…
She pulled out the Jade Pendant and studied it intently.
It had returned to normal, no longer radiating warmth.
Hmm. So its activation wasn’t necessarily tied to “Ghosts”?
Then what had set it off?
How peculiar…
It looked like she’d need to encounter more strange happenings before she could unravel the Jade Pendant’s secrets.
Tucking the pendant away, Little Snake turned her gaze to the woman asleep on the bed.
Worn out as she was today, Du Xuan had apparently forgotten her assigned “side” and sprawled across her spot instead.
No matter—it was a big bed. Little Snake could slip in whenever she pleased…
Du Xuan slept with perfect propriety.
Flat on her back, covers tucked neatly up to her chest, hands still as could be. She was the picture of discipline—nothing at all like Yin Luan, who was prone to kicking off the blankets, thrashing side to side, clawing at whatever was in reach, only to wake up shivering like an icicle, frozen stiff as a board.
It was obvious her upbringing had been refined.
Even in a mighty realm like the Great Zhou Kingdom, proper education wasn’t universal—least of all for women.
Du Xuan’s poise, her erudition, her martial prowess, her everyday manners—all bespoke rigorous training from a young age.
Just who was she, really? Some affluent family’s pampered daughter? The cherished jewel of high-ranking nobility?
Why venture out alone, disguise herself, and throw herself into such perilous work?
Little Snake grew more and more absorbed, draping herself over the bed’s edge to study Du Xuan’s sleeping face from point-blank range.
Her companion’s breaths came even and steady, long lashes quivering ever so slightly, as if in perfect rhythm.
Slurp.
Yin Luan stuck out her tongue and gently licked the other woman’s cheek.
A faint sweet taste indicated that she was having a good dream, and the person seemed quite relaxed.
By the way, isn’t this woman from the Demon Subduing Division? A demon has climbed right onto her face, yet she shows no reaction at all?
Her skills are lacking; she needs to be punished a little.
Slurp.
The Little Snake Demon licked her again.
The sweet taste was gone, and it seemed like the dream had shifted—perhaps toward something unpleasant?
Du Xuan’s breathing grew slightly quicker, and her lips subconsciously pursed a few times.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Yin Luan tried one more lick.
Slurp.
Sweet and sour this time—what kind of dream was this?
The woman on the bed was breathing even more rapidly now, a flush rising on her cheeks, her brows furrowing slightly as if she were struggling with something.
Fine, one last lick to figure out what dream she’s having, then I’ll stop…
The Little Snake Demon gripped the edge of the bed with both hands and cautiously extended her head forward.
“Ah…!”
Du Xuan suddenly opened her eyes, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, her face flushed as red as if she’d just finished an intense bout of exercise.
Yin Luan froze in her forward-leaning position, not daring to move.
“Why did I fall asleep here?” Du Xuan sat up, rubbing her head, then noticed the woman crouched by the bed. “…What are you doing?”
“Catching bugs,” the Little Snake Demon defended herself.
“Why is my face wet?”
“The bug bit me.”
“Tell the truth.”
“The snake licked it.”
“It was your tongue that licked it, wasn’t it…? I knew there was something off about that dream… Hey, stop right there—you’re not getting away!”
~~~
The Demon Subduing Division Lord had enjoyed a good sleep.
The people of Earthstone City had also enjoyed a good sleep.
When the two of them pushed open the window, they discovered that quite a crowd had already gathered outside the inn.
The people knelt on the ground, bowing toward them devoutly, every face filled with sincere reverence.
These people had woken up and still remembered everything that had happened before.
Everyone knew who had saved them from that terrifying nightmare.
Yin Luan and Du Xuan came downstairs to the first floor, where the inn proprietress had been waiting for some time.
And this time, she approached them from the front.
“The two lords,” she said, “they asked me to pass along a message: thanking you for your great kindness and virtue, thanking the two lords for saving us from the sea of suffering, thanking…”
“Let’s skip the pleasantries,” Du Xuan nodded. “This is what we should do. What we’re more concerned about right now is how to catch that real culprit.”
“Yes,” the old woman said respectfully. “That evil person should live in Chaotic Grave Mountain…”
