"Not even going to listen to the opera anymore?"
Qin Donglin looked at her with a faint, amused smile, his posture languid, his voice inexplicably soft—as if all the strength had been drained from his body, leaving him too listless to take another step. In that moment, the sharp, untouchable aura of a sword cultivator that usually surrounded him melted away like the last remnants of winter snow, revealing the innate allure of the nine-tailed silver fox lineage, captivating and intoxicating.
He seemed to be in a rather good mood.
Behind them, directly opposite the private rooms of the tavern, stood an empty opera stage that had now come alive with activity.
The storyteller who had been seated on the small platform nearby had quietly slipped away at some point, and many of the private room windows were left open, allowing the murmurs of laughter and chatter to spill out.
Qiu Shi glanced toward the opera stage, her tearful eyes curving with a glimmer of amusement. She replied to Qin Donglin with effortless ease, "There's something more interesting than the opera right now. I'm going to join in the fun."
The moment Chang Ting, who stood behind Qin Donglin, saw her eager expression, his face twisted into a pained grimace.
"Why aren’t you heading back yet?"
Qiu Shi asked casually as she descended the spiral staircase without pause. "Lin'an City has simple, honest folk, and most of its residents are gentle by nature. Plus, it’s close to Qin Hai, so there’s plenty of maritime culture to explore. You should take Uncle Qin and Aunt Ruan around these next few days."
As if suddenly remembering something, she turned slightly to speak to Ming Yue. "Are those travel notes I marked with the best spots and local delicacies still around?"
Ming Yue answered swiftly, "Yes, miss! The maids have kept them safe in your room."
"Chong Ying, go fetch them and give them to the Young Master."
Qin Donglin slowly straightened, his long sleeves swirling with mist-like embroidery. He followed Qiu Shi at a leisurely pace, listening to her instructions with a slight furrow between his brows, offering no comment.
He had originally intended to throw in a sarcastic or impatient remark, but hearing her prattle on like this left him feeling oddly indifferent.
Somehow, Song Qiushi always managed to soothe him effortlessly.
Once outside the tavern, golden sunlight spilled over them like scattered coins, quickly enveloping them in warmth. A gentle breeze brushed past, carrying the mingled aromas of food from the bustling street.
Without hesitation, Qiu Shi led Ming Yue westward—toward the central courier station of the city.
Though he had already guessed she was heading to the station to see the newly awakened Cheng Yi, having his suspicions confirmed still made Qin Donglin’s chest rise and fall in a quiet, humorless chuckle.
Of course.
Since childhood, she had never truly learned her lesson—not even after repeated warnings.
No sooner had he told her not to run off with just anyone than she’d already forgotten his words entirely.
And if anything went wrong, it would still be her, shedding a few convincing tears with red-rimmed eyes, tugging at his sleeve for help.
Troublesome.
Qin Donglin’s brow tightened. Before her slender figure could disappear completely into the crowd, he strode after her.
Chang Ting let out a quiet "Ah!" and hurried to follow, whispering at Qin Donglin’s side, "Young Master, the Lord has been waiting for you. With City Lord Song’s birthday approaching, he likely wishes to discuss the gift with you."
Qin Donglin gave a noncommittal hum, his tone casual, making it unclear whether he had truly taken in what was said.
"Song Qiushi."
His voice was cool and detached, carrying an air of unapproachable distance, especially noticeable from not too far away.
Seeing this, Chang Ting immediately understood. He swallowed his words, choking them back down before they could escape his lips.
Just as Qiu Shi was about to step into the spatial rift, she heard Qin Donglin's cold, indifferent voice and instinctively turned her head. Her bright eyes lit up as she lifted the hem of her long skirt, weaving through the crowd to jog toward him.
"What's wrong?"
She stopped in front of him, her mind racing. At times like this, she was acutely self-aware.
She reached out with two fingers, tugging at the wide sleeve of Qin Donglin's robe, pulling him under the shade of a century-old tree by the roadside. With a flick of her wrist, she cast a soundproofing barrier before glancing at him nervously. "Does Uncle Qin want to see me?"
Just like last time with Aunt Ruan—to personally question her about Cheng Yi and those rumors.
Qin Yue, as the ruler of Liugi Mountain, was quite different from Ruan Yuan's gentle temperament. To put it bluntly, Qiu Shi always felt a little intimidated by this demon lord, who tried his best to appear kind but often failed.
She loved acting spoiled with everyone else. The elders adored her, calling her their little ray of sunshine, their sweetheart. But when facing this towering, mountain-like uncle, she became stiff and formal, always dragging Qin Donglin along. Yet, this uncle was strict yet doting in front of Qin Donglin—before long, any conversation would inevitably turn into a swordplay examination.
Qin Donglin's gaze lingered on her peach-blossom-pink cheeks, his eyes darkening briefly before he looked away. "Chang Ting," he said coldly.
"Young Master."
Chang Ting responded immediately, only to hear the man's icy, impatient voice again: "The Sound-Transmitting Jade."
Chang Ting hesitated for a moment before unclipping the jade from his waist and handing it over. Qin Donglin took it, channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into it. Soon, a deep, authoritative voice came through: "Donglin."
"Father."
Qin Donglin's voice remained flat. He glanced at Qiu Shi, who had turned away to face the tree roots, pretending to study the sky, and the crease between his brows eased slightly.
After a few brief exchanges, he pressed the glowing jade into Qiu Shi's hands. She fumbled with it, holding the artifact as if it were a scalding hot potato. After a pause, she steadied her voice and called out sweetly, "Uncle Qin."
Qin Yue's voice softened noticeably. "Ah," he responded warmly, murmuring something to someone beside him before chuckling. "Are you out having fun with Donglin?"
Qiu Shi: "Mm. We were at a teahouse in the main city earlier, about to watch an opera. But when Chang Ting said you'd arrived, Donglin was ready to head back right away."
"No need for him to rush. It's rare for you two to spend time together—relaxing before entering the Luyuan Secret Realm is a good idea."
Qin Donglin spoke a few more words, and Qiu Shi answered each one before handing the Sound Transmission Jade back to him, gesturing as she said, "Uncle Qin wants to talk to you."
As soon as Qin Donglin took the jade, his father’s stern voice rang in his ears, calling him by his full name: "Qin Donglin."
Qin Donglin paused for a moment, then turned away expressionlessly, gripping the jade as he walked farther off.
Just as he had expected—
"Who gave you permission to storm into the main city with your sword in the dead of night?"
Qin Donglin seemed to have anticipated this question long ago, his tone unchanging as he replied flatly, "The rumors spread too far. I lost control of my emotions at the time."
His temperament had always been this way—infamously difficult to get along with—for two reasons.
First, it was likely innate. As a descendant of the Nine-Tailed Silver Fox lineage, his bloodline carried no trace of gentleness.
Second, Qin Donglin cultivated the Heaven-tier sword technique, the Annihilation Sword, and later wielded the Samara Sword—both weapons of immense lethality, forged purely for slaughter. Such influences inevitably shaped his disposition.
"So you lost control when barging into the city with your sword, but somehow regained your composure when trying to kill that black dragon?"
Qin Yue let out a heavy, cold snort. "Is your way of protecting someone to shift the blame onto yourself? Is this how I taught you to act as the Young Lord?"
When the elders of Liugi Mountain heard the news, they were so furious they resembled a flock of strangled chickens, gasping for breath. The hall fell dead silent, no one even willing to speak.
"We’ll talk when I return."
Faced with his father’s relentless questioning, Qin Donglin responded with unshaken indifference.
"Fine. If you’re going to protect her, at least put in some effort to accompany her. Don’t act like a saint while wearing that icy face of yours—no one can stand it."
With that, Qin Yue abruptly cut off the transmission.
Qin Donglin tossed the jade to Chang Ting. Qiu Shi sidled up to him, studying his darkened expression before cautiously asking, "Did Uncle Qin scold you?"
"No."
Clearly unwilling to elaborate, Qin Donglin instead asked, "Where are we going to watch the commotion?"
His tone suggested reluctant compliance, as if he were only humoring her.
Qiu Shi immediately perked up. She briefly recounted what Chong Ying had told her: "Mo Ruanruan sent someone to inform me that Cheng Yi has woken up. She went to see him and asked if he had any requests."
"At first, we thought Cheng Yi would flatly refuse, maybe throw in a line or two about how anyone with the slightest capability would’ve helped under those circumstances—just empty courtesy."
"But surprisingly, Cheng Yi actually made a request."
Qiu Shi chuckled. "Mo Ruanruan initially assumed he’d ask for spirit beasts, artifacts, rare herbs, immortal medicines, or some obscure cultivation manuals. Yet, the only thing Cheng Yi asked for was to accompany the Celestial Clan into the Luyuan Secret Realm."
"This caused a bit of friction within the Celestial Clan. Mo Ruanruan couldn’t decide on her own, so she wants me to go and test Cheng Yi."
"How do you plan to test him?" Qin Donglin asked, arms crossed with mild amusement.
"This is what she meant. I'll go tell Cheng Yi that the Heavenly Clan's spots are full, but I might still be able to arrange something for him through the Demon Clan's team. If he agrees, it proves he just wants protection from a group. If he refuses, it means he has ulterior motives targeting the Heavenly Clan."
After hearing this, Qin Donglin fell silent for a long while. His expression darkened noticeably.
Lately, Qiu Shi had been spending too much time with that little princess from the Heavenly Clan, and it seemed she'd caught some of her foolishness—none of her usual clever scheming that could outmaneuver him at every turn remained.
Like right now. After hearing her words, only one thought crossed Qin Donglin's mind: She wanted Cheng Yi to join the Demon Clan's team and enter the Luyuan Secret Realm with them.
He pressed his fingers hard against his temples and asked, "If you were Cheng Yi, would you refuse?"
Qiu Shi pondered seriously for a moment, the smile on her delicate face vanishing like magic. She shook her head honestly. "No."
No matter what Cheng Yi truly wanted or what schemes he harbored, when Qiu Shi asked him like this, he would never refuse. Not only would he not refuse, but he'd also drag his weakened body to express endless gratitude.
Then he'd secure a spot from Qiu Shi and make Mo Ruanruan feel even more guilty.
"Let's go to the post station."
Qin Donglin shot her a glance. Before stepping into the spatial rift, he spoke coldly, fearing she might act on another impulsive whim: "If you drag Cheng Yi into the Demon Clan's team, Liugi Mountain and the main city will go separately. I'm not an idle man—I have neither the time nor the patience to babysit a heavily injured fool with a death wish."
Qiu Shi stared at him for a long moment before suddenly asking, "Qin Donglin, are you berating me indirectly?"
It wasn’t unfounded for Qiu Shi to say this. Every time they entered a secret chamber or some important event, Qin Donglin would repeat the same few phrases—either mocking her for her lack of intelligence or calling her a troublemaker who constantly caused problems. He'd been saying these things since they were kids, without even a change in tone.
Qin Donglin took a deep breath, completely losing the urge to speak to her. He turned and stepped into the spatial rift first.
=====
The two of them entered the post station unimpeded and headed straight for the second floor.
Mo Ruanruan, the sheltered little princess, was peeling a celestial tangerine for Luo Ying. When she saw them arrive, Luo Ying—leaning against the bed—took a clean handkerchief and meticulously wiped each of Mo Ruanruan's delicate fingers before murmuring, "Go play. The attendants can handle these things."
Mo Ruanruan lingered, brushing her fingers against his palm and murmuring something that made Luo Ying chuckle before she finally stood and closed the door behind her.
Qiu Shi was long used to their overly affectionate displays. She didn’t care for meddling in others' affairs and simply asked, "What’s your decision about Cheng Yi?"
"I'm hesitant," Mo Ruanruan admitted softly. "My elder brother and Yun Xuan both disagree."
"So you want to take him in?" Qiu Shi raised a brow.
"I don’t know why, but Cheng Yi gives me a strangely familiar feeling."
Mo Ruanruan continued, "I always felt he didn’t seem like the scheming type."
"Besides, this time, Cheng Yi really did save me. The physician said he was just a breath away from death—it was sheer luck he pulled through, and it was thanks to the medicine you forced into him earlier that kept him clinging to life, allowing him to recover."
Mo Ruanruan glanced toward Luo Ying’s room. "When Luo Ying heard his request, he agreed to give him a spot. He won’t say it outright, but I know he feels indebted to me and grateful to Cheng Yi. So no matter what Cheng Yi asks, as long as it’s within his power, he’ll agree."
Qiu Shi’s instincts immediately screamed warning bells.
She recalled the flood of images that had rushed into her mind the moment she stepped out of Luo Ying’s room earlier.
Whether it was her or Mo Ruanruan, behind the complete upheaval of their life trajectories, there was always one figure looming.
Cheng Yi.
Qiu Shi wasn’t sure about other things, but Mo Ruanruan was definitely not groomed to be the Heavenly Clan’s crown princess—she never had such ambitions. Yet if she now sat on that throne, where was her elder brother, Mo Changheng?
Where had he gone?
Luo Ying had clearly played a pivotal role in the coronation ceremony at the Great Central Palace. It was only after he knelt that the elder ministers and the council followed suit. With such immense influence, how could he have just handed Mo Ruanruan over to Cheng Yi?
Why?
And then there was Luo Ying’s severed hand. Those who cultivated the Heavenly Clan’s arts, once grievously wounded by an extreme forbidden technique, could never regenerate lost limbs unless they reached the Spirit Lord realm in the future. Otherwise, they’d remain one-armed for life.
But the problem was, the Heavenly Clan was powerful, and the Six Realms maintained a delicate balance. The elder generation wouldn’t strike at the younger ones, and among their peers, who could push Luo Ying to such a desperate state?
Even Qin Donglin might not be capable of it.
The three of them entered Cheng Yi’s room together.
The room was neither too large nor too small, furnished with all necessities. Incense burned, masking some of the medicinal odor. Cheng Yi reclined against a soft pillow, half-sitting, with a bowl of dark, bitter medicine on the small table by the bed.
Hearing the commotion, he instinctively curved his lips into a faint smile.
Even in such a weakened state, having barely escaped death, he still exuded the air of a noble gentleman—bright as the moon, refined and gentle, impossibly pristine.
It was easy to feel drawn to him.
Especially for young women; such looks held undeniable advantage.
Cheng Yi’s smile faltered imperceptibly when he noticed the presence of another.
Qin Donglin’s aura was overwhelming. Standing in the room, he hadn’t uttered a word, yet he was like a razor-sharp sword, a pine tree clinging to a cliff’s edge. And when his gaze swept over with that faintly mocking lift of his brow, the flawless features of the Nine-Tailed Silver Fox lineage struck with undeniable intimidation.
"Master Cheng Yi, are you feeling better?"
Qiu Shi didn’t dare get too close to him now, half-hiding behind Qin Donglin as she asked politely.
Cheng Yi smiled and nodded, coughing lightly twice before speaking softly, "Thank you, Miss Qiu Shi, for the Nine Revolutions Elixir. I’m feeling much better now."
As his words faded, Qiu Shi keenly noticed Qin Donglin's breath hitching for the briefest moment.
Qiu Shi fell silent.
She extended two fingers, gliding them lightly up the sleeve of Qin Donglin’s robe, then demurely hooked his pinky with hers, giving it a gentle tug—once, then again—with the coaxing, playful insistence of someone who knew exactly how to appease him.
See? Whenever Qiu Shi sensed trouble brewing, she was nothing if not self-aware.
And utterly disarming.
