At the inn, Huang Rang took a bath and changed her clothes.

She sat on the bed, waiting for Xie Hongchen’s summons—as a master, Xie Hongchen ought to do post-battle analysis for them. After all, tomorrow’s skill demonstration would determine rankings.

For a sect like Yuhu Xuanzong, no matter what, they must have at least one disciple enter the top three. Otherwise it would be somewhat embarrassing.

Therefore, if the disciples performed poorly, Xie Lingbi would personally rush over to instruct them together with Xie Hongchen.

But this year, with Huang Rang’s excellent performance, everyone was not so tense.

Huang Rang took out the sachet that large yellow dog had given her and sat on the bed playing with it.

The sachet was exquisite. She looked it over repeatedly many times, but there was no casting seal from that person on it. But actually, in her heart she also knew that for such a magical artifact, apart from that person, it would be difficult for anyone else to carve and cast with such refinement.

She lay on the bed and brought that jade-inlaid gold-threaded gourd to her nose, sniffing lightly. Inside there were no fragrance pills, so naturally it could not be considered fragrant. But it just made one feel happy.

That person, probably just like outside the dream, sat behind his desk, quietly and peacefully carving this magical artifact.

Huang Rang gripped this sachet in her hand, hesitating for quite a while. Storage magical artifacts were currently expensive. An ordinary one would cost ten thousand taels of silver even at the outer sect merchant residences of Yuhu Xuanzong.

If it were a gift from someone else, for the sake of the “high moral character, indifferent to fame and fortune” facade she wore, Huang Rang would definitely not accept it.

But if it was a gift from Di Yiqiu, she wanted to keep it. That person’s handmade items—even if she didn’t want them, she had already received many, so there was no need to be pretentious.

Now that the sachet was here, that person must have arrived too.

But if she didn’t take the initiative, he probably would not come out to meet her.

Huang Rang gripped the sachet and rolled around on the bed. After thinking for a long time, she picked up a brush and wrote a note.

The note was written very simply. Huang Rang wanted to write just four characters—”meet tomorrow.” But thinking about it, didn’t she want face? No matter what, she should at least have a reason, right?

So she added four more characters—”spar in martial arts.”

This reason was good. Huang Rang was very satisfied.

But who should deliver the message? She thought for a long time when suddenly inspiration struck—hey! Isn’t there a large yellow dog at the inn?!

She didn’t care that it was late. She ran downstairs, caught that large yellow dog, rolled the note into an extremely thin strip, and tied it around its neck.

Across the way by the window, Master Jianzheng saw everything clearly.

Deputy Li didn’t wait for instructions and immediately went downstairs to catch the dog. Before long, he had searched out this note from the yellow dog’s neck. Of course, Deputy Li didn’t dare look too closely. He quickly returned and handed the note to his Master Jianzheng.

—A love letter? Deputy Li was very excited.

Master Jianzheng pretended nonchalance and calmly opened the note.

On it was only one line of small characters—meet tomorrow, spar in martial arts.

Deputy Li saw the first four characters and said: “Congratulations Master Jianzheng, felicitations Master Jianzheng.”

Master Jianzheng stared at the last four characters, his expression grave as he said: “To congratulate at this time is premature.”

“Ah?” Deputy Li did not understand his meaning.

Master Jianzheng took out paper and brush and began seriously recalling all the various technique details from Huang Rang’s martial arts demonstration today. His memory had always been good, and he paid extra attention to Huang Rang, so he drew out roughly seventy or eighty percent of her technique sequences.

Next came how to dismantle techniques and counter-attack.

Deputy Li stood to one side, watching his completely focused appearance, always feeling something seemed off.

Having sent out the letter, Huang Rang’s heart naturally kept thinking about this matter.

These years she had been burying herself in practice and breeding varieties, feeling that her separation from Di Yiqiu was not that long.

But time was quietly passing after all. By now, he should have recovered more or less, right? After all, a hundred years outside the dream, the Si Tianjian Bureau already had a formidable reputation in the immortal sect.

After waiting a while, Huang Rang went to check on that large yellow dog again. Sure enough, she discovered the note on the dog’s neck had been taken away.

It really was him!

Huang Rang’s feet felt like they were treading on clouds. She floated all the way back to her room and collapsed on the bed again.

Di Yiqiu. When Huang Rang thought of this name, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted slightly.

In the middle of the night, Xie Hongchen indeed made a new battle plan for four disciples including Huang Rang. He patiently analyzed possible opponents for the four. Because he knew like the back of his hand the techniques each sect of the immortal sects excelled in, he could casually mention things that made people feel they benefited greatly.

Huang Rang also listened seriously—while listening and lamenting.

With her current strength, in what year and month would she be able to battle Xie Lingbi?

This matter was truly so rash that one couldn’t see any hope.

Huang Rang felt dejected and reached out again to touch the tea needle in her hair. If she had known earlier, she might as well have spent this lifetime eating and drinking well. These years of cultivating martial arts, she had truly suffered greatly.

Xie Hongchen noticed her distress and said: “If you are tired, rest on your own.”

As soon as he said this, he was also startled, realizing his tone was too intimate. He added another sentence: “Conserve energy to prepare for tomorrow’s battle.”

Huang Rang truly did want to rest. She agreed and returned to her room on her own.

Xie Hongchen’s peripheral vision swept over her back. He didn’t know why, but after she left, he lost all desire to talk.

The next day, when Huang Rang entered battle again, she had already become the dark horse everyone favored.

She stood in the center of the martial arts arena and surveyed the viewing platforms. In the dense crowd, she finally saw that person—Di Yiqiu. He wore a black cloak, mixed in among the sea of people.

That position had a poor view, but she still found him.

Just this one lingering glance was enough to bring joy.

On the viewing platform, Di Yiqiu received this one gaze of attention, and even his heart tightened.

Beside him, Deputy Li was also full of joy, saying in a low voice: “The beauty’s glance back, she must have someone in her heart. Master Jianzheng must perform well tonight.”

Master Jianzheng’s face showed no expression. He only used a charcoal pencil to seriously record Huang Rang’s opponent-facing techniques.

In this battle, Huang Rang sparred successively with four immortal sect disciples. But because she studied under Xie Hongchen and had her heart set on Xie Lingbi, battling these four was extremely easy.

The first place in this skill demonstration was definitely hers.

Xie Hongchen accepted everyone’s congratulations, unsurprised. Huang Rang was anxious to leave the arena—to go back and wash up properly, then change into pretty clothes. This was the urgent matter.

Because she truly had no attachment to fame and fortune, she naturally won another wave of praise.

Xie Hongchen’s gaze pursued her, seeing her like a small butterfly, hopping and skipping away from the martial arts arena. She did not look back. Xie Hongchen withdrew his gaze. He had to force himself to concentrate to continue paying attention to the coming skill demonstration.

But no matter what, with Yuhu Xuanzong holding first place, other victories and defeats no longer mattered.

Huang Rang returned to the inn and indeed washed up properly, then she changed into an outfit that could be considered ladylike everyday wear. The inn had no bronze mirror, so she had to be even more careful, properly arranging her hair in a bun, then applying makeup.

She faced the water basin, using the water as a mirror, feeling she looked quite radiant. Only then did she happily go out.

Master Jianzheng naturally would not be late either. He kept watch by Huang Rang’s window. When she left the inn, he immediately followed.

Huang Rang knew he did not want to expose his identity. The two had an unspoken understanding, leaving Moon Gazing City one after the other.

They traveled all the way to a dense forest. Seeing that no one else would follow, Huang Rang finally stopped.

Behind her, Master Jianzheng wore black robes, the hat brim covering half his face. On the half of his face that was exposed, golden snake patterns appeared and disappeared on his temple. His lip color was too deep, dark black turning purple, making his skin appear even paler, completely bloodless.

Huang Rang walked before him. Seeing that after the swelling subsided, he had actually become this emaciated, she couldn’t help saying: “Are you all right?”

Master Jianzheng said: “Adequate.” Then he continued: “Draw your sword.”

“Ah?” Huang Rang was bewildered.

Master Jianzheng said: “Draw your sword.”

Huang Rang had no choice but to draw her sword and ask: “For what?”

Master Jianzheng said each word seriously: “Spar in martial arts!”

Having spoken, he lightly rolled up his sleeves. His slender, broad hands suddenly became covered with a layer of gray-green snake scales!

“Come!” He called out lightly, moving swift as wind, wrapped in a layer of poisonous fog, coming toward Huang Rang!

Huang Rang had completely no reaction and was immediately struck on the shoulder by his two-finger flick.

Fortunately Di Yiqiu knew she was unguarded. The two fingers merely flicked lightly without storing up force.

But he had not thought that he once used this two-finger wind strike to break through his fifth brother’s protective snake scales!

Struck by this finger wind, Huang Rang only felt sharp pain in her shoulder. She raised her sword to meet him, but for every one of her moves, the opponent seemed prepared.

—This was natural. Master Jianzheng had studied sleeplessly and restlessly for an entire night!

Huang Rang’s sword struck empty again and again. Her heart went from a confused fog to gradually becoming a furnace of angry fire.

This wasn’t sparring at all—it was simply making a monkey out of her!

When Di Yiqiu saw her completely focused with high fighting spirit, he no longer showed mercy. His every move was lethal, directly attacking vital points. At first Huang Rang was just annoyed, but soon she was fighting for her life!

—She had to fight—this fellow was truly using poisonous hands!

The two went back and forth in the dense forest, fiercely exchanging blows.

But Master Jianzheng had come prepared, while Huang Rang had no understanding of him at all.

Huang Rang’s body was struck by his finger wind in multiple places, the pain piercing to the bone. Outside the dream she had seen Di Yiqiu kill his fifth brother. She knew that although Di Yiqiu was most famous for his craftsmanship, his cultivation was absolutely not weak.

But not weak to what degree, Huang Rang did not know.

Before this, her feelings toward Di Yiqiu had mostly been pity.

But at this moment, she wanted to dig up his ancestral grave!

Dog bastard!

Facing Huang Rang’s fierce sword wind, Di Yiqiu did not retreat or avoid, moving with ease.

Huang Rang finally realized she had to change her approach. She rapidly changed techniques. Di Yiqiu’s prior research naturally lost its use. But he quickly found other methods to respond.

Master Jianzheng’s expression was grave, the fighting very serious. The surrounding vegetation was slashed to pieces. The snake scales on his hands gradually thickened, difficult for swords and blades to harm. The golden snake patterns on his temple appeared and disappeared. Combined with the black cloak, he looked indescribably eerie.

By comparison, Huang Rang seemed like a righteous warrior eliminating evil and upholding the path.

In the tree canopy, after Huang Rang fought desperately with him several rounds, killing intent arose naturally. But Di Yiqiu’s viper demon-transformed constitution was truly extremely strange. Not only did he have endless stamina, but the snake scales were thick and dense as armor. After his hands transformed into demon form, they became his weapons. Every time they clashed with Huang Rang’s treasured sword, their quality was hard, like striking metal and stone.

And the poisonous fog around him followed like a shadow, already causing trees to wither and dry up in patches.

Master Jianzheng used his hands as weapons, breaking, fixing, advancing, retreating, soliciting instruction very meticulously.

The wound on Huang Rang’s shoulder had not been treated in time and seeped blood. The blood gradually turned black, obviously contaminated with viper poison.

She should not continue fighting.

Master Jianzheng then very thoughtfully decided to end the sparring.

But Huang Rang’s offensive grew faster and faster—dog bastard, making a monkey of me! I must beat you to death!

Facing her fierce offensive, Master Jianzheng thought briefly and immediately formulated battle strategy. His entire person transformed into a mass of poisonous fog, charging at Huang Rang with full force. Huang Rang rapidly changed techniques, her sword tip directly stabbing at his chest. But with only a light “ding” sound, her sword tip seemed to touch a layer of hard armor and could not penetrate any deeper.

Di Yiqiu’s two fingers clamped her sword edge. His right hand stored up force and slapped his left hand’s back.

Huang Rang only felt a great force attack from the sword. The treasured sword in her hand flew away, and her entire person fell from the tree canopy. With a “splat” sound, she crashed into the pile of fallen leaves under the tree.

Seeing this, Di Yiqiu quickly jumped down from the tree canopy. He reached out his hand, wanting to help her up.

However, the response he received was a “smack” sound—Huang Rang slapped away his hand. Master Jianzheng did not understand and said: “You are poisoned.” He took out a detoxification pill from his waist. “Take this first.”

Huang Rang snatched that poison pill and forcefully threw it on the ground. Then she covered her face with both hands and, lying in the pile of dead leaves, burst into tears with a “wah” sound.

Di Yiqiu stood before her, at a loss for the moment.

From childhood to adulthood, Huang Rang had always cried exquisitely and beautifully. Only this once, she wailed and sobbed. Tears ruined her makeup, and her entire person looked like a big calico cat.

Di Yiqiu quietly crouched down and pulled open her collar, wanting to examine the wound on her shoulder.

Huang Rang forcefully tried to push him away, but he refused to yield. Though his body was slender, it was abnormally stable. If he was unwilling to be pushed away, Huang Rang simply could not move him.

He took out a medicine bottle from his waist and carefully applied medicine for her.

Seeing his expression was serious without any intention of mockery, only then did Huang Rang hum and turn her head away, ignoring him. Di Yiqiu carefully treated her wound and properly tied her dress again.

From beginning to end, he remained very proper. Even his gaze did not wander.

At such close distance, Huang Rang could truly feel his breath. It seemed like returning to outside the dream, when she would not speak or move, and he took care of everything.

So it didn’t seem that embarrassing after all.

Huang Rang sniffled and wiped her face clean. This makeup was wasted.

Di Yiqiu still crouched before her. His body was thin and pale. His features no longer had the childishness of their first meeting years ago. Now his gaze was more somber, already beginning to make one feel pressure.

His pitch-black eyes stared tightly at Huang Rang. Finally he asked: “Why are you crying?”

Huang Rang truly was not pleased: “What do you think? I came happily to see you, then you beat me up!”

Di Yiqiu frowned and said: “But… you invited me to spar in martial arts.”

…All right, he was a craftsman. Honest and straightforward. Huang Rang took a deep breath and said: “Don’t I need a reason to invite you out?”

“No need.” Di Yiqiu said.

Huang Rang turned to look at him. He spoke each word coldly, each word seriously: “No need.”

All right. Huang Rang rubbed her face and said: “In this lifetime I should never have cultivated martial arts. No matter how hard I try, in front of people like you, I must be quite laughable, right?”

Her face showed dejection. Di Yiqiu said: “Not laughable.”

There were no other words after that.

Huang Rang sighed and said: “Di Yiqiu, I will never be able to defeat Xie Lingbi, will I?”

“Xie Lingbi?” Di Yiqiu frowned. After a long time, he re-examined her, then said: “Why do you want to defeat him?”

“That would take a long time to explain.” Huang Rang sighed deeply. “I shouldn’t have cultivated martial arts. I truly overestimated myself.” She held her head in both hands. After a long while, she murmured again: “An ant trying to shake a tree, stupid beyond knowing.”

Beside her, Di Yiqiu remained silent the whole time.

“Can’t you comfort me a bit?” Huang Rang jabbed him with her elbow.

Di Yiqiu thought seriously for a long time and said: “With your aptitude, compared to Xie Lingbi there is indeed a vast distance. But it’s not entirely without chance. I will do my utmost to help you.”

“Ha ha.” Huang Rang responded to this with cold laughter. “How will you help me? Will you help me defeat Xie Lingbi?”

Di Yiqiu, with his master craftsman’s rigor, thought for a while and answered: “That would be much easier.”

Huang Rang pushed forcefully. This time he was not on guard. His entire person was pushed down into the pile of dead leaves. “You… you really can’t say anything nice at all!” Huang Rang took advantage and pounced over, her entire person propped on him like a spider.

Her hair fell down, sweeping across Di Yiqiu’s face. Di Yiqiu turned his head slightly away.

Huang Rang looked down at him from above and said: “Though absurd, I still don’t intend to give up.” She seriously announced: “I will use this lifetime to shake this great tree. Success or failure lies with heaven. No resentment, no regret.”

Di Yiqiu allowed her to suppress him like this and said: “I will do my utmost to help you.”

He said it again.

Huang Rang simply lay on his chest. In front of Di Yiqiu, she was always very relaxed.

Di Yiqiu also did not refuse, allowing her black hair to pour like a waterfall over his body.

He did not speak for a long time. Huang Rang thought he had fallen asleep. But he suddenly said: “I will forge a suitable sword for you.”

“Ah?” Huang Rang was baffled.

Di Yiqiu said: “To defeat Xie Lingbi, you first need a good sword.”

He had actually been thinking about this matter the whole time. Huang Rang lifted her head and rubbed his chin with her nose tip: “Di Yiqiu, sometimes you’re really quite nice.”

The master craftsman asked rigorously: “Sometimes?”

Huang Rang laughed, then suddenly said: “If you didn’t visit prostitutes, you’d be even better.”

Visit prostitutes? The master craftsman thought of his prostitute-visiting experience from many years ago, shook his head, and said seriously: “Visiting prostitutes is indeed not good. I won’t go anymore. Not worth it.”

—Thinking of that night’s hard labor, it was really hard to say who was visiting whom.

“Not worth it?” Huang Rang was stunned. After a while she reacted and said: “That’s true. If you properly marry a wife, you only need to pay one betrothal gift, and she can bear children for you. Much more worthwhile. Isn’t that better than staying single for over a hundred years?”

“What?” Di Yiqiu did not understand.

But Huang Rang thought of another matter. She propped herself up, her elbow supporting on his chest, looking down at him and saying: “You must promise me that even if you marry and have children in the future, you cannot ignore me! You cannot let them bully me. I’m afraid of the dark, so you must keep the lights on. I don’t like being alone, so wherever you go you must take me. You must also sleep with me at night and talk to me more…”

She said a whole bunch, then suddenly went quiet.

Di Yiqiu met her eyes. His pupils were pitch black as ink. Huang Rang murmured: “Forget it. If I continue like this, I’m asking too much. Forget it.” She collapsed powerlessly on his chest. Even if she tried her utmost to make herself have a better life, what could it accomplish?

That body was merely a prison.

She gradually fell silent. But Di Yiqiu suddenly asked: “Then why wouldn’t I marry you?”

“Ah?” Huang Rang was stunned.

The master craftsman continued his rigorous analysis: “If I marry you, I naturally won’t ignore you. No one will bully you either. You are my wife, so naturally I can light lamps for you and not leave you alone. At night I will naturally share the bed with you and talk with you.”

“You’re right!” Huang Rang suddenly understood and immediately clapped: “If you want to arrange things this way, that’s also possible.”

Huang Rang climbed up from Di Yiqiu’s body. She had been a married woman and knew romance. She had also been intimate with Di Yiqiu. In front of him she had no reservations whatsoever. She didn’t take matters of propriety between men and women seriously at all.

So speaking these words, she did not blush at all.

If Di Yiqiu married her, it would be all benefit and no harm to her.

But as for him himself…

Huang Rang was not someone with such lofty moral principles. She did not mind benefiting herself at others’ expense. If she could make Di Yiqiu fall in love with her in the dream, then after waking from the dream, she could continue receiving his care…

She looked toward Di Yiqiu, her eyes turning with many bad ideas.

Di Yiqiu sat up, silent and quiet.

Huang Rang gazed at his eyes and saw his seriousness.

So those bad ideas reached her lips but were all swallowed back down. In front of Di Yiqiu, Huang Rang always felt a bit soft-hearted.

In the end, Di Yiqiu was a man.

Though whether he was normal or not was unknown, he also didn’t owe her anything. There was no reason for him to stake his entire life for her sake.

Huang Rang took a deep breath and said: “But you’d best not think this way. Properly marry a wife. If you can find a woman who knows cold and warmth, feelings and propriety like me, that would still be very fortunate.”

Having said this, Huang Rang suddenly touched the sachet Di Yiqiu had given her.

This… after rejecting him, she didn’t want to return the gift. She hesitated and asked: “Can I keep that sachet?”

Di Yiqiu sat up, gazed at her for a long while, and said: “Yes.”

That was wonderful. Huang Rang felt relieved. After all, this storage magical artifact was not only beautiful but also practical. She picked up her treasured sword and left the dense forest.

It seemed from now on, she should keep her distance from him.

He had already passed through the darkest moment of his life. There would be sunrise in the east, spring warmth and flowers blooming. Outside the dream he had already been single for over a hundred years. With great difficulty arriving in the dream, if he still ended up lonely until old age, that would truly be too pitiful.

Di Yiqiu, winter in the capital is too cold.

The snow scenery at the Xuanwu Division is very beautiful. You should properly find a girl to watch it with you.