After Yu Ling’er returned carrying several food baskets, she listened to Xiaoxiao’s plans for their next outing while eating. When she heard that Xiaoxiao wanted to go to Zhangwei Mountain, Yu Ling’er knew that Xiaoxiao still didn’t want to return and reconcile with Wei Jie and the others, so she couldn’t help but sigh: “That Wei Jie used to cling to you so desperately—do you not want him anymore?”

Xiaoxiao fell silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: “It’s him who doesn’t need me anymore…”

Thinking of Wei Jie, who had revealed his full killing intent and grabbed her throat, it was clear that his disgust for her had reached an unbearable level.

Xiaoxiao didn’t know if the demonic nature within her would flare up again. If Wei Jie, out of their former master-disciple relationship, had to suppress his disgust and come to save her, then it was completely unnecessary.

Xiaoxiao didn’t want to cause Wei Jie any trouble at all. Since he was now also recruiting soldiers and gathering disciples widely, it seemed he could handle Lord Can well enough.

After all, the current Wei Jie had a much better foundation than the Demon Lord from the previous life. He had the Wei family as backing, had recovered his divine nature, and had a loyal disciple who had experienced the previous life.

In comparison, she, this nominal master, had neither great abilities nor was free from demonic entanglement, and her reputation wasn’t particularly good either. Why should she continue to be entangled with Wei Jie, whose future was bright?

So Xiaoxiao simply didn’t want to investigate the background of that King of Changshan anymore, wanting only to distance herself further from Wei Jie.

Yu Ling’er had now learned to read expressions and naturally knew that such topics shouldn’t continue, though she didn’t think Xiaoxiao could live without Wei Jie.

Don’t look at how Wei Jie was usually sharp-tongued and venomous—between him and Xiaoxiao, it was always him who clung desperately and took the initiative.

Although Xiaoxiao valued relationships and loyalty, she was naturally open-minded, and it was clear that her sadness over the past few days was becoming less and less obvious.

It seemed she was just a few more mountain delicacies away from letting go of that ungrateful disciple.

Once they were separated for a long time, Xiaoxiao should be able to put Wei Jie behind her.

By then, even if Wei Jie went to the Queen Mother of the West to ask for regret medicine, it would be too late. Thinking of this, Yu Ling’er sighed again, melancholically, because she also hoped Tang Youshu would go ask for regret medicine together with his master.

She didn’t believe that Tang Youshu could find another little fox as kind and considerate as her in the future! That stinking scholar, not even coming to coax her back…

However, since Xiaoxiao wanted to go to Zhangwei Mountain, Yu Ling’er would naturally risk her life to accompany her.

Zhangwei Mountain was beyond the Northwestern Sea, quite far away. Since they had determined the direction, they set off immediately.

But before they could even leave the outskirts of Luoyi City, after turning around a mountain ridge, they saw a valley ahead in the distance.

From that valley wafted a delicate fragrance. Yu Ling’er sniffed hard and determined it was the scent of magnolia flowers. When they walked closer to look, indeed, the valley was full of blooming magnolia trees.

However, this wasn’t the season for magnolias to bloom, and those magnolia blossoms were large and full, clearly carefully cultivated flowers, definitely not wild flowers growing uncultivated in the valley.

The fox clan was naturally attracted to fragrances, and the scent of these magnolia flowers was truly enchanting. For a moment, the little fox’s long ears couldn’t help but emerge again, and even her tail couldn’t be hidden as she flew over joyfully.

“Xiaoxiao, I love the scent of magnolia flowers the most! I originally planned to make a magnolia flower sachet, but that hateful Wei Jie stopped Young Master Tang from buying me magnolia petals, saying it was some kind of dead people’s smell!”

What Yu Ling’er was talking about was something that happened before on Ghost Stone Cliff, when Tang Youshu bought fragrances for Yu Ling’er but was missing only magnolia flowers, which had made Ling’er quite unhappy!

Xiaoxiao didn’t respond, as she was now trying to avoid mentioning Wei Jie herself. She just watched Ling’er laughing and spinning around under the trees like a child.

However, just smelling the flowers seemed to no longer satisfy her, and finally, the little fox couldn’t help but climb the tree, preparing to pick a full blossom to tuck behind her ear.

Her sachet’s fragrance was also running out of scent, so if she could pick some petals, she could dry them and stuff them in her pouch.

But just as Yu Ling’er’s hand was about to touch the flower on the tree, a gentle voice said: “Miss, please show mercy! These flowers were planted by this humble one to commemorate my late wife.”

Xiaoxiao turned to look and saw a tall, slender young man in scholar’s robes with a white headband standing under the magnolia tree.

By rights, Xiaoxiao had seen plenty of earthly beauties.

Whether Wei Jie or Qin Lingxiao, any one of them taken alone was enough to captivate all living beings.

But when Xiaoxiao saw this young man, she discovered that there was such a pleasing man in the world.

That’s right, not strikingly handsome, but warm and gentle like flawless jade without sharp edges, pleasing to the eye.

At first glance, his features didn’t seem particularly special, but flawless jade needs no exquisite carving—it can still attract people so they cannot look away.

Even the Sect Leader of Hehuan Sect, who had seen all the world’s beauties, couldn’t help but stare at this man.

It wasn’t until the man showed Xiaoxiao a proper, gentle smile that she came to her senses and quickly apologized: “We were traveling and didn’t know this was private property. If we have offended, please forgive us.”

Yu Ling’er was also attracted by this jade-like man and took a long time to come back to her senses, saying softly: “I just thought these flowers smelled wonderful and wanted to collect them to make a sachet…”

The man smiled and said, “The magnolia fragrance is indeed intoxicating. Unfortunately, they are only pure white like jade and fragrantly refreshing when on the tree. Once they fall, the petals also turn dark brown and become unusable… How about this—I’ll have someone bring ready-made dried magnolia flowers from the carriage for the two young ladies, so as not to disappoint your appreciation of this stretch of floral fragrance.”

Yu Ling’er had only acted on a whim—how could she take things from a stranger?

Having been influenced by Young Master Tang’s books, she now understood that she couldn’t casually spend men’s money, so she waved her hands repeatedly in refusal.

But this jade-like gentleman wasn’t asking for their opinion. After waving over a servant and giving a few instructions, he smiled and said, “They’ll be right back. Would the two young ladies like to have a cup of pre-rain tea? This is newly acquired tea with a fresh, rich flavor worth tasting.”

Xiaoxiao had wanted to refuse, but for some reason, hearing this man’s warm and gentle voice, both she and Yu Ling’er involuntarily sat at the tea table under the magnolia tree and picked up their teacups.

Yu Ling’er felt a natural fondness for this man and couldn’t help asking: “May I ask the gentleman’s surname and where you live?”

The man rolled up his sleeves and began washing cups and brewing tea with elegant movements like flowing clouds and water. Hearing Yu Ling’er’s question, he smiled warmly: “This humble one’s surname is Ye, and my home is in Chang City.”

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao’s hand holding the teacup froze, and she couldn’t help but look up to reexamine this man.

It was clear he didn’t put much emphasis on fancy clothes, wearing ordinary, undyed hemp scholar’s robes with a light white outer garment. His hair wasn’t pinned but wrapped in white cloth, appearing to be from a poor scholarly family.

But the tea cups and utensils he used were all top-quality porcelware, with thin, translucent bodies that reflected the beauty of the tea liquid.

And the servants and carriage beside him also didn’t look like they came from a small household.

This gentleman said his surname was Ye, he lived in Chang City, and had a late wife…

In Xiaoxiao’s memory, there seemed to be someone from a prominent Chang City family who had a very similar background to this gentleman, also surnamed Ye.

Thinking of this, Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask hesitantly: “May I ask if the gentleman… is acquainted with the Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor?”

Hearing this, Young Master Ye couldn’t help but deepen his smile and answered warmly: “This young lady truly has good insight. I wonder how you discerned that I come from the Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor? This humble one is Ye Yi, the eldest son of the Loyal and Brave Marquis.”

Hearing this, while Xiaoxiao was still relatively fine, Yu Ling’er was nearly choked by the tea in her throat.

He was Ye Yi? That widowed eldest son from the Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor? Then… wasn’t he the spendthrift that Princess Yongning was unwilling to marry?

Because of the previous incident with bricks used to fill out the betrothal gifts, Yu Ling’er’s impression of the Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor was extremely poor.

Plus Princess Yongning’s tearful complaints, this eldest son of the Loyal and Brave Marquis should have been someone drained by wine and women, so how could he possibly be this jade-like gentleman with such refined elegance?

Such an elegant man, guarding this secluded valley of magnolia flowers, commemorating his late wife—no matter how you looked at it, he was a romantic soul whose deep feelings led to early death!

Could it be that the world was mistaken, spreading rumors that turned such a refined gentleman into something so despicable?

Or were they now only seeing the embroidered surface of a pillow while missing the rotten straw stuffing inside?

Seeing Yu Ling’er’s shocked and choked appearance, Young Master Ye seemed somewhat puzzled and couldn’t help asking: “How is this? Do the two young ladies know me from before?”

Xiaoxiao withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and maintained a polite smile: “We happen to have met Princess Yongning a few times, so we’ve heard of your great name, Young Master.”

Hearing his fiancée’s name, Young Master Ye’s smile seemed to fade slightly, and he only said: “When my father arranged the marriage with the King of Changshan, this humble one was traveling far away and didn’t know. I only recently heard that Princess Yongning seems unwilling to marry me and insists on returning the betrothal gifts. I am also preparing to go directly to Luoyi to discuss with the King of Changshan. If the Princess is unwilling to marry, this humble one is unwilling to force anyone, and will naturally break off the engagement with her to avoid delaying the Princess’s precious years.”

Yu Ling’er’s fondness for this Young Master Ye was swelling tremendously, and hearing that he wanted to break off the engagement, she immediately felt sorry for Princess Yongning.

She said softly, “Actually, marriage matters should involve the parties meeting face to face first. Your manor may be poor, but the Princess isn’t someone who despises poverty and loves wealth. I believe that seeing you, Young Master, she would change her view greatly…”

Before the little fox could finish speaking, Xiaoxiao secretly stepped on her foot under the table. Such directness in calling someone poor to their face really couldn’t be remedied by reading a few books.

After interrupting Yu Ling’er’s words, Xiaoxiao smiled calmly: “Marriage is a major matter that should be treated with caution. Thank you for the tea, Young Master Ye. We won’t disturb you further and will take our leave here.”

Just then, the servant who had gone to the carriage to fetch dried magnolia flowers also returned.

Young Master Ye took the brocade bag and handed it to Yu Ling’er with both hands. He didn’t try to detain them much, only smiling warmly: “Since the two young ladies have business, this humble one won’t delay your journey. Wishing you both smooth travels!”

The magnolia flowers that this Young Master Ye had planted were truly refreshing to the heart. Even after they had walked out of the valley for a long time, what lingered in their nostrils was still that sweet fragrance.

Yu Ling’er looked back at the valley, still feeling sorry for Princess Yongning: “The world’s rumors really can’t be trusted. Everyone says the eldest son of the Loyal and Brave Marquis Manor is a debauchee who spends his time in wine and pleasure, but I don’t think he’s like that at all. Such refined temperament—he truly is an unparalleled gentleman. Even if his manor is poor, he’s still a rare good man in this world!”

But Xiaoxiao walked while counting days on her fingers. Yu Ling’er was somewhat puzzled and asked what she was calculating.

After calculating for a while, Xiaoxiao asked in confusion: “Do you think… is this the season for magnolia flowers to bloom?”

Yu Ling’er also calculated, and indeed, the flowering period was wrong. Xiaoxiao recalled the situation just now—in that floral fragrance, she seemed to have completely lost her ability to think… She suddenly turned around and walked back.

Yu Ling’er asked in puzzlement what she wanted to do, and Xiaoxiao replied without turning back: “I must go back and investigate this thoroughly!”

They retraced their original path, but while the road was still the same, they couldn’t find that valley full of blooming flowers anywhere.

Looking at the desolate valley before them, full of withered trees and dead leaves everywhere, Yu Ling’er couldn’t match it with the previous valley that had been full of flowers and fragrance.

“Xiaoxiao, did we get lost and go to the wrong place?”

Xiaoxiao’s gaze wandered and fixed on a tea stain on the ground—this was the mouthful of tea that Yu Ling’er had accidentally sprayed when she heard that the gentleman was Princess Yongning’s fiancé.

They hadn’t come to the wrong place; it was just that those magnolia trees, along with that Young Master Ye, had mysteriously disappeared.

Yu Ling’er also recognized the tea she had sprayed, and her admiration for that jade-like gentleman was scared away by more than half as she murmured: “What exactly is that Young Master Ye’s background? To have such supernatural powers?”

Xiaoxiao took a deep breath: “It seems that noble mansions all hide tigers and dragons. That Princess Yongning is skilled at wind control, and this Young Master Ye is also quite the flower cultivator!”

Just as she was sighing, suddenly a harsh bird cry came from overhead. When the two looked up, they saw a crow cawing miserably as it flew over their heads.

But strangely, the crow didn’t seem afraid of people. After shrieking a few times, it began circling downward.

When the crow landed on a branch, Yu Ling’er discovered that a small paper figure was sitting on the crow’s neck like a rider, grabbing a tuft of feathers on top of the crow’s head and pulling it to move forward and backward.

Although it was a paper figure, its technique was skilled like an experienced rider. The crow, apparently having no choice after having its feathers pulled, could only let it direct as it came looking for Xiaoxiao.

When the small paper figure hopped down from the crow’s back with bouncing movements, the crow, as if its rear had been scorched by fire, flapped its wings and flew away desperately.

The small paper figure jumped onto Xiaoxiao’s outstretched palm. Xiaoxiao recognized this paper figure—it was exactly the one she had given to Princess Yongning.

She hadn’t expected her to use it so quickly. When the paper figure reached Xiaoxiao’s palm, it began twisting its body continuously, as if narrating something.

Unfortunately, the paper figure had no mouth and made no sound at all. But Xiaoxiao had a solution. She calmly broke off a small section of a tree branch and stuck it in the paper figure’s hand.

The paper figure jumped onto the sandy ground and began writing with flourishing strokes.

Xiaoxiao looked closely and saw that the paper figure was writing exactly the message Princess Yongning had asked it to carry.

It turned out that after Princess Yongning had that heart-to-heart conversation with Xiaoxiao that day, she was filled with doubts. When she returned, she was no longer in the mood to cry about her marriage troubles, focusing entirely on watching every move of her disfigured father.

Once suspicion took root, it was no small matter when she looked again. She suddenly discovered that sometimes her father’s expressions and behavior were completely different from before, occasionally showing an indescribable, strange old-fashioned manner.

This made Princess Yongning unable to resist testing further. During dinner with her father that evening, she specifically had the kitchen prepare a dish of stinky mandarin fish.

For those who loved it, this stinky mandarin fish was naturally salty, fresh, and appetizing.

But for those who detested it, even smelling it would make them feel nauseous.

Unfortunately, what the King of Changshan detested most was stinky mandarin fish.

Princess Yongning remembered that when she was small, a cook had accidentally made this dish and served it, making her father so nauseous that he clutched a spittoon and vomited violently, finally ordering that cook to be severely beaten with rods.

But this time, while the scent of braised stinky mandarin fish in scallions and lard was the same, her father, with half his face wrapped in bandages, showed no reaction at all. He even calmly picked up several chopstick-fulls of fish meat with his chopsticks, eating quite heartily.

That entire meal, Princess Yongning ate as if there were bones stuck in her throat. Her gaze slowly shifted from her father to the guards beside him, and then to the maids and servants in the hall. Looking closely like this, she discovered that somehow, all the close guards around her father had become unfamiliar faces.

It was as if most of the people in the manor had been replaced. Sitting at the dining table, it seemed only she remained as a familiar guest of the King of Changshan’s Manor, dining bite by bite with that disfigured father full of a strange aura.

For a moment, Princess Yongning wanted to overturn the table and loudly confront this impostor father.

But after the hot blood rushed to her head, Xiaoxiao’s parting words advising her to “plan before acting” surged to her heart.

Princess Yongning desperately suppressed her terrified heart and finally finished that tasteless dinner, then returned to her room. After dismissing the maids and servants, she took out the small paper figure Xiaoxiao had given her from her pouch and placed it in the copper basin for washing her face.

After the paper figure entered the water, it swelled slightly and began spinning and swimming in the water. After receiving Princess Yongning’s message, it leaped out the window in a few steps, jumped onto a tree, then rode a green grasshopper and hopped over the courtyard wall.

Along this journey, the small paper figure changed from grasshopper to sparrow, sparrow to crow, until it finally found Xiaoxiao.

Yu Ling’er watched the paper figure write on the ground and couldn’t help but admiringly give a thumbs up: “Xiaoxiao, your trick is brilliant! If you had known this earlier, why would you have made me transform into a fox to perform on the street to trick people out of money?”

She was referring to when they first arrived in Luoyi City and had no money for food, so Xiaoxiao led them to perform on the street, having Yu Ling’er lie in a box for a magic transformation act—an embarrassing incident.

Thinking about it now, even Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but want to laugh, but when the smile reached her lips, she swallowed it back.

Now, even if she wanted to perform on the street again, she couldn’t gather such a complete group of people…

However, Princess Yongning’s test truly verified her suspicion. That King of Changshan was indeed replaced by someone else. If her guess was correct, this King of Changshan must be Lord Can in disguise.

As for the fire that the King of Changshan encountered, it should have been a deliberately arranged accident. If the King of Changshan was Lord Can in disguise, what was his intention?

Thinking further about this fake King of Changshan forcing Princess Yongning to marry that Young Master Ye, full of endless mystery… even without a long nose, one could smell the conspiracy hidden within.

Thinking again of that moody brat Wei Jie widely opening his school gates and recruiting such a group of mountain cats and wild beasts with ulterior motives around him, it didn’t seem very appropriate, no matter how you thought about it.

Xiaoxiao wasn’t as carefree as she had appeared in front of Qin Lingxiao, and she still couldn’t let go of Wei Jie’s safety and fate.

With this decision, she felt she should return once more to personally investigate the truth hidden in these chaotic affairs.

Thinking this, Xiaoxiao immediately decided to return to Luoyi and find Princess Yongning first.

This place wasn’t very far from Luoyi—they just needed to retrace their original path.

But strangely, when Xiaoxiao and Yu Ling’er walked out of the valley and began returning, it quickly grew dark.

As the sky darkened, the floral fragrance in their nostrils grew stronger and stronger, but Xiaoxiao and Ling’er could only smell it without seeing any flowers.

Yu Ling’er’s fear of darkness never improved, and walking on the pitch-black night road made the little fox’s courage tremble slightly.

She felt that having more people would give her courage, so she blew her fox whistle to summon her clan members to keep her company.

But she blew it over and over, and still no clan members came. Only the sharp fox whistle echoed in the empty black night.

After walking for a while, Yu Ling’er suddenly pointed ahead: “Xiaoxiao, look—the other side of the river is full of blooming magnolia flowers! Could it be that we really took the wrong path earlier, and ahead is the flower valley we saw during the day?”

Xiaoxiao smelled the flower fragrance, which was indeed the magnolia scent from daylight. Looking into the distance, those magnolia flowers on the opposite bank of the shimmering river seemed to emit a faint glow, but those snow-white petals were gradually changing, seeming different from what they saw during the day! They had less elegance but more eeriness…

Yu Ling’er, drawn by the flower fragrance, couldn’t help but walk forward, and Xiaoxiao followed her to the riverbank.

Though it was already late, the ferryman hadn’t left yet—there happened to be a small boat moored at the shore.

Yu Ling’er pointed at the flower grove on the opposite bank: “Boatman, ferry us over there…”

The boatman silently raised his oar, quietly waiting for the two young women to board.

Just as the two were about to board, the bottom of Xiaoxiao’s heart once again exploded with the Demon Pearl’s noisy cursing: “Damn girl, you’re fucking taking me to die again! Have you even looked clearly at that boatman before wanting to take me on board?”

Xiaoxiao was startled by his voice, and her expression became stern. When she looked closely at the boatman, she immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

She grabbed Yu Ling’er, who had one foot almost on the boat, and at the same time, awakened as if from a dream, surveying their surroundings.

Yu Ling’er stubbornly tried to shake off her hand to board the boat, so Xiaoxiao simply grabbed the tail under her skirt, making Ling’er cry out sharply in pain and suddenly come to her senses.

Xiaoxiao looked down at Yu Ling’er’s sachet—it was filled with the dried magnolia flowers she had just received.

Xiaoxiao untied the pouch and said slowly: “I remember you used to clamor for Young Master Tang to buy you magnolia flower spices for your sachet, but Wei Jie stopped him and had him buy other spices instead, right?”

Yu Ling’er nodded: “Wei Jie doesn’t like magnolia flower fragrance, saying it has the smell of dead people.”

Xiaoxiao looked at the flower grove on the opposite bank and said slowly: “He comes from the demon-subduing Wei family, and the Wei family guards the underworld’s important places. He has naturally been to the entrance of the underworld… The dead people’s smell he mentioned is probably the scent of the other shore flowers beside the River of Forgetfulness, right?”