Half-open windows let in rustling autumn wind. Behind the gauze curtains, pearl beads fell one after another, creating clear, crisp sounds.

Honestly, Xue Yu had been doing missions since childhood, traveling far and wide, encountering life-and-death situations numerous times. She could handle any situation with calm composure, but the scene before her was truly her first encounter of this kind.

The girl before her had a pure, lotus-like face with creamy white skin and a perfectly proportioned figure. Even in this place of worldly pleasures, her eyes retained an innocent, pure cleanliness.

Looking carefully, every part of her body was exactly what men preferred.

“You…” Xue Yu rarely paused. She turned her head, sensing the faint demonic qi within the woman before her, and found herself with nothing to say.

Soon, she collected the surprise in her eyes, bent to pick up the fallen clothing from the floor, and handed it to the unknowing woman who still stared at her with round, deer-like eyes: “Put on your clothes first.”

At this moment, the madam’s clamoring voice carried up through the entire floor: “Master Ruan, Miss Xuan Ji has never shown her face before. If you do this, my Frost Flower House won’t be able to operate.”

Xuan Ji.

Xue Yu looked at the woman before her who was slowly putting on clothes in front of her without any sense of propriety, pressed her throat and coughed lightly: “Your name is Xuan Ji?”

Xuan Ji’s gaze fell directly on her face. After a long while, she bit her lip and nodded, her expression melancholy and pitiable.

Thinking of her current male disguise, Xue Yu couldn’t help but clench her fist and awkwardly explain: “Don’t be afraid. I’m the same as you—a woman.”

Outside the door, seeing no movement inside for a long time and hearing increasingly loud commotion outside, Su You frowned. He walked to Master Ruan, who was dealing with the wailing madam, and said coldly: “There might be something fishy inside. We need a bit more time. Keep her stable.”

Master Ruan nodded to show he understood, then released the madam: “Madam, don’t cry. It’s not that we’re being unreasonable. Ask around about Shenyu Pavilion’s reputation, even our young master’s reputation—they’re famously good. When have we ever complained about spending money at Frost Flower House?”

“I won’t hide it from you—our young master is truly angry about ordering us to find someone today. If you keep obstinately refusing, we won’t investigate anymore and will leave right now. How about that?”

Hearing this, the madam’s lipstick-covered mouth trembled twice with anger: “I truly don’t know Miss Que Luo’s whereabouts. If the young master wants to find someone, naturally, I have no objections, but each girl in my house has her style and never keeps their guard up in their rooms. Having these dozen strong men barge in is inappropriate.”

Master Ruan swept his gaze around the building, his voice neither high nor low: “I naturally have my discretion. Rest assured, Madam. Most of those who went in just now are women in disguise. The only men, besides me, are those three standing there under your nose, not offending your house’s girls in the slightest.”

“Once we’ve searched, we’ll naturally leave.”

“This way, I can report back, and you can too, right, Madam?”

Seeing this, what else could the madam say?

Though any young master randomly selected from this building had significant backing, the title of Shenyu Pavilion’s young master was enough to outweigh them all. What kind of establishment was that? Not just in small Luozhou, but even in the Imperial City, they could walk sideways.

When being reasonable, they were better to talk to than anyone. When unreasonable, no one could do anything about them.

The madam quickly analyzed the pros and cons, finally silently wringing her handkerchief and closing her mouth.

Inside the room, Xuan Ji tied the sash at her waist, then looked at Xue Yu with serious, focused expression. After a while, she extended a finger like a green onion, pointed it to her naturally red cherry lips, then shook her head.

Xue Yu understood—this meant she couldn’t speak.

She took paper and brush from a small table beside the qin stand, spreading them before Xuan Ji: “I’ll ask, you write.”

Xuan Ji nodded.

“When did you arrive? What was your original form?” While speaking, Xue Yu looked directly into Xuan Ji’s eyes without avoiding them, as if trying to see through those highly deceptive eyes.

Unexpectedly, though Xuan Ji couldn’t speak, she wrote beautifully, elegant hairpin-flower small script occasionally touched with sharp blank spaces. She wrote stroke by stroke:

—Arrived in the human realm half a year ago.

—Moon fox.

After writing, afraid Xue Yu wouldn’t believe her, she blinked and revealed a fluffy fox tail, snow-white fur, billowing like clouds. The moment that tail appeared, it occupied half the small room, surrounding Xue Yu in the center.

Then that tail tip quietly rose upward, tentatively hooking Xue Yu’s little finger one touch at a time. Sensing she had no disgust or aversion, it boldly encircled her wrist—a snow-white circle like an oversized white jade bracelet, loosely or tightly wound in a ring.

Looking at this scene, Xue Yu fell into a strange silence for a long while.

She could expressionlessly capture and detain cursing criminal demons, could calmly interrogate all kinds of demons and monsters, but facing this pure, sudden display of friendliness, she lacked experience. Her body instinctively stiffened for a moment.

Sensing Xue Yu’s unnaturalness, that swaying big tail swayed back as if startled. Xuan Ji looked at Xue Yu helplessly, her hands unconsciously folded together, watching Xue Yu as if she had done something wrong.

“Don’t be nervous.” Xue Yu moved her lips, looking around: “Something happened in Luozhou recently. We’re here for a routine investigation.”

Xuan Ji stood barefoot, her toes curled up tender as lotus tips. She didn’t know if she understood Xue Yu’s meaning, only nodding obediently like a pecking chick.

Really.

Unconscious charm was most alluring.

Xue Yu carefully examined this room configured for Frost Flower House’s top courtesan—from wall paintings to the qin stand to the twelve-panel women’s screen behind pearl curtains. Everything was exquisite and refined.

After a long while, Xue Yu lowered her eyes, looking at Xuan Ji: “Everything’s normal. Today I was presumptuous and disturbed you, Miss.”

Xuan Ji showed a shy smile.

Xue Yu gave her a meaningful look, then strode out of the room.

The door creaked shut. Xue Yu closed her eyes, carefully sensing the various auras in this building, then walked to Master Ruan’s side, placing the portrait of Miss Que Luo in his hands to complete this act.

She shook her head: “We’ve searched everywhere.”

“Right.” Master Ruan raised an eyebrow: “Since we’ve searched everywhere, let’s go back and report.”

The madam’s gaze fell directly on Xue Yu’s face. She had seen countless people and had no other skills except identifying people—her eye for this was ruthlessly sharp.

Scanning Xue Yu’s eyes and chin, she knew she was indeed female. Only then did she relax and smile apologetically: “This matter truly requires the young master’s clear judgment. I’m too busy treasuring Que Luo to suppress her. I don’t know who spread such baseless words—it’s truly unjust.”

Master Ruan, having finished his business, didn’t delay further. After some perfunctory responses, he led his people away in a grand procession.

“Well done.” Outside the alley, Xue Yu stood in place, looking at Master Ruan and the women disguised as men behind him: “The matter’s finished. You can return and report.”

Hearing this, Master Ruan scratched his head, not being particular, and smiled: “My young master said that if you’re satisfied, could the matter of Shenyu Pavilion establishing a branch in Yedu be expedited, with construction beginning next month?”

“Next month?” Su You raised an eyebrow somewhat unexpectedly, his voice flowing slowly like water: “The timing is too rushed.”

“When negotiating conditions initially, your master didn’t make such demands.”

“Yes.” That Master Ruan should be the right-hand man of Shenyu Pavilion’s young master. When speaking, his expressions were appropriate and his logic clear. Seeing Xue Yu remained silent, seeming to have completely handed speaking rights to the one who had spoken, he naturally changed direction: “I won’t hide it from the Commander. When the contract was signed a few days ago, it was set for within ten years. One month is indeed rushed, but we truly have our difficulties.”

“Thanks to Your Highness and the Commander’s fulfillment, this great matter that has weighed on Shenyu Pavilion for thousands of years is finally accomplished. The night the master signed the contract, he was so excited he couldn’t sleep. He and the young master spent the whole night looking through classics and discovered that although Flying Cloud Peak usually opens once every five hundred years, there have been one or two exceptions when it opened before the five-hundred-year limit.”

“Upon careful calculation, over three hundred years have passed since Flying Cloud Peak last opened. If it doesn’t open early, everything would be perfectly timed, but if it opens early, we would certainly be caught unprepared.”

“In our line of business, what we fear most is that ‘what if.’ Everything we do is just to prepare for rain and ensure nothing goes wrong.”

After speaking, he cupped his hands slightly toward Su You with sincere words: “I hope the Commander will fulfill this.”

“I see.” Su You didn’t even lift his eyelids, his tone floating and light, every word striking heart-moving rhythms.

That Master Ruan’s exceptionally sincere gaze fell on his eye corners, but for a moment felt that this Commander who appeared clear and lotus-like on the surface, gentlemanly and upright, somehow suddenly gave the impression of being coolly indifferent to the bone, with nothing truly mattering to him.

This feeling passed in an instant.

Su You lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, then spoke: “Shenyu Pavilion has difficulties, which we understand, but as Master Ruan has seen, until the Heavenly Secrets Book mission is completed, neither His Highness nor I can return to Yedu.”

“Your construction will certainly need His Highness’s approval and the great seal’s stamp. The process involved isn’t much, but it’s not little either.”

After speaking, Su You nodded slightly to Master Ruan: “Please ask Master Ruan to truthfully inform your master and young master that once we complete our Luozhou mission, we’ll discuss this matter again.”

After their group disappeared around several corners, Song Heng held back, looked toward Xue Yu, and said in a low voice as if unable to understand: “You just let him take charge and make decisions like that?”

In the past, even Xue Yu had never given him such great authority. While she still stood there, how could she allow others to interrupt and speak on her behalf?

But Xue Yu didn’t even look at him, turning to stand thoughtfully to one side, raising her head toward the sunlight to measure the high wall that separated many swallows.

Instead, Chao Nian suddenly reacted. His gaze fell sharply on Song Heng for two glances, then like a firecracker, he said: “The Commander’s meaning is Young Lady’s meaning. Everyone in Yedu knows this. You’re from Chi Shui—just mind the Sacred Son’s affairs. Why extend your hand to our side? What are you doing—could you be an insider, the Sacred Son, arranged to spy on Yedu’s secrets?”

Song Heng never imagined Chao Nian’s mouth could have such power.

He took a deep breath, unable to maintain his smile, saying flatly: “I just felt this wasn’t according to protocol.”

“In Yedu, Young Lady is the protocol.” Chao Nian looked at Song Heng critically: “If Young Lady says it’s appropriate, then it’s appropriate.”

In terms of unreasonable arguing and verbal sparring, no one could match Chao Nian’s ability.

Song Heng simply ignored him. He walked to Xue Yu’s side with furrowed brows, his voice much gentler: “You made a deal with Shenyu Pavilion?”

In the previous life’s thousand years, Shenyu Pavilion had also approached Xue Yu about establishing a branch. Due to various considerations, Xue Yu had hesitated repeatedly, and with price negotiations failing, the matter fell through.

Unexpectedly, with this second chance, the matter had succeeded instead.

“Since a deal was made, we’d have to agree eventually anyway. It’s just a matter of timing. Going with the flow to do a favor isn’t impossible.”

Hearing this, Xue Yu seemed unable to bear it and lifted her eyelids. She turned around, for the first time removing all concealment, her eyes showing such direct and obvious disappointment, her words carrying ice-cold indifference: “Song Heng, I truly can’t understand now.”

“Besides your inability to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, your tendency to condemn all different beings with one stroke—what exactly did I see in you that made me decide to save you back then?”

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, mercilessly striking Song Heng’s head, leaving him bloody and torn.

When setting up the Great Sealing Formation, he had already prepared himself mentally. He had even imagined her pointing at him and telling him to die.

He wronged her, and he accepted it. Whether she cursed or raged, or even wanted mutual destruction, he would accept it all.

But Song Heng couldn’t bear this alone.

He had struggled for a thousand years, finally reaching a high position, but with her one sentence, “I can’t understand,” he seemed to return to the Judgment Platform, achieving nothing, covered in shackles.

He was a man, moreover, the Heavenly Emperor revered and feared by countless people. He admitted he had selfish motives.

He hoped to see Xue Yu’s approving smile, hoped to hear her praising words, hoped for once that she might not be so perfect, so he could gently comfort her and help her handle things.

But there was never such an opportunity. She strived for perfection, shouldering everything herself. No matter how difficult or tiring, she remained silent.

Getting one word of approval from her seemed harder than ascending to heaven.

Xue Yu no longer looked at him, floating away like a cloud from the small alley toward the courtyard at the mountain’s foot.

Deep into the night, with a bright moon and sparse stars.

In a grand, ancient mansion in the southwest, Xuan Ji rose from the bath. A maid stepped forward, using a cloth to dry her wet hair, draped over her shoulders.

She squinted with enjoyment. After a while, she childishly lifted her chin and pointed ahead. The attending maid understood and smiled: “His Majesty hasn’t returned yet. He’s discussing matters in front.”

Xuan Ji immediately lowered her eyes, playing with her fingers in boredom.

The maid efficiently tidied the inner chamber, bowed, closed the door, and quietly withdrew.

About half an hour later, Xuan Ji, who had been rolling on the bed, suddenly moved her ears and sat up straight.

Soon, lowered greeting voices came from outside.

With a creak, Qiu Tong pushed open the door. He had rarely drunk any wine today, his robe half-open. When he smiled with hooked eyes, he displayed indescribable romantic charm.

He lifted the gauze curtain, meeting Xuan Ji’s gaze. After a while, he clicked his tongue, extended a long finger to hook her chin, bent down to kiss her, and laughed hoarsely: “Went out to play again today?”

Xuan Ji nodded, her eye corners curving in bright, sparkling smiles.

She was too innocent, her thoughts almost entirely written on her face. Qiu Tong especially loved this feeling of seeing through and understanding people at a glance.

He searched for her eyes by lamplight, passionate kisses falling one after another on her eye corners. His mind remained detached and clear throughout, until Xuan Ji turned aside to dodge, and he pinched her earlobe, his breath falling behind her ear in quite an ambiguous, rolling heat: “What? Unwilling?”

Xuan Ji looked at his handsome brows and eyes, as if thinking of something. Her small hand quickly swept over her face, and she suddenly changed appearance.

A delicate chin, upturned nose, slender eyelashes—everything was exquisitely perfect construction, especially those misty almond eyes that showed cool, solemn composure when slightly lowered.

In the blink of an eye, she had become another person, another face.

Qiu Tong still held Xuan Ji’s chin, but his mind suddenly cleared. All those previous stirrings and infatuations seemed like deliberate indulgence in a false play. When his movements stopped, all those emotions withdrew into his eyes.

Xuan Ji tugged his sleeve, emotions flowing directly from those eyes, no different from acting spoiled.

Qiu Tong couldn’t help but laugh hoarsely. He extended one hand to cover Xuan Ji’s eyes, looking down at her with examining scrutiny: “Similar, yet not similar.”

After a long while, his cold lips fell on her black hair: “Change back.”

“To wrong yourself for such things.”

“What a silly girl.”

Qiu Tong went inside to the bath, emerging in changed clothes, having washed away all wine scent.

He bent down, sitting at the bed’s edge, pinching Xuan Ji’s palm and laughing softly: “There are some matters outside. I must go out again. If you’re tired, sleep first. No need to wait for me.”

That previous irrepressible passion, frivolous ambiguity, was completely gone.

Xuan Ji quickly blinked to show she understood.

“Xuan Ji, be good.” Qiu Tong turned to embrace her, patting her back like coaxing a child: “Don’t go find Xue Yu to play anymore. She’s dangerous. Be obedient, hmm?”

Xuan Ji was as well-behaved as a kitten in his arms, nodding twice in succession.

Qiu Tong rushed into the night without looking back.

Once he left, the innocent, confused smile in Xuan Ji’s eyes fell like grievance. She stepped forward, thought for a moment, pointed ahead with her long finger, then walked into a painting, following Qiu Tong’s steps to the outer room.

The prefect, Qiu Zhao, and Elder Zhang from the Enforcement Hall were indeed all waiting for him.

The moment Qiu Tong sat down, Qiu Zhao couldn’t contain himself and set down his teacup: “Imperial Brother, the Celestial Observatory people have calculated many times. Perhaps we can’t wait nine more days—it might be in these few days that we’ll need to absorb blood qi again.”

“Regarding Xuan Ji, small forbearance leads to great confusion.” Qiu Zhao spoke under pressure: “Imperial Brother, even if Xue Yu is in Luozhou, we can send two elders from the Celestial Observatory to stop her. Without the Enforcement Hall’s help, the Sacred Land heir will be isolated and powerless despite having the will. This is our opportunity.”

“Qiu Zhao.” Qiu Tong lifted his eyes slightly, his expression indifferent: “I’ve said many times—haste makes waste. You’re too impatient.”

“There’s no problem with Xuan Ji. She was born for dragon breath and naturally understands her mission.”

Qiu Zhao immediately relaxed: “I thought Imperial Brother would remember old feelings and feel pity.”

“Just a painting spirit.” Qiu Tong’s gaze was particularly cold. He threw the documents beside him onto the table before the three men: “Do everything according to my instructions.”

“Dragon breath is the only spiritual object that can activate the spiritual veins in the Qiu imperial bloodline. This blood qi absorption cannot fail. If anyone makes mistakes, come see me with your head.”

Dragon breath again.

Outside the door, Xuan Ji lost interest after hearing half. She pouted, counted on her fingers the few remaining days of her time in the human realm, then flashed into the painting frame and went elsewhere.

Just as Xuan Ji turned around, no one saw a snow-white silver thread drift from her ankle, then mix among her full head of black hair, quickly becoming indistinguishable from the rest.

In Luozhou, in the heavily guarded courtyard study of Shenyu Pavilion’s branch.

Ruan Kun repeated Su You’s words verbatim, then looked toward the two seated above, asking quietly: “Young Master, what should we do next?”

“A Heavenly Secrets Book case.” One person lifted papers from the table to look: “Four-star mission involving three Sacred Lands.”

“Truly difficult.”

“Let’s wait.” Another man with black hair reaching his waist leaned over for a glance, then lay back disinterestedly: “Human relationships are truly tangled and complicated. Why get involved? Whether the mission succeeds or fails is just a matter of months.”

“I have a premonition that Flying Cloud Peak will open early this time.” Shenyu Pavilion’s Young Pavilion Master Chen Longzhi smiled helplessly: “Establishing a branch isn’t overnight work. It’s better to be prepared and start construction early.”

“Speaking of which, this newly promoted Yedu Commander is quite a character.” Chen Longzhi tapped the table edge unhurriedly: “My father negotiated with him, gained no advantage, and was stirred to passionate determination by just a few words, impulsively raising the stakes again.”

“Now, just wanting to start construction early, we’ve fallen into his rhythm again, having to help complete the Heavenly Secrets Book mission.”

Chen Longzhi smiled good-naturedly, looking toward Ruan Kun: “Now Yedu can be considered a minor pavilion elder of our branch. Helping our people is appropriate. Take my token and personally visit their residence. Say that during their stay in Luozhou, whatever help they need, Shenyu Pavilion is duty-bound and extremely willing.”

The reclining man couldn’t help clicking his tongue again: “Worthy of a businessman—everything sounds pleasant.”

After Ruan Kun left with his orders, Chen Longzhi couldn’t help but look sideways at the other side, saying with a half-smile: “Feng Shang Yu, you’ve been freeloading here for over ten days. What are you doing—not returning to your Demon Capital, not accompanying your Miss Jiu Feng?”

“She doesn’t need my company.” Mentioning this, Feng Shang Yu smiled coolly: “Miss Jiu Feng has found new love and forgotten old affection—peach blossoms left and right. How could she remember me?”

“Listen to this.” Chen Longzhi looked at him in amazement, closing his jade fan to tap his elbow: “Truly rare. We’ve known each other for hundreds of years, and this is the first time I’ve heard you speak so sarcastically.”

“What?” he asked. “Jealous?”

Feng Shang Yu sat up, looking into his eyes, pointing to his head: “The day Miss Jiu Feng returned, she was so drunk she was unconscious. Her hair, clothes, even sleeves were all filled with peach blossom scent.”

“She called out a bunch of names—everyone’s included, even my attendants were mentioned, except mine.”

Feng Shang Yu looked at Chen Longzhi, pulling his mouth corners in a silent smile: “Honestly, I’ve lived hundreds of years and never felt my head so green before.”