After the rooster’s crow, Yunsui City welcomed a new day shrouded in misty fog. Yan Qige returned to the inn to rest, while Yusang yawned and used earth manipulation to reach the back garden of the county office. Just as she landed in the bamboo grove, she looked up to find Huayi staring at her with that half-smiling expression, causing her to freeze mid-motion.

“What are you looking at me for?”

“I was wondering when you started following a man around so closely. Could it be that you’ve taken a fancy to him?”

“Him? That’s not a funny joke.” Yusang said as she flipped up and leaped onto a bamboo branch, finding a thicker one to bend down and lie on her side.

“Yusang, don’t forget who you are.” Huayi looked up toward the bamboo top, her words no longer carrying any trace of jest.

Yusang pretended not to hear and closed her eyes, turning over as she said, “I’m tired. I’ll sleep here for a while.”

“Think about your father, king, and mother, queen.” Huayi sighed sorrowfully and left. Only after her voice completely disappeared did Yusang, lying sideways on the bamboo branch, slowly open her eyes and stare blankly at the bamboo leaves before her, revealing an obscure and indecipherable sadness in her eyes.

Yusang reached out and touched the white jade brush at her waist, carefully running her fingers over the patterns on it. It seemed as if this jade brush had been placed on the desk in her palace chamber just yesterday. Made from eastern bone jade as the shaft, with patterns personally carved by her father king, the brush tip crafted from the intertwined hair of her father king, and mother queen – a unique jade brush in the world.

That day, her father king was holding her hand at the writing desk by the window, teaching her how to hold the brush and write. But just as she dipped it in ink and wrote one stroke, the devastating news of the city gates being breached came from outside the great hall.

A sharp arrow broke through the window. The jade brush in Yusang’s hand fell to the ground, followed by earth-shaking battle cries and the sound of palace gates being slowly pushed open from outside the hall. Yusang stood on tiptoe and climbed to the window to look out. She saw countless people in armor pouring in from the palace gates, led by a figure in bright yellow.

…

…

“Child, never forget who you are.”

These were the last words her father king, spoke to her before she was sent into the barrier, and all light abruptly ceased.

The memories were like a dream that had accompanied her for two thousand years, with a warfire burning in the dream. Her father king, her mother queen, and her elder brother died in that battle. She hid in the black barrier formed by her father, king, and mother queen’s blood and magical power, unable to see anything but hearing scream after scream. Among the sounds of death, she also heard a man giving orders – he wanted to kill all the Fengjian Clan members, he wanted to dominate the world, and become the sole master of the mortal realm.

At dusk, Yusang was awakened by her old dream. Opening her eyes, she saw the setting sun hanging on the horizon, with brilliant and gorgeous evening clouds the same color as those memories in her dream – blood red.

“Little demon, what are you thinking about?” Yan Qige’s voice suddenly rang out beside her, startling Yusang so much that she rolled to one side and fell from the bamboo branch.

Yan Qige reacted quickly, immediately flipping down from the bamboo branch as well, reaching out to grab Yusang’s arm. After lightly stepping on nearby bamboo stalks, he caught Yusang in his arms and slowly descended to the ground.

Yusang looked up from her panic to see Yan Qige standing with his back to the setting sun. Looking at his face against the blood-red sunset glow gave him a breathtakingly handsome appearance. She felt her heart pierce as if stabbed by a needle, and for an instant, a figure galloping and wielding a sword on a bloody battlefield flashed before her eyes. But it was only a momentary illusion that immediately disappeared.

“Your eyes…” Yan Qige frowned, surprise flashing in his eyes.

Yusang came back to her senses and quickly jumped down from Yan Qige’s arms to stand steady, slightly lowering her head to avoid looking at him.

“I’ve never seen a demon with eyes of this color.”

“I’m naturally beautiful.” Yusang smiled rather palely as she looked up.

Seeing Yusang’s unease and nervousness, Yan Qige swallowed the words that had reached his lips, turned, and walked away, saying, “Let’s go. It’s getting dark.”

Yusang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed Yan Qige’s steps.

After climbing over the wall from the county office, Yan Qige led Yusang to the main street, where vendors were packing up their things in small groups to go home. Yan Qige brought Yusang to sit in front of a noodle shop run by an old woman.

The old woman immediately came over with a cheerful smile and asked, “What would you two like to eat?”

“Whatever.” Yan Qige gave some silver coins to the old woman, then turned his head to look at an alley entrance at the end of the street.

“What are you looking at?” Yusang followed Yan Qige’s gaze.

“It seems like someone is watching us?”

“Where?” Yusang stretched her neck to look, seeing nothing there but emptiness, and laughed, glancing at him sourly, “Don’t think that just because you’re good-looking, everyone likes to steal glances at you. How narcissistic.”

Yan Qige slowly turned his head to look at Yusang, his eyes revealing displeasure and several traces of disdain. He slightly raised his chin and spoke leisurely, “My handsome and elegant appearance surpasses Li Nu, my graceful bearing exceeds Pan An. I can write, fight, and catch demons. I have the strategic mind of a general and prime minister, and the talent of a Hanlin scholar. My excellence encompasses all the world’s finest qualities in one person. How could someone like you, a common vulgar demon, possibly understand?”

Yusang had only wanted to deflate Yan Qige’s arrogance and had no other intentions, but she never expected him to take her casual remark so seriously. After this speech, Yusang stared at Yan Qige with her mouth agape wider than a duck egg, feeling thunderous lightning flashing in her mind that wouldn’t stop.

When the old woman from the noodle shop brought over the plain noodles, Yusang pressed her head down and buried it in front of the bowl, quickly picking up chopsticks to slurp the noodles frantically, as if only eating desperately could prevent the curses she wanted to burst out with.

After a good while, Yusang put down her chopsticks, looked at the clean bottom of her bowl to indicate she was finished, then looked at Yan Qige – he hadn’t touched half of what was in front of him.

“Are you full?” Yan Qige asked.

Yusang was about to speak when Yan Qige showed no intention of listening, standing up directly and saying, “If you’re full, let’s go. It’s getting dark.”

The words that had been on Yusang’s lips rolled around on her tongue before she swallowed them back, leaving her feeling uncomfortable for quite a while.

Yuntian Street was much brighter than Main North Street. Although some shops didn’t dare to stay open at night, they still hung lanterns outside their doors. Yan Qige and Yusang stopped outside Huakui Tower. The tower’s doors were closed, as if certain that no customers would visit during this period, but candlelight flickered inside and voices could be faintly heard.

With no business, three or five women in brightly colored clothes were gathered in the main hall playing cards, with two house managers standing behind them holding teapots and other items, both watching and serving. When Yan Qige pushed the door open, everyone shrank back in fear. When they saw clearly that a young, handsome gentleman had entered, all the women’s eyes lit up from the bottom of their hearts. They all stood up, straightened their clothes, and approached with beaming smiles.

Yan Qige swept his indifferent gaze around the room and said, “I’m looking for Miss Ranqing.”