A true master should hold a cup of tea and sit steadily in the wild wind on the terrace, confidently looking up at the sky: “Everything is as I predicted.”

The tone should be casual yet slightly arrogant, paired with an expression that sees through worldly matters.

Very good, very perfect.

Ruyi planned to do exactly this. After all, Fuman and Yanning had already left for the time of two incense sticks. In just two more incense sticks, they would reach Chaotian Gate and meet Wei Zijue, who had been waiting for a long time.

Wei Zijue wouldn’t just watch that evidence get buried by the authorities—he would deliver it directly to the Secretariat. The Secretariat’s vice minister would enter the palace to report at dusk, when Prince Yong would also happen to be sitting beside the Emperor after paying respects to the Empress Dowager.

The words Prince Yong heard in the restaurant would make him the best witness to the Huizhou affair. With both human and material evidence present, and concerning military matters, even if the Emperor wanted to avoid war, he would prepare troops for any eventuality.

As long as Great Qian began mobilizing troops, Great Xia would make the first move. As long as the Great Xia moved, the prince supported by the demon clan would have an opportunity to achieve merit.

Everything would follow naturally.

She contentedly squinted her eyes and smiled, planning to have a small drink.

However, just as the jade liquid poured from the wine pot, the skylark beside her flapped her wings and cried: “This is bad!”

These two words were quite inauspicious—hearing them made Ruyi want to throw herself off the building.

The skylark chattered and dodged: “Elder Sister, look over there!”

Following the direction her wing tip pointed, Ruyi straightened up.

A dark steed with flying mane was rapidly approaching Chaotian Gate from the direction of Houchao Gate. A snow-white fox fur cloak fluttered in the wind, and where the clothing gathered, Shen Qiyuan’s refined and gentle face was revealed.

Shouldn’t he be settling refugees at his manor?

Her heart sinking, Ruyi realized something and quickly got up and went downstairs.

What Fuman and Yanning were delivering was evidence of the Great Xia using Huizhou to smuggle iron ore and salt, as well as the envoy secretly encouraging the Great Xia to attack the Great Qian. She didn’t understand what Shen Qiyuan wanted to do, but his running in that direction now definitely wasn’t to help them deliver evidence to the Secretariat.

No one in Lin’an could stop him now, except herself.

Zhou Tingchuan happened to have free time today and was eating snacks at the Immortal Meeting Restaurant. Seeing Ruyi hurrying downstairs, he smiled and greeted her: “Miss Liu.”

Ruyi smiled back at him while rushing down and asking, “How did Young Master come here?”

“Those people at the Ministry of Justice keep wanting to borrow my horse, exhausting it. On this rare rest day, I brought it out to hide.” He pouted aggrievedly.

“They’re too much.” Ruyi indignantly stepped over the threshold, looked at the glossy steed at the door, her eyes lighting up, “Young Master, lend me your horse.”

Zhou Tingchuan was dumbfounded. Before he could speak, she had already mounted his horse and galloped away like the wind.

He Tinglan brought him tea and patted his shoulder consolingly: “They’re too much, including the employer.”

Zhou Tingchuan’s precious steed was extremely fast, and with her constant urging, she finally intercepted Shen Qiyuan on Tongjiang Bridge.

Reins pulled tight, the horse neighed. Shen Qiyuan sat in the saddle, frowning at her, not speaking for a long time.

Ruyi smiled lightly and spoke: “Seeing you running so urgently, you must want to go to the Immortal Meeting Restaurant to see me. Since I came out to meet you, it saves you half the effort.”

He took a light breath, his eyes half-closed: “Are you truly only here to see me?”

Each harbors ulterior motives, with a tacit understanding.

Ruyi somewhat puzzledly smoothed her hair at her temples: “My lord, may I ask why? Why can’t the things they brought back with such hardship be submitted?”

“This concerns warfare and involves tens of thousands of lives—how can it be handled carelessly?” Shen Qiyuan was also somewhat angry, “Great Xia mostly worships demons and monsters. Lady Zhang still showed signs of demonic possession. How do you know what they brought back is entirely real?”

She was displeased to hear this: “I’ve examined those things. If they were fabricated by demonic arts, how could I not detect it?”

Shen Qiyuan felt he couldn’t explain things to her clearly. He tugged the reins, his knuckles turning white: “Step aside.”

The gentle affection in his eyes had faded somewhat. Ruyi slightly pursed her lips.

She asked: “These past few days you haven’t come to the Immortal Meeting Restaurant—is it because you’re busy with manor affairs, or because you don’t want to see me?”

She had noticed long ago. He had been busy before, but the previous Shen Qiyuan would have someone deliver messages to her and would secretly climb to her window after finishing his work.

But recently, there was nothing—absolutely nothing. Even seeing him once was precious.

Staring intently at his expression, Ruyi smiled but not quite: “I’m not like those lovesick men and women in the mortal world. If you’re tired of me and don’t want to be with me anymore, just say so directly. I absolutely won’t pester you. What’s the point of treating me coldly like this now?”

“I haven’t.” His eyelashes trembled.

“Haven’t what? Haven’t grown tired, or haven’t been treating me coldly?” she asked sternly.

The horse beneath her restlessly pawed the ground. Shen Qiyuan stroked its mane, not knowing how to answer.

It wasn’t that he deliberately wanted to treat her coldly—he just couldn’t accept those surging memories for a while. Not to mention the two thousand years, just speaking of Great Qian’s current devastation, it was all bestowed by him, this guardian god. How could he accept this?

He wanted to first settle these matters, first stabilize Great Qian’s situation, then face the aftermath between them.

But she wouldn’t—she wasn’t someone who dragged things out. Her eyes contained frost as she looked at him sideways, seemingly waiting for his decisive word.

Shen Qiyuan almost wanted to laugh.

Master always said his talent was the best on Qidou Mountain, but he felt otherwise. Liu Ruyi was clearly far superior to him—at least in the talent of being ruthless, he never matched her.

Not wanting to break with her, yet unable to embrace her as before, he wanted to retreat and avoid her, but the responsibility on his shoulders pressed him to cross this Tongjiang Bridge.

Ruyi waited quietly. Through breath after breath, the person across from her never spoke.

Sometimes silence was also an answer. She just didn’t want to believe it, so she stubbornly waited for him to speak.

How could someone who was previously of one heart with her change his feelings overnight? Hadn’t he painstakingly wanted to be with her? Hadn’t he already cherished her for many, many years?

Or was this just an immortal’s joke—to avenge her fickleness and ruthless heartlessness by treating her the same way?

Ruyi instinctively shook her head.

Shen Qiyuan wouldn’t do this. It took him three thousand years just to understand love—how could he toy with her using true feelings?

But if it wasn’t this, then why?

In the bitter and silent cold wind, Shen Qiyuan finally moved.

He quickly spurred his horse and, taking advantage of her distraction, bypassed her obstruction and nimbly ran toward the other end of Tongjiang Bridge.

Her pupils slowly focusing, Ruyi pursed her lips and laughed angrily, immediately throwing out the flowing sleeves wrapped around her body.