After asking the question, her mind suddenly sparked with understanding.

The Shen manor—Shen Qiyuan could view all case files from the Ministry of Justice, so Little Lotus Leaf naturally had opportunities to access her father’s case. At that time, Shen Qiyuan probably hadn’t recovered his memory yet and didn’t know how to cover for her.

Her heart aching severely, she drew light breaths and laughed bitterly: “Only bringing me harm.”

Little Lotus Leaf had struck her heart with one blow and was already confident of victory, waiting for her to breathe her last. But the boss before her only seemed somewhat sad, showing no signs of falling.

She was somewhat puzzled: “You’re fine even after taking a blade to the heart?”

Sitting cross-legged among the fallen leaves, Ruyi said mockingly with a pale face: “Little girl, if I hadn’t trusted you too much, you couldn’t have harmed even a strand of my hair.”

What was taking a blade to the heart? It wasn’t the first time.

She raised her hand, and in front of the little girl, light emanated from her palm as she covered the wound.

The continuously bleeding gash quickly closed, finally leaving only a red mark.

Little Lotus Leaf’s pupils contracted sharply. She twisted around to run, shouting: “Demon! There’s a demon!”

Ruyi grabbed her back like picking up a chick.

“Your father did die because of me, but he first harbored murderous intent toward me, so paying with his life was the price he should have given.” Ruyi looked down at her from above. “I don’t blame you for seeking revenge on me. As long as you have the ability, you can take my life anytime. But—”

She lowered her eyes, veins slightly rising on the back of her hand: “With this blade, you and I are finished. You’re no longer a person of my Immortal Meeting Wine House. Next time you strike at me, I will kill you without mercy.”

Her voice was low and vicious enough to make anyone shiver.

Little Lotus Leaf burst into loud sobs.

Ruyi paid her no more attention, tossing her aside and covering her heart as she prepared to walk back.

However, the Little Lotus Leaf she had thrown aside suddenly stopped crying abruptly, then her entire body fell into the pile of fallen leaves like a heap of tattered cotton.

Ruyi stopped in confusion.

The next instant, killing intent struck her from another direction in the garden with tremendous force. She barely managed to dodge.

“You killed again!” An azure figure followed, clashing with her demonic power with a sharp ring.

Her heart dulling with pain, Ruyi looked up.

Shen Qiyuan, before her, had no color in his face, his eyes even more ice-cold. He looked at her with disgust and hatred: “You won’t even spare a nine-year-old child?”

Ruyi wanted to say she hadn’t done it on purpose—from such a small height, who knew she would fall straight down? And besides, she might not necessarily be dead.

However, the look in this person’s eyes was truly sharp, like a newly sharpened Emei thorn stabbing fiercely through their shared past, tearing it in two with a ripping sound.

She laughed angrily: “Would you kill me for such a little girl?”

“Eliminating demons that harm people is the Azure God’s duty.” He asked mockingly, “What makes you think you could be an exception?”

What made her think?

Ruyi’s throat rolled up and down, choking with discomfort.

She hadn’t had time to ask him “what gives you the right,” only to be asked first by him.

Looking at the blood-covered little girl in the distance, then at herself with even her clothes completely restored, Ruyi suddenly laughed.

“In your eyes, I am just a demon that deserves to die.” She nodded, spine straight, the demonic power in her hands not relaxing a bit as she confronted him. “I kill without blinking, I can eat human flesh as meals.”

“But Shen Qiyuan, in all the days I still have memory, I’ve never killed an innocent person, never touched any mortal’s flesh. Even when my demonic power was depleted, even when they trampled me underfoot like mud, I never touched those things you would find dirty.”

“What I feared most then was that you could never accept me again.”

Her eyes growing redder, she smiled more brilliantly: “But I’m not afraid anymore.”

Shen Qiyuan frowned, not understanding her meaning.

The demonic power in her palm suddenly surged as Ruyi pushed him away and lunged toward Little Lotus Leaf in the pile of fallen leaves.

Shen Qiyuan blocked her again, seeing her intent and turning iron-blue with anger: “Liu Ruyi!”

“You’d better stop me today.” She raised her lips, her voice hoarse. “Otherwise, once I get over there, I’ll grind that little girl’s bones to dust.”

With these words, he naturally no longer held back. Pure white divine light, like a waterfall falling from the nine heavens, clashed with her demonic energy, sparking a blinding red light.

He had a chest wound, so his divine power would be somewhat weaker. But unexpectedly, this person’s demonic energy wasn’t strong today either. After several rounds, blood first trickled from the corner of her mouth.

His fingertips contracted slightly. Shen Qiyuan didn’t press his advantage but instead used a moment when he had suppressed her to pick up Little Lotus Leaf’s corpse from behind and leave the Song manor.

When the light dispersed, only scattered fallen leaves remained around them.

Ruyi stood silently, her expression hidden among her drifting hair, not moving for a long time.

On his way back to the bridal chamber, Song Zhenshan heard news of Shen Qiyuan’s departure and said puzzledly: “He said he wouldn’t come yesterday—why did he come today after all? Since he came, why did he leave without even looking at me?”

“The drunkard’s intent lies not in wine, but in the mountains and waters.” Zhou Tingchuan shook his head and chanted with him, then raised his hand to beckon nearby Fuman. “Let me guess—Miss Liu must also be here, right?”

Fuman nodded with a smile, looking left and right before showing some confusion in her eyes.

The boss had been missing since the banquet began, not appearing for over half an hour.

Somewhat worried, she gestured with Zhao Yanning for a while, then followed the servants’ directions toward the garden to search.

The ceremony had been arranged for dusk. After eating for a while longer, the surroundings were already deep in the night. Wind blew through the garden, swirling fallen leaves that filled the eyes.

Fuman searched with difficulty for a long time before finally finding Ruyi by a dried well.

She sat hugging her knees by the well’s edge, her body small and nearly covered by fallen leaves.

Fuman hurried over and patted her shoulder.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Ruyi looked up, saw it was her, and smiled coquettishly: “Can’t walk anymore—need someone to carry me.”

Fuman’s heart softened.

The boss was very capable, the most capable woman she’d ever seen, but she loved acting spoiled with her, like a majestic suanni rolling over with drooped ears before her.

She couldn’t help but squat down in front of her, generously offering her back.

Ruyi seemed to laugh softly, but didn’t climb on. She just pulled her over and gently rested her head against her.

“The moon is so bright.” She smiled, though her voice carried mockery. “But what use is being so bright?”

She, too, had deeply loved someone for so many years, her heart still restless with emotion to this day. But what use was it?