Ruyi found it amusing: “Without evidence or proof, My Lord wishes to detain me?”

“It’s not detention, merely temporary custody,” Shen Qiyuan didn’t even lift his eyelids.

According to Great Qian’s laws, suspected persons involved in cases could be temporarily held at the yamen for no more than three days. After three days, if there is still no evidence, they must be released.

He knew he would eventually have to release her, but he insisted on keeping her for these three days.

Cold light reflected in her eyes. Ruyi said nothing more—after all, when authority oppresses people, talking is useless. She simply stretched out both hands, allowing the yamen runners to escort her to the tile house in the back.

The tile house was in a courtyard not far from the main prison, naturally not a pleasant place. When the door opened, dust and moldy odors rushed out to meet them. Ruyi entered with great displeasure, seeing the room cluttered with miscellaneous items without a clean place to sit.

Her delicate eyebrows turned downward, annoyance deepening in her eyes. She looked at the person who followed her in and said mockingly, “My Lord’s methods of humiliating people are truly different every day.”

The hem of his crimson-purple robe swept across the threshold as Shen Qiyuan glanced around: “All suspected persons are usually confined here. Should I make a special exception for you?”

Though he said this, seeing that the yamen runners had all withdrawn, he still raised his hand, letting white light pour from between his fingers.

Pure white light swept away the dust and filth. The haphazardly piled tables, chairs, and stools were rearranged. Fresh bedding appeared on the wooden bed, water-colored gauze curtains hung from the roof beams, and even the round table was adorned with light blue brocade embroidered with subtle patterns.

Ruyi was stunned.

She turned to look at him, opening her mouth to speak, but Shen Qiyuan gave her no opportunity, immediately setting up a magical formation in this clean environment.

“This formation cannot tolerate filth—consider yourself fortunate,” he said expressionlessly.

Ruyi: “…”

This person’s mouth was still so stubborn.

Looking at the dense array of talismans on the window, she sighed softly.

Today was the Heavenly Celebration Festival. The streets must be very lively, and she had promised that young man they would float river lanterns together—now that was impossible. This courtyard was so desolate, and with the formation in place, they didn’t even need to leave guards.

She resignedly sat by the table, drooping her eyelids: “Then I won’t see My Lord out.”

Shen Qiyuan stood behind her for a while, pressing his lips together before speaking: “Would you like to redeem some of your karmic sins?”

The heavier a demon’s sins, the more painful their death would be, so even demons with heinous crimes would occasionally do things to redeem their sins.

Ruyi propped her chin with little interest: “My Lord, being locked up here by you is already miserable enough. Doing good deeds during a festival would be even more miserable, wouldn’t it?”

“You don’t need to do good deeds,” Shen Qiyuan looked outside. “Just float sky lanterns.”

Float sky lanterns? Ruyi rose skeptically. Something so simple—if it were useful, wouldn’t the sky be full of them?

Looking out from the doorway, the entire night sky was indeed filled with sky lanterns—red, orange, yellow, blue, every color imaginable, rising slowly from below, floating like stars, magnificent and lively.

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she beckoned: “Quick, quick, where can we buy these lanterns?”

Shen Qiyuan sneered: “You’re treating me like an errand boy?”

Even as he spoke, he flipped his hand, and ten Kongming lanterns appeared arranged under the eaves.

Ruyi cheered, her skirt flying as she rushed over, a flame igniting at her fingertip with a flick.

Shen Qiyuan looked at that eerie blue demon fire and huffed irritably: “Whoosh—”

Ruyi finally looked at him, though it was more of a glare: “What are you doing?”

“That’s not how you light them,” he frowned, taking the lantern in his hand, then producing a long candle and reaching it up from below to light the wick inside. “Help me hold it steady.”

She watched with curiosity, for once obediently following his instructions.

Two thousand years ago, when she was still in the mortal world, this thing hadn’t been invented yet—this was her first time seeing it. Watching the lantern gradually brighten, her eyes also lit up bit by bit, her face white and smooth as cream in the lamplight.

Shen Qiyuan faced to the side, but watched her from the corner of his eye, his features softening by two degrees.

According to the Great Qian folk legend, men and women who floated lanterns together on the Heavenly Celebration Festival would form a destined bond, entangled for life. Though the legend didn’t specify whether it was a good or bad entanglement, the phrase “for life” was already moving enough.

Ruyi released all ten sky lanterns in one breath, shading her eyes with her hand to watch the fireflies fly away. She turned with a smile to speak, but stopped abruptly when she saw Shen Qiyuan’s face.

“Why is My Lord still here?” she said, puzzledly. “Do you need to guard me personally?”

His softened features hardened again. Shen Qiyuan flicked his sleeves and left: “You don’t have that much ability.”

Azure Gods had natural restraining power over demons. This formation was enough to prevent her from leaving the small courtyard. Even if she could leave, he would certainly know, and then it would count as escaping privately, turning innocence into guilt. She wouldn’t be that foolish.

Striding away, Shen Qiyuan returned to his manor, arranged his people properly, and planned to send another batch of laborers out of the city tomorrow. As long as this batch was attacked by demons again, Liu Ruyi, trapped in the formation, could clear her suspicions.

However, the next day, this batch of laborers safely reached the next city and boarded cargo boats to Nine Rivers.

Shen Qiyuan repeatedly confirmed that he hadn’t slain all the demons that day, then escorted two more batches of laborers.

On the third and fourth days, nothing happened.

Time was up. Liu Ruyi smoothly left the small courtyard where she’d been temporarily held, standing before him and curtsying gracefully: “Thank you, My Lord, for your keen insight in returning this young woman’s innocence.”

The heavy sarcasm made Shen Qiyuan’s face turn iron-blue. He watched her leave, then immediately had Song Zhenshan lead people to depart.

“My Lord,” two hours later, Zhou Tingchuan reported with a grave expression, “Lord Song sent word that Wuyou female demons appeared again, but this time he was prepared and still successfully escorted all two hundred-plus people to the neighboring city.”

Shen Qiyuan closed his eyes.

Unable to clear suspicions—those demons attacking people had appeared together with Liu Ruyi.

Now, with people’s hearts in turmoil, they could recruit few laborers to begin with. Adding this obstacle in the city outskirts, sending people from Lin’an to Nine Rivers was no longer a good idea. The remaining refugees would have to be settled by other means.

People could be recruited from various places, but what about military provisions? The granaries storing old grain were in Lin’an’s outskirts—they could only transport from there to the Nine Rivers.

Shen Qiyuan pondered deeply, then suddenly said to Zhou Tingchuan: “What is Wei Zijue doing now?”

“Commander Wei requested to lead troops to station at Nine Rivers, but His Majesty refused for some reason. He’s been going to the Ministry of War daily, hoping the old ministers will help speak for him.”

Wei Zijue was young and accomplished, with strong military ambitions—naturally feared by the emperor. It made sense that the emperor wouldn’t want to give him opportunities.

Shen Qiyuan stood up, walked forward two steps, then stopped, seeming somewhat hesitant. But after just a moment, he set his resolve and strode across the threshold.