Pure white light flashed between their lips and teeth. The black qi in Ruyi’s pupils surged up like a giant python struggling to escape.

Shen Qiyuan kissed more deeply. The jade ornament fell from his hair tie, and black hair scattered like smoke rising from a waterfall, enveloping them both. As robes fluttered, pure white light drove away all the surrounding black mist.

The dying python drew its last breath and faded from her eyes. Though Ruyi’s pupils were still red, she fiercely pushed him away and scolded, “What are all those gods? Nothing but broken copper and scrap iron!”

“Liu Ruyi.” Wiping the blood from his lips where she had bitten him, Shen Qiyuan said irritably, “It’s time to wake up!”

As if a bronze bell had rung again, the surrounding scenery suddenly became clear. She panted heavily as consciousness gradually returned.

“Oh no!” She suddenly stood up and looked to the side.

The temple remained, green grass still verdant.

She hadn’t caused a great disaster? Ruyi looked at her own hands in disbelief.

Shen Qiyuan said irritably, “The future Demon King fell under someone else’s illusion.”

Ruyi glanced at him. Her expression cleared slightly, but was still somewhat unsightly. “This illusion was strange—there was no warning at all.”

When immortals cast illusions on people, the victim smells incense ash before the spell takes effect. When demons cast illusions on people, the victim smells blood before the spell takes effect.

She had been on guard from Lin’an City to here. If she had smelled any strange odors, she would certainly have been alert. There was no reason she should have fallen so smoothly into an illusion and been bewitched into wanting to kill.

Was it back in the forest?

Ruyi looked at her hands.

Not to boast, but her cultivation was truly too high. Those little demons, even in human form, posed no threat to her. Far from wounding her, they hadn’t even broken a single strand of her hair.

So what was going on? She looked toward that solemn temple, slightly narrowing her eyes.

“Shen Qiyuan.”

“Mm?”

Crouching beside him, Ruyi looked at the plaque on the temple and asked, “According to your divine perception, are there any immortals residing in this temple?”

Shen Qiyuan glanced at it and shook his head. “No. This should be newly built, not long ago. The divine statues inside don’t even have stone heads yet.”

Something trembled in a corner of her heart. Ruyi pressed on, “Would people offer incense and worship to divine statues without stone heads?”

He looked at her as if she were an idiot. “What do you think?”

Stone heads represented a temple’s completion. Before construction was finished, all gods were headless, making all prayers empty.

“But there was the scent of incense inside just now.” She said gravely.

Shen Qiyuan stood up, flower petals and leaves rustling from his robes.

“Immortals do not harm people,” he said. “Don’t speak carelessly and add to your karmic debts.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you either.” Ruyi sneered coldly. “Between me and your immortals, whom do you trust more?”

Shen Qiyuan found it absurd. “Liu Ruyi, in all these times, have you ever chosen me even once?”

Every time it was Wei Zijue who won over him. Naturally, he had no reason to trust her unconditionally.

The two stood facing each other, the atmosphere inexplicably growing heavy again.

Wei Zijue supported his arm as he stood up and returned to Ruyi’s side.

“Are you alright?” Seeing his condition, Ruyi inevitably felt guilty. “I must have mistaken you for an enemy just now.”

“No.” Wei Zijue said quietly. “Lord Shen accidentally knocked me against a nearby stone when he pushed me away.”

Shen Qiyuan was furious. “I save you and you don’t thank me, but instead complain? If not for me just now, she would have already disemboweled you with one claw. When she woke up, she wouldn’t even have had a complete corpse to hold and cry over.”

Ruyi glared at him. “Why are you shouting so loudly?” As her voice trailed off, she felt somewhat guilty after all.

She touched her nose tip. “Thank you for just now. If not for you, I would have suffered a great calamity.”

Shen Qiyuan laughed coldly. “No need to thank me. I should apologize to your little gentleman.”

“My lord speaks too seriously,” Wei Zijue said. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Whatever you meant, encountering you two here today is my misfortune.” He turned and walked back, mounted his horse, his face so cold that ice could fall from it. “Farewell forever.”

Ruyi raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you come looking for me? Where else are you going?”

“Who said taking this road meant I came looking for you?” He straightened his back. “I’m going to the neighboring city to buy something for Tingchuan.”

“Oh? A sixth-rank petty clerk ordering around a first-rank lord to run errands?” Ruyi clapped her hands in delight. “The little lord is truly impressive.”

“What do you know? That’s something as important as life itself to Tingchuan.” His face somewhat unable to bear it, Shen Qiyuan pulled the reins and left.

“My lord—”

Someone approached from behind, hooves beating rapidly.

He turned back impatiently. “What now?”

Song Zhenshan ran rather urgently, out of breath. “My fault, my fault. I was delayed by something before leaving. Your master sent word early this morning for me to tell you—you must enter the palace at the first quarter of the mao hour. Going late might endanger your fate.”

He looked at the time and slapped his leg in annoyance. “It’s already the end of the Mao hour.”

Shen Qiyuan frowned in thought, then turned his horse around. “Let’s go.”

Song Zhenshan immediately followed. “Hyah!”

“Hey, my lord,” Ruyi called teasingly. “You’re just abandoning that thing as important as life itself to little lord Tingchuan?”

Shen Qiyuan spurred his horse while backhanding a gust of clear wind.

Ruyi nimbly avoided this crude attack, her nostrils flaring as she clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Commander Wei, smell this—this wind reeks of embarrassed fury.”

Wei Zijue didn’t smile, only stared at her profile in fascination.

Miss Liu in front of Lord Shen seemed different from Miss Liu in front of others. She didn’t notice, but he could see it. Someone who had never understood matters of the heart now seemed to easily distinguish between love and lack thereof.

Looking down at his own hands, he pressed his lips together.

He would rather not be able to distinguish.

“Commander Wei.” Still smiling, Ruyi turned to him. “The weather is excellent today. Why don’t you join the others behind us and take a nap?”

The scene just now wasn’t meant for mortals to see. Gray formed by white mist and black smoke mingling fell in the temple, and the panicked, uneasy crowd all peacefully fell asleep. When they woke, they would remember nothing and continue their journey.

Ruyi raised her hand, wanting to touch a bit of ash from her fingertip to his brow.

Wei Zijue stopped her hand.

“I don’t know why,” he said, “but I don’t seem to fear demons. I even feel that how you were just now is your true appearance.”

Ruyi’s fingertip trembled.

She looked up at him, the corner of her mouth forced into a smile. “Not afraid of demons? Lord Commander, you’re mortal now. How can you not fear demons?”

“I don’t know.” He met her gaze, her reflection printed in his eyes. “Perhaps because I know you would never harm me.”

…

—I will never harm you, so may I stay closer to you?

—Your embrace is truly so warm. Zijue wants to stay by your side for a lifetime.

—Immortality is happiness, but if it’s like the past few hundred years without receiving your sincere treatment, then it becomes torment.

—My final wish—please help me reincarnate.