But for some reason, after he said this, the entire room fell silent.

Song Zhenshan felt a chill down his spine: “What did I say wrong?”

“You weren’t wrong.” A voice sounded from behind, speaking leisurely: “Immortals match with immortals. A demon like me with treacherous and brutal methods should have self-awareness.”

Turning around abruptly, Song Zhenshan’s hair stood on end: “You—”

Before his eyes, on a branch wrapped with golden silk, a magpie tilted half her eye to look at him with an arrogant and roguish expression—anyone could tell who it was.

He laughed dryly: “What, what play is this?”

When he left, these two were still fighting red-faced, but in the blink of an eye, how had Shen Qiyuan come to keep her true form in his house?

“It’s a long story, but now we’re united against a common enemy.” Shen Qiyuan touched his nose tip. “She’ll accompany me to Nine Rivers.”

Song Zhenshan fell silent.

Nothing was more awkward than being caught red-handed speaking ill of someone.

Liu Ruyi spoke in her bird voice with sarcastic undertones: “So Lord Song has always been thinking of the fairy maidens in heaven. What a pity for Zhaoying’s deep affection.”

“No.” He tried hard to explain. “That’s not what I meant just now. I meant if Lord Shen doesn’t work out with you, then consider those fairy maidens. If you’re there, how could my lord even look at fairy maidens?”

Ruyi tilted her head, looking at him, appearing completely unwilling to listen.

Song Zhenshan slapped his thigh: “Let’s depart quickly. Arriving at Nine Rivers one day earlier means the people, soldiers, and generals there can have peace of mind for one more day.”

Shen Qiyuan hesitated somewhat: “I’m afraid I still need to enter the palace to get an imperial edict before I can depart.”

“Leave it to me,” Ruyi said. “I have sinister methods that can make the old emperor obediently write out an edict.”

He smiled and reached out to tap her small head: “Lord Song knows he was wrong. Stop tormenting him.”

Ruyi raised her pointed beak. Seeing Song Zhenshan bowing twice beside them, she finally calmed down: “Fine then.”

The three split up to act separately. Song Zhenshan first returned home to explain things to Zhaoying, while Ruyi and Shen Qiyuan took a carriage out of the city together, casting spells to escape to Nine Rivers Prefecture from an uninhabited place outside the city.

On the road, Ruyi suddenly spoke: “Do you think I was a bit petty just now?”

Shen Qiyuan wanted to nod but forcibly restrained himself: “It was alright. He was wrong first.”

“You don’t need to make excuses. My behavior just now was indeed rather petty.” She landed in his palm, her claws gently scratching. “But Lord Shen, this is a very normal reaction between lovers. I care about you and like you, so I don’t want your friends to think you’re better matched with someone else.”

Shen Qiyuan nodded: “I know.”

“You don’t know.” She shook her head with clicking sounds. “Love is not only about good emotions but also many bad emotions. As long as they’re properly controlled, there’s no need to avoid them.”

She was talking about his earlier jealousy.

Shen Qiyuan didn’t really want to discuss this and turned his head away: “If you understand these principles, how could I not know them?”

“Then were you jealous at Moon Gazing Pavilion?”

“No.” He lowered his eyes. “I’m an immortal, he’s a mortal. I have nothing to be jealous about.”

Ruyi puffed out her cheeks.

Those who cultivate divinity gradually abandon all negative emotions over the long years. Shen Qiyuan naturally hadn’t been able to abandon them, but various divine cultivation principles made him feel those emotions were bad things that would corrode him, and he would instinctively avoid them.

If this continued, he would doubt himself and even get angry with himself like before, determined to leave her.

She didn’t want to see such scenes again.

She needed to think of another way.

The magnificent treasure carriage disappeared outside Lin’an’s suburbs and reappeared outside Nine Rivers Prefecture a thousand li away, slowly moving toward the city.

The area around Nine Rivers wasn’t as prosperous as Lin’an. The wind carried yellow sand and earth, making the entire city appear hazy and unclear. The carriage attracted many people’s attention as soon as it entered.

After Shen Qiyuan handed his travel permit and documents to the city guards for inspection, he wanted to find an inn to stay. But Ruyi said: “The inns here are quite shabby. Go forward three streets then turn left.”

He followed her words but was somewhat puzzled. Logically, Ruyi had never been to this place either—how was she so familiar with the roads?

After an incense stick’s time, Shen Qiyuan looked at the person waiting respectfully at the door ahead and darkened his face as he realized.

“Lord Shen.” Wei Zijue cupped his hands toward him. “I only received Ruyi’s letter an hour ago, yet you’ve arrived in the blink of an eye.”

Quite intimate the way he addressed her.

Shen Qiyuan smiled without warmth: “Your manor must be busy with affairs. My coming must be quite disruptive? There’s an inn just ahead—it would be fine for me to stay there.”

“How could that be? Since you’re Ruyi’s friend, you’re also my friend. Please come inside.” Wei Zijue smiled as he took his luggage, saying meaningfully, “If I don’t host you well, Ruyi will blame me later.”

In just a few sentences, he had made Shen Qiyuan sound like an outsider.

Shen Qiyuan’s eyelid twitched, and Ruyi in his sleeve pocket squeaked from being pinched by him.

“What’s that?” Wei Zijue asked curiously.

“Nothing.” Shen Qiyuan shook his sleeve pocket to toss her out. “An unlikable little thing.”

Ruyi flipped in the air and landed dizzily on his shoulder, her feathers disheveled like a little girl who had just woken up without grooming.

Wei Zijue’s eyes brightened: “What a spirited magpie—she’s not afraid of people?”

“House-raised, she’s used to following me.” Shen Qiyuan smiled without smiling. “But she’s not particularly loyal either—she’d fly away if someone else beckoned.”

Ruyi felt uncomfortable all over from his sarcasm and chattered angrily.

Wei Zijue watched with raised eyebrows: “She seems to be blaming you for not speaking of her that way.”

Shen Qiyuan’s brow furrowed for a moment.

He was no longer a demon, and hadn’t recognized this as Liu Ruyi, yet could still guess her thoughts?

The understanding he and she had accumulated over a thousand years wasn’t much better than someone else’s few hundred years. Perhaps she’d be even happier by Wei Zijue’s side.

His chest felt somewhat stuffy. Shen Qiyuan flicked his sleeve and strode through the door, turning to grasp the door frame: “Travel has been exhausting. I won’t exchange pleasantries with you.”

Wei Zijue also cupped his hands: “My lord, please rest. I’ll prepare what you need according to Ruyi’s instructions.”

With that, he took his leave.

Shen Qiyuan gripped the door frame and remained silent for a long while before closing the door.

“What did you discuss with him?” he asked.

Ruyi blinked: “What could I discuss? Just sent word ahead for him to prepare lodging and food for you.”

Shen Qiyuan didn’t believe it.

She hadn’t told him when she sent the letter, yet seemed to have told Wei Zijue everything. That’s why Wei Zijue always appeared so confident in front of him, which was irritating to watch.

Realizing malicious energy had risen in his heart again, Shen Qiyuan lowered his eyes and strode to the couch in the inner room to meditate.