In these long thousands of years, Ruyi had quite a few companions. The graves she had personally erected for them numbered over ten, one pit one tomb one stick of incense, all piled beside the Ten Thousand Demons’ Den. When she was happy, she would arrange them in a straight line; when she was unhappy, she would arrange them in a herringbone pattern.

No one was worth her heartbreak, or rather, in these thousands of years, no one had truly moved her heart.

But with Shen Qiyuan, from the first moment she saw him, Ruyi felt something different.

It wasn’t because he resembled Wei Zijue by seven parts, nor because his aura was powerful. It was that leaning in his embrace, she inexplicably felt at peace.

How could a great demon about to become the demon king, always on guard against others’ assassination attempts, feel at peace in a stranger’s arms?

She simply wanted to know the answer to this question, which was why she was willing to approach him.

Shen Qiyuan didn’t have the restraint and wariness that an immortal should have toward her. Rather than saying she had forced herself upon him, it would be better to say he was the most skillful hunter, having disguised himself as prey from the beginning to arouse her inexhaustible interest.

She had originally thought he was seeking thrills, never expecting him to be serious—even her opportunity to come to the human realm was his careful scheming.

Shen Qiyuan had long ago offered his heart to her, burning hot, but she hadn’t paid attention. No matter how many times he laid bare his feelings beside her ear, she only took it as sweet talk for atmosphere.

That’s why on the painted boat, when he learned she had let Yuncheng go, he became so angry.

No, now that Ruyi recalled Shen Qiyuan’s expression at that time, rather than angry, he was more likely heartbroken. He had deceived heaven and earth, wanting to stay with her forever, while all she thought about was helping another man.

Thunder rolled like giant stones scraping overhead, carrying rumbling sounds toward Huiming Mountain.

She came back to herself and clicked her tongue impatiently: “How is it worth it?”

Song Zhenshan was quite dissatisfied with her attitude and was about to say something more when Ruyi moved.

She gathered half her demonic power into an orb and placed it in his palm, then withdrew the hand supporting the dome.

Song Zhenshan hurriedly borrowed that power to hold up the other half of the dome.

When he looked up again, Ruyi’s figure had already disappeared from the terrace.

He frowned, looking toward the distant place where thunder arose.

On Huiming Mountain, floods ran rampant. Century-old trees were uprooted and tumbled down the mountainside along with the turbid rainwater. Lightning tore through the firmament behind the mountain, and the dark, heavy sky seemed about to collapse.

The soil on the open ground at the mountaintop had already been charred. Shen Qiyuan sat cross-legged on a round stone, his spine straight, surrounded by floating pure white radiance. His eyes were closed, the bloodstains at the corners of his mouth had dried and been covered anew.

Heavenly punishment would show no mercy to any god or demon. No matter how high one’s cultivation, enduring three strikes would shatter the liver and gall.

He couldn’t help but remember that great war between gods and demons from years past. On that chaotic battlefield, heavenly punishment had also fallen.

She had taken it upon herself and retreated in defeat to the Ten Thousand Demons’ Den; he had achieved perfect merit and ascended victorious to Lingyun Hall.

At that time, he had very much wanted to ask her why she had drawn heavenly punishment. Unfortunately, in the thousand years afterward, he never saw her again.

Heavenly thunder pierced through his body. The surrounding white light scattered like shattered porcelain pieces. Shen Qiyuan only felt something explode in his head—a vast whiteness accompanied by the continuous buzzing sound of blades scraping.

Someone seemed to be running toward him.

Amidst the tremendous roar, she threw herself forward and spread her arms, tightly protecting him in her embrace. The crisp scent of rainwater mixed with faint wine fragrance filled his nostrils.

Who was it?

He seemed to have an answer in his mind, but that answer was torn away by the wild wind. No matter how he tried to remember, he couldn’t recall.

In the instant before consciousness disappeared, Shen Qiyuan relaxedly smoothed the brow that had been furrowed all along.

“Shen Qiyuan.” Ruyi held him, so frightened by the close heavenly thunder that she couldn’t stand straight. She wanted to wake him, but the person in her arms seemed to have fainted.

If even such a powerful immortal as he could faint, no wonder she feared thunder.

Ruyi swallowed and squinted up at the sky.

Lightning was like a fish imprisoned, trapped in the dark clouds, no longer continuing to fall.

Her eyes brightened.

That’s right—heavenly thunder didn’t strike mortals. She now had a mortal’s body and could be spared this cruel punishment.

Rubbing her weakened legs, she struggled to hoist Shen Qiyuan up and stumbled down the mountain.

The scorched earth on the ground was as thick as iron plates. It looked like more than one bolt of heavenly thunder had already fallen—she had come rather late. Fortunately, the person on her back still had a breath of life left. As long as she took him back to recuperate properly, he should recover.

Some recipes for treating heavenly punishment injuries popped into her mind. Ruyi was somewhat puzzled. How did she remember these things? She had never suffered heavenly punishment.

Shaking her head, she gripped Shen Qiyuan’s arm tightly.

Though heavenly thunder could be avoided, the torrential rain throughout Great Qian could not. As soon as Ruyi returned to the Immortal Meeting Wine House, she continued supporting the dome. Shen Qiyuan was settled in a room on the third floor where she could see him with a turn of her head.

Song Zhenshan looked at the hem of her dress, disheveled beyond recognition, and at Shen Qiyuan, who, though unconscious, had no external injuries. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing more.

This heavy rain lasted a full three days. Even with the dome supporting them, many low-lying areas in Lin’an City were still flooded, with water on the streets reaching above the knees. Cold currents arrived instantly after the rain, mixing with the unreceded water and freezing people until they wailed.

Ruyi and Song Zhenshan were carried into their respective rooms by people from the wine house. Both were exhausted and had lost consciousness at some point. Ruyi’s complexion was especially pale—her entire person like a piece of wet tissue paper.

Fuman and Little Lotus Leaf were so anxious that they cried right away. He Tinglan managed to steady her mind, bringing hot water to wipe Ruyi’s body and changing her clothes. After confirming she was only sleeping from exhaustion, she even cooked some clear porridge for herself.

The day after the rain, long queues formed on the streets for relief grain. The Immortal Meeting Wine House also opened its doors wide, providing coarse flour steamed buns and porridge to the disaster-stricken people.

Ruyi opened her eyes amidst all this commotion.

“Proprietress, proprietress.” Zhao Yanning was the first to lean over, asking her with a tense expression, “Who am I?”

Rolling her eyes irritably, Ruyi pushed him away and sat up: “I’m tired, not stupid. What kind of question is that?”

Everyone in the room collectively sighed in relief. Fuman said with red eyes: “You also slept, slept too long. I was very, very worried.”

Touching her head, Ruyi asked: “Has the rain outside stopped?”

“It’s stopped. Everyone is fine, and the wine house suffered no losses.” He Tinglan said hesitantly, “It’s just Lord Shen…”

Her heart tightening, Ruyi grasped her hand: “What’s wrong with him?”

Several people stammered and couldn’t answer. She frowned and, not caring about anything else, stepped into her embroidered shoes and went out to find him.

Before fainting, Shen Qiyuan had been on the third floor, but the third floor wasn’t residential quarters after all. They should have moved him to the second floor. With so many rooms on the second floor—

“Ruyi.” Someone called her softly from behind, the voice carrying joy and restraint.