The man before her overlapped with her dear friend from a hundred years ago. Liu Shuang felt both joy and sadness. Her only regret when dying under the heavenly thunder was gradually being fulfilled in this moment.

“Shao You, these years… how have you been?” Liu Shuang had never dared to imagine that Shao You would be Kun Lun’s Young Lord.

She had always thought he was an immortal ascetic from the ancient peach tree clan. Seeing Shao You again was an immense stroke of fortune for her.

Shao You was perplexed. Last time she had been rude and unreasonable, appearing as if she couldn’t wait to get rid of him, but now her attitude had completely changed.

Suspecting another trick, Shao You frowned, his tone carrying a faint coldness: “Didn’t the Immortal Lady just see me not long ago? Where does this long separation come from?”

These words were like a bucket of cold water. Liu Shuang awoke from the joy of seeing Shao You.

The Shao You before her looked at her without warmth, with a slight coldness. He was frowning, and though his expression wasn’t particularly obvious and his attitude was still relatively gentle, with Liu Shuang’s understanding of him, she knew he wasn’t pleased.

He didn’t like her current self. Only she had memories of their past; Shao You wouldn’t remember her.

Liu Shuang quickly composed herself. Her desires were few—she had once regretted not being able to travel through mountains and rivers with Shao You, to drink flower wine together. In this life, all her regrets could be fulfilled.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly assumed her role as Chi Shui Liu Shuang.

“Ji Mo Young Lord, I was very offensive during my last visit to Kun Lun. Please don’t take it to heart. I was rude and unreasonable, committing a mistake.” She curtseyed. “I hope Ji Mo Young Lord will forgive me.”

Shao You sat down and raised his hand to brew a pot of tea. His movements were fluid, and he gave her a light glance: “I don’t blame the Immortal Lady.”

Liu Shuang said: “Then, after Ji Mo Young Lord forgives me, can we get along well?”

With these words, before Shao You could respond, the faces of everyone present showed varying expressions.

Bai Yuxiao thought: Oh, Chi Shui Liu Shuang has become clever, knowing how to play along, pretending to be friendly first to borrow the Shennong Cauldron.

Bai Zhuixu was very surprised. Liu Shuang’s dislike for Ji Mo Shao You and her resistance to this marriage were known throughout Kung Sang. He had thought forcing her to apologize was already difficult, but now her interaction with Ji Mo Young Lord seemed completely different.

There was no hostility. Before Ji Mo Shao You, Liu Shuang’s attitude was full of admiration, consistently showing affection and… intimacy?

Liu Shuang, affectionate and intimate with Ji Mo Shao You?

Yan Chaosheng, who had been silent in the corner, now raised his head. His eyes were cold as they fell on Liu Shuang, then slowly turned toward Shao You.

Yan Chaosheng felt a blockage in his heart.

He couldn’t explain why to himself. Earlier in the peach forest, when Liu Shuang used spiritual power to scatter those characters, he had been surprised. The Bai brothers hadn’t noticed, but he knew this technique looked familiar—it was taught to him in his childhood by a wandering immortal.

Though Yan Chaosheng had lost his cultivation, his demon eyes, different from others, remained. At a glance, he saw that spiritual power had wrapped some characters into Kun Lun.

She was bowing her head in submission to that man.

Yan Chaosheng frowned, inevitably speculating about Chi Shui Liu Shuang’s intentions. Of the four people coming to Kun Lun this time, only he didn’t know Liu Shuang’s complete purpose. He had thought Kung Sang didn’t want to offend Kun Lun, so they sent their Young Lord to personally apologize.

That would be understandable, but her first glance at Ji Mo Shao You was nowhere near hatred or unwillingness to marry.

When Ji Mo Shao You turned around, she stepped forward, her eyes carrying a light Yan Chaosheng had never seen before.

Yan Chaosheng had to admit, from their first encounter to later at the Lotus Platform, and even throughout the journey from Kung Sang to Kun Lun, not even Bai Zhuixu had made her show such an expression.

He stared intently at Liu Shuang.

Standing so close, she was almost pressed against Ji Mo Shao You’s chest! Was she this desperate? Yet she claimed she didn’t want to marry Ji Mo Shao You.

Yan Chaosheng laughed coldly. This was hardly unwillingness to marry—could she be any more obvious?

Not only did she ask how Ji Mo Shao You had been, but she also wanted to get along well with him. What would a man and woman do together?

Indeed, as he had thought before, Chi Shui Liu Shuang was like those dissolute immortals he had seen. This kind of immortal… Yan Chaosheng’s heart surged with waves of displeasure.

He had considered sparing her once she had been taught a lesson!

He mocked coldly in his heart, unsure whether it was directed at Chi Shui Liu Shuang or himself for carrying her back a few nights ago.

With mixed thoughts in his mind, they finally converged into coldness in his eyes.

By now, Shao You had finished brewing the tea. With a sweep of his wide sleeves, teacups flew to the table in front of each person. He said, “If the Chi Shui Immortal Lady enjoys Kun Lun, she may come stay for a while anytime.”

Yan Chaosheng thought that anyone could hear this was a cold formality. On the surface, it allowed Chi Shui Liu Shuang to visit anytime, but Shao You had said “come to Kun Lun,” not “spend time with him.”

Yan Chaosheng looked mockingly at Liu Shuang. She paused but showed no anger, holding the teacup Shao You had given her. She smiled lightly: “Good. In the future, I will come to Kun Lun often. If I anger Ji Mo Young Lord again, the Young Lord can expel me anytime.”

Shao You was slightly startled, his eyes tinged with barely perceptible amusement.

Crack!

The teacup in Yan Chaosheng’s hand shattered, and everyone looked over.

Yan Chaosheng expressionlessly gathered the fragments: “This disciple was discourteous. May Ji Mo Young Lord forgive me.”

Shao You nodded: “It’s nothing.”

Yan Chaosheng laughed coldly in his heart. He must have been blind on the journey to think Chi Shui Liu Shuang was just a bit willful, not knowing she would harm him to this extent, believing she was different from Bai Yuxiao.

He had thought she knew her mistake and felt guilty, which was why she treated his wounds at the Lotus Platform. He had thought her nature was still kind and brave, which was why she dared to confront Bi Xun in Taichuan City. He had thought, he had thought she…

Recalling this now was both infuriating and embarrassing. She fell for every man she met—ambiguous with Bai Zhuixu, seemingly at odds with Bai Yuxiao on the surface (if they were truly at odds, how could Bai Yuxiao avenge her by destroying his cultivation?).

Now there was also Ji Mo Young Lord.

Yan Chaosheng recalled memories he had forgotten for a long time.

Before joining Kung Sang, there had been girls who liked him. He had been handsome since childhood. The demon race didn’t lack beauties—their appearances were even more striking than immortals, especially the fox clan, which had produced many beautiful demon women still celebrated in mortal stories.

When Yan Chaosheng shed his childish form and became a youth, the little wolf demon was still alive.

They, a group of youths, traveled from one forest to another. Countless female demons surrounded Yan Chaosheng, showing him favor.

Yan Chaosheng had no experience with relationships between men and women. Every day since birth, he had struggled to survive to see the next day’s sunrise. The soft bodies of female demons pressing against him, their seductive gazes, made his cheeks flush, leaving him awkward and uncertain. Since they weren’t trying to harm him, he couldn’t ruthlessly crush their throats.

In all his years, it was the first time so many people had shown him affection.

Young and impressionable, when he was still a forest demon, he didn’t have his current aspirations of immortal cultivation. His companions were all still alive, and his temperament wasn’t as cold as it was now.

He had even fantasized that one day, when he became stronger, he would find a female demon and live a good life. He would protect her, not let her suffer hunger, not let her be bullied like he had been.

At the beginning of his bloody path of slaughter, what he longed for was simply to be loved and to have a home.

Yan Chaosheng was born in a child’s form, with no memory of anything before. Though he didn’t speak of it, sometimes, when walking alone beneath the moon, seeing other demons with homes to return to, he inevitably felt envious and lonely.

So when he learned that female demons liked him, the young man felt both shy and expectant.

However, these feelings only lasted two days. On the third day, no one approached him with affection again. Yan Chaosheng happened to encounter a girl who had recently said she wanted to bond spirits with him, rolling with the little wolf demon among the flowers in the forest.

Brilliant flowers were crushed beneath them.

Yan Chaosheng heard the girl’s pleasurable moans, each louder than the last, and their hushed voices carried over.

The little wolf demon asked curiously, “Don’t you like our boss?”

The girl giggled: “Him? Seeing him so handsome, I thought he would be impressive, but he turned out to be a defective demon who can’t even manifest his original form.”

The little wolf demon, breathing heavily, said: “Boss is really powerful, you, you shouldn’t talk about him like that.”

The girl was dismissive: “I don’t want to have children with his defective bloodline, still… mmm ah… you’re better…”

In the clear moonlight, the youth outside the flowers clenched his fists and left with an expressionless face.

That night completely shattered Yan Chaosheng’s foolish sentiments as a youth. From that moment, Yan Chaosheng learned that being unable to transform not only meant enduring bullying as a child but also facing rejection despite becoming stronger as an adult.

No matter how hard he tried, he would always be seen as a defective demon who couldn’t even manifest his original form in the eyes of other demons.

The demon realm differed from other races—appearance was linked to power. Higher cultivation often meant more beautiful look. Yan Chaosheng had a handsome, godly face but lacked a matching bloodline and power.

Yan Chaosheng didn’t blame the little wolf demon or the female demon. But from then on, he rejected all approaches from female demons. Some were attracted to his appearance and didn’t want offspring with him, only wanting a brief physical encounter. He laughed coldly, no longer showing the awkwardness of his youth, coldly telling them to get lost.

Recalling this now, it had been a very long time. Two hundred years? Or three hundred?

In the long time since, he had focused solely on becoming stronger, craving power, longing to enter the immortal path, never thinking of such matters again.

Yan Chaosheng’s face was taut. Now, Chi Shui Liu Shuang had somehow broken his resolve.

He had believed that she…

Rarely, after so much time, he once again experienced the taste of embarrassed anger.

He wasn’t sure if he was more angry at Liu Shuang’s flirtatious nature or his presumption.

Yet the girl continued chatting with Ji Mo Shao You. So this was how she spoke when she was soft and gentle.

“Ji Mo Young Lord, have you traveled in the mortal realm? Can you make communication crane origami from willow leaves?”

“Ji Mo Young Lord, in the seventh month of the mortal realm, one can boat across lakes and watch lotus maidens harvesting lotus seeds—a unique experience.”

“Young Lord, Kung Sang is beautiful too. When you come to Kung Sang as a guest in the future, I will certainly host you well.”

Unlike her respectfulness before Bai Zhuixu, her hostility toward Bai Yuxiao, or her pretense around him.

Looking at Ji Mo Shao You, gazing at that person, her eyes seemed filled with stars, expressing inexpressible trust.

It was as if her outer shell had disappeared, revealing only her inner softness for Ji Mo Shao You to see.

Yan Chaosheng watched with a cold laugh in his heart. He didn’t know when Chi Shui Liu Shuang, who was protected and not allowed to leave Kung Sang, had become so knowledgeable and experienced. Truly… with such an ugly face, she was more affected than a white rabbit demon.

Ji Mo Shao You occasionally responded to her, and her eyes were full of smiles.

Yan Chaosheng hadn’t touched his teacup again; otherwise, the current scene, reminding him of his previous state of mind, would have made him extremely angry.

He could only mock her in his heart—an ugly monster who, after offending someone, now shamelessly clung to him. It would be strange if Kun Lun’s Young Lord took any interest in her.

Initially, Bai Zhuixu was also puzzled, thinking Liu Shuang was using some delaying tactic. But as she chatted more happily, with Shao You even refilling her teacup, she hadn’t mentioned the Phantom Appearance Pearl at all.

Bai Zhuixu could only helplessly speak up: “Ji Mo Young Lord, to be honest, we came today with a request.”

Shao You said, “Please speak, Bai First Young Master.”

“Our Young Lord accidentally swallowed the immortal treasure Phantom Appearance Pearl and lost her original appearance. Kung Sang wishes to borrow Kun Lun’s divine instrument, the Shennong Cauldron, to dissolve the Phantom Appearance Pearl in our Young Lord’s body.”

As these words fell, Yan Chaosheng looked up.

The embarrassment in his heart diminished considerably because of this sentence. So Chi Shui Liu Shuang’s enthusiasm was because she wanted to borrow a divine instrument, not because she had taken a liking to Ji Mo Shao You?

That made sense. To borrow such a divine instrument, considering how much she had offended him, would indeed be difficult.

Yan Chaosheng had heard of the Phantom Appearance Pearl, said to be a pearl that could change one’s appearance when swallowed. Even the highest cultivators or celestial lords couldn’t see through the transformed appearance. But once swallowed, one could not restore their original appearance.

So Chi Shui Liu Shuang didn’t originally look like this; it was all because of the Phantom Appearance Pearl.

What did she originally look like?

Shao You took a sip of tea. His expression was clear and peaceful. When Liu Shuang had spoken to him earlier, he had responded unhurriedly, occasionally smiling slightly, proper and courteous.

Now, hearing them mention Kun Lun’s realm-subduing divine instrument, the Shennong Cauldron, his expression remained unchanged, calmly saying: “Regarding the Shennong Cauldron, I cannot decide alone. Allow me to report to my father and then give Chi Shui Immortal Lady an answer. You all may stay in Kun Lun for now.”

Bai Zhuixu was anxious but could only say: “Thank you, Ji Mo Young Lord.”

Shao You nodded and said, “Sha Tang, take the guests to rest.”

A maid in white robes came forward with a smile, leading Liu Shuang and the others out.

Bai Yuxiao lowered his voice: “Brother, what does Ji Mo Shao You mean by this? Will he lend it or not?”

Bai Zhuixu shook his head with a slight bitter smile.

He prided himself on being steady and reliable, but today he realized he was still far behind this Young Lord of the Ji Mo clan. Bai Zhuixu was about to comfort Liu Shuang, telling her not to be upset and that they would eventually gain Kun Lun’s consent.

“Ji Mo Young Lord will lend it,” Liu Shuang suddenly said.

“How does the Young Lord know?”

Liu Shuang said, “He seems cold, but he’s a very good person.”

Having known each other for a hundred years, Shao You had rarely disappointed or upset her. In her previous life, Liu Shuang hadn’t understood his gentleness and goodness. In this second life, she knew there was hardly anyone better than Shao You in the world.

Even though Liu Shuang now had a different body and no heart, she held the conviction that after a tumultuous life, meeting Shao You again with numerous scars, he was still the man who would tirelessly explain human relationships to her among the flowers.

Although in this life, the circumstances of their acquaintance were somewhat unfortunate, and Shao You initially didn’t have a good impression of her.

But also because she had lost him before, Liu Shuang now better understood how to protect and cherish.

It didn’t matter whether Shao You would lend the Shennong Cauldron or not. After twists and turns, experiencing life and death, to still be able to safely meet an old friend was already the best gift fate could bestow upon Liu Shuang.