Back at the inn, Mu Heng’s eyes hadn’t left Ye Ziling’s for a moment. He circled her repeatedly, and when he got tired, he sat nearby, staring at her like a zombie, racking his brain to figure out how a murderous demon was actually the renowned Tu Yao Goddess from the Celestial Realm!
What’s more, he was the first to know.
What an immense honor it was to be the divine beast that served the Tu Yao Goddess!
Ye Ziling rested her cheek on her hand, sitting at the table with an air of composure. She glanced at him indifferently, her gaze treating him like an idiot, "Seen enough?" Ye Ziling spoke coldly. This creature had been flitting around her like a restless monkey, disturbing her sight.
"Are you truly the Tu Yao Goddess?" Mu Heng stopped, staring at her face, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
"I was, but I'm not anymore." Ye Ziling's tone was flat, devoid of any fluctuation. She didn't care about the immortal title at all. In her eyes, those four words were a lifelong stain.
Now that her primordial spirit had returned, her divine body was still riddled with cracks and unable to unleash her true power. Today, she could only have killed the Four Great Heavenly Generals with one move to scare Qing Bai. If she tried to force her way through with her meager immortal power, she feared she would die in the Celestial Palace.
"Right, I have a gift for you." Ye Ziling suddenly remembered something, extending her palm. A fist-sized package appeared in her hand.
Mu Heng's birthday was in a few days. When she was still in the Celestial Palace, she received his spiritual messages daily, and he shamelessly asked for a birthday gift. Today, she happened to acquire something good.
"Oh, the sun rose from the west. It's the first time you've actively given me a gift." Mu Heng flipped over and sat opposite her, accepting it with a smile. As soon as he opened the cloth, a foul stench assailed his nostrils, and then a bloody heart rolled out from within.
The young man beside her curled his lips in disgust, frowning and glancing at her disdainfully. He covered his nose, exclaiming with distaste, "What kind of gift is this?"
Ye Ziling knew he would say this, and she wasn’t angered. Instead, she curved her lips into a light smile, "Eating the heart of this thousand-year-old fox demon can help increase one's cultivation. Many people wish they could eat it but can't."
Mu Heng looked at the bloody object. It was both foul and smelly, and just looking at it made him nauseous, let alone consuming it. He suddenly felt that increasing his cultivation by several thousand years wasn't that difficult.
"I'm not eating it anyway. It smells so fetid."
Seeing Mu Heng refuse, Ye Ziling raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, then feed it to the dogs."
Mu Heng blinked slightly, standing up in surprise. "Even though the heart of a thousand-year-old fox demon is indeed fetid, it is still a precious item. You're really going to feed it to the dogs?"
"You want to eat it instead of feeding it to the dogs?"
Ye Ziling slanted a look at him, her expression leaving no room for negotiation. She looked at the lump of red flesh on the table, a sneer curling her lips.
This was the heart of her sister Bi. She herself was reluctant to part with it. Before this heart was dug out, she thought it was black. Otherwise, how could her respected sister betray her for fame and fortune after all these years?
As the night deepened, the stars in the sky shone brightly.
Ye Ziling leaned by the window, gazing at the moon in the night sky, her eyes flashing with glints of cold light. Her thoughts were interrupted by the knock on the door from the waiter.
Ye Ziling came back to her senses and turned to walk out. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the waiter grinning widely. "Miss, these are your rose cakes, almond crisps, crystal pastries, and a bowl of tremella and lotus seed soup."
Looking at the delicate pastries on the plate, a hint of doubt flashed in Ye Ziling's eyes. "Is there a mistake? I didn't order these pastries."
The waiter looked up at the room, confirming he hadn't delivered the wrong order, and smiled, patting his head. "Look at me, how could I forget this? A handsome young gentleman asked me to deliver them to you."
"What is that gentleman's name?" Ye Ziling pressed, a flicker of interest in her eyes.
The waiter scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I can't quite recall. It seemed like he was called..."
"Ling Xi, I'm sworn enemies with you!" A resentful voice rang out from downstairs, and then the waiter suddenly remembered. "Yes! That person's name is Ling Xi!"
"Leave them here, thank you for your trouble."
Mu Heng's voice came from downstairs. Ye Ziling bypassed the waiter and walked straight down.
She saw Mu Heng with one foot propped on a stool, glaring furiously at Ling Xi, who was at the opposite table. His eyes seemed ready to spew fire.
"How can I lose every time? You must have tampered with the chess pieces!"
"If you can't afford to lose, why play? Humiliating yourself is one thing, but deceiving yourself is another."
Across from him, Ling Xi was dressed in dark robes, with a brocade sash tied at his waist, accentuating his slender and tall figure. He lifted his teacup, and his robes seemed to move without wind, adding a touch of elegance to him.
"You..." Mu Heng gritted his teeth in anger. Seeing the surrounding crowd mocking him, he decided to save face. He immediately withdrew his leg and changed his expression, forcing a smile. "Who says I can't afford to lose? It's just a game of chess, I was letting you win. Speak up, what do you want this time?"
Ling Xi slowly sipped his tea, glanced at him nonchalantly, a smile in his eyes. "The Celestial History Scroll."
Upon hearing this, Mu Heng's eyes suddenly widened, a cunning glint flashing in them. "Oh, is that so? You should have said so earlier. It's just a book I've read to death. If Young Master Ling likes it, I'll give it to you."
"Oh, why weren't you so straightforward when I asked?" Ye Ziling walked down the stairs slowly, her gaze falling on the worn Celestial History Scroll. A cold light flashed in her eyes, and she gave a contemptuous smile. "Celestial History Scroll? It's just a collection of historical records that spout nonsense."
Taking the scroll from Mu Heng's hand, she raised her eyebrows and looked at him, her eyes lighting up. "Oh? This is the first time I've heard someone say the Celestial History Scroll is nonsense. Miss Ye, do you have time to discuss it with me?"
"Then I take back what I said." Ye Ziling met his gaze,
glanced faintly at the Celestial History Scroll in his hand, and turned to go upstairs, only to be stopped by someone. "...Crazy girl, you can't leave..."
Before Ye Ziling had taken a few steps, she saw Mu Heng rush towards her, blocking her with his arms spread wide. He leaned closer and whispered, "Consider it a favor, a birthday gift for me. I've lost several rounds of chess against him. Your chess skills are superb, help me win back my money!"
Mu Heng clasped his hands together, pleadingly.
"How much did you lose?" she asked.
"Five, five hundred taels," Mu Heng counted on his fingers, then added, "And the Celestial History Scroll."
Ye Ziling: "..."
Five hundred taels, tsk tsk tsk, how many rounds did he lose?
What a spendthrift. Let's see how she wins it back.
"I've heard that Scholar Ling has excellent chess skills. May I have the honor of learning from you?" Ye Ziling tilted her chin slightly, her tone laced with interest, her gaze burning.
Ling Xi smiled slightly, a hint of teasing in his eyes. "The honor is all mine." He glanced at the surrounding crowd and chuckled softly, "However, it's too crowded and noisy here. Why don't we find a quieter place?"
Ye Ziling agreed, and the two of them left the inn together, finding a secluded pavilion.
The moonlight shone on the lake, rippling with light. Beside the lake, weeping willows swayed in the wind, creating shimmering ripples.
The two sat opposite each other, looking at the chessboard on the table. For a long time, no victor emerged.
Ye Ziling's gaze deepened. She considered her chess skills to be not bad, but now she had met her match. She raised her eyebrows, her eyes feeling a little tired. She raised her hand to press her temples and glanced faintly at Ling Xi. To her surprise, their eyes met.
At that moment, he was resting his face on one hand, his posture elegant, a playful smirk on his lips. His fingertips twirled a white chess piece in his hand. His gaze was still intense, making her skin crawl.
The moonlight was elegant and ink-like, casting a veil around him, emanating a faint radiance.
"Miss Ye, do you find the pastries I sent you today to your liking?" He withdrew the white chess piece in his hand and smiled leisurely.
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Scholar Ling." Ye Ziling didn't look at him, continuing to stare at the chessboard. She just wanted to finish this game and return to her room to rest, as she had an important matter to attend to tomorrow.
Seeing this, Ling Xi guessed that she hadn't tasted them. His playful pupils lost their luster, and he pretended to sigh, "It seems Miss Ye still hasn't tried them. These were specially made by the divine chefs in the Celestial Realm. What a shame."
Ye Ziling placed a black chess piece and laid her cards on the table. "I lost. Tell me, how much money do I owe?"
"No money," Ling Xi said with a smile that held ill intent.
Ye Ziling didn't believe him. Without even thinking, she knew what he was going to say next. So, she took out a bag of silver and placed it on the table, then stood up. "It's getting late, I'm returning now."
Ling Xi glanced faintly at the silver bag and did not take it.
He didn't try to stop her. Logically, anyone who had personally killed their own sister would feel sad, but he had been watching for so long and couldn't even guess her emotions. A top-tier person's thoughts were harder to guess than anyone else's. After pondering for a long time, he couldn't figure her out. He wondered how he would pursue her later.
As Ye Ziling was about to walk away quickly, a cat-beast holding two pots of fine wine stepped forward and respectfully bowed to her. "Guest, we have a promotion at the inn today. The last guest to stay can enjoy our unique Peach Blossom Wine from the Celestial Realm for free. Would you like to try some?"
Ye Ziling stopped. Smelling the familiar scent of peach blossoms, her heart was instantly moved. She turned back and sat opposite Ling Xi.
There were peach groves in the Celestial Realm too. In the past, she loved playing chess with Bai Lian under the peach trees and trying the peach blossom wine there.
Seeing Ye Ziling return, Ling Xi curved his lips into a smile and teased, "Miss Ye, are you regretting it? Unwilling to accept?"
"Just staying to taste a few cups of wine."
The cat-beast poured wine for both of them and then retreated.
The wine was mellow and rich upon entering the mouth, with a sweet and lasting aftertaste.
Although she lost several bags of silver today, it was worth it to have the fine wine in her belly.
Ling Xi saw her constantly drinking and asked with a wry smile, "Miss Ye, does your heart belong to someone?"
Ye Ziling's mind was muddled. She propped her forehead with one hand, her eyes looking at him hazily. Her fair cheeks were tinged with a faint pink, whether from shyness or drunkenness. In Ling Xi's eyes, she appeared a little playful.
"There seems to be someone, but I've forgotten." Ye Ziling's voice was very low and slightly slurred, but Ling Xi still heard her clearly. He paused for a moment, then smiled, "Forgotten?"
Ye Ziling's eyes were blurred, and she didn't even know what she was saying.
After Qing Bai altered her memory, the person in her mind had been replaced by Qing Bai's face. That was why she had previously thought her intended was Qing Bai.
"...Mm."
"Scholar Ling, why are you asking me this question?" Ye Ziling narrowed her eyes, propped her face, and looked at him, smiling. "What? Did Miss Shen have a fight with you?"
Ling Xi couldn't help but laugh. His junior sister was a bit temperamental, but she wouldn't fight with him.
"Hmm?"
"Miss Ye is overthinking." Ling Xi tilted his head back and took a swig of wine, looking at her semi-drunk state and chuckling softly.
"The bystander sees clearly when the participant is confused. When Young Master Ling was injured, Miss Shen never left his side. Everyone else understood her intentions, but you didn't?" Ye Ziling smiled.
Ling Xi put down his wine cup and stood up, looking at the cold moon in the sky, his eyes filled with bewilderment.
For many years, he had grown up in Shao Lin. In his eyes, Shen Yueru was just like his sister.
Seeing him remain silent, Ye Ziling didn't say anything further.
The night gradually deepened.