Fall.
Regarding Ying Ran’s awakening of her spiritual root, Xu Liling didn’t ask much.
Many people in the world awaken suddenly; Guan Yi, for instance, didn’t awaken his spiritual root until he was seventeen.
Going to Yunzhou is different from going to Lingyang; one must cross a barrier.
They needed to travel light, unable to bring too many things,
so Ying Ran and Xu Liling sorted through their bundles once more.
In the end, they kept only clothes and spirit stones, along with a bag of old items belonging to Xu Liling and Ying Ran.
Ying Ran couldn’t bear to throw them away, so Xu Liling took them along.
Ying Ran tried carrying her small bundle; it was a bit heavy but manageable.
Xu Liling had already spread a thin blanket on the low table, telling her to sleep, “The flying steed will carry it; why are you trying?”
Ying Ran lay on the table: “We have less than a hundred spirit stones; it’s definitely not enough for Yunzhou. I was thinking of selling the flying steed after we get there.”
Xu Liling covered her with the blanket: “Flying steeds aren’t worth much in Yunzhou.”
Ying Ran draped her arm over his waist, thinking for a long time: “Before, I saw you picking up those cultivators’ money pouches. Are their spirit stones enough for us to use?”
Xu Liling: “Those were storage bags.”
Ying Ran let out an “oh.”
Xu Liling: “Enough.”
Ying Ran felt reassured, hugged him, and fell asleep.
In the darkness, two pairs of glowing green eyes stared at them.
One pair belonged to Da Hua, the other to Xiao Huang.
Xu Liling patted Ying Ran’s back and glanced behind him.
Besides those two little beasts, there was also Guan Yi.
He turned his gaze back and closed his eyes with her.
The tomb chamber was quiet, with only the crackling of sparks.
After a while, Ying Ran spoke again: “When are we going to Yunzhou?”
Xu Liling: “Anytime.”
“To cross the barrier from Yiwangzhou to Yunzhou normally, we need to pass through Jinshui Town’s gate and have an official document. Do you have a way to get one?”
Xu Liling: “No. We’ll sneak through at night.”
Ying Ran laughed: “Do you still have the strength to break the barrier?”
Xu Liling opened his eyes and stared at her: “I have a little strength left.”
Even with her eyes closed, Ying Ran could feel his intense gaze.
Her face grew redder under his stare, and she simply covered his eyes.
Xu Liling’s lashes brushed softly against her palm, long and gentle.
Then he closed his eyes, pulling her hand down to hold it in his.
Da Hua didn’t understand what they were doing and huffed inwardly, turning away from them.
Xiao Huang calmly scratched an itch with its paw, unfazed.
Xu Liling’s interactions with the heroine didn’t quite match his identity as an old demon; no one would believe it if told.
But it had been watching for over two years.
From their first meeting—right by the big rock above this tomb chamber.
She sat on one side of the rock, he on the other.
It was drizzling.
She asked: “Did you bring an umbrella?”
He said: “No.”
It felt something was off.
Later, they often met.
Before that, Xu Liling only came on rainy days, Ying Ran only on sunny days; they always missed each other.
But after that day, they always ran into each other.
It felt even more off.
One of them must have changed their visiting time.
Until one day, Ying Ran brought an extra bamboo umbrella.
It started raining again.
She walked up to him, holding the umbrella over his head: “It’s raining harder; take the umbrella and go home.”
He looked at her and took the umbrella from her hand.
He never returned it.
It thought: It’s over; the sky’s about to rain red.
Sure enough, later, they got married.
It became their dog.
To be precise, she wanted to keep it.
So Xu Liling made a special trip to the graveyard, releasing it from the contract that had bound it there for a thousand years.
Guan Yi had woken up early.
Roughly when Ying Ran and Xu Liling were chatting.
The Yingying he grew up with was laughing and talking with a demon who had escaped from over three hundred cultivators, seemingly unscathed.
She knew he was a demon.
She didn’t care.
She wanted to go with him.
Guan Yi pretended to sleep in the darkness, unwilling to face reality.
But the demon glanced back at him, as if knowing he was awake.
He couldn’t keep pretending and was about to say something.
But the demon hugged Yingying and went back to sleep.
His words were swallowed back.
Guan Yi sat in the darkness, wrestling with his thoughts all night.
At the border between Yunzhou and Yiwangzhou, the barrier stood like a celestial curtain, connecting heaven and earth, grand and majestic.
At noon, the blazing sun overhead made them sweat lightly.
“Thank you.”
Ying Ran crossed the barrier, sincerely thanking Guan Yi.
That morning, she told Guan Yi she was going to Yiwangzhou with Xu Liling.
After hearing her reasons, Guan Yi agreed readily. As the leader of the Xuancha Team, he prepared an official document for her and escorted her to the border gate as her guarantor.
Guan Yi reached out to pat her head, but the barrier had already closed.
As always, he smiled brightly: “Between you and me, there’s no need for thanks.”
Ying Ran smiled, then said with concern: “Are you really okay with your injuries?”
She had wanted to wait until Guan Yi recovered before leaving, but after he talked with Xu Liling, he said: “Xu Li killed those Yunzhou cultivators. If you don’t leave now, you’ll really become wanted fugitives with nowhere to go.”
So Ying Ran hurriedly packed her things, followed Guan Yi to the Xuanya to get the official document, and headed to the border gate.
Guan Yi: “I’m fine. I’m a cultivator; small injuries heal quickly.”
Seeing his rosy complexion and vibrant energy, Ying Ran felt slightly relieved: “Take care of yourself and get to Sujing soon.”
Guan Yi nodded: “I’ll take care of Master and Mistress.”
Ying Ran: “Take care of yourself first.”
Then, with a serious expression: “Thank you.”
Her delicate face and demeanor always carried an indescribable warmth and gentleness.
Guan Yi looked at her for a moment: “I said there’s no need to thank… Hurry up and go. There are demons stationed at the border, and the official roads are destroyed. If you don’t leave now, it’ll be more dangerous after dark.”
Ying Ran nodded, turning to mount the flying steed.
Xu Liling held her, with Big Yellow and Little Flower lying on the horse’s rear.
The flying steed spread its wings and took off.
Guan Yi watched her figure grow distant, the smile on his face gradually fading.
In truth, he wanted to say he didn’t agree.
He didn’t agree with her being with a demon.
He didn’t agree with her going to Yunzhou with a demon.
But what right did he have to disagree?
If she stayed in Yiwangzhou, he didn’t have the ability to protect her.
If Yunzhou demanded retribution from the Yiwang Dynasty because of Duke Hongya’s death and others, by then Xu Liling would already be gone. Yingying, Master, and Mistress would be handed over to Yunzhou. Master and Mistress might be safe, but her husband—that demon—with his abilities, as long as he was still willing to protect her, she’d be far safer than in Yiwangzhou.
As long as the demon didn’t change his heart.
But did a demon even have a heart?
The漆夜 was starless, with rain falling like curtains.
Ying Ran stood at the entrance of the dilapidated temple, watching the rain, Da Hua’s voice ringing in her mind: “Host, the task starts tonight at the hour of Xu. The Goddess Tasker asks that you focus your mind before then, ideally by falling asleep.”
Ying Ran paused: “Why do I need to fall asleep?”
She recalled the strange dreams she’d had for three days straight, where Xu Liling tried to kill her.
Da Hua: “I don’t know. But if you miss the time, the task fails. We’re equals with the Goddess Tasker, just regular colleagues, so we won’t be punished for failing, but we won’t get this energy supply.”
Ying Ran thought for a moment and agreed: “Okay.”
She let out a soft sigh.
Having just entered Yunzhou, she hadn’t yet felt its spiritual energy when a downpour began.
It continued until now, though the rain had lessened.
And now, the task had come.
The summer heat was washed away by the rain, leaving a coolness.
If Xu Liling hadn’t found this dilapidated temple in time, she might catch a cold tomorrow and have nowhere to focus her mind before the hour of Xu.
Xu Liling, behind her, cleaned the offering table, cleared a space, lit a bonfire, and called her over to warm up.
Da Hua and Xiao Huang were already lying under the table, warming themselves.
Ying Ran sat by the fire, heating dry rations and a water flask, calling Xu Liling to rest too.
Xu Liling spread a thin blanket on the table, sat beside her, and pulled her into his arms.
His body was warm.
Ying Ran hugged him, leaning against his chest, thinking that as a demon, he might reject spiritual energy. She looked up with concern.
Noticing faint red veins in his eyes, she touched his face.
Xu Liling looked down at her: “What’s wrong?”
Ying Ran: “Does Yunzhou’s spiritual energy make you uncomfortable?”
Xu Liling: “It’s fine.”
It only fueled his demonic nature.
Ying Ran kept staring at him.
Xu Liling: “It’s been a while since I’ve been exposed to spiritual energy. I’ll adjust soon.”
Ying Ran let out an “mm,” holding his hand reassuringly.
After a simple meal and cleaning up,
Ying Ran and Xu Liling lay on the offering table, embracing each other.
She gazed at his face in the dim light, then closed her eyes to focus her mind.
The surroundings were silent, save for the faint sound of rain.
But a distant, familiar smell of blood filled her breath.
Ying Ran opened her eyes.
As expected, she saw the battlefield she’d dreamed of many times.
But the battle had ended.
The sky was blood-red, the rain cold and thin, with corpses strewn across the ground.
The earth beneath her feet was soaked in blood, sticky with every step.
Ying Ran said to Da Hua: “You were right. My last dream wasn’t a dream.”