But Wuyin Village was so hidden—she’d only found it because of Xu Liling. How had that person found it?
Maybe it was a coincidence.
But this was someone else’s hidden village. She couldn’t bring trouble by rashly saving someone.
Back at Uncle Xi’s, Yingran said urgently, “Uncle Xi, there’s someone at the village’s edge.”
Uncle Xi stood immediately, his expression grave as he headed out: “Stay here with Aunt Huan. I’ll check it out.”
Aunt Huan came over, patting Yingran’s hand soothingly and pulling her to sit.
Seeing Yingran unsettled, Aunt Huan handed her some locust flowers, smiling and gesturing for her to help sort them.
Aunt Huan’s calm demeanor eased Yingran’s nerves.
After sorting the flowers, Aunt Huan took Yingran to the kitchen to make locust flower pancakes.
Yingran grabbed a small bowl, mimicking Aunt Huan to mix batter, adding salt and sugar, then heating the pan to cook the pancakes.
Aunt Huan taught her to make two pancakes, then handed her the spatula to try herself.
Yingran’s first batch came out perfectly—soft, just right, with a sweet, pleasant flavor.
She took two satisfied bites, thinking of saving some for Xu Liling when he returned.
Brushing a thin layer of oil on the pan, about to pour more batter, Yingran suddenly realized that with Huaizhen’s current sense of taste, he probably wouldn’t taste the flavor of a normal pancake.
She thought for a moment, then added three extra spoonfuls of sugar to the batter.
Xu Liling gently caressed her slightly reddened fingertip, leading her to wash her hands. “Doesn’t it hurt? You can take your time to beat me later.”
Now, Yingran looked at the bead of blood on the grass stem, her eyes suddenly reddening.
She took a deep breath, widened her eyes to compose herself, and turned to continue the grass fight with Xu Liling.
She knew the path of grass fighting was a dead end, silently thinking of other ways to save Duan Yushan, deliberately stalling for time.
As their grass stems intertwined, the touch of crimson on the green stem stood out starkly.
Xu Liling lowered his gaze, seeing her downcast eyes, her lashes damp, the redness in her eyes more striking than the blood on the grass.
His expression darkened: “Didn’t the me from a thousand years later teach you that there’s a grass tougher than the one you picked?”
Yingran shook her head silently.
Him mentioning the “me from a thousand years later” now felt like deliberate mockery.
She knew Xu Liling treated her well and wouldn’t resent him.
But the Xu Liling before her—she really didn’t want to deal with him.
A faint snap sounded, and the grass broke.
It was Xu Liling’s grass.
Yingran was stunned. She won?
But she hadn’t even exerted force.
She looked up at Xu Liling, her eyes misty from holding back tears.
Xu Liling glanced at her and looked away, walking to the grass pile: “Come here.”
Yingran followed.
Xu Liling: “Some grasses are tough, but there’s another kind—sharp as a blade.”
His words paused, his gaze falling to her reddened fingertip.
The grass sharp as a blade was called Mandi Hua (Ground-Covering Flower).
Its stems were wrapped in invisible spiritual energy, like countless tiny blades, snapping grass like breaking flowers in a fight.
And it would cut the hand of the one who picked it.
Xu Liling asked: “How did the me from a thousand years later play grass fighting with you?”
Yingran answered perfunctorily: “He’d play with me a few times when we had nothing else to do.”
Xu Liling: “How many times?”
Yingran: “No more than five.”
Because her hand would hurt.
Xu Liling looked at the mountain of grass before him, silent, his face expressionless.
Yingran waited for him to continue about the “other kind of grass,” but after a long wait, he said nothing more.
Unable to wait longer, she asked: “What about that other kind of grass?”
Xu Liling turned to look at her. Her eyes were innocent and confused, without any scheming, as if she had no idea why he’d stopped.
Xu Liling waved his sleeve and summoned the demon guard.
Yingran was puzzled as Xu Liling returned to his high seat.
The demon guard knelt, listening to Xu Liling’s orders: “Release half the disciples and Duan Yushan from the spirit prison. Inform the stationed demon guards they don’t need to capture the disciples—let them run.”
“Whether Duan Yushan can escape depends on him.”
Yingran was stunned, only managing to say dumbly after the guard left: “I haven’t won yet.”
Xu Liling seemed weary, propping his forehead and closing his eyes: “Leave.”
Yingran was confused. What was wrong with him?
Thinking of the Huaizhen from a thousand years later, she still asked with concern: “Are you unwell?”
Xu Liling opened his eyes, gazing at her from afar.
Yingran hesitated: “What about the other half of the disciples…”
Xu Liling: “Get greedy, and you’ll lose everything you’ve gained.”
Yingran quickly shut her mouth.
She didn’t know why Xu Liling was releasing them and couldn’t think of a plan to save the other half.
Yingran closed her eyes briefly, stepping forward: “I’ll give you the stake I owe from losing. And… does our previous deal still stand?”
Xu Liling said nothing.
Yingran: “The one where I cast the technique to shield you from one injury, and you release one disciple.”
Though her energy was limited, saving even one more person meant one more life spared, and less bloodshed for Huaizhen.
Xu Liling said dryly: “How many do you want to exchange for?”
He agreed.
Yingran was secretly thrilled, boldly contacting the Goddess: “How much extra energy do you have to save Duan Yushan?”
Goddess: “I can give you energy for two more castings at most. If you use them up and still don’t save Duan Yushan, the mission fails.”
Yingran: “Alright, give them to me.”
One casting could save thirty people.
The energy the Goddess gave her first, she’d lost eighteen times to Xu Liling. With the two additional castings, she could save seventy-two people.
Yingran discussed with Big Flower, allocating thirty percent of her own energy to save seventy-five people.
Big Flower shouted: “No way! With so much energy given to you, you’re not keeping any for yourself—you’re even giving away your own?”
Yingran: “After this mission, we’ll get more energy. A thousand years later, with Huaizhen by our side, protecting us, we won’t face danger or need to spend energy.”
She never did missions for energy—it was all for Huaizhen.
That was true, but what system didn’t love energy and dream of having an abundance?
Big Flower’s heart ached, but knowing Yingran’s kindness was why it became a system, it reluctantly agreed: “Fine, fine.”
Yingran praised Big Flower: “Good kitty.”
To Xu Liling, she said: “Seventy-five people.”
Xu Liling sneered: “Your cultivation spans how many years? One casting takes three years, seventy-five, plus what you lost to me—you want to die here?”
Yingran wanted to explain it didn’t consume her, but she’d already used that excuse to explain her three-year disappearance.
If she changed her story now, would he, already distrustful, think her an even bigger liar?
Yingran could only say: “I know my limits.”
Xu Liling was silent for a moment, then summoned the demon guard again: “Release the other half of the disciples. Don’t let them go—capture them if you see them, along with Duan Yushan.”
The guard accepted the order and left, unperturbed by Xu Liling’s catch-and-release commands.
To the demons, it was just a hunting game.
They didn’t mind doing it a few more times—it was more fun than guarding the mountain.
Besides, the Demon Path would never question the Holy Demon.
Yingran was overjoyed. Since they were released, they had a chance to escape.
She immediately informed the Goddess, asking her to send people to assist and rescue them.
Xu Liling ignored Yingran, closing his eyes to rest, as if lost in thought.
Yingran didn’t hug him like last time.
She didn’t know when she’d leave, fearing it would be too sudden to even say goodbye.
She said, “Thank you.”
And turned to walk out.
Xu Liling opened his eyes, seeing her pause at the door and turn back: “I’ll definitely find a way to bring you out of the Demon Path.”
Her expression was complex.
A mix of displeasure and reluctance toward him.
Xu Liling didn’t respond, watching expressionlessly as she left the hall.
Her frail figure faded into the twilight.
A sudden thunderclap sounded, and light rain began to fall.
Xu Liling stepped down from his high seat, walking to the pile of grass in the hall, her soft, playful voice still echoing, speaking of “a thousand years later.”
The him from a thousand years later…
Liked green bamboo patterns because she gave him a green bamboo umbrella.
Bought hundred-flower candied fruit because she loved it.
Didn’t teach her about Mandi Hua grass because it would cut her hand.
Was this story her deliberate fabrication, or was there truly a thousand years later…
And did she really not know?
Xu Liling pulled a Mandi Hua from the grass pile.
Its spiritual energy sliced his fingertip like a blade, but it had no effect on him.
Outside, rain fell under the eaves, pattering softly.
She appeared lightly and vanished lightly.
“First met before the grass-fighting steps, once crossed paths in the needle-threading tower… searching for her in dream paths, amidst falling rain… and scattered flowers.”
He loosened his grip, and the Mandi Hua rose with the wind, drifting into the rain.