“Headquarters can only dock her and her system’s energy afterward to compensate others. Her system’s been demoted because of it, probably on the same level as a newbie system like me. We all pity it.”
Yingran thought for a moment, sensing there might be more to the story: “If her system only suffers following her, why does it stick with her?”
Big Flower fiddled with a locust flower Aunt Huan tossed it, muttering: “Maybe… she did something kind for her system… Many systems at headquarters are…”
“Meow!”
[Source of infinite good stories, all at Jinjiang Literature City]
Uncle Xi teased Little Yellow with a locust flower.
Little Yellow bounced after it, accidentally stepping on Big Flower’s head.
Big Flower yowled and pounced, tussling with it.
Yingran, exasperated yet amused, set down her flowers to separate them.
As she did, Big Flower landed a flurry of paw slaps on Little Yellow’s head, cursing: “Stinking dog!”
Little Yellow whimpered, holding a flower in its mouth pitifully.
Yingran patted its head, knowing it was at fault this time and not blaming Big Flower. She patted Big Flower too: “Alright, you’ve hit it, that’s enough.”
“Hmph!”
Big Flower turned its head haughtily, refusing to look at Little Yellow.
Yingran tapped Little Yellow, about to shoo it off to play, when a spark of inspiration hit: Little Yellow was the guardian beast of the Immortal Tomb!
A thousand years ago, when people made offerings to the immortals, they’d surely prepare things the immortals liked.
That meant Little Yellow might know what Xu Liling liked.
At lunch, Xu Liling hadn’t directly answered her question, perhaps because he couldn’t taste flavors anymore and had no preferences. Or maybe he didn’t want her to trouble herself finding or making things.
If she kept pressing, she could probably get an answer.
But if she could learn it from Little Yellow and surprise him with it, that would be even better.
Yingran rubbed Little Yellow’s head, pulling it along: “Come on, I’ll take you out to play.”
Little Yellow bounded with excitement.
What could be better than the absence of that demon Xu Liling and the mistress taking it out for a walk? Nothing made a Great Wilderness Immortal Beast happier!
Yingran waved to Uncle Xi and Aunt Huan, saying she was taking the dog for a walk.
Uncle Xi and Aunt Huan nodded in agreement.
Big Flower chased after her, huffing: “Why are you taking that dumb dog out to play?”
Yingran whispered, “I have questions for it.”
“Oh.”
Big Flower shot a disdainful “tch” at the gleeful Little Yellow: Dumb dog.
They reached an empty clearing at the village’s edge, with no one around.
Yingran crouched down. Little Yellow eagerly waited for her to remove its collar.
But instead, she stroked its head and asked, “Little Yellow, do you know what Xu Liling likes?”
Little Yellow’s grin froze: Didn’t she say we were going out to play? Why’s she asking about that demon again?
Big Flower swatted it: “Spit it out!”
Little Yellow covered its face with its paws, whimpering as it flopped down: Now they’re torturing me.
Yingran tsked at Big Flower, then petted Little Yellow, coaxing, “Tell me, and I’ll let you go play.”
Little Yellow blinked its watery eyes.
Even without her coaxing, it would’ve talked.
How could it defy the mistress? Big Flower’s swat wouldn’t kill it, but Xu Liling could.
Little Yellow: “I don’t know.”
Yingran, shocked: “You can speak human words…”
Little Yellow: Huh? Didn’t you tell me to speak?
It shut its mouth and lay down.
Yingran took a moment to calm herself. Little Yellow was extraordinary, so it made sense it could speak.
She’d planned to communicate through Big Flower, but this was easier.
She continued coaxing, “Do you remember what offerings people prepared for Xu Liling when you guarded the Immortal Tomb?”
Little Yellow’s eyes darted as it thought, then spoke: “Just ordinary, common offerings…”
It had sneakily eaten them.
Yingran: “Which ones specifically?”
Little Yellow couldn’t recall—it was a thousand years ago.
Yingran: “Or maybe something that stood out as special?”
Special? There was something.
Little Yellow: “The offerings for Xu Liling were ordinary, but the flowers dedicated to him were bought with the spiritual stones of the entire county.”
Flowers?
Xu Liling did have a knack for plants. So he liked flowers?
Yingran recalled a portrait of Xu Liling riding a horse, spirited and dashing, in a red robe with a tasseled crown adorned with osmanthus flowers, and she smiled.
He was handsome, and flowers suited him—not feminine, just adding to his charm.
She asked: “What were the flowers called?”
Little Yellow: “Don’t know. But they were pretty—orchid-like watery leaves, delicate filaments clear as seawater, with tiny glowing specks on the petals.”
“They said it was a spiritual flower unique to Xu Li City, unable to grow elsewhere, very fragile, and not in circulation, so it was expensive. The whole county’s spiritual stones only bought two stalks.”
“Now, those flowers are probably extinct.”
Yingran thought of Xu Li City in her dream, overrun with demonic energy, barren of grass, with even the rainwater polluted, and sighed in disappointment.
But she quickly perked up: “Such beautiful flowers—flower lovers would surely find a way to preserve their seeds. Maybe there’s still a chance to find them.”
Big Flower and Little Yellow silently thought: Unlikely.
But seeing Yingran’s enthusiasm, they didn’t dampen her spirits.
Having answered, Little Yellow wagged its tail, waiting for Yingran to let it play.
Yingran removed its collar, asking as she did, “Little Yellow, you can talk, so why don’t you ever speak?”
Little Yellow: “I’m not human. Why would I bother speaking human words for no reason?”
Yingran burst out laughing.
That made so much sense.
She patted Little Yellow: “Alright, go play. Don’t hurt anyone. Be back before dark for dinner.”
Little Yellow bolted off joyfully.
Big Flower followed: “I’ll keep an eye on the dumb dog.”
Yingran knew it just wanted to play too. “Go ahead.”
As she turned back to the village, a weak voice called from behind: “Miss… Miss…”
Yingran froze, not daring to look back, and ran straight to Uncle Xi’s house.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help.
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.
Aunt Huan’s eyes widened, waving her hands frantically as Yingran added more sugar. She spoke rapidly, clearly anxious, but Yingran couldn’t understand her words.
Yingran waved back, saying, “It’s fine,” and baked a small piece to taste.
The tiny, fingernail-sized piece was so sweet it felt like a sugar punch to her head.
But for Xu Liling, it should be just right.
Yingran made six locust flower pancakes like this, let them cool, and wrapped them in oil paper.
Aunt Huan shook her head but said nothing. When Yingran tried to help with more pancakes, Aunt Huan refused to let her touch the spatula.
Helpless, Yingran settled for assisting Aunt Huan.
After the pancakes were done, Uncle Xi still hadn’t returned, but Big Flower and Little Yellow came back.
Aunt Huan, fond of them, gave each a piece of pancake.
While eating, Big Flower said to Yingran, “I saw more people arrive in the village just now.”
Likely the person who’d called for help earlier, Yingran asked, “Did Uncle Xi let them stay?”
Big Flower nodded: “Five in total, all cultivators. They said the demon path has taken Ming City, and the Xuandao sects suffered heavy losses and withdrew. These are rogue cultivators who barely escaped the demons, badly injured, begging Wuyin Village for shelter. The villagers are kind and agreed.”
Yingran: “Rogue cultivators? Didn’t Ming City’s rogue cultivators leave long ago?”
Were there still some who didn’t make it out in time?
Big Flower: “Not sure.”
Yingran didn’t know enough about Ming City to interfere with Wuyin Village’s decision to take in strangers, especially since she and Xu Liling were also guests of their kindness.
She only instructed Big Flower to keep an eye on the cultivators and use energy to subdue them if they acted suspiciously.
Big Flower agreed.
At dusk, Uncle Xi returned for dinner and mentioned the cultivators briefly, noting nothing unusual.
Yingran ate with them, boiled water for washing, and retired early.
With the room’s lamp extinguished, moonlight filled the space.
Lying in bed, Yingran touched the empty space beside her and found herself unable to sleep.
Tossing and turning, she finally drifted into a shallow, dream-filled sleep, restless and uneasy.
Suddenly, a faint sound—someone approaching.
Yingran jolted awake, not yet sitting up as she called out warily, “Who’s there?”
A hand reached through the bed curtains toward her, carrying the familiar scent of cold pine and snow, tinged with a faint trace of blood.
“It’s me.”
Yingran’s racing heart calmed.
The curtains parted, and he stood by the bed, gently touching her face: “Why are you still awake so late?”
His warm, gentle palm brought her an inexplicable sense of comfort.
Yingran shook her head: “I slept, but not well, and woke up… What time is it?”
Her expression showed no abnormality. Xu Liling withdrew his hand, moving to the side to remove his outer robe. “Just past the hour of Yin.”
Yingran got up to light a candle: “Didn’t you say you’d be back tomorrow? Why rush back so late?”
The room filled with warm candlelight. Yingran walked to him, her hands roaming over his body.
Xu Liling didn’t stop her: “What are you doing?”
Yingran: “You smell of blood.”
Xu Liling: “Picked it up in the demon city.”
Yingran: “You didn’t fight anyone?”
Xu Liling: “No.”
Yingran: “Not injured?”
Xu Liling: “No.”
He took her hand, loosening his robe’s tie. The thin inner layer parted, revealing a broad expanse of pale, flawless chest, glowing like jade under the candlelight.
Guiding her hand, he let it slide from his firm chest to his lean, strong waist: “No injuries.”
As his hand moved lower, Yingran’s face flushed, and she pulled back, chiding playfully, “If you’re not hurt, you’re not hurt. Go wash up!”