A gentle breeze lifted Huang Li’s black gauze skirt, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her fair, delicate skin before Yue Xi quickly pressed it down.
She loathed being ogled by men, and even though Gu Shenzhi was blind, she still felt repulsed.
In Yue Xi’s eyes, even letting Gu Shenzhi catch a whiff of her lingering fragrance was a desecration.
If not for the Sect Leader’s explicit order to treat him courteously, the beast before her would likely have been carved into a human swine by now.
“The Black Lotus Witch wants to see me? Isn’t the Moon Shadow Sect Leader busy with countless affairs day and night?” Gu Shenzhi asked warily.
“There’s no need for you to know the reasons, and whether you meet her isn’t your choice to make.”
“It’s an honor. Many Moon Shadow Sect disciples have never seen the Sect Leader’s true visage, yet I’m granted such an opportunity. Please, miss, fetch Tao Yao to guide me.”
Gu Shenzhi edged along the wall, cautiously moving toward Yue Xi’s direction, his steps faltering as if he might trip and fall face-first at any moment.
Yet the imagined scene never came to pass.
He reached Yue Xi’s side, his demeanor refined and courteous, his smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.
A spring breeze could sweep away the barrier of unfamiliarity, but it could hardly melt a heart sealed in ice.
Yue Xi crossed her arms, her slender, jade-like fingers fair and delicate, accentuating her proud, snowy peaks.
Her slim waist was graceful, her long legs lightly veiled by the gauze skirt, wrapped in seductive black silk stockings.
The sound of her grinding teeth was particularly clear—she was on the verge of losing control.
The smile curling her lips turned especially deadly, and careless words often cut the deepest.
Not only was this Gu Shenzhi’s first time meeting the Sect Leader, but it was hers as well.
Jealousy’s wildfire scorched her reason.
Yue Xi was desperately restraining herself, resisting the urge to toss this filthy thing into the碧水潭 to feed the fish.
Since joining the Moon Shadow Sect, only a few peak elders and the Saintess had the privilege of entering the Bamboo Exile Courtyard to meet the Sect Leader in person.
Beauty.
Yue Xi’s visit to the Bamboo Exile Courtyard was, unbelievably, to guide Gu Shenzhi, that beast from the Spirit Sword Sect!
Why was he granted such favor?
Why was she the one tasked with leading him?
Why didn’t she have the privilege of a private audience with the Sect Leader?
The Red Lotus Saintess—Su Linghuang, a name known to all in the Moon Shadow Sect—flashed in her mind, along with her junior sister’s unparalleled, nation-toppling beauty.
The answer became clear.
The Saintess, with her breathtaking allure, extraordinary talent, and serene disposition, was the Sect Leader’s sole direct disciple and designated heir.
With the Saintess present, what was Yue Xi in comparison?
Yet toward Su Linghuang, Yue Xi harbored no hatred—she couldn’t even muster the will to hate.
After all, her junior sister was simply too perfect, too dazzling.
A firefly vying with the bright moon was merely overreaching.
But surging tides must eventually crash, and raging flames will burn out.
The suppressed bitterness, frustration, and unwillingness in her heart demanded release.
Looking at the pitiful, weak, and helpless Gu Shenzhi before her, Yue Xi gave a charming smile, seductive and captivating, stirring the heartstrings of others.
“Very well, since Young Master Gu insists, I’ll guide you myself.”
Before he could respond, Yue Xi unceremoniously knocked him to the ground and bound him tightly like a trussed pig.
“Mmph, mmph!” Despite his desperate struggles, flopping like a fish out of water, he couldn’t escape Yue Xi’s grasp.
Yet beneath the surface panic lay an intensely rational mind.
With a single move, Gu Shenzhi’s double pupils had already spotted dozens of flaws in Yue Xi’s technique, as well as her mid-Golden Core cultivation.
“Now you’re much cuter!”
Yue Xi smoothed her skirt and comfortably sat on Gu Shenzhi’s back, her black silk-clad legs crossed, exuding a seductive, queenly aura—a supreme reward for those with particular tastes.
The girl’s figure beneath the skirt was exquisite, full and supple, soft yet elastic, incredibly comfortable to the touch.
“A reward for your good behavior, Young Master Gu,” Yue Xi chuckled lightly.
Venting her frustration on him instantly lifted her mood, and even this detestable man seemed less filthy.
“Miss Yue Xi, you’re as light as a swallow, but unfortunately, I don’t share such tastes. Could you please get off me?”
Despite Gu Shenzhi’s vehement protests, Yue Xi ignored him, gazing silently at the Moon Shadow Chrysanthemum by the bed, saying nothing.
“Hey, who do you think is prettier—me or the Red Lotus Saintess?”
The moment the words left her lips, both fell into an involuntary silence.
Gu Shenzhi’s face twitched, showing no intention of answering.
The question felt more like a humiliation than a genuine inquiry.
“Miss Yue Xi, first, beauty is subjective. Second, I was born blind.”
Realizing the “minor issue” with his eyes, a flush spread across the girl’s fair face, her red lips tightly pursed.
But she didn’t apologize. Instead, she stubbornly pressed, “Voice, scent, personality… anything will do.”
Her heart raced like a startled deer, pounding relentlessly.
Yue Xi anxiously awaited his response, but before she could exhale her pent-up breath, Gu Shenzhi gave his answer.
“The Saintess, of course.”
His words were clear, his pace measured, leaving Yue Xi no room for self-deception.
Gu Shenzhi was clearly deliberate, not even bothering to soften his words.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yue Xi grabbed the end of the rope and strode toward the door, while the esteemed guest from the Spirit Sword Sect trailed behind, dragged ignominiously across the dusty floor like a rag.
Though the Black Lotus Witch had intended to “invite” Gu Shenzhi for a meeting, he was practically “dragged” by Yue Xi. By the time they reached the Bamboo Exile Courtyard, Gu Shenzhi was utterly unrecognizable.
Disheveled hair, tattered clothes, two bruises on his forehead as adornments—if he were in the mortal world, he’d pass for a destitute beggar or a disaster-stricken refugee.
Yue Xi knelt on the stone path before the courtyard, raising her fair, slender wrist in a respectful salute.
“Inner disciple Yue Xi, as ordered, brings Gu Shenzhi, Young Master of the Spirit Sword Sect, to pay respects to the Sect Leader.”
“Enter!”
A solemn, majestic voice came from within, its oppressive aura far surpassing Qin Yuye’s, even rivaling Fairy Bai Qi’s.
The courtyard’s residence was elegant and serene, blending seamlessly with the surrounding green bamboo, filled with birdsong and floral fragrance, brimming with vitality.
Spiritual birds perched on the eaves, their melodious chirps echoing, while wisps of incense smoke drifted through the door’s crevices, creating an ethereal, immortal-like ambiance.
Inside, Mu Chonghua, the foremost demon of Mu Yun Province—the “Black Lotus Witch”—sat upright on a bamboo mat, clad in a black robe adorned with cloud patterns and white bamboo motifs, cradling two or three kittens with newly grown teeth.
Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, dignified and refined, otherworldly in grace.
Yet compared to Fairy Bai Qi, she was worlds apart.
The killing intent lingering in her brows and the wailing souls in her palms proclaimed her lethality.
The Black Lotus Witch drew a scroll from a drawer and handed it to the nervous Yue Xi.
“This is the second volume of the Moon Shadow Heart Sutra. Take it.”
“My deepest gratitude for the Sect Leader’s grace.”
Yue Xi hurriedly accepted the scroll with both hands, head bowed, knees trembling, lacking any of her usual elegance as an inner sect senior disciple, resembling a timid maiden.
“Leave us. I have matters to discuss privately with our guest.”
“Disciple obeys.”
Though deeply reluctant, Yue Xi could only withdraw with a respectful bow, shooting Gu Shenzhi a venomous glare, her eyes brimming with jealousy and resentment, as if she wanted to tear a piece of him off.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Facing the unfathomably powerful Black Lotus Witch, who treated lives like grass, Gu Shenzhi maintained a facade of calm, but cold sweat soaked through his clothes.
The longer the silence, the greater his fear.
Suddenly, the Black Lotus Witch let out a charming laugh, radiant and enchanting, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor.
She smiled and said, “When your father confessed his love to me, he looked just like you do now.”