Ye Ziling calmly glanced sideways. In her peripheral vision, she saw a man's corpse lying under the bed, dissolving at a visible rate.
It seemed this demon had harmed many.
The moon was bright and stars were sparse, the night sky low.
Ye Ziling had been sitting for half an hour but still hadn't seen Liu Meng. She began to suspect she had alerted the demon, allowing it to escape.
Feeling impatient, Ye Ziling stood up and walked outside.
"There's a demon... there's a demon!"
"Guards, quickly, guards!"
...
A flurry of panicked footsteps echoed in the hallway. The crowd, terrified, scattered in all directions, scrambling out of the rooms.
A demon?
Had someone already dealt with it before her?
Ye Ziling knew that Chi Shi Monster possessed immense cultivation. Very few could force her to reveal her true form, and dealing with it was even more troublesome. The identity of the newcomer was not simple, and she didn't know if they were friend or foe.
To be safe, she closed the door and remained in the room to observe.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, noisy footsteps sounded from the staircase. Ye Ziling held her breath, closed her eyes, and feigned sleep, waiting for the arrival.
Two footsteps, out of sync, gradually approached the room. Soon, she heard the sound of the door opening.
Liu Meng, clutching her chest and gasping for air, staggered to the table, glaring at her. "Speak, who exactly are you?"
Ye Ziling smiled calmly, swirling the turbid blood in her cup. She gave a faint smile. "Why does Miss Liu ask?"
Liu Meng's eyes narrowed, her pupils glowing with a crimson light. Her mouth opened wide, sharp fangs protruding from between her teeth, making her look extremely ferocious.
Ye Ziling poured the blood onto the floor. The crimson liquid slowly spread.
Suddenly, the porcelain cup in her hand trembled. Several white lights swiftly flew out, carrying an aura of chilling cold directly towards Liu Meng's brow.
Ye Ziling's lips curled. Seeing Liu Meng utterly unable to retaliate, her silver sword sprang from her sleeve, killing the woman with a single strike.
Ye Ziling smiled triumphantly, grasping the pearl that faintly floated in the air and examining it in her palm.
She was lucky today. If this Chi Shi Monster hadn't been heavily injured, fighting it alone would have been disadvantageous.
Just then, a figure, leaning on a sword, entered the room and pushed aside the beaded curtain, walking towards her.
The pleasant sound of the beaded curtain was clearly audible. Ye Ziling looked up and saw the familiar figure observing her through the curtain.
Ling Xi, one hand on his sword, his steps heavy, approached her with glazed eyes.
His body swayed, a bloody mark on his lips, clearly indicating an injury.
Ye Ziling looked at the corpse on the ground and then at Ling Xi, understanding dawning in her heart.
"Your injuries aren't healed, yet you're rushing to hunt demons? Are you making trouble for me, or for yourself?"
As she spoke, a wave of mist surged around them, enveloping their sides.
The night wind blew open the window, extinguishing the candles, disturbing the curtains, and stirring layers of mist, also ruffling her red dress.
The scent of blood was replaced by the overwhelming fragrance of balloon flower. Under the thin moonlight, her cold and elegant face was breathtakingly stunning.
Ling Xi's body was weak, as if drunk. He stared at her without blinking, a flicker of something unusual in his hazy eyes.
He remembered the last time he saw her in a red dress was... the last time.
This scene was indescribable.
Ye Ziling tilted her head slightly, a frown on her brow. She felt his gaze was unusually fervent.
Ling Xi dropped his sword and walked towards her, one step at a time, his breathing heavy.
Was this his intention to snatch her prize?
A trace of doubt arose in Ye Ziling. She furrowed her brows slightly, her palm clenching the demon core as she quickly stowed it in her bag.
Unexpectedly, as the curtain swayed, a pair of lips moved towards her, landing on hers without warning.
His warmth gradually transferred to the corner of her lips through the thin curtain, from shallow to deep, meticulously tracing her lips.
Ye Ziling's body stiffened in place. His burning breath sprayed on her cheek. A large hand gripped her waist, pulling her fiercely into his embrace.
Warmth brushed against her ear. Every inch of skin it touched was like a wildfire, igniting the burning desire in her eyes.
As he gasped, Ling Xi leaned his head on her shoulder, like a dying wolf, his forehead touching her chin.
"...Are you delirious from your injury?" Ye Ziling, her body stiff, reached out to take Ling Xi's wrist and check his pulse.
Fortunately, he had only sustained a minor injury; he wouldn't die.
A faint, low murmur reached her ear, the end of the sound drawn out lazily. "I am awake..."
"Believe it or not... for the rest of these lives, you'll be bound to me?"
Ye Ziling looked at his profile, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Are you going to disregard the marriage contract bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor?"
Did he intend to defy fate?
"So what if I defy it?" It wasn't the first time he had defied it anyway.
He had worked hard for their love across several lifetimes, and his master was aware of it.
Luo Yao was merely a hurdle between them, a mere placeholder.
However, she probably wouldn't understand.
"My feelings remain unchanged. I don't wish to force you, unless you force me." Ling Xi stood up, gazing at her, the fire in his eyes instantly rekindling.
After he spoke, Ye Ziling felt her body grow heavy as Ling Xi collapsed onto her.
His arms wrapped around her waist, refusing to let go for a long time.
"Get up."
"Don't move..."
His breath hit her face, scorching her skin.
She wanted to push him away, but she was pinned and couldn't move, so she gave up.
Supporting each other, they walked out of Hua Man Lou.
Mu Heng saw them emerge from Hua Man Lou from a distance. He frowned at Ling Xi's near-death appearance. "How did this kid get so injured? If you can't beat them, don't fight them. Why show off?"
Luo Yao, who could no longer stand steady, rushed to their front. Just as she was about to help, Ling Xi called out to her.
"Luo Yao, go get the medicine..."
Luo Yao froze and quickly turned around. Then she suddenly remembered and responded, "Okay, hold on... I'll be back."
In the room, Ye Ziling held the medicine bowl and handed it to Ling Xi.
After Ling Xi drank the entire bowl of medicine in one go, his mind gradually cleared.
"Help me change my dressing," he said, pointing to his back, his tone somewhat lazy.
"Don't you have hands?" Ye Ziling glanced at Ling Xi, taking the empty bowl from his hand.
"I can't reach," Ling Xi said, giving her an innocent look. A shrewd glint flashed in his eyes as he tugged at her sleeve and said indifferently, "You help me."
Ye Ziling closed her eyes in helplessness, sighed softly, and walked to his side, fumbling with his robe.
Seeing Ye Ziling's actions of attending to someone, Mu Heng covered his face and quickly stepped forward to interrupt, impatiently saying, "Move aside... let me."
Two adults, don't they know about the impropriety between men and women?
"Commander Mu also knows medicine?" Ling Xi glanced at Mu Heng, his tone unfriendly.
"For changing a dressing, you're looking for a master physician?" Mu Heng rolled his eyes. "I think that girl Luo Yao is quite skilled in medicine. How about I call her from outside to examine you?"
Their gazes were filled with gunpowder, almost sparking a fight.