"O Shinan."
Li Minghan repeated,
"I am Li Minghan."
"Brother Li~" O Shinan called softly, bowing slightly,
"Brother Li seems unfamiliar, surely you're not from around here."
"I've lived in the deep forest for a long time, seldom going out. Brother O, are you familiar with this town... with the things in this city?"
The two then sat down by the campfire and talked for a long time. For some reason, every single thing O Shinan mentioned greatly intrigued Li Minghan. They talked for a long time, discovering they had similar interests and regretting not having met sooner.
"Shall I take Brother Li to a place?"
The next evening, Li Minghan returned to the city with O Shinan,
"What is this?"
O Shinan brought Li Minghan to a three-story building with red wood and green tiles, causing Li Minghan to look puzzled at the plaque above.
"Drunken Fairy Tower."
O Shinan softly stated, handing his horse over to a young servant and walking in as if he owned the place.
Li Minghan was unsure of what kind of place this was but followed O Shinan inside nonetheless.
The Drunken Fairy Tower was lavishly decorated with colorful drapes and petals scattered everywhere, with different fragrances of makeup and flowers wafting through the air.
On the second-floor corridor, several charming women shyly greeted the people below with their faces half-covered.
As soon as they entered, a flamboyantly dressed tall woman approached them,
"Young Master, you've come early today, huh? Oh~ it seems you've brought a friend."
Seeing the person behind O Shinan, she quickly understood and shouted upstairs: "Pot, Master O has arrived, hurry and bring the finest tea to the Zijin Pavilion, and call some newcomers to serve."
"Understood."
O Shinan playfully flicked the woman's nose, praising her indulgently.
Li Minghan followed O Shinan into the Zijin Pavilion, and after sitting down, he quietly asked:
"Brother O, what place is this? Why are the women so enthusiastic?"
"A place to lean on fragrance and beauty." O Shinan said nonchalantly, wrapping his arm around the woman who had just handed him a cup of wine.
Although Li Minghan had never encountered such situations, he knew a little from stories. But since it was his first time, he was somewhat restrained, watching O Shinan interact openly with the women in front of him, feeling embarrassed and sitting stiffly with his head down.
Just then, the door of the Zijin Pavilion opened, and groups of men and women came in.
"This Drunken Fairy Tower has goddesses and minor officials, everything you could want. Seeing how this young master looks, it seems it's his first time in such a place of romance. All men go through this once, and after the first time, they become much more at ease," the woman said casually, lightly shaking the silk in her hand.
O Shinan just glanced at Li Minghan, who was sitting somewhat awkwardly to the side, waved his hand, and the door of the Zijin Pavilion was shut, a wisp of purple smoke quietly drifting out. Li Minghan, caught off guard, inhaled it.
"Brother Minghan, since you've come to travel the mortal world, how can you miss the most beautiful scenery it has to offer?" It turned out that from their first meeting, O Shinan had recognized that Li Minghan was a cultivator.
Inhaling the purple smoke, Li Minghan suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented, barely seeing countless drapes and silk fluttering before his eyes, his hand involuntarily reaching out.
Feeling his inner desires magnified, it wasn't long before he lost control of himself.
Surrounded and pampered, the sensation of being adored and embraced was wondrous for Li Minghan, reveling in the joy of being surrounded and indulged. This carefree indulgence and control over others left him reluctant to leave.
Unknowingly, Li Minghan spent three whole days and nights in a daze at the Drunken Fairy Tower.
"Master Li, Master O has instructed that if you wake up, you may find him at the Yuqing Treasure House. The carriage is waiting outside the door."
Li Minghan, just awakened, heard the voice outside the door.
Li Minghan pulled his thoughts from his memories and looked again at Shentu Zhajia in front of him,
"Brother, do you ever regret saving me in the Lake Pavilion that day?"
"If I had known you were such a narrow-minded, vicious person, I would have..." Shentu Zhajia said through clenched teeth.
"And then what? Would you do as your father did, kill me and take the Moonshadow Pill within me for yourself?"
Li Minghan interrupted Shentu Zhajia, adding bitterly.
"Indeed, Brother O was right all those years ago. In this world, being selfish is truly the happiest thing. All my previous endurance and weakness, the source of all my pain, were because I wanted to become the man my foster father envisioned. I naively thought that if I did everything according to his wishes, he might grow closer to me. Ha, but to him, I was just another face to keep around!" Li Minghan gradually roared louder, reaching up to tear off the mask on his face and furiously smashing it against the opposite wall.
In the wooden cabin in the peach blossom forest, Hua Ruoying was alone, fiddling with the bottles and jars in the box in front of her, her hand inadvertently stopping on a blue-green bottle with silver flowers.
"Sister Ruoying, the young master has arrived." Qingping, holding a few fruits in her hand, munched as she walked in.
"Oh, I know." Hua Ruoying hurriedly snapped the box shut in response.
Outside the cabin, Mi Xingzhe and Bingo were waiting with a food box in hand. Seeing Hua Ruoying come out of the cabin, Mi Xingzhe's face instantly brightened with a smile.
"Why have you come?" asked Hua Ruoying.
"Senior brother made some snacks and asked me to bring them to you," Mi Xingzhe said, lifting the food box.
"You really went to a lot of trouble," Hua Ruoying replied.
As Hua Ruoying reached out to take the food box, her hand inadvertently touched Mi Xingzhe's. Their eyes met, and time around them seemed to stand still, with Hua Ruoying shimmering in Mi Xingzhe's eyes.
Mi Xingzhe felt the warmth and softness of Hua Ruoying's hand, captivated by her curled eyelashes, the floral scent drifting from her hair, and the peach petals falling around them. He was momentarily transfixed.
At the moment of touching Mi Xingzhe, Hua Ruoying also felt an unusual stirring in her heart.
Standing to the side, Bingo watched the two, tilting his head left and then right, shaking his head helplessly, nudging their hands with his nose.
The two, upon realizing they were still holding hands, became somewhat embarrassed.
"I, I'll take it inside first."
With flushed cheeks, Hua Ruoying quickly took the food box and ran back into the cabin.
"Oh, oh, okay." Mi Xingzhe didn't know what else to say, turning to face away from the cabin, his hands unsure whether to stay or go.
"Sister Ruoying?... Ah... Young master, who is this?" Qingping, just coming out of the cabin, brushed past Hua Ruoying, looking puzzled at the head-down figure rushing inside, then turned to point at Bingo and asked.
"Oh, he's called Bingo, a sacred beast of fortune," Mi Xingzhe explained, pointing at Bingo.
"A sacred beast? Does it eat ghosts?" Upon hearing it was a sacred beast, the fruits in Qingping's hands suddenly lost their appeal. She threw the fruits away and immediately hid behind Hua Ruoying, who had just stepped out, looking bewildered.
"Eat ghosts? Why would it eat ghosts?" Hearing Qingping ask this, Mi Xingzhe was also baffled.
"In the minds of little demons like Qingping, sacred beasts live on ghosts," Hua Ruoying explained.
"Oh, I see. I haven't seen it eat ghosts, but it sure eats fruits." Mi Xingzhe patted Bingo's fluffy head, pointing at the fruit in Qingping's hand with a smile.
Bingo, showing his savvy, shook his head and bowed to Hua Ruoying and Qingping.
"Wow, such a polite sacred beast. The things from your sect are really different," Qingping said, amused by Bingo's bow.
"That's right, this place is beautiful, with all sorts of colorful flowers and plants everywhere. How about I take you for a walk?" Mi Xingzhe suggested.
"Sure," Hua Ruoying agreed casually.
In the peach blossom forest, Hua Ruoying and Mi Xingzhe walked side by side, while Qingping played with a peach blossom branch and Bingo frolicked behind them.
The Liao Yin Immortal Realm was like spring or summer, hosting many rare flowers and plants. A gentle breeze carried various fresh scents through the air.
Mi Xingzhe and Hua Ruoying occasionally glanced at each other and smiled. For a while, they couldn't find any suitable topics and walked in silence for a long time until Mi Xingzhe finally broke the silence,
"Lady Ruoying, the man you fought with that day alongside my master, you said he was your brother?"
"Yes, my brother and I were taken in and raised by the sect leader when we were very young."
"Now that you have left Wuming Demon Mountain, will your brother face difficulties?" Mi Xingzhe asked with concern.
"No, he's different from me. He is wholeheartedly loyal to that person, while I am just an insignificant sister in his eyes," Hua Ruoying shook her head, her eyes filled with sadness.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something that would upset you," seeing Hua Ruoying's saddened face, Mi Xingzhe realized he might have asked a question that was too sensitive.
"The reason I returned to the Liao Yin Immortal Realm with you is also for another purpose—I am looking for an antidote for my brother," Hua Ruoying explained.
"Antidote?" Mi Xingzhe asked, puzzled.
"Yes, the sect leader placed a poison called Crystal Orchid on my brother and me. The two poisoned cannot be too close, or one will be invaded by cold poison, and the other will suffer from intense internal heat," Hua Ruoying explained with sadness in her eyes.
"There's such a malevolent thing in the world!" Mi Xingzhe exclaimed in anger after hearing this.
"My brother's cold poison acts up frequently, and he has to rely on the antidote provided by the demonic sect leader to alleviate it. My heat poison, on the other hand, won't flare up as long as my brother stays away from me," Hua Ruoying continued.
"Lady Ruoying, don't be sad. My master is obsessed with medicine. You can talk to him about any antidote you need; he definitely can help you," Mi Xingzhe comforted her.
"Thank you. By the way, that day at Wuming Demon Mountain, I heard from the sect leader's tone that he seemed to know your master," Hua Ruoying suddenly remembered.
"That day when my master came to find me, that demon indeed called my master by his name. Even in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, apart from the Immortal Lord and Uncle Muhuan, I haven't heard of anyone else daring to address him directly," Mi Xingzhe pondered, finding it strange.
"Did your master have a past grievance with the sect leader?" Hua Ruoying asked.
"I don't know about that," Mi Xingzhe answered.
"That's right, after all, he wouldn't tell you everything," Hua Ruoying noted Mi Xingzhe's reaction and didn't press further.
"Stop!" Hua Ruoying suddenly grabbed him.
"What, what's wrong?" Mi Xingzhe was startled, stopping his raised foot mid-air, not daring to step down.
"Move, move," Hua Ruoying pulled Mi Xingzhe aside and crouched down to dig in the ground.
"Lady Ruoying, what are you doing?" Mi Xingzhe asked, puzzled.
"Ah, found it!" After a short while, Hua Ruoying stood up from the ground, holding a plant in her hand.
"What is that?" Mi Xingzhe asked, looking puzzled.
"This? It's called the Valley Fairy," Hua Ruoying said proudly.
"Valley Fairy?"
"Yes, it's a rare sight. If it flowers, it's particularly beautiful."
"Oh, a flower."
"Here, I'll give it to you." Unexpectedly, Hua Ruoying extended her hand forward with a smile.
Mi Xingzhe looked at Hua Ruoying, her eyebrows cheerful and eyes smiling, and he momentarily lost his thoughts. His hand unconsciously reached out to take it. When he touched Hua Ruoying's hand, he inadvertently gripped it tightly, lost in thought.
Hua Ruoying looked puzzled at the dazed Mi Xingzhe, trying to pull her hand back, but found it was held tightly.
"Young Master? Young Master?" Hua Ruoying gently reminded him, slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, ah, it's getting late, I need to go back with Bingo. I'll come to see you another day," Mi Xingzhe said, noticing the time and feeling a bit awkward.
"Alright," Hua Ruoying responded with a smile, and they parted ways.
Not far along, Hua Ruoying suddenly changed direction, pulling Qingping towards another path.
"Sister Ruoying, our cabin is that way," the confused Qingping remarked.
"Shh, be quiet, follow me," Hua Ruoying whispered, gesturing to Qingping to follow her.
Earlier, while with Mi Xingzhe, Hua Ruoying had smelled something. As a genius in identifying poisons, she naturally recognized it as the scent of the Unicorn Lotus and followed the smell.
"Ah, found it." Finally, she located the Unicorn Lotus in a patch of grass. Hua Ruoying happily crouched down to pick it when she heard footsteps nearby, quickly pulling Qingping into the bushes to hide.
The footsteps grew closer and stopped not far from where Hua Ruoying was hidden, then another person approached slowly. Hua Ruoying peeked out to see one person draped in a white cloak with their back to her, and another with a scholarly appearance and a light purple mark on his forehead.
"How is it going?" the person in the white cloak asked in a deep voice.
"Everything is under your control," the man with the mark replied.
"How much longer?"
"According to the plan, no more than three months."
[Why are there such sneaky people in this sect?] Hua Ruoying thought to herself upon hearing their conversation.
But in her brief distraction, Hua Ruoying accidentally brushed against the nearby plants, and the slight sound immediately alerted the two people in the distance.
"Who's there!" The man with the mark heard the noise and raised his hand to shoot a silver needle in Hua Ruoying's direction.
Hua Ruoying dodged the silver needle and, grabbing Qingping by the hand, turned and ran.