"I am Lu Liuyan."
She smiled gently, her lips curving into a soft, almost enigmatic expression as her gaze settled on Yan Ming.
Despite the chaos and bloodshed that surrounded them, her smile held a quiet composure, as if she had already weighed and accepted the situation. Her eyes, sharp yet warm, seemed to study him intently, taking in every detail—the way he stood, the aura of power that radiated from him, and the calm precision with which he had dealt with the threat.
The maid also had a sense of elegance, but compared to Lu Liuyan, it was night and day.
Lu Liuyan had grown up with a noble background with even some cultivators who bended the knees to her even though she was a mortal.
She thought she had seen it all, but she was unable to take her eyes off Yan Ming.
For the first time in a long while, she felt the stirrings of uncertainty, mingled with a peculiar sense of fascination. She had always prided herself on her ability to remain composed, no matter the circumstance, but in his presence, her carefully constructed poise seemed to falter. Her thoughts raced, yet she couldn't bring herself to break the silence, captivated by the mystery of the man who had saved her life so effortlessly.
Yan ming also noticed this.
What's wrong with her?
-Hahaha~
Hong Lianhua? Is this your doing?
-I'm not so bored that I would bother playing with mere mortals.
Hong Lianhua smiled,
-Those that become captivated with you hold great evil in their hearts. I can't even say that I'm suprised by her reaction.
For a fleeting moment, a sharp killing intent flashed in Yan Ming's eyes, like the sudden glint of a blade in the dark. It was cold, unyielding, and utterly terrifying. The intensity of it sent a chill through the air, as if the forest itself recoiled in fear.
But just as quickly as it appeared, it faded away, leaving his gaze calm and unreadable once more. The brief moment passed like a shadow swept away by the wind, and he stood there as though nothing had happened, his expression betraying no hint of the storm that had flickered within him. From the sudden chill, the maid and Lu Liuyan woke from their trance.
"What's the matter?"
Yan Ming's cold voice cut through the silence like a blade, sharp and unyielding, snapping her back to reality. "Are you unharmed?" he asked, his tone devoid of warmth yet had a sense of allure.
The noblewoman blinked, startled by the abruptness of his words. Her composure, carefully honed over years of courtly life, threatened to crumble under the weight of his presence. For a moment, she had been lost in the memory of the killing intent she'd seen in his eyes, but his voice brought her sharply back to the present.
"Y-Yes," she stammered, her words uncharacteristically hesitant before she caught herself, straightening her posture. "Thanks to you, we are safe." She tried to maintain her usual elegance, but the lingering edge in his voice and the cold detachment in his gaze unsettled her more than she cared to admit. It was as if he were both protector and executioner, a man who could decide the fate of those before him with a single thought.
-Aren't you going to kill them?
For a second, he thought about killing them both. However...
He didn't know the exact details.
For example, what qualified as evil? Who decides that?
If someone kills a corrupt official, is that evil?
If someone kills a innocent official, even if by accident, is that evil?
-Both are evil~
Hong Lianhua laughed and said, -Living beings, were born evil. They were born to take and destroy. If so, of course any action they take is evil. Some are just worse than others. Some don't even bother in hiding it, hahaha~
I don't believe that.
-You claim that I'm wrong?
No, maybe you are right. But there could be more than one answer to what is evil. You also can't deny that there are people who would be willing to give up their life for the good of others.
-In my eyes, they are evil as well.
Why? Is selflessness a sin?
Hong Lianhua bursted out laughing.
-You haven't seen the world at all. Let me tell you about it. A person can sacrifice for the greater good, lets say a country. But that's only their selfish desire to protect others. When you give something up, you expect an equal amount of reward. Is that not greed?
Then what can be truly good in the world then?
-Good~ Of course their could be good.
What is it?
-If a person dies or if they sacrifice themselves for nothing in return. When you do things, not for rewards, or to meet some sort of expectation, then that could be good. In other words, good can only come out of dead people or those that wish harm against themselves. Since they wouldn't be able to harm others nor the world right? Idiotic isn't it.
-Only in embracing nothingness can one achieve pure good.
-You can argue all you want later, she's waking up.
Lu Liuyan who had regained her composure and was wide awake now. She didn't know what got over with her as she quickly apologized to Yan Ming.
"Sorry, immortal. Lately, I've been having nightmares and haven't gotten much sleep which was why–"
Yan Ming interrupted her. "No matter. What do you need?"
"I would like to become friends with you." She politely bowed, "To be honest, our family has 3 nascent cultivators in different sects. It's always to get to know more people."
"3 nascent cultivators...That's quite a lot for a single family." He eyed her carefully to reevaluate his first impression.
I still need to get nascent souls..If they are villains then...
Yan Ming's lips curled into a faint smile, a rare and fleeting gesture that softened his otherwise stoic demeanor. With a calm and deliberate motion, he cupped his hands in a polite gesture, his head inclining slightly in acknowledgment.
"I would be honored to make friends with like minded individuals, Ms. Liuyan."
Lu Liuyan smiled with a slight blush.
"There's no need for such formality. You can call me Liuyan." She looked a bit hesitant. "What should I call immortal..."
"...My name..."
A tinge of emotions was felt in his heart. All that he had left from his village, was his name.
The old him died within his village, but still had a duty that needed to be fufilled.
"...Is Yan Ming."