Mu Qiuhan stared at the large bag of spiritual herbs in her arms, lost in thought for a rare moment.
Yu Chengjun watched her expression with great interest, smiling as she ate another piece of pastry.
Seeing Mu Qiuhan remain silent for a long time, she extended her open palm towards her.
“Your person came here to buy medicine from me, but she hasn’t paid yet.”
Mu Qiuhan shot her a glare. “Wasn’t what I gave you last time more than enough?”
That white paper, stamped with the Demon Lord’s seal, was practically the greatest wealth the Demon Lord could promise her.
But that fair arm still dangled before her eyes.
“This is a separate matter.”
The woman beckoned to her with a finger. “We’re doing business, aren’t we? It’s not a one-time deal. Accounts need to be settled clearly.”
Although Mu Qiuhan had long known this woman loved money, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her.
She took out a money pouch from her storage ring and tossed it lightly to the woman.
“Keep this with you for now. If she fancies anything else in the future, just deduct it from here.”
Yu Chengjun picked up the pouch, weighed it in her hand, and with a beaming smile, stored it in her storage ring, nodding and saying, “Alright.”
She sized up Mu Qiuhan for a moment, then chuckled softly.
“Seeing as you’re so generous, I’ll give you another piece of advice: managing people is like managing water. Damming it is not as good as clearing a path, and clearing a path is not as good as guiding it.”
Seeing the woman looking at the bag of spiritual herbs in her arms with an ambiguous expression, Mu Qiuhan snorted softly.
“My thanks to you. Instead of worrying about others here, perhaps you should worry about yourself.”
Seeing Yu Chengjun still wearing that maddening smirk as if watching a show, Mu Qiuhan said slowly, “I heard your disciple spent a fortune to buy countless Seven-Clawed Phoenix bones from the Yao Territory, intending to craft a puppet identical to you.”
The smile on Yu Chengjun’s face finally faltered.
Just as Mu Qiuhan thought she would burst out cursing that disciple for being rebellious and unfilial, she saw her smash the wooden table before her with a palm strike.
“Prodigal brat!”
Watching Yu Chengjun storm out of the Demon Palace in a rush, Mu Qiuhan looked at her retreating figure and raised an eyebrow.
Yu Chengjun’s young disciple certainly has some skill.
After the war between immortals and demons, when her disciple learned that Yu Chengjun was still alive, they had come up with this scheme.
Crafting a puppet was likely a pretense; the real intention was probably to force Yu Chengjun to return.
Indeed, for everything in creation, there is something that can subdue it.
Mu Qiuhan stared at the large bag of spiritual herbs in her arms and sighed softly again.
Shang Ningye woke up the next morning.
Recalling those vivid and sensual scenes from the secret realm yesterday, her face felt quite hot for a moment.
She glanced around the room.
She had hoped Mu Qiuhan would go to the Jialuo Hall early to handle official matters as usual, so she wouldn’t have to face her so awkwardly.
However, her wish did not come true.
Not only had Mu Qiuhan not left, but she was sitting right by the bed.
Seeing her awake, she even raised a hand and gently touched her forehead.
When Shang Ningye saw her raise her hand, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
This scene inevitably reminds me of how that jade-like hand stirred that pool of spring water countless times yesterday.
Her face turned red again.
Mu Qiuhan saw Shang Ningye glance at her only briefly at first, then keep her head lowered, unwilling to look her in the eye, and sighed inwardly.
She placed the bag of spiritual herbs Yu Chengjun had delivered beside Shang Ningye’s pillow.
“Yu Chengjun delivered what you wanted last night.”
She paused, then added, “The people I sent to collect morning dew haven’t returned yet. You might have to wait a little longer.”
Shang Ningye looked up at her words.
“Nine Flowers Jade Dew doesn’t necessarily require morning dew to make; ordinary water can also be used.”
Shang Ningye knew the Demon Realm was very dry all year round, with extremely scarce vegetation, making morning dew almost impossible to find.
If they were to collect morning dew as she had before, it would likely take a considerable effort.
So she got up, selected some of the nine medicinal herbs in proportion, and enveloped them completely with her own spiritual energy.
Green spiritual energy flickered, quickly extracting the essence from the spiritual plants.
Shang Ningye used her spiritual energy to guide the crystal-clear liquid into the pot by the window.
Afterward, she glanced at Mu Qiuhan with some hesitation.
The Demon Realm’s weather was hot, and the Demon Palace usually had cold tea prepared; there was no stove fire ready.
“What’s wrong?” Mu Qiuhan noticed her hesitant expression.
Perhaps because her tone was too gentle, Shang Ningye actually spoke up, “There’s no stove fire here. I was hoping to borrow your spiritual fire to warm the tea.”
As soon as she said this, she felt it was quite inappropriate.
How could I ask the Demon Lord to use spiritual fire just to warm a pot of tea for me?
But unexpectedly, Mu Qiuhan chuckled softly upon hearing this.
“Is that all? I thought it was some difficult matter.”
A small flame rose from her palm, steadily lifting the teapot from the table into mid-air.
Mu Qiuhan precisely controlled the spiritual fire, warming the jade teapot just enough without damaging its surface.
“Should it be boiled?” she asked.
Shang Ningye shook her head.
“No need. It just tastes better if it’s a little warm.”
After a while, a faint wisp of white steam appeared on the body of the pot.
Mu Qiuhan recalled the temperature of the Nine Flowers Jade Dew when she drank it last time, figured it should be about right, and retracted the spiritual fire.
She used the teapot to pour a cup of tea for each of them.
Mu Qiuhan tasted the tea’s temperature, found it just right for drinking, and passed the other teacup to Shang Ningye.
“Try it,” she said. “It seems slightly inferior to the one you made with morning dew.”
Shang Ningye took the cup and took a sip.
Then she tilted her head back and drank all the Nine Flowers Jade Dew in the cup.
Mu Qiuhan saw her tilted-back neck, fair and slender, the delicate curve of her throat gently bobbing as she swallowed, and a dark glint flashed in her eyes.
She managed to tear her gaze away with difficulty, only for it to involuntarily land on Shang Ningye’s moistened, red lips.
Mu Qiuhan coughed lightly, unnaturally, and lowered her head to drink the tea in her cup.
As soon as the cool Nine Flowers Jade Dew entered her stomach, the romantic thoughts in her heart faded a little.
Shang Ningye finished one cup of tea and reached out to pour herself a second.
Seeing her drink tea one cup after another, Mu Qiuhan suddenly felt an indescribable emotion well up inside her.
Carrying this inexplicable emotion, uncertain whether it was sadness or pride, Mu Qiuhan stood up from her seat in the room.
Sad, because Shang Ningye would rather harm her own body than become closer to me.
Proud, because perhaps Shang Ningye isn’t entirely devoid of thoughts about me when facing me; otherwise, she wouldn’t be drinking cup after cup like this.
She lowered her gaze, glanced at the person still drinking tea with her head down, and said softly, “There are still some clan matters waiting for me to handle. I’ll head off first.”
Shang Ningye hummed in acknowledgment without looking up.
Only after Mu Qiuhan had walked far away did she sigh.
Perhaps the scenes I experienced in the illusion realm yesterday were too intense. Whenever I see Mu Qiuhan, I can’t help but recall those absurd scenes from yesterday.
The Silk Flower Essence in her dantian would become a little unruly.
She had just managed to suppress those restless emotions with the medicinal power of the Nine Flowers Jade Dew and could finally exchange a few more words with her, but then Mu Qiuhan left again.
Shang Ningye walked to the door, watching the retreating figure, her hand on the doorframe tightening for a moment.
Across from her, Mu Qiuhan’s bedchambers were being repaired quickly.
Only a day had passed, and the buildings damaged by the lightning tribulation had been completely cleared away.
The new bedchambers were still being built according to the original blueprints.
As night fell, Shang Ningye stood by the window, staring blankly at the walls that were already half a person tall.
The demon soldiers who had been busily hauling materials to the palace during the day were gone, and the bedchambers had temporarily returned to their former tranquility.
Shang Ningye didn’t know what Mu Qiuhan had been busy with all day; it was already late, but she still hadn’t seen any sign of her.
She turned another page of the “Customs of the Demon Realm” in her hand, and amidst the rustling sound of pages, other noises suddenly mingled.
Shang Ningye focused and listened.
It seemed a patrol of demon soldiers was passing by outside the courtyard.
Shang Ningye frowned in confusion.
When Mu Qiuhan returned, Shang Ningye was just preparing to rest.
The woman was travel-worn, her clothes carrying the mixed scents of various greater and lesser yao.
Before Shang Ningye could ask, Mu Qiuhan spoke first, “I went to the Yao Clan today and came back a little late.”
Shang Ningye didn’t know what came over her; she suddenly asked awkwardly, “With Su Hongyu?”
Mu Qiuhan shook her head.
“That wild fox has gone off to enjoy herself somewhere today. I went with Wu Ling.”
Seeing the fleeting look of confusion on Shang Ningye’s face, she explained, “I heard the current Yao King has some friendship with you, so I went to see if I could try again to trade for that Golden Lingjiao that has already taken form.”
Shang Ningye shook her head gently.
“Sister Feng will definitely not agree.”
She saw Mu Qiuhan’s brow furrow deeply at these words and thought she was unhappy because she hadn’t managed to trade for the Golden Lingjiao.
Shang Ningye then comforted her, “Hasn’t the Yin-Yang Mystic Dragon Pill already been refined? That little yao who took form with such difficulty—just listen to Sister Feng’s advice and don’t try to get it anymore.”
But unexpectedly, Mu Qiuhan’s lips curved into a smile upon hearing this.
“You weren’t with the two of us, how would you know Feng Yi advised me?”
Shang Ningye sighed.
“I’ve known Sister Feng for quite some time. I naturally know she would advise against it.”
The curve of Mu Qiuhan’s lips widened, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Is that so?”
