Chapter 17

“Senior Brother.”

Touch… the tail?

Sang Ying stared blankly at the youth in the mirror. His dark, deep eyes met hers in the reflection—calm and indifferent—yet she felt as if burned, quickly averting her gaze.

“I don’t want to,” she replied coldly.

It wasn’t that she truly didn’t want to, but she couldn’t overcome the barrier in her heart.

The fact that she had lost herself in that kiss earlier already filled her with shame. She didn’t want to become entangled with Xie Lingyu in this way again, even if it was only within the illusionary realm.

Though she didn’t fully understand, allowing someone to touch her demonic form was clearly no ordinary act—it required a level of intimacy.

The youth behind her remained silent, quiet. Sang Ying didn’t dwell on what he might be thinking, nor did she look at him.

After all, in her view, this was merely an illusion. The words spoken earlier were nothing more than the illusion’s reflection of her inner desires.

By her estimation, the time should be almost up.

Sang Ying lowered her eyes. “Xie Lingyu, I want to return to Minghua Mountain.”

The person behind her was silent for a few breaths. “Alright.”

It had been three years since she last returned. Sang Ying didn’t know what Minghua Mountain was like in reality, but the mountain before her remained exactly as she remembered. Looking up into the distance, immortal cranes circled the clouds above Green Lamp Peak, ethereal and detached from the world.

Sang Ying stepped off the sword light and suddenly felt a churning in her chest. Covering her lips, she coughed a few times.

Her body was too weak, and her cultivation base too low. Although Wei Li hadn’t intended to harm her, the demonic energy that had spilled out at the time had still injured her.

She had used a Talisman to force herself to stay alert and enter the illusionary realm, but now its effects were wearing off. The surging energy and blood in her body could no longer be suppressed.

She looked at Xie Lingyu.

The youth had already retracted his tail and dragon horns, returning to his original appearance—elegant, cold, and reserved in nature.

This was how she remembered him: always silently following her, acting as her little follower under her direction.

She pressed her pale lips together and, as she had in the past, indulged her willful nature. “Xie Lingyu, carry me on your back.”

The youth didn’t speak, naturally walking over and crouching down in front of her.

Sang Ying leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rested against his back.

His back was just as warm and broad as she remembered. Sang Ying exhaled softly, carefully resting her cheek lightly against his shoulder.

She thought to herself, she truly was wicked—bullying someone for so long, to the point where he couldn’t even be with the person he loved.

The youth slowly carried her up the mountain, step by step.

The evening breeze drifted from afar. Sang Ying, resting on his shoulder, grew drowsy. Her breathing was light and shallow, her murmurs scattering in the wind.

“Xie Lingyu… you’re so heavy.”

The moonlight was tranquil, and all was silent.

After a long while, the youth lowered his lashes. “Junior Sister is very light.”

As if, if he didn’t hold on tightly, she might vanish with the wind in the blink of an eye.

When they reached the mountain gate at the peak, Xie Lingyu stopped. Before he could speak to wake the girl, she stirred on his back, patted his shoulder, and signaled for him to let her down.

The girl covered her lips and coughed softly a few times. She walked up two stone steps, stood behind the bright red mountain gate, straightened her robes, and then turned to look at him.

Her eyes were clear and bright, like the moon in the sky. Her fox-like brows and eyes curved slightly, carrying a lively smile.

The same scene, the same location—Xie Lingyu was instantly reminded of that day years ago.

He had just entered the sect. After she learned that the little follower she had envisioned had instead become her senior brother, she was so displeased that she wanted to play a trick on him and deliberately hid his sword.

He knew what she was thinking, knew where the sword was hidden, yet he still went searching all over the mountain as she wished, missing both lunch and dinner at the dining hall, not returning until late at night.

The young girl leaned drowsily against the mountain gate, but perked up the moment she saw him return. She pulled a fragrant roast goose from her robes, looking both proud and sly.

“Foolish Xie Lingyu, hungry, aren’t you? Call me ‘boss’ and I might consider giving you some~”

The night at Green Lamp Peak was silent and still.

Xie Lingyu lifted his gaze, looking at the girl before him.

The solemn crimson mountain gate separated the two. The girl’s eyes curved into crescents, her pupils reflecting the moonlight as she quietly watched him.

After a long while, she finally spoke softly.

“Senior Brother.”

Xie Lingyu was slightly taken aback. Since they had met, she had always called him by his name directly, never once addressing him as “Senior Brother.”

A faint unease suddenly rose in his heart, even a touch of panic. This premonition made it impossible for him to remain calm.

He instinctively reached out to grab her.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch her, a faint cracking sound rang out. Instantly, the girl shattered like a mirror before his eyes, and the surrounding peaks and clouds crumbled and scattered in succession.

…

Emerging from the illusionary realm of Shuiyue Jinghua, Sang Ying immediately saw Wei Li pacing anxiously nearby.

“It can’t be, why is my dad here? Shouldn’t he be fishing with someone right now? This is bad…”

Sang Ying calmly shook the Glazed Mirror. “I called him.”

Wei Li: “?”

When dealing with rebellious kids, the best approach was naturally to call their parents.

In the book’s plot, the Lord of the Demonic Realm also came, though not this early. By the time he arrived, Wei Li had been severely injured by Xie Lingyu and was nearly dead.

His father, the Lord of the Demonic Realm, was fiercely protective of his own, and thus held a grudge against Xie Lingyu, causing him plenty of trouble afterward.

The boy widened his eyes, wearing an expression of utter betrayal. “I helped you so much, and you actually turned traitor—ow!”

His head was struck hard with a fist, and Wei Li crouched down in pain, clutching his skull.

“You little brat, you’ve got some nerve! I take my eyes off you for a moment and you run off to cause trouble.”

Behind him, a man who had appeared unnoticed in the Shuiyue Jinghua scolded Wei Li for a while before turning to Sang Ying with a gentle smile, showing a standard eight-tooth grin.

“Young lady, this foolish son of mine has caused you trouble.”

This Lord of the Demonic Realm was quite reasonable.

The reputation of demonic cultivators was notoriously bad, whether in the Cultivation World or the Demon Realm. Known for their sinister minds and ruthless methods, demonic cultivators were like rats crossing the street—everywhere they went, people wanted to drive them out.

However, rumors said this Lord of the Demonic Realm rarely provoked others proactively; it was usually demonic cultivators who sought him out to fight or usurp his position. From Wei Li’s earlier words, it seemed his hobby was fishing? Quite refined.

To prevent the situation from worsening further, Sang Ying used her connections to find a demonic cultivator on duty at the Demon Palace and had him inform the Devil Lord of the situation here.

In short, she called his parent.

“Young lady, if my avatar stays too long, it will attract the attention of those old monsters. It’s not convenient to linger, so I’ll take my useless son and leave now.”

The man handed her a dark jade token. “I will remember your kindness today. If you ever face difficulties, feel free to come to the Devil Realm and find me!”

Sang Ying understood that if the Lord of the Demonic Realm appeared in the Demon Realm, it would surely cause an uproar.

The Lord of the Demonic Realm acted swiftly, taking control of the Shuiyue Jinghua and releasing everyone inside. He then quickly left the area with Wei Li, leaving not a trace of his presence behind.

The Immortal Alliance stationed outside never even noticed when he had entered their encirclement before he had already taken his target away.

The surroundings grew bustling as the Immortal Alliance members saw the Shuiyue Jinghua dissolve and the trapped individuals emerge.

“Little Junior Sister!”

Sang Ying opened her eyes, adjusting for a moment before following the voice to see Xiao Lingzhou running toward her from a distance, sweat beading on his temples, his expression tense.

“Little Junior Sister, are you alright?”

Sang Ying suppressed the blood rising in her throat, trying to sound as relaxed as possible as she shook her head gently. “I’m fine.”

Xiao Lingzhou’s gaze swept over her face, and seeing her unharmed, his anxious heart finally eased slightly.

He opened his arms, about to pull her into an embrace. Sang Ying was momentarily stunned but didn’t avoid it.

Second Senior Brother must have suffered a lot in the illusionary realm—his face was still pale when he emerged. Who knew what he had experienced in there? A comforting hug wouldn’t hurt.

As she thought this, her wrist suddenly felt cold, seized by a hand that pulled her backward, causing her to fall into a slightly cool embrace.

The scent of white sandalwood—she was very familiar with this fragrance.

She looked up and saw the young man’s face reflected in Xiao Lingzhou’s eyes, his expression filled with intense hostility.

Sang Ying was taken aback, turning to look at him, but the young man’s expression was as calm as ever.

…Was it her imagination?

Xie Lingyu spoke coolly, “When did Second Senior Brother return? Why didn’t you inform us?”

His words carried a tone of reproach, implying that Xiao Lingzhou had brought her here without a word, putting her in such danger.

Xiao Lingzhou pursed his lips, uncharacteristically silent despite his usual eloquence.

“This isn’t entirely Second Senior Brother’s fault. I followed him here on my own. I’m sorry for causing trouble, Little Senior Brother.”

Sang Ying spoke gently, trying to move her still-captured wrist. “Little Senior Brother, please let go of me first.”

Xiao Lingzhou was stunned by the address, his eyes snapping up to look at the young woman.

Having known her since childhood, he understood her temperament thoroughly. Among the three senior brothers, she alone refused to call Xie Lingyu “Senior Brother,” appearing to bully him when in reality, the more she liked someone, the more awkward she became.

So what was this…?

After Sang Ying finished speaking, the hand on her wrist not only didn’t release but tightened its grip.

Sang Ying looked up at him curiously. “Little Senior Brother?”

The young man’s dark pupils met her gaze, his expression unreadable as he watched her for a few seconds.

“Junior Sister was just invaded by demonic energy and may have suffered damage. You need to be examined. I’ll take you back to the inn—”

“Let me help you check, Mother of My Child!”

A tall figure suddenly stopped in front of them—it was the Northern Desert Demon King, Fu Ye. His rugged face leaned in close to Sang Ying, his ears slightly red. “Leave it to me, Mother of My Child. It’s just a bit of demonic energy—I’ll make sure to cleanse it completely…”

Sang Ying suppressed the churning of blood and energy in her body, raised her hand, and slapped it against his face, pushing him away.

“I appreciate the offer. Also, the child in your belly isn’t mine—or rather, whether there even is a child is still uncertain.”

“Sang Junior Sister is right.”

Xu Baishen walked over, his tone gentle. “If I recall correctly, Fellow Daoist Fu once mentioned you are a rabbit demon, and male rabbit demons can experience false pregnancies. Fellow Daoist Fu should examine yourself more carefully to avoid any misunderstandings.”

He looked at Sang Ying, “Junior Sister Sang, the Immortal Alliance has brought medical cultivators along. Let them treat your injuries.”

Fu Ye retorted, “As if only your Immortal Alliance has physicians. Does the Demon Realm not have its own Demon Physicians?”

Xu Baishen remained gentle, “The spiritual vein circulation of demons and humans differs. Naturally, the medical cultivators of the Cultivation World are more suitable…”

A surge of blood and qi churned in her chest, accompanied by a buzzing in her ears.

Before the argument could conclude, in full view of everyone, the young woman suddenly clutched her chest, spat out a mouthful of blood, and then collapsed limply to the ground.

…

In a daze, her body felt unbearably cold. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, Sang Ying sensed herself being fed something warm and slightly sweet.

Something warm enveloped her, and her body gradually began to warm up.

Her hand was being wiped, a damp cloth repeatedly passing between her fingers. She grew somewhat impatient and tried to pull her hand back, but it was firmly held in place.

Faintly, she heard a low voice, unclear yet chillingly somber and unsettling.

“Would it be better… if I locked you away?”