Chapter 22: Write the Divorce Letter Now!

Jingxi stood at the door and knocked gently, “Young Mistress, it’s time for dinner. You skipped lunch—if you don’t eat something for dinner, how will your body hold up?”

After a long silence behind the door, a sluggish voice finally responded.

“Come in.”

Only then did Jingxi push the door open, arranging the stewed soup and dishes on the table. Watching the young woman slump over the table with her head buried, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “I thought Young Mistress would shut herself in all day.”

“Wasn’t Young Mistress with the Sword Lord in the Demon Realm? Why did you return alone today? Did you have a disagreement with the Sword Lord?”

Sang Ying was sipping her soup when she heard this, and the temperature in her ears, which had just cooled down, rose again in a mix of embarrassment and irritation. “Don’t mention him!”

She had only tried to help him out of kindness when she saw he was on the verge of Qi Deviation, yet he had bitten her—and of all places, he had bitten her there. When she returned in the morning, she could still see the tooth mark.

And it wasn’t just the bite…

Sang Ying slumped back onto the table, burying her flushed face in her arms, leaving only a pair of moist, teary eyes visible.

Slowly, she reached out and touched her collar. Beneath the fabric, there was a dark hickey.

When he had kissed her, he had been fierce and rough, almost as if he were biting her out of displeasure. It didn’t hurt now, but just thinking about last night, the sensation seemed to resurface, making her ears burn with embarrassment.

Now she also knew where the marks on her back and legs had come from. Last night, even though he was unconscious, he had held her tightly, his dragon tail coiling around her, leaving her unable to move at all.

At first, she had tried to struggle, but when she realized she couldn’t break free, she simply gave up. When she woke up the next morning, she was still being held, as if the young man had used her as a pillow, cradling her completely in his arms.

Afraid that struggling too hard would wake him and he would see her, she had finally used an Illusion Form Talisman to transform into a little fox and slip away.

After getting up, she stared at the marks on her body, unsure of what to do or how to face him. In a panic, she dressed and fled the Demon Realm to return home.

Though it was mealtime, Sang Ying had little appetite, her mind in turmoil.

What happened yesterday could be excused—he was unconscious, driven by the Dragon Clan’s Heat Period instincts. But the previous few days, he should have been conscious, otherwise he wouldn’t have left in the morning.

Or was he also in an unconscious state those days? Had he held her without awareness, only to leave after regaining his senses?

…So frustrating.

His white moonlight, their relationship as martial siblings, the three years of marriage… and what had happened these past few days.

Sang Ying’s mind, accustomed to nothing more than sleeping in, simply couldn’t process all these things, and she had only a vague understanding of matters of the heart.

All she knew was that Xie Lingyu did not love her.

Sang Ying hurriedly ate a few bites before putting down her chopsticks. “Jingxi, bring me the household account books.”

Jingxi was puzzled but complied, quickly returning with a stack of account books.

Sang Ying felt that this indecisiveness was not her style. Since she had already decided on a divorce, she might as well cut through the knot quickly.

She calculated the wages he had turned over in the past three years, cleanly dividing the assets and property, half for each.

The residence they currently lived in had originally belonged to Xie Lingyu. After sorting out the belongings, Sang Ying handed the account books to Jingxi and called for Lengmian to arrange for movers.

Both of them were stunned.

Jingxi: “Why is the young mistress suddenly dividing the household?”

Lengmian: “Eldest Miss, why are we moving so suddenly?”

As the words left their mouths, they exchanged a glance and instantly understood the reason—the problem lay with Xie Lingyu.

Sang Ying’s expression was calm, her tone indifferent: “Just do as I say.”

Lengmian had been taken in by Sang Ying, so naturally, she obeyed Sang Ying’s every command. Though filled with doubts, she complied, calling a team to pack up the house and prepare for the move.

Jingxi, however, was different. She had been brought in by Xie Lingyu after the marriage to take care of Sang Ying. Frowning slightly, she said, “Young mistress…”

Sang Ying waved her hand: “There’s no need to call me that anymore. Jingxi, thank you for taking care of me these past few years. These properties are what I’ve left for you. If you ever face any difficulties in the future, you can come find me at Yunshui.”

…

The sky was dim.

A splitting headache.

Xie Lingyu supported his forehead as he sat up, his brows furrowed, noticing a small fox plush toy in his arms.

Looking around, he realized it was Sang Ying’s room, but it was empty.

…Had he slept in her room last night?

But she wasn’t here. Where had she gone?

The Glazed Mirror suddenly chimed.

[Sword Lord, I don’t know what happened between you and the young mistress, but after she returned, she divided the household assets and plans to move out today.]

[The young mistress has treated me well, and after careful consideration, I’ve decided to leave with her.]

[Sword Lord, take care.]

…

Sang Ying hadn’t been to Yunhuai Mountain in a long time.

A cultivator’s Golden Core ceremony was more appropriately called a graduation ceremony. Once a cultivator formed their Golden Core, they gained the ability to stand on their own and would no longer remain with their sect, instead venturing out into the Cultivation World.

After the eldest senior brother formed his Golden Core, he left Minghua Mountain. Sang Ying rarely traveled, having only visited Yunhuai Mountain once before.

At the foot of the mountain, there was a Restrictive Barrier formation array. Sang Ying communicated with her eldest senior brother using a spirit butterfly, and he said he would send Xiao Mi down to fetch her.

In her memory, Xiao Mi was a beautiful, petite cat. She often lured Xiao Mi out to play, dragging Xie Lingyu to the back mountain to catch fish and grill them for Xiao Mi.

A white shadow flashed before her eyes, and Sang Ying called out, “Xiao…”

A cat as tall as a person leaped over, elegantly sitting in front of her. It licked its paws, flicked its tail, and let out an affectionate meow.

Sang Ying: “…”

Sang Ying sat on Xiao Mi’s back, patting its sturdy frame. “Xiao Mi… you’ve been eating well these past few years.”

She pulled out an oil-paper package from her bosom, looking at the dried fish that would barely serve as a toothpick for it. After a moment of silence, she said, “Xiao Mi, should I help you pick your teeth?”

Xiao Mi brushed its tail against her, opened its mouth wide, and in one gulp, devoured the entire packet of dried fish.

Chewing on the fish, Xiao Mi carried Sang Ying up the mountain to her eldest senior brother’s residence—a serene and elegant courtyard pavilion. From afar, the aroma of food wafted over, rich with the warmth of hearth and home.

A young man emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate. When he saw her, his gentle eyes curved into a smile as he called out warmly, “Little Ying.”

Looking at him, Sang Ying felt a sudden sting in her nose.

Her mother had passed away early, and Sang Ying had never met her. The eldest senior brother was like a mother to her—always gentle and kind, making delicious food for her, combing her hair, and telling stories to lull her to sleep.

When she was little, her eldest senior brother would always call her over like this after preparing something tasty.

She jumped down from Xiao Mi’s back and dashed into his arms, burying her face against his chest, her voice muffled.

“…Eldest Senior Brother.”

The young man was taken aback for a moment, then his expression softened. Holding the plate aloft with one hand, he gently patted her back with the other.

Hearing the sob in her voice, his tone softened. “Our little Ying has been wronged.”

Xiao Mi crouched nearby, its tail gently patting her back.

“You must be hungry after the journey. Little Ying, sit down and have something to eat first. Your senior brother still has two dishes to bring out.”

Sang Ying sniffled and released him. “Senior brother, do you have any oil-sugar cakes? I want some.”

“We have everything. What else would you like?”

“I also want to drink.”

Senior brother frowned slightly, considering her condition and about to say there was no alcohol here, when Xiao Mi had already run to the peach blossom tree, patting the ground with its paw.

Sang Ying understood instantly, rolling up her sleeves and digging with a flower shovel, soon unearthing a sealed jar of peach wine.

She held up the jar, looking at senior brother with starry eyes.

The young man sighed softly, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her dirty little face. “Only a little.”

Sang Ying put on a serious face, agreeing repeatedly.

Then… unsurprisingly, she got drunk.

Sang Ying had been frail since childhood and had never drunk alcohol before, only hearing from Xiao Lingzhou that wine was a delicious thing that could drown all sorrows with one drunken bout.

But Xiao Lingzhou was an unreliable liar who always liked to trick her.

She first took a small, tentative sip, surprisingly finding it sweet with a rich peach aroma. Xiao Lingzhou actually hadn’t lied to her this time.

Then she took a big gulp, a cup… then with shining eyes, she clamored for Xiao Mi to pour her another cup.

Xiao Mi pondered for a long time, gripping the jar in its mouth, struggling to pour wine into that small cup with great difficulty.

Senior brother: “…”

Helplessly taking the jar from Xiao Mi’s mouth, senior brother waved his hand in front of the girl who was sitting obediently waiting for Xiao Mi to pour. “Little Ying?”

The girl’s unfocused gaze fell on his face, slowly focusing. After seeing clearly who he was, her mouth quivered and tears welled in her eyes as she accused with grievance.

“Senior brother… sob… someone bullied me.”

Senior brother asked gently, “Who bullied little Ying?”

The girl began to sob, tears pattering down. “Xie Lingyu… that jerk, he kissed me but likes someone else… hateful ghost, I hate him the most.”

She was truly drunk.

Unable to distinguish between events in the illusionary realm and reality, mixing them all together.

Hearing her mention Xie Lingyu, senior brother sighed softly.

Sang Ying had grown up before his eyes, always an indirect character since childhood—the more she liked something, the less she would admit it. Xie Lingyu was his junior brother, also a reserved character who wouldn’t reveal true emotions.

Such two people together would find it hard to have a result, or rather, if not for the circumstances three years ago forcing them, they would have had no opportunity to be together at all.

He had long seen that these two liked each other, thinking they might be more honest after marriage, but hearing her words just now, clearly that wasn’t the case.

The girl’s tears pattered down as senior brother took out a handkerchief and handed it to her.

Sang Ying took the handkerchief, clutched it in her hand, pulled over Xiao Mi’s tail, and wiped all her tears on the tail.

Xiao Mi looked at her, then at its own tail, wronged but not daring to speak.

“…”

Sang Ying continued sobbing while cursing Xie Lingyu.

“Jerk Xie Lingyu!”

“Isn’t it said that dragons like that? In three years of marriage, the number of times he’s slept with me can be counted on one hand—one, two, including yesterday makes only three times total!”

“I thought he couldn’t do it, turns out he has another girl he likes, hates being intimate with me!”

Senior brother took out another handkerchief, calmly wiping the cat, speaking succinctly: “Break up.”

The young girl was taken aback, her imposing demeanor softening. “So… it’s just over like that?”

“What else would you do?”

The senior brother raised his eyes. “He already has a girl he likes. If you don’t break up, are you planning to watch them be affectionate?”

The girl slammed the table and stood up. “Break up! Write the Divorce Letter now!”