The night of lingering tenderness was long, while outside the window, the stars sparkled with brilliant intensity.
At one moment, Song Yin was pushing He Lan Tan away, faking tears: “You’re bullying me, I don’t want this anymore!” The next, she was clinging to him and acting spoiled, boldly demanding more: “Keep going, the night is still long anyway.”
They remained entangled in their intimacy until the first light of dawn began to peek through.
Exhausted, Song Yin finally fell asleep by his side. Her face rested against the pillow, showing a hint of “baby fat” on her cheeks, framed by long, curled black eyelashes.
He Lan Tan closed his eyes, yet he wasn’t truly asleep; he was merely resting.
His sleep had never been good.
When he was a child, he was a “Medicine Human,” and sleep was a luxury he didn’t possess. He had been trapped in a green medicinal pool from which there was no escape, his wrists firmly bound by dark iron chains. People would enter the secret underground chamber at any time of the day or night to take his blood, their blades slicing into his palms regardless of the hour.
Later, as he grew older and more aware, his mind was constantly filled with thoughts of his mother, who had died a wrongful death. Her blood-stained tears would drip into his dreams, burning holes into his psyche. Nightmares overlapped, making it difficult to find rest.
As he grew even older, he had to fight for power and influence against his uncle, forcing himself to feign compliance and obedience.
With a heart heavy with many burdens, it was impossible for him to drift into a light, easy sleep.
He Lan Tan lay beside Song Yin, sharing the same pillow, eyes closed as he brooded. The warm, apricot-flower scent of her hair was cozy, and her soft, fragrant breath constantly drifted toward his nose.
To be honest, this was the first time anyone had ever slept beside him.
In the Medicine Sect, he had to be guarded at every turn. It was hard for him to let down his guard; it was almost unimaginable that someone was sleeping just inches away from him.
He still felt no drowsiness. Perhaps, subconsciously, he was still wary of this little Succubus.
After lying there for a while, just as he was beginning to drift into a hazy state of sleep, the bed shifted. Song Yin had gotten up.
Her eyes remained closed as she stretched her arms wide. In a daze, she fumbled for a cup of cold tea on the headboard. She didn’t drink much, just took a small sip to moisten her lips before lying back down.
He Lan Tan kept his eyes shut, feigning sleep. He could hear the jingling of the ornaments on her wrists.
He also sensed that she hadn’t gone back to sleep but was staring at him. She was like a black cat in the night, watching a bird resting on the eaves.
He Lan Tan felt a surge of intense vigilance. Succubi had not appeared in the world for a long time, and it was difficult for common people to grasp their preferences or temperaments.
But no matter how beautiful a Succubus was, she was still a demon—a wicked creature with deep schemes. Perhaps her tactic was to exhaust his energy through dual cultivation and then take his life while he was fast asleep.
He Lan Tan maintained steady, even breathing, pretending to be in a deep slumber. He wanted to see what kind of trick this little Succubus was about to pull.
He felt the scent of overripe fruit and flowers drift toward his neck. The fragrance carried a warmth that began to seep into his skin.
He Lan Tan mused: She probably wants to bite through the vein in my neck.
Sure enough, Song Yin leaned closer, her hair brushing against his skin.
He Lan Tan remained on high alert.
After a brief silence, Song Yin actually took his Adam’s apple into her mouth. She even gave it a tiny lick. It was as if, after a long gaze, she was finally tasting a favorite candy.
Her warm, soft tongue licked the protrusion of his Adam’s apple like a cat.
Then, she moved to the side of his face and kissed his earlobe.
Her voice was extremely faint, barely more than a vibration in the air: “You’re so beautiful. I really like you.”
She moved down slightly, her petite nose gently rubbing against his moon-shaped blue glass earring, which felt as cold as jade.
Finally, she burrowed into his embrace with satisfaction, rubbing her face against him before falling into a contented sleep. Before drifting off, she didn’t forget to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing her ear against his chest.
Song Yin fell asleep very quickly—almost instantly—and her sleep was deep and peaceful.
He Lan Tan could feel the weight and warmth pressing against his chest, that floral fragrance persistently wafting over him.
The neck touched by her hair was itchy; the ear that heard her sweet words was itchy; the nose invaded by her scent was itchy.
His heart was also itchy. It felt like ten thousand butterflies were flapping their wings, or ten thousand flower stamens were unfurling.
His heartbeat accelerated again, thumping like a drum. Fortunately, it didn’t wake the fast-asleep Succubus.
Tossing and turning, he found it impossible to sleep. He could only grit his teeth in silence.
The methods of a Succubus were truly too difficult to withstand.
As the daylight grew stronger, sleep became even more elusive.
By the time Song Yin woke up, it was already noon. She threw back the covers, stretched lazily, and finished a yawn. She looked toward the pale green gauze window. The daylight was brilliant. She wondered if lunch had already passed and if the inn still had any large beef buns left to eat.
The spot beside her was already empty; there was no warmth left on the indented mattress. However, she didn’t mind. Sleeping alone was her normal state; sleeping together had just been an accident.
She didn’t care at all about the whereabouts of her prey from last night.
Song Yin took out some clothes from her rabbit bag and changed. This bag had long ago been refined by her Master into a “Cosmos Bag.”
The cup on the headboard had been replaced. The ordinary teacup from the night before was gone, replaced by a magical artifact—a glass star-color cup that could maintain a constant temperature so the water wouldn’t grow cold during the night.
Currently, it held a cup of warm jasmine tea. A few white jasmine flowers, as thin as moonlight silk, floated on the surface of the pale yellow liquid.
Song Yin didn’t drink any more water. She jumped off the bed, removed the golden bells from her ankles, and changed into a pair of light pink embroidered shoes with a “Cranes Chasing the Sun” pattern.
Just then, someone entered without knocking. The door creaked open.
Her prey had returned.
He Lan Tan returned carrying a pot of soup. The fragrant soup was placed beside Song Yin.
“It smells so good!” Song Yin sat back on the edge of the bed, plopping down near the pillows. She naturally waited to hitch a meal. “The inn you’re staying at is so nice; the food is better than at mine.”
To save money, she was staying at a cheap inn that didn’t provide meals, so she and Jiang Zuilan spent every day gnawing on dry rations.
The pot of hot soup was a clear golden color, with medicinal herbs floating on the surface like a piece of smooth, warm yellow jade. It smelled strongly of meat, and the chicken was tender and fragrant.
“I like chicken,” Song Yin said, her eyes fixed on the large pieces of chicken visible in the pot as she gave a fervent and sincere compliment.
“Chicken is humanity’s most delicious friend.”
She waited for He Lan Tan to get her a bowl and a spoon. She didn’t want to eat dry rations; she wanted meat and soup.
“I brewed it,” He Lan Tan said. He had gotten up early and borrowed the inn’s kitchen to simmer it for two hours.
“It smells so good! You’re amazing. Is there anything you can’t do?” To get the food, Song Yin was not stingy with her praise.
She had always been a person whose words didn’t necessarily reflect her heart. To achieve her goal, she could easily toss out a few sweet phrases; compliments and flattery came to her as easily as breathing.
The corners of He Lan Tan’s mouth turned up. As expected, he brought over clean bowls and chopsticks and scooped a full bowl for her.
Song Yin didn’t know much about pharmacology. She looked at the surface of the golden chicken soup and the floating slices of medicinal herbs.
Just the herbs she recognized included ginseng, astragalus, and wolfberry. There were even more plants from the cultivation world that she didn’t recognize, but judging by their appearance, they probably weren’t cheap. She was even more determined to have a drink.
He Lan Tan explained several of the medicinal herbs in the soup to her—Red Spirit Jade Ginseng, Chaoyuan Fruit, and so on—all of which were for tonifying the “Middle Jiao” and boosting Qi.
Under the cover of the rising steam from the bowl, his ears turned a bit red again. He forcibly suppressed the memories of their intimate moments the night before and coughed lightly: “You need to supplement your strength.”
The white porcelain spoon in Song Yin’s hand paused. She glanced at him suspiciously.
Is he provoking me? I’m a Succubus, and he actually thinks I need “supplements”?
He Lan Tan scooped some soup, his spoon rising and falling, but he didn’t eat.
“After reaching the Golden Core stage, every inch of progress is exceptionally difficult,” He Lan Tan remarked, seemingly casually.
Song Yin, who had been stuck at the Golden Core bottleneck for many days, paused with her spoon halfway to her mouth. The speed at which she drank the soup slowed down significantly, and her eyelids drooped for a moment. In her heart, she felt an equal amount of envy for every cultivator who progressed faster than she did.
She was a minor genius in formations. She had entered the sect and immediately reached the Qi Refining stage, then quickly rose to Foundation Establishment. Within a year, she had reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Cultivating had been as easy and smooth as drinking water.
However, when it came to advancing from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core stage, because of the limitations of her Succubus constitution, she had nearly lost half her life just to break through. After that, she had been stuck at the Golden Core bottleneck, remaining at the Lower Grade of Golden Core for many years. It was only after she started “plucking” (cultivating through others) that she reached the Middle Grade.
He Lan Tan knew Song Yin was a Succubus. Her way of gaining strength was through dual cultivation, and the higher the partner’s cultivation, the better.
He was already at the Upper Grade of Golden Core despite his young age. He thought again of the eight people Song Yin had kidnapped last night—their cultivation, looks, and family backgrounds were all inferior to his.
He emphasized once more, “My cultivation is higher than yours.”
His tone was even a bit faster, as if he were trying to cover something up. “Furthermore, I cultivate very quickly. I’ll reach Great Perfection this year.”
Song Yin blinked. Why is he suddenly provoking me again?
He has provoked me twice today.
“Mhm, mhm.” Song Yin’s heart wasn’t in it as she nodded perfunctorily, her face still maintaining a sweet and obedient look.
The soup was soon finished down to the last drop. Song Yin took out several outer robes, pondering and comparing which one to wear today.
After He Lan Tan cleared the dishes, he caught sight of his subordinates downstairs through the window. He had sent a voice transmission early that morning, asking them to help him buy something from the South Street.
“I’m going out for a moment.”
Song Yin looked at the clothes, not even turning her head: “Mhm, mhm.”
After He Lan Tan left the room, Song Yin chose a light yellow outer robe embroidered with pink flowers. She thought it would go well with yesterday’s silk shawl.
She began to look around the room for her shawl.
During the antics of the previous day, she didn’t know where the clothes had been tossed.
She found her sheer silk shawl draped over the top of the screen. This piece of clothing had been toyed with by He Lan Tan’s fingertips when they entered the room last night, and he had casually placed it there after taking it off.
He Lan Tan was tall and slender, and out of habit, he had placed it quite high.
He hadn’t done it on purpose; he was just used to being tall.
The screen was specially made, painted with bamboo leaves on a blue-white background, and it was much taller than Song Yin.
Song Yin stood on her tiptoes, but she couldn’t reach it.
She puffed out her cheeks, adding another mark against He Lan Tan in her mind.
He’s mocking me for being short. He’s secretly provoking me.
Song Yin used a spell to retrieve the shawl and quickly stopped caring about He Lan Tan.
Whatever. In any case, sleeping with him twice was already an exception to her rules.
A powerful Succubus shouldn’t sleep with the same person repeatedly. She was going to find another prey; there would be no further connection with him.
She lazily pulled out an umbrella and suddenly snapped it open.
The twenty-four-ribbed pear-blossom white umbrella unfurled, and countless pink flower petals bloomed around the hem of her skirt. A profound and exquisite formation flashed briefly, and in an instant, her figure vanished.
Bye-bye.
When He Lan Tan pushed the door open and returned, the room was silent. The person was nowhere to be found.
He Lan Tan lowered his head, setting the package of pastries he held in his hand down on the table with a sense of emptiness.
Song Yin returned to her own room at the inn.
As for those people who had been lying scattered about, she had already sent a voice transmission to Jiang Zuilan. Jiang Zuilan had used a bunch of medicines to take care of it for her.
Now, those eight people had left the inn, believing they had simply had a dream about setting up two tables of Mahjong and playing all night.
The small room was clean. Song Yin did a simple meditation and cultivation for about half an hour before immediately heading out to find her Master.
At this moment, Si Konglan was with Jiang Zuilan, investigating the whereabouts of the Azure Dragon Vine.
Jiang Zuilan was a Mermaid (鲛人). Mermaids were full of treasures, and their bodies themselves could be used in medicine.
Si Konglan taught her disciples according to their natural talents. For example, her eldest disciple, Song Miao, was agile and had high explosive power, so she taught him body cultivation and assassination.
Her second disciple, Song Yin, was smart, playful, and highly gifted, so she taught her mathematics, talismans, and formations.
Her third disciple, Jiang Zuilan, had the natural talent of a Mermaid, so she was taught medical cultivation.
Medical cultivation required one to concentrate and remain calm, which happened to be a perfect way to restrain Jiang Zuilan’s naturally violent and aggressive nature. If she actually injured someone in a fight, she could treat them on the spot and charge an exorbitant medical fee—a self-sufficient, one-stop business model. There was no need to worry about making a fortune.
The fourth disciple, Zhan Zhaozhao, currently had no special talents; he just needed to stay alive as a mascot. His greatest use was to tell the cultivation world, “Look, our Qunxian Sect has a normal person! Don’t be afraid!”
Si Konglan had a Master’s degree in medicine. After arriving in the cultivation world, she hadn’t promoted this knowledge as extensively as she had her weapon-refining skills. On the contrary, she only treated injuries sustained by herself or those close to her. She only made basic pills and treated the wounded when she encountered them; otherwise, she didn’t advertise her skills as a medical cultivator.
She didn’t intentionally try to “save the world” or deeply research incurable diseases, nor did she try to steal the spotlight from the Medicine Sect.
As for Jiang Zuilan, after completely inheriting Si Konglan’s medical theories, she began to go wild with her own unique inventions.
She loved making strange and eccentric medicines.
For instance, the ointment Song Yin used to test for a “Pure Yang” body could change into three colors. The inspiration for the color change came from the pH test strips her Master had explained to her.
The Azure Dragon Vine that Si Konglan needed was missing. According to rumors, the Medicine Sect would soon host a grand event, and the Cloud Lookout Auction would also be held as scheduled. Perhaps they could try their luck there and gather some information.
After walking around with Si Konglan, Jiang Zuilan finally asked as they reached the entrance of an alley, “Master, will Second Senior Sister get into trouble for sleeping with that Young Master of the Medicine Sect?”
The “trouble” she referred to wasn’t just the kind involving being hunted down or killed, but also the trouble of being persistently pursued for a formal relationship status.
Si Konglan had a grudge against the Medicine Sect.
Her sister had died because of He Lan Haowen.
Si Konglan had once said that this was a private grudge between her and the Sect Master, He Lan Haowen, and shouldn’t involve others.
However, since their sect stood united, there was no such thing as “distancing oneself.” As a matter of fact, the relationship between the Qunxian Sect and the Medicine Sect was not good.
The third disciple was worried that this matter would affect Si Konglan’s or Song Yin’s decisions.
Si Konglan said calmly, “There is freedom in love. She can do whatever she wants.”
As long as she didn’t suffer a loss, Si Konglan didn’t care how many men Song Yin slept with or how many Dao companions she made.
“Besides,” Si Konglan continued with a cold expression, as if she could predict everything, “it’s likely that the Second Disciple’s interest in them won’t last long.”
Si Konglan had four disciples, and every one of them had some sort of “issue.”
When she had picked up Song Yin, the girl was still small, barely reaching her waist. Her dark, shiny hair was tied into two pigtails, her fair little face still had baby fat, and she wore lotus-pink clothes—she looked cute and innocent.
Si Konglan appreciated the child’s talent for mathematics and happened to be free at the time, so she kept the girl by her side every day, teaching her personally while she sat on her lap.
Song Yin was incredibly clingy. She especially loved rubbing her little face against Si Konglan’s palm. She loved to run from far away and throw herself into Si Konglan’s arms, blinking her large, bright, beautiful almond eyes as she nuzzled around.
Occasionally, she would say strange things: “This is great! First Senior Brother is a cat; cats won’t fight with me for Master.”
“This is great! Master’s husband is a fox, and he’s an adult. Adults won’t fight with me for Master.”
At the time, Si Konglan just took it as the innocent babbling of a child and didn’t take it to heart.
Later, those peaceful days were only a fleeting moment. Si Konglan became busy again, traveling everywhere to subdue evil demons and protect the peace of the mortal world.
She was too busy. Since Song Yin’s spells were not yet complete, it was impossible for her to take this young disciple along.
Song Yin couldn’t find her.
Missions would last for several days or several months. Upon returning to Heaven’s Grace Mountain for a rest, she would have to leave again. Si Konglan carried her sword into battle in all directions, and Song Yin could never find her.
At this point, Si Konglan still only thought that Song Yin was a bit too clingy, but nothing else seemed wrong.
Song Yin was sensible. Although she would cry and was reluctant to part with her Master, she never truly stopped her from saving the world. This little disciple had strong self-care abilities and could look after herself, becoming more and more mature under the supervision of her Senior Brother.
Until one day, Si Konglan finished a mission at the foot of the mountain and returned early to the Qunxian Sect on Heaven’s Grace Mountain after being away for half a month.
She saw Song Yin digging a hole. She was digging while crying.
She didn’t know how many days that hole had been in the making, but it was deep enough to bury a person.
Si Konglan called out her name.
Song Yin looked over, dropped her shovel, and ran toward her with her arms open, like a young bird that had been separated from the flock for a long time and had finally found its mother. She wailed loudly, her almond eyes like springs filled with tears, which hung from her long, thick black lashes.
Song Yin hugged her Master, burying her face in her waist and sobbing: “Why do so many people want to fight with me for Master? Why can they see Master but I can’t!”
Just as Si Konglan was about to comfort and reason with her, with her hand still resting on the girl’s back, she saw Song Yin make a loud vow:
“I’m going to bury Master in the dirt so you’ll grow little flowers, and then I’ll be the only one who gets to see you!”
At the time, Si Konglan silently looked at the deep and neatly dug sandpit nearby, then silently lowered her head to look at the little girl rubbing her small head against her belt to wipe away tears.
She thought to herself: This brat… she’s so pretty, but she’s a yandere.
As the memory ended, Si Konglan tucked her hands into her sleeves in the small alley and reassured Jiang Zuilan.
“Your Second Senior Sister… though she is a yandere, she only wants to monopolize someone she likes very, very much.
“Conversely, if she doesn’t like that person very much, she won’t try to take them by force or do anything even more outrageous. So, there’s no need to worry.
“Her standards are too high; she hardly sees anyone as worthy. If she doesn’t see them as worthy, she won’t do anything bad. So, everything will be fine.”
Si Konglan didn’t believe Song Yin was deeply in love with anyone.
The day Song Yin returned from the cave, she had observed her carefully. Song Yin hadn’t brought back any item belonging to the man.
For the highly possessive Song Yin, this usually meant she didn’t like or care about him. If she truly liked someone, she might have returned with a literal human specimen. At the very least, she would have brought back a belt, a sachet, or a hair clip.
Therefore, Si Konglan comforted Jiang Zuilan: “She’s just using him to boost her cultivation. Nothing will happen. She knows where the line is.”
“Master!” Song Yin found the alley and ran over to hug her waist.
She was a big girl now, much taller than before, but she still loved to hug Si Konglan and act spoiled.
She ran fast, and the five-colored silk ribbons at the end of her rabbit bag bounced like a rainbow.
Those five ribbons were made using a strand of hair from Si Konglan, Ling Yi, Song Miao, Jiang Zuilan, and Zhan Zhaozhao. Combined with different colored silk threads, they were braided into five thin, colorful cords and pinned to the rabbit’s tail.
When the rabbit was skinned, there were slight scuffs in the fur where the blade had cut, so the corners of the bag were also patched and decorated with a bit of Song Miao’s cat fur and some of Jiang Zuilan’s discarded scales.
When Song Yin liked someone a lot, she insisted on keeping a part of that person with her at all times.
“Second Senior Sister.” Jiang Zuilan smoothed down a strand of hair that had puffed up when Song Yin ran over, tucked it behind her ear, then crossed her arms for a serious interrogation.
“How far have things developed with the Eldest Young Master of the Medicine Sect?”
“Eldest Young Master of the Medicine Sect?” Song Yin, nestled in Si Konglan’s arms, turned her face toward Jiang Zuilan with a look of confusion in her almond eyes.
“Who?”
“He Lan Tan,” Jiang Zuilan said plainly. She wasn’t surprised that her Senior Sister had “eaten” someone and left them high and dry without even knowing their identity. She explained everything clearly: “He Lan is the surname of the Medicine Sect Master. He is the Sect Master’s nephew.”
Si Konglan once again quietly scanned Song Yin’s clothing. There were still no extra items belonging to a man.
“I don’t care about him,” Song Yin said quickly.
“I took his ‘Pure Yang,’ so things between us should be over.” Song Yin smiled, her almond eyes curving. she only acted spoiled toward her Master and didn’t think it was a big deal.
“Our Succubus clan is all dead, leaving only me. Of course, I have to become the most powerful Succubus ever! Powerful Succubi have to ‘eat’ many people! Since I’ve already eaten him, I can just cast him aside.”
Si Konglan crossed her arms and slowly walked out of the alley.
Jiang Zuilan and Song Yin followed behind, holding hands. Jiang Zuilan was still whispering, “His uncle is very wicked. It’s hard to say if he’s any good either.”
Song Yin swung their joined hands. Even if she didn’t know anything about the Medicine Sect, she wasn’t going to hunt him a third time anyway.
“Yeah,” Song Yin nodded seriously. “I won’t pay him any more attention.”