Sang Ying had assumed Xie Lingyu would come back the next day after she woke, but several days passed with no sign of him, only the Immortal Alliance’s physician cultivator arriving daily with her medicine.
Was the Immortal Alliance really keeping him this busy? Or… was he with Shen Ying?
The moment this possibility crossed her mind, Sang Ying pressed her lips together and shook her head, deciding to pick up her glass mirror instead, hoping a look at her chaotic group of chat friends might lift her mood.
White Cat Swordsman: 【Meow-Meow’s run away from home again. Fellow cultivators, has anyone seen Meow-Meow?】
Delivery Heavenly Worthy: 【If you’d stop trying to dye its fur every other day, maybe it wouldn’t keep running off】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【Sharing photo: (a hundred-and-one-catty snow-flying fish)】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【I win】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【Tch, I refuse to accept this! Again】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【If I hadn’t wasted all that time cleaning up my idiot son’s mess, there’s no way this esteemed fishing heavenly worthy would lose to you】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【Relying on chumming the water, are we?】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【That’s called strategy】
Sang Ying blinked. Enjoys fishing, and just had his son cause trouble a few days ago… this Lake-Filling Hermit competing in a fishing contest, could he possibly be the Devil Sovereign?
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【So bored lately, no cute couple romance stories to enjoy, I feel like I’m growing moss】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【None? What about Qingyu Sword Sovereign and his white moonlight? Everyone’s been talking about that pair lately】
Delivery Heavenly Worthy: 【I’ve heard a bit about it too, sounds like quite the tragic love story, two people who love each other but can’t be together because of countless obstacles. Qingyu Sword Sovereign had no choice but to marry the former Wuwenzong sect master’s daughter, Sang Ying, to repay a debt of gratitude】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【…Let’s not go there. By the way, how’s Sleepyhead and her husband doing?】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【No idea. I sent her a private message about her physician cultivator situation a few days ago and all she said was “no need,” and then nothing since. No idea what she’s been up to these past few days.】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【@Songbiao, you’re pretty close with Sleepyhead, do you know why she hasn’t shown up lately? Did something happen?】
Songbiao: 【Meow meow meow? Who’s Sleepyhead? She told me her name before, it’s Sang Ying.】
Songbiao: 【Also, what’s this white moonlight thing?】
The group suddenly went silent.
Reading this, Sang Ying rubbed her aching temple.
She didn’t expect that the newlywed-turned-love couple everyone had been offering advice for, and the pair caught up in this rumored tragic romance, would turn out to be the exact same person.
The group members were clearly quite protective of their own. What had started as idle amusement over Xie Lingyu and his white moonlight quickly turned hostile the moment they realized he was Sang Ying’s husband of three years who slept in separate rooms, and they all rallied to Sang Ying’s side, cursing Xie Lingyu one after another.
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【What a scumbag, marrying one while still pining after another】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【+1】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【Exactly, exactly】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【What era are we even in, still using “marrying yourself off” to repay a debt of gratitude? Couldn’t he think of literally any other way?】
Sang Ying felt she should probably respond to all this, letting out a soft sigh. 【My thanks for everyone’s concern. I’ve already decided to divorce.】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【Dump him! Dump him!】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【You’ve really made up your mind?】
Sang Ying: 【Mm.】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【Dump him! Dump him!】
White Cat Swordsman: 【Plenty of male cultivators out there in the world. You’ll definitely find someone better.】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【Dump him! Dump him!】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【Ahem, you’ve already met my useless idiot son, perhaps you’d consider him?】
Sang Ying: “…”
So he really was the Devil Sovereign.
This perfectly ordinary group chat really did have some hidden talent lurking in it.
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【@Stock Demon Emperor Buyer, this is someone else’s family matter, why are you so worked up about it?】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【Dump, ahem, I mean, is it wrong to be upset about this kind of terrible behavior from a male cultivator?】
Sang Ying put away her glass mirror, no longer in the mood to read on, and got up from bed to sit before her dressing mirror.
Her body had improved a great deal these past two days. She thought she might go out for a walk, get some sunlight.
Brushing her hair aside, Sang Ying noticed a small red mark on her neck, finding it somewhat odd.
Although the environment in the Southern Departure Territory was humid and full of insects, the room had an insect-repelling sachet hanging in it, one Xiao Lingzhou had given her, there shouldn’t have been any mosquitoes or bugs to worry about.
She touched the spot and felt no itch or pain at all. Sang Ying examined it in the mirror for a moment, then let it go, paying it no more mind.
These past few days, whether it was from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed or some other reason, her sleep had been rather restless, and she always woke feeling a faint soreness in her limbs.
She styled her hair into a simple bun and stepped out. The Immortal Alliance’s outpost was bustling with disciples passing to and fro, none of whom recognized Sang Ying, so no one paid her any attention.
Sang Ying found a pavilion to sit in and bask in the sun, overhearing the idle chatter of disciples resting in the same pavilion.
“Hey, I saw the Jade Pool saint maiden by the chief’s office today. She’s so gentle in person, just like the rumors say, beautiful and highly cultivated too.”
“Speaking of which, do you know about her and Qingyu Sword Sovereign?”
“What, what? Doesn’t Qingyu Sword Sovereign already have a Daoist companion?”
“Oh please, everyone knows that marriage was only to repay a debt, no real feelings involved at all. The saint maiden of Jade Pool is actually the one he truly loves. I even saw the two of them walking together just the other day, laughing and chatting.”
Sang Ying: “…”
Was there nowhere she could go to sit in the sun without running into this? It was like this rumor was hunting her down specifically.
Sang Ying steadied herself against a pillar and stood, avoiding the group, walking off into the trees, finding a parasol tree to lean against near its base.
She closed her eyes, sunlight filtering dimly through the leaves, falling across her face.
A dark shadow flickered before her eyes. Sang Ying opened them and saw a stretch of silvery-white snake tail swaying in front of her.
Seeing her eyes open, the snake tail withdrew, transforming back into a pair of legs, as the youth sat on a tree branch and spoke lazily. “Still got the leisure to nap, do you?”
It really was Yin Cha, the South Territory demon king.
Wei Li had once trapped him in the Water Moon Mirror Flower, disguising himself as him to fool Second Senior Brother Xiao Lingzhou.
“That husband of yours is about to run off with someone else, and you’re not even a little worried?” Yin Cha raised an eyebrow.
Sang Ying picked up a leaf and laid it over her face, closing her eyes again, the words coming easily. “Worried, of course. It’s just that all any of you see is me lazing about all day, sleeping in and waking up late, scrolling through my glass mirror, none of you see how hard I work at cultivating, staying up all night drawing talismans, diligently attending my lessons. You just never see it, because I’ve never actually done any of that.”
Yin Cha: “…”
Two seconds later, he couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“You’re quite the character.”
The youth hopped down lightly, poking at the leaf on her face. “I’ve got a way to help you. Want to hear it?”
“If you’re going to talk, could you at least keep some distance from me?”
Sang Ying lifted the leaf and sat up, her expression flat. “There are so many bugs crawling on you it’s hurting my eyes.”
“No taste at all. These are called gu insects. Aren’t they adorable?”
Sang Ying counted out ten spirit stones and set them before him. “Turn left out of the woods, there’s an immortal physician’s office. Book yourself an appointment, pay extra for the expensive one.”
Yin Cha clicked his tongue. “I’m trying to help you here, and this is the attitude I get? Are you really just going to sit back and watch your husband run off with whoever that white moonlight is?”
“What else would I do?” Sang Ying glanced at him sideways. “Go bash my head against a block of tofu and call it a day [1]run into a block of tofu and knock oneself out (zhao kuai doufu zhuang yi xia, 找塊豆腐撞一下) (Idiom), a wry, resigned way of saying one might as well give up and die jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3389888_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3389888_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });?”
“No ambition at all.”
Sang Ying leaned against the tree. “No ambition’s fine by me. Just having a pulse is already impressive enough. Now if you’ll excuse me, you’re blocking my sunlight.”
Yin Cha pulled out a small box, his tone dismissive. “It’s just some man, isn’t it? This is the South Territory’s most famous emotion bug, refined by my own hands, the most vicious gu insect in the world. Plant the offspring bug on him, and it’ll flare up every month, only soothed through dual cultivation with you. That way, he’ll never be able to leave you, ever.”
Sang Ying declined politely. “Thanks, but no need. I’ve already decided to divorce. You should save it for someone who actually needs it.”
It was always other people groveling to beg him to refine a gu insect for them, this was the first time in his life he’d offered one up himself, only to be turned down. The South Territory demon king felt more than a little annoyed, his expression souring.
He tossed the jade box at Sang Ying and snatched up the spirit stones off the ground. “Well, you already paid for it, so it’s yours now.”
With that, he vanished in a flash. Sang Ying looked down at the small jade box in her hand, lost in thought.
Was this… a forced sale?
Sang Ying decided that coming out to sunbathe today had simply been a bad idea. She sighed, got up to head back to her room, but hadn’t walked far before running into a striking, scantily-dressed female cultivator.
The woman leaned against a tree, eyeing Sang Ying, her gaze sultry and seductive, and beckoned her over with a curl of her finger.
Confused, Sang Ying walked over. “Miss, is there something you need?”
The female cultivator looked her up and down, her pretty eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned in close, a wave of perfume drifting over. “You’re Sang Ying?”
Sang Ying had never seen this cultivator before, but her appearance seemed to fit a certain sect’s reputation quite well, a Pleasure Harmony Sect cultivator? What business could she possibly have with her?
She hummed softly in acknowledgment. “That’s right.”
The cultivator clicked her tongue, her brow creasing with displeasure, reaching out to pinch Sang Ying’s thin arm. “Look at you, so frail a breeze would knock you over. No wonder you can’t keep your man in line.”
“If a man dares fool around behind your back, it’s because he wasn’t raised properly, or wasn’t beaten enough as a child.”
Sang Ying: “…?”
She was still rather dazed when the cultivator had already pulled her along, chattering away without waiting for a response.
“Still, that husband of yours really does have some skill, no wonder you can’t handle him. Well, let’s try a different approach, big sister here will teach you a couple of tricks.”
“This is our sect’s greatest treasure, Emotion Thread Silk. Just apply a little of it, and even a saint couldn’t resist. Emotion Thread Silk lasts far longer than ordinary medicine, the very first time he’s affected by it, he won’t be able to leave you for an entire year afterward.”
“Pair that with a few secret techniques from our sect, and you won’t need to learn much, for someone as inexperienced as him, just a few basic moves will be more than enough. Let me tell you, men are creatures ruled entirely by desire. Use this on him, and I guarantee he’ll be perfectly obedient, with no room in his heart for anyone else.”
The cultivator pulled out a secret manual with her left hand and a small pink medicine vial with her right, stuffing both into Sang Ying’s hands, then, wearing the deeply satisfied expression of someone who’d just done a great good deed, swept off like a true wandering hero, deed done, not a single leaf clinging to her sleeves [2]the deed done, she brushes off her robe and leaves, not one leaf sticking to her body (shi liao fu yi qu, pian ye bu zhan shen, 事了拂衣去，片葉不沾身) (Idiom), to walk away completely … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3389888_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3389888_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.
Sang Ying: “…”
She looked down at what was in her hands, an emotion bug on the left, an emotion medicine on the right.
This wasn’t good.
Why did she suddenly look exactly like some malicious, scheming villainess, willing to stoop to any means to steal the male lead away from the female lead, only to face karmic punishment in the end?
“There you are, little junior sister. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Xiao Lingzhou’s voice suddenly rang out before her. Sang Ying lifted her head.
Xiao Lingzhou’s smiling gaze fell on the items in her hands, and slowly, his expression froze solid, his voice coming out stiff.
“Little junior sister, you…”
Sang Ying: “…”
Second Brother, I really was just out here sunbathing. Would you believe me?
References[+]