The female cultivator beside Sang Ying blinked and nudged her: “It’s you! Your luck is amazing. Not only getting to travel with Qingyu Sword Sovereign, solving such a huge case means promotion for sure when you return.”
Sang Ying could only laugh dryly, covering her fox-fur head covering and wishing she were dead.
Xie Lingyu was known for keeping people at arm’s length, his temperament cold. The Immortal Alliance Master found his sudden request odd. But upon seeing that sneaky little fox in the crowd, he suddenly understood everything.
He fanned himself and smiled more broadly: “Sword Sovereign, wouldn’t you like to pick again? The Immortal Alliance has many disciples with exceptional ability—”
Xie Lingyu’s tone was flat: “Demons won’t accept human cultivators. This disciple’s concealment technique is extraordinarily superb. She’s the most suitable candidate.”
The Immortal Alliance Master watched the little fox’s form go rigid, smiling even more: “Since Sword Sovereign has decided, so be it.”
Sang Ying: “…” Didn’t anyone care about her opinion?
Apparently not.
Sang Ying was hastily assigned to Xie Lingyu. Amid many envious gazes from Immortal Alliance disciples, she boarded the transmission array with him heading to the demon realm.
The Immortal Alliance’s transmission array was a different level from the small one Sang Ying had used before, it could accommodate multiple people.
The atmosphere was eerily quiet. Sang Ying stood at the youth’s side, head down, picking at her fingers, not daring to make a sound.
Finally the youth broke the silence first.
“Wearing that all this time isn’t stuffy?”
“…”
Sang Ying took off the fox-fur head covering. Her small face was steamed red, hair messy, eyes glistening with moisture.
She pressed her lips and spoke reluctantly: “I clearly covered my face this time. How could you still recognize me?”
“That silver fox head covering is made from leftover materials when I had a fox-fur cloak sewn one winter. You wore it and scared me once.”
Sang Ying: “…Did that happen? I don’t remember. I actually scared you?”
The youth’s tone was calm: “Naturally you don’t remember. When I came back, junior sister was already asleep in my wardrobe.”
Sang Ying: “…”
Well, that was a failed scare attempt.
Sang Ying secretly gritted her teeth. She absolutely wouldn’t make such a technical mistake again! Next time she definitely wouldn’t get caught by Xie Lingyu!
“Why did junior sister appear at the Immortal Alliance today?”
Sang Ying froze, her fingers fidgeting vaguely: “That is, you know, staying home too long without going out can cause psychological issues, mental darkness, psychological deviations and such, leading to crime.”
“So?”
Sang Ying’s small face straightened, spouting off: “So to eliminate this kind of harmful event from its source, I specially came to study law at the Immortal Alliance, understand the tragic fates of criminals in the prison division, purify my soul, maintain cultivation world peace. That’s our duty!”
Luoqing’s sword spirit applauded: “Well said!”
Sang Ying pointed her fingertip at the sword body and high-fived.
Xie Lingyu: “…”
The girl’s brows and eyes curved in a smile, though her complexion had a sickly pallor, with fine sweat at her temples. Her standing form unconsciously curled slightly.
Xie Lingyu’s gaze moved from her face away, and he hummed: “We’ve arrived.”
Sang Ying was surprised: “Wait, Xie Lingyu, do I really have to go to the demon realm with you? Bringing me along to rescue people seems kind of redundant. I can’t help with anything anyway.”
The array light dispersed, revealing the surroundings. The transmission array had brought them to the border crossing between the cultivation world and demon realm.
Sang Ying smiled and waved her hand: “You go ahead. I can just go home myself…”
Her wrist was suddenly held by slender fingers. The youth’s expression cold, he pulled her forward. Sang Ying was startled, following him in some confusion: “Xie Lingyu?”
The youth’s voice was very light, with no discernible emotion: “The demon realm has many demons who know me. To avoid tipping our hand [1]beat the grass and startle the snake (da cao jing she, 打草驚蛇) (Idiom), to inadvertently alert someone through careless action jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3389872_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3389872_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, I need junior sister’s disguise technique.”
Sang Ying immediately understood: “You should have said earlier. What do you want to look like?”
“Junior sister can decide.”
Sang Ying pulled out a talisman from her pocket, thought a moment, then slapped it on his shoulder. The white-robed youth’s frame suddenly shortened, his build changing to that of a lean youth.
Xie Lingyu paused and turned to look at her. Although the face had changed from his usual charming appearance to a plain youth, when those pitch-black eyes looked over, Sang Ying’s heart still skipped.
She trembled her eyelashes and quickly pulled out a small mirror to block her face: “What do you think?”
A clear voice like a spring came from behind the mirror: “Why a youth?”
Sang Ying said matter-of-factly: “You told me to decide. Don’t I need to create a reasonable backstory?”
“Fine, your backstory is now the smallest disciple in the entire sect. I’m your senior sister. We’ve depended on each other since childhood. Come, junior brother, call senior sister.”
Xie Lingyu: “…”
“Sang Ying.”
He took the mirror from her hands, his expression calm as he looked at her: “How long have you wanted this day?”
Sang Ying turned her face away, looking guilty.
“Ha ha, how could that be? I just made that up randomly now. How would I possibly dream of becoming the big boss?”
Xie Lingyu calmly looked at her once, whether believing or not unclear. He withdrew his gaze flatly and pulled her into a demon inn in the night.
Although the demon realm had poor relations with the cultivation world, there was still trade between them. The demon realm’s living environment was more primitive and undeveloped, possessing countless natural resources.
While human cultivators excelled at manufacturing, industrially-made clothes, equipment, tools were all scarce in the demon realm.
But due to the larger environment, demon kings didn’t allow trade. These transactions all happened secretly in private, on a small scale.
The border was dotted with many demon taverns and inns. Sang Ying had heard about them. Outwardly they were inns, but actually provided a place for human-demon trade.
Where there was trade, there was information. Sang Ying understood: “I see. You want to investigate clues about the missing people here. But Xie Lingyu, didn’t you go the wrong way? That’s the tavern over there…”
“Two hundred spirit stones. Second floor, innermost room.”
The lion owner, wearing red-green clothes, was napping in a rocking chair. When Sang Ying and the youth entered, he flipped up the hat covering his face to glance, tossed a wooden placard on the counter, and closed his eyes again.
Sang Ying pulled out four hundred spirit stones: “Please open another room for my junior brother.”
The lion owner waved his paw impatiently: “This establishment doesn’t provide couples doing roleplay. Do whatever you want at home. Leave the room for people who need it.”
Sang Ying: ?
Before she could react, Xie Lingyu had already pulled her wrist upstairs, entering a room and closing the door.
Sang Ying was still dazed: “That wasn’t right. With this kind of disguise, how did he know?”
“Scent.”
Xie Lingyu released her wrist and said flatly: “Demons can smell human scent. To avoid exposure, I covered yours.”
Sang Ying leaned close and sniffed the faint white sandalwood on her wrist, understanding, because she carried his scent, the owner thought they were married.
The tabby demon Songbiao she’d met by chance today was also sensitive to scent. She’d thought only cat demons were like that, but apparently all demons were…Sang Ying suddenly paused. Did Xie Lingyu also smell like that?
“Before going to the Immortal Alliance today, did junior sister encounter anyone strange?”
Sang Ying “ah”‘d, confused and not sure: “Lots, I guess. Can’t remember clearly.”
She just happened to think of Songbiao and spoke: “Oh right, today I met a tabby cat spirit pet that ran away from home. When its owner came looking, it didn’t want to go back. I helped it out. What’s wrong?”
Xie Lingyu lightly lowered his eyes: “Nothing.”
Sang Ying didn’t mind. Her head was full of another matter, the two of them had only rented one room, which contained only one bed.
Which meant…they’d sleep together tonight?
Although it wasn’t like they hadn’t slept together before, but that was on the wedding night three years ago. She didn’t even remember how she’d fallen asleep then. And her sleep posture was improper, she’d roll around. And her period had just come, and if she got his clothes dirty it would be embarrassing…
“Junior sister.”
Sang Ying’s hand gripping her clothes stopped. She raised her head to look at him.
“The demon cultivators at the border are weak and can’t detect just a thin scent mask. But once we go deeper into the demon realm, this method will be exposed.”
Sang Ying seemed to understand: “So we need a stronger scent to hide my human cultivator identity?”
The youth before her had a calm expression, slightly humming an agreement.
Sang Ying sat on the bed, slightly tilting her head, her clear eyes looking at him: “Then what should we do?”
The youth stood before her, leaning down, and his slender frame drew close to her. He reached out and pulled her close, loosely enfolding her in his arms.
A cool white sandalwood scent washed over her. Sang Ying was first dazed, then looking at the jade-like neck so close, her reaction afterward made her ears burn red and hot as if set aflame. She saw in her blur several beautiful red candles, dim and quiet, the candlelight flickering slightly as she heard joyful sounds.
Lively and festive.
But she was crying.
Silent tears fell in large drops like a string of pearls, splattering on the exquisite beautiful fan in her hands. The auspicious cloud pattern of dragons and phoenixes became soaked and blurred into a mess.
The fan was gently pulled away.
She suddenly raised her eyes and saw…
The scent suddenly withdrew. In just a breath, the youth had released her, stepped back, and his tone was as businesslike and steady as routine: “Like that, close contact with demons leaves a strong scent.”
“But if junior sister feels it’s inappropriate, never mind. I’ll think of another way.”
Sang Ying’s heart was still pounding wildly, her body stiff, her mind shattered. But her mouth had already moved without her control: “Oh, what’s the big deal? It’s just a hug. How could I possibly not be able to?”
Xie Lingyu slightly nodded. He sat down beside her, raising his dark heavy eyes, speaking lightly: “Since junior sister has no objections, let’s begin.”
Sang Ying just got her shattered mind back together when she heard this, stiffening as she turned her head to look at him: “…Wasn’t it already done?”
“To properly mask you, at least half an hour is needed.”
Sang Ying: ?
…What now?!
Who’s the one who got so jealous about baby sister hugging another cat demon 【dog head】
References[+]