When Shang Can received the greaseproof paper bag containing steamed buns from beneath the Night Raven boy’s wing, the door to the guest room behind her happened to open.
“Good morning,” Shang Can said, tucking the bag under her arm and looking back. “For someone’s first night in Biluo Huangquan, you certainly wake up early, Yun Zhongjun.”
After all, the sun never rises in Biluo Huangquan. Those unaccustomed to it often suffer from the illusion that morning hasn’t arrived yet. When Shang Can first arrived, she had frequently overslept.
It was just past the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), exactly fifteen minutes before morning lessons would begin at Qingyu. It appeared that Yun Duan was entirely unaffected by the eternal darkness.
She also seemed unaffected by her sleepwalking from the night before. Shang Can cast a discreet glance her way, and seeing no sign of physical discomfort on Yun Duan’s face, she felt slightly relieved.
“Is that so?”
Yun Duan was already fully dressed—white robes and green jade, poised and elegant. She walked out of the guest room with a calm response.
“Then, when Can-zhe first came to Biluo Huangquan, what time did you wake up?”
“It’s been too long to remember clearly, but certainly no earlier than noon.”
Shang Can shrugged, reaching out to hand some silver to the Night Raven who had bought breakfast for her, but she noticed the boy looking strangely bashful.
“…What’s wrong? You’re going to pluck the feathers right off your wings if you keep rubbing them like that.”
“Ah, my apologies…”
The Night Raven hurriedly straightened his posture. He stole a quick glance at Yun Duan before looking away, then leaned close to Shang Can’s ear as if worried about something.
“I heard them say… that Yun Zhongjun is the wife Lord Can-zhe… snatched back. Is it true?”
“…”
Is this place Biluo Huangquan or a mountain bandit’s den?
Shang Can’s face twisted in embarrassment; for once, she was at a loss for words.
“…It’s lucky you at least knew to whisper that,” Shang Can sighed with a laugh, flicking his forehead with her finger. “Otherwise, your head would have been claimed by Yun Zhongjun before you even finished the sentence.”
Frightened by her threat, the Night Raven didn’t dare say more. He stuck out his tongue, transformed into a bird, and flew away.
“Alright, if you’re finished freshening up, come eat breakfast.”
Saying this, Shang Can unceremoniously walked into the guest room with the buns. “You don’t hate meat buns, do you? Don’t worry, the meat buns in Biluo Huangquan use ordinary pork.”
“I don’t hate them.”
Yun Duan stepped aside to let her in with her usual precision, following Shang Can back into the room.
Shang Can took out a bun and handed it to Yun Duan. The two sat together peacefully eating buns—it was a very harmonious morning.
If it weren’t for the lingering grogginess of staying up all night, Shang Can might have mistaken the events of the previous night for a dream.
Last night, Yun Duan had sleepwalked and broken into her room. Even though she had successfully carried Yun Duan back to the guest room, Shang Can had lost all desire for sleep and returned to her old habit of standing guard all night.
Even in the past, Yun Duan had never had two episodes in one night, but this recurrence after such a long time made Shang Can deeply worried. She hadn’t even felt safe leaving Yun Duan alone long enough to buy breakfast, so she had asked the Night Raven for help.
Now that Yun Duan was awake and seemed fine, Shang Can chewed her bun slowly and probed as if casually: “Did Yun Zhongjun sleep well last night?”
Yun Duan was likely a “good child” who strictly followed Qingyu’s rule of “silence while eating.” She frowned slightly at the interruption, but chose to respond in a gap between bites: “Quite well.”
Ah, she realizes absolutely nothing. Otherwise, there’s no way she could say ‘quite well.’
Seeing her complete lack of awareness, Shang Can knew she wouldn’t get much out of Yun Duan on this topic. She changed the subject: “I noticed you didn’t lock your door when you went to sleep last night.”
“In a strange place like Biluo Huangquan, you ought to be more cautious.”
It sounded more like a threat than advice.
Shang Can figured that suited her current persona as a demonic cultivator, so she decided not to explain further and let Yun Duan draw her own conclusions.
“It seems I did indeed forget.”
As it turned out, Yun Duan showed no signs of wariness at all. She simply admitted it frankly after thinking for a moment, her clear gaze falling on Shang Can’s face.
“How does Can-zhe know my door wasn’t locked?”
“…Um…”
Is that the part you should be focusing on? — Well, fine. It was a natural question after receiving such a random warning.
Shang Can thought for a moment, her beautiful eyes narrowing lazily as she said with a straight face:
“Perhaps it’s because… I went to raid your room last night.”
“…”
Likely not expecting Shang Can to say something so scandalous, Yun Duan’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly returned to her usual cold indifference.
“…I see.”
Her tone was remarkably calm. No trace of disgust touched her crystal-like eyes as she said faintly: “Then it seems that while I am traveling with Can-zhe, it is better if I do not lock my door, so as to make things convenient for you.”
“That won’t be necessary. I lose interest in someone after raiding them once. Lock your door as you should; don’t worry about me.”
Shang Can continued to spout nonsense fluently, knowing Yun Duan didn’t believe a word of it. She swallowed the last of her bun slowly, planning to find another chance later to probe further. She also had to find a way to convey the news of Yun Duan’s sleepwalking to Wang Yue… she might have to ask Chu Ming for that, which meant owing him another favor.
Yun Duan had finished eating as well. She sat as upright as a bamboo stalk and suddenly said out of the blue: “Just now, I heard it.”
“Hmm? Heard what?”
With her mind still on the sleepwalking, Shang Can didn’t immediately catch her drift. Yun Duan pointed toward the door and said without changing her expression:
“I heard them say I am the wife you snatched back.”
“…”
Shang Can was momentarily speechless.
…Hearing those words come out of Yun Duan’s mouth was just too bizarre. Seeing that peerless face say such nonsense so seriously made Shang Can, one of the subjects of the rumor, feel a twinge of guilt.
She cleared her throat and said: “Your ears are quite sharp, Yun Zhongjun.”
If she had heard it then, why bring it up now? Was she waiting for the Night Raven to leave so she could settle the score directly with the culprit?
Shang Can felt rather wronged and tried to explain: “The demons here don’t know the full story of what happened with Tianwaitian. They’re just making wild guesses because they saw you.”
She wondered how far the rumor had spread and where it came from—though there was no evidence, Shang Can suspected Wan Shao.
After all, that woman was obsessed with those melodramatic romance novels from the cultivation world and was meddlesome enough to be a headache. She likely said something ambiguous that led to a misunderstanding. Then again, the fact that the demons of Biluo Huangquan believed such baseless gossip—were they really that bored?
“Wild guesses?”
For some reason, Yun Duan wore a slightly puzzled expression at Shang Can’s response, then nodded to herself. “True. After all, Can-zhe loses interest in the targets she has already raided.”
…What even is this conversation?
I can never let anyone else hear this, Shang Can thought. Otherwise, her reputation as a “heartless scoundrel who loves and leaves” would be set in stone.
Yun Duan was actually joking with her… had their relationship really improved to this level?
Though it might be too late now, Shang Can reluctantly realized that a very subtle dynamic had formed between them.
Shang Can was supposedly the most notorious demonic cultivator, but she could never bring herself to play that role properly in front of Yun Duan. Meanwhile, Yun Duan treated her differently, perhaps because of that “resemblance to an old friend.” The result was this strange relationship where they could even joke with each other.
Since things had reached this point, Shang Can had thought a lot while she was awake last night. Regardless of what Yun Duan was thinking—Shang Can just had to do what she needed to do.
In any case, their partnership would only last until the matter of the Fake Can-zhe was resolved.
Shang Can felt this wouldn’t be a very long journey, so—
…Perhaps it was fine to keep things like this for now.
She admitted she had a selfish side.
Brushing away her tangled thoughts, Shang Can smiled softly. She rose to open the door and tilted her head toward the street.
“Fine. I’ll stay interested in you for a while longer then.”
“Time to pack your things and head out, ‘wife.'”
The sky was gloomy, but in Biluo Huangquan, the lanterns were always lit.
The two walked down the street, drawing an incredible amount of attention for several reasons.
“This is the first time I’ve seen anyone other than Lord Can-zhe…”
“I’ve heard of Yun Zhongjun’s name! But I didn’t expect her to be so… so beautiful!”
“What does it matter if she’s beautiful? She’s following our Can-zhe to Biluo Huangquan now! Besides, Can-zhe is also pretty—wait, why does Can-zhe look… different?”
That was right; Shang Can was once again wearing the mask she had used at Tianwaitian, walking down the street openly. If it weren’t for her clothing and mannerisms, the demons might have been fooled by the face.
She hadn’t even hidden it when she put the mask on. Yun Duan had watched coldly and asked: ‘Why wear that?’
‘Because I’m shy.’
After spending time together, Shang Can had realized the best way to handle the current Yun Duan was to talk nonsense with a straight face. it was extremely effective at preventing information leaks and stopping further questioning.
Shang Can listened idly to the heated discussions on the street and looked at Yun Duan with some concern.
“…Don’t get angry at these nonsense words, Yun Zhongjun. If you really can’t help being angry, take it out on me. Even if you decide you don’t want to investigate the Fake Can-zhe with me anymore in a fit of rage, I would understand.”
“Do not worry. I am not angry, nor will I let Can-zhe investigate this alone,” Yun Duan replied, her tone sincere. “I am sorry to disappoint you.”
“It’s fine. I expected as much.”
If Yun Duan could be sent away with just a few words, Shang Can wouldn’t have suffered so much lately. Shang Can curled her lip, sighing with a bit of regret.
“When I called you ‘wife’ and failed to make you flare up, I already guessed these rumors wouldn’t bother you.”
She stopped dwelling on the topic and got down to business. “Before we set out, let’s go see Wan Shao and see if she’s heard any news over the last couple of days.”
“Wan Shao?” Yun Duan repeated with some confusion. “The one from the Demon Sovereign Palace yesterday… is she your junior sister?”
“Of course not.”
Shang Can’s eyes widened in shock. She waved her hands vigorously. “That was just a lie we told to sneak into Tianwaitian. How could you believe that, Yun Zhongjun?”
“…” Yun Duan nodded in silence and confirmed, “So, she is not your junior sister.”
“…No.”
Because she was currently hiding her identity, Shang Can felt a pang of guilt whenever she heard the words “junior sister.” She answered with a firm, decisive tone to change the subject.
“Biluo Huangquan has many eyes and ears. Given the scene when Tianwaitian was attacked, we should be able to gather plenty of follow-up news.”
“At the very least, even if there’s no news, Wan Shao should be able to help somewhat,” Shang Can shrugged. “After all, she’s lived a long time and has seen much.”
Yun Duan frowned slightly. “She looks quite young.”
“You can’t judge a demon’s age by their appearance,” Shang Can said, pointing to a child walking by holding his mother’s hand. She whispered: “I’ve been in Biluo Huangquan for nearly ten years, and that little fellow hasn’t changed at all.”
After hearing this, Yun Duan nodded thoughtfully, her gaze lowered.
“So, you came here nearly ten years ago.”
“…”
Shang Can snapped back to reality, inwardly regretting her sudden lapse in caution.
Just as she was trying to brush the topic aside casually, she heard Yun Duan ask softly: “If you were lying about Wan Shao being your junior sister, and Wan Shao isn’t called Zheng Yu, then you aren’t called Gong Shang either, are you?”
“What is your real name then?” She raised her eyes to look at Shang Can, the light of the street lamps reflecting in them. “Before you came to Biluo Huangquan, what were you doing? Where were you?”
“Your skills are excellent, and your cultivation is high. You should have been a famous figure regardless of where you were. Why—”
“Enough.”
It wasn’t a shout. The person who said it had a gentle tone and a normal expression, not even stopping her pace. She stopped Yun Duan’s words as if they were just casual chat.
Noticing that the person behind her had stopped walking, Shang Can sighed and turned back, offering a friendly smile.
“You’ve overstepped, Yun Zhongjun.”
Judging by Yun Duan’s expression, she likely realized the questions were inappropriate. Yet she remained unyielding, staring straight at Shang Can, her eyes seemingly holding the cold night.
The tightness in Shang Can’s chest returned. She barely suppressed it and smiled nonchalantly. “You’re focused on asking me, but these things require a bit of reciprocity. I have a few things I’m curious about too, for instance—”
“For instance… what is that pattern on your waist?”
Her tone was relaxed, but Yun Duan’s expression froze. After a long silence, she asked hesitantly: “How… how do you know about that?”
“I told you, I raided your room last night.”
Shang Can raised an eyebrow. “Do you still not believe me, Yun Zhongjun?”
“…”
Silence fell between the two.
Shang Can had only intended to interrupt Yun Duan’s questioning and didn’t expect to get an answer about the pattern with such a casual query. Thus, she turned around with no lingering attachment and said easily: “See? Since you won’t answer my questions either, let’s not stand here like fools. First—”
“I don’t know.”
Before she could finish, she was abruptly interrupted by Yun Duan. The voice from behind was very calm, as if she had long ago accepted the fact.
“I do not remember anything about that pattern. In my memory, it simply appeared one day.”
“No one knows the meaning of this pattern. Fortunately, nothing strange has happened over the years.”
“As for when it appeared…”
Yun Duan’s voice suddenly grew softer, as if carrying a light sigh.
“Coincidentally, it was also about ten years ago.”