Although she knew that hiding her identity in front of Yun Duan wouldn’t be as simple as she hoped, Shang Can hadn’t expected that before they even set out, she would already be so directly targeted by Yun Duan’s scrutiny.
Back at Tianwaitian, it was just subtle probing, Shang Can thought. Now, it’s reached a point where the only thing missing is for Yun Duan to ask me directly: “Can-zhe, what was our relationship in the past?”
Who was to blame? Was her acting truly that poor, or was Yun Duan simply that sensitive despite having lost her memories?
Shang Can caught a glimpse of the white hem of the woman’s robe beside her and sighed heavily in her heart.
Ever since Yun Duan mentioned the timing of when that mark appeared on her body, the two of them hadn’t engaged in any meaningful conversation.
She wasn’t sure if it was a stroke of luck, but Yun Duan didn’t delve deeper into the excessive coincidence of those two time points. After speaking, she simply walked toward the Demon Sovereign Palace on her own, leaving Shang Can dazed for a good while before hurriedly catching up.
Shang Can truly knew nothing about that mark.
…How strange. I thought I was the only one in this relationship who remembered everything clearly. I didn’t expect that even now, something would surface that even I didn’t know about. What on earth—
“Hey, are you even listening to me??”
A sudden gust of wind swept toward her. Shang Can instinctively leaned sideways, dodging a vine that lashed out fiercely at her.
She looked up at the visibly annoyed Wan Shao and nodded nonchalantly. “Of course. Weren’t you saying… that not long after I broke the barrier, the remaining demons fled in all directions?”
“That’s what I said when you first arrived. Ten minutes have passed since then. Go stand in the corner as punishment.”
Wan Shao was fuming. She pointed angrily toward a corner of the room. Shang Can shrugged and followed instructions, walking over and striking a pose of “all ears” to signal her to continue.
“…Anyway.” After the outburst, Wan Shao seemed to be in a much worse mood. She glared at Shang Can resentfully before picking up the thread again. “The point is, the whereabouts of those remaining demons are unknown.”
“No way, Lord Demon Sovereign.”
Shang Can couldn’t help but interject. “There were so many of them, and every single one is ‘whereabouts unknown’?”
Her tone was thick with the implication of “Did you even bother to look?” This angered Wan Shao enough to summon a small vine to rap her on the head. She barked, “I said unknown, so they’re unknown!”
“I don’t know what’s going on with those demons. Out of ten rumors I’ve gathered, nine say they seemed to vanish into thin air… How can you blame me for that!”
“Hmm…”
Shang Can knit her brows, recalling how the corpses of the demons she had slain beneath the tournament stage that day had all vanished on their own. She fell into a deep silence.
“It was the same when we fought the Fake Can-zhe.”
Yun Duan, who hadn’t spoken since entering the palace, spoke up. She glanced at Shang Can standing in the corner and said, “That person also vanished into thin air.”
As soon as Yun Duan finished speaking, Shang Can felt the vine that had been relentlessly tapping her forehead also vanish into thin air. She thought Wan Shao’s timing was quite fitting, but when she looked up, she saw Wan Shao’s expression had turned peculiar. She looked deeply at Yun Duan, then at Shang Can, her eyes full of the realization of someone who had seen through the world, yet she ultimately said nothing.
Shang Can had a sudden intuition that if she asked anything now, this woman wouldn’t have anything nice to say. So, she continued the topic: “Then we’ll just have to go there in person and ask around—do you have any suggestions?”
“Suggestions… I suppose I have one.”
Turning to the main business, Wan Shao’s expression turned serious, though a hint of hesitation lingered in her brow. She pulled out a map of the area surrounding Tianwaitian and tapped a specific spot.
“This is the place with the most rumors. It seems many people saw a large group of demons flee here before they disappeared without a trace.”
Wan Shao handed the map to Shang Can, frowning. “I sent the Night Ravens to check this place too. It’s just an ordinary mountain. Even after searching every inch, they only found a few stray minor demons—and they weren’t even from the same group that attacked Tianwaitian.”
Shang Can scanned the map and replied, “So your suggestion is for me—for us—to go there first?”
“Having a destination is better than wandering like a headless fly. It’s just, I feel…” Wan Shao crossed her arms, hesitating for a long while before saying, “…there are too many rumors, and they feel too deliberate. It feels like a trap.”
Shang Can raised an eyebrow in understanding. Before she could speak, she saw Wan Shao’s expression relax. She tilted her chin at Shang Can with a look of great interest.
“Even if it is a trap, since they’ve gone to such lengths to prepare it, you might as well go and have a look.”
“As for Yun Zhongjun—” She cast a quick glance at Yun Duan, switching to a polite expression. “Yun Zhongjun is of course free to act on her own. I only give orders to my people in Biluo Huangquan.”
“It’s a rare occasion for Biluo Huangquan to cooperate with a cultivator; we can’t have Yun Zhongjun in harm’s way.” She turned back to Shang Can and gave a mischievous wink. “Did you hear me?”
…What a load of rubbish. Like I even need her to tell me that.
Shang Can didn’t bother to respond. She thought helplessly that it would be great if Wan Shao could actually convince Yun Duan to act independently instead of following her. Predictably, she heard Yun Duan say calmly: “It is no matter. I will travel with Can-zhe.”
See? This person is completely unyielding. Not to mention their relationship was becoming increasingly subtle; she naturally wouldn’t accept such a proposal. Wait—is this actually Wan Shao’s goal? Has this woman actually learned advanced tactics like “retreating to advance”?
Shang Can was amused inwardly, but her face remained impassive as she nodded. “In that case, let’s not delay. We’ll get ready and hit the road.”
She gave a fake cough and turned to Wan Shao. “Right, right, I heard the Lord Demon Sovereign had something she wanted to discuss with me…?”
As she spoke, she winked frantically at Wan Shao. Although Wan Shao was confused, she caught on quickly and acted as if she had just remembered. “Ah—right, right, right! I have a bit of… uh, private business? I wanted to talk to you about…?”
Her acting is deathly bad. She can’t even pick up a cue.
Just as Shang Can was mentally complaining about Wan Shao’s unreliability, she saw Yun Duan nod considerately, her voice cool: “I will head out first and wait for Can-zhe outside.”
With that, she turned and walked out of the palace decisively. Only after Shang Can saw her silhouette disappear completely did she turn to Wan Shao as if facing a great enemy.
“Quick, give me paper and a brush. I have something to ask you.”
Wan Shao was baffled but did as she was told. She watched blankly as Shang Can, brow furrowed, drew a pattern on the paper.
“…What is this? A new talisman you’re researching?”
“Of course not. How could there be a talisman with this kind of pattern…”
Hearing her ignorant tone, Shang Can’s spirit immediately deflated. She finished the drawing and handed the paper to Wan Shao.
“Look at it carefully. Does this pattern look familiar to you?”
“Like, have you seen anything similar anywhere? Any impression at all.”
Seeing her serious tone, Wan Shao grew tense as well. She stared at the pattern with great focus for a long time, her eyebrows knotting together, before finally shaking her head in defeat.
“Never seen it. Not even a shred of an impression.”
“…I see.”
Shang Can’s heart sank as she lowered her eyes.
What she had drawn was, of course, the mark she had seen on Yun Duan’s waist the previous night.
She had thought that since the pattern looked ancient, perhaps Wan Shao would know something about it even if she didn’t recognize it herself.
But that plan had failed as well. Feeling troubled, Shang Can took the paper back, crumpled it in her palm, and burned it. Seeing her grave expression, Wan Shao asked cautiously, “What’s wrong? Where did you see this pattern?”
“…”
Shang Can hesitated for a long while before shaking her head. Suddenly, she lowered her voice.
“…Back then, that medicine you gave me…”
“Medicine?”
It took Wan Shao a moment to realize what she was talking about. She asked, confused, “You mean that—unfinished product? What about it? Didn’t you say you lost it before?”
“You didn’t find it just now and eat it, did you?” Wan Shao’s face went through a kaleidoscope of expressions as she said nervously, “You know that I only got that thing after my mother died. I know nothing about it other than the fact that it only works on cultivators. I haven’t even figured out its specific effects. While I’m sure it’s not poison, it’s been so long—would eating it give you diarrhea—”
“…No.”
Shang Can pinched the bridge of her nose and denied it.
“I’m asking… medicine for ‘Lost Soul Syndrome.’ Can you make it?”
Not wanting to keep Yun Duan waiting too long, Shang Can soon walked out of the Demon Sovereign Palace.
The graceful figure in white was standing properly by the side of the palace gate. The two demons guarding the gate appeared much stiffer in their posture than usual. Seeing Shang Can emerge, they both let out sighs of relief and greeted her.
Shang Can smiled at them, walked to Yun Duan’s side, and joked, “With Yun Zhongjun here, I see they’re standing guard with much more spirit.”
“Is that so?”
Yun Duan turned to glance at the two panicked, pitiable demons, then looked back at Shang Can. “Then, may I come here often?”
“…”
Shang Can pursed her lips and smiled. “That would probably be best avoided.”
The two looked at each other for a long while before both looking away simultaneously.
“Our destination is tentatively set for that place from earlier,” Shang Can said, naturally changing the subject as if nothing had happened. “Any issues, Yun Zhongjun?”
“None.”
Yun Duan replied with her usual air of calm. “The Demon Sovereign of Biluo Huangquan is right. Even if it is a trap, it means there must be clues there. We should go see.”
This is probably what they call “the talented are fearless,” Shang Can thought. After all, most people would only think of avoiding a place once they realized it might be a trap.
“But I have another question.”
Ignoring the sudden discomfort on Shang Can’s face, Yun Duan asked, “Can-zhe and the Demon Sovereign… your relationship doesn’t seem like a typical superior-subordinate one.”
“…Ah, that.”
Although it was still a question related to personal information, it was at least much better than the previous ones. Shang Can figured this was a question any cultivator would have after seeing her interact with Wan Shao. After weighing her words, she replied, “We’ve known each other for quite a long time, after all.”
They had indeed known each other for a long time.
Not just during these nine-plus years she’d spent in Biluo Huangquan; Shang Can had met Wan Shao back when she was still a disciple of Qingyu.
Their first meeting was during one of her travels down the mountain. At the time, her group had completed their goal and was preparing to head back to Qingyu after a rest. As the leader, Shang Can was checking on the group’s status when her brow suddenly furrowed.
‘Senior Sister Jiang.’ She turned to a tall woman with a mischievous grin. ‘Why did you change your incense? I thought yesterday’s jasmine scent was quite nice.’
The woman paused, then smiled. ‘I thought it was too sweet, so I changed to this one.’
‘Is that so?’
Shang Can nodded with a smile, then immediately lunged forward with a sword strike.
She didn’t aim to kill. The woman dodged clumsily, a look of shock and suspicion on her face. ‘Junior Sister, what are you doing?’
‘You have the nerve to ask?’ Shang Can chuckled, casually twirling her sword. ‘The person you’re impersonating not only never uses incense—but her surname is Su, not Jiang.’
The person was, of course, Wan Shao in disguise. She had only recently become the Demon Sovereign of Biluo Huangquan back then. The internal situation was chaotic, and she was frequently pressured by the pro-war elders to start a war with the cultivation world. Unable to bear the harassment, she had planned to follow Shang Can’s group back to Qingyu to gather intel to appease them. Who knew she would be caught by Shang Can the moment she made her move.
Wan Shao couldn’t beat her back then, but Shang Can hadn’t harmed her. She only sheathed her sword after finding out the location of the real Senior Sister Su and gave a lazy wave of her hand.
‘Since you didn’t hurt anyone, let’s call it even today. We’re in a hurry to get back to Qingyu.’
With that, Shang Can left, completely disregarding Wan Shao.
However, that first meeting left a deep impression on Wan Shao. She began looking for Shang Can every now and then, and over time they became close. It was only then that Shang Can realized the person she had let go that day was the Demon Sovereign of Biluo Huangquan, causing her to see Wan Shao in a new light.
‘…Don’t look at me like that. I only became the Demon Sovereign because my mom was the previous one, and then she died.’
Wan Shao had grumbled while drinking, sighing with a face full of misery.
‘She was killed by a cultivator. That cultivator had been… or rather, pretended to be her best friend until the moment he killed her. Sigh, I thought all cultivators were the type to be incompatible with demons like fire and water. I didn’t expect to meet a weirdo like you.’
Shang Can liked wine too, but Yun Duan’s nose had always been incredibly sharp; even a tiny drop would be sniffed out immediately. Not wanting the smell of alcohol to bother Yun Duan, Shang Can drank with great restraint and smiled. ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’
‘Ah, but don’t you go bothering my junior sister. She doesn’t like demons. Let me say this upfront: if the two of you get into a conflict, I’m definitely siding with my junior sister. Sorry.’
‘I know, I know. Why would I go out of my way to bother that “most adorable junior sister in the world” you talk about every day? Honestly.’
It’s a good thing I said that to Wan Shao back then, Shang Can thought. Otherwise, if she had introduced Wan Shao and Yun Duan then, she would be shooting herself in the foot now.
Shang Can felt heartfelt gratitude toward her past self. She stole a glance at Yun Duan as complicated emotions surged in her heart again.
…Sigh. Actually, I’m already suspicious enough in Yun Duan’s eyes. One more thing probably won’t make a difference.