The moon hung above the willow branches, and the night sky was dotted with twinkling stars.
Yu Sui Sui brought the great villain back to the small courtyard. She had replaced the previous maids, keeping only those subordinates who held no grudges against the Demons and were honest and reliable.
The young girls weren’t exactly disgusted by Xie Rong Jing; they were more curious about him.
“Can the young master eat human food?” Qiu Wen asked.
This little maid was in charge of all the meals at Zhu Yi Residence, so it was natural for her to consider the guest’s preferences.
Xie Rong Jing replied gently, “I prefer eating human hearts.”
The surrounding young maids turned pale as sheets.
Yu Sui Sui: .
“Don’t scare them…” She had to step in and smooth things over. “Just serve him what we eat every day.”Xie Rong Jing spoke with such conviction, like a textbook-perfect villain.”
If Yu Sui Sui hadn’t read the original work and known that Demons and humans had identical eating habits, she might have been frightened by him too.
Cultivators could start fasting upon reaching the Triple Realm, but neither Yu Sui Sui nor her young maids had reached that level, so meals were a big deal every day.
To entertain this guest, the small kitchen prepared dishes from the sky, the land, and the water. There were sour, sweet, mild, and spicy flavors, and every cooking method—steaming, stewing, frying, and roasting—was employed.
Unfortunately, Xie Rong Jing was a picky eater.
He appeared quite polite, but in reality, aside from having a little dessert, he barely tasted anything.
Yu Sui Sui knew exactly what kind of dog he was and didn’t take it to heart—if he didn’t want to eat, so be it. It wasn’t as if she had ever seen him go hungry.
They dined outdoors, right in the large courtyard of Zhu Yi Residence. This was Yu Sui Sui’s personal preference; she liked everyone to sit together neatly at the table during meals. Although the main hall could seat about twenty people, the subordinates felt more restrained there, so she simply moved the dining table to the courtyard.
Today, with Xie Rong Jing present, everyone felt even more restrained than they would in the main hall.
Fortunately, the meal didn’t drag on. After dinner, Yu Sui Sui and Xie Rong Jing boarded the same sedan chair as before.
The four Flying Horses protested vehemently against continuing to carry a Demon—the moment the two settled inside the carriage, the horses flew at breakneck speed.
Unaware of the reason, Yu Sui Sui simply assumed that you get what you pay for. Gazing at the scenery whipping past outside the window, she felt as if the sedan chair were a shooting star launched into the sky.
“What are you thinking about?” Xie Rong Jing asked.
He seemed to have regained some interest in the human girl beside him, no longer as aloof as before.
Yu Sui Sui was utterly baffled by Xie Rong Jing’s change.
Oh well, never mind.
After all, the great villain was always unpredictable, so any change in him was normal.
Since that was the case, there was no need for her to overthink it.
Yu Sui Sui remarked with feeling, “The carriage is still faster than a Flying Sword. We should arrive in about half the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”
Xie Rong Jing smiled. “It could be even faster.”
As he spoke, he lightly tapped the carriage window with his fingertip, releasing faint threads of black Demonic Qi. Stimulated by it, the Flying Horses panicked and bolted across the sky.
What followed was a sudden, dizzying spin, turning everything upside down. Yu Sui Sui felt utterly terrible, as if she were riding a roller coaster—a super-accelerated version.
Help!!!
Her vision spun, and she nearly threw up what she had eaten. After finally grabbing the window curtain to steady herself and sitting back down, still shaken, she saw Xie Rong Jing sitting calmly beside her.
He had prepared in advance; not a single strand of his hair was out of place.
Seeing her disheveled state, Xie Rong Jing curled his lips in pleasure.
Yu Suisui: ?
Was he just laughing?
Tap tap—
Xie Rongjing lightly tapped the carriage window again.
Before Yu Suisui could clearly see Xie Rongjing’s expression, the carriage violently shot straight up into the clouds and then rapidly descended. She felt like she was suffocating, her hand gripping the curtain going weak, and she stumbled and fell to the ground.
After who knows how long, the jolting finally subsided. She rolled around on the floor quite ungracefully. Thankfully, cultivators’ skin was relatively thick, or she would definitely have gotten a few big bumps.
Suddenly, a hand appeared before her—slender, pale, and utterly untainted by worldly dust.
Yu Suisui looked up. The hand’s owner was gazing at her with a faint smile.
Xie Rongjing was wearing a cyan-green robe today, with a few stray strands of hair falling over his forehead. When his expression was normal, he resembled an immortal lord from the highest heavens, untouched by mortal concerns.
Yu Suisui hesitated for a moment, then offered her hand.
The carriage shook once more, and Xie Rongjing, who was holding her hand, curled his lips into a teasing arc before lightly letting go.
Ahhhhhhh!!
Damn you!
Yu Suisui fell to the floor again, and this time she was certain she heard Xie Rongjing’s soft chuckle.
Her “immortal lord” filter, which had lasted less than ten seconds, shattered completely.
He’s clearly a demon lord, what immortal lord?
The two of them had been tossed about the entire journey, and the four flying horses had also had a rough time. They frantically parked the carriage at the entrance of Tian Zhao Sect’s main hall as if their tails were on fire. Xie Rongjing snapped his fingers, and they became so frightened they didn’t know what to do with their four legs, tumbling to the ground one after another.
The great villain: “Hahaha!”
Yu Suisui: ?
She couldn’t understand what he was laughing at now, but it probably wasn’t anything good.
She lifted her large skirt and walked across the floor paved with gems and spirit jade.
Under the eager guidance of the guards, they passed through the luxurious outer hall and the ornate corridor, finally stopping before a magnificent door.
The door glittered with golden light, looking incredibly expensive. Just approaching it, one could feel the dense spiritual qi washing over them.
“Don’t speak later,” Yu Suisui carefully instructed Xie Rongjing beside her. “I’ll handle the discussion with my father.”
She was worried the great villain might suddenly have another mental episode and draw hostility in front of a group of sixth and seventh-level high-level spiritual cultivators.
The mental image was too beautiful—just thinking about it was thrilling.
Fortunately, since finishing dinner, he had generally behaved quite normally and didn’t seem to be in an episode.
Hearing the young lady’s instruction, Xie Rongjing even casually responded with an “okay.”
He looked as well-behaved as one could hope for.
If only he could always be like this. Yu Suisui encouraged him: “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you!”
The great villain was momentarily stunned, then nodded politely without commitment.
She pushed the door open and found they had arrived at just the right moment.
There were nearly two hundred people in the hall. With a quick glance, she recognized them as various hall masters or outstanding disciples who had come to meet the sect leader. They had formed a small gathering, exchanging various insights with each other.
When the young lady entered, all eyes focused on Yu Suisui.
Yu Qianqiu did the same. He stopped his conversation with the person beside him and said kindly, “Sui Sui, you’re here? I heard you’ve been much healthier recently. Your father is very pleased.”
Yu Suisui walked forward as instructed. All employees of the Transmigration Bureau were trained and adapted well to suddenly having a father.
“Father,” she said smoothly. “I came today because I wanted to…”
“Come, let your father take a look.” Yu Qianqiu affectionately patted the back of her head and said to the cultivators beside him, “Before I knew it, my Sui Sui has grown so big.”
The cultivators chimed in agreement.
“The young lady is naturally beautiful, truly worthy of being the Sect Leader’s daughter.”
“Both young ladies of our Tian Zhao Sect are outstanding talents, truly a blessing to our sect.”
“With the second young lady possessing such exceptional talent, surely the eldest young lady is no less remarkable.”
The last comment came from a young guest elder. Upon hearing this, Yu Qianqiu laughed and clapped his hands.
“Sui Sui is different from her younger sister,” he patted his eldest daughter’s shoulder dotingly. “She hasn’t been in good health since childhood. Since she enjoys playing the qin, we simply let her follow the path of a Sound Cultivator.”
“I see,” the guest elder understood. “Everyone has their own path. The young lady shining brightly as a Sound Cultivator is also our Tian Zhao Sect’s pride.”
Yu Sui Sui joined them in their polite smiles.
If she remembered correctly, it was the original host’s father who made her practice the qin.
Yu Qianqiu sighed lightly. “Truth be told, it’s my fault. Over the years, I haven’t found a suitable qin cultivator to teach her. She’s seventeen now, still some distance away from the Fourth Realm.”
Yu Sui Sui: ?
She hadn’t even reached the Triple Realm yet.
She found her father’s way of speaking quite interesting.
Subconsciously, she exchanged a glance with Xie Rong Jing, who was smiling with profound meaning.
“The Triple Realm is already quite impressive.”
Cultivators from different specializations couldn’t sense each other’s levels, so these people had no idea about Yu Sui Sui’s actual cultivation progress.
Someone praised, “The young lady is also your cherished pearl, Sect Leader Yu. Moreover, with her delicate health, as parents, you’ve already done more than enough.”
The original host had thought so too.
Even after all these years, with Tian Zhao Sect having only one native-born Madam Qin and not a single Sound Cultivator, she had merely assumed Sound Cultivators were hard to find, without a trace of complaint.
Yu Sui Sui interrupted their mutual flattery. “Father, I came today because I have important business with you.”
“Speak, Sui Sui. What is it?” Yu Qianqiu asked kindly.
“Do you remember Xie Rong Jing?” Yu Sui Sui said. “He was placed under a verbal curse by the Talism Cultivators of the Law Enforcement Hall. I believe this is wrong. Could you please help remove it?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the surroundings fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
People had actually noticed the demon following the young lady earlier, but since no one brought it up, everyone pretended not to see.
Now that Yu Sui Sui had spoken directly, it was like pressing a switch. Everyone fell silent, as if frozen in a movie frame.
Hmm… did I say something wrong?
Yu Sui Sui thought to herself, this is bad. The North Peak group really hates Xie Rong Jing, and the South Peak probably isn’t much better.
Unexpectedly, Yu Qianqiu nodded. “Indeed, that’s not right.”
He issued an order: “Tell Gongsun Lan to refrain from such absurd actions.”
“Yes.”
An attendant accepted the command and withdrew.
These words broke the frozen atmosphere in the hall, restoring warmth and ending the silence.
“Thank you, Father.”
Having some social experience from before her transmigration, Yu Sui Sui knew what to say at such moments. She mustered a joyful and admiring look directed at Yu Qianqiu.
Yu Qianqiu praised, “Sui Sui is kind-hearted. It’s rather that Gongsun Lan’s methods are too extreme. Everyone in Tian Zhao Sect is equal. We must not use such coercive means on others.”
“Sect Leader, your profound benevolence and generosity command our utmost respect.”
Everyone spoke in unison.
To be honest, Yu Suisui hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly—so smoothly that when the steward responsible for delivering messages rushed out the door, she still felt somewhat unreal.
Amidst the continuous stream of flattery, Yu Qianqiu cleared his throat lightly.
The great hall fell silent once again.
“That’s all for today,” Yu Qianqiu said with approachable yet authoritative dignity. “You may disperse.”
Yu Suisui had intended to leave with the others, but her father called out to stop her.
“Sui Sui, wait a moment.”
It had been nearly half a year since the father and daughter last saw each other, so it made sense they should catch up. Without overthinking it, Yu Suisui asked Xie Rongjing to wait for her by the carriage while she obediently returned to her seat.
To avoid exposing herself, she mentally sifted through the original host’s memories about this father of hers.
Fortunately, these memories weren’t extensive, and she reviewed them quickly.
After the last hall master withdrew, the great hall became spacious and desolate.
“You may leave as well,” Yu Qianqiu said to the maidservants.
The hall was abundantly illuminated, with countless dazzling golden rays converging into a brighter white light that cast cold glimmers upon the goldstone and jewels.
For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.
As if the previous cheerful laughter and conversation had merely been her illusion.
“Father?”
Yu Qianqiu’s face was stern as he coldly stared at his eldest daughter.
“How did I end up raising such a disgraceful embarrassment?”