The unique fragrance of a young girl lingered around Jiang Xunbai…
The fire in the cave crackled softly. Listening to Lu Qingtang’s shallow breaths, Jiang Xunbai stared blankly at the blazing flames, his consciousness gradually fading.
In the middle of the night, rustling sounds emerged from outside the cave. Jiang Xunbai jolted awake and looked out. Under the cold, clear moonlight, countless golden-scaled crawling creatures swarmed the ground. Though they were still far away, he could already hear the sound of their movement.
He had deliberately set up a sound-muffling array beside the stone bed to prevent the noises from waking Lu Qingtang.
As the creatures drew closer, Jiang Xunbai could finally make out their appearance—their bodies were covered in golden scales, and their heads bore human faces!
He couldn’t help but inhale sharply, his mind conjuring images of how Lu Qingtang must have faced these creatures the night before. She must have been terrified.
Jiang Xunbai turned his gaze to the young girl on the stone bed. Her expression was peaceful in sleep, the usual slyness and playfulness gone, replaced by an innocent tenderness. A sweet smile graced her lips, as if she were lost in a pleasant dream. Unconsciously, Jiang Xunbai’s lips curved upward as well.
The creatures drew nearer, about to touch the edge of the array. Jiang Xunbai rose and stepped out of the cave. With a flick of his hand, he summoned a circle of Fu Zhi (Talisman Paper) and hurled it toward the swarm of unknown beings. The creatures exploded into countless fragments, dissolving into specks of golden dust that vanished into the night.
Dressed in black, his high ponytail swaying in the wind, Jiang Xunbai stood surrounded by a ring of blazing flames. The creatures surged toward him endlessly, only to be incinerated completely by the fire.
Jiang Xunbai lifted his gaze to the sky, and his heart skipped a beat. The seventh star was visibly aligning with the others at a rapid pace. He leaped into action, swiftly making his way to the stone bed in a few strides. After dispelling the sound-muffling array, he called out softly, “Lu Qingtang.”
By the third call, Lu Qingtang finally opened her eyes. She stared at him in confusion and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Not fully awake yet, her voice carried a hint of drowsiness, soft and sweet. Jiang Xunbai couldn’t help but smile and softened his tone further. “Get up quickly. We can go home now.”
Lu Qingtang was still dazed. “Home?”
Jiang Xunbai nodded. “The seven stars are about to align. Let’s prepare to return to the human realm amidst the chaos.”
At his words, Lu Qingtang jolted awake. She sat up abruptly and exclaimed, “What? We can leave now?! So soon!”
Jiang Xunbai grinned and nodded. “We’re quite lucky.”
Lu Qingtang gathered her belongings and followed Jiang Xunbai out of the cave. The sight of the bizarre creatures and the smell of burning and other foul odors made her cover her nose and mouth, nearly retching.
“Watch out!”
Jiang Xunbai suddenly pulled her aside. It turned out that outside the cave, aside from the golden-scaled creatures, there were also various large-mouthed plants lurking. Only after he pulled her away did she notice a man-eating flower that had crept up behind her unnoticed.
Jiang Xunbai took out a stack of Fu Zhi (Talisman Paper) and handed it to Lu Qingtang. “Take these talismans. Don’t let these things get close to you.”
They intended to seize the moment of the seven stars aligning to escape the space-time rift. It seemed these creatures had the same idea.
The creatures surrounding them grew increasingly numerous. The stark contrast between this place’s nighttime darkness and its daytime beauty became evident as countless malevolent beings emerged from the soil and lake waters after sunset, draining life from all living things.
As the seven stars in the sky were about to align, the onslaught from the ground intensified. Jiang Xunbai casually drew a Barrier, temporarily halting the creatures’ advance. The thunderous impacts against the Barrier grew louder. Lu Qingtang lowered her gaze and noticed stains had somehow reappeared on her dress.
Noticing her displeased expression, Jiang Xunbai found leisure to tease her: “Miss Lu, don’t fret over your dress. You’d better save your concern for us—”
Lu Qingtang glanced around and saw the Barrier’s glow fading, with cracks beginning to form.
Jiang Xunbai added: “Get ready, Miss! We’re going out!”
Clutching a handful of Fu Zhi, Lu Qingtang prepared to hurl them at the creatures the moment the Barrier shattered. Jiang Xunbai glanced at her and chuckled: “No need for you to fight, Miss Lu. Eliminating these riffraff is my job—what I meant was, you should prepare for our imminent departure.”
As Jiang Xunbai’s voice faded, a deafening “BOOM—” echoed through the air. The seven stars had aligned into a straight line, radiating brilliant light that turned night into day.
A fissure materialized around the straight line formed by the aligned stars, expanding visibly while emanating an eerie green glow resembling netherworld flames.
Lu Qingtang grew anxious: “Jiang Xunbai, are you sure this fissure leads to the human world?”
Not to the underworld or something?
“Not sure.”
Lu Qingtang’s face paled in horror: “You’re making us charge in blindly without being sure?!”
“We can only try—rest assured, Miss Lu, even the underworld would be better than here.”
Lu Qingtang: “…” Your dark humor isn’t funny at all.
The Barrier shattered with a crash. Before the creatures could swarm them, Jiang Xunbai bent toward Lu Qingtang: “My apologies, Miss Lu.”
Before she could react, he had grasped her wrist. Lightly tapping his toes against a creature’s head, he propelled them skyward. Lu Qingtang’s eyes widened in shock—she was flying?! This was her first experience of flight since transmigrating into this demon-hunting world, and her exhilaration was palpable.
While carrying Lu Qingtang toward the fissure, Jiang Xunbai secretly observed her expression shifting from astonishment to thrill, prompting a soft chuckle.
“Jiang Xunbai, you’re amazing!”
Lu Qingtang exclaimed.
Jiang Xunbai raised an eyebrow: “What?”
“You can even fly! Thanks to you, I’ve experienced flying for the first time!”
As a mortal, Lu Qingtang’s excitement was natural, but…
Jiang Xunbai marveled inwardly—she showed no fear of death whatsoever. She seemed capable of smiling in any circumstance, this radiantly optimistic girl outshining even the sun.
As Jiang Xunbai gripped her wrist and soared upward with increased force, Lu Qingtang felt her wrist ache. Why did rescues in dramas and novels always involve princess carries, while Jiang Xunbai only ever grabbed her by the wrist?
But she decided to obediently keep her mouth shut, because the creatures below had also started jumping after them. Just as they were about to grab Lu Qingtang’s dress and shoes, several Fu Zhi (Talisman Paper) flew out from Jiang Xunbai’s hand, blasting them apart.
“The rift—the rift is shrinking!”
Lu Qingtang said nervously.
The seven stars began moving in various directions, and the rift above started to shrink. Jiang Xunbai pursed his lips slightly, and the Buddhist beads on his wrist flew off. The twelve beads split into two halves, remaining on either side, forcibly slowing down the shrinking speed of the rift.
As they approached the rift, a powerful attraction burst forth from it, attempting to suck both of them into the faintly glowing fissure.
The closer they got, the more Lu Qingtang noticed countless cold lights emitting from the rift, accompanied by a bone-chilling cold. She felt as if all the blood in her body was freezing solid.
Her lips turned pale from the cold, and she trembled uncontrollably. Jiang Xunbai, however, seemed largely unaffected. Countless waves of warmth continuously transferred from his hand, which was holding hers, to her body.
In her dazed state, Lu Qingtang felt as if she were embracing a massive furnace, blazing fiercely and radiating waves of heat.
The moment Lu Qingtang tightly hugged him, Jiang Xunbai paused, stunned and rooted to the spot.
As Lu Qingtang clung to him, the awkward way he was holding her wrist felt uncomfortable. Jiang Xunbai softly said, “My apologies,” then moved his hand to her waist, lifting her upward. With the attraction from the rift, he didn’t need much effort before they were smoothly sucked into the fissure.
The cold air inside the rift sprayed over them, freezing them to the bone. Jiang Xunbai felt the girl in his arms had turned into an ice block. He transferred his spiritual power to her, trying to warm her up.
The first thing that met Lu Qingtang’s eyes was a fiery red, followed by Jiang Xunbai’s handsome face. Seeing her awake, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
Lu Qingtang shook her head, but when she tried to stand up, her legs gave way, and she nearly fell to the ground. Fortunately, Jiang Xunbai reacted quickly and caught her. He helped her sit down and explained, “The flow of time inside a space-time rift is different from that in the human world. Some people are easily affected by it, and the extent varies depending on the situation—like you, Miss Lu. Your symptoms are mild; you’re just weak all over. Rest for a few days, and you’ll be fine.”
“What about you?”
Jiang Xunbai was taken aback for a moment, not expecting Lu Qingtang to ask about him. He smiled and said, “Me? I’m perfectly fine.”
Lu Qingtang clicked her tongue. Demon hunters really are different.
Jiang Xunbai glanced at the sky. The horizon was covered with endless fiery clouds, as if flames had spread across the mountains and fields, dazzling yet scorching.
He spoke thoughtfully, “It’s getting late. We should head back.”
Lu Qingtang looked around. A silver lining in their misfortune was that they had returned to the ruins of Kumu Temple instead of actually ending up in the underworld.
The formation had been broken by Jiang Xunbai, so the surrounding white mist had completely vanished. Even the camellia tree, which had been half in bloom and half withered, had now completely dried up, looking fragile as if it might collapse at any moment in the wind.
She nodded, then glanced at her legs again, her eyes slightly drooping. “But I can’t walk.”
Jiang Xunbai chuckled softly, “That’s simple. If Miss Lu doesn’t mind, I can carry you back on my back.”
As he spoke, he crouched down in front of Lu Qingtang. Without hesitation, she leaned onto his back, and he carried her steadily down the mountain.
Bathed in the sunset glow, Lu Qingtang once again caught the faint, sweet fragrance. Just as she was about to ask, she noticed Jiang Xunbai’s ears turning red, so she hesitated and closed her mouth.
The summer evening breeze was warm, dispelling the chill that had clung to Lu Qingtang. Jiang Xunbai carried her securely, and for a while, neither spoke. Lu Qingtang wrapped her arms around his neck and fell asleep.
The delicate fragrance unique to a young girl lingered around Jiang Xunbai’s nose, as if he were surrounded by a field of flowers. Her soft breaths brushed against his neck, tickling him like a cat’s gentle scratch. Unconsciously, he softened his breathing, afraid that the sound might wake her.
Her fair wrists encircled his neck, so pale they seemed to gleam. Jiang Xunbai tried not to look, but he still caught a glimpse—on Lu Qingtang’s right wrist was a crescent-shaped mark. Its color was faint, almost like a birthmark. Jiang Xunbai felt as though he had read about the significance of such a mark in some book before.
Normally, he had a photographic memory—anything that entered his eyes, he would remember. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall anything about this mark.
After pondering for a long time without success, he decided to let it go for now, silently resolving to look up the mark’s meaning once he returned home.
When Lu Qingtang woke up, she was already in her own bed. Sunlight streamed through the Jiao Silk curtains and the window lattice, casting bright patches on the carpet. She stared blankly at the shimmering patterns.
Just then, Jingchun entered and, seeing her awake, exclaimed joyfully, “Miss! You’re finally awake!”
Lu Qingtang snapped out of her daze. She scrambled up and took a few barefoot steps, but Jingchun quickly grabbed her. “Miss, Miss, where are you going? You haven’t washed up yet!”
Lu Qingtang was anxious, eager to find out about the events at Kumu Temple. “I—I need to find Big Brother Jiang and Sister Su!”
Ignoring whom she wanted to see, Jingchun pulled her to the bronze mirror and called in a group of maids to help her freshen up.
“It won’t be too late to go after you’ve washed up, Miss.”
Lu Qingtang glanced at her reflection in the bronze mirror and knew Jingchun was right. It would be better to go after she was properly dressed.
She let them style her hair and apply her makeup, closing her eyes slightly as she asked softly, “Where’s Father? I’ve been gone for days—was he worried about me?”
An uneasy expression crossed Jingchun’s face. “The… the master…”
Lu Qingtang’s eyes flew open. “What’s wrong with Father?”
Had she angered him so much? Had he fallen ill because of her?
Jingchun shook her head. “No.”
Lu Qingtang breathed a sigh of relief. At least she hadn’t made him sick.
But then Jingchun added, “The master isn’t home.”
Puzzled, Lu Qingtang asked, “Where did he go? On a business trip?”
Jingchun shook her head again. “No.”
She weighed her words carefully. “The master isn’t away on business, but this servant doesn’t know where he went. Miss, you should ask Steward Lin.”
After speaking, Lu Qingtang’s mind was filled with ominous speculations. She immediately stood up and hurried out, leaving behind the flustered voice of her maid: “Miss, your hairpin isn’t fastened yet…”
Holding up her skirt as she rushed through the corridor, Lu Qingtang’s thoughts were entirely consumed by dark forebodings. She didn’t even hear Jiang Xunbai calling her name several times in the courtyard.
Jiang Xunbai stood astonished, watching the young woman in the goose-yellow dress flit through the corridor like an oriole.
Curious, he followed after her.
Lu Qingtang hurried to the entrance just in time to see Steward Lin giving instructions to the servants around him. When he noticed Lu Qingtang, his wrinkled face broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile: “Ah, young miss, slow down! Don’t fall!”
Steward Lin immediately came forward to greet her. Seeing the servants around him disperse, Lu Qingtang went straight to the point: “Uncle Lin, where has my father gone?”
At her question, Steward Lin’s expression turned serious. He led Lu Qingtang under the nearby corridor eaves and whispered: “The master has gone to look for your mother.”
Lu Qingtang felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mouth fell open in astonishment: “Looking for my mother? Where would he go to find her? Didn’t she pass away long ago?”
Steward Lin merely shook his head. Seeing she couldn’t get any more information from him, Lu Qingtang turned and left. She needed to check the study – hadn’t her mother died long ago? Why would her father go looking for her?
Which version was the lie?
From a distance, Jiang Xunbai saw Lu Qingtang turning back. He was about to call out to her when he noticed her troubled expression and deeply worried appearance.
As he moved closer to ask what was wrong, a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. Jiang Yijie’s amused voice sounded by his ear: “A-Xun, what are you looking at?”
Turning around, Jiang Xunbai saw his brother’s beaming face. He smiled and said: “Nothing much. Brother, how do you walk so silently?”
He had really been startled.
Jiang Yijie glanced at the retreating figure in yellow and teased: “It’s not that I walk silently, but rather that your attention has been captured by something else.”
Jiang Xunbai flushed red: “Brother, don’t talk nonsense.”
Then he saw an unusual look of curiosity on his typically gentle and proper brother’s face. Jiang Xunbai’s heart sank, and sure enough, the next moment he heard the whispered, gossipy question: “A-Xun, do you dislike Qing-Tang?”
Jiang Xunbai glanced at the figure about to disappear around the corner, then gave Jiang Yijie a baffled look before answering casually: “No, I don’t dislike her.”
Jiang Yijie’s face immediately showed an “I knew it” expression. He said: “Oh, so that means you like her.”
Jiang Xunbai jolted in surprise, his neck, ears, and cheeks burning with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation: “I don’t like her!”
Jiang Yijie sighed regretfully: “I thought since you didn’t dislike her…”
“Who says not disliking someone means you like them? Brother, you’re really something.”
He was only trying to win over Lu Qingtang – how could he possibly actually develop feelings for her?
Watching Jiang Xunbai’s retreating back, Jiang Yijie chuckled softly.
Did his brother really think he couldn’t read him?
Just as Lu Qingtang was about to push open the study door, an amused young male voice came from nearby: “Miss Lu, you’re certainly busy with important matters. I called you several times but received no response.”
Lu Qingtang looked toward Jiang Xunbai, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and showed a hint of apology: “I truly didn’t hear you.”
“What has Miss Lu in such a hurry?”
Lu Qingtang ignored Jiang Xunbai and pushed open the study door. Seeing Jiang Xunbai leaning against the doorway without entering, she turned her head and said, “If Second Young Master Jiang has nothing better to do, why not come in and help me?”
“Requesting my help comes with a fee, you know.”
Jiang Xunbai teased.
Despite his words, he obediently entered.
Watching Lu Qingtang rummaging through cabinets without knowing what she was searching for, he raised an eyebrow slightly: “What is Miss Lu looking for?”
Without lifting her head, Lu Qingtang replied: “Evidence that my mother is still alive.”
Jiang Xunbai froze for a moment, then began helping her search. The two scoured the study for a long time but found nothing, so they moved their efforts to the bedroom.
Upon entering, Lu Qingtang halted abruptly, as if struck by lightning. Jiang Xunbai peered over her shoulder: “What’s wrong now, my lady—”
When he saw what was hanging in the bedroom, he too stood frozen in place.
Hanging in Lu Huai’s bedroom was an exquisite sachet.
Lu Qingtang and Jiang Xunbai were all too familiar with that sachet—it was identical to the ones they had once obtained at the Meeting Spring Temple.
Author’s Note:
Jiang TangTang: I’m just completing missions, how could I possibly like Lu Qingtang.
Jiang Yijie: Don’t believe it.
Su Lingyao: Don’t believe it.
System: Heh.
Fourth installment of the couple’s amusing anecdotes:
Much later, TangTang (smiling): I heard you were just coldly pursuing me and don’t actually like me?
Jiang TangTang (forcing a smile): Who said that! Who wouldn’t like the young lady! How could I possibly do it just for the mission…
TangTang kicked Jiang TangTang off the bed as she tried to lean in for a kiss: Separate rooms tonight!
Jiang TangTang: Young lady! Let me explain—!
(If I find out who told the young lady, I’ll skin them alive!! [furious][furious])
System: Trembling in fear jpg.
Dear readers, the next chapter will be VIP! There will be a lottery event, hope everyone will support it! [sparkling eyes][shy]
My next book will be “After Abandoning the Miao Village Boy” – interested readers can bookmark it in my column! [shy][kiss]