There are countless things to worry about.
With little time to relax, Shang Can hurriedly tidied herself up and went to the Demon Lord’s palace in the Bi Luo Huang Quan. Upon reaching the entrance, she saw Wan Shao surrounded by several elder demons, all of whom were puffing out their beards and glaring. In the middle, Wan Shao had a long face, facing the verbal bombardment of the elders with a hesitant response.
Shang Can patiently waited outside until the elders left before poking her head in and walking over to Wan Shao, who was slumped over the table.
“…I’m sorry for getting you scolded,” she said softly.
“It’s fine; I knew I’d get scolded for insisting on going out this time,” Wan Shao replied, sitting up and rubbing her temples with fatigue.
“To put it simply, we’ve already taken the blame.”
“According to what those old men just said, news about Bi Luo Huang Quan attacking Tian Wai Tian has spread, including your involvement—” She suddenly grew indignant. “Clearly, without your fire, Tian Wai Tian would have lost people, yet the rumors don’t mention you at all!”
“What’s even more infuriating! You won’t believe it. Even though you cleared the field so well, that useless bunch from Tian Wai Tian still—”
Wan Shao became furious, slamming her hand on the table and standing up.
“—Still let those impostors posing as Bi Luo Huang Quan steal the Dao Heart Lotus Seeds!”
“…Really?”
Shang Can was momentarily speechless and instinctively questioned, “…Is that true?”
“Can it be fake? That was directly said by that substitute sect leader Pei Chen!”
Wan Shao angrily sat back down, gritting her teeth in frustration. “It’s like a beautiful pillow stuffed with straw. If I had known the Dao Heart Lotus Seeds were so easy to steal, we should have acted first and taken them before leaving. So infuriating!”
Compared to Wan Shao, Shang Can appeared calmer. She quickly pulled herself out of the absurdity and slightly furrowed her brow.
“…Something feels off.”
She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
The beast attack had charged straight towards the arena, and now it seemed it was because the Dao Heart Lotus Seeds were being carried on Pei Chen.
Though Shang Can had previously remarked that Pei Chen was not as capable as her, his position as the substitute sect leader of Tian Wai Tian indicated he possessed some skill. After she broke the spiritual barrier, there was no way the group of weak beasts could have taken the Dao Heart Lotus Seeds from Pei Chen, who was recovering his spiritual energy.
What happened after they left? Or was it—
Shang Can’s gaze turned colder as her thoughts returned to that arena.
At that time, things had happened too suddenly, causing chaos that made it difficult for her to investigate, but it had been bothering her all along.
—Who injured Yun Duan?
Shang Can was confident that while fighting alongside Yun Duan in the arena, she had never lost sight of her. When Yun Duan suggested breaking the barrier, she had been fine, and even after battling in the beast tide for nearly an hour, Yun Duan’s pristine white clothes remained spotless, like the first snow in that hellish battlefield.
The only moment her attention had shifted away from her was—just for a moment.
It was after she returned to the arena.
At that time, she had naturally relaxed her guard, thinking the beast tide was blocked outside the arena and she could find a moment to catch her breath.
Yet it was precisely then that Yun Duan got hurt.
Shang Can couldn’t help but recall the scene she saw as she turned around in a panic, as if time had slowed. She watched helplessly as dark red blood slowly seeped into Yun Duan’s immaculate white clothing.
She could still feel the chilling illusion that her blood had suddenly turned cold.
Shang Can tightly closed her eyes, shaking off the chill.
Impostors of Bi Luo Huang Quan caused Pei Chen to lose the Dao Heart Lotus Seeds and injured Yun Duan in the arena.
Her voice turned solemn as she quietly said, “There’s a mole among those immortal sect cultivators.”
Even with such speculation, without any concrete evidence, it was of no help to Bi Luo Huang Quan.
After ending her discussion with Wan Shao, Shang Can trudged back to her dark dwelling, not bothering to light a lamp, and heavily collapsed onto the bed.
The late-onset fatigue and dull pain spread throughout her limbs, and Shang Can attempted to prop herself up but failed, barely managing to support her increasingly muddled mind as she pondered over the conversation with Wan Shao.
—What should Bi Luo Huang Quan do?
Only the two of them truly understood that the beast tide attacking Tian Wai Tian was not orchestrated by Bi Luo Huang Quan, yet they had disguised themselves to infiltrate Tian Wai Tian, and Shang Can had even acted, exposing her identity in front of many cultivators, aligning with the whereabouts of the fake Shang Can from those days.
With Tian Wai Tian being attacked and now the Dao Heart Lotus Seeds stolen, no matter how one thought about it, the blame would inevitably fall on Bi Luo Huang Quan in the eyes of the cultivators.
Shang Can felt guilt weighing on her heart.
She knew her actions directly led to this outcome. If she hadn’t summoned the heavenly fire, perhaps Bi Luo Huang Quan could have argued its case, rather than being left with the “irrefutable evidence” in the mouths of the cultivators.
The residents of Bi Luo Huang Quan had treated her exceptionally well. A few years prior, during a rebellion, she had helped out of gratitude, and the demons had remembered this to this day, treating her like family. Even though her actions might endanger Bi Luo Huang Quan’s current standing, neither Wan Shao nor the elders mentioned her faults.
Shang Can had no desire to bring trouble to Bi Luo Huang Quan, but…
But she knew clearly that even if given a chance to start over, she would probably make the same choice.
“…”
With so many pressing matters to consider, even aside from the issues concerning Bi Luo Huang Quan, Shang Can had to think about the implications of being recognized by Chu Ming, as well as Yun Duan’s inexplicable obsession arising from vague memories—each was enough to drive her to distraction.
But Shang Can chose to stop thinking any further. She self-deprecatingly mused that when the soldiers come, she would meet them with soldiers, and when the water comes, she would block it with earth, allowing her spirit to sink into a dark abyss.
Before she completely fell asleep, a thought suddenly drifted into her mind.
As long as there were no scars left on her waist, it would be fine.
A day passed, and Shang Can finally managed to steal a moment of respite.
Wan Shao, the new demon lord, hadn’t been in office long, and needed to consult with the elder demons on various matters. As an outsider, Shang Can would not participate in such meetings. However, as Wan Shao’s friend and Bi Luo Huang Quan’s external representative, she still attended each meeting, serving as a diligent background figure until the end.
Today’s meeting centered on taking the blame, and the demons engaged in intense discussions about whether to endure or retaliate.
Those advocating for endurance argued that it would be hard to explain; once they showed themselves, they could easily clash with the immortal sects, and it was better to bear it for a while since the entrance to Bi Luo Huang Quan was secret and no one would know. After all, Bi Luo Huang Quan’s reputation was already poor.
On the other hand, those opposed to endurance were indignant, insisting that they hadn’t done anything wrong. They didn’t expect the cultivators to help them in return for Shang Can’s actions, but to repay kindness with malice was too much; they had to negotiate clearly with them and then capture and punish those impostors!
The two factions reached a stalemate until Wan Shao decisively declared, her bright red dress vibrant and stunning, with a smile like spring blossoms, yet her lips uttered blunt words without a second thought.
“Endure my foot.”
Thus, it was settled. The next meeting was to seamlessly transition into discussing “how to clearly explain the entire situation in a way that would convince others (excluding threats of force).”
Not long ago, Wan Shao had kicked Shang Can out under the pretext of, “If you’re here without threats of force, what are you still doing here?” Aware that Wan Shao’s action was intended to give her some rest, Shang Can gratefully accepted it, casually finding a stall to sit at. She ate noodles while contemplating whether the phrase, “If I had that intention, the substitute sect leader of Tian Wai Tian would have been dead long ago,” could convince those immortal sect cultivators.
Not good, not good; she had just said not to use threats of force, and that sounded like provocation.
Lost in thought, a night raven suddenly swooped down from the sky, flapping its wings and landing on Shang Can’s table, opening its beak in a flurry and speaking in human words.
“Lady Can, Lady Can! Bad news! The guards at the entrance have spotted the figures of cultivators!”
The voice sounded like a teenager still going through voice changes, with an urgency that was hard to miss. Shang Can paused with her chopsticks, frowning, “Are you sure they’re coming for Biluo Huangquan?”
“Yes!” The night crow hopped up and down in a flurry, replying anxiously, “If it were just a passing cultivator, I wouldn’t disturb you, but that person is clearly loitering at the entrance. Although they haven’t taken any other action yet, it’s obvious they suspect something is amiss!”
“The Demon Lord has already gone to the city gate and sent me to find you, saying—” Its avian face showed a surprisingly human-like expression as it mimicked Wan Shao’s tone, saying, “‘If you don’t come to see me, I’ll leave!'”
“…”
That didn’t sound like the urgent tone someone would use if the entrance to Biluo Huangquan had been discovered.
Shang Can hesitated to speak, and the flicker of crisis she felt vanished instantly.
“W-Well, how about you finish your meal first?” After mimicking the tone, the night crow seemed a bit embarrassed and waved its wings at the remaining half bowl of noodles, “Anyway, I can see that person won’t be leaving anytime soon. I heard that irregular eating habits can lead to stomach issues.”
This night crow’s initial tension felt completely feigned, and its earlier words didn’t seem to match at all.
Shang Can inwardly muttered, was this what they called “a crooked beam leads to a crooked plank”? But she still placed some coins on the table and stood up with a soft sigh.
“Lead the way; I can eat when I get back.”
The night crow perked up immediately, flying ahead with enthusiasm, chirping, “This way! Master Can, follow me this way!”
It hardly seemed like it was leading her to see a suspected intruder; it was more like a little tour guide from Biluo Huangquan.
Shang Can was puzzled and took the opportunity to ask as they walked, “How many people came? Did you see what they looked like?”
The boy’s voice perked up cheerfully, “Just one! Dressed in white, and they look—”
Suddenly, he seemed at a loss for words, flapping his wings anxiously, trying hard to come up with a descriptor.
“Really good-looking!”
After the night crow finished, it realized Master Can wasn’t following closely and hurried back, adding quickly, “Master Can is also really good-looking! Very good-looking! But that person is—uh, they’re a different type from you, Master Can—”
Unbeknownst to it, the more it spoke, the more anxious Shang Can became.
Her heart felt like it was racing wildly, and she hesitated for a moment, finally resigning herself with a firm resolve.
…Whether it’s true or not, I need to see for myself.
Thinking this, Shang Can quickened her pace significantly, nearly summoning her celestial fire to form wings and fly to the city gate. Even the speedy night crow struggled to keep up, and upon reaching their destination, it sprawled out on the city wall, gasping for breath.
“You’re quick to arrive.”
As Shang Can reached the entrance, she saw Wan Shao sitting casually to the side, speaking in a mischievous tone that didn’t match the demeanor of a demon lord after their secret entrance had been exposed.
At that moment, Shang Can was already about eighty percent sure of what was happening, and without paying attention to Wan Shao, she walked straight up to the round mirror used for spying on the outside world.
Inside the mirror was the most ordinary wild mountain, with sparse grass and trees.
Shang Can recalled Wan Shao mentioning that when the great demon had opened the path between the demon realm and the cultivation world, they had painstakingly selected such a plain, unremarkable location to ensure that unknowing cultivators wouldn’t stumble upon it.
But at this moment, amidst the mountains, there was an unexpected figure—tall and elegant, with a snowy beauty. A meticulously tied sword hung at her waist, the red tassel on the hilt swaying gently in the wind, making her stand out even more against her pure white robes.
In this barren landscape, she appeared utterly unbothered, showing no signs of impatience. Standing quietly among the mountains, her graceful profile bore a calm expression, resembling a figure carved from ice, untouched by worldly affairs.
Shang Can didn’t know how long she stood there. The figure seemed to wait for someone whose arrival was uncertain, and if they came, that was great; if not, so be it.
Even the most ordinary mountains became extraordinary because of her presence.
After staring at the familiar silhouette for a long while, Shang Can suddenly removed a silk pouch from her waist, taking out a neatly folded white silk robe with a streak of red on the waistband.
Ignoring Wan Shao, who was jumping aside complaining about the “scent of the blood from a flawless celestial body wafting over, stay away from me,” she gently unfolded the robe that had remained untouched since its owner last folded it.
Beneath the outer layer, Shang Can was startled to find a jade token hidden underneath, engraved with elegant cloud patterns and the characters “Yun Duan” in a precise manner.
A smile suddenly broke out on Shang Can’s face, and as she looked back at the person in the mirror, her brows unconsciously relaxed, and she spoke with a hint of affectionate exasperation.
“You’re clever after all.”
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