As Shang Can accepted the oil-paper bag of buns from the young night raven under its wings, the door to the guest room behind her creaked open.
“Good morning,” Shang Can said, taking the bag and glancing back. “For someone spending their first night in Biluo Huangquan, Yun Zhongjun, you’re certainly up early.”
After all, in Biluo Huangquan, the sky never brightens, so it’s easy to mistakenly think it’s still night if you’re not used to it. When Shang Can first arrived, she often overslept.
But it was only a little past the hour of Chen, right before Qingyu’s morning classes started. It seemed that Yun Duan wasn’t affected at all by the perpetual darkness.
Nor by last night’s sleepwalking incident, apparently. Shang Can discreetly glanced over, relieved to see no signs of discomfort on Yun Duan’s face.
“Is that so?”
Yun Duan was already fully dressed, clad in white with a jade pendant, composed and dignified as always. She replied calmly as she stepped out of the room.
“So, what time did you wake up on your first morning in Biluo Huangquan?”
“It’s been too long, I can’t remember exactly. But I’m sure it wasn’t before noon.”
Shang Can shrugged, about to hand the money to the night raven who had fetched her breakfast, when she noticed the boy was fidgeting.
“…What’s wrong? You keep rubbing your feathers like they’re about to fall off.”
“Ah, apologies…” The night raven quickly stood upright, sneaking a glance at Yun Duan before leaning in to whisper in Shang Can’s ear.
“I heard from the others… is it true Yun Zhongjun is the wife you snatched?”
“……”
Wait, is this place Biluo Huangquan or some bandit hideout?
Shang Can’s face twisted, for once at a loss for words.
“…Lucky for you, at least you had the sense to whisper that.” She sighed, flicking the boy lightly on the forehead. “Otherwise, before you could even finish that sentence, Yun Zhongjun would’ve taken your head.”
Terrified by her warning, the night raven stuck out his tongue, turned into his bird form, and flew off without another word.
“Alright then, Yun Zhongjun, if you’re done washing up, come have breakfast.”
Shang Can, holding the buns, walked back toward the guest room without any hesitation. “You don’t mind meat buns, do you? Don’t worry, it’s just regular pork in Biluo Huangquan.”
“I don’t mind.”
Yun Duan answered evenly, stepping aside to let Shang Can enter, then following her back inside. Shang Can handed her a bun, and the two ate together in a surprisingly harmonious morning.
If it weren’t for the lingering grogginess from having not slept, Shang Can could almost convince herself that last night’s events were just a dream.
Last night, Yun Duan had sleepwalked into her room. Even though Shang Can had successfully carried her back to the guest room, sleep had completely eluded her after that, so she spent the night on watch as she used to in the past.
Although Yun Duan had never sleepwalked twice in one night before, this relapse after so long made Shang Can anxious. She didn’t even trust leaving Yun Duan alone while she went to buy breakfast, so she asked the night raven for help.
Now that Yun Duan was awake and seemingly fine, Shang Can chewed her bun slowly, casually probing, “Did Yun Zhongjun sleep well last night?”
Yun Duan, who seemed like the type to strictly follow Qingyu’s “no talking during meals” rule, frowned slightly at the interruption. But after a moment, she responded between bites.
“Not bad.”
Ah, she clearly had no idea what happened. If she did, there’s no way she would have said “not bad.”
Seeing Yun Duan’s oblivious expression, Shang Can realized she wouldn’t get any answers from her and changed the subject. “By the way, I noticed your door was unlocked last night.”
“In an unfamiliar place like Biluo Huangquan, Yun Zhongjun should be more careful,” she added, her tone sounding more like a threat than a warning.
It seemed to suit her current role as a demonic cultivator quite well, so she didn’t bother explaining further, letting Yun Duan interpret it however she wished.
“It seems I did forget.”
Yun Duan showed no sign of alarm, merely reflecting briefly before acknowledging it. Her clear gaze landed lightly on Shang Can.
“How did you know my door was unlocked?”
“…Hmm…”
Is that really the part to be focusing on? —Well, fine, maybe it’s understandable to be curious after such an out-of-the-blue warning.
Shang Can thought for a moment, her lazy eyes narrowing mischievously as she replied with a straight face.
“Maybe it’s because… I snuck into your room last night.”
“……”
Yun Duan’s eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting such an audacious comment. But she quickly regained her calm, her expression returning to its usual cool detachment.
“…I see.”
Her voice remained composed, her clear eyes unbothered by any hint of disgust. She continued matter-of-factly, “Then, in that case, perhaps I shouldn’t lock the door when traveling with you, to make things easier.”
“There’s no need for that,” Shang Can shot back without missing a beat. “I lose interest after one night raid. You should lock your door as you please, don’t worry about me.”
She continued her nonsense as smoothly as ever, knowing full well that Yun Duan didn’t believe a word she said. Shang Can slowly swallowed the last bite of her bun, mentally planning to find another opportunity to probe later. She also needed to figure out a way to pass word of Yun Duan’s sleepwalking incident to Wang Yue… which probably meant calling in a favor from Chu Ming, and owing him one in return.
As Yun Duan finished eating, sitting as straight and poised as ever, she suddenly made an unexpected remark.
“Just now, I heard something.”
“Hm? Heard what?”
Still preoccupied with Yun Duan’s sleepwalking, Shang Can didn’t immediately grasp her meaning. Yun Duan gestured toward the door, her expression as calm as ever.
“I heard someone say that I’m your… snatched wife.”
“……”
Shang Can was momentarily speechless.
Hearing such ridiculous words come from Yun Duan’s lips felt incredibly strange. Seeing that perfectly composed face say something so absurd, Shang Can, as the supposed culprit, even felt a bit guilty.
She coughed lightly and said, “Yun Zhongjun has sharp ears.”
If you heard it back then, why bring it up only now? Were you waiting for the night raven to leave so you could confront me about it?
Feeling unjustly accused, Shang Can tried to explain, “The yokai here don’t know the full story of what happened between me and Tianwaitian. They just jumped to conclusions after seeing you.”
Where did that rumor even start? Shang Can had no proof, but she strongly suspected Wang Yue.
That woman had always been obsessed with the cheesy romantic tropes in cultivation novels and had been far too enthusiastic about their situation. She must have said something vague that led others to misunderstand.
After all, how could such a groundless rumor spread so easily? The yokai of Biluo Huangquan must be too idle for their own good.
“Jumped to conclusions?” Yun Duan repeated with a puzzled expression, then nodded to herself. “I suppose so, given that you lose interest after a single night raid.”
…What kind of logic is that?
That’s definitely something no one else should hear. Shang Can thought wryly. Otherwise, her reputation as a “heartless scoundrel” would be cemented for good.
Did Yun Duan just joke with her? Since when had their relationship reached a point where they could make jokes like this?
Although it was probably too late to change things, Shang Can reluctantly realized that their relationship had somehow become very… peculiar.
She might be infamous as the ruthless demonic cultivator Shang Can, but she couldn’t bring herself to act that way in front of Yun Duan. And Yun Duan, for whatever reason—possibly due to her belief that Shang Can resembled someone from her past—treated her unusually too, resulting in this strange dynamic where they could even exchange lighthearted banter.
Given the situation, Shang Can had spent much of her sleepless night thinking. No matter what Yun Duan was thinking, she had her own tasks to focus on. She just needed to do what she came to do.
Their partnership would only last until the matter with the false Shang Can was resolved.
Shang Can didn’t expect this journey to take very long, so—
…Maybe it was fine to leave things as they were for now.
She admitted she was being selfish.
Clearing her mind, Shang Can smiled slightly, stood up, and opened the door. She turned to Yun Duan and tilted her head toward the exit.
“Alright, I’ll stay interested in you for a little while longer.”
“Time to pack up and hit the road, my dear wife.”
The sky was still dim, as Bi Luo Huang Quan never saw the light of day, with lanterns glowing brightly at all hours.
The two strolled down the street, drawing attention in every sense of the word.
“I’ve never seen anyone other than Can Zhe before…”
“I’ve heard the name Yun Zhongjun, but I never imagined she would be so… so beautiful!”
“What does beauty matter? Now she’s here with our Can Zhe in Bi Luo Huang Quan! Besides, Can Zhe is stunning too—wait, why… why does Can Zhe look different?”
That’s right, Shang Can was once again wearing the same mask she had used back in Tianwaitian, strutting down the street without a care. If it weren’t for her attire and demeanor, she might have fooled all the demons with just that face.
She didn’t even bother avoiding Yun Duan when she put on the mask. Yun Duan, watching coldly from the side, asked, “Why are you wearing that?”
“Because I’m shy.”
After spending some time with Yun Duan, Shang Can had gradually learned that the best way to deal with her was to seriously spout nonsense. It was a highly effective way to avoid leaking any information and to prevent further questioning from Yun Duan.
As she listened half-heartedly to the lively discussions on the street, Shang Can glanced at Yun Duan, a little worried.
“… Yun Zhongjun, don’t get mad at these rumors. But if you can’t help getting angry, just direct it at me. Even if you decide, in your anger, that you don’t want to investigate the fake Can Zhe with me anymore, I’d understand.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not angry, and I won’t let Can Zhe investigate this matter alone,” Yun Duan replied sincerely. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“It’s fine, I expected as much.”
If she could brush Yun Duan off with just a few words, she wouldn’t have had to suffer so much these past few days. Shang Can pursed her lips and sighed regretfully.
“When calling you ‘wife’ didn’t get you mad, I already figured these rumors wouldn’t faze you either.”
Not dwelling on the topic any longer, she shifted to the main point. “Before we set out, let’s go find Wan Shao and see if she’s heard anything over the past two days.”
“Wan Shao?” Yun Duan repeated the name in confusion, “Is that the demon lord from yesterday… is she your junior sister?”
“Of course not.”
Shang Can’s eyes widened slightly in shock, and she waved her hands vigorously. “That was a lie we made up to sneak into Tianwaitian! How could you believe that?”
“…So she’s not your junior sister,” Yun Duan nodded silently, confirming.
“…No, she’s not.”
Given her current state of hiding her true identity, Shang Can couldn’t help but feel uneasy every time she heard the words “junior sister,” so she responded firmly and swiftly changed the subject.
“There are many informants in Bi Luo Huang Quan. From what happened during the attack on Tianwaitian, we should be able to gather quite a bit of follow-up information.”
“And even if we don’t find anything, Wan Shao should still be able to help us out a bit,” Shang Can shrugged. “After all, she’s lived a long life and has more experience.”
Yun Duan frowned slightly. “But she looks so young.”
“You can’t judge the age of demons by their appearance,” Shang Can said, pointing to a child being led past by his mother. She lowered her voice. “I’ve been in Bi Luo Huang Quan for nearly ten years, and that little one hasn’t changed at all.”
Hearing this, Yun Duan nodded thoughtfully, her gaze lowering.
“So, you came here nearly ten years ago.”
“….”
Shang Can snapped back to her senses, internally regretting how relaxed she had gotten.
Just as she was about to casually brush off the topic, Yun Duan softly asked, “You said it was a lie that Wan Shao is your junior sister, and her real name isn’t Zhi Yu. So you’re not really Gong Shang either, are you?”
“What’s your real name?” She looked at Shang Can, her eyes reflecting the flickering street lanterns. “What were you doing before you came to Bi Luo Huang Quan? Where were you?”
“With your skill and cultivation, you must have been someone famous no matter where you were. So why—”
“That’s enough.”
It wasn’t exactly a reprimand. The voice that spoke was calm, the expression unchanged, and even her steps didn’t falter. It sounded as casual as any idle chat, yet it stopped Yun Duan’s questions.
Sensing that Yun Duan had stopped walking behind her, Shang Can sighed softly and turned back with a friendly smile.
“You’ve crossed a line, Yun Zhongjun.”
Judging by Yun Duan’s expression, she seemed to realize her questions had been inappropriate, but she still wore a stubborn look, her gaze fixed on Shang Can with eyes as cold as the night sky.
A stifling sensation welled up in Shang Can’s chest again, but she forced herself to suppress it, smiling nonchalantly as she said, “Yun Zhongjun, you’ve been asking all about me, but these things should be mutual, right? I’ve got a few questions of my own, like—”
“For example, that emblem on your waist, what does it mean?”
She spoke lightly, but Yun Duan’s expression stiffened. After a long silence, she hesitantly asked, “How… how did you know about that?”
“I told you, I ambushed you last night.”
Shang Can raised an eyebrow and added, “Don’t tell me you don’t believe me?”
“…”
The silence between them deepened.
Shang Can had only asked to break Yun Duan’s line of questioning and didn’t expect to actually get an answer about the emblem. With no attachment to the topic, she casually turned away and said, “See? Since Yun Zhongjun won’t answer my question either, let’s stop wasting time standing here and—”
“I don’t know.”
She hadn’t even finished speaking when Yun Duan interrupted her abruptly. The voice from behind was calm, as if it had long accepted this fact.
“I don’t remember anything about that emblem. In my memory, it just suddenly appeared one day.”
“No one knows what it means, and fortunately, nothing strange has happened over the years.”
“As for when it appeared…”
Yun Duan’s voice suddenly grew softer, as if carrying a sigh.
“It just so happens, it was also around ten years ago.”
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