“I have to remind you of something.”
Chu Ming stood by the bookshelf, muttering disapprovingly.
“Junior Sister Yun Duan didn’t agree to your return to Bi Luo Huang Quan.”
“I’m not going back to Bi Luo Huang Quan right now.”
Shang Can was sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by neatly stacked books, several of which bore titles related to the “ghost race.” She was engrossed in a book and replied to Chu Ming without looking up, “Aren’t we in the Outer Realm right now?”
“Junior Sister Yun Duan didn’t agree to you coming to the Outer Realm either.”
“…” Shang Can, unable to endure any longer, snapped the book shut with a bang, looking up at Chu Ming. “Do I need to get Yun Duan’s permission just to be here? Or do I look like someone who would obediently follow her orders?”
Chu Ming shrugged noncommittally, saying nothing, but the look he cast her was quite subtle.
Shang Can felt that he was silently expressing the sentiment of “Isn’t that exactly how you are?” The more she thought about it, the more furious she became. With a stoic expression, she summoned a heavenly flame and burned Chu Ming’s hairband.
Ignoring Chu Ming, who was shouting about how she bullied the weak, Shang Can prepared to continue reading when she heard a gentle male voice sound worriedly.
“Wan Juan Pavilion prohibits the use of open flames. While it’s fine for Can Zhe to burn Lord Yushan’s hairband, please be careful not to damage the records.”
“…I think it’s best not to burn anything at all. What do you think, Lord Kun Yao?”
“That’s true. But if Can Zhe can’t control herself, I have to consider her feelings and show some hospitality as the host.”
“Why should the hospitality of you outsiders come at the cost of my hairband…?”
“Hey.”
With the back-and-forth banter, Shang Can found it both amusing and infuriating. Grinding her back teeth in silence, she looked up with a cold expression.
“If you two have nothing better to do, how about cleaning the entrance to the Outer Realm?”
“Absolutely not.” Pei Chen replied sternly, “Each area in the Outer Realm has someone responsible for its maintenance; how can we ask guests to do such things?”
“…Lord Kun Yao, what she means is that we’re bothering her and asking us to stay away, not actually suggesting that we clean the entrance.”
“Oh, I see. My apologies to you, Can Zhe.”
Pei Chen’s serious demeanor was so over the top that even Chu Ming couldn’t help but remind him, let alone the already irritable Shang Can. She was truly fed up with Pei Chen’s sternness, so she simply put down her book and said directly, “Is Lord Kun Yao keeping an eye on me because you’re afraid I’ll secretly do something bad?”
“Not entirely.”
Pei Chen replied honestly, “On one hand, outsiders indeed need to be accompanied by our disciples to enter Wan Juan Pavilion. On the other hand…”
He glanced out the window at the sky and sighed, “Can Zhe has been here for nearly two hours. I should hurry and remind Junior Sister Yun Zhong to keep an eye on Can Zhe.”
“…She’s here too?”
Shang Can was taken aback and instinctively looked at Chu Ming. “I should have told her yesterday that we’d split up temporarily and meet again in three days, right?”
“That’s correct.” Chu Ming nodded, stating matter-of-factly, “But Junior Sister Yun Duan didn’t agree.”
“…”
Shang Can was left speechless. She quickly picked out a few books and hugged them to her chest as she stood up, saying as she walked toward the door, “I’ll borrow these books for now.”
“Wait, wait! The books in Wan Juan Pavilion can’t be borrowed—”
Before he could finish, Shang Can had already hurried out the door. Pei Chen watched her disappear from sight, his outstretched hand slowly retracting in disappointment.
“Don’t worry.” Chu Ming patted his shoulder sympathetically. “At least Junior Sister Yun Duan will remember to make her return the books to you.”
To be fair, Shang Can’s actions did not have Yun Duan’s approval at that moment.
Last night, after she suggested returning to Bi Luo Huang Quan, Yun Duan had immediately responded without hesitation, “I’ll go with you.”
“…I don’t think so. I feel everyone needs a bit of personal space.”
After being subtly rejected by Shang Can, Yun Duan didn’t say much else, just furrowed her brows at her. It was rare for her usually calm expression to show clear disapproval. Shang Can knew better than to look too long, so she coaxed, “Look, if we’re going to an entirely unfamiliar place like the Underworld, Yun Zhong Jun will definitely need to prepare for it, right?”
“I will too; I have to prepare—prepare some secret weapons.” Shang Can said, her face serious. “I can’t be disturbed, or it will fail and go wrong.”
Perhaps her words left no room for argument, as Yun Duan didn’t voice any opposition, simply gazing at her for a while before lowering her eyes.
Shang Can decided to take this as an implicit agreement and left the inn early the next morning.
However, before returning to Bi Luo Huang Quan, she first came to the Outer Realm, seeking out Pei Chen, who was practicing in the morning, and plunged into the Wan Juan Pavilion, where books were stored.
After all, the Outer Realm was the sect that dealt most frequently with the ghost race and would undoubtedly have plenty of records regarding them and the Underworld. As the saying goes, “Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you will never be defeated.” Since Shang Can had little experience with the ghost race, and she had decided to head to the Underworld in three days, it would be foolish not to make use of the knowledge treasure trove nearby.
With this in mind, Shang Can diligently read through the information on the ghost race. She didn’t mind being caught by the elusive Chu Ming during her reading.
But hearing that Yun Duan had also arrived… that made a difference.
Was she perhaps a bit too firm last night…?
Shang Can, aware of her shortcomings, frowned and soon spotted the tall figure quietly standing by the Clear Rippling Lake in the Outer Realm.
Even though she didn’t particularly like this lake, which was famous for being associated with the Outer Realm, Shang Can had to admit that the scene of the lake’s light reflecting off the beauty was truly picturesque.
She unconsciously stopped in her tracks, gazing absentmindedly for a while. The person, sensing her presence, turned around, revealing eyes as clear and cool as autumn waters.
“…Yun Zhong Jun seems to be in a good mood. Is the scenery nice?”
Though she had been caught stealing a glance, Shang Can maintained a natural demeanor as she walked toward Yun Duan.
Yun Duan’s gaze remained fixed on her, and after a moment, she replied, “It’s beautiful.”
“Is it?” Shang Can walked to her side and gazed out at the lake, still in early spring and devoid of any lotus flowers. She couldn’t help but lament, “This place has some charm in the summer, with the entire lake covered in lotus flowers, and you can pick quite a few lotus pods to eat.”
“Have you picked them, A Can?”
“Yes, yes! I came to the Outer Realm last summer to ‘borrow’ some, and I casually picked a few lotus pods.”
After chatting a bit to transition the topic, Shang Can smiled and added, “Did you know, Yun Zhong Jun, that there’s water in the Underworld too?”
“There’s a big river there, called the Wang Chuan.”
Taking something she had just read and discussing it, Shang Can spoke animatedly, “I’ve heard that the water of Wang Chuan can reflect a person’s inner heart. There are ferrymen on the river all year round, and when someone dies and becomes a ghost, they arrive at the banks of Wang Chuan. If their hearts are unburdened, they can see the other shore, and the ferryman will take them across to be reincarnated.”
“But if their hearts are too entangled, they will only see a vast ocean and cannot see the end of Wang Chuan.”
As Shang Can spoke, she shrugged. “If this state persists too long, they will gradually become mentally disordered, turn savage, and become what we call the ghost race.”
Yun Duan listened quietly to her, then softly remarked, “It seems that many people who die still hold onto their attachments.”
“Exactly.” Shang Can sighed. “No wonder the ghost race is so obsessed with the cultivation world. They must be thinking about returning to the mortal realm to fulfill their wishes.”
The two fell into silence for a moment, quietly watching the calm surface of the Clear Rippling Lake.
After a while, Yun Duan finally broke the silence softly, “A Can came to the Outer Realm to look at the records on the ghost race?”
“Mm.”
There was no need to hide anything from her, so Shang Can nodded honestly and asked in return, “Did Yun Zhong Jun come to follow me?”
“…” Yun Duan gently pressed her lips together, slightly evasive as she averted her gaze. “…Brother Chu Ming told me you were here.”
Goodness, that thick-browed Chu Ming was actually helping Yun Duan keep an eye on her?
Shang Can felt like rolling her eyes up to the sky. Then she heard Yun Duan continue in a soft voice, “I actually knew this morning that A Can had left.”
“But I didn’t dare follow you recklessly at that time.” Yun Duan lowered her brows, her voice light and ethereal. “I was worried that if I followed too closely, it would upset A Can.”
“…”
Alright then.
Shang Can raised the white flag of surrender in her heart, resignedly sighing as she silently changed her plans for the next three days.
“Forget it, forget it. If you want to follow me, then follow along.”
Feigning nonchalance, she crossed her arms and quickly added, “I was originally planning to prepare for entering the Underworld anyway. Having you along will save us some trouble and the need to exchange information later.”
The intensity of the gaze coming from beside her was so strong that Shang Can couldn’t pretend she didn’t notice. She felt a bit helpless and decided to regain some ground verbally, so she teasingly raised an eyebrow and looked at Yun Duan.
“By the way,” Shang Can said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Is Yun Zhong Jun really that afraid I’ll run away?”
The stunning woman in white quietly looked at her for a while, then suddenly lowered her gaze and chuckled lightly, like a pristine lotus blooming.
“…Yes, I’m very afraid.”
Bi Luo Huang Quan.
Shang Can led Yun Duan back to the entrance of Bi Luo Huang Quan, familiar with the route. Just as they passed through the barrier, she felt a sudden darkness before her eyes. For some reason, there wasn’t even a single lamp lit at the city gate.
A wave of anxiety washed over her, and she quickly summoned heavenly fire for illumination. However, just as the flames flared up, a deafening explosion of firecrackers erupted from all directions, startling her so much that she trembled and accidentally burned a hole in her clothes.
The lights at the city gate flickered to life, and through gritted teeth, Shang Can looked up to see Wan Shao standing boldly at the gate, hands on her hips, flanked by at least a few hundred demons, filling the street in a dark swarm.
“…Are you here to fight?”
The sight was truly overwhelming. Shang Can muttered reflexively. Behind her, Yun Duan hesitated for a moment, tugged at her sleeve, and softly said, “They’re here to welcome A Can, right?”
“That’s right!”
Wan Shao dramatically opened her arms and declared loudly, “Although it’s really inconsiderate of us to be mistaken for fighters—A Can has returned with the Lord of the Clouds! Everyone, welcome!”
In that moment, Shang Can found herself grudgingly accepting the warm, enthusiastic welcome from the crowd of demons. As she hurried through, she felt a bit dazed, as if she were a star walking down the red carpet with a companion.
Her ears were sharp, and she overheard snippets of gossip like, “She brought the Lord of the Clouds back again,” and “The rumors are true,” sending a chill down her spine. Walking beside her, Wan Shao was grinning like a mischievous fortune cat, making Shang Can feel uncomfortable all over.
Shang Can initially wanted to take Yun Duan home quickly to escape the festive atmosphere, but Wan Shao had no intention of letting her off the hook. She followed the reluctant Shang Can back to her residence and, as Yun Duan headed for the guest room, leaned in close with a bright smile, lowering her voice conspiratorially.
“I’ve heard something.”
Her face was practically glowing with excitement, practically shouting “Come ask me! Come ask me!” When Shang Can, initially wanting to ignore her, got annoyed by her relentless gaze, she sighed in exasperation and asked, “Heard what?”
With a cheerful finger pointing at the guest room door, Wan Shao exclaimed, “I heard that you and the Lord of the Clouds have already become partners!”
“Seriously, this rumor is absurd!”
It hadn’t even been a few days, and the gossip had escalated to this extent… Was it her fault for casually calling Yun Duan “wife” that day out of impulse?!
Despite feeling quite frustrated, now was not the time for self-reflection. Shang Can glared at Wan Shao and retorted, “Forget about everyone else, but you—of all people—should know better. You’re the demon lord of Bi Luo Huang Quan; how can you seriously believe such unfounded rumors?”
She had intended to say, “You should at least understand our relationship,” but she changed her wording, considering that Yun Duan might overhear. Wan Shao, however, simply stood there with an unbothered demeanor, like a gentle breeze brushing over the mountains, and spoke with an air of profound insight, “Then why did you bring her back?”
“…”
Shang Can silently gathered her thoughts and finally spoke softly.
“Maybe it was… raining heavily, and while hurrying along, I suddenly encountered a drenched white rabbit that wanted to come closer for warmth but was afraid of wetting my clothes, so it just lay outside in the rain instead.”
“You could’ve just said it.” Shang Can averted her gaze awkwardly, “…In that situation, even if I were in a hurry, wouldn’t I have to stop and take care of her?”
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