Shang Can was currently in a dilemma.
She wanted to quickly finish her meal and escape the cafeteria, but she was also worried that if she left now, it would take a lot of effort to find Yun Duan again. She also wanted to find out if the fake Can had used that outfit effectively.
Thus, she endured a rather torturous meal; the already unappetizing food became even more so in light of her feelings, twisting her face in distaste.
“I heard from Junior Sister Yun Duan that you and she have some acquaintanceship,” came a voice.
Well, there’s no need to hesitate now; it seems there’s no escaping.
Shang Can grumbled internally, thinking that the most they had shared was a roasted chicken, and when she looked up, she noticed the meaningful glint in Chu Ming’s eyes, suddenly realizing what he meant.
Chu Ming most likely knew about her and Yun Duan sneaking out of Tianwaitian to Yan Yang’s outskirts yesterday, which was why he was approaching her now.
Just as Shang Can contemplated playing dumb, she noticed the apologetic expression on Chu Ming’s warm face as he gently asked, “May I inquire how you are addressed?”
“…”
Shang Can was taken aback, instinctively glancing at Yun Duan beside her. She found that the woman had also set down her chopsticks and was looking at her with intense focus.
…Goodness, if Chu Ming hadn’t brought it up, she wouldn’t have even realized that in the several times she’d met Yun Duan, Yun Duan hadn’t even asked her name.
Forget it; this probably meant she wasn’t seen as someone whose name needed to be remembered in Yun Duan’s eyes. That might be a good thing…
Shang Can brushed aside her worries and smiled, saying, “I am Gong Shang from the Bi Cang Sect, just a small fry, nothing noteworthy.”
After saying this, she gestured towards the immersed in her food, Wan Shao. “This is my junior sister, Zheng Yu.”
“Junior… sister?”
Wan Shao looked up in shock from her bowl, clearly upset. Shang Can thought it was obvious that with her name being Gong Shang and Zheng Yu, it was clear that Gong Shang came first, so there was no reason to be disgruntled. She smiled and responded, “Yes, does junior sister have something to say? Are you still hungry? Would you like me to give you my food?”
“…” Wan Shao, suppressing her anger, ground her molars as she stood up, her smile becoming dazzling. “No need, sister. I’m done; I’ll take my leave now. Sister can catch up with these two… well.”
The words “catch up well” were spoken with a hidden edge, and Shang Can watched as Wan Shao picked up her tray and left without looking back, her demeanor radiating charm and grace. To Shang Can, it only looked like a hint of schadenfreude.
The demon lord of Bi Luo Huang Quan truly couldn’t bear any loss. Shang Can laughed awkwardly and apologized to Chu Ming, “My junior sister, she’s… not very polite…”
“It’s no problem; I should thank her for making things easier for me,” Chu Ming replied, still wearing a gentle expression, though his tone grew slightly heavier. “Since it’s just the three of us now, I’ll be straightforward and ask.”
“You were with Yun Duan last night, weren’t you?”
“…”
Though that was the case, couldn’t he phrase it differently?
Shang Can didn’t respond immediately, glancing at Yun Duan, who was sitting upright. Not only did she not look at her, but she seemed to slightly turn her gaze away in the opposite direction.
…What was going on here?
Unsure of Yun Duan’s attitude, Shang Can thought about how Chu Ming was already this direct, so it wouldn’t make much sense to keep playing dumb. Thus, she nodded.
“Yes. After hearing about Can Zhe, I was itching to find out more and sneakily ran out while the night watch was distracted. Yun Zhong Jun only followed me out to try and bring me back to Tianwaitian. Coincidentally, I met up with… ahem, Yun Zhong Jun was forced to help, so please don’t misunderstand, Yu Shan Jun.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Ming raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, a cold female voice cut in decisively.
“No.”
It was truly impossible to cooperate even a little.
Shang Can sighed inwardly, turning to meet Yun Duan’s puzzled gaze, and before she could speak, she quickly added, “Yes, yes, Yun Zhong Jun is right; I also concealed the fact that I took a chicken from the kitchen. I truly feel so ashamed and undeserving of myself.”
“That chicken was shared between the two of us.”
“Yes, yes, yes, what Yun Zhong Jun said is right; I even used the method of bribing Yun Zhong Jun with a share of the chicken. Ah, I truly am unreasonable.”
“…”
After a couple of exchanges, it seemed that Yun Duan finally understood that Shang Can was trying to distance herself from the situation. She gazed at Shang Can for a long while before finally averting her gaze, her eyebrows drawn low, obscuring her expression.
Shang Can’s heart suddenly felt hollow, as if Yun Duan’s mood had dampened.
“Is that so?”
Chu Ming’s interjection was perfectly timed, and Shang Can pulled herself from the strange emotion, turning to his handsome face, which for some reason seemed much softer than before.
“But this morning, I just heard Yun Duan say that she let you out and willingly went with you to Yan Yang’s outskirts, didn’t she?”
“…………”
…Had Yun Duan really told Chu Ming everything about this forbidden escapade? And why had it come to light so quickly? Was it possible that Yun Duan and Chu Ming had a close relationship? Ah?
That thought just couldn’t stop; Shang Can struggled to contain the strange emotions bubbling in her chest and couldn’t help but glance at Yun Duan again. This time, she could see clearly that the woman’s jade-like face did indeed appear slightly gloomy.
“When the jade tablet left Tianwaitian, it was discovered.”
But Yun Duan still spoke up to explain, her gaze gently passing over Chu Ming and landing on Shang Can’s face.
“…Can’t I say it?”
Her butterfly-like, fragile eyelashes fluttered helplessly, and in her clear, dark pupils, there was a glimmer of light. Shang Can didn’t dare look too long, scanning the surroundings to drive away the faint, prying eyes, then stood up.
“No, of course you can.”
Unconsciously lowering her voice, Shang Can sighed lightly, thinking to herself that who could say the words “cannot” in this situation?
She had initially felt that getting connected with these two would bring no good, and so she wanted to clarify yesterday’s events more distinctly. Now that Yun Duan had already spoken up—
She half-heartedly turned to Chu Ming and said seriously, “If Yu Shan Jun has finished eating, shall we change places?”
Chu Ming smiled warmly, nodding, “Of course.”
“I am the eldest among the disciples from Qing Yu attending this discussion, hence I have been entrusted by the elders to look after my junior brothers and sisters. They have temporarily handed me the celestial record that allows checking the positions of the disciples.”
After leaving the cafeteria, the three walked slowly, and Chu Ming kindly explained to Shang Can.
“I check the celestial record as part of my nightly routine, and yesterday I noticed Yun Duan’s position…”
At this point, he stopped speaking, and Shang Can understood, subtly curling her lips.
When disciples enter Qingyu, they receive a jade tablet as an identity marker, which is strictly prohibited from being removed. It contains a life-saving spell connected to the owner’s spirit, allowing them to survive a fatal injury.
That said, most of the time, the jade tablet is merely used for locating disciples.
Shang Can had suffered quite a bit because of this tablet in the past. Bold as she was, whenever she didn’t want to be seen, she would take it off and place it anywhere—an action that probably violated three or four rules of Qingyu Sect. However, Yun Duan had always acted with propriety. Even though she had inexplicably snuck out of Tianwai Tian with Shang Can yesterday, she would never have thought to remove her jade tablet to avoid being discovered.
Sigh, that was not the attitude of someone trying to sneak away; Shang Can thought that there could hardly be another person less suited for mischief than Yun Duan.
Lost in her thoughts, Shang Can followed behind the two Qingyu disciples, feeling like there was a thorn in her back. She couldn’t be bothered to look around and only clicked her tongue in her mind.
The two from Qingyu stood out too much.
Yun Zhongjun and Yu Shan Jun were well-regarded figures in the realm of cultivation, even among the many talented individuals gathered at Tianwai Tian, they were top-notch celestial sect masters. Even Yu Shan Jun, who was slightly less renowned, had left quite an impression on Shang Can when she first wandered around Yan Yang.
The name “Yu Shan” probably came from the saying “like a jade mountain rising, shining upon people”—Shang Can thought to herself, almost unable to hold back a smile. That title must have been bestowed by others, as he certainly wouldn’t give himself such a boastful name. If she were still in the identity of Shang Can, she would have teased him about that title.
Thinking about it, the title “Yun Zhongjun” wasn’t something Yun Duan came up with either—
Shang Can blinked and recalled a day from many years ago when she eagerly held out a book to Yun Duan.
“I heard that once we leave the mountain, famous cultivators need to have some honorifics, something like… whatever Jun.”
“I’ve been meaning to say, a beauty like Junior Sister should be called ‘Yun Zhongjun’—it suits you.”
“Yun Zhongjun is the Cloud God—look!”
She recited slowly from memory, her pupils shimmering like glazed glass under the sunlight filtering through the window.
“One day, Junior Sister will shine like the sun and moon, renowned across the Nine Provinces.”
“By then, when people mention that ‘Yun Zhongjun’ title was suggested by her sister, I’ll be basking in that glory, haha!”
What a ridiculous claim; she didn’t create Yun Zhongjun. She had merely flipped through Chuci and pulled out that name, thinking to share a bit of glory.
Shang Can curved her lips, unconsciously glancing at Yun Duan ahead of her.
Dressed in pure white, as untainted as snow, with an upright posture like a crane in the clouds. Just walking down the road, she drew everyone’s attention. Yet, her aura exuded a chill like winter snow, making people hesitate to approach her.
Such beauty and talent; even the most critical observer couldn’t find fault in her.
Shang Can averted her gaze, thinking that she hadn’t been wrong back then; Yun Duan would indeed shine like the sun and moon, making the long sky and wind pale in comparison to her.
Suddenly, she felt a sense of comfort, secretly thinking that this unexpected encounter with Yun Duan wasn’t such a bad thing, when a sharp pain jolted through her chest, nearly causing Shang Can to groan.
She bit down hard on her tongue, forcing herself to calm down, feeling cold sweat stick to her back like a chilling reminder.
—This Yun Duan, as white as the snow on the mountain, had once been on the verge of being lost to her grasp.
“Daoist Gong Shang, please take a seat.”
“Ah, yes.”
Chu Ming’s voice brought her back to her senses, and she sat down quickly.
The three of them had arrived at a secluded pavilion. Shang Can noticed that the other two seemed unaware of her earlier discomfort, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
“I heard Daoist Gong Shang say she hails from the Bi Cang Sect?”
As soon as he spoke, the conversation veered far from the previous topic, causing Shang Can’s heart to skip a beat as she met Chu Ming’s smiling gaze.
“Yes, we’re not well-known. I hope it doesn’t amuse Yu Shan Jun.”
“Not at all; you are too humble, Daoist.” Chu Ming smiled, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes. “With such skills, there must be many talents in Bi Cang Sect.”
Here it comes.
Shang Can held her breath, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
Indeed, given her suspicious behavior yesterday, even if Yun Duan hadn’t probed too deeply, it would definitely raise doubts in Chu Ming’s ears.
Alright then, it’s just an interrogation, just acting, just changing the subject.
Shang Can steadied her nerves, putting on an innocent smile.
“My skills are quite average, at least… certainly not comparable to that famed Can Zhe.”
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