Chapter 46

He couldn’t quite explain his current mood. He pursed his lips, silent for a moment, and answered in a very soft voice, “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

The arrangement of the guest rooms was roughly the same. Stepping into Ning Ning’s room, Pei Ji smelled a faint scent of leaves.

Both of them had taken a bath, inevitably carrying the same aura from the fallen city of Jialan. It was a strange feeling, as if the fragrance of the trees connected, completely dissolving the distance between the two.

The frustration in Pei Ji’s heart quietly dissipated, and he kept his head down, not looking around.

It was understood that one should not directly gaze into a woman’s boudoir. This much he understood.

“Sit on the chair and don’t move.”

Ning Ning gently dabbed at his cheek with a handkerchief, wiping away the traces of blood that seeped out again from the reopened wound.

Her movements were cautious; even though the force was light, Pei Ji could still feel, through the thin handkerchief, the gentle touch of the girl’s rounded fingertips.

He remained expressionless, but he had already held his breath.

… She said she would apply medicine, but never mentioned she would do it for him.

“You were so fierce when you deceived Meng Jiaqi before.”

There was a hint of laughter in Ning Ning’s tone. “If I were her, I would definitely be frightened.”

Cheng Ying groaned, “I told you long ago to be a bit gentler!”

Pei Ji chuckled self-deprecatingly, the shadows in his eyes deepening, responding casually, “Senior Sister, I wasn’t deceiving her.”

His personality was originally very bad, and he was never likable.

Cheng Ying: It’s over.

It’s over, it’s over, it’s over! Will this brat ever learn how to chat? Every sentence leads the conversation to a dead end! You should just respond with “uh-huh, yeah”! Please!

It was full of anxiety, despairingly giving Ning Ning a glance.

Unexpectedly, the girl wasn’t angry. Instead, she burst into laughter, her almond-shaped eyes curving like a small crescent moon. “Really? Well, that’s good then.”

Cheng Ying fell silent.

While Ning Ning spoke, she applied ointment to her fingers, lifting her eyes to look at the scratches on his face.

Pei Ji rarely had such close contact with anyone. When the girl’s soft fingertips landed on his cheek, Pei Ji inexplicably thought of the warm summer breeze.

Ning Ning’s fingers were warm and soft, and the ointment was cool. As she gently applied it up and down, it caused a negligible stinging sensation, as if tiny currents were flowing between the blood vessels.

… Truly strange.

Pei Ji’s throat moved slightly, turning his gaze away from her.

He heard Ning Ning say, “Everyone has a different personality. If you were truly like those mass-produced heroes in the novels—pure, righteous, and upright—it wouldn’t be as authentic. The way you are now is great, with flesh and blood, quite adorable.”

This was her sincere opinion.

In the original story, he was like a tool, punishing evil and clearing obstacles, showing no emotions throughout the entire narrative. He was like a mobile iceberg, the kind that was extremely pretentious, like a dragon soaring arrogantly.

The current Pei Ji seemed a bit miserable, a bit tsundere, and a bit sharp-tongued, like a thorny character. Compared to before, he was incredibly cute.

Hearing this, Cheng Ying fell silent for quite a while.

When it spoke again, it carried a faint crying tone, as if an old mother was marrying off her daughter, “Pei Xiaoji.”

Pei Ji said “Huh” in his heart.

“If I were you, I would have fallen in love with her at this very moment. Who wouldn’t like Ning Ning?”

Cheng Ying sorrowfully lamented, “Do you know how much I hate you being like a piece of stone?”

Pei Ji ignored it.

Pei Ji’s face had a few minor injuries at most. Ning Ning finished applying the medicine with satisfaction, about to say a few words, when she suddenly heard voices outside in the courtyard.

Looking out through the window, she saw Zheng Weiqi leading the group, along with the chattering He Zhizhou, Meng Jiaqi, and Qin Chuan.

He Zhizhou noticed her and immediately grinned, “Are you two still having a late-night talk? Come out, come out! Sister Zheng’s storage bag has lots of interesting little things!”

Ning Ning also laughed, “Alright—!”

She stood up and prepared to leave, catching a glimpse of Pei Ji, who remained motionless. She lowered her head and stopped in her tracks.

The maiden’s azure tresses glistened under the light of the eternal lamp, with candlelight climbing up her fair cheeks and into her dark pupils. Ning Ning beckoned to him with a light, cat-like voice, “Come.”

Seated in the dimly lit room by the candlelight, the reflection of trees outside the window descended straight down, casting a dense shadow.

Ning Ning stood beneath the eternal lamp, as if gathering all the misty yet bright colors of the world. She smiled and beckoned to him.

His throat was unexpectedly dry, and Pei Ji blinked his eyes, responding softly, “Mm.”

=====

“Now, this is called Floral Lip Balm. Unlike the previous lip balms, it’s non-toxic and even edible. It’s an essential item for home and travel, a definite gain if you buy it.”

Zheng Weiqi spoke eloquently, and the two young demons were captivated. “And this! Silver Secret Hairpin. The hairpin hides a poisonous needle. Wearing it, you can be either a charming enchantress or a femme fatale walking on the edge of darkness. How about it? Any takers?”

She couldn’t stop talking, but suddenly, she heard Qin Chuan’s deep, middle-aged voice say, “What is this?”

Zheng Weiqi turned and smiled.

Her smile suddenly froze.

She had randomly stuffed them with a bunch of things earlier, and now Qin Chuan, after flipping through them, picked out a book with a goose-yellow cover.

Prominently written on the cover were the words, “365 Days with Sword Master Zhen Xiao.”

Qin Chuan had already opened it and begun reading.

He even used a very standard, playful broadcasting tone, filled with childlike innocence:

“[Zhen Xiao exerted force, and the long dragon suddenly entered three inches. Operating strength freely, advancing and retreating, hooking left and shifting right, like a swift and fierce storm, jade petals swaying unpredictably, as if beaten by rain and blown by the wind.]”

Ning Ning: !!!

Sister! What kind of book is this!!!

Zheng Weiqi’s scalp tingled, and her skull felt like it was ascending to the heavens. She hurriedly took a few steps forward, attempting to snatch the book from him.

Unfortunately, Qin Chuan was tall and robust. With a slight lift of his hand, he held the book out of her reach.

“Sister Qi, what does this mean?”

He felt that these words were awkward and difficult, coupled with his limited knowledge of human characters, so he turned to another page with a hint of curiosity.

“[Zhen Xiao exerted force, as if wanting to blend her into his own bones and blood. The self-control he was proud of collapsed before this woman, and with crimson eyes, he muttered lowly, ‘Are you willing to admit your mistake, hmm? What will you use to repay what you owe me, hmm?’]”

Ning Ning was almost brainwashed by that “hmm.”

This isn’t the male lead of a romance novel; he’s like an endlessly humming electric motor.

“It’s over; it’s over.”

Meng Jiaqi stiffened all over, lowering her voice. “Qin Chuan, before he fell asleep, was just a seven- or eight-year-old child. Unexpectedly, upon waking up, he looks like this—he’s still just a child. Please don’t lead him astray!”

So, this is like a mirror version of Detective Conan. The body aged, but the mind stayed the same.

—This is too pitiful! No wonder his words and actions always seemed strange!

Zheng Weiqi, a true influencer, bravely stepped up to explain, “This, um, is sword practice! Aren’t we sword cultivators? Look at that ‘long dragon’; it’s the name of sword master Zhen Xiao’s sword.”

Danger, Sword Master Zhen Xiao, danger.

Now that he knew, his beloved sword was called the “long dragon.” Sister, you’ve gone too far!

“Yes, yes!”

He Zhizhou improvised brilliantly, “These two are practicing swordsmanship in the wind and rain, cutting down all the flower buds. Look at the ‘advancing and retreating’; it’s a sword technique of the Xuanxu Sword Sect…called… called—”

Ning Ning smoothly continued, “Called the ‘Rain-Striking-Wind-Blowing Sword Technique.'”

Qin Chuan nodded.

He flipped another page and read aloud:

“[Zhen Xiao, agitated, unexpectedly pulled out several thick, dark brown long tendrils from behind, binding her so that she couldn’t move. The tendrils fell like rain, each one piercing into the flesh. Amidst the comings and goings of the long dragon, pain and pleasure intertwined, accompanied by the melodious cries of orioles and the overflowing fragrance of flower nectar.]”

The scene fell into an eerie silence.

Ning Ning stared in disbelief, silently offering a stick of incense in her heart for Sword Master Zhen Xiao.

—Help! Why are even props being used now? And that “orioles’ cries and overflowing flower nectar”…

This author couldn’t be described as a “genius”; she’s a ghost!

Zheng Weiqi struggled to maintain her composure, gently explaining, “This, um, it’s about Sword Master Zhen Xiao being possessed by an octopus. Tendrils grow from behind, binding the female protagonist in various ways…”

Damn.

She really couldn’t make up any more excuses!

“[After binding the female protagonist! Stabbed her abdomen with tendrils and a long sword at the same time!]”

He Zhizhou quickly interjected, raising his voice, “Why say pain and pleasure intertwine? The pain is piercing agony, and the pleasure is being able to die in the hands of a loved one. Look at the orioles’ cries later; it’s actually the hallucination of a pitiful woman before she dies!”

Qin Chuan suddenly enlightened, “So that’s how it is!”

It’s unimaginable what Sword Master Zhen Xiao is like in his mind.

With thick tendrils as thick as a child’s arm, holding a sword called the “long dragon,” his greatest hobby is stabbing the woman he loves with a sword.

Terrifying is the ultimate in terror.

Qin Chuan, still a child in his mental state, after a moment of curiosity, threw the book with the yellow cover aside and turned to look at other objects in his arms.

Ning Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly heard the low voice of Pei Ji beside her: “Sister, why have I never heard of this ‘Rain-Striking-Wind-Blowing Sword Technique’?”

Ning Ning was momentarily stunned.

Oh right.

Pei Ji grew up with a mother addicted to abuse. He barely interacted with others, and the only things he encountered every day were either beatings or scoldings. When he later joined the Xuanxu Sect, no one taught him anything about such matters.

Male lead, what happened to you, male lead?

Where’s your charming arrogance and icy demeanor? How did you turn into a primary school chick… no, an eggshell, male lead?

He Zhizhou, on the other side, looked at him with a face full of horror, as if he were observing an alien who came to the world of martial arts for friendly and peaceful exchange.

Ning Ning endured the rising heat in her ears and replied with a stern face, “Really? Maybe you started late, and you didn’t have a chance to learn. Actually, it’s not a powerful technique, and it doesn’t make much difference whether you know it or not.”

Pei Ji rarely took the initiative to talk to people. Now that he has received a response, he has gained a bit more confidence. Even in his words, there was a hint of a subtle and elusive smile as he continued in a deep voice, “Then I’ll consult Master after I go back. After I’ve learned something, I’ll come back to spar with Sister.”

Zheng Weiqi’s expression couldn’t be described in earthly words. Her face turned red, and she seemed to want to speak but hesitated.

Ning Ning reluctantly forced a smile. “If fate allows… let’s spar when the time comes.”