Chapter 264

Xie Yu, the man most known for dancing on the edge of the law in the entire cultivation world, experienced mental punishment for the first time.

Although he was a love-brained person with an aura of reduced intelligence, as he savored the conversation, he could still detect hints of mockery in the words exchanged between Ning Ning and Bai Ye.

The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he became, quickly bringing the chaotic feast to an end.

Ning Ning felt satisfied after venting her anger, exchanging a glance with her comrade Bai Ye.

Their great revolutionary friendship grew rapidly, like bamboo shoots after the rain.

Looking around at the others present, the little monk Yong Gui had composed an impromptu melody and was about to burst into song.

However, after the Demon Lord left with a dark expression, his passion had no outlet, and he now sat dejectedly, shaking his head and muttering incessantly.

Pei Ji sat quietly to the side, saying nothing from start to finish; his chopsticks barely touched.

Though this serious junior brother seemed no different than usual, Ning Ning could still tell that he was in a bad mood.

And understandably so—Pei Ji’s mother, driven nearly mad by torment, had long since passed away.

Now, having finally met the father he had never known, he had to witness Xie Yu entangled in romantic drama with two other women.

Even worse, it was the kind of bloody, melodramatic mess that never seems to get resolved.

Xie Yu didn’t recognize him, nor would he ever recall his mother. The existence of this mother and son was so insignificant that they couldn’t even be considered minor supporting roles in the Demon Lord’s intricate web of past grievances and entanglements.

It was as if they had never existed.

The most carefree one, of course, was Meng Jue.

Sitting not far from Xie Yu, he leaned lazily against the back of his chair, watching the trio’s retreating figures.

His handsome brows furrowed slightly, as if something had crossed his mind.

“Senior Brother Meng,” Bai Ye, who was naturally friendly, leaned over and asked, “What are you looking at? Have you noticed something off about the illusion?”

Meng Jue’s smile remained, his slender right hand lightly tapping the table.

“Don’t you think… that Miss Zhou looks a bit familiar?”

At these words, Ning Ning strained to recall, searching her memory but failing to find any face that resembled Zhou Yimei’s.

Bai Ye was equally puzzled, scratching his head.

“I don’t think I’ve seen her before—who do you think she resembles?”

This question went unanswered.

Meng Jue’s smile faded for once, his gaze lingering on Zhou Yimei’s thin silhouette until it was swallowed by the darkness.

When he turned back to Bai Ye, the corner of his mouth curved into a light, breezy smile.

“Perhaps I was mistaken. No need to dwell on it.”

He couldn’t quite place who Zhou Yimei reminded him of, so the matter was set aside for now.

Xie Yu had arranged guest rooms for everyone at the Zhou residence.

Exhausted, Ning Ning wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and get a good night’s sleep. But as she sprawled out on the bed, she suddenly remembered something Pei Ji had said earlier.

—When Bai Ye had fallen to the ground, burned almost to a crisp, Pei Ji had remained silent for a moment before telling her: If you have a nightmare in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, you can find me in the bamboo forest next to the Zhou residence.

He would be there practicing his swordsmanship.

To Ning Ning, it had seemed like a casual remark, more of a joke than a promise.

After all, his tone had been light as a feather, calm and without any weight, lacking any sense of seriousness or ritual-like agreement.

Besides, Pei Ji had expended most of his energy in the previous battle at the Demon Refining Tower and should be resting. Tonight hardly seemed like the time to practice swordsmanship.

Ning Ning shivered in the cold wind and thought seriously:

So there must be something wrong with my brain since I listened to his unintentional words and obediently went to the bamboo forest at night.

But if she didn’t go, the image of Pei Ji sitting in the corner with his downcast lashes kept flashing in her mind—

It was almost like he had “I need comfort” written all over his face!

Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, if he really was out there, alone in the forest, practicing…

It would feel just a little bit pitiful.

Ning Ning cursed her own soft heart.

She hadn’t had any nightmares and wasn’t even bored, yet she dragged herself to the bamboo forest despite her exhaustion.

Due to the presence of demons, dark demonic energy permeated all of Chongling Town, quietly spreading through the ink-black night like half-hidden shadows of malevolent spirits.

A lone pale moon hung in the sky.

Though the comparison didn’t quite fit, Ning Ning couldn’t help but feel it resembled the emotionless face of a corpse, staring blankly down at her.

The bamboo grove was desolate and silent, the green leaves like a clear spring rippling under the moonlight, casting shadows on the ground that swayed in the wind like a pond full of water ripples.

At a glance, it almost felt as though she were underwater, giving everything an eerie, surreal quality.

If Pei Ji wasn’t here tonight, that would be mortifying.

No, wait.

As Ning Ning walked, her mind wandered.

There was no one else around, so what did it matter if she was embarrassed? Sleep could solve that easily enough.

She took one step after another, not expecting much. As the bamboo leaves brushed against her, the moonlight rippled out on both sides. The stillness was suddenly broken by the flash of sword energy, scattering a cluster of leaves.

Ning Ning’s heart skipped a beat.

She felt her lips unconsciously curving upward. Trying not to seem too happy, she forced her smile back down.

A few more steps, and she saw Pei Ji’s silhouette.

He was really practicing his swordsmanship in the clearing.

By now, night had quietly fallen.

The bamboo shadows swayed, and the moonlight flowed like water, outlining the slender, upright figure of the young man. The sharp energy of his sword was as cold as ice, but as Ning Ning approached, it softened, like snowflakes in the wind, gentle and light as it brushed her face.

Just then, Pei Ji turned around.

The remaining sword light fell like rain, illuminating his handsome, jade-like face and lighting up his dark pupils with a flash of cold light.

He was truly stunning.

“Wow! It’s Ning Ning!”

Cheng Ying suddenly sprang up, grinning foolishly.

“She actually came! It wasn’t in vain that you insisted on practicing here even though you were exhausted!”

Pei Ji responded coldly, “I wasn’t waiting for her.”

“Sure, sure. You weren’t waiting for her. You weren’t exhausted from the tower, didn’t just want to rest, and definitely didn’t keep sneaking glances toward the entrance of the bamboo forest.”

Cheng Ying swayed from side to side, sighing dramatically. “Even when you’re out of strength, you still spend your precious rest time practicing here in the bamboo grove. Truly the dedication of a sword cultivator.”

The voice was irritating, and Pei Ji didn’t want to engage with it.

Dressed in black, the young man instinctively pressed his lips into a flat line, wiping away the small smile that had appeared.

His opening words were simple and awkward: “Did you have a nightmare?”

“No, I didn’t!”

Ning Ning glared at him.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk—what about you? Why are you practicing so late?”

Pei Ji lowered his gaze to her, the faintest hint of a smile lurking in his eyes, barely noticeable.

“I couldn’t sleep either.”

Cheng Ying: “Hehe.”