AUOF - 73

The creature growled low, restless as it circled within her sleeve. Even after being bitten by the Huagu Ling, it didn’t resist or flee like before. Instead, it darted around chaotically inside the dark, wide sleeve like a headless fly.

The commotion grew too loud, drawing Ji Hengyu’s attention.

Sang Li pressed down firmly on her sleeve to muffle the noise, then cautiously glanced over at them.

They hadn’t noticed the faint disturbance, their focus entirely fixed on her face.

Her gaze seemed to encourage them, prompting one of the men to raise his cup and laugh.

She was momentarily at a loss for words, waiting until the big-eyed creature finally quieted down before carefully loosening her grip.

By this point, the two had already finished their wine and food, but Ji Hengyu showed no sign of leaving, so she could only sit and wait.

After a while, when the dishes were brought to their table, the man whispered something to the innkeeper. Not long after, a jug of clear sake and a plate of smoked meat appeared before them.

“This is a gift from those esteemed Daoist masters.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Hengyu’s expression remained indifferent, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

Just as Sang Li was about to ask the innkeeper to return the items, the man in question, amid the laughter of his companions, stood up and approached.

As he drew closer, the previously quiet big-eyed creature began to growl again.

She quickly grabbed its entire head to silence it.

“Miss, you’re not from Xizhou Mountain, are you?”

This man had a youthful appearance but came off as frivolous. Without his Daoist robes, he wouldn’t have been much different from the slick-tongued sons of nobility found outside.

Seeing that Ji Hengyu remained silent, Sang Li forced herself to suppress her impatience and replied, “My brother and I are just passing through.”

“I am Huai’an, an inner disciple of the Wuding Sect.”

He deliberately mentioned his status as an inner disciple, clearly hoping to impress Sang Li.

Recalling the creature’s unusual reaction and the situation beyond the closed gates, Sang Li appropriately feigned surprise and admiration.

Huai’an basked in her reaction and boldly took a seat across from Ji Hengyu.

He poured himself some wine and asked, “May I inquire about your name?”

“You may call me Ali.”

“And where are you and your brother headed?”

“We’re visiting relatives in Xiaozhong Mountain, but we’ve been delayed by that malevolent presence.” She affected a look of irritation. “Are you here because of it too? This grand display has left my brother and me quite worried.”

“Yes and no,” Huai’an chuckled. “That malevolent force stole a precious treasure from our sect. We’re here to…”

“Huai’an—!”

Just as he was about to continue, someone from his group called out urgently, visibly tense and disapproving of his actions. Clearly, this was meant to be a secret matter.

But Huai’an brushed it off with a careless shrug and went on. “The malevolent force stole the Floating World Bell, a sacred treasure. We’ve come to Xizhou Mountain to retrieve it.”

Seizing the opportunity, Sang Li asked, “What use is this treasure? Is it really worth all this trouble?”

Seeing her interest, a sense of satisfaction swelled within him, filling his chest. Ignoring Ji Hengyu entirely, he winked conspiratorially. “That’s something I can’t reveal. However…” His gaze roamed freely beneath her veil. “If you let me see your true face, perhaps I might share a little.”

His greedy eyes fixated on the curve of her nose beneath the white veil, even imagining the shape of her lips. After only a few drinks, he was already drunk and disoriented.

Under the table, Ji Hengyu’s hand flicked slightly, and a tiny black dot emerged from his fingertip, swiftly flying onto Huai’an’s leg.

The sudden pain made Huai’an gasp, but when he looked down, he found nothing.

A shadow fell over him.

Huai’an looked up to see the previously silent man now standing.

Until now, he had deliberately concealed his presence, but upon rising, Huai’an finally noticed his striking appearance—and an indescribable, ineffable aura.

“It’s time to rest.” Ji Hengyu extended his hand to Sang Li.

She placed her hand in his, allowing him to pull her up, and followed him upstairs to their room.

Once back in the room, Sang Li asked, “What did you do to him earlier?”

Ji Hengyu’s expression was cool, his mood evidently sour. “A tracking bug.”

As he spoke, he opened his palm, and a golden insect floated out from his fingertip. The conversation they’d overheard replayed in their minds.

“Could it be that Brother has taken a fancy to that girl?”

“Though her face is hidden, her figure isn’t bad. If Brother likes her, cast a charm tonight, and she’ll obediently submit to whatever you desire.”

Their discussion grew increasingly vulgar.

Sang Li felt no particular anger, but Ji Hengyu’s eyes frosted over, his fierceness intensifying.

Fortunately, the others soon changed the subject. “There’s still important business to attend to. Once we’re done, you can do whatever you want.”

“That scum Lu Qinghe truly disgusts me. Even in that form, he refuses to leave us in peace. When I catch him, I’ll make sure he suffers a thousand cuts!”

Their tone was filled with loathing, and Sang Li perked up at the mention of Lu Qinghe.

Lu Qinghe??

She wasn’t certain if it was the same person she knew. Just as she wanted to listen further, the group shifted topics, beginning to chat about trivial matters devoid of substance.

Ji Hengyu temporarily retracted the tracking bug, and the room fell silent once more.

Sang Li sat deep in thought. They claimed to have come to Xizhou Mountain for a sacred treasure from the immortal mountain. If the person they mentioned was indeed the Lu Qinghe she knew, what did he have to do with the treasure?

And then there was the big-eyed creature, whose behavior was also peculiar.

With no one around, she released the big-eyed creature from her sleeve.

After being smothered for so long, it still hadn’t recovered, lying limp on the table in a faint.

She felt a pang of guilt and gently poked its black, slick belly with her fingertip. At this touch, the creature slowly opened its eyes.

Recalling the earlier crisis, it instantly assumed a defensive stance, baring its teeth and scanning its surroundings warily.

Sang Li reassured it, “They’re gone.”

The creature finally relaxed a little.

Propping her chin on her hands, Sang Li gazed at the creature with soothing intent. “Big Eyes, don’t be afraid. Tell me, did they bully you?”

The Mirror Demon she had encountered before was fearless, possessing the courage to fight enemies to the death—it was nothing like this trembling creature.

It was uneasy, even fearful.

The only explanation Sang Li could think of was that it had been harmed by someone from the Wuding Sect.

What exactly had happened to it? Her curiosity grew stronger.

Her words seemed to pierce its pain. It trembled violently, covering its ears with its hands, shaking uncontrollably. Finally, it transformed into a mass of black mist, hiding itself completely.

Soon after, it reappeared, its tall, thin body curled up in the corner of the room. Its elongated fingers pointed toward a direction, and its crimson pupils widened with fear. “Gurgle… bullied.”

Sang Li’s heart skipped a beat. “They bullied you?”

“…Mm.” The big-eyed creature nodded, indirectly confirming her suspicion.

“Blood… mine, alchemy…”

Sang Li was confused and looked toward Ji Hengyu. “Master, what does it mean?”

Ji Hengyu poured tea leisurely, shaking his head. “I don’t understand.”

Sang Li froze again.

He didn’t understand? So only she could hear what the big-eyed creature was saying?

“But… isn’t it speaking human language?”

Ji Hengyu sighed softly, setting down his teacup gently. “Even the languages of the four seas aren’t mutually intelligible, let alone across the Phantom Sea to another void. Sang Li.” He called her name, his solemn expression making her uneasy. “In three thousand years, you are the first person I’ve met who can converse with malevolent spirits.”

To them, the Mirror Demon had merely emitted a string of meaningless grunts.

Long ago, when she first conversed with a malevolent spirit, it had already puzzled him. But subsequent unexpected events hadn’t given him time to process it. When he encountered Big Eyes, at first, he thought she was simply muttering to herself. Gradually, he realized that they could actually communicate normally.

This wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Facing Sang Li’s bewildered expression, Ji Hengyu said firmly, “Don’t reveal this to anyone except me.”

He used the word “don’t,” his tone not gentle but rather a warning.

Ji Hengyu saw layers of mystery shrouding Sang Li—perhaps even she herself hadn’t fully unraveled them. He needed to peel back those layers gradually. Until then, he intended to protect her peace with his own strength.

Sang Li swallowed hard and leaned forward to whisper, “So… you didn’t understand anything we were saying before?”

“Yes.”

Sang Li was astonished. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”

Ji Hengyu lowered his eyelids deeply. “I have no such hobby.”

Sang Li: “Oh.” Then she glanced at the tracking bug.

Unable to bear it any longer, Ji Hengyu defended himself, “This is an exception.”

She didn’t press further and repeated verbatim what the big-eyed creature had said.

After listening, he pondered and instructed Sang Li, “Ask it if there are others besides itself.”

Sang Li turned and asked again.

The big-eyed creature hung its head as if recalling something, its shoulders trembling even more violently. It nodded. “Yes.” It said, “Many people… became me.”

Many people… became me.

What did that mean?

Ji Hengyu rubbed the teacup absentmindedly, then suddenly his gaze sharpened, locking directly onto the Mirror Demon. Just then, an inconspicuous insect slipped through the window crack, transforming into human form—it was Qi’s appearance.

He had urgent news to report and had flown nonstop all the way from the Wuding Sect.

Qi, panting heavily, was about to speak when his attention was entirely drawn to the big-eyed creature in the corner. He was horrified and summoned a trident to attack.

Terrified, the big-eyed creature turned into a puff of black mist and zipped back into Sang Li’s sleeve.

“Master, he… I—!”

Qi was so shocked he couldn’t form coherent words.

Displeased by his disciple’s exaggerated reaction, Ji Hengyu snapped, “Get to the point.”

Seeing his master’s displeasure, Qi quickly reined in his curiosity and spoke respectfully, “I disguised myself as a disciple of the Wuding Sect and snooped around their inner sect for several days. I discovered something shocking.”

He paused dramatically, but Ji Hengyu’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Fearing to anger the Celestial Lord, Qi hurriedly confessed, “Behind the Wuding Sect’s mountain lies a small secret realm created by humans. Every day, many innocent commoners are dragged inside. When they emerge, they’ve changed completely.”

Ji Hengyu and Sang Li both stared at him.

Qi’s voice was strained as he spoke each word deliberately: “They’ve become… malevolent spirits.”

Sang Li’s chest tightened.

[Through blood alchemy.]

[Many people… became me.]

A preposterous idea gradually took shape, sending chills down Sang Li’s spine.

“Did they use Big Eyes as a test subject for turning humans into malevolent spirits, then apply it to those people?”