#77: Where to Stay

Bian Lingyu assumed that after making such a statement, the girl from the “Chifeng” clan—Shi Luoyi—would surely be delighted. He had made this significant concession, so there was no reason for her to continue disliking him as she had before.

However, the girl before him looked surprised for a moment, then gazed at him thoughtfully, showing no trace of happiness.

Bian Lingyu frowned. Was she still unsatisfied?

But this was the greatest compromise he could offer. In the Northern Realm’s illusion, a single day equaled a year in the outside world. The Chifeng clan were already criminals; allowing them unlimited time to train within the illusion would pose a threat to the safety of other divine races.

By refraining from attacking the Northern Realm for a year, Bian Lingyu would be unable to enter the Sacred Birthplace during that time. Meanwhile, Qingxuan and the Chifeng clan would gain over three hundred additional years of cultivation.

His expression remained solemn and calm as he tried to reason with her: “A year is already a long time. Your younger clansmen will have grown up by then. Even Qingxuan himself wouldn’t ask for more.”

Only then did Shi Luoyi realize that Bian Lingyu had mistaken her for a member of the Chifeng clan. If she truly were one of them, she would indeed have been overjoyed at his offer.

Unfortunately, Shi Luoyi wasn’t part of the Chifeng clan. She waited for a while but heard no follow-up from Bian Lingyu. Looking at the seemingly aloof man before her, she silently thought: You’ve only given benefits without asking for anything in return. Don’t you feel like you’re losing out?

Clearly, Bian Lingyu didn’t think he was at a disadvantage. Instead, he assumed she was still insatiably greedy. After a long silence, he stopped trying to reason with her: “If you want something else…” Don’t go overboard.

Shi Luoyi blinked.

She felt that in Bian Lingyu’s eyes, she was not just a prickly hedgehog but an insatiable one at that. Even so, Bian Lingyu still tried to reach out to her, even if it meant getting his hands bloodied by her sharp spines. He kept searching for things to satisfy her needs.

This feeling was strange.

In her past life, Shi Luoyi had spent her entire life trying to please everyone—to uphold her father’s reputation, to not lose to Bian Qingxuan, and to avoid criticism. Yet no matter how hard she tried or how much she proved herself, she ended up dying alone in a dilapidated temple.

Across two lifetimes, only in front of this man could she act like an unreasonable troublemaker, yet he silently tolerated everything about her.

He gave her the divine pearl, allowing her to chase after Wei Changyuan, enduring her disdain and anger. Even when he had every reason to be furious with her, he still stayed up all night crafting peachwood swords for her before entering the Clearwater Town…

A person who was once like an untouchable flower on a high mountain had, in front of her—a hard, unyielding stone—been left bruised and battered. Beyond coldly glaring at her, the harshest words he ever said to her were: Never bother me again.

—Because you’ll never like me anyway, so stop troubling me. I get hurt too.

Things she hadn’t understood before suddenly became clear in this moment. Looking at the man by the window, Shi Luoyi felt a strange, unfamiliar softness welling up inside her.

This was something she had never felt before, even when facing her Dao companion, Bian Lingyu. She realized that if she had been willing to interact with the young, loveless Bian Lingyu who had first descended to the mortal realm over a decade ago, he would have been exactly like this.

Their current interactions felt like revisiting the ten years they had missed.

Bian Lingyu was still pondering what Shi Luoyi’s mission here was. If refraining from entering the Northern Realm couldn’t satisfy her, did she want him to rescue her stranded clansmen? Or perhaps provide artifacts to aid their cultivation in the Northern Realm?

She was simply…

Yet, it wasn’t entirely impossible to consider—if she didn’t harm other divine beings.

Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Shi Luoyi taking a few steps toward him. The girl tilted her face upward, her bright eyes focused intently on him.

She carried a faint fragrance, somewhat reminiscent of the water curtain’s sacred spring, but Bian Lingyu had bathed in the spring himself—it never smelled like this on him.

His expression remained cold, but he quietly held his breath. Facing the terrifying creatures in the Demonfall Pool hadn’t made him flinch, yet now he felt that familiar stiffness creeping back.

The girl’s gaze no longer held the previous hostility.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at his hand.

Bian Lingyu quickly understood her meaning: “You’re willing to let me lift the silence spell now?”

The girl’s small face remained stern as she nodded. She tilted her head up, urging him—hurry up.

Bian Lingyu gave a faint acknowledgment, raising the hand that had stiffened ridiculously due to her proximity, hovering it above her head.

She obediently waited, looking up at him.

Bian Lingyu hesitated for a moment. Lifting the spell only took an instant, but he waited a little longer before saying: “It’s done.”

“Can I speak now?”

“Yes.”

Shi Luoyi touched her throat and found that the silence spell had indeed been lifted. Finally free from being mute, she sighed in relief.

Now she could ask the questions she had been wanting to ask.

“Isn’t the Divine Lord supposed to choose an empress?” She glanced at him. “Who is the favored maiden now?”

Bian Lingyu hadn’t expected her to bring this up.

The matter of choosing an empress had always been handled by Houmi and the Great Priests. By custom, it would take place when each Divine Lord—or young prince—came of age. Bian Lingyu knew why they were anxious. His divine pearl had been eroded by the demonic core for a long time, and he needed to enter the Sacred Birthplace to purge the demonic energy.

That place was desolate and lonely. They couldn’t bear to see Bian Lingyu endure another period of solitary confinement like when he was young, so they hoped someone close to him would accompany him.

Bian Lingyu had said it wasn’t necessary—he didn’t need company.

He hadn’t felt lonely as a child, and he didn’t feel lonely now. He believed it was meaningless to make a divine maiden waste her time accompanying him in the Sacred Birthplace.

Could an empress help share his suffering? Or keep him company day after day?

Or even… help a god continue their lineage in such a place? How laughable. Cleansing the divine pearl was the most important task, and Bian Lingyu had no interest in such matters.

One Xi Yao had already taught their Qilin clan enough lessons.

But after Bian Lingyu refused, every few days, he would see the old ministers of the divine race taking turns shedding tears in the corridors, as if mourning his impending lonely death.

Even Houmi had teary eyes, looking utterly guilt-ridden.

Bian Lingyu: “….” It was really annoying.

His expression remained impassive. He figured that bringing these old men along to the Sacred Birthplace would ensure he wouldn’t be lonely—they were overflowing with emotion.

Houmi stammered: “Impossible, absolutely impossible…”

Bian Lingyu no longer wanted to see their sorrowful faces, as if mourning the loss of a parent. After all, they were his teachers, and they were old—this behavior was inappropriate. So he coldly said: “Do as you wish.”

At least while they were busy, they wouldn’t bother him. Once he finished dealing with the Northern Realm and entered the Sacred Birthplace himself, they would finally leave him alone.

Bian Lingyu had never intended to choose an empress in the first place.

Now that Shi Luoyi had brought it up, he answered: “I haven’t taken a liking to anyone.”

Shi Luoyi: “What about Miss Gongying? Didn’t you already have her move to the outer chambers?”

Bian Lingyu’s expression remained aloof as he gazed at her. After a moment, he furrowed his brows slightly: “Are you upset?”

Shi Luoyi: “…No. Don’t you think I’m one of Qingxuan’s people? As a spy, I have to gather information.”

Bian Lingyu stared at her silently.

Even Shi Luoyi, a blade cultivator, hadn’t expected that one day she would speak insincerely because of something like this. She kept her face cold but gritted her teeth inwardly.

She was upset! If she had arrived even a little later, Bian Lingyu might already have had children with someone else—children who would be three years old… no, three hundred years old!

In the past, she hadn’t minded Bian Lingyu’s relationship with Ashou because back then, she hadn’t developed feelings for him. She had only thought of their interactions as mutually beneficial, occasionally protecting him and making up for the harm she caused. But now, things were different. Bian Lingyu had once said that if she needed him, he would stay with her forever in Buye Mountain.

“Gongying is the successor to the position of Great Priestess,” Bian Lingyu explained. “Not the empress. I never planned to choose anyone from the start.”

“…Oh.” Shi Luoyi lowered her head, her lips curling slightly upward as a small flower of happiness bloomed uncontrollably in her heart.

From outside came the light, delicate sound of footsteps, followed by Gongying’s voice: “Divine Lord, it’s time to suppress the demonic energy. Everything is ready.”

“Yes.”

Because his divine pearl had been tainted by the demonic core, every three days at this hour, Bian Lingyu needed to enter the sacred spring to suppress the demonic energy. In fact, today he had missed the usual time due to Shi Luoyi bathing in his sacred spring earlier.

Houmi, worried something might go wrong, had sent Gongying to check on him.

It was the first time Shi Luoyi had heard about the demonic core since regaining consciousness. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but look toward Bian Lingyu. Back then, to save her, Bian Lingyu had used his divine pearl to devour the demonic core of the nine-tailed celestial fox. He had never mentioned how serious the matter was, brushing it off lightly. As a result, Shi Luoyi hadn’t realized that the demonic core still existed and had continued to taint his divine pearl.

Seeing Shi Luoyi pale upon hearing the words “demonic core,” Bian Lingyu reassured her: “Don’t be afraid. I haven’t fallen to the demonic path, and I won’t harm you.” Those in the divine realm who knew about the demonic core within Bian Lingyu feared he might succumb to its influence. If the ruler of the divine realm were to develop evil intentions, it would surely bring calamity. Bian Lingyu assumed the girl before him was also afraid.

Shi Luoyi shook her head and said softly: “I’m not afraid. I’m sorry.”

Bian Lingyu didn’t understand why she was apologizing, but she certainly didn’t look frightened. He nodded: “I’ll return soon. If you’re tired, rest for now.”

Shi Luoyi watched him step into the water curtain and finally understood why the spirit-rich sacred spring pool was located in Bian Lingyu’s chambers. It wasn’t just a bathing spring; it was also where Bian Lingyu suppressed his demonic energy.

She returned to sit on the jade bed, facing the direction of the water curtain.

By now, Shi Luoyi was no longer worried about Bian Lingyu losing his memories. Even without them, he was still the same Bian Lingyu as before. What worried her instead was whether the demonic core would harm him.

As Gongying exited Bian Lingyu’s chambers, she encountered Houmi waiting in the corridor.

“Elder Houmi.”

“How is it?”

“You guessed correctly. The Divine Lord hasn’t entered the sacred spring to suppress the demonic energy yet today,” Gongying said with a smile. “I heard from the maids that he allowed that girl to bathe in it.”

“…” Houmi clutched his chest, taking a deep breath. “Every moment the demonic energy goes unchecked, the pain worsens. That little spy truly was sent by Qingxuan to torment our Divine Lord. How could the sacred spring—a place of such importance—be used for a mere spy’s bath?”

Gongying covered her lips and chuckled: “Isn’t this what you’ve always hoped for? That the Divine Lord would find a girl he likes?”

“But it can’t be a woman from the Northern Realm!” Houmi lamented. “What if she suddenly stabs the Divine Lord? Or, like the sinful Xi Yao, aims to steal his divine power? Perhaps they even covet his divine pearl… That deceitful wretch, that shameless girl!”

Gongying thought for a moment: “Perhaps you’re overthinking it. I heard that this girl didn’t show any intention of getting close to the Divine Lord. Earlier, she didn’t even touch the divine fruits he offered—it was only after the maids brought them that she accepted.”

Gongying phrased it gently. If she truly intended to seduce the Divine Lord, she wouldn’t resist so much.

Houmi: “So you’re saying… she looks down on our Divine Lord?”

“…” You really don’t need to be so blunt.

Houmi paced back and forth, growing increasingly agitated: “The Divine Lord is so wonderful. How dare she treat him this way?”

Gongying replied: “The Divine Lord’s power is unparalleled. No one can bully him.” Unless he allows it himself.

Houmi was clearly worked up: “This won’t do! The Chifeng clan has innate charm in their bloodline. I absolutely cannot let this woman bewitch my lord. Gongying, go arrest her.”

“To Elder, Gongying dares not.”

“…” Houmi, truthfully, didn’t dare either.

He knew that his current status in the divine realm was largely due to the gratitude owed to him for teaching the young lord in his youth. Divine beings were aloof, but not entirely devoid of emotion.

Houmi had taken the young prince under his wing, showing him the grandeur of mountains and rivers and teaching him about the myriad facets of the world.

But in terms of strength, Houmi was now frail and far inferior to the flourishing Qilin lord. In terms of prestige, the divine race only obeyed the Divine Lord. Yet Houmi couldn’t bear it—the fall of most Divine Lords throughout history had been tied to women. He couldn’t bear to see the young lord he had personally raised repeat his father’s fate.

Thus, he braced himself and waited outside the palace.

Bian Lingyu hadn’t lied to Shi Luoyi. About a quarter of an hour later, he emerged from the water curtain, faintly exuding a pure, refreshing aura.

Upon emerging, he sensed Houmi waiting outside: “Is there something?”

Houmi quickly responded: “Your humble servant indeed has urgent matters.”

Bian Lingyu glanced at Shi Luoyi. She sat on the jade bed, watching him. Behind her, the window was open, revealing vast fields of blooming divine flowers. Her expression carried a hint of dejection.

Perhaps guessing that Houmi’s arrival was related to her, she straightened herself and earnestly emphasized: “I’m not a spy, nor am I from the Northern Realm. I was captured and brought there.”

Bian Lingyu observed her for a moment, neither confirming nor denying her claim, but simply nodded.

He stepped outside to meet Houmi.

Houmi bowed respectfully: “Divine Lord, you… have you managed to extract any information from her?”

“No.”

His calm honesty left Houmi speechless for a moment. Finally, he stammered: “She… it’s inappropriate for her to stay in your chambers…”

This time, Bian Lingyu paused for a moment before responding softly: “Yes.”

He too found it inappropriate—at least he couldn’t change clothes freely in front of her.

“Where do you think she should stay?”

Houmi nearly blurted out “the dungeon.” He studied Bian Lingyu’s expression, noticing his cool gaze and calm inquiry. A flicker of hope lit up in Houmi’s heart—perhaps Bian Lingyu himself hadn’t realized how special that girl was to him?

Please, please don’t realize!

It was tragic enough for a god to harbor secret affection, let alone for someone who was a mere spy—and a subordinate of a rebel general at that. Clearly, she didn’t care for him.

If you don’t understand, you won’t feel heartbreak, and your emotions won’t be swayed by her.