Chapter 50: The Empress

Moonlight streamed through the eaves, and in the dim light, a few pale blue flowers stretched out from behind the pillars.

Sang Ying clutched the sleeve of the person in front of her, her eyelashes trembling. She had only kissed him for a short while when she suddenly heard clear footsteps coming from the corridor.

She panicked and quickly pushed Xie Lingyu away.

Footsteps sounded around the corner, followed by a familiar young voice.

"Hey, junior sister, you're here."

Sang Ying straightened up, her ears still red, and tried to calm herself down. She coughed lightly, her hand covering her lips. "It was too stuffy in the room, so I came out for some fresh air. What does Second Senior Brother want with me?"

Xiao Lingzhou chuckled. "He disappeared as soon as he turned his head. How could I not come looking for him?"

As she spoke, her gaze fell on the white-robed youth beside her, "Junior brother, when did you arrive? You didn't even say a word."

Xie Lingyu glanced at him casually, then took Sang Ying's hand and said, "Second Senior Brother, the celebration banquet is over. I've come to take Madam home."

Sang Ying's ears perked up when she heard that address, and her face flushed. What was she doing calling her Second Senior Brother that?

"It's not that fast yet, this is just the beginning." Xiao Lingzhou looked at Sang Ying, "Junior Sister, this branch has just opened. As the head of the Yunshui Chamber of Commerce, shouldn't you say a few words to your subordinates?"

Sang Ying thought about it and realized that made sense. "Xie Lingyu, you should go back and rest first. I'll go back after I'm done. My second senior brother will take me; he's very fast on his sword."

He tried to pull his hand away, but it was gripped tightly the next moment. The young man said in a calm tone, "Second Senior Brother, you don't mind having me at the celebration banquet, do you?"

“I don’t mind, but…”

Xiao Lingzhou's expression was a half-smile. "Junior Sister founded the Chamber of Commerce in secret. If you just show up with her like this, wouldn't the whole world know that the head of the Yunshui Chamber of Commerce is the Daoist partner of the dignified Qingyu Sword Lord?"

On the surface, they were talking about this matter, but in reality, they were subtly accusing him of concealing his identity as the Crown Prince of the Demon Realm and his marriage to Sang Ying.

Sang Ying didn't catch the hidden meaning in Xie Lingyu's words and was indeed deep in thought. Xie Lingyu was a big name, and there were very few people in the cultivation world who hadn't seen him. It was indeed a big problem for him to show up like this.

After thinking for a moment, Sang Ying gave him a shapeshifting talisman. "Wouldn't that work? Just say we're honored guests from the demon realm, opening a branch in the Cloud Spirit Realm. Inviting some demons to the victory celebration banquet would be reasonable."

"However, Xie Lingyu, don't you never attend these kinds of gatherings?"

In the years following their marriage, Xie Lingyu's reputation grew, and he was often invited to drinks and parties by various forces. However, he never went and stayed at home whenever he wasn't on a mission.

Xie Lingyu: "I'm just curious about what it's like since I've never participated before, is that not allowed?"

Sang Ying blinked. Now that he said that, he seemed a little pitiful.

Before entering, Sang Ying broke free from his hand and looked back and forth like she was making a rendezvous, her little face serious: "Sit far away when you go in, keep your distance."

The warmth in her palm vanished without a trace. Xie Lingyu paused, watching the girl walk into the room filled with clinking glasses. Xiao Lingzhou, who was beside her, also went in and sat down familiarly next to her.

A stranger suddenly arrived at the celebration banquet, drawing everyone's attention. Before Sang Ying could speak, Xiao Lingzhou introduced him, "This is a distinguished guest from Yunling Realm. We are able to set up our branch here entirely thanks to him. Everyone, please eat and drink well and don't neglect him."

Upon hearing this, everyone naturally raised their wine glasses and went over, sitting around Xie Lingyu and chatting with her.

Separated by a group of people, Sang Ying sat in the corner, watching Xie Lingyu being surrounded by a crowd. She wanted to go and rescue him, but Xiao Lingzhou stopped her.

"Junior sister, he's never been to a banquet before, let him have some fun."

That's true. Sang Ying then gave up.

A small, adorable dog was hovering around her feet, and she was teasing it with a chicken leg.

Xiao Lingzhou smiled, "By the way, how is Xiaomi?"

Sang Ying: "...It's taller than me now. Last time I brought it a big bag of dried fish, but it wasn't even enough to fill its teeth."

"Huh, it seems the food at Senior Brother's place is pretty good."

"Great minds think alike." That's what she thought too.

"I still remember you from before. You weren't even as tall as my waist, you were so tiny, yet you dared to go into the water to catch fish for Xiaomi. In the end, Xiaomi had to carry you up in its mouth."

Sang Ying said suspiciously, "That's not right. I remember you told me you could catch fish and insisted on showing me. I stood on the shore and watched the water surface for a while, and then bubbles started to rise. I was afraid you would drown, so I quickly asked Xiaomi to pull you up."

Xiao Lingzhou froze: "Is that how it is?"

“Of course, I also recorded it. I’ll show it to you.” Sang Ying said, taking out the glass mirror and starting to look through it.

"Well, you, Sang Xiaoying, I was drowning and you were just filming instead of saving me."

Sang Ying said with a serious expression, "My dad won't let me touch cold water."

"And if you really die, this video will be the only image of you that exists in the world. It will be played on a loop at your funeral. The story of an ambitious young man who went into the water to catch fish and met with a tragic end serves as a warning to children not to swim carelessly. It is very educational."

Xiao Lingzhou: "..."

He was both annoyed and amused, "You had quite a lot going on in your little head back then."

A chill permeated the air. Xiao Lingzhou glanced at the young man sitting in a dark corner and handed him a glass of juice. "Junior Sister, this is a specialty sea buckthorn juice that I brought from the Northern Desert. Please try it."

Sang Ying picked up the glass and took a sip, her little face immediately scrunching up. "It's so sour."

Xiao Lingzhou rested her chin on her hand and laughed, "Yeah, it's so sour."

“By the way, Junior Sister,” Xiao Lingzhou suddenly remembered something, “I passed through a small town in the cultivation world a few days ago. Most of the residents in that town fell ill, and their symptoms, such as fever and dizziness, were very similar to those of a cold.”

"However, one thing is very strange: their vision is impaired to varying degrees. Those with milder symptoms have blurred vision, while the severely affected residents have gone blind."

Sang Ying frowned. What disease can cause blindness?

"I'm telling you this to remind you not to go to the southwest region recently. That disease seems to be contagious, and since you're not in good health, you're more likely to get infected."

Sang Ying nodded. "I understand."

Xiao Lingzhou drank a glass of wine, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at her. After a while, he said softly, "Junior Sister seems to have really grown up."

Sang Ying blinked and gestured to the top of her head: "Of course, I've grown quite a bit taller than I did three years ago."

Xiao Lingzhou smiled, raised his hand to pat her head, and then skillfully withdrew his hand before she could react and start to get angry. "How are things going between you and him?"

Sang Ying covered her head, stunned for a moment, and blushed when she mentioned Xie Lingyu. Her eyelashes trembled: "He's just like that. He said he wanted to pursue me. I wonder how well he's studying."

"Pfft."

"...Second Senior Brother, what are you laughing at?"

"You've been married for several years, and you're only just starting this? Isn't that a bit too slow?" Xiao Lingzhou teased with a smile. "At this rate, how many years will it take you to win him over?"

Sang Ying bit her cup, her ears turning red, and whispered, "Actually, we're already a real couple, but I just said I wanted to... to date a little."

Xiao Lingzhou's smile froze on her lips.

"Hey, stop talking about me. What about you, Second Brother? Have you met any girls you like these past few years?"

Sang Ying raised her clear, bright eyes to look at him. "The girls of the demon race are very warm and generous. Didn't you say before that you liked this type?"

Xiao Lingzhou drank another glass of wine and let out a long sigh, "I'm too busy, I don't have time for that."

He lowered his eyes and laughed self-deprecatingly: "I've been in the demon realm for the past few years, originally intending to communicate with the demon realm's forces and help you reclaim your sect. Who would have thought that my junior brother is the crown prince of the demon realm? Now I don't need to do anything at all."

"I'm never as good as him. My swordsmanship isn't as good, my cultivation isn't as high, and I can't even help my junior sister. I'm just useless..."

Sang Ying slapped him across the face, interrupting him.

She held it up in both hands and turned it around to examine it, her little face serious as she studied it: "Second Senior Brother, have you been possessed? Didn't you say yesterday that you were full of pride and that you were an ordinary business genius?"

Looking at the person in front of him, through the transformation of the shape-shifting talisman, Xiao Lingzhou seemed to see the girl who always looked up at him when he was young. Although she was always sick and listless, her eyes were exceptionally clear.

Just like now.

She had never changed; she was still as pure and innocent as ever, and she still considered him her senior brother. It was just that he had changed.

His vision was a little blurry, and he raised his hand, wanting to grab hers.

He wanted to tell her that on the night she shyly told him she seemed to have fallen for Xie Lingyu, he was prepared to confess his feelings to her.

If he had acted a little earlier, would the outcome have been different?

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the girl's hand, the cool touch on his cheek suddenly vanished.

There was another person behind Sang Ying. The young man pulled her hand back, wrapped his arm around her waist, and held her tightly in his arms.

Within seconds, everyone in the room turned their attention to the three people in the corner, their eyes wide with shock and confusion.

What's going on here?

Did the invited distinguished guest from the demon realm embrace their leader? And right in front of the leader's senior brother?

What are those three doing?

Sang Ying was also stunned. She recognized the familiar sandalwood scent and knew who was behind her. Wasn't he drinking over there? Why did he suddenly come over?

No, didn't she tell him to keep his distance?

Everyone in the Yunshui Chamber of Commerce knows she has a husband, and that he is a cultivator from the cultivation world. His current identity is that of a distinguished guest from the demon realm. If he suddenly embraces her, what will everyone present think?

Trumpet, who was engrossed in gnawing on a goose leg, suddenly felt the room quiet down. He looked up in surprise and followed everyone's gaze.

In the corner, a strange man embraced his young lady from behind.

The loudspeaker erupted in fury, slamming its fist on the table and shouting, "Where did this lecher come from? Doesn't he know our mistress is already married? Let go of her immediately, and..."

Upon hearing the voice, the man raised his eyes, his horn meeting those cold, brooding black eyes. He instantly recognized who it was, and the words he was about to say were abruptly changed, stiffly saying, "Of course, if it's a lover, then there's no problem."

Trumpet's legs went weak, and he sat down, burying his face in the roast goose, pretending to be dead.

Sang Ying: "..."

You're really making things worse.

Sure enough, after he said that, the already strange atmosphere on the field became even stranger.

Everyone looked at Xie Lingyu, then at Sang Ying, their faces showing expressions of having learned a shocking secret.

...Their boss actually secretly kept a lover!

Looking at Xiao Lingzhou opposite Sang Ying, and considering that Xiao Lingzhou had been busy by Sang Ying's side these past few days and they seemed to have a close relationship, could it be that Xiao Lingzhou was the husband that their mistress had been keeping hidden and had never met?

Thinking about it this way, the current situation becomes very clear.

The original wife was the mistress!

Thinking this, everyone's eyes turned into eager, expectant gazes.

Sang Ying clearly noticed it and immediately felt a headache coming on.

Behind her, the sandalwood scent was clearly tinged with the strong smell of alcohol. She pulled her hand away slightly and whispered, "Xie Lingyu, are you drunk?"

The young man didn't reply; he just held her tightly. A sharp pain shot through her neck as he lowered his head and bit her neck.

Like a beast that has lost its mind, its cold body clung tightly to her, its sharp teeth unable to resist piercing her skin, its voice low and almost inaudible, each word uttered with a sickness.

"...You are not allowed to kiss him."

Kiss? Kiss whom?

Sang Ying was stunned for a moment, then her mind came to her senses. He was sitting behind her, and when she was looking at him earlier, she had gotten a little closer to her second senior brother. From his angle, it did look like she was about to kiss Xiao Lingzhou.

Sang Ying looked up at Xiao Lingzhou and gestured for him to clear the area.

Xiao Lingzhou was much more sober by now. When he received her pleading look, he remained silent for a few seconds before nodding gently.

He stood up, made an excuse to clear everyone out, and even dragged the loudspeaker buried in the plate out by the back of its neck.

The group moved to another room on another floor of the Chamber of Commerce building, where several more tables were set up. Xiao Lingzhou told them to eat and drink as they pleased and to forget what had just happened.

Everyone looked on with shock and admiration. One of the young men made a gesture of respect: "Is this the magnanimity and composure of the Empress? I've seen it for myself."

Xiao Lingzhou slapped the boy on the head, "You're my foot! The leader and I are just fellow disciples."

He rubbed his aching forehead.

Although I hate to admit it, the idiot who can't see his junior sister's feelings, who treats himself like a lover and gets jealous, is actually the real queen.

...

After everyone left, the door closed, and the room became quiet. The smell of alcohol permeated the room under the glow of the Spirit Pearl, mingling with the aroma of the wine.

"Xie Lingyu, my second senior brother and I..."

Sang Ying turned around, about to explain that he had misread it, when suddenly everything went black and he reached out to cover her eyes.

Immediately afterward, his voice was blocked, and he kissed her.

It was a fierce kiss, almost abrupt and clumsy. My fingers frantically ran through my hair, trying to hold the back of my head. When I kissed her, I even bumped my lips against hers, and my tongue bit her, making my nose sting with pain.

He must have drunk a lot of alcohol; the smell of alcohol was very strong.

By the time Sang Ying realized this, he had already probed into her mouth, and the tip of her tongue that she had just bitten was pressed down by his tongue, soothing and comforting, and the taste of wine spread to the tip of her tongue.

"Hmm..."

Sang Ying doesn't drink alcohol; her alcohol tolerance is terrible. Even a little bit of alcohol made her a little dizzy. She clutched his clothes, forgetting what she wanted to say.

He was fierce at first, but then it was as if he was trying to please her, very gentle. His lips moved around, gently sucking, his fingers cupping her face, kissing her little by little.

Sang Ying couldn't stand his kisses and was quickly rendered dazed.

With her vision in complete darkness, her senses became clearer. Sang Ying could clearly feel his lips, his fingers, and the dragon's tail covered in smooth scales.

The dragon's tail wrapped around her waist, its tip slipping inside, the golden ring at the end of the tail pressed tightly against her skin without any obstruction, its coolness sending a shiver down her spine.

His fingers were cold, but soon, like the golden ring, they warmed up.

Water lilies, formed from the spiritual power of water elements, bloomed in the air, filling the air with moisture, and the scent of lotus dew mingled with the fragrance of white sandalwood.

The rich fire elemental energy, attracted by the water element, was drawn into the body and poured into the dantian. The dantian could not accept so much energy and twitched twice.

Sang Ying's eyelashes trembled violently, and she gripped his hand covering her eyes tightly, her nails digging until they turned white.

After a while, the side effects of absorbing this spiritual energy subsided a little. Sang Ying's eyelashes trembled with moisture, and suddenly a faint light appeared before her eyes.

The young man released his hand from her eyes, and Sang Ying slowly came to her senses. Suddenly, she felt light as he picked her up and placed her on the table.

Moving from the soft chair to the mahogany table, the cool temperature helped Sang Ying clear her head. She blinked and realized what had just happened.

Her ears instantly turned red. She had actually been swayed by just one hand. She remembered how skilled he was back at the hot springs. At that time, there was no other way but to kiss him.

Her ankle was gripped by long, slender fingers.

Sang Ying looked down and saw the young man about to kiss her, and she panicked.

Wait a minute, this is the Chamber of Commerce building. We were eating and drinking here not long ago. How can we be cultivating here?!

"Xie Lingyu, no!"

Sang Ying hurriedly tried to stop him, reaching out to push him away, but her hand was weak and limp from her recent cultivation. She brushed past his shoulder and slapped him across the face.

A "snap" sounded.

It was especially clear in the quiet, empty room.

The young man stopped.

She paused, then slowly raised her eyelashes, revealing her dark, deep eyes, hidden in the light, making it impossible to discern her emotions.

Sang Ying was also stunned. When she came to her senses and met his gloomy gaze, she felt a little scared and tugged at her fingers. "Um, I'm not..."

She really didn't mean it. If anyone's to blame, it's him. He kissed her so hard she had no energy left.

Suddenly, her small face was gripped by the young man's fingers and lifted up.

The surrounding air was terribly cold, and Sang Ying suddenly shivered. She heard his low, gloomy voice, "Junior sister, are you already planning to remain chaste for him?"

The cold, icy dragon tail coiled around me, tightening its grip until I could barely breathe.

The heart-protecting scale pendant on the collarbone burns the skin, its power gathering and flowing, spreading across the heart to outline the mark of the contract.

He gently stroked it with his fingertips.

"Unfortunately, my junior sister can only be mine."

————————

I'm going to eat it all up! [dog head with rose in mouth]