Chapter 84 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Green Tea.
Yu Jing drank the hangover soup in her hand, and after a while, she used her magic to go to the corridor she had just been standing in. She peeked around and, seeing that no one was there, breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't notice that Xie Xuan had used an invisibility spell to stand a little distance away.
Yu Jing walked along the corridor, found a room with a white sign hanging on the door, and pushed the door open. Because she was completely relaxed, she didn't notice the movement inside. When she lifted the gauze curtain, she was so frightened that she froze on the spot. After she came to her senses, she quickly turned her back.
Her face flushed instantly. What she had just seen was a completely bare back, pale, beautiful, and with an indescribable air of asceticism.
"This... fellow immortal, I'm truly... sorry, there's a white sign at the door, it's been very impolite, please forgive me." Yu Jing stammered, and was about to walk towards the door.
"It's alright."
Upon hearing that voice, Yu Jing froze on the spot. This was already awkward enough, but she never expected that the person was Xie Xuan!
Yu Jing's face flushed even more. Just as she was about to run out, Xie Xuan spoke up, "Since you're here, why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea before you go?"
"No need, thank you Your Majesty, this humble fairy will go first..." Yu Jing was still facing away when she heard the movement behind her. Xie Xuan's footsteps grew closer and closer until he was beside her and stood in front of her.
He was only wearing a thin undergarment, the ties of which were not properly fastened, revealing glimpses of his fair chest. Yu Jing glanced at it once, then dared not look any longer, unconsciously swallowing hard.
"I've heard that the perilla tea from Su Mountain is quite good. It would be rather boring for me to drink it alone. Why don't we try it together?" Xie Xuan's clear voice rang out above them. He had invited them repeatedly, and if Yu Jingru refused again, it wouldn't be very respectful to the Heavenly Lord, so she nodded.
Yu Jing followed Xie Xuan inside. The room was dimly lit, with no candles lit and no windows open. Perhaps due to his earlier nervousness, as he moved about, Yu Jing caught a peculiar scent, like pine needles, refreshingly clean and pleasant. Xie Xuan seemed to have no intention of putting on clothes, which made Yu Jing feel rather embarrassed. His face was undeniably aloof and distant, yet his clothes were disheveled. Moreover, Yu Jing had shared intimate moments with him in the mortal realm. Although a sovereign was a sovereign and Xie Xuan was Xie Xuan, and they shouldn't be confused, their faces were still the same, inevitably leading to unfounded speculations.
Xie Xuan sat down and began to brew tea. Yu Jing hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, clothes."
To everyone's surprise, Xie Xuan glanced down and said calmly, "I've heard that you've already seen it all in the mortal realm. I think it's nothing. If you find it offensive, I'll just put my clothes back on."
Upon hearing this, Yu Jing was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped. Back in the mortal realm, she had been so focused on Xie Xuan drinking Laozi's celestial water after returning to Heaven that she had forgotten about the gossipy people there. What a blunder!
"No, no, no, Your Majesty, how could you be an eyesore? It's just that I think..." Yu Jing's words raced past her thoughts. Realizing her mistake, she quickly stopped speaking, glancing guiltily at Xie Xuan. Xie Xuan was looking at her with a smile, seemingly waiting for her to continue. Yu Jing forced herself to say, "It's just that I think Your Majesty's appearance is so handsome, it's really...it's just that..."
"How about letting someone else?" Xie Xuan picked up on her words and asked softly, trying to entice her.
"My mind is in turmoil." Yu Jing's voice was barely audible. As soon as she finished speaking, she regretted it terribly; she should have kept quiet. She lowered her head, thinking that she might as well cast a spell to shut herself up later.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan couldn't help but smile slightly, and in the blink of an eye, he had already used magic to put on the clothes.
The tea was quickly brewed, steaming and releasing a delicate aroma that filled the room. Unlike ordinary tea, it had a slightly spicy flavor. Xie Xuan leisurely poured the tea and handed it to Yu Jing. Yu Jing took it from behind, slightly flustered, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"No need to be polite," Xie Xuan replied, taking a sip of tea. "This tea has a unique flavor; please try it."
Yu Jing took a sip; the fragrance was sweet, and it certainly had a unique flavor.
"I heard you spent two years undergoing tribulations in the mortal realm?"
Xie Xuan suddenly brought this up, and Yu Jing's mind raced as she touched her teacup. Why was Xie Xuan bringing this up now? Did he really want to settle scores with her? But it was a fact that she had gone to the mortal realm to undergo tribulation, and Xie Xuan must have known about it long ago. After all, he knew even such trivial details as whether she had seen his body; there was no point in denying it.
"Hmm." Yu Jing nodded stiffly, anxiously waiting for Xie Xuan to continue.
"I heard from the servants that these two days are the Shangsi Festival in Jizhou, and the wedding banquet will be held for three days. There was nothing to do for the first two days. Since you have just returned from your tribulation in the mortal world, you must know more about the customs of the mortal world. I would like to take a look around. Why don't you come with me?"
Yu Jing listened in a daze, and after a moment of reaction, she looked up at Xie Xuan. Before she could speak, Xie Xuan continued, "What, you don't want to?"
Xie Xuan's tone was not the oppressive tone of a monarch; rather, it was more of an inquiry, and there seemed to be a hint of resentment in his eyes!
Yu Jing felt like she was hallucinating. She paused for a moment, then nodded hesitantly and said, "Okay."
The two sat facing each other, quietly drinking tea. Yu Jing thought of Xie Xuan's appearance in prison again. According to Zhe Lan, when he returned, he looked like he had lost his soul, and his face was extremely pale.
"How is Your Majesty these days?" Yu Jing asked guiltily, not daring to look at Xie Xuan, with her eyes lowered.
"What is the fairy referring to?" Xie Xuan lazily raised his eyelids, looking at Yu Jing with a hint of cunning in his eyes. For a moment, Yu Jing seemed to see a young general from the mortal realm.
Yu Jing never expected Xie Xuan to ask such a question. An ordinary person would have simply said "I'm fine" to brush it off. Now that His Majesty had drunk the immortal water and didn't remember anything from the mortal world, he was naturally fine. So Yu Jing stammered, "My...my body."
After saying this, Yu Jing quickly added, "Your Majesty is in good health, that's all that matters. I was just offering my greetings, nothing more."
After Yu Jing finished speaking, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her teacup, and drank it all in one gulp. For some reason, she felt her mind wasn't quite working properly in front of Xie Xuan.
Having just gone through all that, and having drunk the hangover soup and tea, Yu Jing is now completely sober.
They didn't speak, and the room fell silent again, probably because it was getting dark and the light was even dimmer than before. Yu Jing pondered what excuse she should make to slip away; Li'er must be getting worried about not being able to find her.
"Knock, knock, knock." There was a knock on the door.
"Your Majesty, the clan chief has prepared a banquet in the back courtyard and invites you to attend."
"Hmm." Xie Xuan responded indifferently, then stood up, and Yu Jing followed suit, standing behind Xie Xuan.
When Xie Xuan opened the door, Mu Qing's eyes widened when he saw Yu Jing standing next to Xie Xuan. He had originally thought that Xie Xuan was there to settle scores with Yu Jing, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
"Your Majesty, Fairy." Mu Qing greeted the two with a smile.
Yu Jing smiled and nodded, then her gaze was drawn to a light blue butterfly flying beside Mu Qing. Seeing Yu Jing staring intently, Mu Qing explained, "This is a guide butterfly. It will find its way to Your Majesty by smelling your scent."
"Oh," Yu Jing replied in realization, then walked out the door. Just as she was about to tell Xie Xuan that she was leaving, Xie Xuan spoke first.
"Let's go together." Xie Xuan's voice rang out, and both Yu Jing and Mu Qing froze for a moment.
"Your Majesty, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go."
Xie Xuan glanced at Mu Qing, who understood and quickly said, "Goddess Ze Lan and Immortal Yue Lao are also here, so please don't be shy, Fairy."
Yu Jing: "..."
Following Mu Qing and Xie Xuan, they arrived at the back courtyard, which was bustling with activity. The main seat was still reserved, presumably for Xie Xuan. However, the people there seemed somewhat surprised to see Xie Xuan and Yu Jing together. After all, everyone in the Heavenly Court knew about their tribulations.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." The crowd rose and bowed to Xie Xuan in greeting.
"Get up." Xie Xuan strode towards the main seat, glancing at Qian He sitting beside him as he went. Qian He met Xie Xuan's eyes and gave him a meaningful smile.
"Yu Jing!" Li'er winked and waved at Yu Jing.
Yu Jing glanced at Goddess Zhelan and the Old Man of the Moon, then quietly moved to sit down next to Li'er.
"What's going on? I've been looking for you all afternoon. Why did you come with the Lord?" Li'er asked Yu Jing, raising her sleeve.
"It's hard to explain in a few words, let me tell you later." Yu Jing said softly to Li'er. After speaking, she noticed a gaze fixed on her. Following the gaze, she saw a head of silver-white hair. Qian He's attire was quite eye-catching among the crowd.
Yu Jingxin guiltily moved away.
"Yu Jing, that's the eldest son, Yan Zheng, and sitting next to him is the bride," Li'er said, pointing to the seats above.
Yu Jing looked over and saw that Yan Zheng was gentle and refined, and his new bride was also beautiful and charming. They were a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman.
"Thank you all for gracing my son's wedding banquet. Today, I, Yan Qin, will host a small banquet to welcome you all and wash away the dust of your journey," Yan Qin said, raising his wine cup.
Upon hearing this, everyone raised their wine cups and politely said to Yan Qin, "Thank you for your hospitality, clan leader."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the meal began. Having spent almost the entire day in this hustle and bustle, Yu Jing had only had some wine and snacks at noon and was now starving. So he didn't stand on ceremony.
"Yu Jing, this roast chicken is so delicious!" Li'er pointed to the roast chicken in front of her.
Yu Jing understood, picked up a piece of the already cut chicken and put it in her mouth. The aroma of the oil spread in her mouth, along with a unique fruity and woody fragrance. Yu Jing had never tasted such a wonderful flavor before. Suddenly, she remembered that the foxes seemed to like eating chicken. They really knew how to cook it.
They chatted, but Yu Jing, unfamiliar with them, focused solely on eating. Once she was full, she inadvertently noticed Qian He still watching her. Suddenly, she remembered what Li'er had gone to inquire about that afternoon.
"Pfft, pfft." Yu Jing called softly to Li'er.
Li'er immediately understood, nodded to Yu Jing, and gestured for Yu Jing to leave the seat.
Yu Jing and Li'er stood up at the same time, crouched down, and went out to the corridor. The corridor was drafty, and red lanterns hung under it. A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers and trees from afar.
Li'er leaned closer to Yu Jing and said, "I heard that this little prince was punished to undergo a tribulation."
Upon hearing this, Yu Jing leaned closer to hear it.
"The young prince challenged the third prince of the underworld to a duel, but accidentally created a crack in the seventh level of hell. The demon lord, not wanting to explain this to the King of Hell, devised this method of atonement. It is said that the trial he will undergo is also a love tribulation, and after returning, he will not be allowed to drink the Meng Po soup. The lord will make him suffer the pain of separation from loved ones and the pain of unrequited love."
Before Li'er could finish speaking, Yu Jing remembered what the Old Man of the Moon had told her. A crack had appeared in the seventh level of hell, from which several half-burnt vengeful spirits escaped. They fled to the library, where the Red Lotus Karmic Fire burned nearly half of it, destroying the Book of Fate as well. That meant the crack in the seventh level of hell was originally caused by Qianhe. He was punished to undergo tribulation, and before the crack could be repaired, it was breached by vengeful spirits, leading to the burning of the library. Everything was cause and effect.
"Yu Jing".
When a deep male voice sounded beside her, Li'er was startled and blew out a bubble. Yu Jing also turned her head in alarm to look at Qianhe, who was standing a little further away.
“Jing’er, you still have some relationship with him, so he shouldn’t do anything to you. But I’m different. I’m leaving now. If something really happens, I’ll call Goddess Zelan over for you.”
Li'er patted Yu Jing's shoulder with a solemn expression, and before Yu Jing could say anything, she turned around and disappeared.
Yu Jing stared blankly at the air in front of him, then forced a wry smile at Qian He: "What a coincidence, little prince."
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