With a creak, the shop door opened. Upon entering and seeing the pitch-black interior, Qin Luo had a bad feeling. Logically, she should have been cultivating inside. What important matter could have made her put down her cultivation to wait for him?
Qin Luo looked at the faint light shining through the crack in the doorway of the middle room, puzzled, when suddenly a feeling of impending doom flashed through his mind.
"It shouldn't be anything serious, maybe we're just running out of pills?"
Qin Luo was eliminating possibilities one by one in his mind, and he hadn't noticed anything unusual about her when he went out today. It seemed that apart from her voice being a little different, there was nothing else.
"Why think so much? Just go in and you'll know."
Finally, Qin Luo sighed helplessly and slowly opened the door to the room.
There weren't many items in the room; just a bed and a desk. When he looked around, the first thing he saw was a slender figure dressed in white, sitting quietly at the desk.
Her long, flowing black hair, cascading down her back like a waterfall, shimmered with a soft luster under the dim light, making him momentarily dazed.
When Qin Luo saw her long, flowing black hair, he immediately realized what she wanted to tell him.
He never expected Xia Zihan to reveal her true identity as a woman at this time! He originally thought it would be some time before he found out, but he didn't expect this day to come so quickly, so much so that he was not fully prepared.
Thinking of this, Qin Luo felt a little flustered. He didn't know how to face Xia Zihan next.
Hearing the sound, Xia Zihan, who was sitting at her desk, stopped her thoughts and turned around. When she saw Qin Luo return, her tightly furrowed phoenix eyebrows immediately relaxed, and she looked at him with a mixture of joy and resentment in her eyes.
When Qin Luo saw her true appearance, he was still surprised, even though he had been mentally prepared.
Her face was as white and flawless as mutton fat jade, and her long, narrow phoenix eyes seemed to carry a faint sense of majesty.
Her straight and delicate nose, paired with her slightly rosy cherry lips, made her look incredibly beautiful.
The only flaw was her slender figure. Wearing the white robe she often wore, although her chest was flat and lacked the full curves common in women, it made her appear even more aloof and capable.
When Xia Zihan saw her beloved staring in such a daze, a sweet feeling welled up in her heart. When she noticed the amazed look in his eyes as he looked at her, her cheeks flushed slightly.
She then lowered her head shyly, the resentment in her eyes long gone. At this moment, her heart was pounding like a deer's, full of anticipation.
Qin Luo quickly regained his composure, and after a moment of inner turmoil, feigned hesitation and said:
"You, you are Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu?"
Hearing his uncertain tone, Xia Zihan felt a slight annoyance and silently cursed in her heart, as if blaming his stupidity.
She raised her head, her beautiful eyes glaring at Qin Luo, and said coquettishly, "Can't you see it yet? Didn't you suspect anything the whole way?"
If I told you on the way, you'd probably treat me like a monster and beat me up. Qin Luo thought to himself.
But he still scratched his head and gave a sheepish smile: "I was just too surprised, I didn't react for a moment."
He paused, then asked with a hint of confusion:
"But why did Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu hide this from me for so long? Before your cultivation had recovered, I could say it was for self-preservation, but you still didn't tell me after we arrived in the town. So why are you dropping the pretense today?"
His tone already carried a slight questioning tone.
"I... I had no choice but to hide it from Fellow Daoist Wang Wu."
Hearing his questioning tone, Xia Zihan hurriedly explained. When she saw the suspicion in Qin Luo's eyes, she felt flustered and anxious, and quickly said to him.
"Oh, your predicament? I've been completely open with Fellow Daoist Zhao Jiu, yet we don't even have this much trust?"
A hint of sadness flashed in Qin Luo's eyes, as if he was deeply hurt by her distrustful attitude, and his voice trembled with disappointment.
"No, that's not how it is!"
Seeing him like this, Xia Zihan felt as if a sharp blade was mercilessly cutting into her heart, making her feel utterly suffocated. In a moment of agitation, she quickly walked to his side and carefully tugged at his sleeve.
Her eyes welled up with tears from his tone, and her voice trembled slightly as she spoke with a hint of urgency:
"Fellow Daoist Wang Wu, would you please let me explain?"
Phew, he finally had the upper hand. Qin Luo breathed a sigh of relief. To avoid her asking about his late return tonight, he had no choice but to take this risky move. Fortunately, the effect was quite obvious.
Moreover, he was also interested in Xia Zihan's background. This way, he could both find out the mystery of her origins and cover up the fact that he came home late. "I'm such a clever guy," Qin Luo thought to himself, giving himself a silent thumbs up.
Xia Zihan saw that his eyes were lowered, as if he was deep in thought. To her, it seemed that he still harbored some dissatisfaction with her. So, she steeled herself and anxiously began to explain.
“Fellow Daoist Wang Wu, I did not intend to conceal my identity, I just did not want to involve you in this turmoil.”
After speaking, she secretly glanced at Qin Luo and, seeing that he still had a calm expression, sighed with a hint of sadness in her eyes, and then continued speaking with a touch of heartache.
"Fellow Daoist Wang Wu, do you know that the Central Plains is a vast and prosperous land with many powerful sects scattered throughout, while the magnificent imperial city stands tall in the center of this land?"
"In Zhongzhou, power is not held by the imperial dynasty alone, but is jointly controlled by the imperial dynasty and many sects. The two sides are interdependent and mutually restrictive, forming a subtle and complex ruling structure."
"I was born in the capital city of Zhongzhou. As a member of the royal family, I have eight older brothers and sisters. I am the youngest among the many royal children, so my brothers and sisters call me Little Ninth."
“From the time I was born, I lived a carefree life in the capital. My brothers and sisters loved me dearly, and we got along very well. We played and frolicked together, spending joyful times together.”
As she spoke, a warm smile appeared on her face, as if she were recalling a beautiful past.
"However, amidst this flourishing scene, those sects began to stir with restless ambitions."
"They had long coveted the dynasty's resources and power, and suddenly they joined forces to betray the dynasty. Overnight, the capital was thrown into chaos and war broke out."
As she spoke, it seemed she was recalling some immense fear. Her eyes were filled with pain, and her body trembled slightly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
