Chapter 79 Feeling Uneasy
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Duan Jiuyou shook his head: "Only those of you with literary talent could have such refined tastes. I am a rough man, and I only feel annoyed when I see rainwater all over the ground. Look at this new fairy dress, it is still stained."
She showed Di Jiang her new dress, the hem of which was stained with a lot of mud, like ink splattered on it.
Di Jiang casually cast a cleansing spell, knowing that her complaints were simply because she wanted him to help her cleanse herself.
Duan Jiuyou smiled when he saw that the skirt had been restored to its original state, and praised, "If I had your comprehension in magic, I wouldn't be unable to even go to the Hall of Diligent Governance. Did your trip go smoothly this time? Did you disturb anyone?"
Di Jiang said no, he had only met Bai Yanxing briefly, "So now we have to send Uncle back to avoid arousing suspicion."
Duan Jiuyou was alarmed upon hearing this, and turned to Xue Ciyi, saying, "Then I will not keep you any longer."
Worried that he had been too tactful and the other person might not understand, he added, "Hurry up and go."
Di Jiang found it amusing, but as he laughed, he also felt a pang of bitterness.
The two of them were doing fine, but then this whole "fake chosen one" thing started.
She's close to me now and cares about everything because she considers us allies. If she finds out one day that he's lying to her, will she still be as close as she is now?
Thinking this, his gaze toward Xue Ciyi grew increasingly hostile. Xue Ciyi, not wanting to be disliked by Di Jiang in front of him, gave a slight bow and headed toward the Hall of Diligent Governance.
"Let's go too." Duan Jiuyou got up and pulled Di Jiang. It was late and the dew was heavy, so they were bound to get damp. She was still worried that he would catch a cold.
Di Jiang obediently got up and accompanied her from the Nine Turns Corridor to the inner palace. Along the way, she was afraid of getting her skirt dirty, so this time she refused to lift it herself and handed the hem of her skirt to him. He felt both absurd and helpless. When had the dignified Lord of the Great Wilderness ever helped someone lift the hem of their skirt?
She handed it to him so naturally, knowing he wouldn't refuse.
He had to slow down to keep up with her pace, and asked in confusion, "Why do you have to be so careful? If it gets dirty again, you can just cast a cleansing spell, right?"
She walked away without looking back: "What do you know? The hem of your skirt is wet and sticky, which is more annoying than being dirty. Watch your step, there are so many puddles. The whole mountain is covered in 'tears' all year round. The fat carp in the lotus pond have even jumped out and swam to the shore."
She was petite with a sweet, delicate voice. He was back, and she was in a good mood, her spirits lifted.
“Liantang asked me before whether I needed her to pack our luggage. I guessed you would be back tonight and it wouldn’t delay tomorrow’s trip, so I told her to prepare as usual. Sure enough, you came back.”
"I asked her to bring some extra fruit and snacks, half for Siji and half for the disciples who stayed in the Ten Realms. I just don't know how they are doing. The weather in the Ten Realms is really bad."
"However, once the four seasons are over, there will be sunny days again, and not only us, but also the people of the ten realms will be able to bask in the sun."
She talked to him at length, but he wasn't home. She missed him; it felt like a long time since they had been apart for just one day.
He watched her retreating figure with a complicated expression, followed her into the inner hall, and put down the hem of her skirt.
Inside the hall, several lanterns with images of beautiful women were placed. Duan Jiuyou liked silk lanterns, most of which featured beautiful women on them. She said that looking at beautiful women made her feel refreshed and gentler than mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts.
She loved beauty and also loved admiring the beauty of others. Sitting on the bed, she looked at Di Jiang and thought that his dark blue robe with ink-splashed sleeves suited him very well today, adding a touch of elegance.
A pot of tea sat warm on the table, gently simmering in a small red clay stove. The charcoal in the stove was not burning brightly, as I was worried that a strong fire would make the tea leaves dry and bitter. I used only a small pinch of tea leaves, just enough for him to drink when he came back.
She always says she's easygoing, but actually she takes great care of many things.
Di Jiang sat down at the table and poured two cups of tea. Duan Jiuyou walked over and sat down opposite him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "You said before that Bai Yanxing could distinguish the aura of the primordial spirit. Although he didn't test the wolf cub tonight, there's no guarantee he won't test it later. If he discovers anything unusual, the first person he'll suspect will definitely be your uncle."
Only "Liu Shi" went to the side hall tonight. If the wolf cub's aura changes, "Liu Shi" will inevitably become Bai Yanxing's suspect.
Di Jiang said, "He has already tried."
When Bai Yanxing's gaze fell upon "Liu Shi," he had already probed the wolf cub's body. However, he probed discreetly, using the dragon race's method of detecting breath. His uncle hadn't noticed, so how could he not?
"You tried it?" Jiuyou was surprised. "Then how did you manage to come back?"
“Naturally, there has been no change, otherwise Liu Shi would not have been able to escape unscathed.” Di Jiang took a sip of hot tea and put it down, saying, “I left a wisp of my primordial spirit on the young wolf. The aura of the primordial spirit is exactly the same as mine, so he naturally cannot see the difference.”
When he choked the wolf cub earlier, he was injecting this wisp of his primordial spirit into its body.
"However, this wisp of primordial spirit can only stay in the wolf cub's body for three months at most. Once my primordial spirit has fully recovered, this wisp of divine soul left in the wolf cub's body will naturally disappear."
“Three months is enough.” Jiuyou calculated the time. “By then we will have already returned to the Tenth Realm. Bai Yanxing can’t open the Heavenly Sea Stone Gate, so even if he knows you and I are in the Tenth Realm, he can’t enter. It’s your uncle who needs to leave the Hall of Diligent Governance sooner. If it’s after three months…”
"Ignore him!"
Mentioning his uncle, Di Jiang, made him angry. The old man had always loved to act on his own initiative. In the past, it was just some minor matters that he hadn't punished, but before he knew it, he had developed this audacious habit of acting first and reporting later.
He was angry, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Jiuyou's surprised expression, as if he didn't understand why he was so disregarding his uncle's life and death. Only then did he realize that his words had been too harsh, and he added, "Three months later, the Wilderness Clan will have someone to help him, and they will be able to ensure his safe retreat."
Jiuyou nodded, then sighed, "Indeed, you emperors all have brilliant minds, you plan everything, and you have foresight. If it were me, I would never have thought of such meticulousness."
Di Jiang grunted in agreement, thinking to himself that he had more than just this much planned. He had been worried that his later plans would anger Duan Jiuyou, but he hadn't expected Xue Ciyi to be one step ahead of him and plant a "hidden mine" in advance. When the two sides worked together, Jiuyou would definitely turn against him!
She's easy to reason with when she turns against you; you can coax and persuade her with the nicest words and the most humble smiles. The real fear is that she'll be stubborn and insist on cutting ties with you. If that happens, it will be difficult to reconcile.
"Is something on your mind?"
Duan Jiuyou sensed that Di Jiang was acting strangely today. He hadn't even noticed that the tea in his hand had gone cold, and he seemed absent-minded, as if he were deep in thought. But upon closer inspection, it seemed that she was overthinking it.
Di Jiang put down his cold tea and smiled slightly: "I wasn't thinking about anything. It's just that I haven't been back to the Ten Realms for quite some time, and I'm a little worried about my vassals and those dim-witted subordinates. These people don't know to go out and do things without my orders. Without the ingots coming in, won't they starve to death?"
"They won't starve to death," Duan Jiuyou reassured him, thinking that Di Jiang was truly worried about the matter. "They are mentally challenged, but my vassals and disciples are not. There will always be some sane ones who will go out and work. Besides, we'll be going back tomorrow, so don't worry too much."
The sky outside the window was gradually brightening. In another hour or two, the sun should be up. Duan Jiuyou yawned. He had been worried all day yesterday. Although he had been lying in bed, his mind had been tense. Only after he came back did his body and mind feel relaxed. As soon as he relaxed, he felt sleepy. With sleepy eyes, he asked him, "I want to rest for a while. What about you?"
Di Jiang wasn't sleepy, but he wanted to lie down with Duan Jiuyou.
The two went to bed one after the other, and Jiuyou deliberately kept a little distance from him.
Each of them had their own blanket. Di Jiang liked to be close to her, and the more intimate she became with him, the more her heart would slip out of her control. She wasn't as heartless as Di Jiang thought. If someone squeezed into her heart, others wouldn't know, but she herself couldn't be oblivious. Knowing full well the danger, she couldn't help but get closer. Knowing this person wasn't a good person, she was still easily swayed. So she could only silently hope that he would change for the better, stop being so bloodthirsty, and change his bad temper.
This feeling of being emotionally affected by someone is peculiar; I've never experienced it before, and I probably never will again.
"Jiuyou".
She didn't respond, but he wouldn't give up. However, today's "Jiuyou" sounded different from usual. In the past, when he called her that, it always carried a hint of coaxing. Today, she wondered if she had misheard, but she sensed a trace of unease in his voice.
She turned around at his soft call and observed his expression through the faint light of the day.
"What's wrong?"
Di Jiang frowned slightly, rarely revealing his emotions, but tonight he seemed to be deliberately trying to evoke her sympathy, saying, "I feel uneasy."
"Is it about the Desolate Clan?" Duan Jiuyou asked.
Not entirely.
He couldn't explain the reason to her. Feeling heavy-hearted, he remained silent for a moment, then looked at the Shu brocade quilt covered with blooming flowers on her body and said...
"This quilt looks nicer than mine."
"What's so interesting about it?" Duan Jiuyou was increasingly confused.
"Let's share a bed."
As Di Jiang spoke, he squeezed in, first his body, then his arms, then his hands, until he had completely wrapped her in his arms before letting out a sigh of relief.
Duan Jiuyou tried to break free, but he couldn't let go. After struggling a few times, he gave in.
He was indeed well-behaved today, simply holding her and gently cupping her little hand in his palm, his thumb lightly scraping her curled fingers, just as he usually played with the sandalwood bracelet on his wrist.
He didn't particularly love any one type of jewelry; he would wear whatever came to mind. In his memory, he seemed to have handled her hands the most, enjoying holding them in his palms, and like now, touching her smooth nails and delicate fingers.
"Duan Jiuyou".
She heard him say it much later.
"Let's make a vow together: if either of us ever leaves the other, may we be struck by lightning."
Duan Jiuyou was almost amused by his childish words, but he didn't expect him to laugh out loud before him, as if he also felt bored and that it would be of no use to say anything.
She wanted to ask him what was wrong with her tonight, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she unknowingly fell asleep in his arms.
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