Chapter Sixty-Three: Exploring the Progress of the Search for Relatives
After a private conversation between the emperor and his minister, Rong Jiang instructed Si Ge to return to the Underworld immediately. Since the Underworld Emperor was not present, many political affairs required the Chief Judge's decision. Si Ge, aware of his heavy responsibility, bowed respectfully before his figure gradually faded, silently disappearing into the Underworld's passage and returning to his grand hall filled with documents and judgments.
Meanwhile, in the next room, Jiu Ya was sound asleep, completely oblivious to the fact that a chief judge of the underworld had visited the opposite room and had quietly left. She was also unaware that much of her background had been revealed in their conversation.
Believing she had successfully made a good impression on the Underworld Emperor and even subtly established a connection, Jiu Ya slept soundly. Perhaps due to her overly excited state of mind, although she fell asleep late at night, she naturally woke up the next morning as soon as the sky began to lighten.
Outside the window, the sky was just beginning to lighten, the morning light was faint, and a hazy, damp mist still hung in the air, painting the distant rooftops and treetops in a gentle, smoky blue. Jiu Ya got up, pushed open the carved wooden window, and a cool morning breeze immediately rushed in, carrying with it the fragrance of peach blossoms from the distant peach grove, which was refreshing and delightful.
She leaned against the window, admiring the ancient city gradually awakening. The peach blossoms and willows, vibrant with color, looked especially fresh and beautiful in the morning light. Jiuya couldn't help but stretch, exclaiming sincerely, "Life is truly wonderful!"
The first thing Jiu Ya wanted to do upon waking was to find Rong Jiang. But glancing at the dripping water clock in the corner, she realized it was still early, and her personal maid, Bai Yu, hadn't yet come to knock on the door to help her wash and dress. Determined to maintain a perfect image in front of her "daughter," Jiu Ya absolutely refused to run to the door with her long, slightly messy hair and still in her pajamas! Image management had to start from the very beginning!
However, without Bai Yu by her side, Jiu Ya instantly revealed her "level ten life idiot" nature when it came to managing her thick, black hair. Throughout her long years as the Demon Lord, she had always been able to effortlessly style all sorts of exquisite and intricate hairstyles, with skillful maids taking care of everything for her simply by sitting calmly. Why would she ever need to do it herself? Styling it herself? That was practically an unsolved mystery of the Demon Realm!
"Ahem," Jiu Ya cleared her throat, trying to cheer herself up, "This isn't a big problem! Back in modern times, no one served me, I still managed to make my way in the world with just a ponytail!" She refused to believe that she could be stumped by a simple hairstyle.
So, early in the morning, a crisp, cheerful knock sounded outside Rong Jiang's room, accompanied by Jiu Ya's deliberately sweet voice: "Ranran~ are you up?"
Rong Jiang had already sensed the movement outside the door. She slowly stepped forward and opened it. What came into view was Jiu Ya's radiant smile, as if infused with the morning sun, and... her new hairstyle, which could only be described as "minimalist." Well, let's just call it a hairstyle for now.
Jiuya twisted the hair around her ears into two loose braids, gathered them at the back of her head, and tied them into a ponytail with a dark green ribbon. The rest of her hair was left loose, except for a small, barely noticeable strand behind her ear that was meticulously braided into a delicate three-strand braid, adorned with two tiny tourmaline beads—the sole decoration. For Jiuya, this was already an exceptionally refined style. After all, in her view, being able to braid her own hair instead of letting it fall loose was the pinnacle of etiquette!
Rong Jiang stared at the hairstyle before her, unusually silent for a moment. This was the first time she had ever seen a woman of status wear such a...casual and carefree hairstyle. Even the most ordinary girl would wear her hair in two buns and adorn it with a seasonal velvet flower. But Jiu Ya's hairstyle was so simple it was almost haphazard, the ribbon was tied crookedly, and a few unruly strands of hair had already playfully slipped out. This was definitely not the work of her skillful maid; it was practically an insult to her professional craftsmanship. Rong Jiang almost immediately concluded that this was absolutely the result of Jiu Ya's own styling.
Recalling our first meeting yesterday, Jiu Ya's hairstyle, though simple, was impeccably styled, exuding an understated elegance and refinement—a stark contrast to the scene before me. That day it was understated luxury, today it's rustic…unrestrained?
Why was Rong Jiang able to determine that Jiu Ya wasn't behind yesterday's events? It's simple: given her cultivation level, there was no sound of anyone else entering the next room last night besides Jiu Ya.
Rong Jiang suppressed the slight amusement in her heart, her face still as gentle as a spring breeze, and stepped aside: "A-Jiu got up really early, come in."
"It's alright, I woke up early today. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I got up." Jiu Ya walked into the room with a smile, her eyes sparkling. If she were in the Demon Realm, she would have gotten up at this hour to prepare to summon her subjects or handle official business.
Being a Demon Lord is truly not easy; she has to get up even earlier than when she was a corporate slave in her previous life! Back then, she could dawdle until eight o'clock before getting up, but now she has to get up at least half an hour earlier. Jiu Ya often complains to herself, why can't she enjoy the perk of sleeping in even though she's the highest leader? This is simply not in line with the novel's setting! However, as a Demon Lord who considers herself to be very responsible, Jiu Ya feels that she is doing her job quite well, getting up early every day and working diligently, making her a model worker in the Demon Realm!
Of course, over time, the biological clock is forced back to normal, and you wake up on time, making it hard to stay in bed.
Upon entering, Jiu Ya noticed that Rong Jiang was already dressed neatly. She was still wearing an elegant white dress, but upon closer inspection, the subtle patterns and style of the fabric seemed different from yesterday, indicating that she had changed her outfit. Her hair had also been restyled, still simple in design, secured only by two plain silver hairpins, but with smooth lines and not a single strand out of place, accentuating her long neck and giving her a cool and refined air. In comparison, Jiu Ya suddenly felt a little embarrassed by her own clumsy ponytail.
"Ranran got up very early too!" She tried to take her eyes off the other woman's perfect hairstyle.
"I'm used to it," Rong Jiang replied calmly. She hadn't gone to bed last night; after Si Ge left, she had been meditating and regulating her breathing on the bed. Only when dawn was breaking did she get up, change into casual clothes, and restyle her hair. Although her skills couldn't compare to a professional maid, years of self-care had given her a neat and efficient style, clearly far superior to Jiu Ya's last-minute attempts. This, perhaps, was the difference between talent and experience.
“Ah Jiu’s hairstyle today,” Rong Jiang’s gaze fell again on Jiu Ya’s unique hairstyle, her tone sincere and without a trace of mockery, “is even more exquisite and delicate than yesterday. I’ve never seen a style like this before.” She swore that this was no exaggeration; it was indeed very distinctive.
"Really? Really?" Upon hearing this, Jiu Ya immediately forgot her earlier slight embarrassment and excitedly moved closer, practically wagging her tail. She had spent a long time fiddling with her hair in front of the bronze mirror, pulling out countless strands and nearly tangling her fingers! Back in modern times, she would never have bothered with such effort! She proudly twirled the thin braid hanging down her chest with her fingers, a "praise me!" expression on her face: "Hehe, I did my own hair today! Pretty impressive, right!"
“Is that so?” Rong Jiang’s smile deepened, and she nodded readily. “It is quite special, truly ingenious.” This “ingenuity” was indeed extraordinary.
Jiuya immediately grinned foolishly, her heart filled with joy. At this moment, the sun had already risen higher, and the warm, non-glaring golden light of spring shone through the exquisite window frames of the inn, softly filling the room and gently sprinkling onto the two of them, as if gilding them with a light golden halo.
Bathed in this warm light, Jiu Ya's slightly smug, silly smile appeared even more radiant and eye-catching.
Rong Jiang observed Jiu Ya's unguarded joy and found it quite amusing. This Jiu Ya was a far cry from the "meticulous and exceptionally composed" Demon Lord described by the underworld spies. Perhaps that composure wasn't her true nature, and this somewhat carefree, even silly, demeanor was closer to her real personality?
Regardless of which personality was more genuine, Rong Jiang felt that, at least for now, Jiu Ya gave her a relaxed and sincere feeling. If all of this was an extremely clever disguise, then she could only admire the other party's superb acting skills, which had even fooled her.
Rong Jiang naturally possessed secret methods to directly verify the truth of Jiu Ya's words, such as the Soul Searching Technique, which could quickly and directly obtain the true information deep within the other party's memories. However, she believed it was unnecessary to use such methods on Jiu Ya. That was a ruthless method used only against enemies, serious criminals, or those with ulterior motives, inevitably damaging the soul and appearing unsightly. Since there was no enmity between them, and the other party had acted so... straightforwardly, why make such a fuss?
Rong Jiang would not hesitate to use her power to quickly clarify the truth about someone like Zhu Shu yesterday, who was clearly entangled in the karma of human lives and whose words were evasive.
The two sat down at the tea table by the window and chatted casually about the sights and sounds of Linzi. After a moment, Rong Jiang seemingly casually steered the conversation back on track: "Has there been any news about the relatives that A-Jiu came to Linzi to look for?"
Her question wasn't abrupt. Although Jiu Ya returned late last night, Bai Yu would surely report to her on the day's investigation later. As a fellow traveler, it was only natural for Rong Jiang to ask a question out of concern.
Jiuya immediately cupped her face in her hands, her delicate eyebrows drooping, her expression becoming sorrowful and distressed: "Alas, there's been no substantial progress. My mother has never set foot in Linzi since birth, and her memories of my maternal grandmother's hometown and clan are very vague and incomplete. Now that time has passed and the world is vast, my search is like looking for a needle in a haystack, it's really not easy."
Rong Jiang gently stroked the rim of the warm teacup with her slender fingers, nodding calmly to show her understanding: "Decades have passed, dynasties have changed, and Linzi has been ruled by three dynasties. The noble families in the city have changed hands countless times, and it is common for mansions to change hands and for families to be scattered. It is indeed reasonable that it is difficult to find relatives."
“Yes…” Jiu Ya’s delicate face was contorted with worry. Although “finding relatives” was initially just an excuse for her to come to the human world, now that she had a clue, she genuinely wanted to help the original owner’s poor mother fulfill her wish to trace her roots. She sighed, saying with a hint of helplessness but also a glimmer of hope, “However, Bai Yu and the others inquired everywhere yesterday, and it wasn’t all for naught. They found some old news, which I think might be a direction. It is said that decades ago, there was a Li family in Shenyan Lane in the west of the city. They were a very prestigious and influential family in the area. My maternal grandmother came from the Li family of Linzi, so perhaps… she could have some connection with the Li family in Shenyan Lane?”
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