8 Chapter Eight
He looks better when he smiles.
Even though he knew Lu Yue was after his beauty, Xue Ji's heart still couldn't help but flutter. This was the first time he had something he didn't have to share with anyone else.
It belongs to him alone.
The rules at Shangqing are strict, and the best items are reserved for sword cultivators. As an array cultivator, he needs items of a lower grade. Even though Xue Ji is outstanding among array cultivators, his treatment is still inferior to that of an average sword cultivator. Even the pills he usually uses for healing are of inferior quality. This hot spring is indeed miraculous; it must contain spiritual herbs. His internal injuries have already healed by 70% in a short time.
She carefully donned the neatly folded snow-white Taoist robe, layer by layer, and finally fastened the jade pendant that symbolized her status. Water droplets still clung to the ends of her black hair, sliding down her snow-white neck. Xue Ji walked slowly, hesitating for a moment as she entered the hall where she was staying, but she did not see that figure.
In the courtyard, there was a bowl of herbal soup and a blooming Blood Demon Lotus, its bright red color stinging the eyes.
The little demon at the door didn't forget to report: "His Majesty specifically instructed that you will be given one Blood Demon Lotus for every bowl you drink."
Xue Ji hadn't expected that Lu Yue would read her mind. With a cold and stern face, she drank the Blood Demon Lotus and carefully put it away.
Wen Ruo, hidden in the shadows, saw right through the man's thoughts and sneered that Xue Ji cherished something that others could easily obtain.
He calmly walked to the side hall, looked at the gentle and considerate young master Bai beside Lu Yue, and said with a light smile: "Your Excellency has really put a lot of effort into Xue Ji. His injuries have improved a lot after soaking in the hot spring, and he has also taken the Blood Demon Lotus. He will recover in less than half a month."
"Just a boring child, how much effort can I put into him?" Lu Yue said indifferently, taking a sip of the wine from the jade cup in the beauty's hand. She didn't like her subordinates trying to figure out her intentions.
The young man pouring wine beside her softened slightly. He couldn't help but consider his future, given Xue Ji's beauty and cultivation. As a weak and easily bullied rabbit, he knew he had to use his innocent and pitiful appearance to win over the Venerable One's heart. But now it seemed that the young master hidden in the secret realm by the Venerable One was his greatest threat.
I've been here so long and I still don't know your name.
Young Master Bai, unsure of who to ask, was wandering around when he overheard the Left Protector talking to the favored Aman about the snow clearing.
"What's with this beauty who was sent here after surrendering? She always has a cold face. Who would have dared to show the Emperor any disrespect in the past?"
"But His Majesty may not necessarily like him. He hasn't stayed overnight these past few days. He only dug a hot spring for him, what does that amount to?" Aman's handsome and wild face feigned comfort. He was also curious as to why His Majesty wanted Xueji. If it weren't for her outstanding beauty, it would be a waste to just take her and leave her unused.
Hu Meisui smiled and said, "Of course, His Majesty only cares about the young master."
"I wonder when we will be able to see this young master, who has been hidden so well by His Majesty."
"Who knows? His Majesty has always protected him, and I've never even seen him. Only that old fellow Wen Ruo visits him every few days."
"Could it be His Majesty's child?"
"What nonsense! What man could possibly please His Majesty?"
Even though Lu Yue has a past, her heart won't stay with anyone. Hu Mei, having followed Lu Yue for so many years, has come to understand some of her thoughts. Just like now, she outwardly dotes on Young Master Bai, but in reality, she's nothing more than a little pet she can discard at any time.
You can't trust the snake clan, just like her Ah Man, who speaks sweet words on the surface but is full of evil intentions.
The eavesdropping young master was annoyed and was about to leave when he bumped into Elder Wen. Although Elder Wen always looked sickly, he always looked at him with disdain and contempt.
He hurriedly bowed and said, "Elder Wen."
Wen Ruo calmly walked to his side, her long, narrow eyes lifting slightly before she lowered her gaze and chuckled softly: "Don't worry, neither you nor His Excellency have taken it to heart."
Young Master Bai's face turned pale and then red. He didn't understand why Wen Ruo hated him so much. Was it just because he had gained the Venerable One's favor?
Wen Ruo indeed disliked him because he was a lowly rabbit, and being a servant was already a privilege.
He entered Hu Mei's palace with a cold face, and looking at the debauched scene of revelry, he suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and solemnly instructed: "His Majesty said that Young Master Bai's birthday is approaching, and he wants you to make good preparations."
Hu Mei, who was engrossed in the gentle embrace, almost thought she had misheard and quickly climbed off Aman's strong and sexy waist.
"What?"
“If the Left Protector is deaf, he should ask to step down.” Wen Ruo said calmly, straightening her back as she turned to inform the Ten Directions Palace Master.
Hu Mei was stunned for a long time before pushing away Aman behind her and hurriedly preparing for Young Master Bai's birthday celebration. It was an immense blessing for the small rabbit clan to receive such an honor. This made her begin to doubt whether she had guessed wrong, and she even discussed it with Wu Yan.
"What do you think His Majesty's intentions are? To make such a big fuss over a mere rabbit beauty. Could it be that he intends to crown her as the Demon Queen?"
Wu Yan shook his head, as always, with a blank expression: "I don't know."
He truly didn't understand the Venerable One's thoughts. Leaning against the wall, he stared at the passing demons with his gloomy wolf eyes, fearing that someone might take advantage of the situation. Even though Lu Yue had ascended to the throne by stepping on Chong Li's corpse, she still couldn't win over the masses. She was still just a snake, while Chong Li was a far more noble dragon.
Wu Yan's tall and handsome appearance aroused the interest of the demon lord who came to celebrate. He stepped forward and teased, "I have long heard that Your Majesty has two protectors. The left protector is a good-for-nothing from our fox clan, and the other is a brave wolf clan member."
The Demon Lord's voice was ethereal, and her alluring beauty bewitched many naive little demons. Delicate golden hairpins swayed casually over her cloud-like hair, a vibrant red veil draped over her body, and her magnificent robes were embroidered with opulent peony patterns in gold thread. Her slender fingers were caressing Wu Yan's muscular chest.
He dared not move, fearing that the sharp fox claws would pierce his chest. Hu Mei guessed the clan leader's thoughts and ignored Wu Yan's plea for help. However, out of courtesy, she still bowed and said, "Junior Hu Mei respectfully welcomes the clan leader. His Excellency has been waiting for a long time."
"No need. I only wanted to see what kind of appearance that young master has that would make Lu Yue give him such a big face." Heng Ji's crimson nail polish was as bright as blood as she gracefully swayed her nine tails and left.
Hu Mei broke out in a cold sweat. She knew the clan leader was losing his temper; after all, her younger brother had been publicly humiliated in front of the Emperor, leading him to commit suicide. This young master Bai's birthday today was likely to cause some trouble.
She didn't forget to praise Wu Yan: "You are also very lucky to have been chosen by our clan leader."
Wu Yan couldn't discern the other's intentions. He disliked the fox clan, finding them cunning, treacherous, and full of lies. Hu Mei, not wanting to tease him any further, seized the opportunity to enter the tightly closed hall. Through the window, she saw Xue Ji still meditating.
Hearing the commotion outside, the man looked up, but quickly looked away upon seeing the flamboyant, swaying fox tail.
That's true, she can just go straight into the hall when she arrives.
"Today is the birthday of the favored young master Bai, whom His Majesty has invited to celebrate with the Ten Directions Palace Master. This is a blessing we could only dream of. Of course, His Majesty has also specifically instructed that you may go if you do not wish to."
Xue Ji's expression was cold and hard; he preferred quiet and disliked crowds. Especially not birthday celebrations. He'd seen his master celebrate his disciples' birthdays countless times throughout his hundred years at Shangqing. And so it went, year after year, except for him.
He had asked his master if he had forgotten him, but the woman just gave a nonchalant reply.
Really? I might have forgotten.
Xueji didn't believe that he had been forgotten. But he could never repay his master's kindness in raising and saving his life, so he could only watch with envy.
"I'll go."
Xue Ji didn't know why he had come; he was the only human in the hall. Through the deep night, the scattered stars in the distance were all demons who had come to celebrate. Each one of them was of noble status; the last time such a scene was at the Demon Lord's celebration in Lu Yue was probably the last time. The arrogant and domineering atmosphere filling the hall made him nauseous, especially the fox demon opposite him who kept staring at him; that naked gaze was unbearable.
"He is indeed a rare beauty. No wonder Lu Yue acted so flamboyantly for him." Heng Ji thought her younger brother was good-looking, but he was too obedient and lacked the proud and stubborn temperament of this human.
The choice between the unrestrained fire and the dignified, cold ice is a difficult one to make.
"Oh."
Hearing Wen Ruo's laughter, Heng Ji's eyes widened in displeasure: "What are you laughing at?"
He coughed lightly a few times, his tone light and cheerful: "The one celebrating his birthday today is not him, but the one on the stage."
Heng Ji's gaze shifted to the beauty beside Lu Yue on the stage, only to find she was an ordinary-looking rabbit. She nearly fainted with anger; how dare someone of such appearance invite her here? The fox clan was renowned for its beauty; the rabbit clan was no match for them.
Lu Yue noticed Heng Ji's fierce gaze, which was exactly what she wanted. She just hadn't expected Xue Ji to come as well. He certainly stood out too much sitting among the decadent and dissolute demons.
The fine wine and delicacies on the table remained untouched, and no music or dance was performed.
Demons kept offering gifts to Young Master Bai, which flattered him. Only after receiving Lu Yue's approval did he dare to accept them.
"A pearl-embroidered silk shirt from the East China Sea."
"Ten thousand jade herbs."
"A pair of Qilin horns."
"A piece of ancient black iron."
...
The long list of gifts had been read since the banquet began, and not all demons were qualified to be seated. Most paid their respects to the Demon Lord from afar and then hurriedly left. Xue Ji's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened; he had truly been presumptuous. It was just a small hot spring, nothing compared to this grand birthday celebration—merely a paltry act of charity.
On the high platform, Lu Yue casually kneaded the tender white rabbit ears. Her casual glance met Xue Ji's cold and gloomy gaze. Soon, those eyes lowered, and she sat calmly amidst the hustle and bustle, completely out of place with the demons chatting and laughing around her.
Lu Yue didn't like his expression; it was somewhat pitiful and contained a strange emotion she couldn't quite describe. Her heart ached slightly; he was clearly more handsome when he smiled.
Xiao Bai noticed that Lu Yue was distracted, picked up the wine cup, and tenderly wanted to feed her the wine himself.
It was rare to see him so bold in the main hall. After drinking it down, he deliberately poured the wine back into his mouth. This intimate gesture caused the demons below to start making a fuss. They even clamored for Lu Yue to feed him another sip. When she left those soft, green lips, her pale face was flushed with a faint pink, and the back of her hand was still slightly warm.
Looking back, the people at the table had vanished. Lu Yue's eyes flickered; she couldn't quite understand Xue Ji's temperament.
Since you came, why did you leave in such a hurry?
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