Chapter 77 No matter what happens, please be patient...
Huanlu carefully inserted the hairpin, took a small step back, and smiled, "Miss, you're all done with your hair done."
Ever since Sheng Zhiyi learned that she was a mortal, after a brief moment of shock, a sense of shared misfortune began to develop between them.
Within the vast demon palace, powerful demons came and went, but the two of them, one with her meridians sealed and the other a lowly mortal, were like ants, weak and helpless, forced to obey the orders of others.
Sheng Zhiyi looked at her reflection in the bronze mirror.
She wore a light blue, soft silk dress, with lotus scroll patterns subtly embroidered in silver thread on the cuffs and hem. A Hetian jade pendant hung at her waist, tinkling as she moved, like the sound of shattered jade in a clear spring.
Her hair was loosely tied up, adorned with a golden hairpin with a blue sparrow holding a pearl, the pearl dangling from the sparrow's beak reflecting the vermilion flower decoration on her smooth forehead. Her eyebrows were long and slender, reaching towards her temples, like distant mountains shrouded in green. The rouge on her lips was so vibrant it seemed to drip, making her skin appear as white as freshly fallen snow.
She was indeed beautiful and elegant, exquisite in every way, and her dress fit her perfectly, as if it had been tailor-made for her.
But... is this her?
“Miss, is there anything you are not satisfied with? The banquet has started, and His Majesty has ordered you to go there…” Huanlu’s voice carried a barely perceptible worry.
Sheng Zhiyi shook her head. "No, let's go."
Huanlu carefully opened the door and whispered, "Miss, there are many guests at the banquet today... No matter what happens, please be patient."
Endure... What other path did she have but to endure?
In an instant, Sheng Zhiyi understood Huan Lü's cautiousness; someone with no resources could only eke out a living.
She replied, "I understand."
This was Huanlu's kind intention, and she appreciated it.
Stepping into the main banquet hall, a cacophony of noise mixed with the rich aroma of wine assaulted the senses. The hall's high, domed ceiling and the black stone walls, illuminated by burning candlelight, cast bizarre and fantastical shadows upon the figures below.
The demon generals clinked glasses, and when their gazes fell upon Sheng Zhiyi as she entered, their expressions shifted in various ways: curiosity, scrutiny, contempt, greed… as if they were examining a novel trophy.
Ji Fuguang sat high on the throne at the very top, dressed in black robes, his dark hair flowing freely, his fingertips casually resting on the armrest. He did not look at her, but listened to the report from a demon general below, his expression indifferent, as if the commotion below had nothing to do with him.
The attendant who led the way guided her to a position to the lower left of the throne, where a small table was set up, extremely conspicuous and almost under the spotlight.
Sheng Zhiyi lowered her eyes and could clearly feel those undisguised gazes sweeping over her, making her feel uncomfortable as if they were real.
As soon as she sat down, Ji Fuguang's voice came softly, not loud, but instantly drowning out the noise in the hall.
"Tea."
One word: the command is clear and leaves no room for doubt.
All eyes instantly focused on her.
Sheng Zhiyi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly; she felt her throat tighten and her fingertips grow cold. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, yesterday's humiliation was magnified infinitely, a public execution.
She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. Huanlu had already prepared the tea set and Dew-Gathering Grass tea cakes. She picked up the small teapot from the stove, poured hot water into the white jade teacup, and the rising steam blurred her instantly pale face.
She took the tea leaves, brewed them, and filtered them... She did each step extremely slowly, trying to calm her wildly beating heart and trembling fingertips.
She could feel Ji Fuguang's gaze fixed on her hands, cold and penetrating, as if he were admiring her silent struggle.
Finally, a cup of tea was prepared. Sheng Zhiyi held it with both hands, walked to the throne, and bowed her head to offer it.
"Your Majesty, please have some tea."
Ji Fuguang did not immediately take it. He turned his head slightly, his narrow phoenix eyes sweeping over the teacup, then slowly raised his eyes to look at her lowered face, her delicate neck exposed to the air.
Time seemed to freeze, and the music in the hall seemed to subside as all the demons secretly observed this scene.
After a long pause, he reached out, brushed past her fingertips, and took the teacup. His touch was icy cold, making Sheng Zhiyi almost pull her hand back.
Ji Fuguang brought the teacup to his nose, took a gentle sniff, and then took a sip.
"It's overcooked, too bitter." He put down his teacup, his tone as indifferent as if he were commenting on an insignificant item. "It seems that being under the watchful eyes of so many people has unsettled Junior Sister?"
A single, casual remark shattered all her forbearance, and a faint chuckle drifted from below.
Sheng Zhiyi dug her nails deep into her palm and whispered, "...It's my stupidity."
"It's alright." Ji Fuguang seemed unconcerned and waved his hand. "Just serve wine over there."
With just one sentence, she was firmly placed in the position of "maid." The demons in the hall looked at her with a newfound understanding. They had thought that His Majesty had specially brought her back because she was some important figure, but now it seemed that she was nothing special.
The time that followed felt like a long, agonizing ordeal for Sheng Zhiyi. She stood beside Ji Fuguang, refilling his glass whenever it was empty. He would sometimes talk to his subordinates, sometimes listen to the singing and dancing indifferently, as if she didn't exist.
A demon general, reeking of alcohol, stepped forward with a wine cup and bowed respectfully to Ji Fuguang. Sheng Zhiyi listened with lowered eyes; this man seemed to have just led his men in a counterattack against the immortal sect's pursuers and was in the midst of his triumphant moment. Ji Fuguang remained calm and did not offer any further reward, only giving him a cup of wine.
Upon hearing this, the man's gaze swept past the group of palace maids, his eyes clouding as he scrutinized Sheng Zhiyi. Before she could react, Ji Fuguang didn't even raise his eyes; his fingertips merely twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Bang!"
The demon general was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, flying backward and crashing heavily into a stone pillar in the distance, spitting out blood and losing consciousness.
In an instant, the entire hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Ji Fuguang slowly raised his eyes, scanned the entire room, and spoke in a low voice, but with a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.
"Drag away anything that's in your way."
He didn't even offer a single explanation.
After a moment of deathly silence, the music resumed, and the conversation continued, as if nothing had happened. But in every gaze directed at Sheng Zhiyi, there was a clear hint of fear and apprehension.
Sheng Zhiyi stood beside Ji Fuguang, her heart pounding and cold sweat beading on her back.
He wasn't protecting her; he was asserting ownership.
She was in his territory, his property, and no one but him had the right to covet her. This extreme desire for control was more suffocating than pure malice.
Seemingly sensing her emotions, Ji Fuguang raised his eyes and glanced at Huanlu beside Sheng Zhiyi.
Huanlu immediately came over, took Sheng Zhiyi's arm, and asked in a low voice, "Miss, are you alright? Were you frightened?"
She was indeed frightened, but not by the demon general, but by the demons' unconditional obedience to Ji Fuguang.
If the demons have such awe of Ji Fuguang, will her plan to sow discord still be effective?
Sheng Zhiyi shook her head and said softly, "It's nothing."
In this suffocating atmosphere, Sheng Zhiyi saw Yuan Lang in the lower right corner. Unlike the other demons who were either fanatical or fearful, he quickly glanced at the fallen demon general, a trace of worry flashing across his face, as if he felt a sense of kinship.
There's an opportunity!
The banquet continued, the noise seemingly endless. Sheng Zhiyi was secretly plotting when her sleeve was gently tugged. She turned her head and Huanlu gestured for her to look at the throne. The wine glass was empty, and she quickly stepped forward to refill Ji Fuguang's glass.
Not wanting to be punished in public, she moved her feet hastily, her knee slamming hard against the table leg, her body swaying uncontrollably, and the wine jug in her hand almost slipping from her grasp!
Just when she thought she was about to fall to the ground in a sorry state, facing another round of ridicule and punishment, a cold and powerful hand suddenly gripped her wrist like an iron clamp.
The force was so great that it almost crushed her bones.
She looked up in surprise, meeting Ji Fuguang's gaze. His face remained cold and indifferent, even carrying a hint of obvious displeasure and disdain.
"Can't even stand up straight?" he scoffed, his tone laced with sarcasm.
However, Sheng Zhiyi clearly felt that the hand gripping her wrist seemed to tremble very slightly at the fingertips. Moreover, his speed was too fast, as if his body reacted instinctively the moment she swayed.
Ji Fuguang withdrew his hand in disgust. Sheng Zhiyi staggered and steadied herself, the cold and painful sensation still lingering on her wrist. As she watched Ji Fuguang's profile as he turned away, a storm raged in her heart.
Why?
The subconscious reaction he made just now and the deliberate distance he maintained afterward created a huge and distorted sense of disconnect.
An absurd thought surfaced uncontrollably once again.
She had experienced this cold and painful sensation once before.
While I was unconscious, that embrace filled with the scent of pear blossoms, that voice…
She pinched herself hard, forcing herself to stop thinking so deeply.
The logic behind the behavior of mentally ill people should not be examined too closely; otherwise, you will be the first to go crazy.
The banquet finally ended in a state of chaos.
Ji Fuguang was the first to stand up, without glancing at her again, and left indifferently amidst the kneeling crowd.
Huanlu helped Sheng Zhiyi back. On the way, Sheng Zhiyi suddenly spoke up: "I bumped into the corner of the table today, and it seems that the jade pendant at my waist fell off. This outfit was personally bestowed by His Majesty. If it is lost, I'm afraid it will displease him..."
Upon hearing this, Huanlu immediately said, "Miss, I will escort you back to Danyang Palace and search for her in the main hall right away."
“This round trip will probably take a long time. There are too many people and too many eyes in the main hall. Huanlu, go now.”
Huanlu hesitated for a moment, but when she saw the red mark on Sheng Zhiyi's wrist, she finally nodded, "Okay."
After Huanlu left, Sheng Zhiyi stood in the corner for a moment, and when she saw a figure appear, she immediately went over.
"General Yuan."
Yuan Lang stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw her.
Unbeknownst to others, when he rushed to the water dungeon after receiving the news, he saw His Majesty personally carrying Sheng Zhiyi out, his face icy cold as he sent her straight into Danyang Palace, where she remained for a long time afterward.
He dared not be negligent and bowed to her, "Miss Sheng, what brings you here?"
Sheng Zhiyi's gaze swept quickly around her, and she lowered her voice, speaking rapidly yet clearly:
"General Yuan, there's no need for such formalities."
"What happened in the hall just now was alarming. Your Majesty... acted decisively, completely disregarding the merits rendered by that general."
She paused for a moment, observing the subtle changes in Yuan Lang's expression, and continued:
"It just suddenly occurred to me, today it's him, but tomorrow... who will it be?"
In His Majesty's eyes, our lives are perhaps no different from those of ants.
Her voice was even lower, almost a whisper.
"After all, His Majesty once personally killed more than a dozen demons who were searching for him!"
After speaking, without waiting for Yuan Lang's reaction, she immediately nodded slightly, her tone returning to normal:
"I apologize, I misspoke. I was frightened today and spoke incoherently, please don't take offense, General. My jade pendant was lost at the palace banquet today, please keep an eye out for it for me, General."
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