Chechi

He did not explain it outright for the moment. When Qin Yi asked why he had come, he took out a pill. "I came today intending to ask Brother Qin to appraise this pill."

Qin Yi accepted it. It was a red pill the size of a table tennis ball, smooth and crystalline on the surface. It felt hard when pinched, yet also somewhat soft—more like a piece of red jade than a medicinal pellet.

Liusu clicked her tongue in secret. "This is a typical case of refining it wrong. External pills are not made like this. Eat this pill, and even if nothing was wrong with you, something would become wrong."

"This contains a great deal of metallic substance..." Qin Yi did not even need Liusu to tell him; he could judge it himself. "This sort of pill can make one feel stimulated, briefly leaving them full of vigor, but in the long run it will absolutely harm the body."

A rare trace of delight appeared on Li Qinglin's face.

It truly was rare. Though he often smiled, Qin Yi had never felt those smiles were born of happiness. Only now, when a smile suddenly bloomed and quickly faded, did Qin Yi sense how pleased he was inside.

Such a simple appraisal had shown so clearly on Li Qinglin's face. It was obvious how much he valued whether Qin Yi could see through Dong Huazi's pills.

"I say..." Qin Yi asked curiously, "Such a huge pill—you are not telling me your royal father swallows it whole?"

Li Qinglin said helplessly, "He does indeed swallow it whole. My throat hurt just watching him. I do not know how he manages to get it down."

The two looked at each other, then shook their heads and laughed at the same time.

Qin Yi said, "Even if you tell your royal father my answer, it will not be of any use, will it?"

"Indeed, it is useless. It merely lets me know where I stand." Li Qinglin smiled. "And I have confirmed that you truly understand some of Dong Huazi's tricks. That is very important."

This probably also included the Peach Wood Sword seeking demons on its own today, refreshing Li Qinglin's understanding of Qin Yi's methods and giving him greater confidence. Qin Yi understood perfectly and deliberately asked, "What if I did not understand?"

Li Qinglin said casually, "Then you can simply devote yourself to telling Qing Jun monkey stories to relieve her boredom. I enjoy hearing them too."

Qin Yi sighed, tossed the pill back to him, and asked, "I still do not know what role you intend for me to play. If it comes to fighting Dong Huazi with magic, I may not be his match. After all, I know far too little about him."

"Fighting with magic? Perhaps. In any case, it cannot be carried out so crudely. I will arrange things slowly." Li Qinglin smiled faintly. "You also need to learn more about Dong Huazi from every angle first. When I came to find you today, I brought Ye Ling for precisely that reason."

"What does that have to do with her?"

"Even without your Peach Wood Sword, I had intended to explain her identity to you. Regarding Dong Huazi, Ye Ling knows more than many others. She can tell you nearly everything you want to know, from beginning to end." Li Qinglin's smile turned ambiguous. "That is why I had her follow you. Do you truly not want her?"

Li Qinglin's smile and words always made Qin Yi recall some music video he had watched before...

Back then, the male lead had refused. And Qin Yi... refused as well.

"She is not your servant, is she? You cannot just tell her to follow someone without asking whether she is willing."

Ye Ling, who had not uttered a word all this time, suddenly said, "I am willing."

Li Qinglin sighed inwardly. He knew that many of his actions, in Ye Ling's eyes, had failed to earn her sincere submission. That was why she did not even care about preserving his dignity, and when an opportunity arose to "choose a tree to nest in," she was so eager to seize it.

Of course... perhaps Qin Yi's act of inviting her to sit earlier had also borne fruit.

Some things seemed trivial to you, yet might be immensely important in another's eyes. Li Qinglin knew how deeply Qin Yi's attitude—treating demons like ordinary people without looking at them strangely—had moved Ye Ling.

Because in Ye Ling's short life as a demon, everything she had encountered had been dark.

Though he thought so inwardly, he would not show it. His smile only grew more ambiguous.

He had thought Qin Yi would accept, but Qin Yi instead said decisively, "Better not. A gentleman does not take what another cherishes."

Li Qinglin coughed dryly. "She is not something I cherish. She is merely a guard."

Li Qingjun's voice suddenly came from outside the door. "Giving away a guard? Let me take a look. She had better be reliable."

As she spoke, Li Qingjun strode into the room. At a glance, she saw Ye Ling and said, "Oh, Ye Ling. She does not talk much and seems quiet. Not bad—Qin Yi likes peace and quiet. But is she not a little too young?"

Then she muttered to herself, "Mm, younger is good..."

Without waiting for Qin Yi's reply, she plopped down beside the table and patted Qin Yi's shoulder. "If they are giving her to you, just accept her. Why are you being so fussy?"

Qin Yi stared blankly at Li Qingjun today.

This was Li Qingjun in women's clothing.

When she had first returned to the capital, she had still been dressed as a man. Now that she had settled down, bathed, and dressed herself up, she naturally could not continue wearing men's clothes from the road.

She wore simple pale silk, with a snow-white long skirt beneath it. Jade pendants hung at her waist. Her face bore no cosmetics, her long hair fell like drifting clouds, and a white flower was lightly pinned into it to show that someone in her Household had passed away. Compared to other women's elaborate dress, her appearance was merely simple, with the air of mourning about it. Yet her peerless beauty suddenly bloomed like a flower opening without warning.

Especially... beneath those women's clothes, the place he had thought was completely flat actually was... still completely flat. But she had not reached that age yet, had she? She was only fifteen.

Qin Yi had once thought Minghe, whom he had seen yesterday, was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Perhaps that had been enhanced by the aura of an immortal cultivator. Yet now that he saw Li Qingjun in women's clothes, her beauty was not inferior to Minghe's in the slightest—and her overflowing heroic spirit even surpassed hers!

Good heavens, why could this reckless girl keep raising the bar on how beautiful she was? If she dressed up properly next time, would she not soar straight into the heavens?

The suggestive scene from the underground cavern swept uncontrollably through his mind, and Qin Yi subconsciously swallowed.

Li Qingjun, however, never imagined that this fellow, who had previously never even looked at her properly, would be swallowing because of her. Naturally, she assumed it was because of Ye Ling. She could not help sneering, "Men, all the same filthy nature. Enough, enough. A guard does not also warm your bed. If you want to pluck flowers, rely on your own abilities. Hurry up and tell the monkey story—I was thinking about it so much last night that I could not sleep."

Do you know who I want to pluck this time? Qin Yi did not know whether to laugh or cry, but it was not appropriate to drag out this topic endlessly, so he followed her lead and changed the subject. "Your brother came to discuss serious business with me. Once I start the monkey story, it will take most of the day. It is not suitable."

"There is no serious business left." Li Qinglin sipped his tea with a smile. "I enjoy the monkey story too."

He had originally come to Qin Yi intending to let him interact with Ye Ling, then decide how to deal with that foreign cultivator based on his attitude. Now, he felt there was no need to say any of that.

Qin Yi's attitude was far more interesting than he had imagined.

"Fine." Qin Yi said helplessly, "Stop calling it a monkey story. It is called Journey to the West, written by an old gentleman named Wu Cheng'en."

Originally, Qin Yi had thought it perfectly normal for someone like Li Qingjun, who was fascinated by so many things, to enjoy Journey to the West. Besides, she had projected something of herself into it. What he had not expected was that Li Qinglin seemed even more interested in Journey to the West than Li Qingjun. He listened with great seriousness, pressed Qin Yi on minor details, and even pointed out contradictions in what Qin Yi said before and after.

Qin Yi was nearly driven to vomit blood. Who the hell remembered all the details of the original Journey to the West? Telling the story from his own memories was one thing, but wanting it to be completely free of errors was pure fantasy!

"I had thought this was some story you heard somewhere. It seems you are making it up on the spot, even borrowing the name of some Old Mister Wu." Seeing Qin Yi forced speechless, Li Qinglin smiled. "Not bad. The demons and monsters are one thing, but where did you come up with all those gods and Buddhas across the heavens?"

Qin Yi said irritably, "Are you listening or not?"

"Listening!" Li Qingjun glared at her brother. "Do not interrupt! You had just reached the part where Chechi Kingdom captured a monk, and the monkey went to ask people about it. Then what?"

"Oh, it was because twenty years ago, the entire land suffered a great drought. The common people hung upside down in misery. Then three Immortals suddenly descended from the heavens, cast their art to bring rain, and stooped down to save living beings. From then on, they became National Teachers..." Qin Yi's voice gradually faded. He realized that the expressions of both Li Family Siblings had changed.

Li Qingjun said unhappily, "If you have run out of story to make up, there is no need to use our Southern Li as material."

"..." So Dong Huazi had also become National Teacher by praying for rain? Qin Yi was speechless. He could not continue with what came next—was the contest of magic in Chechi Kingdom not exactly what Li Qinglin wanted him, Qin Yi, to do?

Li Qinglin leaned back in his chair and said leisurely, "This time, you are the one interrupting. Why can a story about our Southern Li not be made up? Brother Qin, continue. I still want to hear it."

Qin Yi said, "What is there to continue? The monkey fought the National Teachers with magic and won, and the National Teachers died."

"And then? Did the king convert to Buddhism and start arresting Daoists?"

"Of course, the flowers bloomed on both branches..."

"Mm?"

"Oh. The monkey taught him that the three teachings should return to one. He should respect monks, respect Daoists, and cultivate talent as well. Then the rivers and mountains would stand forever."

"Ha..." Li Qinglin laughed and rose to his feet. "Let us stop here today. Many thanks to Brother Qin for such an excellent story. This trip to Immortal Trace Mountain was not in vain, if only for this monkey's tale."