Ji Xueruo Found a Way to Relieve Her Fatigue

A single candle, a stack of documents, and half a cup of fragrant tea.

The woman held the documents in her hands, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, blending seamlessly with her dark python robe, exuding mystery and elegance, profundity and nobility.

"Elder Hua discovered two clansmen polishing a mirror in the back pond of the Snake Ancestor Temple. Should they be severely punished?! Alas... The Snake Clan has no male members, and the women within the clan have nowhere to release their desires. It's an unspoken understanding that they use some means to vent their frustrations. However, we should not underestimate the Snake Ancestor's authority. We must make an example of them to deter others and prevent this from happening again."

"The Golden Peng Clan is quite trustworthy. After receiving the Lotus Root Heart, they have confirmed an alliance with my Serpent Clan and even invited me to the banquet following the Golden Peng Holy Son's recovery... With this, my Serpent Clan now has a strong backing on Star Zhao Divine Mountain. Our return to the Divine Mountain is just around the corner..."

The vast palace was quiet and cold. Ji Xueruo frowned and rubbed her temples, then began to carefully read the last letter in front of her by the light of the palace lanterns.

Ji Xueruo had many documents and letters to read every day, but she deliberately saved this letter for the last time of her busy day because it was a letter from her younger sister in the Central Yuan Continent.

This letter traveled over mountains and across oceans, and it took a great deal of effort to reach her.

Because of the tense relationship between the human and demon races, private communication is openly prohibited. It was only thanks to the kind-hearted Third Elder that a bridge was built between the Demon Race and the name of Bihua Peak, allowing Ji Lingruo to send letters openly and legitimately.

The first few pages of the letter were written in plain language by Ji Lingruo. It was a long and detailed account of her situation and treatment at the Xuanxiao Sect, reassuring her sister that she was safe and sound.

She then expressed her longing for her sister, as their unexpected meeting and subsequent hasty parting meant that the sisters, separated for three years, were once again separated by the Taiwan Strait. Although the two had some disagreements over men, their sisterly bond remained strong and unbreakable.

However, between the lines, Ji Lingruo intentionally or unintentionally 'showed off' her daily life with You Su.

For example, my senior bought me new clothes today, and he took me out for a nice meal. Why did he even take me on a trip to such a faraway place Moxie City? I've already told him to stop spending so much money...

Not a single sentence in the letter said, "Sister, look, the man you like is with me every day and spoils me," yet it seemed... every sentence said it.

Ji Xueruo and gave a bitter smile.

As a member of a different race and alone in a foreign land, Ji Lingruo was actually worried. She knew the principle of reporting good news but not bad news, because the connected divine sense would transmit the strong stimuli felt by the body to another person, so she did not entirely believe the contents of her sister's letter.

For example, some time ago, she sensed the intense pain coming from her younger sister through her spiritual perception. She was extremely worried at the time, but fortunately, the pain subsided quickly.

But this excruciating pain was only temporary. The letter her sister sent was filled with genuine joy, indicating that Lingruo was doing well in the Central Yuan Continent.

That blind man did what he was supposed to do.

Ji Xueruo was not angry at Ji Lingruo's smugness, but a little bitterness welled up in her heart.

Her brief time with You Su felt like a century, and their shared experience of fighting side by side at Jade Ring Pool was etched into her mind like a brand.

In traditional Chinese folk tales, the male and female protagonists often confess their feelings after overcoming hardships together and then stay together intimately. However, she and You Su were forced to separate at the very moment when they should have been passionately in love.

Race, region, responsibility, identity... all sorts of constraints prevented them from being together, and they could only promise to meet again in the future.

She couldn't, but Lingruo stay by that blind man's side, that would be enough...

Time will heal all wounds; perhaps it's best if the blind man forgets her. That way, she can continue fulfilling her mission without burden, and her sister can enjoy her lover's affection alone.

Thinking this, Ji Xueruo sighed softly.

It sounded like resignation, or perhaps a lament.

After reading Ji Lingruo's signature, she thought the letter should end there, but there was another sheet of paper behind it.

Ji Xueruo furrowed her brows, and under the orange light, her stunningly beautiful face seemed to become even more radiant.

Ji Xueruo was extremely annoyed with herself. Just a moment ago she was thinking about forgetting each other on the path of immortality, but now she was so happy just because this might be a letter sent by that blind man. She was really too pathetic.

She exhaled softly and slowly unfolded the last sheet of paper.

"All was silent. The iron quilt creaked as dawn approached."

The incense has burned out, the lamp is dim, and the chanting is unsteady; a desolate scene.

Only the frost accompanies the bright moon.

The night must be chilly, keeping the plum blossoms awake.

I think of the plum blossoms, and they think of me; we are deeply in love.

I looked up and saw the clear, ice-cold jade bottle.

I came up with a short poem and would like to present it to Miss Xue Ruo. I hope you will like it.

--You Su."

Ji Xueruo couldn't help but read the contents of the letter aloud. She was well-read and deeply understood the meaning behind the poem.

She pursed her lips slightly, looked up and surveyed the surroundings, and was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of being in another world. She felt that the scene described in the poem was so similar to what she was seeing and feeling at that moment.

The incense in the room had burned out, and the lamp flickered dimly. Outside, the bright moon hung high, and frost covered the ground. She, burdened by her heavy responsibilities, could not sleep and was still reviewing memorials in this cold and desolate night.

The first stanza of this poem seems to have been written for her.

I came up with a short poem... Did he write it himself?

Looking at the second stanza, the icy earth and the sleepless night remind the poet of the plum blossoms, who are unable to sleep, from his own unsteady chanting.

"I think of the plum blossoms, and the plum blossoms think of me; we are deeply in love."

It turns out that the first stanza wasn't referring to her, but to You Su herself.

The plum blossom in the second stanza, bent over by the heavy snow and unable to sleep due to its distress, is the true her.

So, in his eyes, I am a plum blossom, proud and beautiful even in the cold...?

Ji Xueruo's eyes were clear, but she spat out a disdainful remark:

"That blind man is far too presumptuous. How does he know I won't be able to sleep, or that I'll be thinking of him when I can't sleep? Bah..."

To compare one's pity for plum blossoms to clear, unmelting ice is truly shameless.

Although Ji Xueruo said and thought this way, the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

She sighed softly; she had never complained to anyone about her fate. But this blind man, though unable to see, saw with a clear mind the heavy responsibility weighing on her shoulders, as heavy as snow.

So, he really did understand me...

Ji Xueruo unfolded the letter paper, intending to write a reply to her younger sister, and also... a reply to the blind man.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the words to begin. She tried to refresh herself with cold tea, but it was to no avail. So she shook her head inwardly and wearily rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Exhausted from a long day, her mind was sluggish, and she couldn't think of any reply.

So he had no choice but to give up and got up to return to his bed.

Lying in bed with her eyes closed, she couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned, the image of the blind man lingering in her mind.

"Counting the days... it seems like they haven't done it for eight days... have they broken up?"

The girl stared at the ceiling, her cheeks already flushed.

She didn't know how she remembered such things so clearly, or what the purpose of calculating them was.

Settling accounts, yes, it's definitely for the sake of settling accounts!

What accounts are we talking about?

How many times have you owed me...?

Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!

Ji Xueruo gently patted her burning face, trying to clear her mind.

Yet this uncooperative body inexplicably felt a persistent emptiness.

"The snake clan has no men, and the women within have nowhere to satisfy their desires."

Ji Xueruo recalled her earlier comments.

Maybe we shouldn't punish them too severely; a verbal warning would suffice...

After all, they couldn't help themselves...

Ji Xueruo, feeling guilty, withdrew her hand from inside her embroidered python nightgown and pinched her soft, smooth thigh hard.

It's all that blind man's fault for writing that letter to provoke me!

I didn't have time to think about these messy things at all!

Suddenly, she felt a faint electric current running through her, then focused on her heart.

Her expression froze, and she quickly realized the source of the feeling.

When she needed him most, he came.

"These shameless young lovers! They come every single day, don't they ever get tired of it?!"

Ji Xueruo scolded playfully, then buried her flushed face in the blanket like an ostrich.

She kept her lips tightly pressed together, afraid to make a sound, but she felt a sharp, aching pain in her jaw, as if it were about to dislocate, and a suffocating feeling, like a fishbone stuck in her throat...

"This liar... he even lied to my sister..."

Soon, a variety of different stimulating sensations came one after another.

On the enormous bed, the quilt, billowing up, shifted its shape several times.

Ji Xueruo also figured it out: instead of trying her best to resist this unbreakable divine connection like before, she might as well enjoy it.

Let's just say... let's just say it's the blind man serving her, the hard-working clan leader...

This dignified and self-assured young woman finally had a chance to relieve her exhaustion late at night.

If this shared spiritual connection could become an ethical dilemma, then they have found a solution.

That is to find the same dao companion...

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky Ji Xueruo got up early, didn't get up until this time for the first time.

Granny Liu didn't ask the girl why, as she also felt that the girl was working too hard every day.

Looking at Ji Xueruo's radiant face, Granny Liu smiled with satisfaction:

"It seems you had a good rest last night, Eldest Young Lady. Actually, you don't need to do everything yourself. If you could take a break from your busy schedule like you did last night, you could relax a bit."

Ji Xueruo, stealing a moment of sweetness amidst her busy schedule.

A blush rose to her cheeks, she shook her head, looked at the elegant courtyard, and suddenly said:

"Granny Liu, please plant more plum blossoms in my yard."

Upon hearing this, Granny Liu's eyes lit up. Her Eldest Young Lady was always busy with politics and studies, and except for extremely important occasions, she had no interest in caring about things like food, clothing, housing, and transportation. Eldest Young Lady always arranged for her to use whatever she wanted.

Is this the first time the Eldest Young Lady has taken the initiative to make a request regarding the courtyard?

"But Eldest Young Lady, why do you insist on planting plum blossoms?"

"I've suddenly fallen in love with it, can't I plant it?"

"It's not that it's impossible, it's just that the snake clan has never cultivated plum blossoms..."

Ji Xueruo frowned and asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"The snake clan consists only of women, and they reproduce through the blood of their ancestor, so they often remain chaste for life, never seeing blood... And plum blossoms are often called blood plums; if someone plants one in front of their house, it signifies..."

The meaning is self-evident.

Ji Xueruo blushed and said reproachfully:

"When did the Serpent Clan come up with such a ridiculous rule? Planting plum blossoms is now related to chastity? Besides red plum blossoms, there are White Plum Blossom, yellow plum blossoms, purple plum blossoms... Are we not allowed to plant any of them?"

"What you say is true, Eldest Young Lady ... Then I will arrange it today to add three plum trees to your courtyard."

Wait... Ji Xueruo raised an eyebrow. Am I the only one here?

She was one of only two people in the snake clan who had truly lost their virginity. It would have been better if Granny Liu hadn't mentioned it; after she did, she was left alone planting plum blossoms in her courtyard. If the clansmen saw this, wouldn't they put her on the hot seat of shame?

"Ahem, in order to change the feudal mindset of the snake clan, I have decided to plant plum blossoms in front of the door of every clansman's home! The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold, which perfectly describes our snake clan's hard-won happiness!"

This Empress refuses to believe it. Planting plum blossoms is nothing; could it possibly lead to the loss of the integrity of an entire clan?

I want to give it to you.

An Everlasting Love

Hold hands tightly and travel the world

You are the celebration

You are the sunshine...

In the morning, Ji Lingruo was still catching up on sleep, while You Su was humming a little tune in the courtyard, lying on a chair with her eyes closed, resting.

To be honest, last night's fierce battle certainly lived up to the song's original title, "The Sun Never Sets."

"Junior brother sings so well."

Wangshu sat down next to You Su with a smile, offering sincere praise.

She brought over a stove that she had specially prepared to You Su and ward off the cold.

The stove was large, yet the two people were imperceptibly close, as if their shoulders would touch if they made even the slightest movement.

"You flatter me, senior sister. I was just humming along."

You Su chuckled and scratched his head. He had been so engrossed in reminiscing that he hadn't noticed Wangshu Fairy had quietly sat down beside him, so he was too embarrassed to sing anymore.

"Even a casual hum from my junior brother sounds good."

Wangshu's persistent praise made You Su smile helplessly. He felt touched as he noticed the warmth emanating from the stove beside him.

"Senior sister, there's no need for that. I'm not that cold."

"But I'm cold."

Wangshu Fairy stretched out her delicately shaped hands and rested them against the stove to warm herself.

Upon hearing this, You Su felt a pang of pain in his heart. He had already deeply felt the fact that his senior sister's body was cold.

After talking things out with his junior sister last night, he was able to face his feelings more honestly.

He made up his mind, slowly reached out, and grasped the hand of Wangshu Fairy, whose skin was as smooth as ice and jade.

Wangshu remained motionless, staring blankly at You Su, whose eyes were clear. She sensed an inexplicable emotion in the blind man's eyes.

This feeling had been hidden deep within his junior brother, but now it was laid bare.

For some reason, she felt a little shy for the first time in the face of someone else's feelings, and slowly lowered her head, but still let You Su's rough hands caress her palms, feeling a warm current flowing from his hands.

You Su held Wangshu's hand and warmed herself by the fire with her:

"Does your hand still feel cold, senior sister?"

Wangshu Fairy nodded obediently.

You Su felt slightly embarrassed, but that's just how Wangshu Fairy is; she doesn't lie.

How could You Su's hands and the brazier easily warm up someone who was born without body temperature?

"Then keep it covered for a while longer, and you won't be cold anymore."

You Su, shameless and greedy, was captivated by the cold, jade-like feel of the fabric in her hands.

"Um..."

As Wangshu Fairy nodded, she also tightened her grip on You Su's hand slightly, as if afraid he would run away.

"Your hands are the most precious hands in the world, they can't be used to start a fire or burn charcoal, you know?" You Su affectionately squeezed the soft, smooth skin in her hands.

"Oh..."

The charcoal fire crackled and popped, You Su smiled serenely, quietly enjoying the tender time with her senior sister.

"Junior Brother, don't you care about the proper distance between men and women?" Wangshu Fairy suddenly asked.

You Su was slightly taken aback, only then remembering that when he first came up the mountain, he had always avoided his senior sister's advances, often using the excuse that men and women should not touch each other.

But even now, only a few months later, he can no longer bear to let go of the girl in front of him.

"Because now, my senior sister is also special to me."

You Su's words were sincere.

Wangshu couldn't help but recall how her junior brother had explained to her that although men and women were different, she didn't need to distance herself from her junior sister—that was because her junior sister was special to him.

And now, she is too.

A warm current flowed naturally from the girl's heart. You Su could clearly feel that the girl's hands had warmed up a bit, a warmth that came from within.

"Then... why is that?"

Of course, it's because I like it.

You Su had always wanted to teach his senior sister the difference between liking and not liking, and now he finally had the chance. But just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by Ji Lingruo, who was rubbing her sleepy eyes behind him.

"Senior sister, let's go, we should go to the Third Elder's place."

You Su couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed. He had been intimate with his junior sister that morning, and now he was holding another woman's hand right in front of her...

But it's impossible for him to let go voluntarily just because he's afraid of his junior sister.

Fortunately Wangshu came to his rescue in time, and the girl reluctantly let go of his hand.

"Junior brother, I'm going to Bihua Peak. Let me know when I get back."

You Su then released her hand and placed it on the stove to warm it, feeling that her junior sister's gaze was even hotter than the stove itself.

He had intended to go with them, but felt it was best not to get between the two women at this moment.

"Oh, okay. Then junior sisters and senior sisters, please be careful. I'll wait for you to come back for lunch."

"We're not coming back for dinner, you'll have to fend for yourself."

Ji Lingruo even wore light makeup, making her incredibly beautiful.

"Senior sister, let's go."

As she spoke, Ji Lingruo took Wangshu's arm and pulled her away. But as she turned, she inadvertently kicked You Su's shin with her toe, as if to vent her anger.

You Su had a begging expression on his face, but in his heart he was curious; these two must be hiding something from him.

However, he had complete trust in both women and knew they would find out when the time was right, so he wouldn't force them.

On the vast Lotus Peak, he was all alone once again.

"How about... we go look for Mistress again?"

You Su quickly shook his head, banishing the thought from his mind. What if his master's Mistress disliked him for coming too often?

Just as I was thinking this, I felt a slight vibration in my arms.

You Su hurriedly took it out and realized it was the Xuanji Token.

He then remembered that he had agreed with Brother He to use the Xuanji Token maintain communication, but after taking a bath last night, he changed into a loose robe that was easy to take off, and he didn't even bring his Universe Bag with him.

It wasn't until dawn today that I put the equipment back on my person.

Knowing he had broken his promise, he hurriedly channeled his Mystic Qi into the Xuanji Token, only to discover that the accumulated information was so dense that it completely filled the space of his consciousness.

"Brother You, are you there?"

"Brother You, haven't you rested yet?"

"Brother You, I think my becoming Cheng Ying Venerable's disciple might not be so simple."

"Brother You, I advise you to stay away from that Tao Yaoyao."

"Brother You, did you lose the Xuanji Token?"

Amidst the deluge of messages from Brother He, there was even one from Lord Ash—

"Please reply upon receipt. He Kongyue said you may have encountered some misfortune."

You Su raised an eyebrow, realizing that Brother He was worried about him to such an extent, and immediately felt extremely guilty.

You Su also saw the latest message He Kongyue had just sent—

My father wants to see you.

The Mistress's... father?!