Page 28

The surroundings were utterly silent; only the boy's labored breathing could be heard. Dusk crept in from West Mountain, little by little, gradually swallowing the entire courtyard.

Completely unprepared, Pei Ji heard a set of footsteps.

The steps were light and quick; to him, they were even quieter than his own breathing.

Other than his master, Tian Xianzi, who had visited a few times, no one had ever stepped into the courtyard where he lived.

Then came a series of knocks, accompanied by a familiar voice. "Little Junior Brother, are you in your room?"

Chengying stirred faintly within him.

The room was unlit. In the pitch-black night, Ning Ning could make out only a blurry silhouette standing inside, through the paper-covered window.

When no one answered, she hesitated for a moment, then knocked again. "Master asked me to bring you some medicine."

The little girl's fingers were smooth and pale, her knuckles tapping against the door with a crisp sound.

The force of her knocking made the wooden panel shiver ever so slightly. The vibration passed through the door to Pei Ji's back, pressed against it, bringing an almost imperceptible tingling sensation.

Through the thin wooden door, Ning Ning's knuckles landed right around the spot over his heart.

Pei Ji tipped his head back slightly and finally pulled his teeth away from his lower lip. It took nearly every ounce of strength he had to speak, and his voice came out strangely hoarse. "Leave it at the door."

Ning Ning must have paused in surprise. She answered with some hesitation, "You can't open the door? There's something I need to give you in person."

His throat bobbed weakly as he pressed his palm against the door. His curled knuckles had gone white with the force.

At a time like this, he ought to have run out of patience.

The agony in his mind and the bone-deep pain racking his body tormented him every moment, leaving no time to think of anything else. Pei Ji had a bad temper; on any other day, he wouldn't have bothered answering her again.

But for some reason, he suddenly remembered the sight of the girl bursting into the Outer Sect Disciple dormitory that day.

Amid the chaos in his mind, he rasped out a question. "What?"

This time, Ning Ning was the one who hesitated.

She paused, seemingly too embarrassed to say what it was, then lowered her voice in mild frustration. "It's nothing important... I'll just leave it with the medicine box at the door."

Pei Ji didn't answer. His fingers pressed harder against the door.

For a long while, there was no sound from outside. He assumed the girl had already left, but then, without warning, he heard her ask softly, "Have you been keeping the Yin Mountain Ghost Pearl I gave you with you?"

Ning Ning had read the original novel and knew that his demonic energy sometimes leaked out.

Pei Ji wasn't so miserly that he wouldn't even open the door for her. The reason he'd refused treatment from the medical cultivator at the dueling platform and returned to his room had to be this.

The Yin Mountain Ghost Pearl couldn't cure him completely, but it could at least ease some of his suffering. If he'd received such a treasure only to leave it in a drawer, that would be a terrible waste.

She'd said it all in one breath, and only afterward realized that something about it seemed a little off.

Pei Ji didn't know the Yin Mountain Ghost Pearl could suppress demonic energy. In his eyes, she'd given him a pearl and then shamelessly insisted he keep it on him...

It was practically like telling him to wear a token of their love!

Ning Ning's ears suddenly turned red. She hurried to explain, "I heard the Yin Mountain Ghost Pearl could relieve pain and illness. If Little Junior Brother gets poisoned while out on a trial, it might help you turn danger into safety."

Chengying would never usually bother him when his demonic energy was surging, but now it clicked its tongue. "That little girl wants you to remember your token of love, Pei Ji."

What token of love?

A sneer crossed the boy's lips. As if the sword wounds on his body weren't deep enough, he pulled a small knife from his clothes and stabbed it into his wrist.

There was no such thing as affection or love without reason. He and that proud Senior Sister had barely interacted. How could she possibly fall for him?

Even if she really did feel something for him, it was only because she liked his looks, which were of little use. Before long, that cheap affection would vanish without a trace.

He wasn't a fool. He wouldn't let himself get caught up in it.

As he dragged the small knife to the right, Pei Ji answered her nonchalantly, wearing a faintly mocking smile. "Thank you, Senior Sister. But the Yin Mountain Ghost Pearl is far too precious. I'm not worthy of it. I'd better return it to you."

He didn't want to owe anyone. Last time, Ning Ning had turned and run as soon as she finished speaking, giving him no chance to refuse. This time, at last, he could make himself clear.

The little girl outside seemed to grow anxious, her voice rising several notches. "You saved my life. I ought to repay you. That pearl—"

She'd only gotten that far when a creak sounded beside her.

Pei Ji opened the door.

He looked terribly disheveled. Blood vessels spread like vines across the whites of his eyes, wildly claiming most of them.

Bloodlust clung to him from head to toe. His black clothes and hair melted into the night, leaving only his pale cheeks washed in moonlight, so fair they seemed to glow.

The dense darkness hung like ink, pressing the moonlight quietly downward.

But the gloom in Pei Ji's eyes was darker still, his gaze so vicious it seemed he might swallow her whole.

"Anyway!"

Ning Ning wasn't afraid of him. She quickly unfolded the handkerchief she'd wrapped around something and revealed a pale yellow, spherical object. The instant Pei Ji opened his mouth to refuse her, she rose onto her tiptoes.

Then she shoved the thing into his mouth without a second thought.

It felt impossibly soft against his tongue. Half of the squishy, round little ball went into his mouth, and the boy's lean cheeks suddenly puffed out, bulging like a bun.

The viciousness on Pei Ji's face slowly melted away, replaced by utter shock and bewilderment. He blinked helplessly.

Even the faint remnants of demonic energy abruptly stopped. As if startled and embarrassed, they quietly spun in midair before slipping into the pitch-black shadow.

"I don't care what you say. I won't listen. I told you to keep the pearl with you, so you have to keep it with you. Otherwise, I—"

She thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a threat, so she glared at him. "Otherwise, I'll be really, really angry. I'm scary when I'm angry."