She's Too Young

Yue Xiaochan led Xue Mu slowly into the bamboo forest. The man and woman strolled through the grove, a cool breeze rustling the leaves as they drifted down, sunlight filtering through in dappled halos. It was a beautiful scene. Perhaps moved by the atmosphere, Yue Xiaochan's face remained slightly flushed; she had intended to brief Xue Mu on the situation, but she remained silent.

Even Xue Mu felt a touch of romantic idealism. Thinking of how well this girl had treated him, his heart softened. Walking side by side, he felt a genuine, fluttering heartbeat, as if they were truly in love. He pursed his lips, feeling that the age gap was a bit beastly, and forced himself to steer toward the main topic: "What's the deal with the Six Fan Gates? They ignore the vendettas between your sects, so what exactly do they do?"

Yue Xiaochan snapped back to reality and whispered, "The Six Fan Gates is responsible for maintaining order in the pugilistic world, which is practically the entire world. They hold significant weight in the imperial court. In theory, they should handle your vendettas, but... for one, the major sects are too powerful to be reined in; when they protect their own, the authorities can't do a thing. For another, the court is happy to see the righteous and demonic factions clash, sometimes even stoking the flames themselves."

Xue Mu had a sudden realization. This aligned with the Spring and Autumn period—a weak central court and a landscape filled with competing lords.

No wonder Xiahou Di had no interest in managing the conflict between the righteous and demonic sects; in her heart, she probably wished they would fight even harder. By the same token, she wouldn't want to see the so-called "unity" of the righteous sects. They were already becoming hollow shells; if they truly joined forces, where would that leave the Six Fan Gates?

Yue Xiaochan continued, "The Six Fan Gates is actually quite powerful, but their position has become increasingly awkward. They can't handle the big issues, and even when it comes to catching common bandits, righteous sect members scramble to do it first to earn fame. The Six Fan Gates can barely extend their reach into the provinces, and instead, they have to praise and encourage the righteous sects for doing their jobs... As a result, a group of top-tier experts is stuck doing nothing but investigating petty vendettas. It's incredibly stifling. None of the past Chief Constables have been willing to accept this; they all want to restore the authority of the Six Fan Gates. Xiahou Di is the craziest of them all... Do you know? She even catches thieves herself. A dignified Chief Constable, a peak Hua Yun Realm expert—out of the millions of martial artists in the world, she ranks in the top hundred at the very least. For an expert like that to go around catching thieves? If she isn't crazy, who is?"

Watching Yue Xiaochan wave her little hands in such an adorable manner, Xue Mu couldn't help but laugh. "Instead of boosting their authority, wouldn't that just cheapen their image?"

"She has no choice; she's just trying every possible way to demonstrate that the Six Fan Gates still exists. When she captured Aunt Yin Ye, she claimed it was a 'precautionary measure,' but in reality, wasn't she just hoping to use the opportunity to boost the prestige of the Six Fan Gates? After all, capturing the second-in-command of the Star Moon Sect is enough to intimidate quite a few people."

Xue Mu nodded. "I see. But I imagine not everyone in the Six Fan Gates is so selfless. There should still be room to maneuver."

Yue Xiaochan sighed. "Of course, not everyone is that selfless. But Xiahou Di's authority is too heavy. For some reason, she enjoys the deep trust of the Emperor. There are rumors that she is the Emperor's illegitimate daughter—a princess, in fact—so most people in the Six Fan Gates don't dare to defy her wishes, which makes this whole thing difficult to handle."

Xue Mu joked, "That Xiahou Di is a rare beauty. I don't think she's an illegitimate daughter; I think she's his mistress."

Yue Xiaochan stopped in her tracks, glancing at him sideways with a playful, enigmatic smile. "As expected of our 'Xue the Third.' Most people wouldn't think of such sordid possibilities. That Taoist was right—we are demonic women, and you are a demonic man."

Truth be told, the modern mindset of many people was quite compatible with these "demonic women." Just like the ideas Xue Mu had proposed earlier, which were full of demonic flair, his tendency to think of the most scandalous possibilities first meant their brainwaves were truly in sync. Calling him a "demonic man" wasn't wrong at all.

Xue Mu turned his head to look at her. Yue Xiaochan was tilting her head, her expression charming and her skin as white as snow. Her lips, like cherries, were moist and alluring. Xue Mu's heart skipped a beat again, and he subconsciously blurted out, "If you are a demonic woman, I am willing to be a demonic man."

How could a young girl like Yue Xiaochan have ever heard such explicit flirtation? She felt her heart skip a beat, followed by a sweet, tingling sensation that spread throughout her entire body. Her mind went blank and dizzy, her heart pounding violently. She wanted to say something, but her throat was dry. Her small face turned red all the way down to her neck. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out, "You're really no good."

Xue Mu also felt a pang of regret; this kind of flirtation wasn't meant to be said so recklessly... Just as he was about to say something to smooth things over, a muffled grunt echoed through the air, striking their hearts like a heavy bell. Xue Mu felt his internal organs churn, and he nearly coughed up blood from the discomfort, while Yue Xiaochan's expression instantly cleared.

Xue Qingqiu had finally decided to intervene...

Yue Xiaochan realized what had happened and quickly said, "According to our intelligence, the old Emperor has been impotent for over a decade, so she can't be his mistress. The possibility of her being an illegitimate daughter from his younger years is quite high... Let's go, let's go. Master is getting impatient."

Watching her scurry away as if fleeing for her life, Xue Mu suppressed his roiling blood and slowly climbed the stairs to Xue Qingqiu's bamboo pavilion.

Xue Qingqiu was in her room, no longer wearing her veil. She sat quietly by the window, her eyes, clear as autumn water, gazing pensively at the blue sky outside. Her lips were lightly pursed as if she were deep in thought. She didn't project the intimidating aura of a sect leader; instead, she possessed a melancholy, intellectual beauty. A stick of sandalwood incense burned before her, the smoke curling in thin, fragrant wisps. All the restlessness in his heart began to calm in the presence of that scent.

Hearing them enter, Xue Qingqiu spoke softly, "This is Calm Spirit Incense. Chan'er, are you at peace?"

Yue Xiaochan kept her head down, playing with the hem of her clothes, and said nothing.

Xue Qingqiu said indifferently, "You may go. You haven't practiced your cultivation for two days. Return to your own pavilion and practice diligently. I have a few words for Xue Mu."

Yue Xiaochan looked up, her eyes filled with a plea, as if asking her master not to blame Xue Mu. Xue Qingqiu sighed and simply repeated, "Go."

Usually, Yue Xiaochan seemed spoiled and lawless, but at this moment, she seemed to feel a bit guilty. Not daring to act out, she obediently retreated.

As Yue Xiaochan left, looking back every few steps, Xue Qingqiu's beautiful eyes landed on Xue Mu, devoid of joy or sorrow. "Sit."

Xue Mu sat cross-legged before her. Between them sat a small table with the sandalwood incense, the light smoke curling around them. Xue Mu suddenly felt a sense of absurdity; he was face-to-face with the leader of the Demon Sect, yet the scene felt strangely Zen.

Moreover... she was truly the most beautiful woman Xue Mu had ever seen in his life. Amidst the light smoke and intoxicating fragrance, he couldn't tell if she was more fragrant or the incense was. Within the Star Moon Sect, a place filled with beauties, she possessed that same mysterious, soul-stirring aura, yet with a maturity Yue Xiaochan lacked and a majestic, noble air that Meng Lan didn't have. Combined with her status and martial prowess, she was the pinnacle of perfection, inside and out.

Even with Xue Mu's experience in the modern world, he felt his heart race every time he saw her. None of the beauties created by makeup, Photoshop, or plastic surgery could compare to this level of grace. He truly wondered how people in this world, who hadn't been bombarded by movies, filtered photos, and girl groups, managed to keep their composure.

It was no wonder they always wore veils when they went out; if they didn't, they would likely cause traffic accidents...

Xue Qingqiu spoke slowly, breaking Xue Mu's silence.

What she said, however, took Xue Mu by surprise. "This sect does not forbid love. Although Chan'er is special, if your intentions are sincere, I have no reason to blame you. However, Xue Mu..."

Xue Mu hurriedly replied, "Please speak, Sect Leader."

Xue Qingqiu's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "I see no true affection in you, only calculations to secure your footing."

Xue Mu's heart tightened.

Yue Xiaochan was inexperienced in the world and, by all accounts, hadn't met many men. No matter how clever she was, she was still naive in matters of the heart. Xue Qingqiu was different. She had traversed the world and seen too much; under her watchful eye, Xue Mu's thoughts were almost transparent. It was not easy to hide anything from her.

Fortunately, Xue Mu's conscience was clear; he had no malicious intent. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to be honest. "No matter who is in my position, their primary concern must be to secure their footing. At the very least, everything I have done so far has been with the intention of helping the Star Moon Sect, and there is no falsehood in that. As for Chan'er..."

Xue Mu paused, wondering if Yue Xiaochan was eavesdropping outside. He hesitated, weighing whether to tell the truth, and finally said, "She is too young."