The Match

Turning the corner, they came upon a barbecue stall. A tall, slender man was grilling chicken wings, already roasted a golden brown and looking incredibly tempting. The rich aroma of meat wafted over, and Xue Mu couldn't help swallowing. Damn, they really had grilled chicken wings!

Xue Qingqiu glanced at him and smiled. "Sometimes I look at you and see nothing but the most ordinary, worldly mortal. All that wisdom with which you viewed the world so coolly is gone."

Xue Mu grabbed her hand and sprinted toward the stall. "I am an ordinary mortal, and I care most about the pleasures of the table. So, are you treating me or not?"

Xue Qingqiu chuckled. She lowered her eyes to the hand he was holding, but said nothing about it. "A grown man without a coin to his name. Aren't you embarrassed?"

Xue Mu grinned and pulled her down onto a seat by the stall. He was just about to order from the owner when Xue Qingqiu wordlessly tossed over a piece of silver, then plucked a chicken wing from the grill and stuffed it into his hand.

Xue Mu took it, smiled at the owner, and bit into it.

Sure enough, it wasn't seasoned with cumin or salt and pepper. The flavor was different, but it was still fragrant and delicious...

Xue Qingqiu tilted her head and watched him eat. "How does it taste?"

Beaming, Xue Mu gave the owner a thumbs-up. "You've got great skills, boss. We should have a chat later. I'm very interested in this thing!"

The owner's face was strangely pale. He stared at Xue Mu in disbelief.

Xue Mu stopped chewing, bewildered. Xue Qingqiu casually said, "Get lost. Your chicken wings taste good, and they've made my younger brother happy. For that, I'll spare your life."

The owner was sweating profusely. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, then cupped his hands toward Xue Qingqiu. "Thank you, Sect Master Xue, for sparing my life. I'll come tomorrow to accept my punishment."

With that, his figure abruptly blurred, and he vanished in an instant.

A row of golden grilled wings remained on the stall, as if the whole thing had been a dream.

Xue Qingqiu casually picked up a skewer of wings, lifted her veil, and took a small bite. Her eyes suddenly curved into crescents. "They really do taste good."

Xue Mu was speechless...

Now he understood. The owner had been an assassin, but before he could figure out how Xue Qingqiu had fought him, the man had already been utterly defeated and sent packing.

And this older sister of his was still happily eating the obviously suspicious chicken wings... What's more, this was the first time he'd seen her smile with her eyes crinkled just like Xiao Chan's, so adorable.

She'd been incredibly imposing while discussing the Dao just now. What was she like now? She'd called him an ordinary mortal, but if she claimed she wasn't a glutton, he wouldn't believe her... Who knew she'd been hiding this side of herself? He'd never noticed before! They'd eaten together several times, and he'd seen her attend banquets, but she'd only ever taken the lightest sip of wine and never touched the food. He'd thought she'd given up eating. Turns out she'd just been putting on airs all along!

Unlike Xue Qingqiu, he wasn't so carefree. The chicken wing in his hand felt like a red-hot potato, and he couldn't bring himself to take another bite. He asked helplessly, "Sis, what's going on?"

Xue Qingqiu glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, she simply took off her veil and chomped down on the chicken wing. Her words came out muffled. "I smelled the Bone-Softening Incense in the charcoal from ten zhang away. And the Heart-Devouring Powder sprinkled on the wings... Oh, I never realized the powder actually tastes pretty good..."

"..." Xue Mu was too exhausted to complain. Now he really believed she and Yin Ye were fellow disciples.

He carefully examined himself internally and discovered that two new poisons had indeed entered his stomach through his esophagus. They'd already automatically merged with and been absorbed by his own poisonous qi. He still hadn't gotten used to the fact that he had poison arts, so he'd completely missed it.

Seeing him examine himself, Xue Qingqiu looked up and smiled. "He was an assassin from Wind Wave Pavilion. Bone-Softening Incense may not sound like much, but anyone below the Soul-Entwining Realm who inhales it will die as their bones go soft. Even I couldn't have saved you. But you were completely unaffected, and then you ate the Heart-Devouring Powder without so much as a reaction. He nearly fell apart."

Seems like my poison arts are pretty damn powerful... Xue Mu felt reassured and picked up another hot wing. "How did you hurt him? There wasn't a sound."

"I flicked my finger... You're too weak to see it." Xue Qingqiu couldn't be bothered to explain. She was happily chewing away. "You need to find poison to absorb anyway. He was practically delivering it to you. Since he delivered it so nicely, I let him keep his dog's life."

I bet you let him keep his life because you were enjoying the food. Xue Mu turned his head and watched her sweet, charming manner—so different from usual—and felt a strange tenderness in his heart. He couldn't help asking, "If you like eating this stuff, why hide it? Who could stop you?"

Xue Qingqiu sighed. "Chan'er is still young, and Yin Ye is just a child. If I also acted like a glutton, what would the sect look like? A bunch of little children? How could I command their respect or inspire awe?"

Xue Mu felt even more tender toward her. He reached out and gently wiped a streak of grease from the corner of her mouth. "I'll secretly make you some from now on."

His hand reached toward her. The movement wasn't fast, and to an expert it would have been slower than a snail. Yet Xue Qingqiu watched him touch her and never tried to stop him. Only after his large hand had wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth did she set down the chicken wing and stare at him. Her mouth was still moving as she chewed, and her expression was incredibly cute.

Xue Mu withdrew his hand without a care and went back to eating. "So what if I touched you? We've even cultivated dual cultivation together, haven't we?"

Xue Qingqiu's face was expressionless as she said, "What I find strange is how you can still be in the mood for this. Shouldn't you be trying to find out who sent the assassin?"

"The First Prince, of course. What's there to be confused about?" Xue Mu replied casually. "Look, most people wouldn't expect us to be eating chicken wings, right? That means they originally expected the Bone-Softening Incense in the charcoal to be enough to kill me. Someone from the Righteous Path has died from my poison before. Unless they're idiots, they should know I cultivate poison arts. They wouldn't think smoke alone could take down a poison cultivator, would they? So it had to be someone who didn't know much about me, like the First Prince or someone from the Joyous Union Sect. The Joyous Union Sect is supposed to be on our side, so they wouldn't casually burn their bridges with us. That leaves the First Prince."

A cold look rose in Xue Qingqiu's eyes. "It really could only have been Ji Wuyong..."

Xue Mu smiled. "I've probably ruined more than one of his plans, so he must be gnashing his teeth over me. I've also been stuck to your side lately. You're too powerful for him to be confident in an assassination by force, so he hired a death warrior to trade his life for mine with poison."

What Xue Qingqiu liked most about being with Xue Mu was how he could figure everything out without her having to lift a finger. She hadn't felt this comfortable in over a decade, and she was beginning to understand why Yue Xiaochan used to rely on him and ask his opinion about everything. Now she couldn't be bothered to think for herself, so she simply asked, "How should we return the favor?"

"If they're calling him the First Prince instead of the Crown Prince, then there must be a Second Prince and a Third Prince still fighting for the throne. I don't believe the royal family is capable of brotherly love." Xue Mu flung the chicken-bone skewer far away. "With a bone this big, a pack of wild dogs would fight to the death over it!"

The street was quiet and still. No wild dogs appeared to fight over the scrap, which rather diminished the force of his words. Seeing Xue Mu's awkward expression, Xue Qingqiu covered her mouth and laughed.

Xue Mu pursed his lips. "Sis, don't hide it from me. Since you have someone in the palace, we should already have chosen a side. Who is it?"

"You... Sometimes I really wish you weren't so clever." Xue Qingqiu sighed softly. "This matter has a complicated background and involves the sect's secrets... I'd rather kill Ji Wuyong to avenge you than tell you about that person in the palace."

"You've even told me your ultimate ambition. What's there to hide about this?"

"I don't believe that so-called ambition can be realized within the next few generations. As you said, it's like Yu Gong moving a mountain—it's for those who come after us. There's no harm in letting you know." Xue Qingqiu stood and looked up at the stars and moon. Her voice fell low. "But if the sect's secrets are carelessly revealed, the damage will be immediate... If you want to know, it's not impossible, but there's a condition."

"What condition?"

"Be Chan'er's man, or..." She paused, then suddenly smiled. "Be my man."

Xue Mu said crossly, "That still leaves the decision up to you."

"Does it?" Xue Qingqiu slowly moved closer, coming nearer and nearer until her forehead almost touched the tip of his nose. "But have you... figured things out for yourself?"

The melody of the xiao stirred again in Xue Mu's mind, and a slender figure strode away over the waves.

He fell silent for a moment, then said quietly, "If I said I had—"

"Shh..." Xue Qingqiu suddenly raised her index finger and held it to his lips. "Don't say it."

Xue Mu suddenly felt a kinship with Lin Wuya. Forget how tragic that man's past had been—wasn't he himself being led around in circles by this enchantress now? He couldn't help asking irritably, "Why not?"

Xue Qingqiu looked up into his eyes. "Because... then it can still be your problem."

"..." Xue Mu was both exasperated and amused.

"I was unexpectedly happy that you could discuss the Dao with me today..." Light rippled in Xue Qingqiu's eyes, gleaming like water. "When the time comes that you can say it, then you can say it..."

Enough, you enchantress...

What a game. He couldn't tell whether she meant what she said or was just playing with him. It would be better if she used Charm Technique instead. Either he could resist it or he couldn't. But playing games with feelings like this could get someone killed...

Xue Qingqiu gazed at him for a while, then finally turned to leave. "In your story, Qing'er and Xiao Mu acted so hastily. In the end... did you regret it at all?"

Xue Mu watched her back and suddenly called out, "Don't go after Ji Wuyong. The Non-Violation Array's suppression is too powerful. With all those layers of protection, even a peak expert can't really come and go as they please. Even if you managed to kill him, the consequences would be hard to predict. It would bring nothing but harm to you and the Star Moon Sect. I'll find another way to return the favor."

Xue Qingqiu's figure paused. Her reply was so quiet it was almost inaudible. "All right."

When it came to martial arts and fighting, Xue Mu's strength was probably less than five right now. But when it came to matters of the heart, the experts of this world had plenty of courage and power, yet they'd never even watched a soap opera. In that arena, they were the ones with a strength of less than five. Xue Mu, who had weathered countless battles, was the one at the Void-Piercing Realm, evenly matched with the enchantress and not the least bit intimidated.

Just like now... While she was still wavering, he was already thinking of her. It might look as though he was the one losing out by being honest. No—he'd already won one round.