Social Butterfly, Social Anxiety

Zhou Chunfeng said nothing. He dipped the brush tip into the Mountains-Boating Celadon Brush Washer, flicked his wrist, and a gentle ripple of literary aura stirred. He lifted the spotless brush and placed it on the Seven-Bend Snake-Body Bronze Brush Rest.

"The current generation's holy maiden of the Sky Firmament Sect," Zhou Chunfeng said, raising his eyes.

"I remember now. I've long admired your name." Li Qingxian immediately recalled her. He had not expected such a legendary woman to appear before him.

She had remained obscure until a year ago, when, during the Fourth Rank Azure Cloud Examination, she wielded a Qinglei Ancient Sword and defeated thirty-seven Fourth Rank Demon Sect cultivators in succession. She severed the Demon Sect's path to advancing to Principal Fourth Rank that year, earning the title Severing Qingyun and becoming famous overnight.

After the Fourth Rank Azure Cloud Examination, she entered the capital. Her beauty was peerless, eclipsing the whole city.

Later, a single remark from the Martial King, Zhao Longgu, spread across the land.

This woman resembles me most.

On the day she moved into Azure Firmament Abbey, every major power came calling. The lines of marriage proposals stretched from the South City Gate all the way to the entrance of Azure Firmament Abbey. Those who loved a spectacle praised her as the Enchanting City Fairy.

The Empress Dowager had even held a special banquet for her. Every young member of the imperial clan attended, and the unmarried princes and imperial grandsons spared no effort in dressing themselves up.

On the day of the banquet, the Empress Dowager adored Jiang Youfei at first sight. She took her hand and had her sit upon the phoenix throne—a seat not even the Empress had ever occupied. Only the Seventh Princess had sat there before.

The princes and imperial grandsons secretly went to sound out the Empress Dowager, wanting to see whether she intended to arrange a marriage. In the end, the Empress Dowager pointed at them and cursed, "You filthy things with brains full of fat and guts full of grease—how dare you set your sights on our You Fei?"

The scolding sent the princes and imperial grandsons fleeing the hall in shame.

Jiang Youfei stood gracefully beside the table, her slender little fingers holding Zhou Chunfeng's calligraphy copy as she slowly appraised it.

Zhou Chunfeng continued writing, while Zhou Hen closed his eyes to rest.

The room was silent.

Li Qingxian sighed inwardly. This place was practically worlds apart from the Jia-Nine Office.

Those three fellows were far too socially outgoing. One had a big mouth that never stopped chattering, another had mastered the divine art of playing straight man, and the last could not keep his mouth shut even when it was stuffed full of food. If he did not make an effort, he could not even get a word in.

But the three here were classic social anxiety cases. The atmosphere was so awkward that one could dig a pond in the ground with their toes and raise loaches in it.

After a long while, a youthful, delicate, gentle voice rang out. "The strokes have tendons like dragons, the characters have bones like mountains. Uncle Zhou, you have advanced another step beyond what you were in those days."

"I haven't let these years go to waste," Zhou Chunfeng said with a beaming smile.

Li Qingxian looked at Zhou Chunfeng, then at Jiang Youfei's profile, going back and forth several times. The two seemed to resemble each other a tiny bit, and a strange thought surfaced in his mind.

Could they be... father and illegitimate daughter?

The more Li Qingxian looked, the more Zhou Chunfeng appeared kindly and benevolent, carrying all the bearing of a father-in-law.

"Uncle Zhou, when you have time, teach me calligraphy. Your nephew must not disgrace your reputation," Li Qingxian said shamelessly.

Zhou Chunfeng snorted. "You think I haven't seen your dog-crawl handwriting? For the sake of my reputation, you'd best pretend you're illiterate."

As if brushed by a clear breeze, the girl's hand holding the paper trembled lightly. Her lips seemed to twitch, though perhaps it was only an illusion.

Li Qingxian's face darkened. "Uncle Zhou, there's an outsider here. Give me some face."

"You Fei isn't an outsider."

"Then shouldn't you introduce her properly?" Li Qingxian said with perfect righteousness.

Zhou Hen looked over. Where did this brat get the nerve to be so shameless?

Ignoring Li Qingxian, Zhou Chunfeng looked at Jiang Youfei as though she were his own daughter and smiled. "You're not familiar with this brat. Shall I speak for you?"

Jiang Youfei gave a slight nod, lovely and obedient.

Li Qingxian swept his gaze around the room, picked up a piece of peanut crisp from the table, took a bite, dragged over a chair, and lazily sat down.

"We're all family here. Don't stand on ceremony. Sit," Li Qingxian said, playing host in another's house.

Jiang Youfei seemed not to hear him.

Zhou Chunfeng shot him an annoyed look. "There's serious business in calling you here."

"If there weren't, you definitely wouldn't remember me," Li Qingxian said.

Zhou Chunfeng continued as if he had not heard. "You've heard about the Sky Firmament Sect's holy son being injured, haven't you?"

Li Qingxian rested both arms on the armrests and thought for a moment. "I heard something about it. He was apparently injured by the Demon Sect, which led to the Enchanting City Fairy coming down the mountain, right?"

"That holy son, Lü Ren, is You Fei's chief senior brother. She came to the capital this time because she wants to avenge her senior brother."

"Loyalty and righteousness without equal, surpassing even her immortal beauty." Li Qingxian raised a thumbs-up and praised her sincerely.

Jiang Youfei did not move. She merely stood there and listened.

Zhou Hen looked out the window. How awkward.

Zhou Chunfeng continued, "Lü Ren was gravely injured back then. Even now, he occasionally falls unconscious. He has remained at Azure Firmament Abbey outside the city for treatment. The abbey has the Sky Firmament Sect's grand formation, and it is close to the capital, so the Demon Sect does not dare act rashly. You Fei wishes to send him back to the Sky Firmament Sect, but the Demon Sect will certainly not let the matter rest. We intend to beat them at their own game: find someone to impersonate Lü Ren, lure the snake from its hole, then gather our forces and annihilate them. Afterward, we'll secretly cross at Chencang and send Lü Ren back to the Sky Firmament Sect."

"You want me to lure the snake?" Alarm rose in Li Qingxian's heart.

Zhou Chunfeng said, "Our original choice was... there's no harm in telling you. It was Ye Han. You Fei discovered that he had a few questionable marks on his record and feared he could not keep his mouth shut, ruining the entire affair. We need a replacement. The impersonator must meet strict requirements. For example, he cannot be Entry Rank and must have no True Essence, so that he resembles the gravely injured Lü Ren and will not be detected by demonic arts. His build must also resemble Lü Ren's, and his aura must be pure and singular. Most importantly, his background must be clean, and he must have courage, strategy, nerve, and brains. Otherwise, if something unexpected happens, he may very well expose himself."

Zhou Chunfeng stared at Li Qingxian.

Li Qingxian found it strange when he heard Ye Han's name. That man had been calling him brother just days ago, yet he had suddenly vanished over the past few days.

"I do meet the requirements of having courage, strategy, nerve, and brains, but..." Li Qingxian glanced at Jiang Youfei. "I have one small flaw: I'm afraid of dying. I don't think I'm suited for this role."

Zhou Chunfeng sighed. "At first, I did not consider you either. Zhou Hen and I repeatedly screened candidates in the Divine Capital Office, but we truly could not find a suitable person. We cannot borrow someone from outside for such a vital matter. Yet most of the people under me whom I can trust are already Entry Rank."

"How about crippling Pang Mingjing, maiming him and knocking him unconscious, then disguising him as the holy son? I think it'll work!" Li Qingxian said.

"We need the impersonator to be able to walk, as though he has just recovered from a serious illness. Only then will they want to pull up the roots and wipe out the weeds, and only then can we invite the lord into the urn," Zhou Chunfeng said.

Li Qingxian looked at Jiang Youfei. "Sister You Fei, do you want to safely send your senior brother back, or do you want revenge? If it's the former, there's absolutely no need for you to go to such lengths."

"I want both!" The girl lowered her head slightly, her tone firm. The fingers clutching the paper turned white.

"Vanquishing demons and defending the Way is the duty of our generation," Zhou Chunfeng said.

"Uncle Zhou, are you really going to watch me walk straight into death? That Lü Ren is a Principal Fourth Rank expert. If the Demon Sect wants to pull up the roots and wipe out the weeds, they'll send at least one Third Rank expert—perhaps even two. What difference is there between me going and delivering myself as a dish? This plan is muddleheaded; it violates a great military taboo!"

"I have the Thunderlight Fire Seal. With the strength of Fourth Rank, I can slay Third Rank." Jiang Youfei turned her head, slightly lifting her chin. Her eyes were stained with the fire of the setting sun.

"You can kill one, but can you kill two? Can you kill three? Aside from you, who else does the Sky Firmament Sect have? Do you have any Third Rank experts supporting you?" Li Qingxian asked.

Jiang Youfei pressed her lips together, her pink lips forming a thin line. She said nothing.