A double risk of exposure

Nansi City was not far from the Illusory Demon Sect, only half an hour away by flying sword.

Jiang Lingzhou took Gu Yi and Xie Wenyun sightseeing for eight days, arriving here on the ninth.

To enjoy himself to the fullest, he had sent away all his sect subordinates and disciples. Only the three of them had traveled here together.

Horseback riding, river excursions, sightseeing. After eating delicious food all along the way, Gu Yi felt truly blessed.

This seemed to be the happiest he had been since transmigrating into the novel. In the past, he had always flown everywhere. Wandering around with his feet on solid ground like this felt wonderful. He was enjoying himself so much that even Jiang Lingzhou looked far more agreeable to him.

"We're in Nansi City, Senior Sister Ye. I'll arrange for us to stay at the biggest restaurant here. I hear there's a lantern market tonight. It's supposed to be lively," Jiang Lingzhou introduced excitedly.

The research he had done specifically before coming had indeed paid off. Gu Yi no longer laced his words to him with barbs.

He smiled more often, too.

Any amount of money was worth a smile from a beauty.

"All right."

Gu Yi looked at the bustling traffic in Nansi City, feeling a little wistful, as though a lifetime had passed.

During his years in the Illusory Demon Sect, he had visited Nansi City, but back then, he had been busy completing missions so he could go home. Every visit had been a hurried one. He seemed never to have taken a proper look around.

He had never imagined that he would return years later with an identity like this. He was no longer the Demon Venerable, but a disciple of the orthodox path.

Sometimes Gu Yi thought about how the orthodox path and the Demonic Cult were now at peace. Aside from some minor friction, there had been no fighting for years.

If the system could have waited a little longer, perhaps it would have seen things as they were today. His mission had not really failed...

But the system had never appeared again in all these years.

"Junior Sister? What are you thinking about?" Xie Wenyun stood beside him, holding an oil-paper umbrella to shade him from the sun.

He knew Gu Yi's eyes were not very good and could not tolerate bright light. Over the years, his body had mostly recovered with treatment, but his eyes had remained sensitive to light.

"I was thinking that I seem to have wasted the first half of my life." Gu Yi watched Jiang Lingzhou hurry back. "I should have taken it easy long ago..."

"Senior Sister Ye! Come over. Everything's booked, but unfortunately, there were only two superior rooms left!" As he spoke, Jiang Lingzhou glanced at Xie Wenyun. "The two of us will have to make do together."

Still pondering Gu Yi's words, Xie Wenyun nodded slightly. "It's fine. I can simply meditate and cultivate."

Cultivators did not necessarily need to sleep at night. Xie Wenyun did not care where he slept.

Gu Yi was even feeling a little embarrassed. Throughout the journey, these two had taken extra care of him because he was a "woman." Even for the carriages they had ridden in earlier, Jiang Lingzhou had bought two, setting one aside for Gu Yi alone to rest in.

Xie Wenyun had not only held an umbrella for him the whole way, but also carried his usual medicine with him, growing terribly anxious at even a single cough. Although Gu Yi had refused before, Xie Wenyun had insisted, so he had stopped turning him down.

Gu Yi knew perfectly well what both of them had in mind. But what could he do about being so charming?

Now that he thought about it, if these two learned his real gender someday, would they come at him with swords?

As he was thinking this, a young man and woman approached from ahead. The sight of the woman's face left Gu Yi feeling as though he could not catch his breath.

Yezi?

You've got to be kidding...

This was his first time leaving the sect!!!

How had he run into her already???

Three years had passed, and Yezi was no longer the little girl she had once been. She had grown even more lively and lovely, her pale yellow dress showing off her well-proportioned figure. As she turned and smiled at the young man beside her, two faint dimples appeared on her face.

The instant Gu Yi saw Yezi, his brow furrowed involuntarily.

He had just been thinking that he had better not let his identity be exposed, lest he get cut down. How had he suddenly run into the real person?

Gu Yi wanted to avoid Yezi. This had to be a coincidence. Judging by the young man beside her, he was probably the person she had said she liked back then.

Gu Yi caught Xie Wenyun's wrist. "Senior Brother, come look over there with me..."

"All right." Xie Wenyun turned with Gu Yi, and Jiang Lingzhou turned his head as well. "Are you looking to buy something, Senior Sister Ye? I'll come too!"

The moment Gu Yi turned, he felt his heart skip a beat.

That person...

Why... was he here too...

The boy he had once known now stood even taller and straighter, clearly much taller than three years ago. At a glance, he was already over a hundred and ninety centimeters tall.

His bearing, too, seemed shrouded in frost, so cold that no one would dare approach him lightly. His eyes were deep and indifferent.

He stood there quietly, and the air around him seemed to freeze in the chill of his stern presence.

Gu Yi saw his eyes, those bright black eyes carrying a trace of coldness. Before he could think any further, Gu Yi turned around again. "Forget it. Let's go back to the restaurant and rest."

Xie Wenyun followed him silently, but Jiang Lingzhou reached out to stop him. "Senior Sister Ye, just buy whatever you like. There's no need to worry about spirit stones."

Gu Yi drew a deep breath and steadied himself. That was right. He was a woman now, Ye Yiyi. Lin Yuan had never seen him before. Why was he hiding? "I suddenly don't feel like buying anything..."

The most awkward thing was his current position. Yezi was ahead of him, and Lin Yuan was behind him... He felt as though he faced a double risk of exposure.

"Hey! Over here!" Yezi suddenly waved in Gu Yi's direction. "What are you doing here too? Are you here for the Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference?"

Yezi smiled toward him and pulled the young man beside her along as she walked over.

"Senior Brother Xie? Do you know them?" Jiang Lingzhou followed Gu Yi's gaze.

"No." Xie Wenyun tilted his head to look at Gu Yi. He did not know whether Gu Yi knew these two.

Gu Yi stared blankly at Yezi as she approached, countless thoughts and explanations flashing through his mind in an instant.

What was she trying to do?

Hadn't she been the one who drugged him and made him come in her place?

What was she doing now?

His identity wouldn't be exposed, would it... Lin Yuan was right here...

With thoughts still churning through his mind, Gu Yi could only stare blankly as Yezi pulled the young man right past him. "Brother Lin! What a coincidence!"

"Mm." Lin Yuan's expression softened slightly as he looked at Yezi, and he gave the young man beside her a slight nod as well.

"Oh, so she wasn't greeting us..."

Jiang Lingzhou spotted Lin Yuan too. Leaning close to Gu Yi's ear, he whispered, "That's the Qingling Sword Sect's young master, Lin Yuan. He has a bad temper. I hear he hits people for no reason. He's not someone you want to cross."

Gu Yi felt his heart pounding. Compared to three years ago, Lin Yuan's bearing had changed so much, and he seemed even more handsome than before...

But he... wanted to run away...

He wanted to go back to the Tianmu Sect...

Anywhere would do. He just wanted to leave this place...

"Senior Sister Ye, shall we head back?" Jiang Lingzhou prompted. "Weren't you tired?"

"Yes, let's go back." Gu Yi came to his senses, withdrew his gaze, and hurried away.

Jiang Lingzhou followed, leading the two of them up to the second floor of the restaurant he had booked earlier.

Once Gu Yi reached the second floor, he hastily said a few words to the other two, then returned to his room and shut the door. He leaned his whole body against it, his back already soaked through...