The pavilion was peaceful for exactly three seconds.
Then—
"SAINTESS! Listen—listen—LISTEN!"
Princess Lingyao seized Bai Xuelan's hands as if she had discovered an immortal artifact.
The saintess blinked. "…What?"
The princess leaned in so close their noses nearly brushed.
"Look—they have current news." She unscrolled the scroll so they both could read. "It says a disciple named X in the Immortal Peak made 395 women pregnant in half a year, and he didn't stop at human women—spirits, non-human, even artifacts that existed before my godmother."
The saintess paused.
Expression serene.
Composed.
Utterly judging.
"Is the sect actually reliable, Your Highness?"
Her voice was soft, gentle as drifting snow.
Princess Lingyao lifted her chin proudly.
"Of course! Leave everything to this princess. As long as my pocket isn't empty, there is no problem."
The saintess sighed, a quiet, resigned sound.
"…I fear I may regret this."
They were still speaking politely when—
CRASH—THUD—ROLL—THUD—BOOM.
Three elders exploded through the door like collapsing tofu.
One slid across the floor as though pushed by a hand.Another landed with his nose to the ground.The third attempted dignity mid-fall—and failed miserably.
All three scrambled upright and cupped their fists.
"G–Greetings, Your Highness! Greetings, Saintess Bai!"
Princess Lingyao straightened instantly.
Her aura shifted—
Regal. Commanding. Imperial.
She nodded like an emperor addressing incompetent ministers.
Saintess Bai Xuelan offered a gentle nod, an immortal maiden among mortals.
Elder Su entered last.
He stepped over the fallen elders without even lowering his gaze.
"…Disgraceful.""…Idiots," he muttered.
The three elders stiffened.
"Who are you calling—!?"
The princess added oil to the flames.
"With all due respect, Elder Su… whom exactly are you calling disgraceful?"
Princess Lingyao smiled sweetly—too sweetly.
"Oh dear, Elder Su, it appears they are offended."
The saintess raised both hands softly.
"Please, honored elders, let us maintain harmony…"
They all argued anyway.
A refined, polite, utterly chaotic argument.
Only after enough noise to wake their ancestors did they finally sit.
Introductions began.
When the elders learned the saintess's master—
their souls fled their bodies.
"You mean the Evil-Slaying Blade Maiden…?"
"The undefeated beauty of the Northern Star Palace…?"
"The one who rejected ninety-nine marriage proposals…"
"And ignored the hundredth?!"
"And is still—still unmarried…!"
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
Their foreheads hit the table in synchronized fear.
"Saintess Bai! Please forgive our earlier offense!"
The saintess smiled politely, though the corner of her mouth twitched.
Princess Lingyao looked smug enough to ascend on the spot.
Then came the main topic.
Princess Lingyao set her teacup down with dramatic severity.
"With all due respect, Elders—
"We are searching for a man named Li Qiong."
The elders nodded like children hearing a story from their mother.
Until—
"A demonic fiend," the saintess said calmly.
"A butcher of innocence," Princess Lingyao added.
"He steps upon corpses for amusement!"
"He consumes children as though they were pills!"
"Your Highness…" the saintess warned softly.
But Princess Lingyao continued anyway.
"He desecrates corpses and uses them as playthings!"
The elders turned pale.
One swayed.
"This… this level of evil… can such a creature exist…?"
Princess Lingyao sipped her tea elegantly.
"You haven't heard everything yet."
The saintess folded her hands, expression solemn.
"He must be apprehended before any further tragedy occurs."
The elders leapt to their feet.
"We shall assist! Even if we must overturn the mortal world, we will!"
Rumors spread instantly.
By sunset:
"The princess… the saintess… are they both Ye Beixin's women?!"
The rumors between disciples grew huge. It reached the capital in half a day; the men and women looked at them weirdly.
The saintess and princess didn't bother to look at them, and finally the princess donated a sum of spirit crystals.
The saintess left a jade transmission talisman and departed gracefully.
The princess strode out like she owned the heavens.
The elders whispered until their voices cracked.
Misunderstandings bloomed like weeds after spring rain.
Night deepened.
The pavilion's noise faded into silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
The prison corridor swallowed all warmth.
Ye Beixin lay on his back, a thin bone between his teeth, eyes half-lidded.
New guards tonight.
Older.Boring.Less gullible.
They didn't spare him a glance.
He called once.
Twice.
No reaction.
The drip… drip… drip of water echoed through the darkness.
Ye Beixin stretched lazily, practicing silent palm strikes.
Still nothing.
A dung beetle crawled near him.
He let it walk across his palm—tiny legs tapping rhythmically.
Then—
voices.
Muffled.Gossiping.
He leaned against the cell door to listen.
The guards… were discussing him.
Accusing him of seducing the princess of the Vermillion Nation.Defiling the saintess of the Sacred Moon Shrine.
Ye Beixin stared blankly for a moment.
He had never met those two women.
He absolutely wished he had.
But then—
Their conversation shifted.
A name.
Li Qiong.
Their true target.
Their true purpose.
And slowly—
a smile unfurled on his lips.
Not amusement.
Not pleasure.
A smile that crawled from beneath the skin.
A smile no human should wear.
"…Time."
The corridor was silent except for the dripping water.
Ye Beixin's knees buckled.
His breath stuttered sharply.
A harsh thud rang as he collapsed against the bars.
"Oi—!? What's happening?!"
Boots scraped hurriedly.Keys rattled.Two guards rushed in.
The lock clicked—
and shhhh—
The illusion appeared on the bed.
Sitting up.Breathing unevenly.Hands trembling.
Alive.Convincing.Human.
"Hold him down!"
"His pulse is wrong—!"
"Why is he so heavy?!"
The illusion leaned to one side.
The bed groaned loudly under its weight.
From nearby cells—
panic erupted.
"What now?""Is he dying?""Did that brat poison himself?""No way—he must've learned he was about to be castrated. Good for him.""Shut up! Something is wrong!"
Bars rattled.Prisoners craned for a better look.
Inside, two guards held the illusion down.
"He's burning up!"
"Stop moving!"
"I TOLD the captain this one was trouble!"
That was when Ye Beixin moved.
step—
Silent.
He emerged behind them like a shadow peeling off the wall.
whip—A palm struck the first guard's neck.
thm—!A decisive chop felled the second.
The third turned, horrified.
"You—!"
A controlled strike ended him.
All three collapsed.
The prisoners gasped.
"I didn't see him move!""What speed is that?!""Bless the heavens he isn't in OUR cell.""If he wanted us dead, we would've vanished hours ago—"
A guard outside called nervously:
"Everything alright in there?!"
"Everything is alright." He mimicked the guard's voice.
Then—
He picked up the wine gourd from the table with a soft clink.
A faint ring of formation light wrapped his fingertips.
Then—
pooof—
A pink, shimmering mist unfurled.
Drifting like peach blossoms in spring.
Soft chimes hummed within it.
"W-what's that scent…?""I-Is this sleeping powder—?""My eyelids… feel heavy…"
One guard slumped onto a chair.Another slid down the wall peacefully.
Prisoners panicked.
"Don't breathe!""It's… too late…""Why does… it smell… nice…?"
One by one, they drifted into hallucinations.
Ye Beixin entered the guard chamber.
rustle—
He retrieved his belongings.
Fan.Robe.Hairpin.A single jade piece.
He walked out.
Only the faint flicker of torches remained, struggling against the mist.
He snapped open the folding fan—clean, sharp.
The mist parted.
His footsteps echoed faintly—
tap… tap… tap…
By the time the last petal touched the ground,
the night had already swallowed him whole.