However, staying here indefinitely was not a solution. Eventually, they would have to leave. If someone came to inspect, it could lead to trouble.
Hua Yan held Lu Chengsha for a while before attempting to find a weak spot in the iron wall. A prison like this couldn’t possibly be solid on all sides. It was impassable for ordinary people, but not for them.
After roughly indicating the position to Lu Chengsha, he raised his sword with one hand, infused it with inner strength, and the blade cut deeply into the wall, gradually slicing it open.
The iron wall wasn’t as thick as they had imagined. Outside, they could see elaborate carvings and winding corridors with faint lights. It was already dark.
Lu Chengsha took off his hair tie, retying it neatly, and cut an opening large enough for one person to pass through.
As Hua Yan watched him busying himself, she suddenly realized that once they left, the moment of parting would be imminent. Her heart filled with reluctance. Seeing Lu Chengsha had finished cutting and sheathed his sword, she couldn’t help but say, “Are you going to run away again? When will we meet next time?”
Lu Chengsha paused and said, “We will meet again.”
His voice was soft but firm.
Parting is hard, just as meeting is. Hua Yan finally understood this and even felt a bit of regret—if she had known, she would have kissed him a little longer earlier.
After leaving, they found they had exited the auction house. From a nearby theater, they could faintly hear the sounds of opera. The Dongfeng Buye building had intricate pathways, and with no one to guide them, Hua Yan almost got lost and had to constantly avoid others.
She thought, Jiang Louyue wouldn’t be in such a good mood to come here to listen to the opera, right?
When she checked the tracking gu’s location again, she was surprised to find it wasn’t far away. It seemed Jiang Louyue had taken a private passage from the auction house to the theater. Naturally, he acted cautiously, while her rash movements had triggered a mechanism.
After a few twists and turns, Hua Yan ended up inside the theater. On the stage, a play about a scholar and a beauty was being performed. The audience was crowded, and in the upper boxes, only some shadows could be seen.
She could sense the tracking gu but had a hard time pinpointing which room Jiang Louyue was in.
She could only wait for Jiang Louyue to come out.
Bored, Hua Yan watched the play. After a while, she realized she had seen it before. It was called “The Romance on the Wall,” about the son of a high official, Pei Shaojun, who met and fell in love with the daughter of the Li family. They secretly married, but fearing their parents’ disapproval, Pei Shaojun hid the Li family’s daughter at home for seven years. They had a son and a daughter before being discovered. The official, not knowing her identity, accused her of being from a lowly background and drove her away. Pei Shaojun was forced to divorce her, but after passing the imperial exams, he learned of her true identity and brought her back home with the entire family.
As she watched the play, it just so happened to be at the part where Minister Pei furiously berated Miss Li for her elopement. The actor playing the elderly official had a face full of anger, repeatedly calling her a harlot who ruined Shaojun’s future and disgraced the Pei family’s ancestors.
The scolding was truly harsh, and Hua Yan immediately thought of Lu Zhenxing, her fists clenching tightly.
Fortunately, she recalled that the next scene was supposed to be Pei Shaojun coming to seek his wife, only to be refused entry. Minister Pei would also come to beg for her return, and in the end, moved by the crying of their children, Miss Li would soften, leading to a joyous family reunion.
But as the play went on, Hua Yan felt something was off.
It was normal for Pei Shaojun to be refused entry when seeking his wife. However, not only did Miss Li not soften, but she also drove both him and his father away. Pei Shaojun left in despair, even though he had recently passed the imperial exams with high honors. Shortly after, he unexpectedly died.
A happy reunion comedy had been turned into a living tragedy.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but grab the person next to her and ask, “Why is this play different from the one I saw before?”
The woman beside her, though slightly annoyed at being interrupted, explained, “Many of the plays here are newly revised. I heard they were changed to suit the preferences of the building’s owner, just for novelty’s sake!”
Hua Yan was stunned. Jiang Louyue had such preferences, even more twisted than hers. She couldn’t help but ask, “What other plays has the owner changed?”
The woman casually listed several titles, like “The Tale of the Pipa” and “The Tale of the Purple Hairpin,” all seemingly comedies turned into tragedies, truly twisted.
At this, Hua Yan couldn’t help but secretly think that Jiang Louyue might actually be a woman.
After the play ended, the tracking gu moved again, this time returning to the auction house. Naturally, Hua Yan followed.
This time, she moved with extra caution. Shortly after returning to the auction house, she heard two slightly familiar voices in a corner.
First, a woman’s voice: “Senior Brother, do you really intend to help her bid for the Silver Ring Snake Fruit?”
A gentle male voice replied, “Lady Zuo rarely asks for help. She needs the poisonous fruit for medicine to save her friend; I can’t refuse her.”
The woman said, “Do you know how expensive that poisonous fruit is? Let her bid for it herself! Isn’t her sect very capable? And why bother, Senior Brother? It’s clear she likes that Young Master You. Why do you still…”
By this point, Hua Yan recognized the speakers: Mu Xuelang, the Senior Brother of Qingcheng Sect, and his sister, Tao Caizhou.
She pondered briefly and understood. You Weitian’s identity hadn’t been exposed. After the Sword-seeking Tournament, he had gained significant fame, thriving in the martial world, known especially for his swordsmanship. He interacted with many sects, but his martial arts had many flaws. You Weitian likely used gu to stimulate himself and practiced demonic arts, leading to backlash. He needed to fight poison with poison to suppress it. Hua Yan was familiar with the Silver Ring Snake Fruit; it was extremely rare and valuable. Yu Ye had even given her one before.
Zuo Jingshuang huang had only been in Dangshan for a few years, probably lacking the ability and thus had to seek help from Mu Xuelang.
Her feelings were so complicated!
Could Mu Xuelang really like Zuo Jingshuang?
Sure enough, Mu Xuelang replied in a calm and helpless tone, “I know she has someone in her heart, but I help her without any ulterior motives. You are too hostile towards her.”
Tao Caizhou still spoke with dissatisfaction, “She’s from Dangshan. It’s normal for me to have hostility towards her; only Senior Brother you don’t mind! And she knows you like her, yet still…”
Mu Xuelang said, “She doesn’t know.”
Tao Caizhou was momentarily speechless, then said, “Fine, as long as Senior Brother is happy!”
Hua Yan initially just listened, but recalling what Lu Chengsha had said earlier, she felt moved. Additionally, this Senior Sister Tao had once been kind and friendly to her… She returned to the carriage and searched for a while, and to her surprise, she found a brocade box filled with ice. She had thought about pretending to sell something if she couldn’t get in, so she had brought some rare medicinal materials with her.
Holding the brocade box, she hesitated. She hadn’t done a good deed in a long time.
The tracking gu’s position hadn’t moved. Hua Yan took a moment to gather her courage and then went to find the still-angry Tao Caizhou. Tao Caizhou looked at her in confusion as she handed over the brocade box and asked, “Miss, what is this…?”
Hua Yan hadn’t removed her disguise, but still…
Hua Yan said, “I overheard your conversation earlier. You need the Silver Ring Snake Fruit, right? I happen to have one.”
Tao Caizhou skeptically took the box, opened it, and saw a fruit with a silver snake pattern inside. It was indeed the Silver Ring Snake Fruit. Shocked, she tried to return the box, saying, “This is too precious. We don’t know each other, I really can’t accept it.”
Hua Yan said, “We do know each other… And it’s for You Weitian, right? I happen to owe him a favor.”
Tao Caizhou stared at her face intently for a while, as if trying to remember something, then said, “That voice, you are…” She involuntarily stepped back, almost dropping the brocade box, as if Hua Yan was a monster.
Although she expected this reaction, Hua Yan still felt a bit hurt.
She said, “Then I’ll be going.”
Tao Caizhou, still in disbelief, said, “Wait! You really are…”
Hua Yan pulled a slight smile and said, “Yes, I am… But if I say I mean no harm, would you believe me?”
Seeing that Hua Yan indeed had no intention of attacking, Tao Caizhou seemed to reluctantly lower her guard but still didn’t dare get close, saying, “…I don’t dare to believe it.”
Hua Yan said, “It’s fine. Just tell Zuo Jingshuang to give it to You Weitian and say it’s from someone who owed him a favor. He should understand.”
Hua Yan’s tone was so calm, without any trace of the typical demoness demeanor, that it instead carried a sense of helplessness mixed with grievance. Moreover, she hadn’t caused much trouble for Qingcheng Sect, so Tao Caizhou finally couldn’t help but say, “What are you really thinking? That Young Master Lu is really pitiful… That day, you didn’t seem to be deceiving him… Knowing you were just toying with him, I was sad for a long time…”
Hua Yan was stunned and asked, “Why were you sad?”
Tao Caizhou, holding the brocade box, gestured with her fingers, “You two looked really well-matched back then… That cold block of ice, I mean Young Master Lu, looked very different beside you… I was even hopeful… How could you be a demoness from the demonic sect! You don’t even look like one! When the sect master returned from Tingjian Manor, I heard about it and was shocked.”
Hua Yan opened her mouth, momentarily speechless.
Over the past year, she had faced countless accusations and scoldings, and although she had retaliated many times, this was the first time she had encountered such a gentle attitude.
She still vaguely remembered the Sword-seeking Tournament years ago when she stayed in Qingcheng Sect’s courtyard and Senior Sister Tao’s exceptionally kind demeanor.
She had thought she would never encounter that again.
After a long pause, Hua Yan couldn’t help but say, “I wasn’t toying with him! I was sincere too!”
Tao Caizhou asked, “Really?”
Hua Yan nodded vigorously.
“Then what happened at Tingjian Manor… It can’t be that you were…” Tao Caizhou suddenly realized, “I thought it was just my wishful thinking because the demonic sect is so vicious. How could you have good intentions… Sorry, it’s just my subconscious reaction…”
“No worries, no worries, I’m used to it!”
Hua Yan shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “I didn’t expect you to believe me. I was just offering something small. I’ll leave right away…”
“I really want to believe you. After all, we know each other, and I don’t want to think my judgment was wrong…” Tao Caizhou sighed, “Unfortunately, we don’t know where Young Master Lu has gone or if he will come back.”
Hua Yan cleared her throat.
Tao Caizhou continued to lament, “If he knew you were sincere, he would probably be very happy.”
Hua Yan saw a shadow flicker before her eyes and couldn’t help but nod.
Tao Caizhou let out a long sigh and asked, “Is there a chance for you two to reconcile?”
Hua Yan said, “There is!”
Tao Caizhou was stunned. “Are you so sure?”
Hua Yan nodded. “Yes.”
Tao Caizhou said, “I hope so. As for the poisonous fruit…”
Hua Yan replied helplessly, “It is naturally poisonous. I wouldn’t continue poisoning him! Trust me, it’s really not a problem. The medicine will go through a doctor’s hands anyway, it won’t be given to him directly to swallow. Whether it’s safe or not can be tested. I’m really leaving now.”
With that, she turned to leave.
Behind her, Tao Caizhou, who had been tensed up and in a defensive stance until just now, softly said, “Then… thank you.”
Hua Yan closed her eyes for a moment, lightly biting her lip.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed from the horizon. Hua Yan walked to the window, looked up, and saw fireworks blooming in the sky above Night City. Bursts of sparks blossomed in the dark, infinite sky, instantly scattering thousands of stars, colorful and dazzling. The twinkling starlight was overwhelming, beautiful beyond description.
Unlike the signal flares ignited during sect battles, the sound of cheers and exclamations could already be heard from the people in the city.
The fireworks continued as if they would never end.
Hua Yan instinctively said, “Do you see it?”
A voice came from above her. “Yes.”
“Is it beautiful?”
“Yes.”
“Next time, watch it with me!”
“…Yes.”
“And kiss me amidst the fireworks!”
Lu Chengsha paused and then said, “Alright.”
Although it was just one word, Hua Yan inexplicably sensed a hint of amusement in his voice.
She really wanted to see him smile, how annoying!
The fireworks ended, and night had almost completely fallen. The auction was also nearing its end. Hua Yan kept an eye on the tracking gu’s location, fearing it might disappear at any moment. Jiang Louyue was mysterious and unpredictable, and it wouldn’t be surprising if someone under him knew about gu. Moreover, if he had any dealings with Yu Ye, it would be even more dangerous.
As the guests were leaving, it was heard that the son of a high-ranking official had been beaten and they were searching for a cold-looking, skillful man in black.
Hua Yan thought to herself, “That’s going to be hard to find!” After all, when Lu Chengsha didn’t want to show himself, even she couldn’t find him.
They followed the flow of carriages out of the city. The demonic sect disciple, who hadn’t bought anything all night, was drenched in sweat and nervously breathed a sigh of relief only after sitting in the carriage. Meanwhile, Hua Yan’s maid occasionally looked at him with sympathetic eyes.
Hua Yan had already changed into a light outfit and donned a bamboo hat while on the carriage. She slipped off the carriage midway and continued to pursue Jiang Louyue.
Jiang Louyue was also in a carriage and quickly left Night City.
Hua Yan followed on horseback at a leisurely pace. After a while, the surroundings grew more desolate, with only wild grass and trees in sight. She became increasingly vigilant.
At this point, the tracking gu stopped and then rapidly moved towards her.
Hua Yan instinctively leaped into a tree. Soon after, an extremely luxurious and spacious carriage made of dark red sandalwood stopped in front of her horse. She heard a voice from inside, “You’ve been following me for so long. Why not come down and be a guest?”
It was Jiang Louyue’s gender-neutral voice.
“If you don’t come, I’ll crush this little bug and leave.”
Hua Yan hesitated. If she were alone, she wouldn’t dare go down. Jiang Louyue’s abilities were unknown even to Xie Yingxian, and although she was confident in her martial arts, there would be no one to save her if something went wrong.
She instinctively looked up. The dark figure in the night was hard to distinguish, but it wasn’t far from her.
Hua Yan steadied herself, leaped down from the tree, and left a mark unique to the Zhengyi Sect. She then lightly walked to the carriage and asked, “How should I be a guest?”
Jiang Louyue said, “Get in the carriage.”
Two guards sat by the carriage shaft, their martial arts skills were no match for hers.
Hua Yan took a step and got into Jiang Louyue’s carriage.
Inside, there was only Jiang Louyue, still wearing a mask, dressed in a strangely vivid robe. In front of him was a small urn, inside which lay Hua Yan’s tracking gu.
Almost as soon as she got in, the carriage started moving.
Hua Yan’s scalp tingled. She instantly realized that Jiang Louyue had intentionally lured her here!
As if to confirm this, Jiang Louyue played with the little gu with his fingertips and leisurely said, “How long do you think it will take to shake off the person following you?”
Hua Yan immediately reacted, reaching out to grab Jiang Louyue’s mask.