Chapter 1039: For the Once Severed Past VIII

To be frank, She Ji's technique for concealing her aura was exceptionally good. She barely emitted any demonic energy, to the point that even the patrolling gods of Ning'an County, who frequently passed through the temple fair, didn't notice a thing.

Even Hu Yun didn't detect any demonic energy, yet an intuition compelled him to look in that direction. He sensed that even after encountering Zao Niang, the other party wouldn't give up so easily.

Naturally, She Ji also noticed Hu Yun. Someone who stood out so much was hard to ignore. If it wasn't a beautiful mortal woman disguised as a man, then it was likely the female cultivator she had encountered earlier.

She Ji had no intention of concealing her presence. Upon being noticed, she showed no excessive reaction. Instead, she gracefully bowed slightly towards Hu Yun and slowly approached him.

Hu Yun furrowed his brow slightly, then quickly relaxed it. He walked to a nearby table and smiled at the two scholars sitting there.

"Would you two mind doing us a favor? A friend and I would like to use this table for a private conversation."

Faced with the "woman's" smile, the two scholars were momentarily stunned, as if beholding winter plum blossoms blooming in full splendor, their white branches and red flowers outshining the springtime. It took them a moment to regain their composure.

"Uh, please, madam, use it!"

"Yes, yes, we'll just squeeze in at another table."

"Please do, madam!"

The two scholars quickly stood up, gathered their belongings, and moved to an empty spot at the adjacent table. However, their gaze remained fixed on the red-robed scholar.

Hu Yun was accustomed to this. He wasn't using any magic; his allure was naturally inherent. While he once had to constantly restrain it, he was now much more casual.

She Ji approached the stall and offered a smile and a slight bow to Sun Yiqiu and his father, who had noticed her. Sun Yiqiu's eyes widened instantly. He didn't even rub them to confirm what he saw, then immediately felt a wave of embarrassment.

"Hm? You rascal, do you know that young woman?"

Sun's father inquired, and Sun Yiqiu found himself speechless.

"I don't quite know how to explain it... I suppose I've seen her."

Sun Yiqiu was filled with doubt. *Isn't this the young woman I saw in my dream? She's here? Could my dream have been more than just a dream?*

Hu Yun glanced at Sun Yiqiu and then gestured to the seat opposite him.

"Please, sit."

With a graceful flick of his robe, Hu Yun sat down first. She Ji offered a faint smile and took the seat opposite him.

"I harbor no ill will towards Young Master Sun. I simply wish to find a suitable husband—first, to fulfill my dream of marriage, and second, to complete my cultivation. Hence, I sought a man blessed with profound good fortune to marry. When I first encountered Young Master Sun, it was merely out of curiosity, but then I found myself increasingly unable to control my feelings, indulging in a little teasing. However, I never intended any harm. I implore you, Immortal Master, to see this clearly."

She Ji secretly observed Hu Yun. She had anticipated encountering the female cultivator in green from before, but unexpectedly, a female cultivator in red appeared today, equally inscrutable. This Sun family truly had an extraordinary background.

Hu Yun barely suppressed a smirk; the term "Immortal Master" just about satisfied him.

"Ma— Young Master, your noodles are ready."

Sun Yiqiu brought the freshly made braised noodles to the table, his face tinged with embarrassment. After a quick, furtive glance, he lowered his head, not daring to look at either of the two women. He quickly put down the bowl, turned, and hurried away.

"Hey, Young Master Sun, watch out for the..."

Just as She Ji began to warn him, Sun Yiqiu stepped on a chopstick lying on the ground.

"Ah!"

Sun Yiqiu cried out, almost toppling backward, but Hu Yun reached out and caught him.

"Shopkeeper, mind your step, lest your soul be charmed away."

"Thank you, Young Master, thank you..."

Sun Yiqiu repeatedly thanked him, not daring to meet Hu Yun's gaze, and quickly retreated to the food cart. His father, meanwhile, shook his head and sighed continuously.

Hu Yun redirected his gaze. She Ji's eyes also moved away from Sun Yiqiu, but a smile still played on her lips.

"Madam, I'm not hungry yet. Why don't you have these noodles?"

Hu Yun pushed the noodles towards She Ji, then reached for a pair of chopsticks.

"No, I..."

She Ji was about to politely decline when she witnessed Hu Yun's subsequent movement. Though he merely extended a pair of chopsticks, it was as if a chilling light pierced the placid lake from below, like an unparalleled longsword thrusting forth. The spirit of the "Too White Golden Star" seemed to spiral with the sword's momentum, wind and thunder subtly trailing behind, its sharp edge cleaving through lightning.

The "sword" was incredibly swift, making She Ji instinctively want to flee, yet there was nowhere to escape!

Behind her, lights blazed and the crowd bustled. Before her, a bone-chilling edge approached. She Ji suppressed the urge to flee immediately. Firstly, she knew that with such a powerful "sword move," dodging would expose her escape routes and leave her vulnerable to continuous attacks. Secondly, people were constantly passing by behind them. Thirdly, she gambled that her opponent would not disregard the bystanders.

She Ji's left hand tightly gripped her robe hem. Her right hand twisted out, her sleeve fluttering like a butterfly, spiritual energy surging wildly at her fingertips. The moment she touched the chopsticks, she felt an icy, piercing cold light penetrate her being. But enduring the pain, she twisted her arm, dissipating the force through the motion, and finally held the chopsticks.

At that moment, the terrifying power of the "sword" melted away like snow. The chopsticks were now in She Ji's hand, and even the pain dissipated, as if the entire encounter had been an illusion.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo..."

She Ji panted softly, a faint bead of sweat appearing on her temple.

Hu Yun smiled, offering a casual, boastful compliment.

"Not bad at all!"

While swordsmanship wasn't originally Hu Yun's strong suit, prolonged exposure to Ji Yuan inevitably influenced him. His sword arts, however, weren't pure swordsmanship; they were illusory yet real, dreamlike yet tangible, blending fantasy and truth.

She Ji's reaction might not have been optimal, but in Hu Yun's estimation, it was quite commendable.

"Ahem, I'm not saying you're incredibly strong, but there aren't many in this world who can receive a 'sword' from me like you just did."

"Thank you for your mercy, Immortal Master."

Hu Yun was quite pleased, especially since she hadn't repeatedly referred to him as "Miss."

"From your spiritual aura, there isn't much malevolence, so you don't seem like a malevolent demon that harms people for sustenance. However, it's an age-old truth: humans and demons are fundamentally different. If you unite with a mortal man, you will still deplete his vital energy."

"Therefore, I must seek someone with profound good fortune, someone who can withstand it and complement me, even benefiting from our union. Ideally, the person I find should also be someone I genuinely like. Young Master Sun, in particular, is the perfect match..."

She Ji subtly glanced at the somewhat distracted Sun Yiqiu, her voice dropping slightly.

"While that seems plausible, it's also a twisted logic. You only speak of your own circumstances, but what about Sun Yiqiu? What will happen to him if you abruptly enter his life?"

She Ji spread her arms, glanced down at herself, then looked up again, speaking with complete confidence.

"He would have a graceful, beautiful, and endlessly captivating wife, a life of wealth and prosperity free from worry, accompanying him until old age. If he wished, we could even last forever. As long as it's not too outrageous, I would obey him in everything."

"That might seem to be the case, but it's still twisted logic. Without you, Sun Yiqiu and Li Dongdong would marry and still live a perfectly ordinary and happy life."

Hu Yun countered, but She Ji responded with a smile.

"I am competing fairly with Li Dongdong. Firstly, I don't use magic, and secondly, I would never harm that girl. If she cannot compare to me, it's not my fault. To claim it's wrong because of my appearance is even more preposterous. The pursuit of beauty and pleasure is human nature. My beauty is my natural advantage, and using it to win the heart of my beloved—how can that be considered wrong?"

*Damn you! That actually sounds quite logical!*

Hu Yun suddenly felt a bit tongue-tied and, for the nth time, couldn't help but recall his friend Yin Qing. If Yin Qing were still here, he surely could have rendered this person speechless with words alone.

Hu Yun took a deep breath.

"Aren't you afraid the Sun family's old ancestor will return and cleave you in two with a single sword stroke?"

She Ji paused, then subconsciously spoke.

"Aren't you and the previous Immortal Master the Sun family's old ancestors?"

Hu Yun smiled, his large phoenix eyes slightly narrowed.

"We are not."

"Then I'll have to try first and see!"

*Well, well, is she truly clinging to him now?*

"Immortal Master must surely be familiar with 'The Tale of Lady Bai' and 'The White Deer's Fate,' aren't you? Lady Bai fell in love with a mortal man and remained with him until old age, proving that even a love between humans and demons can be beautiful and moving. When I first read those books, the seeds of love were sown within me. If Lady Bai can do it, why can't I?"

"Lady Bai's story wasn't entirely as romantic as depicted in the books. Uh, you read 'The Tale of Lady Bai'?"

She Ji nodded. That book had even profoundly influenced her name.

Hu Yun felt utterly exasperated. Not for any other reason than that he, too, was familiar with 'The Hundred Maidens' Tale.' This wasn't the orthodox 'White Deer's Fate,' but an extremely popular derivative version, brilliantly written with many explicit passages. It was so compelling that many even believed it and 'The White Deer's Fate' came from the same master hand. Zao Niang also possessed a copy.

Now Hu Yun could finally understand some of this demon's interactions with Sun Yiqiu. She had learned it all from a book.

"With an admirer like you, Lady Bai might not know whether to be pleased or not..."

"Lady Bai will undoubtedly applaud my courage in striving for my love!"

Hu Yun's lips twitched.

"Ah-ha, next time I'll ask her..."

"Huh?"

"If I ever truly get the chance to meet Lady Bai, I'll certainly ask her on your behalf and observe her reaction. I suspect she might not entirely agree with you."

Hu Yun said offhandedly.

"I believe Lady Baiji will support me."

Hu Yun knew that none of the books mentioned Lady Bai's true name, and among those who were ignorant or held her in reverence, she was widely believed to be called Baiji.

Suddenly, Lu Shan Jun's voice drifted into Hu Yun's ears. Hu Yun's eyes flickered subtly, then he spoke calmly.

"After encountering Zao Niang, you didn't shy away and promptly came to Ning'an County again. I doubt it's solely for a marriage with Young Master Sun. If you intend to seek our assistance, you should speak plainly. If you're direct, we might be able to help you."

Hu Yun paused, a cunning glint flickering in his eyes.

"Your true form is a five-colored spirit lynx. You've cultivated for many years and have only just begun to grasp the Dao. You certainly wouldn't wander about aimlessly for a mere dream of marriage."

Hu Yun's meaning was clear: she hadn't reached that level of cultivation yet. Only beings at Bai Ruo's realm would possess a final emotional entanglement like a heart knot. This demon, however, was still far from reaching such a stage.

"You can discern my true form?"

She Ji was genuinely stunned. Discerning a demon's true form required specific conditions. If a demon had truly transformed into human shape without any noticeable flaws, even a leaked trace of demonic energy would only reveal that it was a demon. Its true form could only be known if it revealed its original shape.

"What's so difficult about that? Alright, you should go back. You just took a 'sword' from me and already leaked a trace of your aura. It's no longer convenient for you to remain here."

The patrolling gods and the local earth god of Ning'an County had already taken notice. A faint scent of sandalwood was now subtly wafting from beyond the stall. She Ji, unwilling to stir up more trouble, suppressed her thoughts, stood up, bowed slightly, and quickly left.

"Shopkeeper, the bill is paid. The money is on the table."

Hu Yun also had no desire to argue further with the deities. He placed the money down and left, as his purpose had merely been to gauge the situation.

"Hey, hey, honored guest, you haven't eaten your noodles yet..."

Sun's father called out. Seeing that both beautiful women had departed, he shook his head. Then, noticing his son's somewhat vacant gaze beside him, he couldn't help but rap him on the head.

"They're gone. Don't just stand there, go clean up."

"Oh..."

Sun Yiqiu rubbed his head, then patted his face, walking wistfully towards the table. Before he could even reach for the noodle bowl, a pair of hands had already picked up the chopsticks from the table, stirring the noodles and braised sauce. A faint sigh followed.

"The noodles were bought, yet not a single bite was taken. Tsk, tsk, it's enough to make one's mouth water. These five-wen braised noodles, the first bite alone must be worth at least four wen!"

As he spoke, the chopsticks lifted some noodles, which were slurped into his mouth.

A faint, distinct, and subtle sound emerged again.

"Sir, the price has gone up now. One bowl costs eight wen."

Sun Yiqiu looked up and saw that, at some point, a stranger had taken a seat at the table. The gentleman wore a plain white shirt, his eyes were subtly closed, and his greying temples swayed gently in the breeze as he calmly ate his noodles.