Xu Ying was dazed, his mind engulfed as though by stormy seas. Wave after wave battered his thoughts, leaving him incapable of focusing on anything else.
He felt his divine sense grow livelier and more tense than ever before. His breathing quickened, a shiver ran across his skin, and his scalp prickled tight.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the girl pressed tightly against him. Her eyes were shut, her long eyelashes quivering slightly, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue at some point.
Suddenly, she peeked open a single eye. Their gazes locked, and Xu Ying's face instantly burned scarlet, overcome by the feeling that he had done something improper.
Yuan Rushi blushed as well, turning her head away. After a long moment, she whispered, "I'm not usually like this, and we only met today. But the moment I saw you, it felt like I'd known you for a long time—as if we'd known each other across thousands of lifetimes..."
Xu Ying replied, "I'm not usually like this either... I've never been like this before. My thoughts are a mess, and my heart is pounding like crazy..."
"How does it taste?" Yuan Rushi turned back, her eyes bright as stars as she gazed at him.
Xu Ying gave it some thought and said, "Sweet, very soft... warm and tender, with a hint of fragrance. Cherry blossoms, I think."
Yuan Rushi beamed with delight. "I was asking about the green grapes, not my lips! In early spring, I gathered some cherry blossoms and secretly made them into rouge to wear on my lips—it keeps them moist. You really do like it!"
Xu Ying's face turned a faint red. "The green grapes are sweet with just the right touch of tartness. Sister Rushi, isn't doing this unfair to your brother? You are his sister, after all. How could I..."
Yuan Rushi's eyes crinkled with laughter. "Do you want another taste?"
Xu Ying said, "But we're out of green grapes..."
Yuan Rushi closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him again. Only then did Xu Ying realize she had not been talking about the grapes, but the rouge. A moment passed before their lips parted.
Xu Ying wanted another taste of the rouge, but Yuan Rushi gently pushed him back. "I have to go back. If I'm gone too long, Mother will scold me. About today..."
Her face flushed shyly. "You mustn't tell anyone, especially my brother! He keeps a very close eye on me! You must keep it a secret from him. If you do, then I... I will..."
She tugged at the corner of her hem, feeling a bit bashful. "I'll bring a new rouge for you to taste tomorrow!"
With that, she leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of sword light that sped into the distance, almost as if she were fleeing.
The youth remained seated upon the imperial crown. The vast setting sun hung in the sky, bathing his face in crimson.
Xu Ying did not come to his senses for quite some time. At the thought of keeping secrets from Yuan Weiyang while tasting rouge with his sister Yuan Rushi, he felt both guilty and a little thrilled toward Yuan Weiyang.
"Ah Ying, it's getting late. Time to head back," the bronze bell's unruffled voice rang out.
Xu Ying jumped up as though stung. "Lord Bell, why are you here too?"
The bronze bell drifted out from the back of his head and said lazily, "What do you mean, 'why am I here too'? I've been here the whole time. Have you forgotten? You and Little Qi made a deal: on odd days I siphon from you, and on even days from him. Today is the fifteenth, so I siphon from you."
The setting sun cast an even deeper red across Xu Ying's face. He stammered, "Lord Bell, don't tell Yuan Weiyang about what happened today."
The bronze bell paid it no mind. "What hasn't Lord Bell seen? I hung in a temple for three thousand years. Never mind youngsters spooning and cuddling—I've seen far wilder things. You two only brushed lips. Ah Ying!"
It continued in an earnest, lecturing tone, "I've repeatedly told you to establish forms in the void to settle your divine sense, yet you treat my words like wind past your ears and haven't trained properly. Just now, your divine sense was boiling like a kettle—you nearly stewed your brain into pig brains! Next time your lips touch, visualize. Just visualize me. One chime from me, and I guarantee your mind will be as still as water."
Xu Ying thought it over, decided he actually quite liked the feeling of his divine sense boiling, and promptly cast the advice aside.
He leaped down from the statue, driving his sword qi along the shaded alleys to avoid drawing attention. After a short while, he landed and returned to the Yuan manor.
Yuan Weiyang came out to greet him, speaking apologetically, "My foolish sister ran back and left you behind. I gave her a stern scolding and sent her to reflect on her misbehavior—no dinner for her tonight. Demon King Xu, go freshen up, and we'll have a casual meal together."
Xu Ying said, "Sister Rushi was very pleasant. Don't punish her. I wanted to linger outside for a bit, so I told her to go ahead."
Yuan Weiyang said solemnly, "The Yuan clan's rules cannot be discarded. When punishment is due, it must be carried out."
Just then, a knock came at the door. Uncle Xiao went out to check, returning a moment later. "It is Pei Jingting of the Pei clan. He has come to invite Young Master Xu to a banquet."
Xu Ying pondered for a moment. "Brother Yuan, Old Pei escorted me all the way here, and his clan suffered heavy casualties until only he remained. Now that he has extended such a warm invitation, it might be improper if I refuse."
Yuan Weiyang replied, "On your journey here, every major aristocratic family was mobilized. The name of Gentleman Xu is known to all under heaven. This visit should pose no danger. The Pei clan is an ancient lineage spanning millennia; they will not cause you trouble, nor would they dare to."
Xu Ying smiled. "My thoughts exactly."
He called Yuan Qi and walked out of the Yuan manor. Pei Jingting was waiting outside, beside a brand-new ornate carriage drawn by two colorful deer.
"Young Master Xu, please." Pei Jingting stood by the carriage, gesturing respectfully.
Xu Ying smiled faintly and boarded the deer carriage. Yuan Weiyang also stepped inside, and the two took their seats. Pei Jingting sighed with emotion. "My elder brother played me for a fool. He knew I resented him being clan head and that I was cultivating my own faction within the Pei clan. Thus, he dispatched me to fetch Young Master Xu, seizing the opportunity to prune my wings so I would harbor no further dissension."
When he had set out to "invite" Xu Ying, the two to three hundred men accompanying him had all been his confidants within the Pei clan. He had never expected they would all be wiped out along the way, and that he himself would nearly perish on the road.
Xu Ying asked, "Are internal struggles within aristocratic families truly so fierce?"
"A hundred times fiercer than anything outside," Pei Jingting said. "It is a matter of life and death. After this lesson, I will never entertain disloyalty toward my brother again. That is why he still sent me to receive you, Young Master Xu."
Xu Ying remarked, "He stripped away your wings without ever lifting a finger. Even if he wanted to eliminate you, he wouldn't need to do it personally. A formidable figure indeed."
Pei Jingting said, "He serves as the Grand Chancellor to the current Son of Heaven. Naturally, his mind runs deep."
Before they knew it, they arrived at the Pei manor. A feast had already been laid out in Misty Rain Tower: long tables laden with fresh fruits, candied preserves, cold platters, hot dishes, grand entrees, fresh delicacies, and mountain exotics—over a hundred courses in total.
Over a dozen maidservants stood nearby, prepared to serve at any moment, yet there were no other guests at the tables.
Pei Jingting said, "This banquet was prepared solely for Young Master Xu. My brother hasn't consumed mortal food or drink in years, so he cannot keep you company."
Xu Ying took his seat and asked, "Will you not sit, Old Pei?"
"Without my brother's permission, I dare not take a seat," Pei Jingting replied.
Xu Ying had no choice but to start eating on his own. But there was no way he could finish so many dishes, and thinking it wasteful to leave them behind, he summoned Yuan Qi to help himself.
Before long, the dishes were emptied. Yuan Qi remarked, "I'm still not full."
Seeing this, Pei Jingting ordered, "Bring a few cattle and horses for Lord Qi."
After eating his fill, Yuan Qi coiled back inside Xu Ying's collar. Having gorged himself, however, he could not entirely conceal himself, leaving his plump, rounded belly poking out.
Xu Ying followed Pei Jingting along the deep, winding paths of the Pei manor, through corridors and across gardens, until they reached a grand palace.
Pei Jingting halted. "My brother is waiting inside. Young Master Xu, I will not go in. By the way, his name is Pei Du."
Xu Ying thanked him, ascended the steps, and entered the palace.
The hall was quiet and bathed in bright palace lanterns, without a single sound save for Xu Ying's footsteps echoing through the chambers.
Passing through a long corridor, he stepped into the main hall and saw a middle-aged man standing with his back to him. Hearing the footsteps, the man turned around. He was immaculately dressed and possessed a meticulously kept appearance.
His appearance was termed meticulous because his sideburns, eyebrows, mustache, and beard were all trimmed with exacting precision; even his eyelashes had been groomed to enhance his features.
His attire was no different: perfectly tailored, with only a jade pendant half-concealed at his waist and no extraneous ornaments.
This was Pei Du, the Grand Chancellor of the current imperial court and a Nuo immortal of the Pei clan.
"I have long heard the name of Demon King Xu."
Pei Du nodded slightly and smiled. "I have eagerly awaited your arrival. From the moment you walked out of Mount Jiuyi, Young Master Xu, your name was already renowned across the world. This way, please!"
Xu Ying followed him forward and asked, "Where does Clan Head Pei intend to take me?"
"To my Pei clan's forbidden grounds."
Pei Du walked ahead. Behind him, a sky like pristine jade manifested as a cave-heaven rotated into view. Immediately, the grand hall before them disassembled like neat, square building blocks, revealing a passage leading to places unknown.
Xu Ying followed behind him, secretly astonished.
Pei Du's magic power was far more boundless and majestic than Pei Jingting's. It felt even greater than Zhou Qiyun's—a vast, unbridled ocean!
Such was the power of the Pei clan's unique secret depository!
"My Pei clan is a lineage of a thousand years, and our ancestral secret depository is called the Jade Pool."
Pei Du walked ahead without glancing back, yet seemed to anticipate Xu Ying's thoughts as he spoke aloud, "Yet as a thousand-year clan, we know secrets unknown to others, which has allowed us to acquire even greater treasures. For instance, among the Six Secret Depositories of the Human Body, with the exception of the most mysterious Bubbling Spring, my Pei clan possesses lineages of heritage for all the rest."
Xu Ying's heart shook. The Pei clan possessed five of the six secret depositories?
Just then, a ray of sunlight shone in from beyond the passage, dazzling his eyes. Once his vision adjusted, Xu Ying saw that they had arrived within a jade-like cave-heaven.
Standing inside this jade cave-heaven, he looked around. The space within seemed to possess actual weight; moving one's hand felt like waving it through water.
A wondrous power suffused the surroundings, stimulating his internal yuan qi so that it flowed with lively vigor, rising slowly.
Xu Ying felt a sudden stir: "By tracing the power of this cave-heaven, I can locate the Jade Pool Secret Depository!"
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than he saw a tall, gaunt elder seated cross-legged in the center of the cave-heaven. At the far end of this cave-heaven lay another, inside of which an old crone sat equally motionless.
Xu Ying followed Pei Du forward through this cave-heaven, arriving beside the tall, gaunt elder. Pei Du said, "This was my ancestor, the Pei clan's first Nuo immortal. He was born during the chaotic reign of Wang Mang."
Xu Ying looked toward the gaunt elder. The man appeared lifelike, yet a faint light emanated from the back of his head—a narrow slit that extended from the base of his skull down his neck, down his back, all the way to his tailbone!
He was merely an empty husk of skin!
They stepped into the next cave-heaven and approached the old crone.
"This ancestor was the second Nuo immortal of my Pei clan, attaining the Dao during the reign of Emperor Guangwu the Great," Pei Du explained.
Xu Ying inspected her closely and saw a similar streak of light running down the old woman's back.
They reached the end of this cave-heaven, and a third cave-heaven appeared, where another properly dressed elder sat.
Pei Du led the way, recounting the illustrious history of each Pei clan ancestor, progressing from the era of Wang Mang to the present day. Before he knew it, Xu Ying had followed him through more than a hundred and fifty cave-heavens!
These cave-heavens were linked together, all left behind by Nuo immortals, carving a long passage through this jade expanse.
Xu Ying gazed ahead. The passage continued stretching into the distance, where vague figures could be seen seated within—likely the Pei clan's other Nuo immortals.
The bronze bell could not help but sigh. "Over the course of more than two thousand years, the Pei clan has studied the Jade Pool Secret Depository so thoroughly that it holds no secrets from them. No wonder they could produce so many masters. But far too many of these Nuo immortals have died! Has someone been treating the Pei clan's Nuo immortals like chives to be harvested?"
Xu Ying felt tense, worried that the Pei clan might notice. But Pei Du was clearly not on Zhou Qiyun's level and did not detect the bronze bell speaking.
Walking ahead, Pei Du continued, "My Pei clan realized long ago that so-called Hidden Scenery latent transformation and earthly immortals are nothing but empty words. In their twilight years, when Nuo immortals hide themselves away in their lands of Hidden Scenery latent transformation, it is an absolute tragedy—a tragedy of certain death. And this tragedy has played out repeatedly in my Pei clan!"
Xu Ying pondered and asked, "Did the ancestors of the Pei clan never think of a way to change this fate?"
"Of course they did!" Pei Du said. "They tried every conceivable method, resorting to any means necessary to plunder other secret depositories and cultivation arts, attempting to unlock all secret depositories and unify them. And yet..."
He shook his head. "No one could unify the secret depositories. Later, they shifted their approach, intending to pool the strength of every Pei clan Nuo immortal to create a genuine immortal realm."
He halted his steps, having finally reached the end of the cave-heavens, and gazed forward in somber silence.
Xu Ying stepped up beside him and looked ahead. Before them lay a scene of nauseating stench. Fragmented immortal mountains drifted in the sky, coated everywhere in rotting flesh and blood!
Xu Ying also saw surging rivers of blood cascading down the immortal mountains into eerie lakes of gore, where decomposed flesh and white bones drifted.
The landscape there was shattered, the sun a gruesome crimson. Between the ruined mountains and rivers, a colossal skeleton gripped an immortal peak with both hands, slowly craning its skull upward to peer at them with hollow eye sockets.
The place was bizarre, sinister, terrifying, and ominous!
It was a cursed land—bearing the curse of longevity!
"We failed," Pei Du said, his voice flat and calm.
"But fortunately, you are here!" He turned his head to look at Xu Ying, his expression fanatic.
Chapter 95