Chapter 29

They had been walking down the street for a while when they ran into two acquaintances.

Both were relatives by marriage to the Su family, scions of a minor noble clan that depended on the Su family. Their faces lit up the moment they saw her.

"The Eldest Miss has returned!"

One of them cupped his hands in a salute and said, "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Eldest Miss. Reaching the Spirit Transformation Realm at a hundred years old—truly a prodigious talent, unmatched in your generation..."

The other chimed in hurriedly, "Indeed! Our Huanhua Prefecture has never seen a figure like you, Eldest Miss..."

They showered her with a stream of compliments. As seventh-tier cultivators, they could not discern Su Zhen's true cultivation level, assuming she was still in the Spirit Transformation Realm, as that was the latest news circulating.

Only then did they turn to Xiao Yu. "This young fellow is also a fine-looking gentleman..."

Judging by their expressions, they clearly did not find him particularly remarkable; they were only offering praise because of Su Zhen.

Xiao Yu had suppressed his spiritual pressure, appearing as nothing more than a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the eyes of ordinary practitioners. He stood half a step behind Su Zhen, keeping his head lowered the entire time they spoke, looking exactly like a young man following an elder out to gain some experience.

Su Zhen almost burst out laughing.

Xiao Yu remained exceptionally calm. "My thanks."

Seeing he had no desire to chat, the two men turned back to praising Su Zhen. After a few more sentences, one of them suddenly remarked, "Ever since the Su Clan Master's birthday, everyone has been whispering about who the next Head of Weiyun Peak will be—"

Su Zhen interrupted him. "What do you mean, cousin? What does this have to do with my uncle’s birthday?"

"The Eldest Miss doesn't know? People from your sect came to deliver gifts that day," the man said, surprised. "We only saw it from afar, but just looking at the gold and jade carriage, it was clear that your master, Immortal Venerable Yuchen, had sent someone. I heard the person delivering the gift was your senior brother? The Su family treated him with extreme courtesy, welcoming him with the utmost respect and addressing him as 'Immortal Lord Jiang'."

"Jiang Wang? They called him 'Immortal Lord'?"

Oh.

The timing was about right. Perhaps it was a few months earlier than in her previous life? She had likely stimulated that change herself. But if it was Jiang Wang, it certainly wasn't his own choice; he had most likely been sent by their master.

The two men wanted to continue, but seeing her expression turn inscrutable, they found an excuse to leave.

Xiao Yu lowered his head. "Shall I take you back to Weiyun Peak directly so you can ask him yourself?"

Su Zhen replied, "By 'ask', do you mean soul-searching him?"

Xiao Yu was noncommittal. "If he cooperates, it won't be necessary. I don't particularly care to look through his memories anyway."

Su Zhen couldn't help but chuckle. "Forget it. Whatever he wants to deliver, that's his business; it has nothing to do with me. I’ll go check on the ancestral home first. Senior..."

"I will wait for you here."

"I was going to say, if you don't want to wait, you don't have to..."

He said with absolute certainty, "I will wait for you, unless you don't wish for me to wait."

"Fine."

Qiongdu was built in the center of Huanhua Prefecture, adjacent to Mount Shuiyun, the premier blessed land in the region. The Su family ancestral home was nestled within the mountains. Su Zhen left the city and headed straight for the peaks. She had grown up here; by the age of seven, she was already stumbling through sword-flight between the ancestral home and the immortal city, so she was intimately familiar with the path.

Mount Shuiyun stood tall with jagged peaks, lush forests, and, from a distance, swirling purple mists. She paused in mid-air, formed a hand seal, and golden light rippled forward as the layers of the barrier unfolded to reveal the entrance.

Once inside, a vast expanse of towering halls and ornate pavilions came into view. At first glance, it looked like a palace complex, built along the mountain slopes and occupying a good portion of the peak.

It was, after all, a place housing hundreds of people, and there were patrols outside. Su Zhen made no effort to hide her tracks and quickly encountered some guards. They all recognized her and bowed, addressing her as Eldest Miss.

Su Zhen's mother had two younger brothers and two younger sisters. The two sisters had married into other families, while the two brothers had stayed on, bringing in spouses to remain with the main branch. Among the children of the three siblings in the main branch, Su Zhen was the eldest. As for the more distant kin, there were some older than her, but they were always addressed by name rather than by birth order.

"Is Uncle in the ancestral home?"

There were too many people here for Su Zhen to openly project her spiritual sense, so she asked them directly.

"The Clan Master is in, but he is currently receiving guests—"

Before the words had faded, another figure flew over from below. It was a handsome youth who hurried toward them, stumbling slightly because he was flying too fast.

"Big Sister!"

He was dressed in luxurious brocade robes and wore a bright smile. "Big Sister, it really is you! Father heard you were back and sent me to welcome you to the Yuhua Pavilion."

This was the Clan Master's youngest son, Su Mao. He was over thirty now and still in the Foundation Establishment Realm. The patrol guards bowed and stepped back.

Su Zhen nodded. "Thank you, Third Brother."

"Don't be so formal, Big Sister! Thanks to you, I’ve gained so much face among my friends. Everyone knows now that even an Immortal Venerable has to show my sister respect by sending people to wish my father a happy birthday," Su Mao said, looking smug.

Su Zhen didn't take the bait, flying downward alongside him. "How is Aunt?"

"Mother has gone into seclusion."

"The guards said Uncle was receiving guests?"

"Oh, an elder from a second-rate sect," Su Mao said, curling his lip. "Some Jade Pearl Pavilion from the Central Region that makes jewelry and magical artifacts. His cultivation is mediocre—just a Profound Immortal."

Su Zhen: "..."

Such a statement would be fine coming from a seventh-tier cultivator, but hearing it from a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Su Mao, who could be killed by a Profound Immortal with a single thought, made it sound rather bizarre.

"I suppose he’s here to discuss ore business with Uncle?"

Huanhua Prefecture only produced a few types of rare ores, and only a handful were suitable for jewelry.

"Indeed. He’s been here several times. Last time he bought quite a bit of Red Cloud Amber..."

They only spoke for a few moments before arriving at their destination. In the heart of the ancestral estate, amidst cedar and camphor trees, stood a pavilion with vermilion doors and purple lattice windows. An island floated on a clear lake, shrouded in mist, with weeping willows swaying beside the water pavilion.

Su Zhen saw two figures from afar, sitting in a hexagonal pavilion, appearing to be in deep conversation. Neither had fully hidden their spiritual pressure, so even without looking at their faces, she could clearly distinguish that one was her uncle.

And the other was—

Su Zhen: "?"

Why did he look so familiar?

Su Mao, oblivious, pulled her onto the stone bridge and through the misty haze until the figures in the pavilion were completely clear. Both men stood up simultaneously.

The man on the left was refined and handsome, clean-shaven, and exuded an air of scholarship. His features bore a sixty or seventy percent resemblance to her mother’s; he was the current Clan Master, Su Xun.

He looked at his niece with surprise. "Zhen'er, you truly have advanced this quickly?! I felt your aura earlier and could hardly believe it..."

As Su Xun spoke, his eyes filled with gratification. Seeing an outsider present, he didn't say much more, merely introducing the man beside him. "This is Elder Yao. He was just about to leave, but he caught sight of you from afar and insisted on meeting you."

Su Zhen looked silently at the man on the right.

He was tall and thin, with white hair, draped in a smoky-red wide-sleeved outer robe. His appearance was as beautiful as a painting, but his skin was a frighteningly pale white. Red threads were woven into his braids, his hairpins were as red as candles, and the beads hanging from his ears were like drops of blood.

The white-haired man looked at her with a faint, mocking smile. "So, you are Immortal Su."

Su Zhen: "...Elder Yao, I have heard much about you."

He hadn't even bothered to change his appearance!

After a brief shock, Su Zhen quickly calmed down. As a priest of the Soul Devouring Sect—a notorious, blood-soaked demon cultivator with countless bounties on his head—it wasn't strange at all for Yao Wan to have a mundane fake identity. Many demon cultivators did the same. They would often pick second or third-rate sects to infiltrate, hanging on a title of elder or protector. After all, those sects lacked top-tier experts who could see through their disguises.

In her previous life, when she had first met Yao Wan, he had indeed used a righteous-path disguise, though it hadn't been the Jade Pearl Pavilion of the Central Region, but another obscure sect. That was why, when Su Mao mentioned the Jade Pearl Pavilion earlier, Su Zhen hadn't suspected anything, assuming it was just a business deal.

But— was this truly a coincidence?

"Just now, the Su Clan Master was saying that when you returned home a few years ago, you were at the ninth stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, and you only recently broke through to the Spirit Transformation Realm," the white-haired man said with a smile. "Now, in the blink of an eye, you are already in the True Immortal Realm. Breaking through two major realms—Immortal Su is truly a peerless talent."

Su Zhen remained calm. "Elder Yao is joking."

In reality, she was at the peak of the True Immortal Realm and had already vaguely touched the threshold of the Profound Immortal Realm, but habit led her to slightly conceal her true strength. As for what Su Xun said about Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation, he had likely just been bragging. Su Zhen didn't blame her uncle. After all, she was the disciple of an Immortal Venerable; her cultivation level wasn't a secret, especially in Huanhua Prefecture. Even if Su Xun hadn't said anything, Yao Wan could have heard the news just by walking through Qiongdu.

"Furthermore," Yao Wan said meaningfully, "Immortal Su must be highly adept at concealing one's aura. When I see you this time, your spiritual pressure is completely different from last time."

Su Zhen: "..."

Fine.

Listening to this sarcastic tone, his presence here was likely no coincidence. Yao Wan must have used some method—perhaps a blood-lineage tracking spell to find his kin—which had led him to her home. Of course, this was just a guess, as such spells usually required blood, or at the very least, hair or nails. However, Su Zhen didn't know the full extent of the Soul Devouring Sect's methods, so she couldn't be certain.

Besides, Su Mao had mentioned that this "Elder Yao" hadn't come for the first time. In her previous life, "she" had never provoked him. But it depended on when he had first arrived—whether it was after Zhou Ziheng's death. And for now, it might just be a probing maneuver.

"What?"

These thoughts flashed through Su Zhen's mind, but her face showed only confusion. She spoke immediately, "Have Elder Yao and I not met for the first time?"

She then turned to Su Xun. "Uncle, has Elder Yao ever visited our home when I was a child?"

Su Xun looked at them with a blank expression, clearly unaware of the subtext in their conversation, and shook his head. After a moment of thought, he added, "But a hundred years ago, I was often in seclusion. If Elder Yao was doing business with your mother..."

Su Xun was, after all, a Heavenly Immortal powerhouse. Before he became Clan Master, he had focused solely on cultivation and paid no mind to other matters.

Yao Wan let out a laugh. "Where has your imagination run off to? I simply caught a glimpse of Immortal Su from afar back in the Fragmented Cloud Prefecture."

Su Xun stopped speaking. After all, his niece cultivated at the Heavenly Origin Sect and surely went out for training from time to time; he didn't know everywhere she had been.

Su Zhen feigned confusion. "I did go to the Fragmented Cloud Prefecture over ten years ago..."

That was true.

Su Zhen: "...I was tracking a group of villains at the time, so I hid my aura. If Elder Yao saw me from afar, I probably wouldn't have known."

Yao Wan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that so?"

Su Zhen pretended not to understand the implication. "What do you mean 'is that so'? Elder Yao, since you’ve come to my house, are you here to buy stones, or to speak in riddles?"

Yao Wan was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, Immortal Su is truly witty—"

He seemed quite pleased, laughing for a long time before stopping. "I won't disturb your family reunion any longer. Farewell, both Immortal Sus."

With that, he turned and left without a backward glance.

Su Zhen watched his retreating figure with a blank face, desperately wanting to slash at him with her sword. Knowing she couldn't win—even if her whole family attacked together, it would be futile—she forced herself to hold back.

"Uncle, I heard my master sent someone with gifts," she said, turning away. "He sent Jiang Wang?"

Su Xun nodded. "That day, everyone was saying what a genius that Immortal Lord Jiang was, reaching the seventh tier at only two hundred years old. Few have achieved such feats, but compared to you, he’s far behind."

He said with satisfaction, "Your sect has only a handful of people. Didn't you say your junior sister had been in the sect for years and was still in the Body Tempering Realm? How is she now?"

Su Zhen: "She had reached the Qi Condensation Realm when I left. As for now... not much has changed."

She had only continued to advance later thanks to numerous fortuitous encounters.

Su Xun was quite content. "In that case, once you return to the mountain, Immortal Venerable Yuchen will surely view you as his successor. In the future, his divine sword, Flowing Frost, will also be yours."

"That sword, forget it. Its attributes don't suit me well," Su Zhen shook her head slightly. "Besides, I don't get along with them, and I don't want to keep enduring it."

"It's just a matter of enduring for a while." Su Xun didn't take it seriously. "Your master is also a genius; perhaps he will ascend in a few hundred years. With your cultivation and your speed of advancement, the position of Head is inevitably yours. If your senior brother dares to compete with you, hmph, he comes from a common background."

He glanced at her and continued, "The others are the same; aren't they all yours to manipulate? If you truly find them displeasing, just deal with them. How could you hand over the position of Head just because of a little dissatisfaction?"

Su Zhen sighed softly. In the book, the Holy Sword had been reforged, and her master hadn't ascended yet. However, it didn't surprise her that Su Xun didn't care whether she was happy.

"Uncle, aren't you going to ask how I advanced?"

Su Xun didn't change his expression. "I assume you had some fortunate encounter in the Void Realm, the Spirit Realm, or some other plane?"

He didn't ask if she had gone to the Demon Realm. Su Zhen wasn't surprised by this either.

—Her niece was the disciple of an Immortal Venerable, which brought immense benefits to the entire family. Hence, his words were all aimed at hoping she would stay in the Heavenly Origin Sect. Whether she was a demon cultivator didn't matter, as long as she didn't get caught and implicate the family. If she were exposed, it would only slightly affect their reputation; if she weren't, they could continue to use the title of the Immortal Venerable's disciple to their advantage.

Forget it. When she eventually left the sect, she wouldn't change her plans out of consideration for the family. In the end, everyone looked out for themselves.

"Regardless," Su Zhen lowered her eyes, "missing your birthday is truly inexcusable..."

As she spoke, she took out a gift. Because of this so-called six-hundredth birthday, she had prepared a few items in advance. Too lazy to put in too much thought, she had simply picked expensive items that could be bought with money.

Su Zhen took out an exquisite sandalwood box and opened it slightly; a flash of glow poured out.

"This is top-grade Fire Essence."

It was an item for nourishing and repairing magical treasures, perfectly suited to Su Xun's fire-attributed artifacts.

Su Xun smiled and accepted it. "Like your mother, I don't care for fanfare. The only reason I held that banquet was for business. Your cultivation is the most important thing; don't let these trivial matters delay you..."

"Mother used to find it troublesome too, but she still had to do it."

"When you become Clan Master in the future, this will be the kind of thing you'll have to worry about."

"Me?" Su Zhen shook her head. "By the time Uncle ascends, who knows how many years that will be? Why think about that now?"

Su Xun gave a bitter laugh. "You really know how to comfort people. I know my own capabilities; I'll be lucky to reach the Golden Immortal Realm, let alone ascend..."

Su Zhen remained silent. In her previous life, he had died during his failed attempt to break through to the Golden Immortal Realm, and the Su family had quickly fallen into ruin afterward. But for her at that time, it hadn't mattered if the family existed or rose and fell; she had only felt a slight sadness at the loss of a relative. She hadn't been particularly heartbroken, as their relationship hadn't been that close.

"It's rare for you to return. I'll go call your aunt and second sister—"

"No, no, don't disturb their seclusion."

"What does that matter? With your status, the whole clan should be welcoming you."

"No." Su Zhen was too lazy to socialize and simply blurted out, "I still have to return to Weiyun Peak."

Su Xun finally gave up. "Then I won't delay you."

Su Zhen took the opportunity to ask about the earlier matter. "Has that Elder Yao been in contact with our family for a long time?"

Su Xun didn't take it seriously. "He came last year. Although the Jade Pearl Pavilion isn't a major sect, it's a respectable immortal estate in the Heavenly Capital, and Elder Yao is a straightforward man."

Su Zhen: "..."

That obviously meant he paid for his goods promptly and didn't haggle. She thought to herself that he was a priest of the Soul Devouring Sect who slaughtered entire sects on a whim; he had plenty of money, so naturally, he wouldn't care about small change.

Su Zhen gave a dry laugh. "He came last year? Do you remember when?"

"He came in the autumn. If you want the dates, I can have someone bring the ledger."

"No need."

It was indeed after Zhou Ziheng's death.

Su Zhen made up a story. "...He looks a bit like someone on a bounty notice."

Yao Wan did have a bounty on his head, but it only showed his back, which was why he dared to walk around with his real face, unafraid of being recognized.

Su Xun was stunned, then understood why she was asking. "Don't worry, if he truly were the same person, he would certainly have changed his face."

Su Zhen nodded. "Indeed. But it's better to be cautious."

Su Xun didn't dwell on it. "...I heard Immortal Venerable Chaohua returned to the mountain? Have you seen him? He's been missing for hundreds of years; who knows what he was doing."

Su Zhen: "Probably a bit of everything. He seems quite idle."

Su Xun: "???"

Su Xun assumed she was in a bad mood. After hesitating for a moment, he lowered his voice. "And what about that Immortal Sword?"

Su Zhen shook her head. "Not meant to be."

Su Xun was startled. Every time they had discussed this before, his niece had always insisted she would keep trying. Today, she was so resolute.

"There are two immortal artifacts in the family. Although they are both low-grade, if you take a fancy to them, just take them."

"No need." Su Zhen shook her head. "Their attributes don't match mine, and I have my own ideas about that matter."

They chatted for a while longer, and she expressed her desire to return to the sect. Su Xun, eager for her to go see Immortal Venerable Yuchen and display her current cultivation, only offered a few perfunctory words of persuasion before taking her to the warehouse. Su Zhen took a pile of Huanhua Prefecture specialties, from spirit plants to rare ores, both valuable and common. In the past, she had always taken many things back home to give as gifts to friends in the peak, and Su Xun had always approved.

Su Zhen made a motion to pay.

He hurriedly refused. "If your mother were still here, would you pay her? Never mind that all of this will be yours eventually; if you hadn't been so accomplished, it's hard to say how much of our family would even be left."

By now, many people in the Su family had received the news that Su Zhen was back. Not long after they left the warehouse, they were surrounded by people—those who had been home and those who had rushed back from outside, each more enthusiastic than the last. These young people were all seventh-tier cultivators who couldn't discern her true level, and they were all asking about the Heavenly Origin Sect.

"Big Aunt! I heard your junior brother went there. Is your master still taking disciples?"

Su Zhen: "I'll go back and ask for you."

"Big Sister, I heard the Sword God returned to Heavenly Origin Mountain! Is he really as powerful as the rumors say? Books say he slaughtered a Demon God and is invincible in the world. Is it true?"

Su Zhen: "At least I can't beat him. Who knows about others."

"Eldest Miss! I heard Immortal Venerable Chaohua returned to find a successor. Does he have any intention of taking disciples now?"

Su Zhen: "If he takes a disciple, I'll send you a message."

The crowd was stunned. Su Zhen knew perfectly well that these people had mediocre aptitude and didn't even possess Heavenly Spiritual Roots. They were hardly qualified to be disciples of the Weiyun Peak elders, and while some might just barely make it as registered disciples, they probably wouldn't be satisfied with that. Since that was the case, they were likely asking for someone else, probably having been bribed to do so.

"Anything else?"

Su Zhen was too lazy to call them out. "Then I'm leaving."

With that, she strode away. No one dared to stop her.

Su Zhen returned to Qiongdu, this time entering properly through the city gate. The guards were of mediocre cultivation, chatting idly at the entrance. There were several magic arrays set up around, and as long as those entering the city had no miasma on them, they could pass freely.

Su Zhen entered the city smoothly, passed through two streets, and turned into a quiet alley. The wind swirled with falling flowers, a faint fragrance drifting on the air, and the white-haired man was leaning against a wall, smiling at her from afar.

She looked at him with a blank expression. "Why is Elder Yao following me?"

Yao Wan opened his hand and caught a cluster of locust flowers falling from the tip of a branch. "Immortal Su seems to be in a bad mood."

The petals were still covered in dew, clustered together beautifully. The flowers were a yellowish-white, making his fingers look even paler.

"Why?"

He released his hand, letting the cluster of flowers fall to the ground, stained with dust.

"Because your uncle discovered you are a demon cultivator?"

Before she could speak, he continued on his own: "And he’s letting you stay in that sect? Oh, perhaps he’s simply pretending not to know and not mentioning it at all?"

Su Zhen scanned him with a baffled expression. "I am not a demon cultivator."

Yao Wan acted as if he hadn't heard. "I had thought that if I slaughtered them all in front of you, I might see you lose your temper, but it doesn't seem very interesting now."

Su Zhen had long known this man's nature, so she wasn't surprised. "...I don't know what nonsense Elder Yao is spouting, but please stop blocking my path."

Yao Wan tilted his head. "If you wanted to pretend not to recognize me, you should have been screaming in terror after hearing what I just said."

"Haven't I been calling you Elder Yao? When did I pretend not to know you? We just met, and I don't have that poor a memory," Su Zhen said casually. "You’ve set your heart on thinking I’m someone else, so whatever I say is in vain. Even if I screamed, you’d probably just say in that disgusting tone of yours, 'Mm, Immortal Su acts so well.'"

Yao Wan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "...You really do recognize me. Is this a body you seized?"

I recognize the "you" from my previous life.

And I recognize you as the one who tried to kill me several times.

Su Zhen faked a smile, knowing that the more she denied it, the more he would believe it. She simply acted as if he didn't exist and walked straight past him.

Yao Wan didn't stop her. He watched her retreating back with a strange expression, and soon, he too vanished from the spot.

Su Zhen traversed the streets and alleys. Maples reflected in the water, weeping willows swayed like smoke, and small boats drifted down the river, with two loose cultivators huddled together on the bow, humming a little tune.

Her pace slowed, then quickened again.

People were returning home in the immortal city from time to time. Su Zhen saw streaks of light occasionally crossing the sky and realized in a daze that she had no home.

Though she didn't truly need one.

Perhaps.

Su Zhen turned a corner and caught the scent of food. There was a wonton stall at the end of the alley, most of its seats occupied, with a couple busy in front of the stove. The woman held a large bamboo sieve, and the man reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The woman lowered her head and smiled, and the man couldn't help but smile too, before squatting down to wash his hands and wipe the bowls.

They were both cultivators, quick and agile, yet their hair was already streaked with white, and wrinkles had appeared on their faces. They were in the Qi Condensation Realm, unable to maintain eternal youth, and their time was not far off, yet they didn't seem worried, their faces still wearing smiles.

Su Zhen stopped at a distance.

A young man in black sat alone at a table near the edge, his cheek resting on one palm, his face tilted up toward the sky, seemingly lost in thought.

Then, he turned his head and waved at her happily, his blue eyes instantly brightening, as if two passionate flames had been ignited.

"I kept a bowl warm for you! Coming to eat?"

A strange feeling surged in Su Zhen's chest.

A subtle joy welled up, flowing through her veins like the breeze of early spring sweeping over the forest, turning thousands of trees green.

Su Zhen walked over unhurriedly. "This stall's flavor is indeed good; I've eaten here a few times..."

Before she could finish, the couple running the stall looked over and greeted her with smiles. Su Zhen waved back at them, then sat down and picked up a spoon. "I said before I would treat you, Senior, but now it's you treating me."

Xiao Yu smiled. "It's fine, why be so formal between us?"

Su Zhen wanted to say something but stopped, deciding not to delve into that topic.

The bowl of fresh meat wontons had about twenty pieces, drifting in a rich bone broth with tender green scallions, seaweed, and egg strips—the taste was incredibly savory. Beside it sat a small dish of vinegar with drops of red chili oil floating on top.

Su Zhen paused. "Senior... do you like eating it this way, or did you know I like eating it this way?"

"What? Wontons dipped in vinegar? Vinegar with chili oil? Then the answer to both your questions is yes."

Su Zhen glanced at the couple in the distance. "They told you?"

Xiao Yu gave a vague response.

Su Zhen: "..."

She figured that was how it went.

Xiao Yu rested a hand against his cheek. "Shall we go boating later?"

Su Zhen ate her wontons silently. "Senior, you really are unpredictable. What is there to row on these little rivers in Qiongdu?"

"Then let's go row on the sea next time."

Su Zhen looked at him helplessly. "Why don't you say we should row in the Dragon God's palace while you're at it?"

"That’s not impossible either."

After finishing the wontons, they bid farewell to the couple. Xiao Yu handed her a bag of dried fruits. "So, where to next?"

"I still have to go back to the Demon Realm."

Su Zhen took them and picked out a piece of dried peach. "This is the Chen shop, right? I used to go there often when I was little."

Xiao Yu said almost without thinking, "I know."

Su Zhen: "?"

Xiao Yu: "...You love sweets so much, you would never skip that place."

Su Zhen narrowed her eyes and stared at him.

Forget it.

Su Zhen lowered her head to bite into the dried fruit. "The owner of that shop is a relative of mine; you probably chatted with her too? I hope she didn't tell you any embarrassing stories from my childhood."

Xiao Yu suddenly laughed. Su Zhen glared at him instinctively.

Xiao Yu met her gaze, his eyes lingering for a moment before he curled his lips. "The owner did say a little. You really have been adorable from childhood to now."

Su Zhen gripped the bag of dried fruit tightly. "Senior is truly infuriating from start to finish."

Xiao Yu pretended to be distressed. "Then don't hold back, just beat me. Hopefully, you'll feel a bit better after you do."

Su Zhen: "...Am I not happy?"

Xiao Yu suddenly knitted his brows, his handsome face turning stern in an instant, frost seeming to gather in his eyes as he looked at her with an indescribable expression. Then, the frost shattered and melted away, and the aloofness that kept people at a distance vanished.

Xiao Yu sighed. "You were like that at first; you're doing much better now."

Su Zhen rubbed her forehead. "Fine, then I'll be even happier. In any case, I probably won't come back for a while, and even if I do, I won't come home. Or rather, ever since my mother left, it can't really be called my home anymore."

Xiao Yu nodded with satisfaction. "Just now, Aunt Chen said—"

"Stop!"

Su Zhen glared at him. "The owner is my mother's cousin, so I call her Aunt Chen. Senior, where did you get the seniority from?"

"Cough, out of respect."

"She’s not even a thousand years old, Immortal Venerable."

"...It's not about age. Since she is your elder, I must show some respect."

"Then call her 'Sister Chen'."

"...No."

The two of them walked away, exchanging words, their figures gradually blending into the bustling market.