"Almost causing a disaster means I didn’t actually cause one, right? You want me to treat him well? Heh, that’s impossible. Unless, of course, I am no longer Liu Ruoxi!"
Liu Ruoxi held her head high, her eyes as arrogant as ever. She hadn’t even wanted to marry Ye Xuan in the first place, so how did the conversation shift to her treating him and the Ye Family well? It was utterly ridiculous!
"You..." Liu Yan shook her head, choosing not to say anything more.
The banquet lasted until midnight before finally coming to an end. Throughout the entire feast, Ye Xuan and Liu Ruoxi hadn’t interacted at all, not even sharing a single toast. Liu Ruoxi looked down on Ye Xuan, and Ye Xuan paid her no mind either.
After midnight.
Ye Xuan and his three companions were arranged to rest in the guest courtyard. Inside Ye Xuan’s room, a sinister and evil aura suddenly emerged.
"Master, you finally let me out... Boohoo, you all ate such delicious food, but I’m so hungry..."
Blood Princess’s voice echoed in the room. Even though she was sealed within the Demon Subduing Scripture, she could still sense what was happening outside. Given their constant travel over the past few days, it had been inconvenient for Ye Xuan to let her out to drink blood. She had been starving for days. Now, she draped her entire body over him as if she had no bones.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Ye Xuan extended his arm without hesitation.
Blood Princess broke into a grin, revealing two sharp canine teeth. Despite the formidable defense of Ye Xuan’s physical body, her fangs acted like peerless weapons. With a sharp SQUELCH, they pierced right through his skin.
GLUG GLUG.
A look of pure bliss washed over Blood Princess’s face as she sucked greedily. Her tongue felt freezing cold against his skin. It didn’t take long for Ye Xuan’s face to turn pale. Blood Princess was like a machine; she drained his blood far too quickly.
"That’s enough. Stop," Ye Xuan immediately commanded.
"Oh." Blood Princess licked Ye Xuan’s arm completely clean, still looking unsatisfied. "So delicious... I feel all warm inside. But Master, I still want more..."
Ye Xuan rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. It seemed like Blood Princess could never get full. By the looks of it, he would need to refine some Blood Generating Pills in the future.
The Blood Generating Pill was a highly uncommon auxiliary Elixir. If someone lost too much blood, fell into a coma, or was on the verge of death, they would need a Blood-Raising Pill. Granted, whenever a Cultivator was injured, they would typically consume a Healing Spirit Medicine immediately to recover, never giving themselves the chance to lose too much blood. However, not everyone had access to Healing Spirit Medicines. Furthermore, every Healing Spirit Medicine used was one less in the world.
"Master, can you not put me back inside? I don’t want to live in there... It’s so dark and lonely," Blood Princess pleaded.
"You actually understand what it means to be lonely?" Ye Xuan asked, quite surprised. It appeared her intelligence had improved once again.
"Yeah, it’s so lonely, so isolating..."
Speechless, Ye Xuan replied, "So you’re lonely, isolated, and cold, which means you need company?"
"Mhm! Master, please let me stay outside. I promise I won’t run around, and I promise to listen to everything you say."
"It’s not that I don’t want you outside, but the evil aura radiating from you is far too dense. Once your aura isn’t so overwhelming, or when you learn how to conceal it, I’ll let you out."
"Aura? Are you saying I smell bad?" Blood Princess lifted her arm and gave it a sniff. "I don’t smell anything..."
Ye Xuan rolled his eyes at her. "You just can’t sense it yourself. That’s enough—go back to your dark little room and focus on reforming yourself."
With a mere thought, Ye Xuan sent Blood Princess straight back into the Demon Subduing Scripture. The pitiful girl was left to squat in the corner, tracing circles on the ground.
As she drew her circles, she grumbled, "Master is so mean. He’s a big meanie. If his blood wasn’t so delicious, I wouldn’t listen to a word he says!"
Speechless, Ye Xuan simply blocked out all sound coming from the Demon Subduing Scripture. Glancing at the sky outside, he decided against consolidating his cultivation base or meditating. Instead, he lay down on his bed, determined to get a good night’s sleep. He had barely slept these past few days, and even a Cultivator couldn’t hold up under such exhaustion indefinitely.
He slept incredibly soundly. Early the next morning, a knock sounded at his door.
Thinking it was his sister or his mother, Ye Xuan opened the door without hesitation. However, upon opening it, he found a woman in a white dress standing before him. She carried herself with dignified grace. Though she bore no smile on her lips, her every movement was as refreshing as a gentle spring breeze.
This woman was Liu Zhengyuan’s eldest daughter, Liu Yan.
"Young Master Ye, apologies for the intrusion," she greeted softly. Placing her hands on her hips and bending her knees slightly, Liu Yan offered him a formal curtsy fitting for a noble lady.
"You’re... Liu..." Ye Xuan recognized her face but couldn’t recall her name in the moment.
"I am Liu Yan, Liu Ruoxi’s older sister."
"Right, Liu Yan. Did you need something from me?" Ye Xuan asked, looking puzzled. As far as he knew, he had no prior interactions with her.
Parting her red lips, Liu Yan said, "I heard from my father that you’ll be leaving after lunch today. As Ruoxi’s sister, it is only right that I do my part as a host and extend my hospitality."
"That... isn’t really necessary, is it?"
"It’s the least I can do. You are my future brother-in-law. Since you’ve come to Chasing Moon City, I must entertain you properly. Besides, there are a few things I’d like to discuss with you. We can talk while taking a stroll through the city. Would that be alright?"
Liu Yan’s expression was entirely sincere, and her voice was as melodious as a singing oriole. Ye Xuan found himself unable to refuse. Since he had time to spare anyway, going for a walk wouldn’t hurt.
"Alright."
"Then let’s go, Young Master Ye. I’ve already had a carriage prepared."
Twenty minutes later.
Inside a hyper-luxurious Beast Vehicle, Ye Xuan and Liu Yan sat across from each other, separated by the entire aisle. The atmosphere inside the carriage was rather awkward. Since boarding, neither of them had spoken a word. Since Liu Yan wasn’t going to take the initiative to speak, Ye Xuan couldn’t be bothered to ask.
About half an hour later.
The carriage rolled to a halt. Liu Yan took the initiative to stand up and pull back the curtains. As she leaned forward, her beautiful curves were fully displayed.
"Young Master Ye, we’ve arrived."
"Mm." Stepping out of the carriage, Ye Xuan finally asked, "Liu Yan, whatever it is you want to say, just speak your mind."
Liu Yan smiled. "Young Master Ye, I originally intended to show you around Chasing Moon City, but since you’re in a hurry to leave, half a day certainly wouldn’t be enough. Therefore, I brought you straight to the Liu Family’s weapon shop."
"A weapon shop?"
Ye Xuan turned his head to look. Sure enough, there was a massive weapon shop right next to them. The store was grand, and the weapons on display were all high-grade—ranging from Profound Level and Spirit Level to Ghost Level.
"Young Master Ye, during your battle with Ruoxi yesterday, I noticed that the weapons you used were of rather low quality," Liu Yan remarked.
Hearing this, Ye Xuan asked in confusion, "Why? Are you planning to give me a weapon?"
Liu Yan nodded. "I know the Gongsun Family doesn’t lack high-grade weapons, but this is merely a token of goodwill from me as an older sister. Young Master Ye, you may pick any weapon you like. As long as it’s in this shop, I have the authority to purchase it and gift it to you."
"I haven’t done anything to deserve such a gift," Ye Xuan replied indifferently. "Besides, we hardly know each other. There’s no need for such formalities."
"Please don’t refuse, Young Master Ye. I’m doing this to apologize on behalf of my sister. She has lived a life of luxury since childhood and was spoiled rotten, which has made her quite arrogant. I am fully aware of what she did in the past. Although it didn’t result in a grave tragedy, it is still a terrifying thought. However, I know that her true nature isn’t wicked."
"You know? Her true nature isn’t wicked? Heh." Ye Xuan was somewhat surprised before he let out a cold laugh.
"Yes, she told me everything last night. I know that Young Master Ye is broad-minded and wouldn’t hold a grudge against a mere woman."
"No, you’re wrong! Broad-minded or not, there are some mistakes I will never forgive. Especially a mistake like attempting to murder my entire family!"
Ye Xuan’s voice was piercingly cold, completely devoid of any emotion.