Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 27

Ye Qinming, eyes red with fury, had just severed Nangong Pei’s right hand when she arrived. From a distance, she saw Gu Xiyan being struck by Ji Wuyan’s palm and sent flying. A surge of anger instantly rushed to her head.

She gripped her longsword with both hands, gathering an immense force of sword energy. The sword aura roared as it shredded everything in its path, slashing fiercely toward Ji Wuyan.

In Ye Qinming’s estimation, this strike would either kill or seriously injure him. However, to her surprise, Ji Wuyan spread his hands, raising a black barrier that directly withstood the thunderous sword attack. Even so, he was still forced back a dozen steps. After pushing away the sword energy with great effort, he staggered and spat out a mouthful of blood, the black mist in his eyes slightly dissipating.

Ye Qinming had no time for astonishment. She swiftly leaped forward, releasing her spiritual energy to catch Gu Xiyan. With a few light steps through the air, she held Gu Xiyan tightly in her arms.

But as she got a clear look at her, a sharp pain shot through Ye Qinming’s chest, her nose stinging unbearably.

Gu Xiyan had suffered internal injuries, coughing up a large mouthful of blood. Her bloodstained hand weakly clutched Ye Qinming’s robe as she continued to retch violently. Blood kept spilling from her lips, as though she wanted to cough out her very heart and lungs. Toward the end, she was reduced to dry heaving.

The once dignified and elegant woman was now disheveled, her complexion pale and ashen. Her white robes were stained with large patches of blood, making her seem on the verge of death.

A torrent of emotions surged within Ye Qinming—pain, guilt, and overwhelming regret. But she had no time for anything else. She immediately channeled her spiritual energy into Gu Xiyan’s body, working to heal her wounds.

Lifting her gaze, she shot a cold look at the white-robed Daoist before turning her glare toward Ji Wuyan, her aura dark and terrifying.

The white-robed Daoist had also been injured. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, momentarily confused by the scene before him. The woman lying in Ye Qinming’s arms was clearly human, while Ji Wuyan, who had wounded her, was brimming with demonic energy. Then why had this demon just fought so desperately to save her?

Ji Wuyan, now injured, seemed to have regained some clarity. His burning gaze locked onto Gu Xiyan. “Hand her over to me, and I’ll spare your life.”

A red glow flickered in Ye Qinming’s eyes. Looking down at the barely breathing Gu Xiyan, her rage was impossible to suppress. “You’re courting death!”

Ji Wuyan took a step forward. Seeing this, the white-robed Daoist threw aside Nangong Pei and stepped between them. “To commit such atrocities in broad daylight—you’re far too brazen.”

“Tch, another damn Daoist. Get lost!” Ji Wuyan waved his hand, sending a blast of demonic energy straight at him.

This man was none other than Ji Changsheng, a disciple of an old acquaintance summoned by Gu Ye. Hailing from Dongzhou, he immediately raised his sword, deflecting Ji Wuyan’s attack before engaging him in combat.

Ji Changsheng was an outstanding fourth-generation disciple from Dongzhou’s foremost sect. His cultivation was not low, but against a powerful demon like Ji Wuyan, he was still at a disadvantage. Moreover, he had already been wounded by Ye Qinming’s sword energy earlier. After exchanging dozens of blows, Ji Wuyan struck him with a burst of force, sending him tumbling back, coughing up blood.

But no matter what, he had bought enough time for Ye Qinming to save Gu Xiyan.

Gu Xiyan had regained some awareness. The familiar scent of tea reached her nose. Nestled in Ye Qinming’s embrace, feeling her warmth, the nightmarish despair she had just experienced lessened slightly.

Recalling what Ji Wuyan had done, disgust and pain surged within her. She retched again, murmuring, “Qinming, Qinming… Ah Qi… Ah Qi is dead…”

Ye Qinming had also noticed the young girl who had always been by Gu Xiyan’s side. Her expression darkened. “I know. It’s okay now, it’s okay. I’m here… I was late, but I’m here. Just wait for me a moment.”

She gently released Gu Xiyan, letting her lean against something for support. Rising to her feet, she fixed her gaze on Ji Wuyan. “A despised outcast of the fox clan, daring to run rampant in the human world… Today, I’ll send you straight to hell!”

She stretched out her hand, green luminescence interwoven with red demonic energy coalescing into a longsword in her palm. Her light-colored robes shifted into a deep blood-red. In the next instant, she had already appeared beside Ji Wuyan, her sword flashing toward his throat.

Ji Wuyan narrowly dodged, surprise and greed flickering through his eyes. His robe billowed, and suddenly, he bent forward. Three white fox tails lashed out like sharp spears, piercing through the air toward Ye Qinming.

Ye Qinming leaped high into the air, avoiding them just as the ground beneath her feet shattered into rubble. She did not pause—her sword moved so fast it left only afterimages. Countless sword energies converged, spiritual power surging toward Ji Wuyan like a torrential storm.

Ji Wuyan twisted and rolled through the air, evading each strike as sword energy churned up stone and dust in all directions. His three fox tails lashed out like lightning while his hands wove intricate seals one after another. Demonic energy, spiritual power, and sword aura clashed chaotically, turning the battlefield into utter chaos.

Ye Qinming, her spiritual energy nearly depleted, thrust her sword forward and unleashed a massive golden formation light from above. Her body transformed into a streak of light, pushing the sword directly toward Ji Wuyan.

Ji Wuyan dared not take the attack head-on, but the nearly two-feet-wide circular formation pressed down on him, leaving him with no room to escape. He threw his head back and let out a long howl—his limbs sprouted razor-sharp claws, fangs emerged, and his fox tails rose behind him, slamming fiercely against the formation.

To his shock, Ye Qinming pierced through the formation in an instant. 

All of Ji Wuyan’s strength was focused on resisting the array, and he had not expected her to break through his barrier so swiftly. Caught off guard, he could only watch as her sword plunged straight down toward his head.

Forced into his true form, Ji Wuyan twisted his head and sank his fangs viciously into Ye Qinming’s left arm. But Ye Qinming, eyes cold and filled with killing intent, paid no mind to the pain. With her right hand still gripping the sword, she thrust her left hand directly into his abdomen, ripping out his demon core.

Ji Wuyan’s eyes, once pitch black, suddenly turned into beast-like pupils. He let out a mournful wail before collapsing to the ground. Ye Qinming’s spiritual energy shattered his soul, reducing him to ashes.

Yet, as Ji Wuyan disintegrated, Ye Qinming caught a glimpse of a wisp of black mist escaping rapidly. Gritting her teeth, she cast a spell at it, but the mist still managed to flee. 

There was something oddly familiar about its aura, but she couldn’t immediately place it. For a demon capable of controlling someone as powerful as Ji Wuyan even after death—it must have been unimaginably strong in life.

By now, Nangong Pei and Ji Changsheng were struggling to stand, while the Gu residence outside was engulfed in flames, surrounded by onlookers. Seeing Ah Da and Ah Qi lying lifeless on the ground, and the near-collapse of Gu Xiyan, Ye Qinming’s anger blazed uncontrollably.

“Nangong Pei—you, born a human, colluding with demons to destroy the Gu family—you deserve to die!” A red light flashed in her eyes as a blast of spiritual energy shot from her palm straight into his chest. Let me show you… what true heart-wrenching pain feels like.” Already weakened from her earlier wounds, Ye Qinming coughed softly, suppressing the metallic taste rising in her throat. Without another glance, she transformed into a streak of light and disappeared with Gu Xiyan in her arms.

Behind her, Nangong Pei clutched his chest with his remaining hand, his screams growing more agonized by the second. Ji Changsheng, unable to stop or save him, had no choice but to knock him unconscious.

Looking at the devastated Gu residence, Ji Changsheng’s heart was heavy with guilt and regret. If he hadn’t been delayed by the recent demon attacks along the road, perhaps the Gu family wouldn’t have faced such a tragedy. He had failed his master.

He glanced at the unconscious Nangong Pei. Initially, he had assumed they were on the same side and intervened against Ye Qinming to stop her. But in hindsight, it seemed she had only come to rescue that young woman—had he been the one in the wrong?

Before long, Nangong Pei woke from the pain, his mind unclouded but his body consumed by agony. He screamed, begging Ji Changsheng to kill him. Only now did he regret provoking Ye Qinming—this kind of pain was worse than death.

Helpless, Ji Changsheng sealed Nangong Pei’s senses temporarily with his spiritual energy. Then, supporting his own injured body, he gathered the corpses of Ah Da and Ah Qi and carried them out of the burning Gu residence. By now, he had guessed that the girl Ye Qinming had taken was the Gu family’s young lady. But what puzzled him most was—why would a demon go to such lengths to save her?

***

Ye Qinming, however, didn’t trust anyone else to protect Gu Xiyan. Her spiritual energy was dangerously low, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to shield her if something else happened. Besides, there was something else troubling her—there had been a remnant soul hidden inside Ji Wuyan’s body. This might explain his relentless pursuit of Gu Xiyan. Under these circumstances, taking her away was the safest option.

But they couldn’t travel far. Ye Qinming’s depleted energy made it difficult to maintain their pace, and worse still… the poison in her body…

After pushing herself for a while longer, Ye Qinming finally landed in a dense forest a hundred li outside Danyang City. Staggering, she carefully placed Gu Xiyan down and collapsed beside her.

“Qinming…” Gu Xiyan, regaining a sliver of strength, noticed something was wrong and tried anxiously to reach her.

Ye Qinming watched as Gu Xiyan struggled to her feet, unsteady and disoriented by the unfamiliar terrain. She tripped and fell hard to the ground, a muffled groan escaping her lips. A sharp pang twisted in Ye Qinming’s chest—this was the first time she fully realized how much Gu Xiyan’s blindness had cost her.

Suppressing the blackened blood seeping from her wound with spiritual energy, Ye Qinming quickly moved to help her up. “Don’t move—I’m fine. Be good.”

Gu Xiyan clutched Ye Qinming’s robes tightly, her voice anxious. “You’re hurt… You smell so strongly of blood.” And mixed with the scent of blood was another strange aura—one that seemed to be left behind by Ji Wuyan.

A cold sweat broke out on Ye Qinming’s forehead. Being low on spiritual energy wasn’t the real issue—she could recover with rest. The real problem was the fox clan’s aphrodisiac poison from Ji Wuyan’s bite. With her spiritual energy depleted, she couldn’t suppress the poison, and there was no one she could turn to for help. 

The most humiliating part? Being controlled by such a lowly poison was utterly disgraceful.

“It’s just fox poison. Sit tight—I’ll recover on my own.” With that, Ye Qinming moved a little farther away from Gu Xiyan. The poison was already beginning to take effect, and the worst part was how she couldn’t stop herself from looking at Gu Xiyan.

Gu Xiyan sat quietly, listening to the faint rustling sounds in the forest and Ye Qinming’s labored, pained breathing. Everything she heard told her that Ye Qinming’s condition was far from good.

After a moment, she spoke softly, “Would it help if you absorbed some of my spiritual energy?”

Ye Qinming shot her a glance, her tone cold. “You can’t even see yourself—you’re as pale as a sheet of paper. I didn’t go through all this trouble saving you just to drain you dry in one go.”

Her words were anything but gentle, yet beneath the sharpness, Gu Xiyan could feel the awkward concern hidden within.

Understanding her own limits, Gu Xiyan fell silent, choosing to sit quietly beside her. But Ye Qinming’s breathing only grew more erratic with time, each ragged gasp making Gu Xiyan’s heart clench with worry.

The next moment, Ye Qinming let out a muffled groan and coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body swaying before collapsing to the ground.

“Qinming!” Gu Xiyan’s already pale face turned even whiter. Hearing the sound, she called out in alarm and practically threw herself toward Ye Qinming.

Ye Qinming gritted her teeth, too weak to respond. She struggled to suppress the turbulent demonic energy surging through her body. The hidden ailment within her—aggravated by the fox poison—was flaring up again. Was this really where she was going to fall?

Her consciousness began to blur. Meanwhile, Gu Xiyan had already fumbled her way over, pulling Ye Qinming into her arms. The woman in her embrace was burning up, her face slick with sweat, her body tense and trembling uncontrollably.

In Gu Xiyan’s mind, someone as powerful as Ye Qinming being in this state meant things were dire. Lowering her head in panic, she urged softly, “Ye Qinming, absorb my spiritual energy. Please.”

But Ye Qinming didn’t react at all. Growing increasingly flustered, Gu Xiyan suddenly remembered what Ye Qinming had said about extracting spiritual energy—the most direct way was through consuming blood.

Her expression softened with resolve. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached up and pulled the hairpin from her hair. Raising her left hand, she bit her lip before pressing the sharp tip against her delicate wrist, dragging it down forcefully.

A muffled whimper escaped her lips, and her face grew even paler. The golden hairpin wasn’t particularly sharp—she had to bite down on her sleeve and saw back and forth several times before blood finally began to flow. The pain left her trembling, her inner garments already soaked with sweat.

Blood welled up from the wound. Supporting Ye Qinming’s body, Gu Xiyan pressed her bleeding wrist against Ye Qinming’s lips. The warm liquid trickled into her mouth, carrying a faint sweetness. For a brief moment, Ye Qinming hesitated—then her body instinctively began to swallow.

The warm blood was like a life-saving elixir, sliding down her throat and spreading a soothing heat through her stomach. The warmth seeped into her meridians, revitalizing them and gathering within her dantian. The poison’s grip on her body began to weaken as her spiritual energy started to flow again.

As her mind grew clearer, Ye Qinming realized what she was drinking and turned her head away abruptly. Yet despite her returning strength, the residual heat from the fox poison continued to burn through her body—an unbearable, smoldering fire. And Gu Xiyan’s soft, warm presence only made it worse.

Unable to resist, she reached out and pulled Gu Xiyan into her arms, seeking relief from the unbearable heat consuming her.

Gu Xiyan’s head spun, and the searing pain from her wrist gnawed at her senses. Yet the person in her arms grew hotter by the second, clinging to her more tightly. Worse still, Ye Qinming’s hands had begun to wander, moving restlessly around her waist.

At eighteen years old, Gu Xiyan was innocent—like a blank sheet of paper when it came to such matters. She only felt her face grow hot, her heart pounding in her chest, still unaware of Ye Qinming’s intentions.

“Gu Xiyan,” Ye Qinming murmured softly, her voice low and sultry as she gazed at the woman in her arms.

Gu Xiyan couldn’t see the alluring expression on Ye Qinming’s face, but the seductive tone of her voice made her heart tremble. An unexplainable thirst crept over her, and she swallowed unconsciously.

That small movement seemed to catch Ye Qinming’s attention. The next moment, Ye Qinming’s cool fingertips traced along her neck. 

Gu Xiyan’s body tensed, and a sudden, inexplicable panic made her voice tremble as she called out softly, “Qinming…”

Author’s Note:

See? After the torment, there’s immediately sweetness, right? What’s there to be afraid of?

Currently, the Divine Lord is quite weak, and Green Tea is a bit strong, but still far from enough. However, in this chapter, she reaches a small peak, because it’s no longer just about sneaky touches and kisses.

Green Tea: A quick kiss is like charging, but a deep kiss is like…?

Answer: Fast charging.

One minute of kissing, two hours of strength.