Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 33

Most of the locust flower wheat rice was prepared by Gu Xiyan. Once it was steamed and drizzled with the sauce Chef Chen had prepared, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Ye Qinming couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

The slightly glutinous flour wrapped around the delicate fragrance of locust flowers, and the fresh, sweet taste combined with the umami of the sauce made for an incredibly delicious dish. Ye Qinming nodded repeatedly as she ate. “I’ve seen this dish many times before, but I never knew it could be this delicious.”

Gu Xiyan chuckled. “If you like it, have some more. There’s plenty.”

***

After finishing breakfast, the family discussed heading south. They had originally stayed behind because they couldn’t bear to part with Gu Xiyan. Now that she had returned, there was no reason to linger any longer.

Danyang City was in chaos. The Gu family’s residence had been burned down, and their members fled in the confusion, leaving only the old steward behind to manage their remaining assets. Meanwhile, the only son of the Yang family, Yang Xunzhi, had suddenly died that same day.

According to Ji Changsheng’s investigation, the fox demon wreaking havoc in Danyang had been hiding within the Yang family. Traces of demonic spells were found on both father and son. Even more disturbingly, four murdered infants were discovered in the room of the Yang family’s eldest son. This meant that the four earthen jars the Gu family had uncovered did not contain the recently missing children.

Although many questions remained unanswered, no one knew why Nangong Pei had targeted the Gu family, what purpose the fox demon had in using the Yang family, or where the demon from the Gu family’s tea plantation had gone. But at this point, no one had the energy to stir up further trouble. Everyone was on edge, as if walking on thin ice. The Gu family’s grievances had been vindicated, and those who had once rallied against them now felt ashamed. As the truth came to light, people began to condemn those who had incited riots and set fires at the Gu residence. Fearing public backlash, many of them didn’t dare to leave their homes, and several families even left Danyang altogether.

Nangong Pei had been stripped of all his powers by Ye Qinming, aging significantly in the process. Now, he could only find brief moments of relief each day, spending the rest of his time in unbearable pain. The people of Danyang, who had once revered him, now despised him just as intensely. Every hardship he had orchestrated against Gu Xiyan was now repaid in full by the townsfolk, without mercy.

Ji Changsheng looked at him with a frown and said solemnly, “You once had a remarkable cultivation, yet your heart was impure, driven by greed and ambition. Your downfall was inevitable. Make peace with your fate.”

When Nangong Pei first arrived in Danyang, he had come into contact with Yang Xunzhi, who had offered him a hefty sum to slay demons and seize their demon cores. In return, Nangong Pei used formations to boost his own cultivation.

Nangong Pei despised demons, so he had no qualms about killing them. However, even after realizing something was off about Yang Xunzhi, he continued to work with him, conspiring to bring down the Gu family so that he and the magistrate could divide their wealth.

Yang Xunzhi had been manipulated by Ji Wuyan—half motivated by greed, half by Gu Xiyan’s beauty. The magistrate was purely after money, while Nangong Pei sought both fame and fortune. Ji Wuyan, on the other hand, pursued cultivation, driven by the remnants of a lingering soul that controlled him. His fixation on Gu Xiyan was fueled by some unknown force.

In the end, all the key players and accomplices in this disaster turned out to be mere pawns of a mysterious, fragmented soul.

When Gu Xiyan heard the full account of what had happened in Danyang, she felt a complicated mix of emotions. She had no idea what kind of entity the remnant soul that had possessed Ji Wuyan truly was. The cryptic words it had spoken that day seemed to hint at something, yet Gu Xiyan couldn’t make sense of them.

“What are you thinking about?” Ye Qinming, seated beside her, noticed her dazed expression and asked.

Gu Xiyan snapped out of her thoughts. “I was just thinking about the Yang family, Ji Wuyan, and that person who seems to have a grudge against me.”

Ye Qinming furrowed her brows slightly and said in a low voice, “If just a fragment of a soul could control a former general of the Demon Realm’s fox clan, then its identity must be extraordinary. But whether it’s a demon, ghost, or immortal, one thing is clear—it is fixated on you. Gu Xiyan, your past identity in the Immortal Realm was probably not insignificant.”

Ye Qinming had already gone through the notable figures of the Demon Realm in her mind. In the past, under her command were four great demon kings—Feidan, Baize, Jiuying, and Guiche—all of whom possessed abilities like this.

However, when Ye Qinming was sealed and cast into the Abyssal Prison, none of those four had perished. In the Immortal Realm, unless Taiyi and the Four Supreme Gods intervened directly, they wouldn’t have been able to kill them. If someone claimed that Gu Xiyan was the reincarnation of one of Taiyi’s four gods, Ye Qinming wouldn’t believe it.

Among those four, only Xuanming, the water god, was barely worth Ye Qinming’s respect. The other three were either reckless brutes or cunning schemers—none of them could have reincarnated into someone with Gu Xiyan’s gentle temperament.

Besides, if one of the Four Supreme Gods had reincarnated as a mortal, it would have triggered a catastrophe in the Immortal Realm. The Immortal Realm would have found them long ago and treated them as a treasured figure, not left them to nearly be devoured alive by demons.

Gu Xiyan smiled bitterly. “Right now, I’m just an ordinary person.”

Ye Qinming frowned. “You were able to unleash such immense spiritual power in a life-or-death situation and pierce through Ji Wuyan’s body. Cultivating shouldn’t be difficult for you. I can teach you, but—” She paused before continuing, “But in the end, I must return to the Demon Realm. So, Xiyan, joining a Daoist sect is your best choice right now.”

Hearing this, Gu Xiyan lowered her head. After a long silence, she finally asked, “I understand… then, when will you return to the Demon Realm?”

After asking, she couldn’t help but lift her head slightly, listening intently, but in the end, she lowered it again.

Seeing her like this, Ye Qinming felt uneasy. She forced a casual smile. “Although I can’t restore my cultivation to its former state, my body has recovered enough that I can at least attempt to tear open the boundary between realms. Once things are settled on your end, I’ll take you to Dongzhou to find a suitable sect for you, and then I’ll return.” After saying this, she stood up, gazing toward the eastern sky, and murmured, “I’ve been in the human world for nearly three months now. Those people have probably arrived. If they can recognize you, you should be able to receive their protection.”

Gu Xiyan caught her meaning clearly and furrowed her delicate brows. “Them? You mean people from the Immortal Realm?”

Ye Qinming gave a soft “mm” in response. 

That familiar air of disdain and arrogance resurfaced on her face. Gu Xiyan could sense her shift in demeanor and, after a moment of thought, tentatively asked, “Qinming, do you think they’re coming because of the demons causing trouble in the human world, or because of you?”

Ye Qinming cast Gu Xiyan a glance, her half-lowered eyelids hiding the surging killing intent in her eyes. “Both, and neither. The demons that cause havoc in the human world fall into three categories. The first are those who, by great fortune, have cultivated into human form within the Mortal Realm. They may be mischievous and untamed by nature, but they rarely pose a serious threat—like that Zhuo family couple. The second are those who have fled from the Demon Realm to the human world to do as they please, such as the black snake that attacked you. The last kind are those who have escaped from the Abyssal Prison of Demons and fallen into the human world—Ji Wuyan was one, and I am as well.”

“Abyssal Prison of Demons?” Gu Xiyan murmured, suddenly feeling dazed.

Ye Qinming didn’t see her expression. Her face was cold as she explained, “A place in the Immortal Realm meant specifically for imprisoning and punishing demons. It was originally built jointly by the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm, sealed by the Four Exorcising Swords. Once inside, unless the seal is broken, one can never escape. Within, one suffers endless torment—scorched by flames and tempered by heavenly punishment. At the time, the immortals and demons had formed an alliance, and those imprisoned there were all criminals of the highest order from both realms. Back then, it wasn’t called the Abyssal Prison—it was known as the Land of Divine Punishment.”

Gu Xiyan sat in stunned silence as she listened. Ye Qinming’s voice was calm, but beneath the surface, resentment ran deep, and her aura was just as chilling as when they first met.

“But a thousand years ago, Heavenly Emperor Taiyi deemed the Demon Emperor too great a threat and feared losing control over her. So, he set a trap, ordering Zhuoqing, the Divine Lord of the Immortal Realm at the time, to strike. In the end, they gravely wounded the Demon Emperor and imprisoned her in the Land of Divine Punishment. From that moment on, the place was used solely by the Immortal Realm to imprison demons, all in order to refine their demonic power and reignite the Chaos Bell to use against the Demon Realm.”

Ye Qinming had spent a thousand years inside the Abyssal Prison, watching as the powerful demons around her perished one by one, their demon energy and spiritual essence absorbed by the Exorcising Swords Array.

One by one, the demons who had accompanied her died. At the time, she had wondered why Taiyi went through such lengths to capture powerful demons and imprison them there instead of killing them outright. It wasn’t until she learned the truth that she finally understood.

But there was one thing she still couldn’t figure out—why didn’t Taiyi simply kill her? Back then, her demon core had been shattered, rendering her practically useless. Staying in that place served no purpose. What was even stranger was that after enduring a thousand years of torture, not only did she survive, but she slowly repaired her demon core.

That was something Taiyi hadn’t foreseen, and Ye Qinming herself was equally baffled.

Perhaps it was related to the memories she had lost. But the demons who had once been by her side were all gone, leaving her with no way to find the answers. So, she rarely dwelled on it. All she cared about was returning to the Demon Realm, killing Taiyi, and avenging her humiliation. That alone would be enough.

Gu Xiyan had remained silent the entire time. After a long pause, she finally asked in a soft voice, “Qinming, are you the Demon Emperor?”

Ye Qinming suddenly turned to look at her. Though Gu Xiyan couldn’t see, she could still sense the sharp and direct gaze. After a moment, Ye Qinming withdrew her imposing presence and let out a low scoff. “Do I not seem like one?”

Caught off guard by her suddenly prideful tone, Gu Xiyan hesitated for a moment before responding.

Ye Qinming continued, “You always think I can’t defeat anyone. I suppose that means you don’t believe a Demon Emperor could be this weak?”

A gentle, slightly lowered chuckle drifted through the air like the wind. Gu Xiyan lightly covered her lips with her hand and said softly, “That’s not it. In my heart, you are incredibly strong. It’s just… I can’t see you, and I don’t understand much about magic. Even though I know you’re powerful, I still can’t help but worry about you getting hurt. It’s not that I don’t believe in you.”

Her words were so sincere and heartfelt that Ye Qinming’s lips parted slightly, but for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She turned away, rubbed her nose, and—oddly enough—felt a little embarrassed.

***

After spending a day in the village, Gu Ye and his family set off for Ying City. As Danyang City grew more distant, Gu Ye sat in the carriage, looking back at the city one last time. In the end, he sighed and turned back inside.

Xie Wan gently held her husband’s hand and patted it lightly. Gu Ye smiled. “I’m fine. No matter how much I may be reluctant, Danyang—where Yan’er almost lost his life—is not a place I wish to return to. Besides, the Gu family’s name has finally been cleared. When I pass away in a hundred years, I will explain everything to our ancestors.”

Their group continued on their journey, covered in dust from the road.

Meanwhile, Ye Qinming had already silently dealt with two demons who had set their sights on Gu Xiyan. Although she kept it from Gu Xiyan, Gu Xiyan was far too perceptive to be fooled. She might not have said anything, but she knew the truth all too well.

As the group rested at the inn, Gu Xiyan spoke up, “Qinming, what is needed to make a puppet?”

Ye Qinming’s movements paused slightly before she replied, “Just a wooden figurine will do. I’ve already prepared it.”

Ever since Gu Xiyan had made her decision, Ye Qinming had carved the small figure. She took the wooden puppet from her robe and handed it to Gu Xiyan. Gu Xiyan reached out to touch it. Though it was made of wood, it was crafted with remarkable detail. As she traced the carved features with her fingers, she suddenly smiled. “It looks like me. You have such skillful hands.”

Ye Qinming smiled faintly at the compliment but didn’t ask when Gu Xiyan planned to leave. She knew Gu Xiyan was struggling. By leaving behind the puppet, the Gu couple could be spared the pain of farewell, but all the sorrow and guilt—Gu Xiyan would bear them alone.

She ached for this girl, whose life had been filled with hardships. She even felt a kind of pity for her. But Ye Qinming knew she couldn’t shield her from all of life’s suffering. She was merely a passerby in Gu Xiyan’s life. Accompanying her for this short journey was already more than she had ever allowed herself.

***

The next morning, the sun broke free from the sea of clouds, casting its first golden rays upon the world. The morning light was warm and gentle. Gu Ye, smiling brightly, personally helped Xie Wan onto the carriage.

Then he turned and called to his daughter, “Yan’er, it’s time to get on the carriage.”

The girl in white slowly turned around, a soft smile on her lips. “Okay, Dad.” She turned back and respectfully bowed to Ye Qinming. “Thank you, Qinming. This is where we part ways.”

Ye Qinming looked at her and slowly reached out her hand. Just as she was about to touch Gu Xiyan’s cheek, her hand hesitated and fell back down. “This is where we part. Take care of yourself. Take care of them.”

Gu Ye thanked Ye Qinming profusely before bidding farewell, his eyes full of fatherly love as he looked at his daughter. Standing beside her, he carefully reminded, “Yan’er, take it slow so you don’t trip. Du Juan, help your lady.”

The rhythmic clatter of hooves mixed with the creaking of the carriage wheels as they rolled over the stone-paved road. Under the soft morning light, the carriage gradually moved farther away.

Dressed in plain white, Gu Xiyan walked slowly closer, standing motionless beside Ye Qinming. Her dark, lightless eyes were fixed in the direction the carriage had gone, never wavering.

Her left hand, hanging by her side, clenched unconsciously. A strip of bloodstained gauze peeked out from her pale wrist.

Ye Qinming looked at her, and a deep, aching sorrow welled up in her heart.