Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 40

Ye Qinming thought that if she scolded Gu Xiyan harshly, looking fierce and intimidating, Gu Xiyan might listen and stay away. However, Gu Xiyan acted as if she hadn’t heard a word.

She knew Ye Qinming was being held back, and if she didn’t step in, the arrow would land on Ye Qinming. Once she instinctively blocked it, she had no chance to retreat.

Even with Gu Xiyan’s full force resisting it, the arrow only hesitated for a moment before breaking through her spiritual barrier and piercing into her body. It effortlessly passed through her.

Gu Xiyan grabbed the arrow’s fletching with her right hand, forcefully stopping it from going further. Blood gushed from her chest, and the excruciating pain drained all color from her face. In the end, the arrow still passed through her body, but its momentum had weakened.

Ye Qinming turned her head and watched, horrified, as the arrow continued toward Gu Xiyan’s back. An indescribable rage and sorrow surged through her, causing her once-green robes to turn blood-red.

With a long roar, she unleashed a surge of spiritual power from her right hand, blocking the combined attack of two opponents with one hand. With her left hand, she grabbed the arrow just as it was about to pierce further, stopping it in place before crushing it. A long sword materialized in her left hand, and she slashed fiercely at a mass of spiritual energy, the resulting shockwave sending both sides flying.

Ye Qinming groaned as she spat blood, but she didn’t hesitate—she rushed to Gu Xiyan’s side.

Her vision blurred, a cold sensation spreading from her chest to her entire body, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her misted vision, only to see that Gu Xiyan’s white robes were completely soaked in blood. Blood was still trickling from her mouth.

The powerful spiritual energy in the arrow had left a gaping wound in her chest, with fresh blood gushing uncontrollably. Ye Qinming let out a hoarse cry, like a wounded beast. Pouring her spiritual power into Gu Xiyan’s wound, she desperately tried to stop the bleeding. She endured the pain in her own chest and called out Gu Xiyan’s name with gritted teeth.

“Gu Xiyan! Gu Xiyan!”

She was truly afraid. Gu Xiyan was just a mortal, fragile and weak. A wound to the chest—this was fatal. She would die. She would die!

Ye Qinming had never been one to mindlessly cherish life, nor did she kill the innocent without reason. But only now did she realize—if death came for Gu Xiyan, the fear and pain it brought her were unbearable.

Gu Xiyan’s eyes remained shut, her face deathly pale. Her once light-pink lips were now drained of all color. The sight tore Ye Qinming’s heart apart, sending waves of unbearable pain through her chest.

She called out to the seemingly lifeless figure in her arms several times before Gu Xiyan’s lips finally trembled slightly. Though her eyes remained closed, she was murmuring something.

Ye Qinming immediately leaned in. The next moment, her expression darkened as she snapped, “I wouldn’t eat you! I don’t eat corpses!” Her bloodshot eyes widened, veins bulging on her forehead. She looked terrifying, her face twisted in fury and pain. Tears streamed down uncontrollably, but she paid them no mind.

Gu Xiyan, though barely conscious, could clearly hear the mix of anger and agony in Ye Qinming’s voice. A faint, wry smile tugged at her lips as she weakly murmured, “What a waste…”

She struggled to take a breath, her fingers lightly grasping Ye Qinming’s sleeve. Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, her thoughts were muddled, and the words buried in her heart spilled out.

“In all the time I’ve known you… I’ve been… happy. Actually, I… I fear that you’ll return to the Demon Realm. But… I cannot keep you here. If you must go… then parting in death is better than being separated in life…”

Ye Qinming listened, watching Gu Xiyan struggle to speak, gasping for breath after each word. The pain in her chest was unbearable.

Parting in life and death…

“Ming’er, between you and me, there will be no parting in life. Only in death.”

Nonsense. She didn’t want to part in life. She didn’t want to part in death. Once was enough. Enough!

Her mind was in complete turmoil. A red light flickered in her eyes, and her head throbbed as if it were about to explode. Unable to endure the stabbing pain in her mind, she let out a low groan and struck her own head hard, barely regaining her clarity.

On the other side, Xingshi was deathly pale, staring at Gu Xiyan in shock. His eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

That mortal… How… How could she look so much like Zhuo— No. Impossible! He shook his head violently. The Divine Lord’s soul had long since scattered into nothingness. It couldn’t be her!

Ye Qinming, consumed by grief and rage, turned her bloodstained gaze toward Xingshi, who was coughing up blood. Her killing intent was palpable.

Using her spiritual power, she sealed the meridians around Gu Xiyan’s wound, forcefully keeping her alive. Clenching her teeth, she growled, “Gu Xiyan, listen to me. You are not allowed to sleep. You are not allowed to die! I am not a good person, and I don’t care about the lives of others. But if you dare to die, I will send your father, your mother, and everyone in the Gu family to accompany you in death. I mean it! Do you hear me?!”

Her voice was ruthless, and the murderous intent in her tone was no joke.

Even in her fading consciousness, Gu Xiyan furrowed her brows and coughed up another mouthful of blood. “Qinming… don’t… don’t…” she pleaded weakly. Her mind seemed foggy as she murmured, “Why are you… so fierce…”

Ye Qinming gently placed her down, enclosing her in a protective barrier. Stroking her cold face, she whispered softly, “Live well, and I won’t be fierce anymore.”

With those words, she turned back to block the combined attack of two opponents. Rising to her feet, she coldly looked at Xingshi and Rizhuo, both of whom were injured.

As gods, they were bound by the laws of heavens—those from the Immortal Realm were forbidden from killing mortals. If they violated this rule, they would suffer divine backlash. The previous attack that struck Gu Xiyan had already inflicted severe backlash on Xingshi himself.

Fixing her piercing gaze on him, Ye Qinming’s eyes seemed to stab straight into his heart. Her voice was icy as she sneered, “Where did you get the confidence that you could kill me? From that brat Yanyang? Or that hypocrite Taiyi?”

As her words fell, she vanished in an instant—only to reappear right in front of them.

Xingshi couldn’t hold back and still wanted to ask, but Ye Qinming didn’t give him the chance. He and Rizhuo immediately separated, revealing the Ghost Marsh Black Serpent, which had exhausted its spiritual power. Seeing the serpent trying to escape, Ye Qinming leaped forward, gripping her longsword tightly and stabbing it straight through the creature’s vital point. All of its defenses were instantly shattered. She then pulled the sword violently before turning her hand and slashing a burst of spiritual energy toward Xingshi. Without hesitation, her left hand plunged into the serpent’s body, forcefully digging out its demon core.

She moved so swiftly that Xingshi and Rizhuo couldn’t react in time. Ye Qinming, now completely enraged, was like a raging inferno, her murderous aura surging. The scene of her slaughtering the Ghost Marsh Black Serpent sent chills down their spines, instantly killing any thoughts of taking credit for victory. They tried to send a message out, but Ye Qinming didn’t give them the chance.

The last thing Xingshi and Rizhuo saw was Demon Emperor Ye Qinming’s cold, ruthless gaze. Her emerald-green longsword, as chilling as jade, glowed with a crimson hue after drinking its fill of their blood. As they collapsed, their eyes were wide with disbelief before their bodies disintegrated into scattered motes of light, vanishing without a trace.

“They deserve worse than death!”

Ye Qinming seized the tianhao flower without delay and rushed to check on Gu Xiyan. The murderous aura around her had yet to fade, her entire being exuding cold cruelty and violence. After being imprisoned in the Abyssal Prison of Demons for a thousand years, any trace of warmth or purity had long been eroded.

She was like a demon crawling out of the depths of hell, her crimson eyes blazing. Yet no one knew how terrified she was as she walked toward Gu Xiyan—afraid that, at this moment, Gu Xiyan had already become a cold corpse.

Her sword dissipated into nothing. Slowly, she crouched down, her voice hoarse as she called Gu Xiyan’s name.

“Gu Xiyan?” The person leaning against the side had their head hanging low, their upper body soaked in blood—a scene of utter devastation.

Ye Qinming’s trembling hand reached toward Gu Xiyan’s nose. The next moment, she covered her face, then immediately pulled Gu Xiyan into her arms. Taking out the tianhao flower with her right hand, she crushed it into a liquid and held Gu Xiyan’s chin, forcing the medicine into her mouth.

Gu Xiyan couldn’t swallow anymore. Ye Qinming didn’t hesitate—she lowered her head and pressed her lips to Gu Xiyan’s. The lips that were once warm and soft were now terrifyingly cold. A sharp pain seized Ye Qinming’s heart, but she continuously transferred spiritual energy from her mouth, forcing Gu Xiyan to ingest the tianhao’s essence.

“Gu Xiyan, don’t die. Don’t die.” Ye Qinming was completely panicked. She had always been good at deceiving herself, but at this moment, with Gu Xiyan on the brink of death, there was no comfort to be found. If she died just like this… where would Ye Qinming ever find her again?

She had always known that one day she would have to leave the human world. But as long as Gu Xiyan was here, she had something to hold onto. If Gu Xiyan died, Ye Qinming wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Mortals only lived a few decades—Gu Xiyan was only eighteen. This shouldn’t be happening. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Staring at the ghastly wound in Gu Xiyan’s chest, Ye Qinming felt unbearable agony.

Her fingers trembled as they traced the wound’s edge, her eyes misting over once more. Gu Xiyan was merely flesh and blood—how excruciating must it be to endure such a wound? How could she be so foolish? How could she possibly withstand a full-force attack from Xingshi with her level of cultivation?

But then, when her fingertips brushed against the faintest pulse, Ye Qinming’s head snapped down in disbelief. Spiritual energy surged from her, probing into Gu Xiyan’s body. Her heart—although damaged—was still weakly beating, as if struggling to hold on.

Ye Qinming’s eyes instantly brightened. Gu Xiyan’s heart was positioned slightly to the right—Xingshi’s arrow had pierced through and damaged her heart’s meridians but hadn’t completely destroyed it.

Overcome with trembling excitement, Ye Qinming immediately carried Gu Xiyan back to the bamboo house. As soon as they arrived, she sat cross-legged and began channeling spiritual energy into Gu Xiyan without pause. 

Unfortunately, Xingshi’s arrow carried immense power, and Gu Xiyan’s wounded heart couldn’t withstand it. Ye Qinming’s energy could only stabilize her meridians—if she stopped, Gu Xiyan would likely take her last breath. The only reason there was still a sliver of hope was thanks to the tianhao flower. But… Ye Qinming suddenly recalled something, her anxious mind latching onto a solution. She extended her hand, revealing a floating black demon core in her palm—the inner core of the Ghost Marsh Black Serpent, capable of repairing damaged organs.

With spiritual energy coiling around her fingers, she pressed her right hand against Gu Xiyan’s dantian, guiding the black demon core inside. The next moment, a faint white spiritual force wrapped around the core, gradually absorbing it completely.

It wasn’t until nightfall that Ye Qinming finally dared to withdraw her hands. The exhausting process of saving Gu Xiyan had drained her own spiritual energy to the limit. Dizzy and lightheaded, she took a moment to regain clarity.

Gu Xiyan’s face was still pale, but the deathly aura had faded somewhat. Ye Qinming reached out and gently touched her chest—her heart was still beating. At last, she smiled. Wiping the cold sweat from her brow, she whispered, “You owe me too much spiritual energy now. Once you’re better, I’ll have to take it all back.”

The blood on Gu Xiyan’s body had dried, dark and crusted. Ye Qinming carefully removed her outer robes, then her inner layers. But when she was left with only her undergarments, she inexplicably felt a hint of awkwardness.

However, the sight of Gu Xiyan’s bloodied clothes quickly drowned out any hesitation. She turned her head away and continued stripping away the stained fabric.

The wound on Gu Xiyan’s chest, inflicted by spiritual energy, couldn’t heal immediately. Against her pale, luminous skin, it appeared particularly jarring. At eighteen, Gu Xiyan was stunningly beautiful. Normally, she dressed modestly, her delicate figure concealed beneath layers of white robes, giving off an air of elegance and grace. But now, fully exposed before Ye Qinming’s eyes, there was an indescribable allure and enchantment to her presence.

Ye Qinming felt her face heat up. Carefully, she wrapped the wound, then quickly retrieved clean clothes to dress Gu Xiyan. Only when she saw that everything was in order, her appearance fresh and neat, did she finally let out a breath of relief.

Gu Xiyan remained unconscious. Her injuries were too severe; she would need a long time to recover. Sitting beside her, keeping watch, Ye Qinming found herself staring at her in a daze.

She raised her hand and touched her own chest—the lingering pain of almost losing Gu Xiyan was still fresh. For the first time, a trace of uncertainty and helplessness surfaced in Ye Qinming’s expression.

What was happening to her? Did she… like Gu Xiyan? No, impossible. She was a demon; Gu Xiyan was merely human. One day, she would endure her tribulations and reclaim her rightful place as an immortal. How could she possibly have feelings for her?

And yet, she cared about Gu Xiyan. She didn’t know when it began, but now that feeling had taken root and grown into a towering tree, so deeply entrenched that when it was nearly torn away, the pain was unbearable.

Many people choose self-deception because the moment you admit the truth, the final veil is lifted, and the stark reality can no longer be ignored. No matter how you look at it, there is no escape.

She didn’t want Gu Xiyan to be unhappy. She feared seeing her hurt. And if she truly was injured, it pained her more than if she were wounded herself. The Demon Emperor, who always prided herself on being invulnerable, had just been driven to the brink by a single sentence from her.

Reaching out, she took Gu Xiyan’s slightly cool hand in her palm. It was soft, carrying a faint trace of warmth. Staring at her face, Ye Qinming’s eyes stung.

“Why do I even care about you, you fool? Who throws their life away like that, running straight into an arrow? You were on the verge of death, and yet you were still worried about letting me eat you.” Her voice trembled slightly, tinged with bitterness. “I should’ve just eaten you back then—then at least I wouldn’t have ended up trapped by you, you little blind girl.”

Ye Qinming couldn’t help but scold her again, yet her heart was filled with an unspoken frustration. She was beginning to understand—Gu Xiyan had already carved out an irreplaceable place in her heart. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore. But she was still clear-headed.

No matter what she felt for Gu Xiyan, she couldn’t allow herself to indulge in it.

Countless demons had been cast into the Abyssal Prison of Demons over the millennia. She had witnessed them being tormented by flames and heavenly lightning, their agonized screams filling the prison day and night. Many had perished, unable to endure, their souls turned to ashes—offerings to the Four Exorcising Swords.

Had she not once trusted the Immortal Realm, the demons wouldn’t have been caught off guard and suffered such devastating losses. Everything Taiyi had taken from her—she had to take back.

Right now, their situation was a battle to the death. There was no room for hesitation.

Feelings like this… meant nothing to her.

Author’s Note:

White Lotus: Such a fierce wife.

Green Tea: Such an annoying little blind girl—you scared me to death.

White Lotus: …Green Tea finally had a breakthrough and started to sprout, but then she turned around and ran.

Green Tea: If I don’t run, am I supposed to just sit here and get pinned down?