Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 51 Part 1

Gu Xiyan avoided Ying City and headed west, carefully sensing the presence of people along the way. As she had expected, many elderly, women, and children had not managed to escape in time. They had no choice but to hide in the city’s underground cellars, hoping the demons wouldn’t find them.

However, their numbers were considerable, and it was impossible for Gu Xiyan to take them all away by herself. The only thing she could do was eliminate the demons threatening them one by one.

To the desperate survivors, Gu Xiyan’s arrival was like a lifeline. They all hoped she could lead them out of this nightmare. Before she came, they didn’t even dare to go out in search of food, fearing they would be caught and devoured by demons.

“Fairy, have all the demons been killed? Are we safe now?” A pale-faced woman, trembling with fear, cautiously asked Gu Xiyan.

Gu Xiyan was silent for a moment. The message conveyed by her silence made the people tense up again. Then she spoke, “Ying City has been occupied by demons. Most of them are entrenched there, and the chaos of the demon race will not subside easily. However, you don’t need to be overly afraid. I have set up protective formations here, and I have already eliminated the demons that posed a threat to you. For now, staying here is relatively safe.”

“Stay here? Fairy, you… you’re not taking us away?” At once, the dozens of people stirred, their fear evident.

“There are demons everywhere in the east. If I take you with me, the sheer number of human presences will attract even more demons, making the journey even more dangerous.”

“Then… then can’t you stay with us until the others eliminate the demons before leaving?”

“Yes, please! We’re just ordinary people—we can’t endure this any longer!”

Gu Xiyan frowned slightly but remained patient. “As long as you don’t step outside the formations, you will be fine. Ying City isn’t the only place in trouble—I need to check on other areas as well. And after making sure you’re settled, I must return to help fight against the demons.”

But these people had already experienced the terror of demons slaughtering and devouring humans. Fear had consumed their hearts.

A woman in her fifties anxiously pleaded, “Fairy, you can’t leave us! So many days have passed… If those who escaped haven’t returned by now, they’re probably already in the demons’ bellies. Their fates are uncertain, but we—there are dozens of us here, alive! You have a merciful heart—you wouldn’t just abandon us, would you?”

“I told you, the formations will protect you. There’s enough water and food here, and we will drive out the demons as soon as possible to restore peace.”

The woman’s expression darkened. Knowing that Gu Xiyan couldn’t see her, she made no effort to hide her frustration, and her tone turned urgent. “How can mere formations keep out the demons?! They are demons! They can fly, they can vanish, and they eat people without hesitation. If you leave and the formations fail, we’ll just be sitting here waiting to die! Fairy, saving people means seeing it through to the end—isn’t that what cultivators like you are supposed to do?”

“Yes, Fairy, are the formations really reliable? Please, show us more kindness—stay with us for a few more days, at least until the number of demons decreases!”

“If you weren’t going to take care of us, you shouldn’t have come at all. You just gave us false hope for nothing.”

In mere moments, the voices of complaint, pleading, and quiet murmuring filled the air, making Gu Xiyan’s heart grow cold.

She pressed her lips together, her expression turning stern. “If you don’t trust me, then why keep me here? You worry that the formations aren’t strong enough, but do you realize how many people don’t even have a place to hide?”

“That’s their bad luck,” a small voice muttered from a corner.

Gu Xiyan turned her head toward the voice. Though she couldn’t see, her presence alone made the short man in the corner shrink back in fear.

“As long as you don’t leave the formation, you won’t die!” With that, Gu Xiyan took to the air and left.

She could sense that the more powerful demons were no longer in the area—they had likely all been summoned to Ying City. As long as these people stayed put, they would be safe.

***

Meanwhile, Han Wenshan ultimately decided to retreat, leading his junior disciples out of the barrier. By the time they arrived, they found that Han Dan and the others had already made it out.

Noticing that Gu Xiyan was not among them, Han Dan’s expression darkened. Liang Jin hurriedly stepped forward and asked, “Second Shixiong, did you see Eldest Shijie?”

Yuxi, who had received an earlier message, had rushed down the mountain with two other disciples. Upon hearing that Gu Xiyan and Han Dan had entered Ying City to rescue people but had since gone missing, he had been extremely anxious. Now, he was also waiting for Han Wenshan’s response.

Han Wenshan’s expression was grim. “I saw her. She was doing just fine.”

The others breathed a sigh of relief. Yuxi quickly asked, “Then where is she now?”

Han Wenshan muttered, “I don’t know. When I saw her, she was in Mount Yao, mingling with a group of demons. She even stopped us from slaughtering them and let a bunch of demons go.”

“You’re lying! Eldest Shijie would never associate with demons, let alone stop you from eliminating them!” Liang Jin immediately refuted.

Yuxi furrowed his brows and stopped Liang Jin, speaking in a deep voice, “Wenshan, do you know what you’re saying?”

Han Wenshan’s face alternated between pale and flushed. “If you don’t believe me, ask my juniors. They all saw it with their own eyes.” Yuxi glanced at them and saw them nodding. His heart sank. Meanwhile, Han Wenshan continued to exaggerate, “Not only that, but those demons even saved her. They were terrified of the demon hunters, yet they still risked themselves to rescue her? Shishu, she has violated the rules of Dongzhou Sect, and her actions are highly suspicious.”

“Enough! Accusing your fellow sect members without evidence—did your shizun teach you this?” Yuxi sternly reprimanded Han Wenshan, clearly angry. “Besides, Xiyan risked her life to save hundreds of civilians in Ying City and destroyed the ghost formation. Do you think that was all an illusion? Rest for now and stay alert for disturbances in the barrier. Send word to the sect master and Yuheng-shixiong—I’m going to find my disciple.” With that, he stepped through the barrier. 

Han Dan hesitated for a moment but ultimately held back. He shot Han Wenshan a cold glare before saying in a low voice, “Let’s go.”

The six who followed him didn’t hesitate either, leaving together.

***

The day after Yuxi’s departure, the demons of Ying City launched a full-scale assault, violently crashing into the barrier. Only then did the Dongzhou Sect realize the true extent of the threat they faced. The severity of the situation forced the four remaining peak masters of Dongzhou’s Five Peaks to rush over, managing to temporarily hold the demons at bay. However, the barrier had already been shattered, leaving them with no defense.

“Send a message to Yuxi. He needs to return immediately. This is no time to act recklessly,” Yuheng said gravely to Yuqing, the third peak master, as he gazed at the broken remnants of the barrier.

“Yes, Shixiong.”

But before Yuxi returned, another rumor spread among the sect members—some disciples claimed they had personally seen Gu Xiyan mingling with demons. The day after the barrier was broken, a patrol team was ambushed by demons. The entire squad was wiped out, except for one severely injured disciple who barely made it back.

That disciple reported encountering Gu Xiyan. However, while the demons ruthlessly slaughtered his fellow disciples, they didn’t lay a finger on Gu Xiyan. Some demons even hesitated to land a killing blow.

Yuheng’s expression darkened like a stormy sky. Though he wasn’t quick to assume Gu Xiyan was truly a demon spy as the rumors suggested, in his mind, she was no longer one of Dongzhou’s disciples. From the start of the demon-slaying campaign, Gu Xiyan had shown little enthusiasm. It was clear that she harbored sympathy for the demons.

“Yuqing, still no contact with Yuxi?” His tone was heavy with concern.

“No, for some reason, our communication talismans aren’t working. We’ve sent several messages, but there’s been no response,” Yuqing replied, his unease growing. Among the five peak masters, Yuxi’s cultivation was among the highest. However, he had once fought a demon named Jiuxuan, whose strength was unfathomable. If Yuxi encountered him again, his chances of victory were slim.

“Keep trying. If Gu Xiyan really is… then he’s in even greater danger.”

The demons led by Jiuxuan continued clashing with the sect. The younger disciples could barely hold their ground, relying on demon-slaying formations with multiple members just to fight off the stronger demons. Against the greater demons that had broken into the human world from the Demon Realm, they stood no chance—only the elders could contend with them.

Over the next few days, Dongzhou suffered heavy casualties. The defenseless civilians had long been paralyzed with fear, unable to resist. Protecting them cost the sect even more disciples.

Despite the dire situation, rumors of Gu Xiyan’s betrayal spread like wildfire. It was said that her immense talent stemmed from the fact that she was never human to begin with—that she was a demon in disguise. That she had infiltrated Dongzhou to help orchestrate the downfall of the human world.

Meanwhile, refugees from Danyang claimed that Gu Xiyan had once conspired with demons. She was allegedly discovered and forced to flee, only to be rescued by a demon and disappear. No one had expected that she would later join the Dongzhou Sect.

Ji Changsheng, originally a disciple of Dongzhou’s Five Peaks, had been utterly shocked when he returned to the sect and saw Gu Xiyan. However, after his experiences traveling the world for over a year following the events in Danyang, his perspective had shifted.

After speaking with Gu Xiyan, his emotions were conflicted, but he believed in her character. Now, hearing these rumors, he absolutely refused to believe them. He had witnessed some of what had happened in Danyang and knew things were not so simple. But no matter how much he tried to argue, it was useless—Elder Yuheng would not listen.

Moreover, Gu Xiyan was merely a disciple. Normally, her supposed betrayal should have remained an internal matter. Yet now, the entire world seemed to know. Clearly, someone was fanning the flames.

Gu Xiyan listened as the terrified couple before her pleaded desperately for their lives. She suddenly found it all rather ironic.

She knew the rumors outside had already painted her as a demon spy, a villain who colluded with demons and committed heinous crimes.

Yet when she encountered this couple in danger, she couldn’t stop herself from stepping in. Even though she had slain the demon chasing them, their fear and suspicion remained undiminished.

Blood still dripped from the sword in her hand. She gripped it tightly, head lowered, lost in thought. The couple clung to each other, trembling violently, terrified that the blade would soon turn on them.

She let out a low chuckle, feeling unexpectedly calm. “Hurry and leave. Head three miles east—you should run into some Dongzhou disciples.”

Just as she was about to move, a sharp sword aura suddenly slashed toward her. Gu Xiyan spun midair, narrowly dodging the attack. A young boy, his voice trembling yet trying to remain firm, shouted, “You… You must not harm anyone!”

The voice was unfamiliar, but the sword technique was not—he was a disciple of the Third Peak.

By now, Gu Xiyan had already been through more than a dozen fights—thirty percent against demons, seventy percent… against humans. She was covered in blood, her face pale, yet her delicate and beautiful features remained gentle and refined, without a hint of hostility or malice.

“Take them and go. You’re not my opponent,” Gu Xiyan said as she sheathed her sword and turned to leave.

The young boy was momentarily stunned before his face flushed red. “Y-you, stop right there!” he shouted.

Gu Xiyan paused in her steps.

The boy swallowed hard and asked, “Are you really a demon?”

Gu Xiyan turned slightly, her face still partially concealed. The white silk blindfold over her eyes draped over her dark hair. For a brief moment, her expression was melancholic. But then, she smiled—gentle and graceful, like a white lotus swaying in the wind. The sight left the boy momentarily dazed, staring blankly as she disappeared from view.

“Thank you, Sir Immortal, for saving us. A moment later, and we would’ve been killed by that blind demon woman,” the rescued couple said, their gratitude overflowing.

The young boy merely responded with a faint “Mm” and glanced at the demon corpse beside him, which had reverted to its original form. The lingering spiritual energy had not yet dissipated—clear evidence that Gu Xiyan was the one who had slain it. His brows furrowed. Had Gu Xiyan really intended to harm them?

Gu Xiyan knew all too well who had orchestrated her current predicament. The feeling was not unfamiliar.

Back then, she had felt the same despair and pain—but at least she had someone by her side, someone who pulled her out of the abyss when she had nowhere else to go.

Now, she was alone. There was no one left to help her.

She had considered returning to Dongzhou to explain herself. But she knew the truth—public opinion could forge gold and destroy bones alike. The rumors were a mix of fact and fiction. It was true that she had refused to kill demons without reason. It was true that she had let many go. It was true that Ye Qinming had saved her.

So, in a way, she wasn’t entirely innocent.

She felt sorrowful, but not resentful. She understood human nature too well.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Xiyan’s thoughts drifted to Ye Qinming. It had been over eight years since they last saw each other. She wondered how she was doing in the Demon Realm. After leaving for a thousand years, was her return going smoothly?

For Gu Xiyan, it had been eight long years. But for Ye Qinming, it had only been eight short days.

A sudden pang of pain clenched her chest. Ye Qinming’s voice echoed in her mind. 

“If you truly like me, then become an immortal.”

A bitter smile curled Gu Xiyan’s lips. Ye Qinming must have felt something for her—just a little, at least. But…

Leaning against a tree, Gu Xiyan murmured, “If I can’t become an immortal, I might as well become a ghost.”

Just then, a strong, steady male voice interrupted, “What kind of nonsense is that?”