Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 61

Gu Xiyan sensed the murderous intent locking onto her from a distance and heard Ye Qinming’s sharp cry. However, this was the critical moment—if she could hold on just a little longer, the barrier would be completely opened.

Once the barrier was open, Ye Qinming would be able to safely return to the Demon Realm. But if it remained closed, both Ye Qinming and the demons present could perish here at the summit of Zhuoguang.

Besides, Gu Xiyan herself had no way to evade the danger. She chose to ignore everything, focusing all her strength on tearing open the barrier.

Ye Qinming’s face was filled with panic. She had rushed over as fast as she could, but the golden arrow still slipped past her fingertips, now less than a meter away from Gu Xiyan. In just the blink of an eye, it would pierce through her.

“Get out of the way!”

Ye Qinming unleashed a powerful burst of intertwined demon and spiritual energy, striking at the arrow like a bolt of lightning. But it was too late!

Gu Xiyan had already turned to face it. There was no panic or fear in her expression—only a trace of melancholy, a hint of regret. The arrow carried a deadly killing intent, rushing straight toward her, just as the void behind her was completely torn open!

Meanwhile, the fire god and Qujing, who had been poised to take advantage of the situation and kill Ye Qinming, suddenly got a clear look at the woman in white. Their pupils shrank instantly, their bodies freezing in place. Shock and an unusual hint of panic filled their eyes.

Just when everyone thought Gu Xiyan would die, an immense surge of spiritual power erupted in front of her, barely managing to block the golden arrow. Sparks of energy scattered as the two forces clashed!

That brief moment of obstruction allowed Ye Qinming’s rampaging spiritual energy to catch up to the golden arrow, smashing it completely. At the same time, on the other side, Tianshu turned pale and spat out a mouthful of blood.

But before Ye Qinming could breathe a sigh of relief, the fire god’s raging flames slammed into her back. She staggered forward violently, instinctively pulling Gu Xiyan into her arms. A muffled groan escaped her lips as blood spilled continuously from her mouth.

The flames instantly burned through her flesh, producing a horrifying sizzling sound. The acrid stench of charred skin filled Gu Xiyan’s nose. Her fingers clenched tightly in alarm as she called out anxiously, “Qinming?”

The pain of divine fire consuming one’s body was comparable to being scorched by heavenly thunder. Ye Qinming was on the verge of passing out, sweat breaking out across her face. But she had no time to cry out in pain. With her left hand, she swung her sword, carving out a path. Clenching her teeth, she commanded, “Retreat to the Demon Realm!”

She had no time for anything else. The entrance that had just been forced open was already showing signs of closing again. Without hesitation, she carried Gu Xiyan and leaped inside, pulling along the nearby demons as she retreated into the Demon Realm.

Only after they had vanished did Yanyang and Qujing remain motionless. The two exchanged glances, their expressions still filled with disbelief.

“Fire God… just now… was that… was that Divine Lord Zhuoqing?” Even his voice trembled slightly.

Despite his fiery temperament, the fire god was someone who remained unfazed even in the face of catastrophe. Yet at this moment, his shock was no less than Qujing’s.

“Yes, exactly the same. Exactly the same!” But then, he shook his head repeatedly. “Impossible. Impossible. Divine Lord Zhuoqing sacrificed herself back then, using her own body to suppress the Chaos Barrier. That was the complete annihilation of her soul—she was utterly destroyed! There was no chance for reincarnation!”

“High God Qujing, Fire God, what should we do now?” Tanlang asked anxiously. “The Demon Emperor has escaped, and most of the demons with her as well. How are we supposed to report back to the Heavenly Court?”

The fire god finally snapped out of his thoughts, his expression darkening. “Fengshuo, come out!”

As soon as he spoke, a woman dressed in a flowing blue robe appeared calmly before him, bowing respectfully. “Fire God. High God Qujing.”

Yanyang’s eyes burned with suppressed anger, his voice urgent as he demanded, “You blocked Tianshu’s Sun-Chasing Bow. Is she truly Divine Lord Zhuoqing?”

Fengshuo’s face darkened slightly. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? If you didn’t know, would you have blocked Tianshu’s arrow for her? Fengshuo, do you realize the gravity of deliberately concealing her survival?” The fire god’s emotions surged uncontrollably. His handsome face turned red with fury, as if he might burst into flames at any moment.

Fengshuo remained calm and said in a steady voice, “Fire God, you’re so agitated right now simply because she looks exactly like the Divine Lord. Even though I know that after the Divine Lord perished back then, there was no chance for reincarnation, when that identical face appeared before me, how could I remain indifferent? I already watched her die once right in front of me—even if it’s not really her, I cannot bear to witness it a second time. Besides, she is merely a mortal. The Heavenly Realm forbids its people from killing mortals, so there’s no need for you to be angry.”

“Heh, just a mere mortal. If not for your interference, Tianshu could have killed her, and she wouldn’t have been able to open the Demon Realm’s barrier. Unless…?” The fire god’s eyes suddenly twitched. “High God Qujing, the Demon Realm’s barrier cannot be repaired for now. For the time being, seal the exit to prevent those demons from wreaking havoc in the human world. Tianshu, Tanlang, return to the Heavenly Realm immediately to report back.” With that, he cast a cold glance at Fengshuo. “As for today’s events, I’ll leave it to you, High Immortal Fengshuo, to explain to His Majesty.”

Qujing nodded. Once the two of them had sealed the barrier, the fire god’s expression darkened as he stared at it. A mere mortal—even a cultivator—shouldn’t have had the ability to tear open the Demon Realm’s barrier on her own. And yet… this barrier had been personally created by the Divine Lord Zhuoqing. If that woman was truly her reincarnation, then perhaps…

Fengshuo remained silent, watching them leave. Only when they were gone did she turn back to the now-sealed barrier. The emotions she had been suppressing—excitement and worry—finally surfaced in her eyes.

“Divine Lord… have you really returned?” she murmured, her eyes already red. A thousand years… After a thousand years, her deity had finally returned to the world. And yet… she sighed helplessly, feeling both lost and relieved. No matter how many twists and turns, in the end, her lord had still returned to her side.

But then, the thought of the fire god and the others seeing her filled Fengshuo with unease. If Taiyi were to find out that the Divine Lord had been reincarnated and was now by the Demon Emperor’s side, he would undoubtedly lead the heavenly army into the Demon Realm himself.

And what about Ye Qinming, who had lost her memories? How would she treat the Divine Lord? If Ye Qinming sought revenge and insisted on attacking the Immortal Realm, what would the Divine Lord do then?

Her joy was immediately overshadowed by worry. The situation that awaited the Divine Lord and the Demon Emperor was no better than it had been a thousand years ago. In fact, it was worse—now, the Divine Lord was merely a mortal, making it even harder for her to mediate between the Immortal and Demon Realms.

Fengshuo stood in silence for a moment before turning and returning to the Immortal Realm.

***

On the other side, the moment Ye Qinming escorted Gu Xiyan into the Demon Realm, she sensed something was wrong. She had already sent a message ahead, but not only had no one opened the barrier from inside, it seemed as though someone had been deliberately trying to stop Gu Xiyan from breaking through it.

Adding to her suspicions was how quickly the Immortal Realm forces had arrived—specifically, Fire God Yanyang and High God Qujing, who had clearly come prepared to deal with her. That meant someone must have known she had left the Demon Realm. And…

Her eyes turned icy. The moment they entered the Demon Realm, she seized a nearby demon and slammed him to the ground. The demon trembled uncontrollably at the sight of her. “Y-Your Majesty—”

“Who was here just now?”

The demon’s face turned pale. “I… I don’t know… I don’t know. General Bai gave orders earlier, saying there was an urgent mission and that there was no need to guard this area. I wasn’t here… I wasn’t guarding it…”

Ye Qinming’s expression grew even colder. “Tell Bai Shisan to get his ass over here.” Then, she turned to the group of demons behind her. “Follow him and settle in for now.”

Gu Xiyan, however, was filled with anxiety. She reached out, her hand cautiously tracing Ye Qinming’s waist and moving upward, her voice urgent. “Qinming, how badly are you hurt?”

She was holding Ye Qinming now, and her clothes were drenched in sweat. Her entire body was trembling slightly, and there was still the faint scent of burned flesh in the air. Gu Xiyan immediately realized that Ye Qinming’s injuries were severe.

Ye Qinming endured the pain and patted Gu Xiyan’s hand reassuringly. “I’m fine. Let’s go back first.” She looked down at Gu Xiyan in her arms, then glanced at the demon. “Remember—don’t speak carelessly about anything you shouldn’t.” 

The little demon obeyed but was still trembling. It was only after Ye Qinming had left that he dared to stand up. But when he recalled what he had just seen, he found it unbelievable.

Her Majesty… had been carrying a woman the entire time. Her voice had been terrifyingly gentle. And that woman… that woman was a mortal!

***

Ye Qinming had no intention of letting too many demons take notice of Gu Xiyan right now. Especially given that, at the moment, she was not in full control of the Demon Realm. Jiuying was still a major threat.

With that in mind, she tightened her hold around Gu Xiyan and headed straight for her palace, Thousand Leaf Palace.

(T/N: The “Ye” from Ye Qinming is using the exact leaf character. Anyway, moving on…)

She swiftly carried Gu Xiyan through the Thousand Leaf Palace. The demons guarding the palace gates barely caught a glimpse of her figure before respectfully lowering their heads.

After setting Gu Xiyan down, Ye Qinming finally collapsed into a chair, exhausted. Gu Xiyan hurried over, lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing as she pulled Ye Qinming into her lap, letting her lie face-down.

Ye Qinming was momentarily stunned and instinctively tried to get up, but Gu Xiyan firmly held her waist down, her voice slightly hoarse. “Don’t move.”

Her fingers trembled as they traced the burn wounds left by divine fire. The fabric was already scorched, and she could feel the charred flesh at the edges. The burn covered a large area—most of Ye Qinming’s back was injured. A dull pain twisted in Gu Xiyan’s chest, as if a blunt knife was repeatedly cutting through her. She released a gentle stream of spiritual energy to ease Ye Qinming’s pain and forced herself to suppress her emotions. “There’s lingering spiritual energy in the wound. Can you expel it yourself? Do you have medicine?”

Her spiritual energy could only provide temporary relief, but the wounds left by the fire god’s flames were beyond her ability to heal. The medicine she carried wouldn’t work on injuries of this nature either.

Though Ye Qinming found it somewhat embarrassing to be lying in Gu Xiyan’s lap like this, she could sense the deep concern Gu Xiyan was trying to suppress. So, she obediently stayed still and handed her a small bottle. “The fire god’s Red Lotus Flame isn’t something ordinary medicine can soothe. I need to expel the remaining energy myself before applying the ointment. Don’t worry—it just looks bad and hurts a little, but it’s nothing serious.”

Gu Xiyan said nothing and instead reached for Ye Qinming’s belt. Startled, Ye Qinming immediately sat up. “What are you doing?”

But when she saw Gu Xiyan’s slightly reddened eyes, she suddenly didn’t know what else to say.

Gu Xiyan steadied her carefully to avoid pulling at her wounds. “Your clothes are burned—you need to take them off.” Then, in a quieter voice, she added, “I can’t see. Just listen to me.”

Ye Qinming had no choice but to let her undo the belt. She pulled off her outer robe, then let her inner garment slide halfway down to reveal the burns on her back. Even though she knew Gu Xiyan couldn’t see, Ye Qinming still felt deeply embarrassed, her face flushing red.

Gu Xiyan had carefully traced her injuries earlier. Though she couldn’t see them, she knew they must be severe.

Ye Qinming glanced at her wounds—beneath the blackened flesh, patches of tender new skin were forming, cracked and ghastly to look at. A part of her was relieved that Gu Xiyan couldn’t see it. It was just too ugly.

“Will it leave scars? Why don’t you take better care of yourself?” Gu Xiyan’s chest ached with frustration. In the heat of the battle, she hadn’t had time to think, but now she understood—Ye Qinming had taken this injury while protecting her.

Even just removing two layers of clothing had already made Ye Qinming break out in a cold sweat.

At the mention of this, Ye Qinming grew angry, gritting her teeth. “Gu Xiyan, you dare say that to me? If I hadn’t protected you—if someone hadn’t secretly intervened—you would have been utterly destroyed! Have you ever thought of taking better care of yourself?”

Gu Xiyan froze, lowering her head, her eyelashes trembling. Ye Qinming had started out scolding fiercely, but seeing Gu Xiyan’s reaction, she couldn’t hold onto her anger. Her voice softened. “Gu Xiyan, you are important—more than I ever realized. You can treat life and death lightly, but I—I panic at the thought of losing you.”

Gu Xiyan lifted her head and remained silent for a long time before whispering, “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I… I don’t take life lightly. I’m just afraid something will happen to you. More than anything, I’m afraid you’ll be hurt because of me.”

Ye Qinming’s expression grew complicated. She reached out and gently brushed her fingers against Gu Xiyan’s cheek. “This isn’t your fault, Xiyan. And you have to trust me—I can protect myself, alright?”

Gu Xiyan nodded, then reached out again, letting her fingers brush against Ye Qinming’s face. Her touch was soft. “Alright. You’re sweating from the pain. Let’s tend to your wounds.”

Ye Qinming felt her heart melt at Gu Xiyan’s gentleness. She was just about to agree when Gu Xiyan suddenly leaned in. Her warm lips, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance, pressed against Ye Qinming’s.

Ye Qinming’s eyes widened in shock. But the next moment, she frowned, instinctively trying to push Gu Xiyan away. Transferring spiritual energy like this—through direct contact—was a costly process. It drained one’s very foundation. In the past, she had been reckless, but now, she cherished Gu Xiyan too much to allow it.

However, her injuries were severe, and her energy was depleted. She was too weak to push Gu Xiyan away.

Gu Xiyan cradled the back of her head and gently bit her lip, murmuring, “Be good. I know what I’m doing.”

Ye Qinming’s body went weak. Her voice was barely coherent as she muttered, “Gu Xiyan, where—where did you learn to use beauty as a weapon?”

As she transferred her spiritual energy, Gu Xiyan’s face gradually paled. Yet she still smiled, soft and serene, exuding an air of elegance. When she finally stopped, she kissed Ye Qinming’s lips again before pulling back slightly, tilting her head. “Actually, transferring spiritual energy doesn’t require this method, does it?”