Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 66

Gu Xiyan couldn’t help but worry, but she couldn’t go check on her because she knew she must not disturb Ye Qinming at this moment. The reason behind it all was simple—she wasn’t strong enough. She couldn’t protect Ye Qinming, the Demon Emperor; instead, she had to be the one under her protection.

Loving someone so powerful, so exceptional, brought both pride and helplessness. The gap between her and Ye Qinming was too vast for her to bridge. The thought left Gu Xiyan somewhat despondent. She pressed her lips together and immersed herself fully in cultivation.

Ye Qinming had been gone for three days. During this time, Gu Xiyan had barely eaten or drunk anything, even cutting down on sleep, spending her nights in meditation instead.

Zhijin observed her in this almost obsessive state and grew worried that she might not be able to endure it. What puzzled her, however, was that Mujin—who usually cared deeply for Gu Xiyan—remained surprisingly calm.

Mujin, who was standing nearby, arched her brow slightly and said as if reading her thoughts, “This is how my lady has always cultivated unless she had duties to attend to. She has exceptional talent, but she also works harder than most, which is why she has reached this level of cultivation today. If she could see, she would be even more formidable.”

Hearing this, Zhijin turned to look at Gu Xiyan, who sat in deep meditation, and couldn’t help but admire her. No wonder Her Majesty favored her so much—she was indeed extraordinary. Even among the Demon Realm, few could match her dedication, let alone a mere mortal.

By the fourth day, even Mujin started to feel concerned. That night, she and Zhijin brought in some food and called out softly, “My lady?”

Since Gu Xiyan was meditating, Mujin didn’t dare to interrupt her forcefully and only tried calling her name tentatively. After a moment, Gu Xiyan’s eyelashes quivered, and she slowly opened her eyes, exhaling a deep breath.

Mujin’s face lit up with relief. “My lady, you’ve barely eaten in the past four days. You should have some food tonight.” Unlike mortal meals, Demon Realm cuisine contained spiritual energy and wouldn’t hinder cultivation, so there was no need to rely on fasting techniques.

Gu Xiyan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she extended her divine sense and quickly scanned the Thousand Leaf Palace. Retracting it, she sighed lightly. “She still hasn’t returned?”

Mujin and Zhijin exchanged glances before replying in hushed tones, “No.”

“But you don’t need to worry, Miss Gu. Word from the battlefield says that while the fighting is intense, Her Majesty is there, and the situation remains under control.”

Gu Xiyan nodded, her expression tinged with guilt. “Thank you, Miss Zhijin. You’ve worked hard these past few days.” Then she turned to Mujin. “You must be bored staying cooped up here. You don’t have to keep watch over me all the time. As long as you don’t cause trouble, Zhijin can take you out for a walk.”

Mujin shook her head. “Watching over you isn’t boring at all. My lady, are you hungry?”

Gu Xiyan smiled. “I’m fine. Let’s eat together.”

Zhijin was already accustomed to Gu Xiyan’s approachable nature. The three of them sat down and had dinner together.

Gu Xiyan ate quietly, only nodding occasionally and giving brief responses when Mujin chatted animatedly.

After the meal, Zhijin cleaned up and left. Mujin, however, remained, watching Gu Xiyan with a somewhat conflicted expression.

Gu Xiyan, who had closed her eyes to rest, suddenly spoke. “What is it?”

Mujin was startled. “My lady, how did you know I wanted to say something?”

Gu Xiyan pursed her lips and chuckled without answering. This girl could never keep her thoughts to herself—whenever something was on her mind, she would fidget restlessly, just like before.

Mujin no longer hesitated. Twisting her fingers, she asked, “My lady, do you miss her?”

Gu Xiyan hadn’t expected Mujin to bring this up so suddenly. She was momentarily stunned, then lowered her gaze and murmured, “Why do you ask?”

Mujin pouted slightly, a trace of concern in her eyes. “You’re unhappy. You eat less and don’t talk as much.”

Gu Xiyan’s brows furrowed ever so slightly. “Is it that obvious?”

“Of course! I can see it clearly,” Mujin said matter-of-factly. Then, as if she couldn’t hold back anymore, she added, “She hasn’t come back for days. If you miss her, we should go see her.”

Gu Xiyan laughed. “Didn’t you say you didn’t like her? Now you’re willing to go with me to see her?”

Mujin pouted again, looking a little wronged. “I don’t like her—she’s annoying. But you like her a lot, my lady.”

Gu Xiyan froze for a moment, a hint of embarrassment crossing her face. After a pause, she replied softly, “Now is not the right time. I can’t leave as I please.”

Mujin furrowed her brows at these words, wanting to say something but ultimately holding back.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” 

Mujin felt helpless. She vaguely understood that Gu Xiyan’s relentless cultivation was also because of Ye Qinming.

That night, Mujin left the inner hall to stand guard outside. She faintly sensed a ripple of spiritual energy approaching, and in the blink of an eye, it entered the hall. Her eyes flew open, and her fingers clenched tightly. Just as she was about to rise, a hand firmly pressed her down. When she saw who it was, a flash of delight crossed her face before she quickly schooled her features into a stern expression.

“Creeping around in the middle of the night—what are you trying to do? Scare people? You should’ve come back earlier,” she muttered.

Ye Qinming didn’t take offense. Instead, she asked softly, “Is she asleep?”

Mujin shook her head. “My lady has been cultivating day and night lately—she doesn’t sleep at all.”

Ye Qinming’s brows knitted together as she turned and headed toward the inner hall. The room was unlit, except for two luminous pearls placed on a blackwood table near the bed, casting a soft glow over the chamber.

On the bed, the person who weighed so heavily on Ye Qinming’s heart was sitting in meditation, eyes closed. The gentle light fell on her white robes, enveloping her in a faint halo. Her serene and delicate features seemed even softer—like a celestial being.

Ye Qinming had just returned from the Underworld Water battlefield, and the aura of slaughter still clung to her. Although the murderous intent in her expression wasn’t intense, her presence was far sharper than usual. But upon seeing the person she longed for, her ferocity gradually faded away. However, it was already too late—the sensitive woman seemed to have sensed her presence.

Since she had been noticed, Ye Qinming decided not to hide anymore. She walked up to Gu Xiyan and smiled as she gazed down at her beloved little blind girl. Gu Xiyan’s eyelashes quivered—she was probably coming out of meditation. Her delicate nose twitched slightly, and Ye Qinming knew she had already caught her scent.

Sure enough, Gu Xiyan soon opened her eyes and glanced around. “Qinming?”

Ye Qinming didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned closer, her smile deepening. “Do I smell nice?”

On her way back, she had deliberately changed out of her battle attire and cleaned herself up. The scent of dust and blood was completely gone, leaving her feeling fresh and clean.

Gu Xiyan pressed her lips together and let out a soft, low laugh. It wasn’t loud, but the joy in it was unmistakable, and seeing her like this made Ye Qinming’s smile grow even brighter.

“You do,” Gu Xiyan murmured, leaning in to sniff the side of her face. Her hand traced along Ye Qinming’s cheek, moving softly as she asked in a gentle voice, “Are you hurt?”

Ye Qinming caught her wandering hand and held it firmly, gazing at her. “No, I’m fine,” she said, exhaling a long breath before resting her body against Gu Xiyan’s legs.

Gu Xiyan stiffened at the sudden weight, but soon relaxed and began stroking Ye Qinming’s hair, murmuring softly, “You’ve worked hard.”

Such simple words—just three of them—didn’t seem like much. But for some reason, they made Ye Qinming’s heart ache faintly while also filling it with warmth. She buried her face against Gu Xiyan’s stomach and mumbled, “Little blind girl, I missed you so much.”

Hearing the familiar nickname, Gu Xiyan sighed helplessly but answered patiently, “I’m here. I may not be able to help you, but you can always talk to me.”

Ye Qinming wrapped her arms around Gu Xiyan’s waist but remained silent.

For the past four days at the Underworld Water front, she had slaughtered without mercy. The Immortal Realm’s attacks had been repelled multiple times, and their morale was severely damaged—but the toll on her had been heavy as well. At the same time, the overall situation in the Demon Realm remained dire.

Taiyi, provoked by her return, had stopped holding back. Despite the high costs, he no longer waited for the Four Directions Demon-Slaying Array to fully form. Jiuying, while maintaining outward silence, was clearly shirking battle. Claiming illness, he had not appeared in person, and his subordinates—once mighty demons—were growing restless and disorganized. None of this boded well for Ye Qinming.

This battle was her first major campaign since returning to the Demon Realm. While she could still maintain control over most of the realm, if she lost her authority now, her influence would be permanently weakened. More crucially, the demons who had endured centuries of suffering under the burning of the hellfire would lose all faith in her.

While these challenges were exhausting, Ye Qinming had already steeled herself to face them. None of it was enough to break her.

What truly unsettled her heart—was that Liuli had returned.

Liuli was the only daughter of the Bird Clan’s chief and its future leader. A thousand years ago, she had also been a trusted confidante of Ye Qinming. Although she was not as powerful as Guiche or Feidan, she was one of the first demons in the Demon Realm to follow Ye Qinming.

Just yesterday, Liuli had returned, and Ye Qinming had met with her. A thousand years ago, Liuli had shown Ye Qinming the utmost respect, and learning of her return had left her overjoyed—meeting her again only intensified that feeling.

Ye Qinming recalled the way Liuli had looked at her—both joyful and sorrowful—but what concerned her the most was the name Liuli had mentioned: Divine Lord Zhuoqing.

Ye Qinming had always known that it was Zhuoqing who shattered her demon core all those years ago. Yet, despite Zhuoqing’s fame across the Three Realms, Ye Qinming had no memory of her. In the short time since her return, even Guiche had not noticed the gaps in her memory, and Ye Qinming herself had been reluctant to ask questions. Because of this, she had no idea that she and Zhuoqing were not only acquainted but shared an unusual relationship.

“Your Majesty… it’s enough that you’ve returned. That woman only has eyes for the Immortal Realm. She betrayed your bond without hesitation and struck you down—don’t grieve for someone who’s already dead. Besides her, you still have the Demon Realm, and you have me… and all of us.”

Liuli’s gaze and her words lingered in Ye Qinming’s mind. The so-called bond between her and Zhuoqing… how could there be any bond between the ruler of the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm’s guardian deity?

Suddenly, she remembered the day Guiche had asked her whether it was truly Zhuoqing who had harmed her. His expression and tone had been filled with both anger and regret. No one knew she had lost her memories, so no one had ever spoken to her about Zhuoqing—and she herself had unconsciously chosen to avoid the subject.

It was only now that the thought struck her—if she and Zhuoqing had known each other, then the memories she had lost were most likely all related to her.

Why had she forgotten? What else had happened?

This question clung to her mind like a parasitic worm, making her restless. Yet, as she thought about it, guilt surged within her—toward Gu Xiyan. She liked her—there was no doubt about that. Gu Xiyan was waiting for her right now in Thousand Leaf Palace, yet here Ye Qinming was, tangled in thoughts about a Divine Lord who had once tried to kill her—someone she didn’t even remember.

If there really was some deeper connection between her and Zhuoqing, continuing to dwell on it would be a betrayal of Gu Xiyan.

Caught between frustration and confusion, Ye Qinming had been unable to hold herself back. As soon as she had stabilized the situation in the Demon Realm, she rushed back overnight—because she wanted to see Gu Xiyan. She missed her deeply and knew with absolute clarity that only Gu Xiyan could bring her peace in this moment.

After all these tangled thoughts, Ye Qinming finally lifted her face from Gu Xiyan’s waist and said, “Xiyan, I’ve actually forgotten some things.”

Gu Xiyan was stunned for a moment, then her brows furrowed tightly. “How could that be?” After a pause, realization seemed to dawn on her, and her voice grew heavy. “Is it because of the injury from when you were ambushed?”

Ye Qinming nodded, gazing at Gu Xiyan’s face in a daze. “A thousand years ago, the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm did not interfere with each other. In fact, they were on friendly terms. According to my memories, I could even visit the Immortal Realm without obstruction. But the Heavenly Emperor Taiyi grew fearful of the Demon Realm’s power, so he set a trap in the Immortal Realm.” Hearing this, Gu Xiyan unconsciously tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes. Ye Qinming pried her fingers open gently and continued, “I can’t remember how I fell into their trap. Normally, those Immortal Realm deities couldn’t do anything to me—my strength was more than enough to overcome them. But… but there was one Divine Lord—Zhuoqing. She was the most powerful figure in the Immortal Realm and renowned across the Three Realms as their guardian deity. In my memory, it was her hand that shattered my demon core…”

“No… that… how could that be?” Gu Xiyan’s face had gone pale, and even though Ye Qinming’s hand rested in her palm, she unconsciously tightened her grip, digging her nails into Ye Qinming’s skin until it hurt. The first word came out without hesitation, but the few last faltered with uncertainty. Yet the denial—“no”—was spoken with absolute conviction.

Ye Qinming’s eyes darkened with confusion as she furrowed her brows and asked softly, “Xiyan, why are you so sure it couldn’t be her?”