Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 67

Gu Xiyan was momentarily stunned by the question. She shook her head, looking somewhat dazed, and said, “I… I don’t know either. It’s just that… she protects the Immortal Realm and is so powerful. You have no ambition, so there’s no reason for her to act like the Heavenly Emperor and try to kill you.”

Ye Qinming let out a scoff, but there was no warmth in her smile.

“Perhaps. But eliminating a potential threat in advance isn’t impossible. I may have forgotten some things, even what she looks like, but I remember very clearly—it was her who struck first.” As she spoke, her voice grew colder, with a hint of gritted teeth.

For some reason, Gu Xiyan felt an unbearable ache from Ye Qinming’s every word, as if a knife was carving into her heart piece by piece. Her disdain and resentment felt like thorns embedding themselves in her chest, yet she couldn’t find the source or understand why. She could only press a hand uselessly over her heart, her usual gentle and serene expression shrouded in pain.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qinming noticed something was off. Seeing Gu Xiyan clutching her chest, she immediately sat up, tense with worry. “Why are you holding your chest? Does it hurt?”

Gu Xiyan shook her head, but the pain did not subside. Ye Qinming quickly pushed aside any distracting thoughts and placed her hand over Gu Xiyan’s, channeling spiritual energy into her. Her voice was urgent. “Does it hurt a lot? Did you injure yourself this time, or is this an old wound acting up?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing. I feel much better now.” The pain had come fiercely but gradually faded. Sensing Ye Qinming’s concern, Gu Xiyan’s expression softened.

But she had a vague idea of why she had felt that pain. She just couldn’t tell Ye Qinming. Could it really be because Ye Qinming said Divine Lord Zhuoqing had tried to kill her? But why would that make her heart ache? What right did she have to feel this way? As the pain disappeared, a strange sense of fear quietly rose within Gu Xiyan. Even someone as calm and rational as she dared not probe into it.

Ye Qinming no longer had the mind to discuss Divine Lord Zhuoqing. Just mentioning it had already stirred up a deep-seated pain and turmoil in her heart. Instead, she reached out, continuing to send spiritual energy into Gu Xiyan, then pulled her into her arms, her voice gentle. “Does it still hurt?”

Gu Xiyan shook her head. Neither of them spoke again; they simply leaned against each other in silence. It wasn’t until Gu Xiyan reached out, signaling Ye Qinming to stop channeling spiritual energy, that Ye Qinming finally withdrew her hand.

“You must be exhausted these past few days.” The war between the two realms was no small matter, and the battles there were intense. The pressure on Ye Qinming had to be immense.

Ye Qinming let out a quiet hum in response. Then, recalling Mujin’s words, she looked at Gu Xiyan seriously and said, “There’s been a lot of movement in the Immortal Realm lately. I can’t stay away for too long, so I’ll have to leave you alone in Thousand Leaf Palace. Even when I’m not around, you need to pace yourself in your cultivation. Don’t push yourself too hard. It’s only been a few days, and yet you’ve already made so much progress.”

Gu Xiyan didn’t reply, a trace of melancholy flickering across her face. Ye Qinming flicked her lightly on the forehead. “What are you overthinking again? Nothing happens overnight. The Ghost Marsh Black Serpent has been refined within you, and you’ve entered the Demon Realm, where the spiritual energy is far richer than in the human world. Your cultivation will naturally progress at a much greater pace. Even if you haven’t attained an immortal body yet, you’re already far beyond ordinary humans.” Watching Gu Xiyan quietly listening, Ye Qinming couldn’t help herself. She hugged her closer, murmuring, “You’ll be able to stay with me for a very, very long time. And I won’t leave you behind like before.”

Gu Xiyan placed her hand over Ye Qinming’s, which was wrapped around her waist. A wave of warmth surged in her chest, and her nose tingled slightly. This person… she understood everything. Too proud to say it outright, yet she always provided the greatest sense of security when it was needed most.

Seeing Gu Xiyan lower her head, Ye Qinming failed to conceal the guilt and pain in her eyes. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had wronged Gu Xiyan. In the Demon Realm, one day equaled a year in the human world. The eight days she had been gone had been eight years for Gu Xiyan. If it weren’t for her, those eight years would have simply been a passing chapter in Gu Xiyan’s life. But because of her, those eight years had been tormenting. How much resolve did it take for Gu Xiyan’s first thought upon their reunion to be the last words she had said before leaving?

Ye Qinming tilted her head back, swallowing down the sourness in her heart. Then, in a deliberately light tone, she whispered by Gu Xiyan’s ear, “I won’t be leaving tonight.”

Gu Xiyan’s ears twitched slightly at the warmth of her breath, but she calmly turned her head and asked, “So?”

Even though those beautiful eyes couldn’t see, Ye Qinming still felt strangely flustered. She averted her gaze and pretended to be indifferent. “During those four days, I didn’t suffer any injuries, but I expended a great deal of spiritual energy. Traveling overnight from the Underworld Water line has left me rather tired, so—”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence.

The person she constantly kept in her thoughts, her little blind girl, turned toward her and softly said, “Shut up. Don’t say anything.”

Then, something soft, carrying a delicate fragrance like lotus petals, landed on her lips, gently brushing against them.

Ye Qinming’s brows and eyes lifted slightly, and the joy and happiness she had long suppressed finally shattered the chains around her heart, rushing to the surface. She responded, deepening the kiss, intertwining and lingering.

As she leaned down, holding Gu Xiyan close on the soft bed, their hair cascaded and intertwined over the mattress. Struggling to steady her breath, Ye Qinming whispered, “Xiyan, stay with me.”

Gu Xiyan’s cheeks were tinged with a cherry blossom hue, her expression soft yet restrained, fully yielding to her.

***

As night deepened, the two nestled together, the flush on their faces yet to fade. Ye Qinming kissed Gu Xiyan’s forehead and said softly, “Sleep.”

However, Gu Xiyan wasn’t sleepy. She hesitated for a moment before finally asking in a low voice, “Was that just now… spiritual cultivation?”

She was no longer young, but she had spent her early years immersed in studying the classics, protected well by her parents. Though she understood the concept of love and relationships, her knowledge came mostly from stories, and anything beyond the surface was vague to her. After Ye Qinming left, she had devoted herself to rigorous cultivation, maintaining her purity even while traveling. Because of this, she only had a vague understanding of such matters. What had just happened between them seemed like spiritual cultivation, yet something felt off. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she asked.

Ye Qinming hadn’t expected her to be so blunt. Her face burned, and she didn’t dare meet Gu Xiyan’s gaze. After a long pause, she stammered, “N-no… not really… not exactly spiritual cultivation.”

Although they had shared intimacy in every way but the final step, it wasn’t true spiritual cultivation.

Gu Xiyan was momentarily stunned before responding with a soft “Oh.” Her expression remained neutral, as if it wasn’t a significant matter.

Ye Qinming, feeling indignant at her indifference, quickly added, “Even if it wasn’t real spiritual cultivation, after what we’ve done, you’re mine now. If you ever do cultivate with someone, it can only be with me.”

Gu Xiyan had been lost in her thoughts, but hearing Ye Qinming’s words, she couldn’t help but laugh. Shaking her head helplessly, she said, “What nonsense are you talking about? Did I ever say I wanted to cultivate with anyone else?”

Ye Qinming huffed but couldn’t hide her embarrassment. Discussing this while lying together felt strangely awkward.

“Then why not cultivate?” Gu Xiyan asked, maintaining a calm expression despite the shy turmoil in her heart. After all, what had just transpired between them had already pushed the boundaries of what she could imagine.

“I don’t cultivate for the sake of gaining spiritual energy,” Ye Qinming immediately retorted, sensing something off in Gu Xiyan’s question. Lowering her voice, she touched her nose and muttered, “You’re too… too good. It feels like I’m taking advantage of you.”

Thinking about how Gu Xiyan had only furrowed her brows in silent endurance while being teased, Ye Qinming felt heat rushing through her body. Her heart swelled with both warmth and guilt. Everything about Gu Xiyan seemed so innocent and inexperienced that she couldn’t bear to rush things. Besides… now wasn’t the right time. She needed to deal with the lingering threats first. When the time was right, she would choose an auspicious day to form their lifelong bond—only then would they truly cultivate together.

Taking a deep breath, she inhaled Gu Xiyan’s familiar scent and murmured, “You don’t know how hard it is for me to hold back. Just wait a little longer… Once I take care of everything, we’ll pledge ourselves to each other, and after that, we’ll truly cultivate together. Alright?”

Gu Xiyan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she held Ye Qinming tightly. Only after a long silence did she solemnly say, “Alright.”

***

The next day, when Gu Xiyan woke from a chaotic dream, the person beside her was already gone. The lingering scent of tea in the air was the only trace that her companion had once shared her bed.

Lowering her head, she inhaled the faint fragrance and absentmindedly touched her chest. She had dreamt of that tea tree again.

But this time, her memory wasn’t hazy. In the dream’s boundless chaos, a tiny tea sapling had sprouted beside her. Its few green leaves stood out vividly in that colorless world.

She didn’t know where she was in the dream, nor what she was, but seeing the little sapling had filled her with inexplicable joy. However, in the end, the chaos shattered, tearing her and the sapling apart. The lingering sorrow from that separation still clung to her even now.

Why did she keep dreaming of this tea tree? Was it some kind of omen?

She had no answer. All she could think was that perhaps it had something to do with her and Ye Qinming’s fate.

Ever since leaving the Demon Realm, she hadn’t given much thought to the remnants of the souls that had tried to harm her. Now, with Ye Qinming reinforcing the broken seals of the Demon Realm and powerful figures like the fire god outside, she didn’t know whether that person was still in the Mortal Realm.

Someone so powerful, someone who loathed her so much—every word they had spoken dripped with mockery at her downfall, as if she had once stood at the pinnacle of glory.

Unease flickered between her brows once more, but she quickly suppressed it. No. It was impossible.

It had to be impossible.

***

Sea of the Abyss, Nine Nether Palace.

Jiuying sat on the throne, his head lowered in silence, his deep gaze fixed on the dark patterns beneath his feet. Below the grand hall, a man clad in a white hooded robe stood upright, staring intently at Jiuying without blinking.

After a moment, the man continued, “Lord Jiuying, the war between the Immortal and Demon Realms has raged for a thousand years. Every time the Immortal Realm advances an inch, the Demon Realm retaliates threefold. Back and forth, all we’ve gained is tens of thousands more souls lost to the Underworld Water—nothing but a meaningless cycle. For years, the Immortal Realm has held its forces in check. If not for the Demon Emperor’s escape, His Majesty would never have acted so aggressively. If Ye Qinming were not in control of the Demon Realm, and instead you, Lord Jiuying, were to take the throne, His Majesty would be willing to restore the peace and stability of the Three Realms as they were a thousand years ago.”

Jiuying let out a cold chuckle. “Willing to restore peace? Have you forgotten who broke the agreement first?”

The man showed no sign of anger, merely smiling faintly. “That is true. But back then, Ye Qinming existed. If it were you instead, without fear of offending anyone, His Majesty would not be so restless. And to speak bluntly, it has been a thousand years—His Majesty understands the cost of war. The complete destruction of the Demon Realm is impossible. But if Ye Qinming remains unchecked… with her reckless nature, she won’t stop until she sets foot upon the Thirty-Third Heaven.”

Jiuying wasn’t a fool. Everything the man said was precisely why he resented Ye Qinming’s leadership. He despised the Immortal Realm, but to think of completely crushing it—given Ye Qinming’s current power—was pure fantasy. Moreover, the Four Directions Demon-Slaying Array still existed. If the Immortal Realm were to deploy it without hesitation, the damage to the Demon Realm would be devastating.

“So, what message has Taiyi sent you to deliver?”

A slight smile appeared on the man’s lips. He spoke in an even tone. “It’s simple. We ask for your help in delivering someone to us.”

“Who?” Jiuying was taken aback. Who could be important enough for Taiyi to go to such lengths to persuade him?

“A woman. A mortal the Demon Emperor recently brought back from the human world—blind, completely without sight.”

Jiuying found it even more bizarre and grew cautious. “What kind of mortal is worth this much effort?”

“Rest assured, she is of great significance to the Immortal Realm but currently holds no value to the Demon Realm. However, there’s one thing—you may not be aware, but the Demon Emperor treats her exceptionally well. It is said that on the day she brought her back, she willingly took a strike from the fire god just to protect her. She’s likely been hidden away all this time, without even your knowledge.”

Jiuying narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, “If she values this woman so much, then if I take her, Ye Qinming will never let it go. If we end up fighting, won’t that just allow you to reap the benefits?”

The man’s smile faded slightly. After a pause, he replied, “The choice is entirely yours. I am merely conveying His Majesty’s message. However, if you succeed, His Majesty promises to assist you in ascending to the position of Demon Emperor. And for the next hundred years, the Immortal Realm will not wage war against the Demon Realm.”

With that, he waved his hand, and a golden silk decree appeared in the air before gently landing on the imperial desk beside them.

Jiuying reached out and took it. As his eyes fell upon the Heavenly Emperor’s seal, his gaze darkened.