Chapter 40: Refusal

"Lord Yan, I only wish to live a peaceful, simple life." Cheng Xi refused directly.

"The commoners of Jindu all wish to live peaceful lives," Yan Yu said, looking at Cheng Xi slowly, "but I fear that is not easy."

"What does my Lord mean by that?"

"The Dean of Qinghe Academy claims to be traveling abroad, but that is not the truth. It is because the Two Realms Seal has loosened. Dean Jiang went to reinforce the Seal, but was attacked by a Demon and injured. Tianshuo is now beset by crises on all sides and is in dire need of talent. Why must Eldest Miss Cheng hide your light? You were able to see through the poison of the blood gu at a glance; if you join the Demon Suppression Pavilion, your future will be promising."

"Lord Yan, since you came to find me, you must have investigated my background thoroughly. I have only just opened my talent and my body is weak; I merely have a sharper eye than most. If I were to join the Demon Suppression Pavilion, I would only hold you back."

"A weak body can be nurtured; the Demon Suppression Pavilion has many precious medicinal herbs."

"I thank you for your kindness, my Lord, but unfortunately, I have no interest in an official career."

After several attempts at persuasion, Yan Yu's expression could no longer hold its composure. He looked at Cheng Xi and said word by word: "If that is the case, then so be it. However, there is one thing I must say to Eldest Miss Cheng: protecting oneself is not always the best strategy."

Yan Yu left with a dark face.

Cheng Xi watched Yan Yu's back, lost in thought. The change in the Demon Suppression Pavilion's attitude must have something to do with the Empress Dowager.

Trouble.

Cheng Xi returned to her room. The Black Jade Gold Box was already sitting on the table. She sat before the table, opened the box, and stared at the Black Dragon Bone for a long time without speaking.

Yan Yu said the Two Realms Seal had loosened; that statement was likely true. Lao Wutou suddenly having new stock must be related to this.

She had a feeling that a storm was coming. The most urgent matter right now was to nurse her body back to health; nothing else was important.

Using ordinary Demon Bone would have taken at least a year or two to recover, but now that she had this Black Dragon Bone, it would be different.

Because of Yan Yu's arrival, everyone in the mansion was somewhat on edge.

Cheng Xi had originally intended to grind the Black Dragon Bone into powder and make it into pills to consume slowly for recovery, but now she felt that was too slow.

She went to the storeroom and selected several pieces of high-quality jade of varying sizes and shapes. She placed the jade on the table, picked up her brush and Engraving Knife, and began to carve an Array Diagram.

Mulan and the others did not dare to disturb her, keeping watch outside the door on tiptoe.

The color drained from Cheng Xi's face. By the time the last piece of jade was carved, she felt blackness swimming before her eyes.

"Bring me something to eat," Cheng Xi said softly.

"Yes, Eldest Miss."

Mulan had been prepared; she quickly brought over a food box, and the table was soon filled with dishes. She glanced at the jade on the desk by chance and felt as if a golden light had flashed, but when she looked again, it was gone, and she assumed her eyes had played a trick on her.

Cheng Xi finished half a chicken, a fish, two flatbreads, and a bowl of porridge, only then feeling as if she had come back to life.

Jinxiang came in and quietly cleared the table. Seeing the Eldest Miss hugging the jade and going into the courtyard to arrange it, she carried the things to the kitchen.

Cheng Xi placed the jade in the courtyard. If one observed carefully, they would find that the arrangement of the jade echoed the star map in the sky.

Placing the Black Dragon Bone at the center of the array, Cheng Xi sat cross-legged to the side. At first, there was no reaction, but slowly, the Array Diagram on the jade began to glow, flickering like stars in the sky.

Mulan and Jinxiang crouched in a corner, astonished. The two exchanged a look, and smiles appeared on their faces.

"Has the Eldest Miss succeeded?"

"It should be, but do you know what the Eldest Miss is doing?"

"I don't know, but it looks very impressive."

"Hey, look, Baohua has gone in too. That clever little thing, if she went in, it must be a success," Mulan said happily.

"Zhao Kang said this is called some kind of gathering array; anyway, it's good for the Eldest Miss's body."

Starlight drifted from the jade and surrounded the Black Dragon Bone. As the starlight gathered and grew brighter, the originally pitch-black Black Dragon Bone gradually took on a luster that floated upon the bone.

Cheng Xi opened her eyes and placed her hand on the Black Dragon Bone. The flowing light gathered at her fingertips and gradually merged into her body.

Spirit-Drawing into the Body slowly opened her previously blocked meridians. Cheng Xi entered meditation, not noticing the starlight circling around her.

Mulan and Jinxiang, fearing to disturb the Eldest Miss, had long since quietly retreated.

Baohua had originally been rubbing against the array, but when the moon reached the center of the sky, she was suddenly thrown out by a force. She stood in the courtyard, bewildered, trying to enter the array again, only to find she could not get in no matter what.

Baohua was puzzled and tilted her head to look at Cheng Xi. The starlight in the array grew increasingly dazzling, so Baohua simply sat outside the array to absorb the starlight that scattered out, no longer trying to break into the array.

Li Zhi'an stood atop the Tongtian Ta, his black pupils and raven hair fluttering, his robes billowing in the wind.

Beside him, Bi'an looked up at the sky and said after a long while, "Drawing starlight into an array—she is truly extraordinary."

Hearing this, Li Zhi'an looked at Bi'an. "Using starlight to stimulate the Spirit Essence within the Black Dragon Bone—you told me that no one in the world could do it, yet now someone has."

How could Bi'an not hear the mockery in Li Zhi'an's words? He said with a dark face, "It is not that no one can do it, but that the books recording spirit talismans and array talismans were destroyed, breaking the lineage. But where did she get the inheritance?"

Li Zhi'an ignored Bi'an further, leaped down from the Tongtian Ta, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Bi'an:...

Li Zhi'an arrived outside the Du Mansion in the blink of an eye, but he did not step forward to knock; he simply stood outside the door waiting.

The starlight gradually diminished. Cheng Xi absorbed the last trace of luster from the Black Dragon Bone into her body. Only then did she open her eyes and look down to see the Black Dragon Bone had crumbled into dust.

Cheng Xi felt refreshed and invigorated. It was a pity there was so little Black Dragon Bone; her meridians were only one-third cleared, but for her current situation, that was enough.

She was no longer the frail Lin Daiyu who panted after taking three steps, but a Lin Daiyu who could uproot a weeping willow!

Suddenly, her heart stirred. She stood up and walked outside. She reached out and pushed open the main gate to see Li Zhi'an standing on the stone steps. The moonlight spilled onto him, making his cold, stern features appear even more noble and refined.

Hearing the sound, Li Zhi'an turned his head. Those peach-blossom eyes were slightly upturned, seemingly containing a smile, which made Cheng Xi's footsteps falter slightly.

"Lord Li, are you investigating a case even now?" Cheng Xi teased.

Li Zhi'an heard the mockery in Cheng Xi's words. He looked at her and said, "No."

"Then why has my Lord come here in the middle of the night?" Cheng Xi asked again. "Surely you didn't come to my house to enjoy the scenery?"

"I did."

"Hmm?" Cheng Xi looked at him in astonishment.

Li Zhi'an's pitch-black eyes stared at Cheng Xi. "I climbed the Tongtian Ta and discovered starlight descending upon the world, so I followed it all the way here."

Cheng Xi took a step forward, standing before Li Zhi'an. There was only a foot of distance between them.

Li Zhi'an did not move, looking down at Cheng Xi.

Cheng Xi tilted her head slightly to look at him. "My Lord, when you warned me this afternoon, was it because you knew the head of the Demon Suppression Pavilion would come to find me?"

Li Zhi'an was not quite used to being this close to a woman, so he stepped back slightly before saying, "Yes."

"My Lord does not want me to enter the Demon Suppression Pavilion, why is that?" Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow slightly at his small movement, then immediately asked again.