Chapter 194: A Sneer Is Also Coldly Proud

As Great Cold approached, snow fell heavily over Shengjing City.

At this time of year, wine banquets in the city increased, and many invited Ji You—but Ji You, who usually loved attending such gatherings, appeared at none, as if free food and drink had lost their appeal to him, leaving others puzzled.

Cao Jingsong had also been uneasy these past few days, as the end of the month coincided with his salary disbursement.

But the expected bandits never showed up, leaving him both relieved and suspicious—could his unruly disciple have changed professions?

However, Ban Yangshu's subsequent news made Cao Jingsong suddenly understand.

He said someone had seen a woman's figure in Ji You's courtyard.

The woman emitted no spiritual energy fluctuations—she was a mortal, now residing in Ji You's quarters.

Others also claimed to have heard a woman's voice in Ji You's courtyard, clear and tinkling like silver bells.

In other words, he had been distracted by beauty.

And in truth, as rumors suggested, during this quiet winter with the Little Mirror Master of Lingjian Mountain, Ji You had grown lazy about going out; he had grown tired of drawing hopscotch grids, so he drew her animal cards instead—"Beat the Tiger, Chicken Eats Worm."

"Don't draw a tail on the tiger card."

"?"

Ji You sensed the faint sword qi and thought: I don't understand, but I respect it.

Yan Shuyi now stood barefoot on a mat padded with cotton, and only when he omitted the tail did she reveal a satisfied expression.

"Want to make a wager?"

The moment Ji You spoke, Yan Shuyi curled her delicate white toes backward.

The upright gentleman felt offended: "No betting on feet this time."

Yan Shuyi looked up at him in confusion, then suddenly noticed he was staring at her red lips: "Oh, you want to bet on lives?"

"No, I think gambling is bad…"

At this moment, all his refined manners stemmed from insufficient strength.

Ji You had stabilized his current realm; unless he chose otherwise, his aura remained deeply concealed.

As for the breakthrough to Fusion Dao, it remained shrouded in mist—the only thing he could still cultivate was his physical body.

After the card game ended, Ji You took out his cloak and hung it near the stove, then picked up his cushion to return to his room and train fiercely—he didn't have to win, but he had to endure.

Yet after a moment's thought, he did not stay in his room but returned to the main hall.

Soon, waves of qi surged around him, the spiritual fire coursing through his meridians slowly spilled outward, accompanied by a wave of scorching heat spreading in all directions.

His earlier feeling had not been wrong.

After several attempts, Ji You discovered the constriction he had felt before breaking through had indeed weakened considerably with his realm's advancement.

It was as if the invisible shackles had shifted backward, leaving more room to advance.

That meant the cultivation method of strengthening the body during the Dao path was truly not a wrong path.

Higher realms could be paired with stronger bodies to achieve greater combat power, because breakthroughs in realm didn't merely increase spiritual sense and spiritual energy reserves—they also raised the upper limit of physical strength…

Yan Shuyi stood outside, admiring the snow, her slender figure framed by falling flakes, ethereal and graceful, eyelashes trembling as she extended her pale hand to catch scattered snowflakes.

Her exquisite face, combined with her innate demeanor, made her breathtakingly beautiful.

As the heat wave swept from the room, the Little Mirror Master glanced sideways—her face expressionless, yet her mind filled with vivid images.

Most of these images came from sketches brought by Zhuo Wanqiu after the Autumn Duel at the Heavenly Book Academy.

But paintings were merely visual creations—nothing compared to the allure of witnessing it firsthand.

Yan Shuyi observed with great restraint, glancing sideways, radiating the Mirror Master's dignity—she was looking down from above, utterly serious.

Ji You had often stared everywhere while holding her by the stove to brew tea; remembering this, her gaze grew more justified.

In this moment, the Little Mirror Master suddenly understood why she so loved being held by him.

Because after strengthening his body, Ji You's constant body temperature had kept rising—he was like a furnace himself.

This strange man—he's doing it on purpose…

The quarters had two rooms, east and west, each occupied by one of them—but every time he trained, he insisted on doing it in the main hall.

After trade opened between the demon races and humans, Yan Shuyi had studied many records and learned that before the demon races achieved true spiritual awakening, there had once been a stunningly beautiful tribe called Nanke.

When seeking mates, Nanke tribesmen would raise and spread their tails, revealing magnificent plumage to attract females…

As Yan Shuyi pondered this, she suddenly saw a black cat leap onto the wall, crouching forward on tiptoes, its long tail swaying gently in the snow—her expression instantly turned coldly haughty.

This strange man, luring attention…

After reading Gongshu Chou's masterpiece, she had questions she wanted to ask—but hadn't decided how to ask them, or whether she should ask at all.

So she gently beckoned; a gust of wind instantly coalesced, and countless snowflakes flew toward her palm, forming a snowball, her eyes brimming with mischief.

After a long while, Ji You slowly opened his eyes and gently retracted his aura.

Though the constriction had weakened, the sixteenth micro-illumination still wouldn't come as easily as the first; by his estimate, it would take about twenty attempts to succeed.

Then, his body remained scorching hot; he stepped out the door with the demeanor of an upright gentleman, pacing before Yan Shuyi as she admired the snow.

Yan Shuyi knew he was doing it on purpose, feigning indifference to his heat—until suddenly, her cheek was pinched, and her frosty face flushed faintly.

But before her Mirror Master temper could flare, she suddenly felt warmth envelop her.

When she looked up, Ji You had draped his scholar's cloak over her shoulders and tied the cords snugly at her chest, brushing away the snowflakes from her hair.

Cultivators could use spiritual energy to ward off cold, but the Little Mirror Master, seeing little snow, had not activated any—she seemed to wish to feel closer to the winter's heavy snow.

At this moment, Yan Shuyi turned her head toward the quarters, toward where the cloak had been hung.

She had seen Ji You take out the cloak—but back then, she hadn't understood why he insisted on hanging it beside the stove; now, her eyelashes trembled slightly.

Ji You turned his head toward the corner, where scattered firewood lay piled.

He mused: Zizai, Jixiang, Changsheng, Buchen, Wuyu—the Heavenly Book Academy had five halls; which one might have an unused beam?

"I think strengthening the body isn't a wrong path."

"Do you intend to challenge the consensus of Qingyun Tianxia with your own understanding?"

"No, I merely think some things should be reconsidered—perhaps the reason body cultivation limits heavenly resonance isn't because the body restricts spiritual perception too much, but because the Dao is too weak?"

That evening after admiring the snow, Ji You stoked the stove hotter and lifted his teacup to feed Yan Shuyi a sip.

It was his own cup, but Yan Shuyi didn't seem to mind.

In fact, over these past days, they had eaten and slept together, and had already mixed up their cups several times.

Even during meals, things Ji You had bitten but not finished were sometimes mysteriously consumed by the Little Mirror Master.

Now Yan Shuyi sat before him, removed her boots, then lifted her arm slightly—immediately, a scorching chest pressed against her.

"What do you mean by 'the Dao is too weak'?"

Ji You thought for a long while: "Do you know Wi-Fi? It's a kind of wave, similar to a communication jade platform—high-quality ones can transmit messages from Snow Region to the Nine Provinces, but low-quality ones can only work between prefectures."

Yan Shuyi glanced at him: "You mean the Dao's waves are so weak that even slight obstruction blocks perception?"

"Yes. It shouldn't be this weak—but it is. And because it's weak, humanity had to abandon body cultivation to preserve heavenly resonance, which aligns with the theory of humanity's waning fortune."

"But Qingyun Tianxia has no record of this history."

As the designated successor of Lingjian Mountain's sect leader, Yan Shuyi had access to far more secrets than Ji You, a mere inner-court disciple.

If even she didn't know, it likely didn't exist.

Ji You watched her fall into thought and spoke: "After the Ancient War, the Dao's fortune abandoned the physically powerful demon races and chose the frail humans—perhaps not a destined choice, but a helpless compromise."

"Do you think demon races are better than humans?"

"The facts are clear: demon races and barbarians far surpass us humans—in talent, in physique—this is my firsthand experience after my mission to the Snow Region."

"So tails are better too? No wonder you have firsthand experience."

Ji You froze slightly, thinking: Again with the tails?

Yan Shuyi couldn't hold back: "I only heard it from Gongshu Chou—I'd already forgotten, until you mentioned demon races just now, and I remembered: Ji Young Master's romantic tales from the Snow Region about tails."

Ji You lowered his head and saw the Little Mirror Master gazing at him coldly, clutching a fire poker.

At this moment, certain things in his mind began to clarify.

Like the letter he received after returning from the Snow Region—"One Arrow Through the Heart"—and the silence that followed.

And the day he bought charcoal in town, fed a stray cat, and was met with a day-long glare. And today, when she forbade drawing tails on the tiger cards—it was because she knew about the Snow Region.

This wasn't "I'd already forgotten"—she'd been holding a grudge since he returned from the Snow Region.

Was this from Gongshu Chou? Fortunately, he knew little—only about two people seeing tails on the street.

Ji You opened his mouth: "I have a friend who's very curious about demon races—he asked me to find out if demon women have tails."

"So you went to see the demon princess?"

"?"

"Just as everyone was puzzled, a graceful figure appeared at the door—slender, exquisite, elegant… Your Highness, do demon women have round buttocks and tails? Ji Lang, want to see? The demon princess lifted her skirt, revealing a beautiful tail, flicking it toward Ji You."

Ji You blinked: "What filth is this?"

The Little Mirror Master sat quietly in his arms, the fire poker glowing red in her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with innocent purity: "Gongshu Chou's 'Journey to the Snow Region.'"

Hearing this, Ji You suddenly recalled that night in Ji Village, Gongshu Chou scribbling furiously.

It wasn't a love letter at all—it was a death warrant written for him.

He hadn't known two detectives had been riding in the carriage on his return journey, so now he was deeply confused: how did Gongshu Chou know he'd seen Fengyang's tail?

"Where was he then?"

"Where was who?"

"Gongshu Chou."

Yan Shuyi blinked: "How would I know where he was?"

Ji You smiled slightly: "He was recovering from injuries, and so was I—he wrote as if he'd witnessed it firsthand, even describing the tail's shape. Did the demon princess bare it for both of us? Mirror Master, how credible do you find this?"

The Little Mirror Master lifted her beautiful eyes: "You mean he made it up?"

Of course, none of the writers are any good.

But Qingyun has an old saying: no smoke without fire. Gongshu Chou is a cultivator, with keen senses; even if he didn't see it with his own eyes, it's unlikely he made it all up—and he'd never dare lie to me.

Ji You looked at Yan Shuyi and suddenly realized the Junior Inspector was genuinely seething with jealousy.

But now, seeing her so earnest, he suddenly thought it wasn't so bad to let her stew.

This prideful little ghost pretends not to know him every single day; normal courtship methods would take years to bear fruit.

At that moment, Yan Shuyi met his gaze; her interrogative expression froze for a moment, as if she'd just been the lawful wife betrayed by a concubine, and she instantly narrowed her eyes.

This was why she didn't know how to ask—it would undermine the Junior Inspector's dignity.

Just as she thought this, she suddenly felt her buttocks lift off the stool; when she realized it, she was already seated on Ji You's lap.

Though they'd been hugging since Mount Lingjian, their positions had always been him embracing her from behind.

This posture—fully cradled in his arms, sitting on his lap—had never happened before.

Thus, her two snow-white feet dangled helplessly in midair, delicate as jade carvings, the insteps glinting faintly orange in the flickering firelight.

Ji You looked at Yan Shuyi, seated sideways in his arms, then took the fire poker from her hand and tugged gently.

Without much resistance, the Junior Inspector released her small fingers, a hint of docility flashing in her eyes.

Seeing this, Ji You suddenly noticed something interesting.

This prideful immortal maiden's aura always weakened slightly the moment she was physically close—she simply couldn't maintain her so-called Inspector dignity.

So sometimes, you can't just coddle her; you must occasionally apply pressure.

Otherwise, with her personality constantly torn between two selves, progress would be nearly impossible—after all, her mouth was stubbornly hard.

Ji You gripped the fire poker, glanced at the stove, then bent down to prod it.

But as he bent, the Junior Inspector in his arms suddenly blushed faintly, pushing a slender white hand against his shoulder as if to stop him—yet her strength was soft, feeble.

"?"

"?"

Ji You paused, then saw Yan Shuyi quickly withdraw her hand; surprised, her expression gradually turned thoughtful.

At that moment, Yan Shuyi's pink toes curled tightly together, and she fell utterly silent.

Silence. No sound.

The wood crackled occasionally, yet couldn't break the quiet; the man and woman pressed together each held their own thoughts.

She thought he was going to kiss her.

He wasn't going to kiss her.

Ji You suddenly bent down again and prodded the stove, watching her expression.

Yan Shuyi turned her head at the sound, annoyed—he'd noticed her misunderstanding and was teasing her. She turned back to lock eyes with Ji You.

Her exquisite face now wore a cold, haughty expression, utterly composed, not a flicker of evasion.

There was no misunderstanding—I wasn't going to kiss you. Don't overthink it.

Ji You slammed the fire poker twice against the ground, deliberately making noise to signal he was poking the stove—but as he leaned down, he suddenly tossed the poker aside and pressed his lips directly onto her soft, sweet mouth.

With gentle pressure, the delicate immortal was drawn deep into his embrace.

Yan Shuyi had still been "haughtily locking eyes" with him when suddenly she was kissed—her translucent toes curled even tighter.

Yet neither closed their eyes; their gaze remained locked.

Long after, Yan Shuyi came to her senses, realizing her lips had been reshaped by his increasingly forceful kiss; after much thought, she quietly turned her gaze aside.

On the right wall of the chamber hung a painting, a gift from Cong Yi to Cao Jingsong, later seized by Ji You.

Idle, osmanthus petals fall; night still, spring mountains empty.

The moon rises, startling mountain birds; their calls echo in the spring ravine.

The Junior Inspector silently recited the poem, her lips parting involuntarily; her tongue was caught, faint smacking sounds rose beside her ears, her body grew limp.

After finishing the poem, she turned her gaze back—only to find Ji You still watching her; her teeth clenched lightly, yet failed to bite him at all.

Helplessly, her teeth abandoned their attack, letting him kiss on, yet her eyes still drifted coldly, defiantly.

In truth, this kiss had merely been a test for Ji You—he hadn't planned to go this far.

After all, the woman before him was an Yingtian Realm cultivator…

But he hadn't expected it to develop like this; hearing her breaths grow louder, he deepened the kiss.

Long after, with a soft pop, Ji You released her sweet lips, seeing Yan Shuyi breathing haughtily, her full chest rising and falling.

The sweet potatoes are almost done.

"?"

Ji You stared at her in disbelief: "I remember we just kissed—how can you react like this?"

Yan Shuyi wiped away a strand of glistening saliva between them: "We didn't."

Are you a cheat?

Still didn't happen.

The Junior Inspector of Lingjian Mountain remained calm and composed—she'd lost the kiss, but not the dignity.

Thus, after a long stare, Ji You leaned down again—only to see Yan Shuyi's lips already slightly parted, her arms circling his neck, curled like a kitten, yet her face still coldly haughty.

Deep kisses continued for several rounds; once, the Junior Inspector even bit Ji You's tongue—but didn't press harder, and it lasted until dawn, when snow had piled thickly, their lips so hot they could melt the frost.

Soon after, a disciple from the Administration Hall knocked and delivered a letter.

Kuangcheng would be pounding rice cakes in the courtyard today—a custom near the New Year—and he specially invited the two of them to join him.

But inviting them wasn't the point; the real point was inviting Wei Rui.

After all, as a single man, inviting a young lady of marriageable age to his home alone would spread gossip.

Kuangcheng had been well-mannered since childhood, with a compassionate heart, and he deeply cared for a woman's reputation.

Wei Rui lived closer to Kuangcheng's courtyard than Ji You did from the Celestial Book Academy, so she arrived first, sleeves rolled up, helping Kuangcheng flip the sticky glutinous rice being pounded by his mallet.

They planned to make extra—some for Ji You to take back, and some to send to the orphanage.

Just as the rice cakes began to take shape, a knock came at the gate.

Wei Rui rose, wiped her hands, and opened the door—finding it was Young Master Ji and Sister Yan.

But what puzzled the Wei lady was that Sister Yan today wore a light veil over her face.

"Sister, what's this…?"

"Nothing. My face is sensitive to the cold."

"I see."

Wei Rui wasn't sure whether to believe her.

Yan Shuyi stepped on Ji You's foot, walked into the courtyard, and followed Wei Rui inside.

Just a concubine.

Ji You stood in the courtyard, expression oddly strained.

Ever since receiving the letter, Yan Shuyi's lips had been swollen red—but she was still stubborn as ever, leaving him both exasperated and amused.

What could he do? Coddle her.

Her personality hadn't formed overnight; expecting to win her over with one kiss was naive—especially since he couldn't even beat her.

At that moment, Kuangcheng paused his wooden mallet: "Brother Ji, why is Miss Yan so cold today?"

Ji You stepped before him: "You saw the story about the demon race woman's tail—did you tell Gongshu Chou?"

"?"

"Didn't we talk about it together in the carriage?"

Ji You narrowed his eyes: "But I never said she was a demon princess."

Kuangcheng smiled: "When you got off the carriage to relieve yourself, I and Brother Gongshu discussed it. I was curious why you weren't beaten—because demon women's tails are only for their husbands to see."

Ji You: "?"

"Really. I read it in ancient texts—fragile relics from the Primordial Era, but their authenticity is extremely high. You know, back then, demons and humans lived together."

Kuangcheng leaned on his mallet: "After I said that, Brother Gongshu rigorously deduced, calmly judged, and concluded that since you've been together these days, you couldn't have seen any other woman—so the only possibility is the demon princess showed you her tail while treating you."

Ji You thought: You two are brilliant detectives—why not calculate when I'll become head of the Celestial Book Academy?

But before he could vent, he fell into thought over Kuangcheng's opening words.

Only a demon woman's husband may see her tail?

He suddenly recalled the strange look on the demon princess's face when he'd asked about the tail—now it all made sense.

Did she think I was her husband?

Why?

If it had been Feng Yang himself helping her, that might make sense—but it was clearly her maid. How could this happen?

No wonder Yan Shuyi got angry after reading Gongshu Chou's work and seeing the tail.

Truly, beauty brings disaster…

But fortunately, Ji You had no subjective misgivings—he simply hadn't realized the scale of this misunderstanding.

Also, the demon princess's attitude couldn't be judged solely on this point.

That day, the tail had been hidden beneath her robe, never directly seen; moreover, after leaving the snowlands, she never came to see him off.

Gongshu Chou was purely chasing shadows. That day, the two-inch deviation near the heart was utterly unjustified.

Kuangcheng studied Ji You's expression: "Did Miss Yan find out about the demon princess?"

"Mm."

"Did she hit you?"

"No, she is gentle and kind, well-educated and proper—how could she hit me?"

Ji You glanced into the room, appearing calm and composed.

Yan Shuyi was sitting inside the room; upon hearing this, she couldn't help but press her reddened lips together.

In the Qingyun Realm, cultivators value family lineage, and producing heirs is the foremost matter—a truth no less true among immortal sects, leading to the widespread practice of one man having multiple wives, with mothers rising in status through their sons.

Yet despite this, some women still harbor jealousy, and Yan Shuyi was one such jealous soul, though she refused to admit it.

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(End of chapter)