Chapter 292

"The wind is cold and the snow is heavy; Master Ji, please stay awhile."

"Then please, everyone, take care on your way."

Peng Dongyang and the remaining three bowed slightly, then opened their oiled paper umbrellas and stepped into the snowy night.

Ji You turned to look at Kuangcheng, who was holding an umbrella as he followed: "After the lantern festival tomorrow night, remember to bring Miss Rui to our home for dinner."

"As you wish, Brother Ji."

"Walk slowly on the road."

Kuangcheng raised his umbrella: "It's just a few steps; Brother Ji, don't worry."

Ji You nodded, then stood at the doorway, watching Kuangcheng vanish into the wind and snow.

And when the footprints in the snow gradually stretched far away and the scholar's figure faded from view, he turned his gaze toward the distant street.

In ordinary times, the night skyline of Shengjing would appear quiet and profound, but with the arrival of the New Year, the air was filled with floating paper lanterns, their faint glow stretching endlessly, creating a scene of peace.

Patrol soldiers occasionally passed along the streets beneath high walls, whispering as they walked, their faces relaxed and cheerful.

Seeing this, Ji You frowned slightly.

Although the New Year is an extremely lively festival, carrying the hopes of tens of thousands across Qingyun for a prosperous year—bountiful rains, calm earth, and heavenly peace—the actual New Year has never been truly peaceful.

Just like during the New Year when he came to the Heavenly Book Academy, the daughter of Yu Danzong went missing, and demonic seeds ran rampant.

According to the investigations, the Bu family's first transformation into demonic seeds also occurred around the New Year.

Ji You only hoped this year's New Year would pass peacefully, without planting seeds of disaster for the year ahead; then he turned and returned to the courtyard, only to remember the stubborn ghost was still inside.

The tea table that had been placed in the hall had been moved beside the stove, and Yan Shuyi sat barefoot in the hall, skillfully peeling sweet potatoes.

Seeing Ji You return, the Little Inspector raised her head: "Why did it take so long to see them off?"

Ji You sat beside her and warmed his hands: "Perhaps because too many things have happened during recent New Years; seeing Shengjing under the night sky made me uneasy. Have you heard any news from the outside envoys of Lingjian Mountain?"

"Those who returned from the Dongping Mountains but never rejoined the sect have now come back to Qingzhou; they're all currently appearing in the southwest of Qingzhou."

"Qingzhou? They're going back to investigate the Bu family again?"

"They all have little time left; they've staked their remaining years on the Bu family."

Ji You and Yan Shuyi had once discussed in Anyuan City that the Bu family's trail should have been lost.

Because they appeared out of nowhere and then vanished without a trace—those very words, "out of nowhere," are the most elusive, the most untraceable.

Even now, no one can say for certain whether the main branch of the Bu family is even connected to this matter.

Yet even so, for those decaying elders, this is a better hope than the faint, decades-long dream of breaking through their cultivation barriers.

The Seven Immortal Sects tower above all, equal in status, each operating independently, refusing to obey one another; almost no one can stop them from doing what they wish.

Fortunately, Yan Shuyi can send people to monitor them, to guard against any possible changes or dangers.

After pondering for a long while, Ji You noticed the sky outside had grown darker, and he looked at Yan Shuyi: "It's so late already; aren't you going home?"

Yan Shuyi shifted her feet slightly: "I was busy cultivating at noon and didn't come earlier; now that I'm here, I might as well stay a while longer."

"I was going to tell you something tomorrow, but since you're here, I won't have to make another trip. Tomorrow morning, after we put up the couplets, I'll take you out for a stroll, we'll have dinner together, Kuangcheng will come too—what dishes do you want?"

"The one made from ground peanuts and beans."

"Anything else?"

Yan Shuyi lifted her eyes: "Spicy and sour shredded potato."

The Little Inspector of Lingjian Mountain looked like she'd never tasted anything good—when asked what to eat, she always said spicy and sour shredded potato.

Ji You agreed to her order, then raised his head curiously: "I just noticed Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu didn't come with you this time?"

"The streets have been lively these days; they've gone off somewhere to play, and I haven't seen them all day."

"Really?"

"Really…"

Ji You narrowed his eyes upon hearing she was alone: "Be careful—you might not make it back."

Yan Shuyi murmured softly: "Bold stranger, be careful—you might wake up with a sore waist."

"?"

A sharp glance flashed through her eyes; Yan Shuyi calmly poured him a cup of tea from the teapot.

Talking with the Imperial Inspector always left one's throat dry, and the stove also evaporated bodily moisture; Ji You didn't think twice and took the cup to drink.

He drank half the tea, left half, then held the cup to her lips.

The Little Inspector instinctively opened her mouth to drink, then realized the impropriety and gently pushed the cup back toward his lips, urging him to finish it.

"I remember when the Imperial Inspector left, the tea in the pot was already cold?"

"I brewed fresh."

Ji You held the cup and looked at her: "You brewed fresh… for me?"

Yan Shuyi nodded obediently: "The temperature is just right."

"Peng Dongyang was right—it really is unusual for you to be so well-behaved today."

"You've prepared meals for me for many days; although I've severed all emotions and attachments, to remain cold toward you would be impolite—I'm granting you this cup of tea."

After drinking the tea, Ji You returned the cup to her, then watched Yan Shuyi set it down, lift her arms slightly at her sides, and gaze at him with a cold, haughty expression.

Again, she wants to be held?

And then… a kiss?

Ji You watched her movements, his eyes reflecting a cold, detached expression.

Every time Yan Shuyi kissed him, she ran off, never caring how he fell asleep—it was torture for him.

"No. I've quit."

"?"

Yan Shuyi had a pill protecting her tonight, so she wasn't afraid of intimacy; she wanted to sleep in his arms.

But she couldn't say it outright—it would damage her Inspector's pride and dignity—so she followed the old routine: kiss him, then be carried to her room. But she hadn't expected to be refused.

After long consideration, Yan Shuyi, expressionless, extended her smooth, jade-like feet into Ji You's lap.

The glow of the stove flickered, casting a soft sheen over her pale feet.

Ji You glanced at the feet in his lap and thought: So refusing to hold me means you'll seduce me, huh? Fine, let you know I like these feet of yours.

But he'd promised to sever emotion and desire—so he resisted temptation.

Ji You reached out, grasped the cold foot, small and delicate in his palm, warmed it, then placed it back on the footrest.

But before long, the Little Inspector of Lingjian Mountain crept into his lap with a predatory look, hesitated a moment, then lowered her head toward him.

Ji You opened his lips to meet hers, and fearing she might fall, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Though her tender side was rare, the contrast made her all the more endearing—despite her cold, elegant demeanor, she adored hugs and kisses.

He looked at the face so close to his and saw her gazing back; her long, curled eyelashes trembled slightly.

Why so bold today? It's so late—why are you sighing like this?

After she kissed him for a long while, he wrapped his arms around her waist and thighs, lifted her up, stepped out of the side hall, and decided—again—that timing was irrelevant.

Though his combat strength didn't match hers, he still had the ability to fight; occasionally startling her wasn't dangerous.

Beneath the dark night, the cold wind blew fiercely.

The light snow that had begun falling at Wushi had now settled into a thin layer, resting on branches and eaves.

Ji You carried Yan Shuyi out of the side hall—unexpectedly.

Yan Shuyi didn't threaten him with sword qi; she merely opened her eyes to meet his gaze, her tongue never pausing, behaving with astonishing obedience.

Ji You had long known that the Little Inspector of Lingjian Mountain's other side was even softer than Wei Rui.

But Lingjian Mountain needed her cold side to constrain her true nature, making it hard to surface.

He didn't know what had happened tonight to make Yan Shuyi so clingy.

Ji You wondered if she'd taken the wrong pill, but men in certain moments fear no deception—they even have the courage to walk toward the tiger, even if the tiger is white.

Thus, a trail of footprints appeared on the snow, stretching from the side hall all the way to the bedroom.

Yan Shuyi was carried back into the warm room and laid upon the soft bed, her cheeks flushed, her arms still wrapped around his neck, her gaze still bold.

Even when Ji You unleashed his skillful moves, his fingers circling, she couldn't help biting his tongue.

"You're already on the chopping block—why are you still so bold?"

"Little disciple of the Heavenly Book Academy…"

Yan Shuyi lay on the soft bed and let out a soft, sweet cry.

Seeing the look in her beautiful eyes—"Go ahead, try to take me"—Ji You leaned down and slapped her plump buttocks.

He wasn't actually that impatient; he'd always wanted to wait until Yan Shuyi was ready herself.

The current situation in Qingyun was unstable, and Lingjian Mountain's Heavenly Sword Peak had long been watching the Profound Sword Peak with suspicion; the stubborn ghost bore too many burdens—if she truly became pregnant, the risks might be even higher.