Chapter 261: with translation of chapter title

As soon as Liu Junyan said it, we finally reacted.

Granny Hui wants to protect Hui Xiaotiao, so before he is rescued back, she must thoroughly clean out all dissidents from the Changshi Grey Immortal Hall.

Even if they are her children and grandchildren!

As one of Granny Hui's trusted aides, Hui Yuemo is necessarily at the center of this storm.

Hui Moqiong's worries are not without reason.

I said, "Don't worry, Granny Hui said that if Hui Xiaotiao has already been turned to ashes, she will hand over the Changshi Grey Immortal Hall to her younger sister, so the younger sister might be stronger than we imagined."

At this moment, Hui Moqiong is both proud and worried.

Liu Junyan continued, "That corpse demon is about to undergo tribulation; during the tribulation it will be relatively weak, which is our best time to attack, but if we cannot take it down in one go, after it successfully passes the tribulation it may become a xiao or a drought demon, making it hard to capture later."

"According to our earlier calculations, that corpse demon's tribulation will likely be in about a week." Hui Moqiong said, "Seventh Lord, I'll head out first to deploy in Changshi; if there's any movement at the Grey Immortal Hall, I can also help."

Liu Junyan nodded: "Bring all your people over quietly; remember, matters of the Grey Immortal Hall must be handled personally by your younger sister, don't meddle, at least on the surface."

Hui Moqiong nodded firmly: "I know the priorities."

Afterwards we ate while discussing the details.

The vanguard unit is Hui Moqiong, while I and Liu Junyan are the main force; of course, someone needs to guard Dang Pu here, so this task goes to Li Qingying.

After dinner, we gathered again in the west room to chat.

By the time we finished washing up and got into bed, it was already past twelve.

I got into bed first, lying against the headboard on the inside.

After Liu Junyan came up, I pulled his left hand and slipped the willow-woven bracelet onto his hand.

Unfortunately, Liu Junyan's hand is larger and wider than mine, so the bracelet only fits over four fingers and won't go on fully.

Liu Junyan looked at my action and asked, bewildered, "What is this?"

"It's a bracelet woven from willow twigs." I looked up at him solemnly, "It was brought out from Cangwu Mountain."

Liu Junyan's hand twitched violently.

At that moment, his gaze seemed to shift endlessly—unbelievable, yet mixed with excitement, and even a hint of reluctance.

To him, the phoenix civet slave is an unresolved regret, right?

Just as he was dazed, I reached under the pillow, took out the gold half-face mask, and put it on my face.

I whispered, "Āyàn, the waters of Linghai have surged into Cangwu Mountain, and the willows of Cangwu Mountain have also been broken loose; nothing can now stop us from being together."

Liu Junyan's hand was trembling.

His amber vertical pupils contracted into a slit, then quickly relaxed.

I had thought he would immediately embrace me and call me Ah Li.

But he didn't.

After his intense complex emotions, he raised his hand, removed the mask from my face, and placed it together with the willow bracelet on the bedside table.

Only then did he cup my face and kiss me deeply.

This kiss was forceful yet tender.

He held my face as if cradling a priceless treasure, as though no kiss could ever be enough.

Until I could barely breathe, he finally released me, holding me tightly in his arms, and whispered by my ear, "Xiao Jiu, thank you."

Thank you for bringing back the willow bracelet, and thank you for letting me let go completely.

Ah Li is my past, while Xiao Jiu is my present and future.

I raised my hand and poked his chest, saying, "Ah Li deserves to be loved, and this love of hers also deserves to be forever cherished somewhere in your heart; I'm not jealous, because Ah Li is essentially a part of me."

Liu Junyan's kisses fell upon me again, overwhelming and endless……

·

Early the next morning, Hui Moqiong left Dang Pu for Changshi.

Liu Junyan wasn't there either.

After breakfast, I stood at the west side of the corridor, staring at the hexagonal palace lamp for a long time.

I have used this Soul-guiding Lamp before—not for the first time.

I have also used it to ferry souls.

But this mission is clearly different.

Beneath that mine shaft, besides Hui Xiaotiao, there are a total of eighty-one people buried.

These eighty-one people have likely all become walking corpses or similar entities.

First I must use the Soul-guiding Lamp to summon them, then ferry them across…… the difficulty is too great, too great.

What I worry most about is that my remnant soul is unstable.

Although I have my mother's inner elixir, I remember that after the fusion I occasionally experience bouts of dazedness.

The yin and lethal qi on the mine side is so heavy—what if…… no, there's no 'what if'!

I returned to Dang Pu, took out the list Granny Hui gave me again, and recited it name by name.

I must memorize the names of these eighty-one people as quickly as possible, etched into my memory, never to forget!

But before I had even finished reciting for a while, someone slipped a note in from outside.

I unfolded it and saw the familiar handwriting: "Old private room at the teahouse, Xiao Jiu, let's talk."

It was actually a note from Bái Jīngmò.

I held the note for a while; privately, I am unwilling to have any further involvement with the Bai Family.

But that's how the world is—many things are not simply black and white.

Bái Jīngmò has long been excluded from my circle of friends, but that doesn't prevent us from cooperating.

After all, the Bái Jiā Yīguǎn and Bái Jīngmò's medical skills are truly irreplaceable.

Moreover, the meeting place is at the teahouse, which I am familiar with.

I told Li Qingying and informed her that Bái Jīngmò had invited me.

When Liu Junyan returns, Li Qingying will definitely tell him about this.

The teahouse has reopened for business, and I was unaware of this.

Only upon arriving there did I discover that the teahouse owner had been replaced.

The new owner is also a woman, around thirty, quite pretty, slightly plump, with a sweet smile and a somewhat loud voice.

Business in the teahouse has bustled back to its former lively state, full of vibrant everyday atmosphere.

I went straight up to the second floor, stood at the door of the private room I used to frequent, and knocked.

Bái Jīngmò personally came to open the door, he stepped aside to let me in: "Xiao Jiu, long time no see."

We sat facing each other, and then Bái Jīngmò ordered two cups of plain tea.

He seemed somewhat uneasy.

After the tea arrived, he took a small sip, then said: "Today, Liu Qiye came to the medical hall."

My hand holding the teacup suddenly trembled, and the scalding tea splashed out, burning the back of my hand red.

Bái Jīngmò immediately grabbed a napkin to help me wipe, while I covered the back of my hand with one hand and placed it under the table.

The burning sensation of the tea actually steadied my emotions a little.

Although I knew full well, Liu Junyan went to the medical hall this time to find Bái Sōnglán.

He was going for the Soul-Stabbing.

I gave an affirmative hum, and did not continue on Bái Jīngmò's line of speech.

Bái Jīngmò, however, persisted: "Xiao Jiu, you may not believe it, but I still have to tell you, my Immortal Clan does not refuse to return to the pawnshop, to rejoin the Five Blessings Immortals; rather, she…… cannot…… she…… has a heart demon……"