So, it had already been three days since they left Yanli Continent.
Three full days.
And Xing Yue? She didn't skip a single dose of that… ridiculous-sounding "Wow pill." As much as she didn't trust the name, she trusted Dreamer Long enough not to play around with his instructions. Every night, before meditation, just like he said.
Still, instead of heading straight back to the Beast Realm, she decided to make a detour.
Because something about that whole "sleep like death" situation didn't sit right with her.
And to be honest? She wasn't even trying to find the culprit anymore. Whoever was behind it—she didn't care. Not out of mercy, just… exhaustion. She had too many things weighing on her already.
Now here's the funny part—
She wasn't alone. Jiang Yunxian was with her. And when one say "with her," he don't mean actively helping. He meant… walking behind her like a completely unbothered shadow. This man had a piece of twine in his mouth, chewing it lazily like he had nowhere better to be, his steps slow, relaxed, like the world owed him peace.
He didn't ask where they were going.
Didn't question anything. Honestly, if you looked at him, you'd think he just accidentally ended up there and decided, "Yeah, this works."
They eventually reached Naigong City.
Now this place? Completely different vibe.
It was also called the Stone City, and you'd understand why the second you step in. Everything—literally everything—had stones. Not just ordinary ones. These were polished, glowing, beautifully cut stones that looked too perfect to just be lying around.
People wore them like they were part of their identity. Necklaces, bracelets, rings—fine.
But even their clothes had stones embedded in them. Some people even turned them into perfumes. It didn't matter how that works, but apparently it does.
Jiang Yunxian looked around and just went, "Wow." Like a child that just walked into a treasure hall.
"This reminds me of Infatuation Town," he said casually.
Xing Yue actually stopped walking.
You know that kind of pause where you realize someone's been following you the whole time, but you didn't really register it until they spoke? Yeah, that! She turned slightly. "Infatuation Town? Where's that?"
And he just shrugged.
"Somewhere," he said, completely unhelpful. Then, without missing a beat, "I think this story requires food. I'm hungry."
Right on cue—his stomach growled.
Perfect timing.
So they went looking for a place to eat and ended up at this inn called the Do'an Parlor.
Now let reel this properly right here. This place wasn't just an inn.
It was… everything.
You walk in, and the first section hits you immediately—bright, loud, overwhelming in the best and worst way. Stones everywhere, reflecting light like the entire place was glowing. Music flowing through the air, laughter layered over laughter, people cheering, clapping—"Bravo!" "Wonderful!"—like a performance never really stopped.
And deeper inside that same section?
There were rooms. It wasn't abnormal but... One really didn't need anyone to explain what those were for. The air itself told you. Warm, heavy, filled with overlapping scents that made it obvious this was the brothel part of the establishment.
Xing Yue didn't even glance that way.
She kept walking.
The second section was calmer, but not quiet. People arguing over rooms, bargaining with stones instead of coins. Some trying to book entire spaces like they owned the place. That one was clearly the lodging area.
And then—
The third section. The diner. Finally, something normal.
Round tables, sturdy stools, the smell of food instead of perfume and noise. It was the kind of place where you could actually sit and think… if you ignored everything happening around you.
Xing Yue sat down immediately and gestured for a waiter.
"Bring me steamed jade dumplings," she said, her tone calm but direct. "The filling should be light—shrimp and herbs, something fresh."
She didn't pause.
"Also braised lion's head meatballs. Soft, rich, soaked in sauce. I want it to melt, not chew." The waiter blinked once, then nodded quickly.
"And lotus root stir-fried with honey glaze," she continued. "Crisp, slightly sweet."
"Lastly, spicy mapo tofu. Proper spice. Not decorative heat."
She leaned back slightly.
"And osmanthus jelly for dessert. Light and fragrant."
A brief pause.
"Rice wine. And your strongest liquor."
The waiter didn't even question it. Just bowed slightly and rushed off. Now, while all this was happening, Jiang Yunxian?
Completely distracted.
He was still looking around at the stones like they were the main attraction. Turning his head slowly, observing the walls, the pillars, even the smallest decorations. Anyone could tell he was impressed.
But not in a greedy way. More like… appreciation.
He wasn't someone who chased wealth. Never had been. To him, money was just something people fought over until they died, only to leave it behind for someone else.
In his mind?
If your descendants wanted wealth, they should earn it themselves.
Simple. But still…
Even he couldn't deny that the place was beautiful. He finally sat down across from Xing Yue, resting his elbow on the table, still glancing around.
"This place," he muttered, almost to himself, "is excessive."
Xing Yue didn't respond immediately. She just watched him for a moment. Then looked away, her gaze drifting toward the entrance, where people kept coming and going, unaware of anything beyond their own lives.
The city was alive.Too alive.
And yet—
Somewhere beneath all that noise, all that beauty…
Something still felt off. And she knew it.
She just hadn't figured out where to look yet.
___
So they're both seated there.
Food laid out, steam rising gently from the dishes, mixing with the already thick atmosphere of the Do'an Parlor. Even in the diner section, you could still hear the distant laughter from the brothel side and the occasional argument from the lodging area. It wasn't quiet, but it wasn't chaotic either. Just… alive.
Xing Yue sat across from Jiang Yunxian, but she wasn't eating immediately. She was watching him.
Not in an obvious way, but enough to notice things—like how relaxed he looked, like none of this mattered to him. Meanwhile, her thoughts were running somewhere else entirely. She was still thinking about what Dreamer Long had said.
Cui Wulei is taking care of the Sleep like Death situation. And the heavens won't just seat there and let it happen.
That sentence should have been enough. If anyone knew Cui Wulei, it was Xing Yue. She wasn't careless. If she said she would handle something, she would.
And yet—
Xing Yue couldn't shake the feeling. Something wasn't finished. Something still lingered. And that bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
But that wasn't the only thing on her mind.
Because sitting right in front of her was another problem entirely.
Jiang Yunxian.
This man had just… appeared at the temple that day like it was nothing. No explanation, no urgency, no visible struggle. Just showed up, said a few things, when the Mind Demon called him. And still acted like nothing happened.
Even when she asked him what happened to the Mind Demon, since she was bound by the No Effect Spell he had casted on her, to ease her anger, and she wasn't aware of what had happened, and he brushed it off so easily.
"I just told her the truth."
That was it. No elaboration. No detail.
As if everything that happened wasn't worth explaining.
Xing Yue narrowed her eyes slightly, though her expression stayed calm. Where were you? she thought. And why did you appear exactly at that moment?
She was just about to ask—and then, the waiter brought the dessert and the liquor leaving immediately after saying "enjoy."
Perfect timing.
The waiter returned, carefully placing the dessert on the table one by one. The aroma alone was enough to pull anyone out of their thoughts.
Xing Yue gave a small nod to the waiter. "Thank you."
Then she picked up her chopsticks.
Across from her, Jiang Yunxian's entire expression changed.
You know that look someone gets when they've been hungry for too long and food finally appears? Yeah—that kind of look.
"This," he said, almost reverently, "is what I'm talking about."
He didn't wait. Not even a little.
He immediately reached for the dumplings, eating like someone who had genuinely been starving. And to be fair, he had been. Since leaving Yanli, he hadn't bothered with proper meals.
Now?
He was making up for it. And the thing about Jiang Yunxian is—he enjoys food. Not in a refined, delicate way. Not like someone analyzing flavors and techniques.
He just… loves it. Every bite. Every texture.
Every flavor.
Jiang Yunxian was like an open book, if he told you you suck, you suck. If he told you you smell like rotten armpit, then take it for a fact that... You truly stink. He isn't the type to sugarcoat words just to make the words feel less hurtful. Nope, that's isn't how he thinks.
Which could be why it may have earned viewers from other sides. Like; seeing a man who's so enthusiastic when food came was quite something to their eyes. Because most men if truth were to be told expect it to be coming from a girl just like the elegant one sitting across from him.
Pah!
Who cares? Who give a fuck to that shitty believe? If you enjoy eating, you eat like never before regardless of the gender. In fact, were they expecting him to turn. Into a girl to fill their foolish eyes? Food is food. Gender is gender. Why try to share works. If that's the case, men should do all the chores women do. Technically, this might not be so in his sect. His sect believes in equality. What a total bullshit!
And alcohol?
That was a whole other story. He could drink endlessly. Literally. You'd think he was drunk sometimes—the way his steps slowed, the way he leaned slightly—but strangely enough, that was when he became sharper. More aware. Like the alcohol unlocked something instead of dulling it.
But right now?
He was just enjoying himself.
Xing Yue watched him for a moment, then finally cleared her throat. Bringing up the matter that has been eating her since they left Yanli Continent... Like the second thing eating her up.
"You mentioned Infatuation Town earlier," she said, trying to sound casual—but it was obvious she was curious. "What exactly is that place?"
Jiang Yunxian didn't even look up at first.
"Infatuation Town?" he repeated, chewing.
Then he swallowed and waved his chopsticks dismissively. "That place is shit."
Xing Yue paused mid-motion. "…Shit?" she repeated. "How?"
Now he looked up, slightly amused. "Just like the name suggests," he said, reaching for the wine and taking a slow drink. "It's a place built entirely around beauty. Women so beautiful people call them goddess-like. Everything there revolves around desire, attraction… indulgence."
He leaned back slightly, gesturing vaguely.
"Think of this Stone City. Everything here revolves around stones, right? Value, beauty, trade." He shrugged. "Infatuation Town is the same idea. Just replace stones with people."
Xing Yue frowned slightly. "So… people go there for that?"
Jiang Yunxian smirked faintly. "They go there to forget themselves," he corrected. "Beauty, attention, distraction. Whatever they're lacking elsewhere, they think they'll find it there."
He took another sip of wine, completely unfazed.
Xing Yue studied him for a moment before asking, "Did it not bother you?"
He paused briefly.
Then gave a short, almost careless laugh.
"I'm a man," he said simply. "Of course I noticed it. It could bother me."
A small pause followed.
"But I was broke," he added flatly. "So none of that mattered."
That caught her off guard for a second.
"You went there anyway?"
"On an errand," he replied, as if that explained everything. And maybe, to him, it did. He returned to eating like the conversation was already over.
Xing Yue didn't press further.
Not yet.
But her curiosity hadn't gone anywhere.
If anything—
It had only deepened.
Because with Jiang Yunxian, every answer somehow felt like it was hiding three more questions underneath.
And outside, beyond the warm lights and the noise of the Do'an Parlor—
Naigong City continued to shine. Bright.
Beautiful. And just a little too perfect.
___
Xing Yue sat there, chopsticks in hand, but for a moment she wasn't even eating.
She was looking at him again. And honestly, you couldn't blame her.
Jiang Yunxian wasn't just "handsome" in the usual sense. No—he had that kind of face that made people look twice without realizing it. Sharp, but not cold. Relaxed, but not crude. The kind of man who looked like he belonged anywhere and nowhere at the same time.
The worst part? He didn't even try. He just sat there, sleeves slightly loose, lazily eating as if the world owed him comfort. And somehow, it worked.
Xing Yue clicked her tongue inwardly.
Of course he's been to a place like Infatuation Town. It would be stranger if he hadn't. And she wasn't naive either. A place filled with beauties? A man like him? Please.
Even she—Xing Yue, who had seen countless beings across realms—would be lying if she said she wasn't… at least a little drawn to his appearance. So what about others? She shook her head slightly, dismissing the thought before it went any further.
Errand, he says…
She didn't fully believe that. At best, she believed part of it. At worst… well, she decided not to think too deeply about what exactly he might have been doing there. Some things were better left unimagined.
So instead, she redirected.
"Then how did you end up in Yanli Continent?" she asked, picking up a slice of lotus root and biting into it. The crisp sweetness grounded her thoughts a little.
Jiang Yunxian paused mid-motion, then leaned back slightly, placing a hand under his chin like he was about to give a profound answer.
He hummed.
Long enough to make it look convincing.
"That?" he finally said, eyes drifting upward as if searching the heavens for an answer. "I'm not sure."
Xing Yue stopped chewing. "…You're not sure?"
He shrugged, completely unbothered.
"You know me," he said casually. "Things don't really surprise me anymore. I just… ended up there."
Then, as if remembering something amusing, his lips curled into a grin.
"My only real surprise was seeing you tied to a tree."
He paused deliberately. "I almost laughed."
Xing Yue's chopsticks froze mid-air.
"You—"
She narrowed her eyes at him, but instead of anger, a dangerous smile spread across her face.
"You're lucky you didn't," she said sweetly. "I have quite the temper."
The way she said it made it very clear—she wasn't joking. Jiang Yunxian raised his hands slightly in mock surrender, though the amusement never left his face.
"I noticed," he said.
And then, just like that, the tension dissolved back into something lighter. For a brief moment, it actually felt… easy. Normal.
Which, honestly, was rare for both of them.
After a short pause, Jiang Yunxian poured himself more wine, swirling it lazily before taking a sip.
"Just to be sure," he said, glancing at her, "we're heading to the Beast Realm, right?"
Xing Yue raised a brow.
"Why?" she asked. "Do you want to wander around this place instead?"
He tilted his head slightly, considering it—not seriously, but enough to make it seem like an option. Then he shook his head.
"No need," he said. "This place is boring anyway."
He took another bite, then added, almost as an afterthought—
"But wandering isn't a bad idea."
Xing Yue let out a soft scoff.
"Absolutely not," she said. "Are you planning to abandon Rong Qi there? What a wicked man."
Jiang Yunxian immediately clicked his tongue, looking almost offended.
"Aiya, don't make me the villain," he said, leaning forward slightly. "I'm just saying—we could take our time. Travel a bit. See the realms properly."
His tone shifted—not serious, but not entirely joking either. "Introduce me to your immortal friends," he continued, gesturing lightly with his chopsticks. "Drink good wine, eat good food… avoid demons completely—I've had enough of them, honestly."
He paused, then added with a small grin—
"You know. Things friends do."
That part landed.
Xing Yue didn't respond immediately, but something in her expression softened.
Because beneath all the nonsense, all the teasing, all the laziness—
There was sincerity there. Annoying, unexpected sincerity.
She smiled. A real one this time.
"Rong Qi is also your friend," she said gently. "Don't abandon him."
Jiang Yunxian waved his hand dismissively.
"Tsk, I wasn't planning to," he said. "If that Long Junlan refuses to hand him over, I'll just steal him."
He smirked.
"Maybe cut that ridiculously big beard of his while I'm at it."
"The Dragon King?" Xing Yue raised a brow.
"That long-bearded dragon," Jiang Yunxian said with a completely straight face. "He looks like he'd cry if someone touched his treasures."
Xing Yue couldn't help it. She laughed.
It wasn't loud, but it was genuine—light, like the kind of laughter that didn't carry any burden with it.
And for a moment, everything else faded.
The fog. The deaths..The lingering unease.
All of it.
They returned to their meal, the conversation drifting into smaller, easier topics. The food slowly disappeared from the table, replaced by empty plates and the faint warmth of wine settling in.
Around them, the Do'an Parlor continued its lively rhythm—music from the brothel side rising and falling, footsteps echoing from the upper floors, laughter spilling into the diner like waves.
And outside, Naigong City shimmered under the fading light, its countless stones catching the last glow of the sun before the night fully claimed the sky.
By the time they finished eating, one thing had quietly settled between them—
They were going to the Beast Realm. Together. To get Rong Qi back. And maybe, along the way—Cause a little trouble.
Because with Jiang Yunxian around, trouble wasn't a possibility. It was a guarantee.