Although Deng Xing was loose and unprincipled, his medical skills were indeed very good. Jiang Xunyiâs internal and external injuries combined were not minor, but after a few days, he was able to get out of bed. When Demon Sovereign Xuan Li walked in, he found him with his injured hand behind his back, the other hand holding a pen as he stood at the table, writing.
Jiang Xunyi always preferred plainer colors such as white and blue for his clothing. No servant here knew of the fame of this young man and only thought that he was one of Xuan Liâs male pets when they sent the clothes. Each set of clothes were brighter and more beautiful than the last. Jiang Xunyi didnât say much, and when he had to change clothes, he didnât hesitate and just wore what they had brought.
Therefore, in the eyes of Xuan Li, the clothes he wore today were indeed very different from his usual style. He wore a robe as light as gauze on the outside and a peach-red inner garmentăGolden silk outlined the shape of peach blossoms on his collar, and a jade belt the width of a palm wrapped around his waist.
If you put such clothing on anyone else, not only would they fail to appear pretty and flirtatious, they wouldnât match the clothes, only looking ridiculous. Jiang Xunyi had a clear temperament, and he radiated frost. The colors of the clothes were all suppressed, so in the eyes of the beholder, he looked elegant. His increasingly handsome face was three points romantic, seven points arrogant.
In this world, even if there is a man who looked just like him, no one could match his demeanor.
Xuan Li suppressed the waves in his heart and stepped forward, picking up the piece of paper on Jiang Xunyiâs table. He couldnât help but praise âgood wordsâ!
Xuan Li had come every day for the past few days. Jiang Xunyi was too lazy to pay attention to him, and he didnât even glance at him out of the corner of his eyes. Xuan Li was also used to his cold treatment. âLook at the Qinwang Mountain and the heavy rain pouring as if a river and a lake were falling down. I donât know if the clouds turned into rain, or if the rain turned into clouds. In the sky, the west wind blows vigorously, and the dark clouds change and disappear instantly. Look to the bright moon, starry night, and listen to the sound of the sky. The call of the thousands of caves in the world are like landslides and thunderâŚ[1]â
Jiang Xunyi said impatiently, âAlright, whatâs the point of reading? I know you can read and show off.â
Xuan Li threw the paper aside and whispered with a smile, âWhy are you writing this? Spoiling the fun. I think you might as well write about âPink peach blossoms complementing a ruddy face fair[2]ââŚâ
As he spoke, he leaned a little closer and kissed Jiang Xunyiâs cheek.
Jiang Xunyi turned his head to avoid it, twirled the brush in his hand, and pointed the penholder at one of Xuan Liâs eyes. He spoke coldly. âYou want to die again, donât you?â
Xuan Li put his hands together and pressed on Jiang Xunyiâs shoulders so he sat on the soft chair behind him. âI give you spiritual energy-dispersing medicine every day, and you still dare to resist? Xunyi, I really donât know whether to call you brave or naive.â
Jiang Xunyi said in disgust, âDonât call me that.â
Demon Sovereign Xuan Liâs gaze intensified. âOh, you donât like this name? Should I call you⌠AâXun?â
The only person in the world who said the two words âAâXunâ was the unreliable Yun Xie. Jiang Xunyi found it uncomfortable to hear it from anyone else. He has lived for two lifetimes and never found out what **[3] was, so he frowned and said, âXuan Li, has your brain been irreparably smashed by Yun Xie? If you have something to say, say it. Why do you constantly loiter around? Let me tell you, no matter what you do to humiliate or kiss up to me, itâs all useless.â
âDo you think I do this to humiliate and kiss up to you?â
The nonsense was unending. Jiang Xunyi impatiently said, âWhat else? Donât tell me you really are a woman and want to marry me?â
After saying this, his back met with empty air, and he fell, as the backrest of the chair could actually be lowered. Jiang Xunyi was suddenly pressed underneath Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, who said into his ear with gritted teeth, âI want to top you.â
Xuan Li pressed Jiang Xunyi down fiercely. âI heard that the person you like is the eldest miss of the Feng family, but the person in her heart should be your good brother Yun Xie, right? Then I donât know whether she has ever rubbed her ears on your shoulder[4]. I really donât understand: how on earth is she worthy of Jiang Xunyi treating her differently? Jiang Xunyi, do you know, I really want to see someone like you fall from the altar and submit to a person like a slaveâŚâ
What Feng Qiu had said in the past flashed in his mind between the sparks and the fire, and Jiang Xunyi suddenly understood. âSo thatâs why you insulted Feng Qiu and induced her to blame me! Zihui, Feng Xue, Uncle Chen, Ning Fen⌠âŚThese people all work for you?!â
Xuan Li: ââŚâ
Jiang Xunyi, this frustrating thing. He was lucky that he had a good body, or else sooner or later, he would be beaten to death!
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was about to speak when the door of the room suddenly slammed open.
The two people looked in the direction of the door together. A man dressed in the uniform of the Flame Gate disciples ran in, panicked. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw the position of the Demon Sovereign Xuan Li and Jiang Xunyi and immediately knelt down.
Demon Lord Xuanli stood up and said coldly, âWhat are you doing?â
Behind him, Jiang Xunyi sat up and straightened his collar without any embarrassment.
The man knelt on the ground, not even daring to look up, as he said with a trembling voice, âMy lord, the dungeon at the foot of the mountain has been blown up!â
Jiang Xunyi paused before he quickly concealed any emotion. Xuan Liâs first reaction was exactly to turn his head and look at him. Jiang Xunyi looked at him with a confused expression, and Xuan Li turned back. âI know now.â
The man kneeling on the ground heaved a sigh of relief and said hurriedly, âYes, then this subordinate shall retreat.â
Xuan Li sneered. âI didnât tell you to retreat. What are you anxious about? Do you want to go report to a lady?â
He had many concubines and male pets, and he had seen a lot of the actions done because of jealousy. When he saw that this person dared to enter the room without knocking on the door, he guessed that he was not only here to report news, but he must have also been ordered by someone to spy on them and figure out what Jiang Xunyiâs position was in his heart.
Usually when he met with these occurrences, he would be too lazy to deal with it, but this time, he would not tolerate it. The man was already panicking, but when he heard Xuan Li say this, he became even more anxious. He said quickly, âMy LordâŚâ
Before he finished speaking, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li lifted his foot and kicked him, hard. The man screamed as he flew out into the sky before slamming into the wall hard with his head. His brain burst and he died on the spot.
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li turned to Jiang Xunyi. Jiang Xunyi knew that he must suspect that the situation at the dungeon had something to do with him. However, he didnât say anything about it at the moment and only said indifferently, âSo disgusting.â
Demon Sovereign Xuan Liâs face slightly relaxed, smilin softly as he said, âIâll ask someone to clean up for you right away.â
After he said this, he clapped, and a few servants walked in immediately. A few went to clean up the stains on the corpse, and another one brought a bowl of medicine and bowed to Jiang Xunyi.
Xuan Li said softly, âThis is the medicine to remove spiritual power, you havenât taken it yet today, right?â
Jiang Xunyi sneered, picked up the medicine bowl and drank it.
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li stared at him as he drank, and only after he finished did he smile with satisfaction before turning and striding away.
The servants here had served Jiang Xunyi for a while now, so they knew his temper. In addition, they knew that he was favored by the demon sovereign, so even though every servant was burly and strong, they did not dare to talk to him and just cleaned up quickly before they saluted and left.
Jiang Xunyi motionlessly closed his eyes and rested his mind. After a long time, he slowly raised his hand and spread his palm. In his hand was clearly a piece of jade.
Jiang Xunyi took a closer look and saw that the jade pendant was black and had a beautiful, smooth appearance. With one glance, you could tell that it seemed to be something valuable. Other than that, there seemed to be nothing special about it, but he knew that there must be something mysterious in it. Through these few days of interaction, Jiang Xunyi discovered that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was not a person who liked luxuries, and yet he carried this ornament every day, so if it was not a gift from an important person, the token must have a very important secret hidden in it. Stealing it was already a great risk; if he got nothing, it would be a great loss.
He fiddled with it mindlessly for a while. Suddenly his eyes narrowed, and he held the jade pendant up to be illuminated by the candle next to him. The corners of his lips slightly quirked into a smile. His slender fingers tightened, and although he had just taken medicine to deplete his spiritual power, he easily broke the jade pendant into two pieces.
A piece of silk paper, as thin as a cicadaâs wing, appeared in the center of the jade pendant. Words and pictures were drawn on it, as if it was a rubbing from a stone inscription. Jiang Xunyiâs eyes flashed open, his eyebrows drew together, and the smile on his lips disappeared.
Suddenly, he raised his head, tucked the silk paper quickly into her palm, and said coldly, âWho?â
A man jumped in from outside, looked around, then immediately turned to shut the door. He knelt in front of Jiang Xunyi and shouted, âMaster.â
Jiang Xunyi looked down and was unable to laugh or cry, âQi Shijiu? To be able to even follow me here, you sure are talented.â
Qi Shijiu didnât know whether Jiang Xunyi was joking or admonishing him, so he quickly explained, his face full of fear. It turned out that after he woke up, he found that Jiang Xunyi was no longer there. He immediately searched everywhere only to find that everyone was secretive about this matter. Song Yu did not punish him and instead transferred him to the courtyard of a young lady in Xuan Liâs harem. He inquired for several days before he learned of the whereabouts of Jiang Xunyi.
Jiang Xunyi said, âHow are you so tricky? The yard I live in has guards outside. How did you get in?â
Qi Shijiuâs normally reserved face became anxious. âMaster, I didnât sneak my way in here, but a little wife of the Demon Lord sent me to invite you to a dinner! She must be trying to embarrass you! I will find a way to distract everyone, you should quickly go!â
Jiang Xunyiâs voice was aggrieved. âShe is a woman who does not leave the house and has no grievances against me. Why does she want to embarrass me?â
Seventeen or eighteen kinds of conspiracies swept through his mind suddenly, but he felt that none of them were valid.
Qi Shijiu glanced at Jiang Xunyiâs overly gorgeous clothes, and his fists were clenched tightly by his side. He whispered in a low voice, âYoung master, you have sufferedâŚâ
Jiang Xunyi followed his gaze and looked at his collar. He was stunned before he realized: this woman was looking for him to fight out her jealousy? So she wanted to take advantage of Xuan Liâs absence from the mountain to see what âXuan Liâs new favoriteâ looks like.
Randomly, an image of Consort Hua from âEmpresses in the Palaceâ[5] pointing at his nose and cursing the âlittle vixenâ flashed through his mind, and he couldnât help but chuckle. âSounds interesting, letâs go and take a look.â
Qi Shijiu didnât expect him to react like this and said in surprise, âMaster, y-you donât want to run away?â
Jiang Xunyi waved his hand and sneered. âThere is no need to escape. If I wanted to leave, none of these straw bags would be able to stop me. However, I still have things to do, so I wonât go anywhere. Then Shijiu, lead the way.â
He thought for a little, and then added, âPretend to be unfamiliar with me first, and then you will act when I wink.â
Qi Shijiu came by an order, with the token given by the lady in his hand, so the two of them were successfully released from the guards guarding the periphery and went all the way to the legendary Tingfang Pavilion where the concubines of Xuan Li lived.
The front hall of Tingfang Pavilion had already been set up for a banquet at this time, and all of the guests were Xuan Liâs concubines and male pets. All of them had extraordinary looks, and every two people were assigned to a table. More than ten tables have been set up, the whole hall filled. In the middle, performers were singing and dancing. With the beauties gathered, the hall was like the scenery of spring as far as the eye could see.
At the top, there was an empty Grand Masterâs chair, which was reserved for Lord Xuan Li. Next to that chair sat two women. One had a coquettish charming face but a murderous air between her eyebrows. She was the host, Li Ji. The woman next to her was soft and pure, with a gentle appearance. She was listening to Li Jiâs words with her face turned towards her.
âIn short, since that person came, the Lord has not been to any of us. Not only that, we canât even catch a glimpse of that person. We sisters canât even see if we wanted to. If we are talking about freshness, then thatâs weird. Sister, you came only a few days earlier than that person, so why didnât we see that the Lord act so caring towards you?â
The woman who was listening to her whispered, âSister, I just want a place to stay. These things are something I dare not care about.â
A trace of contempt flashed in Li Jiâs eyes, then she rolled her eyes and smiled again. âI heard that he was once respected and famous. He was an old acquaintance of you brothers and sisters, and he even once had a relationship with you⌠why donât it be up to you to entertain him later?â
The woman seemed to be taken aback and hurriedly said, âI only have the Lord in my heart. He â even if he has the heart, I have never cared about him, let alone⌠let alone the fact that he is now one of the Lordâs people. Oh, sister, you⌠you shouldnât think too much.â
Li Ji sneered, but didnât say anything more about the matter. She sniffed bitterly, âI want to see today what kind of character he isâŚâ
Once she said this, the door of the hall creaked open, and Qi Shijiu walked in. He lowered his head before he said, âMrs. Li, the person has been brought here.â
A young man with a tall figure followed him in. He walked slowly, and immediately countless eyes were drawn to him. After seeing him clearly, the noisy hall fell silent again.
No one could say anything for a while, and there was only the voice of a womanâs singing from a distance, soft and lingering, scattered into the night breeze:
âThe buildingâs shadows are slanted in the sunset, and the beloved sees you as if it was their first time. The man on the road is like jade, and the young master is unparalleled in the worldâŚ
It took Li Ji a long time to find her voice. âYou, you are the oneâŚâ
Jiang Xunyi lifted his left hand and swept it lightly across the hall. His eyes finally fell on the woman next to Li Ji and stopped for a moment. Then, he smiled and turned to Li Ji. âI am Jiang Xunyi. I was invited by the madam to come to the banquet. But madam, you donât seem to have prepared my seat?â
Demon Sovereign Xuan Li loved to be adventurous. In this room, there were thin people, fat people, and everything in between. The few male pets all seemed glamorous and bitchy, even more feminine than herself, so Li Ji never expected that it would be such a man who walked in. Seeing Jiang Xunyiâs smile that appeared like a cool breeze or the clear moon, she even started to regret that she was making things difficult for him for him and was speechless.
Perhaps everyoneâs eyes were focused on Jiang Xunyiâs face or perhaps it was because his expression was so calm and graceful that no one noticed that Jiang Xunyiâs path was a bit weird â there was nothing in front of him to stand in the way, but he went around in a circle before approaching.
Although Li Ji didnât speak, there were many people who wanted to say something. One person hid her mouth and smiled. âSorry, there are so many sisters here that there is no place for you. I do lack someone to make tea behind me. Would you like to come? â
Jiang Xunyi looked towards the speaker and saw that the person who was talking to him turned out to be a man in a green robe. He was petite, with frivolous eyebrows and a soft voice. The green brocade dress accentuated the whiteness of his tiny face, so he looked just like a stalk of green onion.
Jiang Xunyi bit his lower lip and restrained his smile. His perception of Demon Sovereign did improve â with such a lively and bright harem, it was impressive that he did not go blind or mad. He dealt with all of them without pressure. He truly deserved his role as a man who could lead the demons.
He did not answer the provocative little green onion, and instead, his gaze swept to the woman next to Li Ji. Besides her was a man with a strong figure, armed with a sword and dressed as a general. Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows and smiled before walking towards him.
The one talking just now was a male pet named Qing Yan. They had discussed this beforehand and planned to make Jiang Xunyi feel embarrassed by not arranging a place for him. However, they did not expect this person to be so different from what they imagined. Seeing Jiang Xunyi ignoring him, he suddenly felt shameless and said angrily, âNewcomer, didnât you hear me talking to you?â
His angry voice did not sound like a man at all, and without looking back, Jiang Xunyi said lightly, âSpeak well, donât act like a baby.â
Qing Yan was stunned, and the words he was going to say were forgotten. His face was a little red for no apparent reason.
At this moment, Jiang Xunyi had already walked up to the man dressed as a general. The man looked at him, alerted, and said, âWhat are you doing?â
Jiang Xunyi folded his arms. âThis place is good, I want to sit in your seat. You can go to the side.â
How could he be arrogant even when his spiritual energy was imprisoned?! The man said angrily, âJiang Xunyi, youââ
Before he finished speaking, he heard a loud âclickâ, and the chair under him was kicked into pieces by Jiang Xunyi. At the same time, he felt a strong pressure on his shoulders, and he suddenly dropped onto the wood pieces. Crushed chrysanthemums reflect pain[6].
Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows., âWhat about now?â
When he made such a sudden move, the people in the hall were frightened. It was not uncommon for these people to be jealous and play their own tricks, but they have never seen such a blatant attack, and they were dumbfounded. Jiang Xunyi didnât look at anyone and placed his foot on the manâs chest. The soles of his boots pressed down lightly, and the sound of broken bones came from under his feet.
âHold on!â The woman who had just spoken to Li Ji finally couldnât bear it and stood up. âYou, you sit here. Let me give you my place.â
Jiang Xunyi did not move his feet, but swept his hand behind him and turned to look at her. The corners of his lips were slightly curled as he said slowly, âSister Qiu, you are finally willing to speak.â
[1] âQin looks at the top of the mountain, watching the chaotic clouds and the rainâŚthe world is calling out.â From Xin Qijiâs âHan Gongchunâ. This poem uses nature as a metaphor for the world, and it feels like Little Jiangâs temperament and the description is also wonderful.
[2] âHuman Face and Peach Blossoms Reflecting Redâ from Cui Huâs âTiming the Capital City Nanzhuangâ. This was originally about how Xuan Li molested Xiao Jiang and said he was good-looking, but he didnât pay attention to using a tragic poem, and it became a truth, and it also hinted that there was no future between them.
[3] The author censored this and idk what itâs supposed to be so I guess thatâs up to your interpretation.
[4] Rubbing ears on shoulder is a idiom that means closeness and intimacy.
[5] A really famous 2011 Chinese drama about the relationships and infighting of concubines.
[6] A line from my favorite Chinese song ever, ččąĺ° by Jay Chou (when I saw this line I was so excited)