Liao Tingyan: “May I ask, what exactly were you thinking?”
Sima Jiao: “The pain of disaster shouldn’t be borne by just one person. Since they share deep feelings, they should naturally suffer together.”
Liao Tingyan, who had assumed he might release the cow lady, was utterly defeated. The ancestor before her said this with perfect sincerity, as if it were the most natural truth in the world.
Big boss… are you perhaps antisocial?
Not long after, Liao Tingyan realized the cow demon couple bore no resentment toward Sima Jiao at all. On the contrary, they became almost servile—respectful, eager to please, and practically groveling for the chance to follow this unfathomable master. They even volunteered to act as prison guards, herding the two small mountain chickens. The little black snake, by sheer virtue of proximity, was promoted to “big brother” of the cow couple.
The snake wasn’t very bright, but its instincts were sharp, inherited from Sima Jiao, while its lazy, content approach to life mirrored Liao Tingyan’s. Add a dash of naive foolishness, and you had its whole personality: single-minded and simple. Sima Jiao, though not naturally nurturing, allowed it small indulgences. Liao Tingyan, for her part, often brought it treats, patted its head, and even played pet-frisbee with it.
Privately, the cow demons whispered their theories. To them, the senior who had captured them must surely be a snake demon whose cultivation was so high they couldn’t even perceive his true form. And the little black snake? Naturally, the child he had sired with his woman.
“It must be her child,” the cow demon insisted with confidence. “Look at how indulgent he is! Only toward the mother of his own child would he act so.” His wife nodded in solemn agreement.
Thus, in their eyes, Liao Tingyan became the “boss’s woman”—and was treated with fervent flattery. The cow demoness even tried to offer her rides.
“I can run very fast and steady! Riding me is extremely comfortable!”
Liao Tingyan: “No, no thanks.”
She had no idea what image of her lived in their heads. Watching the fist-sized couple working hard to integrate into enemy lines, she once again saw the truth of this world: strength ruled above all else. If Sima Jiao wished, with the sheer power he had displayed, he could raise an army inside Gengchen Immortal Mansion overnight. But he had no such inclination—his confidence bordered on obsession.
“What use is your large number of people? I alone can kill you all.”
That, Liao Tingyan thought, was the truest reflection of his mind. Pure arrogance.
Two little cow demons were nothing to him. Since she refused to eat them, he lost interest almost immediately, and they were left to toil in miniature form, hoping their diligence might one day earn them a permanent place under his shadow.
Later, when the season changed, it was time for one of Liao Tingyan’s rare solo outings. She planned to buy some new clothes, so she set out with four maids and two guards—her budget version of a young lady’s entourage.
The Chen Academy’s surrounding districts thrived on the extravagant spending of its wealthy heirs. Clothing, jewelry, perfumes, and medicines filled the streets, making the area the most bustling corner of Gengchen Immortal Mansion’s outer court.
Liao Tingyan’s favorite stop was Yunyi Embroidery House, famed for its exquisite women’s garments. The store’s thousands of fabric samples drifted through the air as colorful butterflies, allowing customers to pluck their desired material mid-flight. With both ready-made outfits and custom tailoring, Yunyi was unrivaled in luxury.
As a repeat customer who had spent freely in the past, Liao Tingyan was welcomed warmly and escorted into a private flower hall—a lounge where one could browse fabrics in comfort and privacy, with service as attentive as a Haidilao waiter.
“Please take a look at this new arrival, Nebula Gauze,” the attendant said brightly. “At night, the starlight woven into its hem sparkles like the Milky Way itself. What’s more, the embedded formations provide not only dust resistance but also defensive properties…”
Her voice rang like a bell as she showcased one treasure after another.
“This brocade, for example—the floral patterns aren’t ordinary. Most have never even heard of the Sun-Moon Dark Bloom, much less seen it. Yet here it is, woven into our exclusive design.”
The attendant’s tone grew reverent. “As you surely know, the Sun-Moon Dark Bloom is the companion flower of the illustrious Sima clan. Few have ever glimpsed it in reality. Only our Yunyi Embroidery House has managed to secure this pattern.”
Liao Tingyan: “…Hmm, it’s pretty.”
Pretty, yes—but the flower was wrong. Having seen the genuine article (and even eaten it), she immediately noticed the inaccuracies. Still, the embroidery was beautifully crafted.
“This floral brocade is always scarce,” the attendant went on proudly. “We only receive a dozen bolts per year, and they sell out instantly.”
“Then I’ll take this one,” Liao Tingyan said casually, “and the Nebula Gauze from earlier.”
But before her purchase was confirmed, a green-robed junior attendant rushed in to whisper something. The senior blue-robed attendant’s smile faltered. After a quick, apologetic bow, she stepped aside to confer in hushed tones.
Liao Tingyan didn’t intend to eavesdrop—but at her cultivation level, every word carried clear as day.
A certain high-status young lady had decided she wanted all of the Sun-Moon Dark Bloom brocade. The bolt Liao Tingyan had just chosen would now be diverted to her instead.
Liao Tingyan didn’t particularly care. The pattern was inaccurate anyway, and it always felt like a knockoff. But the situation reeked of someone throwing their weight around.
When the senior attendant returned, she bowed deeply, smile tight. “My sincerest apologies, Madam. That bolt was already reserved—an oversight on my part. To make amends, you may select twenty bolts of new fabric, free of charge. Would that suffice?”
The problem wasn’t the fabric. The problem was power—who could be offended, and who could not.
Her maids, trained by Yongling Chun and proud of their Night Tour Palace background, were quicker to react than she was.
“What oversight? You’re clearly favoring others over us!”
“First come, first served—why should our lady yield her rightful choice?”
“Do you even know who our lady is? She is the young mistress of Night Tour Palace, granddaughter of Elder Muxi himself!”
Before Liao Tingyan could even open her mouth, her maids had gone full ‘overbearing sidekick mode,’ spitting fire like characters begging for a face-slap.
And right on cue—
“Hmph. Night Tour Palace?” A cold laugh cut through the air. “Even if the master of Night Tour Palace and Elder Muxi stood here in person, they would show me courtesy.”
The face-slapper had arrived.
A girl stepped into the hall, dazzling from head to toe. Every item she wore glittered with heavenly-grade craftsmanship. Even her hairpin carried intricate formations. Her servants were equally impressive, backed by guards with cultivation equal to Liao Tingyan’s own.
Liao Tingyan’s brow twitched. She recognized that face.
This was Yue Chuhui—the Moon Palace mistress’s daughter. The same girl Sima Jiao had once literally booted from her own pavilion.
And now, here she was, sneering down at her.
How could a princess-like figure from the inner court of Gengchen Immortal Mansion suddenly appear in the outer court? Fate certainly had a cruel sense of humor.
And all of this, unsurprisingly, still tied back to Sima Jiao.
He had slaughtered countless inner court elites—not only prominent figures but even several secluded elders, leaving the mansion shaken to its core. Though the sect leader and others had worked tirelessly to suppress the news, stabilizing the chaos before it could spread, everyone knew the truth: Sima Jiao would never simply let things go. Since then, the inner court had lived under a constant cloud of dread.
The mistress of Moon Palace was one of those gravely injured in that battle. Already overwhelmed with the matters of her palace and haunted by the thought of Sima Jiao’s return, she chose to send her daughter away—to the outer court branch. It was, at best, a temporary measure.
Yue Chuhui had never recovered from that humiliating kick delivered by Venerable Cizang, the blow that had shattered her pride and lingered like a thorn in her heart. Her once lively temper soured, and now, forced into exile by her mother, her mood grew even darker. Thus, she wandered the markets with the young ladies of the Moon family’s outer court, looking for diversion.
She didn’t care much for the Sun-Moon Dark Bloom brocade. She had seen the true, flawless fabric since childhood—such imitations were beneath her. Yet her disinterest didn’t mean others could claim it. If Yue Chuhui wanted something, it was hers by right; others could only step aside.
Unfortunately, Liao Tingyan had stumbled directly into this powder keg. Realizing the conflict could not end peacefully, she rose, smiled politely, and stepped back.
“Since you want it, it’s yours,” she said with deliberate courtesy. Outnumbered and unwilling to risk unnecessary trouble, she decided retreat was the wiser path.
But Yue Chuhui had no intention of letting her leave.
“Did I say you could go?” she demanded coldly. She didn’t recognize Liao Tingyan’s current face—that of Yongling Chun—but her irritation needed no reason. “You’re from Night Tour Palace?”
“Yes,” Liao Tingyan replied evenly.
At Yue Chuhui’s laugh, her companions began circling, throwing out barbed insults that sent Liao Tingyan’s maids bristling with rage.
Yet Liao Tingyan herself remained calm, not even sparing them a glance.
Her composure only deepened Yue Chuhui’s frustration. Just as her anger peaked, a small movement caught her eye—the little black snake coiled at Liao Tingyan’s ankle had stirred awake and slipped into view.
The sight immediately reminded Yue Chuhui of the terrifying serpent that followed Venerable Cizang, souring her temper further. Tilting her chin arrogantly, she ordered:
“Leave the snake and get lost. Cross my path again, and your life will be gone with a single word from me.”
Liao Tingyan calmly caught the little snake and tucked it back into her sleeve.
My dear girl, she thought coolly, do you not realize? Taking your life would be just as easy for me.
NEXT
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