Chapter 43: A Little Tail
The aroma of tea filled the room.
Liu Weiyang flicked his sleeve lightly and pushed the dark ceramic cup to the center of the table. "Please, help yourself."
Yan Dan picked up one of the cups, lowering her eyes to examine the tea—a clear, pale green with a delicate fragrance. The tea leaves, shaped like tiny hooks, slowly sank to the bottom. She took a small sip before asking, "Now that you know you're the Purple Void Emperor, you should return to the Heavenly Court, shouldn't you?"
As far as she knew, few demons in the world didn't aspire to ascend to immortality, and most mortals were deeply devoted to seeking it. Moreover, with such an impressive list of immortal titles, even in the Heavenly Court there were few who could stand on equal footing with him. He was truly prestigious beyond measure.
To everyone's surprise, Liu Weiyang said nonchalantly, "I haven't thought about going back yet."
Yan Dan couldn't help herself. "You're just as strange as that Prince Xuan Xiang. Why did he have to demolish the Demon Realm for no reason..."
"Xuan Xiang's bloodline isn't pure. He was only put in this position by the elders of his clan because he was very capable. I, on the other hand, grew up in the Heavenly Court. I only learned I had brothers when I met him at Cloud Heaven Palace." Liu Weiyang took a sip of tea and continued, "Xuan Xiang felt that their ancestor deserved to be killed by the goddess Nuwa because he didn't abide by the laws of heaven and earth. He also strongly opposed the later war between immortals and demons."
Yan Dan felt both disappointed and regretful. What should have been a magnificent war had turned into a mess because Xuan Xiang had turned against them at the last minute. "Then why did he want to reincarnate later and even seal his soul in paper and ink? Shouldn't evil gods look down on mortals?"
Liu Weiyang's lips curled up slightly as he gently blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface of his tea. Yan Dan felt a chill run down her spine. Was he smiling? And with that sinister expression?
"I only remembered this recently. I heard that Xuan Xiang somehow found someone he loved, and that person had been reincarnated, so he tried everything to follow. I didn't expect it to be true."
"But judging by his appearance, few could resist him at first glance, right?"
"That woman didn't even know him. He was just blindly infatuated."
"...Cough!" Yan Dan choked.
In the following days, Yan Dan explored the entire Divine Firmament Palace, even finding the pharmacy Liu Weiyang used for grinding medicine and refining elixirs. The shelves were filled with bottles and jars, and the walls were covered with all sorts of medicinal ingredients—ugly ones, handsome ones, and those neither ugly nor handsome. Every kind was there. She counted and found there were still seven more ugly ones.
That night, Yan Dan had nightmares all night long. In her dreams, she was turned into a skin. Just as she woke in a cold sweat, still half-asleep, she turned her head and saw a figure looming in the distance. Yan Dan's hair stood on end. Was this still Divine Firmament Palace? If a thief dared to break in, he must be the most notorious thief in the world.
The figure stood and walked to her bedside, asking in a clear voice, "You're awake?"
Judging from the voice and appearance, it was indeed Tang Zhou.
Yan Dan hesitated for a moment before asking, "You're Palace Master Liu in disguise, aren't you?"
The other person frowned but didn't speak.
"You're so convincing, I almost thought it was Tang Zhou himself."
The other person pulled out a talisman from his sleeve, expressionless. "Who do you think I am?"
Yan Dan hurried to say, "Only you could draw a talisman with such extraordinary power, Senior Brother. But it's not even dawn yet. What do you want from me?"
Tang Zhou lifted his robe and sat on the edge of the bed, his long eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Tell me—if there's something you've always wanted, and after finally getting it, you realized it wasn't what you wanted at all, then what?"
Yan Dan thought for a moment, then suddenly realized. "So you've come to ask me Zen riddles? Do you not want to be a Taoist priest anymore and want to become a monk instead?"
Before she finished speaking, she was tapped on the forehead. Tang Zhou withdrew his hand, his face darkening. "Who told you I'm a Taoist priest?"
Yan Dan pouted slightly. "Then what exactly do you want to say?"
She originally wanted to tell him that men and women shouldn't be intimate, and even if she was a demon, he couldn't just barge in without warning. But then she thought that Tang Zhou didn't have that kind of traditional virtue, so it would be pointless.
Tang Zhou hesitated for a long time, carefully choosing his words. "Brother Liu promised to do something for me. Anything he can do."
"Then have him help you find the whereabouts of the divine artifact, Di Zhi. Since he can find Chu Mo, this shouldn't be too much to ask."
"You think I should have him find Di Zhi?"
Yan Dan pulled the blanket tighter, puzzled. "Didn't you always want Di Zhi so you could find the person in your dreams? Are you just a hypocrite?"
Tang Zhou lowered his head and said softly, "Sometimes, I feel that the person in my dreams looks a bit like you..."
Yan Dan stiffly turned her head away, her heart trembling. Was he going to say next that he should just treat her as the person in his dreams?
"...Although I only remember her back, I felt that she was not only beautiful, but also understanding, kind, and gentle. Just being with her made me happy." Tang Zhou looked into her eyes and shrugged slightly. "Thinking about it, you really have nothing in common with her."
Yan Dan took a deep breath and suddenly grabbed his collar with overwhelming force. "Where am I not kind and gentle? Where am I not understanding? Am I ugly?" She shook Tang Zhou violently twice and then slammed him down on the bed with a thud. "Even if I'm not good-looking, I at least have my own charm, right? I'm much prettier than that Mrs. Hu from the Shen family!"
Tang Zhou sighed softly. "Even if you're much prettier than Mrs. Hu, there's nothing to be proud of, is there? Besides," he reached out and pulled his collar back up, "aren't you afraid of being seen like this? Did you stumble upon a misunderstanding?"
Yan Dan was stunned. The way she was holding Tang Zhou's clothes and pressing him down on the bed clearly indicated her intention to force herself on him. She hurriedly scrambled to the other side of the bed. "This is my place, after all. Not only did you barge in without warning, but you also have the nerve to act like I took advantage of you?"
Tang Zhou smiled slightly. "You certainly took advantage of me." He sat up, adjusted his clothes, and stopped at the door. Turning back, he said, "It's still early. I'm going to sleep first. Why don't you take another nap?"
Yan Dan clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "Senior Brother, don't you think that men and women should avoid suspicion? Isn't that a rare virtue...?"
Tang Zhou turned and closed the door, smiling. "You call me Senior Brother, so it's only right that we're close. How can we be bound by worldly conventions?"
Yan Dan was heartbroken.
There are many ways to cultivate oneself in this world, the most cruel of which is to inflict physical pain and mental torment, ultimately leading to transcendence.
Yan Dan has now transcended half of that.
"Back when you were incarnated as a human in Heaven, I was on my way to the West to discuss the Dharma, so I missed you. You have a twin sister, don't you?"
A middle-aged man with a crooked mouth and slanted eye brushed past Yan Dan with a beaming smile, casually tossing out these words. Yan Dan was utterly shocked, and it took her a long time to process what she'd just heard. That tone and voice... it sounded like Liu Weiyang, didn't it?
She quickly turned and chased after him, stammering, "Young Master Liu, it's good that you're slowly remembering the past, but you really don't need to include me in it. I'm just an insignificant nobody."
Liu Weiyang said casually, "Of course I remember clearly. I originally intended to take you as my disciple, but your master beat me to it."
Yan Dan said dryly, "Young Master Liu, taking me as a disciple really isn't good. My master lost a lot of hair in those years—he was almost bald." The thought of almost calling Liu Weiyang "master" sent chills down her spine. His perpetually expressionless, overly youthful face made it difficult for her to utter the word "master."
It has to be said, it was all fate.
They simply lacked the master-disciple bond. Fortunately, fortunately.
Yan Dan suddenly jolted awake and hurriedly said, "Young Master Liu, those things are all in the past. You don't always hold grudges, do you?"
"It's hard to say. Maybe one day I'll want to talk to someone about it." He dusted off his sleeves and said lightly, "There are quite a few people who like to hear stories."
Yan Dan struggled for a long time before finally saying weakly, "I understand. I'm afraid I'll never need to use the promise you owe me."
Liu Weiyang took a few steps away, then suddenly turned back. "Do you remember the upheaval that happened in the Demon Realm? I've figured out the reason now." His voice was deep and pleasant to the ear. "One of you shouldn't be in this skin now."
After he finished speaking, he turned and strode away, leaving Yan Dan standing there alone, trembling with fear.
That night, Yan Dan had another night of nightmares about human skin, the horrors of which were even more novel than before.
The next night, she had no choice but to take her blanket and knock on Yu Mo's door.
Yu Mo stood at the doorway, his brow furrowing slightly the instant he saw Yan Dan. In the candlelight, Yan Dan saw his furrowed brow clearly, but after a moment's thought, she decided to pretend not to notice, softening her tone as she said, "Yu Mo, I can't sleep."
Yu Mo's black outer robe had been loosened and was neatly hung on the screen. He was only wearing a single inner robe, indicating he was planning to sleep. Hearing Yan Dan's words, he frowned again.
A sorrowful and delicate expression slowly appeared on Yan Dan's face as she looked at him earnestly. "I've been having nightmares these past few days, and I can't sleep well."
Yu Mo, leaning against the door, said indifferently, "So?"
"I won't take up much of your space, maybe half the bed at most. No, just leave me some space."
Yu Mo looked at her for a moment, then slowly moved aside.
Yan Dan took a few steps with the blanket, then spoke to him gently. "Do you prefer to sleep on the outside or the inside?"
If she could choose, she would definitely choose the outside without hesitation. In terms of terrain, the outside was easier for retreat and defense, while the inside was easier to attack and harder to defend.
Yu Mo remained indifferent, replying, "Whatever you prefer."
Yan Dan placed the blanket on the outside of the bed, saying ingratiatingly, "If you want some water tonight, just call me."
Yu Mo didn't answer, but instead blew out the candle and lay down on the inside of the bed.
Yan Dan occupied half the bed, and as she turned her head, she saw the crescent moon outside the window and couldn't help but say, "The moon looks very big here."
Yu Mo preferred quiet, and when they were together, she was always the one who talked more. Yan Dan continued, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. "The moon looks most beautiful when it's reflected in the water, but many people say it's just a mirage, not real..."
Suddenly, Yu Mo said calmly, "What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. Stop thinking about such strange things."
Yan Dan pouted and fell silent. She didn't want to think about it anymore, but then Palace Master Liu had solemnly said, "One of you shouldn't be in this skin now." Liu Weiyang never did anything frivolous. Surely he wasn't just saying this to scare her?
That night, perhaps because Yu Mo was there, she didn't dream of herself being made into a bloody human skin. Instead, she dreamed of Yu Mo shedding his skin, layer after layer, until he finally became that snake monster living in an underground cave, with eyes as big as yellow lanterns.
When Yan Dan woke up in fright, she was deeply saddened. Although it's true that what you think about during the day you dream about at night, she had never connected Yu Mo with that snake monster before.
She decided to ask Liu Weiyang about the meaning of that sentence, but before she could even sit down and speak, she saw Xu'er, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, gracefully walk in with small, quick steps. She lowered her head and said softly, "Reporting to the Lord, the whereabouts of the third divine artifact have been found."
Thoughts
This chapter reveals important backstory: Liu Weiyang (Emperor Zixu) remembers that Yan Dan was nearly his disciple in her previous incarnation, and mentions she has a twin sister—raising questions about identity. The romantic subplot between Yan Dan and Tang Zhou continues to develop through their witty, teasing interactions, with Tang Zhou admitting the person in his dreams resembles Yan Dan, only to immediately claim they have nothing in common.
Liu Weiyang's cryptic warning—"One of you shouldn't be in this skin now"—introduces a major mystery that connects to the Demon Realm upheaval. This statement, combined with earlier mentions of a twin sister, suggests a possible identity swap or possession. The chapter also reveals Xuan Xiang's tragic backstory: the powerful evil god destroyed his own realm and sealed himself in paper and ink, all to follow his beloved through reincarnation—a woman who didn't even know he existed.
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