Chapter Thirty-Seven: Two Women, One Stage

Usually, Yu Qing was always aloof and distant, like a goddess atop an icy peak—admired from afar, never to be approached. But today, Li Ruoyu witnessed a side of her that was entirely different.

“What are you staring at? Keep looking, and I’ll give you something to look at!” Yu Qing glared at Li Ruoyu, raising her fist as if ready to strike.

At that moment, Li Ruoyu pointed toward the pale skin exposed at Yu Qing’s chest.

A shrill scream pierced the air, forcing Li Ruoyu to clamp his hands over his ears. When he finally lowered them, he found Yu Qing pressing a pitch-black sword against his throat.

“You little pervert. Since you saved my life, I’ll let this insult slide for now, but don’t you dare breathe a word of it to anyone. If a second person finds out, I’ll castrate you myself.” Yu Qing’s face was dark with threat.

“I swear, there won’t be a second person. If there is, may I lose ten centimeters off my little brother,” Li Ruoyu quickly swore to the heavens, fearing that Yu Qing’s precious sword might slip at any moment. Of course, he’d never admit it was Yu Qing’s threat that made him so quick to swear.

Yu Qing couldn’t help but laugh at his words. “Don’t get clever with me. If anyone else finds out, I’ll deal with you myself,” she said, sheathing her dark sword and lifting Li Ruoyu’s chin with a slender finger.

Looking at Yu Qing in that instant, Li Ruoyu couldn’t help but think of the enchantress Jing Hong. He wondered to himself: “Are all women like this? Tigers in disguise?” Normally, Yu Qing was cold and unapproachable, as lofty and distant as the moon, but now, she was teasing him in a style all her own, much like Jing Hong.

Li Ruoyu put on a woeful face and said, “Absolutely not, you have my word.”

Seeing his pitiful expression, Yu Qing suddenly leaned in and whispered, “Sincerely?”

“Sincerely,” Li Ruoyu replied, wiping the misery from his face and putting on a look of earnestness.

“I’ll stop teasing you now,” Yu Qing said, withdrawing her mischievous air. Watching Li Ruoyu at that moment, she found him rather amusing.

The next day, once Yu Qing’s injuries had nearly healed, she and Li Ruoyu set out together toward the exit of the Abyss of Fallen Demons. Along the way, Li Ruoyu finally learned who had been pursuing Yu Qing. It turned out she had accidentally wandered into the same cave where Dao Feiyan and the others had fought, which led to her being hunted. From Yu Qing’s account, Li Ruoyu also learned about the altar and the blood lake. The mention of these, combined with the mysterious cultists and the creatures atop the altar, filled Li Ruoyu with a growing unease—he felt certain that something grave was brewing in the Abyss of Fallen Demons.

As Yu Qing and Li Ruoyu hurried along, a fiery figure suddenly appeared in the distance, rushing straight toward Li Ruoyu. She moved like a startled swan, instantly etching herself into memory—flaming red hair, a crimson dress, pale skin, and an exotic charm. It was Jing Hong. The moment she spotted Li Ruoyu, she dashed over and wrapped her arms around him from behind, proceeding to tease him without restraint.

“What a little demon! This is a disaster!” Li Ruoyu exclaimed in dismay. He had never known how to handle Jing Hong, who seemed to treat him as nothing more than a toy. Though she constantly played tricks on him, Li Ruoyu had already considered her one of his own since she helped save Fatty Wang Bo. He couldn’t fight her, and arguing only made things worse—she would only tease him all the more.

“Little Radish, you’ve grown taller! You’ll soon catch up to me!” Jing Hong cooed softly in his ear, her words wafted on waves of fragrant breath.

“Shameless,” Yu Qing murmured under her breath as she watched Jing Hong’s display.

Though softly spoken, the words didn’t escape Jing Hong’s sharp ears. She glanced from Li Ruoyu to Yu Qing, a sly glint in her eyes. Leaning in close to Li Ruoyu’s ear, she whispered sweetly, “Tell me, little Radish—where did you pick up this lover? Are you two having an affair?”

Li Ruoyu could only clutch his head in exasperation. “Lover? Affair? What nonsense!” he groaned inwardly. Jing Hong’s words had left him completely powerless. It was the kind of joke that Fatty Wang Bo had once used to tease Li Ruoyu, and now Jing Hong was using it on him again.

“Who’s having an affair with him? Silly girl, don’t talk rubbish!” Before Li Ruoyu could respond, Yu Qing snapped back at Jing Hong, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Knowing Jing Hong as he did, Li Ruoyu sensed trouble.

Jing Hong, who had only meant to tease Li Ruoyu out of habit, now saw Yu Qing’s blushing face and became suspicious. She scrutinized both Li Ruoyu and Yu Qing with renewed interest.

“If there’s nothing going on, why are you so quick to explain? Is it possible you really have something to hide?” Jing Hong’s tone grew more certain, her gaze at Li Ruoyu growing more mischievous.

Realizing that the more she explained, the more suspicious she seemed, Yu Qing fell silent, glaring at both Li Ruoyu and Jing Hong with resentment.

Jing Hong, noticing Yu Qing’s angry glare—not just at her, but at Li Ruoyu as well—became even more convinced there was something between them. Doubt in her eyes shifted to certainty.

“Tell me, little Radish, how many times have you rolled in the hay with her?” Jing Hong pointed from Yu Qing to Li Ruoyu, her tone implying there was no doubt left.

“How many times? What’s with all the times? You’d think I was collecting chicken legs!” Li Ruoyu thought helplessly, spreading his hands toward Yu Qing, then clutching his forehead again in frustration.

“You—” Yu Qing was so infuriated by Jing Hong’s words that she could only manage a single word.

“Look at your lover, Little Radish—she’s so angry she can’t speak!” Jing Hong’s tone was triumphant, convinced she had uncovered the truth.

Seeing things escalate, Li Ruoyu knew he had to act before Jing Hong’s mischief pushed Yu Qing to the point of challenging her to a duel. He quickly tugged at the lotus-white arm draped around his neck and said, “It’s all innocent. Senior Sister Yu and I are both proper people. There’s nothing between us.” His explanation made Jing Hong’s certainty waver back into suspicion, but for Yu Qing, it only brought to mind the memory of how he had taken advantage of her, however inadvertently, when she was wounded. That recollection was the final straw.

Without another word, Yu Qing drew her sword and swung at Li Ruoyu.

As Yu Qing attacked, Li Ruoyu realized that sometimes words could be as deadly as weapons. He hastily summoned the “Desolate Burial” Dao-mirror to defend himself.

“Wow, don’t tell me Little Radish forced Senior Sister Yu!” Jing Hong cried out in feigned shock, certain now that her suspicions were fact.

“Senior Sister Yu, hit him! Hit him hard! Teach him a lesson for his wicked thoughts, for straying from the right path—beat him to within an inch of his life!” Jing Hong cheered Yu Qing on, clapping her hands in gleeful support, delighted by the chaos.