Reborn as a Human Cauldron, But I'm the Top - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Master, Follow Me.

Huh? Don’t baselessy slander my innocence!

Shen Yirong was truly scared. She quickly distanced herself from Li Xiu beside her and hastened to explain, “She is truly just my personal guard.”

The silver-armored woman sized her up, curling her lip in disdain, “Spare me, I’ve seen too many like you.”

Shen Yirong had never met someone so stubborn. Li Xiu was beside her and didn’t even bother to object. In name, she was currently Song Yin’s person, after all.

She couldn’t help but tug at Li Xiu’s sleeve, giving her meaningful looks.

Li Xiu shrugged her shoulders and transmitted: She won’t believe anything I say. Mistress, please endure for a moment.

While that was true, Shen Yirong felt that if Song Yin ever found out, neither she nor Li Xiu would fare well.

Shen Yirong worriedly followed the silver-armored woman. The woman’s black hair was flecked with white, yet she looked only sixteen or seventeen.

Exiting the dungeon, a carriage was already waiting outside. However, the horse pulling the carriage had two heads. The two heads were trying to bite each other’s necks, each refusing to submit to the other. Fortunately, someone was holding the reins, preventing a bloody scene.

Shen Yirong sensed a demonic aura from the two-headed horse. It was likely a young, un-transformed demon.

But where did this barren place get the spiritual energy for a demon to cultivate?

Shen Yirong curiously took a few more glances.

“Hmph, you have no common sense. Look all you want, your Yuexi Kingdom doesn’t have this two-headed horse,” the silver-armored woman lifted her head high, seemingly declaring victory.

Shen Yirong was speechless, “General, you misunderstand, we truly are not people from the Yuexi Kingdom.”

The silver-armored woman’s face flushed. She scratched her head awkwardly, “I’m not a General. Let’s get in the carriage first.”

The carriage interior was spacious. Shen Yirong deliberately kept a distance from Li Xiu to avoid misunderstanding.

The horse heads, disagreeing with each other, veered left and right, causing the occupants inside to sway along.

Soon, Shen Yirong’s stomach was churning, and her head began to spin. A warm current flowed into her wrist, circulated through her body, and her stomach felt much better.

Shen Yirong looked down and saw Li Xiu’s finger resting on her wrist. Although separated by her sleeve, Shen Yirong still withdrew her hand.

But it was too late. The woman sitting across from them had an expression of someone thoroughly “shipping” them.

Shen Yirong truly had a headache.

Such strong teeth? Shipping all sorts of strange things.

“Alas, why don’t you join our Central Yue Kingdom? We don’t have as many ridiculous rules as Yuexi. As long as you truly love each other, we will support you,” the woman eagerly tried to entice Shen Yirong.

Shen Yirong was too tired to explain and decided to use this to build rapport, “That sounds very progressive. May I know your name?”

The woman chuckled proudly, declaring, “I am the sister of the Central Yue’s Great Protector General, the one your Yuexi hates the most.”

After all that, she still hadn’t said her name. Shen Yirong’s lips twitched.

From her series of actions, this person seemed to be very well-protected, probably hadn’t suffered much hardship, and appeared to be a sister-complex enthusiast.

The woman had gone through all this trouble hoping to see the two of them scared or at least to get a compliment or two for her sister, but she got nothing.

Just as she was about to snap, the silent woman in black suddenly smiled, “It must be General Ling, who once single-handedly held back a thousand Yuexi cavalrymen.”

The woman’s smile instantly vanished, “Yes, I am her sister, Ling Yingzhi.”

Ling Yingzhi took out a pastry wrapped in a handkerchief and tossed it to Li Xiu, “Have some. Would you like some peanut brittle?”

Hearing it was peanut brittle, Shen Yirong quickly refused, “No, thank you. I’m allergic to peanuts.”

“What is an allergy?” Ling Yingzhi asked, puzzled.

“Uh, it means after eating it, I’ll feel tingling and itching, and then break out in red rashes all over my body.”

After Shen Yirong finished speaking, she felt like someone was staring at her. She turned and saw Li Xiu, who had already crumpled the bag of peanut brittle in her hand into peanut powder.

What’s going on? I don’t think I did anything bad, did I? Why is she looking at me like that?

Shen Yirong couldn’t help but wave her hand in front of Li Xiu’s eyes, “Protector?”

Li Xiu withdrew her gaze, “It’s nothing. I was just worried about Mistress.”

So that was it. It felt good to be cared for. Shen Yirong decided to put in a good word for Li Xiu when she got back.

Seeing Li Xiu bowing her head and still looking uneasy, Shen Yirong quickly comforted her, “It’s fine. Just don’t eat peanuts.”

Li Xiu silently brushed the pastry crumbs from her clothes, “Yes.”

Seeing Li Xiu’s mood seemingly improve, Shen Yirong sighed in relief, only to see Ling Yingzhi’s expression of someone who was thoroughly “shipping” them.

Stop shipping us! Song Yin will kill me!

The carriage rocked for a long time and finally stopped in front of the palace gates. Ling Yingzhi was the first to get out.

She let out a proud little huff, “This is the Grand Ruler’s residence.”

Shen Yirong got out of the carriage and stood firm. The palace was quite well-built, but Shen Yirong had seen the ethereal nature of the Great Peace Sect and the luxurious grandeur of the Demonic Palace. Compared to those, the palace before her was nothing special.

And Li Xiu, needless to say, could probably buy and sell this entire palace with the spiritual fruits she casually ate.

The two of them had calm expressions, causing one person to explode in frustration.

“Aren’t either of you even slightly surprised!”

Shen Yirong humored her, shouting with great exaggeration, “Wow! I’ve never seen such a beautiful palace in my life!”

Ling Yingzhi didn’t detect the falsehood in the statement. She was about to say more but suddenly quieted down.

She lowered her head and murmured, “Sister.”

A light sound of horse hooves. Shen Yirong looked back and saw a white-haired woman in pale blue riding attire looking down at her from horseback behind her.

Shen Yirong couldn’t sense any spiritual energy from her. Clearly, she was a mortal, but this mortal possessed a strong presence.

Someone lightly tapped her shoulder. Looking again, Li Xiu was standing by her side.

Li Xiu looked up, meeting the gaze of the woman on the horse.

The woman was startled. Just a glance, and cold sweat involuntarily broke out on her back. The longer she looked, the more difficult it became to breathe, as if something was coiling around her neck.

She gripped the reins, withdrew her gaze, and then took a deep look at the two of them.

Her eyes fell on the nervous Ling Yingzhi, “Go back, take off my armor, change your clothes, and then come with me to apologize to the Grand Ruler.”

Ling Yingzhi flinched, “Yes, Sister.”

The person who had been so arrogant a moment ago tucked her tail between her legs and scurried away.

The woman in blue dismounted, handed the horse to a nearby attendant, and cupped her hands to apologize to Shen Yirong and Li Xiu, “My sister was rude to you both. I apologize on her behalf.”

“My name is Ling Minzhi. May I ask your names?”

“My surname is Shen, given name Yi. This is Li Xiu, my attendant,” Shen Yirong indicated Li Xiu.

Ling Minzhi was not a very smiley person. After learning their names, she gave a slight nod, “Please follow me. The Grand Ruler has been waiting.”

As they spoke, snow began to fall again. Li Xiu reached out and adjusted Shen Yirong’s hood, though she pulled the hood down so low that it covered her eyes.

The two of them followed behind Ling Minzhi. This Imperial Palace was not as winding as the Demonic Palace. After circling around a courtyard filled with rock gardens, they reached the Spiritual Star Hall, where the Grand Ruler resided.

When they arrived, the main door was closed. A small palace maid went inside to announce them.

“General Ling, the Grand Ruler asks you and the two honored guests to enter.”

Ling Minzhi thanked her, then stepped into the hall.

Light smoke curled in the room, seemingly the pleasant fragrance of sandalwood. Shen Yirong keenly noticed the bitter scent of medicinal herbs beneath the incense.

Behind a curtain, a person sat calmly, their posture upright and straight, like a snow pine standing against the wind.

Ling Minzhi knelt in front of the curtain, “Grand Ruler.”

Shen Yirong and Li Xiu remained standing where they were.

A hand pulled back the curtain. A woman with a dignified expression, draped in a green cloak, held a hand warmer in the other hand. An unfinished game of Go was laid out on the table before her.

Presumably, this was the Grand Ruler Ling Minzhi spoke of.

The Grand Ruler had small moles at the tip of her nose and the corner of her lips. Her captivating appearance and pale face brought to mind the legend of the Snow Demon.

But her authoritative presence was too strong, causing people to overlook her appearance initially and even to avoid staring into her eyes.

However, Shen Yirong had also been an authority figure, and the oppressive feeling this person gave was completely inferior to Song Yin.

Shen Yirong scrutinized the Grand Ruler, and the Grand Ruler also scrutinized them.

The woman in the black cloak was very lively, showing no shyness when she saw her, but instead looked around curiously.

The woman beside her, with the light smile and dimples, didn’t seem to notice them, her gaze not falling on her or Ling Minzhi.

The Grand Ruler’s gaze paused briefly on Li Xiu. She spoke directly, “Are the two of you immortals?”

Shen Yirong glanced at Li Xiu. After receiving a nod of permission, she admitted, “Yes. How did the Grand Ruler know?”

“The bronze mirror prophesied that two immortals would descend upon this world.”

The bronze mirror?

Shen Yirong remembered what Li Xiu had said earlier. Could this person be the Central Yue Ruler who later went to the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?

Is this the past?

Shen Yirong couldn’t help but ask, “Forgive my intrusion, but could you please tell me your esteemed name?”

“My name is Lu Ci.”

The Grand Ruler saw Shen Yirong’s look of confusion followed by disappointment and offered a guess, “Who did the immortal believe me to be?”

Shen Yirong merely shook her head. With the current situation unclear, some things were best left unspoken.

The Grand Ruler didn’t blame her, but her figure suddenly wavered. Her body swayed, and she was about to fall to the ground, but Ling Minzhi, kneeling beside her, quickly caught her.

The Grand Ruler gently pushed Ling Minzhi away. She remained dignified, “I have prepared rooms for the two of you. Please stay in the palace for a short while, two Immortals.”

Shen Yirong wanted to ask more, but Li Xiu suddenly grabbed her hand. She understood the other person’s intention but was annoyed by Li Xiu’s action.

Couldn’t she just transmit a message? Why the pulling and tugging? What if Song Yin misunderstands?

With a cold face, she pulled her hand away and glared at Li Xiu again.

Ling Minzhi was still the one to lead them to their residence. Shen Yirong curiously stared at her white hair.

Suddenly, Song Yin’s voice rang in her mind: You like her hair?

Shen Yirong: Huh? I’m just curious!

Li Xiu: Really?

Shen Yirong was at her wit’s end. She rolled her eyes: Really. Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t do anything to betray the Venerable One.

A certain person naively thought that Li Xiu’s abnormal behavior throughout the journey was due to keeping an eye on her for Song Yin, which was why she was so concerned about her interactions with others.

But Li Xiu herself was not being cautious.

After thinking about it, Shen Yirong transmitted another message: In the future, you must not be overly intimate with me.

Li Xiu froze slightly, then chuckled softly.

Shen Yirong felt she had spoken too harshly and transmitted a comforting message: I didn’t mean anything bad about you.

Ling Minzhi glanced backward. Her intuition told her that these two were discussing something behind her back.

But when she turned to look, the two people behind her were very quiet, as if her feeling was just an illusion.

Ling Minzhi turned her head again. She led them to the Listening Moon Retreat.

“The two of you may rest here. If you need anything, you can call for me. I will be next door.”

Shen Yirong nodded, “Thank you, General.”

“You are too kind. I have official duties to attend to, so I will take my leave.”

Shen Yirong watched Ling Minzhi leave, sighing in relief and smiling at the heavy snow falling outside, “To go from a prisoner to an honored guest so quickly. Are they overly reliant on that bronze mirror?”

“Central Yue is experiencing frequent anomalies at this time. Mortals have limited abilities. Were it not for that bronze mirror, Central Yue would not be so stable,” Li Xiu’s voice was always reassuring.

Shen Yirong had classified this person as a know-it-all. It seemed there was no question in the world that she didn’t understand.

There was a bookshelf in the Worry-Free Retreat. Li Xiu casually picked up a book and sat at the desk to read.

She was so absorbed that Shen Yirong felt isolated.

Shen Yirong pouted. She watched the heavy snow outside the window paint the world white, watched the snowflakes fall into the lake, and watched the palace staff coming and going.

The world was unbelievably quiet, and Shen Yirong felt the taste of loneliness again.

She turned to look at Li Xiu, then moved closer and placed her hand on the page she was reading, “Protector, what are you reading?”

“An interesting novel.”

Shen Yirong removed her hand. Li Xiu showed her the title on the cover.

The Fox Immortal

Shen Yirong didn’t care about the content of the book; she just wanted someone to talk to.

“Aren’t we going to look for Zhai Wenxu?”

“Mistress, don’t worry. She is very safe.”

After saying that, Li Xiu returned to her reading, not speaking to Shen Yirong again.

Shen Yirong felt neglected, or perhaps the other person’s changes were too fast for her to fully process.

However, the other person was doing this because she had requested it via transmission, but she didn’t need to take it to this extreme, as if she didn’t even want to speak to her.

Shen Yirong reached out to press down on the book again, but Li Xiu quickly moved to shield it.

Shen Yirong’s hand landed on the back of Li Xiu’s hand. She quickly withdrew her hand, “Sorry.”

Li Xiu pushed the book aside, her smile gentle, “Does Mistress want to talk to me?”

Shen Yirong, whose thoughts had been exposed, was a little embarrassed, but then generously admitted, “Yes. Talk to me.”

A flicker of amusement crossed Li Xiu’s eyes, “What does Mistress want to chat about?”

Shen Yirong pulled up a stool and sat beside the desk, carefully maintaining distance, “I want to ask about the current situation. This isn’t an illusion, so could it be the past? What about those unconscious people?”

Li Xiu frowned, looking somewhat troubled.

Shen Yirong thought she had asked too difficult a question. She hadn’t seen this situation recorded in all the books she read in her past life.

She started to brush it off, “I was just asking casually. If worst comes to worst, Protector Qi Wu will come and rescue us.”

The smile on Li Xiu’s lips stiffened, “Mistress trusts her greatly.”

Shen Yirong remembered that Qi Wu was essentially Li Xiu’s direct superior, and Li Xiu had praised Qi Wu to her.

She felt she had correctly guessed the other person’s thoughts, “Of course. Protector Qi is the best person I have ever met.”

“Oh, the best person.”

The tone of that statement felt ominous. Shen Yirong felt Li Xiu was becoming strange again.

Li Xiu suppressed her temper, “This small matter doesn’t require Protector Qi.”

Regardless of whether this person was Master or not, her ability to be loved by everyone and to love everyone equally was exactly the same.

The suspicion in her heart intensified. Song Yin decided not to alert the enemy.

A thought quickly formed in her mind. She lowered her voice, which seemed to carry a certain allure, “Does Mistress want to play an exciting game?”

Shen Yirong’s eyes lit up, “What?”

Shen Yirong never would have guessed that the exciting game the other person spoke of was hiding under the bed to eavesdrop.

A Nascent Soul cultivator! If she spread her divine sense, no one in the Imperial Palace would have any secrets. Even failing that, they could use an invisibility spell to conceal themselves.

But this person insisted on using no techniques, simply lying under the bed, to fully embody the “exciting” part.

But Li Xiu must have some deep meaning for doing this, right?

Shen Yirong stopped complaining. She carefully lowered her breathing. The people they were eavesdropping on were completely unaware.

Lu Ci was coughing constantly. She only slowly recovered after drinking the medicine on the table.

Ling Minzhi placed a black piece down, “Grand Ruler, can those two really be trusted?”

“The bronze mirror’s prophecy has never been wrong. If they truly are immortals, perhaps they can repair the spatial tear here.”

Ling Minzhi took a piece and placed it, “Yuexi also recently gained an immortal. That immortal summoned thousands of lightning bolts with a single sword, exterminating the demons within Yuexi’s borders. The Yuexi Ruler announced that you must open the city gates and let the immortal come in to eliminate the demons here.”

Shen Yirong understood. She couldn’t help but transmit a message to Li Xiu: They aren’t just here to eliminate demons, are they?

Li Xiu: No. The first step for the Yuexi Ruler after entering the city will be to kill Lu Ci, followed by seizing the bronze mirror.

Shen Yirong’s eyes widened in shock: How do you know that in such detail?

Li Xiu merely shook her head.

“Clatter.”

A piece of jade chess landed on the board with a crisp sound. Lu Ci’s expression remained calm after placing the piece, “Exterminating demons is useless. If the spatial tear here is not repaired, demons will continue to be transported here.”

Ling Minzhi sighed slightly, “I wonder what terms Yuexi offered. If the two immortals in the palace are not useful, perhaps we should try to bribe the immortal from the Yuexi Kingdom.”

Ling Minzhi’s ears twitched. She suddenly stood up and walked toward the bed.

Shen Yirong watched the shoes approach, but she wasn’t nervous. At worst, she would use an invisibility spell.

Actually, they hadn’t made any noise. Was something digging beneath the bed?

Ling Minzhi by the bed slowly bent down. The sound from beneath the bed was getting closer.

“Grand Ruler, this is bad! The people from Yuexi Kingdom are here with the immortal, and they are attacking!”

Ling Minzhi’s face instantly changed. She grabbed Lu Ci and rushed outside.

Shen Yirong heard them arguing. Ling Minzhi seemed to want to hide Lu Ci.

But the sounds of argument grew distant, and the rustling sound beneath the floor grew closer.

Finally, the floorboard beside Shen Yirong was pried open. A hand holding a spoon emerged from below, followed by a slightly disheveled head.

Recognizing the person, Shen Yirong greeted her warmly, “Sister Zhai, what are you doing?”

Zhai Wenxu hadn’t expected anyone to be there. She was startled, but then sighed in relief when she saw it was Shen Yirong. She laboriously climbed out of the hole and then lay down with them.

When she recovered, Zhai Wenxu’s face became distorted again, “Didn’t you accept my commission? You just casually abandoned me! I had to dig all the way here from the dungeon!”

Seeing the other person so distraught, Shen Yirong felt a bit guilty, “I’m sorry.”

Zhai Wenxu was nearly crazy. Her high ponytail had come loose while digging the tunnel, and her head was covered in mud.

This was not what she had envisioned. She had assumed that the people here were unconscious because of a very powerful curse, and she was somewhat knowledgeable about curse removal.

She planned to remove the spell, then join forces with the other person sent by the Great Peace Sect to kill Li Xiu, and then quickly knock out Shen Yirong and take her away.

The story should have unfolded like this, but when she arrived, she found that the situation was far more serious than a curse.

What was even more terrifying was that she didn’t know how to escape.

Shen Yirong looked at her patron’s increasingly ferocious expression. She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you alright?”

After her frenzy, Zhai Wenxu’s face suddenly lost all color, “Can you contact Qi Wu?”

Shen Yirong took out a spiritual jade from her spatial bag, clenched it tightly, closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she too was flustered, “Why is there no response?”

Shen Yirong’s composure throughout this journey stemmed from the belief that the Demonic Palace wouldn’t abandon her. But now, being unable to establish contact was a different matter.

Her voice was tinged with panic, “I can’t reach her.”

Zhai Wenxu fell silent, burying her head.

Shen Yirong wasn’t feeling well either, but she remembered that Li Xiu was very familiar with the matters of this place and had promised to give her the opportunity here.

She tugged at Li Xiu’s sleeve, “Do you have a way to leave?”

Shen Yirong was genuinely scared at this moment, unconsciously becoming dependent on the strongest person here.

Li Xiu’s answer was very simple, “Yes.”

Zhai Wenxu was in a state of despair when a clear, cold female voice suddenly rang in her mind.

“Where is the demonic cultivator now?”

Zhai Wenxu froze for a moment upon hearing the voice, followed by the ecstasy of being saved. She transmitted back: The demonic cultivator is beside me.

“Understood.”

A fierce wind suddenly erupted outside the house, followed by sudden lightning and thunder.

The entire room was blown apart by the strong wind. Shen Yirong was pulled by Li Xiu and remained unharmed, while Zhai Wenxu was surrounded by a faint rosy glow that protected her.

Shen Yirong’s pupils constricted as she looked at the rosy glow. She looked up at the sky and saw that it was split in two, with lightning falling on one half and snow drifting on the other.

Two people were confronting each other in the sky.

In front of the palace ruins, Lu Ci was holding a bronze mirror, the light of which protected everyone in the palace.

Shen Yirong felt a surge of killing intent. She looked back and saw Li Xiu staring intently at the figure beneath the snowy sky.

This killing intent was so intense that it drew the attention of both people in the sky.

Shen Yirong was startled. She knew both of the people in the sky.

The person wearing a bamboo hat and carrying dual swords at her waist was none other than Senior Sister Mei.

The hat, which she had casually woven for fun in the past, was still being worn by her Senior Sister. The hat was so crudely made that it couldn’t even provide ordinary rain shelter.

Mei Xin above was visibly moved when she saw Shen Yirong’s face, “Junior Sister?”

Shen Yirong couldn’t answer. She pretended not to hear.

But the gaze of the other person above was even more fervent.

That person wore the uniform of the Great Peace Sect, held a long sword, and looked very young.

She stared intently at Shen Yirong’s face, and then intently at Li Xiu’s hand intertwined with Shen Yirong’s.

Finally, she turned her long sword and pointed it at Li Xiu, “Give her back to me.”

Li Xiu frowned, but she did not let go.

The thunder grew more agitated, lightning bolts striking one after another, signifying the mood of the spellcaster.

Both people above spoke at the same time.

“Junior Sister, come with me.”

“Master, follow me!”