Ascension Day

Uncle Xiao’s expression darkened, and he moved to block the doorway. Yuan Weiyang, however, was perfectly courteous. He said to Uncle Xiao, "Xu Demon King has come from afar. Behind him are the stewards of the various great families. If our Yuan Family doesn’t invite him inside, we will lose all face."

Left with no choice, Uncle Xiao whispered, "It will be difficult to explain this to the Old Madam."

Yuan Weiyang smiled. "I will be the one to speak with Mother. Uncle Xiao, please don’t keep our guest waiting outside. Show him in."

Uncle Xiao had no choice but to let Xu Ying in. The beautiful woman from the Cui Family said with a radiant smile, "If the Yuan Family won’t have you, you’re welcome to stay at the Cui estate. Our courtyards are spacious, and our beds are soft."

With a brief apology, Uncle Xiao closed the doors.

Xu Ying finally let out a sigh of relief. He offered Yuan Weiyang an apology, saying, "My apologies for causing you trouble, Brother Yuan."

Yuan Weiyang smiled and gestured for him to enter, leading him into the estate. "Over two months have passed in a flash since we parted at Ghost Ridge," he said. "It’s been more than a month since Elder Bai Mei’s Crossing the Tribulation, too. I guessed you would probably be forced out of the mountains and have no choice but to come to the Capital. Just a couple of days ago, I was wondering how Xu Demon King would handle this predicament. And sure enough, here you are."

Xu Ying was surprised. ’He doesn’t feel as warm as he used to,’ he thought. ’There’s a new distance between us.’

Then again, they had been apart for two months. A little awkwardness was to be expected.

Uncle Xiao came to arrange for Xu Ying’s accommodations. Yuan Weiyang didn’t go with them, saying, "I’m going to inform my mother of our friend’s visit."

Uncle Xiao assigned Xu Ying a private courtyard. It was rather large and, though deserted, very tidy. There was even enough space for the Big Snake Yuan Qi to stretch out and sunbathe.

Xu Ying had Yuan Qi take out his clothes and began to fold and organize them.

Yuan Qi said, "Yuan Weiyang doesn’t seem very warm."

Xu Ying laughed. "We haven’t seen each other in two months. It’s only natural for things to be a little awkward."

Before long, Guo Xiaodie’s cheerful, chattering voice could be heard. "Xu!" she yelled. "You really dared to come to the Capital! You’ve got some nerve!"

Smiling, Xu Ying went to greet her. He saw that Guo Xiaodie was dressed in her usual style, though her clothes were now a purplish-pink. Her chest binding was tied a little higher, making her outfit less revealing than before.

Guo Xiaodie followed his gaze, then giggled. "It’s to fend off all the proper gentlemen," she said. "So I don’t disturb their precious Dao Hearts. Otherwise, they’ll just scold me again. You’ve gotten sturdier!"

She thumped Xu Ying on the chest, nearly sending him flying. "Your Xiaoqi bit my Fourth Uncle Guo!" she said menacingly. "Because of that, my Second Aunt had to chop his whole arm off! Fourth Uncle Guo was planning to ask a friend from the Zhou Family to help him grow it back, but then something happened to the Zhou Family! Now he’s still one-armed and complaining that it’s inconvenient even when he uses the toilet!"

She shot Yuan Qi a vicious glare. Yuan Qi shuddered and quickly slithered away, shouting, "Your Fourth Uncle was trying to strangle Ying! That’s the only reason I bit him! You stay away from me, you shrew, or one puff of my poison gas will send your whole family to their funerals!"

Xu Ying rubbed his chest and chuckled. "Just have Fourth Uncle Guo come find me. I’ll reattach it for him."

Guo Xiaodie’s anger instantly turned to delight. "He was only hunting you under the Emperor’s orders," she said. "I’ll make him kowtow to you in apology, and you two can just make up. Where’s Brother Weiyang?"

A moment later, Yuan Weiyang arrived. His expression was placid, and he showed little delight at Guo Xiaodie’s presence. After a few lukewarm pleasantries, he said, "I need to focus on cultivating my Primordial Dao All Heavens Sensing for the next few days, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you two company."

Guo Xiaodie left, looking disheartened.

Yuan Weiyang turned to Xu Ying. "My apologies, Xu Demon King. My Cultivation has reached a critical stage, and I’m afraid I won’t have much time to spend with you."

Xu Ying smiled. "Don’t worry about me, Brother Yuan. Go do what you need to do."

Yuan Weiyang said, "You and I are close friends, and it pains me that I cannot accompany you. My family is small; I only have a sister. We share the same parents, and she looks a good deal like me. I told you I wanted to introduce you two. Since you’re here, I’ll have her show you around for the next few days."

Xu Ying replied, "Please, Brother Yuan, just focus on your work. I can get around on my own."

Yuan Weiyang said sternly, "That is no way to treat a guest. My sister’s name is Yuan Rushi. You’ll understand when you meet her shortly."

Xu Ying could only agree.

Yuan Weiyang departed. A long while later, a radiant young woman emerged, parting the flowers and brushing aside willow branches as she walked. Dressed in a goose-yellow gown, with bright eyes and pearly teeth, she smiled from afar and called out, "Are you Brother Xu from Lingling?"

Xu Ying looked and saw that the young woman indeed bore a striking resemblance to Yuan Weiyang. Yet she possessed a delicate, feminine charm that he lacked, a beauty that could make a man’s heart pound.

She wore only a light touch of powder and makeup. Her skin was fair and smooth with a faint pinkish glow, so delicate it seemed a breath of wind could break it.

Standing before her, Xu Ying felt himself grow shy. With a boisterous girl like Guo Xiaodie, he was perfectly at ease. But this charming young woman was his friend’s sister, and he felt utterly awkward.

"Brother Xu," she said, "my older brother asked me to take you out and show you the sights."

The young woman, Yuan Rushi, showed no shyness at all. She grabbed his hand and began to lead him away, laughing. "The Capital is enormous, with so many delicious things to eat and fun things to do! We can run wild all day!"

Hearing this, Yuan Qi hastily slithered over, shouting, "Wait for me!"

The young woman, Yuan Rushi, glanced back, her eyes sweeping over him. Yuan Qi instantly felt a chill run through him, as if he’d been plunged into a frozen cavern. He shuddered violently and quickly said, "Ying, I’m worn out from the journey. I think I’ll just rest here."

Yuan Rushi pulled Xu Ying along by the hand, and he stumbled after her as they dashed out of the Yuan Mansion in a flash.

Uncle Xiao was just returning and saw a girl pulling Xu Ying out of the Yuan Mansion. He was taken aback. "Who is that girl? She’s gorgeous... wait a second!"

He rushed into the Yuan Mansion to find Yuan Weiyang, but a maid told him, "The Young Master is in secluded Cultivation."

Uncle Xiao burst into the seclusion room. Inside, there was nothing but a set of discarded men’s clothes. There was no trace of Yuan Weiyang.

"Spirited away as soon as he arrived?"

Uncle Xiao’s mind went blank. "This is a disaster!"

Xu Ying hurried to keep up with Yuan Rushi. The young woman was like a canary freed from its cage, darting about cheerfully. She wanted to try every food she saw on the streets of the Divine Capital, buy every trinket that caught her eye, and stop to stare at anything new and unusual.

’Weiyang said his sister would take me out, but it feels more like I’m the one taking her out.’

Before long, both Xu Ying and Yuan Rushi had their arms full of various snacks, and their cheeks were puffed out with food, making them look like a pair of goldfish.

Xu Ying didn’t have much money, only a massive Golden Ring that weighed over a thousand pounds. Whenever he needed to pay, he would just scrape a bit off the ring to settle the bill, leaving the shopkeepers both astonished and overjoyed.

"I’ll take you somewhere fun!" Yuan Rushi exclaimed, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward.

Xu Ying had no choice but to run after her. The two of them darted through streets and alleys, sometimes squeezing through crowds or ducking under the bellies of colossal beasts.

Finding the bustling market streets too crowded, Yuan Rushi pulled him up onto the rooftops, and the two of them began sprinting along the roof ridges.

She suddenly leaped onto the long, elevated Incense Roadway and sprinted along its path.

Xu Ying caught up to her. On the Incense Roadway, he saw Government chariots emerging from the Imperial Palace, thundering past like lightning at incredible speeds. The young woman led Xu Ying weaving between the stream of vehicles, but they were spotted by the Jinwu Guard, who immediately gave chase!

Each of the Jinwu Guards carried a Sword Box on his back. With a slap to the case, streams of Sword Qi flew out, hurtling toward the pair.

Yuan Rushi giggled, then pulled Xu Ying with her as she leaped off the Incense Roadway. Sword Qi enveloped her, swirling around her body like flurries of snow as she flew along the underside of the elevated path.

’Brother Yuan’s sister has some real talent!’

Xu Ying hastily used Sword Control to keep up. They transformed into two streaks of sword light, clinging to the underside of the Incense Roadway and flying upward along its length. The Sword Qi from the Jinwu Guards behind them stood no chance of catching up, and the guards quickly lost their trail.

A short while later, Xu Ying followed Yuan Rushi to the very top of the crown on the Divine Statue of Emperor Zhetian the Great Saint. The surface was surprisingly flat. The colossal statue towered into the clouds, offering a panoramic view of the land for hundreds of miles in every direction!

They both dispelled their Sword Qi and sat down on the flat surface. Yuan Rushi braced her hands behind her, leaned back, and looked up at the sky, letting out an excited cry. Her face was flushed with exhilaration.

The young woman glanced over at Xu Ying and saw him laying out the food they had just bought on the surface of the crown.

Yuan Rushi took out her own snacks to share. The two of them sat there on the crown, gazing out at the Divine Capital shrouded in mist and clouds, feeling utterly refreshed and carefree.

"Brother Xu, do you know what these green grapes taste like?" Yuan Rushi asked, her eyes glinting mischievously as she held one up.

Xu Ying shook his head. "That’s the last one, and I haven’t had a chance to try it."

The young woman popped the grape into her mouth, then suddenly lunged forward, pressing him down.

Xu Ying’s mind went blank. He felt the grape pass into his own mouth, carrying with it a gentle, sweet warmth.

————To all my brothers and sisters, Happy 521 (Internet Valentine’s Day)!!!