Ascension Day

Xu Ying’s mind was a muddled mess. It felt as though a tempest was raging inside his head, wave after wave crashing against his thoughts and leaving no room for anything else.

He felt his Divine Sense become more active and tense than ever before. His breath quickened, his skin tingled, and his scalp tightened.

He opened his eyes and looked at the girl pressed against him. Her eyes were closed, her long lashes trembled, and a rosy blush had spread across her cheeks.

Suddenly, the girl peeked open one eye. Their gazes met, and Xu Ying’s face instantly flushed red, as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

Yuan Rushi blushed as well and turned her head away. After a moment, she whispered, "I’m not usually like this. And we’ve only known each other for a day. It’s just... when I see you, I somehow feel like I’ve known you for a very long time. Like for a thousand lifetimes..."

Xu Ying said, "I’m not usually like this either... This has never happened before. My heart is in a total mess, it’s just... THUMP-THUMP-THUMP..."

"What did it taste like?" Yuan Rushi turned back, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Xu Ying thought for a moment before replying, "Sweet. And very soft... warm and soft. And there was a scent. I think it was cherry blossoms."

Yuan Rushi’s eyes crinkled in a smile. "I was asking about the taste of the green grapes, not my lips. I picked some cherry blossoms in early spring and secretly made them into a lip balm. It’s quite moisturizing. You really do like it!"

Xu Ying’s face grew a little redder. "The green grapes were very sweet, with just the right touch of sourness. Rushi... doing this... aren’t we letting your brother down? You’re his sister, after all. How could I..."

Yuan Rushi’s eyes and brows curved into a smile. "Do you want another taste?"

Xu Ying said, "But we’re all out of green grapes..."

Yuan Rushi closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him again. Only then did Xu Ying realize she wasn’t talking about grapes, but about her lip balm.

A moment later, their lips parted.

Xu Ying wanted to taste the lip balm again, but Yuan Rushi pushed him away. "I have to go back," she said. "If I’m gone too long, my mother will scold me. About what happened today..."

Her face was crimson. "You can’t tell anyone, especially my brother. He’s very strict with me! You have to keep it a secret from him. If you keep it a secret... I’ll... I’ll..."

She fidgeted, twisting the corner of her clothes. "I’ll bring a new lip balm for you to try tomorrow!"

With that, she leaped into the air and transformed into a streak of sword light, vanishing into the distance as if fleeing.

The young man sat on the crown of the statue, a great setting sun hanging against the Celestial Curtain, dyeing his face red.

Xu Ying remained dazed for a long time. The thought of hiding this from Yuan Weiyang while he "tasted lip balm" with his sister, Yuan Rushi, filled him with both guilt and a thrill of excitement.

"Ying, it’s getting late. Time to go back," Da Zhong’s calm, unhurried voice sounded out.

Xu Ying leaped up as if his pants were on fire. "Lord Zhong!" he yelped. "You’re here too?"

Da Zhong flew out from behind his head and said lazily, "What do you mean, ’here too’? I’ve been here the whole time. Did you forget your deal with Xiaoqi? I get to mooch off you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and he gets his turn on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Today’s the fifteenth, an odd-numbered day, so it’s my turn to mooch."

The sunset made Xu Ying’s face glow an even deeper shade of red. He stammered, "Lord Zhong, don’t tell Yuan Weiyang about what happened today."

Da Zhong was unconcerned. "What hasn’t Lord Zhong seen? I hung in a temple for three thousand years. Never mind you little lovebirds billing and cooing, I’ve seen things far more intense. All you did was touch lips. Ying!"

He adopted a serious tone. "I’ve told you time and again to use Contemplation of the Void to stabilize your Divine Sense, but I see you’ve let my words go in one ear and out the other. You haven’t practiced it well. Just now, your Divine Sense was like a boiling pot, on the verge of cooking your brains. Next time you two touch lips, you need to practice Contemplation. Just contemplate me. One toll of the Bell, and I guarantee your heart will be as still as water."

Xu Ying thought about it. He actually quite liked the feeling of his Divine Sense boiling over, so he paid the advice no mind.

He leaped down from the statue, activating his Sword Qi to stick to the shadows and avoid alerting anyone. A moment later, Xu Ying landed and returned to the Yuan Mansion.

Yuan Weiyang came out to greet him, saying apologetically, "My sister abandoned you and ran back on her own. I’ve already given her a stern lecture and sent her to her room to reflect. No dinner for her tonight. Xu Demon King, please go wash up. We’ll have a simple dinner."

Xu Ying said, "Rushi is wonderful, please don’t punish her. I was the one who wanted to stay out a bit longer, so I told her to come back first."

Yuan Weiyang said seriously, "The Yuan Family’s Rules cannot be ignored. A punishment is deserved, and a punishment will be given."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Uncle Xiao went to answer it and returned a moment later. "It’s Pei Jingting of the Pei Family," he announced. "He’s here to invite Young Master Xu to a banquet."

Xu Ying pondered for a moment. "Brother Yuan, Elder Pei escorted me all the way here, and the Pei Family suffered heavy losses for it. He’s the only one left from that group. Since he’s extending such a sincere invitation, it would be inappropriate for me not to go."

Yuan Weiyang said, "On your journey here, I’m afraid all the major Noble Families have taken notice. The name of Xu Master is now known to all. This trip shouldn’t pose any danger. The Pei Family is an ancient Noble Family; they wouldn’t cause you trouble, nor would they dare."

Xu Ying smiled. "That’s what I was thinking as well."

He called for Yuan Qi and walked out of the Yuan Mansion. Pei Jingting was waiting outside, where a new Treasure Chariot was parked, drawn by two Colorful Deer.

"Young Master Xu, please." Pei Jingting stood by the chariot, gesturing for him to board.

Xu Ying gave a slight smile and boarded the Deer Cart. Pei Jingting followed, and the two sat down inside. Pei Jingting sighed. "I was set up by my older brother. He knows I don’t support him as Patriarch and that I’ve been building my own faction within the Pei Family. So he sent me to escort Young Master Xu as a pretext to eliminate my supporters and ensure I have no more rebellious ambitions."