60

Since they decided to attend the banquet, Xie Hanzhu planned to go downstairs to inform the city lord's servants to return to the mansion and prepare carriages to pick them up later. As esteemed guests of the city lord, it wouldn't be appropriate for them to walk there.

Wen Miaomiao glanced at the two people left in the room, her eyes shifting slightly before she said to Xie Hanzhu, "I'll go with you."

Xie Hanzhu raised an eyebrow, looking at Wen Miaomiao and then at Meng Shuying before nodding, "I was just thinking of getting some hibiscus cakes. We've been stuck in that wilderness for days with nothing good to eat. It was driving me crazy."

It wasn't as bad as she made it sound. Afraid of neglecting the cultivators, the official had ordered his men to hunt wild game as soon as they set up camp, saying it was to treat them to a feast.

But Xie Hanzhu had refused to eat the food prepared by the rough and unrefined soldiers, claiming that it was unsanitary and filled with smoke and fire, thus rejecting their goodwill.

She had grown picky during her days in Fuxiao City, only enjoying the freshly made snacks sold by street vendors, especially the hibiscus cakes from the southern part of the city. The cakes were delicate and exquisite, and even the woman who made them was beautiful...

Hearing about the hibiscus cakes, someone else couldn't resist.

A small bird suddenly appeared in the room, fluttering its wings before landing on Xie Hanzhu's shoulder, chirping excitedly.

Xie Hanzhu pretended to ignore it, causing the bird to panic and transform into a young girl with delicate features.

The girl hugged Xie Hanzhu's leg and pouted, "Sister Zhu, I want hibiscus cakes too."

It was none other than Hongdou, who hadn't been seen in a while.

Before Meng Shuying had gotten into the wedding sedan, she had asked Hongdou to return to her original form. Later, after entering Fox Valley, Hongdou had fallen into a deep sleep and only woke up at the mention of hibiscus cakes.

"Alright, let's go together." Xie Hanzhu took Hongdou's small hand and asked Meng Shuying, "Is it okay if I take her along?"

Su Luowei had already informed them that Hongdou wasn't really Meng Shuying's daughter but her spiritual beast.

Wen Miaomiao accepted this fact calmly, and after a brief moment of surprise that the chubby little yellow bird could transform into a human, Xie Hanzhu accepted it as well.

The three of them left, with Wen Miaomiao thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

The room suddenly became quiet. Meng Shuying noticed the tiredness between Su Luowei's brows and checked the teapot's temperature before pouring her a cup of tea.

"Did Senior Sister not sleep well last night?"

Su Luowei pinched the bridge of her nose and habitually shook her head. Then, realizing that her exhaustion was visible and knowing Meng Shuying was observant, she hesitated and nodded.

Meng Shuying walked behind her and rolled up her sleeves to massage Su Luowei's shoulders.

Su Luowei closed her eyes, enjoying the service. Suddenly, she heard Meng Shuying ask, "Why didn't Senior Sister sleep well? Is something on your mind?"

Of course, Su Luowei wouldn't tell her that she had been punished by the system for half the night due to breaking character. She brushed it off, "It's nothing serious."

Seeing that she didn't want to elaborate, Meng Shuying didn't press further and instead asked, "Why did you call me over?"

Su Luowei remembered that she indeed had something important to ask. She sat up straight, not beating around the bush, and asked directly, "Was it you who injured Sheng Ruiming?"

Meng Shuying's hands were still on her shoulders. She gently pulled Su Luowei back so that she leaned against her. Her hands moved upward, brushing against her neck and delicate cheeks, before settling on her temples, gently massaging in circles. Her voice was calm, without emotion, "If I was the one who injured him, are you planning to hold me accountable? I heard he's a disciple of your father. Does Senior Sister want to settle the score?"

"What nonsense," Su Luowei laughed. "And what score is there to settle?"

Meng Shuying lowered her gaze, looking down at Su Luowei's dark hair and the white jade hairpin nestled within it. She removed the hairpin and carefully undid her hair, letting the black strands fall like vines around them.

"I thought Senior Sister had some feelings for him."

Su Luowei heard the hint of jealousy in her tone and explained, "When I left Dongji Island, Sheng Ruiming wasn't even my father's disciple. I had never met him before. I'm just asking because I want to know if he saw you when you injured him."

Her head rested against Meng Shuying's chest. Meng Shuying's laughter shook through her, and Su Luowei turned her head in confusion to look at her.

"Why are you so happy?"

Meng Shuying had been smiling but looked a bit embarrassed when their eyes met. She pushed Su Luowei's head back gently.

Meng Shuying's occasional shyness sometimes made Su Luowei think she was still the same child as before.

As that thought crossed her mind, she felt Meng Shuying's fingers brush against her earlobe.

She leaned forward, lifting the dangling pearl to examine it closely. The pearl was smooth, with a soft glow.

When Meng Shuying spoke again, her breath tickled the back of Su Luowei's neck.

"I'm just happy."

She paused before continuing, "But don't worry, Senior Sister. It wasn't me who injured Sheng Ruiming. It was Hongdou."

"Hongdou?" Su Luowei's eyes widened in surprise. "She's so small, how could she..."

"Don't underestimate Hongdou. If she were serious, I might not even be able to beat her. That night, she sneaked into the city lord's mansion and overheard the Sheng family discussing something. She was discovered and had no choice but to injure Sheng Ruiming to protect herself."

Meng Shuying's words seemed reasonable, even impartial, not hiding anything or showing any bias.

But only she knew that it was her who had sent Hongdou into the city lord's mansion.

And it was Hongdou who had injured Sheng Ruiming before being discovered by the guards.

"What did Hongdou hear?"

Meng Shuying's gaze flickered, and she vaguely replied, "Nothing important..."

She would never tell Senior Sister that Hongdou overheard the Sheng family talking about her, and that Sheng Ruiming had the audacity to desire her.

Meng Shuying continued to run her fingers through Su Luowei's hair, avoiding the topic.

"Since Senior Sister didn't sleep well last night, why not rest for a while now?"

Su Luowei felt relaxed and almost drowsy. After a while, she softly murmured in agreement.

"Would you like me to stay here and keep you company?"

Meng Shuying's voice came from above, her tone casual, with an unintentional upward lilt, sounding confident and different from the frail girl Su Luowei remembered.

It took Su Luowei a while to realize what Meng Shuying was suggesting, and she bit her lip, unsure how to respond.

She worried, her brow furrowing.

Meng Shuying tilted her head slightly, gazing at Su Luowei's flawless profile, and asked, "Do you want me to stay?"

Su Luowei snapped out of her thoughts and forced a smile. "It's broad daylight. Why would I need you to stay?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had said something she shouldn't have. She quickly stood up and started pushing Meng Shuying out of the room, "Alright, I need to rest now. You should go."

Meng Shuying allowed herself to be pushed, her smile growing wider. "I'll come to see you later then."

City Lord Sheng's excuse for the banquet was to thank them for solving the case of the white fox, which allowed him to give the people of Fuxiao City some closure. But during the meal, he kept praising his son, subtly hinting at finding him a partner. He talked about how Sheng Ruiming had already reached the Golden Core stage at such a young age and how he was sure to have a bright future ahead of him. He also mentioned that Sheng Ruiming was gentle, pure, and had never even had a concubine, let alone a wife.

At first, the group didn't catch on, thinking he was just a proud father boasting about his son. But when he kept bringing up the topic of "a suitable match," they began to understand—he was trying to arrange a marriage for Sheng Ruiming.

How amusing. Sheng Ruiming was merely at the Golden Core stage, yet Sheng made it sound like there was no one better. Meanwhile, the four sitting across from him were all genuine Golden Core cultivators.

Xie Hanzhu raised an eyebrow, ready to make a sarcastic remark, but Wen Miaomiao stopped her.

Wen Miaomiao showed no sign of impatience as she smiled and asked, "I heard your son was injured recently. How is he doing now?"

"Fortunately, before he left the sect, Ruiming was given many pills by his seniors. After taking the medicine, he's mostly recovered. I must say, Ruiming is very favored by the Immortals in the sect..."

Once he started talking, Sheng found it hard to stop. Seeing that he was about to go on endlessly, Su Luowei interrupted, "Since we're here, we should pay him a visit. Is he available?"

"Of course, of course." Sheng's smile widened, his small eyes narrowing further. "I've already sent someone to call him. He'll be here shortly."

Xie Hanzhu rolled her eyes discreetly. Seeing that there were no other cultivators present, she released her divine sense to surround the other three, "I have a feeling this old man is trying to find a wife for Sheng Ruiming."

She turned to Meng Shuying and complained, "And you, why didn't you hit him harder? You should've made sure he couldn't get out of bed for three to five years."

Su Luowei also asked, "You said Hongdou overheard the Sheng family talking. Were they discussing this matter?"

Meng Shuying replied, "Yes."

Xie Hanzhu then turned to Wen Miaomiao, "And you, why did you stop me earlier? If you don't put them in their place, they'll think we're easy to deal with."

Wen Miaomiao sighed, "Before we left, the master specifically instructed me that the Five Sects Grand Tournament will be held soon. She wants us to finish our business here in Fuxiao City and then travel to Dongji Island with Sheng Ruiming. If we offend them now, how will we travel together later?"

Hearing that there was more excitement to come, Xie Hanzhu's attention shifted, her eyes lighting up, "The Five Sects Grand Tournament! Are we going to participate?"

"Yes, the master was worried you might be too eager to head to Dongji Island and wouldn't have the patience to finish the matter here. She told me to keep this news until we were done here."

Su Luowei also remembered that she had a main task. She definitely had to participate in the Five Sects Grand Tournament, but she wasn't sure if Meng Shuying would join.

She glanced at Meng Shuying and quietly asked, "What are your plans? If you don't have anything else to do, would you like to come with us to Dongji Island?"

Meng Shuying blinked, "Dongji Island is your hometown?"

Su Luowei nodded.

Dongji Island was indeed the original owner's hometown.

"I've heard that Dongji Island is surrounded by the sea, with dense rainforests. It's very different from the mainland."

Seeing Su Luowei looking at her, Meng Shuying smiled.

"I've always wanted to go."