Bookshop

Yan Jue: “……”

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but somehow it felt as if Qi Xianqing had deliberately crushed the cup to intimidate the other man and scare him off.

The young man’s gaze remained fixed on the powder that had once been a teacup on the floor.

In that instant, he could clearly feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from Qi Xianqing.

He instinctively took a step back. “Oh, so this girl’s already been claimed by you……”

Affection between women was, in fact, already very normal in this world.

In this age, where matching spiritual roots mattered more than anything, it wasn’t strange for two women to choose dual cultivation.

What’s more, the young man hadn’t sensed any aggression from the girl in the lotus-pink pleated dress, which meant her spiritual roots probably weren’t of a yang-dominant type.

As for the woman standing in front of her, she carried an incomparably pure sword intent of true yang.

Someone like that, if she were in bed, was probably the kind of ruthless person who could sleep with several women in one night and still not be tired.

The young man had no intention of provoking her.

Qi Xianqing was suffused with frigid killing intent; no one would doubt that she might draw her sword on the spot the next second. Yan Jue’s scalp tingled just looking at her, and she hurriedly grabbed Qi Xianqing’s sleeve. “Sister…… let’s sit over there.”

When you were out and about, it was best to keep a low profile.

If she addressed Qi Xianqing as senior sister, it would inevitably arouse suspicion, so Yan Jue simply called her sister.

The girl’s voice was soft and sweet. The two words landed in Qi Xianqing’s ears with surprising force; in an instant, her ears felt a little hot and strangely itchy.

Qi Xianqing looked at the young man once more, then slowly followed Yan Jue to the table nearby and sat down.

She sat upright in the chair, her back straight as a sword, and lowered her head to take a light sip from her teacup.

Yan Jue also drank her tea in silence and suddenly felt that this woman was actually quite reassuring.

When the madam came over to refill their tea, she said with a pained expression, “Please don’t take offense, you two young ladies. He’s been a regular at our brothel for years…… he’s always like this.”

The young man really was quite talkative in ordinary times; the brothel girls knew his family background very well.

After chatting a little with the madam, Yan Jue learned that although he was young, he was already a wealthy merchant in Wanwu Fortress who owned several properties.

His family had money, so they let him come to Wanwu Fortress to make a name for himself. Back when Young Master Li first arrived in Wanwu Fortress, he bought several cheap properties, and no one expected him to make a fortune from them.

After all, Wanwu Fortress was a place full of endless possibilities.

……

By the time she finished a cup of tea, more and more people had gradually come into Springfull Pavilion, and affectionate glances kept drifting toward Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue.

Qi Xianqing set down her teacup with a sharp clack.

The men who had been sneaking peeks immediately pulled their heads back.

“……”

Qi Xianqing: “Master just sent word saying it’ll still be a long while; she wants us to go out and look around first.”

Yan Jue had long since grown tired of sitting here. “Okay.”

Wanwu Fortress’s sky was always dim, tinted with a deep purple hue.

That made the dark red lanterns along the riverbanks seem even more mysterious.

Boats swarmed over the river; not far away sat an enormous river barge.

The stillness of the river contrasted sharply with the noisy bustle on shore. Everything around them was a murky red and the deep purple-black of the night sky.

Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue hired a small boat again.

Qi Xianqing sat at the bow and formed a seal; the boat began gliding forward without wind.

It was still much more peaceful outside.

Yan Jue was admiring the scenery when Qi Xianqing suddenly tossed something over.

Yan Jue blinked.

It was the Concealment Cloak.

Yan Jue had been on missions with Qi Xianqing quite often lately, and the two of them had begun to share supplies to the point that they might as well not have belonged to either of them separately. After they returned to the mountain, Qi Xianqing had taken Yan Jue’s Concealment Cloak out for modifications.

Qi Xianqing said softly, “Put it on.”

Yan Jue obediently put on the Concealment Cloak.

The two of them had faces that caused endless trouble whenever they went out.

The small boat drifted slowly along the river.

They stopped in front of a shop hung with red lanterns.

Yan Jue frowned slightly. “What is this place?”

Qi Xianqing clearly wasn’t here for the first time. Looking at the shop before them, she said, “A bookshop.”

Yan Jue’s eyes widened a little, and her interest surged at once.

When she had been at Five Dragons Sect, she had loved going to the Library Pavilion to read. But she had already read through nearly everything there that she was allowed to read.

Wanwu Fortress was so prosperous; she wondered what kind of books were kept in the bookshops here.

The two of them entered the bookshop one after the other.

Compared to the liveliness of the other shops, there were obviously fewer people here.

At the front counter, a square-faced man sat reading a book.

When he saw Yan Jue and Qi Xianqing come in, he only glanced at them once, then immediately lowered his head again to read.

Yan Jue began looking all over the place for anything interesting.

Out of the corner of her eye, Qi Xianqing watched Yan Jue gradually wander off, then went to the bookshelves and looked up at the dazzling array of…… picture books.

Because Yan Jue was present, Qi Xianqing was quite cautious. She chose for a long time before finally picking out a picture book.

Then she pulled a thunder-element manual from the shelf and opened it, covering the picture book with the manual.

In the dim light, several large characters were clearly visible on the picture book: Things That Must Be Said About My Fox-Demon Partner.

Qi Xianqing increasingly felt that she seemed to know too little about fox demons.

Among fox demons, there were certainly cunning and treacherous ones; but could there also be good fox demons?

Yet Qi Xianqing also didn’t want to read orthodox books. Orthodox books only recorded cold, lifeless words.

Picture books were probably her only way of understanding fox demons.

Fox demons.

Qi Xianqing opened the first page of the picture book.

When red foxes went into heat, they were especially clingy. People always said fox demons were the most lewd creatures in the world, but that wasn’t entirely correct. The truth was, if they didn’t absorb a person’s yang essence, they would be extremely uncomfortable; so every so often, they would go out to find a target.

Why was it that some men, clearly useless beyond measure, still had fox demons who stayed loyally by their side?

In fact, it was a mutually beneficial trade.

The man gained a companion; the fox demon gained yang essence.

After the brief introduction ended, Qi Xianqing solemnly turned to the second page.

This story was about a fox demon who met a sword cultivator with a pure yang body and fire spiritual root, and some little-known things that happened afterward.

This fox demon was a heroic woman who had practiced martial arts from a young age.

But during one especially difficult heat cycle, she felt that she was experiencing the most painful sensation of her life.

By reading books, she learned that a fox demon’s heat could be endured by spending it with someone of extreme yang.

So the fox-demon heroine went undercover at a school, because there were more men there than anywhere else.

She didn’t find any men at the school, but she did find a female teacher who specialized in teaching swordsmanship, and this female teacher carried the pure yang aura that so fascinated the fox demon.

The fox demon used some methods to absorb the woman’s pure yang energy. Just as she was preparing to slip away quietly, the female sword cultivator had already developed a strong interest in her.

Once there was a first time…… there would be a second time……

……

Qi Xianqing was reading with her brows tightly furrowed, and before she knew it, she had forgotten everything around her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw Yan Jue standing beside her at some point, looking at her blankly with slightly raised eyes.

Qi Xianqing’s hand tightened subconsciously.

Yan Jue stared at Qi Xianqing and couldn’t help freezing.

Heavens, Qi Xianqing was actually reading a…… manual.

When Yan Jue had entered the bookshop just now, she’d been drawn to the colorful picture books on the shelves. She’d already flipped through several of them, and now, when she turned back, she suddenly saw that Qi Xianqing was actually studying a manual.

Why, in such a lively and prosperous place as Wanwu Fortress, did Qi Xianqing still have the heart to study?

Yan Jue suddenly felt deep admiration for Qi Xianqing……

Yan Jue vanished with the picture book in her arms.

Qi Xianqing: “……”

-

After leaving Qi Xianqing, Yan Jue had also wanted to look for manuals among the shelves.

But unfortunately, this place wasn’t like Five Dragons Mountain. Yan Jue simply had no mind to study; she didn’t have Qi Xianqing’s patience.

Bored out of her mind, Yan Jue stood by the window and flipped through a brand-new storybook.

As a city that embraced all things, the bookshop in Wanwu Fortress carried content that was very bold indeed.

Yan Jue was currently reading a love story between a snake demon and a human.

Maybe it was because Qi Xianqing had mentioned snake demons to her that day at Frozen Peach Haven.

Yan Jue’s attention was all on the snake demon in the storybook.

A beautifully transformed snake demon was coiled around a young woman with a flattering expression.

She opened her mouth and stuck out a slender pink tongue, gently licking the girl’s ear.

Her tongue was actually…… forked?

The girl’s face was flushed red, and sweat covered her forehead.

Yan Jue felt her eyes sting, but perhaps because she had been in a special period lately, seeing this scene suddenly stirred a strange feeling in her heart.

For no reason at all, she thought of Qi Xianqing, and wanted to become a little fox curled up against Qi Xianqing.

Yan Jue immediately put the book down and silently recited the Heart-Calming Mantra several times, when a strange sound suddenly rose by her ear.

Whoosh——

Yan Jue’s pupils shrank abruptly. She reacted instantly and turned around.

A small silver sword had shot in through the window, passing by Yan Jue’s shoulder and silently embedding itself in the bookshelf behind her.

A folded note was attached to that little sword.

Who was it.

To use a transmission method like this.

Yan Jue looked around, but there was no one else nearby. Confirming that the letter was meant for her, she couldn’t help feeling strange.

Since transmigrating into the book, she had always lived on Five Dragons Mountain. In theory, no one on the outside should know her.

Yan Jue then unfolded the note. On it, in elegant, forceful handwriting, it read: To the Princess, please come see me at Nianyun Studio on the night of the day after tomorrow.

Yan Jue froze in place.

Princess.

What did this mean?

Yan Jue turned the note over and found that there was actually a red fox paw print on the back.

……kind of cute.

A fox paw……

Could this have been sent by the fox clan?

Wanwu Fortress was a place beyond the Heavenly Dao’s jurisdiction.

Both humans and demons could live here.

The original host indeed had a princess status within the Ghost Mansion Fox Clan.

As Yan Jue thought of this, she couldn’t help frowning slightly.

-

Yan Jue and Qi Xianqing spent some time in the bookshop. With different thoughts on their minds, they returned to the inn where they were temporarily staying.

Yun Zhen had been extremely generous, directly booking them a top-tier suite. The entire room was decorated lavishly beyond measure.

Yan Jue returned to the room and had just finished putting her things away when she heard knocking at the door.

Yan Jue opened it, and the first thing she saw was Zhu He’s dazed face.

Zhu He’s features were quite nice; her brows were a little thick, her skin was fair, and her face was that of a very valiant young girl.

But her eyes always carried a sort of silly blankness.

Yan Jue: “What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t we say we’d each sleep in our own room tonight.” Zhu He huffed. “I didn’t bring a robe.”

Yan Jue was speechless. “You’re a little pig; what do you need a robe for? Wouldn’t it be better to just turn back into your original form and sleep?”

Zhu He was displeased and glared at her, huffing.

Although she could speak now, she didn’t like talking; most of the time, she still preferred to use body language.

Yan Jue had no choice but to rummage through her Qiankun bag.

She had just bought a brand-new robe not long ago, and it could be lent to the little wild boar to wear.

So Yan Jue handed her robe to the little wild boar.

Zhu He happily held the robe and looked up at her. “I don’t know how to wear it.”

Yan Jue: “It’s very simple to put on a robe. How can you not even know this? Go over there and figure it out yourself quickly.”

Zhu He pouted and hugged the robe as she ran off to the cabinet over there.

Yan Jue sat on the bed, listening to the rustling sounds coming from that side, and once again fell into thought.

Yan Jue took the letter from her sleeve and read the handwriting on it over and over again.

First, Yan Jue didn’t know where Nianyun Studio was, nor did she know who had sent this letter. When you were out and about, you had to stay cautious.

Second, the letter said it was on the night of the day after tomorrow, so Yan Jue was in no hurry.

Looking at the delicate, proper handwriting on the note, she couldn’t help grumbling inwardly; these days, did even demons have handwriting this pretty?

Suddenly, there was knocking at the door.

Yan Jue froze, then ran over to open it.

Qi Xianqing probably wasn’t used to the strong smell of rouge and powder left behind at the brothel earlier. She had already tidied herself up in the room and changed into a clean dark-green crossed-collar ruqun.

Perhaps because she had just bathed, Qi Xianqing’s jet-black hair still carried a hint of dampness, and her fair face was faintly flushed. Those clear, dark peach blossom eyes lifted slightly as she looked at Yan Jue with a softness that seemed almost gentle.

Yan Jue: “What do you need?”

Qi Xianqing blinked lightly. “Want to go out and look around a bit more?”

Her voice was low; perhaps because she had just finished bathing, there was a slight huskiness to it.

Maybe the room was too quiet; maybe it was the Immortal Spirit Physique’s fragrance that was too sweet. Qi Xianqing’s gentle question sounded inexplicably soft, yet it carried a strangely tingling effect.

Rarely having the chance to stay with Yan Jue in such a good inn, Qi Xianqing felt a quiet trace of delight beneath her usual calm.

Master had gone out to handle business, and the entire room contained only the two of them.

That meant she could finally proceed according to plan with complete peace of mind.

Yan Jue also felt that since they had finally come so far from Five Dragons Sect, they might as well go out and walk around.

Yan Jue looked into Qi Xianqing’s eyes and smiled. “Okay——”

Before she could finish, she suddenly saw the little wild boar run out from over there holding Yan Jue’s robe, her upper body bare. “Sister, I don’t know how to wear it!”

Qi Xianqing: “……”

TL Note:

picture books (画本子) are often erotic or raunchy *blush*