Hold

Zhou Jiannan returned, perplexed, and decided to test Lian Qiao first to see if she was in her right mind.

And so, when he found Lian Qiao, he held up three fingers to her. “How many is this?”

Lian Qiao said, “Two.”

Zhou Jiannan’s pupils dilated instantly. “How many did you say this is?!”

Lian Qiao said strangely, “Isn’t it two? What else could it be? What’s wrong with you?”

Zhou Jiannan stared at his three fingers in disbelief. “Have you gone stupid?”

Lian Qiao blinked. “You’re the stupid one. You were just so seriously injured. If you don’t believe me, go ask Yan Wushuang and see how many it is.”

So Zhou Jiannan turned to Yan Wushuang. “What do you say?”

After exchanging a glance with Lian Qiao, Yan Wushuang said decisively, “Of course it’s two.”

Instantly, it was Zhou Jiannan’s turn to doubt his life.

‘Why is it two? In my eyes, it’s clearly three!’

He suddenly felt very dizzy and staggered, nearly losing his footing.

It wasn’t until he opened his eyes again and saw Yan Wushuang struggling to hold back her laughter and the flash of cunning in Lian Qiao’s eyes that he finally understood. “Fine! You, you, you… you’re ganging up on me!”

Lian Qiao could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing, turning to Yan Wushuang. “He actually believed it!”

Yan Wushuang also covered her mouth. “Jiannan, you scumbag! I didn’t think you were not only a scumbag but also stupid!”

Zhou Jiannan was speechless.

He slowly put a hand to his forehead. “You two are just too much. Not only did you trick me, you even pretended not to hear me calling for help just now. I’m going home! I’d rather be forced by my mother to marry that shrew than be bullied by you two here!”

So Zhou Jiannan turned to go to his room to pack his bags.

Lian Qiao quickly grabbed him. “Wait! It’s true we were tricking you just now, but we really didn’t hear you calling for help before. Otherwise, how could we not have come to save you? You’re our strategist. Without you, we’d have no way of catching the great demon.”

Zhou Jiannan sniffled, suspicious. “Really?”

Lian Qiao’s expression was serious. “Honest to goodness!”

Only then did Zhou Jiannan awkwardly stay. “Alright, I’ll trust you one more time.”

However, he quickly thought of something else. “Since you didn’t deliberately refuse to come, then why didn’t you hear me? Don’t tell me… you muted me?”

Lian Qiao fell silent, because she had indeed thrown a sound-insulating barrier over him.

Yan Wushuang also fell silent, because she had thrown the second one.

With their silence, Zhou Jiannan was instantly filled with immense grief and indignation. “Fine! While I was fighting for my life in a bag, you two ladies were leisurely sipping tea. How could you do this to me!”

This was actually a misunderstanding of Lian Qiao.

Although she had intended to tease Zhou Jiannan, she had been paying close attention to her surroundings, watching to see if the demon would appear.

During that time, she had indeed not seen any unusual people or things, nor had she even sensed a demonic aura.

Yan Wushuang also chimed in. “It’s true, there was nothing. It is strange, though. Could it be that this demon is extremely good at hiding? But what kind of demon is it? I don’t think I’ve seen it in the Compendium of a Hundred Demons.”

Zhou Jiannan had probably been tricked too much. He turned his back with a huff and a cold snort. “According to your excuses, is this even a demon anymore!”

Lian Qiao pondered for a moment. “It’s possible it’s not a demon.”

Zhou Jiannan turned back in surprise. “Then what could it be? You’re not going to say it’s a cultivator, are you?”

Lian Qiao rolled her eyes at him. “Of course not. Have you ever heard of a ‘spirit’?”

Zhou Jiannan scratched his head. “I have. A ‘demon-spirit’, a ‘demon-spirit’!”

Then he gritted his teeth. “That concubine of my father’s is a famous little demon-spirit!”

Lian Qiao was speechless.

“Not that kind of insulting ‘demon-spirit’!” She thought back carefully. “My mother said that although ‘demon’ and ‘spirit’ are often used interchangeably, and their temperaments and methods are not very different, it is said that in ancient times, the two were completely different. Demons are formed from flowers, plants, trees, birds, and beasts, while spirits are formed from objects over a long period of time. Mountains can become spirits, water can become spirits, and even the tables, chairs, and benches around us can become spirits. It just depends on fate, so compared to demons, spirits are extremely rare, and they gradually came to be lumped together.”

Zhou Jiannan was starting to understand. “You’re saying that the thing causing trouble in No-Laughing Town isn’t a demon, but a rare spirit? And this spirit might just be a brick or a tile, completely indistinguishable from its surroundings, which is why it’s so hard for you to find?”

Lian Qiao patted his shoulder with great authority. “Not bad.”

Zhou Jiannan lifted his chin. “I was always not bad. I was second in Ancient History, only five points behind His Highness back then.”

Lian Qiao said, “…Will you die if you go one day without mentioning Lu Wu Jiu?”

Zhou Jiannan chuckled. “Angry from embarrassment? I remember you got second to last in this class.”

In reality, it was equivalent to last place, since the undisputed last place in all cultural classes was, without a doubt, Yan Wushuang…

Lian Qiao didn’t expect him to remember so clearly.

She snorted through her nose. “It was just one mistake.”

Zhou Jiannan was clearly not convinced.

Lian Qiao couldn’t be bothered to explain that the teacher for Ancient History was from the Jiang family of Kuaiji.

During class, he was particularly partial to Jiang Li and especially critical of her.

In a fit of anger, Lian Qiao chose to skip class, so her grade in this course was naturally extremely low, because she had missed too many classes.

In reality, if one only looked at her scores, she was no worse than Lu Wu Jiu.

But knowing was one thing, reality was another. With a courtyard full of tables, chairs, benches, bricks, tiles, and flying eaves, who knew which one might be a spirit-monster!

Zhou Jiannan suggested another idea. “Didn’t you say this compass of yours is a family heirloom of the Lian family? It can find even a trace of demonic aura? Shouldn’t it be the same for a spirit-monster?”

Lian Qiao looked speechless. “You think I didn’t think of that? The reason this spirit-monster became a spirit is most likely because it chanced upon a fragment of the Kongtong Seal. This is an ancient divine artifact. Not only can it enhance its power, but it can also conceal its aura. No magical artifact can find it. Didn’t you see my compass spinning so fast it was about to smoke? In the end, it was still pointing randomly!”

Zhou Jiannan frowned. “Then what should we do?”

Lian Qiao had no better solution for the time being, only to wait for the spirit-monster to cause trouble and capture it in one fell swoop.

Besides, it might not necessarily be a spirit. It could also be a demon that was extremely good at hiding its tracks.

However, there was one thing she still couldn’t figure out.

“I was clearly the one who laughed. Why did this thing come after you?”

Yan Wushuang scoffed from the side. “Naturally, it’s because someone is weak. This thing may be bad, but it’s not stupid.”

That made sense, but something still felt off.

At that moment, Zhou Jiannan scratched his head. “Um… I think I laughed too.”

Lian Qiao: ?

Yan Wushuang’s eyes also widened. “When? How dare you, Jiannan, you scumbag, hide such a big thing and not report it?”

Zhou Jiannan immediately explained, “No, no, no, I just remembered. It was when we first arrived at No-Laughing Town. We were flying on our swords above. I think I laughed a few times. How was I supposed to know it wasn’t allowed back then…”

So that was it.

Lian Qiao instantly felt all her psychological burden disappear.

She took out a tube of golden sore medicine and threw it at Zhou Jiannan’s face.

“Hah, then you can apply it yourself!”

Yan Wushuang also disdainfully tossed the bandages she had found into his lap.

“Go, go, go. If you’re not dead, do it yourself. Don’t bother me!”

Zhou Jiannan: “…”

‘Hey, hey, hey, I’m still a patient! If I had known, I wouldn’t have said anything.’

‘After all, although these two female demons were detestable, they really did get things done!’

After leaving Zhou Jiannan’s room, Lian Qiao planned to go into town to see how the supplies Lu Wu Jiu had requisitioned from the county magistrate’s office were being distributed.

As soon as she stepped outside, the scene was exceptionally desolate.

Although it was daytime, the streets were empty.

Not a single vendor could be seen in what was once the marketplace.

Every household had its doors and windows tightly shut.

Occasionally, a young child who couldn’t hold it in any longer would run out, only to be immediately snatched up by a chasing adult and anxiously pulled back inside.

However, as a door opened, Lian Qiao caught a glimpse inside.

There were piles of rice and flour, as well as radishes, cabbages, and the like—several bags full.

It seemed the supplies had already been distributed.

But where was Lu Wu Jiu?

Lian Qiao was puzzled. At the end of the long street, only a perfumed powder shop at the corner had its banner fluttering, its fragrance filling the air.

She walked over curiously, only to see Lu Wu Jiu standing at the entrance, with a graceful-looking female shopkeeper beside him.

The shopkeeper, dressed in a deep purple chest-high silk dress, was bowing her head to inspect the rice, flour, and other goods on the ground, occasionally whispering to Lu Wu Jiu.

As she bent down slightly, the breeze carried a faint, intoxicating, but not overpowering fragrance, like a camellia in full bloom.

‘Hah,’ Lian Qiao thought, ‘so he couldn’t be found because he had fallen into a den of beauties. No wonder. So many young girls in the Wu Xiang Sect threw their hearts at him, yet he ignored them all. So he likes this seductive and charming type!’

She pouted, then coughed twice. Only then did Lu Wu Jiu finally turn back.

When he spoke, his voice was exceptionally cold. “Why did you come out?”

Lian Qiao said sarcastically, “Oh, it seems I’ve disturbed you?”

Lu Wu Jiu frowned slightly. “What are you thinking about all day?”

Lian Qiao was about to retort when the shopkeeper laughed. “Is the young lady jealous? This immortal master was just sending people to deliver supplies to the whole town and happened to deliver them here. Please don’t misunderstand.”

Lian Qiao immediately spat out a “Pah, pah.” “I’m not jealous! Don’t talk nonsense!”

Her appearance of extreme avoidance earned her a glance from Lu Wu Jiu, his thin lips pursed tightly.

If anyone who knew him saw this expression, they would know it was a sign of displeasure.

Lian Qiao was completely oblivious. Instead, she looked at the shopkeeper strangely. “You actually laughed? Isn’t this town called No-Laughing Town? If you laugh, a demon will rip out your heart, you know. Aren’t you afraid?”

The shopkeeper continued to cover her lips and chuckle lightly. “Afraid? Aren’t you immortals here now? With your protection, I’m naturally not afraid. Besides, I’m a widow. What do I have to be afraid of? Ever since my husband passed away, I’ve been thinking of going to find him day and night.”

The more she spoke, the more mournful she became. A beauty in sorrow held a different kind of charm.

Looking at her charming fox-like eyes, Lian Qiao suddenly thought of a phrase—’full of amorous charm.’

Lian Qiao was also extremely beautiful, with bright eyes, pearly teeth, red lips, and a powdered face.

Ever since she came of age, she had consecutively topped the list of beauties in the Nine Provinces.

But Senior Brother Zhou always said that while she was beautiful, she was too naive and lacked a certain charm.

‘Presumably, this so-called charm is what the woman before me possesses.’

The shopkeeper was a smooth operator. She glanced at the doubt in Lian Qiao’s eyes, then began to praise the light blue shirt she was wearing, which led to praising her youth.

Just as Lian Qiao was about to be unable to suppress the smile on her face, she suddenly added another sentence, “However, although the fairy’s appearance is good, she is still lacking something for adornment.”

“Lacking what?” Lian Qiao asked.

The shopkeeper gracefully turned her slender waist, then took a silver-inlaid wooden box from the counter, opened it, and handed it to Lian Qiao with a smile. “Perfumed powder. The immortal is beautiful, but she lacks a touch of charm.”

‘So after all that, she was just trying to sell me something!’

‘This shopkeeper is really shrewd, not even letting an immortal off the hook.’

However, Lian Qiao admitted she was hooked.

Lian Qiao was really curious about the “charm” that Senior Brother Zhou had mentioned.

So she pretended to refuse a couple of times before accepting it.

Just as she was about to pay, the shopkeeper waved her hand, saying that she had mixed it herself and it was not for sale. She was only giving it to her because she found her agreeable.

So Lian Qiao accepted it with a clear conscience.

She had always been impatient. Before she even got back to the He residence, she couldn’t help but open it for a sniff.

Unexpectedly, the powder box was too full. As soon as she opened it, a lot of it flew out, covering Lian Qiao’s face and body.

She sneezed several times in a row, then wiped her face with her sleeve, and instantly her whole body was filled with a rich scent of camellia.

Lian Qiao lowered her head and sniffed. This fragrance was indeed the same as the shopkeeper’s. So, did she also have a bit of charm now?

She was quite pleased with herself and twirled around, sniffing again.

When she looked up, she saw Lu Wu Jiu looking at her.

Lu Wu Jiu raised an eyebrow. “You don’t actually think the difference between you two is whether or not you use perfumed powder, do you?”

The smile on Lian Qiao’s face froze. “Hey, what do you mean by that?”

Lu Wu Jiu faintly scanned her from head to toe, his gaze pausing on the cat-head sword tassel at her waist. He paused.

“Taotie is only eight years old this year, and even he doesn’t use this kind of sword tassel anymore. And I remember, you’ve been wearing this thing since you were eight.”

Lian Qiao was speechless.

‘Is he mocking me for being childish?’

‘He is, isn’t he? He must be!’

Lian Qiao clutched her cute sword tassel. “What does it have to do with that? This is called being devoted, alright? Besides, what does a little brat like Taotie, who only knows how to eat, know?”

Lu Wu Jiu didn’t say anything, but Lian Qiao seemed to read a trace of amusement in his eyes. “Oh?”

Her temper flared. She defiantly stepped up to him, chest out, head high. “Take another look. Can you tell the difference between eight and eighteen?”

Lu Wu Jiu lowered his gaze and glanced at the shallow curve, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Is there a difference?”

Lian Qiao became anxious. “How can there not be? Open your eyes and look carefully!”

She stood on her tiptoes, puffing out her chest even more.

The young girl’s chest was not exaggerated, but it was exceptionally full.

Like a freshly ripened fruit, it carried a hint of warm fragrance as she leaned in.

Lu Wu Jiu’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, but his voice showed no emotion as he coolly looked away. “I don’t see it.”

Lian Qiao was thoroughly enraged, looking down at herself in disbelief. “N-no way…”

She was very unwilling to admit defeat. ‘No, it must be that Lu Wu Jiu is too tall.’

Just then, there was a green stone step nearby. So Lian Qiao simply stood on the step, standing on her tiptoes even higher, so that her chest-high ruqun was exactly level with Lu Wu Jiu’s line of sight.

Then she lowered her eyes slightly and smiled. “Now, you should be able to see clearly, right?”

However, being so top-heavy, she was bound to be unstable. Before Lu Wu Jiu could answer, Lian Qiao’s feet swayed, and instead, she fell into his arms in a panic, clutching his head.