Eight Treasures

Bai Yujing didn’t care to think further and stepped directly into the sleeping hall.

Jinyu, who had been discussing official matters, instantly fell silent like a startled quail.

Ignoring him entirely, Bai Yujing walked over and plopped down on the soft cushion beside Xuan Lie, grabbing the man’s sleeve and shaking it playfully. “Immortal Venerable—”

Xuan Lie turned to look at him. In the flickering candlelight of the hall, the little beauty—who had deliberately changed into sleeping robes—was clinging to his side. Damp hair fell across his chest, and the vivid red jade bangle sat crookedly on his wrist. He looked like a hopelessly spoiled consort; the only thing missing was for him to wrap his snake tail around Xuan Lie’s wrist right in front of Jinyu.

Seeing the jade bangle had been moved from the tail, Xuan Lie knew the original body had likely returned.

“What is it?” Xuan Lie asked impassively.

“I’ve heard the auction in the Bao-Bao Minor Realm is the finest in the world, and I want to go and see for myself.” Bai Yujing spoke of his desire to loot treasures with utter shamelessness. He hugged Xuan Lie’s arm, leaning against him coilingly. “Would the Immortal accompany me, please?”

The way he held Xuan Lie was so natural it looked as if he had done it ten thousand times before.

Seeing this, Jinyu silently took two steps back, trying to pretend he was just a decorative carving on the wall. However, the moment he moved, Bai Yujing’s gaze snapped toward him. Jinyu’s breath hitched. The “little snake” smiled as if he had only just noticed him. “Oh, Sect Leader Jinyu is here as well. The night is late; why doesn’t the Sect Leader stay for the night and depart tomorrow?”

“No, no, no,” Jinyu stammered, cold sweat pouring down his face. “There are urgent matters at the sect. I came specifically to bid the Immortal farewell.”

“I see.” Bai Yujing’s smile became much more genuine. “Then please be careful on your way, Sect Leader. I won’t see you out.”

The subtext was clear: Scram, don’t interrupt my treasure hunting.

Jinyu wiped his brow, terrified to imagine what would happen if Bai Yujing ever found out he knew his true identity. He could already envision that if that day came, Xuan Lie would absolutely not lift a finger to save him. Better to run now. The less I know, the more likely the Demon Emperor might show mercy later. Jinyu offered his hurried bows and fled.

Once the nuisance was gone, Bai Yujing turned back. “I was talking to you, Immortal.”

At first, his flirting was purely to disgust Xuan Lie, but after doing it so much, he had quickly rediscovered the feeling of clinging to a lap and wagging his tail as a hatchling. It had become second nature.

Xuan Lie rested one hand on Bai Yujing’s waist while the other pushed a cup of tea toward him, noncommittal about the proposal. “Only this morning you said you wanted to tour the Moon-Grace world.”

“Who drinks tea in the middle of the night?” Bai Yujing pushed the cup away in disgust. Facing the question, he said righteously, “I changed my mind.”

“It’s the Immortal’s fault for giving me such a beautiful bangle. I don’t have a single robe in my storage ring that matches it properly.”

Xuan Lie looked down at the snake’s left hand gripping his clothes. With the addition of the red jade, the once pitiably plain wrist had become elegant and lavish. It was indeed much more pleasing to the eye.

Xuan Lie withdrew his gaze and downed the tea Bai Yujing had rejected in one gulp. Bai Yujing watched the man’s Adam’s apple bob, waiting patiently until he finally heard:

“As you wish.”

Bai Yujing beamed, but he couldn’t resist a final jab. “Why did you have to think about such a small thing for so long? You should have just said yes.” He leaned into Xuan Lie’s shoulder and complained in a low voice, “I’m getting hungry from waiting…”

Xuan Lie set down the teacup and glanced at him. With a casual tug of his right hand, his collar fell open, revealing a firm neck with faintly pulsing veins.

Bai Yujing understood the invitation instantly and swallowed hard. Xuan Lie patted his waist, and Bai Yujing stood up smoothly, coiling his arms around the man’s neck and sitting obediently on his lap.

Xuan Lie stared at the curve of the waist beneath the sleeping robes—trembling with hunger and desire—for a long time before commanding in a low voice:

“You may bite.“

The Next Day: Outside the Sleeping Hall

Su Jiu-shao stood outside with two Su disciples following her—clearly sent by Su Qiantang to monitor her. If she angered the snake again and provoked the Immortal, the Su family was finished.

She had spent the night researching the customs of Moon-Grace, but before she could speak, Xuan Lie said succinctly: “The itinerary has changed.”

Su Jiu-shao froze.

“I heard the Bao-Bao auction is legendary, so I want to go see it,” Bai Yujing explained while holding Xuan Lie’s arm. “Sorry for the trouble, Miss Jiu-shao.”

“No, no, Senior, there’s no need to apologize,” she stammered. “My mother is from Bao-Bao, so I am quite familiar with it. Please enjoy yourselves; I will handle the arrangements.”

Bai Yujing’s eyes lit up. “Is that so? Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Bao-Bao Minor Realm: Liusu Gate, Vermillion Bird Array

According to Su Jiu-shao, all transport arrays in Bao-Bao were floating arrays. They were prepared for it, but only after exiting the gate did they realize the entire Bao-Bao Minor Realm was a “Skytop World” suspended in the clouds.

Magnificent pavilions stood atop the clouds. Looking down through the gaps in the mist, one saw only an abyss—there was no sign of the ground.

Bai Yujing raised an eyebrow. “This world is a Qianyuan Realm.”

A male disciple named Su Jiuhua couldn’t help but ask, “What is a Qianyuan Realm?”

“Heaven and Earth are opposites. A world with Heaven (Qian) but no Earth (Kun) is called Qianyuan,” Bai Yujing explained. “Conversely, a world with Earth but no Heaven is Kunyuan—the Nine Abyss Great World is the most famous example.”

The Su disciples were stunned that a mere “snake demon” had such vast knowledge. Their gazes toward him shifted from curiosity to a hint of admiration.

The sky was bustling with cultivators on clouds and swords; the prosperity of the realm was palpable. Bai Yujing found it all very fresh and began dragging Xuan Lie around.

Su Jiu-shao followed behind, still feeling lightheaded from her narrow escape. She hadn’t dared look at Xuan Lie, but in a moment of distraction, she saw him turn toward Bai Yujing. Beneath his collar, she caught a glimpse of his firm neck… and two neat, round puncture marks.

The wounds were small and clean, with no signs of tearing. They were clearly not made by human teeth.

Su Jiu-shao shuddered, her eyes widening in realization. If it were in snake form, it would be one thing, but if he bites in human form, wouldn’t he have to be sitting in his lap, hugging his neck…

“Miss Jiu-shao,” Bai Yujing suddenly turned around.

“Yes, Senior! What is it?” she asked guiltily.

“I heard Bao-Bao was famous, but these roadside stalls…” He looked at them with undisguised disdain. “Why do they look so low-quality?”

“Stalls here don’t pay fees, so anyone can set them up. It’s a mix of junk and treasures,” she explained. “If you want high-grade artifacts or pills, you should go to the Auction Pavilions. They are divided into Heaven, Earth, and Mortal tiers.”

“Heaven, Earth, and Mortal… then the Tianbao Pavilion (Heaven) is the best?” Bai Yujing mused.

“Exactly, but it isn’t open yet. It only opens on the—” Su Jiu-shao stopped mid-sentence.

Bai Yujing had stopped at a stall, casually pulled a pouch of high-grade spirit stones from the jade bangle on his wrist, and tossed it to the vendor. “I’ll take everything. Is this enough?”

Su Jiu-shao froze. That red jade bangle is a storage artifact? I didn’t see him wearing it before. She looked at Xuan Lie, a realization dawning on her.

“Enough, more than enough!” the vendor cried, overjoyed.

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Bai Yujing swept everything into his bangle and continued walking. He repeated this “buyout” at several stalls before finally noticing Su Jiu-shao’s silence. “Miss Jiu-shao? What’s wrong? You said it’s all about luck, right?”

…That’s not how you test your luck, ancestor!

“It’s… nothing,” she replied. “I haven’t seen that bangle before. May I ask where it’s from?”

“This?” Bai Yujing shook his wrist. “The Immortal gave it to me last night. He thought my hands looked too plain.”

Su Jiu-shao: “…”

The “oblivious” beauty didn’t notice anything wrong with what he just said. “So, when does the Tianbao Pavilion open?”

“On the 1st and 15th of every month. This month, it should be in two days.”

Bai Yujing nodded. He took a fruit from his bangle to eat, but as he brought it to his lips, he frowned at the sour scent. Snakes are sensitive to smell; before he could transform, he relied on scent to navigate. He shoved the fruit toward Xuan Lie. “Immortal, try this. Is it sweet?”

Xuan Lie took a bite without a single flinch or frown.

Useless Stone. Bai Yujing curled his lip and stuffed the entire fruit into the man’s mouth. Choke on it. Keep pretending.

Su Jiu-shao braved on: “That floating ship over there is the Ruyi Pavilion, the most famous gambling house in Bao-Bao.”

“Oh? What makes it so special?”

“Because…” Su Jiu-shao hesitated. “One can bet anything there.”

“Anything? Besides spirit stones?”

“Spirit stones are the least important chips there,” she said, her expression darkening slightly. “Secret realm maps, ruins coordinates, treasures… even Spirit Hearts of the Spirit Race, dreams of the Demon Race, and the next lives of the Human Race. Everything can be placed on the table.”

Bai Yujing arched an eyebrow. “You seem very familiar with it, Miss Jiu-shao.”

She gave a bitter smile. “My mother was a cultivator at the Tianbao Pavilion. She lost her life to my father in a ‘Wind and Moon’ game at Ruyi Pavilion. Afterward, she was married off to Moon-Grace and gave birth to my brother and me.”

Bai Yujing was stunned. But Su Jiu-shao quickly regained her composure. “The Pavilion only allows a limited number of guests. I will apply for entry tokens for you; you can enter tomorrow. Perhaps you and the Immortal can tour the city in the meantime?”

Bai Yujing felt an itch in his heart. Why look at these trash stalls when he could see something new? He had the skills to sneak into a gambling house regardless of the rules. But… if he used a concealment spell in front of Xuan Lie, that bastard would recognize him in three seconds.

Just as he was debating what to do, a familiar hand was offered to him.

“Coil up,” Xuan Lie said flatly. “I will take you in.”

…Is this really Xuan Lie? He’s being a bit too indulgent. Bai Yujing’s heart gave a strange thump. Fine. ‘Unearned kindness hides a trap.’ He must have bad intentions. Despite his internal grumbling, he pursed his lips and took the offered hand. A glow radiated from him, and a moment later, a beautiful, tiny white snake was coiled around Xuan Lie’s wrist.

To Bai Yujing’s surprise, the red jade bangle shrank with him, becoming ring-sized and fitting perfectly around his lower abdomen. The placement was so precise it looked less like a bangle and more like a decorative ring specifically designed for that spot.

“…” Su Jiu-shao watched for a long time but didn’t dare say a word.

Xuan Lie carried the “snake bracelet” into the Ruyi Pavilion. The manager greeted them enthusiastically, calling them VIPs and handing out three “Heaven-tier” masks.

Compared to the finality of an auction, Ruyi Pavilion gave both sides a chance to gamble, feeling much more “equal.”

Bai Yujing was carried around by Xuan Lie, fascinated by everything, until he realized he’d been tricked. Su Jiu-shao and the other Su disciples had entered just fine without a reservation… so the bastard didn’t bring him in this way to “protect” him, but just to force him into his original form so he could hold him!

His momentary warmth vanished. He opened his mouth to bite the man’s hand in rage.

But then, Su Jiu-shao’s voice echoed in his ear via spiritual transmission: “Senior, look over there! Isn’t that your Jade Snake Pendant…?!“

Bai Yujing froze. He poked his head out from Xuan Lie’s sleeve and looked toward the “Prophecy Area.”

A group of masked people were standing there, discussing something. In the hand of one of them, a Jade Snake Longevity Pendant dangled from a red string.

The little snake stared at the pendant. Almost instantly, he recognized who those people were.

—Why are Liu Ming and the others here?!