The brothel had somehow grown even louder during the short period Xing Yue and Guo N'Yang had spent outside.
Music still flowed from the raised platform where the young piper continued playing with a bright smile despite the chaos unfolding beneath her, while the older guqin player maintained the same serious expression she had worn all night, fingers gliding across strings as though nothing in this world could distract her. Lanterns swayed gently overhead, casting warm pools of orange light across crowded tables, scattered wine jars, and patrons who had long abandoned any attempt at behaving with dignity.
At the center of the commotion sat Jiang Yunxian and Chufeng.
Or rather—
They sat surrounded by evidence of poor decision-making. Empty jars crowded their table so heavily that there was barely enough space left for cups. Several more sat overturned near their feet while spectators gathered around them in uneven circles, shouting encouragement and placing reckless bets.
Someone had somehow started keeping score. Nobody remembered when.
"Haven't you had enough?" Guo N'Yang finally snapped, her patience collapsing entirely. "Are you children?"
Her voice was not particularly loud. But it had an edge that yielded no argument.
The spectators who had been enthusiastically gambling moments earlier suddenly scattered in every direction.
Coins disappeared into sleeves. People returned to tables they had abandoned.
A merchant who had loudly declared support for Jiang Yunxian moments earlier immediately pretended intense interest in roasted peanuts.
Several customers moved so quickly one would think heavenly tribulation had arrived personally. Which, considering Guo N'Yang's expression, was not entirely impossible.
Only Jiang Yunxian remained seated calmly.
He lifted his eyes and studied the newcomer from head to toe.
This person standing beside Xing Yue. Her facial expression wasn't to be ignored. For the fact that she looked like someone who could crush the whole brothel and it's dwellers into dust, no wonder the lousy people cheering and betting all ran off like scattered cockroaches. It was obvious, this person either came from hell, or she knows someone who is from there.
And considering Xing Yue was not reacting with surprise, this woman was likely someone from her past.
His gaze shifted briefly toward Chufeng. That damned lady that had the nerve to push him into this diabolism called drinking. For a fact that she was showing her 32, it's quite obvious that they know each other.
Friends? That's a better conclusion.
So Jiang Yunxian smiled politely. "What?" he asked casually. "Are you ashamed I might win?"
Both women paused to look at him. They stared in stunned silence. If Xing Yue had told her that the 'guy' she mentioned was this person in front of her, she would have dragged Chufeng out of there. Personally go to the emperor and say: "I am sorry, for your servant has failed you. But I cannot with that man over there." But she signed up for this.
Franky, Xing Yue had tried to hint to her that it wouldn't be safe for a hot tempeted person like her to go with them, but with all her stubbornness, she ignored the warning. No one is to be blamed except her. Absolutely no one is allowed to be blamed.
Meanwhile, Xing Yue had crossed all seven rivers, seven oceans and mountains, cliffs and hills, and have concluded that although she had concluded long ago, she still wanted to give him a benefit of the doubt. But, congratulations!!! He failed miserably.
And that conclusion was just so simple.
Shameless!
Not only did he battle with a girl, an apprentice at that, he still got the nerve to act cocky. Shameless. The premium kind of shamelessness.
And the frightening thing was that this was not even the first time he had rendered her speechless through sheer audacity.
Guo N'Yang nearly choked from disbelief.
"Chufeng has always been known as an unbeatable drinker in Heaven," she said. "What exactly made a mere mortal think competing against her was a reasonable decision?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"That is an exceptionally stupid thought."
She looked ready to continue.
Xing Yue immediately grabbed her sleeve.
"Do not bother," Xing Yue said tiredly. "Say no more." She pointed toward Chufeng.
"She is already dead drunk."
Everyone turned. Some daring ones gossiping to Guo N'Yang's hearing while others sat in shocked disbelief. Those who better Chufeng for her cute face sighed in defeat. Vowing not to trust cute faces.
Chufeng, whose competitive spirit had apparently outlived her consciousness, had collapsed sideways against the table. One arm dangled awkwardly while her forehead rested near three empty cups.
Completely unconscious.
Guo N'Yang stared. As if she could quite understand the meaning behind whatever message she thought she was seeing, stared harder!
The knowledge that her apprentice, unmatched to none was defeated by a mere mortal who on top of that had a somewhat permanent grin on his face made it impossible for her irrational emotions to sest still.
The embarrassment arrived first. The anger followed immediately after.
"Useless," she muttered darkly.
Jiang Yunxian, unfortunately, seemed to enjoy her frustration.
"What is there to be embarrassed about?" he asked with a small laugh. "It was only a game."
He gestured toward Chufeng.
"Besides, your friend challenged me first. I was minding my own business."
Guo N'Yang looked moments away from arguing.
And knowing Guo N'Yang and Jiang Yunxian, Xing Yue decided it was best for her the 'peace maker' to step in and soothe things out. For other than drinking and caring about people, there's also one thing Jiang Yunxian is best at. Arguing with ladies. That's why carelessness and shamelessness could be best to qualify that bastard.
With a sigh, she dragged a chair toward herself and sat down heavily. Then she pointed toward Guo N'Yang.
"This is Guo N'Yang." She paused. Whether for effects that didn't come. Or for something else none of them cared about."My archnemesis." She completed.
Guo N'Yang immediately frowned.
"If she says terrible things about me, do not think too deeply about it," Xing Yue continued smoothly. "She is jealous."
"I am not jealous!"
Xing Yue ignored her. She pointed toward Chufeng next. "And that unconscious creature is her apprentice."
Guo N'Yang's eye twitched. "Living inside the Celestial Library clearly has limitations," Xing Yue continued with complete seriousness. "That is probably why she never encountered someone as shameless and careless as you."
Jiang Yunxian looked strangely pleased by that description. "Her name is Chufeng," Xing Yue added. "And do not be deceived by the face. She is significantly older than your mortal age."
She shrugged.
"If you wish, you can call her ancestor."
Then she nodded once. "There. Introduction complete."
Jiang Yunxian stared at her. Then at Guo N'Yang. Then at unconscious Chufeng.
"That," he finally said slowly, "is a rather peculiar way to introduce people."
He hesitated. "Especially friends."
Both women reacted instantly. "She is not my friend!"
The words exploded out simultaneously.
Even their expressions matched. Sharp. Offended. Utterly horrified.
The force behind their synchronized denial was powerful enough that nearby customers briefly looked over.
Oddly enough, the sudden shouting startled Chufeng awake. She shot upright immediately. Eyes wide. Jiang Yunxian could testify that the first time that girl Chufeng slapped a cup on his table and said: "Wanna compete? You have jars and I have jars too, why don't we compete then? I'm a good drinker."
Jiang Yunxian realize that this girl has an extraordinarily huge eyes. He had wanted to refuse to the request, saying: "Young Miss, drinking with a man, aren't you scared that mortals here would misunderstand?"
He had used the word moratls, based on her attire. When Xing Yue first crashed at Cloud Peak Sect, she had that same flowing robe with ethereal beauty. He'd be blind not to differentiate her to mortals .
Chufeng scoffed saying. "You are too wise to be called a mortal. Did you descend from heaven too? And besides I bet you will never find any drinker as good as me."
Jiang Yunxian ignores her question but he smiled. "Fine, may the best win. But don't cry if you lose."
Chufeng has only glared before ordering more wine.
But looking at her now, with her startled expression, her eyes looked. Like they were curved out from onions. Round and big. Only her uneven breathing kept him thinking that this person has a human figure, though he doesn't know which creature she is originally from.
Jiang Yunxian blinked. Then looked both Xing Yue and Guo N'Yang, then laughed so quietly that it could be mistaken for a sigh.
"Right. Of course."
He waved one hand. "Friends. Enemies. Rivals. Nemeses." He shrugged.
"It is not like I knew your history from the beginning."
Only then did Xing Yue realize how dramatic their reaction had been. She coughed awkwardly and looked away.
Beside her, Guo N'Yang silently grabbed a nearby cup and drank whatever liquid remained inside.
She did not even check what it was.
The expression on her face suggested she no longer cared. Around them, the brothel slowly returned to life.
The musicians continued playing. Customers resumed conversations. Servants replaced broken cups. Somewhere near the counter, the owner continued mourning the destruction of his wine supply.
Meanwhile, beneath warm lantern light and surrounded by empty jars, immortals, mortals, rivals, and drunkards occupied the same table.
And somehow—
Against all reason—
None of them had noticed that the night outside had grown unusually quiet.
___
Morning arrived far sooner than any of them expected.
The vibrant chaos that had consumed the brothel throughout the night had long since faded into the sluggish quietness that always followed excess. Lanterns that once burned brightly now flickered weakly, their oil nearly exhausted. The air inside carried the lingering scents of stale wine, extinguished incense, and the unmistakable evidence of too many people making poor decisions at unreasonable hours.
Sunlight slipped through the carved wooden windows in thin golden strips, stretching across overturned cups, abandoned plates, and exhausted bodies scattered throughout the establishment.
None of them had gone home.
At some point during the night, finding rooms had become unnecessary. Or impossible. Perhaps there had been no empty rooms left. Perhaps leaving at such an hour had seemed troublesome. Perhaps they had simply been too exhausted to care.
Or maybe—They had all become lazy.
Whatever the reason, they had remained where they sat.
And they were not alone.
Several customers still occupied chairs and tables in awkward sleeping positions. A merchant slept hugging an empty wine jar like it was a treasured possession. Another man snored loudly beneath a staircase. Nearby, the pot-bellied customer who had contributed most of the noise during Jiang Yunxian and Chufeng's drinking competition remained asleep across three chairs pushed together.
Judging by his size and the fact that nobody had bothered moving him, it was obvious he had simply been abandoned there. After all, the waiters and attendants were hired for appearance as much as service. Asking those beautifully dressed workers to drag an unconscious mountain of a man across the building was unrealistic.
Chufeng woke first. Or rather—Her hangover woke first. Her eyes snapped open. Regret followed immediately. The color drained from her face so quickly that even Xing Yue, who had only opened one eye, noticed.
Without warning, Chufeng shot upward from her chair, stumbled into a nearby table, apologized to nobody in particular, then rushed outside.
Seconds later—
The sound of violent vomiting echoed faintly from beyond the doorway.
Guo N'Yang, still asleep, remained entirely unaffected. Xing Yue slowly sat upright and rubbed her temples. Her back hurt. Her neck hurt. Her patience hurt.
She glanced toward Jiang Yunxian. Still asleep. Naturally. Then toward Guo N'Yang. Who had woken up seconds after her, yawning, then, shaking of her sleepy head.
Xing Yue considered her options carefully.
Then chose violence.
"No alcohol for you if you do not wake up."
The reaction was immediate.
Jiang Yunxian's eyes opened.
Instantly. He sat upright with shocking speed.
Guo N'Yang stared. "Like that?" she asked slowly.
Xing Yue nodded proudly.
"In case you encounter situations like this in the future, remember the threat," she whispered conspiratorially. "And say it like you mean it."
Guo N'Yang scoffed. "As if I would use such methods."
She looked toward Jiang Yunxian.
"He is not a log. He is merely a strange human."
"I heard that," Jiang Yunxian muttered.
Before anyone could continue arguing, Chufeng returned.
Or rather—She staggered back. Her face remained pale. Her steps lacked coordination. She looked like someone personally betrayed by alcohol itself.
Then—
A scream shattered the morning quiet.
It was sharp. Piercing. Terrified. Every lingering trace of sleep disappeared instantly
"Help!"
Another scream followed.
"Ghost!"
The four exchanged looks before rushing toward the sound.
People were already gathering.
Customers stumbled half-awake toward the noise. Servants abandoned trays. Even the dancers from last night had appeared, though now without stage makeup and bright smiles.
At the center of the growing crowd stood the younger musician from the previous evening—the girl who played the piper.
Her entire body shook violently. Tears streamed down her face.
"What happened?" someone asked gently.
The girl pointed toward a nearby doorway with trembling fingers.
"I went to wake my sister," she cried. "She... she was dead."
Her breathing became uneven. "It looked like the deaths from before."
Those words immediately changed everything. Guo N'Yang pushed forward.
She entered the room. Then stopped.
The corpse lay unnaturally twisted. Skin pale. Eyes open. Expression frozen somewhere between terror and disbelief.
The room itself felt wrong. Not because of blood. Not because of death. Because of familiarity.
Guo N'Yang frowned.
She had spent over a millennium inside libraries and archives. She should not recognize scenes like this.
Yet—She did. Or rather—
The memory Xing Yue forced into her consciousness last night recognized it.
The similarity unsettled her immediately.
Behind her, the younger musician collapsed beside the doorway.
"My sister..." she sobbed. "My sister..."
The crying continued. And continued.
And continued. Eventually—
Guo N'Yang snapped.
"What are you crying for?" she shouted suddenly. Everyone froze.
"She is dead."
The words landed heavily. "The dead cannot return simply because you cry louder."
Her voice sharpened further.
"Stop crying and allow me to think."
Silence. Then outrage.
"How dare she say that?"
"Does she not have empathy?"
"What kind of person speaks like this?"
"She must be suspicious!"
"Yes!"
"This is exactly how murderers behave!"
"Get out!"
"Leave before we throw you out ourselves!"
Insults flew from every direction. Guo N'Yang stood unmoving.
Truthfully—
The words hurt less than people assumed.
Not because she lacked feelings. Because emotions inside her had always been difficult things. Embarrassment. Anger.
Annoyance.
Those she understood. Things like..
Fear? Concern? Compassion?
Those emotions often emerged twisted into sharper forms.
She was concerned. She was disturbed.
She simply did not know how to display either gently.
And despite everything—she still did not care what strangers thought.
"She did not mean it that way," Xing Yue quickly explained. The crowd barely listened.
"She notices details quickly," Xing Yue continued. "The crying distracted her."
People grew even angrier.
"I did not ask for your defense," Guo N'Yang muttered. Then added coldly,
"I can handle nuisances myself."
The tension worsened. Several people moved closer. One angry customer pointed directly at her. Another shoved forward.
Chufeng immediately stepped between them.
"Please calm down—"
She never finished that sentence before someone from the crowd swung a wooden stick. It struck her shoulder. The sound echoed. Everything changed.
Both Xing Yue and Chufeng knew one thing about Guo N'Yang.
You never touched what belonged under her protection.
Never.
Guo N'Yang's eyes changed instantly.
It changed the color of a blood moon. Red, blazing red. Spiritual pressure flickered around her. The air itself seemed heavier.
Several nearby people instinctively stepped back.
She raised her hand. Power gathered.
Anger surged.
Then— before she could use it, a hand touched her back. Guo N'Yang turned sharply. Jiang Yunxian stood behind her.
Completely calm. His palm rested lightly against her shoulder blade.
"Let go!" she snapped. She pulled.
Nothing happened. She tried harder.
Still nothing. For reasons she could not understand, his grip felt immovable.
Not painful. Not forceful. Just impossible to escape.
"Let us go," Jiang Yunxian said quietly.
No anger. No panic. Just certainty. Guo N'Yang wanted to resist. Wanted to argue.
Wanted to return. Yet somehow, she found herself walking.
Xing Yue followed immediately. Chufeng followed while holding her shoulder.
Behind them, the crowd remained noisy.
The dead remained inside.
And somewhere beneath Guo N'Yang's anger, one uncomfortable realization quietly settled into place. Guo N'Yang would never show her face there again. Because the people remembers people. Remembers attitude. And they definitely will never forget.
Yet, Guo N'Yang didn't seem to care.