Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In my flowing red dress, I stood out like a sore thumb among the crowd of Fairies dressed in snowy white and pale blue.

Because of the scandalous rumors surrounding me and Cangyu, the assembly of immortals had plenty of nasty things to say about this “sultry vixen” in their midst, yet none dared to voice their criticisms openly.

I heard that Choulu had walked in on our tryst and gone back to cry for an entire day.

Just as her emotions were beginning to stabilize, Sihun broke off their engagement, causing her to wail for another two days.

I had to balance maintaining my demoness persona with figuring out how to return the cultivation I owed Cangyu so we could settle our debts as soon as possible.

I had brazenly built my palace right next to Cangyu Hall.

Our residences were like two extremes, existing in a state of eternal day and eternal night.

His place was cold and lonely, with only a sword and a single tree for company.

Meanwhile, the scenery at my Fangfei Hall was always exquisite. Peach blossoms carpeted the ground through all four seasons, blooming until they reached Tumi, never withering.

“You really have no romantic sense,” I said, reclining on a couch in Fangfei Hall and tossing a grape into my mouth. “What’s so bad about Choulu?”

Sihun leaned against me lazily. He caught my hand and kissed the juice from my fingertips.

“You’re the one with no romantic sense. What’s so bad about me, Sihun?”

“You’re great in every way, except for one thing.” I pressed a finger against his lips. “You aren’t Cangyu.”

“I’m not Cangyu, and that’s exactly why I like you.” Sihun leaned over me without hesitation. “If I had known back then, I would have taken you to my Sihun Hall right after the palace banquet. Forget half my cultivation-I would have gladly given you my life.”

He spoke those words, and he had protected me just as fiercely.

When the Heavenly Tribulation for my ascension struck, he had raised a hand to block half of it for me.

When other Fairies murmured their disapproval, he only sneered.

“Why don’t you try being a Half-Deity Half-Monster and endure this lightning strike yourselves?”

He had easily neutralized half of those Ninety-Nine Heavenly Tribulations, then held me while I was on the verge of death from the lightning.

I remembered Siyuan telling me:

“If you want to return the Inner Core and cultivation to him, you either have to perform Dual Cultivation with him again, or strip the Inner Core and cultivation from yourself.”

How would I ever dare provoke Cangyu again? Did I have a death wish?

I had tried to strip the Monster King’s Inner Core and Cangyu’s cultivation from my body, but the backlash nearly shattered my soul.

It had fallen on Sihun to stay by my side at Fangfei Hall, tirelessly tending to my meridians.

“You’re so stubborn.”

Noticing the guilt in my eyes, his peach-blossom eyes shimmered with his usual playfulness.

“Little Peach Blossom, Dual Cultivation is much faster. How about I drug him…”

Every time he started acting indecent, the guilt in my heart vanished instantly, and I would reach out to smack him.

“Still thinking about how to give those things back to him?”

As I was lost in thought, he picked up a grape and fed it to me.

When I tried to resist, he whispered in my ear, “Cangyu is here.”

In that moment of distraction, he got his way. His fingertip brushed over my lips, catching the grape juice.

But there was no sign of Cangyu anywhere.

Seeing the fury on my face, he looked aggrieved. “I’ve been acting in this play with you for so long. Can’t I collect a little interest?”

“Sihun,” I sighed. “The acting is getting out of hand. If the Empress of Heaven finds out there’s something real between us, she’ll definitely kill me.”

Sihun was a relative of the Empress of Heaven; I wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him.

Sihun played along with my act so I could use him to distance myself from Cangyu, ensuring Cangyu wouldn’t feel obligated to take responsibility for me. In exchange, he used my reputation to break his engagement and keep the high-ranking Celestial Maidens from pestering him.

However, because of this, whenever Cangyu passed by my Fangfei Hall, his gaze was cold and filled with what seemed like contempt.

This was fine.

Just as Sihun was suggestively licking the grape juice from my fingertip, Cangyu walked past with a dark expression.

“He’s misunderstood you again. Now he hates you even more,” Sihun said, sounding quite pleased with himself.

“What’s wrong with him hating me?”

I was perfectly optimistic. I pulled out the Red Threads Siyuan Shangxian had given me and leisurely began to knit a sweater.

“This is…” Sihun’s face darkened as he watched me knit.

“Siyuan gave me two bundles of Red Threads. I had no use for them, so I figured I’d knit a sweater.”

“Didn’t Siyuan send those to help your luck in love?”

“Really? No wonder more immortals have been looking at me lately.” I had a sudden realization. “So that’s why.”

“I suggest you secretly tie those Red Threads to Cangyu. If he gives you his cultivation one more time, you can get rid of your half-monster status,” Sihun said with a serious face.

“If you keep annoying me, I’ll take your thread and knit long johns for the Emperor of Heaven to wear,” I threatened, narrowing my eyes.

“…You’re the cruel one.”

Sihun knew I was close with Siyuan and that I was the type to follow through on my word.

After Sihun left, I stared blankly at the Red Threads in my hand. As if possessed, I unraveled the sweater. The thread wasn’t too long or too short; if I tied it to my wrist, it was just enough to tie the other end to Cangyu’s.

My face flushed, and I immediately shook my head to banish the thought.

Even though I had to pay him back, I couldn’t use the method Sihun suggested. What if he killed me in a fit of rage?

As I thought this, a sudden gust of wind blew the bundle of Red Threads onto the ancient tree in front of Cangyu Hall.

I crept toward Cangyu Hall and carefully climbed the tree, trying my best not to disturb him.

Once I grabbed the Red Threads, I couldn’t help but look at Cangyu.

From the tree, I could see him sitting in meditation with his eyes closed. When the wind blew past my palace, it would carry a few peach blossom petals into his hair and onto his hands.

He was truly handsome, with cold, sharp features like a mountain of eternal snow.

Sihun had mentioned that he was once part of the Golden Crow Clan, responsible for the rising and setting of the sun and the natural order of the Mortal Realm.

Perhaps I stared for too long, as his long lashes fluttered slightly, as if he were about to wake.

Oh no!

In my panic to find a place to hide, my foot slipped, and I tumbled straight down.

The pain I expected never came. I cautiously opened my eyes.

Cangyu had caught me.

Being of the Golden Crow Clan, he had hair like raven feathers and golden eyes.

At that moment, my arms were hooked around his neck and my legs were wrapped around his waist. I looked every bit the sultry vixen.

His expression remained cold, but the tips of his ears had quietly turned red.

I hurriedly jumped down and put on a cold face, holding up the Red Threads to prove my innocence.

“I have no interest in you! I was just picking up something I dropped!”

With that, I turned and fled before he could even speak.

I left him standing there, frozen in place.