Chapter Twenty-Eight: Shen Ruru

After Ning Qingqing left, Xie Yingying, who had stayed up half the night, was already yawning. She had been exhausted to begin with, woken abruptly from her sleep, then had to oversee the transfer of the Purple Gold Bell, and now dawn was nearly breaking!

Displeased, Xie Yingying pouted and fell into bed, drifting off to sleep at once, even forgetting to cover herself with the quilt. Throughout the night, a chilly breeze kept blowing in, lifting the hem of her clothes and letting the cold seep in, but she was oblivious, merely turning over and sinking deeper into sleep.

By the next day, when the sun reached its zenith and the heat was at its peak, Xie Yingying awoke with a stuffy nose and icy cold hands and feet. Struggling to her feet, she felt aches throughout her body and a dizzying headache that nearly made her collapse, though she barely managed to steady herself.

Her stomach churned, and she frowned, nearly retching. Was this possible? Weren’t cultivators supposed to have resilient bodies? Why was hers so weak? One night of cold wind and she was already like this!

Xie Yingying looked utterly troubled as she touched her feet, cold as jade, then climbed back into bed, wrapping herself tightly in the covers.

Before long, she had fallen back into a deep sleep.

Eventually, it was only because a maid, thinking Xie Yingying hadn’t woken all day and fearing she might have died inside, nervously checked her breathing. Finding she was still alive, the maid sighed in relief and then began calling anxiously by her ear, “Wake up, wake up! Are you alright?”

Xie Yingying slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to see the same maid from before.

Seeing her awake, the maid said coolly, “You’ve slept almost a whole day and haven’t eaten.”

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Xie Yingying finally sat up, rinsed her mouth with tea, washed her face at the basin, and sat at the table, eyeing the cold, untouched food.

Unable to suppress another yawn, she turned her head and smiled faintly at the maid nearby.

That smile instantly reminded the maid of the time she’d been kidnapped by Xie Yingying, making her heart skip a beat. Stammering, she asked, “Is… is there something you need?”

“Nothing,” Xie Yingying replied as she stifled another yawn. “I just want you to warm up the food. I’ve caught a chill.”

Hearing that all she wanted was the food reheated, the maid hurried out with the tray, as if lingering a moment longer would have meant being devoured by Xie Yingying herself.

Watching the maid’s departing figure, Xie Yingying suddenly thought that her reputation as the daughter of an evil sect did have its uses.

After eating, Xie Yingying grew bored and sat by the window, gazing out across Jade Emerald Mountain, where the snow had melted.

The mountain, aside from its lush greenery, was now strung with red silk ribbons winding upward, and lanterns painted with auspicious words and festive scenes hung from every branch, creating an atmosphere both grand and jubilant.

Yet for all this, the paths were nearly deserted, with only a few solitary figures making their way up the mountain in the sunlight, their expressions calm but discontented, as if even stepping outside was an annoyance, lending an air of chill to the scene.

The more Xie Yingying looked, the more stifled she felt. Already in a bad mood from her cold, her spirits sank further.

The date of the divorce was drawing near, yet she was utterly powerless. Not only was she watched at all times, but now there was the Purple Gold Bell as well.

Granted, the Purple Gold Bell didn’t slaughter everyone in its path, but who knew how it judged who deserved its wrath?

Suddenly, a wave of oppressive force crashed down on her, making her heart pound with unease and her legs nearly buckle. The pressure mounted, as if a giant dragon were pressing down on an ant, squeezing the breath from her chest and filling her mouth with a metallic tang.

A figure in white drifted down before her.

With a violent cough, Xie Yingying spat out a mouthful of blood.

She had already strained her core several times, spent the previous night chilled to the bone, and now, with her soul battered by this force, she could bear it no longer.

A cold laugh sounded. “So, I heard Sheng Yun had finally chosen someone to marry, so I came to see her for myself. I didn’t expect the one he plans to marry is the infamous Xie Yingying of the evil sect. How different from the rumors—you’re nothing but an ant, unable to even withstand my presence!”

Xie Yingying looked up at the newcomer to see a beautiful woman standing before her, with a fresh, elegant air, crimson lips, and flawless teeth—a presence so striking that even Xie Yingying was momentarily dazed.

Yet her face was full of scorn and disdain, marring the natural beauty with an air of arrogance that made her less captivating.

Xie Yingying had never seen her before and was puzzled, but the implication in her words made it clear—another woman in love with Bai Shengyun.

Wiping the blood from her chin, Xie Yingying felt a surge of anger but, lacking allies here and with the other woman clearly familiar with the place—not to mention that none of the hidden guards had stirred at her arrival—she had no choice but to swallow her indignation and silently try to guess her identity.

Unable to figure it out, Xie Yingying simply said, “I don’t like Bai Shengyun, nor do I want to marry him. If you want him not to marry me, just go and tell him yourself.”

At these words, the woman’s eyes narrowed.

She’d met many women, none of whom could resist Bai Shengyun’s charm, often pursuing him relentlessly—yet here was Xie Yingying, claiming she held no affection for him. It was truly unexpected.

“Is that so?” she asked, dubious.

Xie Yingying nodded, “Truly. I have absolutely no feelings for Bai Shengyun.”

The woman clearly wanted Xie Yingying to refuse the marriage, but recalling the rules of the Celestial Fox Clan, she ground her teeth and said nothing.

Then, her gaze fell on something gleaming—Xie Yingying’s Purple Gold Bell, fastened at her ankle, instantly recognized.

Her expression turned fierce and icy, and she summoned a surge of spiritual power. “And you still say you don’t like him?”

Xie Yingying grew anxious, nearly cursing, but managed to hold back and quickly raised her hands. “Wait—let me explain! Bai Shengyun gave me this; I didn’t want it, but he forced the Purple Gold Bell to recognize me as its master.”

Seeing the fury on the woman’s face, she added urgently, “I want to leave Bai Shengyun too. Can you help me? I swear, if there’s even a word of falsehood in what I say, may I die on the spot!”

Knowing there were hidden guards present, the woman withdrew her spiritual power, stepped out of the formation, and lowered her hand.

As Xie Yingying felt the oppressive force dissipate, she realized only then that she was drenched in cold sweat.

“If you dare deceive me, I’ll personally see you destroyed,” the woman said, her gaze dark and menacing.

Xie Yingying replied at once, resolute, “I would never deceive you. And when the time comes, I’ll have no regrets about leaving Bai Shengyun! But first, you have to help me escape from Jade Emerald Mountain.”

Seeing the unwavering resolve on Xie Yingying’s face, the woman hesitated, then said, “You must promise me—once you leave Jade Emerald Mountain, you will never return, and you will swear an oath afterwards.”

“Agreed!” Xie Yingying answered without a second thought.

With the formation about to fail and her departure imminent, the woman revealed her name before leaving: “I am Shen Ruru.”