Chapter Fifty-Two: Finding the Male Concubine (Part Two)

She knew well that the others had hidden themselves too, so after leaving Xu Yuan, she changed her course. Following the memories of her original self, Xie Yingying sought out many secret places and indeed found several other male companions. She dragged them out one by one, handing each a hastily written letter of dismissal.

Most of these men, upon receiving the letter, reacted much the same, all asking her, "Why?" Though she felt weary at heart, Xie Yingying patiently replied, expressing her thoughts and speaking with them earnestly.

That they willingly departed was no surprise to Xie Yingying. After all, no one’s existence hinges upon another. Moreover, their cultivation was not weak—at least at the Nascent Soul stage—and their looks were certainly above average. Since Xie Yingying had resolved to send them away, how could they cling to the identity of a Nascent Soul Lord and risk entanglement? Such rumors would tarnish their reputation, subjecting them to ridicule wherever they went.

There were some who, disregarding fame and profit, simply wished to remain at Xie Yingying’s side. These could be counted on one hand. Although she felt softened by their devotion, Xie Yingying had already made up her mind. For this type of man, she asked them to return and wait.

She turned and left to find the next group, her thoughts wandering to scenes of modern-day company layoffs, realizing there were certain similarities to her current situation.

As the sun sank, the night descended—not with the warm golden haze of the Immortal Sect’s realm, but with a sky suffused in blood-red darkness, heavy enough to stifle the breath.

At that moment, a red moon rose slowly from the horizon—sun and moon briefly sharing the sky, illuminating the desolate land of the Evil Sect.

Xie Yingying, exhausted from her day, was already yawning. Her stack of dismissal letters had been depleted, so she made her way to the rear palace.

Several people waited there for her; with a glance, Xie Yingying noticed Gu Ruohan was absent.

She gestured to the stone bench by the sea of silk trees, smiling, "Sit first."

They exchanged glances, uncertain of her intentions, but eventually took their seats, gazing at her with reluctant affection.

Xie Yingying entwined her slender fingers, hands clasped, and laughed softly, "Thank you for staying."

At her words, joy brightened their faces.

"But I've already made up my mind. I'm sorry," Xie Yingying’s expression was helpless yet resolute, hoping to reason with them and appeal to their emotions. "I no longer wish to practice the Dao of Love. Over these years, I’ve seen clearly how those around me are, especially since returning from Gu Feng Mountain, my health has only worsened. Your presence brings no benefit, neither to you nor to me."

She paused, feigning deliberation before continuing, "Besides, I wish to seek my own true path. You’ll support me, won’t you?"

They nodded in unison.

Seeing this, Xie Yingying felt secretly delighted, though her face remained steadfast, her gaze slightly indifferent, as if their departure meant nothing to her.

They noticed this and understood that forcing themselves to stay would only earn her displeasure.

Xie Yingying brushed imaginary dust from her sleeve, stood up, and smiled gently, "Farewell, everyone. I wish you well."

This time, none tried to stop her.

She walked slowly out of the vast palace, her figure cold and unfeeling, but inside, she was jubilant, thrilled.

Rounding the corner, Xie Yingying covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes gleaming with cunning and delight.

Yet Gu Ruohan remained. Whenever she thought of him, her heart recoiled. She wanted to seek him out, but drowsiness swept over her.

Yawning and covering her mouth, she mused, "I'll come for you later. If I don’t rid myself of you in the next few days, I won’t be Xie Yingying!"

With that, she found herself at the door of her sleeping chambers. Clusters of silk flowers spilled everywhere; the blood-red sun had sunk, its afterglow withdrawn, replaced by a strange red moon shining overhead.

From somewhere came a wild, rasping laughter, echoing through every barren corner of the Evil Sect.

Under the influence of her former self, Xie Yingying felt no fear, as if she had grown accustomed to such things. Had she still been in the twenty-first century, she would have burrowed under her covers, unable to sleep all night.

She opened the door, collapsed onto the soft silk bedding, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

Gu Ruohan emerged from the shadows, his gaze icy as he looked at Xie Yingying’s chamber door—his eyes darker than the night sky itself.

He entered the chamber, easily passing through its array formations. His robe brushed against the silk flower petals, making them sway gently, their subtle fragrance lingering at his nose.

The courtyard held not only silk flowers, but also crabapple, azalea, and red spider lilies. At this time, the spider lilies showed only green leaves, the brilliant, exotic petals yet unseen.

There was a stone table and several stone benches, as well as a pavilion beside a small pond where withered lotus flowers floated, their remains gnawed by red-eyed, fanged fish.

Gu Ruohan seated himself in the pavilion, from his vantage point, able to see the door to Xie Yingying’s chamber.

His eyes narrowed, his expression cold as a winter’s night, his aura foreboding, like a storm about to break.

Inside the chamber, Xie Yingying was oblivious to his arrival, sleeping deeply.

In her dream, she spiraled downward, unsure where she would land or when she might touch the ground.

Gritting her teeth to overcome her fear of heights, she looked down and saw vibrant life close at hand.

Snow capped the peaks of the forests, demon beasts awakened slowly in the spring of Gu Feng Mountain, tender green bamboo shoots broke through the earth, birds and spirit cranes returned to their homeland, singing in the dawn.

She stared in awe, finally landing softly on a patch of green grass.

A figure approached from the distance, severe in demeanor, with a short black beard and meticulously neat attire. His eyes held the thunderous dignity of a storm.

Xie Yingying recognized him: Elder Qi Si of the Celestial Fox clan, the elder who disliked her most.

This thought left her disoriented, unsure whether she was dreaming or awake, as if caught in the mystical uncertainty of Zhuang Zhou dreaming of the blue butterfly.

Elder Qi Si walked up with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze upon Xie Yingying colder still, his expression stern as he rebuked, "Xie Yingying, how dare you sneak out again? The Young Emperor gave orders for you to remain in the courtyard, and now you refuse to listen! For a wicked woman like you to marry the Young Emperor is fortune earned over eight lifetimes, yet you are so ungrateful, so disobedient!"

Xie Yingying was stunned.

Behind him, another elder approached, older still, stroking his white beard, appearing kindly, though his look toward Xie Yingying was full of contempt and disdain.

He patted Elder Qi Si’s shoulder and sighed, "Qi Si, why bother saying so much? Just drag her back."

At his words, Xie Yingying’s pupils shrank, and her primordial energy surged wildly once more.