Soon Yan Wan arrived with the human envoy in tow.
“Father! Mother! Your son has failed you! You’ll have to bury me before my time! If fate allows, we’ll be a family again in our next lives! Aaaaaah! Help! I don’t want to die!”
His wailing drew closer. Unfortunately, Qiu Qi’s hearing was exceptionally sharp. By the time the envoy reached her, she felt as if his voice were about to rattle her brains apart.
“Stop! Quiet!”
She held up one hand.
“Who said I was going to kill you?”
The young man’s face was a mess of tears and snot. He glanced at Qiu Qi with tear-filled eyes, then immediately lowered his head and began to tremble.
“Sniff… I was wrong, Beast God. Please spare this dog’s life.”
“Wonderful. Another one who can’t understand plain speech.”
Qiu Qi let out a long breath and planted both hands on her hips.
Seeing her stance, the envoy grew even more frantic. He opened his mouth, clearly about to start wailing again, but Pei Yuqing reacted quickly and stuffed the handkerchief she had just used to wipe Qiu Qi’s hands into his mouth.
“My lady told you to be quiet. Can you do that?”
“Mmph—mm-hmm!”
Once the envoy finally settled down, Qiu Qi walked over and crouched in front of him, bringing her eyes level with his kneeling form.
“Is your head clear now? You can understand what I’m saying, right?”
“Mm-hmm!”
“Good.”
Qiu Qi snapped her fingers behind her. Pei Yuqing then handed over the letter Qiu Qi had written earlier. Her chicken-scratch handwriting looked surprisingly respectable once tucked into an elegant envelope.
Qiu Qi took it and stuffed it into the front of the envoy’s robe.
“Take this letter back to your leader and show it to him. Can you do that?”
“Mmph—mm-mmph!”
“If you can, nod twice. If you can’t, shake your head.”
The envoy nodded frantically, so hard it seemed his neck might snap off at any moment.
“Okay, we’re done.”
Qiu Qi clapped her hands and stood up, then turned to Yan Wan.
“Butler, see him out.”
Yan Wan nodded in assent. She did not seem curious about the letter in the slightest. With one hand, she grabbed the envoy by the back of his neck and carried him away like a chick.
It was only after they left the room that the envoy remembered to pull the handkerchief from his mouth. The cloth tasted bitter with ink.
He trembled and cast a sidelong glance at the eerie old woman walking beside him without making a sound.
“You’re not waiting until I leave and then stabbing me in the back, are you?”
Yan Wan kept her eyes straight ahead.
“My lady only instructed me to take you as far as the gate.”
The envoy grew even more terrified.
“No way… You really are going to kill me?”
To him, taking him to the gate clearly meant killing him there and sending him to the next world. His seniors had been right: no envoy sent to the beastfolk ever had a good ending. If the Saintess had not singled him out personally, he would never have waded into this mess.
“Please, spare me! I’ll give you anything you want!”
At that, Yan Wan finally reacted. She turned around and looked him straight in the eye.
“Money. I like money.”
“Fine! Fine, fine, fine! I’ll give you everything I have!”
The envoy began pulling things out of his pockets, starting with a battered coin purse and then a cheap jade pendant. When Yan Wan’s expression remained completely impassive, his heart seized up. In a panic, he began stripping off his clothes.
“This uniform was bestowed upon me by the Saintess! The embroidered patterns are made with genuine gold thread, and the gemstones on this hat—”
“Hurry up.”
Yan Wan cut off his rambling.
“Once you’re finished, be on your way. I need to hurry back and prepare lunch.”
“All… all done…”
The envoy quickly stripped down to nothing but a pair of shorts. He stood at the gate, wrapping his bare arms around himself and shivering.
“Mm. Make sure you deliver the letter properly.”
Yan Wan calmly picked out a few valuable items from the pile of “trash.”
“Goodbye. I won’t see you any farther.”
“Thank you, Granny! You’re my savior!”
The envoy wiped his nose and ran off without looking back.
“Come back.”
Yan Wan’s deep voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Is… is there something else?”
“Call me Sister.”
“Yes, yes! Thank you, Sister! Thank you, beautiful lady! I’ll remember your great kindness forever!”
“Get lost.”
…
At long last, with the key to the study in hand, Qiu Qi hurried there.
Most of the books in the study had come as tribute from the humans, and some dated back thousands of years.
Following the memories of the body’s former owner, Qiu Qi walked toward the innermost part of the bookcase. She eventually stopped in front of the second-to-last tier, rose onto her tiptoes, and laboriously pulled down a thick volume covered in dust.
“Whew! Cough, cough… Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey.”
After blowing the dust off the cover, Qiu Qi could finally make out the title: *Five-Element Spirit Arts*.
She first took out the key to the Profound Ice Ring, which had been hidden inside the middle of the book, and then began reading. The spirit arts described in it seemed to be the same kind practiced by elves and humans.
Just as the title suggested, the Five-Element Spirit Arts were based on five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Incantations served as the medium through which the arts were cast.
The first human ever discovered to be capable of using spirit arts was a descendant born of a human royal and an elf. That person was also the first to be capable of using all five elemental arts.
From that prince onward, all his descendants inherited his talent. Ordinary people could generally only use one element. Those with greater aptitude might manage two or three.
An all-element spirit caster like the Saintess had not appeared in more than a century. No wonder the humans worshiped her like a god.
With the comprehension she had honed through years of chewing through reference books, Qiu Qi quickly grasped the basics of spirit arts.
First, she needed elven blood. Second, she only had to memorize enough incantations and practice diligently.
But bloodline was the real deciding factor. Many people could work hard for ten years and still fail to match the power of a pureblood’s single chant:
“Balala, Little Magic Fairy—transform!”
“Tch. That’s it?”
Qiu Qi had assumed that a book hidden so carefully would at least contain some legendary martial-arts manual on the level of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. Instead, it was nothing more than a collection of incantations.
Her eyes fell on the cup of water on the desk.
Why not give it a try?
“%&%*…&%*”
As soon as the words left her lips, the water in the cup rose into the air. It transformed into a column of water and shot toward the direction indicated by Qiu Qi’s finger.
“Wow! It really works?”
Qiu Qi’s eyes widened.
She had not felt much amazement when Pei Yuqing had nearly frozen her to death the previous night. But the moment she cast spirit arts herself, a fresh, giddy delight blossomed in her heart.
She flipped through a few more pages, chose something more difficult, and recited another incantation.
“%*…$%*&&%*$&”
As soon as she finished, she willed the water column hanging in the air to rise higher. It transformed into the shape of an arrow.
Qiu Qi made a slight motion with her index finger and pointed at the floor. The water arrow suddenly accelerated and plunged headfirst into the ground.
After a loud bang, water splashed in every direction. The floor was left with nothing more than a small hole half a knuckle deep.
Although its destructive power was negligible, Qiu Qi was already very satisfied. She had never expected that casually reciting a few lines could produce such a powerful effect.
Once she had played to her heart’s content, an important question suddenly occurred to her.
Why could she, a member of the beastfolk, use spirit arts?
After rummaging through the former owner’s jumbled memories, Qiu Qi quickly found the answer.
The body’s former owner had always killed any god who crossed her path and any Buddha who stood in it. Never mind the countless beastfolk she had tormented—her hands were also stained with the lives of many other races.
She had even killed more than ten formidable elves, each one powerful enough to challenge an entire army alone.
Humans had to pray to every god and Buddha that they would inherit a little more talent. Qiu Qi had no need for that. The former owner’s method of acquiring spiritual energy was practically the same as swallowing it whole, and her absorption rate was nearly one hundred percent.
The reason the former owner had never thought to read this book was simply that she had looked down on it. She was already invincible beneath the heavens, so why waste time memorizing this sort of thing?
Besides, she hated reading and writing more than anything.
That brute might not have known a treasure when she saw one, but Qiu Qi did.
Qiu Qi happily hugged the book.
“I’m memorizing this book, no matter what!”
She wiped the entire volume clean from cover to cover, then placed it beside the copy of *Illustrated Guide to the World’s Weapons* she had brought with her, right in the most conspicuous spot on the desk.
…
Spirit arts were worth practicing, but the first thing Qiu Qi needed to deal with was the Profound Ice Ring.
She took up some paper and a brush and began drafting a plan.
First, removing the ring would inevitably cause pain and damage to flesh and skin. She had to search for herbs that could serve as an anesthetic in this world.
Second was the problem of massive blood loss. But Pei Yuqing had already obtained merfolk blood, so Qiu Qi could set aside the matter of a hemostatic agent for now.
“Mm… what else?”
She scribbled and crossed things out throughout the morning. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep face-down on the desk while still writing.
Before lunch, Pei Yuqing came to the study looking for her.
She first raised her hand and knocked on the door. After waiting a while without receiving a response, she gently pushed it open.
The writing desk faced the doorway and sat in the brightest spot in the room. When the door opened, the harsh noonday sunlight poured inside and fell across the face of the person lying on the desk.
Qiu Qi’s right cheek was pressed against the tabletop. Her long lashes rested against her cheeks, giving her a docile appearance. Sunlight passing through her hair lent it a soft, warm-brown sheen.
She was sleeping soundly, still clutching a writing brush. The fingers she had finally cleaned were once again smeared with grimy ink. Her rosy lips moved several times, as though she were muttering in her sleep.
“Anesthetic… stop the bleeding… Wife, it won’t hurt…”
Pei Yuqing turned around and closed the door, blocking out the glaring light. Then she quieted her footsteps and walked over to Qiu Qi, bending down to look at the paper pinned beneath her body.
When writing to the Saintess, Qiu Qi had deliberately used traditional characters. In her private drafts, however, she had completely let herself go, using simplified characters in an atrocious scrawl.
Fortunately, the two scripts still shared enough similarities. After squinting at the page and deciphering it for a while, Pei Yuqing could roughly work out what Qiu Qi meant.
Combining that with the keywords Qiu Qi had been muttering, Pei Yuqing arrived at a guess that seemed utterly impossible to her.
Qiu Qi was worried about her.
Pei Yuqing composed herself and took advantage of this rare opportunity to carefully study the person before her. It was still the same face, and even standing beside Qiu Qi, she could still sense the terrifying power of the beast essence orb within her.
But…
Pei Yuqing lowered her eyes. Her gaze moved over Qiu Qi’s disheveled collar, then to the chubby cheek flattened against the desk, and finally followed the curve of her pale-pink lips to the suspicious wet mark on the paper.
Where had this utterly natural, adorably foolish air come from?
Once the thought surfaced, Pei Yuqing could not stop the corner of her lips from twitching into a smile that was half genuine and half mocking. If anyone else knew that she had mentally labeled this murderous fiend adorably foolish, they would probably question whether she had gone blind.
“Mm…”
Perhaps the scrutiny above her was too conspicuous. Qiu Qi showed signs of waking. She opened her eyes and saw Pei Yuqing standing in front of her.
Her first thought was that she was still dreaming. She immediately opened her arms.
“Beauty? How did you get into my dream too? Come here and give me a hug!”
Pei Yuqing smiled.
“It’s broad daylight, my lady. You should wake up.”
Qiu Qi did not miss the faint chill of menace in her voice. If she had actually wrapped her arms around Pei Yuqing, the other woman could probably have broken them on the spot.
Qiu Qi slapped herself once to wake up, then flashed Pei Yuqing an okay sign.
“Okay, wife. I’m awake now.”
“What does ‘okay’ mean?”
“Uh… it means ‘good.'”
Pei Yuqing nodded.
“Then that’s good.”
Qiu Qi caught sight of the puddle of drool she had left on the desk while sleeping. Embarrassed, she hastily pulled the paper over it, folded it into a mess, and stuffed it inside her clothes.
Then she gave a dry laugh and looked at Pei Yuqing.
“Wife, what did you come looking for me about?”
“It’s time for lunch.”
“Lunch?”
Qiu Qi’s eyes lit up. She had rushed out that morning and only drunk a cup of tea. Her stomach was already growling.
“My wife really does care about me. I was just getting hungry!”
Pei Yuqing did not reply. She only nodded.
She had come to call Qiu Qi to lunch not because she was worried about whether Qiu Qi was hungry, but because of the rules of the household. As the head of the family, Qiu Qi had to eat before anyone else was allowed to start.
It was already well past mealtime, and everyone outside was starving, but no one dared come hurry her. They were afraid that, instead of getting a meal, they might lose their lives.
“Let’s go.”
Qiu Qi hopped down from her chair and took Pei Yuqing’s hand. When she tugged, however, Pei Yuqing did not move.
Pei Yuqing stood where she was and reminded her,
“My lady, there is ink on your hands.”
“Oh.”
Qiu Qi wiped her palm.
“Then I’ll go wash them.”
“There is ink on your face too.”
“On my face? Where?”
“Would you like me to help, my lady?”
“Wait!”
Qiu Qi hurriedly covered her face.
“I’d like to keep this face intact, thank you very much. I’ll wipe it myself! Don’t trouble yourself, wife.”
Pei Yuqing seemed amused by her panicked tone. The corner of her mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
“If you’re afraid it will hurt, I can be gentler. The dirty spots on your face are difficult for you to see.”
That was true. There were no mirrors nearby, and Qiu Qi would never be able to wipe her face clean by herself.
“All right. Just be gentle. I really am afraid of pain.”
Qiu Qi muttered under her breath.
“Of course, my lady.”
Pei Yuqing’s voice was soft.
She bent down, lifted Qiu Qi’s chin, and gently wiped her cheek with the handkerchief in her right hand.
This was the first time the two of them had been so close. They were close enough for Qiu Qi to count every single one of Pei Yuqing’s distinct eyelashes.
Qiu Qi instinctively softened her breathing, careful as though even the slightest disturbance might ruin something.
Pei Yuqing lowered her eyes and concentrated on wiping Qiu Qi’s face. By contrast, Qiu Qi’s heart raced at the warm breath that brushed her skin now and then.
She closed her eyes, only to feel Pei Yuqing’s clean, cool fragrance draw even nearer. Just as Qiu Qi was about to move, a gentle pressure pressed against her forehead and stopped her.
“Keep your eyes closed. There is ink at the corner of your eye too. I’ll wipe it away.”
“Mm.”
Qiu Qi obediently responded, silently complaining that she really was something. She had only taken a nap, yet she had somehow gotten ink all over her eyes.
Qiu Qi pressed her lips together and tried to look calm, but her curled fingers and trembling lashes betrayed the tension in her heart.
“All done.”
Pei Yuqing’s breath brushed the tip of her nose.
Qiu Qi nodded and opened her eyes. Pei Yuqing still had not withdrawn. Within her field of vision were the other woman’s perfectly formed jaw and long, pale neck.
Although her plain collar was buttoned up tightly to her throat, it gave her an ascetic, restrained allure that made it difficult for Qiu Qi to suppress the heat rising inside her.
Qiu Qi forcibly stopped her gaze from drifting lower toward the neckline and nervously swallowed.
“Wait. I’ll wet the cloth again.”
When the dampened handkerchief touched her cheek, it felt cool. Although Pei Yuqing was wearing gloves, Qiu Qi could still feel, through the thin fabric, that her fingertips were colder than water itself.
Qiu Qi could not help shrinking away slightly. She looked up at Pei Yuqing and asked nervously,
“Wife, yesterday I accidentally hurt you and caused the cold poison to enter your body. Are you feeling better now?”
Pei Yuqing’s expression did not change, but her eyes darkened. She continued wiping the smudge from Qiu Qi’s right cheek, her tone as casual as if they were discussing the dishes for lunch.
“I’m all right.”
“You don’t have to pretend. I’ve run the numbers. We can buy some of Gulao Mountain’s holy water from the humans. Don’t all you elves soak in it to restore your health? I’ll buy extra, and your body will recover soon.”
After reassuring her, Qiu Qi lifted her face and gave Pei Yuqing a bright smile.
Pei Yuqing’s hand stopped.
“Are you serious?”
Qiu Qi nodded. The cowlick on top of her head trembled with the motion.
“Of course. I’ve already worked out the cost. I’ll send Butler Yan to buy it in a little while.”
“Why?”
Pei Yuqing withdrew her hand and took a step back, putting some distance between them. Guardedness entered her eyes.
“What are you after?”
“After? Of course I want my wife to recover as soon as possible.”
Qiu Qi’s tone remained light, and her expression was so innocent that she seemed completely unaware of the battle-ready tension in the air.
“If I remember correctly, you told me you had amnesia, didn’t you?”
Pei Yuqing’s voice sounded like it belonged to an entirely different person. It was as though the brief warmth and intimacy from moments ago had merely been a daydream Qiu Qi had imagined.
“Before that, I only mentioned my gloves. How did you know that I could read minds? How did you remember that the key to the Profound Ice Ring was in the study? How did you know about my cold constitution? And… when did you learn to read and write?”
Qiu Qi met her gaze.
That sharp, icy look had filled the memories of the body’s former owner every day, but Qiu Qi could not force herself to become accustomed to it.
It was almost laughable. She had known Pei Yuqing for less than twenty-four hours, yet she felt that the warm, considerate woman from a moment ago was Pei Yuqing’s true self.
“I wasn’t lying.”
Qiu Qi gathered herself and turned serious, adopting an open and frank attitude.
“Because you tampered with my beast essence orb, the fusion between it and me went wrong. That indirectly left my memories in complete disarray.”
“You really are lying.”
Pei Yuqing’s expression changed. She raised her right hand, and a pale-blue orb of light slowly condensed in her palm.
Qiu Qi glanced at her hand.
“Wife, you still haven’t completely purged the cold poison. Your body is still weak. You really shouldn’t overuse your spirit power.”
“Spare me the nonsense.”
Pei Yuqing raised her hand higher and assumed an attacking stance.
“If you know all this, why are you still pretending? What else are you trying to get from me?”
“My purpose has already been stated.”
Qiu Qi looked up at her. Her clear eyes remained completely calm.
“To make amends to you. To protect you.”
“Heh…”
Pei Yuqing let out a low laugh, her eyes full of mockery.
“Are you telling me that you would show mercy to a threat who once wanted you dead and actually acted on it?”
“Yes. Just treat the current me as a fool. If you hate me, then make good use of this period while my memories are confused and torture me properly.”
Qiu Qi took a large step forward, deliberately putting herself within reach of a close-range attack.
“Whatever you want to do to me is fine. I’ll accept my punishment willingly.”
“You… are you actually insane?”
Pei Yuqing stared at her in shock.
She carefully studied Qiu Qi’s eyes, which held no concealment as they looked directly at her. Beneath such a direct and heated gaze, all her ironclad defenses seemed pointless.
Pei Yuqing had not felt this completely thrown off balance in a very long time.
Even while imprisoned in this secluded courtyard, she had never panicked. She had always been able to carry out her revenge plan in an orderly manner.
But today, with nothing more than a single look, she hesitated.
“Want to see?”
Qiu Qi did not stop approaching. She halted directly in front of Pei Yuqing, took the left hand hanging at the other woman’s side, and raised it to her lips.
Then she lowered her head and looked up at Pei Yuqing through the corners of her eyes. Her lips parted, caught the edge of the glove between her teeth, and gave it a gentle tug, pulling the bothersome thing free.
The sudden freedom of her left hand made Pei Yuqing’s gaze flicker.
Qiu Qi reached out and slipped her fingers between Pei Yuqing’s. Then she curled her fingers and intertwined their hands.
Skin met skin—a strange sensation. One was ice, the other fire, and the extremes collided.
Blood surged through Pei Yuqing’s veins with a heart-stirring force. Her heart suddenly beat several times faster, throwing her normally steady rhythm into disarray.
Then the girl rose onto her tiptoes with a sweet laugh and leaned close to Pei Yuqing’s ear.
“Wife, did you read it? I like you.”
