Xiang Xian was utterly at a loss for words. “Don’t tease me!”
Xiao Kun’s expression changed slightly as he observed Xiang Xian. “Won’t you introduce her?”
“This is Miss Li,” Xiang Xian couldn’t very well call her by her boudoir name in front of everyone and hurriedly explained, “Last time when we went drinking with Grand Commander Gao, we met by chance. Miss Li, this is our Exorcism Division’s Chief Emissary, Xiao Kun, Lord Xiao.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
The woman was none other than the famous Li Shishi of Kaifeng, though no one knew why she had come to Moon-Grasping Tower. She smiled first at Xiao Kun, but her attention wasn’t on him or Xiang Xian at all. She nodded to the others, her gaze settling on Hulü Guang.
Hulü Guang suddenly remembered. “That night!”
Li Shishi smiled radiantly. “You remember?”
“It was you!” Hulü Guang laughed.
“It was me.” Li Shishi said softly. “That night, you saved me. I’ve come today to thank you specially.”
Xiang Xian breathed a sigh of relief—as long as she wasn’t here for him. He suddenly noticed Li Shishi seemed quite interested in Hulü Guang and winked at Xiao Kun to point it out. Xiao Kun’s response was: Got it.
Hulü Guang still didn’t realize who he had attracted and just waved it off. “No need, no need. It was just a small effort. You weren’t in real danger anyway—Ting Hua Lou isn’t that high. Falling at worst would’ve broken a bone.”
Everyone: “…”
Li Shishi signaled her attendant behind the screen to bring over a box and placed it before Hulü Guang. He hurriedly said, “I don’t deserve this! You even prepared a gift.”
“Looking forward to meeting the young master again.” Li Shishi said softly and tactfully took her leave without further disturbance.
Everyone looked at Hulü Guang together. He opened the box and saw a white jade pendant carved as a little horse—exquisite and beautiful. “How did she know my nickname?”
Baoyin said, “She must’ve taken a liking to you since that night, you fool.”
Xiang Xian had just given Hulü Guang that pep talk during the day, so he couldn’t go back on it that evening and meddle in his love life. Li Shishi was a veteran of the pleasure quarters, able to toy effortlessly with even Zhao Ji and Gao Qiu. Hulü Guang would be easy prey for her, but as an exorcist, Xiang Xian wasn’t too worried about him getting the short end.
“She’s really beautiful.” Chaosheng said.
“Yeah,” Hulü Guang said. “I noticed the first time I saw her.”
“How many times have you met her?” Xiao Kun couldn’t help asking Xiang Xian.
“Just once.” Xiang Xian said. “That meeting was just drinking. You know I hold my liquor well—I didn’t stay overnight in the tower. Why would I lie to you?”
Everyone was discussing Li Shishi when they suddenly paused again, ears perked to eavesdrop on Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun’s conversation. Xiang Xian was saying, “I have a Pure Yang Body, chaste as jade. To this day, I haven’t…”
Before he finished, Xiang Xian noticed the table had gone quiet. “Hey? What’s with those looks?”
Everyone immediately dove back into lively discussion of other topics. Xiao Kun believed Xiang Xian on this point.
“Time to head back,” Xiang Xian said. “We’ve eaten and drunk our fill.”
Baoyin said, “I don’t get it. She sent a token—why not strike while the iron’s hot?”
“Others have their ways,” Xiang Xian said. “No need to worry about her. What? Want to follow and watch? You’re quite the restless one yourself.”
Baoyin burst out laughing.
Chaosheng clearly still wanted to roam the night market and tugged at Xiang Xian’s sleeve. “Let’s go get ice sherbet from that shop south of Rainbow Bridge!”
Xiang Xian said, “Tomorrow, okay? Big Brother is tired.”
“Okay, okay.” Chaosheng realized Xiang Xian had just passed his mourning period. He hopped over, wrapped his arms around Xiang Xian’s waist, pulled his head into his embrace, and affectionately stroked his hair a few times. “You’ll feel better soon.”
Held by the soft youth Chaosheng, Xiang Xian’s fatigue indeed eased quite a bit, his spirits lifting. Everyone watched them and smiled.
“You all go,” Xiang Xian said with a laugh. “I’ll head home to rest.”
Baoyin laughed. “If Big Brother won’t go, Big Sis has time. Big Sis will accompany you.”
“No thanks.” This was Mu Qingshan’s second sentence to Baoyin that day.
The group split up. Wu Yingzong took Chaosheng and Mu Qingshan to the night market, while Xiang Xian went home with Xiao Kun and Hulü Guang.
Xiang Xian glanced at Hulü Guang and proactively draped an arm over his shoulder. The gesture shocked Hulü Guang—could he really receive the same treatment as Xiao Kun?
“How’s the Heart Lamp practice going?” Xiang Xian asked.
“It looks good.” Xiao Kun answered instead. After all, he had seen Hulü Guang’s Heart Lamp glowing today. With Yuzhou as his brilliant teacher, even just one night’s guidance equaled years of practice for others.
Xiang Xian said, “You haven’t been to Jiangnan yet. Next time, I’ll take you there to play. Here, for you—I fixed it.”
Xiang Xian took an item from his Qiankun Bag: a short knife reforged anew. He had made a new sheath for it, engraved with Heart Lamp talismanic runes in gold thread, and inlaid it with several gems.
Hulü Guang laughed, but Baoyin reminded him sinisterly, “Brother, shouldn’t you return my Cangqiong Cleave?”
Hulü Guang: “！！”
“Ah!” Xiang Xian said. “Big Sis, you’re still here?”
“What else!” Baoyin fumed. “Your monkey housekeeper took all the money I had. What am I supposed to eat or where sleep?”
“Don’t yell,” Xiao Kun was utterly exasperated with Baoyin. “Aren’t we figuring something out for you?”
“I don’t care,” Baoyin said. “You have to take me in.”
