For a mont, he even forgot his jealousy and hatred toward Ye Qingchen.
Shen Ying's words had left him flushed and flustered, stamring incoherently. When his gaze t hers, it burned so intensely that he had to look away.
Shen Ying, however, remained composed and resolute. She looked at Ji Liantan and said, "Senior Brother, you can agree to this, right?"
Ji Liantan, embarrassed and irritated, raised his voice. "How could I possibly agree?"
Shen Ying shrugged. "Fine, if you won’t agree, then forget it. I don’t want to get involved in this ss anyway."
With that, she released Ji Liantan and turned to leave.
Ji Liantan quickly grabbed her arm, displeased. "You never used to bargain like this when I asked you to do things before."
Shen Ying replied, "Things are different now."
"Ever since you sent to seduce other n, I’ve realized you truly have no romantic feelings for ."
"Before, I could tell myself there was still ti, but now it’s clear you’ve never included in your future plans. So, I’ll do as I please."
Ji Liantan frowned at her words, unwilling to accept them. "Who said I haven’t thought about a future with you?"
He didn’t hesitate—whether in the past or now, his junior sister was one of the few people he trusted completely.
In his ambitious visions of the future, she had always been by his side.
Shen Ying understood his conflicted thoughts, but her goal lay elsewhere.
She ignored his words entirely and simply said, "Then I’ll thank Senior Brother for his favor."
Ji Liantan was stunned. That was it? She didn’t even argue? Her dismissive tone and obvious disbelief only made him more frustrated.
His face burned with a mix of urgency and indignation as he glared at her.
This woman was just lusting after him, wasn’t she? He didn’t know when this unspoken rule had ford between them—that if he wanted her help, he had to pay with his body.
Perhaps it had started when he compromised with her in the secret realm. Once that dam broke, there was no holding back.
The thought infuriated him. Did she really think she had him under her thumb?
With a mocking laugh, he said, "Fine. If you insist on having your way, don’t regret it later."
Ji Liantan was convinced his junior sister was all talk. After so many years, who didn’t know who?
She had no experience navigating relationships with n. If she thought she could handle anything just because she’d taken a few liberties with him, she was in for a rude awakening.
Determined to teach her a lesson, he dragged Shen Ying back to his chambers.
Before leaving, he even glanced toward where Ye Qingchen was, sneering inwardly.
That fool was still basking in their father’s favor, oblivious to the fact that the woman he loved would only deign to deal with him after she’d had her fill of Ji Liantan.
Admittedly, Ji Liantan still held onto so hope about Shen Ying’s words. But by the next morning, he was utterly dumbfounded.
When dawn ca, his face was still blank with disbelief.
"This can’t be," he muttered. "It shouldn’t be like this."
He had expected his junior sister to realize how naive she’d been when faced with the real thing.
He thought she’d finally admit she wasn’t as bold as she pretended.
Instead, he was the one who ended up being played like an instrunt.
After spending half the day in a daze, he finally grasped the key issue. He sat up abruptly and demanded, "What’s going on with you? How are you so… experienced?"
Shen Ying replied calmly, "Senior Brother, we’re from the Joyous Harmony Sect. As the Young Master, you can afford not to learn certain techniques or dirty tricks, but the rest of us aren’t so privileged."
"Don’t let my usual modesty fool you—I’ve mastered all eighty-one styles of dual cultivation."
Ji Liantan stared at her in disbelief. "The sect has a technique like that?"
Shen Ying nodded. "I created it myself, based on other manuals."
The mory of her skills made his face burn. He turned away, pulling the blanket over his head, unwilling to speak further.
Shen Ying, anwhile, had already gotten up and dressed. "I’ve received my paynt, Senior Brother. Wait for my good news—I’ll definitely coax that True Blood out of him."
As she turned to leave, Ji Liantan grabbed her wrist, his cheeks still flushed.
"Don’t—don’t use those tricks on him," he said, breath uneven.
Shen Ying looked righteous. "That’s impossible. You’re being too optimistic, Senior Brother."
"My intentions were already exposed before. Right now, Ye Qingchen resents and distrusts ."
"If I don’t go all out, do you really think he’d ever trust enough to hand over the True Blood?"
"He knows exactly what you want from him."
Ji Liantan: "…"
Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure he wanted that thing anymore. The shocks he’d endured were too overwhelming.
He could barely even rember the bitterness he’d felt seeing his father favor Ye Qingchen.
All those emotions had been redirected into sothing far more… complicated.
Before he could say anything else, Shen Ying had already slipped away.
---
Ye Qingchen had stayed up late talking with his father the previous night. The Demon Venerable had even given him pointers on his cultivation, leaving Ye Qingchen greatly benefited.
He had stayed overnight in one of the chambers near the Demon Venerable’s quarters.
Shen Ying had free access to most areas here, so she headed straight for the side hall where Ye Qingchen was.
On the way, she ran into the Demon Venerable himself. She quickly bowed. "Good morning, Master."
Ji Yu was in a good mood. "How’s your senior brother? Still throwing a tantrum?"
Shen Ying answered frankly, "He’s better, but he’s still holding a grudge. He wants to sche and steal the True Blood."
The Demon Venerable: "…"
He wasn’t surprised his younger son was acting up again, but his disciple’s bluntness caught him off guard.
"Don’t indulge his nonsense," he said quickly.
Shen Ying reassured him, "Don’t worry, Master. I won’t. Ye Qingchen and I aren’t strangers—I’ll try to diate between them."
Pleased by her maturity, the Demon Venerable sighed in relief. At least one of them was sensible.
With a flick of his wrist, he produced a bone fan.
"You’ve always been reliable," he said. "I heard you were ticulous and decisive in the secret realm, ensuring almost all the sect disciples returned safely."
"Ye Qingchen obtained the Ancestor’s True Blood, and your senior brother got the Flowing Cloud Brush. I can’t favor one over the other—take this as your reward."
Shen Ying’s eyes lit up. This was a treasure! Though not as fad as the Flowing Cloud Brush, it was still one of the cultivation world’s top-tier artifacts.
The Demon Venerable truly went to great lengths for his sons.
She accepted it gratefully before heading off cheerfully to find Ye Qingchen.
Ye Qingchen was already up, dressed in plain robes as he brewed a pot of Blood Tea—a specialty of the Demon Continent.
The tea leaves themselves were unremarkable, but the brewed liquid was a deep crimson, resembling blood, with a rich, lingering fragrance.
It was a favorite of the Blood Fla Sect, though many other demonic cultivators enjoyed it as well. The Demon Venerable, being a tea enthusiast, collected all kinds of spiritual teas.
Shen Ying approached with a smile. "I’m surprised you’d take an interest in this particular tea, Senior Brother Ye."
Ye Qingchen replied softly, "It’s such a beautiful color."
Shen Ying gave him a once-over and remarked, "If you think it looks good, why do you usually dress so plainly?"
"I believe Senior Brother Ye Qingchen would also carry a unique charm in red."
Ye Qingchen let out a light chuckle, his tone laced with a hint of mockery.
"I’ve actually worn it before, but the elders in the sect said it looked frivolous and lacked solemnity."
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