There’s a reason why everyone is shocked.
It’s not that no one has ever sent men to Su Lingxi.
She doesn’t accept them.
If it’s someone she knows sending them, she’ll say that her gate hasn’t even been painted with red lacquer yet, and it’s already hard enough for her to protect herself.
Taking someone in would not only ruin the beauty of it all but could also cost someone’s life—what a pity.
If it’s from outsiders, she’ll openly say she has no interest in accepting inside help, and she likely never will.
At first, people thought she simply hadn’t received the right person, so they put in more effort.
They tried every type, every age, until they slowly gave up.
There were even those who tried sending women.
Back when King Yan was still the emperor, he heard about this secret from his shadow guards.
He either laughed or shook his head.
Neither he nor the current emperor ever sent anyone to Su Lingxi, nor did they offer marriage.
When loyal ministers suggested it in the past, King Yan only said that it was a foolish idea that would make Su Lingxi upset and have the opposite effect.
He decided to wait a few more years.
Now, years have passed, and those who made such suggestions have given up on the idea, but King Yan has brought it up himself.
And no matter how one looks at it, now is clearly not a good time.
Not long after Su Lingxi presented the portrait of the Fourth Young Master of the Minister of Rites’ family to the emperor, King Yan sent this young master to Su Lingxi.
It didn’t seem like an offer of goodwill, but more like a provocation.
This time, even the old ministers couldn’t figure out King Yan’s intentions.
On the 26th of July, when Su Lingxi returned to the Demon Suppression Bureau, it was just as dusk was falling.
The sunset was like blood, and the sun and moon shone together.
The past few days, Yu Lin’an had contacted her with talismans, saying he hadn’t found any records of the two types of demons’ domains but had come across some other things.
When she returned to the Demon Suppression Bureau, he would bring them to her.
Su Lingxi naturally wouldn’t refuse and sent him a message before heading back.
Not long after, Yu Lin’an appeared in the South Courtyard.
He had adapted quickly, in less than a month completely transforming into a true Chang’an local, wearing black leather boots and a waist belt with a curved blade hanging from it.
“The rules of Floating Jade are numerous, guarding these things is like guarding a treasure,” Yu Lin’an said, supporting the railing with one hand and jumping down lightly, “Let’s go, to our place.”
After that night, the North Courtyard underwent daily changes.
Su Lingxi would receive reports from her subordinates, and to her, as long as Floating Jade was doing its best in demon-slaying, how they altered the building’s structure didn’t matter—it was a trivial matter, no concern to her.
But what she saw now was different.
As she stepped into the North Courtyard, her footsteps paused, almost imperceptibly.
Before her stood two giant steel trees intertwined with each other.
They were several dozen meters high, their canopies almost touching the sky.
The trunks were as thick as ten or more people could wrap their arms around.
Like twisted dragons breaking through the earth, their branches stretched out, proud and blooming in the sky.
What was most striking was that every small branch and leaf was pitch black, shimmering with a cold gleam where sunlight and moonlight met.
They were entirely made of steel, stretching freely inside a barrier that obscured the view.
A light breeze couldn’t move them, but during strong winds and rain, the leaves would shake in unison, clashing together with a metallic sound, and then explode into various dazzling patterns, delivering a breathtaking visual shock.
“Puppet art,” Su Lingxi stood under the trees for a moment, her eyes sparkling with a shiny metallic glow, “It’s beautiful.”
Besides being beautiful, there was another secret in these trees.
Just as she spoke, a long iron vine shot out from an unseen corner of the tree trunk.
It whipped through the air like a snapping whip, stirring up a hot wind.
A person descended, holding a spirit ball, landing lightly on the ground.
Without even glancing aside, the person started to leave but turned back upon seeing Yu Lin’an, “Shall we go drink tonight? Are you coming?”
Yu Lin’an didn’t answer, but another person who had been lazily hiding behind the tree pushed aside the black leaves on his face and looked down.
“Let’s go. I’ve heard a lot about the fine wine and dancing girls in Chang’an.”
When he saw Su Lingxi, the person suddenly turned and moved swiftly to cover his face with a branch.
Yu Lin’an couldn’t bear to watch and led Su Lingxi into the main hall.
The place had also been modified. On the desk, there was a stack of bamboo slips piled up like a small mountain.
Su Lingxi walked around, knocking on the walls, which made a hollow sound.
Yu Lin’an explained, “We tore down the wardrobe and screen planters and expanded two interrogation rooms. Don’t worry, we can’t hear anything from inside, and they can’t hear us.”
“Even if they do hear, it’s fine,” Su Lingxi smiled lightly, not bothered.
She didn’t intend to discuss things that couldn’t be talked about with them.
“Those who behave abnormally in front of you often study incense arts. They’re nervous when they see you; it’s nothing to worry about,” Yu Lin’an took a seat at the long desk and opened the top bamboo slip.
This wasn’t the original text but one he had copied after reading it.
Even so, when he handed it to Su Lingxi, they needed a third person to supervise.
“Sang Chu or Bai Xiao will come soon.”
“Will they be nervous seeing me?”
Su Lingxi raised her hand to her cheek and laughed softly, “I don’t think my past would scare them.”
“No, it’s because your incense arts are impressive. When they see a senior who is part of the legends, they’ll naturally be more respectful and want to make a good impression.”
Su Lingxi nodded, easily accepting this explanation.
As she saw Yu Lin’an open the bamboo slips, she absentmindedly reached for the ink brush hanging from the pen rack.
Twirling it in her hand, she asked casually, “Still, am I not a senior who was expelled from Floating Jade?”
Yu Lin’an froze, his voice halting.
He turned his head to look at Su Lingxi with some discomfort.
Su Lingxi’s appearance as a youth didn’t match her personality.
She had a round face, round cheeks, and eyes with a pale hue.
Under the blazing sun, they had a color reminiscent of freshly made sugar syrup.
Her long hair had natural curls at the ends, giving her a look that was obedient and clever.
In reality, she was mischievous and sly—her eyes would flash with cunning, and she could be described as harboring all sorts of tricks.
Now, she had grown thinner, her round face replaced by a sharp chin, her wrists delicate, and her jawline pointed.
Her identity had changed, and so had her aura, so no one would describe her as cute or obedient anymore.
The only thing unchanged was her eyes and their color.
No matter how carefully you looked, all that remained in them now was calmness and nonchalance.
She had calmly accepted being expelled from Floating Jade, thinking there was nothing in life that couldn’t be spoken or gotten over.
For a moment, Yu Lin’an was unsure whether the punishment of the gate was more cruel for her.
Not knowing how to respond, he decided to remain silent, composing himself and pointing to the bamboo slip.
“These records would’ve been found for you even if you hadn’t come. Floating Jade doesn’t record weak demons; those recorded in the top thirty are the main targets of our current demon-clearing mission.
They are tricky because their origins are powerful, and they can transform into human form.”
Su Lingxi’s eyelashes fluttered, “What?”
She subconsciously tightened her fingers around the brush and then said, “I’ve never heard of this.”
“We only just found out.”
Yu Lin’an seemed more concerned that Su Lingxi had completely forgotten about this. It made him feel a little pained, “They’ve been locked in cabinets for over a thousand years, unable to get out, but they’ve been absorbing the changes of heaven and earth to fill their power. Now, they’re stronger than they were before they were sealed.”
These things were unknown to ordinary people.
Only those who had sealed them could sense them.
Su Lingxi quickly confirmed, “Was it the gate who spoke of this?”
“Yes, the message came half an hour ago.”
Su Lingxi pursed her lips and began flipping through the bamboo slips one by one.
Thoughts collided and formed, only to be overturned, and the hall fell silent.
At this moment, Sang Chu and a man walked in one after the other.
Su Lingxi looked up and realized it was the same person who had talked about drinking fine wine and watching dancing girls earlier.
After reading all the bamboo slips, she gently closed the last one and tied it back with the original string, her finger running along the edge of the table.