Dizzy… nauseous… I feel like I’m about to vomit…
Nan Shan tossed and turned for a long while, humming weakly, before finally forcing her eyes open.
Her pupils gradually focused, and the first thing she saw was a large, bright red bed canopy adorned with the word “Happiness”.
…Had she been saved?
Was this her bridal chamber with Ling Ye?
Nan Shan struggled to sit up, but the movement only made her dizziness worse, causing her to gasp for air.
She remained still for a long time, trying to steady herself before she began to examine her surroundings.
Dragon and phoenix candles, red flowers, red cloth, red gauze curtains, and on the table, there were red dates, peanuts, longan, and melon seeds.
Although everything in sight seemed far more luxurious than any bridal chamber she had seen before, it was undeniably a bridal chamber—a meticulously prepared one, at that.
A sense of relief washed over Nan Shan as she smiled faintly, ready to feel grateful that Ling Ye had arrived just in time.
But then, she suddenly froze.
Wait… something was wrong!
Her wedding dress had changed!
Though the new dress was still exquisite and beautiful, the embroidered cloud patterns were gone, and the precious glass Ling Ye had personally crafted was missing as well.
Nan Shan tugged at her sleeve, repeatedly inspecting the dress.
After confirming that it was an entirely new set of clothes, the memories of the moments before she lost consciousness rushed into her mind—the swirling snowflakes and those red eyes sent a chill down her spine.
She didn’t have the time to dwell on it.
Enduring the dizziness, she hurriedly jumped off the bed, which was covered with a hundred blessings quilt, and staggered toward the door.
The room was large, and all the doors and windows were tightly shut.
When she reached the door, she didn’t hastily try to open it. Instead, she extended a finger, wetting it with saliva, and quietly poked a small hole in the window paper to cautiously observe the outside.
It was daylight.
Nan Shan pressed her face against the tiny hole, able to clearly see a few fruit trees planted in the courtyard and a small patch of vegetable garden by the wall.
The garden seemed to grow spinach and scallions, lush and thriving.
Beside the garden was a bucket, which appeared to contain leftover water from watering the plants.
Aside from the vegetable garden and fruit trees, the entire yard was paved with gray bricks—simple compared to the lavish jade floors of the Underworld. It seemed like an ordinary home in the mortal realm…
No, this was definitely an illusion.
Anyone who could have abducted her before Ling Ye and Xi Yuan arrived couldn’t possibly live so simply and humbly.
Everything here was carefully designed to deceive her.
Nan Shan closed her eyes, silently repeating “it’s all an illusion” three times before opening them again… but it was still just a regular little courtyard.
Taking a deep breath, she once again confirmed that no one was around before quietly opening the door.
Creeeak.
Even the finest doors crafted from the best wood in Canglan Palace would make noise without using spiritual power to open them.
Mortal doors were even more likely to creak.
But… was this door really this loud? It hadn’t been oiled in who knows how long!
Nan Shan quickly stopped, confirming that the noise hadn’t attracted anything, before continuing to slowly open the door.
Each time the sound of the creak echoed, she paused again.
After repeating this a few times, she finally managed to open a gap wide enough to squeeze through.
Sighing with relief, she tried to step outside…
But she couldn’t move?
She stared at the ordinary scene outside the door for a long while, then tried again, lifting one foot to step out.
It was still a failure.
Her foot, clad in red embroidered shoes, felt like it was stepping on something soft.
Though she could force it a little forward, it was eventually pulled back.
She tried using her spiritual power to break through, but unfortunately, the spiritual energy from her dual cultivation was nearly depleted.
After a long while of effort, only a faint light flickered at her fingertips, and she could do nothing.
Wood sensation.
Determined, Nan Shan tried the window, but the result was the same.
She had no choice but to shut the door and windows again, returning to the bed.
This was more like it.
She had known it couldn’t be as ordinary as it appeared.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Nan Shan felt a strange sense of impending doom.
After all the struggling, her head hurt even more.
Though she wanted to stay alert, she couldn’t help but fall asleep again.
She had thought she would be unable to sleep with the uncertainty of her situation, but Nan Shan slept deeply, completely undisturbed by any dreams.
When she awoke, she was still lying in bed, rolling around without opening her eyes.
“With that dumb expression and ridiculous sleeping posture, how on earth did Lord Ji Yue pick you?”
A clear child’s voice rang out.
Nan Shan opened her eyes in an instant and locked gazes with a boyish child, his lips red and teeth white.
But after a moment, she silently closed her eyes again.
… Illusion. It’s all an illusion.
Don’t look at him.
He’ll eat you.
“Hey.”
Nan Shan continued pretending to be asleep.
“Hey!”
The child, now impatient, spoke in a gloomy voice, “If you keep pretending to sleep, I’ll kill you.”
Nan Shan opened her eyes decisively, about to sit up, only to feel the world spinning again.
“Shout, useless.”
The child glanced at her before pulling a pill out of his pocket and shoving it into her mouth. Nan Shan, caught off guard, swallowed it in one gulp.
“I… What did you make me swallow?” she asked, her face filled with fear.
The child hummed, “Poison, very poisonous.”
Nan Shan gasped.
“I’m kidding,” the child continued, “Dongyi Island’s terrain is high, and outsiders like you are hard to adapt to. The Breathing Pill can help you breathe more easily and move around without difficulty. See? Isn’t your head no longer dizzy or painful?”
Nan Shan paused to check and, to her surprise, found that her dizziness had indeed subsided.
“It’s true! I don’t feel dizzy anymore!”
The child raised his chin with a smug expression, as though saying, ‘I told you so.’
With her head no longer spinning, Nan Shan had the energy to observe the child.
He appeared to be about seven or eight years old, with chubby cheeks and big, round eyes.
His clothes were elegant, clearly the attire of a rich young master who had never known hardship.
Of course, that was assuming they were still in the mortal realm.
As Nan Shan observed him, he, in turn, was observing her.
His conclusion was clear: “I don’t understand why Lord Ji Yue would choose you.”
Nan Shan paused.
“What?”
“If Lord Ji Yue absolutely had to marry, he could have chosen from any of the many beauties of Dongyi, so why go to the mortal realm to find a village girl?”
The child said disdainfully.
“You’re not even pretty, and you’re so silly. You don’t deserve our Immortal Lord.”
This was the second time the child had mentioned Dongyi.
Nan Shan recalled Ling Ye mentioning before that there were three residual auras in her courtyard—one was left by her immortal father, and one of the other two was from Dongyi.
“Hey, hey!”
The child raised his voice when he noticed she was silent.
Nan Shan snapped out of her thoughts.
“What?”
“I’m talking to you! Why are you spacing out?”
The child frowned, suspicious and alert.
“Are you a fool?”
“I’m a fool. So, Lord Ji Yue won’t marry me?”
Nan Shan asked casually.
The child scowled, “Of course not. Our Immortal Lord is not the kind of person who starts something and abandons it.”
Nan Shan snorted lightly.
“It’s obvious he’s interested in your spiritual bones, not you as a person. Whether you’re a fool or not doesn’t matter.”
She stretched her hand out suddenly toward the child.
“I’m Nan Shan, Nan Shan from ‘Longevity like the Mountains.’ What’s your name?”
The child slapped her hand away, showing no interest in shaking hands.
“I’m Shou Xin, Lord Ji Yue’s attendant.”
“Attendant, huh?” Nan Shan remarked with mock admiration.
“Sounds impressive.”
Shou Xin, though rude, was simple-minded enough that he immediately puffed up his chest.
“Of course! There are thousands of Dongyi people, but not everyone can be Lord Ji Yue’s attendant.”
“You keep saying Dongyi, but what exactly is Dongyi?”
Nan Shan asked casually.
“You even made a point to separate Dongyi from the mortal realm earlier. Does that mean Dongyi isn’t part of the mortal realm? Are Dongyi people not ordinary humans?”
Shou Xin hesitated before finally answering, “Dongyi is at the end of the mortal realm. While it’s still part of the mortal world, it exists independently. It’s like the legendary utopia. The people of Dongyi never leave, nor do they marry outsiders. Even after they cross the River of Yin and Yang, they’re reborn in Dongyi.”
“Sounds quite noble,” Nan Shan scoffed.
“It’s easy to say they don’t marry outsiders, but if that’s the case, then why am I here?”
Shou Xin snorted.
“I meant the people don’t marry outsiders. Lord Ji Yue is a god, the guardian deity of Dongyi. He’s not like the rest of us.”
Nan Shan’s gaze flickered.
Just as she was about to provoke him further for more useful information, Shou Xin’s expression suddenly turned cold.
“Lord Ji Yue is the highest being in Dongyi. If you dare speak ill of him, I’ll kill you.”
Despite his chubby face, Shou Xin’s sudden coldness carried a real intimidating aura.
Nan Shan swallowed her sarcastic words and gave him a casual glance.
“Why would I say anything bad about him? Lord Ji Yue sounds like a powerful person. Who would dare to insult him?”
“You better not,” Shou Xin shot her a disdainful look, the intimidating aura fading.
Nan Shan secretly relaxed and jumped off the bed, examining the room.
Finally, she reached the window, seemingly casually pushing it open.
The view outside was quiet and bright, exactly as it had been before she fell asleep.
…Had she been asleep all this time, or had she only dozed off for a while?
Nan Shan hesitated for a moment but decided not to dwell on it.
Instead, she walked to the table and poked the dragon and phoenix candles that were set on it.
The candles were still intact, clearly untouched.
“So, this is Lord Ji Yue’s residence?” she asked curiously.
Shou Xin stood up straight.
“Of course not. This is the back courtyard of Lord Ji Yue’s temple. This room was his childhood bedroom. After he sculpted his golden body, he stopped staying here.”
“Then where does he live?”
Nan Shan immediately asked.
Shou Xin’s expression stiffened.
“Lord Ji Yue was born according to heavenly will. How could a small attendant like me casually speculate on his whereabouts?”
“Oh, so you don’t know.”
Nan Shan casually exposed him.
Shou Xin’s mouth opened and closed several times before he snorted and ignored her.
Nan Shan fought back a smile, pretending to be worried as she poked his waist.
The little boy was so soft and round, he was almost like Er Pang!
After being poked several times, Shou Xin grew annoyed.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing, I was just wondering… since this is Lord Ji Yue’s childhood home, is it okay for me to stay here?”
Nan Shan asked innocently.
“It’s not really suitable,” Shou Xin said with an exaggerated tone.
“I’m his only attendant, and I’ve only come in here twice. What right do you have to stay?”
Nan Shan smiled politely but was intrigued.
“You’ve only been in here twice? When was that?”
“…When I was brought in, and now,” Shou Xin said, his face completely emotionless.
“Oh,” Nan Shan responded.
The room fell into silence.
The two stared at each other, neither saying a word.
After a long while, Shou Xin narrowed his eyes.
“If you laugh at me…”
“I just remembered something.”
Nan Shan interrupted him.
Shou Xin, suspicious: “What?”
“I’m Lord Ji Yue’s fiancée.”
“……What do you want to say?”
Shou Xin’s voice was calm but his eyes were sharp.
Nan Shan raised an eyebrow, her expression somewhat agitated.
“Nothing, just wondering if your one and only disciple shouldn’t show me a little more respect?”
Shou Xin frowned lightly, as if he were genuinely troubled.
“After all, once I marry the Immortal Lord, we will be a married couple, living and eating together.”
Nan Shan sighed.
“When will Immortal Lord Ji Yue arrive?” she asked.
Shou Xin blinked, his gaze sharp as he retorted, “I… don’t know…”
He paused, trying to maintain his composure.
“The Immortal Lord is elusive, and he never explains his whereabouts to anyone. After entrusting you to me, he left without saying when he would return. If you really want to meet him, you should go to the temple up ahead and pray sincerely. If you do so with devotion, he will surely come to meet you. However, he is very busy. If you have no urgent business, it would be best not to bother him.”
The way Shou Xin spoke, it seemed that the Immortal Lord Ji Yue wouldn’t be appearing anytime soon.
Nan Shan pondered for a moment.
She had come to realize that East Yi, although appearing remote from the world, was still part of it.
The so-called “disciple” before her was likely just an ordinary mortal.
Otherwise, with his bad temper, he would have used spiritual power when threatening her earlier.
If even the Immortal Lord’s disciple was a mortal, then the other inhabitants of this place must be too.
No Immortal Lord in sight, just mortals around…
Nan Shan’s mind raced, and as she thought of an escape plan, the door suddenly knocked.
“Who’s there?”
Shou Xin spoke first, clearly impatient.
A hoarse voice answered from outside.
“Young Master Shou Xin, this old servant has brought food for the Immortal Lord’s wife.”
Nan Shan froze for a moment, but before she could react, Shou Xin had already stormed over to open the door, annoyance clear on his face.
“Why bring food at this hour? Couldn’t you wait until mealtime?”
Nan Shan watched, curious as he spoke with such irritation.
The old man outside was around seventy, one of his eyes blind, his back slightly hunched.
Despite his age, he looked fearful, holding a food box in his hands.
Upon hearing Shou Xin’s scolding, he hurriedly explained, “This old servant thought the Immortal Lord’s wife had been traveling and might be hungry, so…”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
Shou Xin shook a bell from his sleeve, then kicked over the food box.
The soup and rice spilled everywhere, the old man’s hands were burned from the hot liquid, but Shou Xin didn’t stop.
“The Immortal Lord himself brought her here—how could she be tired from traveling? If you’re trying to flatter her, just say so and stop with these excuses!”
“Young Master Shou Xin…”
The old man called out, but he did not leave immediately.
Instead, he knelt down and began cleaning up the mess on the floor.
Shou Xin’s patience was clearly wearing thin, and with a slam, he shut the door.
The bell in his hand jingled once more.
Nan Shan, still watching, raised an eyebrow.
“What’s going on?” she asked, genuinely curious.
Shou Xin glared at her, his face turning into a scowl.
“What do you think you’re looking at?”
“I’m just wondering why you’re so upset over such a small thing,” Nan Shan replied, shrugging.
“What did he do to make you so angry?”
Shou Xin frowned, eyeing her suspiciously.
“Why do you think he’s the one who angered me? Maybe it’s just me being mischievous and rude.”
Nan Shan gave a light chuckle.
“You may act like a brat, but you’re not unreasonable. If you can talk calmly with a stranger like me, I can’t see why you would suddenly treat someone you know so poorly.”
Shou Xin sniffed.
“Seems like you’re not entirely without merit.”
Nan Shan, holding back a grin, suddenly clutched her stomach.
“Oh no, my stomach hurts. Where’s the restroom?”
Shou Xin immediately stepped in her way.
“There’s a chamber pot inside.”
“Chamber pots are meant to be sat on. I need something more… effective,” Nan Shan replied, without missing a beat.
“Plus, a chamber pot would make the room stink, and this place is where Immortal Lord Ji Yue stays. Do you really want me desecrating the Immortal Lord’s residence?”
Shou Xin looked at her, his resolve weakening.
He sighed.
“Fine, come with me.”
They reached the courtyard where Shou Xin led Nan Shan to a simple, humble temple.
The layout was basic, divided into a front and back courtyard. |
The front was for incense offerings, while the back contained a few small buildings and gardens.
Nan Shan could hear the hustle and bustle of people in the front courtyard.
It seemed that the Immortal Lord Ji Yue was revered here by the locals.
“Ji Yue Immortal Lord…” Nan Shan thought to herself.
The more she thought about it, the more she wondered about this Immortal Lord Ji Yue who everyone admired.
After a brief pause, she realized she was outside, her mind reeling from everything around her.