Upon hearing Li Ye's commanding tone, Xiao Wu immediately grew irritated. Just as he was about to retort, Li Hong, standing nearby, shot him a fierce glare and signaled for him to follow Li Ye's instructions. Reluctantly, Xiao Wu retrieved his tools and began working on the corpse.
"Where are the other coroners in the constabulary? Xiao Wu looks quite young—I'd guess no older than eighteen. How did he become the most experienced coroner here?" Li Ye quietly asked Li Hong, who was standing idly by, while discreetly observing Xiao Wu's movements.
"Ah, don't even mention it. Coroners deal with the dead every day—who among ordinary folks would want to handle such bad luck? Xiao Wu is the exception. He's always had a natural interest in dissecting corpses. Orphaned at a young age, he's been tagging along with me just to get by. When he heard the constabulary's morgue was short-staffed, he learned the trade from an old coroner. That old man's eyesight was failing, and his children took him home to enjoy his remaining years in comfort, so the job fell to Xiao Wu." Li Hong whispered mysteriously into Li Ye's ear, careful not to let Xiao Wu overhear.
Li Ye fell silent upon hearing this, his gaze softening with sympathy as he looked at Xiao Wu. The boy's life had been hard—at an age when he should have been cared for by his parents, he was already burdened with the weight of survival, working in this grim and desolate morgue.
"Alright, Brother Li, I'll head to Cuixian Tower first to gather some information. Once Xiao Wu has the results, send someone to notify me." As the sky darkened and the sun dipped toward the horizon, its last rays providing the only light, Li Ye grew impatient.
Rather than wasting time here, it was better to make a trip to Cuixian Tower.
Without further delay, Li Ye bid farewell to Li Hong and strode briskly out of the room.
"Take care, Brother Li. I won't see you out," Li Hong called after Li Ye's retreating figure, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief.
Finally, he had managed to send this "lord" on his way. The entire afternoon had been spent doing nothing but accompanying Li Ye to examine corpses for hours. The stench of death was nauseating, and the mere thought of being surrounded by corpses sent shivers down his spine.
"Chief Constable, why are you so deferential to Li Ye? Our constabulary has always been at odds with the Judicial Bureau. Not only have they taken our cases, but now they're even ordering us around. How can the brothers swallow this insult?" Xiao Wu blurted out everything he had held back all afternoon once Li Ye was gone.
"What do you know? Do you even realize who Li Ye is?" Li Hong snapped, kicking Xiao Wu in the rear in frustration.
"Who else could he be? Just some 'Shadow Blade' from the Judicial Bureau—a hollow title with no real authority. If we're being honest, he doesn't even hold as much power as you, Chief Constable!" Xiao Wu curled his lip, his face full of disdain.
Seeing Xiao Wu's ignorant expression, Li Hong couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling both exasperated and amused.
He had learned from the higher-ups at the magistrate's office that Li Ye was exceptionally gifted. After being taken away by a master, he had undergone a dramatic transformation and was now an immortal capable of handling matters independently. His return was merely part of his master's orders for him to gain experience in the mortal world.
Nowadays, he had achieved considerable mastery in immortal cultivation. Not only was his personal strength formidable, but his backing was also terrifyingly powerful. Merely being the direct disciple of the Second Elder of the Celestial Master Manor was enough to intimidate the entire Jinling City, let alone the fact that he had married the daughter of the Manor Lord, Chu Tiannan—a woman often described as a celestial being!
It must be said that Li Ye had soared to great heights in one step. Who could predict how far he might grow in the future? He might even take charge of the entire Celestial Master Manor!
The appearance of such a figure in Jinling City was enough to stir a frenzy among the major factions, who would vie to honor him as a distinguished guest, offering countless rare treasures. Even the city lord would have to treat him with respect, not to mention ordinary people like them, who were as insignificant as ants.
For some reason, however, Li Ye seemed unwilling to let others know his true identity. After taking a position in the Judicial Bureau, he disappeared from the public eye for a long time. Now it appeared he had been investigating cases all along. Such low-key behavior was rather puzzling.
But how could a mere constable like him fathom the thoughts of an immortal?
Li Hong shook his head and said gravely, "In any case, Li Ye is not someone we can afford to provoke. From now on, if you see him, you must act respectfully. Also, pass on my orders: if any of our brothers dare to show disrespect to anyone from the Judicial Bureau again, they are disregarding my authority and should pack their bags and leave!"
Li Hong had always been amiable and wore a smile no matter whom he met. This was the first time Xiao Wu had seen him so furious. Trembling inwardly, Xiao Wu quickly voiced his agreement.
Meanwhile, Li Ye was hurrying toward the Cuixian Tower, completely unaware of everything that had transpired after his departure.
In the old Li residence in Jinling City.
Since the incident that night, Li Xuan and Chu Qingyi had grown much closer. Li Xuan noticed that she no longer deliberately avoided him and sometimes even initiated conversations. Though her replies were still brief, the stark contrast in her attitude filled him with uncontrollable delight.
Moreover, Li Ye had recently taken on a new case and was constantly traveling to capture demons, leaving only Li Xuan and Chu Qingyi at home. This increased the time they spent alone together.
"Mother, I just picked these fruits from the tree. They're very sweet. Would you like to try one?" Li Xuan carried a basket of bright red wild fruits and knocked on Chu Qingyi's door as if presenting a treasure, his face full of ingratiation.
Sitting quietly at the table and flipping through ancient texts, Chu Qingyi didn't even lift her eyelids. Her delicate, pale lips moved slightly as she uttered a soft "Mm," her icy tone devoid of any emotion.
Although she no longer rejected Li Xuan's visits to the east wing, he had been overly attentive, frequently appearing before her under various pretexts, whether necessary or not. Over time, she couldn't help but feel somewhat annoyed.
However, she quickly reasoned with herself. Before each departure, Li Ye would instruct Li Xuan to take good care of her. She supposed her adoptive father was worried about her being alone and that was why Li Xuan kept coming over so often.
Unlike Chu Qingyi, who was so perceptive, Li Xuan only knew that whenever he didn't see her for a while, his heart would itch unbearably, as if ants were crawling over it, leaving him restless and agitated.
He racked his brains to come up with various excuses—sometimes catching a butterfly to bring to her, other times buying delicious snacks for her to taste. He exhausted every trick in the book just to catch a glimpse of her.
At this moment, as he gazed upon the serene and elegant Chu Qingyi, Li Xuan felt an immense sense of satisfaction. How he wished time could stand still, allowing him to forever admire his Qingyi fairy.
Chu Qingyi was dressed in a pure white gauzy gown, and even in stillness, she resembled a beauty who had stepped out of a painting. Her skin was like ice and jade, her features as exquisite as a masterpiece. Her eyes sparkled like pearls, her arched willow-leaf eyebrows and long, fluttering eyelashes adding to her charm. Her fair, flawless skin needed no makeup, glowing with a faint pink hue. Her lips were like dewy petals, tender and alluring.
Her delicate jade-like hands occasionally turned the pages of an ancient text, and from time to time, a gentle smile would grace her lips, making everything else in the world pale in comparison.
Li Xuan stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at Chu Qingyi. His eyes held only her image, and his heart was struck with overwhelming awe. Only one thought echoed in his mind:
How could there be such a perfect woman in this world? What kind of divine craftsmanship could have sculpted such an exquisite face...
His gaze drifted downward, taking in the smooth, swan-like curve of her neck and the faintly visible, alluring collarbone. Beneath her loose gown, two full, pert peaks stood proudly, the fabric's folds perfectly outlining their rounded shape, stirring his imagination.
Thump, thump.
Li Xuan's heart raced violently, his face flushing crimson. He panted heavily, his eyes fixed intently on Chu Qingyi's fullness. Uncontrollably, his lower body stirred, tenting the coarse fabric of his trousers in an awkward bulge.
Chu Qingyi, who had been immersed in her ancient text, sensed Li Xuan's gaze and lifted her eyes, meeting his stare directly.
To her further embarrassment, her gaze inadvertently slid downward, where she noticed the prominent bulge in Li Xuan's trousers. The unyielding coarse fabric was strained taut, the shape beneath appearing fierce and unrelenting, as if eager to break free.
She stared blankly at the bulge, her mind momentarily going blank.
Raised in seclusion since childhood, she had been taught by her parents to master the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She had grown up alone, without companions, accompanied only by two maids. It wasn't until she was twelve, when she accidentally revealed an exceptionally rare fifth-level spiritual intelligence, that the Tian Shi Manor took notice of her. They began grooming her as a successor, pouring all the manor's resources into her cultivation.
She had thought that after embarking on the path of cultivation, she would gain some freedom—at the very least, no longer confined to her chambers, surrounded only by flowers and plants. Yet, she found herself leaping from one cage into another, with no means of escape.
Realizing that resistance was futile, she resigned herself to her fate, silently accepting the path her parents had laid out for her. This shaped her into a reserved and aloof person, unwilling to embrace new environments or make new friends, and never one to easily confide in others.
Another consequence of such an environment was that Chu Qingyi, now twenty years old, remained utterly naive about matters between men and women. Even after her marriage to Li Ye, she firmly believed she must preserve her chastity and avoid any intimate relations with him. Yet, she had no understanding of what such relations entailed or how they occurred, and her knowledge of a man's penis was vague at best.
Li Ye had always respected her wishes. Since their marriage, he had never overstepped boundaries, limiting their physical contact to holding hands and nothing more.
So when Chu Qingyi suddenly saw Li Xuan's erect penis right before her eyes, her mind went blank with a buzzing sensation.
Is... is this a man's penis? she murmured inwardly, momentarily forgetting the awkwardness of the situation.
When Li Xuan snapped back to reality and noticed Chu Qingyi staring dumbfounded at his member, he assumed she was awestruck by its impressive size and vigor. A smug sense of pride swelled within him, and he straightened his posture, giving her a clearer view.
As his hips thrust forward with the movement, Chu Qingyi snapped out of her daze. Furious at his vulgar and disrespectful behavior, she channeled her immortal energy and, with a flick of her sleeve, sent him flying out of the room.
A fierce gust of wind erupted, creating a shockwave that propelled Li Xuan's body in a perfect arc through the air, smashing through the door and window as he hurtled backward.
He landed squarely on his backside in the courtyard, howling in pain as agony shot through every limb. Clutching his sore body, his scrawny frame writhed and rolled on the ground like a unruly ruffian, resembling a wild monkey with its tail on fire.
Thankfully, he had landed on his rear—otherwise, his face would have been ruined.
Once he regained his composure, Li Xuan glanced fearfully toward the room and swallowed hard. Had that strike been any stronger, he would have been sent straight to meet the Buddha in the Western Heaven.
Trembling, he struggled to his feet. His coarse hemp robe was caked in dirt, clumps of soil tumbling off as he moved. Stray weeds were tangled in his disheveled hair, leaving him looking utterly disheveled and wretched.
Knowing he had provoked Chu Qingyi's wrath, Li Xuan didn't dare step foot in the east wing again. Limping away, he retreated to his own room.
Hearing the commotion outside, Chu Qingyi felt a twinge of regret. After all, Li Xuan was merely an ordinary mortal, barely in his teens. Though her immortal energy hadn't fully recovered and she could only muster a fraction of it, that single strike would have been hard for a grown man to withstand, let alone a young mortal.
But who told him to act so shamelessly in front of me?
No sooner had regret flickered in her heart than she snuffed it out.
As someone who prized purity and dignity, Chu Qingyi would not tolerate such defilement—not even from her husband's adopted son.
Recalling how he had brazenly performed such a vulgar act in broad daylight, right before her eyes, she felt nothing but disgust.
For a moment, she was tempted to report the incident verbatim to Li Ye. But upon second thought, she decided it was unwise. If it had been an outsider, it might have been different—but since it involved her husband's adopted son, she would need to weigh her options carefully before taking any action.
Disturbed and unsettled by the matter, she simply pushed it to the back of her mind and picked up the ancient book on the table to read again.
Back in his room, Li Xuan wore a despondent expression, sighing repeatedly. He had finally grown a little closer to his Qingyi Fairy, only to ruin it with his actions today.
Ah, he wondered if she would hold a grudge over this.
With such thoughts swirling in his mind, Li Xuan's eyes darted restlessly around before he peered gloomily through the window toward the east wing.
Sigh.
The room was steeped in silence, broken only by his long, heavy sighs.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon a white handkerchief by the bedside.
It was the one that Chu Qingyi had dropped unintentionally while tending to the medicinal herbs in the courtyard last time. Li Xuan, watching from the shadows, had noticed it fall from her sleeve and secretly picked it up when she wasn't looking. He had never returned it to her.
As if finding solace, Li Xuan snatched up the handkerchief and cradled it in his palms like a treasure. Embroidered on it were two butterflies dancing gracefully, so vividly stitched that they seemed almost alive, truly exquisite.
Gently stroking the handkerchief, he was reminded of Chu Qingyi's delicate face by its cool, smooth texture—just as soft and tender.