The tea in the pot had long gone cold.
Zanxing poured two cups of tea for Men Dong and Tian Fangfang. They had been busy outside all day and were very thirsty. Without saying a word, they drank two cups of cold tea. Tian Fangfang took out a booklet from his pocket and handed it to Gu Baiying. “Junior Brother and I visited five households today, and we’ve recorded all the information we gathered in this booklet.”
Gu Baiying flipped through the booklet, and Zanxing moved a stool next to him to read together.
Although Men Dong was young, he had good handwriting. However, as Tian Fangfang had said, the information recorded in the booklet seemed to be of little use.
“The events of that year have long passed,” Tian Fangfang said. “Many people can’t remember the details. We’ve asked many people, and the situation is similar to what we encountered last night with the deceased. They were all young girls who were found dead at home, drained of blood.”
Zanxing asked, “But why isn’t there any description of the appearance of the shark demon in this booklet?”
“Because no one has seen the shark demon,” Tian Fangfang said. “When those girls were found dead, they were already gone. No one has seen what the shark demon looks like.”
“The shark demon is a demon,” Men Dong said. “After killing someone, it would naturally leave. How could ordinary people catch sight of the true form of a demon?”
Zanxing shook her head. “I still think something’s not right. According to this, the only people who have seen what a shark demon looks like are those from the royal family who witnessed the shark demon being killed forty years ago. But no one actually caught sight of the shark demon committing the murders. And…” She looked at the damp trace on the ground. Honestly, she found it hard to imagine how a shark demon would crawl on the ground dragging a fish tail.
Gu Baiying remained silent, focused on the booklet in his hand.
Men Dong asked, “Master, why aren’t you saying anything?”
“The women who were killed forty years ago were all eighteen years old,” Gu Baiying suddenly spoke up.
Tian Fangfang paused, nodding. “Yes, indeed. This demon really brings calamity. Those young girls were at the age of blossoming youth. In one household we visited today, the young lady was about to get married. She was killed by the shark demon the day before her wedding, and the groom, in his anguish, followed suit. What a tragedy.”
“Could it be that he specifically targets eighteen-year-old girls?” Zanxing asked.
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” Men Dong said. “The girl who was killed the previous night was only fifteen, wasn’t she?”
“Perhaps its taste has changed?” Tian Fangfang slammed his palm on the table, angrily saying, “This shark demon is really picky!”
“Something’s not right,” Gu Baiying interrupted them, flipping through the booklet again. He asked Tian Fangfang, “When you went out today, did you inquire about the birthdates of those women?”
“No,” Tian Fangfang shook his head. “We’re not exchanging horoscopes for marriage. Why would we inquire about their birthdates?” Seeing Gu Baiying’s gaze becoming sharper, Tian Fangfang’s voice lowered. “I… forgot, Martial Uncle.”
Seeing Gu Baiying’s expression darkening, Men Dong asked, “What’s wrong, Martial Uncle? What’s the issue with their birthdates?”
“You’ll go out again tomorrow and obtain the birthdates of those women,” Gu Baiying said coldly. “Don’t miss a single one.”
His tone was stern, and Tian Fangfang and Men Dong dared not say anything more. It was late at night now, and they needed to get up early the next morning to gather information. So, after exchanging a few words, the two of them left to rest in their rooms.
Gu Baiying also got up to leave.
Zanxing grabbed his sleeve. “Martial Uncle!”
“What?” he asked impatiently.
“Tonight, that creature sneaked into my room with ill intentions. Even though it fled halfway through, there’s no guarantee it won’t come back,” Zanxing said. “If even you couldn’t catch up to it, it means the opponent is strong. I might not be able to handle it alone.”
“So?”
“So, why don’t you come and sleep in my room tonight,” Zanxing replied promptly. “It’s good to have someone to watch over each other.”
“What are you saying?” Gu Baiying asked incredulously.
“There are two beds in that room,” Zanxing pointed out. “You can sleep on the spacious one, and I’ll take the smaller one. It’s not like it’s one bed. There’s plenty of distance between them. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“Yang Zanxing,” Gu Baiying stared at her as if she had grown horns. “You’re a woman, I’m a man, how can we sleep in the same room?”
“Is your cultivation world that strict?” Zanxing retorted. “Just treat this room like the wilderness, and we’ll each take a corner. Isn’t that fine?”
Gu Baiying took a deep breath. “Forget about it, I’m not going to sleep with you.”
Zanxing looked at him, the young man tightly pursing his lips, his face ashen, as if what she said was some unforgivable offense. After a moment of silence, Zanxing took a step back. “Forget it, if it’s not possible, I’ll go find Senior Brother Tian. Although his cultivation isn’t as high as yours, it’s good to have someone to watch over in case something happens.” It was late at night, and she hadn’t yet reached the point where she could act like nothing had happened. The guards in the Palace of Li’er were useless, they only came to inquire about incidents after everything had cooled down, without knowing what had happened.
“No!” Gu Baiying exclaimed in anger at her words. “Yang Zanxing, I’ve told you before, dual cultivation is not allowed in the sect.”
“I’m not suggesting dual cultivation,” Zanxing replied after a moment of silence. “We’re just in the same room, sleeping. No cultivation involved.”
“Even so, it’s not allowed.”
Zanxing finally lost her patience and looked at Gu Baiying. “Then, what do you suggest, Senior Uncle?”
“You don’t sleep tonight,” Gu Baiying said sternly. “Practice cultivation in the room.”
Zanxing widened her eyes, hardly believing what she heard. “Senior Uncle, even if I don’t sleep tonight, there are still several days before the opening of the Secret Realm. I can’t afford to stay awake every night. Besides, if I exhaust myself now, how will I compete with the disciples of the Chihua Sect once we enter the realm? At that time, will you again say that I’m bringing disgrace to the sect?”
Gu Baiying looked up at the figure in front of him.
This person stood in the room, looking at him with a straightforward gaze. There were disciples in the sect who coveted pleasure, but to be able to act so shamelessly after becoming a direct disciple, Yang Zanxing was probably the first.
She also lacked the self-awareness of being a woman, actually able to say “sleeping together.” If it were someone else, the Qinchong seeds would have changed hands too easily.
Qinchong.
Thinking of the Qinchong seeds, Gu Baiying felt a surge of frustration.
“Senior Uncle, have you made up your mind?” Zanxing saw the changes in the youth’s eyes, unable to guess what he was thinking at the moment.
“You go to sleep,” Gu Baiying said. “Tonight, I’ll cultivate in your room.”
Zanxing: “…”
She asked, “You’re not sleeping?”
“I’m not like you.” Gu Baiying sat down on the bench in the room and began to close his eyes to rest.
“You really won’t sleep?” Zanxing asked kindly.
Gu Baiying kept his eyes closed and didn’t respond to her.
Zanxing couldn’t help but feel impressed. Look at this upright young man. Such a character would be considered a monster in a typical male-oriented novel. It’s just not realistic.
However, with Gu Baiying here tonight, the shark demon probably wouldn’t dare to come back. She could rest assured.
Zanxing quietly climbed onto the bed and blew out the oil lamp on the bedside. Outside the window, the starry sky cast a dappled light on the window, and on the long bench in the room, the silhouette of the young man stood tall. In this slightly chilly night, he seemed like a spring breeze, bringing a warm and comforting feeling, even in dreams.
As she watched, she gradually fell asleep.