After the time travel, my cheat program disappeared.

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He returned to Shi Yan's side alone.

Shi Yan and Donghuang Li were sitting at a market stall eating thin noodles.

The table was a narrow one, and Donghuang Li had already taken over the side adjacent to Shi Yan's. The girl held a small jade porcelain bowl in both hands like a kitten, leaning slightly forward, sipping it slowly.

It's not that I'm deliberately trying to be cute.

Rather... he simply didn't have the strength to stand up.

For a long time, Donghuang Li, who had always existed as Donghuang Li's shadow, rarely had the opportunity to go out.

Or rather, they never left the "Taiyi Sect" at all.

Let alone Jizhou City.

Donghuang Li had never even been to the small town at the foot of the Taiyi Sect mountain.

Girls are very curious about everything outside.

It's pretty much the same in games.

Despite being the Holy Maiden of the "Taiyi Sect," she finds it surprisingly easy to please girls.

No rare treasures are needed.

Basically, when Shi Yan is cooking, even the most ordinary dishes are enough to make the girls smile.

On the contrary, Donghuang Li was not particularly fond of high-level cooking.

During the time they stayed at the Taiyi Sect.

Shi Yan, who uses a mod to max out cooking skills, often feels frustrated because he can't create normal dishes.

Wen Ruya glanced at the two of them.

Then... he squeezed onto the same bench with Shi Yan, their bodies almost touching.

Donghuang Li almost stood up on his own.

"You...you can play it like this?"

The girls' eyes were all wide open.

Wen Ruya, on the other hand, appeared completely unperturbed. It was just that Shi Yan was sitting a little too close to the table, and the exceptionally beautiful Wen Ruya couldn't fit comfortably in.

Otherwise... she might have just sat on Shi Yan's lap, which would have highlighted Xia Xia's advantage.

Wen Ruya glanced at Donghuang Li.

"Little A-Li doesn't really think that calling Shi-yan 'husband' a few times is some great advantage, does she?"

"When I launched my night raid on the Shi family in Nanjun..."

"She is still diligently cultivating in the Taiyi Sect, and is unaware of the ways of the world."

"In fact... if it weren't for the scroll I released out of sheer morbid amusement, my master might not even have had a chance with her—"

"That's not right either..."

Wen Ruya looked at the increasingly radiant girl beside her with some annoyance.

At this moment, Shi Yan has undergone a complete transformation compared to the dashing young man he was when they first met in Nanjun City.

Back then, Shilang would panic even if he was just teased by him.

When they are caught by their own wrist, they will pretend to be strong and try to 'fight back'.

Although... the girl's heart was pounding like a drum at that time.

Perhaps only she herself doesn't realize it.

But... so I just went along with it.

It's rather amusing to watch a girl nervously trying to act strong, with such a cutesy demeanor yet wanting to take advantage of her older sister.

But now it's completely different.

Wen Ruya glanced at Donghuang Li.

The girl exuded a slightly chilly, ethereal aura.

Wen Ruya was very familiar with her.

I have no idea which bastard taught Sister Shiyan such a vile technique.

They've corrupted even their own teacher, Shiyan's younger sister.

This little rascal can now flirt with girls in broad daylight, in the middle of the marketplace, without batting an eye.

【Snow Cold Skill】means that one should not take the blame for this.

The Wen family has been practicing the Snow Cold Skill for generations, and they are always the ones who make sacrifices.

Who knew that some people... after completing the practice of the [Snow Cold Skill], basically just played with the [Snow Cold Skill] backwards.

Shi Yan gently grasped Wen Ruya's wrist, "I also ordered one for you and Shangyue Qingqing."

"But I was afraid the dough would get soggy, so I didn't ask the shop to bring it up."

Shi Yan was about to call the shopkeeper to order another bowl when Wen Ruya gently took her hand.

"Need not."

Under Shi Yan's watchful gaze, which already hinted at her suspicions, Wen Ruya pulled the bowl in front of Shi Yan slightly closer to herself.

The corners of her lips curled up slightly.

clang-

Donghuang Li, standing to the side, smashed his chopsticks directly onto the bowl.

My own noodles... noodles that Master Shiyan bought for me...

It suddenly doesn't smell so good anymore.

"My lord!!!"

As the girl's voice, filled with almost aggrieved indignation, accompanied Shi Yan, he could almost feel that at this moment, all eyes were on him.

She fled in panic with two girls.

Symbolically... panting heavily, Shi Yan held the hands of the two girls tightly.

Unlike Wen Ruya's composure, Donghuang Li's palms were almost wet.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." she murmured softly, her misty eyes looking at Shi Yan, the tips of her ears seemingly veiled with a faint blush.

Even when she was being honest with Master Shiyan, she didn't seem to feel this ashamed.

The tips of my ears seemed to be getting hot as a result.

Shi Yan led Donghuang Li and Wen Ruya to sit on a bench along the river in the city. A few reddish leaves were still on the bench.

Compared to Donghuang Li's current embarrassment, Wen Ruya's expression seemed much more intriguing.

For Wen Ruya, the recent 'escape experience' seemed to be a rather good one.

At least... it's much more interesting than when she escaped from the "Shangyue Sect" and, to avoid being tracked down, she even ruthlessly dispersed her cultivation.

That's right—

The truth of things is often not as moving as the story portrays.

No one would like to abandon their Daoist heart and start all over again.

If it weren't for survival, who would be willing to break everything down and start over?

This time... Donghuang Li sat to Shi Yan's right, holding Shi Yan's arm, her body trembling slightly involuntarily.

but--

Whenever I'm with my husband, no matter how nervous I was a second ago, holding his hand will gradually calm me down.

The date with Shi Yan made Donghuang Li very happy.

As long as the two of them take a walk together and look up at the night sky, Donghuang Li can almost forget the passage of time.

In contrast, Wen Ruya stood by with an air of composure, almost like an old married couple.

“Aya…”

"Hmm?" The girl, who was leaning lazily on Shi Yan's shoulder, raised her rosy eyebrows and changed to a more comfortable position.

"My dear last month..."

Master Yan, who had always viewed the mortal world from the perspective of the Womb Mandala, naturally... also saw Shangyue Qingqing's behavior in the alley.

The girl's pure and innocent smile, contrasted with... the man's twisted arm, the blood splattered on the wall and on the girl's face, created a chilling contrast.

Shi Yan even felt a little uneasy.

Especially after she caught that familiar fragrance from Wen Ruya upon her return—

A faint, lingering fragrance...

It's like that special scent you smell when you stroll through a walnut grove after a morning rain, watching the pale white walnut blossoms, glistening with dew, fall before your eyes.

It was exactly the same scent that Shi Yan had faintly smelled on Shi Moyi in the flower corridor before.

Shi Yan has now realized it.

That was the scent that Qingqing wore last month.

Combined with the unusual behavior of that Heavenly Master Mo Yi, who looked like he had been bullied and cowered in fear.

Shi Yan now finds it hard not to suspect... whether Qingqing did something to Shi Moyi last month.

When the topic of Shangyue Qingqing came up, Wen Ruya gently tightened her grip on Shi Yan's hand.

"My love..."

Wen Ruya looked at Shi Yan and said, "She is special."