That night's disturbance turned out to be far more significant than Li Xun had expected.
The reason was simple—he was too busy. So busy, in fact, that he barely had time to think about anything else.
Ever since that night, Li Xun had picked up a new task within the palace. Every day, after dealing with Longqing's endless, clumsy questions, he'd make a round through the inner palace. Whether he truly wanted to or not, a man wandering so boldly through the forbidden palace was bound to stir up some gossip. But when even the Emperor turned a blind eye, what could the rest of them do but grumble in secret?
Those carefree, pleasure-seeking days were over. Aside from the mission that directly concerned his life and death, his long-paused cultivation had resumed—eating up the last bits of his free time.
He had to bring all his training back up to standard. That included refining the new techniques he'd picked up since coming down from the sect mountain. Every single one demanded time, energy, and focus. After just a few days, Li Xun felt like the twelve hours in a day just weren't enough anymore.
So, he began trying every trick he could think of to squeeze out a little more time.
Like now—he'd just finished dealing with Longqing's string of dull-witted questions and managed to steal half a day to himself, strolling down a quiet garden path. But even now, he wasn't relaxing. Instead, he had a copy of Blood God Chil in hand, reading as he walked.
The blood-red script was striking and a bit jarring to look at, but Li Xun didn't care. He bobbed his head slightly as he read, utterly absorbed.
He had to admit—Blood God Child deserved its reputation as one of the most formidable demonic cultivation methods in the Tongxuan Realm. What Blood Wanderer had given him was only the most basic portion, focused solely on resolving the Blood Nightmare lurking in his body. But even so, the insights it offered had opened his eyes.
The methods in Blood God Child were vastly different from those in Lingxi Art and Netherworld Record.
Its cultivation essence lies in a unique method that fuses the cultivator's flesh and blood with their True Breath, giving birth to a Blood God. Through rigorous refinement, its quality is elevated and abilities unlocked, ultimately resulting in the creation of a supreme Blood Demon Body. Not only was it indestructible as diamond, but it also allowed the cultivator's true breath, essence and blood, and spirit to fully merge into one—granting the ability to shift and transform freely at will.
What Li Xun had was far from that ultimate stage—Blood Wanderer had only taught him the basics. But even those allowed him to fuse the Blood Nightmare with his heart, gaining a partial blood demon physique.
To any cultivator, a supreme-level technique like this was as tempting as beautiful women to a lecher, or gold to a miser. Li Xun had only just begun to seriously see himself as a cultivator, and already he found it hard to resist this kind of temptation.
So he studied it intently as he strolled along, not paying the slightest attention to his surroundings. Any eunuch or palace maid he encountered naturally stepped aside—nobody wanted to get in his way.
But if he happened to run into someone else who wasn't watching where they were going...well, that was a different story.
"Ah!"
With a startled yelp, Li Xun felt a sudden jolt as someone bumped into him. Looking up in surprise, he saw a young palace maid sitting on the ground a short distance away. She looked quite young and was glaring at him with puffed-up cheeks, clearly upset.
Their eyes met—and the little maid immediately panicked. She scrambled up and bowed quickly. "Greetings, Daoist Master Li!"
Li Xun wasn't the petty sort to fuss over something so small. He replied casually, about to walk off when a thought struck him.
She looked familiar.
He paused and called out just as she turned to leave, "Which hall are you from? What's your name?"
The girl flinched again at his voice, but when she turned and saw the friendly expression on his face, she relaxed.
Children were simple creatures. Once the fear was gone, they'd bounce right back. She giggled, bowed again, and chirped, "This servant is Xing'er, from Consort Qin's residence. We met a few days ago, remember?"
"Consort Qin?"
Li Xun's hand unconsciously tightened around the silk scroll. So it really was that nearsighted little palace maid—the one who had cried out "assassin" the first time they had met!
Consort Qin, huh…
A certain figure flickered in his mind's eye—gentle as spring water, yet with a quiet stubbornness of her own. That moment of breathtaking beauty under the candlelight, those vague yet suggestive words whispered by Yin Wanderer on the garden path, and finally… the undeniable, naked proof.
He inhaled slowly, letting the cool air settle deep in his lungs.
Compared to Qingyin, Mingji, and the others, there was something… different about Consort Qin. But what exactly was it?
Still pondering that thought, he waved Xing'er off and turned to go. But then, another feeling surged up—this time, pure impulse.
And so, behind the simple-minded little maid, a large shadow began to follow. Xing'er, oblivious, walked on. A few turns later, the Lanxue Courtyard came into view. Li Xun stopped hiding his presence and openly stepped forward, arriving at the door just a step behind her.
The eunuch standing by the entrance looked dumbfounded, but didn't dare block his way. His expression was utterly bewildered.
Only now did Xing'er notice something was off. She turned around abruptly, her eyes going wide with shock. "Daoist Master Li?!"
Her panicked expression amused him. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of lightness. He couldn't help but smile. "I'm thirsty. Thought I'd stop by for a cup of tea."
A sharp-eyed eunuch had already dashed inside to report to Consort Qin. As Li Xun spoke, a snow-white skirt hem flicked into view at the hall entrance—and the next moment, a pair of soft, intelligent eyes landed on him.
Li Xun's attention focused entirely on her.
Of course, she looked nothing like she had that night—no disheveled hair or loosely draped clothing today.
She wore a long white dress embroidered with blue patterns, the delicate design shaped into winding ivy that looked almost alive. Her sleeves were layered gauze, stitched with flying birds—elegant yet serene. Her hair was simply tied up in a neat bun, understated but graceful.
Altogether, she looked more poised, even regal, like a proper royal consort.
But the impression she'd left on Li Xun that night had been far too vivid. This supposed dignity? It paled in comparison.
Li Xun couldn't explain why, but he was in an unusually good mood. He folded his hands in a light salute and greeted with ease, "It's been a few days. Has Your Grace been well?"
Consort Qin returned the gesture with elegance—graceful, poised, and just the right amount of distance. "I hope Daoist Master Li is doing well, too."
Li Xun gave the same old excuse, only this time, dressed up a bit more politely: "Just now, this poor Daoist suddenly felt a bit parched. Seeing this place belongs to an old acquaintance, I shamelessly thought I might come in and beg a cup of tea. I hope Your Grace doesn't mind."
As he spoke, his eyes never left her face, so he caught every subtle expression—especially that moment when her delicate brows knit ever so slightly. He knew his excuse was paper-thin. In a palace this vast, did he really need to come all the way here just to get a drink of tea?
But Li Xun was confident. A newly favored figure like himself—would Consort Qin risk offending him over something so minor?
Sure enough, after that brief frown, her expression softened into a polite smile. "You're too kind, Daoist Master. As it happens, I just received some new tea. If you don't mind it being a bit plain, please, let it serve to quench your thirst."
She raised her arm in a welcoming gesture, though the direction she pointed was not toward the inner hall, but instead toward a side corridor.
Li Xun didn't seem to mind. He also raised his hand in response, and took the lead.
Consort Qin's chosen spot for receiving guests was a small, plum-blossom-shaped pavilion behind the Lanxue Courtyard. The attendants moved swiftly—within just a few steps, the tea set had already been laid out, a small brazier lit, and snow water put on to boil.
Just outside the pavilion stood several winter plum trees, their twisted branches heavy with blossoms. It was peak bloom. Dotted with lingering snow, the flowers looked all the more delicate and charming, soft pink against white.
Li Xun couldn't help but admire the view aloud. "Plum blossoms, snow, and winding branches—a bit of winter's bite still in the air. This isn't a time for tea. What we really need… is wine!"
Consort Qin laughed lightly at that. "Daoist Master does have refined tastes. Speaking of wine, there's actually a jar of yellow plum wine stored here—not aged very long, only two years or so…"
Before she could finish, Li Xun raised a hand to cut her off, pleased. "Then forget the tea. Let's have the wine! To stand by the railing, drink, and enjoy snow, plum blossoms, and a beautiful lady—what more could a man ask for?"
The teasing tone in his words was unmistakable. The nearby maids and eunuchs turned pale at the impropriety, but Consort Qin acted as if she hadn't heard a thing. She calmly led Li Xun into the pavilion and gestured for him to sit, then instructed a eunuch to go fetch the wine.
She herself sat at an angle on the opposite side of the pavilion, poised and composed.
Li Xun hadn't expected this seemingly delicate woman to be so capable. From start to finish, she'd handled the entire situation perfectly—graceful, polite, but always keeping a careful distance. She never gave him even the slightest opening. And truth be told, even if she had… he might not have known what to do with it.
After all, stepping into the Lanxue Courtyard had been a spur-of-the-moment impulse. He hadn't come with any real intention. And now, faced with Consort Qin's perfect hospitality and measured response, even if he had had any wicked thoughts, they would've fizzled out by now.
So, though he sat there looking composed and carefree, inwardly, he felt a bit awkward—like he'd been subtly outplayed. She held the upper hand.
To shake off that feeling, he began openly scrutinizing her, letting his gaze linger a little too long. But again, he was disappointed.
Consort Qin seemed perfectly at ease under his stare. It was as if she had a natural talent for handling these kinds of moments. She neatly filtered out the impropriety in his gaze, meeting his eyes with a calm smile and light conversation about the snow and plum blossoms. Just a few soft-spoken lines—not too distant, not too familiar—keeping the conversation warm but never letting him step over the line.
It was… impressive.
Li Xun started to feel restless. And once his thoughts drifted, so too did his eyes. That was when he suddenly noticed something strange.