The door of the Xianyue Tavern was banged open, and a tall woman, her hand pulling at her long curls, yawned, "Do you mind letting me sleep a bit more? What's the matter..." Her words trailed off in a long, drawn-out tone, her eyes still closed, forming two curved lines with long lashes slightly dampened with tears from yawning, swaying half-awake against the door frame.

Without looking back at Yin Wushu, Xie Bai turned to Luo Xianyue and said, "Fortune-telling."

"Oh, come in first, then we'll talk," Luo Xianyue said without opening her eyes, her gaze hazy, "How many people are being read?"

With his back to Yin Wushu, Xie Bai's eyes were slightly lowered, his expression indifferent. "Just me," he said, stepping into the room.

Luo Xianyue, lifting one eyelid, probably couldn't even see clearly who was standing at the door, said out of habit, "Whoever's getting the reading should come in, the rest wait outside." Then without another word, she slammed the door shut, clearly very grumpy from just waking up.

Xie Bai hesitated at the sound of the door closing, then continued expressionlessly forward, following Luo Xianyue up to the top floor.

The Xianyue Tavern was not large, with a simple structure: a hall on the first floor, private rooms on the second, sufficient for the guests in the vicinity. The third floor was where Luo Xianyue lived, strictly forbidden to outsiders. Above that, there was a small attic, usually locked, only opened when someone came seeking fortune-telling.

The layout of this small attic was exactly the same as the small room in the tavern from many years ago, with all four walls covered in oddities: bones, strings of chili peppers, various knives and swords. In the center of the room was a mahogany table and two mahogany chairs.

The mynah bird followed behind the two of them into the attic, flustered, its feathers ruffled on one side, tilting and settling crookedly on its perch.

Sitting across from Luo Xianyue, Xie Bai greeted, "Aunt Luo."

The mynah bird, looking horrified, exclaimed, "Holy crap!"

"Who's the lunatic calling me aunt?" Luo Xianyue, having been addressed as such, slammed the table, finally fully awake, and opened her bleary eyes.

"Xiao Bai?" Only at this moment did she see who had come up, "Long time no see, I almost didn't recognize you."

Xie Bai: "..." You're still half-asleep.

If it had been anyone else calling her aunt, Luo Xianyue would have grabbed a knife and blown up, but Xie Bai calling her that left her powerless. After all, Xie Bai had practically grown up under her care, and calling her "Aunt Luo" was like addressing her as an elder. If it were Yin Wushu calling her "Aunt Luo," she'd have exploded.

Speaking of Yin Wushu...

"Wait, did I just see someone standing next to you?" Luo Xianyue couldn't help but turn to look out the window.

"Yeah," Xie Bai confirmed.

Luo Xianyue's mouth twitched, "I... think I remembered, why do I feel like that voice was... Yin Wushu? Is there something wrong with my ears?"

Xie Bai, calmly: "Yeah, it was him."

Luo Xianyue: "..."

In Xie Bai's understanding, everyone had a bit of fear for Yin Wushu, for no apparent reason. Even people familiar with him, including Luo Xianyue and the others, couldn't tell during their usual banter. But now, Luo Xianyue knocked her head heavily on the table, despondent, "Did I just slam the door really loud earlier?"

"A bit," Xie Bai replied.

"And the one I locked out was..." Luo Xianyue trailed off.

"Yin Wushu," Xie Bai answered.

He had seen enough of Luo Xianyue's dramatic performances since he was a child, full of drama. As she suddenly lifted her head, tears streaming down her face, she said, "I can't run the tavern today, what am I going to do?"

Xie Bai looked at her expressionlessly: "...".

"Eh? Wait a minute..." As if recalling something, she straightened her body, leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and wiped away her tears in an instant. Her expression changed in a second, "Haven't you cut off contact with him for over a hundred years since you left Guyang Street?"

Xie Bai responded with a simple "Hmm" and explained, "Just happened to run into him today."

Luo Xianyue sighed, "Where did such a big grudge come from... How have you been all these years? It's been so long since I've seen you, and I haven't asked about you. I've seen Yin Wushu becoming more and more unusual, his temper changing unpredictably. I guess you're not much better off. After all, you've known each other for nearly a hundred years. If it were an ordinary person, that'd be like a close relative. How did you two fall out?"

"I've wanted to ask him the same question before," Xie Bai replied coldly, "But it doesn't matter now."

Leaning slightly forward, his jet-black eyes seemingly calm, he stared at Luo Xianyue and added, "Aunt Luo, I came here today to ask you to divine whether someone has been scheming behind my back."

"Don't come so close with such a good-looking face," Luo Xianyue tapped the mahogany table, "Your Aunt Luo has no boundaries. I can't resist beauty, sit up straight and talk."

Xie Bai remained silent.

"What do you mean by scheming behind your back? Have you felt anything unusual recently?" Luo Xianyue asked.

Xie Bai briefly described his recent state, then sat up straight, his slender fingers loosely clasped on the table, quietly waiting for Luo Xianyue to speak.

After listening, Luo Xianyue fell into a brief silence, frowning as she seemed lost in thought. Then, she took a sharp breath and said, "This doesn't seem right... How could this happen to you?"

"Why not?" Xie Bai frowned at her change in expression and inquired, "Why can't it happen to me?"

The reason he called Luo Xianyue "Aunt" was because she was much older than him and naturally more experienced. There were things he didn't understand, but Luo Xianyue might. Judging from her current demeanor, she seemed to know what was going on with him.

"How should I put this..." Luo Xianyue looked up at him, hesitated, and then said, "I've only seen this condition in some evil spirits and demons. Usually... Usually when someone comes to collect them, or when someone sets up a formation from afar to slowly consume them, they'll have this condition. I've seen it twice with my own eyes, one of them was my assistant who had been with me for nearly ten years at the time. I couldn't be clearer about it. This kind of condition shouldn't occur in normal spirits or demons. The more malicious the reaction, the more obvious it becomes."

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Luo Xianyue couldn't help but ask at the end.

Xie Bai was momentarily stunned, then chuckled lightly and said, "Then it really can't be wrong."

His light laughter  sent shivers down Luo Xianyue's spine. ".........................."

The mynah bird exclaimed, "Ah— Help—"

Suddenly, there was a series of cracking sounds, and the entire Xianyue Tavern unexpectedly shook twice. Then, the ground they were standing on collapsed with a loud rumble, and they plummeted down abruptly.

 

Translator : DarNan