Chapter 26: Everything Changed

Chapter 26: Everything Changed

In a panic, Pei Xuanxuan turned her head towards the three men, seeing Tian Yuanbai's face twisted with extreme anger, and the stances of Wu Ze and Bore as if they were about to rush forward and snatch her away. Feeling guilty, she hastily shook her head at them.

"Guys, I really had no idea about this! If you want to fight over Pei Yuxuan, go ahead, but it’s got nothing to do with me, Pei Xuanxuan!"

Enveloped in Ji Meng's warm embrace, Pei Xuanxuan felt a chill run down her back.

Pei Yuxuan had left her with one mess after another, and she had dealt with all of them, but this kind of battlefield was something she truly couldn’t navigate evenly.

Moreover, Ji Meng had just dropped a bombshell of a revelation, one that could destroy everything.

He had actually married Pei Yuxuan, that heartbreaker?!

In an effort to calm herself, Pei Xuanxuan took deep breaths, attempting to steady her mind. After all, if handled well, this could turn out to be a happy ending, and she could rise to the peak of the cultivation world. But if handled poorly...

Being killed by someone might still be a favorable outcome, but she feared that they would hate her so much they wouldn’t even leave her body whole.

Thinking of this, she began to regret her decision to take a different path and seek out a servant. Now, Tian Yuanbai was furious, and the other three were at each other’s throats.

Pouting in frustration, she pondered how to salvage the situation. Upon reflection, she realized that these three men had all sought her out on their own.

She had thought about rallying them to stand against Tian Yuanbai, as every encounter with them seemed far too coincidental.

Could it be that someone was secretly aiding her?

With some effort, Pei Xuanxuan finally broke free from the embrace, surprising Ji Meng. Knowing he couldn't force her, Ji Meng awkwardly bit his lip and chose to let her go. Seeing her free, the three men behind her rushed forward, but she raised her hand to stop them.

Being as meticulous as she was, once she sensed something was amiss, she had to get to the bottom of it. Perhaps only then could she take a risk to save her own life.

Looking up at Ji Meng, numerous questions flooded her mind, and she wanted to ask them one by one.

"I need to ask you something—can you answer me honestly?" Pei Xuanxuan's eyes were full of sincerity, leaving no room for deceit.

Caught off guard by her sudden seriousness, Ji Meng’s face betrayed a rare trace of embarrassment. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded at her.

"Let's talk in the illusion I created."

Determined to regain control of the increasingly chaotic situation, Pei Xuanxuan waved her hand to open a portal to the illusion, her lips tightly pressed as she spoke to Ji Meng. Perhaps because she was unsure of her next move, her voice trembled noticeably.

"You three wait here, don't come in and disturb me."

This time, Pei Xuanxuan finally remembered to maintain her chief demeanor. She was no longer her usual carefree and cheerful self, which gradually eased the tension of the three men standing there.

"I hope you can explain everything clearly when you come out," Bore said through gritted teeth, glaring at Ji Meng with eyes full of fire, as if he wanted to burn him to ashes.

"Senior Sister, you better give me a good explanation," Tian Yuanbai said, suppressing his anger but feeling a pain in his chest. Afraid that she would see through his emotions and use it against him, he quickly added, "Otherwise, as a disciple of the sect, privately committing to someone is a major taboo, and you will be punished."

Tian Yuanbai's soft lips moved between his teeth until he felt a slight pain, realizing he had bitten his lip. Blood seeped out, adding a cold, bloodthirsty aura to his already handsome appearance.

"Master..." Wu Ze looked at the two, unsure of what to say. He knew that in her heart, he had always been an insignificant presence, but if he didn't speak now, he couldn't bear to watch her leave with someone else. He was weak, fragile, and easily broken, yet he longed for love the most.

"Let's go."

Without wasting words, Pei Xuanxuan took Ji Meng's hand and leaped into the portal in front of them.

The rift sucked the two of them in, and the previously distorted space returned to its original state, leaving the three people who couldn’t see eye to eye staring at each other. After sizing each other up, they each found a temporary place to rest, each wearing a different, stiff expression.

As they entered the illusion created by Pei Xuanxuan herself, Ji Meng couldn’t help but look astonished.

"You made this?"

Raising one eyebrow, Ji Meng couldn’t believe that the woman before him could master such a complex spell.

"Yes, Mountain God. You underestimated me." Pei Xuanxuan was the first to let go of the tightly held hand, turning her palm upward, glancing at Ji Meng, and then gesturing forward with her hand, saying, "After you."

The two stood on a pool of crystal-clear water, with many colorful fish swimming freely beneath. Following the direction Pei Xuanxuan pointed, not far away stood a huge peach blossom tree. Under its shade, a long wooden tea table was placed, supported by large planks of the same color, forming a tiny island.

A spring breeze swept through the illusion, as if by chance, rustling the peach blossoms on the tree. Those blown off the branches fell with the wind, and a few landed gracefully on the tea table.

Pei Xuanxuan was the first to glide across the water to the tea table, sitting down skillfully. She waved her wide sleeve, and a full tea set materialized in front of her.

"Chief Pei, you certainly have a flair for elegance."

Ji Meng smiled faintly, following closely and sitting opposite Pei Xuanxuan.

"Earlier outside, I couldn’t say these things in front of those three people. I hope Mountain God doesn’t mind."

Putting on a show of understanding, Pei Xuanxuan raised her hand and drank the tea in the cup, though she was really blaming Ji Meng for the trouble he’d stirred up.

"It’s fine." Seeing her take the initiative to apologize, Ji Meng just nodded slightly and drank the tea in front of him.

She watched intently as he drank the tea she’d poured, taking his silence as tacit approval of her earlier moves, so she shifted the conversation to what she really wanted to know.

"Mountain God, you really have a keen eye for people..."

She feigned a pitiful expression, hoping to pry some information loose.

"I am indeed not Pei Yuxuan."

To drive her point home, she nodded emphatically, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes.

"Everyone knows that, Chief Pei. No need to state the obvious."

Picking up the purple clay teapot in front of him, Ji Meng poured himself another cup, sipping lightly, and said, "Truly excellent tea."

He sat upright, even the way he held his cup was precise and deliberate. Hearing his words, Pei Xuanxuan subconsciously twitched her mouth, trying hard to suppress the inner temper, and could only respond with a fake smile.

"Are you calling me a fake?"

Pei Xuanxuan wished she could immediately stand up, grab his collar, and throw him out of the illusion. But now she still had many questions to ask, as if he had her by the short hairs, leaving her fidgety and on edge.

"Then I’ll ask you again."

Leaning over the tea table, Pei Xuanxuan stared at him, her eyes seductive, deliberately using Pei Yuxuan’s face to disgust him as a small counterattack.

"Did you really marry her?"

"Fake." Ji Meng answered without hesitation, giving her the answer she most wanted to hear.

"I deliberately lied to them."

He smiled somewhat slyly, like a fox who had succeeded, making Pei Xuanxuan so furious she could’ve sworn smoke was coming out of her ears.

"Why did Mountain God lie to them?"

Trying hard to keep her patience and continue questioning, Pei Xuanxuan felt her smile was already pretty fake. If she had to keep up the act, she was ready to blow.

"Of course, it's to help you."

Ji Meng let out a cold snort, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye before quickly standing up and turning his back to her, gazing at the massive peach blossom tree. The tree seemed to answer his gaze, gently shedding a few pale pink petals, like the flushed cheeks of a bashful girl, softly settling into Ji Meng's warm palm.

"Help me?"

She turned her head to follow his motion, completely baffled, her confused look making her whole face scrunch up.

"You’re scared of that guy, aren’t you?"

"Did I guess wrong?"

As if cradling a priceless treasure, Ji Meng carefully collected the petals that had fallen into his palm. He turned back, locking eyes with Pei Xuanxuan’s guilty look.

"You know about it?"

She thought to herself that she couldn’t stick around Ji Meng for too long. Even though they had just met, he could easily guess what she was thinking, like she was an open book to him. How could she keep any secrets from him in the future?

"The way you look at him, aside from that fake flattering smile..."

He tapped his tongue against his teeth, hesitating to be so blunt, but seeing Pei Xuanxuan’s eager, curious look, he finally spoke up.

"There’s also fear and anxiety."

He finally said it, but it only made Pei Xuanxuan feel even more on edge.

Now, she was even more on edge.

"I’ve been living deep in the mountains for a long time and don’t know the bad blood between you two. But since you’re using Pei Yuxuan's body, you’re somewhat my half-master. If you fear him, dislike him, then..."

Playing with the two golden ribbons hanging from his waist, Ji Meng flicked his waist-length ponytail. If his voice hadn’t been so aged, Pei Xuanxuan might have mistaken him for a handsome young man.

"I’m just adding another layer of support for you, letting him know that you are connected to me, backed by the Tianzhu Sect and the Mountain God. So, your tough bone is the hardest for him to chew."

Astonished by Ji Meng’s meticulous planning, Pei Xuanxuan admitted defeat, feeling that her previous tricks were mere child’s play in front of him.

"But what if he reports me to my master..." Suddenly thinking of this, the stone in Pei Xuanxuan’s heart lifted several feet again.

"He won’t." Ji Meng smiled with a meaningful glance at her.

"I know, he can’t bear to."

"Just like me, he can’t bear to."

He murmured, his eyes suddenly staring blankly at Pei Xuanxuan, but upon closer inspection, it seemed he was looking through her at someone else.

"Ji Meng. You really love her, yet hate her." Picking up the teacup in front of her, Pei Xuanxuan noticed the tea had cooled during their conversation. Her delicate fingers touched the cup’s edge, and she warmed the tea again with her magic.

"Hate? Of course, I hate her."

His tall figure turned away from her again, gazing desolately at the blooming peach blossoms, his eyes empty.

"But without love, how could there be hate?" Mocking himself, his slightly yellowed ponytail swayed with his movement, catching Pei Xuanxuan’s attention.

But it was fine not to look; once she did, Pei Xuanxuan noticed something amiss.

"Why is there so much gray hair mixed in your hair?"

"Did you tie your hair up because of the white hair?"

Pei Xuanxuan was curious why even a deity would grow white hair like mortals. She blinked her slightly upturned eyes, utterly puzzled.

"Because I traded it away," he chuckled, his already aged voice sounding even older.

"Along with my voice."

"All traded away for her sake."