508: Instinct

Qing Dai stared at the snacks, then looked at the tightly closed doors of the warm pavilion, her mouth twitching.

"Lord Prefectural City God..." she murmured, "Her Majesty is... not quite available right now."

"Not available?"

Chen Yu blinked her eyes, tilting her head to peek through the crack in the door.

Of course, she couldn't see anything.

"Is Her Majesty reviewing memorials? Or is she researching new nail art styles again?" She chuckled softly, "It's fine, I'll leave right after delivering the snacks. I definitely won't disturb Her Majesty's official business!"

Qing Dai: "..."

[Official business? The 'official business' inside right now is much more exciting than reviewing memorials.]

She took a deep breath, trying to tactfully dissuade her: "Well... Lady Meng Jiang is also inside."

The ghostly energy went silent for two seconds.

The smile on Chen Yu's face froze.

Her white furry ears snapped upright, and her red pupils flashed with thirty percent shock, thirty percent realization, and forty percent 'I came at the wrong time'.

Her hands tightened around the snack box, and her feet moved back half an inch.

"...Sister Meng has come out of seclusion?"

"She just came out and headed straight for Chenfeng Palace," Qing Dai explained in a low voice. "She's been inside for seven days."

Chen Yu swallowed hard.

Countless images instantly flashed through her mind: Sister Meng's gentle yet murderous smile, the way A Ning was kept perfectly in line, and if she were to barge in now... would she be implicated too?

"How about..." Chen Yu's lips twitched, "I come back another day?"Standard

Just as the words left her mouth.

The door to the warm pavilion opened with a "creak."

It wasn't pulled open from the inside; rather, after the sound-isolating array was removed, the door panel naturally loosened and made a light sound.

Immediately after, a raspy female voice drifted out from inside: "A-Yu?"

"What are you whispering about outside? Come in."

It was Shang Wan Ning's voice.

Chen Yu's neck shrank, and she subconsciously looked at Qing Dai. Qing Dai gave her a 'good luck' look and stepped aside to clear the doorway.

The scene inside the warm pavilion was... not quite what Chen Yu had imagined.

No disheveled clothes, no flushed faces or heavy breathing, and certainly none of the intense 'battle' she had pictured.

Shang Wan Ning was still reclining on the soft couch, but her collar was now tightly closed, her long hair loosely held up by a jade hairpin, and her face carried a hint of languidness after satisfaction.

Meng Jiang sat by her side, the frog buttons of her cheongsam done up again, even the topmost one was meticulous. Her long hair was tied in an elegant bun with a green jade hairpin; her whole person was so dignified it was as if nothing had happened just now.

If not for the extremely faint cold fragrance remaining in the air and the slight red tint at the corner of Shang Wan Ning's eyes that hadn't fully faded... Chen Yu would have almost thought she really had just interrupted a serious conversation.

"Y-Your Majesty..." Chen Yu held the snack box and slowly shuffled in, "Sister Meng... you've come out of seclusion?"

Meng Jiang looked up, her peach blossom eyes curving slightly with a gentle smile: "Mhm, just came out. A-Yu, this is..."

Her gaze fell on the paper box in Chen Yu's arms.

"It's snacks," Chen Yu quickly held the box forward. "From the newly opened Tangxin Zhai in the Underworld Market. I queued for a long time. Thinking Her Majesty likes sweets, I bought some..."

As she spoke, she peeked at Shang Wan Ning's expression.

Shang Wan Ning stretched and sat up straight from the soft couch. "Leave it there. At least you have some conscience."

Chen Yu felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly placed the box on the small side table nearby.

After setting down the snacks, she rubbed her hands together, her red pupils darting around as her gaze swept back and forth between Shang Wan Ning and Meng Jiang.

The atmosphere in the warm pavilion was a bit subtle.

Even though the two were sitting upright and speaking politely, Chen Yu just felt a chill down her neck.

This was a small animal's instinctive intuition for danger.

Chen Yu looked down at her slightly long nails; the tips showed a healthy light pink under the light of the palace lamps.

She spread her hands out, showing them to the two on the couch.

"Since the snacks have been delivered, Yu Yu will take her leave now and won't disturb Your Majesty and Sister Meng." Saying this, she turned to leave, but before she could take a step, Shang Wan Ning called out to her from behind.

"Wait!"

Chen Yu stopped in her tracks, looked back in confusion, and waved her hand: "Your Majesty, my nails aren't trimmed well, I really can't stay today. There's a pile of documents at the Prefecture City God Department..."

The subtext was clear: Don't even think about dragging me into any strange activities!

Shang Wan Ning stared at her raised hand, stunned for a moment, then a faint blush rose on her cheeks. She grabbed a cushion from the couch and lightly threw it at her.

"What on earth are you thinking about all day!"

The cushion landed softly in Chen Yu's arms. It lacked force, but the insult was highly potent.

Meng Jiang chuckled from the side, the tassels on her green jade hairpin trembling slightly with her shoulders.

Chen Yu hugged the cushion, her white fur a bit messy from the contact, looking even more bewildered: "Then why did Your Majesty ask me to stay..."

Her eyes moved between Shang Wan Ning and Meng Jiang, and she suddenly thought of something, gasping: "It couldn't be to have me watch and learn, right? Your Majesty, this isn't good. Although I am indeed clever and quick-witted, this teaching method is too..."

"Chen! Yu!"

Shang Wan Ning stood up from the couch, her chest trembling slightly. "If you say another word of nonsense, I'll immediately stuff you into the Eighteen Levels of Hell for an experience tour."

Meng Jiang reached out to pull Shang Wan Ning's sleeve, bringing her back to the couch, and smoothed things over gently: "Alright, A-Yu just likes to play around."

She turned to Chen Yu, the smile in her peach blossom eyes soft, but her tone was serious: "We asked you to stay because there really is something good."

"Something good?" Chen Yu dropped her playful act, put the cushion back in its original place, and stood properly. "What good thing?"

Shang Wan Ning calmed her breathing and rubbed her brow. "Ahem, Sister Meng and I these past few days... it wasn't all..."

She paused, the tips of her ears slightly red. "During the breaks, we discussed the future plans for the Underworld Deities."

Meng Jiang took over the conversation: "Since This servant has come out of seclusion, my cultivation has stabilized at the Eighth Stage Middle Phase. Next, it's time to plan for you all."

"For us?" Chen Yu blinked.

"You, and the Black and White Impermanence." Shang Wan Ning sat up straight, regaining her Empress's poise. "The Underworld's high-end combat power cannot rely on just a few people. Ox-Head and Horse-Face breaking into the Seventh Stage was just the beginning. Next, it's time to help you raise your realms."

Chen Yu's red pupils lit up, and her white furry ears stood up involuntarily: "Help me improve?"

"Mhm." Shang Wan Ning nodded. "You were heavily injured and fell in rank back then, and you've been stuck at the Seventh Stage for many years. Now your foundation is already solid; it's time to move forward."

She raised her hand and tapped lightly in the air.

A faint golden light screen expanded, and the System Mall interface appeared. A dazzling list of items scrolled rapidly, with so many 'zeros' in the price suffixes that it was dizzying.

"There are things in the mall suitable for you." Shang Wan Ning's finger slid across the light screen. "They can help A-Yu recover to the Seventh Stage Peak within two years."

Chen Yu leaned in closer, staring at those astronomical prices, and swallowed: "Seventh Stage Peak... in two years?"

"Correct."

"You were originally at the peak before falling; your soul's foundation is still there. What you lack is enough spiritual essence infusion and insight into the laws. These items can fill that gap."