Lin Xuanji(Mo Tianzun)—was abruptly awoken by commotion outside his residence. He rubbed his eyes, glanced out the window, and saw the sun had barely risen. With a slight groan, he stood up and slid open his door.
Before he could speak, the Liu Twins suddenly shoved something into his face.
"Aleaf?" Xuanji raised an eyebrow, then squinted at it. His expression quickly shifted as he sensed a faint yet potent spiritual fluctuation emanating from the object.
"Where did you get this? This type of leaf is rare—it only grows in the Spirit Realm," he asked, his tone sharp with interest.
Fenglan looked at him incredulously. "Young Master… don't you know what day it is today?"
Xuanji tilted his head, genuinely confused. "No…?"
"It's Lingchen Ri (灵尘日)!" Fenglan exclaimed, almost shouting in disbelief.
Seeing his Young Master still baffled, Zhenhai cleared his throat and explained:
"Lingchen Ri, or the Day of Spirit Dust, is when the barriers between realms grow thin. Cultivators use this opportunity to gather rare spiritual ingredients from the Spirit Realm. However, demons may slip through the cracks as well. That's why the guards are doubled during this festival."
Xuanji nodded thoughtfully. Even as Mo Tianzun, he had never cared for worldly events—especially those involving the mortal realm. He had always kept to himself, far removed from so-called "low-life celebrations."
"Oh? So tonight there will likely be monster attacks?" he asked, eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement.
The twins exchanged an uneasy glance. 'How could someone be this thrilled at the prospect of a demonic attack?' Still, they nodded in response.
"Excellent!" Xuanji clapped his hands. "Then I shall observe it personally. Prepare yourselves—we're going out tonight!"
With that, he dashed off to the bath chamber, leaving the twins behind, scratching their heads and sighing in exasperation.
———
"Lian'er," a young noblewoman's voice called out from her private quarters.
"Yes, Princess Mu?" the maidservant responded, approaching the young mistress with deference.
"Did you make contact?" asked Concubine Mu Shuirou, gently stroking the feathers of her pet spirit-bird perched on her wrist.
Lian'er bowed slightly and smiled. "Yes, Princess Mu. The arrangements have been made. The attack will take place tonight."
A sly smile spread across Shuirou's face.
"Good. That Lin guy will be eliminated… and I shall take the seat beside His Highness that I alone deserve."
She crossed her legs elegantly and gazed out at the morning sky with feigned serenity.
"It shall be a most delightful festival for me... and the last for you, Lin Xuanji."
Her laughter rang through the courtyard, laced with venom.
———
"Achoo!" Lin Xuanji sneezed softly, rubbing his nose. "Tch, someone must be talking about me," he muttered with a smirk as he strolled leisurely by the lotus pond.
Having finished his breakfast, he decided to take a walk while waiting for the city gates to open—artisans were still decorating the village for the festival.
As he walked, a group of concubines approached from the opposite path.
"Concubine Lin," one of them called politely, "will you be attending the festival tonight?"
Xuanji returned a calm smile and nodded. "Yes, it's my first time attending a festival like this."
"Oh~ you're going to love it!" one of them said sweetly.
After exchanging pleasantries, the Concubines walked away with courteous smiles.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Xuanji clicked his tongue. "Their acting is so fake like my pussy."
The Liu Twins chuckled behind him, barely able to hold in their amusement.
As they continued walking, Xuanji suddenly halted. The twins immediately followed suit.
"Young Master Xuan, is something wrong—" Fenglan started, but then his voice faltered.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince. Lord Jiang Fenglie," both twins quickly said, bowing deeply alongside Xuanji as Crown Prince Zhao Longxuan and his sworn brother Jiang Fenglie approached.
The two nobles acknowledged them with a nod and walked past with quiet dignity.
As soon as they were gone, Fenglan nudged his brother. "Did you see the way His Highness looked at our Young Master!?"
Zhenhai nodded enthusiastically.
Xuanji, however, remained unbothered. "He only looked. There's nothing unusual about that."
"We need to return to the chamber anyway—I forgot the offering," he added, turning around.
The Liu Twins nodded, falling into step beside him as they made their way back toward their quarters.