Chapter Eighty-Two: Aim for the Highest to Achieve the Middle

At that moment, Xu Boqing was also considering how he might extract some information from Zhu Sisi. Aim high and you may achieve the middle; aim for the middle and you’ll fall below. Sensing that she was still hostile toward him, he smiled and said, “Madam, you should be able to tell that I have never shown the slightest prejudice, whether toward humans or demons. There may be some misunderstandings between us, but we are not mortal enemies who must meet blade to blade.”

“Misunderstandings?” Zhu Sisi sneered, her voice laced with hatred. “You destroyed my innocence—do you call that a misunderstanding?”

“I explained everything to you before, but I admit I am at fault. Tonight, I have come here uninvited precisely to give you an explanation.”

Zhu Sisi was taken aback. “An explanation?”

“Indeed.” Xu Boqing nodded solemnly. “Since I have wronged you, I ought to take responsibility. If you do not find me objectionable, I shall find a matchmaker and marry you in proper form.”

“You… you’re dreaming!” Upon hearing that his so-called explanation was to marry her, Zhu Sisi’s anger flared. Having lost her innocence, she was already filled with resentment. Now this scoundrel not only laid bare her current state but shamelessly proposed marriage as if it were a favor. Her humiliation and anger only deepened.

“Does Madam doubt my sincerity?” Xu Boqing seemed to understand her suspicions. He placed the two jars of wine he carried on the table, then moved to open the door.

“Well then, I’ll bring in some witnesses…”

As she saw him move, Zhu Sisi hurried to block the door, glaring at him. “What exactly are you trying to do?”

“I only worry you won’t believe me.” Xu Boqing gestured toward the outside. “My words alone aren’t persuasive enough. Since there are many people here at Siqing House, I thought I’d proclaim my intentions before them, invite them to drink, and have them bear witness, so you may be at ease.”

“You…” Their eyes met, and for some inexplicable reason, Zhu Sisi felt a trace of panic within herself. Regaining her composure, she replied coldly, “Siqing House is a place of pleasure, filled with lowborn courtesans and their clients. What kind of witnesses could they possibly be?”

“And what of it?” Xu Boqing frowned slightly. “They are all women striving to make a living—is that so contemptible? Besides, I intend to marry their madam. What harm is there in having them bear witness?”

Zhu Sisi found his gaze sincere and his words earnest. She recalled the look of awe and fascination he’d shown when he first saw her true form, and a sense of confusion crept into her heart.

Could it be that this scoundrel truly means to marry me?

The thought flashed across her mind, and her expression flickered between anger and disbelief. Not wanting to linger on the subject, she changed the topic coldly. “The paths of human and demon are not meant to cross. You should set aside these unnatural thoughts.”

Xu Boqing fell silent, then sighed deeply, moving to sit at the table. He broke the seal on the wine jar and took a long draught.

“Human and demon… human and demon… ah…” He murmured, then adopted a forlorn air. “I fell for you at first sight, but alas, the falling flower longs for love while the running water is merciless. In the end, it was all my wishful thinking. So be it, so be it…”

He paused, looked at the wine in his hand, then at Zhu Sisi, and asked, “Would Madam grant me the honor of sharing a few cups?”

Zhu Sisi frowned delicately at him. Seeing his dejected expression, she felt a hint of pity despite herself. After a moment’s hesitation, she replied, “I will not drink. If you have something to say, say it; if not, please leave…”

Perhaps even she did not realize her tone had softened, losing its former icy edge.

“I will be leaving Hongyang tomorrow. Who knows when we might meet again—no, perhaps…”

He suddenly seemed to remember something, took another swig of wine, and said self-mockingly, “I am but a mere mortal. Perhaps after this parting, I shall never see you again in this lifetime. How tragic…”

His eyes reddened as he raised the wine jar once more. “The wine is harmless. Will you not let me share a few cups with you, if only… to put my feelings to rest?”

Zhu Sisi frowned, hesitated, then nodded and walked over to sit opposite him at the table. She said nothing, simply took a cup, unsealed the wine, poured herself a drink, and began to drink in silence.

Xu Boqing also said nothing more. The two drank quietly, the only sounds in the room those of wine being swallowed and splashing in the cups. The atmosphere was oddly tense.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps outside the door. Accompanied by flirtatious murmurs—“Sweetheart,” “My darling,” “I’ve missed you so”—the door to the next room opened, and soon sensuous noises drifted over.

There was no need to think—some girl from Siqing House was entertaining a client nearby.

The two exchanged a glance, both looking a little embarrassed.

Zhu Sisi cursed her unruly daughter in her heart, while Xu Boqing silently rejoiced, “At last, the moment has come.”

Both seemed eager to break the awkward silence, but they spoke at the same time: “You…”

Then both fell quiet again.

Xu Boqing smiled. “Madam, please, you first.”

Zhu Sisi finished her wine, frowned, and asked, “I heard you say earlier that you are still a mere mortal?”

“Yes,” Xu Boqing nodded, his gaze shifting slightly. “I have only some mundane martial skills and no other means. To call myself an ordinary mortal would not be far off.”

“No wonder…” Zhu Sisi nodded thoughtfully. She had long found it odd; this scoundrel, though impressive in bearing, had subdued her with sheer physical strength when they fought, without any immortal techniques or the aura of a cultivator.

She’d thought perhaps his cultivation was so high he had no need for artifacts—but now she understood he simply had none.

But then her brow furrowed once more. She had lived among mortals for many years and had seen so-called martial experts, but compared to Xu Boqing’s display, those so-called masters were little better than children at play.

“Would a mortal’s martial arts truly have such power?”

“I am not like others,” Xu Boqing replied, shaking his head. “Most warriors develop inner strength, or ‘true qi,’ but theirs is limited. I, however, seem to have no such limits.”

He raised two fingers in demonstration, channeling his inner strength. His clothes stirred as if by wind, energy surging from his fingertips, almost solid to the eye. With a light flick at an empty wine jug on the table, the metal vessel was silently cleaved in two, the cut as smooth as a mirror—an astonishing feat.

“I can extend this force to a hundred feet.”

“This…” Zhu Sisi’s voice was filled with doubt and awe. “If your energy is as you say, it’s not inferior to the techniques of immortal cultivators.”

“Not at all,” Xu Boqing replied with a bitter shake of the head, his words carrying deeper meaning. “It’s said that immortals can fly through the clouds, command the winds and rain, turn beans into soldiers. My meager skills cannot compare.”

Zhu Sisi glanced at him, scoffing lightly. “Flight is one thing, but controlling the elements and turning beans into soldiers—those are not feats for ordinary cultivators.”

The two fell silent, the conversation lingering between them.