Chapter 20: There’s Demonic Qi Here

At the gate of the Ji residence, Chen An and Su Chichi were unsurprisingly stopped by the doorman. Perhaps because of his distinguished appearance and temperament, the doorman was quite polite.

"I'm sorry, honored guest, but may I see your invitation?"

Chen An, of course, had no such thing. He shook his head.

"Please inform Miss Ji Qingge, the second young lady, that I am here to return something."

"Ji Qingge?" The doorman blinked in surprise and gave Chen An a careful look over.

"Are you a Daoist?"

"More or less."

Upon hearing that, the doorman's expression instantly soured as if he had swallowed a fly. His previous politeness vanished, and he began waving them off.

"Go, go, go! The Ji residence does not welcome your kind, and the second young lady least of all. Be on your way."

Before Chen An could respond to the cold shoulder, a mocking voice sounded from behind.

"You charlatans never give up, do you? Heard some gossip about Miss Ji and now you show up here pestering us daily."

The speaker was a young man in his twenties, dressed in a luxurious purple robe, clearly of wealth or noble birth. At his side stood two lackeys, who quickly chimed in with jeers.

"Do you even know who Miss Ji Qingge is? She's a true immortal, a goddess! You filthy Daoists are beneath her notice!"

"Exactly, if Miss Ji weren't so kind, she would've blasted you lot to ashes long ago for daring to covet celestial secrets!"

The doorman's eyes lit up and he rushed toward the purple-robed man, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ah, isn't this Young Master Wang? Please, come right in!"

It seemed the two families were well acquainted. The young master sneered at Chen An, then strutted through the gate, hands behind his back.

Were it not for this being a joyous day, he would've had Chen An beaten half to death already.

Chen An remained calm in the face of these insults. But Su Chichi puffed her cheeks in frustration and tugged on his sleeve.

"Master, forget it! Let's not eat here anymore!"

The doorman sighed helplessly, "Daoist Master, it's not that I won't help you, but everyone in Luoyang knows how much the second young lady loathes Daoists. Please understand my position. Besides, even if she were home, she wouldn't agree to see you."

He gestured again for them to leave.

But Chen An didn't move. His gaze landed on a slowly approaching carriage. Its decoration was familiar. It was the same one from the roadside—the woman who had given Su Chichi the pastries.

Su Chichi noticed too.

"Master, that carriage looks familiar. I think it's the one I accidentally kicked a rock at…"

Chen An looked down at her, "You're not even embarrassed?"

The little girl stuck out her tongue cheekily.

The doorman scowled and ran over to greet the approaching carriage. It stopped in front of the gate, and a woman in white, as pure as freshly fallen snow, stepped out. Her hair flowed like a waterfall, her features delicate and refined—like a goddess stepping out of a painting.

The bustling street fell silent. Onlookers stared, awestruck. Some whispered to their companions, convinced that this must be the famed second daughter of the Ji family, Ji Qingge.

People sighed in amazement, saying that seeing such beauty in this lifetime made life worth living.

The doorman seized the chance and leaned in to whisper something, then pointed toward Chen An.

Ji Qingge followed his gaze. When she saw Su Chichi, her eyes lit up. 

But when she noticed the man holding the girl's hand, her brows knit slightly. She strode toward them. Tall and graceful, she carried an air of untouchable holiness.

She stopped in front of them, ignored Chen An entirely, and gently patted Su Chichi's head.

"Call me sister." Her voice was clear and melodious.

Su Chichi wasn't shy despite the crowd and obediently called out,

"Sister!"

The woman chuckled and finally turned to Chen An. Her gaze lingered on his face with a flicker of surprise before she quickly masked it.

Ji Qingge was shocked. She had never met a man more beautiful than herself—yet this man, this Daoist, had surpassed her.

"Good evening, Miss Ji," Chen An spoke first, breaking the silence.

Ji Qingge nodded faintly, then turned and said, "The banquet is about to begin. Come in."

Chen An took Su Chichi's hand and followed behind her.

The doorman scratched his head in confusion.

What's going on? Could this Daoist really be acquainted with the second young lady? Thank goodness he hadn't been too rude.

Inside the estate, they were met with gardens, carved beams, painted rafters, and bustling maids everywhere.

At a fork, Ji Qingge stopped.

"I need to go to the back courtyard. Just follow this cobblestone path straight through the garden. The main hall is ahead. Sit there and wait for dinner." She still thought Chen An was there just to mooch a meal.

As for the "returning something" excuse—she found it laughable. Just a few pastries, what's the big deal? Clearly, the little Daoist was looking for a reason to sneak in.

But seeing the cute little girl, Ji Qingge didn't bother to expose him. As long as he behaved, the Ji family wouldn't make a fuss. What's one extra pair of chopsticks in such a big household?

But Chen An had other ideas. He called after her, "I sense strong demonic qi from the back courtyard. Miss Ji, be careful."

She turned, clearly annoyed.

"You Daoist, don't you know today is my elder sister's wedding?"

Chen An nodded, "I heard about it at the inn."

"And you've also heard the rumors—that I've mastered immortal arts and am already a true immortal?"

Chen An nodded again.

Ji Qingge laughed in exasperation.

"And yet you still dare spout nonsense about demonic qi in front of me?" Her face turned cold.

"The only people in the back courtyard right now are my mother and my sister, the bride. Not even servants are allowed back there."

"So according to you, either my mother is a demon, or my sister is?"

At that, Ji Qingge completely lost interest in the man before her. She turned and left, leaving behind only one cold, domineering remark.

"Even if there is something foul hiding back there, I can incinerate it with a wave of my hand."