Demon Blood, Maiden Vail

The sun dipped below the clouds, casting a soft golden glow over the tallest pavilion. Lin Yuan sat on roof, legs dangling over the edge, a half-eaten soul fruit in one hand and the wind tousling his hair.

For once, it was quiet.

"Resting again, little one?" Lady Mingyan's voice came from behind as she gracefully landed beside him, dressed as her usual male disguise—calm, composed, with that faint smile that never quite reached her eyes.

Lin Yuan didn't turn. "I'm just breathing, Uncle Ming. Feels like the sky's less heavy up here."

She chuckled and sat beside him. "You'll have to grow stronger. Be a good husband for that baby."

Lin Yuan blinked, nearly choking on the soul fruit. "Uncle Ming! I'm a child too, you know?"

"You are a child," she said, smirking. "But you think like an old man. It's frightening."

He frowned. "Well, then you're worse. An old man pretending to be an uncle. I'm still healing. My soul's slow… after that dream, it might never be whole again."

A brief silence. The wind picked up.

Lady Mingyan looked into the horizon. "Nothing will happen to you. But if anything truly goes wrong… I'll take you into the Abyss. That will be our next home."

"The Abyss?" Lin Yuan asked.

"There's peace in being forgotten. We can live quietly. If you earn respect, even the Abyss bows. If you hold the biggest feast, you become king. And if all fails…" she tossed him a bright soul fruit, "we'll live off these.It least we can provide you a full meal. There soul fruit are plenty "

"Something gose all wrong. I can ask my mom for a 1st-grade soul fruit."

Lady Mingyan grew still.

He tilted his head. "You never talk about your mother."

She exhaled. "She has thousands of children… I ran away. But if I asked, she'd still give it to me."

He laughed. "Don't tell me you're one of those 'heroes save the beauty, beauty falls in love' believers."

Lady Mingyan smirked. "When I was younger, I joined the Xiulin Temple… became a bald monk. There I saved many beauty , many women was in love with me. If I were a man, I had to marry 100 of them . "

"No way!" Lin Yuan laughed. "You were bald?!"

"I joined to learn the Lion's Roar. If you can combine Soul-Shaking Roar with Mind-Breaking Roar, it becomes powerful enough to kill low-level enemies with a single shout."

Just then, a cold voice rang from behind.

"Hello, Master."

Lady Qingxiuan stood, arms crossed, staring at them from the next roof tile.

"I'm just talking with Uncle Ming," Lin Yuan explained.

"Why are you with *him*?" she demanded.

Lady mingyan raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with being with me? If you want, come sit."

Her eyes narrowed. "Come with me."

He sighed. "They already know I'm a man."

"What?!" she snapped. "Why did you tell them?!"

"Take it easy, Master. Illusions can't fool everyone every day. I don't remember who… but there's a nine-tailed fox in the sect. She figured it out on my first day."

Lady Qingxiuan scoffed. "It's because you're ugly. If you were beautiful, no one would've found out."

"I was *Miss Beautiful* in the last contest!" Lin Yuan protested.

She turned away. "Talking to you is pointless. People will see you two and say you're lovers. Taiyin Sect's reputation will be ruined!"

Lin Yuan looked at Lady Mingyan. "Uncle Ming… should I just go back to my room?"

"No need," she said, plucking a soul fruit for herself. "Let them talk. You're not marrying anyone. Why should your reputation matter?"

She grinned. "I've seen many Taiyin Sect girls visiting the Flower House. None of them cared about reputation."

Lady Qingxiuan stormed off, fuming.

Silence returned.

Then Lady Mingyan said, almost gently, "She cares about you."

"I know," Lin Yuan replied, softly. "So do you. That's why you're doing all this."

Later that evening, Lady Mingyan gave Qingxiuan a new order—to become Lin Yuan's bodyguard, protect him , keep him company, and quietly encourage him, act like cute sister.

The next morning, as Lin Yuan prepared to leave the hall, Qingxiuan stood by the door awkwardly.

"…I'll go with you" she muttered.

Lin Yuan blinked. "I am going to be a body guard "

She smile and hold his hand.

Even the coldest snow melts when held by warm hands.

The morning sun rose gently over the eastern peaks as Lin Yuan tightened the strap of his travel pouch. Today marked his first official escort mission outside the sect since recovering from his soul injury. He had his beast pouch, some talismans, and a few soul fruits tucked away.

He didn't expect Qingxiu to appear beside him in full travel robes—silver trimmed with soft lavender. A small satchel hung at her side, and her hair was tied into two neat buns like a proper little sister from a traveling merchant clan.

"I'm coming with you," she said, standing proudly with her arms crossed.

"You are only skin and bone. You have to eat more to make some fat. She opened the satchel and revealed a mountain of snacks: spirit buns, fire-fruit cookies, peach-glazed rice cakes, frosty lotus pops, and three flavors of roasted soul-nuts.

"…you brought a bakery?" Lin Yuan asked.

"I brought lunch, second lunch, snack hour, tea hour, and emergency energy boosters."

"I feel like *I'm* the one guarding *you* from diabetes."

She ignored him and popped a lotus pop into his mouth before he could speak again. "Eat.Your body are hard like stone no fat. That's poor management."

With a sigh and a smile, Lin Yuan followed her down the mountain path.

---

**Later That Day – On the Road**

The mission was simple: escort a merchant's caravan through Whispering Wind Valley, a place known for minor bandit activity and lurking spirit beasts.

Qingxiu took the role of bodyguard very seriously.

She walked half a step ahead of him, her hand resting on her short sword. Whenever a leaf moved suspiciously, she narrowed her eyes like a hawk. A rabbit darted past, and she nearly unsheathed her blade.

"Calm down, Sister Slayer," Lin Yuan muttered. "It's a rabbit."

"I'm just being prepared."

"You're sweating."

She turned around, blushing slightly. "I-I'm not!"

To distract herself, she pulled out a warm bun wrapped in green leaf and stuffed it into his hand.

"Eat. You've walked fifty steps without snacking. That's a concern."

"You're feeding me like a pig before slaughter," Lin Yuan mumbled while chewing.

"Better than starving in front of bandits."

**Evening – Campfire Time**

They camped near a quiet riverbend, moonlight rippling on the water. Lin Yuan leaned against a tree, eyes half-closed.

Qingxiu came back from the woods, holding two small baskets of spirit berries and a small box of steamed snow-milk buns.

"Still hungry?" she asked, holding one out like a peace offering.

Lin Yuan opened one eye. "You're seriously committed to this role, aren't you?"

"I told you," she said, sitting beside him, "I'm your bodyguard and your little sister on this mission. You have to live long. You've done enough saving others."

He turned toward her. "You're being sweet."

She looked away. "No, I'm being efficient."

He laughed. "Thanks, Qingxiu."

She smiled a little. "If anything attacks you… I'll slice it in two."

"Even mosquitoes?"

"I already killed six."

A quiet pause settled between them, peaceful like the stars above.

Then she leaned over and gently rested her head against his shoulder.

"…But if I fall asleep," she whispered, "wake me for snack time."

**That night**, Lin Yuan thought: maybe having a sister on the road wasn't such a bad thing.

Even if she tried to feed me into a coma.

---Let me know if you'd like this mission to eescal