Married to the One Who Is Not Human

The spring rain was moist and the sound of rain was rustling.

Ji Yu opened her eyes hazily and saw a crack in the curtain that had been blown open by the wind. Through the crack, she saw a window that had been opened a little, letting in a little light.

It was dawn.

　　Her hand lay limply on the dark bedding, her skin pale as snow and fragile as glass.

　　Upon waking, the pain in her body resurfaced, even more intense than the night before, showing little sign of abating.

　　Ji Yu silently endured the familiar pain in her body, staring blankly at the window that had been opened by someone, and suddenly understood why she had suddenly fallen asleep last night.

　　She remembered the figure standing on the bridge in her dream. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, she knew that when she left the dream, he was still staring at her from afar.

　　It was quiet and still, just as it had been every time she entered the dream.

"Young Master, have you awakened?"

Hongxiao lifted the curtain made of insect grass and shark skin. As a top-tier bodyguard trained by a family of demon exorcists, her senses were extremely keen. When the person in the room awoke, she immediately sensed the slightest change in their aura and knew that she must have awakened.

　　Hongxiao helped her wash and change clothes while asking how she had slept the previous night.

 Last night, she had first encountered several low-level ghosts with elongated heads in her dream, then walked along the banks of the幽河 for a long time, unable to rest all night. Ji Yu's spirits were low, and her expression was listless.

　　Hongxiao observed her expression and knew that she must not have rested well last night, which made her worry even more.

Had the young master's condition worsened?

When she turned to fetch the food box, she noticed that the window was not closed tightly. Hongxiao's expression changed, and she looked at the young master sitting there with even more concern.

　　Due to the steady spring rain, the sky was overcast, and the indoor lighting was dim. The woman sitting there appeared fragile and emaciated, shrouded in endless shadows, her attire somber. 

Just like her fate, obscure and unclear, her future uncertain. 

Ji Yu shook her head at her and simply said, "Nothing."

　　Hongxiao hesitated, thinking that they were now at Yanyue Manor, and swallowed the words on her lips, saying nothing more, and served her meal.

"Young Master, earlier a servant came and said that the master of Yanyue Manor appears at Taofeng Courtyard every day at noon to meet with the demon exorcists and discuss matters related to exorcising demons." "Hongxiao said, "If your body is well, you should also go there." 

　　Ji Yu listened quietly and nodded. 

　　After breakfast, it was already late. 

　　Ji Yu led Hongxiao out of the guest courtyard. 

　　As soon as they stepped out, they saw people coming out of the neighboring courtyard. 

　　They were disciples of the Xu family, led by Xu Xiu Jue.

　　"Junior Sister Ji," Xu Xiu Jue approached her, noticing her paler complexion compared to yesterday, and asked with concern, "Did you rest well last night?"

　　Ji Yu nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Xu. Everything is fine."

　　Xu Xiu Jue didn't believe her. As an exorcist, he was well aware of the current situation at Yanyue Mountain Villa. Although nothing had happened last night, it hadn't been peaceful either. It was impossible to sleep soundly, and even after falling asleep, one might encounter troublesome and malevolent demons in their dreams.

　　Fortunately, those sent were elite disciples from the family, and they didn't panic. They quickly broke free from their dreams.

　　Xu Xiu Jue knew that as the young master of the Ji family, Ji Yu must have some protective items on him, so he wasn't afraid of the demons in his dreams. However, experiencing those things in his dreams would damage his body and energy. Strong and healthy people wouldn't be afraid, but her body was always weak, so she would probably be affected.

Sure enough, when he saw her today, it was just as he had thought.

　　After exchanging a few polite words, the two headed toward the Taofeng Courtyard.

　　There were already puppets waiting in the guest courtyard. Upon learning that the guests were heading to the Taofeng Courtyard, they led the way.

　　Puppets were essentially automatons. Many exorcists preferred to use them to manage their daily affairs, as automatons were lifeless objects without self-awareness and would not betray their masters.

　　Of course, Kuei servants could only follow simple commands and were not as flexible or attentive as humans.

　　However, exorcists had too many secrets to share with others, so using Kuei servants to attend to them was the best solution.

　　During the day, Yanyue Mountain Villa was equally quiet. It was the season of steady spring rain, with rain threads blowing in the wind. The sky was overcast, and mist shrouded the villa, making the entire world feel gloomy and damp, with an indescribable, mysterious aura of darkness.

　　The courtyards of Yanyue Mountain Villa are connected by long corridors. As people walk through them, occasional droplets of rain drift into the corridors, landing on their bodies.

　　Just as they turned a corner in one of the corridors, a group of people came walking toward them.

　　Seeing that they were all dressed in uniform red silk robes and adorned with blue feathers, they knew they were disciples of the Qingyu Chen family, likely also heading to the Taofeng Courtyard.

　　When Xu Xiu Jue saw a handsome teenager of about fifteen or sixteen among the Chen family disciples, his heart skipped a beat.

　　Not only Xu Xiu Jue, but also the Xu family disciples and Chen family disciples present were startled. Their gazes shifted between Ji Yu and the teenager and lingered there involuntarily.

　　The teenager's eyes locked onto Ji Yu in an instant, his pupils slightly contracting.

　　Ji Yu gave them a casual glance, his gaze not lingering on any of the Chen family disciples, before casually shifting his gaze away, his expression calm and composed.

As if facing a group of strangers.

The young man's anger flared up instantly.

　　He snorted derisively, glaring at Ji Yu with a sneer, "Has the Ji family run out of people? Why send such a worthless fool? Or are they so poor they can't even afford to feed him, thinking it's a waste of food to keep him alive, and trying to save the family some expenses?" 

　　The words were truly offensive. Not only did Xu Xiu Jue and the others frown in disgust, but even the Chen family disciples felt awkward.

　　Hong Xiao was so angry that she immediately drew her sword. If not for Ji Yu looking over, she might have swung it at the insolent youth. 

　　Chen Qingfeng, the senior disciple leading the Chen family, hurriedly said, "Qingzhe, don't speak recklessly." Then, forcing a smile, he tried to smooth things over, "Young Master Ji, Qingzhe is still young and speaks without thinking. Please don't take it to heart..."

　　As he said this, he felt embarrassed himself.

At fifteen or sixteen, one is no longer a child. For exorcists, this is the age of formal training, facing numerous crises, and few retain a childlike mindset.

However, Chen Qingzhe's status in the Chen family was special, not to mention his relationship with the young master of the Ji family. From a bloodline perspective, the two were direct siblings.

　　Therefore, the matters between these two... well, they could be considered family affairs, couldn't they?

　　They really shouldn't interfere.

　　Chen Qingzhe ignored him, stiffening his neck and glaring at Ji Yu.

　　Ji Yu spoke as he had hoped: "How my Ji family conducts itself is none of your business, you beast born without a father's guidance!"

　　Her appearance was striking, her voice clear and pleasant, and her green robe shrouded in mist, making her so beautiful that one dared not look at her for too long. Yet when she opened her mouth, her words were sharp and cutting, yet without a single vulgarity.

　　For a moment, everyone present was stunned.

"Who do you call a beast born of a father but not raised by one?" Chen Qingzhe erupted in anger. "I was raised by my own parents!"

　　Ji Yu spoke calmly, "If you had a father who taught you, why would you be so unable to speak properly? Are you perhaps a beast in human form, unable to speak like a human?" 

　　This was a blatant insult, implying he had no manners and was worse than a beast. 

　　Though... the previous words were indeed quite rude, deserving of a beating.

　　Those present stared at her in surprise, not expecting the young master of the Ji family to have such a temper.

　　Due to Ji Yu's frail health, though she was the young master of the Ji family, she rarely went out to train and had little interaction with exorcists from other families. If it weren't for her striking beauty and resemblance to Chen Qingzhe, her identity wouldn't have been confirmed so quickly.

　　They only knew she was exceptionally beautiful, but unfortunately lacked talent, earning her a reputation as a useless demon exterminator among her peers, prompting sighs over the Ji family's lack of heirs.

　　Little did they know that when she spoke, her words could cut to the bone.

　　Seeing Chen Qingzhe's furious expression, everyone feared he might lose control and resort to violence, leading to a tragic family feud.

　　Chen Qingzhe was indeed so angry that he wanted to act, but Chen Qingfeng and the others quickly stopped him.

　　Moreover, Ji Yu was accompanied by the Xuanjia Guard Hongxiao, who would never allow anyone to harm her in the slightest.

　　After Ji Yu finished speaking, she ignored Chen Qingzhe and turned to Xu Xiujue, saying, Xu Senior Brother, let's go. Don't let a foul-mouthed beast ruin your mood." 

As for the Chen family disciples, she didn't even glance at them. 

Xu Xiu Jue: "...Alright, alright." 

She walked forward leisurely, her green skirt swaying slightly. Between the folds of her skirt, symbols outlined in dark blue silk thread flowed, adding to her graceful demeanor.

　　Xu Xiu Jue glanced at the Chen family disciples, bowed to Chen Qingfeng, and left with the Xu family disciples.

　　The Chen family disciples felt a bit complicated at that moment, but seeing Chen Qingzhe so angry, they couldn't help but sigh.

　　In their eyes, Chen Qingzhe was like a spoiled child. Otherwise, how could he say such hurtful words to his own sister?

　　Not to mention that she was the young master of the Ji family. No matter how fallen the Ji family had become, no one had the right to treat their young master with such disrespect.

　　Chen Qingfeng saw him staring ahead with bloodshot eyes, his forehead veins pulsing, and felt a headache coming on. He said, "Qingzhe, the Ji young master is your sister. Your words earlier were indeed harsh."

　　Chen Qingzhe angrily retorted, "She called me a beast! She's so despicable! Ahhh!!!" 

"Chen junior brother, you were the one who insulted her first," a woman beside him reminded him. 

Chen Qingzhe snapped, "But she's a worthless废物! Does a place like Yanyue Mountain Villa even deserve someone like her? She's probably not even worth being devoured by those demons."

　　Those present agreed with this statement.

The Ji family had actually sent her here, which was indeed too risky. If one didn't know the Ji family's situation, one would think that the Ji family was dissatisfied with Ji Yu as their heir and wanted to kill her and replace her with someone else.

**

The Taofeng Courtyard was not far from the guest courtyard, and with the guidance of the puppet servants, they arrived quickly.

　　Upon entering the main hall of the Taofeng Courtyard, they found many people there—exorcists from all over the country, sitting and whispering to one another. 

　　The main seat was empty; the master of Yanyue Mountain Villa had not yet arrived. 

　　Upon noticing someone had arrived, those speaking in the main hall turned to look. When they recognized the disciples of the Xu family from Cangzhou and the Ji family from Wuhuan Mountain, their eyes betrayed a look of caution.

　　The four major families—Xu, Ji, Chen, and Pei—held a very high status among demon exorcists. When their disciples traveled abroad, few dared to provoke them.

　　Those who had been sent here were undoubtedly the elite of their respective families, possessing formidable strength and not to be trifled with.

　　However, when they saw Ji Yu, dressed in a green robe and walking in gracefully, they froze, their faces filled with astonishment. 

　　Such unparalleled beauty made her identity immediately clear. 

　　The Ji family had actually sent their young master this time? This… wasn't that just handing over a head to the demonic beings causing trouble at Yanyue Mountain Villa?