In the inn, the three of them sat boldly, each occupying a corner of the table.
"So you brought me down the mountain today specifically to meet him?" Jiu Yue gnawed on a bone, occasionally eyeing the man across from her.
"Enough with the 'him, him, him,'" Doctor Tang chided, giving her a disapproving look. "I told you, this is your Third Senior Uncle."
"Ah, it's fine," Third Senior Uncle said, now regarding Jiu Yue with a warmth that starkly contrasted his earlier exasperation. "She's just a kid—no need to be so harsh."
Doctor Tang: "…"
With a resigned sigh, Doctor Tang poured a bowl of wine and clinked it with Third Senior Uncle’s before pushing half a bowl toward Jiu Yue. "Take a sip. This is homemade brew—good stuff."
Jiu Yue smacked her lips but shook her head with admirable restraint.
"I'm still a kid. I'll stick to tea," she said, still haunted by the mortifying aftermath of her last drinking experience.
Doctor Tang saw right through her discomfort and turned to explain to Third Senior Uncle, "Probably her man forbids it."
Jiu Yue, mid-sip of tea, choked violently at the remark.
Across the table, Third Senior Uncle was equally stunned.
Having been close friends with Dao Yu and Tang Nanshan for years, he knew much of the past events and had recently learned of Jiu Yue’s true identity. Hearing this, his expression shifted repeatedly as he studied her.
"Why would you fear your man?" Third Senior Uncle asked, disappointment creeping into his voice. "You should be the one dominating him."
Even if she weren’t the Crown Princess, after years of wielding a blade, she shouldn’t be controlled by a man!
Jiu Yue: "…"
"I just have a terrible alcohol tolerance!" She wiped her face and cut in, exasperated. "Forget about men—Third Senior Uncle, what’s your situation now?"
She swiftly steered the conversation back on track.
The other two sobered slightly.
"Eat first," Doctor Tang murmured, casting her a meaningful glance.
Jiu Yue paused, then silently sped through her meal. Afterward, the three retreated upstairs to a room, securing the doors and windows before gathering around the table again.
With a sigh, Doctor Tang spoke first. "Your Third Senior Uncle is currently the Third Protector of the Rakshasa Gang."
Jiu Yue’s eyes widened as she whipped her head toward Third Senior Uncle, who waved a hand, his stern face breaking into a modest smile.
"Just seniority at work. I’ve been with the Rakshasa Gang for nearly thirty years—if I couldn’t even become a protector, I’d be utterly useless."
Doctor Tang kept a close watch on Jiu Yue, wary of her repeating the "dispose of the evidence" impulse she’d shown back at Tiger Head Village.
The moment Third Senior Uncle finished, he hurriedly added, "But don’t worry… Third Senior Uncle was close with your master. Back then, we only escaped Great Yan thanks to his help."
Third Senior Uncle blinked, only now noticing the skepticism mixed with Jiu Yue’s surprise.
Third Senior Uncle: "…"
He fell silent, scratching his head awkwardly before offering, "I even held you as a baby, you know."
Jiu Yue stroked her chin, her gaze dubious.
Doctor Tang whispered, "Try another angle. She won’t buy that."
"…" Third Senior Uncle fidgeted before sighing in defeat. "If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do."
When he and Dao Yu had carried out missions together, this girl hadn’t even been born! After Dao Yu fled with his people, Third Senior Uncle had never visited Tianqi, leaving him no solid proof to offer.
Doctor Tang grew increasingly anxious, but Jiu Yue’s expression softened.
The lack of evidence made sense.
In her memories, the original owner had lived in seclusion with her master in Tianqi, never hearing a word about Great Yan—let alone anyone tied to the Rakshasa Gang.
Doctor Tang could recall details like the silver hairpin from her infancy because he’d helped care for her as a baby.
But Third Senior Uncle, having risen to protector status in the Rakshasa Gang, clearly held Jin Ge’s trust. If he’d truly been close to her master, he wouldn’t have risked contact over the years, lest it expose Dao Yu’s whereabouts.
No contact meant no proof to convince Jiu Yue of their bond.
"Relax," Jiu Yue said breezily. "I’m just impressed by Third Senior Uncle’s skills. No ulterior motives here."
Doctor Tang: "…" He almost bought it.
Third Senior Uncle’s lips twitched as he turned to Doctor Tang. "I never imagined Dao Yu’s disciple would turn out like this."
Doctor Tang nodded sagely. "It’s nothing short of a miracle."
Jiu Yue ignored them, studying Third Senior Uncle curiously. "So, you came all this way just to give me a welcome gift?"
Third Senior Uncle chuckled. "Of course. But I didn’t trek through mountains and rivers just to hand you a coin pouch."
Jiu Yue lifted her teacup, raising a brow. "What else?"
"A head. Want it?"
"Whose?"
"The one you desire most."
Jiu Yue’s eyes narrowed, a smirk playing on her lips as she leaned forward, her voice dropping. "Third Senior Uncle, at your age, you still play with fire?"
Third Senior Uncle shrugged. "No point hiding it. Dao Yu and I had a deal—after one last job in the palace, we’d leave the organization and strike out on our own. But plans change… Still, now that you’re honoring your master’s legacy so well, I can’t lag behind."
"Ah, so that’s it." Jiu Yue grinned. "Then how about joining our Shadowless Sect as Grand Protector?"
Third Senior Uncle raised a brow, nudging his teacup toward hers. "The honor is mine."
Their cups clinked, the clear sound ringing out as they drank. Doctor Tang, however, felt his eye twitch.
Why did it feel like the next second, those cups would shatter, and the two would suddenly brawl?
…
It wasn’t until dusk that Jiu Yue finally took her leave.
Third Senior Uncle handed her another token. "Might come in handy."
The token bore no distinct markings, just a large, pitch-black skull—far from aesthetically pleasing.
"…Jin Ge’s taste is truly inferior to mine," Jiu Yue muttered, pocketing it before waving cheerfully. "I’ll head back now."
Doctor Tang stayed behind; the two veterans had much to catch up on.
Watching from the window as Jiu Yue skipped toward the marketplace, Third Senior Uncle crossed his arms, amused.
"Did Dao Yu secretly marry in Tianqi?" he asked Doctor Tang. "That tight-lipped blockhead actually raised such a sharp-witted girl?"
Doctor Tang joined him at the window, his smile tinged with sorrow as he watched the distant figure.
"Maybe after Dao Yu’s death, she… found her own path."
Third Senior Uncle fell silent.
As Jiu Yue had guessed, though he was close to Dao Yu, they lost contact after Dao Yu left Great Yan. He only learned of Dao Yu’s death by chance from a fellow practitioner—by then, Dao Yu had already been gone for nearly a year.
"Though their personalities couldn’t be more different, this child is just as devoted as Dao Yu was," Third Senior Uncle murmured, lowering his head with a relieved smile. "I’ve finally lived to see this day."
Even if it wasn’t with Dao Yu.
But standing alongside the girl he’d raised with his own hands—what difference did it make?
Doctor Tang patted his shoulder and sat back down with a chuckle. "Devoted, yet ruthless. She’s far stronger than Dao Yu ever was… Though I must admit, the courtesy she showed you today did catch me off guard."
Third Senior Uncle, who had just shut the window, twitched at the remark.
"Courtesy?" He let out an amused huff, raising the two teacups they had clinked together moments ago. "Take another look."
Doctor Tang paused. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss—but upon closer inspection, he noticed the delicate web of cracks covering both cups.
With the slightest tap, they shattered instantly into dust.
Third Senior Uncle flicked his wrist, sighing in admiration. "The new generation truly surpasses the old."
Doctor Tang: "…"
He had to concede.
