Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

Seeing Shen Jizhi approach, Xie Yuanying raised his hand to stop his subordinates from continuing their report and quickly bowed. "Master Jian, is there something important?"

This Master Jian had been brought in by Xie Yuanying’s elder brother, who had posted a task at the Immortal Storage Tower. His status was extraordinary. No one knew why someone at the top of the rankings would take on such a small task for the Xie family. They had only offered eight thousand spirit stones.

It was said that this person only accepted tasks worth fifty thousand or more.

Before setting out, Xie Yuanying’s elder brother had specifically instructed him to treat this man with the utmost respect.

"She…" Shen Jizhi slightly turned, his gaze lingering on Jian Huan at the other end of the deck. The corner of his jaw, visible beneath the mask, tilted upward as he spoke, his tone drawn out, as if across the river of time. "...just arrived?"

"Yes," Xie Yuanying replied with a smile. The people of the Jade Clarity Sect were also not to be trifled with by the Xie family. Remembering Jian Huan’s instructions, he answered, "Miss Jian is a wandering cultivator."

"I see." The corner of Shen Jizhi’s lips, hidden beneath the mask, curled slightly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Xie Yuanying, having traveled far and wide with the Xie family’s merchant ships, was quite perceptive.

Although Master Jian hadn’t said much, Xie Yuanying had a faint feeling that the man was quite interested in Miss Jian Huan.

After all, Master Jian had never inquired about the Taoist priestess or the purple-clad heroine.

As the host, Xie Yuanying decided to take Shen Jizhi over and formally introduce him to Jian Huan and the others. He politely said, "Master Jian, you haven’t met Miss Jian yet, have you? She was just asking about you earlier. Would you like to join them for some food and drink, get to know each other? I’ll take you over…"

Shen Jizhi stood with his back to Jian Huan and the others. But he could feel a piercing gaze fixed on his back, as if it could bore through him.

He shook his head. "No need, just asking casually."

The Xie family’s merchant ship was crowded, with many eyes watching.

Due to his habit of competing for tasks, this identity of his had made quite a few enemies among desperate individuals over the past two years.

Xie Yuanying was the tallest among the Xie family’s descendants, but Shen Jizhi was still half a head taller.

Shen Jizhi slightly bent forward. "You’re busy."

With those two words, he leisurely walked away.

Xie Yuanying: "??"

Wait, so what was the meaning of this?

Even Xie Yuanying, who prided himself on being able to read people, was puzzled.

Did this man come up to the deck just to "casually ask" and enjoy the river view?

The ship had already sailed far from the dock.

In the evening, the setting sun seemed to have fallen into the surging river, soaking the water in a golden, shimmering light.

Jian Huan leaned against the painted wall by the staircase connecting the cabin and the deck, her sword in her arms. One leg was straight, the other slightly bent, as she idly drew circles on the deck with the tip of her shoe.

The hem of her emerald-green skirt fluttered like the wings of a dancing butterfly with her movements.

A young man in black slowly approached, glancing at her briefly before silently walking around to the other side of the staircase, carefully avoiding her as he descended.

"Master Jian, right?" Jian Huan immediately stood straight, her figure shifting to block his path. "I heard you’re quite impressive, a big shot at the Immortal Storage Tower."

Shen Jizhi stopped, his light brown eyes resting on her as he slowly replied, "Not bad."

His voice was slightly different from two years ago, carrying a certain indescribable quality.

But it was unmistakably Shen Jizhi’s voice.

Playing dumb, are we?

Jian Huan gritted her teeth inwardly but smiled on the surface, hinting, "So impressive, yet you wear a mask, not daring to show your true face. I suppose you’ve made quite a few enemies, like owing a lot of debts, right?"

"Not bad," Shen Jizhi replied, his black robes rustling in the river breeze. "Though the last creditor is indeed quite persistent."

Jian Huan: "!"

As if oblivious to Jian Huan’s expression, Shen Jizhi added after a moment of thought, "She’s been chasing me quite relentlessly."

"Paying debts is a matter of principle," Jian Huan said, tapping the thin, sharp blade of her sword with her finger. "With the wind so strong by the river, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for saying such things?"

Shen Jizhi glanced out at the river.

The sun was about to set, and the wind on the deck was growing stronger.

He nodded slightly. "You’re right, the wind is quite strong. I should return to my room."

Shen Jizhi looked at her. "Would you mind stepping aside?"

Jian Huan smiled at him, her gaze sweeping from his head to his feet before she finally moved, leaning against the wall.

Shen Jizhi stepped forward, descending the stairs. Just as he was about to pass her, a silver sword suddenly appeared, its razor-sharp edge—the very blade Shen Jizhi had spent nights honing in the Fangquan inheritance—pressed against his neck.

Behind them, Xu Yang watched in fear, trembling.

What was going on? He had been thrilled to have two big shots on board, thinking it would increase their chances of capturing the demon.

But now, these two were turning on each other?!

Unlike Xu Yang, who was too scared to speak, Shen Jizhi remained calm.

He reached out, his long, bamboo-like fingers gently pinching the blade, lifting it slightly as he bent forward, slipping under the sword.

"Your sword is quite good," he said.

Jian Huan: "…"

Damn it, wasn’t this sword made by him?

The waters where the demon was said to appear wouldn’t be reached for another two days.

With little entertainment on the ship, Jian Huan returned to her room to meditate after dinner.

Shen Jizhi hadn’t shown up for dinner.

Well, of course, he was wearing that mask, which only revealed his eyes, not his mouth.

Without a mouth, how could he eat?

Thinking this, Jian Huan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Before she knew it, her meditation had lasted over two hours.

The ship was steady, and Jian Huan got up from the bed to open the window.

The night was deep, a lone moon hung in the distant sky, the river surged, and everything was quiet.

During the day, there had been too many people, so Jian Huan hadn’t exposed Shen Jizhi’s identity. He had taken the task at the Immortal Storage Tower under the alias "Master Jian," and she certainly wouldn’t interfere with his money-making endeavors.

After all, he was currently earning money to pay off her debt!

Jian Huan’s lips curled into a smile, her joy evident.

Her soft figure, like a tender green leaf, gently floated out of the open window.

The night wind was strong, causing her long black hair to dance wildly, and her emerald-green skirt billowed to one side, accentuating her graceful figure.

Jian Huan nimbly arrived at Shen Jizhi’s window.

His window was half-closed, and Jian Huan peeked through the crack.

The candle inside the lamp emitted a warm, dim light.

The wind sneaking in through the carved wooden window made the pink bed curtains sway, and the figure on the bed was faintly visible, not entirely clear.

A stealth talisman flashed at her fingertips, and Jian Huan disappeared from view.

Suddenly, the wind grew stronger, a fierce gust blowing in and fully opening the half-closed window with a creak.

Inside the room, the curtains swayed more violently, and the cups on the table trembled slightly, but the person on the bed seemed to be in deep meditation, unmoving.

Using a stealth talisman meant she couldn’t use spiritual energy.

But even without spiritual energy, Jian Huan was a skilled martial artist with excellent lightness skills.

She slipped in with the wind and quickly reached the bed.

Shen Jizhi sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, meditating.

He had removed his black outer robe, leaving only a moon-white sleeping garment, but the black mask remained firmly in place.

Without hesitation, Jian Huan’s hand shot out like lightning, aiming for the black mask on his face!

But just as her fingertips were about to touch the mask, a slender, well-defined hand grasped her wrist.

Jian Huan gritted her teeth, the veins on her wrist bulging as she tried with all her might to push forward, but the young man’s hand was as steady as a rock.

Shen Jizhi opened his eyes, his other hand casting a spell that landed on her, revealing her figure.

"It’s late," he said, her wrist cold from the wind, feeling like a piece of jade in his grasp. "It’s not appropriate for you to come to my room like this."

Jian Huan pulled her hand away, crossing her arms and leaning against the bed, her chin raised. "Take off the mask before you talk to me."

Shen Jizhi: "The mask doesn’t stop me from speaking."

Jian Huan glared at the dark mask, her anger rising. "But I can’t see your face."

"Why do you need to see my face when I speak?" Shen Jizhi tilted his head slightly.

"Do you not know yourself?" Jian Huan looked at him in disbelief. "You rarely speak the truth. I need to see your face to know how much of what you’re saying is real."

Shen Jizhi: "."

Jian Huan was done with his evasiveness. "Take it off."

Shen Jizhi: "No."

Jian Huan: "Take it off or not?"

Shen Jizhi: "No."

Jian Huan was furious: "Shen Jizhi!"

Behind the mask, Shen Jizhi's expression remained calm: "...If you have the guts, come and take it off yourself."

Jian Huan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and after three seconds, she opened them again. Like a bolt of lightning, she charged toward the man on the bed.

Damn you, Shen Jizhi!

She was going to tear off his mask and then destroy his mouth!

Why did such a good-looking person have to have such a mouth?

Shen Jizhi swiftly dodged, reminding her: "Don’t use spiritual energy. Everything in this room belongs to the Xie family."

The two of them exchanged blows at lightning speed, moving from the bed to the floor. At one point, Jian Huan threw a punch, and Shen Jizhi dodged, causing her fist to graze a vase behind him.

The vase toppled over, and Shen Jizhi’s brow twitched. He extended his foot, lightly tapped the vase, kicked it up slightly, and caught it, safely returning it to its original position.

When he turned back, Jian Huan’s sword was already resting against his neck.

Shen Jizhi froze.

Jian Huan stared at him, took a step forward, and with a slight curl of her lips, said, "You know how sharp this blade is, don’t you?"

Shen Jizhi took a step back, glancing at her calmly. "Yes, but you wouldn’t dare."

Jian Huan continued to advance, her tone threatening. "I wouldn’t dare?"

"The person who’s most afraid of me dying right now," Shen Jizhi continued to retreat until his back hit the wall, "is definitely you."

Jian Huan: "...True."

She muttered under her breath, "If you die, what happens to my debt? I finally got my turn."

Shen Jizhi: "." He knew it.

But Jian Huan didn’t lower her sword. The tip of the blade pressed against his neck, slowly moving upward. With a slight flick, she deftly lifted his mask.

Shen Jizhi leaned casually against the wall, one foot slightly bent, offering no resistance.

The black mask fell, and Jian Huan caught it with her hand, her gaze instinctively turning toward him.

They stood opposite the carved wooden window.

Silver moonlight poured through the window, enveloping them both.

During their earlier scuffle, Shen Jizhi’s wooden hairpin had loosened, and a strand of dark hair fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his distant, mountain-like eyes.

Three years ago, when they first met, Jian Huan had known he was handsome the moment he stood up among the disciples.

Three years had passed, and the boy had shed some of his youthful innocence, replaced by a subtle, alluring charm. A strange balance of boyishness and seduction coexisted on his exquisitely cold face.

The moonlight was silver, the candlelight fiery, and the crimson silk curtains danced incessantly.

Jian Huan’s wrist lowered, the tip of her sword unconsciously touching the ground. For a moment, she felt dazed.

Shen Jizhi didn’t miss a single change in the girl’s expression.

Suddenly, he leaned down, tilting his head slightly, his lips stopping just short of her left ear.

His presence enveloped her, cold as snow among pines, yet carrying an icy, invasive intensity.

He raised his hand, lightly tapping the mask in Jian Huan’s hand. The mask made a dull sound.

"Now you know," Shen Jizhi’s cool voice carried a faint hint of amusement, barely discernible, as he whispered in her ear, "why I didn’t take off the mask, don’t you?"