The next morning, when Sang Ying woke, the room was already empty. Only she remained, and outside it was already dusk.
Her body was weak, requiring long sleep to recover energy. She liked sleeping late usually. Last night her period didn’t hurt, and she’d run around all day, exhausted. Unsurprisingly she’d slept the whole day.
Xie Lingyu hadn’t woken her. He’d gone out alone, probably to investigate. A barrier was set outside, preventing outsiders from entering and her from leaving.
Sang Ying went to wash and change clothes.
When braiding her hair, she raised her hand and saw the wrist marks again. Compared to yesterday, they seemed even redder, like a glistening red berry.
Sang Ying was puzzled, where had she scraped herself yesterday?
A table of warm food and medicine awaited on the table. Sang Ying had little appetite and just picked at a couple bites, picked up the medicine bowl and drank while taking out her glass mirror.
This medicine was what she’d been drinking since twelve years old, extremely bitter. At first she’d always refused, but gradually she’d gotten used to the taste, even able to discern a hint of special sweetness in the finish.
The barrier in Beiwan had been lifted. Sang Ying contacted Lengmian. As the Wantong chief had said, Lengmian had been taken by the Immortal Alliance the moment he arrived at Yunshui’s Beiwan branch. He was still detained for questioning. Wantong and Xingxiao were the same.
Lengmian heard Sang Ying’s explanation of yesterday: 【So these two merchant associations are the masterminds?】
Sang Ying: 【No. Still waters run the deepest [1]a dog that bites doesn’t bark (hui yao ren de gou bu jiao, 會咬人的狗不叫) (Idiom), the truly dangerous ones give no warning before they strike jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3389875_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3389875_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });.】
Of the three enemy merchant associations, the only one not taking the opportunity to kick Yunshui while down was Jinxiu, which like Yunshui, focused on spirit network sales channels.
Lengmian: 【Young Miss, I’ve been curious about one thing for a long time. Why don’t you tell Sword Sovereign about the merchant association? Like with this matter, with Sword Sovereign’s reputation, with a little manipulation, the association wouldn’t be mired in negative rumors. You also wouldn’t have to work so hard.】
Sang Ying: 【Never mind that, I have my own pace】
Lengmian: 【Understood. Did Young Miss send out her sword tassel?】
Sang Ying: 【……】
Sang Ying ended the chat.
As the saying goes, what goes around comes around, and fortunes turn on a wheel [2]thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river (san shi nian he dong san shi nian he xi, 三十年河東三十年河西) (Idiom), fortune never stays put, today’s underdog can … Continue reading jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3389875_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3389875_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, never scorn the poor for staying poor forever. Before returning to Wuwenzong to reclaim the sect master position, she naturally had to lie low and hide her strength. That’s why she’d secretly founded Yunshui under an assumed name.
But…Sang Ying awkwardly looked away. Initially she hadn’t told Xie Lingyu because she thought if she failed, it’d be too embarrassing. She wanted to tell him after achieving success.
Then…Yunshui’s chief’s reputation became that of a greedy, cruel, vicious old woman. Sang Ying really couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth, so she’d been putting it off until now.
Sang Ying was silent. She’d tell Xie Lingyu once she’d improved her image a bit.
After drinking the medicine, Xie Lingyu still hadn’t returned. Sang Ying fell back into bed and flipped through the chat group she’d joined previously.
These two days they’d chatted quite a bit. Xiaxia Cave Master’s affair-catching had a follow-up. Both women wanted divorce and teamed up to expose the two male cultivators’ bride scams online. Now everyone cursed them and called for their punishment.
White Cat Swordsman was still searching for Songbiao, sending many messages in the group.
【Yesterday, the Jade Pool immortal directed me. I chased and discovered a black-hearted beast farm specializing in breeding spirit pets. I’m at the door now, about to rescue Meow-Meow!】
Sang Ying glanced at the top avatar—Songbiao chatting with a little female cat, looking pleased with itself. She pulled Songbiao into the group.
Songbiao: 【Meow meow meow, what group is this?】
White Cat Swordsman immediately replied: 【Meow-Meow! Don’t be scared, I’ll protect your chastity!】
Songbiao: 【Who’s Meow-Meow? I’m not. Boss Wang, you got the wrong person!】
White Cat Swordsman: 【Impossible. Those two tufts of hair on your ears, I’d recognize them turned to ash. Wait, Meow-Meow you’re not at the black-hearted beast farm? Two minutes ago circle location was Jade Pool thousand-carp-lake. I’m coming now!】
Songbiao: 【!!!】
The human and cat said nothing more, apparently playing catch again. The group discussed other topics. Xiaxia Cave Master pointed out Sang Ying: 【Sleepyhead, evening】
This account was Sang Ying’s private one, the username she’d come up with randomly, just “Sleepyhead.”
The group thought this was her title, and greeted her.
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【Sleepyhead friend, good evening】
Delivery Heavenly Worthy: 【Sleep, good】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【+1】
Bixu Child: 【Friend and one of our group predecessors share a similar title. You two might get along @Long-Sleep True Cultivator】
Long-Sleep True Cultivator: 【Zzz (auto-reply)】
Sang Ying: “…”
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【Sleepyhead friend, how’s your situation with your husband?】
Since Sang Ying’s accidental message, the group had sent lots of analysis. Only Sang Ying had been busy and hadn’t seen it.
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【Still that, married three years sleeping separately. Either he can’t or he’s into men】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【Support】
Delivery Heavenly Worthy: 【Makes sense】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【+1】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【I disagree. By my years of reading experience, this is usually the “marriage first, love later” story setup. Get married first, develop feelings after】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【Support】
Delivery Heavenly Worthy: 【Makes sense】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【+1】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【…You fence-sitters, which side are you even on?】
Delivery Heavenly Worthy: 【Oh Xiaxia friend, we just think these are all possibilities. Mainly we haven’t heard the full story from the friend yet, so we can only guess】
Lake-Filling Hermit: 【Support】
Unobstructed Taoist: 【+1】
Sang Ying finished reading these chats and focused on what Stock Demon Emperor Buyer said, her ears tingling slightly.
She slowly typed: 【Actually, we were senior brother and junior sister before.】
Stock Demon Emperor Buyer: 【What, green-plum-bamboo-horse childhood sweethearts!】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【Wait before teasing. Sleepyhead friend, were you and your husband childhood friends with feelings, or…?】
Sang Ying paused: 【Due to certain circumstances, we got married. After marriage, he still calls me junior sister and treats me the same as before.】
Xiaxia Cave Master could tell Sang Ying’s thoughts. Although not knowing their marriage circumstances, it was already done. Given her character, if she liked someone, she should boldly pursue and fight for them.
So she said: 【Since you don’t know, find a way to know! Start with the sleeping situation. Whether he can’t or likes men, one test reveals all.】
Other group members also agreed.
Sang Ying found the phrase odd for a long time. It didn’t sound like anything good. After hesitating, she asked: 【What does “can’t” mean? What does “likes men” mean?】
The lively group suddenly went silent.
Sang Ying got nervous. Had she asked something wrong?
Xiaxia Cave Master took a deep breath. From just these few messages, Sang Ying had built up an image in her mind as a naive, unknowing younger sister. Completely different from these seasoned gossips! She had to protect her well. These group friends needed to curb their flying tongues going forward.
She coughed, chose her words: 【Liking men means a male cultivator’s romantic interest isn’t in female cultivators, but same-sex male cultivators. Also called the way of dragons.】
Sang Ying understood, it was like what Xiaxia’s friend had experienced.
She grew up on Minghua Mountain with only a few senior brothers and speechless puppet servants. Nobody had told her such things.
After leaving Minghua Mountain, she married Xie Lingyu. In the three marriage years, she’d been busy with merchant affairs. Jingxi was gentle, Lengmian quiet, neither gossiped.
Sang Ying: 【How do you tell?】
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【Simple. Male cultivators with this interest have no attraction to female cultivators, loathe intimate contact. Try interacting with him and you’ll see.】
Sang Ying recalled last night embracing Xie Lingyu, his expression. Didn’t seem like loathing. In fact, now that she thought about it, he’d suggested this method. If he loathed contact with females, he wouldn’t have suggested it.
So Sang Ying decisively answered: No.
Xiaxia Cave Master: 【Good, ruled out one possibility. One remains.】
A glass mirror voice message came from Xiaxia Cave Master, her gentle female voice lowered softly.
【That, little sister, do you know what dual cultivation is?】
Sang Ying: 【Sounds like a cultivation method?】
【…Yes that’s right, except unlike normal cultivation methods, it requires a man and woman together. I’ll send you a dual cultivation method. Inside there’s some…explanation. Look and you should understand.】
Xiaxia Cave Master’s voice sounded hesitant. Sang Ying curiously opened the illustrated text she sent. A few seconds later, her small face suddenly burned red.
…For the same reason, nobody Sang Ying knew would tell her about “likes men,” much less dual cultivation.
She married young under circumstances, an unwilling forced act. The situation was special, and nobody would teach her such matters.
Sang Ying, red-faced, roughly flipped through: 【So what you meant about sleeping together actually means…】
【Yes. After marriage, husbands and wives will dual-cultivate. This is what I meant by the other possibility. Not all male cultivators have dual cultivation ability. Some male cultivators in the world are “unable.”】
Sang Ying touched her burning small face: 【Unable?】
【Right. Male cultivators are naturally yang-rich. “Unable” males have yang.erectile.dysfunction. They won’t react no matter how female cultivators tease and flirt with them.】
【So what you need to do is seduce and flirt with him, see if he reacts, and determine if he’s… that way.】
The door suddenly opened. Sang Ying was startled, frantically stuffing the glass mirror under her pillow and twisting to look at the entering youth.
“Xie, Xie Lingyu, you’re back.”
The girl looked flustered, her face flushed with abnormal color.
Xie Lingyu’s brow furrowed. He walked over and raised a hand to touch her forehead: “Did you catch cold yesterday?”
Sang Ying was startled: “I’m not sick! Just, the room was stuffy.”
Xie Lingyu carefully checked, confirming no wind-cold illness before releasing her hand. But looking closely at the girl’s appearance, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
The girl’s eyes held a layer of misty moisture, everything blurred. She slightly turned her head away, not meeting his gaze.
Under the light by the bed, her delicate white neck was utterly undefended, a few hair strands hanging down, her skin tinged with pink. Along the neckline further down…Xie Lingyu suddenly looked away and stood up.
“I’ll open the window.”
Sang Ying turned around and secretly glanced at his back. Would Xie Lingyu…be unable?
Should she…try?
Little girl, you don’t need to try. He’s already 【dog head】
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