“Practice dual cultivation with me.”
Those words from Si Lingqing left Mu Yin utterly stunned. For a moment, she even forgot her pain, her eyes widening as she stared at Si Lingqing, wondering if she had misheard.
Yet Si Lingqing remained as expressionless as ever, as if she hadn’t just proposed something so bold.
“I… you, um…” Mu Yin frowned, lying on the bed as she met Si Lingqing’s gaze. “Dual cultivation means…”
“Physical intimacy, sharing passion.” Si Lingqing enunciated each word clearly. “Just like what we did on our wedding night.”
Mu Yin’s face flushed instantly. She couldn’t bear to meet Si Lingqing’s eyes, feeling both baffled and embarrassed.
Weren’t people from ancient times supposed to be reserved? How could this woman speak so casually about dual cultivation, even going so far as to spell it out in such vivid terms?
Si Lingqing didn’t pressure her. She simply observed Mu Yin’s reddened ears before straightening up. “Since you’re unwilling, forget it.”
She cast a calm glance at Mu Yin. “After all, it’s not me who’ll suffer unbearable pain from lacking yin energy.”
Mu Yin shivered at those words, lifting her head to look at Si Lingqing, lips parting slightly but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. Instead, she hugged her blanket tightly.
Si Lingqing smoothed her sleeves, then transformed back into a small black cat. Yawning, she leaped off the bed and curled up on a nearby daybed to sleep.
The moment Si Lingqing left, the pain surged through Mu Yin’s body again, draining the color from her face and leaving her trembling.
Fine! Dual cultivation it is!
They’d already been intimate before, what harm was there in doing it a few more times? Right now, she just needed relief from this agony.
After barely three seconds of deliberation, Mu Yin gave in. Pressed against the bed, she whimpered pitifully at the cat-shaped Si Lingqing, “I’ll do it… Help me, please…”
Si Lingqing lifted her head, her tiny paws crossed as she watched Mu Yin writhe on the bed. “A fair warning, aside from dwelling in yin-rich environments, the only way to sustain a Yin Immortal Body is through dual cultivation with me. Once we begin, it must be repeated every ten days until your cultivation advances enough to absorb the spiritual energy of nature on your own.”
Mu Yin nearly sobbed. So she had to do this every ten days?!
Ugh…
Though Si Lingqing laid out the terms clearly, Mu Yin had no real choice. Without dual cultivation, she had no other way to endure the pain. She could only take it one step at a time.
“Fine, I agree. Every ten days it is.”
Seeing Mu Yin’s surrender, Si Lingqing resumed her human form and approached. A faint smirk curled her lips as she gazed down at Mu Yin, slender fingers brushing her cheek. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to agree sooner?”
Mu Yin wanted to cry but had no tears left. Fortunately, Si Lingqing was considerate, aware of Mu Yin’s discomfort, she didn’t torment her further. Instead, she leaned down and captured Mu Yin’s lips in a kiss.
The pain in Mu Yin’s body quickly eased, drawing a soft, relieved moan from her.
Si Lingqing’s kiss was gentle. She undid her own robes, then pulled aside Mu Yin’s blanket, even nipping lightly at her collarbone.
The agony faded, replaced by pleasure.
Mu Yin’s entire body burned from Si Lingqing’s kisses. Unlike the dazed state she was in during their wedding night, she was fully aware now, knowing exactly who was being intimate with her.
Their disheveled clothes brushed against each other’s skin as Mu Yin bit her lip, trembling slightly while clutching Si Lingqing’s robes.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Si Lingqing gently rubbed the flushed corners of Mu Yin’s eyes with her fingers, speaking in the softest voice. “I’ll teach you what to do.”
The night was long and exhausting, and Mu Yin only managed to fall asleep as dawn approached.
Si Lingqing gazed at Mu Yin’s tear-reddened eyes and the fresh bite marks she had left on her back.
Beyond that, Si Lingqing had tried to teach Mu Yin how to engage in dual cultivation at the critical moment, but Mu Yin was a novice and kept failing.
But it didn’t matter, Si Lingqing was patient.
If once wasn’t enough, they’d try twice. If twice wasn’t enough, they’d go for a third. After all, she had little else but an abundance of time.
Mu Yin ended up crying for a long time from the ordeal, but at least the physical pain had eased. Si Lingqing replenished her with ample yin energy, and only then did Mu Yin finally close her eyes and fall into a deep slumber.
Staring at the sleeping figure on the bed, Si Lingqing watched her for a long while, her gaze dark and unreadable.
A few short hours later, the sky brightened. Hong Zhuang came by twice, only to find Mu Yin still asleep.
She must need the rest after recovering from her illness.
It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Mu Yin groggily woke from her dreams.
The first thing she did upon waking was stare blankly, then immediately notice the discomfort in her body, aching and sore all over.
Recalling last night’s dual cultivation with Si Lingqing, Mu Yin genuinely wished she could just die on the spot.
How had things escalated to this point?
And according to Si Lingqing, they would have to do this periodically from now on. If every session was going to be an all-night ordeal like this, Mu Yin was certain she’d meet an early grave.
Wait a minute.
Mu Yin pondered since she and Si Lingqing were married, wouldn’t they have to be buried together after death?
The thought of being interred with Si Lingqing even in death made her feel like she could endure a little longer.
With great effort, she dragged herself out of bed, limbs feeling as if they no longer belonged to her. She whimpered softly before finally managing to shuffle her way down.
The room was quiet, the door shut, and the culprit, Si Lingqing was nowhere to be seen.
Parched, Mu Yin poured herself a cup of tea from the table.
The moment she took a sip, she spat it all out with a pfft.
Not because the tea tasted bad or because it burned her tongue, but because she seemed to have heard something.
“We beg for Lady Si Lingqing’s blessings, that we may pass the entrance examination this time. These pastries were bought with our meager savings, please do not disdain them.”
Mu Yin tilted her head, confused. What was this? Why was it echoing in her mind?
Just as she was baffled, another voice this time a man’s resonated in her head.
“I am outer disciple Wu Dong. Today, I offer three mid-grade spirit stones to Lady Si Lingqing. May she bless me to pass the entrance examination! I beg you, I beg you! If I succeed, I vow to return and offer ten more mid-grade spirit stones!”
Mu Yin let out a thoughtful “Hmm,” stroking her chin as a vague realization began to dawn on her.
When she heard several different disciples praying to Si Lingqing in various ways for success in their entrance exams, Mu Yin thought of the stone statue of Si Lingqing in the academy. Back then, she had been displeased and made a little mushroom grow on the statue’s head.
Now, Mu Yin could hear everything those disciples said near the statue clearly.
Telecommunication Mushroom.
Mu Yin’s eyes sparkled involuntarily, it seemed she had learned another new skill.
At that moment, Hong Zhuang heard the commotion and opened the door to enter the room. Seeing Mu Yin standing by the table in her undergarments, lost in thought, she approached curiously and asked, “Young Madam, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Mu Yin turned to look at her, conjured a small, translucent mushroom in her palm with a soft pop, and handed it to her, saying, “Hong Zhuang, do me a favor.”
Let’s test whether this is really a Telecommunication Mushroom!
Following Mu Yin’s instructions, Hong Zhuang left the courtyard and spoke a few words to the mushroom at intervals. Only when the distance became too great for Mu Yin to hear did she signal for Hong Zhuang to return.
“I can indeed hear the sound, but it’s still a bit short of true telecommunication,” Mu Yin said, examining the unremarkable little mushroom in her hand. “And the range is limited beyond a certain distance, the sound cuts off.”
Hong Zhuang had her own perspective on the matter.
“Don’t be discouraged, Young Madam. Whether this mushroom can transmit sound likely depends on your own cultivation level,” Hong Zhuang said with a smile. “Once your cultivation advances further, telecommunication will surely become possible, and the range will grow as well.”
Mu Yin nodded, finding her reasoning quite sound.
“But…” Hong Zhuang looked at Mu Yin in confusion. “Out of nowhere, how did your cultivation improve so drastically?”
Mu Yin: “…”
She averted her gaze subtly, how could she possibly say it was due to last night’s Dual cultivation with their young mistress?
“I-I don’t know either,” Mu Yin forced a dry laugh and said to Hong Zhuang. “I just woke up like this. I’ll look into it more. Could you get me something to eat? I’m starving.”
After a night of exertion and expending a considerable amount of spiritual power today, Mu Yin was so hungry she felt like her stomach was touching her back.
“Of course,” Hong Zhuang replied, her eyes curving into crescents. “How about some stir-fried dishes? Would that suit you?”
“Sure, anything edible is fine,” Mu Yin said before adding, “Oh, Hong Zhuang, have you seen Coal Boss?”
“Coal Boss went out for a walk early this morning,” Hong Zhuang said. “He’ll probably be back soon.”
“Ah.”
Only after Hong Zhuang left did Mu Yin sit at the table, propping her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
When Si Lingqing leaped down from the roof, she found Mu Yin sitting at the table in a daze, completely unaware of her arrival.
Si Lingqing had gone out for a stroll early that morning, patrolling the Five Skandha Sect.
It was her first time back since her death. Though she was now a cat, she still dutifully inspected the sect’s grand formation. Finding no issues, she figured Mu Yin must be awake by now and decided to return.
“What are you thinking about?”
Si Lingqing jumped onto the table and sat before Mu Yin, her pitch-black cat eyes fixed on her, pupils narrowed into slits.
Mu Yin blinked, then cleared her throat softly. “Nothing much, just pondering some things.”
Si Lingqing flicked her tail and continued staring at her calmly.
“Hmm…”
Mu Yin thought for a moment, then leaned in and whispered to Si Lingqing: “After waking up today, I noticed my cultivation seems to have improved significantly. Even the mushrooms I casually conjured before have new effects now. These…”
She lowered her voice even further and asked, “Are these all because of yesterday’s dual cultivation?”
Si Lingqing gave a slight nod.
Mu Yin was overjoyed. Dual cultivation could both enhance cultivation and replenish yin energy, it truly seemed like an excellent method. No wonder everyone in novels wanted to practice dual cultivation.
After the meal, Mu Yin began studying what she could do with her improved cultivation, dragging Hong Zhuang into the courtyard to experiment all afternoon.
Throughout the afternoon, intermittent voices praying for Si Lingqing to bless their entrance exams kept reaching them. Mu Yin found it novel, though she could easily block the transmissions, this being her first time having such an ability, she thoroughly enjoyed playing with it.
After exhausting herself all afternoon, Mu Yin went to bed early that night, planning to rest and continue her efforts the next day.
She slept soundly.
But just past midnight, Mu Yin was abruptly awakened by a voice in her mind:
[“I beg Lady Si Lingqing to bless this disciple, to help me pass this examination and bring my sister back from death.”]