Gu Quan: “What kind of look is that?”
Lian Yue let out two “heh heh” sounds without answering, then stood up to fetch the flint and candle, relighting the room.
They could see in the dark, but she couldn’t. Having three people sitting in pitch-black darkness felt strange. If anyone outside saw, they might think they were doing something inappropriate in the room.
It would create a bad impression.
As the candle flame ignited, the thumb-sized flame illuminated the small area around the candlestick. Lian Yue raised her eyes, and the two distinct handsome faces of Gu Quan and Yuan Jing struck her retina.
Wow.
Gu Quan flicked his sleeve: “What did you mean by that ‘heh heh’ directed at me earlier?”
Lian Yue played dumb: “What?”
She lowered her head, her jet-black hair slipping smoothly over her shoulders. The sharp killing intent that had enveloped her earlier had completely vanished, leaving only the soft tenderness unique to women.
Very docile.
Her attitude had changed far too quickly.
But with her interruption, the previously heavy atmosphere dissipated completely, restoring some vitality to the surroundings.
Oh Lian Yue, Lian Yue, how many faces do you truly possess?
If she were merely a beautiful but timid person, she wouldn’t be so captivating. The independence and capability hidden beneath her gentle and obedient appearance were what made her most fascinating.
Feeling Gu Quan’s piercing gaze fixed on her, Lian Yue couldn’t help but clear her throat and say: “Since you’ve both agreed to help…”
“Shall we begin now?”
She offered Gu Quan and Yuan Jing an ingratiating smile. The candlelight from behind cast a warm glow around her.
Gu Quan nodded: “Granted.”
Noticing his friend’s sidelong glance, he curled his lips: “It’s not dual cultivation.”
Yuan Jing didn’t say anything more, glancing at the wound on his hand before stating: “I’ll guard for you.”
Lian Yue’s eyes lit up: “Wonderful, thank you, thank you so much.”
She was finally getting to enjoy the benefits of relying on others.
Playing the victim really worked.
Under Gu Quan’s guidance, Lian Yue sat in meditation, calming her mind and focusing her energy to sense the thumb-sized inner force in her dantian.
It was unruly and couldn’t be controlled.
All she could still use was the tiny amount she had cultivated herself. It was like having a vault full of gold and treasures, but they were all being stored for someone else – she could see them but couldn’t use them. Extremely frustrating.
“Relax.”
Two fingers pressed against her pulse point, and a warm inner force flowed into her body, circulating through her meridians before finally reaching the young woman’s dantian.
The inner force inside instantly came alive, beginning to follow the invading energy as it circulated throughout her body. The speed was rapid, and her previously relaxed body began to tense up. It felt as if her body no longer belonged to her, being pulled by a tremendous gravitational force, circulating round after round.
Her meridians felt swollen.
Sometimes comfortable, sometimes uncomfortable.
“Mmm.”
Fragmented sounds escaped the young woman’s lips. Despite the cold night, the air in the room carried a restless heat.
The inner force circulated, refined, and moved in continuous cycles through her body, making Lian Yue’s entire body heat up. Her breathing became rapid, and sweat soaked through her clothes.
As sweat streamed continuously, her body dehydrated, making her mouth extremely dry and thirsty.
She was beginning to regret it.
She shouldn’t have lit the candle earlier. If the room had remained dark, even with their sharp hearing and vision, they probably wouldn’t be able to see the details of her body and expressions too clearly.
Her clothes were soaked through at this moment, clinging damply to her skin.
But.
She couldn’t control her own body right now.
As her inner force circulated through her body more and more times, Lian Yue found she could gradually channel more inner force. Even though she knew her body was exceeding its limits, she showed no intention of stopping.
She endured it.
At this moment, Gu Quan’s inner force had invaded the young woman’s body and was sharing senses with her, so he knew exactly what condition she was in now.
They couldn’t continue any longer.
Gu Quan’s gaze fell upon Lian Yue.
The young woman’s face was flushed red, her mouth slightly open from the heat, her chest heaving violently, her entire body drenched in sweat.
Tsk tsk.
This appearance was truly tempting.
His eyes darkened as he stared at the young woman’s slender neck, wanting badly to bite it, wondering how she would react.
Just as Gu Quan could no longer restrain the desire rising within him, a cold gaze fell upon him. He turned to look at Yuan Jing, angrily curling his lips.
Faking it.
The two had known each other since childhood, grown up together, close friends as intimate as brothers – how could he not understand him?
No matter how normal Yuan Jing appeared on the surface, the desire in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. He had entrusted Lian Yue to his care out of trust, yet he was secretly coveting her!
Infuriating!
And still staring at him.
Not allowing him to practice Dual Cultivation with the young woman, nor even allowing him to touch her.
Gu Quan felt extremely aggrieved, especially since both of them had no legitimate standing before the young woman – there was no difference between them.
“Ah, it’s so hot.”
Lian Yue felt like her meridians were about to be scalded. She opened her eyes and looked accusingly at the young man before her.
Gu Quan withdrew his inner force, supporting her shoulders to prevent her from collapsing weakly. “Why is there so much water in your body?” he asked.
Lian Yue looked as if she had just been fished out of water. She shook her head, her voice hoarse: “Water, water, I need water.”
At this moment, Yuan Jing brought a cup of already poured tea to her lips and fed her: “Drink.”
After finishing, Lian Yue said: “More.”
Yuan Jing poured her another cup.
Feeling much better now that her dry throat was relieved, Lian Yue held onto Gu Quan’s arm to steady herself and said: “The human body is seventy percent water. It’s normal to sweat a lot when I’m hot.”
Saying she had so much water could easily be misunderstood by outsiders, especially since she had whimpered a couple times earlier.
Wait.
Now that she was covered in sweat and wanted to bathe, if she asked someone to bring water…
Ahem.
Looking at the two young men so close to her, Lian Yue shuddered and shook off the strange thoughts in her mind. She couldn’t think about that.
Gu Quan said: “There’s still half of the inner force left to refine. Rest for now, drink more water, and we’ll continue later.”
“And,” he reminded, “take off your outer robe later.”
Lian Yue: “Huh?”
Gu Quan said helplessly: “Don’t look at me like I’m taking advantage of you. Your body is too weak – if you sweat like this again later, you might die from dehydration.”
Lian Yue looked at Yuan Jing with watery eyes: “Really?”
Yuan Jing made an affirmative sound, his tone indifferent: “But I advise you to rest well tomorrow before continuing. Don’t rush it today.”
“Wait.”
Lian Yue straightened up, untied her belt, removed her outer robe, and remained in her thin inner garment, with her innermost undergarment faintly visible.
She said: “What if you two don’t have time tomorrow? Better to finish today’s work today.”
Gu Quan: “You’re quite forthright, without a trace of a maiden’s reserve.”
Just as Lian Yue was about to speak, Yuan Jing beside her draped her outer garment over her shoulders. “Put it on,” he said. “Rest well tonight.”
Lian Yue looked up to see his lips pressed tightly together, eyes blazing with fury. She had never seen Yuan Jing lose composure before, and witnessing his anger now sent a tremor through her heart. She feigned fear and distress, but inwardly found the situation amusing.
Noticing his friend’s reaction, Gu Quan’s eyes flickered with a cold smirk. He rose and told her, “We’ll continue tomorrow.”
Without another word, the two men left the room one after another, closing the door behind them.
The moment they departed, Lian Yue resumed her cross-legged meditation, sensing the inner force gathering in her Dantian. Excellent. Previously, when she attempted refinement alone, she could only drive a wisp of inner force to circulate through her Meridians. A full circulation was required to convert it into her own energy, and her solo cultivation progressed sluggishly—mere traces refined over an entire day. Now, with Gu Quan’s assistance, refining a strand took merely half the time it takes to drink tea. Already half had been successfully assimilated.
How exhilarating.
As for what the departed duo might be discussing, Lian Yue couldn’t care less. They were merely tools.
The young woman reveled in contentment, rolling twice on the couch before getting up to fetch clothes for a bath in the woodshed. Remembering her current role as Gu Quan’s maid, she knew it wouldn’t do to summon servants to carry water for her.
Meanwhile, Gu Quan and Yuan Jing hadn’t gone far, standing face to face in the courtyard. A rare moon hung high in the sky—visible yet untouchable, to be admired from afar.
Gu Quan broke the silence first: “Xiao Yue was Lu Xun’s beloved concubine. Before his death, he entrusted her to my care. Matters between her and me are none of your concern, A Jing. Mo Yao interfere further.”
Yuan Jing stood with hands clasped behind his back, posture straight as a pine. The cold wind billowed his wide sleeves and robe hem, as if ready to carry him away. As confidants, they spoke bluntly without pretense.
He laid bare the truth: “If you truly cared for Xiao Yue out of duty to Lu Xun, you should have sent her away after dealing with Wu Yuru. Instead, you engage in Dual Cultivation and energy transfer with her. How can you face Brother Lu beneath the springs with such conduct?”
Gu Quan plucked a withered twig, his tone melancholic: “A Jing, and what about your duty to me? We’ve known each other since childhood—you know my heart better than anyone. Tell me, when did you start developing feelings?”
Yuan Jing: “I don’t know.” His gaze was frosty. “Regardless, you must not touch her again. I’ll be watching.”
Gu Quan’s face darkened: “She’ll come to me willingly.”
Yuan Jing reiterated: “Willing or not, I won’t allow it.”
Nodding, Gu Quan let out a bitter laugh: “Well, well. Guard against all, yet the thief comes from within.”
Yuan Jing shot him a glance, piercing through his facade: “You traveled a thousand li to rescue her in Liao City. A Quan, you had designs on her even before Lu Xun died, didn’t you?”
Gu Quan choked on his words.
Yuan Jing’s tone turned icy: “No wonder we became closest friends.”
Gu Quan retorted: “Would you really let a woman drive a wedge between us brothers?”
Yuan Jing: “The same applies to you.”
A breeze swept through as the door creaked open. Both men ceased talking and turned to see Lian Yue emerging.
She blinked innocently: “Aren’t you two resting? What are you discussing in the yard?”
Gu Quan snorted, evading her question: “Where are you going instead of sleeping?”
Lian Yue: “To bathe.”
Gu Quan was so infuriated by his friend that his head ached. Seeing the blank expression on her face, he nodded slightly, “Go on, then.”
Lian Yue: “Oh.”
What’s going on with these two? The atmosphere feels strange.
She shook her head, not particularly concerned, and went to the woodshed with her clothes to fetch water for a bath.
Once the young lady had left.
Gu Quan immediately declared, “I’ll be watching you too. If I can’t touch her, then no one else will either.”
Yuan Jing: “Suit yourself.”