His tone could not have been more tranquil, yet entering the ears, it inexplicably made one shiver with a cold dread.
Strangely enough, Fu Jinyue was also caught in a brief wave of fluster. She knitted her brows, thoroughly exasperated by this interrogation-like phrasing.
The question she originally intended to ask—how he had ended up here—instantly changed direction.
Fu Jinyue shot back, “Like what exactly?”
When the heart is in disarray, one must never show it. Fu Jinyue countered with righteous indignation, “Your phrasing is truly laughable, Senior. Is it not a matter of great importance for me to settle a personal grievance?”
She cast a glance toward the mouth of the alley at Lu Liuru, who had been squeezed behind the man’s imposing figure. Seeing that she was unharmed, Fu Jinyue relaxed slightly.
Given Yun Heyin’s aggressive entrance, she had half-expected him to resort to violence.
Seeing how awkward the situation had become, Lu Liuru hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. “True Monarch Yun, this man previously slandered Little Friend Fu, claiming she was a heresy cultivator spy, which caused a massive misunderstanding. Once the matter concluded, he fled. Little Friend Fu and I simply could not swallow our anger, so we deliberately descended the mountain to apprehend him.”
The female cultivator glanced into the alley, where the two were positioned—one sitting, one crouching—in an ambiguous proximity. She closed her eyes and lied through her teeth, “Little Friend Fu suffered greatly because of him, which is why she was moved to anger and intended to give him a beating. You have misunderstood, True Monarch.”
To her surprise, Yun Heyin actually let out a cold snort of laughter.
Lu Liuru was astonished. Yet, when she turned her head to look, the white-robed man still maintained his aloof and detached expression.
Suspicion rose in her heart: Could I have misheard?
True Monarch Yun would actually snort in mockery? When had he ever displayed such a vivid show of emotion?
Yes, yes, she must have misheard.
At this moment, Lu Liuru truly wished she could dig a hole and bury herself in it. Although she was an inner-sect disciple of the Sword Sect, she lacked both a master and a backer. She appeared glamorous on the surface but was destitute in reality. She had always conducted herself with extreme caution, never meddling in such troublesome affairs. Who could have anticipated today…
Yun Heyin said, “Since he is the slanderer, why handle him in private? Accompany me in bringing him back to the sect, and I shall personally request Sect Master You to see justice done in this matter.”
He looked at the two in the alley who were still leaning closely against each other without any intention of separating, his expression serene. “That way, you two will have no need to engage in a messy scuffle here.”
Every word of his final sentence was pronounced with absolute clarity.
Hearing this, Lu Liuru wanted nothing more than to stuff herself into the dirt and play ostrich.
Fu Jinyue remained perfectly composed. Only after confirming that the spiritual energy had been fully recorded did she tuck the jade pendant away at her waist and rise from Cui Lecheng’s body.
As she stood up, she pressed her hand against his chest. Feeling the coarse texture of the rope beneath her palm, Fu Jinyue stared into Cui Lecheng’s eyes and issued a soft warning: “Bear this in mind—you have yet to hand over the dharma treasures. Since the timing is poor today, I will let it slide, but I shall return to this town next time to claim them. If you dare to run or deceive me…”
She offered a sweet, gentle smile. “Then next time, I will have someone bind you and drag you straight up to the Sword Sect.”
The moment the words left her mouth, before anyone could react, Fu Jinyue abruptly recalled the Immortal-Binding Rope.
The rope seemed to possess a mind of its own, rustling as it rapidly coiled back into Fu Jinyue’s hand. The moment Cui Lecheng regained his freedom, his reflexes proved far nimbler than expected. Almost the exact instant his cultivation restriction dissolved, this Golden Core cultivator—possessing an exceptionally fine countenance and an equally peerless streak of cowardice—bolted. His mastery over the earth-shrinking technique was truly divine; he vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Calmly retracting her distant gaze, Fu Jinyue then turned a smiling face toward Yun Heyin. “Forgive me, Senior. That scoundrel is simply too cunning; he managed to slip away due to a moment of carelessness on my part.”
As if that was a moment of carelessness!!!
Lu Liuru knew that Fellow Daoist Fu possessed an extraordinary background and was treated with great courtesy by the Sword Sect, and she knew her personality was free and unconstrained. Yet, she had never witnessed such a display of absolute defiance.
Accustomed to being prudent and cautious in her speech and actions, the female cultivator was thoroughly horrified.
Fu Jinyue walked forward composedly and returned the coiled Immortal-Binding Rope to Lu Liuru’s forearm. The female cultivator accepted it blankly.
Fu Jinyue gave her hand a gentle squeeze, murmuring, “Does Senior Lu not have other matters to attend to? Why don’t you head back first?”
Lu Liuru looked up at her, confusion written across her face. Fu Jinyue added, “It is no matter. Over such a trivial issue, Senior Yun will not place any blame.”
Listening to this, Yun Heyin felt another cold sneer rise within his heart.
She truly did not hold him in any regard whatsoever, to the point where she now dared to issue commands right over his head.
Yet, just as she finished addressing the female cultivator, she turned around and took hold of his hand.
…His hand.
Fu Jinyue’s eyes curved into crescent moons, her tone incredibly tender as she called out coquettishly, “Senior, I was wrong.”
She took his hand openly, yet she merely caught the very tips of his fingers—a touch as light as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, appearing almost non-existent. Yet, when her fingers gently pressed against his fingertips, Yun Heyin could feel an instantaneous, tumultuous storm raging within his heart.
How did she dare! How could she dare? And… how exactly did she view the relationship between him and her?
An act as intimate as that of Dao companions.
Conducting herself in this manner before others—was it simply her nature, or did she truly regard him as…
On the surface, he remained as unruffled as still water, with only his tightly knit brows betraying a fraction of his emotions. It was a display of rigid restraint, like a cold piece of porcelain set upon a high pedestal, looking down detachedly at the spectator who smiled upward from below.
Catching sight of Lu Liuru departing with a completely bewildered expression out of the corner of her eye, Fu Jinyue slightly reined in her smile. Adopting a hint of nervousness, as if she had committed a grave error, she asked softly:
“Senior, are you angry?”
Are you angry.
For a moment, Yun Heyin found himself entirely at a loss for words, his body turning rigid.
He lowered his eyes and could discern the faint, illusory smile hidden beneath her obedient facade. This so-called obedience was nothing more than a shallow glint of sunlight reflected off a sword blade; once the dark clouds covered the sun, the cold, rigid edge of the blade would be fully revealed.
She was merely coveting his cultivation, deliberately playing the pleaser.
He looked down from his high perch, his mind clear to the point of cynicism. He stared at her clumsy disguise, evaluating the artificial curvature of her gentle, smiling eyes. Meanwhile, her fingers held his, grazing his fingertips, inducing a faint, teasing itch.
He ought to draw his hand away.
Yun Heyin thought coldly, yet he did not move.
Every single precept drilled into him since childhood screamed in horror, unanimously demanding that he resist his personal desires.
That sword remained pressed against his neck, drawing a slow, steady trickle of blood, commanding him to remain sober.
—At all times, bear in mind that one must exercise restraint and firmly maintain the Dao heart.
Yun Heyin knew he should not hold on tightly.
This person was a nonconformist who acted willfully and possessed no sense of shame. How could you behave like this, and why would you succumb to this? Do you not understand her designs better than anyone else?
Yet, the water had already risen above his head. The chilling seawater rushed into his mouth and nose, and as far as his eyes could see, everything was a gradually sinking, iron-grey expanse. He knew he was sinking; he knew the pitch-black cold was pressing against him. The water was cold, but the essence of that chill was a deeper, more profound fervor.
He heard his own chest emitting a series of loud, resounding thuds—a fluttering joy, a bitter and swelling fullness.
The water had surged up.
And he was on the verge of drowning completely within it.
It was at this exact moment that Fu Jinyue released her grip.
Hypocrite, she criticized inwardly, entirely failing to notice his instantaneous sense of loss.
Regardless, her objective had been achieved.
Fu Jinyue thought to herself, If Cui Lecheng were dragged up to the Sword Sect, who knows how many of his promised dharma treasures would actually materialize, let alone his offered share of future artifact-refining profits? A personal treasury can never have too much wealth. There is absolutely no need to hand him over and end up with nothing for myself.
She had accurately gauged Yun Heyin’s temperament. Even if she allowed Cui Lecheng to escape right in front of his face, she would still be able to retreat unscathed.
After all… the matter of falsely reporting a heresy spy could be considered large or small, depending entirely on how one chose to handle it.
And if the victim herself did not care, who else would pursue it?
Estimating that Cui Lecheng had run far enough and that Yun Heyin would not give chase, Fu Jinyue offered a timid apology and let her head droop in mock despondency.
She seemed to have misunderstood the reason behind his silence.
Yun Heyin’s fingertips twitched slightly. Just as he was about to let the matter slide and have them return together to the bamboo courtyard, the image of her intimate proximity with that man earlier unexpectedly flashed across his sea of consciousness. A sudden tightness gripped his chest, and the words that tumbled out of his mouth turned abruptly stern: “You have always been arrogant and reckless.” How could there be a person like you.
He saw her snap her head up, her face filled with cold resentment.
No.
Yun Heyin opened his mouth.
He did not understand why those words had slipped out, but meeting her dissatisfied gaze, the ambiguity of her leaning against that man rushed back before his eyes. A certain anxiety swelled relentlessly within his body, throwing his thoughts into disarray.
Yun Heyin said, “It was merely a trivial matter. For what reason did you neglect your cultivation to engage in such shameless, improper physical entanglements with someone outside?”
Staring at her pursed lips, that softness which ought to have been supple and moist was tightly strained into a rigid line.
He suddenly wondered: Has that man ever touched this place?
The method she cultivated belonged to the Hehuan path, and what she studied was the art of dual cultivation. She required cultivation; would she… could she… Yun Heyin could not comprehend where the fury in his chest had ignited from. He only thought with immense irritation: Since you have already hooked yourself to me, why must you go and provoke others?
He felt a measure of disgust and self-loathing, though he knew not whether it was directed at himself or at her.
His irritation mounted.
His sea of consciousness was thoroughly interwoven with nothing but contradictory thoughts.
—At all times, bear in mind that one must exercise restraint and firmly maintain the Dao heart.
The blood trickled slowly, commanding him to remain sober.
Restraint, calmness.
Yun Heyin slightly clenched his fist, suppressing the vexing impulse. He had spoken indiscreetly; he ought to…
Yet, the young girl before him now possessed trembling eyelashes, and her glare was entirely filled with an expression of utter disgust.
“Senior,” Fu Jinyue said in a cold voice, “you have crossed the line.”
Pronouncing every syllable clearly, she stated, “You and I share absolutely no relationship. Is it fitting for you to adopt such a jealous tone?”
No relationship… us?
Yun Heyin clenched his fist tightly, speaking against his own heart, “Then, for the sake of the exceptional hospitality the Sword Sect has shown you, I must trouble Fellow Daoist Fu to devise a solution as soon as possible, rather than idly amusing yourself and neglecting proper affairs.”
“Oh?” Fu Jinyue was angered to the point of laughter. “Then I must trouble Senior Yun to introduce me to a grandmaster as soon as possible, so that I may present my solution in a timely manner.”
He was well aware of the fact that she had hit a bottleneck. Yun Heyin did not take her seriously: “This matter is of grave importance. If Fellow Daoist Fu wishes to present a strategy, why not state it clearly now so that I may verify it, thereby avoiding any timely catastrophes?”
Fu Jinyue let out a cold laugh. “I only fear that you would dare to listen, yet lack the courage to verify it.”
In truth, she rarely spoke in such a tone. Being overly biting was far too aggressive. Fu Jinyue had always been adept at utilizing her innocent face to win favor, but right now, she was genuinely infuriated.
Her fingertip pressed against his collar, and with a quick twist, she pulled him toward her. Fu Jinyue lifted her eyes, deliberately peeling away the smile on her face to reveal a weary contempt. She scoffed, “As for this method…”
She leaned in a fraction closer, almost whispering against his ear, “It requires dual cultivation with someone. Senior Yun, with whom exactly do you intend to verify it, hmm?”
That final “hmm” was drawn out exceedingly long, wrapping itself around his hands and feet like fine silk.
Rendered utterly helpless for a moment, Yun Heyin abruptly recoiled, distancing himself from this fatal temptation. Seemingly incensed by this humiliation, the fire of his extreme fury was nonetheless freezing cold. His eyes flickered with alternating light and shadow as he stared at Fu Jinyue, the aloofness on his countenance freezing into a thin layer of bleakness.
Fu Jinyue heard Yun Heyin squeeze a familiar phrase from between his lips: “Utterly shameless!”
He did not believe her words.
And Fu Jinyue was not at all surprised.
Perceiving that the atmosphere had become entirely too hostile, she deliberately turned her head away, ignoring him to let him cool down. Her expression remained impatient.
At this point, noticing a strange movement from the jade pendant at her waist, Fu Jinyue took it up as a natural redirection. Yet, in the mere span of her inspection, she discovered that the aloof True Monarch had once again flicked his sleeve and departed in a fit of rage.
The man had flown away.
Fu Jinyue remarked, “Uh-oh, I played too hard.”
She didn’t know how to fly a sword! How on earth was she supposed to return to the Sword Sect?!
As for Lu Liuru… she was still not very proficient with communication spells.
Only now did the system emerge in a trembling manner: [Host, why don’t you check the jade pendant?]
“Oh, you decide to show up now? You’re tracking perfectly—useless during minor incidents, and playing dead the moment a major crisis hits,” Fu Jinyue complained while tentatively probing the jade pendant with her spiritual energy.
This pair of twin-fish jade pendants was divided into black and white. The black fish in her hand had lit up, meaning a message must have been sent from the white fish’s side.
Hearing her words, the system, which possessed the voice of a young girl, felt aggrieved. Fu Jinyue shut it down before it could burst into a wail, and the world fell silent.
The abnormal movement of the jade pendant was indeed caused by Cui Lecheng.
That fellow had sent a transmission, asking if Fu Jinyue was still alive.
Fu Jinyue naturally sent back a message: [Come over.]
What a perfect coincidence; she happened to be in desperate need of a tool to transport her back to the Sword Sect.
At the same time, she thought with bitter resentment that Yun Heyin actually dared to pick a fight with her. Splendid, simply splendid. She was absolutely determined to taste this aloof True Monarch; she would definitely… make him weep as he pleasured her.
Yun Heyin stood alone above the clouds.
He flew upon his sword, the wind howling fiercely around him, yet he continued to ascend higher and higher.
A cultivator of his caliber was already impervious to heat and cold. Clad in his white robe, he stood upon the sword, casting his eyes down at the vast, misty earth below. As his robes billowed in the wind, he seemed on the verge of dissolving into the expanse of white mist and clouds beside him.
Though he had climbed to such heights, he still could not cast off the vexation that filled his heart.
His mind had never been in such disarray.
She had laughed so shiftingly.
That laughing tone resonated within his sea of consciousness once more.
“I pursue the path of Yin-Yang balance, cultivating the Hehuan sect path and studying the art of dual cultivation. If I were to combine forces with you, Senior…”
Her eyes had blinked, glistening with an intoxicating radiance, carrying a captivating affection. Her hands were soft, warmer than his own cold skin. She had called out “Senior” in a coquettish manner, and when her hair brushed against his cheek, it brought an unbearable itch. Yet this affection, this affection…
Even if it was merely a fleeting glint of light upon a cold spring, what of it?
It mattered not.
Why should it be forbidden?
The instantaneous confusion made him despise himself.
Clearly knowing that the person harbored ulterior motives, he nonetheless craved this meticulously arranged illusion.
Do not be foolish.
Yet…
Yet.
His hand rose rigidly once more.
A faint fragrance and warmth seemed to linger slightly.
Yun Heyin covered his face with his hand. For some unknown reason, his breathing grew a fraction more rapid.