His tone was cold, and his face was very calm.
However, behind his words, his attitude faintly carried a trace of overbearing intent.
The smile on Fu Jinyue’s face faded. Before she could speak, she heard Yu Ling twisting his leaves and screaming shrilly, “Let go of me! You dying thing!”
“Keep your hands off me!”
The little mimosa was likely frightened by the high-stage cultivator, as his words blurted out without thought, “If you don’t let go, I’ll tell my brother, so he can call sister-in-law to skin you alive!”
Fu Jinyue’s thoughts instantly tied into a knot, leaving her only amused.
Well now, this Yu Ling was indeed raised with pampering. No matter how much he put on airs, the moment he encountered a crisis, his immediate reaction was to call for the adults in his family.
Without giving him a choice, she extended her hand and rescued the mimosa from Yun Heyin’s grip.
Watching the grass leaves wrap back onto her wrist and the leaflets close up tremblingly, Fu Jinyue then said flatly, “A critical situation demands exceptional measures. Senior had better look where you are going carefully.”
For some reason, Yun Heyin actually felt a fraction of fear toward her flat tone.
It was hard to say where this trace of timidity came from. Unable to figure it out, the more he thought about it, the more it inexplicably provoked a surge of annoyance instead.
The thunder rumbled, flashing in bursts.
But this was indeed not the time to be entangled.
Yun Heyin flew forward on his sword, leaving this mountain peak one after the other with You Feichen. The lightning tribulation roared and pursued them with an imposing momentum, but restricted by the laws of the Heavenly Dao, it could only halt at the boundary, watching the group recede helplessly.
Having left the dangerous land, the speed of flying on their swords quickened.
By the time they arrived at Juefuyun, the mimosa was still locking itself tightly on Fu Jinyue’s wrist, refusing to come down no matter what.
Yu Ling: “Anyway, even if I return to the cave residence, I won’t be able to see brother and sister-in-law. It’s irritating to look at! I want to leave with her and live in her residence!”
You Feichen knew this little fellow. Seeing this, she also said helplessly, “Since it is so, I can only trouble Little Friend Fu to look after him a bit.”
Yun Heyin stood to the side with a calm expression, gazing intently at Fu Jinyue.
As if she hadn’t seen him, Fu Jinyue accepted Sect Master You’s words with a beaming smile.
Through her peripheral vision, she Sighted that Yun Heyin’s face grew increasingly cold, and her heart became more and more secure.
The return trip was still escorted by Yun Heyin. When they arrived at the bamboo courtyard, that coil of mimosa zipped away from her wrist with a xiu.
The grass leaves reared up, and he said to Fu Jinyue fiercely, “I am going to transform into human form. You are not allowed to follow!”
Fu Jinyue recalled the young boy’s disheveled appearance when she burst into the suspended rock cave. Finding it amusing in her heart, she coaxed him with a “good” aloud.
Yu Ling plugged his slender roots into the soil and quickly drifted away as if shifting horizontally.
Like a glitched texture disconnected from the network.
Sighting this scene, Fu Jinyue almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Right at this moment, Yun Heyin suddenly said, “What happened between you and him?”
Fu Jinyue cast a glance at him, replying leisurely, “Entrusted by Senior Yu Ning, I looked after him a bit.”
Looked after him a bit.
Yun Heyin’s tone was cold and hard, “You were still at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment when you entered.”
Fu Jinyue naturally knew. She also knew that she was at the mid-fifth layer before entering, and after receiving a tiny benefit, she was currently at the peak of the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.
Fu Jinyue pretended not to understand the underlying meaning, only saying respectfully, “Senior’s attentiveness is like a hair.”
Yun Heyin stopped speaking.
This was very normal; after all, these words were intentionally meant to choke him.
With a half-smile, Fu Jinyue watched with cold eyes as the man’s expression sank bit by bit, faintly revealing a frost-and-snow chilliness.
Not only did she not explain, but she even said coldly, “I have troubled senior a lot today. Now, if there are no other matters, this junior shall take her leave first.”
After speaking, she turned around to leave.
Yun Heyin could only lower his head and call out to stop her.
“You and he…”
The usually cold, detached, and noble Perfected Lord Yun paused and said, “He is merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, with a cultivation level not much different from yours. He is pampered and weak, why must you take a liking to him?”
His tone could not be described as amiable. Fu Jinyue cast another glance at him with novelty, laughing lightly, “What if I do?”
“Besides, what does it have to do with senior?”
Her matter-of-fact attitude was truly heartless.
No longer able to maintain his superficial calm, as if dark clouds were covering the sky, Yun Heyin’s gaze looked over gloomily.
He asked softly, “Did you do it with him?”
In truth, ever since the Yu Ling coiled around her wrist was discovered, Fu Jinyue had some conjectures. The two of them were destined to have another argument.
It wasn’t intentional, but merely driven by their personalities.
Two people with similar pride and desire for control were bound to determine a victor before they could continue to coexist.
He discovered the change in her cultivation, and discovered what that change signified. Along the way, even if he appeared as if nothing had happened on the surface, this string must have always been pulled tightly within Yun Heyin’s heart. Having suppressed it for so long, it ultimately exploded along with this naked interrogation.
Fu Jinyue watched it, and far from being afraid, she became increasingly excited.
How did that phrase go?
The one who is favored has nothing to fear.
The more one cared, the more one’s hands and feet were bound.
Fu Jinyue thought to herself, Perfected Lord Yun, you are still too inexperienced.
All his joys and angers were manifested so obviously, which was no different from handing over a leverage personally. Once others Sighted it, would they not step on this point to manipulate him with all their might?
Fu Jinyue didn’t care what this fellow thought. She only knew that this man cared and was jealous. No matter how terrifying and ferocious his anger was, his spine was bent. He personally handed the knife to her, allowing himself to be slaughtered by others.
And she, as it happened, disliked his high-and-mighty appearance.
If she disliked it, she had to train him.
Therefore Fu Jinyue said, “We did.”
As if fearing this wasn’t enough to provoke him, she said softly, “He and I will continue tonight, right in this courtyard, right on that bed, in the exact same position as you.”
Yun Heyin’s face turned green.
She didn’t take it to heart, laughing with contempt instead, “By what reason do you fly into a rage?”
“Sword cultivators naturally practice sword styles, alchemy cultivators naturally learn more of the Dao of Alchemy, so what is wrong with the path of Hehuan using dual cultivation to cultivate? I am an orthodox path, not a crooked or evil one. How I cultivate and with whom I cultivate is likely not for you to criticize.”
Yun Heyin asked aloud almost through gritted teeth, “Then that night…”
Why did she treat him with such a passionate posture again?
Could it be that everything that night—her laughter, her tender gaze, her everything—was merely a play to deceive him?
Had there never even been a trace of true emotion?
Fu Jinyue said, “Was that night not for verification? According to what senior said, our verification was precisely to verify without error.”
She asked in confusion, “Senior, you couldn’t have misunderstood, right?”
True and heartfelt confusion was always more hurtful than any words.
Misunderstood?
He turned these words over and over in his mind. The more he read them, the more unwilling he became, and recalling his previous surge of enthusiasm, he felt humiliated.
He recalled the moments when his mind was stirred time and again. A burst of piercing pain.
It was truly laughable. Knowing that her enticement was for other purposes, he still foolishly imagined that it was possible for that cold person to offer a true heart. He felt a type of emotion explode inside his chest, spreading through his entire body like ripples, dragging out bursts of dull pain and bitterness.
—Do you truly possess not a single shred of a true heart?
The words almost rushed out, but he bit them back tightly.
He didn’t dare to ask, and he didn’t dare to listen.
Clearly on the verge of being unable to breathe, his features turning distorted, Yun Heyin still exerted all his strength to maintain a steady expression. This was his only remaining bit of decency.
Did it hurt? Naturally.
Did he hate her then?
He stared at the person before him. The young girl still wore that same smiling posture from their first encounter, yet he deplorably found that he couldn’t even give rise to half a fraction of resentment.
Knowing this person acted recklessly, yet still praising himself as clear-headed while allowing himself to sink—was that person not precisely himself?
Thus Yun Heyin lowered his eyes.
The hand beneath his sleeve was clearly clenched tightly, but he could no longer utter a word.
“Host, this is currently the object with the highest cultivation level.”
Entering the bamboo courtyard, before entering the room, the system reminded her, “If you anger the person into leaving, you won’t be able to reap anything. Although that small plant in the inner room is easy to tease, his cultivation is insufficient for advancement.”
Fu Jinyue recalled that look Yun Heyin gave before leaving, and replied, “He won’t.”
She didn’t know which room Yu Ling had run into, and recalling the prior agreement not to peek, she went to knock on the doors one by one.
In her spare time, Fu Jinyue asked the system smugly, “How much do you understand about the human heart?”
The system with the little girl’s voice replied seriously, “A core power organ of a biological pump that pumps blood to maintain the human body’s circulatory system.”
Fu Jinyue: “…”
I didn’t mean it that way…
But well, in a certain sense, it was quite correct.
She felt somewhat helpless, and the style she wanted to put on collapsed entirely at once.
Therefore she could only summarize, “To put it simply, human nature is inherently cheap.”
They all said that pursuing benefit and avoiding harm was an instinct, but unfortunately, human instinct failed to function from time to time, and mistreatment instead manufactured loyalty.
Was the so-called liking not precisely that feeling where one saw through it yet couldn’t control oneself?
Fu Jinyue thought coldly.
Just like those men who knew her nature, yet still rushed forward like moths to a flame.
They angrily denounced her fickleness and detested her multi-affection, yet they couldn’t cut it off.
Knowing it was painful, yet still unable to let go?
Fu Jinyue didn’t understand this mindset.
She seemed to be born this way, unable to read what love meant, only understanding herself. If her heart was moved, she would entice; if it was interesting, she would keep; if it was happy, she would indulge. Sharing trials and tribulations? She didn’t understand this.
She was cold by nature, and loyalty to her own feelings had always been greater than the sky.
And Yun Heyin was different; he was a persistent person.
The window paper that couldn’t be punctured was poked open, and desires burst through the dam. The opponent had previously been persistent in rejecting her, so from now on, he would be persistent in following her.
His gloomy eyes made everything clear.
Therefore Fu Jinyue held the winning cards.
The doors were pushed open one by one, none containing that rosy-purple silhouette. Fu Jinyue was still wondering when she heard a low speaking sound in the courtyard.
The volume was very small, bordering on a murmur.
She gently pushed aside the flower bushes, Sighting the young boy crouching inside.
Yu Ling was speaking his mind with his siblings who hadn’t opened their divine sense. As soon as he Sighted her, he shrank back with extreme nervousness.
“Do not come over.” He snorted, “Today was out of absolute necessity, but tonight I won’t with you, with you…”
Fu Jinyue suddenly realized, “You heard.”
She just didn’t know how much of the argument with Yun Heyin the other party had heard.
Yu Ling turned his head away, “I didn’t do it on purpose. Who told you guys to talk without avoiding people.”
Fu Jinyue said, “I don’t think much of you, don’t take it seriously.”
Yu Ling seemed dazed for a moment, and immediately stood up in a furious rage, “On what basis do you not think much of me? Which part of me is bad!”
He deliberately competed, saying, “I tell you, although I am a Metal and Earth dual spiritual root, brother and sister-in-law have both said that because my original form suits me, in time I will certainly be more powerful than all cultivators. More powerful than sister-in-law!”
Subsequently, he raised his chin very proudly.
More powerful than everyone?
It sounded like words used to coax a child.
Fu Jinyue said helplessly, “Yes, yes, yes.”
Yu Ling wrinkled his face, “What do you mean?”
Fu Jinyue: “I don’t hold it against a three-year-old child.”
“I have been transformed for sixteen years!”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
The sky had already turned dark, and Fu Jinyue didn’t want to keep crouching here and bickering with a child. Rising, she asked, “Let’s go, I won’t touch you. Be good and follow me into the room to sleep.”
She paused, adding, “We sleep separately.”
Yu Ling followed and stood up, but said in his mouth, “Whose house sleeps after reaching Foundation Establishment? Anyway, I’m not resting here. I want to go down the mountain.”
Fu Jinyue raised an eyebrow, indicating for him to continue.
Not coming up to negate him, the young boy was surprised, becoming a bit awkward, “Because going to Sect Master You’s place will definitely be managed, that’s why I came to your place. I want to go down the mountain to buy magic treasures.”
Fu Jinyue thought about it, tipping him off, “You should know that magic treasures able to resist a lightning tribulation are all extremely expensive, right?”
“Of course I know,” Yu Ling said, lowering his eyes, “but I don’t want to do nothing.”
Fu Jinyue was slightly startled. This arrogant-to-death little mimosa actually had a time when his mouth wasn’t stubborn.
She tilted her head to appreciate his listless appearance, feeling that the little plant who usually showed off its power was actually quite pitiful like this.
Perhaps it was all to blame on his excellent and rare appearance.
Fu Jinyue crouched down again, coaxing gently, “Then do you have spiritual stones on your person? Why don’t I go together with you tomorrow, and we can look out for each other if there are any difficulties.”
The underlying meaning was that she was willing to advance the spiritual stones.
Yu Ling’s ear was stirred by this gentle voice, and his face turned red in an instant. He bit his lip, emitting a snort that was hard to tell if it was an “wu” or an “en”.
Then he thanked her awkwardly, “Then, then it’s a deal.”
His face was still bright red.
Fu Jinyue’s fingertips itched, her heart moved to an extreme.
Reckoning that she could defeat this fellow even if he blew his top, she simply reached out her hand and pinched the young boy’s face.
The white skin truly felt comfortable to the touch.
Fu Jinyue felt as if she were pinching a soft water balloon, and couldn’t help but exert a bit more force.
Yu Ling widened his eyes. Because of his appearance, he was often stared at inexplicably, so he detested most not being respected. Therefore, he opened his mouth and cursed, “You dying thing!”
Saying so, he also wanted to slap her hand away.
However, compared to a bad personality, Fu Jinyue did not yield to him either. She Sighted that Yu Ling had bitten his lip earlier, leaving a tiny mark on his lip, so she wanted to pinch it. Who would have thought that she just happened to encounter the youth opening his mouth to curse, and without paying attention, she penetrated a bit deeper.
The penetrated fingertip was freezing cold, but was gradually warmed by his lips and tongue.
Yu Ling froze in place, wanting to speak, but the opening and closing allowed him to feel the churning of the foreign object.
Fu Jinyue’s eyes contained amusement, rolling with the error.
After cultivating into human form, Yu Ling had never possessed half a fraction of a human cultivator’s stray thoughts. Before becoming him, he was merely it. Grass and trees did not understand human emotions.
But at this time, precisely today, he tasted desire for the first time, and had to recall the bitterness and joy of desire amidst this enchantment. He recalled her smiling yet not smiling gaze when she toyed with him.
Fu Jinyue had played enough, withdrawing her hand, and leisurely wiped the thing that wet her fingertip onto the original owner’s face.
This was naturally a humiliation.
Yu Ling’s breathing was rapid, yet a certain throbbing suddenly reared up. He clamped his legs in shame, avoiding her curious scrutiny in a hurried scramble.
The young boy bent his body and hugged his knees, tightly clutching his body to prevent that filthy impulse from being displayed in front of people. The opponent, however, was eager to try, always wanting to catch a glimpse. Yu Ling’s eyes were overflowing with light, clearly with a glimmer of tears due to grievance.
He closed his eyes, completely not daring to look at Fu Jinyue.
He only felt that he was going crazy.