Did she want to turn around the reputation of the orthodox Hehuan Sect?
Yes, of course she did.
Who could possibly yearn to wash away the stigma more than her?
Fu Jinyue thought to herself, Others look at me and think it’s a disciple’s shirk-free duty to revive the sect, but who could guess it’s a dead order issued by the system?
—Glorify and expand the Hehuan Sect.
This was the only price she had to pay for her new life. It was fraught with difficulties, but compared to her life, it was a bargain.
Fu Jinyue had never expected that the matter she constantly thought about would be proposed by the Sword Sect first.
The nonsense she had blathered to Yun Heyin before must have been relayed to them in full. You Feichen truly deserved to be a cultivator capable of sitting in the position of Sect Master; merely listening to someone else relay it, the thoughts she generated coincided with her own.
This was truly a grand gift.
Fu Jinyue’s eyes lit up, concealing her joy not at all as she said, “Naturally I want to. If Sect Master You is willing to assist, it would certainly be excellent.”
You Feichen said, “The sermon meeting is merely a minor matter within the sect. Now that Elder Ruan Jiang has improved, the Dao Discussion Banquet must certainly be held again.”
The Zhongzhou Sword Sect would advertise the banquet to the world to discuss the Dao. Cultivators from all over, big and small sects alike, would definitely gather together.
If the title of the orthodox Hehuan Sect was struck out at that time, the starting point would certainly be smooth sailing.
As it happened, You Feichen also smiled and said, “At that time, I hope Little Friend Fu can come as promised.”
How could Fu Jinyue not agree? Just as she happily accepted, she suddenly recalled something.
Fu Jinyue: “According to what Senior Yun said, the reason the Sect Master and senior were able to recognize me is because a ‘Star Gazer’ from the Eastern Borders found the two of you. Did he… ever say anything else?”
In truth, she was worried that this title of the person of destiny would become known to everyone.
For some matters, revealing her title made things easier to handle, but for others, it was better to keep a low profile. For the sake of cultivation, she couldn’t stay in the Sword Sect forever. If she traveled outside and everyone knew her name, and everyone came to beg for help, what then?
It was because the Sword Sect possessed solid strength and there was profit to be made that Fu Jinyue was willing to perform good deeds, save people, and latch onto powerful figures. It didn’t mean she was willing to be a sucker.
But the words couldn’t be spoken directly, so she merely cautiously threw out a conversational thread.
Hearing this, You Feichen only sighed, “I don’t know much either.”
“That Star Sovereign Dinggui has unpredictable tracks and is hard to find, and shares no friendship with me. He only actively revealed himself several months ago, seeking out me and Yun Heyin respectively, and stated clearly on which day, at what time, and for what reason we would encounter Little Friend Fu. Other than that, he never said anything.”
You Feichen paused, then said, “In truth, I only learned about the title of the person carrying the destiny to save the world at that time.”
How was this becoming increasingly mysterious?
Fu Jinyue was extremely bewildered. Knowing she shouldn’t ask, she still asked, “Then what exactly is the great catastrophe of the cultivation world?”
You Feichen cast a glance at Yu Ling, who was frowning and listening nearby.
Yu Ling’s caretakers were all grand figures, so he naturally knew quite a lot of inside information. Although his behavior had always been arrogant and domineering, he could read the situation when it came to proper business. Sighting this, he spoke up, “No one knows.”
He drooped his eyelids, saying as if it didn’t matter, “No one knows.”
Fu Jinyue found it increasingly bizarre.
You Feichen smiled casually and explained, “Yes, mortals do not know of the catastrophe, and cultivators are not much better off. Even within the cultivation world, only a minority of cultivators with profound cultivation and extremely high comprehension can faintly perceive that a great catastrophe is coming. But no one knows what it is.”
Fu Jinyue’s heart skipped a beat.
So that was why the Sword Sect went to such great lengths to organize a Dao Discussion Banquet. Did they want to secure the leading position ahead of the great catastrophe? Or were they using it as an excuse to gather forces and discuss this matter?
Regardless of the true purpose, this Dao Discussion Banquet would surely be of great significance.
And the Sword Sect actively inviting her to the Dao Discussion Banquet undoubtedly bound the two directly, establishing an excellent starting point for her orthodox Hehuan Sect.
Only now did Fu Jinyue experience the joy of having a heavyweight ally by her side; it was truly boundlessly satisfying.
Having related all the good news, You Feichen, as the Sect Master, was extremely busy and hurriedly departed.
Simultaneously, because the lightning tribulation could be resolved, Yu Ling no longer had a reason to go down the mountain, so he loitered in the bamboo courtyard all day long, planting himself and basking in the sun.
The arrogant and coy youth was very stubborn with his mouth, but his actions were very soft.
Whenever Fu Jinyue passed by, the mimosa would shake itself, pretending to be reserved to attract her attention.
Tender leaves unfurled on the branches, looking as if they were born to be touched by someone.
Yet upon touch, they tremblingly closed up, shrinking tightly, making one want even more to open them up to see what was inside.
This mimosa was protected extremely well; he was proud and overbearing, but at his core he was still innocent, easily tricked away when coaxed.
In the sixteen years since transforming into human form, he had never possessed a human cultivator’s stray thoughts, yet now he had learned to relish the experience.
Fu Jinyue liked most to see the normally arrogant youth reveal a bashful and guilty expression amidst her slaps.
Plump thigh flesh vibrated, red and swollen.
Uncontrollable muffled groans fell along with the palm wind, one after another.
Even though his mouth was still stubborn, his gaze gradually grew dazed. He was still very ashamed of displaying himself, but it was already unclear whether it stemmed from conventional secular morality, or because of it he could have more pleasure when being mistreated.
Only when he couldn’t endure it would Yu Ling reveal a timid, charming state, softly calling her sister.
He was truly too cute.
So even though their cultivations were similar and there wasn’t much gain, Fu Jinyue still consumed the little plant entirely, and the branches returned even more pleasure to her as feedback.
Yun Heyin was completely aware of this.
A Nascent Soul stage cultivator was already considered strong in the cultivation world, and living in the neighboring courtyard, with a bit of attentiveness, he could hear snippets of words.
He could hear her gently coaxing someone else, her light laughter, and her gasps.
He could also hear the sudden, high-pitched, out-of-tune muffled groans that hooked at a person like a claw.
Just like the sounds he emitted when he bent down to swallow for her that night, but the person making her joyful was not him.
It was no longer him.
Yun Heyin closed his eyes multiple times, forcefully suppressing his rage. He believed he had restrained himself well, but when he raised his hand, he realized he was trembling, his jaws clenched so tightly that they almost bled.
The past enchanting ambiguity had entirely become knives, scraping across the tip of his heart piece by piece, dripping with fresh blood.
The moment his divine sense was withdrawn, all volume was cut off, resulting in instant silence. Having lost her voice, his heart suddenly throbbed with intense pain.
Yun Heyin supported himself against the table, barely standing steady.
…Let it be like this then?
Why not let it be like this?
Cutting the tangled hemp with a sharp knife, he ought to let it go.
It should be just as she said; their brief contact was merely for verification, and temporary intimacy counted for nothing.
How could he let a lifetime of restraint be destroyed by a single stirring of the heart?
His eyes lowered gloomily.
Let it go, let it go, what you sought was nothing more than this—reining in desires, restraining the mind, and returning to the orthodox path. Yet a tiny voice was arguing back.
…Can you truly let it go?
Even if he wasn’t willing to let it go, what could he do? She had already spoken of the matter between the two clearly. But since she sought cultivation, how could this weak demon cultivator satisfy her? Just like the little disciple that day, once he was useless to her, she wouldn’t cast a second glance.
Only him.
Only his cultivation could satisfy her. What if he went to seek her out right now? What if he were willing to beg in a low voice right now? What if…
Yun Heyin was suddenly startled awake, his breathing rapid.
His heart beat like a drum.
It was probably two days later.
Fu Jinyue, who was in the fields, suddenly felt a wave of the earth shaking and mountains swaying, followed immediately by a sky-shattering clap of thunder.
The Sword Sect inherently possessed array soundproofing, but it allowed this commotion to turn the sect upside down.
Yu Ling, who was accompanying her by her side, suddenly straightened his body.
His face was anxious and uneasy, yet hidden with anticipation.
They both knew who had caused the commotion.
Ruan Jiang had emerged from her secluded cultivation.
This matter was initially unknown to people, until the news of the sermon meeting was released, grandly displaying Ruan Jiang’s title. Only then did this matter gradually draw many speculations.
Who was preaching?
Was it that Elder Pingxin of the Sword Sect?
Amidst their surprise, everyone harbored a bit of suspicion, doubting that the Sword Sect was deliberately being mysterious, wanting to pretend the great figure was still around, before organizing this internal sermon that didn’t allow outsiders to participate.
The thoughts of the disciples within the Sword Sect were a bit simpler. A great figure was preaching; regardless of who she was, it would ultimately be beneficial to their cultivation, so they naturally vied to sign up.
The day after Yu Ning came out, he came to the bamboo courtyard to take Yu Ling away.
Fu Jinyue had thought the other party would be too happy to think of home, but unexpectedly there wasn’t a single shred of hesitation.
Before leaving, Yu Ling assumed that arrogant posture again, not looking at people straight, his chin raised: “Just you wait! When I return after forming my core, I will certainly make you completely compliant.”
It turned out that her private complaints about his insufficient cultivation had been overheard.
Knowing what path she cultivated, the young boy’s teeth itched with anger upon hearing it. He hated most being looked down upon, and immediately decided to cultivate well to suppress her, and then…
The mimosa leaves actively rubbed over, closing up bashfully upon touching, but that happened to easily facilitate passing through a certain narrow place. Fu Jinyue was embraced, and the young boy extended branches to wrap around her thread by thread, penetrating deep into that warm and moist place, rubbing and nuzzling familiarly.
Yu Ling satisfactorily heard her erratic breathing, lightly snorting, “You must not forget me.”
“Also, do not go play with that smelly crane demon.”
Because of eating, learning spells, and other reasons, Fu Jinyue’s contact with Si Nian and Si Yan hadn’t decreased either. Yu Ling, who accompanied her all day long, naturally got to know the two crane demons as well.
Clearly, his interactions with Si Nian were still considered harmonious, but Yu Ling always harbored an inexplicable hostility toward Si Yan.
Even on the eve of separation, he had to explicitly point it out, meddling right over her head.
…Has her tolerance over these past few days made this child even more unbridled?
Fu Jinyue couldn’t help but think, But forget it, who told him to be born so beautiful?
A beautiful youth always had extra privileges; no wonder his elders were all rather pampering toward him.
Yu Ling left.
During the days without the mimosa, Fu Jinyue couldn’t even eat plain food.
At night, it was occasionally unbearable, forcing her to relieve herself.
The system was deeply worried: “Host, that plant demon’s cultivation is too low. Cultivating with him yields no revenue, which is why the Hehuan path’s cultivation method has backfired slightly.”
It appeared that this Hehuan path wasn’t entirely beneficial either.
She didn’t know that the sound of water during the teasing of her fingertips and her muffled gasps were entirely overheard by someone else. If she knew, she would probably merely curl the corners of her mouth, lamenting that human nature is inherently cheap.
The sermon meeting Fu Jinyue was waiting for convened on the second day after Yu Ling left.
As usual, it was Lu Liuru who led the way for her. The female修 handled matters appropriately, having made an appointment ahead of time.
Fu Jinyue thus went to the fields once before that, to look at those precious spiritual plants nurtured by her own spiritual energy. Because her cultivation had improved and she had cared for them finely during this period, quite a few were about to bear spiritual fruits.
The Sword Sect had long since generously promised these spiritual plants to her. If they bore fruit, they would naturally belong to her as well.
Whether eaten or sold, it would be a large sum of benefits.
Only, when standing outside that field, before drawing near, Fu Jinyue saw a complete mess from afar.
Her face suddenly sank, a suppressed rage in her eyes.
She saw that inside the field, branches and trunks were snapped, and flowers and leaves were all beaten down. On the mud ground lay green, immature spiritual fruits.
They were trampled deeply into the mud, their flesh split open.
Someone had destroyed her hard work.