The relationship between the Dustless Sea and Luoshui Divine Palace had not reached a point where a marriage alliance was absolutely necessary. Even if there were some losses, they could be compensated for elsewhere. Wen Dantong’s past union with Luo Hengjun was a marriage of convenience, and it had been a failure. She would certainly not allow her only daughter to repeat her mistakes. However, even after she rejected the envoy from the Dustless Sea, Lord Xiang and his retinue did not leave. They stayed in Luoshui Divine Palace under other pretexts, their objective, of course, still being Lingfeng.
Although Lord Xiang was the young master of the Dustless Sea, he had many siblings, and his position was not necessarily secure. Therefore, he had to find ways to gain more support for himself. It didn’t matter if the master of Luoshui Divine Palace didn’t agree; as long as Fairy Luo consented, he wasn’t afraid that his great undertaking would not succeed.
“This Young Master Xiang is really annoying, I can’t get rid of him,” Wei Yunshu complained to Lingfeng. Recently, she would often see Lord Xiang fawning over Lingfeng, like a big fly that couldn’t be shooed away. Lingfeng remained calm and composed, showing no signs of annoyance. But Wei Yunshu couldn’t suppress the fire in her heart and tried several times to challenge Lord Xiang to a duel. However, Lord Xiang knew he was no match for Wei Yunshu and didn’t want to lose face in Luoshui Divine Palace. He always found excuses to refuse, leaving Wei Yunshu with no outlet for her pent-up frustration.
Lingfeng chuckled lightly and said leisurely, “Just ignore him.”
“But I get so annoyed just seeing him,” Wei Yunshu didn’t hide her feelings, almost gritting her teeth as she continued her complaint. “Even if I stay in my hall and don’t go out, he’ll still come to visit. I can’t ignore him whether I see him or not. He says he’s bringing some rare treasures, but they’re nothing special.”
A smile played on Lingfeng’s lips. Her gaze swept over Wei Yunshu, and she said softly, “At least he knows to bring gifts.”
Hearing this, Wei Yunshu thought Lingfeng was defending Lord Xiang and immediately raised her voice. “What’s so great about that? I can do it too!”
“Is that so?” Lingfeng’s voice was neither loud nor soft. Her eyes shifted, like the flowing waves of autumn.
Wei Yunshu was at a loss for words. Although she had spoken loudly, upon reflection, she had never given Lingfeng anything of value. During her time at Buzhou, she had focused solely on the sword path. Besides her own magic sword, she had nothing precious. She fixed her gaze on Lingfeng, reached out, and took out her magic sword. She pushed it towards Lingfeng and said earnestly, “This sword is for you!” For anyone who cultivated the sword, their magic sword was never far from their side. From the tangible to the intangible, all techniques were entrusted to a single sword. To give away one’s sword was, in essence, to entrust one’s life.
Lingfeng’s fingertips lightly brushed against the sword’s blade. “What is the name of the sword?” she asked with a smile.
“Buzhou,” Wei Yunshu replied. The sword had been forged by her senior sister, and its name was a decree from her master.
Lingfeng glanced at Wei Yunshu in surprise. The current chief disciple of Buzhou was Shi Wufang, but it seemed now that Wei Yunshu was the true core of Buzhou. She pushed the sword back and said, “I don’t specialize in the sword path. I don’t want your sword.”
“Huh?” Wei Yunshu exclaimed, then asked urgently, “Then what do you want?”
“A’shu,” Lingfeng smiled faintly. She gazed at Wei Yunshu and said, “Who asks someone what they want before giving them a gift?” Seeing that Wei Yunshu couldn’t answer, she continued, “My mother has agreed to let me go out for training. Do you want to come along?”
Wei Yunshu was stunned for a moment, then nodded like a pecking chicken. “Yes, yes, yes!” Leaving Luoshui Divine Palace meant she wouldn’t have to deal with that incredibly annoying “guest,” Lord Xiang. Wei Yunshu wished she could just grab Lingfeng and leave right now!
The current Fu Li Immortal Realm was generally peaceful, but under the influence of demonic forces, there were always cultivators whose minds would waver, fall into the demonic path, and try by all means to associate with demonic cultivators. The defense line blocked the large-scale invasion of the demon army, but for the scattered demonic cultivators across the continents, they could only be eliminated one by one, unable to completely eradicate the threat. Lingfeng and Wei Yunshu’s training mainly focused on dealing with such existences. Both were exceptionally talented, and after a few years, their cultivation had improved significantly, reaching the level of True Monarchs who could establish their own sects and stand on their own.
In an inn in the Eastern Continent’s immortal city.
Wei Yunshu held a flying letter in her hand, sent from Cloud City. They had encountered cultivators from the Eastern Continent while slaying demons, and the news had reached Yun Wu’s ears. Now, Yun Wu was inviting them to Cloud City for a meeting. “Should we go?” Wei Yunshu turned to Lingfeng, her gaze clear and distant.
Lingfeng propped her chin on one hand and smiled brightly. “Fellow Daoist Yun is mainly inviting you, so naturally, you should be the one to decide.”
“But we’re traveling together. I don’t want to be arbitrary and make decisions for you,” Wei Yunshu walked closer to Lingfeng and looked at her. “Didn’t you also ask for my opinion when some other fellow daoists invited you to be their guest?” Her answers, of course, were always “no.” The intentions of those fellow daoists were obvious, and she had no desire for any deep, unforgettable interactions with them.
“But you’re Fellow Daoist Yun’s savior,” Lingfeng said with a smile.
“You’re my savior too,” Wei Yunshu replied, blinking. “Her being grateful to me is her business. Do I have to show up whenever she wants to express her gratitude?”
“Your tongue has certainly gotten sharper,” Lingfeng stood up and pinched Wei Yunshu’s cheek with a smile.
Wei Yunshu caught Lingfeng’s hand and asked with a smile, “So, do you want to go or not?”
Lingfeng was silent for a moment, then smiled. “I don’t.” Seeing Wei Yunshu raise an eyebrow, she said, “What? Do you think I’m not being understanding enough?”
“How could that be?” Wei Yunshu hurriedly explained her feelings. “I’m just a little—”
“A little what?” Lingfeng asked.
Wei Yunshu thought for a moment and said, “A little happy.”
Lingfeng: “Because you don’t want to go either? But you’re too embarrassed to refuse? And I made the decision for you, which is exactly what you wanted?”
Wei Yunshu shook her head. “You can’t say that.” Her eyes were bright and clear, her gaze fixed on Lingfeng. “You actually don’t want me to go, right?” She and Lingfeng had always traveled together. In the past, after she refused, Lingfeng would not go to those appointments. She had a strong possessive streak. If Lingfeng’s starting point was the same as hers, did that mean she also didn’t want her to be close to others? The thought of this made Wei Yunshu overjoyed, and she couldn’t hide her smile.
Lingfeng ignored her latter sentence and said deliberately, “So you originally wanted to go, but you were just considerate of me and didn’t dare to go out.” She withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and sighed softly. “So it was I who delayed you.”
Wei Yunshu had been happy, but hearing Lingfeng’s words, her heart turned cold, and a hint of anxiety appeared on her face. She hurriedly grabbed Lingfeng’s hand and pressed it to her heart, raising her voice. “That’s not what I meant! I haven’t seen Fellow Daoist Yun in years; I’ve even forgotten what she looks like.”
Lingfeng scoffed. “Are you trying to fool me? We cultivators never forget what we’ve seen.”
“If I don’t think about it, then I won’t remember, right?” To show her sincerity, she tried hard to press Lingfeng’s hand against her heart. “Do you feel my heart?”
“I can’t feel it,” Lingfeng held back a laugh and deliberately shook her head. “I haven’t entered your sea of consciousness, so I can’t see your true self. How would I know what you’re really thinking?”
“Then enter my sea of consciousness!” Wei Yunshu blurted out. As soon as the words left her mouth, her face turned bright red. How could one’s sea of consciousness be entered so casually? The entanglement of their divine senses could lead to something uncontrollable. She was flustered, but she didn’t avoid Lingfeng’s gaze. Instead, she looked at her earnestly until her mouth went dry, and she subconsciously licked her lips.
“Your heart is beating very fast,” Lingfeng gazed at Wei Yunshu’s lips, her voice strangely low and hoarse.
“Is… is it?” Wei Yunshu stammered, feeling dizzy. It took her a long time to regain her thoughts. She was very familiar with this scene; it had happened many times when she was with Lingfeng. As for how to solve it, a hug would do. So, she looked at the person before her with her watery eyes and called out pitifully, “Lingfeng.”
In the past, Lingfeng would have hugged Wei Yunshu, but this time she didn’t move, just staring at her intently.
Seeing Lingfeng’s stillness, a mixture of emotions welled up in Wei Yunshu’s heart. She held Lingfeng’s hand and pulled her towards her, her other free hand resting on her waist. Seeing that Lingfeng didn’t refuse, she grew bolder, gradually wrapping her arms around Lingfeng’s waist and closing the distance inch by inch. In the past, she would have buried her face in Lingfeng’s shoulder, but now they were still face to face. She could clearly see that in those beautiful, deep eyes, only her own reflection remained. Her head instantly became groggy, as if she were half-dreaming, a wandering soul. She slowly pressed forward and touched Lingfeng’s lips as lightly as a dragonfly on water. It felt like an electric current shot through her limbs, and Wei Yunshu became even more disoriented. She pressed forward again, but this time a hand blocked her lips.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Lingfeng’s voice was still gentle and soft, like a spring breeze. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest, but she forcibly suppressed the surging, boiling emotions, not blushing as furiously as Wei Yunshu.
“I… I—” Wei Yunshu looked up, her gaze filled with confusion as she looked at Lingfeng. She stammered “I” for a while but couldn’t say anything more.
Lingfeng didn’t indulge her and repeated the question.
Wei Yunshu only felt a dry fire burning in her heart. The exquisite scene before her gradually blurred and faded, until only Lingfeng remained, held tightly in her arms. Her hand unconsciously caressed Lingfeng’s waist. In her panic, she stammered a new request, “I… I want… want to kiss you.” But after a long time, there was no response from Lingfeng. Wei Yunshu’s heart sank. She gradually sobered up and suddenly realized that her behavior was a bit like that of a libertine. If someone had said that to her, she would have definitely drawn her sword and attacked. Lingfeng wouldn’t hit her, but would she stay away from her from now on? An impulsive act leading to a terrible consequence—Wei Yunshu felt like the sky was falling.
Lingfeng didn’t know what Wei Yunshu was thinking, only finding her ever-changing expressions very interesting.
Wei Yunshu was dejected. She hung her head and apologized, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.”
Lingfeng smiled as she looked at her. Although she was apologizing, the hand on her waist showed no signs of loosening; in fact, it tightened. What kind of duplicity was this? “Then why don’t you let go of me?” Lingfeng asked softly.
After she said this, the “lock” suddenly released.
Her waist was suddenly empty.
Not only that, but Wei Yunshu was also backing away, as if she were about to run out of the room.
Lingfeng straightened her clothes, which had been messed up by Wei Yunshu, and asked, “A’shu, where are you going? Are you going to go to the appointment in Cloud City alone?”
If she said she wasn’t going, then she naturally wouldn’t go. At this moment, Wei Yunshu just wanted to go out and get some cold air to clear her dizzy head. But hearing Lingfeng’s words, her steps halted. She just looked up at Lingfeng pitifully.
“Come here,” Lingfeng said again.
Wei Yunshu moved her feet slowly until she was in front of Lingfeng. She lowered her head and said nothing. But her ears twitched, and in that scorching, unignorable gaze, they slowly turned bright red.
Lingfeng reached out and lifted Wei Yunshu’s chin, forcing her to look at her. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. “What? You only dare to suggest it? You don’t dare to do it?”
Wei Yunshu was stunned. A ray of light flashed through her muddled thoughts, but it was gone before she could grab it. She stood there rigidly, her heart pounding. The rushing blood made her dizzy. Lingfeng was already very close, her warm breath like a gentle breeze on her face. Wei Yunshu couldn’t help but lick her dry lips. Now that she was sober, the nervousness was hard to ignore.
But just as she leaned forward, ready to pluck that rosy red, Lingfeng retreated again. She pressed her finger to Wei Yunshu’s lips, just smiling at her.
Wei Yunshu was speechless. Her eyes were filled with a watery sheen. Her stiff arms finally moved, wrapping around Lingfeng’s waist and pulling her close again. She didn’t push away the jade-like fingers, but instead parted her lips slightly and extended the tip of her tongue. Lingfeng’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly withdrew her hand. Wei Yunshu’s eyes were hazy as she gazed at Lingfeng, her gaze gradually focusing on her rosy lips. She leaned forward, and this time she finally touched them. But she was not satisfied with a light touch. She had learned, without a teacher, to extend her tongue and lightly sweep it across Lingfeng’s lips.
Lingfeng lowered her lashes, her heart far from as calm as her face. “You—” As soon as she opened her mouth, she gave Wei Yunshu an opportunity to enter. At this point, there was no need to think about retreating or not; it was just a matter of pressing forward. Both were equally clumsy, and who was the leader and who was the guest was still undecided.
The light kiss turned into a lingering and enchanting one. After a moment, Wei Yunshu was pushed away. Her eyes were bright and shining, like twinkling stars. She looked at Lingfeng with concentration, her face red as she said, “We cultivators know the art of tortoise breathing, so we’re not afraid of running out of breath.”
Although her own face was flushed and her heart was pounding, she was always a little more composed than Wei Yunshu. She reached out and rubbed Wei Yunshu’s cheek, saying softly, “A’shu, now, go out.”
Wei Yunshu’s greedy gaze swept over Lingfeng’s face. She still wanted to stay in the room. But on second thought, Lingfeng had given in to her again; she should be content. So she nodded, suppressing the smile at the corner of her lips, but she couldn’t hide it. She skipped out of the room happily.
Lingfeng was speechless.
But Wei Yunshu was gone for most of the day. When she appeared again, night had already fallen.
The candlelight cast a long shadow of the person sitting on the meditation cushion, cultivating, on the window screen.
Lingfeng didn’t make a sound. Wei Yunshu opened her mouth and recounted her afternoon’s journey, finally taking out two small clay figures as if presenting a treasure. Lingfeng could tell at a glance that these two clay figures were made of mortal soil, but Wei Yunshu had carefully set up a formation and used the priceless breathing soil to create a yin-yang taiji base.
“If they were made in our likeness, they might have been given a spirit by accident,” Wei Yunshu said excitedly.
“Mmm,” Lingfeng hummed, her gaze fixed on the taiji diagram for a long time before moving away.
Wei Yunshu chatted for a while, then took out some miscellaneous snacks from storage pouch, all of which were her gains from the day. When she was a child wandering the city, just filling her stomach was a luxury, let alone tasting those expensive-looking pastries. After entering the Dao, the food she ate was all rich in spiritual energy, making these mortal pastries a luxury in turn.
After Wei Yunshu had her fun for a while, she was pushed out by Lingfeng again.
At night.
The bright moon hung high, and the stars were arrayed.
The moonlight was like water, and the spiritual energy was exceptionally clear.
Usually, at this time, Wei Yunshu would circulate her spiritual energy and meditate, but now she couldn’t calm her mind no matter what.
She muttered “restless heart” and then simply got up to find Lingfeng.
The inns where cultivators stayed were different from those in the mortal world; opening a door revealed a different world. When Wei Yunshu went over, Lingfeng was not cultivating either but was sitting on the bed, staring intently at the small clay figures Wei Yunshu had brought back.
“Why aren’t you looking at me?” Wei Yunshu grumbled, walking over and squeezing onto the small bed with Lingfeng, as intimate and natural as usual.
Lingfeng turned her head and looked at Wei Yunshu with a smile. “If I look at you, then what?”
Wei Yunshu was at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected Lingfeng to suddenly ask that.
Seeing her expression, Lingfeng asked again, “What are you here for? Not cultivating? Don’t you want to attain the Dao Fruit sooner?”
Wei Yunshu’s thoughts started to turn again. “Attaining the Dao Fruit is not something to be rushed. If I force myself to cultivate now, it will only damage my cultivation.”
Lingfeng frowned and asked with concern, “Have you developed a heart demon?” They had encountered many demonic cultivators along the way. The demonic aura from the Northern Continent was bewitching, and a moment of carelessness could allow it to find a loophole.
“Not really,” Wei Yunshu shook her head. She couldn’t very well say that as soon as she sat down, all she could visualize was Lingfeng, could she? She said euphemistically, “I just have a concern in my heart.”
“What concern?” Lingfeng asked, her expression unchanging.
Wei Yunshu was unusually clever for once. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Guess.”
But Lingfeng also knew how to handle her. She just smiled at Wei Yunshu and said nothing.
She had a winding mind; she didn’t want to guess.
Under this gaze, Wei Yunshu’s scalp tingled, and she quickly said, “I just wanted to see you.”
Lingfeng glanced at her. “Not stuttering this time?”
Wei Yunshu’s face turned crimson, and she retorted, “I… I didn’t!” As soon as the words left her mouth, she was so angry with herself she could have fallen over. She reached out to Lingfeng for a hug. Lingfeng brushed her hand away. Wei Yunshu didn’t back down but instead threw herself at Lingfeng, and the two of them fell onto the bed together. She looked down at Lingfeng and said slowly, “Did I tell you earlier that I’ve been thinking about something all day?”
“Are you about to comprehend a new sword intent?” Lingfeng asked lightly.
“No,” Wei Yunshu paused for a moment, then said, “If I comprehend a new sword intent next time, I’m going to name it ‘Savoring the Flavor’.”
Lingfeng burst out laughing. She reached up and stroked Wei Yunshu’s hair, pulling the topic back to the beginning. “Then let’s not cultivate tonight,” she said gently.
“Then what should we do?” Wei Yunshu asked. Her intentions were written all over her face, and her eyes seemed to burn with fire.
Lingfeng blinked and chuckled. “Why are you asking me?”
“Because… because—”
As soon as Lingfeng saw Wei Yunshu’s expression, she knew she was trying to find an excuse. But she didn’t give her time to think and threw another question at her. “Have you thought it through?”
Wei Yunshu finally grasped the glimmer of inspiration in her mind, and her amorous thoughts gradually faded. She sat up, looked down at Lingfeng, and asked softly, “Why didn’t you ask me before?”
“To satisfy your initial curiosity,” Lingfeng chuckled, then said, “But ‘once’ and ‘again’ are different.” She wasn’t in a hurry for an answer, giving Wei Yunshu ample time to think. Her fingers twirled a strand of Wei Yunshu’s hanging hair, wrapping it around a few times before slowly letting it go.
It seemed like a long time had passed, and also like only an instant, before Wei Yunshu said sullenly, “I like being close to you, and I don’t want anyone else to come between us. Whether it’s Lord Xiang or someone even better, I don’t want to see them.”
“Of course, I won’t have eyes for anyone else either. We relied on each other in the past, so it’s only right that we are one now, isn’t it?”
“If you want to form a marriage alliance, don’t look for anyone else. I think I’m pretty good. Isn’t Buzhou and Luoshui Divine Palace a better match? I’ll go back to Buzhou right now and talk to my master about this.”
As Wei Yunshu moved, she pulled on the hair wrapped around Lingfeng’s finger, causing her to hiss in pain.
Lingfeng spoke slowly, releasing Wei Yunshu’s hair and rubbing her forehead casually. “What’s your hurry?” Seeing Wei Yunshu looking at her with teary eyes, she added, “It’s no use being in a hurry if I don’t agree.”
Wei Yunshu was speechless. Her face fell at once, the pain shifting to her heart, as if a blunt knife were carving it out. She knew she was pushing her luck, and she knew that at some critical point, she would be mercilessly rejected, but she couldn’t help but step forward. “Lingfeng,” she called softly. As usual, she was pulled down by Lingfeng to lie down and buried in her embrace.
“A’shu, if you’re not cultivating, then sleep. You can have anything you want in your dreams,” Lingfeng said softly.
Wei Yunshu couldn’t sleep all night, but lying next to Lingfeng, she couldn’t toss and turn and disturb her sweet dreams. Lingfeng hadn’t nodded or refused. Should she advance or retreat?
Until the next day, Wei Yunshu was still listless. But when it was time to go out and slay a troublesome demonic cultivator, she was re-energized, not affected by her own emotions.
Lingfeng observed Wei Yunshu without a word, letting her swing up and down. These days continued until Wei Yunshu was preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul realm. The external medicines had been gathered, but the materials for nurturing her sword still had to be retrieved from Buzhou.
Before she left, she told Lingfeng, “I’ve thought it through very clearly. I want to be with you. I’m not just asking for a few hundred years, but for our Daos to return to the same destination.”
