Chapter 15: Huang Aotian’s Heavy Thoughts
On the other side…
In the Lin Mansion, it was a late night, and Lin Zhongyu was practicing tirelessly, seemingly hit hard by the events in the Immortal Alliance. She felt her strength was still lacking.
If it weren’t for Yun Zhonghe stepping in, who knows what her fate would have been?
Not to mention, because of her own issues, she almost dragged Xue’er into trouble. Lin Zhongyu felt a wave of incompetence wash over her. Now that she had finally regained her talent, she was determined to double her efforts and catch up on the progress she had lost over the years.
“If only… I could join Xue’er in the Xuantian Sect.”
Using her Golden Emperor Sacred Eyes to see the glimmers of spiritual energy being absorbed, this thought arose in Lin Zhongyu’s mind.
Soon, Mu Jixue would officially enter the Xuantian Sect, and then they’d have to part ways. Who knew when they would meet again?
Lin Zhongyu didn’t want to be separated from Mu Jixue. In the past, she could only reluctantly let go, but now that she had a chance, she didn’t want to just give up and wanted to give it her all.
However, Cangzhou City was lacking in spiritual energy. Even with her Golden Emperor Sacred Eyes, which allowed her to see the presence of spiritual energy and absorb it efficiently, bypassing the refinement process, her rate of gathering spiritual energy was still quite low.
So far, her spiritual energy had barely reached the threshold of breaking through to the sixth layer of Qi Refinement.
And in just a few days, she was about to break through; such efficiency would count as genius throughout the entire Eastern Continent.
But Lin Zhongyu wasn’t satisfied.
“Too slow. After the sixth layer of Qi Refinement, each minor realm requires even more spiritual energy. In seven days, the Xuantian Sect will hold an extra selection ceremony for Outer Gate Disciples here in Cangzhou City. I wonder if I can make it.”
This was Lin Zhongyu’s only chance. If she didn’t want to be separated from Mu Jixue, she had to be selected. Otherwise, the next opportunity for the Xuantian Sect to recruit Outer Gate Disciples in Cangzhou City would be five years from now.
Waiting another five years? By then, who knows if they would still be from the same world.
Just as Lin Zhongyu’s mind was racing, suddenly there was a knock on her door.
“Xiao Yu, are you still awake?”
It was Mu Jixue! What was she doing here so late?
Lin Zhongyu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly called out, “I’m here!” and rushed to open the door.
Upon opening, she found Mu Jixue wearing plain clothes, clutching a pillow.
Lin Zhongyu asked curiously, “Xue’er, what’s up?”
Mu Jixue, unable to sleep, was thinking about Lin Zhongyu and Yun Zhonghe, which put her in a tizzy. Before she knew it, she was at Lin Zhongyu’s door.
Feeling a bit shy, Mu Jixue fidgeted, holding the pillow in front of her face, peeking through with her eyes.
“I… I want to sleep with you, Xiao Yu. Is that okay?”
In the soft moonlight, Lin Zhongyu could see the longing and anticipation in Mu Jixue’s eyes.
Lin Zhongyu smiled brightly, “Of course!”
“Yay! ヽ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ”
Mu Jixue’s eyes sparkled with joy, like a kid in a candy store. They used to sleep together all the time, but ever since Lin Zhongyu’s cultivation had declined, they hadn’t done so.
But now that Lin Zhongyu had finally consented, Mu Jixue was over the moon—bringing back memories of their childhood.
“Xiao Yu, can we do it like before? You sleep inside, and I’ll sleep outside, okay?”
Seeing Mu Jixue so thrilled, Lin Zhongyu couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling warm inside.
Looks like tonight’s training was out of the question.
But honestly, being able to sleep with Xue’er again didn’t make her feel that it was a loss.
As night deepened, Lin Zhongyu and Mu Jixue held hands. Although the room was pitch black, Lin Zhongyu could feel Mu Jixue tossing and turning.
“Xue’er, can’t sleep?”
“Eh? Aren’t you also awake, Xiao Yu?”
“Yeah… just had some stuff on my mind.”
“Me too… same…”
After that, the room fell silent once again.
After a while, Mu Jixue couldn’t hold it in anymore. She turned to face Lin Zhongyu’s direction and unconsciously clenched her little hand.
Lin Zhongyu felt the tension coming from her side.
Finally, Mu Jixue spoke up, “Xiao Yu, do you trust me?”
The sudden question caught Lin Zhongyu off guard, but when she saw the sparkling purple eyes of Mu Jixue in the dark, she realized that Mu Jixue was dead serious.
Lin Zhongyu pondered for a moment and then let out a soft breath, “Xue’er, of course, I trust you. You’re the only one I trust in this whole wide world.”
And that statement was completely sincere.
After a long while, Mu Jixue continued, “Xiao Yu, I’ve been tangled up over that Yun Zhonghe thing.”
“I know he’s done you a favor, and he helped you a lot today, so I should thank him.”
“But I can’t shake the feeling that he’s not a good person. There’s this dangerous vibe around him.”
“Xiao Yu, do you think I’m being too sensitive?”
After Mu Jixue finished, Lin Zhongyu fell silent for a long time.
Lin Zhongyu hadn’t expected that Mu Jixue would worry about this.
But she could see that Mu Jixue had clearly been troubled by this for a while, and looked quite pained.
Lin Zhongyu comforted her, “No worries! I trust you, Xue’er. Honestly, I just don’t want to owe anyone anything. As long as I can pay back my debts, I’m good. But since you’re saying this, I’ll be a bit more cautious around him.”
“Really?”
Lin Zhongyu smiled and nodded, “Of course, we’re best friends!”
“Xiao Yu, thank you for trusting me!”
Mu Jixue finally felt relieved, nodding vigorously as she broke into a radiant smile. “I feel much better now. Thanks, Xiao Yu. Let’s go to sleep!”
Before long, Mu Jixue was fast asleep, cutely snoring away, clearly having resolved her worries.
Watching how quickly Mu Jixue drifted off, Lin Zhongyu couldn’t help but smile helplessly. She was still so innocent and straightforward.
But Mu Jixue had always had great instincts, so Lin Zhongyu thought that since Mu Jixue was saying this, maybe Yun Zhonghe really did have issues.
In fact, Lin Zhongyu also felt a bit suspicious. It seemed like Yun Zhonghe was overly concerned for her, giving her the impression that he was trying to get closer.
But she just couldn’t figure out why. After all, there was nothing about her that seemed worth pursuing!
In the dead of night, Lin Zhongyu sat up in bed. Quietly, she left the room without waking Mu Jixue, and stealthily made her way out of the Lin Mansion towards Yun Mansion.
To untie the knot, you must find the one who tied it. She decided to confront Yun Zhonghe and get some answers.
…
Meanwhile, Yun Zhonghe was practicing swordplay in his courtyard.
Unlike Lin Zhongyu, the abandoned young lady, Yun Zhonghe had his own spacious estate. Even if he threw a party, he wouldn’t disturb anyone, allowing him to do whatever he pleased.
He was practicing a sword technique named “Nine Swords of Asking Heaven,” a yellow-rank mid-grade technique.
The “Eight Desolate Sword Technique” was still more of a high-grade mystery technique and was quite difficult for a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator to master. Though powerful, it demanded high spiritual energy and was taxing, making it unsuitable as a foundational move.
