LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 98: Conversation
Chapter 98: Conversation
“Mmm…”
It was unclear how long they had been entangled, but it was You Su’s restless hands that finally brought the dazed girl back to her senses.
She gently bit You Su’s tongue, forcibly ending this long-planned yet sudden moment of tenderness.
Ji Lingruo’s face was flushed, her expression both shy and captivating. Breathless from the kiss, she wrapped one arm around herself while grabbing You Su’s wandering hand with the other, looking like a bashful heroine who had just been taken advantage of. She gritted her teeth and said indignantly:
“You shameless scoundrel!!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she fled the room like a startled deer, leaving behind a lingering fragrance that filled the air.
“Junior Sister!”
You Su, knowing he had overstepped, called out to stop her, but his words couldn’t halt the flustered girl’s escape. All that remained in the air was her gentle reminder: “Get some rest.”
Seeing that his efforts to stop her were futile, You Su retracted his right hand, which was still frozen in a grasping motion. The sensation of her softness lingered faintly in his memory.
He felt a pang of guilt, inwardly sighing that he had indeed been too greedy this time. But then again, wasn’t this just human nature?
Ninety-nine percent of men couldn’t control their hands during a passionate kiss. The remaining few who managed to restrain themselves? Well, they probably didn’t have hands.
Besides, I’m blind. It’s only natural for my hands to wander a bit… ahem.
Setting aside the life-or-death dual cultivation they had experienced, this kiss marked a significant step forward in his relationship with Junior Sister. You Su couldn’t help but reminisce with endless delight: Junior Sister truly lived up to being a serpent demon.
Like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, she drew him into a whirlpool of emotions, making it impossible to break free. Thinking about it, there was a certain technique in the human cultivation scrolls that would perfectly complement Ji Lingruo’s unique traits.
At this thought, You Su quickly shook his head. The joy of this moment must not be conflated with the dual cultivation techniques in the scrolls. The most prominent warning in his ancestral cultivation manual was that dual cultivation should never be pursued for mere pleasure or indulgence.
The decline of the Yin-Yang Joyful Union Sect was precisely because everyone in the sect, from the sect leader down to the outer disciples, had fallen into the quagmire of desire without realizing it. This eventually led the once-great sect into madness and corruption, earning it the label of a demonic sect.
You Su closed his eyes to calm his turbulent emotions. He turned his attention inward, examining the changes this ordeal and serendipity had brought to his body.
Counting the time, it had been less than two months since he broke through to the Spirit Platform Realm, and he had already advanced to the mid-stage. Moreover, observing the height and state of his Spirit Platform, there was no trace of instability. An 18-year-old mid-stage Spirit Platform cultivator could undoubtedly be called a prodigy. Advancing from the early stage to the mid-stage in such a short time was nothing short of monstrous, rivaling even the so-called divine children of the Divine Mountain.
Not only was You Su delighted by the changes brought about by the profound energy, but he was also astonished by the increase in his raw physical strength. Although his body ached all over, he could feel an endless vitality surging within every muscle.
You Su tried to synchronize with that rhythm and immediately felt an inexhaustible strength coursing through him. His body seemed to grow taller, and the world before his eyes became crystal clear. Even the finest cracks on the ceiling beams were visible to him.
Feeling the burning sensation in his body and eyes, You Su knew he had entered the same state that had helped him kill Elder Ling that night. Moreover, it seemed he could now enter this state at will.
You Su took out the Evil Repelling Token and secretly channeled energy into it. The icy jade pendant didn’t warm up, indicating that entering this state didn’t generate any demonic energy. He was still human.
You Su inwardly mused that he had become a demonic version of “Venom.” However, he had no ambition to become a hero who eradicated all evil in the world.
Regardless, the increase in strength brought him a sense of security and accomplishment. You Su instinctively straightened his posture and began meditating. The surrounding profound energy flowed like water, and he noticed a significant improvement in both absorption and circulation speed.
Unconsciously, the morning sun had turned into the evening sunset, and the sunset had given way to the morning sun again. You Su was so immersed in this feeling of harmony with the profound energy that he lost track of time.
The profound energy seemed to turn into water, flowing around You Su’s body, and he himself felt like a part of that water.
You Su slowly opened his eyes, a refreshing sensation washing over him as if he had just bathed. His thoughts became exceptionally clear. Even though the world before his eyes remained blurry, the world within his consciousness grew increasingly vivid.
If Ji Lingruo were here, You Su felt that even without opening his eyes, he could use his spiritual sense to perceive her appearance with remarkable clarity.
Just as he was extending his spiritual sense, an elegant and familiar fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
“Mas… Master’s Wife.”
In You Su’s consciousness, a woman sat silently by his bedside, her figure shrouded in a deep mist that made it impossible to discern her cultivation level or physique.
Notably, at the center of the mist was a black spot, like a gap in the otherwise impenetrable fog.
Unlike before, when she had no cultivation, You Su could now sense that Master’s Wife possessed a profound level of cultivation, one far beyond his ability to gauge.
“Hmm.”
The serene woman responded succinctly.
You Su was momentarily at a loss for words, and an awkward silence filled the room.
“You’ve done well.”
He Shutong’s hands rested gracefully on her ample thighs. Her expression was slightly unnatural, as she was clearly unaccustomed to being the one to break the silence.
You Su was taken aback by the rare praise from his usually aloof Master’s Wife:
“Ah?”
He Shutong’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She pursed her lips and added:
“After such a sudden increase in cultivation, you didn’t become complacent. Instead, you focused on stabilizing your foundation. Your temperament is commendable.”
“Thank you for your praise, Master’s Wife.” You Su made to bow, but an invisible force of profound energy stopped his movement.
“In the future, remember that when receiving something you rightfully deserve, there’s no need for excessive formalities.”
He Shutong didn’t know why, but seeing the blind boy act so cautiously and timidly made her heart ache faintly.
You Su was slightly stunned. This was the first time Master’s Wife had taught him something unrelated to swordsmanship. He quickly prepared to bow in thanks, but the same profound energy once again pressed against his chest, preventing him from lowering his body.
He could only nod slightly and respond respectfully:
“You Su will remember.”
After these words, silence returned. Even You Su wasn’t sure how to continue the conversation.
Master’s Wife’s changes were subtle but profound. To You Su, it felt as though this woman had transformed from an untouchable snow lotus into a lotus in a pond, still distant but now within sight.
Seeing You Su’s silent demeanor, He Shutong’s long eyelashes trembled slightly. Her fair fingertips fidgeted nervously, and she mustered the courage to speak again:
“Do you… have any questions you’d like to ask me?”
Hearing this, You Su naturally seized the opportunity. He poured out all the questions that had been weighing on his mind.
“How did Master’s Wife save us? Is everything really peaceful outside? Did those evil spirits flee or were they eradicated? Was City Lord Liu’s body found? Who exactly was he? Has the fog outside dissipated? How severe were the casualties in Chuyun City…”
A torrent of questions spilled out, but You Su soon noticed that Master’s Wife had fallen silent again. He inwardly scolded himself for losing composure and not considering her feelings. Just as he was about to apologize, He Shutong spoke first, her tone returning to its usual coolness:
“You… aren’t curious about who I am?”
You Su was momentarily taken aback but quickly responded with a warm smile:
“Master’s Wife, you jest. You are my Master’s Wife. As for any other identities you may have, that’s not something a disciple should concern himself with.”
He Shutong nodded slightly and, after a moment of silence, continued in her calm voice:
“While you were meditating, your Junior Sister told me about your experiences during this time. Based on that, I’ll share my thoughts on what happened.
The evil spirit with a vortex on its torso is called the Dream-Eating Ghost. The spirit outside the city that continuously spewed fog is named Ming Kun, also known as the Lord of Mist. The Dream-Eating Ghost seemed to be here to compete for the inheritance of an ancient evil god, while the Lord of Mist was the guardian of that inheritance.
The City Lord Liu you mentioned was actually the Sect Leader of the Demon Suppressing Sect, which was destroyed a century ago. He abandoned his evil cultivation and started anew, even disguising himself to infiltrate the Mystic Firmament Sect for forty years. His purpose in becoming the City Lord of Chuyun City was to obtain the evil god’s inheritance hidden here.
Through his meticulous planning, not only did he kill Gu, a Feather Transformation Realm expert, but he also successfully awakened the Lord of Mist and struck a deal with it.
The Lord of Mist’s body contained countless evil spirits, but these spirits could only survive within the fog it produced. Liu Qinnan intended to sacrifice an entire city to gain the power of the evil god.
However, his plans were thwarted by the Dream-Eating Ghost and, indirectly, by you. Whether by accident or intention, you did something truly remarkable.
The evil god’s inheritance was hidden within the Lord of Mist’s body. Once the Dream-Eating Ghost found it, it began to compete with the Lord of Mist for the inheritance.
The place where you and your Junior Sister were taken was also within this inheritance realm. There, you fought with Liu Qinnan, who was also a pawn of the Lord of Mist.
I wanted to find you, but I was delayed by someone else. In the end, both you and the Dream-Eating Ghost emerged victorious.
The Dream-Eating Ghost has already fled with the inheritance. With the deaths of the Lord of Mist and Liu Qinnan, the city’s residents are no longer in danger, though there were still many casualties.
Reinforcements from neighboring cities have arrived, and everything in Chuyun City has settled.
Fortunately, neither you nor your Junior Sister were corrupted by the evil spirits.”
You Su was amazed that Master’s Wife had spoken so much at once—almost more than all the words she had spoken to him in the past eight years combined.
Seeing You Su’s stunned silence, He Shutong assumed he was hesitant to ask more due to her status. She added:
“Do you have any other questions?”
You Su still had many unanswered questions, but he knew that asking too much could lead to mistakes. Master’s Wife’s account, based on what Junior Sister had told her, was clearly edited. For example, the most crucial detail about Tai Sui was missing. This indicated that even Master’s Wife didn’t know what treasure the Dream-Eating Ghost had stolen from the altar.
“No, that’s all,” You Su shook his head.
He Shutong nodded slightly. She was aware that there were still some inconsistencies in her explanation, but she didn’t want to harshly interrogate these two children who had just survived a life-threatening ordeal.
Just as they might have hidden things from her, she too kept her greatest concern buried deep within her heart—the mysterious disfigured man.
Recalling the disfigured man’s actions, He Shutong felt as though everything had been under his control. Even Liu Qinnan, who had plotted for a century, had become his pawn. This suggested that the events in Chuyun City had been part of his plans for even longer than Liu Qinnan’s…
After a moment of thought, He Shutong reached into a pouch at her waist and pulled out a dazzling array of treasures.
Although You Su couldn’t see them clearly, the heavy aura of treasure that filled the air left him astonished. Master’s Wife’s actions clearly indicated that she also possessed a high-quality storage artifact.
While she had spoken so casually earlier, it wasn’t that he wasn’t curious about Master’s Wife’s true identity. Rather, he was afraid of the answer. He feared that the answer might be too shocking, making it impossible for him to continue seeing her as just his Master’s Wife. So, he chose to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich, unwilling to actively seek the answer. Whoever she was, she was simply his Master’s Wife.
This wasn’t self-deception on You Su’s part. After his master left, Master’s Wife had naturally become his emotional anchor. Unconsciously, he had already come to see her as someone important to him. Although Master’s Wife had rarely responded to his gestures of goodwill in the past, these two conversations clearly showed her concern for him. Now that Junior Sister was destined to be temporarily separated from him, You Su only hoped that he wouldn’t lose any more important people.
“Master’s Wife, what does this mean?” You Su asked, though he already knew the answer.
“These are all things you deserve. The Dimensional Bag you took from that evil cultivator should be able to hold them,” He Shutong pushed the treasures forward, her tone leaving no room for refusal.
You Su was about to decline when he noticed a sudden change in He Shutong’s demeanor. She became as sharp as a sword, her aura intimidating. You Su immediately fell silent, afraid of saying the wrong thing. However, He Shutong’s sudden hostility wasn’t directed at him. She softly said to You Su:
“Continue resting. Don’t wander off. I’ll be back soon.”
You Su didn’t know what was happening but could only nod in response.
High in the sky, the wind howled. An old woman and a goddess in a white dress stood facing each other.
“I’m here to take my second young mistress home, not to cause trouble. Lotus Sword Venerable, are you going to stop me without even understanding the document issued by the Eternal Height Divine Mountain?”
The old woman appeared calm, but inwardly, she was nervous. She had thought that with the document in hand, she would have free passage through the Central Realm Continent. She hadn’t expected that even while coming to fetch her young mistress and clean up some trash, she would encounter a Venerable blocking her path. Seeing that the goddess opposite her remained silent, the old woman narrowed her eyes and added:
“Or does the Venerable look down on my Demon Clan and insist on bullying us today?!”
“You can take her, but you cannot touch that boy,” He Shutong spoke indifferently, her tone filled with danger.
“Oh?” The old woman’s mind raced. This weak human boy, who had deceived her young mistress, was actually under the protection of the renowned Lotus Sword Venerable. This forced her to reconsider the boy’s identity.
“May I ask who he is to the Venerable?”
After a moment of thought, He Shutong replied, “He is my disciple.”
The old woman was shocked. Although she was from the Demon Clan, she was well-informed about human affairs. She clearly remembered that Lotus Sword Venerable had only one disciple: the current top genius of the younger generation in the Mystic Firmament Sect, Heavenly Maiden Wangshu. When had she secretly taken on a male disciple?
Her heart trembled. Lotus Sword Venerable had no reason to lie to her. If this was true, what kind of figure would this boy become in the future?
Even she, who harbored deep hatred for humans, couldn’t help but waver.
If it were her first young mistress who had ensnared such a human prodigy, that would be believable. But her naive second young mistress? How could that be possible?