Chapter 37: Qi Qiao (Part 2) Part 4

Or could it be that because yesterday there was even deeper contact, the injury was suppressed for an exceptionally long time?

The chaotic, scorching scene beneath the pond water surfaced in her mind again. Unstoppable, bizarre and dazzling. But the red lips were still warm and vivid. Just at that moment, the wanton words from outside drifted in.

At night, these sounds were even more unrestrained than during the day. Yun Jinxue’s head swelled. The temperature of her cheeks rose bit by bit, until her whole face was red.

Now she truly couldn’t fall asleep at all.

She sat up, sighed, and opened the window. A solitary moon hid among the clouds, casting down cold, clear light.

Since she had no sleepiness, she might as well go up to the roof eaves and look at the moon. It’d also let her escape these sounds.

She did it as soon as she thought of it. She flipped out the window and lightly leaped onto the eaves. But she never expected to run into another person here.

Jiang Yanyu’s face was bathed in the cold light. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Her red lips were just as enticing as in her memories.

She smiled. “Senior Sister can’t sleep either?”

Yun Jinxue slowly walked over. “Yes.”

Jiang Yanyu patted the spot next to her. “Come sit.”

Yun Jinxue sat down, shoulder to shoulder with her. She felt it was perhaps too close and was just about to scoot away a little, but an arm wrapped around her waist.

Jiang Yanyu said, “It’s cold at night. Let’s just stay like this.”

Yun Jinxue said nothing, just gave an “mm.”

Both tilted their heads to look at the moon, listening to the muffled laughter and voices from the roof tiles beneath them.

Yun Jinxue inexplicably recalled words she had once said to her.

“I was standing before the well when I saw a moon inside. The light rippled, so beautiful.”

When the little villain, in the depths of despair, had wanted to throw herself into the well—only then had she seen that clear light, falling deeply into obsession from then on.

Was that why she liked the moon so much?

Yun Jinxue turned her head, looking at the person beside her, when suddenly her hand was caught.

Jiang Yanyu said, “We have nothing to do anyway. Senior Sister, how about taking me through some Lightness Skill practice?”

It was truly a strange, inexplicable suggestion. But Yun Jinxue said, “Alright.”

Holding hands, though both had long possessed extraordinary skills, now they were as if just learning martial arts. Bathed in moonlight, they rose and fell, leaping between the rooftops.

A cool breeze blew past, whipping up strands of hair and robes. It was quite free and stylish.

Before their eyes was the prosperous Bright Terrace City, brilliantly lit. People came and went.

Amidst that endless stream of laughter and cheer, it seemed all troubles could be cast behind one’s head, no longer heeded.

Clearly, they were not drunk. Yet their eyes burned and their hearts simmered. Even the wind couldn’t disperse it.

They flew quite far like this. Both had broken a slight sweat, yet neither let go. Exchanging a glance, they both chuckled lightly.

The two head disciples of the Number One Immortal Sect, instead of sleeping properly in the middle of the night, were out here parkouring. If word got out, people would laugh until their teeth fell out!

To avoid such a scandal that damaged the sect’s reputation, the two jumped down into a small alley.

There weren’t many people here. However, there was a drunkard up ahead, his face flushed beet-red, staggering and stumbling.

Hearing a sound, he turned his head blankly, but behind him was completely empty.

“What the heck…” He slurred a mumble, then pitched headfirst into a haystack and started snoring loudly.

Behind a stall on the side, the two were crouching. Jiang Yanyu looked up and checked. “He fell asleep.”

Yun Jinxue said, “Will he get sick, sleeping outside like that?”

Jiang Yanyu said, “He’ll be fine. He’s sleeping in the hay. It’s very warm.”

Yun Jinxue chuckled softly. “Is alcohol really that good? He won’t even go home, has to drink himself into this state.”

Spotting a wine cellar right behind them, Jiang Yanyu said, “Does Senior Sister want to drink a little?”

Yun Jinxue was startled. “Me… I better not. We have a mission tomorrow.”

Jiang Yanyu gently pulled her up. “It’s fine, just a little. We won’t get drunk.”

Twisting off the lock on the door, she led her into the wine cellar. Jiang Yanyu went around opening barrels one by one to smell them. Finally, she chose one, and then searched out two cups, filling both to the brim.

Yun Jinxue examined the broken lock and left some silver pieces behind the door. Helplessly, she said, “If you wanted to drink, we could have just gone to a tavern. Why do we have to steal someone’s wine?”

This was truly a dress rehearsal for the act of stealing now.

Jiang Yanyu brought the cups over. “Right now, I don’t want to see any other person.”

The two sat down on the ground. Both had postures like immortals and an air of transcendence. Sitting here in the somewhat dilapidated wine cellar, they didn’t match at all, yet it felt inexplicably harmonious.

Handing her the wine, Jiang Yanyu said, “Cheers.”

Yun Jinxue pursed her lips in a smile and said softly, “Cheers.”

And just like that, sip after sip, cup after cup. After an unknown amount of time, the room was filled with the fragrance of wine, even their robes stained somewhat.

Yun Jinxue’s cheeks were slightly flushed. She crooked a finger to rub her temple and placed the empty cup aside. “I’m not drinking anymore, Windy. I’m about to get drunk.”

This voice was as gentle as water waves. Her eyes also held a sparkling, watery sheen.

The jade-like Immortal Lord sat right before her, within reach of an outstretched hand.

Jiang Yanyu gazed at her quietly. Within her eyes, a raging fire gradually kindled again.

She drained her cup in one gulp and said, “Senior Sister should know, right? A drunk person doing something reckless is nothing strange.”

Yun Jinxue tilted her head, leaning against a wine barrel. She looked over and softly gave an “mm.”

Jiang Yanyu’s throat moved. She murmured softly, “So, I also want to be reckless one more time.”

Right there in that tiny wine cellar, she kissed the moonlight once more.

.

By the time she brought Senior Sister back, the woman was already so sleepy she couldn’t open her eyes.

Laying her on the bed, Jiang Yanyu pulled over the blanket and covered her, tucking in all the edges and corners. Then she sat down on the bedside.

Senior Sister seemed unable to hold much alcohol. But when drunk, she didn’t cause a ruckus, just quietly let herself be bullied.

Jiang Yanyu couldn’t stand her being like that. She had pressed her against the wine barrel, biting and kissing her. Breath mingled, restlessness stirred on all sides.

She didn’t know how long this dizzying, disorienting state lasted. She simply couldn’t hold back and left a mark on those lips. It seemed she had hurt her, because she finally started pushing weakly, though without much strength.

When their lips parted, it took Jiang Yanyu a long while to calm down. Her breathing finally steadied gradually. And the person beneath her was already so exhausted she was nearly asleep.

She had probably never drunk that much alcohol before.

Jiang Yanyu raised a hand and gently brushed it over those lips. They had truly been kissed for too long; they were somewhat red and swollen.

Knowing full well she should let her rest well now, Jiang Yanyu still couldn’t resist leaning down, wanting to kiss her again. But afraid she would hurt, she stopped just in front of her face.

Her fingers tightly gripped the bedsheets. She suppressed the surging tide of emotion bit by bit. In the end, it was only a brief, gentle peck on those lips.

After leaving the room, Jiang Yanyu went to a certain alley outside Warm Mandarin Duck Curtains. A person dressed in dark red robes stood in the shadows and called out, “Hall Master.”

Jiang Yanyu nodded, casually pulled a chair over to sit down. From here, she could see the room’s window.

She knew the woman who made her heart restless this night, and no doubt countless nights to come, was sleeping right there.

The disciple said, “One spy has already been ferreted out. The person is right here.”

Several other disciples emerged from the shadows, escorting a young man in red robes. At this moment, he was drenched in sweat, trembling violently, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing frantically.

“I was wrong, I was wrong, Hall Master. I’m sorry, spare me.”

Jiang Yanyu still gazed upwards. “Everyone says our Mad Red Hall is going to reform and become a Hall of Good People. Why don’t those Righteous Path cultivators believe it?”

One disciple drew a long saber. The gleaming silver pressed against the spy’s neck. “Deal with him now?”

Jiang Yanyu saw this and covered Heartfire Glow at her waist. “Go kill him over there. Don’t splash blood on my saber.”

The disciple said, “Hall Master, a blade is meant to be stained with blood. Such is fate.”

A string of dried chili peppers hung on the pavilion nearby. Jiang Yanyu casually pulled it down, plucked one, and hurled it at the disciple’s forehead. “What do you know about fate?”

The spy’s legs quaked. He cried out miserably, “I’m sorry, wuwuwu, I really was wrong! Spare me, Hall Master!”

Jiang Yanyu plucked another dried chili pepper and threw it at his brow. “Keep your voice down. Don’t disturb my Senior Sister’s sleep.”

The spy abruptly silenced himself, his whole body shaking like a sieve.

One disciple said, “So the woman the Hall Master was holding earlier was the Immortal Lord Dao Rhythm.”

Jiang Yanyu smiled. “Right? Isn’t she pretty.”

The disciple said, “Pretty. Extremely pretty. Who wouldn’t like someone like that?”

Jiang Yanyu threw a chili pepper over. “I allow you to admire, didn’t allow you to over-admire.”

The disciple ducked away, covering his head. Jiang Yanyu sighed and said to the spy, “How about this. I’m in a good mood today. As long as you can do one thing for me, I can let you go.”

The disciple spoke up again. “Hall Master, this person caused the death of one of our brothers. We can’t let him off.”

Another pepper was tossed over. “So much nonsense. Shut up.”

It took the spy a long while to react. He abruptly widened his eyes, tears streaming down. Just as he was about to loudly thank her, he remembered something and only cried out softly, “Thank you, thank you Hall Master! I am willing to go through fire and water again for the Hall Master, to be your ox and horse!”

Jiang Yanyu pointed at the sky. “No need. You just need to help me pluck the moon down.”

The spy was stunned. “Pluck… pluck the moon?”

Jiang Yanyu said, “Yes. Can you do it?”

A blank look flashed across the spy’s face for an instant, then he erupted in fury. “You’re toying with me, aren’t you? Zhuoyue, you’re mocking me, aren’t you! How could I possibly pluck it down?!”

This voice truly hurt the ears. Jiang Yanyu waved her hand. One disciple instantly stepped forward to gag the spy’s mouth. Another reversed a dagger in his grip and neatly slit his throat.

The gurgling sound of flowing blood sounded in the quiet night. Jiang Yanyu leaned back against the pavilion pillar, looking up at that window. She knew she shouldn’t be soft-hearted, but she admitted she was hopelessly addicted and sinking deep, falling to pieces amidst these unfamiliar desires.

“Of course you can’t pluck it down,” she whispered. “Because the moon is right here with me.”