Chapter 14: “Relax, Don’t Resist Me”

On the way back to Moon-Gazing Peak, Bai Xiaoxiao wore a grave expression, her brow unconsciously furrowed—one look made it clear she had something weighing on her mind.

Even once she saw the person she was looking for, Bai Xiaoxiao still didn’t know how to broach the subject. What’s more, Shen Zhiyue was in the middle of cultivating, and Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t dare disturb her rashly. She could only occasionally cast hesitant, wanting-to-speak-but-holding-back glances at the other.

On the Profound Ice Bed, Shen Zhiyue’s long lashes trembled. In the end, she opened her eyes and withdrew from her cultivation state, looking at Bai Xiaoxiao with a rather speechless expression.

Seeing her open her eyes, Bai Xiaoxiao asked happily, “Your Eminence? Are you done cultivating?”

Shen Zhiyue gave her a long, deep look. “…If you have something to say, just say it.”

Bai Xiaoxiao paused, finally realizing her gaze had been too disturbing. She hung her head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I disturbed Your Eminence’s cultivation.”

Shen Zhiyue looked at her with a faint, airy gaze, as if saying: So you do know it was a disturbance.

Bai Xiaoxiao rubbed the tip of her nose, moved closer, and smiled ingratiatingly. “Your Eminence, I… I wanted to tell you something. I want to go down the mountain to train…”

Shen Zhiyue’s gaze stilled. “Down the mountain? Train where?”

Bai Xiaoxiao quickly said, “It’s a secret realm called the Flowing Light Spirit Cave.”

Shen Zhiyue’s expression was indifferent. “Where did you hear about this secret realm?”

Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t hide anything and explained the whole story in detail.

Finally, she looked at Shen Zhiyue with expectant eyes. “And I’m not planning to go alone. I’ll be teaming up with Fellow Daoist Ming, and Sect Master Yan’s little disciple is coming too. I’ve made some progress recently—if I go down the mountain to train, I’m sure I’ll improve even faster.”

Shen Zhiyue didn’t speak, seemingly lost in thought.

Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t press her, just watched with eager eyes, the longing in them almost overflowing.

Shen Zhiyue raised her eyes lightly. Looking at the little snake brimming with expectation, her heart inexplicably softened, and the words of refusal that had reached her lips were all swallowed back down.

She let her gaze fall upon the woman obediently crouched before her. The girl’s face was growing ever more radiant, peerlessly beautiful, and her every gesture had undergone no small change.

Three months had passed since the trip to Void Ruins Valley. This little snake had grown bolder and bolder. At first she’d been so afraid of Shen Zhiyue; now she dared to complain to her, act spoiled with her, make friends, and even want to go down the mountain training with them.

As these thoughts ran through her, a faint discomfort stirred deep in Shen Zhiyue’s heart, and her mood turned inexplicably strange. But before she could analyze it carefully, that thread of inexplicable emotion passed like a falling star—gone in an instant.

This change felt strange to her, even as it bred a hint of wariness. Shen Zhiyue didn’t dig deeper, simply attributing it to displeasure over the little snake’s transformation escaping her control.

Although this snake’s identity was abnormal, she had been fairly well-behaved all along. By Shen Zhiyue’s side, she was carefree and without a care. Sometimes Shen Zhiyue even wondered if the little snake’s acting was simply too good.

But after all this time together, she could see clearly: this snake was genuinely simple inside and out, her acting laughably bad—she couldn’t even hide her emotions.

The Mirage Serpent race had endured a catastrophe that nearly wiped them out, yet the descendant they’d raised was still this foolish.

A hundred thoughts turned in her mind, but in the end, Shen Zhiyue relented. “Fine.”

Bai Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up. “Your Eminence, you’re the best!”

Shen Zhiyue cast her a sidelong glance. “So if I didn’t let you go, I wouldn’t be the best?”

Bai Xiaoxiao froze, then hurriedly shook her head in explanation. “Of course not! Whether Your Eminence lets me go or not, you’re always the best!”

A light scoff seemed to sound from Shen Zhiyue’s throat. Bai Xiaoxiao was dazed for a moment, thinking it was her own imagination.

“Come up.”

Bai Xiaoxiao did as she was told. When she touched the bone-piercing Profound Ice Bed, she couldn’t help but shiver.

This room was where Shen Zhiyue cultivated. Inside, there was only an enormous Profound Ice Bed, and every time Bai Xiaoxiao came, she got frozen half to death.

It wasn’t until she learned to use her spiritual power that the situation improved.

Unfortunately, her cultivation was too shallow. She could only stay for a very short time; any longer, and she’d be frozen into an ice sculpture.

At first, when she accompanied Shen Zhiyue in cultivation, she gritted her teeth and endured. Later, after Shen Zhiyue noticed, a Spiritual Power Barrier was placed on her. But directly touching the Profound Ice Bed still sent a bone-piercing chill through her.

Before she could wonder why Shen Zhiyue had called her up, Bai Xiaoxiao felt her face being cupped. Before her eyes, Shen Zhiyue’s features were gradually growing larger.

The woman came closer and closer. Bai Xiaoxiao’s heartbeat skipped a beat. She instinctively closed her eyes—only to feel a gentle press against her forehead.

“Relax. Don’t resist me.”

Shen Zhiyue’s voice sounded, but Bai Xiaoxiao was still completely out of it. Then her consciousness sank, and she found herself inexplicably looking inward at her dantian.

Yet this seemed somehow different.

“This is your Sea of Consciousness, not your dantian.”

Bai Xiaoxiao: “!”

“Your Eminence?”

Why did the voice seem to ring directly inside her head?!

“Mm. I will leave a wisp of my Soul Fragment in your Sea of Consciousness. If the Gu Poison flares up… you can directly engage in Divine Soul Dual Cultivation with it; it will have the same effect. In addition, if you encounter danger, the Soul Fragment will protect you from harm.”

Bai Xiaoxiao was completely stunned. Then she watched a pale cyan ball of light suddenly appear in her Sea of Consciousness. The light gradually transformed, and soon it took on Shen Zhiyue’s form.

Bai Xiaoxiao: “!”

So tiny! Adorable!

She instinctively circled around the miniature Soul Fragment Shen Zhiyue, both surprised and delighted. Curiosity getting the better of her, she even reached out and poked the little figure’s cheek.

Then Bai Xiaoxiao was astonished to discover that a blush was slowly spreading across the miniature Soul Fragment Shen Zhiyue’s face.

For a modern person, this was far too novel. Bai Xiaoxiao took the little hand and stroked it, then stroked the tiny arm, then pinched the soft, slender waist—until finally, the small figure who’d reached her limit grabbed the mischievous hand in one swift motion.

“Behave.”

Bai Xiaoxiao was startled. She felt that this tone didn’t seem as cold as usual.

Instead, she held the little hand back and leaned close to the small figure’s face. Sure enough, the miniature Shen Zhiyue’s eyes were glistening, her face like a peach blossom—utterly lacking in intimidation.

Bai Xiaoxiao’s eyes curved. “Has Your Eminence—felt good?”

Miniature Shen Zhiyue said nothing and simply sat down cross-legged on her own.

Bai Xiaoxiao wanted to crowd closer again, but the next second her vision blurred. When she opened her eyes once more, she found Shen Zhiyue staring at her expressionlessly.

“Did you have fun just now?”

Bai Xiaoxiao immediately knelt upright like a quail, shaking her head pathetically. “I’m sorry, Your Eminence. I was wrong. I just… I just had never seen anything so cute… Oh, no—I mean, I’ve never seen the world. I didn’t mean any offense.”

Shen Zhiyue smiled a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Is that so.”

This little snake’s courage was growing day by day—she even dared to toy with her Soul Fragment.

Bai Xiaoxiao hung her head, offered no more excuses, and honestly waited for the scolding.

But in truth, Shen Zhiyue wasn’t very good at scolding people. And Bai Xiaoxiao also thought she herself was a bit odd.

At first, whenever Shen Zhiyue’s tone turned even slightly cold, she would be afraid. Later, she gradually learned to distinguish whether the other was genuinely angry or merely displeased.

By now, she’d discovered that when Shen Zhiyue scolded, even with a cold face and an overwhelming sense of pressure, there was a strange magnetism to it. Just one look, and she couldn’t think of anything at all.

The room was silent for a long moment. Bai Xiaoxiao didn’t wait for Shen Zhiyue’s scolding; instead, she heard the sound of the other getting up.

Bai Xiaoxiao carefully lifted her head. “Your Eminence… aren’t you going to scold me?”

Shen Zhiyue paused. “What? You seem to be looking forward to being scolded.”

Bai Xiaoxiao choked, flailing her hands in a panic. “No, no! I’m just afraid you’ll be angry. Anger harms the body—better to let it all out.”

The corners of Shen Zhiyue’s lips curved up, then quickly leveled. “I’m not angry. Get up now. Do you want to be frozen into an ice sculpture?”

Hearing that, Bai Xiaoxiao scrambled aside in a fluster.

The power of the Profound Ice Bed was far too great. In just that short moment, Bai Xiaoxiao felt the blood flowing through her body slow to a crawl.

If she stayed any longer, she probably really would freeze into an ice sculpture.

Off the Profound Ice Bed, Bai Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief and followed closely behind Shen Zhiyue.

“When do you leave?”

Bai Xiaoxiao blinked. “I’ll ask Fellow Daoist Ming. She hasn’t said when we’re setting out yet.”

Shen Zhiyue seemed to sigh. Lowering her eyes, she said, “The Flowing Light Spirit Cave Secret Realm fully opens in three days, on a mountain in a remote small town. The journey is long. If you’re set on going, you’ll need to depart tomorrow.”

Bai Xiaoxiao was first shocked that Shen Zhiyue had spoken such a long sentence; only then did she realize the other was telling her the specifics.

She was a little surprised. “Your Eminence, you know all the details so clearly!”

Shen Zhiyue glanced at her and said evenly, “When a secret realm opens, it leaks spiritual qi. The Sword Sect received word long ago.”

Bai Xiaoxiao nodded dazedly. She’d actually thought the Sword Sect would organize disciples to enter the secret realm.

“Flowing Light Spirit Cave is only a small secret realm. It opens once every fifty years, so there’s not much need for training there. But it’s just right for newcomers like you.”

Bai Xiaoxiao understood—she was saying they’d never seen the world.

There was no refuting that. She truly hadn’t seen the world. So she lowered her head and smiled bashfully.

The corners of Shen Zhiyue’s lips lifted slightly as she stepped into the bedchamber.

Bai Xiaoxiao quickly followed her in.

The night was long and cold; only inside the small tower was it warm as spring.

The next day, Bai Xiaoxiao first confirmed with Ming Jingqiu that they would go together. Then, at Shen Zhiyue’s reminder, she requested leave from the elder at Knowledge-Seeking Peak.

In the end, the training trio gathered at the Deacon Pavilion. Ming Jingqiu, subscribing to the idea of “since we’re going anyway,” planned to take on a few quests and complete them along the way—that way, she could also earn some points.

Bai Xiaoxiao listened, stunned. It was only now that she discovered the Sword Sect had even established a Deacon Pavilion. Disciples could take on requests to temper themselves, and the points they earned could be exchanged for pills, spirit artifacts, and other necessities. At the same time, they could solve problems that surrounding cities couldn’t handle—truly killing three birds with one stone.

Although the Sword Sect wasn’t poor and even gave its disciples monthly allowances, cultivation was inherently money-burning. Disciples who weren’t well-off especially loved doing quests, as it could ease their burden considerably.

Ming Jingqiu was clearly a regular at the Deacon Pavilion. With practiced ease, she brought the two curious little ones to the Foundation Establishment quest board and let them pick out requests that suited their tastes.

There were so many quests that Bai Xiaoxiao was spoiled for choice. In the end, she took a few that involved finding spirit plants.

But just as she was about to accept them, she froze.

She… didn’t have a Disciple Token.