Chapter 282: Patterns Reappear, A Chance Encounter
Lin Tianlu focused his gaze on Cheng Qingyu, almost imperceptibly.
Although he didn’t sense any fluctuations of Yin energy within her, he vaguely felt that her aura had changed somewhat.
The situation… was a bit strange.
His thoughts stirring, he quickly spoke: “Qingyu, have you been feeling unwell lately?”
“Eh?”
Cheng Qingyu raised her head slightly, a look of confusion and timidity on her young face: “I-I don’t feel unwell.”
“That’s good. If you feel anything strange, be sure to tell your sister as soon as possible, don’t keep it to yourself.” Lin Tianlu patiently advised with concern: “If there’s any lingering illness, it might be very troublesome to treat in the future.”
“I’ll keep Brother-in-law’s words in mind.”
Cheng Qingyu clasped her hands together shyly, lowering her head and murmuring: “And thank you… for caring about us, Brother-in-law.”
“Since we’re family now, I naturally have to care about your health.”
Lin Tianlu smiled and patted her thin shoulder again.
Cheng Yuqing, standing beside them, was puzzled. After hesitating for a moment, she asked with a confused expression: “Brother-in-law, what happened to Qingyu before? Why should she be more careful…”
“Little Sister Qingyu had a minor illness a while ago. Yishi didn’t want to cause too much commotion at home, so she personally took care of her until she recovered.”
Lin Tianlu smiled gently and said calmly: “Don’t worry, Qingyu is completely fine now.”
Cheng Yuqing was slightly stunned.
Only then did she recall the slightly strange atmosphere at home during that time, and that her younger sister, Qingyu, had indeed been missing for a while.
Now that she thought about it, was it during that time that Eldest Sister Yishi had been busy taking care of her in secret?
“I-It was Brother-in-law who saved my life.”
Cheng Qingyu whispered softly: “If it weren’t for Brother-in-law’s help, I might have already died.”
“Ah… Thank you, Brother-in-law!”
Cheng Yuqing bowed repeatedly to express her gratitude: “I didn’t know anything about this incident, please forgive me, Brother-in-law. If I had known, I—”
“Since we’re family, there’s no need for such formalities.” Lin Tianlu gently helped her up and said kindly: “It’s all in the past, it’s good that everyone is safe and sound now.”
“Brother-in-law…”
“Alright, there’s no need to dwell on the past.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “Seeing how busy the mansion is, Ruoyu and I won’t disturb you any longer. If you see Yishi later, tell her to relax and rest, don’t overwork herself.”
“Mm!”
The two sisters nodded in unison, equally obedient and well-behaved.
Lin Tianlu cupped his hands: “Then we’ll be going back, the Lin Mansion always welcomes you to visit.”
“Take care, Brother-in-law!”
…
As she watched Lin Tianlu and Mao Ruoyu walk away hand in hand, a joyful smile appeared on Cheng Yuqing’s lips, but she quickly blushed and touched her cheeks.
“Qingyu, did I just make a strange expression?”
“No.”
“That’s good… But, Qingyu, you really were ill a while ago, it worried me for a while.”
Cheng Yuqing looked at her with concern and placed a hand on her shoulder: “Are you feeling unwell now? Do you want me to take you back to your room to rest?”
“I’m fine, Sister Yuqing.”
She smiled faintly, her eyes shifting slightly: “But you should go out with Sister Xiudan, I want to accompany Sister Yishi today. She’s been very busy lately, I’ll tell her that Brother-in-law just came by.”
“Alright… With Eldest Sister taking care of you, I can be at ease.”
After a brief conversation, the two separated, and the pretty maid had already gone back to help supervise the transport of goods.
Only Cheng Qingyu was left standing alone in the courtyard, looking back at the study in the distance.
Silently, a strange smile appeared on her lips, and she started walking.
“…”
Gently pushing open the half-closed door, Cheng Qingyu quickly entered the room and immediately saw Cheng Yishi, who was poring over the account books.
“Hmm?”
The sound of footsteps naturally attracted Cheng Yishi’s attention. She looked up and smiled faintly: “Qingyu, why didn’t you go out with Yuqing?”
“I’m a bit tired, so I stayed at home.”
Cheng Qingyu walked over slowly with a docile expression: “And Brother-in-law just came to the door with Madam Mao, but they left after hearing that Eldest Sister was busy with work.”
“Just passing by… It seems Martial Aunt and the others have already left Changling.” Cheng Yishi nodded thoughtfully.
“Eldest Sister, you’re so tired, let Qingyu give you a massage. Brother-in-law also said that we should take good care of you.”
“That’s thoughtful of you.”
Cheng Yishi smiled slightly, looking at her pitiful expression, and nodded: “If you really want to help, then massage my shoulders.”
“O-Okay. I’ll make you feel comfortable, Eldest Sister.”
Cheng Qingyu walked behind her with small steps.
Then, a slightly mischievous and sinister smile appeared on her lips as she gently placed her fingers on Cheng Yishi’s shoulders.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Cheng Yishi felt a strange sensation on her shoulders, and her hand, which was reaching for a brush, froze abruptly.
Surprised, she looked sideways and saw strange patterns appearing on Qingyu’s fingers, spreading from her fingertips to her shoulders.
“Qingyu, you—”
“Don’t move, Eldest Sister.”
Cheng Qingyu whispered in her ear, a sinister chuckle escaping her lips: “Seeing Brother-in-law and Eldest Sister being so respectful and loving towards each other makes Qingyu a little jealous.”
“Wh-What do you mean…”
“I just want to make Eldest Sister ‘comfortable’.”
She narrowed her sinister eyes, a faint demonic pattern seemingly appearing between her eyebrows. A strange energy flowed from her palms and seeped into Cheng Yishi’s shoulders.
However, Cheng Qingyu’s actions suddenly stopped.
She blinked her eyes blankly and let out a soft exclamation, turning her head to the side in surprise.
“—You’re not being very honest now, are you, girl?”
Lin Tianlu was holding her slender wrist, grinning: “Why don’t you tell Brother-in-law what kind of mischief you’re up to?”
Cheng Qingyu’s expression froze, replaced by a timid and uneasy look, her hands instinctively releasing Cheng Yishi’s shoulders.
…
Meanwhile, on the forest path of the solitary mountain outside the county.
Wu Jingyun looked intently at the mysterious woman who had appeared not far away.
The woman was wearing a plain white, low-cut dress, slightly open at the waist, embroidered with beautiful floral patterns, and a velvet shawl draped over her arms. Black silk threads, contrasting with the pure white, tightly outlined her long legs, her heels arched, accentuating her feminine grace and charm.
But what was most striking was her beautiful hair, shimmering with a faint watery luster, styled in an updo with jade hairpins and ribbons. She gently waved a landscape folding fan in her hand and smiled charmingly: “Looking closely, you two are truly stunning beauties, it truly surprises me.”
“Who are you?”
Wu Jingyun frowned, her dignified face full of authority: “And what do you want with us?”
As she spoke, she also became wary.
Although this woman before her seemed gentle and refined, her demeanor charming and seductive, upon closer inspection, her aura was… completely different from ordinary people.
Profound and unfathomable, her attempts to sense and probe her were like a mud ox entering the sea, gradually dissipating and dissolving, making it difficult to discern her true background. If she didn’t possess some kind of unique treasure for protection, then her cultivation must be truly extraordinary!
“It’s just a whim, after all, it would be a pity not to see such beauties like you in person.”
The blue-haired woman closed her folding fan and smiled seductively: “As for my name… you can call me Youluo.”
“Youluo?”
Wu Jingyun and First Elder exchanged glances, both puzzled.
In this era, when was there a demon or ghost woman named Youluo with such a high cultivation level?
“Don’t worry too much, I might be older than you two.”
Youluo crossed her arms, gently tapping her chin with the fan’s ribs, a mischievous smile on her face: “If you’re free, why not come with me? Perhaps we’ll have a lot to talk about~”
“I’m sorry, but we have other matters to attend to, we can’t stay long.”
Wu Jingyun refused politely: “Farewell.”
Saying this, she turned to leave.
Seeing them about to leave, Youluo raised an eyebrow, chuckling softly with interest: “Since you refuse, it seems I have to stop you and make you stay willingly.”
She suddenly snapped her fingers.
Instantly, a thick black fog enveloped the area within a hundred feet, silver threads intertwining and flickering, as if forming a boundless starry sky.
“Wha—”
Wu Jingyun and First Elder were stunned.
As they turned to react, they were shocked to find that their bodies were frozen in place, as if an incredibly profound pressure was enveloping them, making them unable to move.
Their eyes narrowed as an endless stream of light rapidly surged before them, flowing into their eyes, as if a terrifying and overwhelming Yin energy was engulfing their souls!
This was… an external manifestation of the Soul Origin Heart Realm!
Wu Jingyun and First Elder’s hearts trembled, their consciousness quickly fading, as if being gradually devoured and crushed by the stream of light.
This woman’s cultivation was truly extraordinary, she could actually reverse and manipulate the power of heaven and earth!
If they didn’t resist…
“…”
After a moment, the boundless starry sky became quiet and serene.
Only the flickering starlight and the two stunning beauties, standing there as if they had lost their souls, remained.
Tap, tap, tap
Crisp footsteps echoed clearly through the starry sky.
Youluo walked gracefully through the starry sky, her dress swaying, revealing the alluring curves of her legs, as if a slight tug on her waistband would reveal a captivating sight.
“Your cultivation is truly unparalleled in this world. If it were ordinary Savage Realm demons and ghosts, they would have completely lost their souls the moment they saw this technique. I didn’t expect you two to be able to resist for so long, your willpower is truly remarkable.”
She walked gracefully to First Elder, put her hands on her hips, and chuckled: “But no matter how strong your willpower is, your souls are still captured now, leaving only these bodies for me to play with, your faces blank and foolish.”
As she teased, Youluo reached out and gently stroked First Elder’s fair face, tapping her nose: “Your skin is so smooth and delicate, like a lotus flower emerging from the water. With proper training, you would be an excellent plaything. And the look in your eyes is so proud and haughty, your personality seemingly unyielding and strong-willed. It would be quite interesting to make you kneel and beg for mercy.”
She smiled and kneaded First Elder’s breasts. Seeing that she was still frozen in place with blank eyes, she walked towards Wu Jingyun with a seductive smile.
“As for you, you have such stern phoenix eyes, but your figure is so curvaceous and alluring. I wonder how many men have been drained of their Yang energy and died under your beautiful skirt? There must be quite a few lustful ghosts beneath your plump hips and thighs, right?”
Her slender fingers traced lightly and playfully between her hips and thighs.
Looking at Wu Jingyun’s dazed and beautiful face, Youluo narrowed her eyes and whispered with a smile: “Let me see what interesting things are in your minds. How many people have you cruelly killed, and how much Yang energy have you absorbed to achieve such an extraordinary cultivation level?”
Her five fingers brushed past Wu Jingyun’s eyes like phantoms, and she murmured:
“Soul Fusion Technique—”
Instantly, her consciousness spun.
But it was Youluo herself who was now stunned.
The beautiful starry sky around her still existed, but the Soul Origin Heart Realm seemed to have slipped out of her control, its energy completely severed and sealed.
And the voluptuous beauty she had been holding in her arms, the one she could toy with and play with at will, had disappeared… Not only this woman, but also the long-haired woman who had been frozen beside her had vanished, as if they had evaporated into thin air!
“What’s going on, why… Hmm?!”
Youluo was stunned and only then realized that her body seemed to be floating in the air.
Looking closely, she was shocked to see that her legs were tightly bound by black chains, lifted high and forcibly spread apart. Her arms were also pulled upwards, her entire body suspended upside down.
“How could I…”
“Your techniques are truly strange and unpredictable. If one is not careful, they will become your plaything.”
A cold voice suddenly rang out, making Youluo quickly raise her head. She saw First Elder’s figure gradually emerge from the darkness, her pupils constricting: “How did you break free from my Soul Origin Heart Realm?!”
“There are countless techniques in this world, how could there be one without any flaws?” First Elder crossed her arms and walked towards her with a smile: “Although your technique is incredibly profound, there are ways to counter it. It just takes some effort.”
At least, their Lunar Valley, to prevent being harmed by such soul-invasive techniques, had spent thousands of years developing various soul-protecting secret techniques. Even if their bodies were destroyed and their souls struck by lightning, they still had a chance to survive and resist.
“When you touched our souls, our technique was already waiting, ready for you to walk into the trap.”
Wu Jingyun quietly appeared beside her, her face serious as she pressed her fingers against Youluo’s neck: “You tried to manipulate our souls, but in the end, you suffered the backlash, and even your Soul Origin Heart Realm is now under our control. It’s truly karma.
Now that you have no power to resist, tell us your purpose and origins. When did such a strange existence like you appear in Changling County, and why did you attack us?”
As she threatened her, a sharp edge appeared faintly on her fingertips, cutting a small wound on Youluo’s skin.
“—Interesting!”
After the initial surprise, Youluo actually showed a relaxed smile, her eyes filled with interest: “You’re truly not ordinary people, I underestimated you two. If we were to fight again, I wouldn’t be so easily defeated. If I used some of my trump cards, I might even be able to capture you all.”
Slap!
A crisp sound echoed through the boundless starry sky.
Youluo’s body trembled, a soft and surprised moan escaping her throat.
First Elder had slapped her bare buttocks, the force quite strong, creating ripples on her skin.
“Now that you’re hanging upside down with your buttocks exposed, you still dare to speak such arrogant words?”
“Ha… if I were to beg for mercy, would you two kindly untie me?”
Youluo narrowed her eyes, a seductive and lazy smile on her face: “If that were the case, I might even say a few nice words and praise you.”
Slap, slap, slap!
As soon as she finished speaking, First Elder repeatedly slapped her buttocks, making them tremble and turning her fair skin a bright red.
“Mmm… you…!”
“I want to see how long you can keep up your tough act.”
First Elder smiled coldly, her hands not stopping, even gathering a faint Yin energy in her palms.
—Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap!
Looking at Youluo trembling and moaning under her slaps, Wu Jingyun’s face remained expressionless, her gaze even colder and more murderous.
This strange woman of unknown origin was too dangerous. If they showed mercy and lowered their guard, if she somehow escaped to Changling County…
Even with Tianlu’s cultivation, he should be able to handle it, but those defenseless mortals, even Ruoyu and the others, might be in danger. They couldn’t show any mercy.
“Mmm… uhmmm… Changling… has… ohhh… you… Lin Tianlu didn’t even… intervene…”
A blush unconsciously spread across Youluo’s face, a strange glint suddenly flashing in her eyes.
“Wait… you… so you’re… Lin Tianlu’s…”
“Hmm?”
Wu Jingyun raised an eyebrow and pressed a finger against her cheek: “How do you know Tianlu’s name?”
“I… ha, I have some… karmic connection with that scholar!”
The blush on Youluo’s face deepened, her long, raised legs twitching violently, and she stammered: “I just saw him… about to get married… so I didn’t… interrupt…!”
Hearing this, Wu Jingyun froze.
First Elder, who had been relentlessly beating her, also stopped, looking over with a puzzled expression: “This woman, she knows Tianlu?”
“…Forget it, let me use a technique and see!”
First Elder quickly focused her gaze, formed hand seals, and then slapped her palm directly between the woman’s spread buttocks.
A pleasant slapping sound echoed, and Youluo suddenly raised her head, her whole body trembling, her legs twitching a few times, the light in her wide eyes seeming to dim slightly.
But a strange power surged and dispersed, forcibly pushing First Elder back.
“…”
However, the expression on First Elder’s face had become somewhat subtle. She looked at her slightly moist palm, then at Wu Jingyun: “Release the technique, this woman… doesn’t seem to have malicious intentions towards us.”
“Then why did she—”
“She happened to pass by here and thought we were with those demons and ghosts who were trying to cause trouble in Changling County. She was secretly observing us and wanted to eliminate us to protect Tianlu and the others.”
Wu Jingyun was silent for a moment.
After a while, she waved her hand, and the Soul Origin Heart Realm around them dissipated. Youluo, who was half-conscious, immediately fell to the ground.
But Wu Jingyun quickly reached out and supported her, gently channeling Yin energy into her body.
“Mmm…”
Youluo moaned softly and gradually regained consciousness, glancing sideways, her eyes filled with a lazy and seductive charm: “So, in the end, it was just a misunderstanding?”
“Since when were you connected to natural justice?”
“That’s why it’s a karmic connection~”
Youluo struggled slightly from Wu Jingyun’s support and stumbled back a few steps: “To see Lin Tianlu’s elders here is truly amusing.”
“Perhaps it was indeed a misunderstanding.” Wu Jingyun opened her mouth slightly, as if she still wanted to say something, but she didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
After all, they had just been fighting moments ago, it would be strange to suddenly sit down and chat amicably.
First Elder frowned and mused: “You attacked us first, and now you’ve received a small punishment, so we’re even. Do you still have any dissatisfaction or resentment?”
“Hmm… Being taught a lesson by that scholar’s elders, I don’t have much resentment.”
The frivolous smile on Youluo’s face didn’t diminish, and she glanced sideways seductively: “Although Miss Gong Wu Lei’s teasing methods were a bit painful, they were quite satisfying.”
“You… you really did glimpse some of our memories in an instant?”
“Just a bit of luck.”
Youluo chuckled softly: “But it’s good that I learned something. Otherwise, I might have been bullied for much longer.”
First Elder stared at her meaningfully, a similarly ambiguous and strange smile appearing on her lips: “Then what are your plans now?”
“I don’t think I need to tell you everything I’m planning to do.”
Youluo’s eyes flickered slightly, and she took out her folding fan with a charming smile, her body twisting and turning before she was enveloped in a cloud of green smoke and disappeared: “We’ll meet again if fate allows~”
“…”
Seeing her escape, Wu Jingyun frowned and looked at First Elder, who remained indifferent: “Can we really just let this strange woman go?”
“You don’t trust my methods?”
First Elder snorted: “Although it’s unpleasant to admit, I, like the Valley Master, am not good at direct confrontation. We’re better at manipulating souls and consciousness. That woman wasn’t here in her true form, just a soul fragment. Although there are incredibly strange and mysterious seals and restrictions within her, the surface memories are genuine.
She seems quite curious and admiring of Tianlu, and she only came here seeking some fun and interaction, not to cause trouble or chaos.”
“…Then I’ll trust you for now.”
Wu Jingyun’s face showed a hint of worry and unease: “But where will she go now?”
“Believe it or not, that woman came for Tianlu. He’ll deal with her when the time comes, there’s no need to worry too much.”
First Elder flicked away the water stains on her hand, chuckled, and turned to leave: “Jingyun, you should worry about whether that boy’s luck with women is too strong. Besides those girls, there’s now another mysterious woman of unknown origin. These tangled relationships will probably become quite messy~”
“…”
Wu Jingyun looked back towards Changling County.
After a moment of silence, she finally relaxed, no longer worrying.
As for how many women would come and pester Tianlu, she didn’t feel any anxiety or displeasure.
For her, as long as he could live a happy and healthy life in the future…
That was enough.
