Wu Chongyun didn’t want to listen, and Wei Mingyi, whose face had flushed a deep red, couldn’t squeeze out any words of explanation either.
She sat restlessly on the edge of the bed, her fingers interlaced and twisting together. From time to time, she glanced up at Wu Chongyun’s turned back, fearing that in a fit of anger, her master would refuse to go out with her.
Wei Mingyi truly did hope Wu Chongyun would stay in the sect, but not because she was upset with her and had thus abandoned the idea.
Wu Chongyun hadn’t closed her eyes.
Rosy hues still clung to her cheeks. Although it wasn’t the first time Wei Mingyi had grasped her ankle, the previous times her consciousness had not been clear. This sudden grab was inexplicable, catching her somewhat off guard.
She bit her lower lip, trying to calm the abruptly accelerating rhythm of her heart. All around was silent, only the faint sound of shallow breathing occasionally drifting over.
Wei Mingyi hadn’t left, but remained silent, offering no words of explanation.
Wu Chongyun didn’t want to hear her mention it again, yet when there was truly no sound at all, Wu Chongyun felt annoyed again.
She remained silent. After about a quarter of an hour, she sat up. Glancing at Wei Mingyi, who was frozen stiff like a block of wood, she nonchalantly brought up a new topic. She asked, “The Heavenly Dao’s Paragon Debate is arranged for the aristocratic families. Your talent is sufficient to make the major clans compete fiercely for you. Do you still intend to participate under the name of the Chongyuan Sect?”
Wei Mingyi knew the dangers of the Paragon Debate. Regardless of whether she wished to join an aristocratic family, it could bring a calamity of extermination upon the sect. She shook her head. “For now, it’s not good to display the name of Cangwu’s Chongyuan Sect. However—” After a brief pause, she continued, “What about the Chongyuan of Yangchun Terrace in the Wild Domain? I casually gave the alias ‘Wuwang’ before. I’ll participate in the debate under the name Wuwang.”
A wandering, idle Daoist from a remote, desolate place—when registering, the Daoists of the Heavenly Dao Alliance likely wouldn’t pay her any mind. Once she claimed the Head Champion position, she would then raise the banner of Yangchun Terrace’s Chongyuan Sect, borrowing an air of “mystery” to shroud herself somewhat. Still, a plan was just a plan; how things ultimately evolved would depend on the situation.
“Right, what about Shizun? What alias will Shizun use?” Wei Mingyi blinked and asked again. But the moment the words left her mouth, she realized her question was unnecessary. “Wu Chongyun” was certainly not her true name. After a moment’s hesitation, Wei Mingyi probed bluntly, “What was Shizun’s original name?”
Wu Chongyun cast her a cold sidelong glance. “Do you intend to use it?”
Wei Mingyi thought to herself, it wasn’t out of the question.
But Wu Chongyun shot her another icy glare, and she immediately smiled sheepishly.
The guilt she had barely suppressed earlier surfaced once more.
Wu Chongyun said calmly, “Since we are to conceal our identities, our appearances must also be disguised.”
Having already reached Foundation Establishment, Wei Mingyi knew the art of disguise, but with her cultivation level, wouldn’t a higher-realm Daoist see through it instantly? “Can the Assistant Master refine a Disguise Pill?” Wei Mingyi mumbled.
“Come here,” Wu Chongyun said.
Wei Mingyi’s eyes lit up. She quickly removed her shoes and socks and climbed onto the bed. Sitting cross-legged before Wu Chongyun, she stared at her expectantly.
Without a word, Wu Chongyun swept her hand, and from within her Qiankun Pouch, she retrieved a picture scroll. This item was called “Thousand Transformations,” incredibly convenient for altering one’s appearance when out in the world. She activated a spell, and the figure drawn in the scroll seemed to come to life, leaping straight onto Wei Mingyi’s face.
Wei Mingyi’s beaming, radiant face vanished. In its place was a hideously ferocious visage.
“Is it done?” Wei Mingyi asked. Not waiting for Wu Chongyun’s reply, she raised a hand and conjured a water mirror. A single glance at the reflection nearly made her jump. Though she wasn’t as beautiful as her master, she too had originally possessed an exceptional elegance, gleaming like bright jade under moonlight! She glanced at Wu Chongyun and stammered, “A-Although outer appearances are merely external appearances… but, but this look is… isn’t it a bit too conspicuous?” Aside from those treading the heretical path, who would go out in the world showing such a ferocious face?
Wu Chongyun gave a cool “Mn,” swept her hand over the scroll, and swapped Wei Mingyi’s face for another.
Afterwards, all Wei Mingyi saw through the water mirror was a grand “face-changing” spectacle. Where was her master selecting a suitable appearance for her? Clearly, she had simply started amusing herself.
After a while, Wu Chongyun put “Thousand Transformations” away and said flatly, “We’ll decide after we leave.”
Wei Mingyi: “…”
Although registration for the Heavenly Dao’s Paragon Debate had already started, Wei Mingyi wasn’t in a rush to leave right away.
She and Wu Chongyun would be absent from the sect for the next several months, so they needed to wait for the Assistant Master to finish refining a sufficient supply of Soul-Returning Pills and other medicines.
That night, Wei Mingyi slept with Wu Chongyun as usual.
The glimmering candlelight illuminated their cheeks. Wei Mingyi looked at Wu Chongyun, who sat on the bed with her legs stretched straight, and her heart skipped a beat, the events of the day involuntarily surfacing in her mind again.
Wei Mingyi stood motionless by the bed, her long shadow, stretched by the candlelight, half-falling over Wu Chongyun. Wu Chongyun raised a hand to brush back her long hair; her wide sleeve slipped downward, revealing a section of an arm that was as luminous as moonlight. She didn’t make a sound, only looking at Wei Mingyi with her eyes, as if asking, “What’s wrong?”
Wei Mingyi’s thoughts were somewhat dazed. Only after a moment did she clear her mind and calm her spirit. Banishing the distracting thoughts from her head, she climbed onto the bed and knelt. She said, “Once enough pills are refined, we’ll set off.”
Wu Chongyun gave a soft snort, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Holding her whisk, she gently patted Wei Mingyi’s thigh.
Wei Mingyi looked at her in confusion. “Hm?”
Wu Chongyun said lazily, “Straighten it.”
Wei Mingyi didn’t quite understand, but followed her master’s instruction. However, just as she stretched her legs forward, her ankle was suddenly gripped by a cool hand. The initial contact carried a hint of roughness. By the time the stunned Wei Mingyi reacted, her hands were propped on the bed supporting her backward-caving torso, and one foot was resting on Wu Chongyun’s lap.
Blood rushed in reverse, and Wei Mingyi’s face instantly blazed like crimson clouds. Her mouth went dry, and her heart pounded like a drum, beating wildly. “Shizun—” she called out, her voice weak.
“Can’t I touch?” Wu Chongyun uttered a light scoff.
Wei Mingyi immediately understood. Her wonderful master was retaliating for her behavior during the day.
This was just too easy to learn.
Wei Mingyi blushed and said nothing, trying to pull her leg back. But the moment she moved, her thigh was struck by the whisk’s tassels. Wu Chongyun said with some displeasure, “Don’t move around.”
Wei Mingyi: “…”
She drew a breath. Her body stiffened, rigid as stone.
Wu Chongyun ignored Wei Mingyi, not even glancing at her expression. She tossed the whisk aside. Her hand moved along Wei Mingyi’s calf, sliding upward inch by inch. Through the thin fabric of her trousers, her hand reached the back of her knee. Wu Chongyun pursed her lips, a tinge of embarrassment also appearing on her face. She lowered her head slightly, her long hair slipping over her shoulders to conceal her expression. For some reason, she didn’t pull back. Instead, her hand continued upward along her thigh.
Her touch was light, but it was precisely this “lightness” that Wei Mingyi found so hard to endure. Her heartbeat grew faster and faster, as if about to burst through her chest. Wei Mingyi’s head spun, as if she were falling endlessly through a boundless sea of clouds. It was only when Wu Chongyun’s hand paused near the uppermost part of her thigh that a shred of clarity returned to Wei Mingyi through the daze. She suddenly grasped Wu Chongyun’s hand, pleading, “Shizun, don’t touch… please.”
Her words were very direct. Wu Chongyun’s composure had long since crumbled; the word “touch” entering her ears sent a blush crawling up her own ears and cheeks. Quickly shaking off Wei Mingyi’s hand, she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Yet, as she turned her back to Wei Mingyi and lay down, she still let out a mocking whisper: “So spineless.”
Wei Mingyi inhaled deeply.
Who could possibly keep their composure under this? If she continued being touched, she would be touched into melting.
Obediently lying down fully clothed beside Wu Chongyun, she didn’t embrace her as usual, merely focusing on calming the tumultuous upheaval of her body and emotions.
Wu Chongyun, lying on her side, wasn’t used to such emptiness. When Wei Mingyi held her, warmth coursed through her limbs and bones, temporarily dispelling the constant gloom that shrouded her.
Wu Chongyun had grown accustomed to the embrace.
She craved that familiar embrace.
After a moment of hesitation, she turned over. By the candlelight, she studied Wei Mingyi’s expression and said softly, “Are you unhappy?”
Wei Mingyi replied, “Not at all.”
Her eyes, as if washed with water, shimmered with bright light.
Wu Chongyun said nothing. She subtly snuggled closer into Wei Mingyi’s arms.
But the moment she sensed Wei Mingyi’s body stiffen again, it felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, and that burgeoning warmth slowly receded.
Wu Chongyun bit her lower lip. She turned over, moving away from Wei Mingyi to put some distance between them.
What was wrong with Shizun now?
Wei Mingyi blinked.
Only a moment later did it dawn on her.
Hurriedly, she turned onto her side and reached out to pull Wu Chongyun into her embrace.
Wu Chongyun didn’t resist much, only having her arm pushed away a couple of times, neither too lightly nor too heavily.
Wei Mingyi pressed against Wu Chongyun’s back and leaned close to her ear, asking, “Is somewhere hurting?”
Wu Chongyun replied listlessly, “Don’t worry about it.”
Wei Mingyi thought for a moment, then surrendered.
First, she turned Wu Chongyun around to face her. Then, as if resigning herself to her fate, she took Wu Chongyun’s hand and placed it on her own lap, saying, “Go ahead… touch.”
Wu Chongyun was stunned.
The blush on her face had just begun to fade, and now it surged back up.
She pulled her hand free, burying her face against Wei Mingyi’s shoulder. Flustered and panicked: “What are you doing?!”
Wei Mingyi froze.
Huh? It wasn’t about this?
Wei Mingyi asked again, “What’s wrong with Shizun?”
Wu Chongyun replied, “Nothing.” Snuggling in Wei Mingyi’s embrace, that little bit of frustration had already scattered to the far corners of the world. Afraid Wei Mingyi would relentlessly pursue the question, she practically bit Wei Mingyi’s ear as she said, “Noisy.”
Wei Mingyi was jolted into a shiver by the warm breath brushing her ear and finally fell silent.
Three days later.
Hua Xiaozhu had refined enough pills for Wu Chongyun to use.
After bidding farewell to the Sect Leader and the others, Wei Mingyi, having changed her appearance, set off with Wu Chongyun toward Supreme Peak to register.
Supreme Peak was in the center of the Nine Provinces Pure Domain; it had been Tai Yi’s training ground thousands of years ago. After Tai Yi disbanded the sect, all four families wanted to inherit Tai Yi, but ultimately couldn’t reach a decision. After centuries of bickering, they simply refined the entire site into the Eternal Cosmos Heavenly Realm, a Grotto-Heaven Secret Realm used for training the younger generation. Naturally, the Dao texts, artifacts, and other items that originally belonged to Tai Yi had long since been divided up by the Grotto-Heaven Perfected Ones of the different families.
The Chongyuan Sect was situated in a remote corner of the Nine Provinces. To travel to Supreme Peak on their own would take at least a month. However, once they reached territories controlled by 3rd-Rate Clans, simple Teleportation Array hubs existed. Although they couldn’t transport everything, moving a few people was still possible. Wei Mingyi was now quite wealthy and wouldn’t even blink spending Pill Jade. After wandering the city and learning that the Feng clan had been obliterated, she and Wu Chongyun took a Teleportation Array to a main city controlled by a 2nd-Rate Clan, and from there, used a new hub to travel to Supreme Peak.
