Ling Qingyue slowly placed the grape back into the basket beside her, drew a slow, deep breath, and then, with what she felt was a slightly more amiable expression, gently inquired.
“Oh, it seems you have quite a strong opinion of your Shizun…”
“Of course I do! The moment we met, she slashed my neck! It still aches with phantom pain just thinking about it!”
Meng Li recalled being hoisted up by chains and locked in that dark little room, the humiliation she’d suffered. She sat up from that soft thigh in a huff, her small fist thumping down onto the chair beside her.
“What ‘Number One Under Heaven’? What ‘Immortal Lord of the Banished Mausoleum’? She’s just a bad Shizun who bullies the weak!”
Still feeling unsatisfied, Meng Li kicked a nearby stone. Her puffed-up, angry look was utterly adorable, but she completely failed to notice Ling Qingyue, seated in the chair behind her, whose expression had already become exceptionally “amiable.”
“You hate her that much? Have you ever considered why your Shizun targets you…”
“I just… no, no, I can’t talk about that…”
At Ling Qingyue’s soft questioning, Meng Li nearly blurted everything out. Luckily, she stopped herself just in time. After all, that was a secret she never intended to reveal, even if it meant her death.
“It seems it truly is an important matter, not to be spoken of carelessly…”
“That’s all secondary! The main thing is, my Shizun was already beautiful, and when she took me as a disciple, she teased me relentlessly. But now, she acts all cold and dismissive!”
“???”
Ling Qingyue was completely dumbfounded by those words. This unfilial disciple had actually been slandering her like this behind her back. Ling Qingyue simply couldn’t recall ever teasing her.
“Spreading rumors about your Shizun like that… aren’t you afraid she’ll find out?”
“Afraid, of course I am. But who said they were rumors? Locking me in a dark room, chaining me up, muttering a bunch of stuff to herself, and then forcibly kissing me—if that’s not teasing, what is?!”
“Uh…”
Ling Qingyue was momentarily speechless. Thinking back carefully, she had indeed done those things. But her emotions had been running high then; her body had acted on instinct. Even now, Ling Qingyue still felt rather embarrassed by it.
“Tch. I sealed away my emotions, renounced all worldly desires. How is this unfilial disciple disrupting my mind again? Besides, I’m just an avatar. What my true body did has nothing to do with me!”
Ling Qingyue felt an urge to reveal her identity on the spot and let this unfilial disciple experience that terror once more. But she held back, wanting to see what else this rebellious student would say.
“Your Shizun forcibly kissed you? Even if you told me that, I wouldn’t believe it…”
“It’s only natural you wouldn’t believe it, Senior Sister. I barely believed it myself at the time. And that detestable Shizun even tore my clothes when I became her disciple!”
“……”
Meng Li clenched her small fist again. Ling Qingyue opened her mouth, wanting to defend herself, but the words died in her throat. After all, she had done that too.
“You… talking to me about these things, I don’t want to hear them either…”
Ling Qingyue never imagined she could still feel so awkward after all these centuries. Meng Li, realizing she’d gone a bit too far, settled back into her chair and slowly leaned closer to Ling Qingyue. However, her hand, true to its nature, crept towards the other woman’s pleasantly smooth thigh.
“So, you see, my weakness is entirely my Shizun’s fault. That’s why I want to rely on Senior Sister a bit more~”
“……”
“But Senior Sister, you seem so familiar to me, as if I’ve seen you somewhere before. How about we exchange contact information, and you can come chat in my room some other day~?”
Seeing Ling Qingyue’s lack of reaction, Meng Li moved even closer, her hand gently looping around her waist. Even in a place where life could be threatened at any moment, with a beautiful woman so close and within reach, how could Meng Li possibly resist?
“I imagine your Shizun must be quite bewildered too…”
“Ah, isn’t that topic over with? Senior Sister, let’s not talk about my Shizun anymore. Let’s talk about something else~”
As she spoke, Meng Li slowly drew nearer. She was a complete stranger, yet for some reason, Meng Li couldn’t tear her gaze away. Even if she were just a passerby, so long as she was beautiful, Meng Li unconsciously wanted to get closer.
“It’s getting late. I have matters to attend to. As for dining together… let’s talk about it another time.”
Ling Qingyue grabbed her long sword from beside her and stood, ready to leave. As an avatar, Ling Qingyue didn’t understand what was happening to her. Her heart, which should have been still and silent, now held a hint of restlessness. Ling Qingyue felt irritated.
“Didn’t I come here to just kill this unfilial disciple? Why am I acting so strangely again…”
“Could it be that Shizun falls in love with me with every change of mood? How novel~”
Ling Qingyue had only taken two steps forward when a pink phantom appeared beside her. Ling Qingyue halted, then stared at the pink figure beside her with utter disbelief. After a moment’s hesitation, she immediately sensed trouble.
“I’m just an avatar! How can I possibly have a Heart Devil?!”
Ling Qingyue’s pupils constricted. Though this figure was even blurrier than the one her true body had seen, Ling Qingyue knew perfectly well what it was. Meanwhile, Meng Li, seeing Ling Qingyue turn to leave, moved forward to urge her to stay, only to see her step back again.
“Senior Sister, don’t rush off! Let’s chat a little longer. Maybe we’ll discover some shared hobbies~”
“Shizun, this avatar is also quite beautiful. Your disciple feels a surge of affection too~”
Ling Qingyue watched the phantom suddenly draw closer, Meng Li’s soft coaxing echoing in her ears. Everything before her eyes seemed to blur. The long sword in her hand slipped, clattering to the ground.
Seeing this, Meng Li stepped forward and picked up the sword. Looking at the motionless Ling Qingyue, Meng Li was full of curiosity. She cautiously approached and asked with concern.
“Senior Sister, why aren’t you speaking? Did I lie on your lap for too long and tire you out? How about your Junior Sister gives you a massage? I’m no expert, but I’m quite good at relaxing muscles and stimulating blood flow~”
“Shizun, your disciple has never seen this side of you before. It’s quite novel. I wonder how Shizun’s skills in bed are. If you let your disciple take the lead, won’t Shizun’s legs go weak again~”
Ling Qingyue stood frozen, the two different voices sounding in her ears. Her already agitated heart grew even more chaotic. With only Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, Ling Qingyue’s mental state was only at the Foundation Establishment level, utterly incapable of suppressing the phantom before her.
“Shut up! Not another word!!”
“Eh?? I… I won’t say anything more. Senior Sister, don’t be angry. How about we exchange contact info, and I’ll pay you a visit another day to apologize…”
Startled by the young woman’s sudden sharp rebuke, Meng Li jumped. She had been a bit talkative, true, but was that really worth such anger? Meng Li worried inwardly. Had her approach method gone wrong?
“Crap, I can’t even see the affection meter right now. Did my affection points drop? If so, how will I ever spend the night pouring my heart out to this beautiful Senior Sister…”
Meng Li was about to say something else when Ling Qingyue, as if struck by some stimulus, dashed into the distance at incredible speed. She was so fast Meng Li couldn’t even react in time. Just as Meng Li was about to give chase, another figure in white appeared before her.
“Out of my way! I have urgent business!”
Meng Li glared angrily at the white-clad figure blocking her path, trying to step around her. But the figure blocked her way once more. Meng Li finally realized this person was here to pick a fight.
“Seriously, I said move! Can’t you hear—!”
As she spoke, Meng Li rolled up her sleeves and clenched her fist, ready to teach this obstructionist a lesson. But when she looked up, she instantly froze. It was that same coldly beautiful face, but ink-colored Spiritual Power swirled around her. The moment Meng Li saw it, her courage completely evaporated.
“S-Senior Sister Situ…”
“Shady groves, intimate fruit-feeding by a beauty… Junior Sister certainly has refined taste…”
……………
…
