Ling Qingxue halted her steps and shot Luo Yin an odd look.
“Do you think about stuff like that all day long?”
“What stuff? Can you stop jumping to conclusions? There’s only one bed in this room, no chairs. If I don’t let you sit here, are you just going to stand?”
Luo Yin shrugged and curled his lip.
“People with impure minds see impurity in everything.”
Ling Qingxue knew he was teasing her, but she couldn’t help blushing anyway. “No need. I’ll just stand.”
Luo Yin lounged on the bed, leaning against the wall. “Suit yourself. So, what’s up? What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
“Do you remember me telling you that I opened up a Small Secret Realm to store some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures? You promised to help me retrieve them. When are we going?”
Ling Qingxue finally got to the point.
Luo Yin pondered for a moment before asking, “Why the rush? You’ve been living pretty comfortably lately. Besides, what if you recover your strength and turn on me?”
Ling Qingxue shook her head helplessly. “Even if I fully restored my Marquis Realm cultivation, I’m not sure I’d be a match for you now. And you still hold my weakness in your hands—why would I ever attack you?”
She paused, then continued, “I just can’t figure it out. Before that day, you barely had any power, yet you’ve progressed so ridiculously fast. You’re even more of a freak than I am.”
Luo Yin smiled at her words.
She was right.
Even if Ling Qingxue regained her full strength, she couldn’t touch him now.
But he also couldn’t hold this absolute position in their talks like he did today.
That wasn’t what Luo Yin wanted.
Yesterday, he’d noticed her Favorability had hit zero.
No longer negative.
Her pride and arrogance had been completely worn away by him.
Luo Yin crossed his arms and regarded her with interest. “Since I hold your weakness, how about you grab hold of mine too?”
“What do you mean?”
Ling Qingxue frowned.
Luo Yin shook his head. “Nothing deep. Just saying, I don’t have the free time to help you out unless you show some sincerity. Otherwise, I’m not agreeing.”
“But last time…”
“Last time was last time!”
Luo Yin cut her off.
Ling Qingxue gnashed her teeth in frustration and fell silent for a long while, staring at the smile on his face.
In the end, she sighed and chose to compromise.
She leaned toward Luo Yin…
Luo Yin gently stroked her silky hair. “Why are you so desperate to recover your strength? If it’s not something huge, I figure you wouldn’t be this urgent. You’ve been pretty relaxed these past days, after all.”
He wasn’t exaggerating.
Though Ling Qingxue had lost her cultivation, she’d been enjoying a simple, mortal kind of happiness.
“I…”
“Don’t hesitate. Tell me the reason, or I won’t help you fetch those Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.”
Seeing her waver, Luo Yin pressed her.
Ling Qingxue let out a quiet sigh. “You know I’m from the Central Province Realm.”
Luo Yin nodded. “I know. You’re from the Heavenly Maiden Palace.”
Ling Qingxue paused in her movements, looking at him with faint surprise.
Luo Yin waved her on, urging her to continue.
“I didn’t expect you to know that. Then you must know I escaped from the Heavenly Maiden Palace.”
“Yeah. But I don’t know why.”
“Because those old hags in the Heavenly Maiden Palace wanted to kill me!”
Ling Qingxue gritted her teeth, clearly furious. Her grip tightened noticeably.
“Ow! Easy there!”
Luo Yin yelped and shot her a glare.
He was surprised, though. He hadn’t expected the Heavenly Maiden Palace to be after her life!
Why?
Wasn’t she their prized disciple? Shouldn’t they be grooming her? Why kill her?
Spotting his confusion, Ling Qingxue explained. “It’s because of my Azure Profound Sacred Body. My cultivation speed is insanely fast. You think all Marquis Realm experts are ancient monsters who’ve lived thousands or tens of thousands of years? I’m only twenty-nine this year.”
That caught Luo Yin off guard.
So young?
No wonder she was the youngest Marquis Realm cultivator.
Ling Qingxue went on. “It’s also because of the Azure Profound Sacred Body that I ended up like this.”
“The Heavenly Maiden Palace is an Emperor Lineage Immortal Sect. They once produced an Immortal Emperor. Before she ascended, she warned her descendants that if the sect ever weakened, they should seek out a cultivator with the Azure Profound Sacred Body. Once that person reached the Marquis Realm or higher, they could use her secret technique to contact her, get her permission, and then use another secret technique to summon her back.”
Luo Yin frowned. “You mean they want that Immortal Emperor to return using your body?”
Ling Qingxue nodded. “If that happens, I cease to exist. After they contacted her, word is the Immortal Emperor desperately wanted to return—didn’t even care if the sect was actually declining. Once I learned about it, I plotted for a year before fleeing to the Northern Spirit Realm.”
“Back then, with my cultivation, I was confident they couldn’t track me with their secret arts. But now that I’ve lost my power, I’ve been getting anxious lately. That’s why I want to recover my strength as soon as possible.”
With that, Ling Qingxue stood, fetched some water, and washed her hands.
Luo Yin realized the situation was even graver than he’d thought. He needed to get her fully under his thumb, and fast.
Otherwise, if she regained her power and left him, he’d be pissed.
She was a woman he’d claimed, after all. The thought of her in someone else’s arms made his blood boil. He wasn’t into that cuckold fetish.
Helping her recover was easy—just give her a Flawless Pill.
But now wasn’t the time.
When she returned, Luo Yin said, “I can help you retrieve the Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. I can also keep an eye out for other ways.”
Ling Qingxue’s face lit up. “Really?!”
Luo Yin inclined his head slightly. “Of course. Who else but my Shizun?”
Ling Qingxue pursed her lips. “So you do remember I’m your Shizun…”
Luo Yin grinned. “Of course I do, Shizun. It’s late—why not stay and sleep here? My bed’s big and soft.”
He glanced at her figure.
It was about the same size as his bed.
Ling Qingxue gnashed her teeth. “Don’t push your luck!”
“Fine! In that case, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not helping you. Hell, I might even capture you and send you back to the Heavenly Maiden Palace. Bet that’d earn me a solid favor with them.”
Luo Yin’s words carried a clear threat.
“You!!! You can’t do that!”
Ling Qingxue paled with fear. She could tell he might actually stoop that low.
Luo Yin chuckled. “Why not? We’re not that close—just a nominal master-disciple bond. Which do you think matters more: you, or a favor from the Heavenly Maiden Palace?”
Ling Qingxue fell silent, lips pressed thin.
Luo Yin pressed on. “We’ve already done it anyway. What are you scared of? Compared to this, going back to the Heavenly Maiden Palace should terrify you more, right?”
Ling Qingxue stayed quiet.
Luo Yin wasn’t in a hurry. He waited patiently for her response.
After a long moment, she lifted her head, her eyes swirling with complex emotions. “You… you can’t betray me! You have to help me!”
“You’re mine now. Of course I’ll help.”
Luo Yin smiled and beckoned her over.
Ling Qingxue sighed and glided toward him with light steps.
