Because Aunt Rong had her head lowered as she buttoned his collar, Deng Tianyu naturally saw her elegantly coiled married woman’s updo, along with the scattered snowflakes nestled within it.
Almost subconsciously, he leaned forward and reached out to brush the misplaced snowflakes away.
Qu Qirong raised her head, only then noticing the scene. Her expression softened further, and a warmth spread through her heart.
Deng Tianyu took a closer look and, finding no more snowflakes left in her hair, stopped his movements.
But at that moment, he froze slightly.
Because Qu Qirong was staring at him blankly, her mature and voluptuous body half-leaning against his chest.
As their eyes met, each could clearly see their own reflection in the other’s gaze.
Deng Tianyu and Qu Qirong could both feel the other’s hot breath hitting their faces, stirring ripples in their hearts.
For a moment, the atmosphere turned deeply intimate.
“Aunt Rong, I’ll be heading back now!”
Deng Tianyu pulled his gaze away from those full, seemingly kissable red lips, suppressing the wordless restlessness inside him, and said softly.
“Mm!” Realizing how close they were, Qu Qirong’s fair face flushed slightly, and she stepped back a couple of paces.
“Aunt Rong, you should go inside too!”
Deng Tianyu smiled faintly, summoned his Dharma Boat, and sailed through the air towards the Purple Cloud Sect.
Watching his departing figure, Qu Qirong pressed her delicate hand against the soft swell of her chest, still able to feel her racing heartbeat.
It was a long time before she withdrew her gaze and entered the Xiaoxiang Elegant Garden.
After both figures had vanished, a sinister-looking young man emerged from the shadows in the distance.
It was none other than Qu Yun, the son of Qu Yun!
Just moments before, to confirm whether that beautiful woman was indeed Qu Qirong, Qu Yun had used a Special Artifact to conceal his aura and form, melting into the darkness and quietly tailing them.
Along the way, afraid of being discovered, he hadn’t followed too closely, so he couldn’t hear what they were saying.
But for Qu Yun, who could read lips, this was no problem at all.
As he deciphered their conversation, the words “Aunt Rong” were very clear. At that point, he still wasn’t certain the beautiful woman was Qu Qirong.
It was only when the two arrived at Xiaoxiang Elegant Garden that he confirmed it.
Because this was Qu Qirong’s residence.
Combined with her every gesture exuding the aura of a noble lady and the young man calling her “Aunt Rong”, it was almost certain that the beautiful woman was Qu Qirong.
She had probably just used some disguise technique to alter her appearance!
“Aunt Rong, Tianyu… what a shameless pair of adulterers!”
Qu Yun’s face twisted into a hideous expression, his eyes bloodshot. The flames of jealousy and fury within him had engulfed his entire being.
Though they addressed each other as elder and junior, he had seen, through the scene just now, the ambiguity that existed between them.
If they were truly just elder and junior, how could they be so intimate?
Just moments ago, Qu Qirong had clearly been leaning in that young man’s embrace, even showing an expression of extreme tenderness and indulgence.
And that young man had even helped brush the snowflakes from her hair, the two of them staring deeply into each other’s eyes for a long while.
Was such a scene normal behavior between an elder and a junior?
“Very well!”
As the images of their intimacy replayed over and over in his mind, Qu Yun, who had darted far away, was almost unrecognizable from sheer jealousy.
In his view, ever since his mother, Qu Yun, told him she had mastered the method of controlling the Heart-Controlling Gu, Qu Qirong had been marked as his forbidden fruit.
Once this Merchant Path struggle was over, he would be able to take her Spirit Nurturing as he pleased and possess her completely.
Never had he imagined that the noble and elegant Sect Master’s Wife would share such a close, ambiguous intimacy with a young man.
This was absolutely something Qu Yun could not tolerate!
In his eyes, Qu Qirong—body, mind, and soul—must belong to him.
“Yun’er, didn’t you say you were going to the Chanting Moon Pavilion tonight?”
“Why are you back so soon?”
In a magnificently decorated courtyard, Qu Yun looked at the grim-faced Qu Yun and asked.
Qu Yun took a deep breath and said coldly, “Mother, let’s move ahead of schedule!”
He had thought about it a great deal on the way back.
Judging by the behavior of that young man and Qu Qirong, they likely hadn’t crossed the final line yet.
So, as long as they put the plan into action as quickly as possible, they could still make it in time.
Qu Yun frowned, looking somewhat puzzled. “Why move ahead of schedule? The time for the Merchant Path struggle to end hasn’t arrived yet.”
“That whore Qu Qirong…”
Qu Yun suppressed the fury in his heart and, gnashing his teeth, told her everything he had just seen and heard.
“If that’s all it is, we could simply kill that young man outright.”
“Why risk moving the plan forward?”
Qu Yun pondered for a moment, still not quite agreeing.
There were three reasons for her disagreement.
First, the Merchant Path struggle wasn’t over yet.
Second, the plan wasn’t fully prepared and still carried some risks.
Third, although she believed Qu Qirong had no power to resist the Heart-Controlling Gu given her strength, she was worried there might be other hidden experts lurking within Xiaoxiang Elegant Garden.
“I understand Mother’s concerns!”
“It’s just that the young man has already left Xiaoxiang Elegant Garden, and I don’t know when he’ll go to see that whore again.”
“If, while we’re investigating his identity, the two of them cross that final line…”
Qu Yun desperately wanted to kill that young man on the spot, but he didn’t know the other party’s identity at all.
The young man not only possessed an extraordinary bearing but also gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.
Qu Yun trusted this danger-sensing warning; it had helped him evade danger several times during his external training.
And every time a person or thing made him sense danger, their strength was far superior to his own.
Deducing from this, the power that could nurture such a Heaven’s Pride could not possibly be weaker than the Spirit Treasure Sect.
If he had startled the snake by acting rashly just now, it was entirely possible an accident could occur, and who lived or died would be unpredictable.
Qu Yun seemed to know what he was thinking and narrowed her eyes. “Does Yun’er think he also comes from a major power?”
“Very likely. Among all the Heaven’s Prides I’ve encountered, none have made me feel such an extreme sense of danger.” Qu Yun nodded, revealing a look of apprehension.
Qu Yun looked at him. “Then what does Yun’er propose?”
“First, gain control over Qu Qirong. Afterwards, we can investigate that young man’s identity.”
“If he’s from an ordinary power, finish him directly.”
“Conversely, if he belongs to a major power, Qu Qirong will already be under our control, and he won’t be able to force the issue.”
A flash of sinister coldness passed through Qu Yun’s eyes as he voiced his idea.
Once he controlled Qu Qirong, the initiative would be in his hands.
If he didn’t will it, how could the other party take that final step with that whore?
“Since that’s the case, let’s do as Yun’er suggests.” Qu Yun was ultimately persuaded by him.
After all, the Spirit Nurturing on Qu Qirong was far too important to Qu Yun.
Moreover, although the Merchant Path struggle was only halfway through, the Tongbao Merchant Guild faction had already practically secured victory.
On this point, even though Qu Yun was unwilling, she had to admit Qu Qirong’s skill in merchant affairs.
