Chapter 47 - 44: What Kind of Dao?
"What were you and Senior Sister doing just now, Young Master?"
Seeing Qiu Yuehan rush out without a word, Xia Lianxue had no choice but to press Lu Changyuan.
"Discussing the Dao. Yes, discussing the Dao."
The window in the room was open. Under the moonlight, Xia Lianxue’s skin looked even more like ice and jade. The Fairy was standing extremely close to Lu Changyuan, and he could see her delicate, slender neck.
It was dazzlingly white.
"Does discussing the Dao require you to put your hand *there*?"
The Fairy had seen it clearly. When Qiu Yuehan fell onto Lu Changyuan, his hand had been placed squarely on her rear.
It seemed he wasn’t even touching her through her clothes.
Although Xia Lianxue had always known there was a secret between Lu Changyuan and Qiu Yuehan, she never expected it to be this big!
’Sending me away.
And then the two of them would have their fun in the room?
Did they expect me to play "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" outside to set the mood for them?’
"Senior Sister’s chest... was it soft, Young Master?"
’What are you talking about? I have no idea.’
Lu Changyuan’s gaze shifted slightly. When Qiu Yuehan had fallen on him, she came from above, so he had gotten a full embrace of her bosom.
Even now, the tip of Lu Changyuan’s nose still carried Qiu Yuehan’s scent.
Lu Changyuan said very seriously, "Actually, it was alright."
"You’re as honest as ever, Young Master."
"You know me. I’ve always been honest."
Xia Lianxue stared intently at Lu Changyuan, her beautiful eyes holding an expression that could devour a man.
"What Dao was Senior Sister asking about? Can you teach me, Young Master?"
Lu Changyuan adopted a look of serene detachment. "I want her to cultivate the Red Dust Sword Dao—to be in the Red Dust but transcend it. Supplemented by the Forget Love Heart Method, her cultivation should allow her to experience the Red Dust without being lost in it."
"Young Master!"
Xia Lianxue’s pretty face stung with anger, and half her body ached from it. Then, she saw Lu Changyuan’s mischievous smile.
And just like that, that half of her body went soft again.
’It seems I have no right to be angry, nor any right to be jealous.’
The Fairy’s voice dropped a few notches. "Young Master."
Lu Changyuan suddenly reached out and patted Xia Lianxue’s head. "There’s really nothing between us. I called her here today for your sake, to make it easier to go up the mountain tomorrow and vent your frustrations."
’It was for me?’
Xia Lianxue suddenly asked, "The night you brought Senior Sister home, where did you sleep?"
"Why the sudden question?"
"Are you unwilling to answer me, Young Master?"
"We just squeezed in together. I only have one bed. I was exhausted at the time, and she was seriously injured..."
"Then we can squeeze in together too."
Xia Lianxue took Lu Changyuan by the hand and led him toward the small bed nearby. It was an enclosed canopy bed carved from mahogany, with soft bedding laid upon it.
Lu Changyuan put up no resistance as Xia Lianxue pushed him onto the bed.
’Having a bed to sleep in is always a good thing.’
The Fairy said, "Just for one night. Otherwise, you’ll catch a cold sleeping on the floor."
’How could a cultivator catch a cold... Then again, in my current state, I really could.’
The moment Xia Lianxue lay down, she began to regret it. Her heart was pounding, and all sleepiness vanished.
She suddenly thought.
’It seems Senior Sister Qiu Yuehan met the Young Master first.’
Then her mind was filled with a single thought: ’This is the first time I’ve ever shared a bed with a man. How am I supposed to sleep?’
"Young Master?"
She called out softly.
There was no reply. Xia Lianxue turned over and saw that Lu Changyuan was already asleep.
"Young Master!?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Moon Fairy was speeding up the mountain!
Qiu Yuehan felt a fire burning on her face, which then spread through her entire body.
She felt she must have had her head stuffed with lard to impulsively tell Lu Changyuan to find another spot. Now look, they hadn’t even switched places, and she’d been groped for free.
As the Supreme Pure Spirit Forget Immortal Technique circulated within her, Qiu Yuehan finally felt the searing heat gradually subside into tranquility.
"Yuehan? Why are you here?"
Someone called out to Qiu Yuehan at the entrance of the Immortal Palace.
It was Han Ze Master, the highest in status among the three True Masters, and the one who had felt there was still a chance to resolve Xia Lianxue’s situation.
Of the three True Masters of Miao Yu Palace, Han Qiu Master was in charge of the Precepts Hall, Hanyi Master was responsible for mentoring disciples, and Han Ze Master controlled the Mountain Defense Array.
Qiu Yuehan hid her expression, forcing herself to remain calm. "I couldn’t sleep, so I came down the mountain for a walk."
Han Ze Master beckoned to Qiu Yuehan, who then took two steps forward.
"True Master?"
"In this world, many things are not about the outcome, but the process."
With a wave of her hand, Han Ze Master took them both into the air. "You knew for a fact that your junior sister had Fallen into Demon and wanted to kill you, yet you didn’t let it cloud your judgment. That is very good. Cultivation is about Illusion-Breaking and returning to the truth. This is also why I stopped Han Qiu and Hanyi from expelling your junior sister from the palace."
Qiu Yuehan nodded.
Han Ze Master had been in the palace for a long time, about four hundred years. She had joined around the time the Palace Master established it.
The even older members had passed away one after another due to latent injuries from past turmoil. Since the passing of Han Shui Master, Han Ze Master was now the most senior person in the palace.
"Do you know why Hanyi hates Han Shui?"
It was no secret within the palace that the two True Masters, Hanyi and Han Shui, did not get along, but very few knew the inside story.
Han Ze Master said lightly, "About three hundred years ago, before Hanyi joined the palace, she had a husband in the Mortal World. Han Shui severed her mortal ties for her, brought her into the palace, and arranged for her mortal husband to remarry."
’I didn’t expect Hanyi Master to also be a victim of having her mortal ties severed,’ Qiu Yuehan thought to herself.
"Yuehan, how far are you from the Fifth Realm?"
Qiu Yuehan recalled what Lu Changyuan had just said and replied, "I can achieve a Breaking Realm at any time."
"Mm, that’s good. You are the most talented person in our palace. Miao Yu Palace will be handed over to you sooner or later."
"True Master?"
Han Ze Master said, "When I was your age, I was just a young lass who had barely reached the Third Realm. Your talent is greater than mine. You have a chance to reach Yao Guang, so don’t forget to pursue your own Dao."
Qiu Yuehan lowered her head. "I will take the True Master’s teachings to heart."
Han Ze Master’s elegant laughter drifted over.
"I have nothing to teach you, Yuehan. The Palace Master is in seclusion year-round, and our palace only has three Sixth Realm Masters on the surface. Do you know what this means?"
Qiu Yuehan shook her head.
"It means that some petty villains think Miao Yu Palace has declined. They think the Palace Master is already dead and that our palace is easy to bully, so they’ve set their sights on our territory."
Qiu Yuehan said, puzzled, "Even with the Palace Master in seclusion, our palace’s strength should still be considerable."
Three Sixth Realm Masters, countless Fifth Realm Elders, and even the Mountain Defense Array. It shouldn’t be that easy to attack Miao Yu Palace.
Han Ze Master said, "I’m just mentioning it in passing. In the end, the future of Miao Yu Palace depends on you."
Qiu Yuehan said, "I understand."
The True Master’s figure grew distant, gradually disappearing into the night. Only then did Qiu Yuehan realize that the True Master had left her in a bamboo forest.
’Why did she leave me here?’
Suddenly, she heard melodious laughter from ahead. It sounded like a woman. Qiu Yuehan moved closer, only to hear some vexing words.
"Oh, my, you big brothers from Miao Yu Palace are much more reasonable than those fellows from our Canglan Sect."
It was a very familiar voice.
It sounded like that woman named Xian Qingqiu.
Qiu Yuehan silently approached the bamboo forest, only to find the laughter inside growing louder.
Then she heard Xian Qingqiu say, "Why haven’t I seen your palace’s Fairy Xia Lianxue today?"
"Senior Sister Xia Lianxue has been demoted to an ordinary disciple. It’s said that Hanyi Master personally crippled her Cultivation and sent her down the mountain."
A nameless fury surged in Qiu Yuehan. With a slash of her sword, the bamboo forest erupted into chaos.