Chapter 224 - 222: The Loving Couple

Chapter 224: Chapter 222: The Loving Couple

Gauze curtains and crimson drapes hung low.

On a tray shaped like a goat, incense burned, a wisp of purple smoke rising straight up. The room was exquisitely decorated. In the center of the main hall, the four large words "Heaven and Earth Daoist Technique" were calligraphed with wild, unrestrained strokes!

On the custom-made bed pressed against the wall, two bodies lay tangled together, panting heavily. The pink True Qi swirling around them was gradually fading. This vigorous session of Cultivation had lasted for a day and a night.

Even an old hunter like Chen Qingyang was growing impatient.

’No matter what it took, I have to get their Immortal Seedlings. Sometimes, I really can’t figure out how this Demon Sect operates.’

This was clearly a Netherworld Peak matter, so how had it fallen to Red Jade Peak? Of course, there was another possibility: only one of them was from Red Jade Peak. Chen Qingyang suspected it was the woman.

Finally, having rested enough, the man rose.

He haphazardly grabbed a cloth, wiped himself down with a couple of scrubs, and tossed it aside. The woman seemed to disapprove of his actions, her fine brows knitting together. "Hmph, crude!"

The man acted with dramatic flair, grabbing the woman’s chin. "You didn’t think it was crude when you were crying out just now. Should I be gentler next time? Very, very gentle. Would that satisfy you?"

The woman pouted, her eyes welling with tears. "That... would definitely not be satisfying."

The man practically threw her back onto the bed. She seemed to enjoy the sensation, lightly biting her red lip as her gaze towards him grew even more affectionate.

"So rough!" she cooed again.

This time, the man ignored her. He had already put on a white Long Coat and was sitting on the bed, his long hair unbound.

The woman, still naked, walked over to him, drank a cup of tea, and only then, very reluctantly, pulled on her clothes. It seemed she only enjoyed the pleasure of being utterly exposed with a man.

"Senior Brother, what’s your plan?" the woman asked after a long pause.

"What are you referring to?"

"That business, of course. The person who was supposed to be offered as tribute to Sixth Senior Brother, you snatched them away. When the blame falls on the King of West State, will you really help him?"

The man didn’t even hesitate. "Why not? My Cultivation is higher than his now. Why should I still have to put up with his crap like before? That old dog!"

The woman shot him a sideways glance. "Tell me, if I hadn’t come from the Sect this time, would your Cultivation have broken through so smoothly?"

"Hmph." The man was still stubborn. "You’re the one who came looking for me."

Chen Qingyang had been tailing the pair for four days and three nights. He had rarely seen them talk; aside from one patrol outside, all they did was Cultivation.

’So that’s why,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’The man just had a breakthrough and is relying on his junior sister to consolidate his Cultivation. As for the Sixth Senior Brother they mentioned, why does that sound a little familiar?’

’Ah, right. The one I killed.’

This place was still within the Western Continent Kingdom, and it didn’t seem too far from Fuyuan Temple. ’Looks like they’re competing over resources,’ he concluded.

From this short conversation, Chen Qingyang also deduced that the man was likely a disciple of Netherworld Peak, while the woman was probably from Red Jade Peak.

The woman didn’t argue with him, only saying softly, "I just hope you won’t be so impulsive. He may be an old dog, but you have to see whose old dog he is. People like us with no backing can’t afford to provoke him. It’s not like you don’t know the Holy Sect’s way of doing things."

The man shook his head decisively. "No. That old dog even dared to covet you!"

"Sigh! Immature."

Perhaps angered by her words, the man snapped, "Who are you calling immature?"

The woman pointed at him. "I’m calling you immature, you... You’re already pursuing Immortal Cultivation, yet you still care about worldly customs. You need to remember, I’m from Red Jade Peak."

That one sentence made the man deflate as if all the strength had been drained from him. "A single pair of red lips, tasted by ten thousand men... Ever since you entered the Sect to begin your cultivation, who knows how many ’Daoist friends’ you’ve been with. You’ve even ’served’ your own master. Your body and mind have long since gone numb, so of course you can say that... but I can’t..."

He clenched his fists fiercely. "That’s the most disgusting thing about you Red Jade Peak people."

Being cursed at, the woman grew furious. Her eyes widened, her playful cuteness replaced by a fierce glare. "Yes, I told you that from the beginning, didn’t I? But you insisted on choosing me, so you deserve this. What bullshit feelings? In my opinion, they’re all worthless. The only thing in this world that matters is Cultivation."

"Others think my master is old, but only I know that cultivating with him was when my own Cultivation improved the fastest. Then I took his Cultivation and used it to enlighten you, and this is what you say to me? You’re the ungrateful mutt!"

Even though Chen Qingyang had a resolute will and had experienced many setbacks, he couldn’t help but feel a little shaken upon hearing the woman’s words.

’You can’t compare things in this world,’ he mused. ’Back when I was in the Daoist Sect, I thought everyone was opportunistic and hypocritical. But if a person truly casts off all pretense of kindness and moral shackles, everything just becomes even more chaotic.’

"Sigh!" The man was no longer confrontational. Instead, he let out a long sigh. "Fine, I’ll listen to you. I’ll bear it for now. It would be best if you could ’borrow’ some of that Sixth Senior Brother’s Cultivation and pass it on to me too."

At such an absurd suggestion, the woman just nodded lightly. "Now that’s the right way to think. For the sake of Cultivation, we must be unscrupulous. Once we stand above everyone else, will any of this matter in the future?"

"Mm, you’re right. It won’t matter at all."

...

After listening to their sordid scheming for half the day, Chen Qingyang saw no sign of them separating. He was getting tired and wanted to withdraw his focus and resume his own Cultivation.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from outside the door. "Yu Guanzhu, I have something to discuss with you."

The man yanked the door open. Standing outside was an old man in a green Daoist Robe, who bowed with clasped hands, his attitude toward the man utterly respectful.

"Speak. What is it?"

The old man didn’t answer right away. He stepped inside and shut the door. "Senior Sister Hong, Yu Guanzhu, I overheard some news. Sixth Senior Brother has disappeared!"

"Disappeared!" The woman was the first to express her surprise. "By disappeared, do you mean he’s dead?"

"No, just... disappeared. I heard he was meditating in his room, and then he just vanished without a trace. No one knows where he went. There’s no body to say if he’s dead or alive."

The woman furrowed her fine brows. "Now this is rather strange!"

But Yu Guanzhu said, "What’s so strange about it? That guy always loved being mysterious. Who knows what he’s secretly up to?"

"No, I don’t think so. Being mysterious wouldn’t cause such a stir. Something might have really happened to him."

Seeing his idea quickly shot down by the woman, Yu Guanzhu asked her, "What else could have possibly happened?"

At this point, the old man began his speculation. "He was probably murdered, and by a disciple of the Holy Sect. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so careful and discreet."

’As expected of a strategist,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’He hit the nail right on the head.’

Yu Guanzhu, however, had another idea. "Then... could it have been the Tai Xu Sect? After all, we went and caused a scene there. By custom, they should have retaliated by now. I was wondering why it’s been so quiet."

The old man immediately shook his head, rejecting the idea. "If it were retaliation from the Daoist Sect, they would have slaughtered all the disciples in the temple, not just killed one. Besides, given their nature, how could they possibly retreat so willingly without even destroying the Array?"

Hearing this, Yu Guanzhu shook his head. "What you say makes a lot of sense. A rival is dead. In any case, that’s a good thing. Junior Sister, what do you think?"

With a laugh, he pulled the woman into his embrace. She didn’t shy away, gently resting her head on him. The old man, for his part, was unfazed, wearing an expression that said he was used to it.

"Mm, it is a good thing. His death couldn’t have come at a better time!"

However, their tender moment was interrupted by the old man. "As the Temple Master of Fuyuan Temple, I believe you should pay close attention to this matter. A moment of carelessness could bring disaster upon you. Who knows what the person behind this is planning."

These words greatly annoyed Yu Guanzhu, but he didn’t refute them. "We do need to be careful."

"Temple Master, you should also take this opportunity to pay a visit to the King of West State. After all, that Monarch has some connections within the Sect. Sixth Senior Brother wasn’t afraid of him because he had a stronger background. But we still need to be careful. If you can negotiate with him and ensure things go smoothly for us, you’ll get through this sixty-year term of service. Then you can quickly return to the Sect and continue your Cultivation."

Having been outside for so long, Chen Qingyang had also come to realize the importance of Spiritual Qi for Cultivation.

Staying in the Sect for a long time, nourished by Spiritual Qi, one could cultivate anytime and anywhere, far from worldly troubles. Over time, one’s Cultivation would inevitably increase rapidly.

But once one left the Sect, the surrounding Spiritual Qi was thin. Even with the help of Spirit Stones, it was nowhere near as abundant as in the Sect. Therefore, over a long period, not only would one’s Cultivation not increase, but it might even decline.

Moreover, this problem became more severe the more abundant one’s True Essence was, as it required absorbing more of nature’s spiritual energy.

This also explained why Foundation Establishment Masters were unwilling to leave their Sects, and why even at a place like Nine True Temple, they had to bathe in even more abundant True Qi.

The scarcity of resources in this world was more terrifying than he had imagined.

Regarding the old man’s suggestion, Yu Guanzhu pondered for a moment. "I suppose I should do that... Junior Sister, that means we’ll have to part ways..."

The woman, however, had another idea. "It’s not easy for me to come down from the mountain. The next time I see you could be three or five years from now. I haven’t had enough of you yet. I plan to go with you to the Western Continent Kingdom and then return to the Sect directly from there."

Deeply moved, Yu Guanzhu pulled her into his arms. "My dear Junior Sister, then we can have a good, long ’chat’ on the road."

Besides the three of them in the room, there was a fourth person: Chen Qingyang. Although he didn’t get the chance to catch them separated, he estimated that once they reached a secluded area, he would be able to kill them both in a very short amount of time.

’Letting them be together for all their lifetimes to come wouldn’t be so bad,’ he thought grimly.