Chapter 72 Pleading: "Come back with me."

Ji Yun was so intimidated by his gaze that she dared not look up. She could only watch as the white cloud-patterned shoes approached her, and as the patriarch drew closer and closer to the dilapidated door.

Ji Jun stood still.

"Get out of the way."

The cold voice came from above her head, and Ji Yun was so frightened that tears streamed down her face, but she didn't move an inch.

She had promised Senior Brother Mo that even the Sect Master was not allowed to enter.

She had clearly intended to barge in earlier, but now she was inexplicably stubborn. She was startled by her own audacity, unaware that she had instinctively sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Jia Yue.

Ji Jun didn't understand why the usually aloof and indifferent Master Zong would come here. All she knew was that if Jia Yue went in now and he wasn't satisfied with what he saw inside, Mo Sheng would be in great danger.

The senior brother Mo, whom she once looked up to, has now fallen to such a state. Even if she is a useless person, she cannot let him be hurt again.

Jia Yue had no patience to talk to this female disciple any longer. He had searched too far and for too long, so long that his heart, which should have been calm and undisturbed, was now restless. A ray of light appeared between his fingers, and he was about to swing it at Ji Jun in the next moment.

The dilapidated wooden door creaked open.

Jiang Yuhuo opened the door from the inside. She looked normal and moved freely, appearing unharmed.

Extinguish the spiritual light that you wish to unleash.

But the next moment, a familiar young man walked out from behind her. It was Mo Sheng, the disciple whom he had personally ordered to be expelled from Tianque some time ago.

He paused in his steps as he was about to step forward.

The two stood side by side by the door, dressed in identical white robes, in the same shadow. The young man and woman, she holding his arm, both appeared relaxed and at ease, the atmosphere harmonious.

Contrary to expectations, there was no tense standoff or life-or-death struggle; the two even seemed to get along well.

Jia Yue's gaze darkened slightly. Weren't they once rivals who wanted to kill each other? Why was she in this remote, deserted house at the foot of Tianque Mountain, sharing a room with the people who wanted to kill her, and even leaving someone to guard the door for them?

Why was she even more amiable to Mo Sheng than to him?

An unknown undercurrent is surging deep within my heart.

When Jiang Yuhuo opened the door and saw that it was Jia Yue, she was immediately startled and blurted out, "Why are you here?"

Just as she and Mo Sheng were finishing up inside, she heard a noise outside. Thinking someone had arrived, and worried about leaving Ji Jun alone outside, she opened the door to check. But she never expected to see Jia Yue standing there. Why wasn't he staying in his Xihua Palace? What was he doing here?

Having just escaped from Jia Yue's clutches, Ji Yun rushed to Mo Sheng's side as soon as the two of them came out.

"Senior brother, are you alright? Did she do anything to you? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Ji Jun looked Mo Sheng up and down, checking his clothes and wounds, fearing that Mo Sheng might be forced to sacrifice himself by Jiang Yuhuo in order to return to Tianque.

Mo Sheng did not sleep all night. He was now just a mortal who had lost his spiritual power and was also injured. This time, he had exhausted too much of his mental and physical strength, so he was naturally much weaker than before. He could only stand there weakly, like a broken willow branch.

Ji Yun's eyes immediately reddened, and she questioned Jiang Yuhuo, "What did you do to him?"

Jiang Yuhuo handed Mo Sheng back to Ji Jun, her words tinged with apology, "He'll be fine after a little more rest."

Ji Jun was even more furious, staring at her with teary eyes, "You!"

Mo Sheng frowned. He knew Ji Yun had misunderstood, but he had always disliked her unreasonable behavior. This time, he was even more furious at her for not knowing her place. He gave her a cold look and warned her not to make any more rash moves.

Ji Yun was frozen in place by that cold gaze, her heart aching, but she did nothing more, only silently shedding tears.

Jiang Yuhuo's words and the gatekeeper's questioning reached Jia Yue's ears, and he suddenly felt somewhat ridiculous.

Yes, Mo Sheng is now just a cripple who has lost all her cultivation techniques and been expelled from Tianque, while she has just won the grand competition and can be considered the most outstanding cultivator among the younger generation of the immortal sect. The gatekeeper's worries are justified; the one they should be worried about is Mo Sheng. Instead, his first thought was that she was in danger, that she might turn back into that pale, weak, lifeless figure from that rainy night, too weak even to cough up blood.

So when Qingping said she was missing, he didn't have time to think much or explore where his unease came from. He lost his composure and devoted all his energy to finding her.

He searched the entire Xihua Palace, trying to determine from her aura which direction she had been taken.

However, there was no trace of her at any of the exits of the Xihua Palace.

So he took the silver snake with him to search again. The merman's senses were even more acute than the silver snake's, but he still searched with the silver snake again, hoping that it might detect some corner he had overlooked, even though the incense he absorbed in the library every day was no less than what the silver snake absorbed.

But he still couldn't find her; her presence had been deliberately erased. He was clueless, with only one thought in his mind—she had been taken away by her enemy, her whereabouts unknown, her fate uncertain.

He had no choice but to unleash his divine sense, spreading it out to search inch by inch, looking everywhere. He searched all night, turning the entire Tianque Mountain upside down, and finally found her presence in this remote ravine at the foot of the mountain. As soon as he found her, he rushed here without stopping for a moment.

But now, standing in front of the two of them, he realized that he was the one who shouldn't be there.

Jia Yue remained silent with a somber expression, but the mockery in her blue eyes grew stronger.

He searched for her with great effort, worried about her safety, but she spent the whole night in a deserted house with another man, sharing a room in an ambiguous situation.

This person almost killed her just a few days ago, has she forgotten so quickly?

Jia Yue sneered, turning all her surging emotions into sharp spikes, and suddenly spoke, "So it was I who disturbed you two."

Jiang Yuhuo didn't understand what he meant. It was a bit of a disturbance, but thankfully she acted quickly; he arrived just as things were ending, so it wasn't a huge inconvenience.

She replied expressionlessly, "It's alright."

The hands tucked into her sleeves clenched unconsciously. Truly, very good.

He deliberately made sarcastic remarks, not because he wanted to hear that; he wanted her explanation. Shouldn't she explain that he had misunderstood? How dare she admit it so readily? Did she even know what shame was?!

Jia Yue closed her eyes, trying to suppress her emotions. The silver snake, smelling the familiar scent from her sleeve, poked its head out, but its master remained standing still. Unable to wait any longer, it flew straight from her sleeve into the embrace it had longed for day and night.

The silver snake's embrace was exceptionally smooth, and this time its master did not stop it at all, which was a bit strange. However, the familiar scent quickly enveloped it, and the silver snake no longer cared about what its master was thinking, completely immersed in the familiar incense.

Jiang Yuhuo pulled Xiaoxi away. After spending these days together, she had gotten somewhat used to the little snake, but its excessive enthusiasm still made her feel overwhelmed.

During the stalemate, it was Mo Sheng who reacted first. He dragged his weak body out of the door and respectfully bowed to Jia Yue with the most solemn ceremony.

"Disciple Mo Sheng greets the Sect Master."

He cautiously glanced at Jia Yue's expression; her face remained as cold as ever. He had considered that Tian Que might send someone to find Jiang Yu Huo, but he never expected that the person who came would be the Sect Master. Upon seeing Jia Yue, he was first shocked, then overwhelmed with joy. The Sect Master had come to find her personally, and his spirit beast's affection for Jiang Yu Huo was completely undisguised. It seemed the rumors of the past few days were true; she was indeed quite favored by the Sect Master.

Jia Yue lowered his eyes, glanced at the person at his feet, and his cold gaze swept over Mo Sheng's face. He had a delicate appearance, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, red lips and white teeth. His face was naturally like that of a beautiful woman. He knew that some female cultivators were quite fond of this kind of appearance.

Jia Yue's expression grew increasingly grim, and her voice became even colder, "You are no longer a disciple of Tianque, so why bother to put on airs and bow to me?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Sheng's heart sank. She dared not get up and instead humbly prostrated herself at his feet.

In the blink of an eye, the haughty Sect Master had already turned his attention to the woman by the door. He watched as she frowned and pulled the silver snake away, but the snake desperately clung to her hand, as if afraid she would shake it off, its tail tip carefully hooking her palm. She seemed moved by it and no longer stopped its approach, instead gently stroking its head with her fingertips. She didn't even glance at the young man on the ground, as if he were merely a tool to be discarded after use.

Jia Yue's expression finally brightened slightly.

Having confirmed that she was safe and sound, he should have left immediately. Mo Sheng was powerless and had no intention of hurting her. They still... Jia Yue took a deep breath, unwilling to think any further, but what came out of her mouth was, "Come back with me."

Instantly, the people on the ground and the people by the door looked at him at the same time, not knowing who he was talking to.

Jiang Yuhuo glanced at Mo Sheng on the ground, his eyes filled with fervent anticipation for Jia Yue. Ji Jun, standing to the side, also looked over curiously.

Seeing that she remained motionless, her eyes darting between the group of people but refusing to look at him, Jia Yue had no choice but to repeat herself, her eyes showing displeasure.

"Jiang Yuhuo, come back with me."

This was the first time he had ever spoken her name to her face. He pronounced it incredibly fast, as if the three words would burn his tongue if he didn't get them out quickly. The three ordinary words, put together, transformed into someone he now felt an intense rage at.

Jiang Yuhuo was taken aback when she heard Jia Yue call her name. So, he came to see her?

She looked at Jia Yue with a puzzled expression, but he didn't avoid her gaze at all, fixing it firmly on her. He simply stood there, his absolute presence impossible for anyone to ignore. She didn't understand his intention in seeking her out; it couldn't possibly be because he was worried about her.

The stream in her hand gently tickled her palm, like a feather brushing against her skin, and the ticklish sensation distracted her attention.

"Did you send it to me?" She raised her hand and asked the silver snake in her hand in a low voice. The snake could not answer her, but only nuzzled the back of her hand with its head in a flattering manner. At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Yes, Xiaoxi had seen her in the library for several days in a row, but she suddenly disappeared today. Perhaps it had gotten used to being with itself and wanted to see her again.

Jiang Yuhu chuckled and walked towards Jia Yue, carrying the silver snake. As she passed Mo Sheng, the latter quietly tugged at her sleeve, reminding her not to forget their promise. Jiang Yuhu paused slightly in response.

Jia Yue took in their subtle actions, her gaze unconsciously turning sharp.

Is she really that reluctant to let go? She even tries to entangle herself with him right under his nose.

He looked at Jiang Yuhuo as she walked towards him with a scrutinizing gaze. She appeared calm, as if what she was doing was something that everyone in the world would do, something perfectly normal. Moreover, she looked radiant, without a trace of fatigue between her brows, which made Mo Sheng on the ground look even more haggard.

He had to close his eyes briefly, trying to banish those ambiguous images. Having been in the immortal sect for so many years, he naturally knew that some cultivators used dual cultivation to improve their cultivation level. This wasn't something shameful, as long as both parties were willing.

But he never imagined she would do such a thing. The thought of her spending a night of debauchery with someone here made him feel ridiculous. He didn't know her at all; they had only known each other for less than half a month.

Jia Yue opened her eyes, forcibly suppressing the undercurrent in her heart and regaining her usual calm and composed demeanor.

"Lord Zongzi, now that you've come, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Jia Yue remained silent, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

Jiang Yuhuo bowed to the person in front of him and said, "Please, Tianque, rescind the punishment on Mo Sheng and allow him to return to the sect."

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Author's Note: Jia Yue now: Do you even know what shame is?!

What is shame in the future?