Chapter 36

Have you ever kissed someone?

"Your face is so red. Haven't you ever been kissed by a girl?"

Should he tell the truth or not?

Since he made up his mind to find her and protect her, he vowed never to deceive her again.

They kissed, a passionate kiss.

At that time, she insisted on having sex with him, and they started kissing before they even had sex. At that time, they didn't understand what it felt like to have their lips and teeth touching.

It's a tingling, intoxicating sensation, with a suffocating, boiling feeling, like two out-of-control animals tearing and entangled, inseparable.

Looking back now, it feels like something from a past life.

Pei Xueyan said somewhat unhappily, "So that means you've kissed someone? Humph!"

"No."

"Doesn't count? What do you mean it doesn't count? Didn't we kiss in the right place?"

"Are you jealous?" he asked back with a smile.

Pei Xueyan chuckled and whispered in his ear, "I'm not jealous at all! Good brother, you should get past your master's hurdle first before thinking about these things. I'm afraid he might suddenly come and take you away. If we're all kissing now and others find out, our reputations will be ruined."

Jiang Qiye said with a hint of teasing, "We've all seen it."

She quickly covered his eyes: "No, no! You saved me, you didn't look on purpose! Forget about it, don't mention it again!"

"I didn't see it."

"It's best if they didn't see it; we're still innocent."

Jiang Qiye chuckled softly and didn't refute further.

The Taoist temple where Master Zijin lived could be seen from afar, with its green tiles and white walls hidden among the green mountains and trees, but it took more than an hour to actually walk there.

The two crossed the carved pavilion and walked across the log bridge between the two mountains. Just as they arrived at the entrance of the Taoist temple, they saw an old man in a white robe standing in front of the steps.

It was none other than the Purple Gold Immortal.

His hair and beard were all white, but his eyes were clear and bright, and he had an aura of otherworldly elegance.

Seeing the two approaching, Master Zijin nodded slightly in acknowledgment, his expression gentle.

Jiang Qiye quickly pulled Pei Xueyan forward to pay his respects, saying in a respectful tone, "Disciple Jiang Qiye of the Qingzong Sect, along with Pei Xueyan, the head of the Ye family, have come to visit True Person Zijin. I went up the mountain to heal my injuries yesterday and should have come to pay my respects immediately, but unfortunately, Miss Pei is injured and it is late, so I dared not disturb you. Please forgive me, True Person."

Master Zijin waved his hand, showing no airs, and said with a smile, "No need to be so polite. How about the Suspended Mirror?"

Xuanjing is Jiang Qiye's master.

He bowed and replied, "Reporting to the Master, my master is still in seclusion and will likely emerge next year."

Master Zijin nodded, then turned his gaze to Pei Xueyan: "This young lady is Ye Xiuluo's disciple?"

Pei Xueyan stepped forward and bowed according to the etiquette of the immortal sect, speaking humbly: "Replying to the True Immortal, Ye Xiuluo is indeed my master. In recent years, she has been traveling all over the world, and her whereabouts are uncertain. I have often heard of the True Immortal's name since I was a child, and it is truly an honor to meet her today."

A hint of approval flashed in Master Zijin's eyes, and he said with a faint smile, "Miss Pei is very thoughtful."

Pei Xueyan said sincerely, "Master, I am truly excited. It is extremely fortunate to be able to come to such a precious place with Daoist Jiang. I came in a hurry and did not bring any valuable gifts. This is a 'Resurrection Pill' that my master made. There are only five in total. My master kept three, and I only have two left. I specially present it to you today as a token of my respect."

As she spoke, she took out a small jade bottle from her bosom and handed it over with both hands.

Master Zijin quickly waved his hand in refusal, his tone indifferent: "What is there to fear in death? This humble Taoist does not care about life and death." He stroked his beard, probably pleased that the junior was so sensible, "Come here, let me check your pulse."

He was over two hundred years old. For thousands of years, the five of them—his ancestor, master, senior brother, and himself—had been guarding this place, absorbing the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers to nourish their bodies and minds. They had long since taken a detached view of life and death, so naturally they had no need for this elixir of life and death.

The three entered the Taoist temple, where the courtyard was elegant and simple.

Pei Xueyan sat on the stone bench as instructed, extending her wrist and revealing her arm.

Master Zijin placed his fingertips on her pulse, closed his eyes and concentrated, and released his hand after a moment.

"How did Miss Pei lose all her cultivation?"

Pei Xueyan sighed softly, her face instantly filled with a dejected and aggrieved expression, and her voice lowered: "This disciple can't explain it either. That day, I went down the mountain on business and drank some wine on a whim. I was probably drunk when I was kidnapped by someone dressed as a member of the Qing Sect. He said I was practicing evil arts and insisted on crippling my martial arts to force me to reform. I resisted with all my might, but I was no match for his cultivation level and soon passed out. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a strange room, my cultivation completely severed, leaving me in this crippled state."

Jiang Qiye stood aside, listening to Pei Xueyan's story.

This was the first time he clearly confirmed that she truly knew nothing about the past.

Should he be relieved or heartbroken?

Fortunately, they had no memories, which allowed them to get closer again and continue being together.

He couldn't help but feel heartbroken. All those heart-wrenching love-hate relationships and unforgettable entanglements were now remembered only by him alone in the world.

No one knows anymore.

Master Zijin nodded, puzzled, and said with some approval, "Your physical foundation is still good. It is truly remarkable that you have been able to hold on until now despite losing all your cultivation."

He then asked, "Who injured your shoulder?"

Jiang Qiye answered the question first: "It's my master. He doesn't want... he doesn't want us to be together."

Master Zijin stroked his beard and laughed, "That stubborn fellow has never been able to bear seeing lovers, he's still the same as ever."

Judging from his tone, Pei Xueyan realized that he had a close relationship with Master Wangyu, so she gave up the idea of ​​complaining.

On one side is her master's friend, and on the other side is her master's disciple. As an outsider, how could she possibly have the right to complain about her grievances?

"The fact that your core and heart core could be stripped away so cleanly suggests that the person who destroyed your cultivation had no malicious intent." Master Zijin took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Here is a bottle of Yaochi Morning Dew. Drink a small sip every day, and in seven or eight days, Wang Yu's injuries will be basically healed."

Pei Xueyan, naturally unaware of what was going on, stepped forward and explained, "Thank you so much, Master Jiang. I am truly blessed. However, I am feeling better because Master Jiang has been channeling spiritual energy into me these past few days. At first, I felt weak and had no appetite, unable to even taste anything. I had nightmares every day, unable to see who was trying to kill me, and I would become weak after walking only a few miles. It is thanks to Brother Qiye that I feel so good to you."

She then gave Jiang Qiye a sweet smile.

This is terrible!

For the sake of that sweet smile, he suppressed all the truth and enjoyed the stolen love.

After instructing them to make their own arrangements, Master Zijin turned and went into the temple to continue his spiritual cultivation.

Not long after, a young Taoist priest brought two plates of vegetarian food, both of which were refreshing vegetarian dishes. Although there was no meat, the taste was very delicious.

Pei Xueyan had a great appetite and ate a lot.

"Brother, where will we stay tonight?"

Jiang Qiye ate his meal slowly and answered calmly, "There are three waterside courtyards on the East Mountain. Disciples who practice dual cultivation in the immortal sects usually live there."

"Dual cultivation?" She stared at him, her eyes wide. "You want to cultivate with me?"

He lowered his eyes and hummed in agreement.

Pei Xueyan laughed and said, "I've heard that dual cultivation requires eating and living together, and maybe even undressing and sleeping together, and merging spiritual energy. Do you really want to dual cultivate with me like that? I don't want to be naked and face-to-face with someone while cultivating."

Jiang Qiye certainly knew, and was very clear about it.

He had also seen how his senior brothers got along with their Daoist partners, as well as his senior uncles and aunts. Although they were not as close as ordinary couples, they were not far apart.

Many teenage male and female disciples in the immortal sects support each other through dual cultivation, and most of them eventually become real couples.

Jiang Qiye felt a chill run down his spine when he heard that she had no intention of engaging in dual cultivation, and even his appetite diminished.

He suppressed his disappointment and tried to keep his tone calm: "I'm just making a suggestion. If you want to recover your cultivation as soon as possible, or even re-form your core, you'll need a suitable person to train with and guide your spiritual energy. Whether or not you want to engage in dual cultivation is up to Miss Pei to decide."

"Why are you calling me Miss Pei?"

She's so straightforward.

"You are an innocent young woman, and I'm afraid that calling you that too intimately will cause gossip."

Pei Xueyan was naive about matters between men and women and did not realize that he was saying those things on purpose.

She even thought he was genuinely protecting her.

She smiled sweetly: "Then I'll call you Master Jiang, so as not to ruin your reputation. You're a pure and innocent person, right?"

He casually agreed, and immediately lost his appetite.

After finishing her meal, Pei Xueyan couldn't resist looking around. Every plant, tree, and carved beam in the Taoist temple seemed new and intriguing to her.

She suddenly remembered that when others chose a location for their sect, they always chose a secluded mountain shrouded in mist.

But her master did not. Back then, he only bought a dilapidated temple and simply renovated it into Yishui Villa.

The place was very close to the market; it wasn't really a mountain, more like a gentle slope. The scenery wasn't particularly beautiful, but it made it easy for her to sneak out.

I thought Qishi Mountain was beautiful enough before, but now that I've arrived at Yuanhua Mountain, I've discovered that the scenery here is even more spectacular.

"Good brother, let's sleep outside tonight. We're sure to see lots of stars and absorb some of the sun and moon's essence."

"There's someone here," he kindly reminded them.

Pei Xueyan looked around and saw a Taoist boy sweeping the ground with his head down in the distance, not looking in her direction at all.

She immediately suppressed her excitement, lowered her head, and gently tugged at his sleeve with her fingers, her voice timid: "Daoist Master, are you afraid that others will hear me teaching your brother? I can't help it! What's wrong? You seem angry."

Jiang Qiye pursed his lips and remained silent.

When I was little, I would pester my senior sister and coax my master. Every time I sneaked out and got into trouble, I had to find a way to play the victim and beg for forgiveness from Granny Jiang. I had long since mastered this skill.

She immediately reached out and intertwined her fingers with his, her thumb gently pinching the back of his hand, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother Qiye, I'm so scared. Will your master come again? I really want to be with you, even sleep together! I'm just afraid that your master will think you're a good cabbage and I'm a rotten pig, and that he'll take advantage of you and beat me again! You don't know how painful it is to be beaten."

As she spoke, she took his hand and gently pulled it to her chest.

He couldn't resist the seductive tone of such a charming woman, and his anger instantly dissipated: "This is my fault."

"Then are you still going to beg your master?"

"What do you want?"

"Please, Master, how can you agree to be with a little devil like me! Humph!"

Jiang Qiye looked at her charming appearance and smiled faintly: "My master never speaks directly. His leaving means he promised me... promised me to take good care of you."

[Author's Note]

I've been writing this for a year, and I've rarely made the female lead suffer in terms of romance. Ahh, this one will be a little angsty towards the end.

Actually, when Xiao Azheng likes someone, she will lie to him. Her master is too strict with her, and she is too afraid...

When I'm writing, I always have the ending in mind, but I've only written the first half. It's so frustrating!

Compared to the cat and Nancy, the female lead in this book seems cuter. I'd like her to be more of a little sister type, so that her mistakes later on might seem more understandable...

I hope the artist hasn't made any mistakes in the depiction.