60. The Sea of ​​Hatred (Part 8)

A spiritual connection?

Lou Yunya was indeed somewhat stunned by this earth-shattering statement. He composed himself, seemingly trying to confirm the truth of her words.

Below, Qianxue stood tall and straight, her eyes clear and firm, without a trace of joking or shyness, as if stating a perfectly natural fact.

"Wait..." Lou Yunya finally found his voice. He picked up the vermilion brush that had fallen to the side, casually placed it on the brush holder, leaned forward slightly, and continued to ask:

"Qianxue, the daughter of Qian Zhong, the sect leader of Qingxiao Sect?"

"It's me," Qianxue replied simply and clearly.

Lou Tinglan chuckled for a moment, "If I remember correctly, I have never met you before. How can you talk about forming a 'bond'?"

Qianxue seemed surprised by his reaction, her eyes filled with confusion: "Don't you think I'm good-looking?"

Lou Yunya was somewhat stunned by her blunt words. Qian Zhong was a solemn and rigid person, but he never expected that his daughter would be so... bold and pure?

He chuckled softly: "Fellow Daoist Qian is indeed quite handsome, but I..."

Qianxue interrupted him, "That's good then," she said, and then took out a small booklet with a vermilion cover and two large characters written in gold powder: "Contract".

She walked up the steps, unfolded the book in her hand, placed it in front of Lou Yunya, and then took a pen from the pen holder and handed it to him.

"I've asked the elders in the sect, and they said that when cultivators form a bond, what matters is the harmony of their souls, so rituals and such are not important. You can just write your name here..."

"As for the soul communication after the contract is formed, you can come to Qingxiao to find me anytime if you have time."

Guided by her actions, Lou Yunya touched the contract with his pen, leaving a dot of ink, and then suddenly laughed, rubbing his forehead.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait. What I mean is, although you are as beautiful as snow, there are many other female cultivators in this world who are also exceptionally beautiful. Why would I want to... form a contract with you?"

Qianxue frowned, even more puzzled: "But I'm the prettiest, don't you think?"

Lou Yunya was speechless for a moment before asking, "Who told you that?"

Qianxue honestly replied, "That's what the elders in the sect all say."

Lou Yunya seemed to have noticed the loophole in her words, "So, it was also the elders of the sect who sent you to form a contract with me?"

Qianxue remained silent for a long time before asking:

"You really don't want to?"

Qianxue's question carried an almost naive stubbornness, yet it appeared exceptionally serious due to her aloof expression.

Looking at the only daughter of the Qingxiao Sect Leader, who was rumored to be aloof, cold, and detached from the world, Lou Yunya suddenly realized that she was naive in some ways.

He avoided the question, saying, "Fellow Daoist Qianxue, forming a bond is not a child's play. It would be too hasty to judge us based solely on appearances since we have just met."

"Instead, it requires consistency between words and deeds, and shared goals."

Qianxue tilted her head slightly and lowered her eyes, seemingly pondering his answer seriously. After a long while, she seemed to realize something: "Father said you like to meddle in other people's business, so you hope your Daoist partner is also a meddlesome person, right?"

Before Lou Yunya could answer, she nodded thoughtfully, "In that case, I will come back to you to form a contract again."

Having said that, she turned around and smoothly put her veil back on, concealing the captivating color on her face.

Lou Yunya, who was sitting in the same spot, watched her departing figure until the blue figure disappeared outside the palace gate. Only then did he slowly lean back in his chair, let out a long sigh, and then curled the corner of his lips. He solemnly placed the contract in a hidden compartment in the corner of the table.

“Qingxiao Sect, Qianxue…” he murmured to himself, shaking his head, the smile on his lips deepening, “Truly…unexpected.”

Lou Tinglan, standing to the side of the hall, seemed never to have expected that their acquaintance would be so... straightforward.

His only memories of Qianxue were from his imagination and other people's descriptions. He thought she would be aloof and cold or gentle and quiet, but he never expected her to be so direct and pure.

Ran Qinghe stood beside him and lowered her voice, "Shall we continue watching?"

Lou Tinglan pursed his lips and nodded gently. His mind was in turmoil, with a sense of comfort at seeing his mother, but also a heavy heart because the prelude to the ending was about to be unveiled.

The scenes in the Mirror of Past Lives began to flow rapidly, like turning pages of a book. As Qianxue had said, she would appear silently outside the Discipline Hall every half month to meet Lou Yunya in the side hall.

She didn't say much, only talking about how she had exorcised evil spirits and slain vengeful spirits in recent days. At the end, she would always add, "So, are you now willing to form a pact with me?"

When Lou Yunya faced her, his initial surprise and helplessness gradually faded, replaced by a growing interest and curiosity.

Lou Tinglan looked at the increasingly burning light in Lou Yunya's eyes in the mirror, and at the faint smile that occasionally appeared on Qianxue's usually aloof face. He knew that some things were inevitably happening.

When the objects in the mirror stabilized again, they were outside a cave under the moonlight. Looking around, it seemed to be inside the Qingxiao Sect.

Lou Yunya paced outside for a while before knocking on the door.

The door opened, revealing a pale, gentle face. Lou Yunya rushed forward and asked in a panic, "Are you injured?"

Qianxue coughed lightly, "It's nothing, I was just bumped by Feifeng's demon beast."

Lou Yunya was still not at ease: "I will continue your spirit."

Seeing Qianxue shake her head in refusal, he said, "You don't need to risk your life because of me. What I said that day wasn't meant for you to do this because of me..."

Qianxue looked at him directly: "So, you've agreed to form a contract with me?"

Lou Yunya was silent for a moment, then said, "May I ask why? Why was I chosen...?"

The moonlight shone on her face, softening her cool features, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. "Now that you know the reason, will you form a pact with me?"

Lou Yunya's breath seemed to catch in his throat. He stared into her eyes for a long, long time. "Yes."

His voice was hoarse, carrying a long-suppressed surge of emotion.

Qianxue answered honestly, "Because my father has always been worried, I want to share his burden."

Lou Yunya asked again, puzzled: "Worried?"

Qianxue nodded. "Father said that although the five sects in the realm check and balance each other and help each other, the cultivation world is one where the strong are respected, so Qingxiao is the leader of the five sects."

"However, the Discipline Hall frequently interferes in the internal affairs of the Five Sects and helps them exorcise evil spirits, which has won the hearts of the people and has the potential to replace the position of the head of the Five Sects of Qingxiao."

"Father once discussed with you the possibility of merging the Discipline Hall into a faction of Qingxiao, but you refused..."

Lou Yunya's expression darkened further, and he finished her sentence: "So, because I rejected Sect Leader Qian's proposal, Sect Leader Qian sent you to win him over..."

His once burning gaze gradually softened, but Qianxue seemed oblivious to his change in emotion, still looking at him with those excessively clear eyes, nodding and then shaking her head.

“My father never mentioned it to me,” she said in the calmest tone. “It was the elders of the sect who discussed it privately. If I could become your Daoist partner, the Discipline Hall and the Azure Sky Sect would be one, which would be the best outcome.”

Lou Yunya's hand clenched silently in his sleeve, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. So, those sudden visits and those seemingly pure and persistent inquiries were all just because of this.

The tender sprout that had just broken through the soil in his heart seemed to have suddenly encountered a snowstorm.

“Qianxue.” He looked at her, trying to find even the slightest bit of pretense in that rarely expressionless face, but he only saw a clear and honest face, so clean that it could not tolerate any impurities.

Qianxue responded, "Did you bring the contract? If not, I'll rewrite it." Her tone was slightly anxious.

Looking at her determined expression of forming a bond, Lou Yunya suddenly felt an indescribable bitterness. He raised his hand and gently brushed away a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the night wind from her cheek, his fingertips lightly brushing against her delicate earlobe.

Qianxue trembled slightly.

Lou Yunya said in a low voice, "Then the elders of other sects should also tell you not to easily believe what others say."

He turned and left, waving his hand dismissively, "I've changed my mind about the contract..."

However, Qianxue braved the night wind and chased after him again, grabbing his sleeve.

The movement was very light, but Lou Yunya still stopped in his tracks without turning around.

That tiny bit of force, transmitted clearly through the thin fabric, was like an invisible thread wrapped around his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"You lied to me?" Qianxue's voice came from behind him, still calm, but seemingly with a hint of subtle, barely perceptible annoyance than usual.

Lou Yunya turned his back to her and tried to pull his sleeve back, but she gripped it even tighter.

“Fellow Daoist Qianxue,” he tried to keep his voice steady, “I am not mocking you, but you should understand that the ‘bond’ you speak of is not the same thing as what I understand.”

"What's the difference?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. "I've already prepared the contract. Once the names are signed and our souls are connected, the contract will be officially formed. You didn't object before."

Lou Yunya finally turned around. "Soulmates..." he repeated in a low voice, "Do you know what soulmates between lovers mean?"

Qianxue answered without hesitation: "The fusion of spiritual power and the sharing of divine consciousness are beneficial to cultivation."

Sure enough, all she ever knew were the cold, hard words in the classics.

Lou Yunya suddenly felt a little powerless, and leaned closer to her. "It's not just that," he said in a low voice, with a seductive quality, "it also means... intimacy, whispering sweet nothings, the most unique and intimate connection in the world."

His fingertips lifted slightly, almost touching her cheek, but stopped just before they touched, hovering there in an extremely ambiguous pose.

Are you sure you want to agree to this 'bond' for your father's sake?