Chapter 85 Cold Provocation
Since Li Tiankuo had no objections, the three of them were very interested in sneaking into Qingyun Mountain and discussed many plans in hushed tones.
They discussed it until sunset, when the orange hue spread across the land.
"Young master! Young master! Someone is looking for you outside!"
A young doorman knocked on the door to remind them.
"Who is it?" Cui Mingcan, beaming with pride from the compliments, opened the door with a smile on her face.
"I don't know, I only know it's a girl!"
As the doorman spoke, his handsome, pale face turned as red as a persimmon.
Cui Mingcan was curious. He didn't have any female confidantes, so who would seek him out?
"You only contacted me?"
They're probably looking for Li Tiankuo or Bai Yuheng.
"No, I'm looking for Miss Bai!"
Bai Yuheng heard her name called and came out as well.
"Could it be a woman dressed in white, with a lotus-like face and fox-like eyes, and a small mole under her left eye?"
The doorman had never seen such a radiant woman before, and he had an unforgettable memory. Hearing her accurate description, he nodded repeatedly: "It's her! It's this young lady!"
"Who is it?" Cui Mingcan asked curiously, as he didn't recognize the person. "From our sect?"
Bai Yuheng shook her head: "He is the young sect master of the Hehuan Sect."
"Oh, no wonder."
"Quickly, invite them in!"
The doorman shook his head: "Young master, that young lady said she would only say a few words to Miss Bai before leaving."
"Then I'll go out first, you two continue chatting."
Bai Yuheng quickly followed the doorman.
Although Nan Yuezhu looked somewhat disheveled while waiting at the door, she was still radiant, attracting many passersby to steal glances.
Bai Yuheng walked up to her and asked, "May I ask what business Young Master Nan has with me?"
Nan Yuezhu's lips were somewhat pale, but that did not diminish the forcefulness of her words: "I came for that Nightmare Beast."
Bai Yuheng raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
“This Nightmare Beast belongs to my Hehuan Sect. As the young master, I should have the right to dispose of it.”
"Can."
Her quick agreement surprised Nan Yuezhu for a moment; she had thought she would have to use some persuasion to get it back.
"real?"
Bai Yuheng nodded: "Of course it's true. It originally belonged to your sect, so I wouldn't steal it. However..."
"But what?" Nan Yuezhu asked anxiously.
"It's just that I subdued it. My little darling is still tied up. If I release it, can you guarantee you'll subdue it again? Or that it won't harm other people?"
Nan Yuezhu's face was somewhat pale. Thinking of how the Joyful Plate had broken in two during the process of subduing the Nightmare Beast, she almost couldn't catch her breath.
"Fine! Since you've already subdued it, then you can keep it."
Bai Yuheng was surprised that she gave up so naturally, which was quite different from her unwillingness to give up last night.
Nan Yuezhu chuckled: "Don't overthink it. Although I want that Nightmare Beast, I'm not so presumptuous as to overestimate myself. Since I'm not as skilled as you, I'll give it to you."
She spoke frankly, and Bai Yuheng believed her.
"Having this Nightmare Beast by my side is also a hidden danger. If the sect finds out that I secretly went down the mountain for this beast, they will definitely punish me." Nan Yuezhu sighed softly, "I was too stubborn, thinking of finding another way to improve my cultivation."
Bai Yuheng was not interested in her private affairs and was about to say goodbye and leave.
She then asked, "Do you know why I am so persistent in improving my cultivation?"
"..." Bai Yuheng paused for a moment, then shook her head politely, "I don't know."
Nan Yuezhu laughed and said, "Hey, this is naturally for your master!"
"..." Bai Yuheng's eyelids twitched. This was the second person to mention Pei Yuan to her today. Speaking of this person inevitably brought to mind the absurdity of last night...
Nan Yuezhu said to herself, "Your master has already broken through to the next realm. If I were to become his Daoist partner, I would naturally have to have the same level of cultivation. Otherwise, after several years, he would still be a handsome and refined young man, while I would have become an old woman who has lost my beauty."
Bai Yuheng pursed her lips for a long while, her heart filled with indescribable complex emotions, and asked, "I don't know the story of you and my... my master. How did you two meet?"
Speaking of this, Nan Yuezhu laughed heartily, a hint of girlish shyness appearing on her beautiful face: "That year, I went down the mountain on a mission and was almost ambushed, but he happened to pass by and saved my life..."
Oh, so it was a classic case of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress...
Bai Yuheng thought to herself.
"Although it was just a small favor from him, he truly saved my life, and that's when I developed feelings for him... Later, when I went to the Tianyan Sect to participate in the competition, I met him again..."
Bai Yuheng listened intently yet absentmindedly, as if it were a young girl's story of unrequited love. As for Pei Yuan's response, she didn't know from her words.
Bai Yuheng asked, "Then how can you be so sure that you will definitely become Daoist partners with my master?"
Nam Yue-joo confidently declared, "I, Nam Yue-joo, have never failed to win over any man I set my sights on!"
She smiled, a charming and confident smile, and patted her shoulder: "Your master will be mine sooner or later!"
She, Nan Yuezhu, would do anything to get the man she set her sights on; as for what would happen after she got tired of him, that was a matter for later. Right now, she was only interested in Pei Yuan, wanting to experience what it was like to be the cold-hearted, aloof flower of the Tianyan Sect.
"..." Bai Yuheng frowned upon hearing this, feeling that she was treating Pei Yuan like an object to be fought over, without any regard for his feelings.
Pei Yuan was someone she had watched grow up, so her feelings for him naturally outweighed her feelings for her. Even though she admired Nan Yuezhu's carefree and cheerful nature, her goodwill towards her diminished somewhat, and her smile became less genuine: "Does Young Master Nan have anything else? If not, I'll take my leave..."
Forget it, since it's their business, let them handle it. Pei Yuan is all grown up now; his feelings and his heart... are naturally his own to decide. There's nothing she can do about it. As for what happened in the illusion...
The mere thought of Bai Yuheng gives me a headache.
Nan Yuezhu had come to talk to her about the Nightmare Beast, and now that she had finished, she was ready to leave.
She nodded and said, "Okay, then we'll meet again someday!"
"Yes, may Young Master Nan have a safe journey."
"Okay, thank you!"
After saying this, the two parted ways at the Cui residence.
Seeing Nan Yuezhu leave in high spirits, Bai Yuheng also prepared to turn around and go back to her residence.
"Is Yu'er waiting for me to return to the manor?"
"..." Bai Yuheng was speechless for a moment when she heard Zhu He's overjoyed and overly familiar words.
The latter grinned and leaned closer: "Yu'er..."
"Young Master Zhu."
Bai Yuheng was extremely indifferent to Zhu He's enthusiasm.
"I wonder if Miss Bai has any free time today?"
Bai Yuheng had lived for hundreds of years, so she could still see through his obvious intentions.
His captivating, peach-blossom-like eyes were fixed on her, a smile playing on his lips and brows, eagerly awaiting her response: "I wish to travel with you through Jiangzhou City. I've heard the scenery of Jiangnan, both inside and outside the city, is exquisite. Wouldn't it be pitiful and lamentable if we didn't have a good friend to accompany us?"
After saying this, he felt nervous and uneasy, and his hands under his sleeves involuntarily clenched up.
She could sense his unease. Bai Yuheng pondered for a long time. Although she could see his feelings, she had never encountered anything like this before.
Having cultivated for hundreds of years, and due to her distant family ties in her youth, she had never thought about matters of the heart, nor had any admirer publicly expressed their feelings for her. That is why she was so flustered and at a loss when Pei Yuan opened his heart to reveal his feelings for her.
This was a field she had never been to before, and while she was curious, she sensed a certain danger.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Zhu He became a little anxious. This was the first time he had ever pursued a girl like this, and he was afraid that he was being too abrupt. But if he didn't express his feelings soon, he would have to leave after finishing his business in a few days, and he didn't know when he would see her again.
He remembered someone, and said urgently but calmly, "By the way, where is Brother Pei?"
"..." This was the third time Bai Yuheng had heard Pei Yuan's name today, and she didn't know why he had suddenly brought Pei Yuan into this. After hesitating for a while, she said, "I don't know..."
“If you don’t want to go with me alone, you can go to Brother Pei! Although he is your master, I think he cares about you quite a bit and he will definitely agree.”
"..." Bai Yuheng had a headache. She couldn't stand hearing words like Pei Yuan and love, especially since they were related.
“Brother Pei is kind and gentle. Although he doesn’t talk much and has a cold personality, I can tell he’s a good person…” Zhu He said, feeling that the idea she had come up with in her haste was quite good. She became somewhat excited as she spoke, as if she and he had already agreed to go on the trip together. “What do you think of this idea? I’ll be leaving Jiangzhou to return to Nanling in a couple of days, and I don’t know when we’ll see each other again…”
If Bai Yuheng hadn't realized his feelings for her before, she would most likely have agreed to his request and even organized a farewell party for him with Xiao Can and the others, since meeting is fate.
But at this moment...
Bai Yuheng pursed her lips, meeting the expectant expression on the man's face. Just as she was about to harden her heart and refuse him, she caught a glimpse of the culprit standing under the shade of a tree, someone who had been mentioned intentionally or unintentionally, someone who had been constantly disturbing her mind and making her feel unsettled! At this moment, he was staring at her with a pair of sharp, cold phoenix eyes that were as sharp as knives and as cold as swords.
Bai Yuheng: "..."
Meeting his cold, piercing gaze, she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Recalling those events, the burning, slippery, and sticky sensation seemed to linger on her lower back, and her already troubled mind was thrown into turmoil once more.
Bai Yuheng pursed her lips, feeling that her reaction was too weak. After all, she had lived for hundreds of years. So what if her disciple fell in love with her master... no, no, her master fell in love with her disciple? What's so strange about that... love and romance have never been rare throughout the ages... even if you haven't eaten pork, you've at least seen pigs run!
Besides, she's his apprentice now! He has those kinds of thoughts about her; he's the one who should feel guilty and ashamed! She's the one in the right! Why should she take the blame for him and feel guilty, embarrassed, and ashamed?
Bai Yuheng mentally prepared herself, and her embarrassment and guilt dissipated. When she looked back at him, she was exceptionally righteous and awe-inspiring. Her clear, watery eyes stared at him without any hesitation, showing none of the panic and helplessness she had shown at the beginning.
What are you looking at!
Bai Yuheng was furious with him. Her eyes widened, and he even showed his face, staring at her so sinisterly... He looked at Zhu He like he was an enemy, as if he had stolen his treasure. His handsome face turned white and then black, and his dark eyes were gloomy.
Bai Yuheng then realized that she had never understood this disciple at all! Look at those eyes, it's like he wants to tear her apart. She could smell that stench just from hearing him say a few words! It was deep and brooding.
"...Brother Pei?" Zhu He naturally noticed the almost tangible gaze, and was startled by the sudden encounter. He took a step back, grabbed Bai Yuheng's arm, and said hesitantly and guiltily, "Brother Pei, did you hear what Yu'er and I said? Would you be willing to— umm!?"
Zhu He was completely unaware of his increasingly gloomy face before he could finish speaking and was silenced by a spell.
"Ugh!?"
Bai Yuheng deciphered the spell that had been used to silence people.
"Brother Pei, you—uh!"
Pei Yuan remained unfazed as he challenged either him or her.
Looking at Zhu He, who was innocent yet not entirely innocent, she didn't want their affair to involve unimportant people.
Bai Yuheng's face turned cold, and she shouted, "Pei Yuan!"
"Brother Pei, how could you do this?" Zhu He clutched Bai Yuheng's sleeve, hiding behind her, and accused him with a mixture of sadness and anger. "I treated you like a brother! How could you silence me just because we disagreed?"
He then lowered his eyes to look at Bai Yuheng, and said in a trembling voice, "Yu'er, if your master doesn't want to come with us, he can just tell me directly. There's no need to tease people like this! If he won't go, we'll go by ourselves!"
She seemed terrified by him, glancing up at him before quickly shrinking back.
"..."
Bai Yuheng couldn't help but facepalm. His words hadn't calmed Pei Yuan down; instead, they'd only added fuel to the fire. Didn't he see that the man's face was as black as ink, and the icy look in his eyes could make someone in the sweltering summer shiver? And yet he was still provoking him!
That's some serious recklessness!
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