Chapter 55
◎Lovers Become Enemies◎
Pei Xueyan was jostled so hard that her internal organs felt dislocated. With a coarse cloth stuffed in her mouth, she couldn't even utter a complete curse; she could only sob incoherently.
She wanted to curse the kidnappers for being despicable, and she wanted to call Zhou Wenjian and Qingnu to rescue her, but her mind was filled with thoughts of her senior sister who was still waiting to be healed.
She swayed for an unknown amount of time before she was suddenly thrown violently and slammed to the ground.
To be precise, it wasn't that heavy; it was the rude, careless way it was being discarded that made her furious.
She tried to circulate some spiritual energy, but found that it dissipated as soon as it reached her dantian.
The sack couldn't be untied; it was sealed with spiritual energy.
What a blunder!
It can actually knock people out and make them run away!
What a disgrace!
Pei Xueyan was thinking about how to escape when she discovered that someone had untied the ropes.
The man was dressed in Qingzongmen robes and had a very rude attitude: "You stay here and reflect on your mistakes."
This person was sent by Jiang Xiye.
He heard from his disciples that the woman was using a magic weapon from the Qing Sect in a martial arts contest, and that she was none other than the infamous female demon Pei Xueyan, who was also his rumored wife.
I'm so angry!
Pei Xueyan's already unhealed back injury was made even more excruciating by the tight ropes binding her.
She was abruptly thrown into a corner, her eyes covered by a heavy sack, surrounded by complete darkness, unable to see anything.
I don't know how long I stayed up, but my consciousness gradually blurred, and I drifted off to sleep.
I was pushed.
Immediately afterwards, the sack on his body was torn off, and the ropes binding him were untied.
Pei Xueyan instantly snapped to her senses, her eyes blazing with fury. She was determined to find out who was so insolent and give them a good scolding!
The moment her vision cleared, she froze.
It was Jiang Qiye.
Indeed, who else in this world could do such a despicable thing as taking advantage of someone in distress? He's a complete little lecher.
She made a whimpering sound, signaling him to remove the gag from her mouth.
Jiang Qiye looked down at him with a cold expression, still wearing a loose black robe, looking extremely arrogant.
His gaze fell on her face.
It is curiosity, it is disdain, it is aloofness.
In short, he exuded an aura of superiority and authority, completely different from the gentle, humble, and approachable young Taoist priest he once was.
Pei Xueyan didn't care about any of that, nor was she afraid of him. She was only burning with anger and struggled desperately to break free of his restraints.
Jiang Qiye flicked his wrist, and the gag in her mouth was pulled out.
"You pervert! What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, no matter what you've done to humiliate me like this, I will not let you get away with it."
He was still looking at her coldly, without giving her any response.
Pei Xueyan simply closed her eyes, about to use her magic to break free of the ropes.
"Where did you steal your cultivation from? And why do you dare to swindle and deceive, claiming to be my wife?"
She had barely closed her eyes when she was so angered by these words that she didn't know how to react.
Steal my ass!
I don't know if that expression is acting or just pretending; it's like asking a question you already know the answer to.
"Let go of me first! If you don't, I'll call for help! Let me tell you, I'm skilled in soul-soothing telepathy; my voice can be heard for miles around. When your disciples find out about your shameful deeds, let's see how you'll stay in your position as sect leader!"
Jiang Qiye dismissed it with disdain.
She really gathered her strength and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Help! The sect leader of the Qing Sect is bullying a weak woman!"
Jiang Qiye flicked his fingertips, instantly sealing her vocal cords and simultaneously loosening the ropes binding her.
The ban was the easiest to lift. Pei Xueyan struggled to her feet, ready to reason with him, but unexpectedly, her old injury in her waist suddenly flared up, causing excruciating pain.
She staggered and fell back to the ground, her back against the cold wall, gritting her teeth and huffing, "Jiang Qiye, I will never forgive you."
He still looked at her scrutinizingly: "You haven't answered my question yet."
Why should I answer you? I don't want to answer.
Jiang Qiye frowned slightly and immediately cast a spell again, and several ropes appeared out of thin air, binding her tightly once more.
He turned to leave, saying, "Then stay here and think it through before you answer."
Pei Xueyan leaned against the wall, her eyes looking pitiful.
Her grievances weren't just from the throbbing pain in her back, but from the fact that without love, it seemed she had an excuse and a reason to forget the past.
Their past feelings were never fully sorted out, and now this person has completely forgotten about them.
If he has no intention of continuing, she doesn't want to get entangled with him.
Perhaps it was that stubborn streak in her heart that made her refuse to show weakness or back down.
On the first day, when the disciples of the Qingzong Sect came to see her, she still looked brave and unyielding.
The second and third days passed, and she remained the same, but she was visibly growing weaker and weaker.
No matter how much Jiang Qiye despised this female demon's actions, he knew that secretly tying people up and locking them up was not a long-term solution.
That is not the behavior of a gentleman.
So, a disciple outside the door acted as an intermediary: "Master Pei, our sect leader is not an unreasonable person. The item you had that could save Zhou Wenjian has already been given to her, and she is much better now. I think you also want to go back and see your senior sister as soon as possible, right?"
Pei Xueyan sneered, "Since you know I am the master of the manor, is this how your sects behave? Jiang Qiye is bullying me by relying on his power. I'm going to complain to Master Zijin and Master Qilin to see if there is any justice left in this world."
Jiang Qiye naturally didn't take these threats to heart.
However, given her upbringing and training, it is indeed inappropriate to use such methods of imprisonment on a vulnerable woman.
In the end, he still had Pei Xueyan released.
Pei Xueyan refused to get up.
They untied her, and she tied herself up again.
After several rounds of back and forth, both sides were exhausted, so the disciples had no choice but to carry her to the bed.
The bed in Tianhe Palace was usually left unused, especially since Jiang Qiye spent his days meditating and practicing Xuanxiu, and hadn't touched a bed in a long time.
He preferred peace and quiet, and it was not appropriate for a third party to know about him. He sent all the disciples away from Tianhe Palace, leaving only the two of them.
Jiang Qiye walked over slowly. Today, his hair was neatly combed, and his expression remained indifferent: "I have already asked my master, and we are not engaged. But rumors of my marriage have been circulating in the martial world. Could it be that you spread them? Also, at the Immortal Sect Assembly, my disciples all saw that you used the Qing Sect's unique technique. Who taught it to you without my permission?"
Pei Xueyan was still bound by ropes, her hair disheveled. She stared intently at Jiang Qiye, refusing to utter a word.
Jiang Qiye's words were just made up on the spot, but I didn't expect her to be so stubborn.
The more stubborn she became, the stronger Jiang Qiye's curiosity grew.
Seeing that she remained silent, Jiang Qiye smiled faintly: "Ye Xiuluo has lost all her cultivation and was taken away by my master. Don't you want to know where she was taken?"
Pei Xueyan simply closed her eyes, refusing to even look at him anymore, and still refused to respond.
She was unwilling to speak, and Jiang Qiye couldn't force her.
Let's keep her in check, keep an eye on her, and see what she can do.
He turned and went back to the empty hall next door to continue his cultivation.
On the fourth day, she tied herself up and lay down on the bed to sleep.
The same thing happened on the fifth day.
Jiang Qiye had never greeted a woman before, and he didn't know how to press her for answers.
His master's arrangements, Pei Xueyan's secret, Ye Xiuluo's whereabouts, and the strangeness of his own cultivation... everything was in turmoil. He desperately wanted to know the answers, and after much thought, he could only go to his master to ask for clarification.
Master Xuanjing saw him approaching and already knew what he had been through these past few days.
As he approached, Master Xuanjing naturally raised his hand to place it on his wrist, felt his pulse, and when he withdrew his hand, there was a hint of pity in his eyes: "The two completely opposite cultivations in your body are so conflicting, yet you have managed to suppress them to this extent. It must have been really difficult for you."
As she spoke, she pushed his palm hard.
A gentle yet powerful force surged in, which was the core mental technique he had taught Jiang Qiye for many years, and it was just right to temporarily calm the disorder in his body.
"Thank you, Master, but you don't need to do that." Jiang Qiye lowered his eyes and said softly, "I have no choice, and I have no other option. Before he left, Master passed on all his cultivation to me. If I don't desperately suppress this conflicting power, it will only make my fellow cultivators laugh at me."
In fact, there were already people secretly watching the spectacle.
His wife was Ye Xiuluo's disciple and also possessed Ye Xiuluo's cultivation level. Therefore, her bloodline, which was supposed to be from a prestigious and righteous sect, was no longer pure.
It became a topic of gossip among others.
Moreover, the immortal sects are still doubting whether he is a cripple.
However, only the master knows the answers to these mysteries and questions.
Master Xuanjing seemed to see through his thoughts and slowly said, "You came to see me today because you want to know about Ye Xiuluo and your master back then?"
Jiang Qiye nodded: "And... Pei Xueyan."
Master Xuanjing smiled upon hearing this: "I don't know much about Miss Pei's matter. You can ask him yourself. As for your master and Ye Xiuluo's matter, that's a long story."
"That year, the tournament was held on the top of Kunlun Mountain. Disciples from all the sects went. Wang Yu was only in his early thirties, at the height of his career, and was already a top expert among his peers. Until a girl barged in. She was only a teenager at the time, wearing a worn-out outfit and holding an unsharpened wooden sword. Her moves were all unorthodox, wild and chaotic, but they revealed a ruthless and desperate spirit."
At this point, Master Xuanjing smiled and said, "But she was truly beautiful, with bright eyes and brows that seemed to be polished to a gleaming light. Yet, she had a fiery temper and defeated several self-important male disciples in succession. Those men were unconvinced after losing, saying that her moves were inferior. She retorted that any move that could win was a good move. Wang Yu was standing by the stands at the time, and it was the first time I had ever seen him look at a girl with such directness. Later, I learned that it was the first time he had ever fallen for someone."
"Later, in the latter half of the competition, Miss Ye encountered Chen Luobai of the Wangshan Sect. For some reason, when she sparred with Chen Luobai, she became distracted, and her moves became disordered. In the end, she lost, but she was not angry; instead, she remained very calm."
"The Wangshan Sect has never accepted female disciples, but I later heard that the sect leader saw that she had an outstanding talent for martial arts and broke the century-old rule to accept her into the sect. However, she was expelled from the Wangshan Sect before she had even stayed for half a year. For a time, there were all sorts of rumors in the martial arts world. Some people said that Ye Xiuluo knew seductive arts and had made Chen Luobai restless and delayed his cultivation; others said that she drank human blood while practicing martial arts and was expelled after being discovered."
"Later, Ye Xiuluo found a place to practice her inner techniques diligently. She gradually combined and refined those unorthodox moves, and slowly forged her own path, even creating a set of ruthless and fierce unique martial arts."
Jiang Qiye listened intently, then suddenly asked, "Did Master like Ye Xiuluo back then?"
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