Chapter 35: Was the mark on my neck caused by my lover?
On the way here, Xie Yunqing forcibly suppressed the anger that was burning his reason, and also gave up the idea of exposing his identity on the spot.
As for why he came, in addition to wanting to ask Shen Wenji why he sent this love letter, he admitted that he simply wanted to see Shen Wenji.
Half a day without seeing you feels like four seasons have passed, and my longing for you has grown like wild weeds.
Arriving at the towering mountain gate of the Hehuan Sect, Xie Yunqing hesitated for a long time. He first put the Zuihua Tower owner's belongings into the storage ring and prepared to pay a visit as the chief disciple of the Tianxuan Sect.
The gatekeeper caught sight of the cloud-patterned robe of the Tianxuan Sect on his body and instantly grew wary. He cleared his throat and asked, "What brings this immortal friend to visit so late at night?"
Xie Yunqing said calmly, "I'm here to look for someone."
The gatekeeper's expression suddenly changed, his voice trembling as he cautiously asked, "You...are you a sword cultivator?"
"Yes." Xie Yunqing responded coldly.
The gatekeeper disciple trembled even more violently, and even secretly used a communication talisman to call out.
Xie Yunqing looked down at himself and found nothing unusual. He also didn't know why this disciple looked as if he was facing a great enemy.
He thought it was the sword at his waist that made people afraid, so he took off the sword from his waist, put it in his hand, and was about to hand it to his disciple for inspection.
The disciple guarding the gate suddenly let out a strange cry and muttered, "Calm down, fellow immortal, calm down! I'm just guarding the gate. I have no intention of getting involved in your love and hatred. Please be kind and hold back when you draw your sword."
Xie Yunqing was confused: "?"
He froze in place. The one who should be calm... should be the gatekeeper disciple, right?
Seeing that the gatekeeper disciple seemed genuinely frightened, he forced a relatively gentle smile and patiently asked tactfully, "My friend, I have no intention of hurting you. May I ask... why are you reacting this way?"
"A sword cultivator from the Tianxuan Sect came to the Hehuan Sect in the dead of night." The disciple's narrowed eyes gradually widened. He scanned Xie Yunqing from head to toe and asked tentatively, "Didn't you come to the Hehuan Sect to look for someone after being abandoned?"
Xie Yunqing: "..."
Why did he dislike hearing these words so much? It was as if several silver needles were accurately inserted into his heart.
Seeing that he was silent, the gatekeeper disciple, self-satisfied, babbled on and on, "Alas, I've seen many sword-cultivating disciples like you. Although disciples of the Hehuan Sect, ahem, have some romantic debts and may have toyed with your feelings, it's true, but you chasing them into their sect, shouting for war and killing, it won't be good for your reputation if it gets out..."
The veins on Xie Yunqing's forehead jumped, and he forced a few dry laughs to interrupt his endless chatter: "The person I'm looking for is not a disciple of your sect."
"Not from the Hehuan Sect?" The gatekeeper disciple scratched his head, having no clue and never heard of outsiders living in the Hehuan Sect.
He was about to explain to Xie Yunqing and ask if he had come to the wrong place or the wrong person.
Suddenly, the communication talisman sent earlier received a response.
Elder Zhang's voice came through the talisman, with a hint of impatience: "Which disciple has caused this emotional debt again? It's late tonight, let him come back tomorrow."
Although the gatekeeper didn't see the elder himself, he still straightened his body and replied respectfully, "Elder, the person coming is a sword cultivator from the Tianxuan Sect. I will persuade him to leave immediately."
"Tianxuan Sect?" Elder Zhang seemed to have thought of something, and changed the subject, asking anxiously, "What's the name of this sword cultivator?"
The gatekeeper disciple relayed the question, "Immortal friend, what are you calling?"
Xie Yunqing introduced himself calmly: "Xie Yunqing."
"Oh, he said his name is Xie Yunqing."
"What?" Elder Zhang's voice suddenly rose, so loud that it broke through the limit of the communication talisman, and even Xie Yunqing himself could hear it clearly.
The gatekeeper disciple was frightened and immediately stood on guard, asking cautiously, "Elder, is there something wrong?"
Elder Zhang was in a complicated mood. He didn't expect that Shen Wenji would come to him so soon after he had just incurred a debt of love.
She took a deep breath, her voice filled with complex and indescribable fatigue, and she repeatedly warned, "Don't let him in. We can discuss anything tomorrow morning. By the way, activate the mountain protection formation to prevent him from forcing his way in."
The gatekeeper disciple agreed. He did not dare to delay and skillfully activated the mountain protection formation with hand gestures.
Since the Hehuan Sect is often visited by "victims", this mountain protection formation has to be activated more than ten times a month. This formation has long been tempered to be as solid as a rock and can even withstand the full force of a cultivator in the God Transformation Stage.
After everything was arranged, he put on a smile, walked up to Xie Yunqing, and bowed apologetically: "I'm sorry, my friend Xie, but the Hehuan Sect is not accepting visitors today. Please come visit again tomorrow morning."
Xie Yunqing's eyes darkened slightly, sensing something was amiss, but he couldn't really force his way in.
Hiding his expression, he pretended to be disappointed and turned away, but at a corner where the gatekeepers couldn't see him, he changed into the attire of the owner of Zuihua Tower. To avoid being exposed, he even took off the storage ring that Shen Wenji had given him and carefully put it away.
Walking back to the door, without waiting for the gatekeeper to speak, Xie Yunqing took the initiative to speak: "I am the owner of Zuihua Tower. I have a letter to prove that someone invited me here."
After hearing the news, Elder Zhang could no longer sit still. He did not expect that Sect Leader Shen Qingli's move would really attract the big Buddha, the owner of Zuihua Tower.
The owner of Zuihua Tower was half the savior of their Hehuan Sect. Although she didn't know how to deal with it, it was not good to let him wait outside, so she had to order him to come in.
Led by the disciples of the Hehuan Sect, Xie Yunqing came to the meeting hall where Elder Zhang was.
His eyes swept across the empty inner room, but he didn't see Shen Wenji. He suppressed his anxiety, bowed to Elder Zhang politely, and explained the purpose of his visit: "I received a letter from Miss Shen and came to keep the appointment. I wonder where she is?"
Elder Zhang studied him calmly, his gaze sharp, and asked calmly, "Oh? An appointment? I haven't heard of it. Could you please let me take a look at the contents of the letter?"
Xie Yunqing straightened his lips nervously. The letter did not contain an invitation, but only urged him to reply. This original letter must not be seen by the person in front of him.
His expression was impeccable, and his voice was steady: "The letter contains the private love words of a girl. Since it is written to me, I must treasure it and protect it. It is not convenient to show it to others."
Elder Zhang raised his eyebrows, somewhat agreeing with what he said, and stopped asking about the letter.
She didn't speak again, but instead looked at the man in front of her again with a burning gaze.
This was the first time she met the owner of Zuihua Tower. He had an upright figure and a dignified demeanor. He had neither the mercenary nature of an ordinary businessman nor the ruffian spirit of a miscellaneous cultivator. Instead, he exuded the awe-inspiring dignity of an upright cultivator.
No wonder Sect Master Shen Qingli couldn't stop thinking about him after meeting him a few times. He was so satisfied with him that he directly chose him as a candidate for his son-in-law.
But... this figure always feels a little familiar?
Xie Yunqing stood straight and let Elder Zhang look at him. Ever since he hid his identity from Shen Wenji, he was afraid of being discovered. In addition to using a mask to cover himself, he also used a magic camouflage made of cicada shells.
Unless you touch it with your own hands, it will look very different from the original visually.
Elder Zhang couldn't see any more clues, so she simply stopped bothering him. She was too lazy to clean up the mess made by the mother and daughter, so she told him directly the location of Shen Wenji.
"Wen Ji has some bruises on his body and is currently recuperating in the spiritual spring in the back mountain. I'll send someone to take you there."
Xie Yunqing nodded and saluted.
-
Yangling Spring is a very famous holy place for cultivation in the Hehuan Sect. It not only warms the body and dredges the meridians, but also nourishes the soul and promotes the dual cultivation of yin and yang.
It has a special and rapid recovery effect on the traces left by love affairs on the body.
It was for this reason that Shen Wenji came here.
The Yangling Spring was deserted under the cover of night, and the misty water vapor submerged the spring pool made of warm jade.
Shen Wenji was half immersed in the warm spring full of spiritual energy, his black hair spread on the water surface, and his exposed skin was as white as jade.
She tilted her neck slightly, and the ambiguous red mark on the side of her neck was particularly eye-catching against her fair skin.
The voice was softened by the hot water, and the ending tone was slightly shuddered: "Azhi, be gentle..."
In addition to those kiss marks, the bite marks left by Xie Yunqing yesterday were even more hideous. He had lost his mind at the time, and the teeth marks were deeply embedded in the flesh, with such great force that they almost bit into the bones.
At this moment, the area around the neck had turned horrifyingly purple. When the ointment touched the red and swollen wound, in addition to the tingling sensation, a slight itching sensation appeared.
Lingzhi was carefully dipping a wooden spoon into the ointment. Upon hearing this, she lightened her grip and said, "Miss, this wound looks deep. Please don't leave a scar. I'll get the best skin-growing ointment."
After a while, the footsteps behind me came closer again.
Shen Wenji didn't think about it, but just urged lazily: "The wound hurts a lot, good Ah Zhi, help me apply some medicine quickly."
The person behind him didn't respond, only a slight cool breeze blew.
Just as Shen Wenji was about to speak to urge him, a slightly cool fingertip brushed past his ear, carrying the unique bitter scent of ointment, and the edge of the wooden spoon gently rubbed the wound on the side of his neck.
"Azhi, be gentler." She tilted her head subconsciously, her voice still soft and wet, "The wooden spoon is too hard. Can you help me apply it with your hands?"
The person behind him paused for a few seconds, and then he suddenly felt a cool touch on the back of his neck.
It was not Lingzhi's usual soft fingertips, the touch was a bit rough, gently pressing on the ambiguous kiss mark on the side of her neck, the bitter taste of the ointment mixed with the mountain breeze drifted into her nostrils.
Shen Wenji couldn't help but frown and took a breath: "Hiss..."
Hearing the cry of pain from her lips, the strength of his fingertips paused, and then he held her down more firmly, the roughness rubbing across the kiss mark extremely slowly, almost grindingly, with a hint of punishment.
Wait, this touch.
Shen Wenji's blood seemed to freeze instantly. She suddenly realized something. The rough touch with thin calluses on her neck was clearly the hand that had been holding a sword for many years.
The person behind him is not Lingzhi.
She froze, and tried to break free as if burned. But the hands tightened as if anticipated, crossing over her bare shoulders, encircling her tightly and pressing her back to her original position.
"Don't move."
The man's voice was low and hoarse, close to her ear, like a hot iron, burning her entire ear red.
Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Wenji's tense body suddenly relaxed, and he was still in shock with a huge confusion: "Owner, why are you... here?"
Xie Yunqing avoided answering, dipped his fingertips into the ointment, and said with no emotion in his voice: "It is inconvenient for Miss Shen to apply the ointment, so let me do it for you."
Shen Wenji: “?”
She turned back in shock, only to see the cold black-gold mask, obscuring all expression. She could only see the sharp, taut lines of his jaw, and the subtle ripples of blue veins beneath his skin as his Adam's apple rolled.
The force on the back of the neck was still being applied, and the ointment was patiently pushed and rubbed by the fingertips with thin calluses. The red marks on the neck were repeatedly caressed by his fingertips, patiently and unbearably.
"What's going on with this OP..." She bit her lip, her gaze falling into the fountain, and saw her reflected cheeks flushed slightly.
"The ointment needs to be rubbed in to be effective." Xie Yunqing answered calmly, but his fingertips deliberately slowed down the movement.
Seeing that the old ointment was almost applied, he dipped a wooden spoon in new ointment and rubbed it on the edge of the red mark. As the coolness spread, he gently applied it in circles with his rough fingertips.
His fingertips brushed against her sensitive skin, and every touch felt like an electric current, running from the back of her neck all the way to her tailbone, making her tense up and curl her toes in the warm spring water.
"Master Boss." Her voice was as thin as a mosquito, but the ending syllable trembled uncontrollably. "I can do it myself."
"The medicine hasn't been applied yet." Xie Yunqing leaned forward slightly, his hot breath brushing against her wet earlobe. His voice beneath the mask was low and clear, with a hint of deliberateness. "If you don't apply the medicine to this bite mark, it might leave a scar."
He deliberately emphasized the word "bite marks". Shen Wenji felt a wave of heat rushing to his head. He was so embarrassed that his whole body was burning. He wanted to bury his head in the spiritual spring.
Her partner witnessed her body belonging to another man, with such intimate and ambiguous traces, and he even touched and drugged her with his own hands...
Is there anything more socially destructive than this? This is like being tortured to death by slicing a bone. It would be better to let her die by banging her head against the wall.
The mist blurred her vision, but she could clearly feel the gaze behind her penetrating the mist, as if it were real, fixed tightly on her red ears and the mess on her neck.
Xie Yunqing chuckled softly, and the laughter, through the mask, carried an indescribable ambiguity.
He immersed his hands, which were stained with ointment, in the clean water in the copper basin beside him and washed them carefully.
His cool fingertips brushed away a strand of wet hair on the side of her neck. The remaining medicinal fragrance from his fingertips mixed with the crisp water vapor, lingering faintly at the tip of her nose.
Then he leaned over, close to her ear which was trembling slightly with embarrassment, and the voice from behind the mask was low and gentle, with a heart-pounding inquiry.
“Were the marks on Miss Shen’s neck made by her lover?”
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The author has something to say: I received a lot of nutrient solution! Thank you all for your support! I love you all [red heart][red heart][red heart] (running around excitedly)
Thanks to the genuine little angels for their support! Heart [heart][kiss][kiss][kiss]
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