Chapter 60: Possessiveness

Chen Ping choked on a mouthful of food.

He stared at Lin Xiaoyu, wide-eyed, his face full of disbelief.

This girl… why is she suddenly asking that?

Lin Xiaoyu blinked at him innocently, as if to say, “I’m just curious, that’s all.”

—

Yue Qingshuang lowered her head, eating in small, delicate bites.

But her grip on her chopsticks tightened just a little.

And her ears, unbidden, perked right up.

—

Chen Ping coughed and swallowed the food.

He glanced at Yue Qingshuang, who had her head down but whose ear tips were faintly flushed, then at his disciple, grinning like a little fox.

“Pretty.”

He answered honestly.

“Isn’t she supposed to be the number one beauty of the Southern Region? An otherworldly fairy descended to the mortal realm – of course she’s pretty.”

—

The moment the words left his mouth,

Yue Qingshuang’s face went bright red.

A faint pink spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears.

She kept her head down, as if she wanted nothing more than to bury her face in her bowl.

—

Lin Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up.

“Sister Yue, my master says you’re like a fairy!”

Yue Qingshuang’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s whine:

“Is… is that so? I didn’t hear it.”

“If you didn’t hear it, then why are you blushing?”

“I… I’m not…”

—

Lin Xiaoyu’s grin grew even wider.

She leaned closer and asked, eyes twinkling:

“Then Sister Yue, do you think my master is handsome?”

—

Yue Qingshuang was completely stunned.

She opened her mouth to say something, but her mind went completely blank.

Lin Xiaoyu stared at her with bright, sparkling eyes, waiting for an answer.

Even Chen Ping couldn’t help but look her way.

—

Yue Qingshuang’s face grew even redder.

She shot to her feet.

“I… I don’t know!”

Before the words even finished leaving her mouth, she had already vanished from the room in a streak of moon-white light.

—

Bang.

The door slammed shut.

—

Lin Xiaoyu froze for a moment, then covered her mouth and laughed.

“Master, do you think Sister Yue was embarrassed?”

Chen Ping looked at her and shook his head in exasperation.

“What do you think?”

Lin Xiaoyu stuck out her tongue.

—

Right at that moment –

An invisible authority radiated from Chen Ping.

Master’s Majesty.

The smile on Lin Xiaoyu’s face froze instantly.

“Master…”

She looked at Chen Ping pitifully.

“Daring to tease your master?”

Chen Ping’s voice was calm, but it sent a chill down her spine.

“Master, I was wrong!”

Lin Xiaoyu scurried back to her room in a flash and slammed the door shut.

—

Quiet returned to the courtyard.

Chen Ping shook his head, but the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“That girl…”

He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

His gaze inadvertently drifted toward Yue Qingshuang’s room.

Behind that tightly shut door, there seemed to be some indescribable emotion still lingering.

—

Inside the room,

Yue Qingshuang lay sprawled on the bed, her face buried in a pillow.

Her ears were bright red, as if they were on fire.

“He said I was like a fairy…”

She murmured softly.

Then she shook her head violently and buried her face even deeper into the pillow.

—

The night breeze blew.

The branches and leaves of the osmanthus tree swayed gently.

A faint, sweet fragrance filled the entire courtyard.

On the other side, in a residence not far from Yue Qingshuang’s courtyard,

Zhou Yunfan sat on a stone stool in his yard, his expression dark and terrifying.

Before him stood two disciples – the same two who had followed him earlier to seek lodging. Right now, both of them kept their heads down, barely daring to breathe.

“Boss…”

One of the disciples spoke cautiously.

“Just now, after Yue Qingshuang turned us away, she invited two people to stay in her courtyard.”

Zhou Yunfan frowned.

“Who?”

“A man and a woman. Looked like a master and disciple.”

Zhou Yunfan’s gaze turned cold.

“Do we know their background?”

The disciple quickly answered:

“We looked into it. They’re from Qingyun Sect. The man is called Chen Ping, the Peak Master of Luoxia Peak in Qingyun Sect. The woman is Lin Xiaoyu, his disciple.”

“Qingyun Sect?”

Zhou Yunfan’s lips curled into a contemptuous sneer.

“A minor peak master from a first-rate sect thinks he’s worthy of staying in Qingshuang’s courtyard?”

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“What’s their cultivation level?”

“Both are at the Qi Refining Stage.”

“Qi Refining Stage?”

Zhou Yunfan froze for a second, then let out a cold laugh.

“Qi Refining trash, daring to get close to Qingshuang?”

He stood up and paced a few steps around the yard.

The two disciples exchanged a glance, and one ventured:

“Boss, do you want us to go warn them off? Tell them to stay away from Senior Sister Yue.”

Zhou Yunfan waved a dismissive hand.

“No need.”

He stopped walking and looked in the direction of Yue Qingshuang’s courtyard, a dark, sinister look flashing through his eyes.

“Just have someone keep an eye on them. I want to see what kind of waves two Qi Refining wastes can stir up.”

He paused, and a cold sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Once we’re inside the mystic realm, there will be plenty of opportunities.”

“And then…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but both disciples understood exactly what he meant.

“Understood!”

The two received their orders, turned, and left.

—

Zhou Yunfan was the only one left in the courtyard.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing toward Yue Qingshuang’s courtyard, his eyes filled with possessiveness.

“Yue Qingshuang…”

He murmured softly.

“You can only be mine.”

“Mine.”

—

The night breeze blew.

His figure cast a long, dark shadow under the moonlight.

Before long, two days passed.

Inside the gourd space, birds still sang and flowers still bloomed – peaceful and serene as ever.

Chen Ping sat on the stone stool in the yard, resting with his eyes closed.

After two days of recuperation, his injuries had healed about seventy to eighty percent.

Although the damage to his origin hadn’t fully recovered yet, it should be enough to handle the mystic realm.

Lin Xiaoyu practiced her swordwork off to the side.

Her blade flashed like white silk, tracing purple-gold arcs in the morning light.

Every stroke carried the faint rumble of thunder.

For two days, aside from eating and sleeping, she had done nothing but practice the sword.

Her cultivation at the 25th Layer of Heavenly Dao Primordial Qi Refining had fully stabilized.

Yue Qingshuang sat beneath the osmanthus tree in the corner of the courtyard, quietly watching her train.

A hint of softness touched those cool, clear eyes.

—

Suddenly –

A resounding voice echoed throughout the entire gourd space.

“Everyone, we have arrived at the Hanling Mystic Realm. Prepare to disembark.”

As the voice faded, the entire space trembled slightly.

The cultivators seated cross-legged opened their eyes and rose to their feet.

Those gathered in conversation stopped their talk, lifting their heads toward the sky.

—

Inside the courtyard.

Chen Ping opened his eyes and stood up.

Lin Xiaoyu sheathed her sword and hurried to his side.

“Master, is it time to go out?”

Chen Ping nodded.

Yue Qingshuang also rose and walked over to them.

“Peak Master Chen, Xiaoyu… be careful once you enter the mystic realm.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping toward the distant courtyard where the Liuyun Sect resided.

“The people from Liuyun Sect won’t let this go.”

Chen Ping smiled.

“Don’t worry. It’s best if they don’t come. If they do…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

—

Yue Qingshuang looked at him, silent for a moment, then turned her gaze to Lin Xiaoyu.

“Xiaoyu, you be careful too. Anything can happen inside a mystic realm.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded seriously.

“Sister Yue, don’t worry. This disciple will remember.”

Yue Qingshuang seemed to want to say more, but the words reached her lips and she swallowed them back.

She simply gave a light nod.

—

In the sky, an enormous gate of light slowly opened.

Beyond the gate lay a world of pure white.

Vaguely visible were endless snow-capped mountains and a boundless frozen plain.

The Hanling Mystic Realm had arrived.

—

“Let’s go.”

Chen Ping took Lin Xiaoyu’s hand and rose into the air.

Yue Qingshuang watched their departing figures, hesitated briefly, then transformed into a moon-white streak of light and followed.

—

Not far away, in another courtyard.

Xu Hao stood in the yard, staring at the two figures in the sky, his eyes filled with venomous hatred.

“Grandfather…”

He gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse.

“Once we’re inside the mystic realm, we have to kill them!”

Xu the Butcher stood behind him, his face dark.

“Rest assured. Inside the mystic realm, life and death are dictated by fate.”

He paused, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold sneer.

“I’ve already made arrangements. They won’t escape.”

—

Elsewhere.

Zhou Yunfan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching that moon-white streak of light in the sky. A flash of possessive desire crossed his eyes.

“Yue Qingshuang…”

He murmured softly.

“You’ll learn soon enough… who is truly worthy of you.”

Behind him, two disciples stood respectfully.

“Boss, what about that master and disciple…”

“Keep watching them,” Zhou Yunfan said flatly.

“If the opportunity presents itself, make sure they never leave the mystic realm.”

“Understood.”

—

In the sky, more and more cultivators soared upward, flying toward the gate of light.

Chen Ping held Lin Xiaoyu’s hand, blending into the crowd, moving forward at an unhurried pace.

Lin Xiaoyu glanced back.

That exquisite little courtyard, the osmanthus trees, that cool, aloof figure standing in the yard watching them leave.

A sudden reluctance welled up inside her.

“Master.”

“Hm?”

“Sister Yue… won’t she be lonely all by herself?”

Chen Ping was silent for a moment.

Then, he smiled.

“She’s the Holy Maiden. She’s long since grown used to it.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded and said nothing more.

—

The two of them flew into the gate of light.

A blur before their eyes.

When they opened them again, they were standing on a vast, boundless snowy plain.

The cold wind howled. Snowflakes danced wildly.

In the distance, snow-covered mountains rolled endlessly, stretching beyond the horizon.

The air was thick with a piercing chill, and a faint… metallic scent of blood.

Lin Xiaoyu shivered.

Not from the cold.

It was the scent of blood. It reminded her of something deeply unpleasant.

Chen Ping tightened his grip on her hand.

“Stay close to your master.”

He said softly.

“No matter what we face… your master will be right here.”

Lin Xiaoyu lifted her head and looked at him.

Then, she nodded firmly.

“Mm!”

—