Everything in the cave fell quiet.
The blanket beneath him was soft, but not as soft and smooth as the maiden’s back.
The cave was so silent it felt as if only the breathing of the two people remained. Jiang Huai listened intently as Wen Wanwan’s breaths gradually calmed from heavy panting. At this moment, the maiden buried her face in his chest, her body so limp she couldn’t muster any strength.
If their last encounter in this very cave was filled with panic and unease, leaving Wen Wanwan no time or inclination to register her body’s feedback, this time her heart had quietly settled. Her body felt like a puddle of mud. Although she had said it was compensation, it had gradually turned into her soft pleas for mercy. When her pleas failed, she struggled to sit up, pinning Jiang Huai beneath her, trying to control the rhythm herself. Otherwise… it was too overwhelming, and Wen Wanwan felt like she was about to faint.
Jiang Huai’s fingertips gently caressed her smooth back, as if lulling a little girl to sleep. Wen Wanwan’s tongue quietly stretched out, lightly licking his chest. Sensing the tickle, Jiang Huai looked down at her.
“Wanwan… I’m going to die,” Wen Wanwan’s voice was weak.
“Then next time… be more restrained?” Jiang Huai asked tentatively.
“No way…” Wen Wanwan’s lips curved upwards unconsciously. “I like it so much… I’d be happy to die in Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s arms…”
Wen Wanwan’s voice carried a hint of sleepiness. She mumbled, “Good… I can still bully you… otherwise, if I only bully one part… Wanwan will definitely die…”
Jiang Huai was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Her hair carried a pleasant scent. She quietly leaned closer, planting a kiss on Jiang Huai’s cheek, then shifted slightly. “Wanwan is so sleepy, I’m going to sleep…”
“Sleep,” Jiang Huai gently patted her back.
“I want… another kiss on my forehead.”
Jiang Huai lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.
***
The remaining days at the Daoji Ancestral Land felt more like an excursion.
It was warm spring at the Daoji Ancestral Land. Jiang Huai and Wen Wanwan picked flowers and fruits in the secret realm, occasionally fished, or had small barbecues. Jiang Huai even took out his brush and painted several pictures of Wen Wanwan.
Returning to the deserted secret realm late at night, they would rest very late. Jiang Huai always felt that over these past few days, Wen Wanwan’s gaze towards him during the day had become increasingly gentle and alluring. That hint of allure was particularly captivating, and even the way she casually tossed her hair seemed to possess a certain wifely charm.
At this moment, Wen Wanwan rested her chin on Jiang Huai’s chest, her fingers drawing circles on his chest. Looking at his face, she suddenly giggled.
Jiang Huai blinked at her. “What are you laughing at?”
“Wanwan feels like she’s dreaming.”
“Dreaming?”
“Wanwan… is Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s first woman, right?”
Jiang Huai nodded gently. “Yes.”
“That’s why it feels like a dream.” Wen Wanwan rubbed her cheek against his chest.
She was like a clingy kitten, soft and pliable, always craving your touch. Her eyes at night were always watery, bright and luminous like a clear spring.
Jiang Huai liked to pinch her soft cheeks.
***
“It seems someone is forming their Core over there,” Wen Wanwan pointed towards the distant Green Mountain.
Today was their last day at the Daoji Ancestral Land. Jiang Huai and Wen Wanwan were strolling through the mountains. Jiang Huai took a bite of a sweet and sour fruit, then followed Wen Wanwan’s gaze. “It looks like it’s a Heavenly Way Core formation. Shall we go take a look?”
So, the two got up and walked towards the distant Green Mountain, only to realize the person forming their Core was someone they knew.
Xu Qing, in a white Daoist robe, her dark hair floating gently with the surging spiritual energy. Five strands of Heavenly Way spiritual energy were circling around her. Seeing that she had found the last strand of Heavenly Way spiritual energy, she could complete a perfect Five-Pattern Heavenly Way Spirit Pill.
Jiang Huai had only glanced casually at first, but something suddenly occurred to him, and he quietly brought up his system task bar.
【Mission Complete. Three High-Level Experience Scrolls have been placed in the System Backpack.】
Wait! This reward was unusually high. Three High-Level Experience Scrolls were enough to forcefully boost his cultivation to the Nascent Soul stage for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
Jiang Huai suddenly remembered that the system’s original prompt had mentioned that killing the inheritor of the Refined Yin Demon Gu, perhaps Xu Qing’s obsession with jealousy and pursuit, would transform into crazy love.
The system’s prompt had only said “perhaps.” Jiang Huai felt he needed to test it out a little. This “perhaps”… surely it wasn’t applicable, right?
As he was lost in thought, Xu Qing, who had been sitting on a bluestone, opened her eyes.
Jiang Huai had to admit that Xu Qing, the Saintess of the Guanxue Sect, was still very beautiful even in her simple white Daoist robe. Her eyebrows and eyes exuded warmth and clarity, as if looking into these eyes would naturally relax one’s heart.
But Jiang Huai only looked.
“Five-Pattern Heavenly Way Spirit Pill, congratulations,” Jiang Huai said softly.
Xu Qing stood up, her gaze falling on Jiang Huai. In that instant, her warm eyes seemed to hold a hint of confusion. She walked towards Jiang Huai. “Why has your cultivation returned to the Qi Refining first layer?”
“The Void Refining stage cultivation before was forcefully raised for me by three True Persons of the secret realm. My Qi Sea was shattered, and after the three True Persons exhausted their power, the spiritual energy naturally dissipated.”
If his Qi Sea hadn’t been shattered, that cultivation would have been enough to remain in his body, allowing him to truly enter the Void Refining stage, and even beyond.
Xu Qing recalled what True Person Qingxuan had said earlier. She suddenly widened her eyes and looked at Jiang Huai before her. “I remember True Person Qingxuan saying that after using a secret technique to forcefully raise your cultivation, your lifespan…”
“Yes, I have five years left,” Jiang Huai nodded gently.
Xu Qing stared blankly at his face.
Why could his face show such a calm and indifferent expression? He chose to accept the secret technique inheritance, but he couldn’t retain any cultivation, and he exhausted all his lifespan… He could have chosen to disregard everyone, simply hiding in True Person Qingxuan’s secret realm and bringing the message out. But he still chose the second option.
Initially, at the Guanxue Sect, she had heard that Jiang Huai’s cultivation had been crippled by an evil cultivator while saving a group of children. She hadn’t quite believed it, but looking at Jiang Huai standing before her now… she suddenly believed it.
What was this man thinking? Did he never consider himself? Why, when speaking of having only five years left to live, did he show no sadness at all, as if he had already transcended life and death?
As the Saintess of the Guanxue Sect, Xu Qing had been educated from a young age to have compassion. Her mother and father had never imposed any restrictions on her, so she could do whatever she wanted… Her reputation at the Guanxue Sect was excellent because she was willing to help her fellow disciples. Previously, when she had led her fellow disciples into danger against evil cultivators, she had told them to leave first while she covered their retreat.
Although the end result was that she used a spirit artifact she carried to delay them for a long time until her father arrived and killed the evil cultivator, even though she couldn’t sleep all night from the lingering fear that night, after much thought, if given the chance again, she would still make the same choice. Looking at Jiang Huai before her now… her thoughts became very complicated, and an unspeakable feeling quietly spread in her heart.
“Then what… will you do?” Xu Qing’s lips parted slightly, and she asked blankly.
“Hmm, I’ll look for spirit medicines that extend lifespan. If I find them, I’ll live a couple more years; if not, I’ll die…” Jiang Huai shrugged, smiling helplessly.
He didn’t mention that he also had the Primordial Life and Death Sword that could absorb lifespans. It was mainly because it sounded a bit like an evil cultivation method and was not honorable to mention. He didn’t want to tell an outsider like Xu Qing. He had already told Wen Wanwan, which was why she wasn’t showing any signs of worry at the moment.
Furthermore, if Xu Qing knew he didn’t have much time left to live, wouldn’t that hint of potential love naturally disappear? After all, who would be fixated on someone who was going to die soon?
“When I return, I will tell my father to mobilize the entire Guanxue Sect to search for spirit medicines to extend your lifespan. If we find any, I will send them to you immediately,” Xu Qing bit her lip, her nose feeling inexplicably sore.
For some reason, looking at Jiang Huai’s indifferent demeanor, she felt an indescribable ache in her heart.
“No, no need,” Jiang Huai hastily waved his hand. “That’s too kind.”
“I’ve never asked my father for anything. Father treats me very well, he will definitely look for it for me… you…”
“Really unnecessary,” Jiang Huai waved his hand. “This favor is too great. I’m already a cripple, I can’t repay it.”
“I don’t want you to repay it. This is something I owe you. If you hadn’t saved me, I might have already died at Mo Dan’s hands, or even… become a Gu slave like Mo Wanqiu.”
Xu Qing still felt a lingering fear thinking about it.
Jiang Huai looked at the girl’s reddened eyes, and a sense of unease began to creep into his heart.
No! Don’t! You haven’t done anything! How did the favorability points go up?! No, no, no, impossible!
“Why are you being so stubborn? I said no need, so no need,” Jiang Huai put on an impatient expression. “I’ll handle my own affairs. I didn’t save you back then to ask for anything in return. Our relationship isn’t close enough for me to accept your help. That’s it. Miss Xu Qing, we may meet again by chance, but if not, there’s no need to worry. I might just die somewhere in a few years.”
With that said, Jiang Huai took Wen Wanwan’s hand and walked away. Xu Qing was caught off guard by Jiang Huai’s sudden change in attitude and stood there, at a loss. She didn’t dare to chase after him and could only watch as Jiang Huai and Wen Wanwan’s figures gradually receded.
***
“Why didn’t Senior Brother Jiang Huai tell her about the Primordial Life and Death Sword?”
“She’s not a close acquaintance. That sword technique has a bit of an evil cultivation flavor. Used for the right path, it’s a good sword technique, but used for evil purposes, it’s a cruel evil cultivation secret technique. It’s not honorable to mention.”
“Then why did Senior Brother Jiang Huai deliberately act so impatient just now?” Wen Wanwan asked curiously, blinking her innocent eyes.
She could tell that Jiang Huai was doing it on purpose.
Jiang Huai blinked innocently. “I suspect she might like me a little, and I want to nip it in the bud.”
