Chapter 17: The Dao Protector
Luo Qingyu’s eyelashes fluttered.
At this moment, the distance between their faces was incredibly close. yet she dared not move closer. She only tightened her grip on his neck.
In the end, Jiang Huai did not kiss her. He merely smiled and softly said, “Qingyu’s body is so soft.”
“Then, can Brother Jiang Huai hold me for a little longer?”
“Hmm?”
“I like being held by Brother Jiang Huai.” As Luo Qingyu spoke, she quietly spread her slender, snow-white legs and tightly clasped his waist, clinging to him like an octopus. Her legs, like a white python, were wrapped tightly around him.
Jiang Huai carried her back to the room. After a long while, Luo Qingyu obediently released her legs and lay down on the bed. Jiang Huai brought her a quilt and gently covered her. Luo Qingyu watched him obediently and heard him softly ask, “Do you want to listen to a story again tonight?”
“If Brother Jiang Huai is sleepy, we won’t listen.”
“I’m not sleepy yet.”
Jiang Huai sat on a chair by the bedside. Luo Qingyu turned sideways again, her eyes fixated on him without blinking. Her eyes inherited the peculiar pupil color of Luo Yueguan; her pale blue eyes always exuded a hint of allure, yet her innocent expression made her appear incredibly pure.
Jiang Huai softly told her a story until her eyelids began to droop. Only then did he extinguish the room’s light and quietly walk out, closing the door behind her.
***
Tian Xuan Sect, as the second-largest sect in the Moon Wave Continent of the Eastern Region, possessed dozens of mountain peaks. After breakfast, Luo Qingyu looked at him expectantly, saying the sun was beautiful today and she wanted to stroll around. So, Jiang Huai took her little hand and walked with her around the sect for a long time. In the afternoon, they returned to the courtyard. Luo Qingyu went back to her room, her skirt hem inadvertently lifted again. She poked her fingertip at her snow-white, soft thighs, looking at him innocently, “Brother Jiang Huai… are you sleepy?”
“Perhaps a little.”
“Then let’s take a short nap.” Luo Qingyu’s fingertips rolled up her skirt hem a bit more. She had rolled it up so much that it was nearly at the root of her thighs. Her snow-white thighs were pressed tightly together. Jiang Huai, once again unable to resist the temptation, rested his head on her lap. Luo Qingyu reached out and gently massaged his head.
The afternoon time stretched lazily and long. Jiang Huai slept soundly.
There were still three days until the Inner Sect Competition. Recently, the inner sect disciples had been cultivating diligently. After all, the Inner Sect Competition had rewards. Disciples ranked in the top one hundred would receive Spirit Stones. It was rumored that this Inner Sect Competition’s first-ranked disciple would receive a Snow Spirit Bird egg that could be hatched. Snow Spirit Birds were Heavenly-ranked Demonic Beasts. If fed well, they could become mounts for Seventh Realm cultivators in the future.
However, to this day, Jiang Huai still hadn’t figured out the specific rules of the Inner Sect Competition. He only knew there would be a draw, combat, and that during the elimination rounds, one couldn’t lose more than three times, or they would have to fight in a revival round with a bunch of inner sect disciples. It seemed troublesome.
Jiang Huai took some time to register. But when he was filling in his cultivation level on the registration form, he scratched his head and looked at the junior brother in charge of it, saying, “Just write down Foundation Establishment Middle Stage for me.”
Although the registering disciple was surprised, he complied. Not long after he returned to the courtyard, news that Senior Brother Jiang Huai would still participate in this year’s Inner Sect Competition spread throughout the entire Tian Xuan Sect that afternoon.
After all, it was an incredibly bizarre situation.
Everyone knew his cultivation was crippled, his Qi sea shattered. Even Granny Jiuy, after examining him, had declared it beyond recovery. Yet, why did he still register to participate? Had his mind not yet cleared, and he was suffering from delusions?
This matter was discussed throughout the entire Tian Xuan Sect for three full days without ceasing. Meanwhile, the person in question, Jiang Huai, spent his days lazily sunbathing in the courtyard, occasionally massaging Luo Qingyu’s little feet to warm her. He had already walked enough in the past few days. Luo Qingyu had now become a little lazy cat, lying side-by-side with Jiang Huai on a lounge chair every day, enjoying the lazy spring afternoon.
Master Chu Xianning had a poor appetite recently. She only occasionally ate a meal with Jiang Huai and Luo Qingyu. For the rest of the time, she mostly stayed in her room cultivating. Master had an old injury from five hundred years ago, which was very severe and had affected her core. She had to expend effort every day to suppress the injury, but it was always just a temporary fix.
Jiang Huai had checked her pulse long ago, but the medicinal materials needed to heal Master’s old injury were still something he hadn’t found.
In the evening, Jiang Huai suddenly remembered something and went out.
***
“Who?” Wen Wanwan’s cold voice came from inside the room.
“It’s me, Jiang Huai.”
Jiang Huai waited for a few seconds. The courtyard door quickly opened. Wen Wanwan was wearing a white gauze dress, her hair still slightly damp. The water droplets on her collarbone were crystal clear. Upon seeing him, Wen Wanwan’s voice shifted from cold to soft, “Senior Brother Jiang Huai… why do you always come when Wanwan has just bathed?”
Jiang Huai’s eye corners twitched slightly, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. He walked into Wen Wanwan’s courtyard. Wen Wanwan hastily closed the door. The Firefly Stones in the courtyard were bright, and the light cast on the ground was like a thin layer of snow. Beneath Wen Wanwan’s white gauze, her faintly discernible curves were graceful and alluring. Jiang Huai didn’t know where to rest his gaze for a moment.
“Senior Brother Jiang Huai, what brings you to find Wanwan?”
Wen Wanwan sat on a stone stool and began to brew tea. Jiang Huai scratched his head and replied, “I suddenly thought of something.”
“Hmm?”
“The betting pool for this Inner Sect Competition hasn’t closed yet, has it?”
“No.”
“Do you know what the odds are for me to win first place?”
“Fifteen to one.”
“Lend me another hundred Spirit Stones. You can put a hundred Spirit Stones on me tomorrow. We’ll split the winnings, and if I lose, it’s on me.” Jiang Huai winked at her. “A chance to get rich is right before us.”
Wen Wanwan froze slightly. Jiang Huai’s tone at this moment was so confident that she subconsciously doubted whether Jiang Huai’s cultivation had truly disappeared. She could clearly sense almost no Spiritual Qi on him.
“Senior Brother Jiang Huai… how can you be so sure you’ll get first place this time?”
Jiang Huai winked at her. “If I say I can win, then I can.”
As he spoke, he took out a hundred Spirit Stones and piled them on the stone table.
“Then… why doesn’t Senior Brother Jiang Huai bet himself?”
“If I bet myself, the odds might not be that high. Besides, they might not dare to accept my bet. But it’s different if you bet. You can get a bargain.”
He bet a hundred because it wasn’t too excessive. Betting more would be too bullying, and they might not dare to accept the bet.
So, Wen Wanwan asked no further questions and quietly accepted the hundred Spirit Stones. But a moment later, she couldn’t help but ask, “I heard that… Senior Brother Jiang Huai has posted a reward of eight thousand Spirit Stones for medicinal materials at the pharmacy?”
“It’s for refining medicine for your sister,” Jiang Huai replied casually.
Wen Wanwan’s body trembled uncontrollably. Let alone eight thousand Spirit Stones, when she received a thousand Spirit Stones from Jiang Huai before, she had been restless and unable to sleep all night.
Wen Wanwan had many, many suitors in Tian Xuan Sect. Because she was alone and her marriage wasn’t decided by elders, and she was so beautiful. She arguably had the most suitors in the entire Tian Xuan Sect. But she had never dared to accept gifts from anyone. She knew clearly that if she accepted a gift, she would inevitably have to lower her head a little in front of others in the future.
However, the condition Jiang Huai offered was something she absolutely couldn’t refuse; it was all for her sister’s illness.
“Senior Brother Jiang Huai…”
“Hmm?” Jiang Huai was looking up at the moon.
Because he noticed that Wen Wanwan’s collar had slipped down slightly, revealing soft, tender flesh on her chest. His gaze naturally didn’t dare to linger, but at this moment, Wen Wanwan called his name, and he had to look down. He tried his best to keep his gaze on Wen Wanwan’s cheek and not look further.
“Wanwan… can’t understand…”
“Can’t understand what?”
“Why Senior Brother Jiang Huai is so good to Wanwan… yet seeks nothing in return?”
Jiang Huai didn’t know how to explain it to her. The truth was probably that in his past life, he also had a sister. He and his sister grew up relying on each other. Seeing Wen Wanwan striving so hard to take care of her sister, he seemed to see his past self, so he felt empathy.
“It can’t be said that I seek nothing in return.” Jiang Huai finally thought of a suitable reason. “Your cultivation talent is extremely high. You’ve always been delayed in your cultivation because you were taking care of your sister. Once your sister is cured, and you become a Seventh Realm, Eighth Realm cultivator in the future, you’ll owe me a favor. Perhaps I’ll need your help then.”
“My cultivation is indeed crippled. Participating in the Sect Grand Competition this time is simply because, below the Foundation Establishment Realm, I have no opponent relying solely on my physically tempered physique. But in the future, I can’t advance even half a step. So… it’s also considered a gamble.”
Wen Wanwan gazed at him for a long time and then softly replied, “Wanwan understands.”
“It’s good that you understand.” Jiang Huai breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally explained it clearly. This time, he didn’t have to worry about Wen Wanwan overthinking things. But the next second, Wen Wanwan softly said, “Once my sister’s injury is healed, Wanwan wishes to become Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s Dao protector.”
“There’s no need, no need at all.” Jiang Huai hurriedly waved his hands. “Why are you so stubborn about repaying kindness?”
“Since childhood, my mother taught me before she passed away that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. Senior Brother Jiang Huai has been so good to me. In the future, Wanwan is willing to protect Senior Brother Jiang Huai and become Senior Brother Jiang Huai’s sword.”
“Stop.” Jiang Huai quickly interrupted Wen Wanwan. “I already said it’s just a small favor. Besides, once you become a Seventh Realm, Eighth Realm cultivator in the future, this little Spirit Stone won’t be anything. Oh my, in life, one should consider oneself more. Alright, let’s stop here. I’m going back to sleep.”
“Senior Brother Jiang Huai…”
Seeing that Jiang Huai was about to leave again, Wen Wanwan’s eyelashes drooped slightly, but she didn’t know what to say to make him stay. She could only lower her eyelashes slightly and softly say, “Goodbye.”
“Okay, you rest well. Tomorrow is the Inner Sect Competition.”
“Mm, Wanwan knows.”
Wen Wanwan stood up and escorted Jiang Huai to the courtyard entrance, opening the gate for him. She watched his figure disappear into the distance before slowly closing the gate.
She returned to her room, shed her light dress, and her porcelain white body was bathed in the light of the Firefly Stones. Every inch of her skin was smooth and lustrous like jade, her voluptuous curves alluring and seductive, like a rolling landscape painting.
She looked at the woman in the mirror and reached out to gently stroke her cheek.
Many people in Tian Xuan Sect said she had peerless beauty.
But in front of him, her beauty seemed to have never entered his eyes.
