623 No Debts Between Us
Jiang Huai sat at the mountain top, gazing at the clouds.
As he stretched out his hand, the clouds slipped through his fingers, just like fleeting time that could never be grasped again. Unconsciously, he had already turned twenty-two years old. Now, his cultivation level had reached the Eighth Level of the Ninth Realm, fulfilling the conditions to sever the heavenly gate with his sword. Whenever he wanted, he could open the heavenly gate using Water Moon to ascend to the higher realms.
However, he was not fully prepared yet. He planned to engage in companion cultivation with Jiang Zhi a few more times before pushing his cultivation to the Ninth Level of the Ninth Realm. Jiang Zhi did not refuse him; over the past six months, they had engaged in dual cultivation many times. The spiritual energy within Jiang Zhi was far more abundant than that of an ordinary Ninth Level cultivator, and while dual cultivation would not enhance her level, Jiang Huai’s cultivation continuously increased, while her momentum seemed to wane.
During their last sword discussion, Jiang Zhi could not even reach him, let alone injure him. At that moment, Jiang Huai realized he was already invincible in the Qingmu Realm. That night, he flipped Jiang Zhi over, enjoying himself as he playfully spanked her.
Yes, he was such a little bastard.
Now, Jiang Zhi could no longer resist, only cursing him with a face full of humiliation. When he spanked her, she would whimper, and after their dual cultivation ended, she would grasp the quilt and cry heartily. Jiang Huai did not comfort her; he merely sat quietly, watching the stars and listening to her cries.
However, the next day after she woke up, her faint sense of world-weariness seemed to have melted away much more than before. It was as if the pain Jiang Huai brought her became proof that she was alive—capable of feeling hurt, humiliation, grievance, anger, and shyness.
She would still coldly say she did not love Jiang Huai, but during the deep of night, she would demand to be fed, clearly knowing it had no bearing on her cultivation, just a playful indulgence in their relationship.
But the most unreasonable thing was when she begged him, and Jiang Huai made her bark like a puppy.
At this moment, the relationship between Jiang Huai and Jiang Zhi had become especially subtle. During the day, they could be seen as ordinary siblings, often bickering and quarreling but mostly living peacefully together. Yet at night, Jiang Huai increasingly took advantage, and when Jiang Zhi could not resist, she could only obediently bear everything, as if Jiang Huai were deliberately returning all the humiliations she had once faced.
All her past pride had been completely shattered, yet the inexplicable resentment deep within her heart seemed to gradually dissolve along with her pride. Sometimes, Jiang Zhi would sit alone in the courtyard, pondering whether her clever master had foreseen everything, including that she would one day endure such humiliation without feeling pain, and instead find inexplicable pleasure.
She often tried to resist Jiang Huai at night, but each time she was met with increasingly harsh treatment. Her tears soaked the pillow, and though she repeatedly experienced defeat, she still found herself unable to stop trying.
………………………………
Jiang Huai could not guess Jiang Zhi’s subtle thoughts, but he could honestly say that his bullying of her was not due to being naturally despicable or shameless; rather, all her actions suggested he should do so. When she was being bullied, she was undeniably more exhilarated and trembling than when he gently coaxed her.
Perhaps he was the one being toyed with instead.
Fortunately, he felt he didn’t need to cultivate with Jiang Zhi much longer to reach the Ninth Level of the Ninth Realm. Thus, he proposed to reduce their dual cultivation frequency from once a week to once every half month. He always bullied Jiang Zhi during their cultivation, so logically, reducing the frequency should have been good for her. Yet last night, she had grown sullen and, due to her pride, could only agree, but this morning, she told him to hurry and leave the courtyard.
So, Jiang Huai left quickly.
Jiang Huai expected to ascend to the higher realm by the end of the year. He had already calmly informed the girls in the courtyard, agreeing to return within a maximum of six months.
The girls understood his determination and did not act spoiled or unreasonable; still, during their affectionate moments, a hint of melancholy lingered in the air each night.
………………………………
The wind blew, and leaves fell.
Chu Xianning donned her sleep dress, her snow-white lotus feet lightly touching the ground as she walked toward the room, while Jiang Huai obediently followed behind her. Tonight was another session of dual cultivation with Chu Xianning.
And their master would be watching.
Jiang Huai lay down obediently, gazing at Chu Xianning, who had yet to remove her skirt, her snow-white legs peeking from beneath it. He wanted to speak several times but hesitated each time. Finally, seeing her turn her face away, her buttocks slightly sinking, she quietly said, “We will hold our wedding after you return from the higher realm.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Huai felt relieved.
Over the past few days, he had been cautiously probing Chu Xianning about when they might marry. He wasn’t in a rush; he simply wanted to hear her mention a date. Now that she had told him, he felt much more at ease. He reached out, gently holding her slender waist, the silk of her dress sliding smoothly beneath his hand.
But Chu Xianning gently pushed his hand away, instead reaching out both hands to him, her fingers spread apart.
This way, holding onto his hands with their fingers interlocked, she could prevent this little bastard from taking the chance to grab her waist and push her down when she wasn’t paying attention.
Through the grip of her fingers, Jiang Huai could gauge how much his celestial master, Chu Xianning, had already been bullied.
……………………………………
Half a month later, Jiang Huai arrived once more at Jiang Zhi’s courtyard door.
He pushed the door open, finding Jiang Zhi dressed in an orange palace dress.
Jiang Zhi’s figure was already perfect—tall and slender, her waist delicate enough to be clasped with a single hand, yet her curves were well-proportioned and ample. Jiang Huai always loved to kiss her finely defined collarbone, enjoying the sight of her collarbone glistening and listening to her soft, kitten-like hums as her delicate lips moved.
But today, she appeared particularly cold.
“Did you miss me, Sister?” Jiang Huai set the pastries he had prepared aside, but Jiang Zhi had already begun to roll up her skirt, slowly revealing more of herself. As he watched her skirt inch up to her waist, her legs parting, her buttocks swayed slightly, and the tinkling sound of small bells reached Jiang Huai’s ears.
She let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with disdain and pride. At that moment, her posture seemed extraordinarily shameful, as if inviting some mischief, and she wore an expression as if she could already see Jiang Huai eagerly pouncing on her to subject her to humiliation.
“Eh…”
But Jiang Huai merely opened his arms toward her, “I’m not going to bully you today; let’s just hug for a while.”
Her body almost immediately leaped into his embrace. Jiang Huai lifted her, and they fell onto the bed, holding her gently, speaking softly near her ear, occasionally teasing her just enough to soothe her little loneliness but never going further.
“Do you like me?”
“You are the most despicable, shameless, filthy, and sordid little bastard in the world…”
“Oh,” Jiang Huai leaned closer to her ear, “That’s much better than saying you like me.”
………………………………
The playful intimacy between them was not limited to pain alone.
Tonight, Jiang Huai was particularly gentle, and in this posture, Jiang Zhi transformed into a completely different figure, appearing languid and satisfied, no longer the angry and struggling version from before. She looked obedient, like a kitten basking in the sun, even curling herself entirely into his arms while sleeping instead of tightly wrapping herself in the quilt.
Fortunately, Jiang Huai was fully aware that once daytime came and their dual cultivation ended, she would revert to her cold and aloof demeanor. Therefore, he remained unfazed, gently stroking her back, coaxing her into a peaceful sleep.
……………………………………
Another year of snow and ice blanketed the world.
On the day Jiang Huai broke through to the Ninth Level of the Ninth Realm, a phenomenon swept across the Qingmu Realm, colorful rays of light enveloping the entire world, and at that moment, the Tian Xuan Sect became his domain, with every disciple’s cultivation improving to some extent.
After breaking through, Jiang Huai felt less joy and more small worries.
Reaching the Ninth Level of the Ninth Realm meant he had to ascend to the higher realms.
The girls in the courtyard had known for some time that his departure was imminent. Recently, they no longer referred to one another as sisters, nor did they indulge in pleasantries, each acting like a little puppy guarding its food, leading Jiang Huai to navigate their affections awkwardly, feeling both amused and helpless.
Before leaving, Jiang Huai activated the spirit boat, taking them on a trip to the North Sea Dragon Clan. It was their first visit to the Dragon Clan, where they enjoyed countless interesting sights, reveling for an entire month before Jiang Huai finally brought them back to the Tian Xuan Sect with the spirit boat.
On the eve of his departure, Jiang Huai remained in the courtyard, keeping Chu Xianning company.
He thought he had so much to say, yet when the moment came, he didn’t know how to begin. So, he simply held Chu Xianning’s soft body, quietly embracing her for a long time, occasionally leaning in to lightly kiss her lips.
After a night passed, when he woke up, the courtyard was covered in silver, and the girls outside had been waiting long. Jiang Huai stepped out and gently embraced each one, kissing their lips softly.
“I will return as quickly as possible, within six months at most,” Jiang Huai assured them again.
Jiang Zhi had already approached him, dressed in a purple dress, elegant and cool, just as she had been during their first meeting. She said coldly, “It’s time to go.”
Jiang Huai nodded gently, rising into the sky alongside her. As everything below turned into a white blur, he began to gather worldly spiritual energy, the Water Moon trajectory he had intuitively understood as a child reappearing in his mind. This sword, which had accompanied him for many years, was his ultimate move. Now, having reached the Ninth Level of the Ninth Realm, he swung the sword to sever the bonds of the world, breaking the seals that had been locked away for ages. A swirling vortex appeared before Jiang Huai and Jiang Zhi.
Jiang Huai extended his hand toward Jiang Zhi, gently saying, “Let’s go.”
Jiang Zhi grasped his hand lightly; his palm was soft and warm. But for some reason, a tiny flicker of indescribable fear arose deep within her heart.
She suddenly remembered their prior agreement: that dual cultivation was merely a means to an end, and after reaching the higher realms, they would owe each other nothing.
