670 I didn’t provoke you, did I?
Fang Moye was not foolish.
She had served under the Divine Emperor for several hundred years and was extremely familiar with the Divine Emperor’s temperament. The Divine Emperor did not like to play with people’s hearts or manipulate situations, because she could cut through all schemes and tricks with her sword. However, this did not mean that she was not a demon who played with people’s hearts.
It was clear that she and Jiang Huai would have gathered the Divine Emperor Pearl Shards if they had stayed in the courtyard for another month. So why did the Divine Emperor, upon hearing the news, send Ning Yuzhu over? Was it because she pitied her older brother who was being tortured by his conscience every day in this place, or because she wanted to make her jealous?
It couldn’t be because she was protective of her possession, could it?
Fang Moye quietly looked at the person in the mirror. She slowly reached out her hand and gently touched her cheek. This face was sacred and stunningly beautiful, as bright as the moon in the sky, yet it evoked thoughts of untouchability. But unfortunately, the body beneath the face possessed a naturally seductive bone structure that was rare throughout the ages.
Heaven had played a not-so-small joke on her. She had thought she would never fall in love in this lifetime and had already planned her life. However, fate was not as she wished. The contract with the Divine Emperor had caused her to endure hundreds of years of torment and unease. Now that Jiang Huai had truly appeared before her, her Dao heart seemed to be slowly wavering.
She felt as if, in that moment, her heart had ignited with intense jealousy.
But she was Fang Moye.
She was not a woman who could be manipulated and acted recklessly.
…
White clouds drifted leisurely, and the spring water flowed gently.
The sun was bright and the weather was pleasant today, making the light single layer clothing especially warm. Ning Yuzhu was still in her maid dress. Jiang Huai had only learned last night that she had many different styles of maid dresses, all of which were handmade by Jiang Ning. She cherished them like treasures, keeping them intact and spotless for hundreds of years.
Today, Ning Yuzhu was wearing the black stockings and thigh-highs that Jiang Huai had chosen. The ultra-thin, sheer stockings were slightlyShe sat opposite Jiang Huai, and the two of them were boating on the large lake of Baiye Mountain. A flying chess game was placed in the middle of the small boat. He did not play Go with Ning Yuzhu because he could not win.
The fruit plate on the table held clusters of green and purple grapes, which Ning Yuzhu had picked from White Dew Mountain. The grapes were sweet and refreshing. Jiang Huai peeled one and brought it to Ning Yuzhu’s lips. Although Ning Yuzhu’s expression showed a hint of disdain, she still obediently swallowed the grape.
“We will continue to practice sword with me this afternoon,” Ning Yuzhu said faintly.
Jiang Huai slumped onto the boat, his voice weak, “Why do I still have to practice sword?”
“Your energy is too abundant. If you don’t practice sword, you’ll always be thinking of various ways to bother me. Besides, if you master sword techniques, you’ll be able to protect yourself in the future.”
“Isn’t Senior Disciple Sister always by my side to protect me?”
“Master wants me to teach you, so she must have her reasons for doing so.” Ning Yuzhu slightly raised her eyelashes, and Jiang Huai became curious, asking softly, “Then what do you think Master’s reasons are, Senior Disciple Sister?”
Ning Yuzhu hesitated for a moment. “I don’t want to speculate on Master’s thoughts.”
But at this moment, Jiang Huai slightly bent over, gently held her ankle, which was clad in dark gold high heels, unbuckled the shoe buckle, and took her slender little foot, wrapped in sheer black stockings, into his palm. His voice was gentle, “I’m a little curious, Senior Disciple Sister, tell me.”
Ning Yuzhu turned her face away.
Her little foot was in his palm, and she felt an awkward sensation, as if her handle had been grasped. After hesitating for a while, Ning Yuzhu slowly replied, “Perhaps it has something to do with the Void Dark Night and the Will of Destruction. Even though Master’s realm is unfathomable, that treasure is now on you, and you will need to share her burdens in the future.”
“Then I should learn.” Jiang Huai gently caressed her white and tender little feet. The stockings felt silky smooth, and her delicate feet were as soft and tender as if boneless. Once held in his palm, he couldn’t let go. Jiang Huai suddenly recalled the scene last night when he had freely played with Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu’s jade-like roundness, recalling her efforts to bite her lips and suppress her gasps. At that moment, a lecherous thought arose again.
Fortunately, he quickly shook his head, casting those thoughts aside, and then looked at Ning Yuzhu again, “Then will there be a reward if I learn well?”
“You’re so shameless.”
“Even if Senior Disciple Sister scolds me a few more times, it’ll count.”
Ning Yuzhu’s slightly disdainful, cold curse was too amusing. Jiang Huai felt no shame at all, only finding it cute. Perhaps sensing that she posed no threat to him, Ning Yuzhu was slightly displeased. Her white and tender little foot gently kicked Jiang Huai’s lower abdomen, “If you don’t learn it within a month, you’ll have to kneel and lick my feet.”
“There’s a punishment, but what about the reward?”
Ning Yuzhu turned her face away. After a period of silence, she finally finished thinking, turned her head, and looked at Jiang Huai with her clear eyes, yet obediently parted her delicate pink lips, so much so that Jiang Huai could clearly see her delicate pink tongue and snow-white teeth. She said nothing, just looked at Jiang Huai, as if displaying a benefit. After a short while, she asked coldly, “How about it?”
“Senior Disciple Sister,” Jiang Huai suddenly murmured.
“Hmm?” Ning Yuzhu slightly tilted her chin up.
“So seductive.” He looked at Ning Yuzhu now. “Let’s start practicing sword now.”
Ning Yuzhu glanced at him with disdain, momentarily speechless.
…
The two began practicing sword in the middle of the lake.
With their cultivation levels, they could easily walk on water. Jiang Huai first took Ning Yuzhu’s small hand, and as he habitually merged his soul with hers, he teased her a little before starting to seriously study the spiritual Qi trajectory and sword momentum. Then, they began sparring in the middle of the lake.
Ning Yuzhu’s sword momentum summoned lake water like a torrent, and her sword strikes landed on Jiang Huai, quickly drenching him like a drowned rat. Jiang Huai’s eyes glowed, and he saw Ning Yuzhu’s lips curve into a smile, like a little girl who had succeeded in a prank.
He was naturally not annoyed. Seeing her smile, he also chuckled.
“What are you laughing at?” Ning Yuzhu suddenly put her hands on her chest, her smile fading.
“Senior Disciple Sister can laugh, so I can’t? You looked so cute just now, aren’t you even allowing me to laugh?”
“Sweet talker,” Ning Yuzhu said, then conjured another water sword and slashed it at Jiang Huai.
Although Jiang Huai usually liked to slack off, practicing sword with Ning Yuzhu was also very interesting. Just looking at Ning Yuzhu’s serious and focused snow-white face made Jiang Huai feel inexplicably full of energy. They practiced from noon until the sunset glow, and only then did they stop.
He and Jiang Huai walked back to the courtyard. Jiang Huai held her hand and didn’t want to let go. Fortunately, Ning Yuzhu did not struggle, allowing her soft and tender little hand to be held like this. After returning to the courtyard, Ning Yuzhu went to the kitchen, with Jiang Huai assisting her. Fang Moye sat alone by the pond, picked a lotus seedpod, and ate it seed by seed.
By the time the food was served, she had finished a lotus seedpod. Casually picking up her bowl and chopsticks at the table, she tasted a couple of dishes and lost interest. On the other hand, Jiang Huai still looked like he was starving to death, finishing all the dishes Ning Yuzhu had made, not leaving a single bite.
After eating, he comically stuck his head in front of Ning Yuzhu, lowering his head slightly. Ning Yuzhu looked at him with a mixture of disdain and helplessness, reached out, and gently rubbed his head. After a moment, she was amused again, her lips curving slightly, “Good boy.”
“I’m full, let’s continue practicing sword,” Jiang Huai looked at Ning Yuzhu with anticipation.
Ning Yuzhu shook her head. “I don’t want to practice, I want to bathe.”
“I want to go too.”
“You are not allowed to follow,” Ning Yuzhu’s fingertip lightly poked his forehead, as if warning him. So Jiang Huai obediently didn’t follow. Fang Moye was sitting at the table at this moment. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke, “When she says that, doesn’t it trigger a mission?”
“No,” Jiang Huai shook his head.
“Why?” Fang Moye was confused.
Jiang Huai thought for a moment. “Perhaps because I know deep down that if I were to get cheeky and shamelessly follow her, Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu would still obediently let me follow.”
After speaking, Jiang Huai suddenly produced three Divine Emperor Pearls. Fang Moye was silent for a moment. “Did you bully Ning Yuzhu again during the day?”
“Bully her? This is just a reward for boating with her, holding her, and kissing her forehead.” Jiang Huai answered righteously, without any pretense. Fang Moye turned her face away. “Why does she get rewards just for doing these things with you?”
“Perhaps because I want to do this deep down?” Jiang Huai scratched his head.
Fang Moye fell silent for a moment. Her instinctive thought was, then can’t you have these kinds of thoughts about me? Instead of always making me seduce you to trigger… But she couldn’t say these words. She vaguely felt that she was deeply trapped. It was clear that she had already distinguished between profit and loss, but seeing the two of them holding hands and walking back into the courtyard, she instinctively felt uncomfortable.
She couldn’t explain it.
“Why does Ancestral Master seem to be frowning?” Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment and asked softly.
Fang Moye’s brow unfurrowed, her eyes cold, and she replied, “No.”
“Then I must have seen wrong…” Jiang Huai thought about it and stopped asking. Instead, he said, “I feel that at this pace, we should be able to gather enough Divine Emperor Pearl Shards to help Ancestral Master break through within half a month.”
“Oh.” Fang Moye didn’t know what to say.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward until Fang Moye took the initiative to attack, “What do you think of Yuzhu?”
“Senior Disciple Sister? Of course. Not just a Senior Disciple Sister,” Jiang Huai replied softly.
“Then is this how you treat your Senior Disciple Sister?”
Jiang Huai scratched his head and thought for a moment. “I can probably guess what Ancestral Master is thinking…”
What Fang Moye was thinking, naturally, was to stand up for Ning Yuzhu. She had left the Divine Emperor’s side precisely because she was unwilling to accept such a fate. Now, seeing her Junior Disciple Sister suffering so much at Jiang Huai’s hands, she was naturally displeased.
“I… I have indeed taken advantage of Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu a lot. But I also take care of Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu’s emotions seriously. If Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu is unwilling to do something, I would never force her to do it, even if it meant death. I am not being arrogant, it’s just that I feel… Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu doesn’t dislike these things, so…”
“Because the Divine Emperor instilled in her the idea that you are her future husband long ago, she naturally wouldn’t dislike it. But do you think this is right?”
Jiang Huai looked at Fang Moye’s cold and clear face and muttered, “Then what should I do? Should I be cold to Senior Disciple Sister, polite and proper, and do nothing? Would that make me a gentleman? Whether you call me a scoundrel or a bastard, I have always respected Senior Disciple Sister, and I told her long ago that she never has to compromise with me or give in to me in everything. Her own feelings should be the most important.”
“Senior Disciple Sister lived alone on White Dew Mountain for so many years. Since I have appeared here, instead of pretending to be a gentleman in front of her, it is better to show her my true self. I will accept whatever choice Senior Disciple Sister wants to make, but as long as I sense any displeasure from her, I will know my limits.”
Jiang Huai’s words were not entirely logical, but his tone was extremely sincere. Fang Moye knew he was not lying, but she turned her face away. “Then you can’t bully her too much.”
“I naturally know, I have a sense of proportion. Besides… I really don’t feel like Senior Disciple Sister Yuzhu dislikes it.”
“Because she is naive about the world, she is easily deceived by scoundrels like you.”
“Ancestral Master, I didn’t provoke you, did I?” Jiang Huai’s eyes twitched slightly.
Why did he have a feeling that Fang Moye, who was gentle and aloof with occasional hints of charm yesterday, now seemed quite like a jilted wife?
