Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 234 - 232: Master, Can You Cherish Yueqiu as a Lover?

"Peng Sword Immortal, leaving so soon? Don't tell me you can't handle it anymore~"

Pei Yuhang let out a disdainful snort at the provocative voice.

"Ji Xichan, I really don't get what you enjoy so much about talking tough... Why don't you take a look and see if it's me who can't handle it, or if you, you little minnow, can't."

As soon as he finished speaking, Pei Yuhang gave the young woman a light kick on the behind.

Ji Xichan immediately hopped to the side like a startled rabbit, and her skittish reaction made Pei Yuhang burst out laughing.

"Little minnow, I hope your 'little sister' is as tough as that mouth of yours."

"...You bastard, Pei Yuhang~!!"

Feeling utterly humiliated, Ji Xichan splashed water at Pei Yuhang in shame and anger. But with a flick of his hand, Pei Yuhang sent the water splashing back, leaving her completely drenched.

Seeing Ji Xichan so flustered and angry, yet completely helpless against him, Pei Yuhang finally felt a sense of satisfaction. He pushed open the door to the secret chamber, ready to depart.

But then, a glint of crystalline jade in his peripheral vision caught his eye.

His pupils contracted when he saw a hairpin carved with a tiny crescent moon.

'This... this... How is this possible?!'

'Qing Yueqiu, how could my head disciple be here? When did she arrive? Why didn't I sense her? She...'

'Does she know everything?'

With a trembling hand, Pei Yuhang picked up the hairpin. It was the first New Year's gift he had ever given Yueqiu. He still remembered Little Yueqiu's joyous smile as if it were only yesterday.

'Now, has that sensible, well-behaved girl, my head disciple who has always respected and admired me, also learned of my most sordid side?'

Pei Yuhang felt a strange ache in his heart and a tightness in his chest.

An intense sense of shame left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He brushed the dust from the hairpin's surface and finally composed himself.

By leaving the hairpin at the door, Qing Yueqiu was undoubtedly telling him to come find her.

Since things had come to this, Pei Yuhang would not run from it any longer.

...

...

The weather over the Cold Palace Sword Mansion was terrible tonight. Thick, dark clouds obscured the full moon's glow and the brilliant river of stars. Looking up, there was only an oppressive, black void.

A few rumbles of thunder echoed through the clouds, and slowly, a light rain began to fall from the sky.

Tonight, Qing Yueqiu had put on her most beautiful dress and had specially touched up her makeup.

Under the glow of a Fluorescent Spirit Stone, the young woman's silver hair was like a moonlit waterfall, smooth and shimmering. Strands of silver hair fell across her slender, bony shoulders, making her fair, pretty face seem almost translucent—like a flawless sculpture carved from the most delicate jade.

The wind howled outside, blowing stray raindrops into the room. Yet Qing Yueqiu didn't move to close the window. Instead, she sat quietly at her table, brewing hot tea.

The tea she brewed was called "Spring Love's Harmony." It tasted light at first, with a slightly bitter finish, but left a sweet aftertaste. It also carried the meaning of "a blissful union of a hundred years, to be cherished by both."

It was also her Master's favorite tea.

KNOCK KNOCK—

A soft knock sounded at the door, so faint it was barely louder than the patter of heavy raindrops on the roof.

"Master, you can enter my room freely. You don't need to knock."

"I have no secrets from you."

The person outside was silent for a moment before finally pushing the wooden door open.

In stark contrast to Qing Yueqiu's ornate and dignified dress, Pei Yuhang's attire was as plain and simple as ever—just a white robe, unadorned with gold or jade.

After entering the room, he closed the window that was letting in the rain, finally silencing the noisy clamor of the storm outside.

"Yueqiu... I have something I need to tell you."

Pei Yuhang placed the hairpin with the small crescent moon on the table and began to speak slowly.

Qing Yueqiu didn't take the hairpin. She didn't even look at it. The silver-haired young woman simply offered the freshly brewed tea to Pei Yuhang.

"Master, please have some tea first."

"..."

Pei Yuhang closed his mouth. 'She must be sulking,' he thought. 'I suppose she isn't ready to talk about this just yet.'

'That makes sense. If I were to discover that the master I revered as a paragon of virtue was actually a man of loose morals... I probably wouldn't be able to process it right away, either.'

'I might even feel ashamed to have such a "disgusting" master.'

Pei Yuhang decided to go along with his disciple's wishes and wait until she was ready to talk.

With his gaze lowered, he accepted the tea from Qing Yueqiu.

Until...a soft, ticklish sensation grazed his palm.

Pei Yuhang's eyes widened. 'Yueqiu... Did she just scratch my palm?'

"Master, is something wrong?"

Tonight, a bewitching crimson light shone in Qing Yueqiu's eyes.

She was the disciple, he the Master. She was merely a Nascent Soul, while he was a long-renowned Divinity Transformation Sword Immortal. Yet she stared at Pei Yuhang as a wolf would a rabbit.

"N-no."

Pei Yuhang hastily pulled his hand back, still holding the teacup.

'It must have been my imagination... Or maybe Yueqiu didn't do it intentionally.'

'It's all because of Shang Miaoyan, Ji Xichan, Xiaoxiao, and Gu Nan. They've made me far too sensitive.'

Pei Yuhang took a sip of tea, silently telling himself to clear his mind of distracting thoughts.

"Master, I've prepared a gift for you."

Qing Yueqiu spoke suddenly, opening a red wooden box. Nestled inside was a ring.

Pei Yuhang recognized the Crystal Stone set in the ring as a "Celestial Blue Diamond." It could condense immense amounts of Spiritual Qi to aid a Cultivator's practice and was incredibly useful even for a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. It was worth a fortune.

Looking at the expensive ring, his heart ached at his disciple's extravagance.

"Yueqiu, you shouldn't have bought me such an expensive gift."

Qing Yueqiu shook her head. "It's alright. As long as you want it or find it useful, Master, I will obtain it for you, no matter how precious."

Pei Yuhang was touched. He picked up the ring to put it on, but Qing Yueqiu stopped him.

"Your left ring finger."

"Master, you have to wear it on your left ring finger."

Pei Yuhang's expression froze. He looked at the Silver Ring on his left ring finger, which was engraved with the character "Yuan," and explained to Qing Yueqiu,

"Yueqiu, this finger is reserved for a Dao Companion's Engagement Ring..."

"I know."

The crimson in Qing Yueqiu's eyes swirled like red wine. She stared intently at Pei Yuhang's face and said, enunciating each word, "Master, can you cherish me as you would a lover?"

CRASH—

Pei Yuhang's fingers trembled, and the teacup in his hand toppled onto the table.

"Yueqiu, what are you saying...? This joke isn't funny."

"I know what happened between me and Ji Xichan hurt you... but please, Yueqiu, don't throw away your good name just to get back at me. Please give me a chance to explain, alright?"

Pei Yuhang pleaded, hoping for a response from his head disciple.

But Qing Yueqiu just gave a bitter laugh. Her laugh was like a fragile reed buffeted by a cold wind, and it sent a wave of sorrow crashing over Pei Yuhang.

The young woman spoke slowly. "Master, I know everything. Not just about you and that woman, Ji Xichan, but about you and junior sister, too... And by the way, I'm not a foolish disciple. I know much more than that.

Last night, you tricked Mistress into leaving the mansion so you could go to the Saintess of the Yin Yang Sacred Land. You went there to sell your body, didn't you...? The Saintess, junior sister, Ji Xichan... and it's probably not just those three, is it?

And your relationship with Elder Lu... it's not as simple as that between a senior and junior martial sibling, is it?"

"Master, don't lie to me anymore. I'm not as foolish as Mistress."