Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 277 275: Liyuan Tells Lin Qianyan Her Love Story

Lin Qianyan leaned forward slightly, a hint of urgency appearing in her usually steady gaze.

"Fairy Ye, could you tell me a little more about Pei Sword Immortal's past?"

She paused, her voice choked with emotion, but she forced herself to remain composed.

"If Pei Sword Immortal is truly my long-lost Brother Pei, then I desperately want to know... how has his life been since he came to the Dao Sect?"

Ye Liyuan was touched by Lin Qianyan's gaze, and a wave of pity washed over her. 'Poor Saintess Lin has been searching for her brother for so many years. Such a deep sibling bond is truly moving.'

'I hope Ah Han really is Saintess Lin's "Brother Pei." That would finally fulfill her wish.'

She gently pursed her lips, a nostalgic look filling her eyes as her voice became soft and slow.

"Hmm... Ah Han's life after coming to the Dao Sect... Well, I'm Nameless Master's youngest disciple. Ah Han arrived at the Dao Sect five years before I did."

"Back then, I still called him 'Brother Pei.' The first time I saw him, I thought he was so stern and intimidating. He was a bit of a loner, always cultivating by himself and rarely speaking to anyone."

"When Master had Ah Han guide my initial cultivation, I was terrified! I always felt like if I messed up a single move, Ah Han was going to hit me!"

Ye Liyuan's voice was filled with emotion, as if she were reminiscing about those innocent, unseasoned days.

"But after spending more time with Ah Han, my opinion of him changed. I discovered that he only acts cold on the outside. On the inside, he's gentler than anyone!"

"Perhaps... it's because of some past trauma that he became so guarded..."

Hearing the word "trauma," Lin Qianyan unconsciously toyed with the fabric of her sleeve, a flash of pain in her eyes.

'Knowing the truth, she naturally understood just how horrifying that so-called "trauma" truly was.'

Lin Qianyan's voice was choked with emotion, yet she struggled to keep it steady. "Was he... always alone?"

At this, a rare, pouty expression appeared on Ye Liyuan's face, as if she had recalled something unpleasant.

Her voice rose slightly, laced with a distinctively sour tone.

"Of course not! Ah Han was living the high life back then. Every day, different senior and junior sisters were lining up to shower him with attention!

Even though he acted all cold and distant on the outside, I bet he was secretly loving it!"

"..."

As Lin Qianyan listened to Ye Liyuan, the tears in her eyes vanished. She even felt a spark of inexplicable anger ignite in her heart, sharing in the indignation.

'What kind of Fox Spirit was trying to seduce my husband every day? Absolutely shameless!'

Ye Liyuan didn't notice anything strange about Lin Qianyan's reaction. A nostalgic look remained on her face, as if she were recalling her own glory days, battling her way through the throngs of "Fox Spirits."

With a hint of triumphant sweetness in her voice, she continued, "To be honest, back then, I never imagined I'd end up as Dao Companions with that handsome, aloof Brother Pei."

Hearing this, a shadow fell over Lin Qianyan's pretty face. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes—a mix of bitterness and helplessness.

'If she didn't know that Ye Liyuan was completely in the dark about her and Pei Yuhang's possible 'ex-husband, ex-wife' history, she would've suspected Fairy Ye was showing off on purpose.'

"Actually, it was all that nasty Senior Sister Nangong's fault back then. She was jealous because Ah Han was always teaching me so patiently, one-on-one, so she always gave me dirty looks.

Later, she got drunk and provoked me in private, saying all sorts of sour things like, 'Brother Pei is only teaching you for now,' and, 'Just wait. Once this is over, see if Brother Pei gives you the time of day!'"

As Ye Liyuan spoke, her voice filled with indignation, as if she were right back in that moment of being provoked. Her fingers tightened into a fist, a determined glint in her eye.

"I was so angry right then. I thought, 'Who are you to look down on me?' So I secretly swore that I would definitely get together with Brother Pei and shove it in Senior Sister Nangong's face!"

A triumphant smile spread across her face, her voice brimming with the joy of victory.

"It was from that moment on that I started getting closer and closer to Brother Pei, and in the end, I turned 'Brother Pei' into my 'Ah Han'!"

"..."

Beside her, Lin Qianyan was speechless, her expression growing more and more complicated.

'I think I asked how Pei Yuhang's life was in the Dao Sect, whether he suffered any grievances... Why are you telling me your entire relationship history?'

Lin Qianyan's lip twitched. In an odd tone, she said, "Fairy Ye, you're definitely just showing off, aren't you?"

Ye Liyuan finally snapped out of it. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she gave an embarrassed little laugh. "Oh, dear. Did I get a bit carried away?"

Her voice was apologetic, but her eyes still sparkled with happiness.

Lin Qianyan gave a small, meaningful smile. "It's fine. Listening to you has certainly given me a more... 'thorough' understanding of Pei Sword Immortal's past."

"But... Pei Sword Immortal has been gone for a while. Fairy Ye, do you happen to know where he went?"

"Oh, that was Sister Miaoyan from the mansion next door. She said the Spiritual Energy pipeline for her mansion's air conditioning was broken and asked Ah Han to go fix it," Ye Liyuan explained with a smile.

'Next door? Sister Miaoyan? Fixing a pipe?'

Lin Qianyan, who had assumed Pei Yuhang was off handling some major Sect business, froze on the spot. A strange, ominous feeling crept into her heart.

...

...

「In Shang Miaoyan's mansion.」

The battle between them had reached its most feverish stage. Both Pei Yuhang's and Shang Miaoyan's breathing was slightly ragged, and a thin sheen of sweat had appeared on their foreheads.

A game of chess, that is.

After all, for Cultivators, a game of chess is essentially a contest of Divine Sense and computational power. Using their Spiritual Power, they must simulate hundreds, even thousands, of possible game outcomes in their minds. Only after the most careful consideration do they make a single move.

The mental toll on a Cultivator is immense; even a Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivator would find it taxing.

After learning from Shang Miaoyan that the winner would gain the power to make the loser do anything they wished, Pei Yuhang had thrown all his focus into the game.

Shang Miaoyan's skill at chess was equally impressive. Locked in a fierce battle of wits, the two had been staring intently at the board for three hours.

Just then, a shimmer of light flickered on Shang Miaoyan's earlobe; she had received a message from Fan Ya.

Holy Daughter, I saw with my own eyes that Lin Qianyan has returned to rest at the Embassy Mansion prepared by the Dao Sect for the Jade Pool Sacred Land.

A smile touched Shang Miaoyan's red lips. She knew the purpose of the game had been achieved.

She idly twirled a lock of her hair. Then, following the moves of an ancient, incomplete game she had memorized beforehand, she deliberately steered the match into a stalemate.

Pei Yuhang stared at the stalemated board, his expression grim.

But in the end, he had no choice but to set down the piece in his hand.

"Xiaohan, it looks like neither of us can get the better of the other. We've reached a draw,"

Shang Miaoyan said, watching Pei Yuhang with a placid smile.

'In truth, her goal was never to defeat Pei Yuhang. It was simply to stall him, to keep him from leaving. The so-called wager was just a pretext to make him stay and keep her company.'

Now that the nuisance Lin Qianyan had gone back to rest, she could finally relax.

With a flick of her sleeve, an ancient Copper Mirror appeared in Shang Miaoyan's hand. Its surface held a faint bronze sheen, and its edges were carved with intricate patterns.

"What is this?" Pei Yuhang's gaze fixed on the Copper Mirror, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Shang Miaoyan smiled faintly. She gently caressed the mirror's surface, her tone soft yet solemn. "This is called the Heart-Seeing Illusion-Breaking Mirror. It allows whoever looks into it to see the thing their heart fears most."

She paused, her gaze shifting to Pei Yuhang, a touch of concern in her eyes.

"The best way to conquer fear is to face it. There are no clever shortcuts.

If Sister Liyuan wants to overcome her fear of the Celestial Tribulation, her only option is to use this mirror to confront it, again and again."

A complex emotion flickered in Pei Yuhang's eyes. He reached out, took the mirror, and after a moment, said, "Thank you."

Seeing this, Shang Miaoyan tilted her head, her tone teasing. "Haha, Xiaohan, what's our relationship? Is there really a need for you to thank me?"

"You didn't try to force me into any of your usual debauchery this time, so I'm thanking you for that."

He paused, his voice low. "Consider it a favor I owe you."

With that, Pei Yuhang put the mirror away and turned to leave.

Shang Miaoyan stood rooted to the spot, watching his back recede into the distance. The smile in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a complicated look.

'She touched her chest over her heart. For some reason, she had a bad feeling, a premonition that something was about to go wrong.'

It was the same feeling she'd had back in the Saintess Hall. Even though Pei Yuhang had been right there beside her, she'd felt as if he could leave her at any moment.

And that was indeed what happened. Pei Yuhang really did leave her.

Although... that was only because she had turned a blind eye. Her original plan was to let Xiaohan lay low outside for a while before finding a chance to bring him back.

Who would have thought that the moment he was out of the cage, he would be like a bird set free, never to return.

...

...

Pei Yuhang flew on his sword toward the Cold Palace Sword Mansion. Outside the gates, he checked to make sure no trace of another woman's scent lingered on him, then slapped his cheeks lightly and strode inside.

"Liyuan, I'm back!"

Pei Yuhang's call was answered almost immediately.

The sound of light footsteps echoed from within, and an elegant figure emerged. She wore no makeup, yet her beauty was like a lotus blossom rising from clear water, entirely natural and unadorned. Her features held a pure, otherworldly grace, as if she were the embodiment of all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

"And you are, Fairy...?"

Pei Yuhang asked instinctively, looking at the plainly dressed beauty before him who seemed both familiar and yet a complete stranger.

"Does Pei Sword Immortal not recognize me? Then again, we... haven't properly met, have we? My name is Lin Qianyan."

Lin Qianyan...

Pei Yuhang's pupils contracted. He instinctively glanced down at the Fairy's fingertips.

A silver light twinkled there. Engraved upon it was a single word: "Pei."

At that moment, Pei Yuhang knew.

'There was no mistake. It was really her...'