Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 301 299: Before Departure, Ji and Qing's Asura Field

Pale white moonlight spilled down, filtering through the window to form a hazy, gossamer veil that draped over Pei Yuhang and Ye Liyuan.

Inside the room, the faint scent of sandalwood lingered in the air. Wisps of light smoke rose slowly, enhancing the quiet and warm atmosphere surrounding the Dao Companion couple.

The Sword Immortal couple had just finished partaking in the intimate pleasures known only to Dao Companions.

A slightly weary Ye Liyuan leaned on Pei Yuhang's shoulder. Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, the tips gently brushing against his arm and causing a slight tickle.

Pei Yuhang looked down at her, his eyes full of tenderness. He gently stroked her hair as if caressing a precious treasure.

After a moment of silence, Pei Yuhang spoke in a low, gentle voice.

"Liyuan, tomorrow Yueqiu and I are leaving to find the Mirage Dragon. I might not be back for a very long time."

"Ah Han, you've already said that so many times… I can take care of myself~!"

Ye Liyuan lifted her head, her eyes as clear as autumn waters. "You can go without worrying. I'll wait for you… By the time you get back, I might have already advanced to the Golden Core realm."

"Advance to Golden Core?"

Pei Yuhang's voice suddenly sharpened. His brow furrowed, and a flicker of nervousness flashed in his eyes.

"You're going to undergo your Celestial Tribulation while I'm away? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

He subconsciously grabbed Ye Liyuan's hand, his grip tightening slightly as if he was afraid she would disappear the very next moment.

Ye Liyuan gently pulled her hand back and shot him a look, her eyes filled with a hint of playful reproach.

"What would have been the point of telling you sooner? Just to make you worry all by yourself? You're always like this, trying to carry every burden on your own."

"Besides, what good would telling you about the Celestial Tribulation do? In the end, this is a trial I must overcome by myself. No one else can help."

Pei Yuhang's brow remained furrowed, his voice tinged with anxiety.

"But Liyuan, a Celestial Tribulation is no small matter. You still have a Heart Demon, and the slightest mistake could lead to your utter damnation.

How can I be at ease with you facing the tribulation alone at the mansion?"

"So what? Do you want me to never face my tribulation?"

Ye Liyuan sighed softly, her eyes glinting with an unquestionable light.

"Ah Han, do you want me to hide under your wing forever, to become a useless Canary in a gilded cage?

If I want to walk the path of longevity with you, this Golden Core Celestial Tribulation is something I must overcome, no matter what.

Lately, I've been confronting my Heart Demon directly using the Illusion-Breaking Mirror. I think I should be ready very soon."

Her voice was gentle yet firm, as if she were speaking of the most ordinary thing in the world, hoping to put Pei Yuhang at ease.

Pei Yuhang looked at her, his heart a mix of conflicting emotions. He was proud of her, yet he couldn't help but worry.

But he also understood his Dao Companion's temperament; once she made up her mind, she would not be easily swayed.

"Alright, don't worry anymore."

Seeing Pei Yuhang's deeply furrowed brow, Ye Liyuan let out a snicker. She reached out to smooth his frown, patted the back of his hand, and a confident smile graced her lips.

"It's just a mere Golden Core Celestial Tribulation. I was once a woman on the verge of becoming a Void Refining Cultivator. How could an obstacle like this possibly stop me?

Besides… I have Sister Miaoyan and Senior Sister Lu. They'll both help me."

Hearing this, Pei Yuhang complained internally, 'It's precisely because they're here that I'm worried about you, Liyuan…'

He opened his mouth to say more, but a slender, pale fingertip pressed against his lips. The fragrance from her finger wafted into his nostrils, making his mind go hazy for a moment.

"Shhh—when did Ah Han become such a mother hen~? Hehe."

Ye Liyuan said with a giggle.

The wind whispered past the window, and the candlelight inside flickered unsteadily.

Pei Yuhang looked at the determination in his Dao Companion's eyes and finally closed his own in silence.

He knew he couldn't stand in the way of Liyuan's pursuit of the Dao.

He gently took her hand and whispered, "Liyuan, promise me you'll be careful."

"If possible, I hope you can wait until I return to face your Golden Core Celestial Tribulation."

Ye Liyuan smiled beautifully, her eyes full of tenderness and confidence. "You want to watch me cross the tribulation that badly?

Then you'd better hurry back. I'm a prodigy, you know. I cultivate so fast that if you're too late, I won't wait for you."

After speaking, Ye Liyuan's moist eyes shimmered, and a cherry-blossom blush spread across her snow-white, swan-like neck.

She leaned close to Pei Yuhang's ear and said shyly, "Ah Han, before you go… let's do it one more time."

Before Ye Liyuan could finish, Pei Yuhang rolled over and embraced his Dao Companion's fragrant, Soft Jade-like body.

"I was waiting for you to say that."

Pei Yuhang said, gently nibbling his Dao Companion's cute little earlobe.

"You scoundrel, so you were planning this all along!"

Ye Liyuan mumbled a couple of complaints and resisted symbolically a few times, expressing the reserved nature of a Fairy, before letting the naughty Ah Han have his way with her.

...

...

「The next day.」

As dawn broke, a light morning mist shrouded the Cold Palace Sword Mansion. On the stone steps before the mansion, Ji Xichan and Qing Yueqiu had already packed their belongings and were standing in wait.

Ji Xichan wore a black dress, its hem as deep as the night, which made her skin seem whiter than snow and added a touch of languor and mystery to her aura.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping coolly over Qing Yueqiu beside her. The corner of her lip curled into a barely-there smile, tinged with provocation and disdain.

Qing Yueqiu, in contrast, was dressed in white that outshone the snow, her sleeves fluttering. Her expression was as cold as frost, and her features held an otherworldly aloofness, as if she were above mortal concerns.

She held her hands lightly in front of her, her fingertips gently rubbing her sleeves as she gazed calmly into the distance, seeming to completely ignore Ji Xichan beside her.

However, when their gazes chanced to meet, invisible sparks seemed to fly through the air with a terrifying CRACKLE that sent a shiver down one's spine.

Ji Xichan let out a light laugh, her voice as crisp as a silver bell but laced with sarcasm. "My, Sister Qing is up bright and early~

You seem a little too eager about this Mirage Dragon. Could it be that Peng Sword Immortal only agreed to hunt it with me because of you?"

Hearing this, Qing Yueqiu's eyes shifted slightly. Of course, she had no intention of telling Ji Xichan anything about her own curse or her master's Seed Demon Seal.

So, Qing Yueqiu shot her a cool glance, her voice as icy as a frozen spring.

"You're overthinking it, Ji Xichan. I am merely showing the proper respect as a disciple. How could a disciple possibly arrive later than her master?

You, on the other hand… you clearly have a master of your own, yet you insist on freeloading at someone else's master's mansion. When you run into trouble, you don't seek out your own master. Instead, the first thing you think of is to drag someone else's master into it.

A face that thick is probably tougher than a top-grade Defensive Magical Artifact. I have to admit, I'm no match for you."

Ji Xichan's eyebrow twitched. She secretly clenched her teeth, barely suppressing her anger.

"Sister Qing, your words really cut deep. It's true that I, Ji Xichan, have a thick skin. After all, I'm not afraid to make sacrifices to achieve great things.

That's better than certain people who are dying of love but always have to put on an act. They can't even get a sip of the soup, and can only cry and fantasize in secret~!

I can't stand these hypocritical little fairies of the Righteous Dao!"

Qing Yueqiu, having been struck a sore spot, had a surge of Killing Intent flash in her crimson eyes. A small crack appeared in the stone step beneath her feet, but she suppressed her rage and did not act.

'After all, Master gave me instructions beforehand… At the very least, I have to be polite on the surface. I can't disappoint him!'

Qing Yueqiu took a deep breath to calm the storm in her heart, then said coldly:

"You freeloader. If you can't stand the sight of me, then don't look. Why waste your breath?"

"You!"

The atmosphere between the two grew even more tense, as if the very air around them had frozen solid.

Just then, Pei Yuhang walked out from the mansion. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

'We're all going to be living together on a Spirit Ship of middling size for a month or so,' he thought. 'We'll be seeing each other constantly. If things get this hostile, we might disband before we even find the Mirage Dragon…'

Pei Yuhang took the initiative to step forward and break the tense, sword-drawn atmosphere.

"Ji Xichan, Yueqiu, it's getting late. We should be on our way."

Hearing this, Ji Xichan snorted coldly and retracted the hostility from her beautiful eyes.

She stretched languidly, her black dress swaying in the breeze. As she walked past Pei Yuhang, she deliberately shot him a flirtatious look and said:

"Let's go, Peng Sword Immortal~ If we delay any longer, I'm afraid someone will start stamping her feet in impatience."

A flash of Killing Intent flickered in Qing Yueqiu's eyes and was gone. She snorted, then said to Pei Yuhang with a light smile, "Master, it must be so uncomfortable to be hit on by a detestable woman who thinks too highly of herself. It's a pity some people are just too thick-skinned to even realize it."

"..."

Pei Yuhang watched their backs, sighing to himself. 'This journey is going to be full of trouble.'

Just then, Ye Liyuan and Yu Xiaoyan arrived at the front of the mansion to see the three of them off.

Yu Xiaoyan wore a pitiful expression and said to Pei Yuhang, "Master, are you sure you can't take me with you this time?"

"Xiaoxiao, hunting Demons is no joke. You haven't even broken through to the Nascent Soul realm. If you came, I'd have to divert my attention to look after you."

Pei Yuhang's cold words made the young girl's face fall instantly.

She looked at Ji Xichan's graceful figure with envy, thinking, 'Ji Xichan really hit the jackpot this time. She'll probably be all over him the entire trip!!'

"Liyuan, we're leaving now."

Pei Yuhang summoned a Spiritual Ship and turned to bid his Dao Companion farewell.

But Ye Liyuan said softly, "Ah Han, wait a moment."

"There's one more person~"

Seeing the mysterious little expression on his Dao Companion's face, Pei Yuhang had a bad feeling.

"Liyuan, you didn't—"

"Brother Pei, why wouldn't you invite me along for something as dangerous as hunting a Mirage Dragon~?"

A somewhat reproachful female voice came from above. A graceful figure in white was seen slowly walking down from the sky. Her spotless, pearl-white toes seemed to step right on Pei Yuhang's heart, making his breath catch in his throat.

He was about to set off on a journey with his "secret lover," his adoring disciple, and his "ex-wife"...

Just thinking about it, Pei Yuhang knew this was going to be a disaster!