Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 310 308: Under the Table, Pei Yuhang Grabbed the Wrong Foot

"Brother Pei, do you remember this Beggar's Chicken? Resources were scarce when we were children, so we could only eat this once a year, during the New Year's celebration."

Lin Qianyan gently recounted memories of the past to Pei Yuhang, the corners of her lips unconsciously turning up in a slight smile as a hint of nostalgia flickered in her eyes.

She picked up a chicken leg with her chopsticks, and after placing it on Pei Yuhang's plate, continued without waiting for him to respond.

"And this plate of drunken flower crab... My father marinated it for me for a long time. It was supposed to be for my birthday celebration, but you tricked me out of all of it, Brother Pei~"

She blinked, her tone laced with a playful rebuke, yet she couldn't suppress her smile.

Lin Qianyan sat opposite Pei Yuhang, her chopsticks busily placing food onto his plate. With each dish she served, her gentle voice would rise, recounting one amusing story after another from their youth.

As Pei Yuhang listened, his expression grew complicated. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he were trying to suppress the turmoil inside him.

His fingers unconsciously traced the length of his chopsticks. His gaze was sometimes downcast, other times lifting to land on Lin Qianyan's face.

Her smile was as radiant as it had been all those years ago, as if time had left no trace upon her.

A hint of tenderness slowly softened Pei Yuhang's gaze.

'So Qianqian remembers our time together a hundred years ago so clearly?'

His heart quivered, as if touched by something gentle.

Their twenty-odd years of youth were but a fleeting moment on the long path of cultivation, yet she had committed every little moment to memory, as if those days had never faded away.

Just as Pei Yuhang was staring at Lin Qianyan in a daze, a small hand mischievously settled on his thigh and caressed it twice.

The provocative, warm touch sent a jolt like an electric current up his spine, violently yanking Pei Yuhang from his sweet reverie.

He lowered his head, his gaze meeting Qing Yueqiu's ruby-red eyes.

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes and a slight curve to her lips, a silent provocation.

"It's fine, Master. You just catch up with Sister Lin. I'll just be doing my thing down here~"

The girl's thin, cherry-pink lips moved, her voice so soft that only Pei Yuhang could hear.

Her tone was wheedling, yet it radiated an undeniable possessiveness.

This made Pei Yuhang's brow furrow. He felt both exasperated and amused.

He knew this disciple of his must have grown jealous listening to Lin Qianyan's endless stories about their past together.

'How had I never noticed before that my usually well-behaved first disciple was this possessive...?'

Qing Yueqiu's fingers continued their light slide across his leg. The warmth of her fingertips seeped through the fabric, carrying a subtle, teasing hint.

Pei Yuhang's breath caught, and a wave of complicated emotions washed over him.

He wanted to stop her but feared that any large movement would draw Lin Qianyan's attention. All he could do was give a slight cough to cover his embarrassment.

"What's wrong, Brother Pei? Is the food not to your liking?"

Seeing Pei Yuhang suddenly freeze, Lin Qianyan frowned slightly, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

Her voice was as gentle as water and full of concern, afraid that he was unsatisfied with the meal she'd prepared.

Pei Yuhang snapped out of it and quickly forced a smile, trying to cover up his lapse in composure.

He tore his gaze away from Qing Yueqiu and looked at Lin Qianyan's gentle face, his heart filling with guilt and remorse.

"Ah, no, Qianqian, the food is wonderful... It tastes just like I remember."

His voice was low, tinged with nostalgia.

Upon hearing this, a flash of delight lit up Lin Qianyan's eyes. The corners of her lips curved up into a gentle smile.

"Oh, really? That's wonderful~!"

Her voice was light and cheerful, like a spring breeze, full of satisfaction and relief.

However, just as she lowered her head to continue eating, Qing Yueqiu's fingers suddenly pressed harder, pinching Pei Yuhang's leg lightly before her hand resumed its naughty exploration.

Pei Yuhang's body stiffened, and he almost let out a soft gasp.

He glanced sideways at Qing Yueqiu. She still had her head down, as if nothing had happened, but a smug glint flashed in her ruby eyes. Her lips were curled in a playful, defiant smirk, as if she were silently staking her claim.

A wave of helplessness washed over Pei Yuhang. Unable to lash out, he could only sigh softly. 'Have I been spoiling her too much? This girl is getting more and more brazen with me...'

But the most miserable person at the table was, without a doubt, Ji Xichan.

She picked at her food in frustration, sizing up the other three people.

Lin Qianyan was lost in her memories, clearly hoping that the familiar flavors and their shared past would be enough to win Pei Yuhang's heart back.

Qing Yueqiu, meanwhile, was exchanging flirtatious glances with Pei Yuhang, obviously up to no good.

Ji Xichan's lovely eyes narrowed as a wicked idea occurred to her.

She took out her compact mirror and aimed it under the table. A downward glance confirmed it: she could see what Qing Yueqiu was doing to her master!

Ji Xichan's eyes widened as she watched Qing Yueqiu's fingertips dance and tease.

'So that's your game, Qing Yueqiu! And here you are, always putting on the airs of a pure and Cold Fairy!'

'But underneath it all, you're just a shameless hussy! Can't even behave yourself during a meal! You have to get all hot and bothered just from eating!'

'You're absolutely shameless!'

Ji Xichan took a deep breath, silently cursing a blue streak, but she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy toward Qing Yueqiu.

'The one teasing Pei Sword Immortal right now should be me!'

Spurred on by Qing Yueqiu, a new resolve flickered in her eyes. She quietly lifted her own leg, clad in a thin, black silk stocking...

Meanwhile, Lin Qianyan was still reminiscing with Pei Yuhang about their childhood.

It was clear Lin Qianyan had prepared this trip down memory lane for a long time. She told her stories with vivid detail, her emotional delivery utterly captivating.

Unfortunately, whenever Pei Yuhang found himself moved by Lin Qianyan's words, his mischievous disciple would reach out with her restless little hand, her teasing touch disrupting his thoughts.

Sometimes her hand was so mischievous that it almost made Pei Yuhang let out a soft moan, forcing him to feign taking a drink to hide his embarrassment.

Just then, he felt a tingling, ticklish sensation on his calf, like a jolt of electricity.

Pei Yuhang frowned. 'Yueqiu is using her feet now, too?'

'This is getting out of hand!'

Pei Yuhang felt a surge of anger and decided to turn the tables on Yueqiu and teach her a lesson.

He seized the mischievous little foot, pressed his thumb into the center of its Soft Jade-like sole, and began to rub.

However, the expected reaction—the girl blushing beet-red, her body going limp from the overwhelming sensation—did not occur.

Qing Yueqiu, sitting beside him, remained perfectly calm. She even had the presence of mind to place some food in his bowl.

When she noticed him sneaking a glance at her, she turned and gave him a playful wink.

"..."

Pei Yuhang was surprised, but he quickly understood.

Yueqiu's physical constitution was far stronger than even a Body Cultivator's from Martial God Mountain; it had reached a ridiculous level.

'It seems if I don't use some of my real skills to put this girl in her place, my authority as the Lord of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion will be completely shot!'

His resolve hardened, and he stopped holding back. His fingers moved like a master plucking zither strings, alternating between gentle and firm pressure. He expertly pressed into the softest part of the sole, the spot most likely to induce that overwhelming, ticklish feeling.

He would even occasionally grasp the delicate toes that curled in response to the stimulation.

'There,' Pei Yuhang thought. 'Surely she can't take this?'

He turned to see her look of submission, but she remained completely unfazed. She even looked back at him with a hint of confusion.

It was as if she were saying, 'Master, your efforts are having no effect on me at all~'

HUFF—

Pei Yuhang's competitive spirit was finally ignited.

'He, the magnificent Cold Sun Sword Immortal, couldn't even handle one little girl? This was an absolute, utter humiliation!'

Pei Yuhang decided it was time to bring out the big guns.

He gathered Profound Cold Ice Qi in his index finger and Pure Yang True Qi in his thumb.

The opposing forces of cold and heat would surely create a sensation of sublime, unparalleled intensity!

However, at that very moment, Lin Qianyan's voice drew his attention.

"Oh, Miss Ji, are you feeling unwell?"

Pei Yuhang followed her gaze to Ji Xichan. The normally aloof young woman's face was flushed a deep cherry-pink, and a fine sheen of sweat dotted her forehead and neck.

She had curled into herself, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably. She bit her lower lip, desperately holding back any sound.

Sensing his gaze, she looked up, her dewy eyes brimming with adoration.

A terrible premonition bloomed in Pei Yuhang's gut.

He slowly lowered his head. The small, sweat-dampened foot he held in his palm was clad in a thin, black stocking.

'But my dear disciple... she should be wearing white stockings.'

'Oh no. I grabbed the wrong one...'

Pei Yuhang silently released his grip. The moment her foot was free, Ji Xichan snatched it back.

'It's... it's over...'

Ji Xichan pulled back her tingling, numb foot and swallowed hard. Her body, which had gone completely limp, had yet to recover its Primordial Qi.

She had never imagined that her simple attempt to tease Pei Sword Immortal with her foot would result in him grabbing it and tormenting it so thoroughly.

It had made her eyes roll back in her head, and she had almost passed out from the pleasure.

'Perhaps this is my fate,' she thought. 'Every time I try to tease Pei Sword Immortal, he turns the tables on me so completely that I can't escape.'

'But... doesn't he hate me now?'

'Why would he torment me like this?'

'Is he... hinting at something?'

A glint flashed in Ji Xichan's lovely eyes, and her heart began to pound with anticipation.

"Mi-Miss Ji?"

Lin Qianyan's concerned voice brought Ji Xichan back to her senses.

She took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from her face, and said softly, "I'm fine, Sister Lin. I just had a small mishap during my cultivation. I'm all better now...

"I'd like to go back to my room to change. Please, continue eating."

"Oh... alright."

Lin Qianyan watched Ji Xichan walk away on trembling legs, a flicker of confusion in her eyes, but she didn't think much of it.

Qing Yueqiu, however, narrowed her ruby eyes, a flicker of understanding on her face.

She looked at Pei Yuhang and smiled sweetly. "Master, Ji Xichan was perfectly fine a moment ago. Why do you think her body suddenly went so limp?"

Pei Yuhang silently wiped the sweat from his palm, then shook his head at Yueqiu and said softly, "Didn't you hear her? She had a mishap during her cultivation.

"You should take this as a lesson, Yueqiu, so you don't have a similar mishap."