Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 314 312: If We Can't Love Each Other, Then Let's Sink Together

The four words, "You can't beat Yueqiu," pierced Ji Xichan's pride like a dagger, leaving this favored daughter of heaven feeling utterly defeated.

It was just like last night, when she had presumptuously thought that Pei Yuhang had taken a liking to her small feet.

Like a child eager for an adult's praise, she had gone to him, giddy with joy, and offered her small feet to Pei Yuhang, expecting to receive more admiration.

But what she got instead...

...was just that one sentence: "Ji Xichan, you've misunderstood. I thought the foot I was holding was Yueqiu's... If I had known it was yours, I never would have touched it."

'Qing Yueqiu, Qing Yueqiu, Qing Yueqiu...'

'Why is it always this woman who ruins my mood at the most crucial moments?!'

Ji Xichan was disgusted. She stopped the simulation.

She was growing weary of it all.

She no longer craved carnal pleasure.

It was meaningless. A moment of ecstasy was followed only by emptiness and loneliness.

She wanted to be like Qing Yueqiu, to truly win Pei Yuhang's love. And that was precisely why she had dragged him here to find the Mirage Dragon.

At this thought, Ji Xichan looked at the Goddess Statue with its serene expression, her gaze deepening.

This Goddess Statue of mysterious origin possessed the special power to devour Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects; it could even control and absorb a Celestial Tribulation.

And from her personal experience using its dream-simulation ability, Ji Xichan could already tell that the Goddess Statue also held immense Commanding Power over Illusion Techniques. The statue had the authority to rule over the dreamscape.

This was remarkably similar to the Mirage Dragon's Illusionary Divine Abilities.

The only difference was that the Goddess Statue's dream-illusion ability could only affect herself.

But if she could have the Goddess Statue absorb the Mirage Dragon's Demon Core and combine it with the dragon's Illusionary Divine Abilities, perhaps she could harness the dragon's power and pull another person into the statue's simulated dream world.

And it would be a dream she herself could weave.

Ji Xichan didn't know why such a wild, insane idea had come to her after she found traces of the Mirage Dragon.

She felt it was too difficult to find a way to win Pei Yuhang's heart on her own within the dream world.

Given his current level of affection for her, she might never succeed in her entire lifetime.

So, she had to pull Pei Yuhang in with her.

Only when they both truly fell in love with each other could they awaken.

Otherwise, they would be lost in that beautiful dream forever.

...

...

「Several days later.」

Lin Qianyan and Pei Yuhang stood side-by-side at the bow of the Spiritual Ship, their gazes piercing the clouds to look upon the towering Heaven-Reaching Boundary Stele dozens of miles away.

The stele soared into the clouds as if connecting heaven and earth, its surface covered in forceful, ancient script.

It was the Peace Treaty, signed after the great war between the Righteous and Demon Daos.

Lin Qianyan pressed her lips together slightly and said softly,

"Brother Pei, if we go any further, we'll be leaving the territory controlled by the Righteous Forces."

The so-called territory controlled by the Righteous Forces was the region formed around the lands of the five great Righteous Holy Lands: the Xuanyuan Dao Sect, the Jade Pool Sacred Land, Martial God Mountain, the Dragon Roar Sword Sect, and the Celestial Secret Pavilion.

Beyond this domain, separated by a Neutral Territory, lay the Demon Realm Territory.

Of course, the followers of the Demon Dao called their domain the Holy Dao Territory, and referred to the lands of the Xuanyuan Dao Sect and others as the "Pseudo-Path Territory."

This was the balance of power established after the brutal war between the Righteous and Demon Daos a century ago.

After the Holy Land Sects of the two opposing philosophies fought a cataclysmic war and realized neither could defeat the other, they divided the land and signed the "Peace Treaty."

The vast, desolate expanse known as the Northern Desert, where Pei Yuhang and Lin Qianyan were headed, was located in the buffer zone between the Righteous Territory and the Demon Realm Territory.

These buffer zones were often a chaotic mix of saints and sinners, mostly populated by dangerous desperados.

Pei Yuhang's eyes narrowed slightly. He turned his head to look at Lin Qianyan, his tone calm but laced with caution.

"Qianqian, from now on, Yueqiu and I will move onto your Spiritual Ship... Two ships are too large a target, and we could easily get separated by some accident."

A flash of joy appeared in Lin Qianyan's eyes at his words, but she quickly reined in her emotions. The corners of her lips curved up into a demure smile.

She nodded lightly, her voice gentle but with a hint of irrepressible excitement.

"Of course, Brother Pei. You can both move over. My Spiritual Ship is very large inside; I've already prepared bedrooms for you."

At this, Lin Qianyan paused, her brow furrowed slightly as a trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes.

But she finally mustered the courage to look up at Pei Yuhang, her tone a mixture of probing and concern.

"Um, Brother Pei... are you and Yueqiu still living together?

Didn't you already suppress her curse, Brother Pei? So... would it be all right if I arranged a separate room for her?"

Lin Qianyan knew that in her current position, she shouldn't be so fixated on this matter.

But she just had a strange feeling that something was wrong.

'I can't shake the bad feeling I get whenever I think about Pei Yuhang and Qing Yueqiu living together.

After all, Yueqiu isn't a child anymore, and Brother Pei is... far too handsome.

For a young woman like Qing Yueqiu, the temptation might be too great.

Several times, I've keenly noticed that something wasn't right in the way Qing Yueqiu looked at Pei Yuhang.

Perhaps Brother Pei, being a man, doesn't notice the many subtle changes in a young woman. Yueqiu is no longer a little girl who can casually cuddle up to him.

Even if Brother Pei thinks I'm being nosy, I have to persuade him to be more careful about this!'

"..."

Pei Yuhang was taken aback by Lin Qianyan's sudden question, and a flicker of awkwardness crossed his face.

His gaze faltered, and he didn't dare to meet Lin Qianyan's clear, kind eyes.

Thinking of all the scandalous things he had done with Qing Yueqiu these past few days, Pei Yuhang's heart was flooded with guilt and self-reproach.

He lowered his gaze, his lips pressed into a thin line. His voice was deep and a little hoarse as he said,

"Then... I'll leave the arrangements to you, Qianqian."

"Mhm! I'll put Yueqiu in the room right next to yours, Brother Pei. That way, if she has any urgent cultivation matters or anything else, it will be convenient for her to find you."

Seeing Pei Yuhang agree to her request, Lin Qianyan immediately broke into a smile.

But just in case Brother Pei thought she was jealous of Yueqiu, Lin Qianyan quickly added in a soft voice,

"Although Yueqiu hasn't been cultivating for long, she's not a child anymore. It might be... inconvenient for her to always be living with you, Brother Pei..."

Pei Yuhang's gaze flickered; he knew what Lin Qianyan was worried about.

'Unfortunately,' he thought, 'her worries have come too late...'

Pei Yuhang sighed softly and went along with her. "Qianqian, you're right. Yueqiu does need her own space. I'll be mindful of it."

Lin Qianyan nodded lightly, forcing a smile.

"That's good, Brother Pei. I'll arrange Yueqiu's room as soon as possible. Once you've moved over, it will be easier for us to discuss our next steps."

"Alright. I'll go back and tell Yueqiu about this now."

After their brief discussion, Pei Yuhang parted ways with Lin Qianyan for the time being.

The moment he returned to his Spiritual Ship, a slender figure pounced on him like the wind. With a single leap, she wrapped her long, fair legs around him, hanging securely onto his body.

Qing Yueqiu's dazzling silver hair fluttered in the breeze, carrying a faint, fresh scent. Her cherry-pink lips curled upward, and her eyes sparkled with a mischievous light.

"Master, what took you so long talking with Sister Lin? Don't tell me you two rekindled an old flame. Is she going to be my second master's wife?"

The young woman's voice was soft with a hint of playfulness, her warm breath brushing against Pei Yuhang's ear with a touch of provocation.

Hearing this, Pei Yuhang's face immediately flushed, and the tips of his ears burned.

He frowned, shot her a look of mock seriousness, and raised his hands as if to "peel" her off him.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you little troublemaker? First master's wife, second master's wife... Say one more word of that, and I'll have you copying the sect rules ten thousand times!"

However, Qing Yueqiu was not the least bit intimidated. She clung to Pei Yuhang with all four limbs like an unbreakable lock, refusing to get down no matter how hard he tried.

A triumphant glint flashed in her eyes, and her lips curled into a playful smile, as if to say, 'What are you going to do about it, Master?'

Pei Yuhang sighed in resignation, but an involuntary trace of affection showed in his eyes. He gently patted Qing Yueqiu's back, his tone a mix of helplessness and tenderness.

"Alright, stop fooling around. Get down. You jump on me the moment I get back. How improper would it be if someone saw?"

But Qing Yueqiu was relentless. She blinked her big, sparkling eyes and said in a feigned, aggrieved tone, "Master, it's just the two of us on the Spiritual Ship. What outsiders are there?

Unless... you're starting to get tired of me! Or is it... you've really fallen for Sister Lin?"

At her words, Pei Yuhang's expression darkened.

But he knew that arguing with this naughty disciple of his was a bottomless pit. Their quarrels usually only ended once they were in bed.

Right now, he had more important things to deal with.

Pei Yuhang took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart. He turned to Qing Yueqiu and said in a low voice,

"Yueqiu, we're about to leave the Righteous Territory. For safety's sake, we need to move to Qianqian's Spiritual Ship."

Hearing this, Qing Yueqiu frowned slightly, a flicker of confusion and displeasure in her eyes.

However, Pei Yuhang's next sentence filled her beautiful eyes with annoyance.

"Yueqiu, once we're on Qianqian's Spiritual Ship, you can't live with me anymore."

"Why can't I live with you, Master?! Why is Sister Lin so bossy!"

Pei Yuhang stroked Qing Yueqiu's head, trying to soothe her emotions.

"There, there, Yueqiu. We're still master and disciple, after all. It's not good to be so clingy in front of others."

"Besides... Qianqian agreed to let you have the room right next to mine.

We're not on a honeymoon here. We should keep a low profile..."

However, before Pei Yuhang could finish, the young woman cut him off.

"Master, did you say my room is next to yours?!"

"..."

Looking at Qing Yueqiu's suddenly sparkling eyes, Pei Yuhang had a very bad feeling.