Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 321 318: A Thousand Years of Great Dream (2): The Little Scholar and the Pure Daoist Nun

"I am Yuhang. Thank you for saving me, Daoist Lin!"

Pei Yuhang bowed respectfully to Lin Qianyan. Lin Qianyan nodded lightly, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. Just as she was about to say it was no trouble at all, her gaze fell involuntarily on Pei Yuhang's face.

'What... what a handsome face.'

Lin Qianyan's beautiful eyes widened slightly. She had thought that after many years of cultivation, her Dao Heart was as still as water. She never expected her heart to flutter before this man.

However, her gaze soon moved down, landing on Pei Yuhang's neck.

There, on his fair skin, were several faint hickeys, like marks left there intentionally.

Lin Qianyan's heart sank. A trace of sorrow and regret flashed through her once-calm eyes.

'For a young master as fine as jade to be ravaged by those little Spirit Monsters... What a pity.'

An inexplicable sense of grief and frustration welled up inside her, as if she were watching a flawless piece of jade being stained, never to regain its original luster.

Lin Qianyan pressed her lips together lightly, a flicker of pity in her eyes.

Pei Yuhang felt Lin Qianyan's gaze, and his earlobes grew warm. He felt a wave of embarrassment.

He subconsciously raised a hand to pull his Daoist robe tighter, trying to cover the shameful marks. The movement was slight, but it betrayed a sense of helpless vulnerability.

"I'm sorry you had to see this, Daoist Lin..."

Pei Yuhang kept his eyes downcast, his voice barely a whisper, laced with a hint of self-mockery and bitterness.

His once-confident eyes were now dim and lifeless, as if shrouded by a heavy gloom.

Standing next to a Daoist Nun as pure and otherworldly as Lin Qianyan, he felt his own body was becoming increasingly filthy, as if even his breath was tainted.

'I'm no longer clean... Even now, the salty-sweet scent of that Banshee lingers on me.'

Seeing this, Lin Qianyan felt a pang in her heart. She wanted to say something to comfort him but didn't know where to begin.

She sighed softly, her gaze softening. In a gentle voice, she said, "Young Master Pei, there's no need for this. Everything in the world is bound by cause and effect. Let the past be the past. We must look forward."

Hearing this, Pei Yuhang lifted his head slightly, a complex look flashing in his eyes before he lowered his head again. Softly, he said,

"Thank you for your comforting words, Daoist Lin."

"Young scholar, are you headed to the Capital City for the imperial examinations?"

"That's right."

Hearing this, Lin Qianyan said softly, "That's wonderful. I happen to be going to the Capital City as well, so let's travel together... You're tainted with Demon Qi, and I can help cleanse it along the way."

"Thank you so much, Daoist Lin!"

Surprise showed in Pei Yuhang's eyes. The experience of being defiled by that Banshee was still vivid in his mind, and he was now terrified of this debauched place.

If an expert like Daoist Lin was escorting him, he would be much safer.

And so, Pei Yuhang and Lin Qianyan began their journey together.

Pei Yuhang's original clothes had been torn to shreds. He was now wearing only a loose Daoist robe, but it was a woman's robe and couldn't cover his entire body.

As a result, Pei Yuhang was now in a state of partial exposure. Combined with his tall, well-built figure and flawless fair skin, he looked rather tempting.

Furthermore, he had just been "plundered" by that Banshee, losing his Primordial Yang.

Now, his Yang Qi was leaking out, attracting the attention of countless Demon Fiends.

The female ghosts and Spirit Monsters hiding in the shadows stared at Pei Yuhang with green light in their eyes, practically drooling with greed.

Lin Qianyan sensed the ubiquitous, prying gazes and frowned slightly.

'The young scholar behind me is far more charming than I imagined. To think he's attracted so many Spirit Monsters!'

She snorted coldly and casually tossed out several Wind-Fire Talismans. After a series of crackling explosions, she finally scared off many of the Spirit Monsters.

But Lin Qianyan clearly couldn't deter all the Banshees.

WHOOSH—

Amidst the howling of a sinister wind, a large, bright red bridal sedan chair approached, accompanied by the sound of gongs and drums.

Before the sedan chair even drew near, a monstrous wave of ghostly energy swept toward them.

Lin Qianyan's eyes widened. She never thought Pei Yuhang would attract the attention of a Ghost King of this caliber.

Without hesitation, she slapped on a Divine Movement Earth Escape Talisman and fled with Pei Yuhang.

...

After escaping for dozens of miles, Pei Yuhang, still a mere mortal, was pale-faced. He looked at Lin Qianyan and said softly,

"Daoist Lin, if I'm the one that Banshee wants, just leave me behind next time she catches up..."

Lin Qianyan's lovely brows furrowed, her beautiful eyes filled with displeasure as she looked at Pei Yuhang.

"Young scholar, don't you ever say that again! If I were going to abandon you, why would I have saved you from that Spirit Monster in the first place!"

Lin Qianyan's words moved Pei Yuhang.

"Daoist Lin... thank you!"

After a short rest, the two continued on their way. Over the next ten-odd days, they encountered no more Spirit Monster harassment. Lin Qianyan no longer had to anxiously protect Pei Yuhang; instead, it was more often Pei Yuhang who took care of her.

Lin Qianyan had cultivated at a Daoist temple on a mountain since childhood and knew nothing of the hustle, bustle, and changes of the outside world.

So Pei Yuhang vividly recounted his experiences traveling all over the country for her.

He often made Lin Qianyan feel so immersed in his stories that it was as if she herself had traveled the mortal world alongside the young scholar.

In the past, Lin Qianyan had always braved the elements, eating only a little dew and dry rations, and spending most of her time Fasting.

So Pei Yuhang offered to catch fish, wild rabbits, and pheasants to roast for her.

At first, Lin Qianyan demurely stated that cultivators do not eat meat. But eventually, she couldn't resist the aroma of the roasting meat and took a bite.

After exclaiming how delicious it was, she simply entrusted all three of her daily meals to Pei Yuhang.

And just like that, their feelings for each other grew warmer during their time together on the road.

...

...

"Master, Master!"

Qing Yueqiu gritted her teeth, relentlessly hacking at the golden sphere with her sword, trying to free Pei Yuhang.

But no matter how many thousands of Sword Qi she unleashed, hacking from noon until dusk, and from dusk until the full moon rose high, the web between her thumb and forefinger was trembling violently from the impact, yet the golden sphere remained completely motionless.

"Damn it! Damn it!!"

Qing Yueqiu knelt on the ground, her hands weakly pounding the surface of the golden sphere as tears streamed down her lovely face.

"How could this happen... Master..."

"Why are you trying so hard? You fool! You should have run when you saw how powerful the Mirage Dragon was—!!"

Nearby, Ji Xichan stood woodenly, staring at Pei Yuhang sealed within the golden sphere. She hadn't blinked for several hours, and her eyes were now riddled with bloodshot veins.

She was supposed to have been sealed inside with him.

'But, heheh... perhaps this is fate.'

Right now, Ji Xichan could only hope that Pei Yuhang and Lin Qianyan would quickly live through the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine tragic love stories she had gathered from history and folklore, accept each other, and then wake up...

'But, is that even possible?'

'One is Pei Yuhang, a man more stubborn and unbending than a sword. The other is the noble and unparalleled Jade Pool Saintess.'

'Can they really fall in love?'

"If Pei Yuhang doesn't wake up, then I'll wake him, even if I have to sacrifice my own life to the Goddess Statue."

Ji Xichan muttered, and light finally returned to her bewildered, beautiful eyes.