Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 325 322: Great Dream of 1000 Years 6: First Under Heaven Pei Yuhang and Second Under Heaven Lin Qianyan

Time flew by, and the years passed in an instant.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed in the Da Jing Empire. Pei Yuhang had been kept by the Empress in the depths of the palace, never once seeing Lin Qianyan again.

Compared to the past, Pei Yuhang's life hadn't changed much. He still spent his days painting, writing poetry, and watering flowers.

The only difference was that no one came looking for him to drink at night anymore.

And he would no longer gently give massages, wash feet, or offer his lap as a pillow to anyone but her.

On this day, the Empress came to see him again.

But she didn't lay a hand on him. Instead, she left him with a single sentence.

"General Lin has passed away from illness."

"..."

Pei Yuhang froze. His eyes, which had grown placid after countless hardships, now dilated and contracted, unable to hide the torrent of emotion surging within.

"...When did it happen?"

The Empress lowered her gaze and said softly, "Though I did not want you to see her, I would not go so far as to hide the news of General Lin's critical illness from you."

"I, too, only learned of her passing today. Before this, the Lin Mansion had kept the news of the General's illness completely sealed.

I have learned from a maid at the Lin Mansion that the root of General Lin's illness was a broken heart...

General Lin left a box of things for you. I have not touched it. See for yourself."

After she finished speaking, the Empress had her Personal Guard bring over a small, sealed black box. Then, she slowly departed, leaving Pei Yuhang alone.

Pei Yuhang's fingertips trembled as he slowly placed them on the wooden box's seal.

In silence, he tore the seal and slowly opened the box.

Inside, he found an assortment of small items, neatly arranged.

There was a flute—the very one he had once played for Lin Qianyan.

There was also a protective talisman. It was a gift from Lin Qianyan before she left all those years ago, but he hadn't had time to take it with him when the Empress's imperial guards had taken him away that night.

Besides those, there were paintings and poems, one after another, all of which he had left behind at the Lin Mansion back then.

'To think that after so many years, Lin Qianyan had kept all these things perfectly preserved, without the slightest damage.'

"..."

Pei Yuhang silently sorted through the items, his eyes gradually turning red.

Finally, at the bottom of the box, he found a letter.

[Brother Pei, I'm sorry... Qianqian is so useless. I always wake up at the very end.

Next time, Qianqian will definitely save you—Signed, Qianqian.]

'Who is Qianqian?'

'Qianqian... Wait, this name and how she refers to herself... I feel like this isn't the first time I've seen it.'

'I've seen it many times... This letter, in different places, as different people... I've seen it so many times!'

'...Qianqian!'

Pei Yuhang's hands trembled, and his Sea of Consciousness roared.

An overwhelming sense of déjà vu washed over him.

It was as if he was remembering something...

Daoist Lin, General Lin, Sister Lin, Princess Lin, Guard Lin, Aunt Lin... Lin Qianyan!

Pei Yuhang's breathing grew more and more rapid, and he felt as if his heart was about to pound out of his chest.

'Qianqian, is there really no way to save us?'

'No!'

'There's still a chance!'

'I can start over... Next time will be the last time.'

Pei Yuhang wiped away the silent tears, his eyes glinting with a resolute expression.

Having been through hundreds, even thousands of cycles, he knew he couldn't let himself sink into despair any longer!

Pei Yuhang began to ponder the reason for his failure in every cycle.

The reason wasn't hard to find. He quickly locked onto his target.

'Shang Miaoyan... Shang Miaoyan is the Heart Demon I am bound to encounter in every cycle!'

'Every time, she forcibly takes me for herself, leading to Qianqian and me being torn apart... This perfectly mirrors reality.'

'I have to stop Shang Miaoyan... Only then can I save Qianqian and myself, and escape from this Dream of Ten Thousand Generations!'

...

...

Pei Yuhang, the number one swordsman in the world.

It was rumored that his swordsmanship had reached the Half-Step Immortal Realm, making him a living legend in the Martial Arts world.

Furthermore, his appearance was said to be divine; no woman could resist his charm.

According to rumor, the current Empress once offered a fortune just to meet Pei Yuhang once.

But Swordsman Pei rejected the Empress's request.

In a fit of rage, the Empress put a bounty on his head for the entire world to see. But that very night, a phrase was found carved by a sword into her headboard: "Hero Pei was here."

The Empress was scared out of her wits and never dared to speak of Pei Yuhang again.

This event solidified Pei Yuhang's reputation as an unrivaled figure across the land!

Today, only a few of Swordsman Pei's paintings circulated in the world, yet they were enough to captivate the hearts of women everywhere.

Among them was the world's second-greatest swordsman, the Sect Leader of the Jade Maiden Sect, Lin Qianyan.

This Sword Immortal, whom the world could not even get a glimpse of, she had not only challenged personally, but had done so twice.

But both times, she had ended up defeated.

That bamboo forest, that banished immortal in white, that sword—they had become Lin Qianyan's Heart Demon.

Every night, she would recall the brilliant flash of the sword that had so easily defeated her.

And that Immortal Young Master, who hadn't even furrowed his brow when faced with her swordsmanship, the second-best in the world.

Lin Qianyan hated him. She hated that a reincarnated Sword Immortal like him existed in the world, forever blocking her path forward.

And yet, she couldn't help but feel an infinite longing for that proud, white-clad figure.

'When will I ever be able to stand with him at the summit?'

'When will the world's number one finally look at me, truly look at me?'

Steam billowed gently in a certain bathhouse.

Lin Qianyan's delicate body was fully submerged, with only her two beautiful legs, smooth as white jade, resting outside the pool. The tips of her toes, dripping with water, swayed slowly.

"Hsss—Haaa—"

She held a piece of white cloth in both hands, pressing it to her face and inhaling deeply.

Although the cloth was odorless, Lin Qianyan acted as if she was smelling something addictive. A drunken blush crept onto her pretty face, and her eyes grew hazy and moist.

This was a piece of Pei Yuhang's hem, which she had managed to slice off only after exerting all her strength back then.

Lin Qianyan regarded it as a token of the "bond" between her and Pei Yuhang.

She had always treasured it carefully, occasionally taking it out to inhale deeply, reminiscing about Pei Yuhang's scent.

If anyone from the Martial Arts world were to witness this, they would likely be shocked speechless to see the dignified Sect Leader of the Jade Maiden Sect acting like such an infatuated woman in private.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

At that moment, a knock came at the door.

A silhouette appeared on the screen partition next to the bath. It was Lin Qianyan's disciple, Xiaohan.

"Master, we have found Hero Pei's whereabouts."

"You found Pei Yuhang's whereabouts? Where is he!"

Forgetting her composure, Lin Qianyan shot up from the water to ask.

"Hero Pei is currently on Bai Mei Mountain..."

...

...

「On Bai Mei Mountain.」

Pei Yuhang: hailed as a living legend of the Martial Arts world, regarded by countless women as the banished immortal of their dreams, and the unattainable idol in the heart of the Jade Maiden Sect's Leader, Lin Qianyan.

He was currently standing in a small pavilion, seemingly waiting for someone.

TAP TAP~

A small leather boot, made of animal hide, stepped out from the bamboo forest.

As moonlight spilled down, a pair of long, slender, yet full and snowy-white thighs appeared before Pei Yuhang.

The woman was dressed in the style of Miaojiang. The charm of her pretty face was unparalleled in the world; a single glance or smile from her could topple dynasties.

She was none other than the Saintess of the Celestial Demon Sect, Shang Miaoyan.

And now, she had appeared brazenly before Pei Yuhang.

"Oh~ Is my little Xiaohan waiting for me so early? Could it be that you've grown lonely and impatient after a few days without your master's reward~?"

Shang Miaoyan gazed at Pei Yuhang's spotless white-robed back and excitedly licked her lips.

"Darling~ Why don't you answer your Master Miaoyan?"

Shang Miaoyan hugged Pei Yuhang from behind, her fingertips wandering mischievously over him.

Faced with such humiliation from the Demon Sect woman, Pei Yuhang simply stood like a statue, closing his eyes and enduring it in silence.

"Still not talking? It seems my little Xiaohan truly doesn't take his master seriously!"

Shang Miaoyan sat on the stone table in the pavilion and crossed her legs. The way her full thighs pressed together was enough to make one's heart burn with desire.

"Kneel."

Pei Yuhang's eyes fell. Upon hearing Shang Miaoyan's command, this living legend of the Martial Arts world actually knelt.

"Take off my boots."

Pei Yuhang silently reached out and slowly pulled off Shang Miaoyan's small leather boots.

The leather boots were stuffy, and martial artists tend to have active sweat glands. So, when the boots were removed, a small, damp foot, white with a hint of pink, was revealed before Pei Yuhang.

Perhaps because Shang Miaoyan took excellent care of herself, her foot had no unpleasant odor. Instead, it carried a floral fragrance.

Shang Miaoyan looked at Pei Yuhang's cold, handsome, ascetic face, and her heart blazed with passion.

'To think that such a prominent and glamorous figure in the outside world is merely a slave for me, a woman of the Demon Sect, to vent my desires upon.'

'It's... just too wonderful~!'

'My darling Xiaohan, you truly are a gift from the heavens!'

"Lick it~... Make sure all the sweat is gone."

At this, clear resistance finally appeared in Pei Yuhang's incredibly calm eyes.

He held the small, cute, and sexy foot, but remained completely still.

This made Shang Miaoyan's beautiful eyes widen, a flash of anger appearing within them.

"Pei Yuhang, don't you forget the Life-taking Gu inside you! If you want to live, then serve me obediently!"

Pei Yuhang finally closed his eyes as if accepting his fate and slowly lowered his head.

The corners of Shang Miaoyan's lips curled up. The affection in her beautiful eyes grew stronger, and a morbid flush appeared on her pretty face.

She reached out to stroke Pei Yuhang's hair and said in a soft voice:

"Xiaohan, I heard that the world's second-best, the Sect Leader of the Jade Maiden Sect, has challenged you to a duel again?"

"Mm..."

"Hehe, I think that Lin Qianyan, so famous for her purity, has fallen in love with you~ After all, you're so handsome. No woman can resist your charm.

She wants to get close to you, but she's too reserved to admit it, so she has to use the excuse of a challenge to approach you."

Shang Miaoyan's fingertips lightly brushed across Pei Yuhang's cheek as she said with great interest:

"Tell me, what do you think this beauty who so admires you would feel if she knew about this pathetic state you're in behind the scenes?"

Pei Yuhang's movements paused for a second. This made Shang Miaoyan's breath catch, and a flicker of jealousy shone in her beautiful eyes.

"Xiaohan, don't tell me you have feelings for that woman too, do you?"

"The world's number one and number two having a mutual admiration for each other?"

Seeing Pei Yuhang's silence, the flame in Shang Miaoyan's heart known as 'possessiveness' began to burn.

She threw Pei Yuhang to the ground, kissing him savagely and leaving her marks on him.

"No! You are mine! How can you have someone else in your heart?!"

"You can't let that Fox Spirit seduce you away!"

Faced with Shang Miaoyan's demands, Pei Yuhang just silently closed his eyes.