Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 361 348: "Master, that day I didn't swallow the Contraceptive Pill...

"Master, we've received a reply from the Jade Pool Sacred Land. They said Shang Miaoyan is preparing to enter seclusion, so she can't see you."

Pei Xiaohan cautiously clutched the Jade Scroll, her eyes darting up to steal a glance at Lin Qianyan.

She saw that Lin Qianyan's usually serene features were now marred by a slight frown. Her long, slender fingers subconsciously traced the rim of her teacup, the pale celadon reflecting so brightly that her fingertips appeared white.

"Seclusion? Her, of all people?"

Lin Qianyan let out a sudden, soft laugh, but the curve of her lips held not a trace of warmth.

"When Brother Pei had just returned to the sect, that sly fox was practically tripping over her own skirts to run to his house. Why didn't she mention needing to go into seclusion then?"

"But when I want to see her, she claims she's going into seclusion! Coward! It seems I overestimated her!"

As Lin Qianyan spat the words, she flicked a wide sleeve. A biting gust of spiritual energy erupted, sending the gauze curtains in the hall into a frenzy and making the teacups on the table clatter.

Pei Xiaohan flinched, shrinking back in fear.

'I've never seen Master this furious before.'

'And it seems the reason for her anger is related to Elder Pei again.'

'Elder Pei, Shang Miaoyan, Master…'

Pei Xiaohan connected the dots, and her mouth fell open in shock.

'Could it be? Are Master and Shang Miaoyan, the Saintess of the Yin Yang Sacred Land, fighting over Elder Pei behind his official Dao Companion's back?'

'This… this is—'

'The Saintesses of two great Sacred Lands are fighting over one man, and he's a man who already has a Dao Companion!'

'Even if Elder Pei is handsome enough to shock the heavens, this is just too much.'

'What happened to the dignity of the Sacred Lands? What about their pride as Fairies?'

'Master is supposed to be a Cold Fairy, a dignified Saintess! How did she become so impulsive the moment Pei Sword Immortal is involved?!'

Pei Xiaohan swallowed hard. 'As the person closest to Lin Qianyan, I have to help my master.'

'Master is the Jade Pool Saintess. Falling in love with a Sword Cultivator who already has a family is already a major breach of the rules. If she ends up making an enemy of the Yin Yang Sacred Land over this man and the whole affair gets blown out of proportion and reaches the Sect Leader's ears…'

'Then the Sect Leader will definitely strip her of her title as Saintess!'

At this thought, Pei Xiaohan's expression turned incredibly grave.

'I absolutely cannot let Master's bright future be ruined by some insatiable married man who doesn't know how to keep his distance from other Fairies!'

'But how should I even begin?'

Pei Xiaohan cautiously peeked up at Lin Qianyan. Her master's eyes, once as gentle as spring water, were now filled with a cold light. Clearly, she still hadn't recovered from her anger at Shang Miaoyan for "shirking the challenge."

"Xiaopei, is there something on your mind?"

Lin Qianyan asked coldly, noticing Pei Xiaohan stealing glances at her.

"N-no, it's nothing… nothing at all."

Pei Xiaohan shivered and obediently lowered her head again.

'Clearly, I don't dare lecture Master while she's like this.'

Looking at Lin Qianyan's expression, Pei Xiaohan couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she were to say, 'Master, why don't you just let Shang Miaoyan have that walking disaster, Pei Yuhang?'

She suspected Lin Qianyan might get angry enough to draw her sword and cut her down on the spot.

'Sigh…'

'Master has already been so bewitched by Elder Pei that she's practically lost her mind.'

'It'll probably be impossible to persuade her.'

'My only choice is to start with Elder Pei. I'll have to persuade him, for the sake of Master's bright future, to stop holding her back.'

...

...

「Three days later.」

「In the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.」

Yu Xiaoyan rose early and looked at the empty residence next door, letting out a mournful sigh.

"So Ji Xichan really was kicked out by Master. That arrogant, conceited woman must have pushed him too far when they were in the Northern Desert!

What a shortsighted idiot, getting herself kicked out of the game first."

"Isn't it better that woman is gone? What are you sighing for?"

In her Sea of Consciousness, Yu Gu Nan's voice dripped with schadenfreude.

To this day, she still hadn't forgotten how Ji Xichan had threatened and bribed her, forcing her to watch as that woman assumed her identity and cuckolded her to her face!

So now, seeing Ji Xichan kicked to the curb was incredibly satisfying!

"But Ji Xichan and I just formed an alliance right before she left for the Northern Desert! We haven't even done anything significant yet, and my ally is already gone. This is so damn frustrating."

Yu Xiaoyan kicked at a pile of snow in frustration. The slush soaked the over-the-knee stockings on her slender calves, and her pretty brows furrowed once more.

"Xiaoxiao, have you noticed that Senior Sister has been a little off since Master came back?"

"How is she off? Hmm… she does seem a bit gentler. I remember before she left for the Northern Desert, her aura was ice-cold, and she always carried this faint, bloody scent. It was terrifying.

I even thought Senior Sister had fallen to the Demon Dao."

Thinking of the cold, blood-red eyes Qing Yueqiu had turned on her back then, Yu Xiaoyan's shoulders trembled involuntarily.

"It's more than that. Senior Sister isn't avoiding Master anymore…"

"Avoiding Master?"

"Mhm. Back when her aura was at its most frigid, Senior Sister would always avoid Master. She even skipped the morning sessions, claiming she was ill.

But now, not only has that ice-cold aura vanished, but the way she's been acting around Master these past two days… it feels different to me…"

Yu Gu Nan paused, not saying anything more.

'If I told Yu Xiaoyan that the atmosphere between Qing Yueqiu and Pei Yuhang is like that of a loving couple, the impulsive Xiaoxiao would definitely cause trouble.'

'In the past, her relationship with her fellow disciple, Qing Yueqiu, was always extremely strained. It only started to thaw after Xiaoxiao "got" Master and realized there was no longer any possibility between Qing Yueqiu and him.'

Yu Gu Nan sighed silently in the Sea of Consciousness, her gaze, borrowing Xiaoxiao's eyes, fixed on Qing Yueqiu's tightly shut door.

'I have a feeling I missed a lot by not going to the Northern Desert with Master.'

...

Inside a dim room.

The sound of splashing water echoed from time to time.

A silver-haired girl soaked in a wooden tub filled with hot water, her silver hair fanning out across the surface like a blooming lotus.

Qing Yueqiu had always preferred to bathe in cold water.

But starting today, she wouldn't be doing that anymore.

The girl's thin lips curved into a smile as she looked at the elixir on the table, which shimmered with a faint, mysterious light.

"I'm sorry, Master. Yueqiu has been a bad girl… I didn't listen to you and take this elixir."

Qing Yueqiu murmured, slowly leaning back until the warm water covered her mouth.

She blew bubbles, all while stroking her flat, smooth belly.

The immaturity in her beautiful, crimson eyes had faded, replaced with the tender affection of a grown woman.

She had missed her monthly bleeding.

She was pregnant.

'Of all the women around Master, I'm the first to conceive.'

'The Matriarch, Shang Miaoyan… they've been with Master for so long, yet neither of them had this chance.'

Thinking of this, Qing Yueqiu felt a surge of pride. She would treasure this opportunity.

She once heard her junior sister say that a child is the strongest tether one can have on a man.

After confirming she was truly pregnant, the girl's heart filled with a sense of security.

'I'll never have to worry about Master leaving me again.'

At the same time, however, a thread of fear ran through her. She was terrified Master would make her get rid of the fruit of their love.

'How could I ever let that happen?'

Although Qing Yueqiu knew Master wasn't that kind of person, she didn't dare take the gamble, nor did she want to place any unnecessary pressure on him.

So, she decided to hide the pregnancy from Master for the time being.

'If it really comes to it, I'll just take the child and leave the Cold Palace Sword Mansion, or even the whole Dao Sect. From then on, I'll just have to avoid the Matriarch and continue to meet with Master in secret.'

"I hope Master won't blame me for being so stubborn. It's all because… I love you so much."

Qing Yueqiu stroked her flat, smooth belly, and then looked at her firm and shapely Dao Fruit.

'Yes, raising a child will be no problem at all.'