Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 391 378: Trial of Heart Tribulation 12: Fan Xuan's 'Sister Defection

"Pei Yuhang?!"

Hearing the clear, youthful voice behind her, Fan Ya spun around in alarm. She stared intently at the white-robed figure holding her sister, her red lips trembling and her voice filled with disbelief.

She tried to sense the Cultivation of the handsome, white-robed youth before her, but he seemed like an ordinary mortal, revealing no aura whatsoever.

But this person had just destroyed the Array she had laid with the speed of lightning. How could he possibly be an ordinary person?

"But how is this possible!"

"Your foundation should be terrible! When the Holy Daughter brought you back, you had only just begun Qi Cultivation... In just a few short months, how could you possibly have surpassed me?!"

Even with Fan Ya's cunning and composure, she was now in a state of panic.

The only reason she had been able to calmly watch her sister interact with Pei Yuhang was her belief that she could easily suppress the handsome but weak youth.

But now...

What was with Pei Yuhang's sudden, explosive leap in Cultivation?

"Fan Ya, it's been a while."

Pei Yuhang set the young woman down and rested his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Just then, he felt a gentle tug on his robes.

"Pei Yuhang... be gentle."

Fan Xuan spoke softly, clearly still worried about her sister.

"Don't worry."

Pei Yuhang turned and nodded to Fan Xuan. Fan Ya seized the opportunity, instantly using an Escape Technique to flee.

Fan Ya wasn't stupid. Why would she stay behind to fight a Pei Yuhang whose true strength she couldn't fathom?

"My sister is getting away—"

Fan Xuan cried out in alarm, inwardly furious with herself for holding Pei Yuhang back. If her sister escaped and notified the Sect, the two of them would be finished!

"Relax. I've already completely sealed this courtyard. Fan Ya can't escape."

No sooner had Pei Yuhang spoken than Fan Ya, who had just fled eastward, seemed to run in a circle and reappeared from the west, right back where she started.

Her expression was grim. She knew she was trapped within some kind of Array.

"Pei Yuhang... Who exactly are you?"

"A genius's talent for Cultivation can awaken late, but knowledge of Arrays can't possibly be grasped out of thin air. The Holy Daughter clearly never gave you any knowledge related to Arrays...

Pei Yuhang, you hid your identity and even went so far as to start your cultivation over to infiltrate our Yin Yang Sacred Land. What is your true purpose?!"

Fan Ya's voice was sharp, clearly convinced that Pei Yuhang was a spy from another Sect.

"Fan Xuan, you foolish girl, can you possibly still trust him? This scumbag is using—"

Before Fan Ya could finish, Pei Yuhang appeared behind her in a flash and chopped the back of her neck, sending the woman into a deep sleep.

"I never realized you talked so much, Fan Ya."

Pei Yuhang muttered, carrying Fan Ya over to Fan Xuan with one arm.

"Let me hold my sister..."

Fan Xuan hurriedly took her sister's body from Pei Yuhang's arms. It was hard to tell if she was jealous of her sister being in contact with Pei Yuhang, or of Pei Yuhang touching her sister.

"Fan Xuan, we can get ready to leave now."

"Shang Miaoyan told me before that her seclusion would end in two days. At that time, she'll undergo her Tribulation and achieve a Breakthrough Realm.

When that happens, the defenses around the Saintess Hall will be extremely tight. We have to get as far away from the Saintess Hall as possible and closer to the outer regions of the Yin Yang Sacred Land before then."

"Okay."

Since Fan Xuan had already made up her mind, even going so far as to team up with Pei Yuhang to knock out and carry away her own sister, she naturally understood that there was no turning back.

She didn't pack much, simply leaving the Fan Mansion with Pei Yuhang.

...

...

Two hours later, a lustrous white Spiritual Ship slowly sailed toward the outskirts of the Saintess Hall. The Spiritual Light flowing along its hull seemed especially cold in the twilight.

Dressed in a simple, light-colored gown, Fan Xuan stood at the prow, toying with Shang Miaoyan's personal Maid Token. She used it to pass through one Array Gate after another.

"Miss Fan Xuan, where are you headed? To think you'd need to use a Spiritual Ship."

Two female guards in Silver Armor arrived, treading on clouds. The woman in the lead smiled and cupped her hands, her tone somewhat fawning.

Fan Xuan didn't look at her, simply replying in a cool voice:

"What? Do I need your permission to go procure items for the Holy Daughter?"

The guard's expression changed, and she hastily took half a step back. "Of course not! It's just a routine..."

"A routine what?"

"The restorative supplements the Holy Daughter requires after her seclusion cannot be delayed. If we're late—"

Before she could finish, the Spiritual Ship had already transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky, showing no patience for further explanations.

The two guards looked at each other, but they weren't particularly annoyed or suspicious.

The Yin Yang Sacred Land had a strict hierarchy. Fan Xuan was the Holy Daughter's personal maid; outside, she represented the Saintess herself. A bit of arrogance seemed reasonable.

High above, the Spiritual Ship sped through the clouds.

Fan Xuan leaned against the ship's railing, watching the Saintess Hall shrink in the distance. Only when the majestic palace had completely vanished into the Cloud Sea did she let out a long sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Pei Yuhang, we've left the Saintess Hall... but to fly out of the Yin Yang Sacred Land, we still need to pass through the two Heavenly Gates of Yin and Yang... It will probably take three days."

A Sacred Land is vast, and a critical area like the Saintess Hall is located deep within the Sect. Given their sensitive identities and without using a Teleportation Array, flying out of the Yin Yang Sacred Land in three days was already the result of pushing the Spiritual Ship to its maximum speed.

Pei Yuhang slowly walked out of the cabin. The Moonlight coated his handsome profile in a silver glow, and his gaze toward Fan Xuan softened considerably.

"Xiaoxuan, things might be a little tough on you from here on out."

"It's okay, it's no trouble for me."

Fan Xuan chuckled softly, an exhilarating feeling she could only describe as a sense of 'responsibility' surging through her heart.

"Fan Xuan, Pei Yuhang! You're both insane!!"

A sharp cry suddenly erupted from the cabin, shattering the blissful peace between the perfect couple.

Tied firmly to a pillar, Fan Ya struggled to lift her head. Messy strands of hair stuck to her sweaty forehead, and her usually poised, pretty face was contorted with an unprecedented mix of ferocity and distress.

"Leaving the Sect without permission is considered desertion!

Forget the Holy Daughter, who will never forgive you when she finds out. If the Sect learns of this, you are both as good as dead!"

"Fan Xuan, do you have any idea what you're doing right now?!"

Faced with her sister's interrogation, Fan Xuan's face paled slightly.

She bit her lip, just about to patiently explain things to her sister and ask her to stop resisting.

SLAP—

Pei Yuhang once again appeared behind Fan Ya and landed a clean, crisp chop to her neck. Fan Ya's eyes rolled back in her head, and she instantly passed out again.

"Xiaoxuan, don't even think about trying to explain things to Fan Ya. She has her own mind, and she's been thoroughly brainwashed by the Yin Yang Sacred Land. She would sooner betray you than choose to desert the Sect.

Only when what's done is done, when the fact that she has deserted with us is set in stone, will this woman accept her fate."

As he spoke, Pei Yuhang pried open Fan Ya's mouth and fed her several Sleeping Pills, ensuring she would sleep all the way until they had left the Yin Yang Sacred Land and wouldn't wake up to cause trouble.

Listening to Pei Yuhang, Fan Xuan felt that he made a lot of sense.

But watching Pei Yuhang feed her sister the Sleeping Pills, she couldn't help but ask, "Pei Yuhang, since you could just feed her pills to make her sleep...

Why did you still have to chop her with your hand?"

"Umm... I didn't think of it at first."

'As if. He just found Fan Ya annoying and wanted an excuse to hit her a couple of times!'

"..."

Fan Xuan gave Pei Yuhang an adorable eye-roll, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh to him.

In the end, her poor sister was the one who had to suffer.

Fan Xuan looked at the unconscious Fan Ya and sighed helplessly.

...

After about a day of traveling at full speed, the Spiritual Ship began to slow down.

It wasn't due to a lack of power, but because the Spiritual Ship had entered one of the most bustling areas within the Sect—the region at the foot of the Yang Heaven Sect.

Fan Xuan looked out the window at the dazzling, golden-roofed pavilions standing side-by-side and the bustling streets woven with crowds. From time to time, female disciples in the uniform of the Law Enforcement Department patrolled in groups, the Jade Pendants at their waists flashing with a cold light in the sun.

A hint of nervousness rose in her heart. She turned her head and said to Pei Yuhang:

"Pei Yuhang, the towns at the foot of the Yang Heaven Sect are often frequented by High Tier Female Cultivators out for leisure. If they see a Cauldron Slave with your superior looks and temperament..."

The girl trailed off, a little embarrassed.

Pei Yuhang was leaning against the cabin door. Hearing her, he looked up with a knowing smile in his eyes. "Afraid I'll be snatched up by those female disciples, forcibly bought and sold? Taken back to their mansions to be a Village Chief's Husband?"

Fan Xuan's ears instantly turned a faint pink. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she waved her hands frantically:

"N-No, that's not it! I'm worried about attracting the attention of patrolling disciples and exposing our location!"

Pei Yuhang let out a low chuckle and took a prepared white headscarf and mask from his Storage Pouch.

His movements were unhurried. As his long, slender fingers unfolded the headscarf, the fabric made a soft rustling sound.

When he had wrapped it, leaving only his eyes exposed, Fan Xuan couldn't help but sneak a peek.

—Those eyes were still as brilliant as stars, the corners tilted slightly upward. Even with his face covered, their spirit could not be concealed.

"How about now?"

he asked softly. His voice was slightly muffled by the cloth, which only made it sound more magnetic.

"Umm, just one look at your eyes and women will still know you're handsome..."

Fan Xuan said, a little troubled.

"Alright, if I wrapped myself up completely like a rice dumpling, that would be truly suspicious. It's enough to not draw too much attention. Let's hurry and pass through the Yang Heaven Sect."

"Mm."

Fan Xuan steered the Spiritual Ship slowly into the 'traffic' flow in the clouds.

Just then, a projection crystal on the Yang Heaven Sect's gate flickered, and an elegant female voice suddenly broadcast out.

[Sisters of the Yin Yang Sacred Land, our Sacred Land's Saintess has just ended her seclusion and is about to begin Crossing the Tribulation! Saintess Shang Miaoyan will become the youngest in our Sacred Land's history to...]

Sitting inside the cabin, Pei Yuhang's mind went blank.

'Shang Miaoyan... she came out of seclusion a day early?!'

As Fan Xuan steered the Spiritual Ship, the small hands hidden in her sleeves turned ice-cold.

Her heart was now pounding faster than ever before, and a random thought popped into her head:

'Are Pei Yuhang and I about to be "caught in the act" by the Holy Daughter?'