Chapter 1411 - 765: Good News (Double Length)_2

"Lu... Senior Sister Lu..."

"Why don't you use magic, or talismans, nor consume elixirs?"

Upon hearing this unexpected question, an ordinary person might be confused, but Yin Tingxue, being intelligent, understood Lu Ying's point. Practitioners of cultivation can fast, travel great distances without fatigue, use magic, talismans, or elixirs. Yet, along the journey, Yin Tingxue had never used them.

She responded, "Chen Yi... said it's unnecessary to use them, that going with the flow is the true cultivation."

"...He could say something like that?"

"Hmm... actually, maybe, it's because he's kind of..."

Yin Tingxue didn't know how to put it. Chen Yi didn't like her overusing Immortal Techniques. He enjoyed having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with her, loved seeing her fall asleep with a book, liked to intrude while she was bathing just to bathe together, and, disturbingly, liked her... when she was drenched in sweat. However, she couldn't voice any of this, so she said:

"He prefers the mundane life."

"..." There was a moment of silence on the other end before the voice said, "So he doesn't like women who are above the mundanities?"

Yin Tingxue thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe."

"In that case, you should be above the mundanities as well."

Yin Tingxue knew Lu Ying meant well when she said this, so she replied perfunctorily with an "Oh."

She didn't want to be above the mundanities, nor did she want to be like a stone, devoid of joy or sorrow. Moreover, the last person who tried to make her above mundanities was dealt with by Chen Yi.

She didn't want Senior Sister Lu to be dealt with by Chen Yi either.

Lu Ying, seeing her perfunctory response, wanted to persuade her further when Zhou Yitang walked over and said:

"Lu Ying, it's time for Meditation Sword."

Hearing this, Lu Ying said no more, sat cross-legged on the green rock, and closed her eyes to meditate.

Moonlight like a thin layer of silver frost brushed across her cold face, the determination between her brows gradually settled into empty tranquility. Her breathing grew long and faint, blending with the night wind and rustling leaves of the mountain, completely reined in her awareness of the outside world, leaving only the Sword Intent within her to circulate and comprehend.

Zhou Yitang, seeing her in deep meditation, then turned his gaze to Yin Tingxue, who was massaging her sore calves.

The girl's face was speckled with sweat, and a slight grumbling sound from her stomach sounded particularly clear in the tranquil night, making Yin Tingxue instantly embarrassed, patting her belly.

The one-armed Master Zhou showed no expression, only took out some food wrapped in oiled paper from Square Land, two still warm coarse buns, and a small piece of pickled vegetables.

"Eat." Concise and to the point.

The food, though simple, even crude compared to the delicacies of Xiangwang Mansion's New Year feast or the various snacks Yin Tingxue had tasted with Chen Yi, was vastly different.

Yet, Yin Tingxue ate quickly, thanking him as she reached for the food, not minding any manners, her cheeks slightly puffed as she tried to swallow the dry bun, finding the salty and fragrant pickles surprisingly flavorful.

Zhou Yitang stood quietly beside her, his arm hanging by his side.

"Slow down. No one is competing with you."

Yin Tingxue paused, somewhat self-consciously wiping her mouth.

Zhou Yitang's gaze then turned to the sword in her arms.

"This sword has a spirit, strong but pure." She said, "Your cultivation is still shallow, but you gained its recognition. It's fate and burden; it protects its master fervently. Its earlier actions weren't out of disrespect but sensed your exhaustion and grievance, becoming agitated. You must soothe it, but not indulge it. Use your mind to communicate, guide its hostility, returning to its tranquil essence. This is also cultivation. Next, return to Yin Sword Mountain, then go north with you and Lu Ying for further cultivation."

Yin Tingxue listened in a daze, looking down at the sword in her arms.

It turned out Master Zhou wasn't blaming her but guiding her on how to coexist with "Qing Jing." She recalled that along the journey, whenever she was utterly exhausted, confused about the future road, or missing Chen Yi, "Qing Jing" indeed seemed extra lively.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Zhou."

"No need to thank me, thank him."

"Of course, I thank him a lot. He's my husband, after all."

The moon was at its zenith, the stars sparse, it was the dead of night.

The Little Fox touched her very full belly, realizing she hadn't eaten this much in a long time.

"A bit bloated."

Just after hearing Zhou Yitang mention Chen Yi, Yin Tingxue's thoughts drifted to the past.

Back then, Chen Yi, in this life, first savored the taste of meat, without restraint, nor tenderness. Whenever he had free time, he would want her day and night, the girl couldn't adapt, even when exhausted to the brink of collapsing, begged him to leave, yet he refused.

Thinking back, it was terrifying. Fortunately, as he had more women later, he couldn't focus on her.

"What are you thinking?" Seeing Yin Tingxue's mind wandering, Zhou Yitang asked.

"Ah... nothing, just past things. Back then, he was very, very bad."

"Hmm."

A simple acknowledgment, a shared understanding between two women.

The girl found that unlike when other things about Chen Yi were brought up, when discussing Chen Yi's badness, the always-jealous Master Zhou never gets jealous or dissatisfied. Instead, there's a feeling of shared empathy between women, speaking intimately.

This was also one of the rare times when the always-stern Master Zhou showed some softness.

Yin Tingxue hugged her knees and whispered, "There was a time when, because I tried to escape, that time, he was scary, even said he would burn down Yintai Temple to threaten me. At that time, there was no choice but to go along with him, even so, he bullied me harshly, didn't show me any pity."

Hearing her talk about it, Zhou Yitang lowered her eyes slightly, recalling that back then, Chen Yi's bedroom never ceased to echo with sounds.