Vol. 1 - Ch. 39 - Jealousy

Chapter 39: Jealousy

The snow on the mountain peak had not yet melted, and the cold still lingered. Only the ground near the cave entrance had been swept clean by the wooden girl, revealing the yellow-brown soil. The sun rarely showed itself, casting a bright white light over the surroundings. The landscape became dull and monotonous, with varying shades of gray and white smudging the horizon.

Ji Yaoge shivered uncontrollably. The cold filled her meridians, spreading from the inside out, freezing her bones and blood. No amount of true qi could fill this bottomless chasm of cold. Instinctively, she sought a heat source, curling up to absorb a bit of warmth.

Yuan Huan pulled her stiff, icy hands from his neck—her instincts had almost made her slip her hands inside his clothes to touch his chest. He placed her on the highest stone ledge, then sat behind her, supporting her as he said, "Sit still." He pressed a palm against her back. An orange-red light, like a flame, burned on her back. With his other hand, he controlled fine needles with his primordial spirit, inserting them into her body, guiding the flame through her meridians to expel the rampant cold.

The alternating sensations of cold and heat made Ji Yaoge tremble even more. The burning heat from his palm spread through her body, making her feel like she was on fire. Her pale skin began to steam, producing countless droplets of water that floated into the air and turned into a thin layer of frost, lowering the surrounding temperature even further. Yet, she felt increasingly warm.

Finally, the heat completely replaced the cold, and the scorching temperature gradually subsided into a comfortable warmth.

Ji Yaoge let out a sigh of relief— the cold was driven away, and her body felt as if it was being embraced by sunlight, lazy and warm. A clear, youthful voice reached her ears, "Do you always act so recklessly?" She opened her eyes and saw that the stone ledge around them was covered in frost, all formed from the cold expelled from her body. She was amazed at the extreme yin and cold nature of the Qinghe Demon Dragon’s blood.

"It depends on the situation," she replied, her voice husky and seductive. Although he had withdrawn his hand, the warmth from his body still isolated their small space from the surrounding frost, making her feel very comfortable.

"With Immortal Yuan here, I naturally have no reservations," she continued.

At this moment, Yuan Huan had become Immortal Yuan again.

Yuan Huan detected the flattery in her words. He could imagine her expression now—sharp eyes and a flattering smile, all part of her cunning nature.

"Are you so sure I would help you? What if I decided to betray you, let you die, or even... kill you to silence you?" After all, she now knew the secret of Linghai. Yuan Huan leaned forward, threatening her by her ear.

Ji Yaoge suddenly turned around, her hair brushing against his lips. He immediately straightened up, meeting her smiling face.

Her face, warmed by the heat, seemed to be covered in a layer of rich rouge. Her large eyes were watery, and when she smiled, it looked as if the water would spill out. Her lips curved with a lively cunning, embodying the essence of "enchantment" in the mortal world. Even Yuan Huan, who had seen countless beauties in the cultivation world, had to admit that this charm was more bewitching than any physical appearance.

"You wouldn’t. You’re not that kind of person," Ji Yaoge said, sitting across from him.

"What kind of person am I?" Yuan Huan was curious about what she would say.

"You're not a great hero who helps the weak and saves the world, but neither are you a villain who kills indiscriminately and breaks promises," Ji Yaoge smiled brightly, looking very pleased. "You’re a man of your word."

She placed a high hat on him, making Yuan Huan squint and smile, a bit wickedly, as he exposed her, "I must say, your flattery is quite pleasing. As you said, our cooperation is over. I kept my promise and gave you the secret you wanted. You can leave now."

When she stayed, she only asked for this secret. Now that she had it, there was no reason for her to stay.

Yuan Huan smiled, his single eye curved like a crescent moon, and stood up to leave.

"No!" Ji Yaoge grabbed his sleeve, stopping him.

Yuan Huan stared at the hand wrinkling his sleeve—what was this? A child throwing a tantrum because they couldn’t get candy?

Ji Yaoge held his gaze, refusing to let go. She raised her chin slightly and said sincerely, "I think we can continue to cooperate. Although my cultivation level is low, I’m not useless. Take me to Linghai, and I can help you." Just like this time with Ren Zhongping, she could do things he couldn’t—her recklessness was to emphasize this fact. This was her bargaining chip, so she had to succeed.

From the beginning, she knew that he shared this secret with her because he saw that she didn’t have the strength to interfere. With his and Xiao Wuheng’s cultivation levels, the cultivators vying for Linghai would be at least at the Nascent Soul stage, capable of turning her to dust with a flick of their fingers. She had no conditions to compete and would only be courting death. She didn’t want to risk her life for someone else’s benefit, but she was excited—how could she remain indifferent to something that even Nascent Soul stage cultivators coveted? Opportunities like this were rare, and whether it was greed or overestimation, she wanted to seize it.

What could she do? She could only seek his cooperation.

Ren Zhongping was just a stepping stone, a way to knock on this door step by step.

"I’ve stayed in Chixiu Palace for 198 years. I have a better chance of uncovering this secret. Let’s cooperate. I’ll help you find what you’re looking for, and you take me to Linghai." She offered new temptations, full of sincerity.

Yuan Huan noticed that she said "cooperate" instead of any subservient terms—despite her low cultivation level, she still placed them on the same level.

What should he say about her? Overconfident? Disrespectful? But those sincere, cunning eyes were filled with ambition, giving weight to her words.

He shook off her hand, smoothed the wrinkles on his sleeve, and turned away.

"Hey!" Ji Yaoge stood up quickly, trying to continue persuading him—

"Clean up here with Xiao Bai and take me to Chixiu Palace." His voice was devoid of humor, clear and cold. His clothes fluttered as he moved like a light rainbow, gracefully leaving.

Ji Yaoge was delighted: Did this mean he agreed?

"Once we enter Linghai, you’re responsible for your own life and death." His distant words answered her last doubt.

——

As night fell, a bonfire was lit on Shigong Ridge. The cold night was quiet, a perfect time to snuggle up by the fire and sleep comfortably. But in the firelight, figures moved back and forth, busy and tireless. Yuan Huan’s words had set the wooden girl into action. She hummed a tune, her steps light as she packed things up, like a child who never tired, full of passion for everything and eager for the unknown world.

This was Ji Yaoge’s spiritual essence.

Representing emotions of love and desire.

Contrary to the personality she displayed, it was the truest part of her. She thought she understood why the spiritual essence wanted to leave her.

"What are you thinking about?" Ji Yaoge asked Bai Yan as she watched the wooden girl and sat by the bonfire.

Bai Yan was unusually silent tonight, staring at the flickering flames. Only when she spoke did he lazily look up, "Nothing." He sat with his arms around his knees, his face becoming inscrutable in the flickering orange light. His whole demeanor suggested he had something on his mind, but Ji Yaoge just said "Oh" and didn’t press further.

This was their understanding. She never asked about his past, and he never asked about hers. They both had their secrets, but neither crossed the line that would make them too close. They had accompanied each other for 198 years, like two travelers on a journey, supporting each other for mutual benefit. They both knew that this long road would eventually fork, and they would part ways for their different goals—so this kind of safety was important. Too much would create ties, too little would lose trust.

He had always been clear about this, counting down the days to their separation. But today, he suddenly wished she would ask, wished that line could blur a little. But she didn’t get the message, or perhaps she didn’t understand. This person was smart, but sometimes seemed heartless.

"I was thinking that Senior Sister is heartless." His words, though reproachful, were charming, his eyes filled with an ambiguous light that made Ji Yaoge feign anger and confusion. "I said it’s nothing, so it’s nothing. Can’t Senior Sister ask more? After all, I’ve accompanied you for nearly two hundred years, and now I’m not as good as Yuan Huan, whom you’ve only known for a few days?"

The taste of jealousy spread from his eyes and brows, not annoying, but his unique sense of grievance and helplessness. It wasn’t real jealousy, but genuine helplessness—without a position, even jealousy was just a joke.

Ji Yaoge laughed, her eyes in the firelight showing some indulgence, "So what’s really bothering you?"

Bai Yan rolled his eyes at her, his face showing a "now that you ask, I won’t tell" expression, and said sullenly, "What are your plans after we leave the mountain?"

"The market in Deer Valley is open for a few days. This batch of goods is good, so we’ll sell them first and then return to Chixiu Palace." Ji Yaoge considered for a moment and pointed to the materials taken from the demon beasts, "You take half of the money, buy some good medicine, and find a secluded cave, preferably not in Tiyu State. If the spirit stones aren’t enough, let me know. Your cultivation level is about to reach the peak of Foundation Establishment, and you need to go into seclusion to break through to the Core Formation stage. This is not something to be taken lightly." Tiyu State would soon be unstable, and if he went into seclusion here, he might be caught in the chaos.

Bai Yan’s expression softened, his playful demeanor turning into a smile that was not quite a smile, "Is Senior Sister trying to send me away?"

Ji Yaoge frowned. Ren Zhongping’s secret had been known to him for 198 years, so she hadn’t hidden her plan to go to Linghai with Yuan Huan. But she hadn’t planned to take him along. It wasn’t because she was selfish or because of Yuan Huan, but because Bai Yan’s current situation required him to stay outside and safely break through to the Core Formation stage. He wasn’t suited for the life-and-death struggle in Linghai.

"Bai Yan." Her tone became serious, showing she wasn’t speaking lightly and wouldn’t allow him to argue.

In the past, if she showed such seriousness, he would have softened and coaxed her. But today was different. He turned his head, staring at the bonfire, falling into a silent sulk. Ji Yaoge never liked to explain herself and didn’t expect him to understand her intentions. She patted her cloak, planning to help the wooden girl, but his hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her in front of him.

He leaned down, his face in the firelight losing its playful look, his gaze like a beam of light piercing through the clouds, revealing an imposing aura that had been hidden for years, a natural-born authority.

"Senior Sister, I don’t want to leave." His words seemed to say, keep me, and I’ll willingly let go of the past to accompany you for a thousand years.

As long as she asked him to stay.

His voice was low, as if he were drunk. Ji Yaoge couldn’t understand his feelings when he said this. The soul without the spiritual essence finally showed its heartless side. She felt no excitement, no sadness, no guilt. She just thought that perhaps the separation would come sooner.

"I’m sorry." But she still, hypocritically, apologized.

For the sake of their 198 years together.

——

The next day, the clouds parted, and the sun rose. Shigong Ridge was bathed in sunlight, the cold seemed to crack open, and the ice and snow of the season began to melt.

The wooden girl had already packed everything, running over with a storage bracelet she had taken from Yuan Huan. She packed everything into it and then sneakily handed it to Ji Yaoge.

"Take it." She blinked.

"What is this…" Ji Yaoge was puzzled.

"You said your storage ring wasn’t big enough, right? This is from Brother Yuan. It’s much better than your ring. I’ve packed everything into it, so keep it safe." The wooden girl flattered her other self, playing the role of a fence-sitter to perfection.

"Does he know?" Ji Yaoge examined the bracelet, finding its space several times larger than her ring.

The wooden girl grabbed the bracelet, slipped it onto her wrist, and said nonchalantly, "He has so many good things, he doesn’t care about this bracelet. It was just lying in a corner, almost moldy. If I hadn’t found it while cleaning yesterday, he might not have even thought to bring it today."

Ji Yaoge raised an eyebrow—so she took it without asking?

The wooden girl understood her and said, "Hey, the sheep is so fat, what’s wrong with taking a bit of wool? What are you afraid of?"

The sheep, unhurriedly, came out from behind, "Is that so?" He smiled at the wooden girl, who was clearly eating from both sides. The wooden girl, however, was confident. Wasn’t it obvious who was on her side? Was it wrong to support her own people? She chuckled, "Brother Yuan," and quickly ran away, leaving Ji Yaoge to awkwardly face Yuan Huan, sharing the blame.

Yuan Huan’s gaze swept over the bracelet. The green jade, inlaid with cat-eye-like amber, made her wrist look as white as snow, quite beautiful. Ji Yaoge was very embarrassed, trying to remove the bracelet, but it was strange and wouldn’t come off. She could only give Yuan Huan an awkward look. Yuan Huan said, "Take your time. When you get it off, return it to me." With that, he left, his steps light.

Ji Yaoge shook her hand—he was definitely doing this on purpose.

"Let’s go! Brother Bai, you have to show me all the fun places in Chixiu Palace!" The wooden girl’s voice came from afar.

Ji Yaoge looked over and saw Bai Yan being pulled away by the wooden girl. When he looked back, their eyes met, and his face, as handsome as a painting, showed a charming smile, just like usual.

She knew they had both swallowed last night’s events.

——

The market in Deer Valley was as lively as ever. It was only the third day of the market, the busiest time. The wind blew, and icicles still hung from the tree branches. The cold in the mountains was bone-chilling, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the cultivators who came here. The air was filled with the sounds of haggling and bargaining, dry branches creaked underfoot, and low-level cultivators in thick robes roamed the market, comparing prices and examining goods, never in a hurry to make a purchase.

But today, among the scattered cultivators, there was a group of cultivators dressed very differently.

"Senior Sister, look." A young girl in green, holding the arm of the girl beside her, smiled, showing two sweet dimples, her eyes full of curiosity as she looked at the small items on the stalls.

"Do you like it, Xiao Jin?" Zhao Jing asked indulgently, looking at her much younger junior sister from the Wu Xiang Sword Sect, Ling Jin, with a smile.

"I like it, I like this, and I like that too!" Ling Jin nodded enthusiastically, but then her head drooped, "But it’s all so expensive, and I don’t have any money."

Although the market was crude, it had great appeal to sect disciples who rarely went out, especially to a young cultivator like Ling Jin. Unfortunately, even though they were disciples of a major sect and received monthly allowances, they didn’t have much pocket money and couldn’t buy many things.

"Well… pick one thing, and I’ll buy it for you. But don’t choose anything too expensive," Zhao Jing said with a smile. She didn’t have many spirit stones either and couldn’t afford anything too costly.

"Thank you, Senior Sister Jing." Ling Jin jumped up happily and rushed to the stall to pick something.

Standing a few steps away, Zhou Ling rolled her eyes and muttered, "Poor thing." Lin Canzhi, standing beside her, gently pulled her hand and whispered, "Junior Sister, don’t frown so much. Enjoy the market."

"Enjoy? How can I enjoy it when I’m being watched all the time?" Zhou Ling’s anger flared up again.

Ten days ago, she had exaggerated the events at Shigong Ridge, hoping that Gu Xingzhi and the others would stand up for her. Instead, she was scolded by Gu Xingzhi for acting recklessly, causing trouble, and being arrogant. She was punished to stay at the trial camp for self-reflection, not allowed to go out even after her injuries had healed, and Zhao Jing and Ling Jin were assigned to watch her. Wherever she went, they followed, driving her mad.

"Isn’t Senior Brother Gu concerned about your injuries? That’s why he asked Senior Sister Zhao and Junior Sister Ling to accompany you."

"Nonsense. He’s just spying on me." Zhou Ling spat, glaring at Zhao Jing. "Hmph, as if I don’t know. Yesterday, Gu Xingzhi went to Chixiu Palace, definitely for the treasures at Shigong Ridge. He’s the person in charge of the trial, so he can go wherever he wants. It’s easy for him to take credit for our work. And Zhao Jing, always sticking to Gu Xingzhi, listening to everything he says, pretending to be a confidant… who does she think she’s fooling?"

She was cursing when, suddenly, Ling Jin exclaimed exaggeratedly, "1,500 spirit stones? That's so expensive!"

"Expensive? Not at all, young lady. Although it's just a charming item, it's made of high-quality materials," the stall owner pointed to the bronze mirror Ling Jin was holding. "Look, this mirror is made from thousand-year-old copper, with a beast crystal from a dream tapir inside, and inlaid with four medium-grade illusion stones. Just these materials alone, if you ask around the market, you'll find out how much they cost individually. Moreover, the craftsmanship of this mirror is exquisite, perfect for young ladies like you."

"It's nice, but it's not really practical," Ling Jin pouted, replying softly.

The mirror wasn't a powerful magical artifact, just a delightful item that could change the user's appearance, clothing, and hairstyle according to their wishes. It allowed the user to choose the best look for themselves—hence, it was a favorite among girls.

But it wasn't really useful.

1,500 spirit stones was no small amount. Zhao Jing tugged on Ling Jin's sleeve, hinting for her to put it down. Ling Jin reluctantly fiddled with the mirror for a while before finally deciding to put it down.

Suddenly, a sharp green light silently shot towards Ling Jin's hand. Ling Jin cried out in pain, dropping the mirror. Zhao Jing's face darkened, instinctively looking towards the source of the green light, only to see Zhou Ling's provocative smile.

"The mirror..." Ling Jin flew to catch the mirror, but it was struck again in mid-air, flying even further away.

"Oh, my mirror—" the stall owner wailed in distress from behind.

"Zhou Ling!" Zhao Jing, furious, lunged at Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling stepped back a few paces, avoiding a confrontation. Meanwhile, the mirror flew far away. Ling Jin gritted her teeth, leaping to catch it, hugging the mirror to her chest. The force from the mirror sent her flying, about to fall face-first...

Someone reached out and caught her.

"Are you alright?" Ji Yaoge hadn't expected to run into trouble as soon as she arrived at the market. The person flew towards her, and she couldn't avoid them, so she caught them.

Ling Jin, still in shock, looked up from Ji Yaoge's arms and saw a pair of clear, piercing eyes, instantly losing herself.

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