IVYSCP - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Pei Si gazed at her steadily. She neither nodded in agreement nor shook her head in refusal. Instead, she asked softly, "Ling Qingyue, will you ever regret saying these words to me?"

Ling Qingyue laughed. She did not understand why Pei Si would ask such a thing. She shifted closer again, half-draped over Pei Si's body, and prodded her shoulder with a finger. "Why would I regret it? Wouldn't you be the one who ought to regret it? I can't leave this body. Your Dao companion will be a demon. If the other immortal sects ever find out, you might end up like Liuli, driven out into the Great Wilderness alongside me."

Pei Si let out a breathy hum, also laughing. She caught Ling Qingyue's hand and brought it to her lips for a kiss. "Those are your words. If you regret it later, I still won't agree to break the bond."

Ling Qingyue's fingertips met a soft touch, and she curled them inward as a sudden numbness shot up. She asked, half in jest, "Then what if I do regret it later?"

Pei Si seemed to have genuinely considered this question. She looked into Ling Qingyue's eyes and, as though punishing her for asking, bit lightly at her fingertip.

"I already said I would bring you back to Cangshan. Within Cangshan's borders, no matter where you go, you will return to my side in the end. Even if you regret it, it will be too late."

"Is that so?" Ling Qingyue's gaze burned into her. "I don't believe it."

I don't believe it. Take me back and put it to the test.

The two exchanged a smile. Pei Si drew Ling Qingyue tighter against her and asked again, "Ling Qingyue, have you made up your mind?"

Ling Qingyue furrowed her brow slightly at being asked yet again, and then, recalling the things Pei Si had kept hidden from her, a guess stirred in her heart.

"Pei Si, is the reason you're so afraid I'll regret this because of what you're hiding from me?"

Pei Si's throat bobbed, and she gave a soft "mm."

Ling Qingyue sensed her nervousness. She reached out and touched Pei Si's face. It was not the indistinct image her sight gave her. Her palm met the real Pei Si.

Then she asked a question of principle. "Have you ever committed any unforgivable crimes?"

Ling Qingyue figured that unless Pei Si killed without blinking an eye and had done every evil deed imaginable, she would not regret forming a Dao bond with her.

"No."

Ling Qingyue's fingers found the corner of Pei Si's mouth. It was pursed slightly, still betraying some tension.

"Then I've made up my mind. I won't regret it. But I can't promise I won't get angry." Ling Qingyue tapped her finger against Pei Si's lips. "Still, if I do get angry, you can coax me out of it."

"How should I coax you?"

Pei Si was quite certain that once Ling Qingyue found out who she really was, she would definitely be angry.

"Like this."

Ling Qingyue hooked her arm around Pei Si's neck and pulled her down. She tilted her own head up slightly. Their soft lips met, carrying the slight coolness of first contact and the irrepressible flutter deep in her heart.

Pei Si's eyes widened a fraction. Before she could fully register the sensation, Ling Qingyue had already pulled away.

A touch as fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water's surface.

"Pei Si, form a bond with me."

Pei Si's eyes grew warm. She licked her lips, where the other woman's presence seemed to linger still.

"All right."

Her voice vanished between their lips as they pressed together once more. Ling Qingyue kissed her again, and this time it was no simple, light touch. She slipped out the tip of her tongue, lapping at the corner of Pei Si's mouth, patiently sucking and tasting bit by bit. Her hand glided along Pei Si's jaw to her throat and pressed down gently.

Pei Si tilted her neck back. Her tightly closed lips parted.

The same slick softness met. Sucking. Twining. Their ragged breathing mingled with the sticky, wet sounds that made the ears burn and the heart race.

Ling Qingyue felt the lotus flower yaoguai luring her ever deeper, utterly unable to stop herself from wanting to draw closer, from wanting more. The feeling of both satisfaction and craving swelled inside her, making her chest feel drenched, and more than just her chest.

So Yue Shouming had not been making things up back then. It was all true. Kissing someone you liked was this comfortable, and yet not entirely so, because it was only a kiss.

Ling Qingyue endured the aching, swollen discomfort and ended the kiss. A silver thread still connected their parting lips before it snapped in midair.

Ling Qingyue's ear tips went hot at the sight. She leaned in again to kiss the moist corner of Pei Si's mouth and helped lick her clean.

Pei Si's cheeks were dusted with a faint red. Her eyes darkened as she reached out to stroke Ling Qingyue's lips, which had turned red and full from the kissing. Her voice was less clear than usual, carrying a touch of huskiness. "How are you so good at this?"

The words carried a vague note of resentment and jealousy that was hard to pin down.

Ling Qingyue enjoyed it very much. She did not explain. Instead, she laughed lightly and asked, "Is this your first kiss?"

Pei Si turned her head away and let out a soft huff through her nose.

Ling Qingyue was tickled by this reaction. She reached out, cupped Pei Si's face, and turned her back to face her. "What are you huffing about? It's my first kiss too."

Pei Si gave her a flat look. "Is that so?"

"Yes!" Seeing that Pei Si did not believe her, Ling Qingyue explained, "I've never had a Dao companion before. Why would I just casually do something like this with someone?"

Pei Si saw the earnestness in her expression and thought to herself that Ling Qingyue truly did not remember, or perhaps she had simply never taken it seriously at all.

Back in those years when Pei Si had first arrived at Shangtianqiong, she had been a girl of few words and a cold temperament. She had no fellow disciples, and none of the others dared approach her. Only Ling Qingyue would come over to chat with her and take her around to explore. Ling Qingyue liked to practice her sword in the Peach Grove, because it was beautiful there and fragrant.

Once, Ling Qingyue had not come to find her for two or three days straight. Pei Si had deliberated for a long time before taking the initiative to seek her out in the Peach Grove. Ling Qingyue had been drinking some kind of wine. The moment she saw Pei Si, she shoved her up against a tree and kissed her, saying she smelled wonderful and that she liked her very much. Pei Si had been so stunned she did not react. By the time she reached out to push Ling Qingyue away, Ling Qingyue had already slid unconscious into her arms, sound asleep.

She had escorted Ling Qingyue back. After returning to her own room, she did not sleep a wink all night. She had planned out exactly how to tell her master about wanting to form a Dao bond. She had even considered whether their bonding ceremony should follow Cangshan customs or Shangtianqiong customs.

Who could have guessed that the next day, not only did Ling Qingyue not come to her about what had happened the previous night, but she was also arm in arm with Yue Shouming, looking extremely close. And back then, rumors had long been circulating that Lou Wudu, the head disciple of Shangtianqiong, and Yue Zhiwei, the Hidden Moon Lord of the Tianyan Yue Family, were soon to have their happy union. Ling Qingyue and Yue Shouming were inseparable, so it was feared they, too, had long held affection for each other.

She had secretly nursed her heartbreak for half a month. Ling Qingyue had eaten well, slept well, and played well.

A sudden warmth pressed against Pei Si's lips, pulling her thoughts back. Ling Qingyue was still talking. "I really haven't. I read some books before. I learned it from them."

Hearing Ling Qingyue bring up the past, Pei Si remembered that miserable, aggrieved half-month and could not help wanting to seek some justice for herself. "What about Yue Shouming, then?"

Ling Qingyue was baffled. "Huh?"

What did Yue Shouming have to do with anything?

"You and her. You were very close before too."

Ling Qingyue burst out laughing. She clung to Pei Si, her shoulders shaking so hard her words came out unsteady. "I... she and I were friends. You didn't think there was something between me and Yue Shouming back then, did you? My senior sister and her older sister had a thing, but her and me, we were completely innocent. She and I would never share a bed like this."

Pei Si's lips curved upward. Her tone was utterly mild. "Oh."

They were sharing a bed right now, and they were far from innocent.

Ling Qingyue noticed the slight redness at the rims of Pei Si's eyes and felt another twinge of heartache.

"Get some sleep." She shifted to the side a little, afraid of putting too much weight on Pei Si.

Pei Si moved with her, holding her close. She closed her eyes and nuzzled Ling Qingyue's forehead. "Sleep just like this."

"Mm."

Pei Si truly was exhausted. Her breathing quickly steadied into a long, even rhythm.

Ling Qingyue curled in her arms and thought about something.

Just how closely had Pei Si been paying attention to her before? She even knew about Yue Shouming.

Pei Si...

Could it be that this name is not her real name either?

---

Early the next morning, Ling Qingyue slipped out of Pei Si's arms. A quick cleansing spell tidied her up, and she went out the door.

Lin Zhao and Lu Yao were decocting medicine. Ling Qingyue glanced at the medicine pot and frowned hard.

"Ah Xi."

"Senior!"

The two greeted her at the same time. Ling Qingyue nodded and asked Lu Yao, "Lu Yao, is your sect leader at the East Courtyard?"

Ever since Liu Qingtang had been settled into the East Courtyard of the Water Cloud Dwelling, Nie Wenxiao had moved her own work over there as well, afraid that her martial sister, who had barely managed to "come back to life," might run into trouble again.

Lu Yao nodded. "The sect leader just arrived."

Ling Qingyue nodded and headed directly for the East Courtyard. She did not forget to leave a message behind. "If Pei Si wakes up and comes looking for me, tell her I'm playing next door for a bit and I'll be back soon."

Lu Yao acknowledged her.

The layout of the East and West Courtyards was largely similar, though the East Courtyard had additional formations. Watching the golden light coursing through the arrays, Ling Qingyue guessed they were Pei Si's handiwork.

Liu Qingtang was still missing her limbs and her spiritual energy remained sealed, but she no longer looked as wretched as she had back in Linshui Town. She sat upright in a wheelchair, dressed in the vestments of the Piaomiao Sect, her long hair neatly bound up.

Were it not for those fierce, venomous eyes, Ling Qingyue might have, for a fleeting moment, glimpsed the youth who had once challenged her to a duel all over again.

"Sect Leader Nie." Ling Qingyue stepped forward and offered a bow.

Nie Wenxiao nodded in return and gestured for her to sit. Raising a hand, she poured a cup of tea.

"Word has come from Shangtianqiong. The Sword Venerable learned about Cui Heng's actions yesterday and flew into a towering rage. She has stripped Cui Heng of her identity as Immortal Envoy of the Immortal Alliance, sentenced her to thirty lashes of the Thunder-Fire Whip, and a month of reflection in the Cold Water Cave. She has already sent people to the Piaomiao Sect to offer reparations and apologies, bringing many materials, medicinal pills, and artifacts."

The Immortal Envoy status, thirty Thunder-Fire lashes, a month in the Cold Water Cave. The punishment was neither light nor heavy. It preserved Cui Heng while also giving the Piaomiao Sect an explanation.

"And what explanation did they give regarding the Sun-Chasing Crossbow?" Ling Qingyue asked.

"They said Cui Heng took the token without authorization."

Ling Qingyue let out a cold snort. What a perfunctory excuse.

If she had done such a dastardly thing, her master would have flayed her, pulled out her tendons, and hung her up in front of the sect to dry for at least a year or half.

Nie Wenxiao glanced at her and took a sip of tea. She said lightly, "Speaking of which, your swordwork yesterday was truly exquisite. They all say Cui Heng has received the Sword Venerable's true teachings, but in my view, your swordsmanship is no less formidable than the Sword Venerable's own."

Ling Qingyue raised an eyebrow.

Probing again.

"That does remind me of someone." Nie Wenxiao looked at her. "The former Little Sword Venerable of Shangtianqiong, Ling Qingyue, who is now the Sword Venerable's martial sister."

Ling Qingyue chuckled. "Her. She's certainly formidable, but she's still a notch below me."

Nie Wenxiao was talking about the old Ling Qingyue. Swordsmanship could only advance day by day. There was no such thing as regressing. So her own words were not incorrect.

Nie Wenxiao paused, musing inwardly, Could I have guessed wrong?

"Sect Leader Nie, I came to ask you something." As Ling Qingyue spoke, she glanced toward the door, then deliberately lowered her voice.

Nie Wenxiao saw her suddenly turn secretive and leaned forward a bit as well, lowering her own voice. "What is it?"

Ling Qingyue looked at her eagerly. "What does one need to prepare for a Dao bonding?"

She had no experience, and she could not ask Lu Yao. After all, Lu Yao was still a child. In this unfamiliar Piaomiao Sect, the only person she could turn to was Nie Wenxiao, who seemed steady and reliable.

Nie Wenxiao fell silent for a moment.

Ever since she took over as sect leader, her mind had been solely on the great enterprise of the sect. The elders within the sect were all devoted to teaching. None of them had Dao companions, and the disciples were equally focused on their cultivation. Come to think of it, their Piaomiao Sect really might not have held a single Dao bonding ceremony in a hundred years.

Of course, other immortal sects had sent invitations, but she had always just prepared a congratulatory gift and attended as a spectator.

The two of them looked at each other, one watching the other. Finally, Ling Qingyue sighed. "Apologies for the trouble."

She rose to leave and saw Pei Si walking in with her hands behind her back, her face still wan and pale.

Ling Qingyue immediately hurried two steps toward her. "I was just going back. What did you have to come over for?"

Pei Si saw the anxious look on her face, as if one might think she was terminally ill and unable to leave her bed.

She smiled at Ling Qingyue, then turned her gaze toward Nie Wenxiao, where her expression cooled. "Xue Zizai is awake."

Nie Wenxiao: "..."

Such wildly different treatment.

The three of them went together to the West Courtyard. Lin Zhao and Lu Yao were already in Xue Zizai's room.

Nie Wenxiao walked ahead. Ling Qingyue and Pei Si lagged a step behind. Ling Qingyue told Pei Si about Shangtianqiong's punishment for Cui Heng.

Pei Si looked at her. "Was that all you talked about with Sect Leader Nie?"

Ling Qingyue nodded. "Yes."

"Weren't you discussing a Dao bonding?" Pei Si's eyes carried a smile.

Ling Qingyue's steps faltered. She turned her head. "You heard that?"

Then something occurred to her, and her brows furrowed in displeasure. "You used your spiritual energy? You know exactly what condition you're in yourself. What if your spiritual energy runs wild, you..."

Nie Wenxiao heard the Immortal Venerable getting scolded up ahead and quickened her pace.

Pei Si saw Ling Qingyue's anxiety and a flash of mirth crossed her eyes. "I didn't. The East Courtyard has formations I set up. They're there to monitor Liu Qingtang's spiritual platform for abnormal activity. Sect Leader Nie is aware of this."

Ling Qingyue: "..."

Then what was Nie Wenxiao playing along for when I was sneaking around to talk to her?

"Oh. So impressive," Ling Qingyue muttered under her breath.

Pei Si saw she was a little sulky and squeezed her palm. "Why didn't you come ask me? Isn't this our matter?"

Ling Qingyue asked sullenly, "You know about this?"

"Mm. I know a little."

Ling Qingyue narrowed her eyes, her tone dangerous. "And why would you know about it?"

Pei Si saw her expression and knew she was overthinking things again. She sighed in exasperation. "What are you imagining? I once had a friend who wanted to form a Dao bond with someone, so I looked into it a bit."

She had not slept a wink that whole night. She had thought about everything.

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