A silver flash tore through the air, arriving in an instant, heading straight for Ling Xiaodong.
“Aunt Luo, stop!”
Mu Qinghe, lying in Ling Xiaodong’s arms, recognized the woman rushing at them—Sect Leader Luo Yufeng, who had been assigned by her foster mother to protect her.
Seeing Luo Yufeng’s silver spear aimed directly at Ling Xiaodong’s throat, Mu Qinghe hurriedly called out to stop her.
But the grandmaster’s spear was just too fast. The moment Mu Qinghe opened her mouth, the spear tip was only three inches away from Ling Xiaodong’s throat.
Yet that three-inch distance seemed like an insurmountable chasm. Ling Xiaodong raised his hand and gripped the spear shaft firmly; no matter how hard Luo Yufeng pushed, the spear could not advance another half inch.
“Who are you!”
Both Ling Xiaodong and Luo Yufeng shouted in unison.
“Let go of the princess!”
“Princess? You mean Miss Mu?”
Ling Xiaodong looked down at the drenched, delicate Mu Qinghe in his arms. Could she really be some kind of princess?
Mu Qinghe anxiously explained, “Aunt Luo, Daoist Ling is a good person. He saved me!”
“You know her?” Ling Xiaodong asked.
Mu Qinghe gently nodded, pushing against Ling Xiaodong’s chest to stand with difficulty, then explained:
“Aunt Luo is my elder. She must have come looking for me because I was late returning.”
Hearing that Luo Yufeng was Mu Qinghe’s senior, Ling Xiaodong immediately loosened his grip on the spear shaft, leaving a deep handprint on the Xuan steel spear.
“Hmph!” Luo Yufeng withdrew her spear with a sweep, her expression dark.
Mu Qinghe staggered toward Luo Yufeng and lowered her head apologetically: “Aunt Luo, sorry to have worried you.”
“It’s your subordinate’s…”
Luo Yufeng didn’t finish her sentence because Mu Qinghe raised her index finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
“Let’s go.”
Mu Qinghe then turned to bid farewell to Ling Xiaodong.
“Daoist Ling, thank you for saving my life just now. I will repay this debt many times over.”
Ling Xiaodong chuckled, cupping his hands respectfully: “Miss Mu, you flatter me. Take care, and we shall meet again.”
“Mm, we shall meet again.”
Mu Qinghe nodded slightly. Her gentle, watery eyes lingered on Ling Xiaodong’s face for a long moment before she reluctantly turned away and wrapped her arms around Luo Yufeng’s waist.
Luo Yufeng embraced Mu Qinghe, then cast Ling Xiaodong a meaningful glance before leaping away, disappearing into the courtyard.
Ling Xiaodong watched their departing figures, pondering the meaning behind Luo Yufeng’s use of “princess,” when Ye Yiyun interrupted his thoughts.
“You were exchanging meaningful glances just now, and now you’re still staring after her? Truly, where there’s a lover’s feelings, there is mutual affection. Looks like I’m the one who’s superfluous.”
Ye Yiyun’s words dripped with sarcasm, though she herself didn’t realize how sour they sounded.
Only then did Ling Xiaodong remember that he had left Aunt Yun standing aside and hurriedly forced a smile.
“That’s not the case at all, Aunt Yun, you…”
“Ah! Stop! I am not your Aunt Yun!”
Ye Yiyun raised her hand to stop him: “I think your soul has already been stolen by that girl. You probably don’t even recognize your own Aunt Yun anymore.”
Ling Xiaodong quickly grabbed Ye Yiyun’s delicate hands, trying to appease her.
“I would never forget Aunt Yun, I swear! I really have no relationship with Miss Mu!”
Ye Yiyun let her hands be pulled back and forth but didn’t resist. Her pretty face turned cold as she looked away.
“No relationship? Who would believe that? Just look at the way that little girl looked at you before leaving, almost dripping with affection.”
“That’s definitely your imagination! Miss Mu and I have only met twice. There’s no way we have any relationship!”
Ye Yiyun still turned her head silently.
Ling Xiaodong grew anxious. His usual tricks weren’t working today, so he went further and embraced Ye Yiyun.
“Aunt Yun, my dear Aunt Yun, my darling Aunt Yun, what do I have to do for you to believe me?”
Ye Yiyun struggled lightly but maintained a disdainful expression, her voice cold:
“I believe you. Let go.”
“You don’t believe me!”
“I believe.”
“You don’t believe!”
Looking at Ye Yiyun’s flawless fair face and rosy lips in his arms, Ling Xiaodong recalled the kiss in the water and, with determination, bent down and kissed Ye Yiyun’s smooth cheek.
The touch was cool, smooth, and soft like a freshly peeled egg.
“Ah!”
Ye Yiyun startled, like a cat stepped on its tail. She immediately turned her head, eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at Ling Xiaodong.
“Well? Aunt Yun, do you believe me now?”
“You want to die! I am your aunt! Let go!”
“If Aunt Yun doesn’t believe me, I’ll keep kissing you until you do. Then you’ll know my true heart!”
Persistence was Ling Xiaodong’s specialty. He lowered his head again and planted two forceful kisses on Ye Yiyun’s cheek, the loud smacks echoing.
Ye Yiyun, her face burning red, pushed at Ling Xiaodong’s advancing head, flustered:
“I believe! I believe, alright? Now let go!”
“Good, I told you. Miss Mu and I are completely innocent.” Ling Xiaodong released Ye Yiyun, beaming proudly.
Ye Yiyun wiped the saliva from her face with one hand and pushed Ling Xiaodong’s head with the other, mock-angry:
“Are you a dog or what? You made me all wet with drool.”
“Hehe, it’s my honor to be Aunt Yun’s little dog.”
Ye Yiyun rolled her eyes. When Ling Xiaodong got shameless, even she was at a loss.
“Don’t do that again! Got it?”
Ling Xiaodong complained, “I can’t help it. Aunt Yun is just so full of jealousy. You don’t believe me, do you?”
Ye Yiyun’s face, just calming down, flushed bright red again.
“Who’s jealous? I’m just looking out for Xiao Yan, making sure you don’t go around flirting.”
Speaking of flirting, Ye Yiyun’s expression turned cold again. “Don’t think this is over. When we get back, I’ll deal with you.”
Ling Xiaodong grimaced and followed Ye Yiyun back to the inn.
Ye Yiyun lazily sat in the grand armchair, slowly pouring herself a cup of tea. She took a sip, her shapely legs crossed elegantly.
Ling Xiaodong sat opposite her, upright and serious, carefully recounting the ordeal of being chased by mountain spirits.
Of course, he selectively omitted details that might anger Aunt Yun. The whole story was crafted to sound perilous and full of dangers.
Ye Yiyun listened, heart pounding with fear, clutching her hands tightly, unaware that Ling Xiaodong was secretly watching her expressions, quietly pleased that his plan had worked.
“At the critical moment, Miss Mu tried to shield me with her body, but how could I accept that? I immediately turned her behind me. Then, just as things got dangerous, Aunt Yun arrived right on time! With three swift moves, she sent those mountain spirits to their doom, majestic and awe-inspiring, like a deity descending. That only made my admiration for Aunt Yun even stronger!”
Ye Yiyun watched Ling Xiaodong ramble with a worried expression, her earlier harsh words completely forgotten. She looked at him with genuine concern and said earnestly:
“Take off your clothes.”