“The next part doesn’t need to be detailed, in my opinion. Let’s just talk about what happened afterwards.” Su Linghuang spoke lazily, her tone languid and entangled, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.
It wasn’t that the Honglian Saintess didn’t care—she cared too much. She cared so much that she couldn’t let it show in front of Gu Shenzhi. Su Linghuang had no intention of letting the other party know that she was even more deeply ensnared in love than he was.
Gu Shenzhi replied, “Alright. In the end, I lost my mind and slept with Bai Qi, and then she took the chance to shatter my dantian. Afterwards, she even pulled out the Xuan Iron Lock, intending to imprison me. Fortunately, at that moment, Dongfang Jianbai arrived—an influential Elder from the sect came to discuss matters with the Sect Leader, and I managed to escape that woman’s clutches.”
At this point, he paused slightly, a little embarrassed as he continued, “At the time, my clothes were in disarray, and Master chased after me from the room wielding Lingjian, face flushed red with shame and anger. In that situation, it would have been hard for anyone not to misunderstand, so I…”
“So you were exiled to Si Guo Cliff for defying your Master, right? That scandal caused quite a stir in Mu Yunzhou back then. Even the Demon Sect heard about it.”
Su Linghuang finished his story for him, her tone icy, as if she were talking to a stranger.
“So, what is the relationship between that Bai Ling junior sister and Bai Qi?”
“They are the same person. After being exiled to Si Guo Ya, Master came to see me in the guise of Bai Ling and revealed her true face before me, pouring out both her love and the truth behind everything.”
Gu Shenzhi spoke sincerely, his tone earnest and heartfelt.
“Why did she come to see you?”
But as soon as she asked, Su Linghuang regretted it. She already vaguely guessed the answer in her heart. Rather than exposing it, it was better to leave the window paper unbroken.
“Purely for pleasure and excitement. She first used Bai Ling’s appearance, winding through the sheep trails dusted in white frost, then restored her own face, and conveniently reversed the roles of attacker and defender.”
Listening to such shameless, wolfish words, the Honglian Saintess’s jade cheeks flushed crimson like the clouds at dusk. She wished she could cover her ears. It was obvious Gu Shenzhi was being sincere, but perhaps a bit too sincere.
After a moment of silence, Su Linghuang asked in a faint voice, “You… roughly how many times did you sleep with her?”
“Seven or eight times,” the Hei Yi Shaonian answered nervously.
“Was it… enjoyable?”
“It was… alright, I guess.”
With all her doubts resolved, Su Linghuang slowly straightened up, smoothing her disheveled snowy hair, her gaze dreamy and distant.
If what Gu Shenzhi said was true, then the first few times he was with Bai Qi, he was still in Lingjian Sect and didn’t even know Su Linghuang. Afterwards, it was all forced, so this time was probably no exception. Privately meeting Bai Qi was likely for her own protection.
Both emotionally and logically, she couldn’t blame him. From a standpoint of strength, Su Linghuang couldn’t possibly defeat Bai Qi in a short period either. Just as Gu Shenzhi said, not telling her was for her own good—the truth would only bring more pain.
However, that didn’t mean Su Linghuang could accept him deceiving her. No matter how many reasons he had, as Gu Shenzhi’s wife, she had the right to know the truth, not be kept in the dark like a fool.
In short, while she abandoned the idea of breaking up with Gu Shenzhi, her lowered affection would need time for him to slowly make up for.
“Let’s return to the sect,” Su Linghuang suggested.
“But we haven’t seen the Miao Hui yet,” Gu Shenzhi said weakly.
“Someone’s master-disciple drama is just too moving. I really don’t have the heart to stay any longer.”
Gu Shenzhi hurriedly blocked her path, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. “Miss Su, you still promised me one last request. Could you temporarily forget everything that just happened and accompany me to enjoy the rest of this Miao Hui?”
Looking at the respectful Hei Yi Shaonian before her, the Honglian Saintess couldn’t help but laugh, finding his lowly, student-like posture quite ridiculous. Whatever anger and jealousy she still harbored melted away by more than half.
She had to admit, Gu Shenzhi really knew how to coax women, especially those peerlessly beautiful and talented ones.
As dusk approached, the orange light reluctantly sank into the shadows of the western mountains. Both sides of the main road in Bianliang were already lined with all kinds of stalls. Crowds gathered around a few street performers, and applause and cheers rang out from time to time. The lanterns of the night market were lit, and the grand event was about to begin.
The Hei Yi Shaonian walked hand in hand with the veiled girl at his side. Her delicate, boneless little hand felt wonderful, like a spring peach blossom—soft and pink.
Who knew when he would get to hold this hand again? Gu Shenzhi sighed inwardly. With Su Linghuang’s personality, now that she knew she’d been deceived, she might be reluctant to leave him, but she’d never forgive him easily. The “cold war” would be their new normal.
Tianjiao understood Tianjiao best. Just as Gu Shenzhi despised his Master’s lies, the closer someone was, the more their betrayal and deception stung the proud.
If Gu Shenzhi’s lies hadn’t truly been out of good intentions, and if he hadn’t wanted to harm Su Linghuang, the red-clad girl would probably have already drawn her sword against him—how could they still be admiring the lanterns together?
Thinking of this, Gu Shenzhi couldn’t help but grip the beauty’s slender hand a little tighter. Sensing his movement, Su Linghuang deliberately turned her head away, refusing to look at him, but quietly relaxed her fingers, letting their ten fingers interlock.
Miss Su hadn’t forgiven Young Master Gu’s deception. She was simply fulfilling her previous promise. Normally, at times like this, she’d already be leaning her delicate body on the boy’s shoulder, coquettishly whispering “Furen” in his ear.
But whenever she thought of how Gu Shenzhi had just been with another woman, those words simply wouldn’t come out.
Gu Shenzhi was her Furen alone—why should she share him with anyone else? She might as well go all the way: cripple his cultivation, ruin his handsome face, so those wild cats outside would never crowd around him again.
Better yet, find a secret room, and use the Xuan Iron Chain and Pipa Jade Lock to imprison Gu Shenzhi, so that day and night he could only see her—suffering the loneliness of daylight, and at night venting all his pain on her, seeking solace in each other.
Seeing Su Linghuang’s cheeks flush into two rosy dimples and an inexplicable smile bloom on her lips, Gu Shenzhi thought she’d gone into qi deviation and quickly asked, “Huang’er, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, no need for Gu… Furen to worry.”
Su Linghuang forcibly swallowed the “Young Master Gu” that nearly slipped out. To her surprise, she didn’t feel as much aversion as she’d imagined. The Honglian Saintess seemed to have gotten used to calling him Furen.
In the next moment, Gu Shenzhi suddenly wrapped his arms around Su Linghuang’s waist, holding her tightly as if he wanted to press her into his own body.
“Apologies can wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I only want to whisper soul-stirring words to the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“But I only want to hear you tell the truth.”
Though her body had already melted into the arms of the Hei Yi Shaonian, the proud Honglian Saintess still tried to reclaim the last shred of dignity with her words. Yet, even Bai Qi wouldn’t dare argue with Gu Shenzhi anywhere but in bed—who knew where Su Linghuang found such courage?
“Who says sweet words can’t be the truth? If forever and ever, until the seas dry up and the rocks crumble, sounds too unreal, then why not give me a chance, Huang’er, to prove to you that we can indeed walk together until that very end?”
With that, Gu Shenzhi lowered his head and captured those tender, inviting lips.
The soft glow of lanterns spread gently, falling on them like petals, like scattered starlight, like lingering words of love. In the moonless night, at this very moment, they were each other’s only light.
In the shadows, another pair of eyes watched everything in silence, a jealousy so fierce it nearly tore her apart.