The Mo Mansion was grand and magnificent, with pavilions and towers artfully arranged, artificial rocks and flowing water creating a scene of sublime beauty. Calling it a paradise on earth would be no exaggeration.
But Gu Shenzhi had no mind to admire the view. He strode swiftly through the courtyards, the Eye of Dual Pupils already open, his dark purple eyes searching within a hundred-mile radius for a glimpse of that snowy figure. This was already the third time he’d angered Rong’er into leaving.
As the saying goes, “Three times and no more.” He believed that after this, there would be no fourth. In other words, the Honglian Saintess would never give him a third chance again.
Unlike his Master, he and Nangong Yu had no real relationship; they had merely spent some time together in the Tianyuan Secret Realm. During that period, all he did was tend Nangong Yu’s wounds, help her change her clothes, and wipe her jade-like body.
Aside from his gaze being a little less than gentlemanly, in every other respect he exercised great restraint—not even the “accidental” brush of skin. Looking back, his heart was with his Master at the time, but more than that, he was simply a fourteen-year-old boy who didn’t yet know there was an option called “I want it all.”
Gu Shenzhi turned a corner, following the winding path forward. Soon, he stopped in front of a secluded courtyard. If he was right, this was where the Mo Clan had arranged for the disciples of the Yueying Sect to stay.
“Dong, dong, dong.”
Gu Shenzhi hurriedly knocked on the door, but after waiting a long while, there was no response from inside the courtyard.
He guessed in his heart that it was the aloof Honglian Saintess sulking with him again. The black-clad youth leapt lightly, easily vaulting over the ten-foot-high wall and landing with the wind inside the courtyard.
Such walls might serve as defense in the eyes of mortals, but even a newly-initiated cultivator at the first stage of Qi Refining could use one foot to step on the other and vault over walls seven or eight zhang high.
However, as soon as the black-clad youth entered the courtyard, seven or eight sharp sword auras swept toward him, aiming straight for his neck.
A flash of cold light—[Xiehuang] was unsheathed in an instant. The clear ring of the sword echoed through the courtyard, all the sword auras blocked completely.
“So it’s Young Master Gu. I thought you’d be spending another three or four hours with that little beauty who’s got your heart in knots. How come you’re back so soon—did you get faster, or just do it fewer times?”
Su Linghuang spoke languidly and casually, her bearing dignified and graceful, as if none of this concerned her in the slightest.
“I missed Rong’er,” Gu Shenzhi said gently, striding toward the snow-haired girl, intending to take her delicate, fair wrist.
Su Linghuang shook off his hands, angrily questioning, “Since you know you’d miss me, why didn’t you follow after me just now, and instead went off to flirt with that Miss Nangong?”
“A reunion with an old friend deserves some time, but more importantly, she needed to clarify my relationship with the Honglian Saintess—to sever any lingering feelings.” Gu Shenzhi’s voice was soft.
Upon hearing this, the Honglian Saintess’s resentment vanished like smoke. In her blood-jade eyes, a hint of joy appeared, her lips pressed tightly together as if trying hard to suppress a smile.
“So, up to now, have you cut off all your old feelings?”
“Most of them can be severed with time. As for those I must handle personally, only Taoyao and that woman remain.” Gu Shenzhi sighed deeply, a trace of sorrow in his tone.
Su Linghuang nodded in satisfaction. At least this time, he hadn’t lied to her. Though his words were hard to hear, they were better than lies.
Suddenly, she asked without warning, “If I allowed it, how many more would you want to marry besides me?”
Gu Shenzhi’s heart leapt to his throat. He hurriedly shook his head in denial, but for some reason, his throat began to itch at that moment, and unable to hold it back, he sneezed seven or eight times in a row.
Seeing this, Su Linghuang folded her arms and fixed the black-clad youth with a judging gaze, her smile hiding a blade. “So, do you want to marry seven more, or eight?”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Oh, so you mean my future sisters won’t just be eight in number,” Su Linghuang said through gritted teeth.
No matter how silver-tongued Gu Shenzhi was, he couldn’t out-argue the Honglian Saintess when she was being unreasonable. Suddenly, while Su Linghuang was off guard, he leaned in and kissed her luscious red lips, sealing her mouth.
Words may not work, but a kiss does.
The Honglian Saintess, caught off guard by the stolen kiss, instantly became meek and docile, a shy blush creeping up her enchanting face, her ears turning bright red.
Other than a charming whimper, she made no further sound.
After a long while, the two reluctantly parted, as if still savoring the sweetness.
Su Linghuang straightened her slightly disheveled clothes and said softly, “As for your doomed fate with Bai Qi, I don’t want to interfere, nor could I. As for Taoyao, I believe Young Master Gu will restrain himself.”
“Of course. But when will the cold war between me and Rong’er end? Compared to the icy Young Master Gu, I much prefer when Rong’er calls me husband,” Gu Shenzhi asked earnestly.
“At most ten years, at least three days—it depends on your behavior.” The beautiful girl lifted her head, gazing dreamily at Gu Shenzhi, muttering, “You really are handsome.”
Her hatred and anger toward Gu Shenzhi had mostly dissipated the moment the youth removed his scarf and revealed his Eye of Dual Pupils. Even now, no matter how she tried, there was little left to hate.
“By the way, there’s something else. After I sent Mo Xiaonian back to her room, the Mo Clan steward asked me to bring you a message. The Family Head has named you specifically—he’ll be waiting in the Main Assembly Hall.”
“All right, I’ll go now.” Gu Shenzhi had been worrying about finding a chance to meet Mo Xulin, but hadn’t expected the Mo Clan Head to take the initiative. It saved him a lot of trouble.
But he was still puzzled—he and Mo Xulin were strangers, at most the latter had heard of the Young Master of Lingjian Sect when he was at his peak. Now that he’d been “sold” to the Yueying Sect, the two sides were not mortal enemies, but were certainly opposing forces.
For Mo Xulin to request a meeting now, he must have his own agenda. But for the sake of the Sword One Remnant Art, Gu Shenzhi had no choice but to go.
Just as he was about to leave the courtyard, he suddenly heard Su Linghuang say softly, “Remember to come back early.”
But when he turned, the snow-haired girl was already gone. Gu Shenzhi smiled and shook his head, muttering to himself, “Tsundere ruins everything. A little bit of cuteness is enough—don’t overdo it.”
At this moment, in the Main Assembly Hall at the heart of the Mo Mansion, the five Mo Clan Elders and Family Head Mo Xulin were all gathered, their expressions solemn as they sat on either side, waiting for the most esteemed person present to speak.
Yet, the seat of honor at the head of the hall was not occupied by a member of the Mo Clan, but by a graceful immortal maiden in a plain white gauze dress, a whisk in her arms.
Her figure was elegant and proud, her aura ethereal, as if a single glance could wash away all the world’s dust. Her beauty was unmatched, stunning as the moon and flowers, but no one dared harbor any ill intent toward her.
In all of Mu Yunzhou, there was none who could rival her—Bai Qi.