Chapter 36: I Can’t Let Her Know I Know
Chen Xi immediately thought of Yun Xiu. There was no one else.
This meant Yun Xiu might also be reborn!
Her expression turned serious.
First herself, then Ji Ya and Yi Xian’er, now Yun Xiu and Jiu Youyue… It seemed most of the women connected to Yan Zhen had been reborn.
“We’re family now. No need for formalities.” Jiu Youyue, facing Yan Zhen’s master, displayed a rare shyness. “Master Chen Xi, can you lend your daughter-in-law a spark of your Starry Glass Fire?”
The words “daughter-in-law” made Chen Xi cringe.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I don’t even know if you’re telling the truth.”
“It’s true! If you don’t believe me, call Yan Zhen in. I not only know his real name, but also some of his… private characteristics.”
“Private characteristics?” Chen Xi was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Jiu Youyue blushed.
“You know… things only dual cultivation partners would know.”
Like how a small dragon mark would appear on his… dragon when he was aroused, its heat scorching.
Chen Xi understood, inwardly scoffing. “If you do that, Zhen’er will be angry. Haven’t you considered his feelings?”
“Of course I have! I care about him!” Jiu Youyue quickly explained. “But you don’t believe me, Master Chen Xi, so I had no choice.”
“Since you insist, I suppose I can lend you a spark of the Starry Glass Fire.”
“You agree?!”
“Answer a few questions first. Honestly.”
“I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“Besides you, Yun Xiu is also reborn, right?”
Jiu Youyue froze, surprised by Chen Xi’s perceptiveness. She silently apologized to Yun Xiu in her heart, then nodded.
“Sister is also reborn.”
“You still call her ‘Sister’?”
Jiu Youyue said meaningfully, “She’ll be my ‘sister’ again soon. I’m used to it.”
Chen Xi understood the implication, her tone displeased. “So you two were deliberately waiting for him here?”
“Not deliberately.” Jiu Youyue felt a twinge of guilt. “Just… taking advantage of the situation… Isn’t he searching for the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Fire? We’re just… helping him.”
“That’s true.” Chen Xi nodded. “But your injuries don’t seem that serious. It doesn’t seem like you need his help.”
Jiu Youyue was embarrassed. Fortunately, she was a temptress, her skin thick. If Yun Xiu were here, she would be mortified.
“It’s… to give him an excuse to… get closer to us. He saved us, so we’re repaying his kindness.”
“Hmph, no other intentions?”
“Maybe… a little.” Jiu Youyue blinked. “We were partners in our past life, but we didn’t get together until later. Now that we’re reborn, we want to… develop a closer relationship with him sooner… As for Sister’s intentions… heehee.”
“But you’re deceiving him.”
Jiu Youyue panicked.
“Please don’t tell him, Master Chen Xi! We’ll be ruined!”
“I’ll spare you since you confessed, but Yun Xiu…”
To be honest, she still held a grudge against Yun Xiu.
The people from Cloud Heaven Palace had killed Yan Zhen’s grandfather, a crime he deeply resented. He should have been able to avenge his grandfather, to release his anger, but Yun Xiu’s presence had turned it into self-inflicted torment. It had even triggered his heart demons when he reached the Mystic Sovereign realm, nearly causing him to lose control.
And even after everything, he had still harbored feelings for her, occasionally displaying a melancholic expression that broke her heart.
She couldn’t do anything in his previous life, but this time, she would make Yun Xiu suffer.
“You… don’t seem to like Sister very much, Master Chen Xi?”
Chen Xi snorted.
“A woman of unknown origin deceiving my precious disciple? Should I like her?”
Jiu Youyue was speechless. That was a bit harsh. After all, Yun Xiu was the Grand Palace Master of Cloud Heaven Palace, a Mystic Lord before the age of thirty, a true prodigy even within the Sacred Ground.
And she had fallen for him, when he was still a Mystic Scholar, even leaving him her inner armor as a token of her affection. Her feelings were genuine.
It was just fate’s cruel joke that had placed them on opposing sides, leading to their tragic ending.
“Sister isn’t that bad. She truly loves him. She’s just… tsundere… Please, Master Chen Xi, have mercy on her.”
“I know what I’m doing.” Chen Xi said indifferently. “Enough talk. Come here.”
Jiu Youyue obediently stepped forward, kneeling before her.
“Extend your hand.”
She complied.
Chen Xi extended her slender finger, its tip glowing with seven colors, touching Jiu Youyue’s palm, leaving a seven-colored lotus mark.
“Seven colors, seven petals. You can use the Starry Glass Fire seven times. For defense, healing, or attack. But the attack is only effective against those below the Half-Saint realm.”
“Thank you, Master Chen Xi.”
“Go now.”
Without another word, Chen Xi waved her sleeve, sending Jiu Youyue out of the crystal space, then softly summoned Yan Zhen.
…
Hearing his master’s summons, he rushed in, as if afraid she might be abducted by the temptress.
“Master!”
“Zhen’er, I have some bad news.”
His heart sank.
“What is it?”
“After some investigation, I can confirm that Yun Xiu is the Grand Palace Master of Cloud Heaven Palace, your fiancée’s master.”
“What?! How… how is that possible?”
“Not only that, but she recognized you. She knows you’re her disciple’s fiancé.”
“Huh?”
He was stunned. That’s… impossible! If she had recognized him as Yan Zhen, not Chen Zhen, how could she have accepted his confession, agreeing to be his lover?
No, wait, perhaps that was precisely why she had said their relationship would end after they left the Demon Dragon Mountain Range. That was her condition?!
He suddenly understood, but he still felt uneasy. After all, in the script, he was supposed to have a relationship with Yun Xiu after they reached the Great Marsh Desert.
So their romance had been moved forward, replaced by this fake relationship? How convenient!
“So… the reason she pretended not to recognize me…”
“She was probably worried about things being awkward, especially since you… saw her body while treating her injuries.”
This was even more awkward.
Was this some kind of test?
No, he couldn’t let her know that he knew she had recognized him, not before their “relationship” ended! And he had to maintain the image of a perfect gentleman! He couldn’t create any awkward memories for their future interactions!
Leave a Reply