Yun Lian did not end up mentioning that lingering suspicion to her sister.
However, she did mention to her sister, Yun Xiu, via the communication jade pendant that she was going to participate in the Xuan Clan’s preliminary qualifiers to compete for a spot in the secret realm.
Yun Xiu, on the other end of the jade pendant, did not seem particularly concerned about this.
“Oh? Secret realm training? That’s fine. It’s an opportunity for you, so just pay extra attention to your own safety.”
Yun Xiu simply assumed her younger sister was looking to pursue some kind of destiny.
“Sister, what have you been doing lately?”
Yun Lian asked softly into the jade pendant.
“Nothing special.”
Yun Xiu’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion.
“I just consumed too much vital blood some time ago, so I have spent most of these past few days in closed-door meditation to recover my energy.”
‘Vital blood…’ Yun Lian frowned, her suspicions resurfacing, but she adopted a curious tone to ask: “Sister, tell me, what does the Sect Leader need so much of your blood for?”
“My constitution is special, so this blood naturally has its uses.”
Yun Xiu’s answer was somewhat vague.
“What kind of uses?”
Yun Lian pressed relentlessly.
Yun Xiu fell silent for a moment on the other end, as she didn’t actually know the reason behind it herself.
After a long while, Yun Xiu answered: “In short, how can we casually speculate on the designs of the Sect Leader? Yun Lian, just focus on your cultivation and improving your strength; don’t think about things you shouldn’t.”
Changing the subject, Yun Xiu asked with a hint of teasing: “By the way, what’s going on with you and that boy? Have you managed to take him down yet?”
“It’s still early, Sister!”
Yun Lian’s face flushed hot, feeling embarrassed, and her voice rose involuntarily.
“How could such a thing be so easy?”
“Why wouldn’t it be easy?”
Yun Xiu chuckled, continuing: “Just be more proactive and let go a little. Besides, there aren’t many men who can resist that.”
*
“No, Sister, he is different,” Yun Lian said hurriedly.
“How is he different? I find all men to be the same,” Yun Xiu replied firmly.
“He really is different!”
Yun Lian grew anxious, biting her lip for a long while before adding: “He… he is just a blockhead! He is completely dense to romance!”
Yun Xiu: “….”
A brief silence fell on both ends of the jade pendant.
After a long silence, Yun Xiu’s voice sounded again: “Come to think of it, Yun Lian, are you… actually falling in love with him?”
Yun Lian’s fingers tightened around the jade pendant, and her face instantly flushed a crimson red, feeling hot.
The young girl instinctively bit her lower lip, but quickly retorted: “It’s not that! I… I just think that a gradual approach is more secure.”
“Didn’t you say before that he was a huge lecher? The kind who treats the Hehuan Sect like his own harem?”
Yun Xiu’s tone was filled with even more mockery.
“By the time your ‘gradual approach’ is over and you finally make your move, I’m afraid the benefits of his body will have long been sucked dry by other women.”
“Th-that shouldn’t happen, right…”
Yun Lian stammered, hurriedly explaining: “I see him dual cultivating with the senior sisters and junior sisters, and it doesn’t seem to hurt him at all. On the contrary, the speed of his breakthroughs is astonishingly fast…”
“Oh?” Hearing this, Yun Xiu couldn’t help but feel interested: “Could it be that he is practicing some kind of secret art of harvesting yin to replenish yang?”
“I don’t think so.”
Yun Lian recalled the states of Ling Xi and Gu Qiushui, then added: “I see Senior Sister Ling Xi and Junior Sister Gu Qiushui, who dual cultivate with him, and their strength grows very quickly. Their complexions are getting better and better; they don’t look like they are being drained at all…”
Yun Xiu was taken aback: “Oh? There is such a thing? Then… could it be a form of yin-yang harmony, a mutually beneficial dual cultivation art?”
Yun Lian was also surprised to hear this and asked in a small voice: “So, there really is such a secret art?”
“I have only seen fragmented records in some ancient texts.”
Yun Xiu said slowly: “This type of technique has extremely high requirements for the practitioner’s own constitution; it is not something just anyone can practice… I suppose his ‘Hao Yang’ constitution must be special enough to bear and practice this method.”
“That means…” Yun Lian muttered, her eyes brightening: “If I could dual cultivate with him, I could get benefits from him, and he could get benefits from me, without damaging his foundation or mine?”
Yun Xiu remained silent for a long time on the other end, then said lingeringly: “Didn’t you just say… you didn’t like him? How come now you are starting to worry about whether or not his foundation is hurt?”
Yun Lian’s cheeks turned bright red.
Fortunately, she was alone in the room, separated by the jade pendant.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Yun Lian found herself unable to refute that point.
“Never mind, as long as you know what you are doing…”
Yun Xiu’s voice softened, and she continued: “In terms of romance, I don’t have any good advice for you.”
“If you are truly fond of him, after this great war ends, I… I will request the Sect Leader to leave him exclusively for you.”
Yun Xiu said, paused, and then added: “I must continue my closed-door recovery, so I won’t say more. Take care of yourself.”
The light of the communication jade pendant dimmed.
Yun Lian held the jade pendant, sitting dazed on the wooden chair, her mind repeatedly echoing the last words her sister had spoken.
After the war…
After the war, huh…
The girl murmured softly, her eyes filled with confusion.
What would things be like after the war?
If the Saint Church is defeated, as a member of the Church, she would naturally have no place to be buried, and nothing else would matter.
But what if the Saint Church wins?
If the Saint Church wins, the so-called righteous factions will crumble, and the Hehuan Sect… naturally, would be one of the targets to be wiped out.
At that time, the senior sisters, the Shizun… all of them would be dead… under such circumstances…
Yun Lian felt as if an invisible hand had gripped her heart.
Even if she truly liked her Shixiong, and even if her sister begged the Sect Leader not to take his life…
Would she still be qualified to be with him?
Thinking of this, Yun Lian suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.
However, she quickly shook her head, forcing herself not to think about those things.
Now was not the time to consider such matters.
The urgent priority was the upcoming Xuan Clan preliminary qualifiers and… the truth behind the extermination of the Yun family.
Thinking of this, Yun Lian’s eyes quickly grew firm.
…..
The door to Chen Yuyang’s room was pushed open violently, making a sound that was not quiet at all.
Chen Yuyang, who was sitting by the window and casually sipping tea, paused, looking toward the intruder with surprise.
Seeing Yun Lian at the doorway, Chen Yuyang was not particularly surprised.
He didn’t even put down his teacup, instead asking: “Shimei, you have arrived with such force, what do you intend to do?”
“Shixiong, I need you to assist me in my cultivation.”
Without the slightest hint of beating around the bush, Yun Lian walked straight to the chair in front of Chen Yuyang, sat down, and looked at the young man with burning eyes.
Chen Yuyang froze for a moment, then asked: “Oh? Have you encountered some difficulty in your cultivation? Do you need to grasp sword intent, or is there some other issue I can provide guidance on?”
“No.”
Yun Lian shook her head, her tone exceptionally serious: “I am talking about cultivation, pure cultivation realm!”
She paused, meeting Chen Yuyang’s expression of slight doubt, and continued sternly: “Shixiong, don’t pretend anymore. I know you have a special dual cultivation method that can quickly help me break through my realm.”
Cough, cough, cough, cough….
The tea Chen Yuyang had just swallowed caused him to choke violently.
Chen Yuyang felt bewildered inside.
How did Shimei find out about this?
Even the Shizun shouldn’t be spreading the fact that dual cultivating with him leads to rapid breakthroughs…
“What’s wrong, Shixiong?”
Seeing his reaction, Yun Lian grew certain of her guess.
Her bluntness a moment ago hadn’t been backed by full certainty, but she had guessed correctly and used it to bait him.
“In short, I must get a spot in this Xuan Clan preliminary qualifier. I want to improve my strength as quickly as possible and uncover the truth behind the destruction of the Yun family.”
“Besides, for my future revenge, I need power… I ask that Shixiong please assist me in improving my strength quickly.”
As she said this, Yun Lian rose from her chair and bowed deeply to Chen Yuyang, her attitude extremely sincere.
Having reached this point, Chen Yuyang found it difficult to refuse.
Especially since he had only recently sworn he would do his best to help her.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Yuyang finally nodded: “Fine, I promise you.”
“But, there are a few things I must make clear to you beforehand.”
Chen Yuyang’s expression became extremely serious.
“Please speak, Shixiong.”
Yun Lian was delighted, watching the young man intently as she waited for the rest.
“First, that is not some special secret technique; it is a very ordinary dual cultivation method. The reason the effect is remarkable is solely because my constitution is special, and the Hehuan Sect’s Gongfa happens to be perfectly compatible with it, which is why it has such miraculous effects.”
“Second, while I can help you quickly improve your realm, this is equivalent to pulling seedlings to help them grow. For your long-term cultivation, it is not a good thing. Today may save you several years of cultivation time, but the consolidation of your realm and the sharpening of your foundation in the future may require ten times or more the effort to compensate.”
“Third, there is no need to remove your clothes, and this matter must not be told to the other senior or junior sisters.”
After stating these three points, Chen Yuyang also stood up from his seat, pointed to the bed inside the room, and gestured for Yun Lian to proceed.
Yun Lian listened carefully to the first two requirements and understood them, having prepared herself mentally; however, upon hearing the last point, a look of confusion appeared on her face.
“What does ‘not removing clothes’ mean?”
Yun Lian asked instinctively.
“Isn’t this dual cultivation? Dual cultivation… naturally means I must and you…”
As she spoke, her voice grew quieter and quieter until she was too embarrassed to continue.
She then used one hand to make a ring shape, extended the index finger of her other hand through it, and mimed a gesture with a shy expression.
Chen Yuyang had anticipated this misunderstanding, which was exactly why he had included the third requirement.
“In short, this is a proper dual cultivation, not what you are imagining,” Chen Yuyang said, shaking his head.
Yun Lian’s eyes went wide, filled with shock: “So, there really is a ‘proper’ way to dual cultivate?!”