Night fell, and the sky glittered with bright stars beneath a clear moon.
The evening breeze swept through the forest. At the mountain gate, the girls’ sleeves fluttered and their hair danced in the wind.
Lü Qi looked at Su Cheng with a hint of reluctance. “Xiao Cheng, are you really not staying another night? These past few days everyone’s been busy dealing with matters of the Demon Sect. I haven’t even had the chance to properly catch up with you.”
Su Cheng smiled faintly. “Fourth Senior Sister, you know me. Now that I’ve obtained the most important information about my enemy, I naturally want to find him as soon as possible—and kill him with my own hands.”
To speak of killing with such a gentle smile—only Su Cheng could manage that.
Yu Yi said with concern, “That man, He Gongping, the Right Protector of the Demon Sect, has been lurking within the Righteous Faction for years. He must have built quite a network.”
“If you go to take revenge, he’ll surely brand you as a demonic heretic and rally many righteous cultivators against you. Su Cheng, you must be cautious. Don’t act rashly, and don’t push yourself too far.”
Su Cheng bowed. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ve already prepared hundreds of plans. Every step has a backup. He won’t have any chance of survival.”
Hearing this, Yu Yi nodded in reassurance.
Su Cheng was a true “genius.” With her intelligence, even alone, she should have no problem.
The last time she was nearly captured by Wanhua Hall and the Cold Sword Sect was only because she learned that Yu Yi had taken Wei Ying into Among the Colorful Clouds, which threw her into emotional turmoil.
But now, having returned to Yu Yi’s side and made an agreement with her, Su Cheng was free of burdens and could move forward with peace of mind.
At that moment, Su Cheng suddenly called out, “Yun Qianxue.”
“Hm?” Yun Qianxue froze for a moment. Why was she suddenly being called by her name? In her memory, Su Cheng had never addressed her so directly—always calling her “Miss of the Yun Family,” a distant and formal title.
Having been teased by Su Cheng several times before, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
“W-What is it?” she asked uneasily.
Seeing her like this, Su Cheng’s lips curled slightly. “Come here. I want to tell you something in private.”
Yun Qianxue instinctively glanced at Yu Yi.
“Go on,” Yu Yi said with a slight nod. “I’m here. She won’t bully you.”
Only then did Yun Qianxue cautiously walk over to Su Cheng.
The two stepped a little farther away before stopping.
Su Cheng looked her up and down, narrowing her eyes meaningfully. “You… have you tasted sweetness?”
“W-What do you mean?” Yun Qianxue grew even more nervous.
Leaning close to her ear, Su Cheng whispered, “You seem different from before. Could it be… you secretly slept with my Master?”
“N-No!” Yun Qianxue’s face flushed bright red instantly as she waved her hands in denial.
Su Cheng gave a wicked smile. “Or should I say… not yet?”
“Relax. I won’t treat you the way I did back in Cangzhou.”
In Su Cheng’s eyes, Yun Qianxue was still too inexperienced—far inferior to herself, who had already made an agreement with Yu Yi. With such an advantage, there was no need to fuss over her.
What Su Cheng wanted was to use Yun Qianxue’s strength to restrain “another person.”
“I called you over to give you a reminder,” Su Cheng said, resting one arm across her body and propping her chin on her hand.
“A reminder? About what…?”
Su Cheng leaned in and whispered, “Be careful of my Second Senior Sister.”
Yun Qianxue’s expression changed instantly. Of course she understood—this “enemy” referred to a romantic rival.
She had thought that with Su Cheng leaving, she would have many chances to monopolize Yu Yi.
But unexpectedly, Su Cheng warned her to be wary of Lan Ling’er.
“Ling’er… she respects Master the most. How could she possibly…”
Su Cheng shrugged. “I knew you’d say that.”
“As the eldest among us sisters, she takes care of everything in daily life—not just out of duty, but because she wants to ease Master’s burdens.”
“She has to set an example. So she can’t casually act spoiled like the others. She suppresses all her desires deep inside. And when she finally can’t endure it anymore… it can be quite terrifying.”
Hearing this, Yun Qianxue fell silent.
Images of Lan Ling’er’s gentle kindness toward her surfaced in her mind, leaving her uncertain. ‘Is that Second Senior Sister… really suppressing herself all this time?’
After her “kind” reminder, Su Cheng returned to Yu Yi to formally bid farewell.
“Master, I’ll be going now,” she said with a bow.
Yu Yi nodded slightly. “Stay safe. If you encounter any trouble, send word at once. Among the Colorful Clouds will come to your aid immediately.”
Su Cheng nodded, bowed once more, then turned and walked down the mountain.
Yu Yi watched her figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared completely. Only then did she turn to Lü Qi. “Let’s head back.”
At that moment, she noticed Lü Qi’s eyes brimming with tears, as if she were about to cry.
“You… Qianxue is right here, and you’re already on the verge of tears. What kind of example is that?”
With a helpless smile, Yu Yi took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears. “If she sees that the eldest Fourth Sister of Among the Colorful Clouds is such a crybaby, she’ll laugh at you.”
“But… I just can’t stand scenes like this,” Lü Qi pouted, looking aggrieved. “We only just reunited, and now we’re already parting again… I really can’t bear it.”
Yu Yi would stay one last night at Fengqing Sect before returning the next morning, while Lü Qi had to remain behind for some time and couldn’t go back with her.
“One day, all eight of us master and disciples will be reunited,” Yu Yi said softly, stroking Lü Qi’s hair.
Another parting left Lü Qi deeply reluctant.
Although she had never met the mysterious First Senior Sister and didn’t know where she was, she still nodded. “We definitely will.”
“Master… I actually have another request,” Lü Qi said suddenly, her face turning red as she fidgeted shyly.
Yu Yi smiled faintly. “You want to attend to me in bed?”
“Ah… Master, don’t say it so directly. It’s embarrassing,” Lü Qi covered her face, blushing.
Yu Yi had long expected this. After tonight, who knew how long it would be before Lü Qi could seek her affection again?
“So… do you agree?” Lü Qi asked expectantly.
Yu Yi sighed with a smile. “Honestly, I don’t know what to do with you. Tonight… we’ll see how you perform.”
Ever since being pushed down by Su Cheng and later sharing an intimate kiss with Yun Qianxue, Yu Yi realized she wasn’t as resistant to such things anymore.
Lü Qi’s eyes lit up. “Don’t worry, Master! I’ll do my best!”
Then she suddenly called out to Yun Qianxue, who was lost in thought. “Xiao Xue! Want to join us?”
Yu Yi: ?
Snapping back to her senses, Yun Qianxue blinked. “Huh? Join what?”
Lü Qi pulled her over with a mischievous grin. “You just need to say yes or no. Big Sister here will help you become more mature. That way, Master won’t treat you like a child anymore.”
“Become more mature… Fourth Sister, are you going to teach me how to fight demonic cultivators?”
“Hehe, I am going to teach you some ‘experience.’ But not that kind. This is far more exciting—and far more refined than dealing with demonic heretics. So, are you in?”
Hearing this, Yu Yi remained calm.
She thought to herself, “That sounds incredibly suspicious. A well-behaved girl like Qianxue would never agree.”
Then Yun Qianxue answered, “O-Okay… I’ll give it a try.”