Chapter 96 - The Harem Rescue Project

Lin Qianshuang looked down at the city lord, who was half a head shorter than her. The juxtaposition of her youthful, round face with the mature expression gave her a humorous presence. She bent down to make eye contact with Mu Weiyin, placing her hands on her thighs. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled brightly and said, "Is the dual cultivation the city lord mentioned like last time? I'm more than capable of handling that. It's an honor to ease the city lord's burdens." "Jieyu, I do admire your perceptiveness," Mu Weiyin replied. With a tug on Lin Qianshuang's sleeve, both of their figures flickered, appearing above the formation at the center of the lake. The glow of the formation seemed to cradle them as the feng shui compass shifted, aligned with the worldly shifts predicted by the astrological instruments. Sitting cross-legged in the heart of the formation, facing Mu Weiyin, Lin Qianshuang marveled at the profound feng shui symbols. She mused silently that if Mu Weiyin were in the real world, she would likely be a formidable con artist. With her grandmaster-level feng shui skills, she could predict stock market trends effortlessly and succeed in real estate investments without fail. Their hands touched, and spiritual energy flowed and circled within their palms. Struck by a hint of curiosity, Lin Qianshuang recalled the dual cultivation guide hidden in Xiao Lanle's secret manual and asked Mu Weiyin, "City lord, do you dual cultivate with Sister Xiao in this manner as well?" Mu Weiyin sat opposite her with a solemn expression, replying earnestly, "I have not yet formed a dao partnership with your sister. Cultivating in this way is most suitable. Your sister is easily shy, and I do not wish to neglect her." This person truly lacks romance, Lin Qianshuang thought. If Sister Xiao doesn't make a move, shouldn't she take the initiative? Glancing at Mu Weiyin, the solid oddity in her heart, Lin Qianshuang originally wanted to find Sister Xiao a dao partner. Now, it seemed these two targets could be excellent together. One was lively and cheerful, while the other was serious and reserved—a complementary match, beneficial for both their powers, indeed a perfect pair. Observing the swirling starry illusions around them, Mu Weiyin spoke, "In these hundreds of years of cultivation, this is my first time finding a dao partner. Though she is indifferent to me, I have treated her kindly. I cannot help but feel your sister might not like me." Lin Qianshuang felt a pang of urgency in her heart and said, "Sister Xiao's feeling for you is as clear as day and night, City Lord. I often hear her mentioning you in the Penglai Immortal Sect. How could she not like you?" Suddenly, Mu Weiyin leaned forward, her lips brushing Lin Qianshuang's ear as she whispered softly, "Whether Xiao Lanle is sincere to me, I can't tell. But Jieyu, her care for you seems excessive. Why don't we test it and see who she truly has feelings for—you or me?" Mu Weiyin caught Lin Qianshuang's face in her grasp, turning her towards her, and her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Sister Xiao was nearby? But she distinctly remembered placing a spell on her; she was sure Sister Xiao was asleep before she left. Mu Weiyin's eyes fixated on Lin Qianshuang, her voice steady yet authoritative, "If she shows even the slightest concern for you, I'll ensure that face of yours is ruined." Lin Qianshuang felt a chill slither down her spine. She saw Xiao Lanle approaching, and doubts crowded her mind. Was Sister Xiao pretending to sleep then, or had she always been suspicious of her? Perhaps she'd known everything all along and was just pretending to know nothing before Lin Qianshuang. All this time, Xiao Lanle had been feigning ignorance. Lin Qianshuang's heart sank. She'd grown too complacent, forgetting that in this world, she was alone and should remain cautious and distant from even those who seemed familiar. She needed to keep a wary heart even against those who appeared close. Mu Weiyin spoke with a calm expression that carried unyielding authority, her dark eyes regarding Lin Qianshuang as insignificant. This person, a vain tool willing to be used, served her purposes in exchange for status, each deriving what they needed from the other. Yet, should she interfere with her and her dao partner’s relationship, Xiao Lanle, she might well be a tool to hold over her. Mu Weiyin pushed Lin Qianshuang to the ground, disgust flickering across her face as she turned her head away, unwilling to look at her endearing face. Back at the forbidden quarters of the Penglai Immortal Sect, Mu Weiyin discerned the peculiar furnace constitution that Lin Qianshuang possessed. When a fragment of her divine soul returned, causing her to age slightly, Mu Weiyin wondered if Xiao Lanle was the cause. However, despite several days of dual cultivation with Xiao Lanle, she hadn't matured. Baring her teeth, Mu Weiyin bit into the skin at the back of Lin Qianshuang's neck, coldly drawing blood, tugging at her shoulder's fabric to expose spiritual apertures of the Nine Spirits Sword Body. She greedily absorbed the abnormally nourishing, abundant spiritual energy flowing from the furnace within. Sweat broke out over Lin Qianshuang’s body from the pain. Reflexively, she formed a hand seal, striking at Mu Weiyin. "Didn’t we agree that it was for Lanle to see? What are you doing now?" Mu Weiyin easily caught Lin Qianshuang's wrist, looking down at her. Her gaze swept past her pale shoulders and the hidden curves beneath her torn shirt, her brow quirking in disdain. Drops of blood fell onto her clothes with a rhythmic ticking, and the metallic scent tickled her nose again. Her body felt relieved unprecedentedly throughout her meridians and dantian. Mu Weiyin's faintly pink tongue flicked across her lips, savoring the taste of Lin Qianshuang's blood. She glanced at her, a deep intensity growing within her gaze as she said, "You are truly replenishing; no wonder Lanle is taken with you." "You... you've grown older?" Lin Qianshuang clutched her neckline tightly, staring in shock at Mu Weiyin, who had suddenly transformed from a budding young girl to a fully bloomed woman. Standing before her was a woman whose inky black hair now cascaded past her waist, swaying freely in the wind. Her once chubby face now bore distinct, refined features, and her forehead's six-petal peach blossom spiritual mark lent an otherworldly aura to her serene and ethereal beauty. The child's clothes now tore across her more mature figure, clinging precariously to her lily-white skin. Mu Weiyin's slender fingers still clasped her wrist, her long legs draped over Lin Qianshuang's body. Her eyes, like gentle streams, harbored a haze of bewildered intent, her lashes lined in silvery frost. As they fluttered, one was entranced by the exquisite beauty of each blink. Her eyes, ever so slightly upturned, seemed to smile with springtime warmth, filled with a wholesome, radiant charm. Were it not for the trickle of blood seeping into the cloth as Mu Weiyin held her nose, and the distinct six-petal emblem of the Ruthless Sutra on her forehead, Lin Qianshuang might have doubted whether the stranger before her was indeed the city lord of Tianxu. Mu Weiyin tightened her gaze on the reflection in the water, before shifting it towards Lin Qianshuang, regarding her as a treasure. "Jieyu, your blood is a true marvel." Lin Qianshuang gritted her teeth, staring at the wound on her neck, resisting the urge to slap Mu Weiyin. "City lord, if you wish to act for Sister Xiao's sake, a simple show would’ve sufficed. Was there any need to go all out?" Mu Weiyin didn’t release Lin Qianshuang’s wrist, her grip unyielding. "Jieyu, remember your place. When the city lord commands something of you, you must comply. You lack the standing to shout at the city lord!" Suddenly, a hand cut in from the side, prying Lin Qianshuang's wrist from Mu Weiyin's grasp. "Mu, what do you mean by this?" asked Xiao Lanle, her anger barely concealed. She glared at Lin Qianshuang for a moment before turning to Mu Weiyin with a tone of irony. "We agreed we were dao partners, and you'd only cultivate with me. But why are you meeting with my senior sister in secret, barely dressed in the open? What am I to you now? Or have you achieved your goal and now dismiss me like trash?" Mu Weiyin hesitated before Xiao Lanle’s heated words, covering her nose as she rose to block her path. "Lanle, it isn’t as you suspect. This was unforeseen. I just discovered that your senior sister could heal my condition, so I borrowed some of her spiritual energy." Xiao Lanle chuckled darkly, pointing a finger at Lin Qianshuang's nose. "I once asked you for her, and you firmly refused. You must have had your eyes on her from the start, didn't you?" Startled by Xiao Lanle's reddening eyes, Mu Weiyin's expression softened a hint. "Calm down," she began, "I merely made a wager with your senior sister. I never intended to hurt you." Tears glistened in Xiao Lanle's eyes as she adopted a plaintive expression, her gaze dropping to Lin Qianshuang’s bite marks. Yet her voice quivered with emotion as she continued, "Then why have you matured? You must have done that with her! You’re no different from Liang Jingxuan—shameful and wretched as he!" "We haven’t done anything." Calmly asserting the truth, Mu Weiyin said, "Lanle, you are my sole dao partner. We are destined; there’s no need for you to feel insecure." Xiao Lanle stopped her sniffles, gazing from Lin Qianshuang to Mu Weiyin. Her demeanor seemed to soften as she asked, "Really, nothing happened? You’re not deceiving me?" Mu Weiyin nodded, rolling up her sleeve to reveal a patch of skin. "If you doubt, you can inspect the cinnabar mark for yourself." Gently draping her outer robe over Mu Weiyin's shoulders, Xiao Lanle's expression softened, and she murmured tenderly, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I feared you’d forgotten your promise and changed your heart." "My word is my bond. I've never broken it, especially not to you." Mu Weiyin wrapped Xiao Lanle's robe tightly around herself, drawing her closer and whispering softly. Xiao Lanle, her face lit with a hint of delight, wrapped one arm around Mu Weiyin's waist, attempting to pull her into a close embrace, not wanting to be outdone. The two whispered to each other, their conversation growing more cheerful as they laughed and walked away, absorbed in each other's company. Both Xiao Lanle and Mu Weiyin seemed to forget about Lin Qianshuang, who stood quietly without any instructions, left behind. Watching the drama unfold before her, Lin Qianshuang grew increasingly cautious of Xiao Lanle. Moments ago, she seemed like an entirely different person. Her expressions and words didn't match the Xiao sister she once knew. Yet, every smile and frown seemed natural, as if this was her true self all along. A shadow fell over her, and a young man holding a folding fan quickly approached upon seeing her sitting motionless within the lake's formation. Xu Zheng hurriedly pulled Lin Qianshuang from the formation, whisking her to the shore. Noticing the severe look on her face, he asked, "Xiao Liu, what happened? Why do you look so disheveled?"