119 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

**Chapter 119: Team Competition (Extra Deep Water Update)** The messaging talisman suddenly vibrated at that moment. Yan Jue and Qi Xian Qing both owned communication talismans, naturally understanding what the vibration signified. Someone was trying to contact Ye Yun Ying. Qi Xian Qing's gaze fell on Ye Yun Ying's talisman. The woman lifted her head, hesitantly looking at them. Qi Xian Qing assured her, "It's fine, go ahead and answer it." Qi Xian Qing's eyes, sharp and unwavering, were fixed on her. Ye Yun Ying furrowed her brow, picked up the talisman, and infused it with her spiritual sense. A deep male voice came through the talisman, "The Fifth is dead, Qing Qing, are you okay?" Ye Yun Ying responded calmly, "I'm fine, not dead." The man's voice was both anxious and angry, "If you're not dead, what are you doing out there? Come back to me immediately, do you hear me? We'll see if I don't take care of you when you return." In the quiet room, Ye Yun Ying lowered her eyes, conversing silently with the person in the talisman. Her hand at her side clenched into a fist, and her body trembled slightly. A surge of anger rose slowly from within her, threatening to consume her. She promptly put down the talisman. Qi Xian Qing inquired, "What did he say?" After a brief pause, Ye Yun Ying replied calmly, "The respect of the superior demands my immediate return." After saying this, Ye Yun Ying focused her gaze on Qi Xian Qing. She was certain that Qi Xian Qing wouldn't let her leave easily. The righteous cultivators loathed the demon sect disciples, and Qi Xian Qing was expected to interrogate her and then kill her. Yet, remarkably, Ye Yun Ying felt a sense of serenity. The demon sect was inherently treacherous, and when she joined, she never expected peaceful days. A person can be killed but not humiliated; as long as Qi Xian Qing did not strip her and throw her into a brothel, it would be the most merciful end for her. Qi Xian Qing pondered for a while, then said, "You can leave." Ye Yun Ying was taken aback, looking up in surprise. Qi Xian Qing flipped her hand, with a faint green glow emanating from her palm. Ye Yun Ying's pupils shrank suddenly. "Your demon clan killed many innocent people this time. Butchered a thousand times wouldn't be enough punishment for you, not to mention leaving you to fend for yourself in a brothel," Qi Xian Qing said, standing calmly before her, looking down with a cold gaze. Perhaps to affirm her statement, the little phoenix beside them suddenly stood up, chirping, "Woo-ow!" at her. Qi Xian Qing offered, "Choose one of us and form a master-servant contract, then you can leave." Ye Yun Ying could hardly believe her ears, but in an instant, she understood Qi Xian Qing's intentions. Qi Xian Qing wouldn't let her go easily, nor would she kill her. She intended to maximize her value by having her serve as a spy for the Demon Lord in the Valley of Death after forming the master-servant contract. Her eyes darting between Qi Xian Qing and Yan Jue, Ye Yun Ying was pondering a strategy, but Qi Xian Qing didn't seem inclined to give her much time. She supported her arm, guiding her to stand and leading her to the window. Looking down at the drunken men below, Ye Yun Ying's face showed signs of dissatisfaction. Turning her head, Ye Yun Ying fixed her gaze on the two of them. Before her stood two women: Qi Xian Qing, with a cold and aloof demeanor, didn’t speak much. Even if they formed a master-servant contract, she likely wouldn't torment her. On the other hand, Yan Jue lounged bonelessly behind Qi Xian Qing, her long phoenix eyes holding a playful allure. She seemed like someone who could cause a lot of trouble if they formed a master-servant contract. After a moment's thought, Ye Yun Ying knelt down, her voice trembling, and shuffled a bit closer to Qi Xian Qing, looking up at her, "Please, Immortal Lord, form a master-servant contract with me." Yan Jue was taken aback. --- Having formed the master-servant contract with Qi Xian Qing, Ye Yun Ying left. The master-servant contract allowed Qi Xian Qing to easily search her spiritual sense and monitor the demon clan's plans. If Ye Yun Ying ever intended to betray them, Qi Xian Qing would notice within a hundred-mile radius and could shatter her spirit sea instantly. "Senior sister, why did she choose you?" Yan Jue asked, perplexed, as they walked along the mountain path. Qi Xian Qing smiled slightly, casually walking on the stone steps, "Perhaps it's because I'm more easygoing." Yan Jue was unconvinced, "Clearly, I am more easygoing." Qi Xian Qing, eyebrows curving with amusement, nodded, "Yes, yes, junior sister is the more easygoing one." The mountain path was tranquil, their conversation leisurely and sporadic. Walking with Qi Xian Qing made the path seem remarkably short. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the Zhenhuo sect. Turning back, Qi Xian Qing asked, "There's something I'd like to ask you, junior sister." Yan Jue responded, "What is it?" "The team competition for the Wulong Summit will start soon. Would you like to form a team with me?" Qi Xian Qing proposed. Yan Jue hesitated briefly. The individual events of the Wulong Summit had concluded months ago. The summit consists of individual, team, and casual events. Due to the sudden demonic incident with Chu Fu, the team and casual events had been delayed. Yan Jue hadn't expected it to take so long and start just now. Since Qi Xian Qing had asked, Yan Jue agreed without hesitation, "Of course." Pausing for a moment, she declared confidently, "Since my partner invited me, I must oblige." Qi Xian Qing was puzzled, "Partner?" Yan Jue quickly corrected herself, "Dao companion. You're my Dao companion." Qi Xian Qing was already quite used to Yan Jue's peculiar vocabulary. Just as they were about to leave, Qi Xian Qing's hand was suddenly held by Yan Jue. Qi Xian Qing turned to look at her. In the sunlight, Yan Jue's fair face blushed faintly, her eyes darting nervously, clearly embarrassed. Seeing Qi Xian Qing looking at her, Yan Jue was momentarily cowed, asking in a low voice, "Are we just leaving like this?" Qi Xian Qing glanced around; the mountain path was empty except for the occasional passing disciple from the Zhenhuo sect. A hint of a smile appeared on Qi Xian Qing's lips, and she asked softly, "What would you like, junior sister?" Yan Jue looked at her, biting her lips hard, unable to voice her thoughts. Yan Jue muttered, "There's a tree over there..." Before she could finish, Qi Xian Qing gently pulled her over and lightly kissed her lips. Yan Jue's entire body froze, shocked that Qi Xian Qing dared to do this here... Qi Xian Qing kissed her lightly, their fair face also blushing, then stepped back. "The prize for this team's competition is a magical weapon called Xu, I heard it’s a smoking pipe. Quite curious, isn’t it?" Yan Jue was momentarily surprised, "What’s curious about a smoking pipe?" Qi Xian Qing explained, "This pipe, once blown, creates a dense fog that impairs one's vision." Yan Jue's eyes lit up, "That does sound intriguing." Being a collector, Yan Jue had loved gathering peculiar items since entering this world. Qi Xian Qing observed her, a smile hidden in her eyes, "If you like it, I'll win first place and gift it to you." Yan Jue playfully hooked an arm around Qi Xian Qing’s neck, teasing, "It's as if we’re not on the same team. If senior sister takes the top prize, I’ll surely get that artifact too." --- Back at her dorm, Yan Jue saw Du Ming sitting on a small stool in the courtyard, enjoying some pastries. In the sunlight, the pastries had a pale green glow, looking quite appetizing. As Du Ming ate, a white fox and a small wild boar hovered around, watching intently. Especially the piglet, its beady little eyes glued to the pastries in Du Ming's hand, drool dripping down its chin. Yan Jue couldn't help but smile wryly. What an ensemble her dorm had become. A piglet, a white fox... From her storage bag, Yan Jue pulled out a small golden-headed phoenix, still looking disgruntled. The moment it popped out, it quickly struggled free from the bag. Flapping its wings, the little phoenix landed on Du Ming's head. Startled, Du Ming shrieked, dropping the pastry to the ground, which the little piglet promptly gobbled up with its short strides. Clearing her throat, Yan Jue greeted with a smile, "Du Ming." Hearing her voice, Du Ming turned, shocked, "Yan Jue!" Yan Jue returned the greeting, "It's been a while." Without pausing to don her outer robe, Du Ming rushed over, grabbing her hand, "You're finally back! Only someone like you, capable of handling top-tier missions, is always so busy you seem to vanish. Now, with the team competition and casual events at the Wulong summit coming up, we'd be a member short without you." Caught off-guard, Yan Jue asked, "Team competition?" Du Ming lightly tapped her head, "Did you forget? You promised me months ago we'd team up for the Wulong Summit." Yan Jue paused, recalling how before being together with Qi Xian Qing, she had indeed promised Du Ming she'd team up for the summit... But she'd forgotten earlier and had already agreed to Qi Xian Qing... Inwardly, Yan Jue sighed and muttered to herself, "I should ask senior sister..." Her voice was so low that Du Ming didn't hear it. He continued counting on his fingers, "Our team has four members now; with you, it's just right at five. The requirements for the Wulong Summit's team competition are particularly strict this time; we can't be even one person short." Du Ming added, "Luckily, you're back, Yan Jue. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know who to ask to fill our team at this last minute." Yan Jue felt trapped. --- Yan Jue returned to her dormitory and sat on her bed for a while, feeling utterly fatigued. She sensed something was amiss and upon checking, realized that it was the onset of her physiological cycle. The cycle of a spirit fox is particularly lengthy. Yan Jue recalled that her last one was back at Yu Xu Sea. During these times, not only did she tire easily, but she also felt profoundly lonely. Unable to lie still any longer, she rose, habitually climbing out the window. She planned to go to the cold pond to find Qi Xian Qing. It was spring; new sprouts were emerging on the grass by the cold pond, painting the scene in vibrant, refreshing greenery. With her hands clasped behind her back, Yan Jue stood by the pond for a while, deeply inhaling the crisp, chilly air before slowly ambling over to the fence of Bing Tao Court. Inside, Qi Xian Qing sat at the table, her head lowered over some scrolls, turning the topmost one open to read. Yan Jue, familiar with the space, quietly entered the room and stood beside her. Seeing what was laid out on the scroll, she couldn't help but be slightly startled. Qi Xian Qing was perusing a schedule for the Wulong Summit team competition. Under the dim candlelight, she was poised, pen in hand, her back straight as she meticulously wrote on the scroll. As the head disciple of the Wulong Sect, Qi Xian Qing had little free time. Naturally, upon returning to the mountain, she had to manage these responsibilities. Yan Jue pulled a chair over and sat beside Qi Xian Qing, cautiously observing her, "Senior sister..."