Yun Jianyue took Qiu Honglei to the lotus pond outside to enjoy the mountain breeze and the academy’s night scenery while chatting about recent affairs.
Qiu Honglei’s heart swelled with bliss. While Zu An occasionally took her out to breathe in some fresh air too, she had been too weak to admire the world’s beauty. Now that she was on the verge of a complete recovery, everything looked different to her.
While they were chatting, Yun Yuqing rushed over after hearing the news. Xie Daoyun and Ji Xiaoxi were busy having their family reunion, while Yan Xuehen was still overcoming her awkwardness. She was the only one left on the mountain peak.
She brought a thin blanket with her and wrapped it around Qiu Honglei. “Honglei, you’re still recovering. You mustn’t catch an illness at this point.”
“Thank you, Aunt Qing.” Qiu Honglei had known her master had a younger sister, but there had been no need for her to interact with Yun Yuqing as the two sisters had been estranged. But now that her master and Yun Yuqing had patched things up, she had to make sure to maintain etiquette.
Yun Yuqing was gorgeous. Qiu Honglei thought, No wonder she was known for her beauty back when she was King Wu’s consort, and Ah Zu fancies her.
This complicated relationship made Qiu Honglei feel awkward. Yun Yuqing was her aunt, but both of them were Zu An’s lovers, which made them sisters. But if they looked at it in terms of who had gotten together with Zu An first, she should have been Yun Yuqing’s older sister instead. But she couldn’t bring herself to tell an elder to call her ‘big sister’.
My seniority has been slipping while I was unconscious. Ugh, what a huge waste. Even Manman has become my aunt, and now there’s another, Yun Yuqing. How vexing!
She was tempted to drag Chu Chuyan here to experience the same frustration.
Yun Yuqing smiled. “Don’t call me aunt. That sounds weirdly old. We’re a family now. You can call me big sister instead.”
Qiu Honglei replied with a smile, “Shouldn’t you be the one to call me big sister?”
Yun Yuqing’s smile froze up, but she quickly replied, “That works too. It’d be great to have a big sister look after me.”
Yun Jianyue couldn’t take it anymore and interjected, “Preposterous. What are the two of you doing?” If Yun Yuqing calls Honglei big sister, won’t I have to start calling Honglei big sister too? There’s no way I can do that!
Pei Mianman could hardly hold her laughter in. “It’s right anyway. You can call her aunt, and she’ll call you big sister. I don’t see a conflict here.” It doesn’t affect my standing anyway.
Qiu Honglei hugged Yun Yuqing’s arm and coyly said, “Aunt Qing, don’t mind me. I was joking.”
It belatedly struck her that she would be putting her master in a tough spot if Yun Yuqing called her ‘big sister’. By the same logic, she would have to call Chu Chuyan ‘big sister’ in the future too. They were both the Holy Maidens of their respective sects, and the victor between them hadn’t been decided yet. She would bring shame to the Devil Sect if she admitted defeat in this field. That was unacceptable to her.
This little hiccup helped to mellow the mood, and the group chatted harmoniously.
Worried that Qiu Honglei couldn’t take the cold, Yun Jianyue had been grabbing her disciple’s hand and transmitting ki to her.
Pei Mianman smiled. “Leave it to me.” She conjured a flickering black flame at her fingertip and lit a few bonfires. It didn’t take long for the gazebo to become warm.
“Thank you, Manman.” Qiu Honglei could feel the concern others were showing her, and it brought warmth to her heart.
She had heard plenty of stories about her Devil Sect peers fighting over men. They would go as far as to beat their rivals to death. It was good that they didn’t have to scheme against each other for Zu An’s favor. I wonder where Ah Zu found these wonderful women.
Yun Jianyue showed interest in Pei Mianman’s black flames. “These flames carry the racial traits of the Devil races, but it isn’t as simple as that. It’s truly incredible...”
Just like that, they chatted for the entire night. It was only when they heard the roosters’ calls and saw the brightening hue on the horizon that they exchanged bewildered looks.
“They aren’t done yet?” someone in the group suddenly said.
All the women sighed. The man in the room was their lover, after all. The thought of him spending the night with another woman still sparked their jealousy, especially since they showed no signs of stopping.
“I’ll go check things out. It’s about time for Honglei to rest anyway,” Yun Yuqing said.
Qiu Honglei’s face reddened. “I’m fine. I can rest with master.” She didn’t want to be used as an excuse here.
Yun Jianyue wanted to discuss the details of their scheme against Yan Xuehen with Qiu Honglei, so she played along and said, “I’ll bring Honglei into the room to rest first.”
Just then, the cave paradise opened. Zu An staggered out while holding the walls for support. When he saw the women staring at him, he quickly straightened his posture and awkwardly asked, “You aren’t asleep yet?”
The women felt anger boiling within them. Yun Jianyue couldn’t lower herself to complain, so she glanced at her disciple and urged her to say something.
Qiu Honglei thought about the lengths Zu An had gone to save her and the meticulous care he'd shown her over the years. She couldn’t bear to say anything to him, so she turned her gaze to Yun Yuqing. Isn’t this the time for you to speak up?
Yun Yuqing felt indignant. Unlike you people, I was King Wu’s consort. We might not have done anything, but it makes it hard for me to complain about Zu An’s philandering ways. She turned her gaze to Pei Mianman.
Pei Mianman was speechless. You’re backing down now after all your big talk? But she was indeed displeased, so she asked, “Same to you. Aren’t you tired after doing it until now?”
Her words made Zu An feel even more awkward. Before he could say a word, Pei Mianman stood up and left. “I’ll head back in to rest.”
Qiu Honglei nodded. She didn’t want to get involved in their fight.
Yun Yuqing took her leave too. While she was walking by Zu An, she remarked with a chuckle, “Don’t go overboard lest you hurt your body.”
Now that he was alone, Zu An rubbed his waist. Black Jing Teng is a little temptress. She’s far more brazen than her big sister, daring to do everything. Each time she’s at her limit, she pushes White Jing Teng out to take the blow and returns only after resting up.
Isn’t it peculiar how, despite sharing the same body, the two sisters regain their stamina whenever they switch personas? How in the world do they do it?
He had to concede that his experience with Jing Teng was one-of-a-kind. The seamless transition between the dignified big sister and the eccentric little sister was an experience that couldn’t be described with mere words.
Under the influence of Yun Jianyue’s ability, White Jing Teng had been far more proactive than usual. She'd even pulled out her trump card—white stocking on one leg and black stocking on the other, simultaneously showcasing the traits of both sisters. It had quite the visual impact.
That, together with his earlier experience with Yan Xuehen, had driven Zu An to his limit. I mustn’t mess around like that anymore.
Meanwhile, Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei discussed their plan in their room.
Qiu Honglei was worried. “Ah Zu mentioned that Sect Master Yan has obtained a universal deity’s power too, further dampening her emotions. Master, will your ability work on her?”
“I’d have to give it a try to know.” Yun Jianyue was excited to pull one over her long-time rival.
In the neighboring room, Yan Xuehen felt a chill running down her spine. How weird. Why am I feeling cold?
She was aware of the earlier gathering in the gazebo, and she'd considered heading out to meet them. However, she'd decided against it in the end. They're all that fellow’s lovers. That demoness happens to be their kin, but what reason do I have to join the group?