In the neighboring room, Qiu Honglei eyed the wall and asked, “Master, could Sect Master Yan have overheard our words?”
Yan Xuehen was a renowned expert in the world of cultivation. It wouldn’t be surprising if she had the means to eavesdrop on their conversations.
Yun Jianyue proudly replied, “Don’t worry, I'm here. If she can overhear our conversation that easily, I might as well surrender to her.”
Qiu Honglei’s heart was put at ease. Master and Sect Master Yan have always been equally matched. There should be no problem if she said so. “Master, I’m also worried about something else. You saw Ah Zu’s earlier condition too. Miss Jing is simply too... energetic. I’m worried that Ah Zu’s body won’t be able to take it.”
Yun Jianyue frowned. “You’re worried about that fellow? He’s built like a bull!”
Lewd memories flashed through Qiu Honglei’s mind, and her face reddened. “But I've never seen him so weak before.”
Yun Jianyue nodded. “That’s true. We can’t underestimate those two sisters.”
The two of them fell silent. Considering their master-disciple relationship, it felt weirdly awkward for them to be talking about their lover’s prowess in bed.
Yun Jianyue changed the subject with a cough. “Your worry isn’t unfounded. It won’t be good if he fails to perform after we've drugged that ice sculpture. Let’s nourish him well tomorrow and keep an eye on the other women, lest they make a move.”
Qiu Honglei’s face reddened. “I’ll have to trouble you for that, master. It’s not convenient for me to move around, as I’m still recovering from my injury.”
Yun Jianyue rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing difficult about that. You can stall Miss Pei by chatting with her. Leave Yun Yuqing to me. As for Miss Xie and Miss Ji, they shouldn’t be a problem since they're busy with their family reunion.”
Qiu Honglei thought those words made sense. Master and Manman might be cousins, but they are from different generations. There are more common topics between me and Manman.
They continued discussing their plan to deal with Yan Xuehen. They were both intelligent individuals, and it didn’t take them long to devise a feasible ploy.
Zu An had barely rested for two hours when the teachers and students from the academy began streaming in to visit him. He couldn’t tell them that he was exhausted from his night activities, so he could only muster his energy to deal with them. Fortunately, he'd recovered most of his energy with just two hours of rest.
After he was done dealing with the academy’s affairs, Yun Yuqing entered the room with a bowl of chicken soup. “Ah Zu, you have been working hard recently. You need some nourishment.”
Zu An had expended too much energy in recent days, and the aroma of the chicken soup whetted his appetite. He took two sips, and his eyes lit up. “Did you make this? It’s delicious!”
“I can brew one for you every day if you like.” Yun Yuqing thought about how Yun Jianyue had secretly offered her pointers. Blood is indeed thicker than water.
She had never thought about personally cooking for Zu An. She'd been born into affluence and her family had plenty of chefs serving them. They had never needed to cook for themselves. But Yun Jianyue had told her that if she personally cooked for Zu An, the meaning would be different.
Yun Yuqing hadn’t expected that her elder cousin, despite being a feared demoness, had such a meticulous side. Even she hadn’t thought about brewing chicken soup to nourish Zu An.
Zu An took a few more sips. “It has a unique taste. What did you add to it?”
“Ginseng, deer antler, epimedium, cistanche, morinda root, eucommia bark, cynomorium, goji berry, red dates...” Yun Yuqing recounted the herbs she had used. This was Yun Jianyue’s recipe. The Devil Sect’s demonesses sure are knowledgeable.
Zu An was speechless. No wonder I feel a heat in my stomach after drinking the contents. He put the bowl aside and said, “There’s no need to add so many herbs.”
“Ah? You don’t like it? Big sister Yue says it’s beneficial for you.” Yun Yuqing was stunned.
Zu An was taken aback. So, it was Yun Jianyue’s idea? What is she planning, feeding me so much nourishment? Does she also intend to...
Yun Yuqing picked up the bowl and personally fed him. “Ah Zu, you need nourishment. You have been working hard in recent days, including lecturing in the academy...”
Zu An wanted to turn her down, but his stomach rumbled. He was feeling hungry, so he took the bowl and continued drinking. By the time he was done, his body felt warm.
Exclamations suddenly echoed outside.
“They're fighting!”
Alarmed, Zu An rushed out. Standing atop two of Mount Yuquan’s peaks were a black figure and a white figure—Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen.
“What are you doing?” Zu An shouted. I know you're rivals, but do you have to come to blows each time an opportunity arises?
Yun Jianyue replied, “This is between me and her. Ah Zu, you stay out of it. We agreed on this battle yesterday. I don’t mind postponing it another day if she hasn’t rested enough.”
“There’s no need for that.” Yan Xuehen’s voice was as cold as ever.
She'd had to postpone the fight yesterday because her legs were wobbling from Zu An’s pounding. She would have embarrassed herself if they fought there and then. But a night of rest coupled with Ah Zu’s rich ki nourishment put her in a better state than ever. She was determined to teach Yun Jianyue a lesson and let everyone in the academy know that the demoness was beneath her.
It was rather perplexing how, despite practising the Unshakable Daoist Manual, she couldn’t control her emotions whenever Yun Jianyue was involved.
The tense atmosphere between the duo stirred a commotion in the academy. Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen were renowned figures in the world. In particular, Yan Xuehen was viewed as a fairy and enjoyed great popularity. A showdown between these two was a huge deal. News quickly spread in the academy, and soon, even people from the capital rushed over.
“Waaa, Sect Master Yan’s skin is as smooth as rumored. No wonder she’s known as a fairy!”
“Of course! Don’t you know that back then, she was lauded as the number one beauty in the world of cultivation?”
“You’re blaspheming the fairy! Fairy Yan is devoted to pursuing the dao. She has no interest in such mortal comparisons.”
“I didn’t expect Sect Master Yun to be that beautiful.”
“Indeed. I have always heard she was a demoness who doesn’t hesitate to kill others, so I thought she would be a hideous monster with a bulky body. I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful. In terms of looks, she surpasses even Fairy Yan.”
“Nonsense. You clearly don’t have an eye for beauty. Nothing can surpass Fairy Yan’s transcendent beauty.”
...
Just their presence was enough to divide the crowd into two factions.
Yun Jianyue finally made her move. She unleashed a crescent moon that flowed in a beautiful arc before slicing through the mountain peak Yan Xuehen stood on.
Yan Xuehen flitted into the sky, avoiding the attack. At the same time, frost enveloped the mountain Yun Jianyue stood on.
Zu An’s eyelids twitched. At this rate, they’ll destroy the academy!