**Chapter 11: Are You... Not Capable?**

After that day, Lin Fengmian stayed on Qingjiu Peak, quietly cultivating without going anywhere.

That is, until Hongluan Peak sent a message again, summoning him over.

But this time, it wasn't Liu Mei who called him; instead, another senior sister from Hongluan Peak was looking for him.

After all, Liu Mei had already drained two men in just three days, and doing more would be against the rules.

As he walked along the path, Lin Fengmian noticed the pointing and whispering from those around him, and he also caught the resentful gaze of Xie Gui.

Lin Fengmian couldn't help but find it amusing—did Xie Gui really think he was obligated to save him?

Why? 

Because he'd be willing to work like a slave?

What would Lin Fengmian even do with such an offer?

He ignored Xie Gui completely and made his way toward Hongluan Peak, arriving at a courtyard named Cuizhu Pavilion.

At the door, he straightened his appearance, cleared his throat, and gently knocked.

"Senior Sister Chen?"

"Come in," a calm, icy voice replied from within.

Lin Fengmian pushed the door open and entered. The fragrance inside the room was quite different from Liu Mei's—it was light and slightly cold.

A woman with a frosty demeanor, dressed in a formal white palace gown, was sitting in front of a dressing table, gently combing her smooth black hair.

Her expression was cold and indifferent, with an air of aloofness that pushed people away. Yet her face still bore a faint flush that hadn't quite faded.

If this scene hadn't taken place on Hongluan Peak, no one would doubt that she was an ethereal, otherworldly beauty.

Senior Sister Chen Qingyan was very different from Liu Mei. She was cold, rarely spoke, and never showed any vulnerability.

Whenever Lin Fengmian visited, she was always fully dressed, to the point where he suspected she never even disrobed during dual cultivation.

Like Liu Mei, Chen Qingyan rarely engaged in dual cultivation with the "chives," but her pass rate was even higher.

Every "chive" she selected would join the "inner sect," which, in other words, meant that anyone who cultivated with her was destined to die.

Lin Fengmian had no trouble finding the unfortunate fellow lying on the bed. At least in his eyes, the man was somewhat fortunate.

He was fully clothed, with a peaceful expression—none of that extreme ecstasy typically seen on the faces of the dead.

Chen Qingyan treated the dead with a certain respect, even dressing them up properly.

Lin Fengmian had often thought to himself, *If I were to die in the Hehuan Sect, I'd prefer it to be at the hands of Chen Qingyan.*

This strange sentiment probably stemmed from a fleeting glimpse he once had of her as a youth, a moment that had haunted him ever since.

He still remembered that cold, distant woman, gently tucking her windblown hair behind her ear as she gazed at the sky, her eyes filled with distant, complex emotions.

As a boy, Lin Fengmian had been captivated, and her image was forever etched into his mind.

If it hadn't been for Chen Qingyan, he wouldn't have gone to take the spiritual root test, even under the goading of his mischievous friends.

And even now, after having carried so many bodies out of her room, he still harbored a faint, inexplicable hope.

It was precisely because of Chen Qingyan, his unattainable "white moonlight," that he had never developed serious feelings for Summer Yunxi.

But after his recent close encounters with Summer Yunxi, he was beginning to see her as a real woman.

Clearing his mind, Lin Fengmian picked up the unlucky yet fortunate man and softly said, "Senior Sister, I'll take my leave."

"Wait!" Chen Qingyan unexpectedly called out to him.

Surprised, Lin Fengmian looked at the cold Chen Qingyan and asked, puzzled, "Senior Sister, is something the matter?"

"Did Liu Mei look for you the other day?" Chen Qingyan asked, her gaze holding an inexplicable emotion.

"Yes," Lin Fengmian nodded.

Chen Qingyan studied him intently, her cool brows furrowing in confusion. Finally, she asked with a strange expression, "Junior Brother Lin, do you have some... hidden problem?"

Although she phrased it delicately, Lin Fengmian instantly grasped her meaning.

*Are you not... capable?*

Lin Fengmian almost coughed up blood.

The last thing a man wants is for someone to question his prowess—especially when it's his dream woman doing the questioning.

But this also made him realize that Chen Qingyan could somehow see the vitality within him.

"Senior Sister, it's... a long story. The situation is a bit complicated."

He gave a vague reply. After all, he couldn't very well say, "Why don't you try and find out?"

He was afraid that if he did, he wouldn't live to tell the tale.

Chen Qingyan's lips curved slightly as she waved him off. "Never mind, you can go now."

Lin Fengmian was left bewildered. Why did she seem... pleased?

Puzzled, he left, quickly burying the body. As he looked over the hillside dotted with graves, he felt a wave of emotion.

He had narrowly escaped being buried here himself.

"Dear brothers, seeing as I've been the one to bury you, please bless me in escaping from the Hehuan Sect."

"And if you seek revenge, push a little harder and lend me some strength from beyond."

That night, in the black river of dreams...

This time, Lin Fengmian arrived first, but Luo Xue was nowhere to be seen.

After a long while, a graceful figure emerged from the black river and landed on the shore.

Out of habit, Lin Fengmian glanced at her, only to realize that the water didn't actually make anyone wet.

*Ah, I've sinned,* he thought, shaking his head. After spending too much time with the women of the Hehuan Sect, he had started looking at the wrong places first.

Still, with his keen eyesight, he couldn't help but notice. The view was quite magnificent.

Luo Xue frowned slightly, her cold voice cutting through his thoughts, "What are you thinking? I have a feeling you're up to no good."

Lin Fengmian quickly waved his hands. "I wasn't thinking anything! Just wondering why you're so late."

"The sect had matters to attend to," Luo Xue explained.

She looked at him curiously, as though she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Lin Fengmian, sensing her unease, teased, "What's on your mind? It seems like you're up to no good."

Luo Xue's face flushed red, and she quickly turned away. "What nonsense! I wasn't thinking anything of the sort."

Lin Fengmian chuckled. "Don't worry, I have my weaknesses."

"Good... Wait, no!"

Luo Xue glared at him angrily. "Why should I care? What does that have to do with me?"

Only then did Lin Fengmian realize the double meaning in his words. He smiled awkwardly and said, "I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to thank you."

"This Twin Fish Pendant can really transfer power between us? But I didn't feel any of my power being drained." Luo Xue asked, curious.

"Please don't mess with it!" Lin Fengmian was startled, fearing that if she extracted the power, it might cause unforeseen consequences.

Seeing her confusion, he realized he had overreacted and explained, "I just used the aura to scare her a bit."

He explained in detail how he had frightened Liu Mei and cautioned, "Please don't touch that power. I might need it again."

Luo Xue nodded with a soft smile. "You're not too bad, after all."

"So, have you found the Hehuan Sect's location yet? I'll teleport there and wipe out that sect that's been harming people."

Lin Fengmian felt a bit awkward. She meant well, but she couldn't transcend time and space!

He tactfully declined, "Fairy Luo, you might not be able to handle them all by yourself..."