chapter 45

Once you leave, don't come back.

The three of them walked around the village again.

Zhan Yunwei noticed that, just as Yue Zhiheng had said, the village had only about a dozen households and looked entirely ordinary.

The smoke from the incense burner drifted into the peach grove and disappeared without a trace.

Everywhere they looked, there were only vibrant peach blossoms in full bloom—no sign of Fang Huai or the others.

Yue Zhiheng put away the incense burner without showing any surprise.

Qu Lanyue twirled the handle of her parasol and sighed, "It seems we've run into trouble. This little Peach Blossom Village hides quite the mystery."

One could only say it was worthy of being an ancient secret realm. The adversary behind Peach Blossom Village must be an ancient monster that had lived for countless years.

It was now noon, and the villagers, carrying their farming tools, were heading home, chatting and laughing along the way.

Zhan Yunwei said, "There's something off about this village."

Yue Zhiheng replied, "You mean the ancestral hall?"

Zhan Yunwei nodded. No matter how small a village in the mortal world, there would always be an ancestral hall. Given that Peach Blossom Village followed its own established rules, it was impossible for it to lack one.

However, as they walked around the village, the houses stood neatly, the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard, and the fields were lush and green. Yet, they saw no trace of an ancestral hall.

This was clearly unreasonable.

Could the missing people be inside this "ancestral hall"?

The three of them visited the village chief's house again.

When the village chief saw them, he gave them a warm smile. "Honored guests, did you sleep well in the village last night?"

Perhaps because she knew these "villagers" were monsters, Zhan Yunwei found his smile somewhat unnerving.

She replied, "Quite well. When should we pay for our next stay?"

"In three days," the village chief said, his shrewd eyes glinting as he cast a malicious glance at them. "Make sure you figure out how to pay by then. Peach Blossom Village is a small place; we can't allow any debts."

Miss Qu raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue lightly in her heart.

So, the monster had figured out that none of the three of them possessed a virgin or pure Yang body, hadn't it?

Truth be told, after figuring out the payment standards of Peach Blossom Village the previous night, Miss Qu was a little surprised.

She could understand Fang Huai and Shen Ye not being married yet, but Yue Zhiheng too?

This frigid "marriage in name only" seemed to be a bit too real. She glanced at the Spirit Master girl beside her. Well, not that surprising.

Zhan Yunwei asked again about purchasing honey. Perhaps because they had already "paid," the village chief revealed more this time.

"Honey-making will begin in three days. If you want to buy honey, come back then. The villagers will make the honey in front of the ancestral hall," the village chief said with a meaningful look. "This year, it's about time. It's been a good harvest."

The three of them exchanged glances. That hidden "ancestral hall"?

After that, no matter what else they asked, the village chief said no more. It was mealtime, and he invited them to stay and eat. Qu Lanyue smiled and declined.

As if anyone dared eat the food here.

After leaving the village chief's house, they found themselves near a stream and the peach grove.

From their conversation with the village chief, they had gleaned a fair bit of information. They discussed their next steps.

Qu Lanyue said, "Every four days, we have to pay 'rent.' That old monster is vicious. Judging by how confident they seem, it's likely no past cultivators ever left Peach Blossom Village alive."

Even if they weren't used as "rent," those who stayed behind would eventually fail to offer up a companion and be surrounded and killed by the villagers at night.

This was an unsolvable dilemma.

The good news was that honey-making would begin in three days. By then, they could investigate the strange ancestral hall and would surely find Zhan Shujing and the others.

That night, they stayed at the house of a villager surnamed Chen.

This house was noticeably more spacious than the one they stayed in the night before, with proper guest rooms. From the looks of it, Old Chen was one of the "wealthier" villagers. He greeted them with a cheerful smile.

Under the moonlight, Old Chen glanced at them with a hint of regret but eventually had to leave the room.

At midnight, Zhan Yunwei heard the sounds of a fight coming from the village.

She looked up and, perhaps it was just her imagination, but she faintly heard the hum of a sword.

Only the finest swords in the world could produce such a sound.

She heard it, and naturally, so did Yue Zhiheng and Qu Lanyue.

Zhan Yunwei couldn't help but look at Yue Zhiheng, who was already looking at her. His expression was cold and indifferent, as if he couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids.

Zhan Yunwei didn't expect Yue Zhiheng to rescue Pei Yuqing. Without his orders, Miss Qu probably wouldn't intervene either.

She sighed inwardly and reluctantly got up to leave.

Yue Zhiheng suddenly laughed coldly. "Miss Zhan, are you sure you want to go out? If you go, don't come back."

Zhan Yunwei turned back. In the dimly lit room, Yue Zhiheng stared at her intensely. Perhaps because he was sitting in the shadows, she couldn't make out his expression, but his tone was far from friendly.

"Master Yue, Peach Blossom Village is strange. I cannot abandon my fellow disciples. Don't worry, I won't implicate you or Miss Qu, nor will I bring them back here."

Yue Zhiheng toyed with a small teacup and smiled faintly. "Fine, I won't see you off."

Zhan Yunwei's hand rested on the door handle. She looked at him one last time and said, "Thank you for saving me last night. I'll be sure to repay you if I have the chance."

He said coldly, "No need."

If you're leaving, just go—no need for extra words.

Gradually, the sound of sword hums outside came to a halt, replaced by the sound of a house being split open, followed by faint voices of negotiation.

At the same time, the cup in Yue Zhiheng's hand shattered. He lowered his gaze and, as if annoyed and weary, tossed the broken cup aside, his expression returning to its usual calm.

Qu Lanyue sat opposite Yue Zhiheng and chuckled. "Master Yue, there was no need to say something so harsh, nor to be so heartless as to forbid her return. You knew all along what she would do."

At the very least, keeping her here would have been better than letting her go to Pei Yuqing, wouldn't it?

Rescuing her fellow disciples—wasn't that only natural? If Zhan Yunwei had truly stayed indifferent, she wouldn't have been Zhan Yunwei. To be fair, Zhan Yunwei had done nothing wrong. But given Yue Zhiheng's position, there was no way he could tolerate staying in the same room as Pei Yuqing.

In the stillness of the night, every sound seemed amplified. Across the way, the door slowly closed.

It appeared they had found a place to settle.

"Do you regret it, Master Yue?" Qu Lanyue raised an eyebrow, studying Yue Zhiheng's expression. He was completely composed again, showing no trace of the earlier lapse.

Yue Zhiheng raised his eyes and said coolly, "Tell me, what exactly should I regret?"

Qu Lanyue didn't answer but glanced lightly at the shattered cup.

After knowing him for so many years, she had some understanding of Master Yue. The path he had chosen meant he was destined never to cling to anyone.

Even harboring feelings was a mistake, let alone using every means to keep someone.

For the past few days, Senior Brother had been anxious.

The reason was simple: after entering the Kunyuan Secret Realm, he hadn't seen the Zhan siblings. On the surface, Pei Yuqing seemed composed, but Senior Brother knew he was deeply unsettled.

He was like a sword trapped in its sheath, suppressing himself to the extreme, ready to unsheathe at any moment—harming others and himself.

Senior Brother had cautiously tried to comfort him once. "Junior Brother, don't worry. Junior Sister Zhan is probably with her brother. She'll be fine."

Pei Yuqing's response was unforgettable.

Senior Brother recalled how he kept walking forward, stepping over fallen spring blossoms, saying, "Senior Brother, I was already too late once and lost her once. I can't afford to let it happen again."

He traveled day and night, using his blood as a guide.

The misfortune of the Immortal Sect was encountering the remnant soul of an ancient serpent along the way, which scattered their group. By the time they arrived at Peach Blossom Village, they were a day late, and the moon had just risen, leaving them no time to regroup.

Only four people remained together: himself, Pei Yuqing, Mingxiu, and another junior disciple.

But upon leaving Peach Blossom Town, Mingxiu and the other disciple vanished. They had no choice but to enter the village to search for them, only to encounter a village full of monsters. Worse, their spiritual energy was nullified.

Though he and Pei Yuqing fought fiercely, killing villagers with their swords, the monsters would instantly resurrect. If they weren't exceptionally skilled sword cultivators wielding divine swords that retained some deterrent power, surviving until midnight would have been impossible.

Over the past few days, the only good news was…

Senior Brother paused and looked up. The young woman placed her lantern down and carefully explained the situation in the village.

His Junior Brother finally seemed like a sword returning to its scabbard, calm and at peace.

When she mentioned that Yue Zhiheng had helped her the previous night, the divine sword in Pei Yuqing's hands trembled slightly, as if emitting an invisible, low hum.

Senior Brother turned to see Pei Yuqing's face gradually pale.

This pallor had not appeared earlier, even when they were killing an endless stream of monstrous "villagers."

But Pei Yuqing quickly suppressed his emotions. He looked at Zhan Yunwei and said, "As long as you're safe."

Pei Yuqing had once been a pure swordsman, not foolish. In the past few days, he had pieced together why Zhan Yunwei had been separated from him in the secret realm.

After a long silence, he said, "I'm sorry, Yangyang. On behalf of my mother, I apologize to you. When I return, I will punish her according to the rules."

As both a disciple of Penglai and the sect's acknowledged young master, he naturally had the authority to discipline Madam Pei.

But what Zhan Yunwei wanted wasn't that.

In the past, while she had been frustrated, she couldn't fault Pei Yuqing for not shielding his mother. He had punished her as she deserved, leaving no room for criticism.

Yet, as long as Madam Pei lived, peace would elude her.

Pei Yuqing could never completely sever ties with his mother, and Zhan Yunwei no longer needed him to.

So, she shook her head and said, "I had already guessed. That's why I prepared extra soul-guiding bells with my brother. I didn't tell you beforehand because I wanted you to see for yourself. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. My mind is made up. When we leave the secret realm, I won't return to Yulou Pavilion. Even if the engagement ends, Senior Brother Pei, I will always remember our bond as fellow disciples and the kindness of your teachings."

But that would be all.

Pei Yuqing's eyelashes trembled.

Even Senior Brother felt a pang in his heart. He knew that for Pei Yuqing, it would have been less painful for Zhan Yunwei to stab him a few times than to hear her say such calm, decisive words.

What made it worse was that she said it in front of him, an outsider, leaving no room for reconciliation.

Pei Yuqing's face was nearly bloodless, but his eyes remained calm.

He looked at Zhan Yunwei and said, "I won't demand your forgiveness, nor will I deny that words are meaningless. Yangyang, however you blame me, I deserve it."

Zhan Yunwei replied softly, "But I don't blame you."

It's just… It's been too long, Senior Brother. From my past life to this one. After so many disappointments, I've nearly forgotten what it feels like to be moved by someone in my youth.

And the remnants of his kindness in her memory now only served to remind her of the precious bond they shared as fellow disciples—a bond that compelled her to protect his life and join forces to quell the chaos of evil disturbances.

If they couldn't be husband and wife, couldn't they still be friends?

However, such clear and heartfelt words of affection were not suitable to be spoken in front of Senior Brother. Neither of them chose to continue the conversation.

That night, a breeze swept through Taoyuan Village. The previous night had been marked by the lingering chill of early spring, but tonight the air was distinctly warm, heralding a true spring day.

Pei Yuqing fell silent, his gaze lowered as if lost in thought. Zhan Yunwei could not tell whether he intended to give up or not.

What worried her more was what would happen tomorrow when they left the house and encountered Master Yue and Miss Qu.

The discord between the Immortal Sects and the royal dynasty had lasted for years, and one of Master Yue's duties was to kill Pei Yuqing. This matter was far more troubling to her than her personal entanglements with Pei Yuqing.

And, as fate would have it, what she feared most came to pass. At dawn, the villagers no longer allowed them to remain in their home.

The moment Senior Brother opened the door, Zhan Yunwei saw Yue Zhiheng and Miss Qu emerging from the Chen family's house.

The alley was narrow, truly fitting the phrase "enemies on a narrow road." Before she could think of how to greet Master Yue to ease the tension and avoid an immediate conflict—after all, hadn't she and Yue Zhiheng gotten along fine the day before? Clearly, he was capable of reasonable communication—a whip, imbued with the force of a sharp wind, lashed toward them mercilessly.

A divine sword unsheathed itself, shielding everyone in its path.

Startled, Zhan Yunwei looked toward Yue Zhiheng. His expression was as cold as ice, his eyes faintly exuding impatience, and he didn't spare her a single glance.

His tone was indifferent and steady as he said, "Get out of the way. Don't block my path."

It was rare for Zhan Yunwei to hear Yue Zhiheng use such coarse words in front of her.

And yet, Pei Yuqing, inexplicably, did not seem angry at all despite Yue Zhiheng's aggression. Instead, he lifted his gaze, calm and courteous, and replied, "Although Master Yue struck first, gratitude cannot be forgotten, and proper etiquette must still be observed."

Their gazes locked.

Pei Yuqing smiled faintly and said, "I must thank Master Yue for saving my beloved wife yesterday."