chapter 50

Far Weightier than Life

"Should we... try that?"

Yue Zhiheng's voice was low and hoarse as he asked, yet devoid of any trace of lust or teasing.

To be fair, he wasn't someone ruled by desire.

The response he received today was already beyond his expectations. Compared to that first rainy night, this taste of intimacy satisfied him even more.

Yet tonight, the bond between them was acting up. Rather than dealing with Zhan Yunwei's overthinking and avoidance afterward, he preferred to resolve it in advance.

Zhan Yunwei's expression briefly betrayed her embarrassment.

She thought Yue Da-ren was quite an unusual person. In either the royal court or the immortal sects, the nobility were strictly taught. No matter how licentious their private lives might be, they were required to maintain a facade of gentlemanly conduct.

When it came to matters between men and women, they were avoided like taboo, and no one dared to bring them up openly.

But Yue Zhiheng was different. Growing up in the underground palace, he was as indifferent to emotions as one might expect. He could calmly study diagrams for warding off fire without so much as a change in expression, treating them no differently than serious texts.

Zhan Yunwei noted that although his breathing was slightly uneven, his demeanor carried no offense. Her embarrassment eased somewhat.

She wrestled with herself inwardly.

Though her lips still tingled slightly, reminding her of what had just transpired, consummating their relationship felt... a bit too much, didn't it?

Still, Zhan Yunwei had no desire to be controlled by the Scarlet Butterfly. Yielding to such an evil entity would only lead to ruin. As a spirit tamer, she had already endured enough inescapable struggles in life. From the moment she started practicing the art of controlling spirits, she resolved never to let anything dominate her.

Besides...

She hesitated, glancing at Yue Zhiheng. He probably wasn't particularly eager for this either.

In both her past and present lives, he seemed indifferent to such matters. Even last time, though he was focused, he stopped in time.

Yue Zhiheng didn't expect her to agree. He'd said before that her thoughts were easy to read, always written plainly on her face.

Not wanting to ruin the rare harmony of the moment, he gently brushed aside the strands of hair framing her face and was about to assure her it was fine when Zhan Yunwei, like someone making a resolute decision, nodded.

Yue Zhiheng paused briefly. "Shall I continue?"

She replied softly, "Mm."

At first, Zhan Yunwei thought, It's not like I've never been through this. There's no need to be so nervous. Maybe it'll be over quickly, like last time.

But she soon realized it was different.

As moonlight poured in, and layer by layer her garments were undone, she tried to tell herself this was perfectly normal.

However, when he lowered his head, his lips brushing against her skin like a flower just beginning to bloom, the blush crept up her fingers inch by inch.

Did he really have to kiss like this?

Even the first time she'd tasted the sweetest candy as a child, it hadn't made her feel... feel...

She didn't know how to describe it—only that a belated, overwhelming sense of shame washed over her.

She trembled under his lips and hands. Moonlight glimmered on the cold pool nearby. She lay atop his outer robe, bare-skinned, while Yue Zhiheng remained almost fully clothed.

She bit her lip. Wasn't that enough? She even thought about raising an arm to cover herself, only for her fingers to be caught in his grasp, leaving her no escape.

In the haze, she caught a glimpse of his gaze, its intensity scorching her to the core.

Yue Zhiheng took her hand, guiding her to undo his sash.

"You can't stay clueless forever. You'll tie a knot every time, Miss Zhan."

He taught her patiently, and after some fumbling, she finally managed to untie it. Due to the scars crisscrossing his back, Yue Zhiheng didn't completely remove his clothing.

Those dreadful wounds... they weren't exactly pleasant to look at.

Her misty eyes held curiosity mixed with shame. She inadvertently glanced at him, her expression tinged with confusion and shock.

Yue Zhiheng found her reaction adorable and could guess what she was thinking. Different from what you saw last night, isn't it?

Withdrawing his wet fingers, he lowered his body. He thought to himself, I have to take back what I said before—I'm not indifferent to desire.

The sound of water in the cold pool rippled softly.

As he buried his face in the curve of her neck, brushing her with his lips, he coaxed gently, "Relax a little, Miss Zhan."

She didn't mean to resist, but her words were fragmented, shattered into trembling syllables.

"Y-you're too... too..."

Zhan Yunwei's tear-brimmed eyes glistened, her breathing ragged. She realized this wasn't something that ended in an instant, but it was too late for regrets now.

Without his steady grip, she had no leverage to ground herself. This unfamiliar sensation gnawed at her, more tormenting than the Scarlet Butterfly's control.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, swallowing her voice. He cupped the back of her neck, his Adam's apple bobbing lightly, pulling her deeper into his embrace.

Her breath quickened, and the faint sounds escaping her throat drew more fervent responses from him. The cave filled with a peculiar scent, mingled with the aroma of icy lotus.

Icy lotus?

Zhan Yunwei opened her eyes, noticing that blood was seeping from Yue Zhiheng's back wounds again. She flinched.

"Yue Da-ren, stop, you're—"

Yue Zhiheng understood her concern.

Without halting, he exhaled faintly, "It's fine."

How could it be fine? Resting her chin on his shoulder, her scalp tingled. It looked agonizing.

"Then hurry... hurry up."

This time, he replied, "Mm."

But Clearly, Their Perspectives Differed at This Moment

Her lashes fluttered slightly, and she felt time stretch unbearably long.

Rationality finally overcame the tide of uncontrollable sensations. Blurred recollections of how Yue Zhiheng had faltered earlier surfaced, and she tightly embraced him.

Enough. Your injuries are too severe.

Yue Zhiheng hadn't expected her to act so suddenly. His body stiffened.

The sky had not yet fully darkened, and the dripping of water from the cold pool had finally ceased. She shivered, startled by the sudden heat.

She hadn't expected it to actually work, that it would all end like this. She looked up at him and asked, "You…?"

Yue Zhiheng gritted his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed frustration. "Zhan Yunwei!"

Anyone forced to stop abruptly, just as things were beginning, would surely feel a surge of pent-up anger.

Zhan Yunwei froze for a moment, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, the bond had been suppressed for now.

Yue Zhiheng met her startled gaze and opened his mouth as if to explain, but her expression clearly misunderstood his intentions.

Though traces of passion still lingered in her eyes, she had already pulled away. She knelt on her knees and softly suggested, "Perhaps you should stop the bleeding first?"

The moon had risen high, and tonight was as clear as could be.

The artifact spirit was released, immediately sensing a strange atmosphere in the cave. Yue Zhiheng, now fully clothed and composed, had returned to his usual demeanor.

He glanced at Zhan Yunwei, contemplating whether to discuss things with her.

When should such matters start? When should they end? Could Miss Zhan, perhaps… wait for him? After all, it was clear she hadn't entirely grasped the experience.

However, Miss Zhan was already busy by the cold pool.

The artifact spirit, now free, adeptly built a fire. Yue Zhiheng leaned against the smooth stone wall, watching her back as she cleaned the traces of their earlier encounter.

Her self-consciousness, even disdain for herself, struck him as… unexpectedly endearing.

Her undergarments had been soiled, but rather than using spiritual energy to clean them quickly, she discreetly ran to the cold pool to wash them by hand, drying them with spiritual energy afterward.

He tossed another log into the fire, finding her busyness oddly captivating.

Yue Zhiheng rarely displayed his emotions, yet the artifact spirit could sense an uncharacteristic tenderness emanating from him—a warmth that even lifted its own spirits, making it momentarily forget its frailty and pain.

It too perched by the fire, watching the distant young woman.

Zhan Yunwei had finished cleaning and drying her clothes but was now fretting over where to change. The bond wouldn't act up again tonight, but the details of the evening left her too embarrassed to recall. She certainly couldn't put her undergarments back on in front of Yue Zhiheng.

Before she could figure out a solution, a sudden disturbance came from the cold pool.

As a sharp spirit tamer, Zhan Yunwei should have noticed immediately. Yet she didn't—and neither did Yue Zhiheng, injured and several meters away.

Streams of water twisted like ropes, suddenly ensnaring Zhan Yunwei's ankles. Her legs, already weak, betrayed her. As a spirit tamer unskilled in close combat, she reacted swiftly, striking with spiritual energy to disperse the water. Yet the streams reformed in an instant.

How could she not have sensed danger in the cold pool?

There was no time to ponder this question as she was dragged into the water.

"Zhan Yunwei!" The entire incident unfolded in an instant. The artifact spirit had barely registered what was happening when Yue Zhiheng, without hesitation, leapt into the pool after her.

The artifact spirit froze for a moment before flying to the edge of the pool.

I'm here too!

Disregarding any potential danger below, it dove after Yue Zhiheng's aura.

When Yue Zhiheng touched the golden barrier beneath the water, his expression darkened. He finally understood why neither he nor Zhan Yunwei had sensed anything.

This barrier… wasn't the work of demons or spirit cultivators. Ancient runes glowed faintly on the ground. If this were a remnant of a fallen divine site, how could spirit cultivators thousands of years later detect it?

Beneath the cold pool lay a small hidden realm, containing an ancient chamber.

Zhan Yunwei was nowhere to be seen. On the ground, a pale pink object lay abandoned. Yue Zhiheng walked over and picked up her undergarment, tucking it into his robes.

The artifact spirit arrived, perching on his shoulder and eyeing the ominous barrier with trepidation.

Yue Zhiheng's expression turned icy as he summoned Shen Yun and struck with its whip.

He recognized this as an ancient inheritance, undoubtedly linked to some long-dead figure.

Ancient inheritances came in two forms: blessings for those who could bear them, or a death sentence for those who couldn't. Some twisted into evil, like the earth spirits, forever trapped in their secret realms, becoming monsters.

He couldn't afford to gamble—nor would he.

The barrier seemed to come alive, opening invisible eyes and gazing coldly at him. It silently unleashed its oppressive might.

A mere young cultivator dares to trespass here?

The backlash hit Yue Zhiheng, already gravely injured, drawing a thin line of blood from the corner of his mouth.

He wiped the blood away with his thumb, a cold smile on his lips. The artifact spirit, sensing his intent, tried to stop him.

It clung to his hand, uncertain whether to intervene.

During his battle with Pei Yuqing, Yue Zhiheng had been unwilling to open the Minsheng Lotus Mark, even at the cost of sacrificing a piece of the artifact spirit.

Yet now, he didn't hesitate to invoke it for this ancient realm.

The artifact spirit, deeply attuned to his will, understood that even if it was a mistake, Yue Zhiheng wouldn't waver. Resigned, it let go and merged with Shen Yun.

Yue Zhiheng activated another Minsheng Lotus Mark.

This time, when the whip struck, the barrier shattered like paper.

He strode forward, the wounds on his back visibly healing with each step.

The artifact spirit grew stronger, its frailty a thing of the past.

It lay dormant within Shen Yun. Though an artifact spirit was not meant to feel emotion, every time the Minsheng Lotus Mark was activated, it could sense death and dissolution inching closer.

Its fate was intertwined with Yue Zhiheng's—when one prospered, so did the other; when one suffered, the other did as well.

Every step he took forward was a sacrifice of his lifespan.

Each activation of the Minsheng Lotus Mark cost him ten years of life. The artifact spirit had known from its creation how deeply its master longed to live fully and well.

Yet, living in this world, there are things far more significant than life itself.