Qin Wanyuan had overlooked or rather, failed to consider one crucial detail.
The dream-share talisman’s effect was bidirectional. Just as Lin Que could remember what happened in the dream, so too could Jiang Moqing.
The only difference was that Lin Que retained all his memories from beginning to end, whereas Jiang Moqing had sealed hers away.
Now, with Qin Wanyuan pushing deeper into the shared dream using the talisman, those memories that had once been sealed by the Heartless Valley’s cultivation technique were beginning to unlock.
Longing surged like a tide, leaving Jiang Moqing even more lost. She reached out for something to hold, only to clutch a blanket instead, eventually curling into a ball.
“Why… why did we end up parting ways when we were clearly so close?”
Just like Qin Wanyuan, Jiang Moqing now also had no idea how the story had ended in tragedy.
She only knew one thing. She missed Lin Que terribly.
“What’s the point of just missing him? If you miss him, then go see him! Snatch him back from that woman! If you can’t win him back, then use force. If that fails, drug him. And if even that doesn’t work… then use dirty tricks!”
At some point, the voice of her inner demon began echoing in her mind again.
“I would never do something like that.”
Jiang Moqing shook her head in denial. Even though she and Lin Que had parted ways, she would never forcibly interfere with his happiness.
At the very least… Lin Que seemed happy now, and that was enough.
“Would never? What a joke! Do you really think you’re some pure and flawless white lotus? You’ve done far worse things than that!”
The inner demon let out a cold, twisted laugh, its voice growing sinister and warped.
“What turned you into such a coward? That cultivation method those monks from Heartless Valley taught you? A technique that cuts you off from the past…. how is that any different from running away from reality?!”
“Save your breath,” Jiang Moqing snapped, frowning.
She clearly remembered how the elders of Heartless Valley had explained that their cultivation method could help to sever emotional attachments. This would allow one to cultivate with a clear mind and without distraction, achieving twice the result with half the effort.
But everything in excess has its consequences. Upon reaching a bottleneck, a cultivator would inevitably face their heart demon.
The form of the heart demon varied, but one thing remained the same: it would stop at nothing to corrupt the cultivator, leading them astray. If one gave in to the demon’s words, it could lead to madness and total ruin.
On the other hand, if the cultivator could conquer the heart demon, their cultivation would soar.
The stronger the heart demon, the more solid the cultivator’s dao heart would become after slaying it, which would often result in explosive progress.
Jiang Moqing would never give in to her heart demon. Because she had to improve her cultivation as quickly as possible to fulfill her long-held wish.
But…
“I want to see him.”
She knew that seeing Lin Que might shake her resolve and disturb her path of emotional severance, but she simply couldn’t suppress the longing in her heart.
Just one glance. I won’t do anything else.
Yes, just a glance… I won’t do a thing.
She kept telling herself that, over and over… and for some reason, the heart demon’s voice disappeared.
Yet faintly, in the wind, she could still hear its mocking laughter.
***
The next morning, Lin Que, feeling refreshed and in high spirits, prepared a table full of sumptuous dishes. So lavish that even Qin Qian’er couldn’t help but stare in amazement.
“What’s the occasion today?” she asked.
“Something like that,” Lin Que replied vaguely, clearly dodging Qin Qian’er’s question.
Some pleasures simply couldn’t be shared with outsiders.
Today truly was a day worth remembering. After all, the usually conservative Qin Wanyuan had unexpectedly used her mouth to pleasure him, and even said she would study more in the future.
It was a completely unexpected delight.
Recalling how soft and fragrant her feet had become last month after she used the herbal foot soak, Lin Que couldn’t help but look forward to what was to come.
Even the corners of his mouth curved into a rare smile.
On the other side, Qin Wanyuan was rubbing her cheeks with both hands, massaging her face over and over.
“Big sister, what’s wrong?” Qin Qian’er blinked, looking at her in confusion.
“Mm… I heard that massaging your face like this in the morning helps unblock your meridians, promotes blood flow, and improves your complexion,” Qin Wanyuan replied after a moment of thought, making up an explanation on the spot.
In truth, her mouth and jaw were incredibly sore from the day before. When she woke up, they were aching and weak, and she had to massage them just to ease the discomfort.
But of course, that wasn’t something she could ever say out loud.
After all, she had already suffered a mortifying moment in front of her little sister just yesterday. If it happened again, she really would want to bury her head in the ground.
“Really…”
Hearing this, Qin Qian’er tilted her head in thought, then began imitating Qin Wanyuan, rubbing her own cheeks the same way.
“Ahem… Qian’er, this isn’t something you need to do.”
“Why not? Doesn’t it help make you more beautiful?”
“Qian’er is already pretty enough.”
“But you’re even more beautiful than me, Sister, and you’re doing it. If I don’t, wouldn’t that mean I’m slacking off?” Qin Qian’er replied with an innocent look.
The exchange between the sisters made Lin Que, watching from the side, unable to hold back. He covered most of his face with one hand and quietly chuckled.
Seeing his gloating expression, Qin Wanyuan shot him a sharp glare, both embarrassed and annoyed, then sent him a voice transmission.
– You’re still laughing?! This is all your fault!
– My bad, my bad. After breakfast, when we get back to the room, I’ll massage it for you again.
– That’s more like it~
After breakfast, Lin Que did indeed help Qin Wanyuan massage her sore cheeks and jaw, but it was out in the pavilion.
Qin Qian’er was in the room observing the phoenix egg, and after Lin Que finished infusing it with spiritual energy, he headed to the pavilion with Qin Wanyuan.
Qin Wanyuan sat on Lin Que’s lap, her whole body leaning back, fully resting against his chest. Feeling her soft, fragrant figure in his arms, Lin Que remained composed while gently massaging her cheeks.
“By the way, Lin Lang, did you clean up our room properly?” Qin Wanyuan asked nervously as she glanced toward their bedroom.
After all, her younger sister had been visiting their love nest daily and if she accidentally stumbled upon anything… that would be a disaster.
“Of course. I always clean it thoroughly after we’re done,” Lin Que nodded.
He wasn’t lying. Every time, before cleaning, he would sweep the room with his spiritual sense. Not a trace of evidence would remain, not even a speck of dust.
“That’s a relief,” Qin Wanyuan sighed, finally feeling at ease.
The two were chatting idly in the pavilion when they suddenly heard a knock at the entrance of the cave dwelling.
“I’m Wang Moqing,” the visitor announced.
It was Jiang Moqing. Though she still used her alias when speaking.
“It’s Senior Sister…”
Hearing Jiang Moqing’s voice, Qin Wanyuan instinctively tensed up a little. Just yesterday, she had followed the system’s task description and shamelessly shown off in front of her. In the end, she’d been politely kicked out with a cup of tea.
Could it be that Senior Sister got angrier the more she thought about it and came here to get revenge?
Qin Wanyuan drew in a sharp breath. Honestly, that didn’t sound too far-fetched. After all, Jiang Moqing’s personality did include a strong streak of obsession.
Still, considering how she’d behaved for the sake of the task, she had definitely been out of line. Even if Jiang Moqing was here to settle the score, she couldn’t really blame her.
Just a beating….she could grit her teeth and get through it!
Having mentally prepared herself for a sword strike from Jiang Moqing, Qin Wanyuan walked over to the entrance and opened the door.
However—
Contrary to the murderous scenario she had imagined, Jiang Moqing’s expression was rather complicated. She seemed both expectant and a little nervous, like someone hesitating before approaching someone they admired.
Qin Wanyuan blinked and noticed that Jiang Moqing wasn’t even looking at her. Her gaze passed right over Qin Wanyuan’s shoulder and landed on the young man sitting in the pavilion.
Alarm bells immediately went off in Qin Wanyuan’s mind. She subtly took half a step to the side, cleverly blocking Jiang Moqing’s line of sight.
“And may I ask what brings Senior Sister here today?” she asked politely.
At Qin Wanyuan’s wary action,
Jiang Moqing’s willow-like brows slowly drew together.
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