118: Chapter 118 Ji Ziyue! The Clingy Ji Who Can't Be Driven Away

Ji Ziyue didn't sleep all night.

It wasn't that she couldn't sleep, but that she didn't want to.

She sat cross-legged on a futon in the palace, her Pseudo-Emperor Seventh Level spirit power slowly circulating through her Meridians to heal the bruises left by the whipping she received during the day.

The bruises weren't severe.

Lu Chen's control was extremely precise; he didn't harm her Dao foundation or damage her Meridians. It was purely physical pain.

But it was precisely this pure pain that made her feel like a completely different person.

Ji Ziyue had lived for tens of thousands of years.

Fighting her way from the Dragon Transformation Realm all the way to the Pseudo-Emperor Seventh Level, the number of Prodigies she had stepped over could fill an entire mountain range.

Whenever the Ji Family's name was revealed, no one within a million miles dared to breathe loudly.

She had been high and mighty for far too long.

So long that she had forgotten what it felt like to be crushed.

Today, she remembered.

The moment the immortal binding rope coiled around her, all her spirit power was sealed, leaving her unable to move.

Then came the whip, stroke after stroke.

At first, it was pain—pure pain, unadulterated by any Laws.

This kind of pain was so unfamiliar to her.

From childhood, the Ji Family had held her in the palm of their hands; if she so much as bumped into something, the entire clan would react as if facing a great enemy.

Her Cultivation battles were also complete stomps, and any occasional injuries would heal in an instant.

She had absolutely no idea what it felt like to be beaten while unable to resist.

Later, something else was wrapped within the pain.

It was itchy and numb, surging from her tailbone all the way to the back of her head, making her whole body feel as if it had been struck by lightning.

In that moment, only one thought remained in her mind.

Do it again.

Ji Ziyue opened her eyes and reached out to touch the area that had been whipped.

A slight stinging sensation came from her fingertips.

The corners of her mouth curled up.

"Interesting."

She stood up and walked to the copper mirror.

The mirror reflected her entire body. Her purple palace dress was dignified and grand, her Falling Horse Bun was meticulous, and her phoenix eyes were full of spring.

Ji Ziyue looked for a few moments.

She reached out and undid the Falling Horse Bun.

Her long hair fell like a waterfall, cascading over her shoulders.

Then she opened her wardrobe.

After searching for a long time, she pulled out a purple Flowing Immortal Dress from the bottom of a chest.

This was from when she was younger; the cut was extremely form-fitting, with a narrowed waistline, a neckline three inches lower than her palace dress, and a narrow, clinging skirt that would outline the shape of her legs with every step.

She put it on.

The person in the copper mirror had completely changed.

She was no longer the aloof Ji Ziyue, but a mature woman of immense charm.

Ji Ziyue spun around in front of the mirror and nodded with satisfaction.

---

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

The first thing Lu Chen did upon opening his eyes was to release his Divine Sense to confirm that Jiang Yi and Nangong Waner had indeed not come.

Once confirmed, he bounced out of bed.

"Qingxian! Get up! Pack your things! Let's go!"

Ye Qingxian rushed out of the adjacent room, her twin-tails lopsided and her eyes not yet fully open.

"Revered Master, it's not even light out yet..."

"It's better to run while it's still dark."

Lu Chen scooped up Ye Qingxian, tucked her under his arm, and flickered away, heading toward the Spirit Field in the Jiang Family's back mountain where the flying boats were parked.

He was extremely fast.

They arrived at the Spirit Field.

A thousand-foot-long Emperor-grade Flying Boat sat on the jade platform, its entire body pitch black and covered in Emperor runes.

This was the travel vessel that Jiang Taixu had sent a message to "gift" to his son-in-Law.

Lu Chen landed in front of the flying boat, set Ye Qingxian down, and was about to activate the formation runes to start the vessel.

His steps faltered.

By the gangway of the flying boat, someone was leaning against the railing.

She wore a purple Flowing Immortal Dress, her long hair was loose, and her phoenix eyes were full of smiles.

Ji Ziyue had her hands folded in front of her, her back leaning against the gangway railing, and one leg slightly bent, her skirt sliding down along the curve of her thigh.

Her entire temperament was like a different person compared to yesterday.

Yesterday, she was the dignified and reserved Old Ancestor of the Ji Family.

Today, she was a seductive and charming mature woman.

"Emperor Yun, morning."

Her voice had also changed; it was no longer a cold, business-like tone, but carried a hint of laziness and intimacy.

Lu Chen's pupils constricted slightly.

"Why are you here?"

Ji Ziyue tilted her head and smiled.

"Waiting for you."

She took a step forward, the narrow skirt of her purple Flowing Immortal Dress swaying slightly with her gait, the curve of her waist appearing incredibly clear in the morning light.

"Where is Emperor Yun going? Take Ziyue with you."

Her tone was natural.

"Ziyue will serve you tea and water, massage your shoulders and back, and take very comfortable care of you."

Lu Chen's temple throbbed.

"Ji Ziyue, are you sick?"

He took half a step back, his expression looking as if he had seen something completely incomprehensible.

"You're a Pseudo-Emperor Seventh Level, mind your status!"

Ji Ziyue did not retreat.

She continued to walk forward, her steps small, but each one closing the distance.

"Status?"

She gave a light laugh.

"Yesterday, when you used the immortal binding rope to tie me up and whipped me with that little whip, why didn't you tell me to mind my status?"

Lu Chen was choked for words.

Beside him, Ye Qingxian's mouth hung open in an 'O' shape.

Ji Ziyue stopped three steps in front of Lu Chen, her phoenix eyes staring straight at him.

"I thought about yesterday's beating all night."

Her voice softened.

"From childhood to now, no one has ever been able to make me completely helpless. You are the first."

"That feeling was very unfamiliar, but very..."

She paused for a moment, choosing a word.

"Satisfying."

A layer of goosebumps rose on Lu Chen's back.

"You want to secretly learn my Cultivation Techniques and Divine Abilities?" He changed his approach, trying to dissuade her with rational logic.

"Go back to the Ji Family and train for two and a half years before we talk about that."

Ji Ziyue shook her head.

"It's not about secret learning."

She raised her hand and lightly tapped her waist, the spot that had been whipped yesterday.

"It's that you've beaten me into submission."

"I feel that staying by your side will be beneficial to my Cultivation. Being suppressed by someone stronger allows me to see my own deficiencies."

She paused, her phoenix eyes curving into a smile.

"Even if you don't take me, I will still follow you."

After hearing this, Lu Chen remained silent for three breaths.

Then he turned to look at Ye Qingxian.

Ye Qingxian was also looking at him, her large eyes filled with shock.

"Revered Master..."

"Don't talk."

Lu Chen turned back, staring at Ji Ziyue.

"Ji Ziyue, you are a member of the Ji Family. If word gets out that you're running off with an outsider, what would that look like?"

"What would it look like?" Ji Ziyue tilted her head and asked back.

"Jiang Yi married you, and Nangong Waner followed you—both with the tacit approval of their respective Old Ancestors. Why is it that I, Ji Ziyue, can't go out for a stroll with you?"

"You—"

"How long did my grand-aunt Ji Rushuang live with the Jiang Family? When she married Jiang Taixu, what did the Ji Family say?"

Lu Chen was speechless.

Ji Ziyue smiled even more brightly.

"Besides, you wouldn't want me to go back and tell Jiang Yi and Nangong Waner that you used a little whip on me yesterday, would you?"

The air froze for two breaths.

Lu Chen's mouth twitched.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare." Ji Ziyue acted submissive, her voice so soft it was practically dripping.

"I'm just stating facts."

Lu Chen took a deep breath.

It was over.

She was the Central Plains version of Yan Lingji.

Moreover, she was a Pseudo-Emperor level dog-skin plaster who couldn't be driven away, wouldn't listen to scolding, and even held dirt on him.

No, she was even more troublesome than a dog-skin plaster. At least a dog-skin plaster wouldn't threaten you.

"Revered Master." Ye Qingxian leaned in, lowering her voice.

"I don't like her."

Lu Chen closed his eyes and finally let out a long sigh.

"Fine, get on the boat first."

Ji Ziyue's phoenix eyes lit up.

She lifted her skirt and lightly stepped onto the gangway with agile movements.

After boarding the deck, she naturally stood to Lu Chen's right, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

She neither crossed the line nor was she distant.

She handled it just right.

Ye Qingxian stomped onto the deck and sat cross-legged at the bow. She glanced back at Ji Ziyue, then at her Revered Master, and muttered softly.

"Revered Master's charm is simply too ridiculous; even a ten-thousand-year-old hag can be won over by a single beating..."

"What did you say?" Ji Ziyue turned her head.

"Nothing, nothing! I said Senior Ji is so young and beautiful!"

Ji Ziyue stood on the deck, the morning wind blowing her long hair and skirt.

She tilted her head and glanced at Lu Chen, who was standing before the helm.

His back was to her, his black robe fluttering in the wind, his hair tied with a wooden hairpin, and the tattered wine gourd swaying at his waist.

Ji Ziyue withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyelashes.

The curl at the corner of her mouth was hidden behind her hair, invisible to outsiders.

Serving tea and learning things were both lies.

What she wanted was never just to stay by his side.

She only needed to find a suitable opportunity to make this Emperor "lay a hand" on her once more.

The first time was the whip.

The second time, she would want more than just a whip.

And what Lu Chen didn't know was that he had already been targeted.