142: The voice in my mind

Watching Chu Qianqian's back quickly recede into the distance.

Lu Yi stood where he was, not chasing after her to explain anything.

Normally, for the sake of progression, he might have gone to coax her.

But now?

Forget it. The situation was too chaotic. Chasing after her now wouldn't clarify anything; instead, it would likely make things even more confusing.

It was better to let her be alone for a while.

“Revered Master! Revered Master!”

“Young Master! What on earth happened?”

Before Lu Yi could even catch his breath, the “little sparrows” around him began their chirping assault.

Wu Mingyue pulled on Lu Yi's left arm, Qing'er pulled on his right, and even the usually steady Ling'er leaned in, her face full of curiosity and concern.

Three women make a play; with these three girls combined, the noise was making Lu Yi's head throb.

He hated explaining these convoluted messes the most.

He couldn't exactly tell them:

That he had just been “fighting” with that Saintess inside?

“Stop, stop, stop!”

Lu Yi rubbed his temples and helplessly interrupted everyone's questioning.

“Don't ask so much. Stop prying into these matters.”

To prevent them from continuing to grill him, Lu Yi decided to bring out the “ultimate weapon” he had prepared to shift their attention.

He gave a mysterious smile and raised an eyebrow at the girls.

“Compared to those boring things, I have something good here. I'm sure you'll like it.”

“Something good? What is it?”

Wu Mingyue's large eyes instantly lit up, filled with anticipation.

Lu Yi didn't keep them in suspense.

He reached directly into his robes and pulled out the still-sleeping Three-tailed Little White Fox by the scruff of its neck.

“Here, take it.”

“Wow—!!!”

Sure enough, it was just as Lu Yi expected.

The moment that snowy-white, soft, fluffy little fox—only the size of a palm and curled into a ball—appeared before the girls.

All questions, all curiosity, all worries... were all thrown to the back of their minds!

“So cute!!”

Wu Mingyue let out a scream loud enough to pierce eardrums, her eyes sparkling like stars.

Even the usually placid Qing'er covered her mouth with both hands, her face filled with longing and surprise.

Ling'er stared unblinkingly, her heart practically melting.

After all, there was probably no girl who could resist such a top-tier adorable creature in its infancy.

Although the little fox was still fast asleep.

Its pure white fur without a single blemish, and those three little tails swaying slightly unconsciously.

Along with that tender pink nose and the occasional twitch of its pointed ears... it existed solely to harvest young girls' hearts!

“Revered Master! Where... where did this come from?! Is it a Little White Fox? It has three tails! Can I touch it?”

Wu Mingyue reached out, wanting to touch it but not daring to, for fear of waking the little fellow.

Looking at the group of girls acting like they'd never seen the world, Lu Yi curled his lip.

“I'll leave her in the care of you two for now.”

As he spoke, he tossed the little fox directly into Wu Mingyue's arms.

“Oh! Revered Master, be gentle!”

Wu Mingyue was startled and hurriedly caught it with both hands.

She stroked the little fox's head affectionately and then glared at Lu Yi.

“What if you hurt it!”

“Alright, stop with the overflowing maternal instinct.”

Lu Yi stretched and yawned, looking weary.

This trip to Yaochi—breaking formations, “fighting,” and snatching a child—had truly exhausted him.

He turned and instructed Ling'er, who had been waiting nearby.

“Ling'er, go pack our things. Get a good night's rest tonight; early tomorrow morning, we set off for the Primordial Holy Land.”

He had stirred the muddy waters of Yaochi enough.

That Mu Yun had been scared off, and all the benefits that could be taken had been secured.

If he stayed any longer, until that shrewd woman Luo Qingcheng came to her senses, or until that girl Chu Qianqian realized what happened and came to confront him.

Then it would be troublesome... In the blink of an eye, night fell.

The Yaochi Holy Land, which had been bustling all day, finally regained its tranquility under the shroud of night.

However, inside the Yaochi Saintess's luxurious and spacious bedchamber, the atmosphere was exceptionally anxious.

On the large cloud couch, Chu Qianqian lay alone, tossing and turning.

She wore only a thin silk undergarment, which outlined her exquisite curves.

Her waterfall-like long hair was scattered messily across the pillow, exuding a sense of lazy beauty.

However, on that cold and beautiful face, there was now a look of internal conflict, irritability, and... deep self-doubt.

“Dammit!”

Chu Qianqian suddenly sat up, scratching her hair in frustration.

Since returning, she had locked herself in her room and checked herself thoroughly, inside and out, three whole times!

Her Meridians were clear, her spiritual power was pure, and there were no internal injuries.

Even the Hehuan Heart-Devouring Gu that had tortured her for so long and caused her such agony seemed to have vanished completely.

Her body was perfectly fine, with no lingering effects of Possession or any signs of damage.

But the more normal it seemed, the more she felt something was wrong!

“Since my body is fine and my Divine Soul isn't damaged... why did I suddenly lose control of my body in the depths of the Secret Realm?”

Whenever she closed her eyes.

As if out of her control, her mind would automatically play back the scenes of her entanglement with Lu Yi in the waters of Yaochi.

Those sensations that made her face flush and heart race... those sounds that made her ears go soft... that feeling of her Soul trembling... it was so real, it felt as if it had just happened!

“Ah—!! Stop thinking about it! Stop thinking about it!”

“Chu Qianqian, you are the Yaochi Saintess! You must be free of desires! You must focus solely on the Dao!”

“That was definitely a hallucination! It must have been a hallucination! Or that bastard Lu Yi gave me some kind of drug!”

Chu Qianqian was mortified.

Like an ostrich, she grabbed a soft pillow and pressed it tightly against her head.

Trying to use this physical method to squeeze out the “dirty thoughts” that kept surfacing in her mind.

“Sleep! Sleep!”

“Once I'm asleep, everything will be fine!”

She forced herself to clear her mind and adjust her breathing, trying to enter a state of meditation.

Gradually, under her forced hypnosis, her chaotic thoughts finally began to calm down.

Her consciousness became blurred, approaching a state between wakefulness and sleep.

In that dead of night, at the very moment she was about to fall asleep.

A voice that was extremely abrupt and definitely did not belong in this room.

Suddenly rang out!

“Mmm~...”

It was a woman's voice.

It wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

The voice was lazy and magnetic, carrying the satisfaction and comfort of someone who had just woken up.

“This sleep... was truly comfortable...”

This voice didn't come from any corner of the room.

Instead... it rang directly from the depths of her mind!

“Who is it?!”

The hair on Chu Qianqian's body stood on end!

In that instant, she was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, springing directly from the bed!

“Who... who is it? Come out!! Stop playing tricks!”