369: Chapter 369 The Plan Has Changed

In the courtyard behind Haoran Tower, a few stalks of bamboo cast shadows, and a clear spring flowed over the stones.

Spiritual tea wafted a delicate fragrance. Ling Hao leaned back on a soft couch, leisurely sipping the spiritual liquid in his cup.

Chi Wanhe, Qin Zhaoxue, Du Yuqing, Lu Changning, Lin Xiwei, and Shui Liuli, his six Personal Disciples, surrounded him, their voices sweet like oriole calls, creating an enchanting atmosphere.

Chi Wanhe was the most lively and bold. She picked up a spiritual fruit with her slender fingers and handed it directly to Ling Hao's lips, smiling charmingly:

"Revered Master, taste this. I saved it specifically for you~"

Qin Zhaoxue smiled gently. With a delicate hand, she held the teapot and refilled Ling Hao's cup, her movements soft and graceful.

Lu Changning knelt obediently by Ling Hao's side, her small hands balled into fists, gently punching his legs.

Shui Liuli, with her lively purple eyes, quickly grabbed the teacup Ling Hao had just set down. Without minding, she took a small sip from where he had drunk.

Chi Wanhe immediately widened her eyes:

"Liuli! That's Revered Master's cup!"

"Senior Sister is stingy~ Revered Master didn't even say anything!"

Shui Liuli stuck out her tongue and hid behind Ling Hao.

Du Yuqing silently pushed a plate of exquisite tea snacks closer to Ling Hao's hand.

Lin Xiwei looked at the heartwarming yet slightly chaotic scene before her. Only when everyone quieted down slightly did she speak:

"Revered Master, the trip to White Rock Holy Land... this Disciple also wishes to accompany you to verify the results of my own cultivation."

"I want to go too..."

Chi Wanhe was the first to echo.

"Count me in..."

"I want to go too."

"Revered Master, I..."

"Hehe, although my Realm is a bit low, Revered Master will definitely protect me."

Except for Xia Yingying and Shui Liuli, the other five women had already advanced to the Void Refinement Stage. With the blessing of immortal-grade Cultivation Techniques, Dao techniques, and Dao laws, they could be considered invincible within the Tribulation Transcendence Stage.

The five of them joining forces could even contend against an Early Stage Mahayana cultivator.

Of course, whether it was a real battle or that kind of battle... even if they all attacked together, they were no match for Ling Hao.

They hadn't been able to go to the Western Main Rift three years ago, so they certainly wanted to join in the fun this time in the White Rock Holy Land!

Ling Hao heard this and swept his gaze over his six Disciples, his expression filled with approval and a hint of playfulness.

"Not bad, you have indeed grown."

Hmm, after all these years, both their cultivation and their assets had improved significantly.

Just then, Xia Yingying walked in, followed by a visibly awkward Yue Xinxi.

"Revered Master... Yingying wants to return to the White Rock Holy Land with Sister Xinxi..."

Ling Hao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised:

"Oh? Returning to the White Rock Holy Land?"

He looked at Yue Xinxi.

Yue Xinxi turned her face away, her light green dress making her figure look somewhat thin.

"Yes... I want to pay respects to my parents... and my younger sister."

Her words were brief, yet they carried a deep, hidden weight.

Ling Hao looked at this woman, who was usually proud and sharp-tongued but now rarely revealed vulnerability and nostalgia, and did not immediately press for details.

He put down his teacup and said gently: "That's perfect. I also need to go to the White Rock Holy Land to handle some matters. You can accompany me."

The plea for help from the White Rock Holy Land Sect Master, Shi Qingxuan, was the perfect opportunity for him to intervene in the White Rock Holy Land, and perhaps even obtain the rock cauldron. As for the Fusang State side...

Yue Xinxi's body trembled, and she shook her head violently:

"Forget it! No... I don't want to go back!"

Her voice carried a hint of panic and resistance, as if that homeland held memories she couldn't face.

Ling Hao perceived the struggle in her eyes—she wanted to go back to pay respects, yet she feared certain parts of the past.

He made the decision for her directly.

"It's fine, I will be with you. It's settled. You will come with me when the time comes."

...

Night fell, and the top of Hundred Flowers Peak was bathed in clear radiance.

In front of a secluded Immortal Cave, Yu Zhaohua stood quietly under the moon. Her silver hair was like a waterfall, her simple clothes were whiter than snow, and her ice hairpin reflected a cold light.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around slowly. The moonlight fell on her cold, stunning face.

From Ling Hao's perspective, those ice-blue eyes seemed to brighten for a moment, then returned to the calmness of a deep pool, as if it were just an illusion.

Ling Hao approached and naturally took her cool hand, and the two walked together to the pavilion beside the Immortal Cave.

Ling Hao pulled her into his arms, feeling the softness of her voluptuous body. He lowered his head and gently kissed her cool lips, his movements gentle and familiar.

Yu Zhaohua endured it quietly, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes.

For three years, such intimate contact—hugging, sitting together, and soft kisses—had long become an unspoken daily routine between them.

But... this time, Ling Hao's hands did not remain content with just an embrace, tentatively caressing her full breasts.

Yu Zhaohua frowned slightly.

Ling Hao paused, seemingly realizing he had overstepped, and was about to withdraw his hand and apologize:

"Zhaohua, I..."

However, before he could finish, Yu Zhaohua raised her hand, grabbed his wrist as he tried to pull away, and pressed it back onto her chest, her voice cold and waveless:

"Continue."

Then she closed her eyes.

Ling Hao was slightly stunned, then laughed.

Was she... starting to enjoy this feeling?

Although she still didn't have the feelings of a man and woman, but... having developed a habit, wasn't that also good?

Ling Hao lowered his head and kissed her again, this time deeper and more lingering.

The tip of his tongue gently pried open her pearly teeth, exploring that unique coldness and sweetness.

Yu Zhaohua responded, her breathing quickening slightly.

Under the moonlight, the two embraced tightly, lips and tongues entwined, their breaths mingling.

After a long while, they separated. Ling Hao looked at her cold, beautiful face and chuckled:

"In the future, whether or not you can truly develop romantic feelings, I don't intend to let you go. Will you regret it?"

Yu Zhaohua opened her eyes, her ice-blue pupils clear, reflecting the moonlight and him:

"You are the person acknowledged by Ling Shuang, Linglong, and Ling Ling, and you are also the pillar of the Sect. Since I have allowed your intimacy, I will remain as I have always been."

Ling Hao smiled.

If an ordinary woman had agreed to such intimacy and knew she had to share him with others, her mind would have turned many corners—either jealous and competitive, fighting openly or secretly for exclusive favor; or insecure, fearing he would favor one over the other and neglect her; or even if she were magnanimous, smiling on the surface while accepting it, she would inevitably feel a bit of bitterness inside, needing him to fill it with a thousand times more tenderness later.

Seeing him close to other women, even his Disciples and those tens of thousands of Dao Companions would probably have some different thoughts.

So, he just had to work hard himself.

When doing their daily routine in the Moonshadow World, Ling Hao would take whoever he saw, satisfying them.

Sigh, this is the price of keeping the bowl of water level.

As for the one in front of him...

Sharing a husband?

She probably couldn't even understand the concept of "jealousy." In her view, his intimacy with Ling Shuang and Linglong, and their current intimacy, were two things of different natures.

The former was that her Disciples had found a Dao Companion they acknowledged, a joyous event for the Sect's succession; the latter was that she had permitted his intimacy, a continuation of a "predetermined matter."

The two ran in parallel without contradiction; where was the conflict?

As for the ethical subtlety of "the Revered Master falling for the man her Disciples love"...

She probably cared even less.

Someone acknowledged by all three of her Disciples was naturally worth trusting; as a Revered Master, choosing the same person as her Disciples, then so be it—the rules didn't say it was forbidden, and the Heavenly Dao didn't send down punishment, so it was feasible.

Whatever ethics, whatever secular views—in her ice-blue eyes, they were probably not even worth a second glance compared to the brightness of the moonlight tonight.

When he was with Ling Shuang, Wanhe, and the others, he still needed to be slightly considerate of their little thoughts, not favoring one too much over the others.

But with her, none of these needed to be considered—she wouldn't fight, wouldn't complain, wouldn't harbor secret sorrow, and wouldn't be jealous.

She just stood there quietly, like an eternal cold moon, allowing him to approach, allowing him to embrace, allowing him to taste that cold softness under the moonlight.

Then, as always.

Ling Hao suddenly felt like laughing, and also felt like sighing.

If she didn't get jealous, didn't get envious, then she wouldn't have ripples in her heart because of his intimacy.

Ling Hao raised his hand and gently brushed the hair at her temples that had been messed up by the night wind.

"Good, and not good."

The bad thing was whether this block of ice could ever be melted was still up in the air.

Yu Zhaohua tilted her head slightly, seemingly puzzled as to why he suddenly said these things, but she didn't avoid his touch, just looked at him quietly.

Ling Hao smiled and withdrew his hand, looking in the direction of the distant Sect Main Hall.

Ling Shuang and Linglong were probably still there? And their Revered Master was by his side...

"I heard from Ling Shuang and the others that the Sect is preparing to head to Fusang State?"

Yu Zhaohua asked.

Ling Hao nodded and shook his head, saying:

"That's right, plans have changed. I need to go to the White Rock Holy Land first to handle important matters. I would like to ask you to lead the team, taking Yu Lingling, Nangong Mei, Baili Qiao, and other elites of Hundred Flowers Peak to head to Fusang State first."

"First, to investigate the current situation of the Golden Crow Holy Land, and second... I am also somewhat interested in the Endless East Sea east of Fusang State. When the time comes, if you can, please help me collect some information."

"Okay."

Yu Zhaohua agreed, crisp and decisive.

Looking at the unique charm revealed through her coldness, the impulse to completely melt this ancient black ice surged in Ling Hao's heart again, and he asked in a low voice:

"Then... shall we continue?"

Yu Zhaohua was expressionless, only nodding slightly:

"Mm."

The moonlight poured down like silver gauze, shrouding the top of Hundred Flowers Peak.

An elegant pavilion stood quietly, the various spiritual flowers around it blooming silently in the night, with crystal clear dew drops condensed on the petals, like scattered stars.

Above the sea of flowers, inside the pavilion, two figures embraced tightly. The man's hands supported the woman's slender waist and back, the woman tilted her head slightly, her silver hair flowing like a waterfall, entangled with the man's hair.

Their lips met again, and under the cold moonlight, they formed a quiet and profound picture.

The night sky was deep, a bright moon hung high, witnessing this fusion of ice and fire.