5: Chapter 5 The Vice Sect Master in Exchange for a Cup of Water

The bright moon hung high, and the courtyard was silent.

Silver light poured down, outlining the stone paths, flowers, trees, and ancient well like a Chinese ink painting.

A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo forest, and occasionally, the chirping of insects from the grass added to the tranquil Concept.

Inside the side room, Chi Wanhe lay quietly on the bed, her breathing even but exceptionally weak.

Her face, once covered in silver scales, had now returned to normal, with only a few faint marks, like snowflakes leaving kisses on her skin.

But her tightly furrowed brows and the occasional slight tremor of her eyelids hinted that even in her coma, she was enduring some unseen torment.

Ling Hao sat on the wooden stool by the bed, his fingers gently tapping the armrest.

"Wanhe, is this... Erosion Demon Qi?"

He wanted to confirm his guess.

Yu Lingshuang stood by the window, moonlight illuminating her profile, outlining her perfect features.

She nodded slightly, her voice calm and restrained:

"That's right, and the situation is quite serious. For a Mortal who hasn't officially stepped into the threshold of Cultivation, the erosion qi accumulated in her body has reached such a degree."

"Do you want to take her into the Sect?"

Yu Lingshuang turned around, glanced at Chi Wanhe on the bed, then looked at Ling Hao with piercing eyes, her tone flat with a hint of probing.

Ling Hao looked up slightly surprised, meeting Yu Lingshuang's scrutinizing gaze, then nodded frankly:

"Yes."

After the brief exchange, the side room fell silent. The oil lamp's flame flickered gently in the breeze, and the shadows of the two on the wall swayed with it.

The two remained quiet, each lost in their thoughts, neither breaking the silence.

The occasional chirping of insects outside the window and the sound of flowing water from a distant mountain stream reminded them that time was still passing.

After a long while, the flame in the oil lamp flickered, almost extinguished, then was blown brighter by a gentle breeze.

Yu Lingshuang stood by the window, her gaze lowered, looking at a pond outside the window. The water surface was calm as a mirror, reflecting the bright moon in the sky.

The scene from that night unexpectedly flooded her mind, and Yu Lingshuang's cheeks flushed slightly.

"You lecher, die!"

Upon waking, she saw crystalline water stains at the corner of Ling Hao's mouth, mistakenly thinking he had taken advantage of her while feeding her water. In her anger, she slapped him, but to her surprise, Ling Hao was not to be outdone and boldly patted her buttocks.

She made a move, and then was forcefully suppressed by Ling Hao with the Power of the Void Tempering.

"Lady, if I truly wanted to do something to you, wouldn't it have been easier to do so when you were unconscious, or by directly suppressing you now? Why would I bother with mouth-to-mouth feeding to take advantage of you?"

Now, Yu Lingshuang thought that perhaps she had been unreasonable.

After being forcefully suppressed, she noticed that both her cheeks and chin were somewhat painful.

This Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sect might genuinely have just taken a sip of his own spring water because he was thirsty.

As a Void-Piercing True Emperor, he indeed wouldn't need such methods.

Ling Hao was also lost in his memories. He hadn't expected Yu Lingshuang to slap him after waking up, nor had he expected to instinctively return the slap.

After hitting her, Ling Hao regretted it. It was as if he was admitting to having ulterior motives.

Uh... no, haha... he actually did have ulterior motives.

Sitting on the stone stool, Ling Hao's fingers continuously rubbed the rim of the teacup, his gaze wandering. He tried to speak several times, his Adam's apple bobbing, but ultimately sighed,

"Ahem, that night I---"

"No need to explain, I believe you."

Yu Lingshuang interrupted him coldly before he could finish, her voice like ice, yet with a hint of reluctance. She turned her face away, pretending to be greatly interested in the distant tree shadows.

Ling Hao was startled by her words, then gave a bitter smile and shook his head:

"No, I meant---"

Ling Hao actually wanted to apologize for that slap. He hadn't been hurt at all; on the contrary... he had taken advantage.

As if by a mischievous spirit, Ling Hao's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Yu Lingshuang's graceful curves wrapped in her white dress, landing on her perky buttocks.

Yu Lingshuang, with her back to Ling Hao, keenly sensed his gaze and immediately understood what he was referring to. A wave of heat rose from her neck; she forced herself to remain calm, but the icy mask on her face had developed subtle cracks.

"No need to say anything, I know what you mean."

She tried to make her voice sound steady, but couldn't hide a slight tremor,

"That slap was indeed my fault. Let's call it even."

Ling Hao suddenly looked up, surprised by her directness.

Under the moonlight, Yu Lingshuang's profile was perfectly chiseled, her nose bridge high, her cherry lips slightly pursed, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a touch of cold allure.

"If, I mean if..."

Yu Lingshuang continued, but found her throat a bit dry,

"If I stay and become your Sect's Deputy Sect Master, can you let me... let me..."

Let you? Let you what?

A big question mark appeared in Ling Hao's mind. 'Do continue,' he thought.

"Drink a cup of Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring water every day..."

Yu Lingshuang gritted her silver teeth and finally said it. She clearly knew her current physical condition.

Although her injuries had mostly healed, and the erosion qi in her body was largely cleared, her Lunar True Essence had been almost completely eroded by the erosion qi.

Lunar True Essence is a barrier that only high-Realm female Cultivators can condense, designed to resist erosion qi.

Why is this erosion qi invasion called the "Calamity of Taiyin"? On one hand, the erosion qi intensifies on the day of the full moon. On the other hand, at the same Realm, female Cultivators experience a stronger Calamity of Taiyin than male Cultivators.

This means female Cultivators consume more resources than male Cultivators!

The loss of Lunar True Essence means it's harder to resist the erosion qi's invasion.

Condensing Lunar True Essence requires various precious Heaven And Earth Treasures, at least rank seven or above.

Before the Lunar True Essence is fully restored, re-Cultivating one's Realm will be incredibly difficult.

Before the Lunar True Essence is fully restored, re-Cultivating one's Realm will be incredibly difficult.

But Yu Lingshuang was surprised to find that the Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring alone could condense Lunar True Essence, albeit at a somewhat slow rate.

"Of course, no problem!"

Ling Hao readily agreed. The Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring was virtually inexhaustible for him.

On the System panel, Yu Lingshuang's information was clearly displayed.

Name: Yu Lingshuang

Position: Deputy Sect Master

Age: 1800 years old

Cultivation: Body Integration Stage, sixth layer (Realm fell to Foundation Establishment Stage, third layer)

Spiritual Root: Heavenly Grade Ice Spiritual Root

Physique: Cold Flood Dragon Physique

Ling Hao hadn't expected to casually pick up a Body Integration Stage Cultivator. Since the System arrived, his luck seemed to have improved.

Exchanging a cup of Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring daily for a Body Integration Stage Cultivator was a very good deal.

Furthermore, in the future, when the Sect has many Disciples, with the Deputy Sect Master overseeing Sect affairs, he could be a carefree boss and wander around.

As for betrayal, once you enter my Sect, your life and death are mine to command!

Hearing Ling Hao's personal promise, Yu Lingshuang also breathed a sigh of relief.

After Ling Hao left the Moonshadow Sect, she couldn't resist going back to the Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring to secretly drink a few sips. This unauthorized, clandestine behavior... had tormented her for a while.

"Thank you!"

Hearing this, Ling Hao smiled broadly, his lips naturally curving upward, his eyes filled with pure amusement.

"What's there to thank? You are now my Moonshadow Sect's Deputy Sect Master. Would I mistreat you? If you need anything in the future, just tell me."

Having lived for so long, Yu Lingshuang had met countless people, and she could discern the sincerity of a smile at a glance.

The young man's smile before her was of a sincerity she rarely encountered in her life.

Why does he trust me, a stranger, so much?

Ripples couldn't help but form in Yu Lingshuang's heart.

At this moment, a stir came from the bed nearby.