78: Chapter 78 Elbow, Come Inside With Me

Inside an elegant pavilion, Jing Hong and Perfected Yunshui sat opposite each other across a stone table.

Perfected Yunshui remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking.

"Is it worth it?"

Jing Hong knew what he was asking about. Giving up two-thirds of the treasury accumulated over a millennium in exchange for a promise of protection from the Moonshadow Sect that might collapse due to external pressure.

No matter how one looked at it, the Moonshadow Sect would find it difficult to withstand the combined forces of the Tianhuo Sect and the Earth Flame Sect, even if they had revealed the strength of two Nascent Soul True Lords.

At this moment, Jing Hong was much calmer than when he was at the Yunmiao Heavenly Treasury Pavilion. He picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and as he set it down, his tone was resolute.

"It's worth it!"

Perfected Yunshui's brow furrowed, clearly unable to understand, which eventually turned into a sigh.

"The Wending Assembly is only a year away. For our Liuyun Temple, this assembly is nothing less than a life-or-death crisis!"

He looked at Jing Hong. "Sect Master, you have already reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm. Why not offer rare treasures to the Envoy of the Suzerain State to buy our Sect some breathing room?"

Jing Hong shook his head, a trace of helplessness on his face.

"It would be a futile effort. We can offer gifts, but can the Tianhuo and Earth Flame Sects not afford the same? They will surely take the opportunity to strike during the Wending Assembly."

"However, now there is the Moonshadow Sect."

He took another sip of tea, his tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"The so-called Wending Assembly is, in the end, nothing more than a grand tribute festival. As long as you can provide enough of a share on time, why would the Suzerain State care about the life or death of a vassal Sect?"

"The only thing they care about is the conflict between the top-tier Fourth-grade Sects. When the Earth Flame Sect spoke of inviting the Envoy to witness, it was just to report in advance as a sign of respect to the Suzerain State."

The clouds of worry on Perfected Yunshui's face grew thicker.

"Then... what if the Moonshadow Sect is destroyed by Tianhuo and Diyan in a year? Won't our Liuyun Temple still be like fish on a chopping block?"

Jing Hong suddenly looked up, his tone exceptionally certain.

"That is absolutely impossible!"

Perfected Yunshui keenly caught the change in his expression, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Sect Master, are you... hiding something from me?"

Jing Hong quickly composed himself and shook his head, feigning a deep, mysterious air.

"I cannot say, I cannot say..."

"Hmph, always being so cryptic."

Perfected Yunshui gave a light snort. Although displeased, he didn't press further. He knew the Sect Master always acted with propriety and wouldn't make baseless claims; this inexplicable certainty eased the worry in his heart slightly.

He then remembered something.

"By the way, when I came here, I saw Sisi heading towards the Qiyun Pavilion."

"Did you send her there?"

Qiyun Pavilion was the place where Liuyun Temple hosted honored guests, its name implying 'where the immortal clouds rest.'

And Liu Sisi possessed extraordinary talent, being the Disciple in Liuyun Temple with the greatest hope of reaching the Nascent Soul realm besides the Sect Master. Normally, the only ones who could command her were the Sect Master and his own Revered Master, Perfected Yunshui.

"I did," Jing Hong admitted frankly.

His gaze was profound.

"At the banquet, I saw that Sect Master Ling quite appreciated Sisi's sword dance."

"Although this crisis is temporarily resolved, we still need to plan if we want long-term stability. If Sisi can gain Sect Master Ling's favor..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

"You!" Perfected Yunshui's breath hitched upon hearing this, and he suddenly became anxious. So the Sect Master was actually planning this!

The Moonshadow Sect only accepted female Disciples, and there were many rumors outside that its Sect Master was lustful. To let a proud, cold, and promising prodigy like Sisi get close to that man—wasn't that like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth?

Jing Hong's expression remained calm.

"Sisi... she agreed to it herself."

"How could Sisi..."

Perfected Yunshui was stunned. He knew Sisi admired the strong, but he never thought his Disciple would... make such a choice.

He turned and glared at Jing Hong. Clearly, he needed an explanation.

Jing Hong also understood that if he didn't provide some substantial reason, it would be hard to get past this.

After all, Liu Sisi was the beloved Disciple he had personally brought back and treated like his own daughter.

He pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice with a hint of deep meaning.

"Sect Master Ling, he..."

...

In the quiet courtyard, Chi Shuying was leaning against the railing for a rest when she saw Ling Hao approaching with a green object. Her beautiful eyes lifted slightly with a hint of curiosity.

"This is?"

Ling Hao brought the object closer. It was an exquisite hairpin, emerald green and shaped like a bamboo leaf. The veins on the leaf were clear, as if naturally carved, emitting a warm spiritual light.

"A High Grade Spiritual Artifact,"

Ling Hao explained.

"A treasure from the Liuyun Temple's treasury called the Qingluan Bamboo Hairpin. It not only comes with a powerful protective spiritual shield, but in times of danger, when the hairpin breaks, it can even unleash a full-strength strike from a Nascent Soul Cultivator."

Upon hearing this, Chi Shuying's eyes instantly lit up.

"A High Grade Spiritual Artifact! Even ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivators might not necessarily possess such a treasure. What moved her heart wasn't its power, but the elegant and spirited beauty of the hairpin itself, which perfectly matched her temperament."

Seeing her gaze lingering on the hairpin, the corners of Ling Hao's lips curled up slightly.

"Do you like it? Shall I put it in your hair?"

"No need, I..."

Ling Hao had already taken a step forward, the distance between them suddenly closing.

"Lower your head."

Chi Shuying had no choice but to turn slightly and lower her slender neck.

His long fingers gently brushed away a few strands of hair from her temple. His fingertips, carrying a slightly cool body temperature, inadvertently touched her sensitive earlobe, sending a slight tingling sensation through her.

Chi Shuying held her breath, clearly feeling his warm breath brush against her forehead. The cold, hard touch of the hairpin's end pressed gently into her hair and was then tenderly fixed in place.

"There."

Ling Hao stepped back half a pace to look at her.

The emerald bamboo leaf hairpin was tucked into her cloud-like black hair, contrasting beautifully with her soft pink dress.

The touch of green didn't look out of place; instead, it added a bit of fresh and refined charm to her originally charming and mature features.

Chi Shuying instinctively raised her hand to touch the hairpin. Her fingertips felt the cool touch of the jade, but her heart seemed wrapped in a warm current. She looked up at Ling Hao, her eyes like water, filled with unconscious shyness and affection.

Their eyes met, the soft light in them enough to melt anything.

Ling Hao felt a surge of emotion. He suddenly reached out his arm, wrapped it around Chi Shuying's slender waist, and amidst her slight cry of surprise, he spun her around and pinned her against an old tree in full bloom behind her.

Under the gaze of Chi Shuying's slightly widened beautiful eyes, his warm lips dominantly covered hers. Her protests were completely sealed away, and a dizzying sensation of softness immediately flowed through her entire body.

Rustling fallen flowers drifted down, decorating the silhouette of the two embracing...

Just then, a clear female voice came from outside the courtyard, carrying a hint of hesitation.

"Sect Master Ling, Junior Liu Sisi has come to seek advice on sword dance. I wonder if the Sect Master has the leisure to give me some pointers?"

Chi Shuying suddenly snapped back to her senses. Both embarrassed and anxious, she hurriedly pushed against Ling Hao's firm chest with her hands, trying to break free.

Ling Hao only gave a low laugh. Far from letting go, he took a step forward instead, as if the voice outside the courtyard was just an insignificant breeze.

Liu Sisi waited outside the courtyard gate for a moment, but there was only silence inside. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she finally turned away in disappointment.

Only when the sound of footsteps faded away did Ling Hao slowly let go.

Chi Shuying's breathing was slightly ragged. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him, her jade-like cheeks already flushed deep red, like the most vibrant sunset clouds in the sky.

"...Liu Sisi just came by. Why didn't you go see her?"

She asked in a low voice.

Ling Hao chuckled, his finger hooking her small chin to force her to look at him, his eyes filled with undisguised heat.

"With you, Shuying, right in front of me, why would I go looking for her?"

Chi Shuying's heart pounded like a drum. Being looked at like that made her even more embarrassed, and she turned her head away.

Ling Hao wouldn't let her off, leaning close to her ear, his warm breath spraying on her sensitive earlobe.

"Tell me honestly, was it you... who instigated that girl Xiao He to 'provoke' me?"

Chi Shuying was startled and instinctively wanted to deny it.

"I... I didn't..." But as soon as she looked up and met Ling Hao's deep eyes filled with a mischievous smile, all her words of defense were stuck in her throat.

She didn't want to lie to him, and... she couldn't. In the end, she could only bite her lip and keep her head down, which was as good as an admission.

"Heh..."

Ling Hao let out a low laugh. "Since that's the case, I'll have to get some proper compensation."

"Wha... what compensation?"

A warning bell rang in Chi Shuying's heart.

Ling Hao grabbed her fair wrist with a force that wasn't heavy but was assertive. A wicked smile appeared on his handsome face as he pulled her toward the house.

"Come on, follow me inside."