92: Chapter 92 Lu Changning's Attack

Five cloud whale ships silently glided through the deep night sky.

At the stern, dense water vapor billowed from a massive Spiritual Spring pool.

Chi Wanhe and Qin Zhaoxue were both soaked in the warm spiritual spring. The mist filled the air, blurring the exquisite and graceful curves beneath the water, leaving only skin like congealed jade flickering amidst the shimmering light and floating petals.

An occasional petal stuck to the snowy side of a neck or a delicate collarbone, adding a few hints of seduction.

Qin Zhaoxue leaned lazily against the smooth obsidian wall of the pool, her slender fingers unconsciously toyed with the surface, sending ripples outward.

She looked up, watching Lu Changning's retreating back, then turned her head to look at Chi Wanhe beside her.

"Eldest Senior Sister, you really are something. I just finished writing 'Red Lips Under the Desk' not long ago, and you immediately went and reenacted the scene in person, even letting Little Changning catch you right in the act..."

Hearing this, Chi Wanhe's expression turned awkward.

"It's not like I wanted that to happen!"

"Besides... Little Changning... she actually..."

Chi Wanhe's gaze flickered for a moment, and her voice dropped lower, carrying the excitement of sharing a secret.

"She definitely secretly likes Revered Master too! Look at her every time she brings Revered Master pastries; her little face is almost buried in the plate!"

Qin Zhaoxue also showed a knowing smile and nodded.

"That's true. Little Changning's skills are truly beyond reproach; even Revered Master is full of praise. It's just her personality..."

She shook her head helplessly, her tone tinged with a bit of pity.

"Too timid. That time I told her to take the initiative and feed Revered Master a bite of pastry, she was so nervous she dropped the plate. As for the bold acts of 'reversing' Revered Master like we write in our stories? Unthinkable!"

As Qin Zhaoxue spoke, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

Chi Wanhe also burst out laughing, imagining Lu Changning with a flushed face, helplessly trying to 'reverse' Revered Master, and nodded repeatedly.

"Right, right, right! Even if you gave her ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare!"

The two laughed and talked in low voices, sharing 'secrets' and jokes about Lu Changning. The atmosphere was relaxed and filled with sisterly intimacy.

...

The moon reached the middle of the sky.

*Splash—*

The sound of water rang out softly as Chi Wanhe stood up. Crystal droplets rolled down her smooth back, tracing the curves of her slender waist.

"Eldest Senior Sister, not soaking anymore?"

Qin Zhaoxue looked up, her voice still soft and sweet after the bath.

Chi Wanhe smoothed her damp long hair.

"Yeah, I want to go back and Cultivate early. Once we return to the Sect, it'll be time to put all my effort into breaking through to the Golden Core."

"But the Spirit Gathering Array on the ship—how can its effect compare to the blessed lands and grotto-heavens within our Sect?"

Qin Zhaoxue reminded her tactfully.

Accustomed to the nourishment of the Sect's various Heaven-Defying resources, this shipboard Spirit Gathering Array did indeed seem meager.

"It doesn't matter,"

Chi Wanhe didn't stop her pace.

"I can go back to my exclusive spirit realm Immortal Cave, and... it just so happens to be my turn for duty in the Grotto-Heaven today."

She added, her figure already stepping onto the edge of the pool.

Hearing this, Qin Zhaoxue nodded understandingly. Although the Qi concentration in the spirit realm opened within the Moonshadow Grotto-Heaven wasn't as high as the Sect's core, it was indeed better than this Spirit Gathering Array.

"Then take it easy, Eldest Senior Sister..."

Wait! Grotto-Heaven? Duty?

Qin Zhaoxue's beautiful eyes suddenly widened! In a flash, she shot up from the water, bringing up a large splash, and like a swift rabbit, she reached out from behind to grab Chi Wanhe's waist!

"Ah—!"

Caught off guard, Chi Wanhe let out a startled cry. The two lost their balance and fell back into the warm spring water with a 'plop'.

Water splashed everywhere!

The scene froze for a moment.

Chi Wanhe sat slumped in the pool, the spring water reaching her chest, while Qin Zhaoxue leaned half-over her from behind. Her soft chest was pressed tightly against Chi Wanhe's wet and delicate back, one slender arm still wrapped around her waist. Their hair was tangled, their breaths were inches apart, and their limbs, enveloped by the warm spring water, were intimately close.

"Eldest Senior Sister,"

Qin Zhaoxue leaned close to Chi Wanhe's reddening ear, her breath like orchids, her voice carrying a hint of playful amusement.

"You wouldn't happen to be... going to find Revered Master, would you?"

"H-how could that be possible!"

Chi Wanhe's body stiffened slightly, her gaze flickered, and a suspicious flush rose to her cheeks. She was too guilty to look back.

Qin Zhaoxue saw that even her small earlobes were dyed crimson, and the smile on her face deepened.

"Eldest Senior Sister, if you had only said you were going to Cultivate, I might have believed you. But you said 'duty'..."

She deliberately dragged out her tone, feeling her Eldest Senior Sister's body instantly tense up in her arms.

"Today is the twenty-fifth of the eighth month,"

Qin Zhaoxue said each word clearly and distinctly.

"Before the expedition, Revered Master personally changed the duty schedule. Today—is Revered Master's! Day! Off!"

Chi Wanhe's little face instantly collapsed, and she let out a frustrated groan.

It's over! I was so focused on thinking about Revered Master that I even forgot about that!

Resigned, she broke free from Qin Zhaoxue's embrace and slid back into the water like a slumped figure. As if to vent her frustration, she grabbed a floating Spiritual Fruit and took a fierce bite.

Suddenly, Chi Wanhe's movements paused, and she looked around the misty pool.

"Eh? Wait, where's Little Changning? I haven't seen her since just now?"

Qin Zhaoxue also wiped the water droplets from her face and looked around.

"Oh right, where is Little Changning?"

"I remember she brought some Spiritual Fruits earlier and said she was going to make a few more pastries. It seems she's been gone for a while..."

"Forget it, maybe she was tired and went to rest first."

Chi Wanhe said listlessly.

At that moment, Du Yuqing, who had arrived not long ago and had been resting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her cold eyes and spoke calmly.

"When I came over just now, I saw Little Changning carrying a tray of freshly baked, spiritual-energy-overflowing Spirit Cakes..."

She paused and continued to add.

"It seemed... she was heading toward the direction of Revered Master's core cabin?"

Chi Wanhe's voice suddenly rose, "Third Junior Sister, you're saying Little Changning...?!"

"She went to Revered Master's core cabin?!"

Qin Zhaoxue's beautiful eyes were wide open, equally shocked.

Du Yuqing looked at her two Senior Sisters who had instantly bristled. She was completely bewildered but still nodded certainly.

"Yes."

In the core area of the ship, the corridors were deep and quiet.

Lu Changning carefully carried an exquisite jade tray, on which were several pieces of Hibiscus Cakes emitting an enticing sweet fragrance and a faint spiritual aura.

She kept her head down, her steps as light as a startled fawn, every step showing immense hesitation and struggle.

Finally, she stopped in front of a cabin door.

This was the resting place of Revered Master Ling Hao.

Her heart throbbed in her chest, almost about to leap out. Lu Changning took several deep breaths, trying to calm down, but her cheeks grew hotter and hotter.

The hand holding the jade tray trembled slightly, her fingertips turning white from the force.

After standing in front of the door for a full dozen breaths, she finally summoned the greatest courage of her life and gently knocked on the heavy cabin door.

"M-Revered Master... D-Disciple... made... new pastries..."

Her voice was so weak that it seemed as if it would dissipate into the air in the next second.