A month earlier.
When news reached Jade Bamboo Peak that Chen Yang had defeated Li Yan in the promotion trial.
Zhao Yanran's heart had been thrown into turmoil.
The husband she had once believed would forever remain mired in the mortal world, forever separated from her by the gulf between immortal and mundane — he had revealed a potential and strength that left her utterly stunned.
A tangle of emotions she could not put into words took root in her heart.
Surprise. Confusion. And perhaps...
Even a trace of regret she refused to acknowledge, alongside a possessiveness that had begun to rekindle.
She had genuinely considered seeking Chen Yang out, hoping to mend what had been broken between them.
After all, Chen Yang was a shadow she had never been able to fully erase from the deepest corners of her heart.
And yet.
When she calculated that this year's demon beast rampage in the back mountains was drawing near, she immediately dismissed the thought.
She, Zhao Yanran, had never been the sort to feel compassion for others, nor to stoop to rescuing lower-ranked fellow disciples.
She thought back to the year she had first entered the sect as a laborer, when a demon beast rampage had struck then too. She had been utterly alone, huddled in a cold and damp cave, listening to the howls of demon beasts outside and the agonized screams of her fellow disciples — terrified and helpless.
Had anyone ever come to save her?
Now her station was far above what it once was, and she had even less desire to entangle herself in such troubles.
And so...
She simply sought out Senior Brother Yang, and the two of them entered closed-door seclusion together at the Jade Bamboo Lodge, cultivating day and night, advancing their realms.
The seclusion proved remarkably effective.
By the time she emerged, she had successfully broken through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm, her Jade Ripple Art flowing with far greater fluency, her strength greatly increased.
And Yang Tianming had seized the opportunity to push his cultivation all the way to the ninth level of the Qi Refinement Realm — he could now begin making preparations for Foundation Establishment, his future bright with promise.
The joy of her breakthrough had not yet faded when the first figure to surface in her mind was, once again, Chen Yang.
On top of that, she had caught scattered word from various disciples that Chen Yang had been injured during the demon beast rampage while trying to save fellow sect members — and that only deepened the longing in her heart.
She had even gone so far as to prepare some fine healing Pills.
She planned to use them as a pretext to smooth things over and then take things from there.
She had been fully convinced that by condescending to visit him, bearing Pills and concern, Chen Yang would soften — even if he still harbored some resentment.
But she never could have imagined that when she pushed open that courtyard gate, the scene awaiting her would be so infuriating...
Liu Yiyi — the woman she had already investigated in secret, the one with a background in the pleasure quarters — was actually living in the same courtyard as Chen Yang!
And that wasn't all!
Beside her was another female disciple, younger still, with coquettish eyes and brows that made it plain she was no respectable woman!
How was she supposed to accept this?
She had swallowed her pride and come in person, only to find Chen Yang with a woman on each arm!
And now, at this very moment.
To have Xiaochunhua point a finger in her face and hurl insults — especially that vicious jab about "not having two ounces of flesh on her chest" — struck with pinpoint precision at the deepest insecurity buried within Zhao Yanran.
She felt a surge of furious fire shoot straight to the top of her skull, and a killing intent flared to life!
Had Chen Yang not been standing in the way, she would have struck without hesitation, painting that foul-mouthed little wretch's blood across the ground!
Chen Yang had keenly sensed the sharp killing intent that flickered across Zhao Yanran's body.
He stepped forward, shielding Xiaochunhua behind him, his voice cold and flat as he asked again:
"Zhao Yanran. What exactly did you come here for?"
At the same time.
His gaze shifted slightly, and he noted that the spiritual energy fluctuations radiating from Zhao Yanran were considerably stronger than the last time they had met.
She had clearly reached the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm!
Zhao Yanran forcibly suppressed the killing intent in her heart, lifted her chin slightly, and spoke with a trace of self-satisfaction born from her breakthrough:
"My cultivation has progressed somewhat of late. I had you on my mind, husband, and came to see how you were."
Her gaze swept over Chen Yang, as though searching his face for surprise or admiration.
Chen Yang's expression remained blank, but his mind was racing.
If it came to a fight, he was confident that with the Nine Revolutions Body Tempering Art and a physical strength that far surpassed cultivators at the same level, he had nothing to fear from a Zhao Yanran who had only just broken through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm.
But the problem was that Zhao Yanran's target was very likely not him — it was Liu Yiyi and Xiaochunhua standing behind him.
That strange Silencing Technique from moments ago was still fresh in his mind.
If she was determined to strike at the two women, he might not always be able to protect them in time.
With that thought, Chen Yang drew a slow breath, forced down the urge to throw her out on the spot, and turned toward the loft behind him, his voice low and firm:
"Yiyi, take Chunhua inside."
Xiaochunhua heard this and immediately panicked. She grabbed onto Chen Yang and refused to budge, still shouting:
"Senior Brother Chen! I'm not going in! I know her type — I've seen plenty like her! She's just jealous! Jealous that Sister Liu and I get to live with Senior Brother Chen — can she say the same? She—"
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
"Enough! Get inside!"
Chen Yang's tone sharpened, carrying a command that brooked no argument.
Zhao Yanran's face had gone iron-grey from Xiaochunhua's words, her chest heaving violently.
But with Chen Yang standing before her like an immovable mountain, she ultimately did not strike again.
Liu Yiyi had far more sense than Xiaochunhua.
Though her heart was full of humiliation and worry, she understood that staying outside would only divide Chen Yang's attention.
She hurried forward and seized Xiaochunhua, who was still hollering, and hauled her back.
Xiaochunhua was still indignant.
But under Liu Yiyi's forceful dragging and Chen Yang's stern gaze, she was finally pulled, reluctantly and with much protest, into the loft.
Bang!
The door was shut from the inside by Liu Yiyi, cutting off all sight between within and without.
And yet.
After only a few breaths, that same door was silently eased open the tiniest crack.
A pair of large, dark, darting eyes peered out through the gap.
Who else could it be but Xiaochunhua?
Chen Yang took in the whole scene, feeling equal parts exasperated and helpless — but he said nothing.
He turned his gaze back to Zhao Yanran, glanced at the jade vial of healing Pills she was still clutching in her hand, and said in a distant tone:
"I appreciate the thought, but I already have healing Pills. There's no need to trouble yourself."
Zhao Yanran's eyes narrowed as she pressed him:
"Who gave them to you?"
She wanted to know who else cared enough about Chen Yang to do such a thing.
Chen Yang replied evenly:
"Friends within the sect, and gifts from elders. My injuries are no longer serious. I have no use for your Pills."
"Friends? Elders?"
Zhao Yanran turned those two words over in her mind, her gaze growing colder still.
She let the matter of the Pills drop and swept her eyes once more toward the closed door of the loft, her tone dripping with undisguised contempt and malice:
"Husband, do you know what sort of background that Liu Yiyi you're so intent on protecting actually has? I've already looked into it thoroughly. She was originally a courtesan at the Spring Crimson House in the mortal world — she was already receiving clients before she was even of age! All those years in that kind of place, her patrons must number in the thousands, if not tens of thousands. Such a filthy, lowly woman who has belonged to every man who—"
"Silence!"
Chen Yang cut her off sharply, his voice barely containing his fury:
"Why must you keep dragging up her past?! Miss Liu's life was full of hardship, and she had no say in what happened to her — that was her misfortune, not her fault! Since joining the Verdant Wood Sect, she has cultivated diligently, conducted herself with integrity, and never once overstepped in any way! Why must you be so cruel, clinging to her past like this?!"
Zhao Yanran was momentarily taken aback by Chen Yang's fierce rebuttal.
Then.
As though she had discovered something curious, she looked him up and down, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips:
"How unexpected. My husband has grown quite sharp-tongued, and now speaks up so readily in defense of others. Truly, a man unseen for three days must be looked at with new eyes."
Chen Yang was silent for a moment, unmoved by her words.
He thought back to the days at the laborer's medicine garden.
Through countless exhausting days and nights, it had been Liu Yiyi's quiet companionship that had given him a rare measure of warmth and comfort.
He thought of the two of them gathering herbs in the back mountains, leaning on each other.
Those memories were vivid and real.
"This is not speaking up in someone's defense."
Chen Yang raised his head, meeting Zhao Yanran's gaze with calm, unwavering eyes, and said word by word:
"These are facts. I know Miss Liu's character clearly. Every word I have spoken is from the heart."
He looked at Zhao Yanran's beautiful face, twisted by jealousy and anger, and felt the last thread of his patience finally snap. He made a gesture toward the gate:
"Please leave. You and I have nothing left to say to each other."
Zhao Yanran's expression turned utterly wretched, cycling between pale and ashen.
She stared at Chen Yang's resolute manner, her heart a knot of hatred and pain.
Then, suddenly.
As though something had occurred to her, she forced a strange smile back onto her face, and her tone shifted into something unsettlingly cloying:
"Of course — after all, a husband alone must get lonely, and naturally needs some female cultivators around for company. I was in closed-door seclusion before and had no time for you. That was my fault."
Her tone pivoted, her voice taking on a sticky, uncomfortable quality:
"Now I've come out of seclusion. I have time. Husband... tonight... come to my Jade Bamboo Lodge."
Chen Yang didn't even pause to think. He shook his head and refused outright.
Zhao Yanran seemed to have anticipated this, and continued:
"Is there something else you're worried about, husband? Such as... Senior Brother Yang?"
When she mentioned Yang Tianming, her tone was perfectly natural, without a trace of guilt:
"You needn't worry. I've already spoken with Senior Brother Yang at length and made everything clear... He said he doesn't mind."
Chen Yang hadn't quite followed, and asked in blank confusion:
"Doesn't mind? Doesn't mind what?"
A smile spread across Zhao Yanran's face — the relieved smile of someone who had just resolved a monumental problem — as she said:
"Why, our affairs, of course. Senior Brother Yang loves me deeply, so naturally — love me, love my dog — he won't mind you and I rekindling things. He... he is very magnanimous."
In an instant.
Chen Yang felt as though he had been struck by a bolt of lightning.
He froze completely.
An indescribable, profoundly nauseating sensation surged up from his stomach, nearly making him retch.
He stared wide-eyed at the woman before him — the woman he had once shared a bed with — his gaze filled with an unprecedented sense of strangeness and disbelief.
Three years of separation.
The gulf between immortal and mortal.
Could the power of cultivation truly change a person so utterly...
So utterly beyond all reason?
Or had she always been this way.
And his past self had simply never seen it clearly?
Love me, love my dog?
This was absolutely absurd!
Utterly revolting!
Zhao Yanran, however, seemed entirely unaware of the dramatic shift in Chen Yang's expression and the revulsion in his eyes. She continued speaking as though to herself, even producing from her sleeve a jade token that emitted a faint azure glow:
"I had to beg Senior Brother Yang many times before he finally agreed. This is the access token for the Jade Bamboo Lodge — take it. From now on you can pass through the restriction at the entrance freely, and come find me whenever you like..."
"Enough!"
Chen Yang finally could bear it no longer and cut her off with a sharp shout.
Strangely, he found that he was not as furious as he might have expected. What filled his chest was something vast and cold — a profound sense of estrangement.
As though the person standing before him was not someone he had once known.
But a complete stranger he was meeting for the first time.
In the end, he forced himself to endure that nauseating feeling and let her finish her utterly preposterous words.
Zhao Yanran startled at his outburst.
She stopped mid-reach with the jade token, looked at Chen Yang's utterly expressionless face, and finally asked one more question — her tone carrying, without her even realizing it, a faint note of pleading:
"Husband, did you hear me? In my heart... I have never forgotten you..."
Chen Yang slowly, firmly shook his head, his voice as calm and still as undisturbed water:
"Please leave."
The expression on Zhao Yanran's face froze completely.
She stared at Chen Yang, as though unable to accept this outcome.
Her gaze drifted involuntarily back to the tightly shut door of the loft behind him, and in an instant her heart was flooded with a twisted, seething hatred.
She understood now!
It had to be that woman of the pleasure quarters called Liu Yiyi!
She must have used those base tricks she'd learned in the brothel to bewitch Chen Yang!
Otherwise, given the gentle — even somewhat timid — nature Chen Yang had shown in the past, he would have relented the moment she lowered herself even slightly. How could he possibly refuse?
In the past, no matter what she had wanted, no matter what she had done, had Chen Yang ever not nodded and done everything in his power to satisfy her?
"I understand now."
Zhao Yanran's voice turned suddenly shrill, thick with hatred:
"Of course — women from brothels are most skilled at bewitching men, their seductive tricks unmatched! You must have been enchanted by her, husband!"
When Chen Yang heard her slander Liu Yiyi once more, the last thread of reason in him finally snapped. He could endure no more. He pointed at the courtyard gate and forced two words through clenched teeth:
"Get out!"
Zhao Yanran was so shaken by that merciless "get out" that she stumbled back half a step, shame and fury flooding her face.
She instinctively began to channel her spiritual energy, ready to strike.
But when her gaze met Chen Yang's cold, utterly fearless eyes — and she sensed the powerful qi and blood fluctuations emanating from within him — she came sharply back to her senses.
Chen Yang was now an inner disciple, and had recently crushed Li Yan in battle. His strength was not to be underestimated.
Starting a fight here, she might not come out ahead — and she might even draw the sect's stewards, making it a loss all around.
She forcibly suppressed the urge to act.
Then, suddenly.
As though she had thought of something that could tip the scales back in her favor, that arrogant smile crept back onto her face.
"Heh."
She laughed softly twice, smoothed the slight wrinkles from her sleeve, and resumed her air of lofty superiority:
"Husband, since you are in poor spirits today, I shall take my leave. However, there is one more piece of good news I ought to share with you."
She paused deliberately, drawing out the suspense before continuing:
"My master — Elder Song, Elder Song Jiayu of Jade Bamboo Peak — has recently shown signs of wishing to take on a Personal Disciple. I, as her registered disciple, have been diligent in my practice and have earned her regard... It may well be that before long, I shall become the Personal Disciple of a Foundation Establishment Elder."
She looked at Chen Yang, her eyes carrying a faint air of condescension, as though bestowing a favor:
"When that day comes, I will visit you again. Husband... think it over carefully."
With that, she lingered no longer. She cast one long, deep look at the crack in the loft door, let out a cold snort, turned on her heel, and swept away.
Her retreating figure was still graceful.
But it carried with it a chilling obsession and coldness.
Chen Yang stood where he was for a long time, unmoving.