My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 736 - 470: If It’s the Northern Dynasty, Then Be It (Combined - )

Having a man move into the residence is bound to bring some changes. Yin Tingxue's small building was originally neat and orderly, with everything meticulously arranged. Once Chen Yi arrived, chaos ensued—the study room, bedside tables, the clothes strewn carelessly about the bedroom—all had an element of disarray now. Yin Tingxue could only frown at the sight, though she was thankful he didn't disturb the larger furnishings. As for the smaller messes, she decided to tolerate them for now.

The night air was cold and crisp, as winter deepened with each passing day. Yin Tingxue prepared a bit of straw for Huangniang'er's nest, ensuring she laid a discarded cotton-padded jacket on it for warmth. Afterward, she picked up a lamp and entered the study room. There, she found Chen Yi absorbed in his reading, his head bowed over a book. Curious, she stepped closer for a peek. Oh—it turned out to be the "Jin Shu," a historical text renowned for its tales of spirits and ghosts.

"You're reading the Jin Shu, huh?" Yin Tingxue remarked.

"Yes. Do you know what it's about?" Chen Yi tilted his body slightly, trying to let her get a better look.

Yin Tingxue brought the lamp closer to add more light for him,

"It's about the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties—I know that much."

Though her experience with historical texts was limited, what she did read tended to be esteemed works like the "Records of the Grand Historian" and the "Han Shu"—scholarly and Confucian. In the Prince Mansion, texts like the "Jin Shu," with its abundance of supernatural tales, were considered outright frivolous. They weren't meant for public reading, only secretive perusal. That being said, the world had plenty of more captivating forbidden books, so the "Jin Shu" didn't intrigue her all that much.

Yin Tingxue glanced at the book casually, her attention half-wandering. Chen Yi turned his head to her, a playful glint in his eye. "Do you prefer the Southern Dynasty or the Northern Dynasty?"

The little fox blinked in confusion for a moment, then narrowed her eyes and replied, "What nonsense are you talking now? So odd and indecent."

Seeing that his teasing didn't land, Chen Yi felt a bit disappointed. Over the past six months of her Taoist cultivation, Yin Tingxue's Heavenly Ear Technique had become progressively sharper.

Yin Tingxue's Heavenly Ear Technique seemed so effortless—she could hear whenever she wanted, ignore it whenever she didn't. It contrasted starkly with his Heavenly Eye, which required chanting the Eye-opening Spell before use—a vast difference in ease.

Unwilling to hear his inappropriate banter, Yin Tingxue added more lamp oil to the study room's light before turning to leave for her bedroom.

Chen Yi didn't continue reading for long, eventually carrying his lamp cautiously back to the bedroom.

He found Yin Tingxue lying on the bed, examining a crafted paper flower.

Wasn't that the paper flower he had gifted her?

"Open it up and see. There's something inside," Chen Yi suggested with a playful tone, tempting her. "Don't you want to know? If you want to find out, you'll have to open it."

Yin Tingxue fiddled with the flower's petals, her curiosity on the verge of overtaking her. But suddenly, she halted.

"If I open it, will you bully me?"

Seeing through his ploy, Chen Yi admitted frankly, "What else would I do? Go ahead and open it."

Yin Tingxue wasn't about to fall for his trap. Every time she did, she'd always end up thoroughly teased. He often said she was "too tame" and only enjoyable when bullied—and the severity of said bullying always seemed to depend on his mood.

Resisting her curiosity, she sighed and placed the paper flower back into its box, setting it by the bedside.

Chen Yi chuckled softly and walked over. Just as he set the lamp down on the bedside table, Yin Tingxue skillfully pulled back the quilt and intoned, "Come on in."

Something softened in Chen Yi's heart as he crawled into bed and pulled her into his embrace.

Yin Tingxue looked up at him, observing the long plume of white breath he exhaled into the night. After a few moments, he reached over and extinguished the oil lamp.

Darkness enveloped the room instantly, the night seeming to extend its arms, embracing them from beyond.

Chen Yi didn't make any further moves, simply holding Yin Tingxue quietly. This was his second night sleeping with her like this, and the thought made Yin Tingxue increasingly uneasy.

If it came to a third night, there might be no avoiding what came next.

Knowing she couldn't stop him, Yin Tingxue was filled with worry. After a long pause, she finally asked hesitantly, "Chen Yi… Am I your wife now?"

"Yes, why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"Husband and wife should treat each other courteously… shouldn't—we shouldn't say indecent things," Yin Tingxue murmured in a small voice.

Chen Yi paused and then chuckled, replying, "And isn't a wife supposed to serve her husband devotedly at the table too?"

"I do serve you devotedly!"

"Not devotedly enough," Chen Yi teased in a mischievous tone.

Realizing she couldn't win the argument, Yin Tingxue simply gave up, burying her head lower. Tomorrow would take care of itself; for now, she resolved to leave it until then.

"Just sleep, just sleep… Tomorrow I still have to memorize books."

Yin Tingxue shut her eyes, falling asleep quickly. But Chen Yi remained awake.

His gaze drifted toward the distance.

Speaking of which, wasn't Lu Ying supposed to return to Cangwu Peak tomorrow?

......

At Yin Sword Mountain, where both Taoist and martial cultivation were pursued, reclusive practices were not valued. Among the Taoist sects, theirs took an active path—serving the world, slaying demons, and ridding evil. Precisely because of this, they were distinct from those secluded sects that passively accepted fate, treating success as fortune and failure as destiny. Yin Sword Mountain's disciples followed the flow of heavenly fate, which inevitably involved matters of resource allocation. While the Peak Masters of various factions cultivated patience and composure, minor disputes and struggles were still commonplace. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

When the opportunity at the Sword Pool was reserved solely for Lu Ying, three parts of the decision owed to the current reputation of the Sword Armor Sect, while the remaining seven parts were undoubtedly due to the determined arguments of the Sect Leader, Bai Yu Zhenren. Should Lu Ying fail to deliver, Bai Yu Zhenren's prestige as Sect Leader would naturally suffer greatly. Fortunately, after the Young Examination on Green Cloud Peak, Lu Ying did not disappoint the sect this time. Several elders were quite satisfied, and the Peak Masters expressed their admiration for Lu Ying—even though she hadn't obtained tangible gains, her Dao Heart approached Unity of Heaven and Man, a rare occurrence once every ten years.

As to why it's a "once every ten years" rarity rather than "once in a hundred years," the reason is simple: the previous cultivator of such caliber was none other than her master, Zhou Yitang.