My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 741 - 472: The People Have Left, the Building is Empty (Two-in-One)

The wind blew through suddenly, all of it the northern wind. Cangwu Peak was among the thirteen northern peaks. When winter arrived, the sounds of birds, insects, and snakes disappeared entirely. The cold fir trees stood upright like iron, sparsely scattered with signs of human habitation, resembling swords and graves.

Even the winds blowing through here often carried a deathly stillness.

Undoubtedly, this place was too desolate, not a place for prolonged stays. Yet for Yin Tingxue, life at Yin Sword Mountain was simple and steady.

Each day, there was no need to worry about much. Her work consisted of little more than reading scriptures and training. In her free time, she could read books, tease the dogs, and chat briefly with Master Zhou. Occasionally, she'd be scolded, and the day would pass uneventfully. Living alone here, there hadn't been a single day Yin Tingxue was dissatisfied with.

But Chen Yi's arrival disrupted everything.

Like a splash of overly vivid color on an ink painting of serene mountains and waters, Yin Tingxue found herself unable to adjust. A young girl long unacquainted with human intimacy, ever since that time Chen Yi indulged himself, he had taken her three nights in a row thereafter. His well-known lustfulness, though tempered by gentle actions, was still too much for Yin Tingxue to bear. Her frail, youthful body was too delicate, leaving her dazed even when reading scriptures.

The wind stirred at the Nameless Academy. Yin Tingxue sat with her head bowed low, staring blankly at the book in front of her, her eyelids growing heavier by the moment until her face lowered even further.

A one-armed woman stepped into the academy and caught sight of her with a sideways glance.

Slap!

A palm struck her back, jolting Yin Tingxue awake as she cried out in alarm:

"Ah, husband, no more…"

Zhou Yitang paused for a moment, her gaze narrowing slightly.

Yin Tingxue felt a chill along her neck, shrinking back as her cheeks flushed a bright red.

She turned her face cautiously. "Ah… Master Zhou."

Zhou Yitang said, "I swear, you've turned into a demon fox. I can't even tell if you're male or female anymore."

Yin Tingxue's face turned even redder, too embarrassed to respond. She could only lift her book to half-cover her face.

"Keep reciting," the one-armed woman said, choosing not to press the matter. She turned to leave the academy.

"Wait."

Zhou Yitang stopped, turning her head to see a pair of large almond-shaped eyes peering out from behind the edge of the yellowed cover of the "North Emperor Divine Spell Scripture." Those eyes stared at her unblinkingly.

"What is it?"

"I…" Yin Tingxue hesitated. "I didn't mean to doze off."

"Mm."

"It's his fault for being too rough. It's not my fault."

Zhou Yitang said, "I know."

The one-armed woman didn't seem to care much, as if she was long accustomed to this. Yin Tingxue couldn't help but ponder slightly.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now." Zhou Yitang turned to leave again.

"But you don't know…" Yin Tingxue suddenly said something shocking: "When he takes me, he calls your name."

The one-armed woman almost stumbled, her foot halting abruptly.

She turned back, "What did you say?"

Master Zhou was indeed stirred.

Yin Tingxue blinked, the scripture in her hands masking most of her expression.

Her words weren't entirely baseless. Chen Yi, who found amusement in everything, would purposefully call the wrong name during their intimacies: Yin Weiyin, Zhu E, Qin Qingluo—he'd call them all but never hers correctly.

Seeing Zhou Yitang fixedly staring at her, the young girl lowered her almond-shaped eyes, a hint of melancholy in her voice:

"I'm always his second thought."

"Eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot." Zhou Yitang sneered coldly.

Yin Tingxue lowered her book to reveal her face and said, "But you don't know… you don't know how much he longs for you."

Zhou Yitang's expression stiffened slightly.

Yin Tingxue continued, "Whenever we're together, he always talks about you. Nothing else, just you. Every time, he gets so melancholic. You don't know how much he depends on you."

Every word from the girl fell into her ears. Zhou Yitang's eyebrows drooped slightly, as if she were lost in thought.

In truth, there was no need for Yin Tingxue to say it. The one-armed woman had long sensed it—a faint awareness of Chen Yi's dependence on her. Even if that pupil of hers rebelled in countless ways, at critical moments, he always ended up following her wishes.

They were too much alike. A single glance exchanged, and they knew what the other wanted. Yet it was precisely because of this that they clashed so often. It had been this way in their past life, and now in this life, nothing had changed… nor did she wish it to change.

Yin Tingxue spoke at the right moment: "He really misses you. You're his first thought, and I'm only the second. Why do you two always have to be at odds? He depends on you so much. In the end, he'll always go along with what you want."

Zhou Yitang had no words in response. Her thoughts stirred unpredictably, like a breeze disrupting the still surface of her heart lake, ripples spreading outward.

He has always relied on me,

…Is that really so? 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

She thought back to possessing Min Ning at the time, and to the words exchanged about their intertwined destinies. No matter how much resentment he harbored, if he didn't rely on her, why would he resent her? The one-armed woman took hold of her thoughts, recalling with unintended clarity how her heart had faltered back then, and how she had ended up becoming intimate with him.

Realizing the timing was perfect, Yin Tingxue, with a slight movement of her earlobe, seized the moment to deliver her prepared words in one breath: "I told Master Zhou before, if you want to control him, shouldn't you be gentler?

Still, everything rare is precious. Someone like me, who complies with everything, he bullies without a second thought. But look at you… you're so cold. If you were just a bit gentler, even if he says nothing nice, he'd be over the moon internally."

Zhou Yitang was not oblivious to Yin Tingxue's underlying implications, but even knowing this, she still asked, "Is that true?"

Yin Tingxue earnestly thought up a metaphor: "He'd go from North Wudang to South Shaolin."

The one-armed woman responded with a faint smile, turned, and walked out of the academy, leaving Yin Tingxue alone.

By the time half the day had passed, Yin Tingxue had finished her scripture recitations and left the academy herself. There weren't many people on Cangwu Peak. Zhou Yitang only occasionally checked on her progress and wasn't overly consistent about it; it was mainly up to Yin Tingxue's self-discipline.

As she thought of Zhou Yitang's departing back, Yin Tingxue muttered to herself silently. Perhaps Master Zhou had really taken her words to heart.