My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 808 - 504: Time to Starve You (Double - )

The Old Saintess didn't answer immediately, continuing to bury her head in something.

Is this just a pastime for her? Chen Yi frowned slightly, waiting for a moment before peeking over.

On the yellowing book cover, a few words were printed — "Mystic Temple's Scandalous Record."

The Old Saintess read with relish, "Oh, young people like such things."

Chen Yi: "...."

He was silent for a moment, suddenly bursting out in anger, "I've told Zhu E not to stuff obscene books into my things, but she just won't listen. It's really a lack of discipline with this Princess of Annan!"

The Old Saintess immediately tilted her face up, glancing at him, squeezing a chuckle out of her deeply wrinkled face.

Chen Yi's face remained calm, reflecting the demeanor of a man accepting responsibility with dignity.

After a long stalemate, unable to seize the initiative, the Old Saintess finally closed the book and spoke:

"What you want to know is nothing more than the secrets of Wa City, and more specifically that monk referred to as Bodhisattva."

"Since you know, just say it," Chen Yi paused for a moment before continuing: "Zhu E and I have always been in this together."

The Old Saintess scrutinized Chen Yi for a long while before saying: "You keep claiming that you and Zhu E are in this together, yet seem shrouded in mist, it's hard to guarantee she hasn't been deceived by you; I can't trust you."

Chen Yi didn't rush to speak, instead returned the gaze.

"However..." the Old Saintess hesitated slightly before continuing: "In my day, there was only one person ever called Bodhisattva by them..."

"It was..."

"The Bodhisattva Sword, rival of Xu Qi, Wuxiang Zen Master."

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes.

Wuxiang Zen Master is a name that has vanished from Jianghu for over a decade. Coincidentally, Ghost Town appeared just over a decade ago.

Though Jianghu ages quickly, not reaching a millennium, and many Martial Arts legends are no longer praised, compared to the fleeting footprint of Wu Buxu, Wuxiang Zen Master remains a name that continues to be discussed with enthusiasm.

For years, Jianghu witnessed the Bodhisattva Sword and True Heavenly People each establishing themselves as the top in the Martial Arts world, being dual peaks of Martial Arts. They had faced each other, but ended their battle in a draw.

Nowadays, True Heavenly People Xu Qi overshadows the martial artists under one unchallenged first rank; hence, the Bodhisattva Sword shines even brighter for once sharing that fame.

With the sudden disappearance and unknown whereabouts of Wuxiang Zen Master from Jianghu, countless legends were left with his departure.

Chen Yi certainly remembers Wuxiang Zen Master, during his time in the Capital City, the Bodhisattva Sword's vestment robe emerged within the Joyful Sect, not only bringing disaster to Joyful Sect but ultimately, the one who obtained Wuxiang Zen Master's robe was none other than Qin Qingluo.

......

An Nan Royal Mansion.

Just before and after New Year's is when the flow of people is highest, and with no curfew in place, it's inevitable that undercurrents arise. Every day, the mansion receives numerous intelligence reports and letters, with Zhu E absent, Qin Qingluo personally handles approvals.

At the desk, her fine pen moved, jotting down line by line words beside characters, Qin Qingluo worked from noon till night without feeling tired. When one has desires, fatigue is often elusive.

Especially when a python wishes to swallow an elephant.

Qin Qingluo's pen worked tirelessly; many intelligence reports and secret notes could be processed according to norms, with only a few requiring careful attention, paused momentarily for consideration.

And when she found a new letter, she pondered for a long while.

The letter was sent from Yin Sword Mountain, a far-off place, thus the bean-sized lamplight cast a long shadow of the pen left unreleased.

After a moment, Shuo Ren seemed amused, chuckling as she unfolded the letter.

Instantly, the coarse northern grass paper brushed against her fingertips, causing a slight sting.

"My wife received..."

Snap.

A drop of ink fell, she put down the pen, pretending to nonchalantly trim the excess wick.

The female prince's expression was obscure, seeming resentful of the person's audacity, yet perhaps questioning whom the letter's mention of "wife" referred to.

She read swiftly, gulping down the content, as she intended to put it aside, a sentence suddenly surfaced, prompting her to lift the letter again, eyes returning to the final line.

"I once told you, if there's no reason, you'd be afraid to meet someone." Qin Qingluo still remembered these words, a salty bitterness surged in her throat, as if swallowing a lump of fire... "If you have no reason to meet someone, you'll be afraid to see them."

For a long while, she heard a dry, cold laugh from her throat, growing wild, as if tearing through the lungs.

The letter was already deeply imprinted by her fingers.

The female prince arose from the desk, suddenly feeling exhausted, stepping outside.

It was time to rest for a while.

Perhaps it was the warmth in the air, and as if guided by spirits and gods, she suddenly heard a slight noise, like meaningless babbling, when she regained her senses, she had already bent down and entered the warm room.

It seemed unexpected for her to come, Qin Yue's voice halted, wide-eyed looking at her.

Qin Qingluo looked on coldly.

A child couldn't withstand silence, after a pause, babbling again, though quietly, as if fearing to anger the Shuo Ren before her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying?" Qin Qingluo coldly curled her lips: "Lazy and gluttonous, crying all day, truly a nuisance."

After saying this, she suddenly frowned, realizing she was mocking a child.

Qin Yue couldn't understand, being only half a year old, she just started babbling, occasionally sucking her thumb.

Her eyes were glistening with tears, as if she was about to cry.

Qin Qingluo turned away, her brows tightening as she left, saying:

"It was just a glance at you."

"... Wah wah wah..."

Qin Yue cried again, loudly, while the woman's cries intertwined with the prince's cries around the screen, no longer looking back.

"Wah wah... mama mama... wah wah..."

Her throat emitted strange noises.

Behind the screen, suddenly, a tall woman returned, her gaze turned sharply piercing,

"Who taught you that, who instructed you?"

"Mama mama mama..."

Frightened, Qin Yue stopped crying, but strange sounds still came from her throat, and after a moment, she widened her eyes, sucking her fingers while looking towards her biological mother.

For a long while, unsure how much time passed.

Qin Qingluo, with a calm face, as if she had experienced a deadly battle, picked up her daughter from the warm bed and held her in her arms.

She uncovered a corner, sneering:

"If it weren't for my heart swelling, I would have let you starve."

Her tone was frightening.

Yet the daughter's eyes still stared steadily.

Qin Yue didn't know, Qin Yue didn't care.

......

The New Year's chill crept over the distant mountains, the dark mountain slopes sprawling across the land, sometimes the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the city, but quickly drowned out by the quiet night, Qin Qingluo, looking through the window, saw a distant tiny star in the sky, seemingly very far away.

Separated by thousands of miles.

"If you have no reason to see someone, you'll be afraid to see her."

Qin Qingluo inadvertently remembered this saying, at that time, the lamplight lit up Chen Yi's side face... The child in her arms was fast asleep, more and more soundly, and increasingly warmly.

Am I starving your daughter, does this count as a reason?

"Truly a nuisance..."

......…..

......…..

After bidding farewell to Li's father and son, and then the Five Roaming Spirits, Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue continued their journey.

Even though heading south required traveling by water more often, travel by land was unavoidable.

In those days, the travel by carriage and horse was very slow, let alone a journey of thousands of miles, without some cultivation, just traveling to Dragon and Tiger Mountain was half risking one's life, not to mention the various demons encountered on the way.

And there were few towns and even fewer county towns encountered along the way, most of the time they had to stay overnight in wild mountains and deserted temples, after a journey of ten days, they finally arrived outside a county town.

Now Hu-Guang was troubled with the White Lotus, to prevent penetration by White Lotus Sect followers, the further south, the stricter the inspections on people entering and exiting the county towns.

"Without a Daoist title, called... Yin Tingxue." After careful examination, the literate soldier leader said, "Who are you?"

"It's me." Chen Yi responded.

Yin Tingxue blinked.

The soldier leader confirmed there was no discrepancy in the dudie but still frowned: "You two only have one dudie."

Chen Yi immediately fished a piece of silver from his sleeve, but before he could hand it over, the soldier leader waved it off.

"No, the checks are strict now, bribery is useless." The soldier said, returning the dudie.

Chen Yi took it back, looked at the bustling county town, and saw the high corner of the inn towering.

Having finally encountered a county town, a chance to sleep on a bed, must they spend another night in the wild mountains and deserted temples?

Chen Yi pondered briefly,

considering his martial arts skills were very high,

he decided to seize the opportunity to climb over the wall and sneak in.