Chapter: Silk-stealing Lady
The hundred disciples who advanced were all examined at their spiritual altars, and no abnormalities were found.
Coincidentally, the elder who examined Shuangjian was the very same White-browed Elder who had treated him in a pool of blood days ago.
The elder clearly had a deep impression of Shuangjian as well. Seeing that he was actually among those who had advanced, he was incredibly surprised. He stared at Shuangjian for a long time, so long that Yingshi, who was waiting to the side, started to feel a bit panicked, before he finally withdrew his hand and let them leave.
Before they left, he kindly added, "Your spiritual altar is much more stable than that day. It seems that a sickness of the heart still requires medicine of the heart... If this continues, you may very well achieve great fortune in the future."
As he spoke, his gaze briefly drifted toward Yingshi for a moment, making her feel quite embarrassed. Did the teachers of the Dao Yi Immortal Alliance also enjoy a bit of gossip?
In any case, the grand "post-match physical examination" passed safely, but it took too long. By the time Yingshi and the others returned to the Seeking Dao Peak, it was already dark, and the place had long lost the liveliness it had before the preliminary trials.
Ninety percent of the disciples had been eliminated, and most of the houses on the north and south sides of the peak were empty. There was no longer anyone chatting on the roads.
As soon as Yingshi separated from Shuangjian, her chest felt tight. It was highly likely that the "symbiotic dependency" of the blood pact was taking effect, causing her to experience a physiological depression.
However, the rule of men and women living on opposite ends was not something easily broken.
If she were living alone, it would have been fine, but she had a roommate, Xinmei. It wouldn't be good to be as blatant as when they met every night at the Cloud Water Sect.
After dawdling in the room for more than an hour and confirming that Xinmei seemed to be asleep, Yingshi, who had been feigning sleep, immediately sat up from the bed and tiptoed out of the room. She had agreed to meet Shuangjian to deal with the puppet threads on her body!
Tonight's moonlight was exceptionally bright, offering no cover at all. Yingshi hid behind an osmanthus tree that was thick enough for several people to embrace, and sneakily poked her head out, only to be startled when a person suddenly appeared right in front of her!
Did Shuangjian teleport over? He didn't make a single sound!
"Why are you hiding here?" he asked in a low voice.
Yingshi patted her chest while pulling Shuangjian behind the giant tree, whispering breathlessly, "We have to be careful, there are night patrols tonight!"
Originally, there were no night patrols on Seeking Dao Peak, but perhaps the incident where "Qin Yuman was identified as a demonic cultivator" had sounded a severe alarm, prompting the host, the Dao Yi Immortal Alliance, to immediately strengthen security.
Those patrolling teachers were just like dorm matrons inspecting the hallways after lights out. She didn't know if they would be criticized if caught lingering outside.
"Although we aren't out doing anything bad, and there's no explicit rule against going out, it's not good for just the two of us to be the exception."
Shuangjian fell silent for a moment, then looked up at the roof of a nearby house. "We are not the only disciples out tonight."
"Hmm?" Yingshi followed his gaze and saw a young couple snuggling on the roof, wearing the same disciple uniforms, clearly fellow sect members who had advanced together.
The woman was sitting entirely in the man's lap. One looked up while the other looked down. At first, they were just whispering, but soon their lips uncontrollably drew closer and closer until they were completely pressed together.
"..."
Yingshi's face flushed a little. If she had witnessed this intimate scene by herself, she could have acted naturally!
Wasn't it just a young couple in love? She had seen it countless times downstairs at the girls' dorm and on the sports field.
However, being with Shuangjian made the atmosphere oddly awkward. Her mouth felt a bit dry, and she was about to change the subject, perhaps asking why the butterfly effect had affected Qin Yuman, when her waist suddenly tightened. In the next moment, Shuangjian lifted her into the air, and they landed on an osmanthus tree three or four meters high.
The wind suddenly rushed past her ears, her field of vision abruptly elevated, and the surrounding fragrance grew even richer, almost solidifying and tangling in her breath, making Yingshi dizzy as she blankly stared at Shuangjian's face.
...Damn it, why does it feel a bit romantic up here?
The branches and leaves provided the best cover, making it feel as if they were in an isolated space where only the moonlight could find them through the gaps.
"If you don't wish to alert the night patrols, you won't," Shuangjian said softly. He opened his palm, revealing a brightly colored little bug that looked very much like a spider. "This is a Silk-stealing Lady. Let it crawl over you once, and it will naturally roll away all the Heavenly Silkworm Weeping Threads."
"...Wait! C-crawl on me?"
Yingshi shuddered, staring wide-eyed at the bug in Shuangjian's hand, unable to feel even the slightest bit of romance anymore.
She confirmed that this so-called "Silk-stealing Lady" was basically just a spider!
It had so many hairy legs, just with a colorful skin!
It should be known that a fear of bugs, blood, and ghosts was written into her very DNA...
Moreover, this vibrant, colorful skin made this Silk-stealing Lady look even more menacing, completely evolving from an R to an SSR level. The flashy colors didn't make it look friendly at all; instead, they added an unnatural gaudiness that made one's scalp tingle even more.
Why was the item to unbind the puppet threads a living creature? She had thought it would be some sort of magical scissors or something!
Yingshi's face instantly went pale, and she opened her mouth for a long time without uttering a single word.
Shuangjian took in her reaction and silently closed his hand, interrupting the eye contact between Yingshi and the Silk-stealing Lady.
He pursed his lips, feeling a faint sense of regret in his heart.
He had even specifically caught the roundest and most colorful one among all the Silk-stealing Ladies.
But Yingshi clearly didn't find it charmingly naive.
"There are other methods to unbind the puppet threads, but they take longer and cannot be done in a day..."
Before Shuangjian could finish speaking, Yingshi gritted her teeth, rolled up her sleeves, and put on an expression of heroic sacrifice, saying hurriedly, "Let it come! I'm ready!"
Her brows were tightly furrowed, her head tilted back so far it almost brushed against the tree bark, and her extended arm was tense, faintly showing physiological goosebumps—she definitely didn't look ready.
Shuangjian watched silently for two seconds before slowly putting the Silk-stealing Lady away.
"You don't need to force yourself," he said. "With the restriction of the blood pact, the puppet threads cannot bind you... We can find another way to unbind them for you after the trials are over."
"No!" Yingshi's eyes widened as she reached out to grab Shuangjian's wrist. She stared into space, not daring to look directly at the "cute" Silk-stealing Lady, took a deep breath, and said, "I really am ready. Besides, besides, it won't bite... right?"
"...Right."
"Then... when it crawls on me to roll up the puppet threads, will I feel it very noticeably?"
Shuangjian hesitated for a moment before answering, "You can choose not to feel it."
"Then it's no problem. As long as I don't look, I can trick myself!" Yingshi closed her eyes solemnly.
Shuangjian paused for a moment before gently placing his fingers over Yingshi's wrist.
A wave of cool, gentle spiritual energy surged in. Yingshi was so focused on the soothing sensation it brought that she completely failed to notice the diligent work of the Silk-stealing Lady hidden beneath this feeling.
Shuangjian's fingers remained resting on her wrist, but his spiritual energy needed to expand its territory. It spread out in a languid manner, cool and smooth as silk, evenly coating her limbs and torso.
As the spiritual energy roamed over her body, Yingshi truly had no mind to think about whether the bug was there or not. She went from simply having goosebumps to trembling slightly. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but her eyelashes fluttered incessantly.
However, Shuangjian thought this almost imperceptible trembling was because her fear of bugs still dominated her senses. He secretly increased the flow of spiritual energy nourishing Yingshi's body, intending to completely mask that spider-crawling sensation.
The Silk-stealing Lady's eight furry little legs moved diligently, as if picking up a ball of translucent silk from thin air. Following its movements, the Celestial Silkworm's Weeping Silk gradually materialized, slowly peeling away from Yingshi's body and revealing its original form.
It draped down like moonlight pouring from the sky. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to this miraculous scene.
Only when the devoted little bug perfectly accomplished its mission and obediently retreated did the spiritual energy acting as an anesthetic finally cease.
Yingshi's face was flushed, and a thin layer of sweat had actually beaded on her forehead. When she opened her eyes, the Silk-stealing Lady was already gone; there was only a loop of the removed Celestial Silkworm's Weeping Silk wrapped around the tree trunk.
The Silk-stealing Lady truly is a beneficial insect...
Yingshi took a good moment to recover before saying shyly, Thank you, Shuangjian... I don't even know how to properly thank you. And the Silk-stealing Lady too—what do these little bugs eat? I can find something to repay it!
It was just a small effort, no need for thanks, Shuangjian said. As for the Silk-stealing Lady, I have already fed it with spiritual energy.
...Oh. Yingshi nodded blankly.
A subtle silence filled the air, the kind that follows the completion of serious business, and the atmosphere seemed to drift toward something more romantic once again.
S-so hot! Yingshi flusteredly reached out and pushed aside a lush branch of flowers, breaking the absolute privacy of their space.
Looking out through this gap, she happened to catch a glimpse of the couple kissing on the roof.
By now, the two had separated and were about to head down.
And down below in the clearing stood a night-patrol master from the Daoyi Immortal Alliance, who had arrived at some unknown time.
The giant osmanthus tree wasn't particularly close to them, but the master's robust voice still drifted over faintly: Midnight has passed, and there is a second round of exams in the morning. Don't stay up too late, lest it affect your rest.
After giving the couple this reminder, he smiled and walked away.
So they don't catch people?
Yingshi peeked at the scene and smiled a little sheepishly. Turning back to Shuangjian, she said, It's already midnight. Then... Shuangjian, I should head back too?
Alright.
You should rest early too... We were too rushed today, but when I have free time, I will definitely reward you properly! Yingshi said earnestly. I mean it, I'm not just making empty promises!
She knew this wasn't the first time she had said such things, but she just wanted to do her utmost to express her true feelings. Of course, those feelings would definitely be fulfilled... although at this very moment, she didn't quite have any good ideas on how to fulfill them.
...Alright.
Receiving his response, Yingshi felt completely satisfied and prepared to climb down the tree using both her hands and feet. But Shuangjian's voice came from behind, calling out to her. Yingshi.
Hmm? She hastily turned her head. Her hair brushed against the flowering branches, bringing down a fine shower of osmanthus blossoms.
Shuangjian looked at her quietly, the moonlight seemingly flowing in his eyes. He deliberated over what he wanted to say, but ultimately just said softly, ...Rest early too. See you tomorrow.
Yingshi felt a warmth in her heart.
See you tomorrow! she replied crisply.
After Yingshi left, Shuangjian did not immediately follow.
His gaze fell upon the bundle of Celestial Silkworm's Weeping Silk. Without blinking an eye or moving a finger, the stacked silver threads spontaneously ignited. However, it was an unusual combustion; the flames were actually black, and they didn't spread to the nearby tree in the slightest.
The Celestial Silkworm's Weeping Silk was reduced to ashes in an instant, while Shuangjian stared thoughtfully at the handful of remaining ash.
After a long while, he suddenly placed two fingers on his own wrist and applied spiritual energy—just as he had done to Yingshi not long ago.
...Steady, cool, and gentle, entirely sufficient for a soothing effect.
He clearly hadn't slipped up just now, yet Yingshi's reaction had made him wonder several times if he had mistakenly used demonic energy instead of spiritual energy, accidentally hurting her.
Earlier, when he called out to her, he merely wanted to ask: Did I make you uncomfortable?
But he couldn't bring himself to ask.
A faint, heavy emotion was pulling at him—perhaps all of this was a side effect of the blood pact.
He still didn't want to let her go.
Shuangjian raised his eyes to look in the direction the young girl had left, a barely perceptible frown forming on his brow.
