Among the five peaks of the Falling Immortal Sect, Azure Cloud Peak and Soaring Cloud Peak primarily focused on cultivation, Medicine Cloud Peak specialized in alchemy, and Spirit Nexus Peak focused on formations and mechanisms.
Mysterious Shadow Peak, however, was the most enigmatic of them all. It was said that everyone there possessed a dark-element spiritual root, and that their cultivation methods were entirely different from those of the other peaks.
Its peak master, Mo Yi, appeared in public only rarely, and few people knew him.
Though Yuan Shu had been on the mountain for many years, this was the first time she had ever seen him in person.
Seeing that he had already gone, Yuan Shu did not dwell on it. She turned and left.
Not far away, Mo Yi lifted his eyes and gave the departing Yuan Shu a faint glance before waving a hand and issuing an order.
“Let’s go. It’s about to begin.”
…
When Yuan Shu returned to the guest residence, the kitchen had already been restored to its original state. Wisps of cooking smoke were rising from it.
As if she had thought of something, Yuan Shu arched a brow and called out, “Yun Sheng?”
Sure enough, the next moment, someone stepped out of the kitchen.
He wore white robes and had black hair, along with a pair of beautiful cherry-pink eyes. When he saw her, the corners of his eyes curved into a smile, and he came toward her.
“Shushu!”
Yuan Shu smiled. She had known that fellow Helan Zhao could not cook. Naturally, the delicious aroma drifting out could not have come from him.
Sure enough, Yun Sheng was back!
Without a word, Yuan Shu hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him into a hug, her voice carrying a hint of emotion.
“Yun Sheng, you’re finally back!”
No matter how fragrant the five-spirit chicken was, nothing could compare to the food Yun Sheng made.
Compared with the food in the Falling Immortal Sect’s dining hall, she still preferred his cooking.
Yun Sheng was slightly taken aback. Feeling the longing in Yuan Shu’s embrace, he hurriedly wrapped his arms around her as well, turned his face, and gently kissed the top of her head.
“Is there anything you want to eat tonight? I’ll make it now.”
Yuan Shu tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Truffle-fresh fish, golden broth with fish maw, steamed cold ginseng with condensed dew powder… That’s all.”
Yuan Shu did not hold back, naming several dishes she had been craving lately. This earned a soft laugh from Yun Sheng.
“All right. I’ll make them now!”
There were fresh ingredients in his Cosmos Pouch—ingredients he always kept ready for Yuan Shu. Preparing the dishes would not be difficult.
Yuan Shu was delighted. She cupped his face and kissed him.
Yun Sheng’s gaze trembled slightly. When Yuan Shu began to pull back, he pressed a hand against the back of her head and kissed her again.
They had been apart for several days. For a man who had only recently discovered the pleasures of intimacy, the separation had been both torturous and full of anticipation.
He had missed her terribly.
How could a light kiss possibly be enough?
Yun Sheng quickly pried open her lips. Overcome with desire, he held her and deepened the kiss.
Before long, they were kissing passionately, their breaths hot, neither willing to part.
Fortunately, Yun Sheng eventually managed to restrain his impulse. He released Yuan Shu’s lips and lightly pecked them twice.
“I’m going to make dinner for you.”
Yuan Shu smiled and followed him into the kitchen.
It was obvious that the kitchen had been newly rebuilt and repaired. After Helan Zhao had burned it down, he must have gone to considerable trouble to restore it.
Yun Sheng noticed, but neither asked nor said anything.
Knowing that Yuan Shu liked watching him cook, he silently brought her a reclining chair and had her sit to one side and rest.
He himself continued preparing the unfinished dishes.
An hour later, the food was served.
Yun Sheng waved a hand, using a Dust-Cleansing Spell to remove the scent of smoke from his body.
Then he walked over to Yuan Shu, hooked an arm beneath her legs, lifted her into his arms, and began feeding her.
Yuan Shu lounged comfortably against him, enjoying the ease of being waited on, her mouth opening whenever food was brought to it.
The passage of time was peaceful and warm.
As he fed her, Yun Sheng could not help brushing his lips against the top of her head from time to time.
It was not until Yuan Shu shook her head and rubbed her satisfied stomach that she said, “I’m full.”
Only then did Yun Sheng smile. Leaning close to her ear, he murmured, “Shushu, now that you’re full… shouldn’t it be my turn to eat?”
Yuan Shu blinked and turned to look at him, immediately meeting his heated gaze.
Thinking of the entanglement they had shared in the world of the spirit seed, Yuan Shu narrowed her eyes slightly. She was tempted as well.
Yun Sheng had grown up. He was no longer the inexperienced youth he had once been. His figure was tall and lean, his build strong, his muscles evenly developed.
It was clear that after meeting her, he had paid close attention to training his body.
And she had to admit—she quite liked this body.
Yuan Shu said nothing. She merely reached out and brushed back the hair at his temple.
Following the contours of his handsome, exquisite face, her fingertips moved lower and lower until they came to his broad, muscular chest.
His body was slender beneath his clothes but powerfully built beneath them, the firm muscles swelling beneath her palm as the steady beat of his heart sounded against her hand.
The instant her small hand slipped inside his collar, Yun Sheng let out a muffled groan above her.
He tightened his hold around Yuan Shu with one arm, stretching his body so that her hand could roam farther.
Once she had touched her fill, he cast another Dust-Cleansing Spell and eagerly bent to kiss her.
“Mmm.”
Yuan Shu blinked, the corners of her beautiful eyes curving slightly. She raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck.
…
Helan Zhao entered the courtyard beneath the moonlight.
The moment he stepped inside, he sensed that something was wrong. There was an unfamiliar aura in the residence.
He looked up. Warm lamplight spilled from Yuan Shu’s main room.
Was Yuan Shu back?
His eyes lit up, and he hurried toward the room. He had taken only a few steps when he heard strange, unusual sounds drifting from inside.
?
Helan Zhao froze.
That sounded like Yuan Shu’s voice.
Wait—there was also a man’s voice? Was someone else in the room?
Helan Zhao’s expression changed. Assuming that Yuan Shu had encountered some kind of danger, he was just about to push open the door when he hesitated, afraid that startling the other person might cause them to harm her.
After a brief moment of indecision, he lightly leaped onto the roof, lifted a roof tile, and looked down through the opening.
At a single glance, Helan Zhao felt as though he had been nailed to the spot. His eyes widened, and he stood there in stunned silence.
On the broad, lacquered red table lay a soft mattress. Yuan Shu was stretched out upon it, completely naked.
A handsome man was above her.
Because of the angle, Helan Zhao could see Yuan Shu clearly.
Her exaggerated curves, snow-white skin, and flushed, crimson cheeks appeared before his eyes without warning, vivid and unmistakable.
One glance was enough to make the sight impossible to forget.
Helan Zhao’s breathing immediately grew heavier. His reason told him that he should avert his eyes out of respect and leave as quickly as possible.
He should not be watching such an intimate scene.
Yet his eyes seemed fixed on that peerlessly beautiful face.
He could not look away. He could not move.
“Gulp.”
He heard himself swallow. A strange heat and tingling sensation surged through his body.
But it lasted only an instant before he regained his senses. Thinking that Yuan Shu might have been forced into the situation, he was about to charge inside and rescue her.
Then Yuan Shu took the handsome man by the neck and pulled him down, offering him an encouraging kiss.
Helan Zhao stood completely stunned.
Yuan Shu… she was doing this willingly!
In an instant, Helan Zhao abandoned the thought of entering the room. He turned his head, intending to leave, but then another thought occurred to him: he had already seen everything.
Whether he watched for a few moments longer or a few moments less made no difference.
He swallowed, held his breath, and leaned closer to the gap beneath the roof tile, carefully looking into the room.
Her black hair lay spread across the surface, as though it, too, were applauding this union.
Helan Zhao watched, utterly transfixed.
