"If I recall correctly, I gave up that identity long ago."
A warm wind swept across the dune desert, stirring ripples across the sea of sand like waves of wheat.
Shadows beneath the bamboo hat veiled the eyes of the man in the coir raincoat. His tone was lukewarm.
"Whatever Mu Shanhai and the Mu family do now has nothing to do with me."
"Has it truly nothing to do with you?"
The black-robed man grinned faintly at his words. "If you truly don't care about the Mu family, why did you tell me earlier about the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Saintess arriving in the Western Desert?"
"..."
After a brief silence, the man in the coir raincoat sighed and plopped down onto the scalding sand beneath him. Reaching behind him, he pulled a flagon of wine from his hide pack, tipped his head back to gulp down two deep mouthfuls, and wiped the liquor from his stubbled chin with his sleeve. In a raspy, sandpaper-rough voice, he sighed softly:
"Is casually dropping a clue at all comparable to going in person to risk my neck?"
"Indeed, there is no comparison."
Seeing that the other man had no intention of leaving right away, the black-robed figure felt slightly reassured and asked in a low voice, "We parted in such haste last time that I didn't get a chance to ask: were the injuries you sustained back then inflicted by that Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Saintess?"
"My injuries?"
The man in the coir raincoat lowered his gaze to glance at his chest. His stubble twitched, and he grinned.
"Does that matter? What you really want to ask is where that Saintess is, right?"
"So, can you tell me?"
"If I told you, would you believe me?"
"Heh."
The black-robed man sighed softly. "Mu Xingchen, Old Master Mu always groomed you to be the next head of the Mu family. Why must you do this?"
The wine rushed to Mu Xingchen's head, and he rubbed the space between his brows.
"What he arranged for me wasn't what I wanted."
At that, a look of mixed emotion flitted across his murky eyes, and he murmured:
"Yet... he is still the father who brought me into this world and raised me. Heh... Speak. What does he want me to do?"
Hearing this, the black-robed man wasted no time and stated straightforwardly in a quiet voice:
"We need your Dao domain to seal it temporarily."
Mu Xingchen seemed to have heard the greatest joke in the world. He chuckled under his breath for a long while before raising a rough index finger to point at himself:
"Me? Seal that bug saint?"
The black-robed man's voice remained calm and measured:
"There are others acting with us—three Transcendents in total, including myself."
"With your status, when you were in Di'an, surely you met Saint realm powerhouses often, didn't you? Don't you know how vast the gulf is between Transcendent and Saint?"
"Rest assured. Earlier, we orchestrated a clash between the Great Desert Linlang and that bug saint. It is very weak right now. The three of us will be more than enough."
"Is that so..."
Many thoughts flickered through Mu Xingchen's downcast eyes. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "In that case, I can go. But I have one more question."
The black-robed man grinned. "Of course. Ask away."
Mu Xingchen curled his index finger and nudged his bamboo hat upward with his knuckle, revealing the solemn eyes underneath. He asked, "Did Mu Shanhai drag Xingyi into this?"
The black-robed man locked eyes with that grave gaze for several breaths, then asked with a puzzled look, "You're not related to him by blood—why do you care so much about that boy?"
Mu Xingchen sighed softly and slowly rose from the mound of sand, muttering wistfully:
"Back then, I was the one responsible for carrying out that plan. Xingyi's tragic plight was brought about by my own hands...
"Mr. Mu,
"as his elder brother, I failed him in the end. So I need your word that his life will be safe."
***
Fiend Gorge was an outright death trap within Thousand Thorns Gorge, situated right in the eye of a hurricane, with an area of a hundred li enveloped by perpetual sandstorms.
As they drew closer to the center of the storm's eye, the crushing wind pressure slowed the carriage's progress almost to a standstill; in such foul weather, civilian-grade Grade B demon steeds could no longer pull the heavy carriage behind them.
Yet in stark contrast to the apocalyptic sandstorm outside, inside the carriage it remained tranquil and serene.
Quality had its price.
The various precious array formations carved into the cabin were more than enough to withstand most extreme weather in the world.
Slowly opening his eyes, Xu Yuan clenched his hand, relishing the sensation of lightness that came with his healed injuries. He instinctively drew a deep breath, but what reached his nostrils was not the carriage's familiar vanilla-like herbal scent, but a faint, delicate rose fragrance.
Glancing sideways, Xu Yuan smiled softly and said, "Jinxuan, thank you."
Sitting beside him, the red-robed woman shook her head gently and replied in a quiet voice, "Young Master Xu saved my life. This was only my duty."
Ten days had passed, yet Su Jinxuan was still wearing the same bright red silk dress.
After breaking through to Body Integration, a cultivator's metabolism virtually halted, so there was naturally no need to change clothes as frequently as mortals did.
Yet beneath those luxuriant red skirts, an alluring glimpse of white peeked through now and then.
The white-stocking succubus was back.
Still, recalling how Su Jinxuan had suddenly brought out those silk stockings and put them on, Xu Yuan broke into a cold sweat even now.
After Tianyan had apologized to Su Jinxuan via voice transmission that day, the atmosphere in the carriage had turned somewhat muted, but it remained fairly harmonious. At least there was no longer that dagger-drawn tension, and occasionally they would even chat about amusing things.
Having lived through a literal Asura's battlefield, Xu Yuan was already more than satisfied with this atmosphere for now.
As long as he took care not to make the washboard Saintess jealous, this harmony should continue.
Yet before Tianyan—that easily ruffled punching bag who loved stirring up trouble despite being bad at it—could do anything, Succubus Su dealt him a massive surprise.
That day, after Su Jinxuan treated him through a "cycle" using the Great Joyous Union Yin-Yang Art, Xu Yuan had prepared as usual to host a tea gathering to foster closer ties.
There was no helping it; because Tianyan refused to cooperate, his earlier plan had fallen through, and he had to devise a new one.
While this method of idle chitchat was a bit slow, it could at least help the women get acquainted.
Tianyan had likely seen through his intentions, but she hadn't sabotaged it; she simply chose not to participate.
And with the Big Ice Block, that ultimate grinder, silently cultivating without uttering a word, the tea gathering really amounted to just Su Jinxuan, Bai Muxi, and himself talking.
Though neither the big nor small ice blocks took part, as long as no incidents occurred, things were progressing steadily in the right direction.
And right in the middle of this tea party,
Su Jinxuan suddenly retrieved a pair of fine silk stockings embroidered with graceful patterns from her Sumeru ring and casually put them on.
She hadn't avoided anyone in the carriage—which naturally included him.
Sitting still, she was already breathtaking; performing such an enticing action made Xu Yuan's mind reel.
She was dressed just like when they first met, yet the maiden's seductive charm was incomparable to what it once was.
Now, even without deliberate intent, her every gesture exuded a soul-stirring allure.
Furthermore, this charm wasn't directed at Xu Yuan alone; Tianyan and the others were all more or less affected as well.
In that instant, the air seemed to freeze, and a sea of peach blossoms and cherry petals bloomed before their eyes.
Even the Big Ice Block, who had been engrossed in cultivating, opened her eyes and silently stared at Succubus Su, a flustered vigilance in her gaze.
Tianyan wanted to say something, but considering she had just apologized earlier and her pride was at stake, she merely let out a frosty snort.
Instead, Bai Muxi half-jokingly remarked at that moment, "Lady Su's charm techniques are truly formidable."
Su Jinxuan remained remarkably calm and collected about this, answering softly, "Muxi, I haven't even circulated my art yet."
With that,
fighting down her accelerating heartbeat, Su Jinxuan lifted her hem under his stunned gaze and slowly rolled the silk stockings from her translucent bare feet up toward the pale backs of her knees, leaving a faint indent on her flawless fair thighs. And that fleeting glimpse of the absolute territory before her skirts fell back down caused the carriage's temperature to rise by several degrees.
Having done all this, Su Jinxuan forced her fluttering composure to steady, and under everyone's gaze, she flashed a serene, bewitching smile:
"What is wrong with everyone? Why keep staring at me?"
Words that sounded like a taunt directed at all of them reached the three women's ears.
Bai Muxi stared at those silk-clad legs that looked like a work of nature, feeling aggrieved.
She suspected that when the young master had asked her to buy that pair of silk stockings back then, it was because of this Lady Su before her eyes.
But with the Lady Saintess present and Mr. Ran saying nothing, she couldn't very well retort directly.
Tianyan still guarded her pride and did not lash out at Su Jinxuan, but the slight rise and fall of her chest signaled that she was nearing her breaking point.
In the end, it was a calm, plain voice that answered Su Jinxuan.
"A woman should conduct herself with modesty. Socks and boots are intimate private articles. This is not good."
Ran Qingmo said with utmost earnestness, "Lady Su, you are a good person. Don't do this casually in front of others in the future."
The smile on Su Jinxuan's face froze slightly, and she hurried to explain, "The carriage is cramped. This is actually the first time I've ever put them on in front of others."
A glimmer of surprise showed in Ran Qingmo's clear eyes. "Ah? The first time?"
Su Jinxuan pressed her red lips together, subconsciously glancing over at him as he stared in a daze, and nodded earnestly. "Yes."
At that, Ran Qingmo stared at her for a moment before offering a soft apology: "Oh. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have judged by appearances."
"Heh. 'First time.'"
Tianyan suddenly let out a soft chuckle from the side. Glancing at the Sword Sect's head disciple—who appeared ditzy on the outside but was actually sweet-faced and dark-hearted within—she found her not quite so eyesore-inducing for once. In a light, aloof voice, she said:
"The Great Joyous Union Yin-Yang Art is the supreme charm art in the world. I don't blame you for having that impression, Ran Qingmo. However, according to the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion's records, this technique supposedly requires dual cultivation with another to absorb cultivation. For Lady Su's cultivation to grow so rapidly..."
Quietly watching the drama unfold from the side, Xiao Bai saw the tide turning and suddenly covered her mouth with a soft giggle. "Dual cultivation surely has ways that don't require stripping off one's clothes, right?"
Tianyan gave a light shake of her head. Sitting by the window with her chin propped in her hand, she glanced out. "Who knows? After all, the contents of the Great Joyous Union Yin-Yang Art are known only to those two over there."
"...Ah?"
"Earlier on the road, Lady Su even brought up on her own that quite a few women had confessed their affections to her over the years, half-jokingly warning me to be careful. If even women are like that, then men..."
"..."
Bai Muxi's bright eyes widened just the right amount, and looking at the naturally alluring Su Jinxuan, her red lips gradually formed an 'O'.
One against three, utterly obliterated.
Her skills were lacking; when it came to this sort of thing, you really had to look to Li Qingyan.
Listening to their exchange, Xu Yuan enjoyed the drama while thinking of a certain chest-binding princess.
Amid his thoughts,
Succubus Su's peach-blossom eyes blinked as a touch of panic surfaced. Still without boots, her white-stockinged jade feet dug slightly into the floor as she suddenly blurted out:
"I didn't! Back in that cave, Young Master Xu and I—mph, mph, mph—"
Xu Yuan, who had been casually watching the show, jumped in fright halfway through and hurriedly reached out to clap his hand over Su Jinxuan's delicate red lips.
Bicker all you want, but did you just try to launch a fucking nuke?!
***
Snapping back to the present, Xu Yuan glanced at the breathtakingly gorgeous red-robed woman beside him, quietly suppressing the strange stirrings in his heart.
He was actually just as curious about what Su Jinxuan was going to say next that day, but this was not something that could be laid bare right now.
Over these past days, he had secretly slipped away when given the chance to test things out.
It seemed that due to the special changes in his physique, he had broken past the shackles of the human race; any drained vital essence would replenish almost immediately in an extraordinarily short time.
As for whether any of the women had used their intent-souls to peek, Xu Yuan didn't care in the slightest—it wasn't him losing out anyway.
But to sum up,
that night's dream of Mount Wu must have resulted in real consequences inside the cave.
Thinking back carefully and observing Tianyan's reactions, she must have arrived only after Ran Qingmo and Bai Muxi had finished cleaning up the scene.
Otherwise, while he was still unconscious, this washboard Saintess would have already fought with Ran Qingmo, rather than squatting silently in the corner waiting for him to wake like a bullied punching bag.
But from the current clues, Xu Yuan still couldn't be certain of the candidate.
Su Jinxuan's reaction was highly suspicious, and while the Big Ice Block had returned to normal by now, Xu Yuan still remembered her strange behavior vividly from when he first woke.
As for Xiao Bai—
Xu Yuan ruled her out right off the bat.
Based on what he knew of this green-tea schemer, if something had truly happened, she would definitely be dropping all kinds of subtle hints to remind him.
With Li Qingyan absent, none of the three women present would ever pick up on those hints.
Tianyan, a woman at the very bottom of the food chain—no need to mention her.
Ran Qingmo, an airhead—no need to mention her either.
Though Su Jinxuan had grown quite a bit, she had spent little time by his side, so even if Xiao Bai laid things out openly, she wouldn't understand.
Therefore, that night's partner had to be either the Big Ice Block or the pathetic succubus.
Based on the current clues, Su Jinxuan seemed more likely, though the possibility of a double score couldn't be ruled out.
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan slowly shifted his gaze to Tianyan opposite him.
Gazing out at the sandstorm, the young woman sensed his eyes on her and turned to look back at him.
Her magnificent golden eyes still held that look of disdain.
All along the journey, this washboard Saintess had looked at him with that exact same expression.
Holding her gaze, Xu Yuan began pondering how to send this girl away.
The Heavenly Yan divine soul was a wonderful thing, but right now Xu Yuan only found it a nuisance.
With Tianyan planted right here, Xu Yuan didn't even dare use voice transmission to probe subtly.
As he was pondering, a faint sound suddenly came from the carriage roof.
Someone had landed on the roof.
Snapped out of his reverie, Xu Yuan instinctively looked up, not feeling the least bit surprised.
It was likely Ran Qingmo returning.
As his dedicated treasure-hunting maiden, now that they were approaching Fiend Gorge, the Big Ice Block had resumed her old profession.
Subconsciously turning to look out the carriage window, he met a serene gaze.
Ran Qingmo was hanging upside down, poking her head by the window. Her long hair cascaded downward like a waterfall, and her dark, beautiful eyes blinked as she stared at him.
A bit cute.
Resisting the urge to pinch her cheeks, Xu Yuan asked with a soft chuckle, "Why aren't you coming inside?"
Ran Qingmo parted her red lips and said softly:
"Xu Yuan... I found the place you were looking for. There's a demonic dragon's skeleton in a canyon up ahead. Are we heading over now?"
Chapter 595