This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 371 Damn it, when did the Peerless Palace become like this?

"First of all, the victim's identity must be clarified. It's not about what I did to Senior Sister Bai Feng, but what she did to me."

Seeing that he couldn't be fooled, Xiang Yuan decided to omit some details involving cattle and tell the truth. He cleared his throat and said, "It's a long story, let's start from the beginning. After you returned to Wushuang Palace, I continued to travel the world. Suddenly, the Shangyuan Li family of Southern Jin came to my door, asking me to help suppress the floods..."

“Lingyue, you know me. I’ve been kind-hearted since I was little and can’t bear to see suffering. Plus, the Li family in Shangyuan gave me too much money, and I just happened to be saving up to marry you, so I took a boat to Southern Jin.”

"Wait a minute, what does this have to do with Master?"

Xiao Lingyue interrupted, saying that Xiang Yuan's scent was so strong it was practically pickled, and she had no interest in listening to such nonsense.

To put it simply, what exactly happened between the White Tiger and the White Phoenix, and why does the White Tiger have the scent of the White Phoenix?

Tell us everything truthfully!

No, from a reading comprehension perspective, laying the groundwork in the early plot can reinforce your husband's persona of being uninterested in women, state the theme at the beginning, present the central argument, and then highlight your master's arrogant and self-centered low-quality image, serving as a contrast between the beginning and the end and as factual evidence. It cannot be omitted.

"Lingyue, don't be anxious. This matter concerns the lives of all people, and I must make things clear."

Xiang Yuan's expression turned serious as he recounted Xiang Shaoxia's journey to Southern Jin. He entered the scene alone, facing numerous schemes, plots, and ambushes from all sides. To save the people of Southern Jin, Xiang Shaoxia fought wits and courage against the corrupt elements in the Southern Jin martial arts world and the imperial court. Because of his kind heart, he was constantly subjected to moral blackmail and suffered countless grievances.

The description was so exaggerated and anthropomorphic that Xiao Lingyue rolled her eyes.

Referring to her trip to the capital, where the three elders addressed her as "elder sister-in-law," she deduced that when Young Hero Xiang went to Southern Jin, someone was indeed wronged, but that person certainly didn't have the surname Xiang.

Since Xiang Yuan hadn't suffered any loss, she didn't argue back.

"There is also an evil formation that seals the dragon vein below the capital of Southern Jin. I thought it was no coincidence, so I headed north to Tai'an in Northern Qi, intending to wipe out all the evil forces that are harming the people."

Xiang Yuan rambled on, then suddenly changed the subject, becoming helpless: "To be honest, I didn't want to go to Northern Qi. There's the Benxin Dao there, and they love to scheme against righteous young heroes like me."

"Aren't you a disciple of the Original Heart Path?" Xiao Lingyue asked in surprise.

"The problem is that I am a disciple of the Benxin Dao."

Xiang Yuan sighed, put his arm around Xiao Lingyue's shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Before I went to Northern Qi, the evil formation in Tai'an Capital had already been broken by my master, the Heartless Old Daoist. He knew I was kind-hearted and predicted that I would definitely rush to Tai'an Prefecture, so he did this and that..."

"As a result, without my knowledge, I beat Emperor Liu Che of Northern Qi and Empress Jiang Wang half to death, broke Liu Che's leg, and made him kneel in front of me."

Xiang Yuan exclaimed that the trap was too deep: "After the misunderstanding was cleared up, I realized that Liu Che was a disciple forcibly taken in by my master. That idiot knew everything but said nothing, and deliberately instigated his fellow disciples to kill each other."

Xiao Lingyue: ()
So, is your penchant for swindling people because you gained orthodoxy by joining the Benxin Dao sect, or because you were so suitable that you were accepted into the Benxin Dao sect?
She would call it a good match!
"Regardless of whether it's a misunderstanding or not, Liu Che is, after all, the emperor's junior brother. I must repay that kneeling, and I'll let him control me by escorting someone to the Western Chu capital." Xiang Yuan said helplessly, repeatedly mentioning that the person was honest and could be manipulated, to reinforce Xiao Lingyue's impression of him.

The scene where the emperor flirts with the empress was cut; its presence or absence wouldn't affect the plot. Talking too much about it would seem like filler.

"That person's name is Jiang Yingjun, Princess Wenying of Northern Qi, right?" Xiao Lingyue said softly.

"Ah, you know that?" Xiang Yuan was shocked.

“My mother told me that she returned to Wushuang Palace half a month ago.”

Xiao Lingyue rolled her eyes at Xiang Yuan: "Mother said that the princess of Northern Qi has been trying to seduce you, and there's also your fiancée, Miss Xiao. If Mother hadn't been watching you closely, you would have lost your virginity several times already."

Xiang Yuan stayed in the Desolate Ancient Realm for two months. Cheng Yuling waited for her son-in-law but couldn't find him, so she returned to the Bagua... Wushuang Palace. There, she met Xiao Lingyue, who had just come out of seclusion. She patted her chest to show off her achievements and warned Xiao Lingyue that she should be more careful and not let Xiang Yuan wander around outside all the time.

Simply put, all the credit goes to her; Xiang Yuan has absolutely no self-control.

Hilarious! She didn't even manage to defend herself properly, how dare she brag like that!

Xiang Yuan couldn't help but burst out laughing: "It's not that I don't want to give my mother face, but as soon as she arrived in Zhen Dian Prefecture, she became very close to my father-in-law. I didn't fall in love with him because of my own strong will. I remained unmoved by beauty. As for expecting my mother to... well, she is my mother after all. That's all I have to say."

That made sense, and Xiao Lingyue had no way to refute it. Skipping over the topic of her undercover mother, she said with dissatisfaction, "You escorted the Northern Qi princess all the way, spending every day with her, and you really didn't have any thoughts about her?"

Xiang Yuan held Xiao Lingyue's hand, smiling without saying a word. The deep affection in his eyes was genuine, and soon Xiao Lingyue blushed.

"If Lingyue were to use her beauty to seduce me, I'm confident I'd fall for it immediately."

"Who told you to say that..."

Seeing Xiang Yuan touching her while speaking, Xiao Lingyue gently pushed him away twice. Because Xiang Yuan insisted, she was powerless to resist and was kissed.

Hate!

"After I escorted Grandmaster Jiang to Zhen Dian Prefecture, Senior Sister Bai Feng sent people to the door, dispatching two Grandmasters to test my strength..."

Xiang Yuan recounted in detail: "One was black and the other was white, I think they were called Yin Chun and Dao Liu, that's the name, I remember it very clearly."

"It's Senior Sisters Yinshuang and Daoxue," Xiao Lingyue corrected.

"That's about right, as long as the meaning is conveyed, since they're already defeated anyway."

At this point, Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow: "I don't have a very good impression of Senior Sister Bai Feng. She's a bit arrogant. Even though she was the one who tested me first, she insisted on blaming me for being unreasonable. As soon as I saw that, I immediately avoided her."

Xiao Lingyue blushed and stammered, "My master can be unreasonable at times, but most of the time, as long as you don't anger her, she is a very quiet and good master."

"They're quite quiet, glancing sideways at people and not bothering to make a sound," Xiang Yuan complained.

Xiao Lingyue blushed even more and pushed Xiang Yuan, telling him not to speak ill of Bai Wuyan.

Even telling the truth won't work!
"Senior Sister Bai Feng's control over the Yanfu Sect far surpasses mine. I couldn't just hide from her; she still managed to capture me, and we entered the Desolate Ancient Realm together, the place where the Heavenly Emperor fell..."

After laying the groundwork for a long time, solidifying the character's kind-heartedness, integrity, and aversion to women, Xiang Yuan recounts the situation in the Desolate Ancient Realm and Bai Wuyan's tribulation experience: "Because of the interference of the extraterrestrial demons, Senior Sister Bai Feng failed her tribulation, her primordial spirit was on the verge of death, and her physical body was withered. I fought with all my might to repel the extraterrestrial demons, only managing to salvage a piece of withered wood. Without the external medicine to replenish her strength, Senior Sister Bai Feng would be powerless to save her and would surely die."

"She tasted it?"

"Ah."

"..."

Xiao Lingyue raised her hand to her forehead. She knew that she was the same, and so was Chan'er. Even her master had been nearly killed because of the bad luck that came with teaming up with Xiang Yuan.

"Although Senior Sister Bai Feng is arrogant and has suppressed and despised me in various ways, she is still your master. I cannot watch her die in front of me. Otherwise, how would I have the face to face you in the future? So I stepped in to help her and injected her with a great medicine to reshape her physical body."

"How did you register?" Xiao Lingyue asked precisely.

"I smeared the blood-injecting medicine on the dead wood, but she was charred by lightning. What else could I do?"

Xiang Yuan raised his hand and pinched Xiao Lingyue's cheek, frowning as he said, "Something's not right with you. It's one thing to question your master, but you're even wary of a gentleman like me!"

Then all my preparation was for nothing!
Xiao Lingyue's expression was strange, but her intuition told her that things were not so simple.

"Senior Sister Bai Feng's condition was terrible at the time. Although she was still alive, it was no different from being dead. Even with the best medicine at her lips, she couldn't be saved. I had no choice but to cultivate the Body Refining Method of the Peerless Palace with her and temporarily reshape a physical body." Xiang Yuan sighed and said things like he would be ashamed to face his wife if he didn't save her and he couldn't complete the mission if he didn't save her.

Xiao Lingyue's eyes twitched. She took a deep breath and calmed her suddenly racing heartbeat.

Stop talking, I don't want to hear it anymore.

"If I don't say these things, and if Senior Sister Bai Feng doesn't say them, you'll never know. But we're husband and wife, and if I keep this from you, how am I any different from a beast?"

Xiang Yuan said righteously, "To keep it a secret is to have a guilty conscience. I have a clear conscience and nothing to hide. Moreover, I believe that as long as I tell the truth, Lingyue, you will definitely understand me!"

Xiao Lingyue couldn't understand, but not understanding meant that Xiang Yuan should not save his master, and instead watch helplessly as his path to immortality was extinguished.

"Lingyue, say something!"

"..."

Don’t want to talk!

"Given Senior Sister Bai Feng's arrogance, she definitely wouldn't allow me to live. After waking up, she was determined to kill me. Then, when the extraterrestrial demons attacked again, she watched me fall into the Xuanhuang Blood Sea without offering any help." Xiang Yuan's expression darkened, and the plot began to enter the protagonist-torture mode.

Given the circumstances at the time, Bai Wuyan was barely able to protect herself, let alone save Xiang Yuan. But that's not the right way to put it; it doesn't convey the full tragedy and helplessness.

Ensuring the ending remains unchanged while making appropriate modifications to the middle plot is the professional quality a qualified screenwriter should possess.

Once the plot was changed, Bai Wuyan immediately became even less likable, and Xiao Lingyue, as a viewer, felt a bit dissatisfied with her master.

He practiced dual cultivation to save you. If you want to sever ties, just don't see him again afterward. What's the difference between refusing to help someone in distress and repaying kindness with enmity?
Xiao Lingyue was full of complaints. Even though she knew that Xiang Yuan had returned alive and that the trip had been dangerous but safe, she still couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for Xiang Yuan when she heard about the critical moment.

My heart went up and down with the plot, but one thing remained constant—the adulterous couple were practicing dual cultivation!
"I fell into the Xuanhuang Blood Sea and was tricked by the Heavenly Emperor. I underwent a blood transfusion and marrow cleansing and survived. When Senior Sister Bai Feng saw that my blood medicine was progressing well, she kidnapped me to Wushuang Palace. I told her that I would die soon and that she didn't need to do anything, so she didn't kill me."

Xiang Yuan sighed repeatedly: "She also said that since I'm going to die anyway, it's better to lock me up in Wushuang Palace as a treasure of the sect, squeeze out all the blood medicine from my body, and then throw me out to die."

Master is so heartless!

Xiao Lingyue was indignant and deeply dissatisfied with Xiang Yuan's situation. However, whenever she tried to say something, the "dual cultivation" would pop out from the corner and start singing and dancing, which annoyed her so much that she could hardly give Xiang Yuan a good look.

Xiang: Your master almost died back then. If I didn't save her, how could I face you!
Xiao: You two are practicing dual cultivation.

Xiang: The extraterrestrial demons are eyeing us covetously. If I don't save her, I won't survive either!

Xiao: You two are practicing dual cultivation.

Xiang: She beat me to my knees so that she could drag me back to Wushuang Palace to be used as a Star Fury Force!

Xiao: You two are practicing dual cultivation.

If Xiang Yuan can't overcome this hurdle, no amount of sob stories will help.

Xiao Lingyue stood there speechlessly, the joy of reaching the pinnacle of cultivation completely gone. She glanced in the direction where Bai Wuyan was in seclusion, and gently shook her head, saying, "The situation is a bit... complicated. I want to go back to my room to calm down. Don't follow me."

"That wouldn't be good. What if your master suddenly comes out of seclusion, needs a snack, and then grabs me to do dual cultivation again?"

*Thud!* Xiao Lingyue was struck in the chest by a sword, which made her face pale. She glared at Xiang Yuan reproachfully, "Do you want to listen to what you're saying?"
Even if it's the absolute truth, you can't just say it outright!
She glanced in the direction where Bai Wuyan was in seclusion, dissatisfied that her master had brought her husband back to the mountain gate as a family heirloom. She gritted her teeth and stomped her foot: "Come on, come back to the room with me. You're going into seclusion to cultivate. You're not allowed to go anywhere."

"Uh, what if your master bursts into the house and insists on kidnapping me?"

"No, that won't happen," Xiao Lingyue said dryly.

"Of course!"

Xiang Yuan caught up with Xiao Lingyue and whispered, "Back then, I was worried that this matter would be exposed, and you would feel bad if you heard it, so I reminded Senior Sister Bai Feng. Guess what? She said that even if you caught her in the act, you wouldn't dare to say anything! Do you understand? She actually dared to rush into the room, right in front of you!"

"..."

Damn it, when did Wushuang Palace become like this!
How are we supposed to deal with Jianxinzhai now? We've already lost!

Xiao Lingyue gritted her teeth. Now that things had come to this, she had to admit that, regardless of whether Xiang Yuan had ulterior motives, Bai Wuyan's purpose was very simple.

My disciple, your medicine is really good. I find it very easy to use.

Wait on the side, I will use it first.

Is there no reasoning involved? How can you take things from your apprentice?!
If reason were possible, Bai Wuyan wouldn't be Bai Wuyan. Xiao Lingyue knew this in her heart. She grabbed Xiang Yuan's arm and pinched it hard a few times: "It's all your fault. I told you not to talk about the great medicine to everyone, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened. You've been captured by a prestigious sect and taken back to their mountain gate as a family heirloom."

“Madam, I didn’t make things up about the medicine; you were the one who told Senior Sister Bai Feng.”

Xiang Yuan spoke softly, "With her level of cultivation, she could have calculated why your cultivation had advanced so much. She forcibly took me to the Desolate Ancient Realm so that she could take my blood medicine at a critical moment."

“Master…she’s not that kind of person.”

Xiao Lingyue lowered her head deeply, speaking words she found difficult to utter, her voice not very loud because of her guilty conscience.

Xiang Yuan also had a master he was ashamed to talk about. Understanding Xiao Lingyue's helplessness, he stopped talking about it and instead said, "I'm currently being held captive in Wushuang Palace. It's easy to get in but hard to get out. Can you think of a way to avoid the mountain-protecting formation? Give me one."

"But your master will bring you back."

Xiao Lingyue turned her head to look elsewhere: "After you leave Wushuang Palace, where do you plan to go to avoid Master?"

Without a doubt, it's definitely the Sword Heart Sect!

"Of course it's the Yellow Springs Path. The Dao Master is incredibly powerful and will definitely protect my innocence."

"..."

Xiao Lingyue's expression changed. The Yellow Spring Saintess and the Yellow Spring Left Envoy were together day and night, and it wouldn't be long before the Yellow Spring Saint Son became pregnant.

This is worse than keeping them locked up in Wushuang Palace!

The thought of Chan'er stroking her lower abdomen with a face full of maternal glow made Xiao Lingyue feel like she had thorns in her back, and she refused to agree no matter what.

Thinking about it carefully, leaving Xiang Yuan in Wushuang Palace as a family heirloom is actually quite a good idea.

Bai Wuyan coveted the blood-infused medicine, but not Xiang Yuan's body; they only engaged in dual cultivation of their primordial spirits, so there was no risk of murder.

However, it's hard to say what one will cultivate tomorrow if one cultivates the primordial spirit today...

Xiao Lingyue's head was spinning. Although the potential risks were not great, they were not entirely impossible. Compared to Bai Wuyan, Chan'er was a weakling who was both beautiful and kind-hearted.

Presenting the facts and reasoning with them, Chan'er is already a younger sister, and the Yellow Spring Holy Son and such are not intolerable.

That sounds much more pleasant than "Young Master of Wushuang Palace"!

Xiao Lingyue took a deep breath and made up her mind to send Xiang Yuan out of Wushuang Palace.

But not now, and certainly not secretly; it must be done in front of the Palace Master.

Make your point clear!
As for what happened before, given the circumstances and your immaturity, you can pretend nothing happened. As her wife/apprentice, we won't pursue the matter further.

That's the end of it all; there's no more to it.

Before they knew it, Xiao Lingyue led Xiang Yuan to the mountainside and returned to her small courtyard where she cultivated.

They deliberately chose back roads, sneaking around like thieves.

The overall layout of Wushuang Palace resembles a pyramid, progressing layer by layer from bottom to top.

The Palace Master's residence is located at the summit of the main peak, with a private grotto. Next are the residences of the mountain gate elders and the Palace Master's personal disciples, which are the several independent courtyards in front of Xiang Yuan. Further down are important places such as the Scripture Pavilion, the Sword Pavilion, and the Spirit Field.

Finally, there is the area where the inner disciples reside, either at the foot of the main peak or on other peaks.

Xiao Lingyue's neighbors are Yinshuang, Daoxue, and her senior sister Cheng Yuling.

Several courtyards are nestled among the clouds on the side of the main peak, all built of white jade. From a distance, they look like stars, while up close they exude a solemn atmosphere.

Pushing open the door reveals a private training ground, isolated by an array, with a separate sword-testing stone and a cold crystal lamp, all made of cold jade. This helps cultivators concentrate and calm their minds, and also suppresses the Great Sun Sword's aura, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.

Some time ago, Yinshuang and Daoxue went out and suffered a crushing defeat. They were both hypnotized and subjected to manipulation of their common sense and memories, which displeased Bai Wuyan. They are currently reflecting on their mistakes.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xiang Yuan will not be able to see these two.

Cheng Yuling...

Uh, she went to the inner disciples' courtyard to gossip.

Benches are set out, fruits are laid out, and the women of Jianxinzhai chat about everything under the sun, from day to night, and the next day they continue, never getting tired of it.

Seeing Xiao Lingyue's extreme caution, as if afraid of being seen, Xiang Yuan pursed his lips, stepped forward, put his arm around her slender waist, pulled her into his embrace, and said loudly, "Madam, why are you so flustered?"

"Don't be so loud."

Xiao Lingyue hurriedly covered Xiang Yuan's mouth, blushing as she said, "You are not allowed to call me Madam at the mountain gate... and Master, you should not call her Senior Sister Bai Feng either."

"What are you shouting about?"

"White House Master."

Xiao Lingyue spoke with certainty, then suddenly realized what she meant and changed her words, saying, "No, just like me, call her Master, and you continue to call me Madam."

Wouldn't that be even more exciting!
Xiang Yuan's face fell. He didn't care what Bai Wuyan called him—senior sister, palace master, or master—he was just worried that it would be too stimulating for Xiao Lingyue to handle.

Well, I doubt my mother-in-law could stand it either.

"Lingyue, don't tell your mother about this. You know her; it wouldn't be good if word got out," Xiang Yuan reminded her.

"Shut up, don't say that again."

Xiao Lingyue was furious and stomped on Xiang Yuan's foot twice. The already complicated situation was made even worse by Xiang Yuan's words.

She pulled Xiang Yuan into the house, activated the array to isolate her from external perception, so that no one would discover that she had secretly hidden a man in the house.

This measure is only effective against honest people, not against scoundrels. No, it won't even protect the Palace Master.

Knowing this, Xiao Lingyue still activated the formation, partly to protect her food, or perhaps to assert her dominance.

It wasn't explicitly stated, but the Palace Master and his master understand.

"Madam's room is really big..."

Xiang Yuan wandered around, rummaging through Xiao Lingyue's bedroom, and quickly acquired a few pieces of fabric and a few belts.

Xiao Lingyue stepped forward and slapped Xiang Yuan's hand away, put her personal clothing back in the wardrobe, and warned him that this was a sacred place and he was not allowed to act recklessly and should behave himself.

Then it got taken over.

The two had been separated for nearly five months and missed each other. How could they possibly be at peace when they were alone together?

After some back and forth, Xiang Yuan showed great spirits and proved with his actions that he was chaste and had not misbehaved outside.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Xiao Lingyue's hair was disheveled, her face flushed, and she nestled in Xiang Yuan's arms, her eyes half-closed. She muttered complaints, expressing deep regret for being deceived by Xiang Yuan's sweet words once again.

Xiang Yuan knew that she harbored resentment and had lost her composure, so he listened patiently and apologized throughout, admitting that all the mistakes were his own.

Xiao Lingyue was troubled. Although she came from a family with a long history of learning and was not afraid of little vixens like Chan'er, she had her own ways of dealing with even if a princess from Northern Qi came to her door.

Rather...

When my mother was enjoying her time in the backyard of Prince Zhao's mansion, she had never encountered a troublesome figure like my master.

With no precedents and zero experience, what can we do?

"My lady, my skills have greatly improved, and I have gained new insights into cultivation. Didn't you want to have a sword duel with that guy from the Sword Heart Sect? I'll lend you a hand." Xiang Yuan held Xiao Lingyue in his arms, first helping her refine the medicinal power, and then using the Yin-Yang technique to cultivate both her primordial spirit and spirit.

After the procedure, Xiao Lingyue was completely numb.

Xiang Yuan possesses a vast amount of knowledge about the laws and principles of heaven and earth related to the inheritance of the Peerless Palace, even more than she does, and it's unknown where she learned it from!

You just don't want to explain...

Forget it, let's not talk about it.

(End of this chapter)