Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 259 Aren't you the Holy Lord's Junior Sister?
Lu Xingzhou was in poor spirits and fell asleep again shortly after breakfast, leaning against the headboard.

Ye Tinglan sat by the bedside to keep him company. Seeing that there was a little sweat on his forehead, she took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the sweat off him.

Ye Tinglan would never do such a thing while Lu Xingzhou is awake.

But when he was asleep, he did it much more naturally.

If there were other people around, they would notice that the Holy Lord's eyes were very strange. There was a kind of protective instinct like an older sister taking care of her, and also the kind of affection a mature woman has for a handsome young man. His eyes were even a little sparkling.

This thing should never have appeared on the Heavenly Yao Saintess who has cultivated for decades... Perhaps only Yuan Muyu could understand her sister's similar feelings: Now do you know why I want him to have a broken leg? You can still break it now.

A slight vibration came from the communication jade talisman. Ye Tinglan answered the call, and Elder Su Yuan's voice came through quickly: "Sect Master, I have arrived at Shadow Moon Sect. Si Han said that you and Young Master Lu have left?"

"I haven't left. Do as instructed before, the plan remains unchanged. As long as I'm here, nothing should go wrong. Contact me immediately if anything changes."

“Yes.” Su Yuan sighed: “By extending our reach to other countries, we suddenly feel that the world has become much bigger. Our vision was limited before, after all, we have been entangled with the Great Qian for so many years, and our perspective was naturally limited. The Holy Lord’s move can be considered a crucial step. I think Gu Zhanting will be even more uneasy in the future.”

Ye Tinglan's gaze fell on Lu Xingzhou's pale face, and she said softly, "That's not my achievement."

The gentleness of that voice sent a chill down Su Yuan's spine, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Ye Tinglan said, "We can support Si Han to gradually make the royal court more worthy of its name, but this time we cannot allow the Gu family to become the sole ruler again. There needs to be a check and balance. Next, you should also support Tingxue Pavilion as an internal check on Tianshuang Kingdom. We must not allow Si Han to eliminate all hostile forces."

"Yes."

"Furthermore, Si Han has colluded with the Demonic Ice Prison Sect. You should have someone investigate this matter. Even if you can't sever their demonic wings, you must bring this matter out into the open. Si Han will be forced to distance himself from the demonic path under pressure."

Su Yuan said, "Young Master has been investigating the matter of the demonic path for a long time. I wonder if it has any connection with the Ice Prison Sect."

“There are many demonic paths, and not all of them are necessarily related. Theoretically, the demonic path that Qingli is investigating is in league with the Yama Palace, and should be the kind that wants to overthrow the royal court. Hmm... You should also contact Qingli and exchange information; there might actually be a connection.”

"Yes." Su Yuan felt a little strange. Why didn't he contact his disciple himself? Even just showing concern for his disciple's situation, asking how he was doing, wouldn't that be reasonable? Why did he make me contact him...?

Ye Tinglan ended the call and gave a barely perceptible purse of her lips.

She didn't know why she was avoiding Qingli. Lu Xingzhou was just one of her disciples. If she had a clear conscience, why would she avoid him?

But what if you feel guilty?

Seeing Lu Xingzhou sleeping soundly against the headboard, Ye Tinglan bit her lower lip and unconsciously reached out to gently stroke his face.

So lovely.

Lu Xingzhou, you've killed someone...

A heart as calm as a still lake has been struck by a stone, and the ripples are hard to calm.

Suddenly noticing Lu Xingzhou's eyelashes tremble slightly, Ye Tinglan withdrew her hand as if electrocuted. When Lu Xingzhou opened his eyes, he saw his master sitting upright, meditating with his eyes closed beside him.

"How is your injury, sir?" Lu Xingzhou asked weakly.

Ye Tinglan said, "It's nothing, just some minor internal injuries. How are you feeling?"

"I keep falling asleep and waking up, feeling completely drained." Lu Xingzhou tried to sound pitiful again: "Sir, could you please help guide the medicinal power of the soul again..."

This sounds like a retaliatory rebuke for what happened yesterday.

In fact, Ye Tinglan knew that the effects of the medicine had already dissipated, and there was no point in guiding her at this point. However, she couldn't suppress the ripples in her heart, so she stepped onto the step and brought her forehead close: "Don't move, be good."

The voice was gentle and tender, tingling and numbing, and the close proximity and fragrant breeze made Lu Xingzhou's heart flutter. His hands involuntarily reached out to pull her closer again.

Ye Tinglan, already on guard, pressed down on his hands, and said in a low voice with a half-smile, "Little thing, you always want to get physical. Do you think you can take advantage of me?"

Lu Xingzhou frowned, wondering who was really taking advantage of whom here.
This is clearly an older woman toying with a younger man.

But then a light rain fell from the sea of ​​souls, as if spring had warmed the earth and flowers were blooming everywhere. The comfort was so great that it made people feel lightheaded and unaware of what was happening. Lu Xingzhou unconsciously hummed a soft hum.

That sound was exactly like the sounds of pleasure that Ye Tinglan made when he overheard him and Shen Tang making their shameless lovemaking.

Ye Tinglan bit her lower lip, her cheeks burning.

What are we doing now... are we really helping him nourish his soul?
With her hands pressed against his, her forehead against his, she was completely pressed against him.

She finally regained her senses, parted her forehead, and propped herself up with her hands, only to see Lu Xingzhou's lustful eyes, yet she was pitifully unable to move.

Ye Tinglan suddenly felt a little amused. Could this be considered a reversal of power? Those who take advantage of others will eventually be taken advantage of in return.

Seeing Lu Xingzhou's pitiful state, Ye Tinglan couldn't help but reach out and lift his chin: "All you do is lecherous all day long, and you're still not behaving even when you're injured like this."

Lu Xingzhou said, "They're injured like this, sir, aren't you going to give them some reward...?"

The reward was already given out; it's gone.

Ye Tinglan scoffed inwardly, "Didn't I let you hold me yesterday? What other reward do you want?"

"Can I hug you one more time?"

"roll."

He said "get lost" but forgot to put his hand down again after letting go, and his hand naturally wrapped around her waist.

This time, Ye Tinglan was no longer stiff as if she had been electrocuted. Instead, she leaned close to his ear, her voice seductive and threatening: "Enough? Let go, or I'll hit you." Her voice was tender and tingling right next to his ear. It wasn't a threat at all; it was clearly a deliberate provocation, taking advantage of his current weakness.

This feels so familiar... No wonder you're sisters, you play exactly the same game. Is your usual dignified and elegant demeanor just an act?
Lu Xingzhou, unable to contain himself any longer, suddenly regained some strength in his body, which had been so weak that he could barely move, and managed to turn his head.

She spoke in his ear, and with a turn of his head, he kissed her on the cheek.

Ye Tinglan's eyes widened, and the air seemed to freeze.

Who would have thought this guy would be so bold? He was too weak to move, but he actually started talking!

It was her own fault for provoking him; why did she have to get so close... Ye Tinglan was both ashamed and angry. She straightened up and pretended to slap him.

Lu Xingzhou closed his eyes and said weakly, "Let's fight, it was worth it."

Despite her anger, Ye Tinglan almost burst out laughing. The slapping motion became much lighter, seemingly a "smack" across his cheek, but the force was unclear whether it was a blow or a pat: "Seeing that you're injured, I'll spare your life for now. Wait until you're healed and see how you die!"

After saying that, she got up angrily and quickly left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Ye Tinglan leaned against it, panting weakly, biting her lower lip tightly, her face as radiant as the morning sun.

What exactly happened...? This shouldn't be happening.

All those years of solitary cultivation, did they end up wasting their time on dogs?
Many years ago, my sister's scolding voice suddenly came to mind: "What are you pretending to be so peaceful, what are you pretending to be like, a bodhisattva? With you limited by your identity and afraid to face your own heart, in the end, will you still be Ye Tinglan, or will you have cultivated the identity of the Heavenly Yao Saint Lord? Can you tell the difference?"

"Is there a difference? Whether it's Ye Tinglan or the Holy Lord of Tianyao, I will not agree with your so-called creation of a new world. How is that any different from being a demon?"

"Tch, you're so compassionate, why don't you become a monk yourself?"

"...I have a younger sister, and I can't bear to part with her."

"When you reach the pinnacle of cultivation, you forget everything and sever all ties of affection. Why would you still care about this? I don't want a sister who only knows how to pretend all day long."

"All ties to love are severed? Ha... do you really think so?"

"if not?"

"I think that by then, you will be the one who can't forget me, and you will also be the one who is afraid to face your own heart."

"I'll go and make something of myself, and see if I can forget you! I'll also see how ridiculous your persistence is. What kind of Heavenly Yao Saint Master is this? It's all worthless bullshit."

"She's in her fifties or sixties, why is she acting like a runaway teenager?"

"If I leave home and you become a monk, wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone!"

The girl really left home, and more than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Whether she has been able to face her true feelings, Ye Tinglan doesn't know.

But what about myself...? Is my cultivation for Ye Tinglan, or for the identity of the Heavenly Yao Saint Master?
Night Listener couldn't distinguish the waves.

They are one entity; how can they be viewed separately?

Suddenly, it was the unveiling on the way to Xia Prefecture that revealed the true face of the Heavenly Yao Holy Master, making her a Lady Ye of the Pill Academy. At that moment, it seemed as if the sky was high and the sea was wide, and she let go of many things.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before Madam Ye's disguise was exposed, and Lu Xingzhou naturally knew that it was Tinglan Zhenren. Was his self-proclaimed title of "Junior Sister" merely for the sake of face, or was it to prolong the feeling of being freed from shackles?
Even if it's self-deception, even if it's seen as a joke by him.

As long as it's the Holy Lord of Tianyao, there are too many things he can't do.

But if he knew all this, why did he keep playing along with the joke... just to save face?
Ye Tinglan leaned against the door, lost in thought for a long time. Her mood gradually calmed down, and she turned around and went back inside.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Lu Xingzhou struggling to get out of bed, and he almost fell over as soon as he stood up.

Ye Tinglan practically teleported over and caught him, scolding him angrily, "You shouldn't be getting out of bed now. Lie down properly, what are you trying to prove?"

"I..." Lu Xingzhou murmured softly, "I was afraid you'd be angry, so I ran away..."

Despite her utter confusion, Ye Tinglan burst out laughing at these words: "In your eyes, am I just a teacher who would abandon a seriously injured disciple without a care?"

"Really?"

"of course."

Lu Xingzhou was being supported, his weight almost entirely on her. Upon hearing this, he quickly moved closer and pecked her on the cheek.

Ye Tinglan: "?"

With a "bang," Ye Tinglan threw the stinky man to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.

"If I don't run away, does that mean I can't beat you up?"

Lu Xingzhou lay on the ground groaning, "I'm wounded, you can't treat me like this..."

"I'm being lenient by not killing you!" Ye Tinglan roared. "Lu Xingzhou! Do you even know who I am...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Xingzhou interrupted her: "Isn't the gentleman the junior sister of the Holy Lord of Tianyao...? Isn't the Holy Lord in front of others just an act? Why does he have to act like a real Holy Lord, covered in shackles?"

Ye Tinglan had a lot to say but couldn't utter a single word as she looked at Lu Xingzhou on the ground.

(End of this chapter)