Disciples of the Joyous Union Palace took dual cultivation through yin-yang union as their path to longevity. They viewed intercourse between men and women as the most natural thing in the world, the most in line with the heavenly dao. They had no time for shame; they were proud of it.
Today, purple clouds rolled across the horizon as spiritual energy gathered. On this auspicious day and favorable hour, dual cultivation would surely yield twice the results with half the effort. Thus, the plaza soon filled with many pairs tangled together in intercourse.
In these past few days, Mu Daoying had grown somewhat accustomed to the Joyous Union Palace’s ways. He merely glanced once, then lowered his eyelashes and kept his eyes on his shoe tips, walking quietly through the sea of flesh and desire.
Yet to the other Joyous Union Palace disciples, this gave him an air of pristine elegance, like a clear breeze and bright moon.
It was strange, really. This young man clearly had a gentle temperament, yet he carried a faint sense of distance. Even those who wanted to proposition him inexplicably hesitated before his scholarly aloofness. They even suspected he was the plaything of Fan Shuyun and Li Qingcheng, fearing offense to those two and thus holding back.
Fan Shuyun and Li Qingcheng, however, were both strikingly beautiful and well-liked. Along the way, they had already been greeted countless times.
An apricot-faced, peach-cheeked female disciple with radiant beauty approached them head-on, holding a large blooming peony in her hand.
Spotting Fan Shuyun, she smiled sweetly and offered the peony to him. “Senior Brother Fan, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
Fan Shuyun’s peach-blossom eyes flickered as he curved his lips in a smile at her. “With a junior sister as beautiful as you, how could I forget if we’d met before?”
The female disciple pursed her lips in a smile and boldly extended the invitation. “Whether Senior Brother remembers or not doesn’t matter. On such a fine day, are you really going to waste this springtime?”
Liu Qiao’e watched with undisguised contempt.
Mu Daoying was baffled.
Spotting his confusion, Liu Qiao’e sneered coldly. “This is a Joyous Union Palace tradition. Accepting the peony means agreeing to dual cultivate with her.”
Mu Daoying said, “But—’The gentleman and the lady jest together, presenting her with the peony’ from the classic?”
Liu Qiao’e scowled and turned her head. “What are you talking about?”
Mu Daoying fell silent for half a second. “Nothing.”
The line came from the Classic of Poetry; naturally, Liu Qiao’e couldn’t understand what archaic text he was quoting.
“Hmph.” Liu Qiao’e glanced at Fan Shuyun. “Just you wait—”
Wait for what?
Mu Daoying didn’t understand. He followed her gaze and watched Fan Shuyun leave with the female disciple.
By coincidence, Liu Qiao’e had blocked their path just before they departed. Fan Shuyun raised a brow. “Move.”
Liu Qiao’e shot him a cold look but swallowed her anger, stepping aside to clear a narrow path.
Fan Shuyun brushed past her.
Mu Daoying noticed the scene and felt a faint pang of guilt stir in his heart.
Dealing with someone like Liu Qiao’e lowered one’s standards considerably. Perhaps because he knew her nature was unruly, it was impressive that she had kept a low profile today to help him and Li Qingcheng escape, enduring much restraint.
“Your Cloud-Mountain Companion has been called away,” Liu Qiao’e turned to Li Qingcheng. “Aren’t you going?”
Li Qingcheng smiled seductively. “Why should I rush? Shouldn’t you be the one who’s anxious? Are you trying to send me away so you can do something?”
Liu Qiao’e’s expression darkened.
That said, Li Qingcheng didn’t linger. Once a group of handsome young men came to proposition her, she visibly wavered. In the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation of beauty. After a moment’s hesitation, she said to a green-robed youth by her side, “Before the grand ceremony starts, keep a close eye on them. Don’t let those two run off.”
The green-robed youth clearly admired Li Qingcheng greatly and followed her every word. He readily agreed.
With that, Li Qingcheng picked the most appealing one and headed to a pavilion in the distance.
In short order, most of the people around Mu Daoying and Liu Qiao’e had left, leaving only a few scattered watchers still dutifully monitoring their every word and action. The green-robed youth among them looked especially solemn, his peach-blossom eyes sharp and unwavering.
Having these people around only restricted their movements. As Mu Daoying pondered how to resolve the current predicament, he saw Liu Qiao’e remain calm, unperturbed.
Mu Daoying was slightly taken aback: …Calm?
Liu Qiao’e had a fiery temperament—why didn’t she show any irritation?
He followed her gaze and saw Fan Shuyun frolicking with several men and women. The debauched scene made him frown in physical discomfort.
Just as he moved to look away, a sudden change occurred!
Fan Shuyun, who had been passionately entangled atop a female disciple, suddenly convulsed for some reason!
The abrupt shift startled everyone present. The female disciple cried out in alarm and shoved Fan Shuyun to the ground, hastily covering herself as she sat up.
Everyone watched wide-eyed as Fan Shuyun thrashed on the ground like a dying fish, blood gushing endlessly from his lower body. In an instant, fear appeared on all their faces, and no one dared approach.
Even the followers Li Qingcheng had left behind were clearly drawn to the spectacle.
The vast plaza descended into chaos.
A thought flashed through Mu Daoying’s mind like lightning. Before he could dwell on it, someone suddenly grabbed his arm.
Liu Qiao’e said coldly, “Run!”
Taking advantage of the green-robed youth and the others’ distraction, Mu Daoying followed Liu Qiao’e as they bowed their heads and wove swiftly through the crowd. In the blink of an eye, they vanished like drops of water into the sea.
Before leaving, Mu Daoying hurriedly glanced toward the plaza’s center.
Blood poured from between Fan Shuyun’s legs in a massive pool. His twisted face gradually turned ashen until, after a few final twitches, he died from loss of his yang essence, lifeless.
The two ran all the way to a mountain path near the West Gate before stopping.
Recalling that final sight, Mu Daoying hesitated before asking, “That—was your doing?”
Liu Qiao’e halted and gazed into the chaos at the plaza’s center. A look of savage satisfaction appeared on her face. “That man bullied and humiliated me. Today, he got what he deserved!”
Mu Daoying’s heart chilled at her words, a cold surge rising within him, accompanied by an indescribable disappointment.
“You could have given him a quick death,” he said.
Liu Qiao’e turned her head in disbelief. “A quick death?! Why should I give him a quick death?!”
Mu Daoying replied, “I don’t know the roots of your grudge, so I won’t judge rashly. He’s no good person, so killing him might be justified. But killing is just a nod of the head—giving him a swift end would also earn you some merit.”
It could be said that Mu Daoying was no naive fool. Years of wandering the dao had taught him that some evildoers deserved to be killed.
The difference lay in refraining from cruel methods.
No matter how vicious the villain.
“What do you know?!” Liu Qiao’e exploded in fury. “Do you know the enmity between us? How can you speak so easily from the sidelines?”
Her anger came out of nowhere, her entire demeanor suddenly flaring up.
What did he know?! He only knew of her recent physical clash with Fan Shuyun!
Liu Qiao’e fumed, about to reveal what Fan Shuyun had done to her not long ago. But meeting Mu Daoying’s clear black-and-white eyes, a strong, unwilling resentment surged in her heart instead.
This resentment didn’t make her yield before Mu Daoying. She’d rather he misunderstood her.
Complaining to him for clarification? What a joke!
She’d rather he misunderstood her forever!
At that thought, she tasted a sour, twisted pleasure, like her heart was being wrung tight.
No, this wasn’t a misunderstanding—it was her true face.
He’d best recognize her true nature soon.
She spat hatefully, “I’d rather forgo that merit for the pleasure of sweet revenge!”
Mu Daoying shook his head gently, as expected. “Turning from evil is like a collapse. Such vengeance might feel good for a moment, but it draws one closer to evil, harming your own fortune in the end.”
Every layer of misunderstanding, every step pushing him away, brought her a secret twinge of pain.
Liu Qiao’e scoffed dismissively.
Seeing he couldn’t persuade her, Mu Daoying simply closed his mouth, unwilling to waste more breath.
At this juncture, sparking conflict wasn’t good for him or Liu Qiao’e.
He didn’t approve of her vengeful method.
Killing was just a nod of the head; this was far too vicious and ruthless.
He had thought her temperament merely a bit intense. With careful guidance and gentle treatment, she might yet turn from evil.
But this scene forced him to reassess her character.
The previous conflict remained unresolved, and now a new one arose.
Mu Daoying felt a chill in his heart, lips pressing tight as he reflected inwardly.
…Introducing her to the orthodox path—was it right or wrong?