Chapter 460: Cuckolding in Progress

“You actually still remember me?” Ah Jiu’s eyes sparkled with a hint of delight, deliberately displaying a completely different personality than that of Abbess Jiunan. Ah Jiu was much gentler, more reminiscent of the lovesick young woman Ye Wenxin had once known.

However, seeing Ah Jiu in her glamorous attire amidst the secluded grove made Ye Wenxin suspect that she had come here to meet Ye Tian, and had only stumbled upon her by accident.

“Of course, how could I forget someone as beautiful as you, Miss Ah Jiu?” Ye Wenxin smiled naturally and lied so smoothly that it was impossible to detect any flaw in her words.

Ah Jiu didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and appeared in good spirits. She helped Ye Wenxin to her feet and continued, “It’s really late. We should find a safer place to talk.”

Ye Wenxin agreed, sensing her strength returning. However, sharp pain suddenly shot through her back, drawing out a gasp from her, almost making her stumble to the ground again. If Abbess Jiunan hadn’t been prepared to catch her, Ye Wenxin wasn’t sure how much more embarrassment she could have endured.

“This peach blossom tree is really strange. It felt like I entered an illusion just now…” Ye Wenxin reluctantly accepted Ah Jiu’s help, but was still fixated over the peach blossom tree.

“If my guess is right, this peach blossom tree has gained sentience,” Ah Jiu said. Her Discerning Eyes had allowed her to see through what the peach blossom tree had become. It had only been hiding its power, feigning weakness to lure in prey.

“Sentience? It wanted to eat me?” Ye Wenxin found it hard to believe. A puny peach blossom spirit had actually outwitted her, bearer of the peach blossom chains?

“Seems like it,” Ah Jiu replied vaguely, careful not to reveal too much and risk exposing her true identity. In reality, she suspected that the peach blossom spirit had likely been cultivating for at least a thousand years.

“This forest really is full of surprises,” Ye Wenxin muttered. “First, I ate a thousand-year-old rabbit spirit, and now there’s a peach blossom— Wait, could this peach blossom spirit be out for revenge?” She recalled the group of women from earlier had morphed into rabbit spirits.

It wasn’t uncommon for lesser demons to help each other. If they were around the same age, the two spirits might have been allies.

What made it worse was that Ye Wenxin had eaten too much of that rabbit spirit, and since most beings wouldn’t dare provoke Fairy Fengya, the misfortune had fallen onto her, the seemingly weak Demon Lord.

Ye Wenxin couldn’t help but chalk up another grievance against Fairy Fengya.

Ah Jiu seemed just as startled. “Do you not know that wild lesser demons form circles? If you ate it, it won’t be just the peach blossom spirit, but the entire forest might…” Her face darkened as she realized the gravity of what Ye Wenxin had said.

Ye Wenxin had been busy helping around these days, and she was always moving with large groups, leaving the demons no opening to avenge the rabbit spirit’s death. But tonight, Ye Wenxin came to the woods alone, giving them the perfect opportunity to strike.

“But Fairy Fengya ate it too.” Ye Wenxin felt exasperated. Every time she encountered Fairy Fengya, nothing good ever happened. Well, no, Fairy Fengya did give her the dudou and outfit. But as she thought about all the mess eating the rabbit spirit had caused, she couldn’t help but curse her inability to control her appetite.

Her breakthrough in the woods had attracted Liu Churan, and now this deadly peach blossom spirit had appeared. Ye Wenxin suddenly realized how small she was.

“You just mentioned Fairy Fengya?”

Ah Jiu revealed an odd expression, thinking Ye Wenxin was full of crap. She knew her niece better than anyone, and no matter how outrageous she was, there was no way she would eat a demon spirit.

“No, you heard wrong,” Ye Wenxin quickly corrected herself a little sourly.

Fairy Fengya was a little saint brimming with celestial aura; no matter what she said or did, everyone had a positive perception of her, almost to a frightening level. Although Abbess Jiunan had a closer relationship with her, she still didn’t fully understand Fairy Fengya’s true nature.

Ye Wenxin couldn’t be bothered to explain their tangled relationship, and just claimed she was talking out of her ass.

Ah Jiu let out a breath, and then realized she had reacted too conspicuously. She quickly changed the subject: “By the way, Miss Ye, what brings you here?”

Seeing as no one else was around, and knowing Ah Jiu was still playing the role of a courtesan, Ye Wenxin teased, “What else but to find you?”

“You’re so full of it. I was just visiting relatives out of town, and happened to be passing by. How could you have possibly known I’d be here?” Ah Jiu laughed, clearly not believing Ye Wenxin.

Ye Wenxin did come looking for Abbess Jiunan, but she hadn’t expected to encounter her in Ah Jiu’s form. She laughed, and said, “It was just a spur of the moment thought. But it seems we really are tied by fate, Ah Jiu.”

She deliberately wrapped her arm around Ah Jiu’s slender waist, trying to force her to drop the act. However, Ah Jiu, being none other than Abbess Jiunan herself, skillfully brushed away Ye Wenxin’s wandering hand with a smile and remarked, “I’ve heard that cultivators, whether men or women, all enjoy having multiple partners. I didn’t believe it before, but now it looks like you’re no different. You’re always so flirtatious.”

Ye Wenxin felt awkward, aware that Ah Jiu was chastising her for being a scoundrel, while she was just joking. Since Abbess Jiunan had disguised herself as Ah Jiu to make a fool of her, Ye Wenxin, true to her own principles, felt she had to get something out of the situation in return.

In the end, she figured that Ah Jiu must have come here to rekindle her past connection with Ye Tian, so she stopped messing around. Still, as she leaned against Ah Jiu, she couldn’t help but notice the faint scent of sandalwood.

Clearly, Ah Jiu wasn’t fully prepared for this encounter, but Ye Wenxin didn’t mind the small details. She continued, “I’m not exactly a good person. If you’re looking for a lasting relationship, I could recommend someone.”

Ah Jiu looked at Ye Wenxin questioningly. Ye Wenxin smiled and said, “His name is Ye Tian, my sworn brother. He’s still unmarried. Also, he’s an excellent cook and quite handsome. I’m sure you’ll like him immensely.”

As Ye Wenxin spoke highly of Ye Tian, she was assessing whether Ah Jiu was here for Ye Tian or for her. If it was for Ye Tian, Ye Wenxin intended to step aside, as they already had a foundation of feelings, and she didn’t want to be a third party.

However, if Ah Jiu was here for Ye Wenxin, then Ye Wenxin might help her understand that what she truly sought wasn’t romance, but a thrilling experience, one that would bring Ah Jiu pleasurable pain.

Ye Wenxin concealed the mischief in her eyes and continued to probe what kind of emotional connection Ah Jiu truly desired.