Chapter 4

As the saying goes, subordinates follow the example of their superiors.

After Elder Su finished speaking, the disciples in the hall followed suit, rallying to protect Ming Yan.

“Junior Martial Aunt risked everything for love—how can that be considered breaking the rules?”

“Touching. This is what a true Dao Companion should be. No wonder they rank as the Profound Sky Sect’s top loving couple of the year!”

“Whoever dares lay a finger on our Junior Martial Aunt will have to answer to us!”

Ming Yan: Did she just stumble into some massive CP fan gathering?

Wake up, all of you—this is the Celestial Pivot Peak’s Hall of Justice, the most impartial and strict place, not some fan forum shipping Uncle and Auntie as the real deal!

Ming Yan screamed inwardly.

Just then.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure descended.

Everyone was forced into silence.

The oppressive aura of a Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert made them tremble.

And within the Hall of Justice, the only man capable of such power was Chu Xuanqing.

Ming Yan stole a glance at Chu Xuanqing from the corner of her eye. Though the man appeared as cold and indifferent as usual, Ming Yan, as his pillow companion, could detect the faint traces of anger beneath his calm exterior.

Perfect.

She knew it—Chu Xuanqing was a man of principle.

As the Celestial Pivot Peak Lord, even if everyone else, including Elder Su, faltered, Chu Xuanqing would never waver.

Chu Xuanqing would never allow anyone to place themselves above the sect’s rules, especially when that person was his own Dao Companion, Ming Yan. If this matter were simply brushed aside, how could he command respect from his subordinates in the future?

Sure enough, moments later, Chu Xuanqing spoke: “The law applies equally to all, from the highest to the lowest.”

Elder Su: “Peak Lord, you cannot! Those who trespass into the Nightmare Forest are to be confined in the Heartbreak Cave for fifteen days of reflection. Junior Martial Aunt is delicate and frail—how could she endure such punishment?”

The other disciples also knelt and pleaded: “We beg the Peak Lord for leniency!”

How could Ming Yan miss such an opportunity?

She immediately seized the moment: “No, husband! I don’t want to go to the Heartbreak Cave. It’s so cold and dark there.”

Tsk, she really nailed the vibe of a foolish, venomous supporting character.

Chu Xuanqing, your wife has paved the way for you so perfectly. If you still don’t kill me now, it’d be downright unreasonable, wouldn’t it?

Chu Xuanqing: “You don’t have to go.”

Ming Yan: “?” Does he mean to give me a quick death instead?

“Dao Companions share a bond of life and breath…”

Seeing Ming Yan’s stunned, dazed expression, Chu Xuanqing couldn’t help but clarify further.

“I’ll go in your place.”

The path to the Heartbreak Cave was indeed dark and cold.

With visibility so poor she couldn’t see her own hand, Ming Yan had no choice but to cling to Chu Xuanqing’s body.

Chu Xuanqing sighed helplessly: “I told you not to come.”

“No!” Ming Yan tightened her grip on him stubbornly. “I take responsibility for my actions. I can’t let my husband suffer in my stead.”

In the darkness, her eyes gleamed faintly, like those of an adorable little spirit beast.

Chu Xuanqing couldn’t resist kissing the top of her head.

“Husband…”

With Chu Xuanqing acting as her human transport, Ming Yan didn’t need to exert herself to walk.

Her eyes blinked, and her mind began to wander again.

“You know, the Heartbreak Cave is so dark and deserted—doesn’t it seem like the perfect place for mischief?”

“You want to Dual Cultivate with me?”

“…No, I mean real mischief.” Damn it, this dog of a man only ever thinks about Dual Cultivation!

“Oh.”

The man immediately lost interest, his expression turning listless.

“Listen to me carefully.” Ming Yan tugged at his ear, trying to focus his attention. “Don’t you think this would make an excellent murder scene?”

“I don’t think so,” Chu Xuanqing said.  

“Why not?”  

To Ming Yan, this Heartbreak Cave was practically the perfect natural crime scene—not only was killing someone here silent and discreet, but you could even dump the body in the river and let it drift straight down the mountain.  

Completely untraceable.  

It was precisely because of these ideal conditions that Ming Yan had agreed to come here with Chu Xuanqing in the first place.  

“We’re here,” Chu Xuanqing said, ignoring her question.  

Ming Yan pouted. “Answer me first.”  

Chu Xuanqing pushed open the stone door, and light instantly spilled out from inside the cave, stinging Ming Yan’s eyes.  

She instinctively tried to slip out of Chu Xuanqing’s arms to inspect the cave herself. But the moment she took half a step inside, countless terrifying, wailing ghostly figures lunged at her.  

“GHOSTS!”  

Ming Yan shrieked and immediately leaped back into Chu Xuanqing’s embrace, clinging to him like an octopus, refusing to let go.  

Chu Xuanqing caught her effortlessly. “Understand now?”  

Ming Yan whimpered. “Wuwu…” Why did the cultivation world have to include ghosts in its lore? That was just unscientific!  

Holding his Dao Companion, Chu Xuanqing strolled leisurely through the swarm of ghosts before settling onto a worn-out meditation cushion.  

The ghosts, feeling disrespected that this man showed no fear, regrouped and lunged at him again, baring their fangs and claws.  

Chu Xuanqing had no intention of paying them any mind, but the trembling woman in his arms buried her face in his chest, too terrified to look up. His gaze darkened, and a murderous glint swept over the ghosts.  

Ghosts: Not worth it, not worth it!  

In an instant, the ghosts scattered.  

Only then did the person in his arms cautiously peek out. “Are they gone?”  

“Gone.”  

Ming Yan came back to life, springing out of Chu Xuanqing’s arms. “The Heartbreak Cave isn’t so scary after all!”  

The sudden emptiness in his arms made Chu Xuanqing lower his eyes, and the air around them turned colder.  

“Mn.”  

“Let this immortal maiden see just how ‘heartbreaking’ this cave really is!” Ming Yan declared, about to explore the cave. But she had barely taken a step before she turned back—driven by the cold.  

Celestial Pivot Peak was already freezing, but the Heartbreak Cave was a hundred times worse. Upon closer inspection, the cave walls were entirely made of ice—and not just any ice, but vintage 1982 ice.  

No wonder everyone said someone as delicate as Ming Yan wouldn’t last three days here.  

Shivering violently, Ming Yan whimpered, “Husband, I just remembered I have a meal waiting for me at home. Can we go back now?”  

She no longer wanted to court death—she just wanted the little heater in her room.  

“Didn’t you say, ‘one must take responsibility for their actions’?” Chu Xuanqing glanced at her.  

Ming Yan pouted, her cat-like eyes brimming with grievance. “But… I’m so cold.”  

Chu Xuanqing said nothing.  

He simply pulled her back into his arms.  

“Now you’re not cold.”  

His body radiated warmth like a furnace, carrying the soothing scent of pine. Ming Yan instinctively snuggled deeper into his embrace. Comfort made her bold, and she idly played with a loose strand of his hair.  

“Husband, did you find anything in the Nightmare Forest?”  

“I did.”  

“You did?!”  

Ming Yan jerked her head up, disbelief flashing in her eyes.  

“Really?”  

Her heart raced, her body burning up.  

Was this the feeling of falling in love? Ah, she was smitten!  

“Do you want it?” Chu Xuanqing asked.  

“Huh?” Ming Yan was confused.  

Hadn’t he gone to the Nightmare Forest to find cultivation techniques for himself? What would she do with them?  

“Then I’ll give it to you.”

Chu Xuanqing spoke to himself.

Ming Yan had no time to object.

With a flash of his Immortal Mark, Chu Xuanqing waved his sleeve.

Out of thin air, an exceptionally fierce tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead appeared before the two of them.

“Roar!”

The tiger let out a furious roar, spewing three-tailed Demon Fire from its mouth.

Its massive paws and the tip of its tail were also wreathed in flames.

Clearly, this was a high-level Demon Beast.

Ming Yan’s cat-like eyes widened in shock.

Wasn’t this the demonic tiger she had fought in the Nightmare Forest?

That tiger had lived a reclusive life, preying on other Demon Beasts in the Nightmare Forest, and had secretly grown to a cultivation level equivalent to the human Transformation Spirit Stage. Even when Ming Yan shed her disguise and unleashed her late-stage Transformation Spirit cultivation, she had only managed to fight it to a draw.

And now, Chu Xuanqing had captured this demonic tiger?

What was he planning?

Could it be that this bastard couldn’t bring himself to kill her personally, so he was going to let the tiger eat her instead?

Alarm bells rang loudly in Ming Yan’s mind.

It was true that she had a special ability that prevented her from dying.

But the prerequisite was that she didn’t know what would happen if her body was completely destroyed.

If she were eaten by the tiger and excreted as waste… damn it, damn it, damn it!

A shiver of disgust ran down Ming Yan’s spine, and goosebumps rose all over her body.

She absolutely would not allow that to happen.

However, just as Ming Yan was worrying about whether she would become the tiger’s dessert, the “demonic tiger” caught a familiar scent and happily nuzzled up to her. Caught off guard, Ming Yan was licked right on the face.

“Roar~” The tiger affectionately rubbed its large head against her.

Ming Yan: “…”

Was this a tiger or a damn dog?

The demonic tiger wanted to lick her again.

Chu Xuanqing gave it a faint glance, and the tiger froze.

Ming Yan knew it had to be Chu Xuanqing’s doing: “What’s going on?”

Chu Xuanqing gently stroked the spot on Ming Yan’s hand where the tiger had licked her, casting a cleansing spell:

“Didn’t you always want a Spirit Pet?”

Ming Yan: “I did want a Spirit Pet, but I wanted something cute like a kitten or a puppy. You got me a tiger…”

Ming Yan shot the demonic tiger a disdainful look.

It was huge—impressively fierce, but not exactly adorable.

“Whimper…”

The demonic tiger, with its Transformation Spirit Stage cultivation, had already developed intelligence and could understand Ming Yan’s disdain.

It let out a pitiful whimper.

Seeing its dejected expression, Ming Yan’s heart softened: “Alright, alright, a tiger it is. But you’re just too big.”

The tiger let out an “Awoo!”

—And then transformed into a tiny cub.

“Now that’s cute.” Delighted, Ming Yan picked up the little cub and stroked its fluffy head. She thought it looked just like the golden tabby she had raised in her previous life.

Only with a few more markings.

“Give it a name. From now on, it will be your Spirit Pet,” Chu Xuanqing said.

Ming Yan blinked and looked at the expectant little cub: “Since it’s my Spirit Pet, I should give it a good name.”

The cub: “Awoo! Awoo!”

Ming Yan: “How about… Daju?”

The cub: “??”

“Daju, go—” Ming Yan somehow conjured a paper ball and threw it far into the distance.

Daju: “…”

Chu Xuanqing glanced at Daju, and the previously motionless cub immediately bolted after the ball as if its tail were on fire.

“Haha, so adorable.”

Ming Yan clapped her hands, thoroughly entertained.

The faint dimples at the corners of her lips flickered in and out of sight.

Chu Xuanqing’s heart skipped a beat, and his arms around Ming Yan tightened unconsciously.

“Ming Yan…”

In Ming Yan’s memory.

Chu Xuanqing rarely called her by name like this.  

For a time, Ming Yan almost wondered if Chu Xuanqing was so devoted to the Dao that he didn’t even remember his own Dao Companion’s name. That was until one day—she couldn’t recall how many years into their marriage—when Chu Xuanqing suddenly acted unusually happy.  

He took the initiative to hold Ming Yan, affectionately calling her, “Ming Yan, Ming Yan.”  

Like the most intimate of lovers.  

Ming Yan was dazed for half a second.  

In that moment, she truly thought this man loved her, cherished her.  

But the next second, he carried her to the bed.  

Darkness descended.  

Entwined to the death.  

That time, Ming Yan nearly thought she was going to die.  

Because the ordeal lasted an entire month.  

A month without eating, without drinking, solely dedicated to *that* activity.  

Even though Ming Yan was a Transformation Spirit Stage cultivator, she couldn’t take it.  

After that, Ming Yan learned her lesson.  

The moment she heard the bastard call her “Ming Yan,” she immediately pushed him away in alarm, firmly refusing, “No.”  

“Why?”  

Chu Xuanqing’s eyes clearly spelled reluctance.  

Ming Yan sat up from his embrace, glancing around. “It’s just not allowed.”  

Chu Xuanqing fell silent.  

“Ahem.” Ming Yan coughed, feeling somewhat guilty. “If you have nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”  

She had only followed him to see what kind of scheme Chu Xuanqing was playing. Now that she knew he currently had no intention of killing her, she couldn’t be bothered to stay in this wretched place any longer.  

Chu Xuanqing straightened his robes, expressionless. “Go.”  

Ming Yan: “I’m really leaving!”  

—*If you’re going to kill me, hurry up.*  

Chu Xuanqing raised a brow, chuckling lightly. “Leave if you’re leaving. Or are you playing hard to get?”  

Ming Yan fled at lightning speed.  

In her haste, she didn’t notice something clinging to the back of her skirt.  

Only when she returned to Celestial Pivot Peak did she realize—it was Daju.  

Admittedly, Daju’s current form as a little tiger cub was utterly adorable. Ming Yan carried Daju back to Celestial Pivot Peak, and in no time, the little creature was poised to dethrone Ming Yan as the peak’s most beloved.  

Zisu and a few other disciples eagerly brought meat and Spirit Stones to feed Daju.  

Preoccupied with whether her Plan B had succeeded, Ming Yan handed Daju off to Zisu and paid no further attention.  

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Zisu came running to report:  

“Daju seems to have eaten something bad—his belly is all swollen. Senior Brother Bai Yang helped him vomit, and he coughed up a book.”  

“A book?”  

Bored out of her mind, Ming Yan perked up slightly. “Does it say something like, ‘The Great Chu shall rise, and Chen Sheng shall be king’?”  

“…What?” Zisu looked utterly confused.  

“Ah, never mind.”  

Seems Daju was also a tiger that slipped through the nine-year compulsory education net.  

Hadn’t even memorized *The House of Chen She*.  

“The book doesn’t have what you said, Little Martial Aunt. But there are some blurry words… ‘Human-headed Waterless, kill the woman above the head.'”  

“Human-headed Waterless, kill the woman above the head? What kind of nonsense is that?”  

Ming Yan waved it off absentmindedly. “If it’s useless, just throw it away.”  

“Understood, Little Martial Aunt.”  

Zisu obediently left.  

Ming Yan poured herself a cup of tea, sighing deeply.  

Had Chu Xuanqing obtained the cultivation manual she prepared or not? It was impossible to tell.  

If he had, why wasn’t he killing her? If he hadn’t… no, that couldn’t be—she’d placed it so obviously, there was no way he missed it.

She was lost in thought, her fingers unconsciously dipping into the tea and writing on the table: “Human-headed Waterless, kill the woman to ascend.”

Wait… “Human-headed Waterless, kill the woman to ascend.” Why does this look so familiar?

Could it be… her “The Dao is Merciless, Wife-slaying Dao Attainment”?

Holy shit!