Chapter 15: Jealous Stunning Beauty

There was not a speck of tender consideration for Ye Wenxin who was currently only in the Qi Refining stage, and the fear of death drove her to instinctively scream out.

“Save me!”

Between her words, two figures tread the air towards her. Ling Jue clad in blue and Long Qing’er in flame red appeared, and upon seeing the still alive Ye Wenxin they could not help but show amazed expressions on their faces.

“Don’t just stare slack-jawed, I’m about to die here!” With intense desire to survive, Ye Wenxin screamed once again, finally drawing a reaction from the two. Ling Jue sped up and took Ye Wenxin firmly into her arms.

“I finally found you.” Ling Jue’s embrace was very strong, as she silently endured the uncontrollable urge to cry upon Ye Wenxin’s reappearance.

Long Qing’er stared blankly at Ling Jue for a beat, and ended up flying down away from them.

Ye Wenxin finally let out a breath in relief, intending to do some explaining, but Ling Jue made a shushing gesture. Followed by the action, a group of female disciples screamed wildly, and Ye Wenxin only now noticed the Alchemy Workshop already crowded with people.

In the two months Ye Wenxin had been away, Ling Jue had begun teaching classes.

While she, after wandering around the gates of hell, had not even glimpsed Fairy Fengya.

“Continue to practice, everyone. I have some business so I’ll be leaving first.” A myriad of emotions lay hidden beneath Ling Jue’s smile, yet she still had no intention of letting Ye Wenxin go.

The others did not insist, only sticking their necks out to peer at Ye Wenxin, wanting to know which clan’s disciple could be so lucky as to be carried like a princess by Ling Jue like that.

Ye Wenxin’s mood was complex, however. She had never been terrified in the past because she was powerful and had nothing to fear, but now, she had lost her cultivation, and she was very scared Ling Jue’s fan club might kill her.

Nevertheless, she returned with Ling Jue to the small courtyard where she lived.

Closing and locking the door, Ling Jue clung to Ye Wenxin for dear life, as if she had no control of her emotions. She did not ask where exactly Ye Wenxin had gone, and only embraced her in silence.

“I’ve made you worry, but I’m at the Qi Refining stage now…” Ye Wenxin really was not good with this kind of melodrama, she only wished the news of her breakthrough could lift Ling Jue’s spirits a little.

Ling Jue still gave no words, and Ye Wenxin felt some dampness on her robe. But Ling Jue kept silent, and naturally Ye Wenxin did not ask if Ling Jue was crying.

She and Ling Jue had yet to reach a level where they could tease each other’s weaknesses, and they had not become familiar enough to be able to sacrifice their life for the other. They were merely two strangers coming together by chance, with just a little bit of fate, but Ye Wenxin would never forget the tears Ling Jue shed for her.

An unknown amount of time passed, and Ling Jue finally returned to normal, still acting like a dashing young master, covering up her feminine vulnerability and softness.

But this time she did not mind the disparity between her outward appearance and Ye Wenxin’s, and kept holding her, hearing Ye Wenxin telling the bizarre tale of her past two months.

“A woman with Qi Deviation? A crow with each claw resembling a demonic beast? And this body of yours…” This tale was too bizarre, if Ling Jue had not felt the sudden presence of a powerful spiritual energy within Ye Wenxin’s body, she would not have been able to believe her fantastical story.

And precisely because it was the truth, there were no flaws whatsoever.

Whether Ye Wenxin wanted to or not, she now had to start from scratch and experience the life of cultivation once more.

“Alright then, that’s enough questions for today, you must be exhausted.” Ling Jue became a lot more relaxed after letting off steam, yet her gaze was still affixed on Ye Wenxin, thinking the girl needed rest, but also not wanting her to go.

“I don’t feel tired at all, and I want to have a good chat with Big Brother Ling.” Ye Wenxin sighed inwardly, she was clearly pretending to be a kid, but instead she was babysitting Ling Jue the kid.

Ling Jue’s eyes showed a little delight, then she self-absorbedly served some tea with a few plates of snacks, and began to chat with Ye Wenxin.

“Big Brother Ling, have you gotten plump?” Ye Wenxin glanced at her a few times, feeling like Ling Jue was in better shape than before. She had obviously been in such unbearable pain back in the cavern, but Ling Jue was still cracking melon seeds and eating snacks every day, leading a carefree and leisurely lifestyle.

Ling Jue twitched, seeming very much affected by Ye Wenxin’s insinuation, and her eyes wandered down her body, confirming whether she really had gotten fat like the girl said.

“No, I mean mentally, you seem to be in much better spirits.” Ye Wenxin reiterated. Ling Jue sighed in relief and continued this line of conversation with, “I won’t lie to you, I actually have a certain illness.”

Ye Wenxin showed not a single hint of shock, only glanced meaningfully at Ling Jue to continue.

“It’s because of this illness that I agreed to Fairy Fengya’s request to come teach at the Azure Wings Sect.” Ling Jue revealed her true reason for coming to the sect, being that she had an exchange of interests with Fairy Fengya.

Ye Wenxin nodded her head in understanding; if not for this exchange of interests, why would Medicine King Valley be willing to let people study their art of alchemy?

“But isn’t Fairy Fengya in closed door training, how did you meet with her?” A second doubt came to Ye Wenxin’s mind; Ling Jue must have chosen to come to the Azure Wings Sect after having reached a dead end, but her body’s situation had currently undergone a change.

“Looks like you don’t know, while you had been entangled with that Qi-Deviated woman, Fairy Fengya had returned for a visit.” Ling Jue smiled faintly, but judging by that expression, she was very elated Ye Wenxin had not seen Fairy Fengya.

However, for Ye Wenxin who had been desperate to meet Fairy Fengya this entire time, this was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. She was dumbfounded; to her knowledge, that Qi-Deviated woman had to be Fairy Fengya, but now Ling Jue’s words verified that her previous conjectures were completely wrong.

“This can’t be, then where’s Fairy Fengya now?!” Ye Wenxin could no longer contain her excitement and grabbed onto Ling Jue even tighter.

Fortunately, there were only two people in the room, and no one would see the world-famous Peerless Gentleman’s rumpled state at being tugged on the sleeve by Ye Wenxin, or her dubious expression.

“Little Sister Wenxin, you’re really too much, you don’t even care about me.” Ling Jue lightly tapped her folding fan on Ye Wenxin’s head, and the girl felt a force push her away. Ye Wenxin regained some composure and continued, saying, “Um, but I came here for Fairy Fengya.”

Seeing the obsession in Ye Wenxin’s eyes, Ling Jue could no longer keep her in suspense.

“Fairy Fengya resumed closed door training after meeting me. Apparently she’s about to break through to the Soul Transformation stage.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Wenxin heavily slapped the table in front of her. The table remained absolutely still, but Ye Wenxin’s hand hurt like hell.

“Damn Fengya, broke through again!” She could not help cursing Fairy Fengya, then saw Ling Jue’s slightly surprised look. She seemed to not understand why Ye Wenxin, as a fan, would curse her own idol.

“Cough, cough, I mean, great breakthrough, that’s amazing, and it’s actually Soul Transformation!” Ye Wenxin forced a smile, yet endless tears flowed in her heart.

Fairy Fengya had caught up too soon; Ye Wenxin had previously been at the ninth rank of Soul Transformation, so even if Fairy Fengya had reached Soul Transformation, she could still pin her down and wipe the floor with her.

But now, the heavens had bestowed a great trial upon Ye Wenxin; she had every muscle and bone broken by a mystery woman and her cultivation shattered, if she did not have several decades, she could never return to her original peak strength.

But as she progressed, Fairy Fengya also progressed; regardless, now anyone could pin Ye Wenxin down and wipe the floor with her.

Thinking this, Ye Wenxin started to feel afraid. Her body shivered irrepressibly, and in Ling Jue’s eyes, she resembled a little animal trembling in fear.

“What’s going on with you suddenly?”

“Nothing, just happy to hear Fairy Fengya will break through soon.”

Ye Wenxin outwardly smiled yet inwardly not, Ling Jue pulled the girl’s hand out and felt it cold as ice, her complexion extremely unpleasant, it did not look like an excited reaction at all.

“Your hand is very cold.” Ling Jue grasped Ye Wenxin’s hands firmly; after confirming the girl knew she was a woman, she no longer harbored the previous concerns about the identities they showed on the surface.

But Ye Wenxin was unaware that her regard to Ling Jue every time she fainted had been discovered, and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

“Big Brother Ling, you won’t lay your hand on a child, would you?” Ye Wenxin very carefully withdrew her hands, a little worried that Ling Jue might have been living as a boy too long, and thus had developed a boy’s mindset, having a desire she should not be having towards Ye Wenxin.

“Of course I won’t, but Little Sister Wenxin seems so cute, I really want to carry you home.” The corners of Ling Jue’s mouth traced a faint smile, her handsome face came almost within reach.

Perhaps because she had not seen Ye Wenxin for two months, she felt even closer to her.

“No, I can’t accept. You’re not my type, Big Brother Ling.” Ye Wenxin felt goose bumps rise on her skin; Ling Jue had a flawless profile, but just thinking that a pretty woman lay beneath that layer of skin, Ye Wenxin would not have any wild thoughts.

“Could it be, Little Sister Wenxin thinks Fairy Fengya is better than me?”

“Well, it’s nothing to do with gender. I just think that, you’re pushing yourself a little.” Ye Wenxin implied that Ling Jue should keep her outward male identity in mind, as although Ye Wenxin was young, outsiders would not see the two’s relationship that way.

It seemed Ye Wenxin’s implication served its purpose; Ling Jue loosened her hand open, her smiling face somewhat cold and detached.

“Big Brother Ling, are you upset? It’s not that I hate being close to you, it’s just, there’s a difference between men and women, I think it’s best to maintain a little distance.” Ye Wenxin resent her own loose tongue, why did she bring up the gender situation?

“Then…If I’m the same gender as you, would you stop being so uncomfortable?” Ling Jue’s gaze reflected a little seriousness. This kind of opening remark made Ye Wenxin immediately realize she was about to hear a certain earth-shattering secret.

---

TL note:

First of all, not too sure how accurate that title is…

Second of all, you might notice that these latest two chapters read a little different than the previous ones, it’s because my rusty Chinese is coming back to life as I’m translating this story, so I’m relying less and less on MTL to guide me. I only use ChatGPT and DeepL to help me with unfamiliar phrases, idioms, sayings, metaphors, etc. and finding their English equivalents. Obviously, this process will be slower, but I’m much more satisfied with it, and I hope I’ll get better at it as I go along. Thanks for reading.