It was a morning like any other in Ten Thousand Flower Valley. Life after the conclusion of the Immortal Sect Competition and the Golden Feather Hunt returned to normal. Jasmine slept most of the day in her fox den. The ice sisters practiced their ice and fire dual-attribute and the Summer and Winter's Eternal Sutra. Lin Qingcheng and Bei Yingluo were practicing the Nineteen Demon Subduing Palms while Zhou Ziyun read a book near them, occasionally giving them pointers.
All the disciples were accounted for, except for Long Yifei and Wu Qianyu. Long Yifei had an excuse. She was getting some basic instruction from the two immortals of the Virtuous Order. Since they were not allowed into the sect, they resided in Dragon River Town and every day, Long Yifei made the trip to see them.
Wu Qianyu, on the other hand, was hardly seen since she returned from the capital. Nobody knew what kind of experiences she had within the dream array, nobody except Chen Wentian. Speaking of which, the womanizing master of the valley was also nowhere to be seen...
"Ha!"
"Again!"
"Got you!"
Two figures tumbled to the grass.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Lin Qingcheng cried out from below.
Her arm was twisted at a weird angle. Her whole body was sideways but she couldn't escape from the hold her opponent had on her.
Above her, Bei Yingluo laughed brightly before letting go. She then grabbed Lin Qingcheng's hand and pulled her up.
"Senior sister, the sixth palm, Demon Prison, I've understood it!"
Lin Qingcheng rubbed her wrist and pursed her lips. "I guess you have…"
She didn't want to admit defeat but there was only so much she could while she forcibly lowered her strength to the Body Refinement Realm. Even still, based on experience, she shouldn't have lost so easily. She didn't know why her own Demon Prison was so weak.
"Chengcheng…" A voice called out beside them.
Zhou Ziyun was sitting in a reclining bamboo chair. A large parasol above her gave her shade from the sun. A large tome of boring history or archaic concepts lay on her lap. Two servants stood beside her, fanning their mistress with colorful fans made of feathers.
"Chengcheng… what am I going to do with you." Zhou Ziyun muttered, "Your footwork for Demon Prison is all wrong. Your center is too high, your stance is too narrow. When attacking, you're off-balance and leavening yourself for counterattack…"
She went on and on for a good while, causing Lin Qingcheng's eyes to glaze over.
"Sis, you're so mean! Go pick on sister Yingluo!"
Lin Qingcheng stomped over to an empty chair nearby and sat down in a huff. She accepted the fruity drink that was offered by a servant and drank it fiercely. She gave Zhou Ziyun the stink eye all the while.
Bei Yingluo watched her senior sister, not knowing if she should laugh or cry. She had spent many months of hard work studying the demon palms. Who could have guessed that the first disciple of the immortal learned so slowly!
Zhou Ziyun laughed lightly and put away her heavy tome carefully, making sure not to damage the old bindings. She stretched and loosened her limbs before walking up to Bei Yingluo. Her strength lowered down to the 10th Level of the Body Refinement Realm.
"Yingluo, come," She beckoned.
"Senior sister." Bei Yingluo bowed and charged.
The pair exchanged several blows in quick succession. Bei Yingluo was fast and strong but Zhou Ziyun's movements were faster and perfectly precise.
The junior disciple couldn't find an opening and eventually found herself on the ground with her arms pinned behind her back. She didn't even know how it had happened.
Zhou Ziyun let her go and patted her back, "Know what is happening behind you even if you can't see. Expect what your opponent will do and use the appropriate move to guard yourself during your vulnerable period."
She then turned to Lin Qingcheng and smiled, "Chengcheng, your turn. Come, do you think you can beat me after eighty-two consecutive defeats. If you can, I'll treat you to dinner!"
"It's eighty-one!" Lin Qingcheng shot back but didn't move her butt from the chair, "And I don't want to fight you right now. I'm tired. Where is master? I want to fight him!"
Zhou Ziyun snorted, "Whatever. He's still training with Qianyu. You just have to be patient."
"Wuuu… why!" Lin Qingcheng whined, "It's been four days. He hardly comes out to see us. We also can't leave the sect grounds or do anything fun. I'm bored!"
Zhou Ziyun and Bei Yingluo both ignored him and began sparring again. The first disciple was left to her own devices which made her even more bored. With the sun warming her feet and a gentle breeze gracing her face, she drifted off. Eyes closed, thoughts muddled, she failed to notice a shadowy form appear and drape over her body.
"Mmm…" She mumbled, feeling a familiar touch.
What seemed like a hand rubbed across her body and came to rest on her breast. The hand cupped her over her clothes and tweaked her nipple, eliciting a gasp. Another hand appeared and pressed down over her lower stomach before sliding downward and between her legs.
"Ohhh, master…" She squealed instinctively.
"Wait, what?" Zhou Ziyun heard the inappropriate noises and stopped her bout.
She whirled around to see a familiar figure was snuggled next to Lin Qingcheng, sharing her chair. His hands were all over her.
"Chen Mo!"
It was indeed Chen Mo, in his human form. More accurately, it was Chen Wentian within one of his primary incarnations. They were one and the same after all. This was the fundamental principle of the Anatta Soul Nirvana Art.
Lin Qingcheng awoke to this and her eyes connected with the perpetrator. Chen Wentian winked at her, not seeming even slightly embarrassed at being caught in the act.
"Naughty girl, why are you so lazy about training when I am not around?"
"Master!" She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her bosom.
Zhou Ziyun frowned and walked over, "Chen Wentian, tell your fox to stop playing around."
"No!" Lin Qingcheng cut in, "Master is master. He can do whatever he wants!"
Zhou Ziyun's frown deepened, "It doesn't bother you at all? That he is using his shadow fox soul? Isn't it a little strange?"
Lin Qingcheng thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. She flashed a brilliant smile and hugged Chen Wentian tighter, "Master is master. It doesn't what form he takes. I've already gotten used to it after wearing the Golden Serpent Robe for so long. Since it contains master's soul, it's like having him touch me all over, all the time, even when I am dreaming. He can be the Golden Serpent, he can Chen Mo, he can be his original body, it doesn't matter. His touch is the same. His words are the same. He is the same, the one and only master."
"…"
Zhou Ziyun didn't know how to respond. She didn't know the full scope of Chen Wentian's soul art so she wasn't able to fully comprehend it. It wasn't like reading a book or studying an intricate work of art. There was nothing to see, nothing to feel, nothing tangible. She didn't think like Lin Qingcheng and thus she didn't understand like her.
Lin Qingcheng didn't use logic and reason. She used her feelings and instinct. She knew her master and she recognized him. She didn't need to think about it, she just knew in her heart. That's why she didn't care which form he took as long as he was there with her.
Zhou Ziyun was still stumped so Bei Yingluo chimed in, "I have to agree with senior sister. I got to know his shadow fox form first so I felt closer to Chen Mo than his real form. At first, when I was with his real form, it bothered me, like I wasn't sure if I was dealing with one person or two different people. But after spending time with both of them, they meld together into one. They are physically a little different but they are still the same. It's hard to explain. You just have to approach it with an open mind!"