Earlier, Feng Yingyue was still hesitant to join the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute. Of course, she wanted to become an official alchemist and develop her craft. But on the other hand, she did not want to leave her father's shop. In fact there was a deeper reason, she was afraid that she was only considered a genius in this small city.
She was afraid that people in the Institute would not even deign looking in her direction. But as she practiced Yi the Earth Intent and as she grew closer and closer to Cao Yun, she got bolder and bolder. She could feel the changes in her as she felt more confident and less shy. These last few days, she was able to express herself with more ease, and not just with City Lord Dun Mofan.
But then a new fear took her. Cao Yun would leave this town. She knew that there was something he needed to do, something he was not telling her. She had heard him screaming in the night. Not wanting to spy on him, she did not try to listen to it, but she still overheard things about his family. Thus, she knew that something terrible had happened to him.
These nightmares were slowly torturing him. And seeing that they almost vanished completely as he trained the 'Sealing the Seven Demons in the Nine Peaks', she wanted to help him even more. That's why she decided to forge the Frozen Heart Pill. Because she could not bear to see him suffer again every night.
And if he left her, she knew he would climb up the cultivation world. Very soon, she would be behind him. Very soon, he would forget about her. And she would go back to being the shy little girl with no confidence.
As she watched him perform the 'Sealing the Seven Demons in the Nine Peaks' by consuming the Frozen Heart Pill, she steeled her resolve. She would go to the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute. She would become an official alchemist. She would exceed the dreams of her father Feng Ziya. She would stand shoulder to shoulder with Cao Yun. Hell, she would surpass him!
He would not protect her, she would protect him.
Burning with this new resolve, she saw Cao Yun gifting him the Yi character he had drawn himself.
Unable to restrain herself, she kissed him as a fire was burning deep within her. The fire spread throughout her body and got into Cao Yun. He gave her back her kiss and hugged her with all his passion.
They crossed the room still deep in their embrace and fell on the bed.
As their bodies intertwined, their Qi began to circulate between them. In their passion, they were involuntarily practicing a dual cultivation. They used their Earth Intent to better feel each other. Gradually, their intents melted into one another. Their very minds were intertwined, more so even than their bodies.
Qi was flowing from Cao Yun to Feng Yingyue and from her to him. Feng Yingyue also felt something cold flowing in her body and mind. The remaining medicinal essence of the Frozen Heart Pill was coursing through her as it was leaving Cao Yun's body.
They kept exploring each other for many hours before the exhaustion put them to sleep. They could barely remember the moment they finally fell asleep, but they would forever remember this night.
-
In the morning, they woke up full of vigor. Both their Qi seemed to be even richer than before and their minds clearer. Still in bed, they caressed and kissed each other for a while. None of them had ever experienced such pleasure, and they did not regret it at all.
It did not alter their relationship, as they went back to their routine.
There was one change however. With her resolve to join the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute, Feng Yingyue knew she would have to leave this very same day. Indeed, the Institute was all the way to the south of the Hongchen Kingdom. Without a flying sword, she would need a month to get there and she had to find Master Hua, precisely in a month, so she had no choice.
"Guo? What are you going to do?" She stared at him intently, carving every feature of his face into her mind.
Cao Yun was jolted back to reality when he heard his fake name. It reminded him that he had lied to her all along. After the genuine link they had shared the night prior, he felt terrible about his dishonesty.
"Yingying... I must tell you something."
"You don't have to!" Caressing his face, she interrupted him. "I know there is something that you must hide. Until the day you don't have to anymore, you'll be Chen Guo." She gently kissed him. "And I will forever be your Yingying."
"... Um!"
"But, what are you going to do, now?"
"I don't exactly know. I think that my best course of action would be to join a martial sect. From what I read in the City Lord's mansion, I'm thinking of the Wubei Sect."
"The Wubei Sect? All the way in the north?"
"Yes. I heard that they are conducting examinations very soon. And their rules and philosophy are pretty open-minded. Of course, their strength is undeniable as well. This should be the perfect place for me."
"I see..." Feng Yingyue took some time to memorize his face some more. "I'm going to the Institute today. It's far in the south, so I cannot delay my departure. Apparently there is an Alchemy Conference in 5 years in the capital. This event will gather all the best alchemists of the Hongchen Kingdom. I'm sure that all the most powerful clans and sects will send their members there. After all, having good relations with alchemists is essential. I promise you that I will be an official alchemist, and I will attend this conference in 5 years. So, promise me that you will also attend the Alchemy Conference. That you will stay alive and grow stronger so that nothing can hurt you."
Cao Yun was shocked by hearing her. He realized that she was worried sick about him. Seeing her like this, he steeled his resolve as well. "I promise!"
They concluded their promise with a kiss.
-
Soon after the sun was at the highest in the sky, Cao Yun was bidding farewell to Feng Yingyue with Dun Mofan by his side.
"So, you will leave for the Wubei Sect... It's lost in the Mount Heidai up north. I know you're already very strong for your age, but you may need this."
Dun Mofan took out a beautiful sword. Its handle was sculpted in the form of the head of a dragon and a constellation was engraved on its glowing blade.
"This is a 3-star Human rank sword. The blacksmith who made it named it 'Star-Devouring Dragon'. Even without injecting Qi in it, the blade can easily cut through a 3-core demonic beast or a low grade Mortal Warrior. And the day you can inject Qi through the sword, it will be even deadlier."
A 3-star Human rank was a real treasure. Cao Beiwen's most prized weapon's rank was 1-star Heaven, only three ranks above. In general, only a middle or late Mortal Warrior would use this kind of weapon.
"I cannot..."
"Nonsense! One day, you will take care of her in my stead. You need a good weapon for that! And if you die on your way to the Wubei Sect, this girl will hate me until my death. So stop spouting nonsense and learn to accept a gift!"
"Thank you, City Lord. I swear that I will repay the kindness you and Feng Yingyue showed to me. I will always be in your debt!"
"Ah, ah, ah! Good, good! But there is one last thing I should tell you. You're still young, and a little bit naive. I understand that you don't like killing. Nonetheless, there are some people who are better off dead. Do you understand me?" Dun Mofan's face became serious all of a sudden.
"I'm not sure, Senior Dun."
"Well... You'll get there... Sadly... Anyway, when are you leaving?"
"Right now! We both prepared to leave today."
"Good, good. Then I will not keep you any longer. Be cautious on your way there. Demonic beasts are not the only monsters in this world."
They bid each other farewell and Cao Yun went north.
-
At the same time, in a secret room of the Huang mansion, two men were whispering. They were Gu Ouyang and Huang Longwei.
"Young Master Huang, why did you want to see me?"
"Don't you want to kill the little beast who cut off your fingers?"
As soon as Huang Longwei spoke, hatred burned in the eyes of Gu Ouyang, and then fear.
"Of course, I wish to kill him, cut his flesh and drink his blood. But..." He looked at his hands. "Even when I was at my best, I wasn't his opponent. Now that I am..." He could not finish his sentence. "Anyway, how could I kill him?"
"Oh? I have an idea about that. The little punk will go north to the Wubei Sect. If he reaches the sect, there won't be anything we can do against him. Just like his friend Feng Yingyue. Now that she was accepted by a master of the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute, trying anything against her would be suicide. Are you really ready to let him enjoy life and soar through the cultivation world as you look at your mangled hands?!"
The fire of hatred was back in Gu Ouyang's eyes.
"Tell me your idea, Brother Huang."
"We must act in full secrecy so that my father does not discover our plan." Huang Longwei thought of something else. "Well, especially so that my sister does not. I'm pretty sure to know where he will head first. We can lay a trap in advance. It's true that you were not his match, but I am! I also know three other friends whom I can trust. They are 5th-grade Mortals. I refuse to believe that this little punk could survive our combined forces."
"But..." Gu Ouyang almost did not finish his sentence. "But, Brother Huang, why do you want to kill him?"
"First of all, he thwarted my plans with Feng Yingyue, then he drove Luo Jiang mad and I had to bear the blame for his evil ways. I lost my position in the eyes of my father and Cixi is rising. I'd like to take my anger on the little girl but touching an alchemist recognized by the Institute... Even I am not that bold. On the other hand, this boy is a little nobody, no one will really care if he dies during his journey. And everything is his fault after all, who told him to save Feng Yingyue?"
"Aren't those reasons enough for me to want him dead?"
"Of course, Brother Huang." Gu Ouyang looked back at his hands. "I really want to help you... If only I could still fight with my hands..."
"Oh? You don't need your fingers for that!"
Huang Longwei took out a wooden box and immediately opened it. Within the box were two claw bracers. Made from black metal, they had four claws each, atop, below, and on each side. They varied in size and form.
"They are 4-star Earth rank weapons. And you don't need fingers to use them."
Gu Ouyang went to touch them as if he still had fingers. Only frustration was on his face as he could not even put them on alone. Huang Longwei took them and strapped them on his forearms. As soon as he had the weapons on, Gu Ouyang felt more powerful. He performed some moves in the void and his face regained some vitality and ardor.
"Let's kill that little brat! I'll tear him apart piece by piece and make him watch everything I cut off!"
Gu Ouyang just lost his mind as all the tortures he wanted to inflict upon Cao Yun were filling his head.
-
In the main pagoda of the Huang family, Huang Cixi was talking with her father.
"Your brother got us involved with some demonic cultivator. I fear that even the Golden Flowery Fragrance Institute will distrust us now. I just received a letter from the main branch of our family." He threw the piece of paper to his daughter.
Huang Cixi took it and began to read in silence.
"Father! How dare they?! We've always been loyal to them! You've always worked so hard to please them."
"Well, I'm not really their blood after all, so why not throw me away if I become a liability. If your mother was still alive, maybe we could do something..."
Huang Mingze was indeed not a member of the Huang family, he just got married in the family. As all members had pure white hair, he had to dye them just to be accepted in. But in his eyes you could not see the same light that was in his daughter's or his sons'. Apart from being an outsider, it was somewhat shameful for a man to marry into another family. As such, he was ridiculed a lot and mostly ignored by the main branch, unlike his children.
"Father, you must not give up. I'm sure if I go explain it to grandfather..."
"Oh, your grandfather will listen to you. But for me, it's over." Huang Mingze looked at the sky he could see through the windows. "I should have listened to you from the beginning. Your second brother would be alive and our name would still mean something in Yinmen City. I'm sorry, little Cixi, your father failed you, as I failed Lixin."
Huang Mingze began to cry. Huang Cixi was startled. Since the death of their mother, she had never seen her father cry. She tried to console him, but he took a hold of himself.
"Save yourself! Tell your grandfather that I was the incompetent one who never listened to you. He will believe you. After all, it's the truth! But, please, little Cixi, do not hate your first brother. I know you don't see eye to eye, but please, he is also your family. And if Lixin is..." He almost burst out crying once again. "If Lixin does not come back, you must take care of each other. I won't be long for this world. My heart wasn't that great since the backlash, but now... I almost feel like he stopped beating."
"Father..." Huang Cixi sincerely loved her father and could not bear to see him like it.
"Father, I will swear everything you want me to. Just stay with us! We need you, Father! I need you!"
Outside, the rain began to pour.