Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 457 443: The Alluring Fan Xuan

Pei Yuhang had no idea that right after he said goodbye to Fan Xuan, she went to meet the evil Saintess he despised most.

Now, his heart filled with joy, he went to see his Dao Companion and disciples.

Ye Liyuan stood under an ancient ginkgo tree before the Sect gate, her simple white dress fluttering in the wind.

When she saw Pei Yuhang step off the Spirit Wheel,

her eyes curved into crescents. A gentle smile rippled in their depths, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly, revealing two faint dimples.

"Ah Han, welcome back."

"Master."

Only after Ye Liyuan and Pei Yuhang had greeted each other did Qing Yueqiu and Yu Xiaoyan, standing behind them, softly call out to him.

Although a fierce tide was already surging in their hearts, with their master's wife present, they could only suppress their fiery emotions under a veneer of modesty, not daring to overstep their bounds in the slightest.

"I'm sorry, Liyuan."

Pei Yuhang walked closer, his gentle gaze falling upon his Dao Companion, his tone slightly apologetic. "The journey was a tight one, so the Spirit Wheel didn't stop along the way. I wasn't able to get you a gift."

Ye Liyuan shook her head, took a snow-white scarf from her sleeve, and gently handed it to him. "It doesn't matter. You coming back early is the best gift of all."

Pei Yuhang took the scarf his Dao Companion had personally woven. Though it wasn't some precious Magical Treasure, it still warmed his heart.

He looked up, about to say something, but after carefully studying his Dao Companion's face, his eyes suddenly lit up with surprise. "Liyuan, you've broken through to Nascent Soul!"

For Liyuan to break through to Nascent Soul this quickly meant she wasn't far from returning to her former Divinity Transformation Realm. The sooner she returned to Divinity Transformation, the greater her confidence in pushing for Void Refining.

Once their realms were equal, Pei Yuhang would no longer have to worry about his Dao Companion's lifespan!

Ye Liyuan nodded. "It's all thanks to you, Ah Han, for getting me a spot at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Spring. Otherwise, I would have needed at least another month of cultivation just to touch the threshold of Nascent Soul."

Pei Yuhang shook his head and said gently, "It was your own outstanding talent and tireless cultivation, Liyuan. I was only fulfilling my duty as your Dao Companion, providing you with the resources to make the most of your abilities."

"Ah Han..."

"Liyuan..."

"..."

Standing behind them, Yu Xiaoyan watched her master and his wife in their lovey-dovey display. She couldn't help but purse her lips, a trace of indignation flashing in her eyes.

She quietly tugged on the sleeve of her silver-haired senior sister and sent a telepathic message:

Senior Sister, look. Master still cares about his wife the most. With her around, he completely ignores us now that he's back.

Qing Yueqiu glanced at Yu Xiaoyan and sighed softly.

There is a proper hierarchy between a master's wife and a disciple. It's only natural for Master to comfort his wife first. Xiaoxiao, you shouldn't be thinking about crossing boundaries.

Hearing this, Yu Xiaoyan rolled her eyes and replied disdainfully:

Hmph. You weren't saying that when you planned to greet Master alone, without telling his wife.

"..."

Qing Yueqiu watched the backs of her master and his wife as they exchanged sweet nothings. Her fingertips clenched tightly, then slowly relaxed.

'My junior sister is right...'

'I'm a petty, awful disciple, too.'

'If only Master had spoken to me first when he came back...'

But then, Qing Yueqiu recalled how their master's wife had taken the initiative to bring them along to meet him, and the frustration Yu Xiaoyan had stirred up in her heart quietly dissipated.

'Forget it. His wife is being so magnanimous.'

'I shouldn't try to compete with her.'

"Ah Han, what about that old woman? Why didn't she get off the Spirit Wheel?"

Ye Liyuan looked up at the Spirit Wheel docked in front of the Sect gate and asked, a little confused.

"Old woman? Are you talking about Huang Wanshi?"

Pei Yuhang froze for a moment before realizing who his Dao Companion was referring to.

"Yes, that old Fox Spirit who came to harass you when you boarded. Did she give you a hard time on the ship? Did she do anything to you..."

Ye Liyuan pressed her lips together, her voice dropping a few notches.

Before she could finish, her fingers clutching Pei Yuhang's hand tightened unconsciously, her knuckles turning slightly white. A trace of unease surfaced in her eyes.

Pei Yuhang was rendered speechless. He raised a hand to gently stroke the ends of her hair, soothing her in a warm voice:

"Liyuan, what are you letting your imagination run wild for? I'm a Sword Immortal. Even if Huang Wanshi is an Elder of Dan Yun Pavilion, she has no right to do anything to me."

He paused, then added in a calm tone:

"As for why she didn't get off the ship... it's because Elder Huang was killed in the line of duty during an attack by Demonic Cultivators on this trip."

'Killed in the line of duty?'

Ye Liyuan's expression froze. She didn't ask how Huang Wanshi had been killed, but instead said, sounding somewhat pleased, "Does that mean there's an open Elder seat in Dan Yun Pavilion now!"

"Does that mean Senior Sister Lu can reclaim her Elder position?"

Hearing this, Pei Yuhang sighed softly.

"If Senior Sister wanted her position as Elder back, she could have it, even if Huang Wanshi were still alive.

The problem is, she's too dejected right now. She doesn't want it herself. Even with the opportunity right in front of her, she won't seize it."

After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath, suppressed those gloomy thoughts, and tightened his grip on Ye Liyuan's hand. He gently brushed his fingertips over the back of her hand and said softly:

"Forget it. Let's not think about these unhappy things for now. We can talk about Senior Sister Lu later. Let's go home."

Ye Liyuan looked up at him, the shadows in her eyes swept away, and nodded with a beaming smile.

"Okay, let's go home."

...

...

「Night.」

After the passionate reunion with his Dao Companion...

He wrapped the scarf Liyuan had personally woven around his neck and walked out into the snowy night.

Since returning to the Dao Sect, he had been with his Dao Companion and disciples, and hadn't had time to check on Fan Xuan, who had returned to the Cold Palace Sword Mansion ahead of him.

Pei Yuhang thought for a moment and, out of concern, decided to go see her at night.

CRUNCH CRUNCH—

Pei Yuhang crunched through the soft snow, and soon a small wooden cabin appeared before him.

Seeing candlelight shining from within the cabin, Pei Yuhang breathed a sigh of relief.

'This means Fan Xuan returned safely.'

He walked to the cabin door, knocked, and said softly, "Fan Xuan, it's me."

CLICK—

The instant his knuckles touched the door, the lock turned with a click, as if the person inside had been waiting behind the door for a long time.

The door opened slightly, and dim yellow candlelight spilled out, outlining a tall, graceful figure.

Fan Xuan leaned against the doorframe, her red lips curved into a slight smile. The corners of her eyes were tinged with a faint blush, and her gaze seemed to shimmer like water.

The black lace nightgown she wore rippled with her movements. Its straps hung loosely on her shoulders, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin that glowed like pearls in the candlelight.

"Well, well—"

She drew out the word, her beautiful eyes fixed on Pei Yuhang. "So, Sword Immortal Pei is finally done coddling his Dao Companion and disciples, and has decided to check on the little wildflower hidden on the back mountain?"

As she spoke, she enthusiastically reached out to brush the snow from Pei Yuhang's shoulders.

However, Pei Yuhang took a step back, avoiding Fan Xuan's hand.

"Don't say such strange things. I'm just temporarily sheltering you."

Pei Yuhang looked at Fan Xuan before him. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he had always felt natural when he was with her before. Tonight, however, felt a little uncomfortable.

'Perhaps it's because I'm seeing her at night, behind my Dao Companion's back.'

Pei Yuhang took half a step back, thinking this to himself.