Chapter 121 – Caution to the Wind

  Jun De slid the door to his quarters open, still thinking over Shen Weifeng’s advice, when the sight of Shen Ruolan stole the thoughts from his mind.

  She was standing at the window, her back to him as the evening light poured through the open shutters to highlight her figure. Her blue robes hung loosely over her, fluttering slightly as the air stirred through the now open door.

  Beyond Shen Ruolan, the clouds had parted, and the endless sweep of land below stretched to the horizon. Mountains rose like jade peaks, while rivers gleamed like sapphire serpents winding their way across the earth.

  But Jun De hardly noticed the scenery outside. It was Shen Ruolan who captivated him in that moment. The way her dark, blue-black hair shimmered in the sunlight, the delicate curves of her shoulders, and the elegance of her appearance as she stared out the window.

  She looked like a painting come to life, and she was the kind of beauty that was remarkable, even in this new world he was living in.

  Jun De felt his breath catch in his chest, and only a single thought flashed through his mind.

  ‘She’s beautiful.’

  Shen Ruolan was so beautiful that, for an instant, he forgot his disagreement with Shen Weifeng’s advice, or the trouble he was having with Mu Yanyu and Lin Yue. He even forgot the bet and Secret Realm they were currently travelling to.

  Shen Ruolan turned her head at the sound of the door closing, and her eyes were filled with curiosity as they found his. She tilted her head slightly to the side as she noticed his stunned expression, and she smiled while pulling a lock of hair behind her ear.

  “How is my uncle?” She asked, and Jun De blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to know where he had been, in fact, he had snuck away while she was busy!

  Her smile widened, and she held her hand over her mouth as she laughed softly.

  “It wasn’t hard to guess. If you’re not in your room, then you must be with Shen Weifeng. You’re always training with him, or speaking to him when something is weighing on your mind.”

  Jun De chuckled and nodded while he approached her.

  “You’re right, I went to him for advice.”

  “Then I hope he was helpful. If there is something bothering you, Jun De, you should know that you can talk to me about anything.” Shen Ruolan reminded him.

  Jun De let out a slow breath and sat down at the table, leaning back and placing his hands against the top.

  “He was. He told me that I should be honest with myself, and with my path on the Dao.”

  A pause lingered between them, and Jun De lifted his eyes to meet hers.

  “The truth is, I don’t know what my future holds. My Dao isn’t about power or building a reputation, it’s about living a long and happy life, experiencing all that the world has to offer.” Jun De explained, and his tone had a hint of regret as he thought about disappointing her.

  Shen Ruolan’s smile remained as she joined him at the table. She reached out and placed her own hand on his, encouraging him to continue.

  “I know what you want from me. But that isn’t something I can give you, not now or in Yunlai City. I have other commitments, to the Sect, and other people who are around me. Mu Yanyu. Lin Yue. Even Elder Shen and the Sect Master. I can’t ignore that.”

  The words hung heavy in the room, and the light spilling over Shen Ruolan’s face made her almost look fragile. She moved before Jun De could take another breath. In a blur of silk, she was sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around him as she pressed herself tightly against his chest.

  Jun De froze, startled at her sudden action, before he slowly and hesitantly enveloped her slender frame with his own arms.

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  Her voice was muffled by his robes, but every word carried the weight of her determination.

  “I don’t care about any of that, Jun De. I enjoy my time in the Sect as much as I did at Yunlai City. I just want to spend my life with you, in whatever way I can.” Shen Ruolan lifted her head, and her expression became fierce.

  “I can even accept sharing you…although not with her!” Shen Ruolan’s lips curled into a scowl as she spat out the last word.

  Even though she didn’t say her name, Jun De knew that Shen Ruolan was referring to Mu Yanyu.

  Jun De couldn’t help it; he laughed warmly and a little helplessly.

  “I don’t believe Elder Mu is interested in me in that way. She is just helping me discover if I possess a special constitution.” Jun De replied.

  Despite their time together and their intimacy, Jun De doubted Mu Yanyu actually had feelings for him. It was far more likely that she enjoyed the benefits of their Dual Cultivation. Jun De himself had gained a significant boost in his own cultivation, and it certainly helped that Mu Yanyu was beautiful and…enthusiastic.

  ‘Enjoy your life, Jun De.’ Jun De thought to himself.

  Shen Ruolan looked up at him, and her cheeks flushed red.

  “I’ll get strong enough to keep that harpy away from you.” Shen Ruolan declared, and Jun De shook his head in exasperation. Before he could reply, she stretched her head toward him and pressed her lips against his.

  The kiss started tentative and soft, as though she feared he might pull away. But when he didn’t, it deepened. The passion that rose between them was like a sudden storm that broke free from whatever was restraining it.

  Jun De’s mind blurred. He couldn’t tell who moved first, whether it was her hands tugging at his robes or his fingers loosening the ties at her waist. All he knew was that Shen Ruolan was just as eager, and just as insistent, as he was.

  Some time later, Lin Yue and Mu Yanyu finished their discussion in her room regarding the changes brought about by her time with Jun De. Deciding that she had things to tell him, the pair soon arrived at Jun De’s closed and locked door.

  After knocking several times and receiving no reply, Mu Yanyu’s expression hardened with resolve. She wasn’t accustomed to being made to wait, not with her status and the importance of what she needed to say to Jun De.

  “Enough waiting.” Mu Yanyu said flatly, and her authority as an Elder weighed on her every word. With a flick of her sleeve, the seal on the door dissolved, and she pushed it open.

  The two women stepped inside, where the faint aroma of incense and the warmth of strong, ambient spiritual energy lingered in the air. But what caught their eyes the most was Shen Ruolan.

  She was stepping out of Jun De’s inner chamber, her hair slightly dishevelled with her robes hastily drawn around her shoulders, and her cheeks flushed bright red in embarrassment. Her hands fumbled with the sash around her waist as she froze immediately under their accusing stares.

  “You!” Shen Ruolan stammered, and her voice was almost a shriek from equal parts embarrassment at being caught in her current situation and anger at seeing Mu Yanyu barge into Jun De’s rooms.

  “What are you doing barging into here without notice?” Shen Ruolan demanded.

  Lin Yue’s lips pressed into a thin line, her golden-brown eyes narrowing as she understood immediately what was going on. Her voice was sharp with restrained anger and frustration.

  ‘How dare she sneak into Jun De’s rooms without me knowing!’ Lin Yue thought.

  “The better question, Sister Ruolan, is what you are doing here.” Her tone made it clear that she already knew the answer.

  Before the tension could rise any further, Mu Yanyu moved. With a flicker of speed that left the air around her trembling, she reappeared in front of Shen Ruolan. Her hand darted out to seize the younger woman’s wrist.

  Shen Ruolan gasped, yelping as she instinctively tried to pull free, but Mu Yanyu’s grip was unyielding, and the Core Formation Cultivator’s Qi pinned her into place while her spiritual sense delved into her Dantian.

  For a moment, Mu Yanyu’s expression was unreadable as her divine sense probed Shen Ruolan’s Dantian and Meridians. Then, finally, her eyes narrowed, and with a faint, resigned sigh, she released her.

  “It’s as I thought. Whatever special constitution Jun De possesses has altered your Qi as well.” Mu Yanyu murmured.

  Shen Ruolan’s face turned even redder from a mix of indignation at Mu Yanyu’s rough treatment and the implication of her words.

  “W-what are you talking about?” Shen Ruolan demanded as she clutched her robe tighter around her frame and took a step back from the other woman.

  Before Mu Yanyu could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from the inner chamber, and Jun De emerged from the bathing area. His damp hair clung to his neck, and his robes were pristine and tied neatly at the waist.

  He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the three women standing in his room, with tension thick in the air.

  Jun De’s eyes widened, and for a moment, he stood there, stunned, with water dripping from his hair as three pairs of eyes were fixed on him, and it seemed as if a single wrong word could spell disaster for him.

  It was Mu Yanyu who broke the silence.

  “Jun De, I now have an understanding of what is going on with your body. Your constitution is not ordinary. And now that I have studied both Lin Yue and Shen Ruolan, I can conclude that anyone who is physically intimate with you will have their Qi enhanced in some fashion.”

  Both Lin Yue and Shen Ruolan both stiffened at her words. Shen Ruolan’s lips parted as she was caught between denying anything had happened between her and Jun De, that it was none of the other woman’s business, and the fact that her Qi did currently feel as if it flowed more freely.

  Lin Yue, on the other hand, had her hands curled into fists as she was outraged by both Mu Yanyu’s bluntness and the fact that Shen Ruolan had snuck around her to spend time alone with Jun De while she was being interrogated by the Elder!

  “I…I think we should all sit down and talk.” Jun De finally managed to say.