Chapter 067: The King of the Sea and the Fish Pond

Hearing these words, Yu Wenche glanced at Xiao Jihan with slight surprise.

He had originally thought there was only one reason why Yan Shu would take on a disciple like Xiao Jihan—someone with a false spiritual root of four attributes and no status or background: she must have been captivated by Xiao Jihan’s face.

He admitted, Xiao Jihan was indeed handsome. Though his features leaned toward the feminine, he was pleasing to the eye whether seen by men or women.

Yu Wenche had little interaction with the Xuanyan Sect or Yan Shu, but that did not stop him from seeing that the sect lacked any ambition for domination. Even Yan Shu herself was of a lazy disposition. The road of immortal cultivation stretched far ahead—seeking an attractive disciple for company was just the sort of thing she would do.

Thus, even if nothing had been pledged between her and Xiao Jihan, there was clearly mutual regard; otherwise, they would not be so intimate and unguarded in each other's presence, unconstrained by the usual boundaries between master and disciple.

But now, he was no longer so sure.

If Yan Shu truly cared, how could Xiao Jihan so casually suggest he contact her directly?

Yet perhaps this was just as well. Yu Wenche took out the Xuanling Mirror to reach out to Yan Shu, but the cave seemed to be shrouded by some invisible barrier: contact was impossible.

Suddenly, he understood. Xiao Jihan’s calm suggestion that he simply contact Yan Shu was not born of indifference, but rather because he had already tried and knew it could not be done.

Yu Wenche set down the Xuanling Mirror and cast a deep look at Xiao Jihan. “It seems I have underestimated you.”

With those words, he withdrew his gaze and strode forward.

Xiao Jihan realized Yu Wenche had misunderstood, but he offered no explanation—nor did he care to clarify the confusion. He simply followed at a measured pace.

All of this subtle contest was seen clearly by Yan Shu.

Just as she closed her eyes to meditate, a woman’s light laughter suddenly sounded at her ear. “How interesting—you’re here, indifferent to the world outside, while two handsome men vie for your favor. Are you truly so heartless, or is it simply that neither of them is the one you desire?”

The voice came so suddenly that Yan Shu was startled. She opened her eyes at once and turned her head, only to find a seductive woman wreathed in black mist had appeared at her side, bending close to speak to her.

Frightened, Yan Shu sprang to her feet and stumbled back two steps, staring in horror.

The woman laughed at her reaction, her lips crimson and teeth white, her body enveloped in shifting darkness that only enhanced her allure. “What are you afraid of?”

With a flicker, the woman was before her again, her lithe form pressed close so that Yan Shu could feel every graceful curve.

The woman reached out, tracing Yan Shu’s face with cool fingers, her breath brushing Yan Shu’s ear in a whisper of an orchid’s scent. “Don’t be afraid, dear. Women who can make many men fall for them are my favorite.”

Those icy fingers caressed Yan Shu’s cheek inch by inch, raising goosebumps all over her skin. Though Yan Shu had little experience, she could see this was a demon—one far more powerful than herself.

If this demoness wished her dead, she would not escape.

Yan Shu’s scalp prickled. Rigid as stone, she stammered, “Be-beautiful lady, you’re mistaken. I have nothing to do with them.”

The woman laughed softly, flicking Yan Shu’s nose with a long, polished nail. “To make men jealous for our sake is a woman’s skill, is it not? Why be modest, little sister? Besides, whether you are involved with them is not for you to decide.”

Her tone made Yan Shu’s skin crawl. It was clear this woman had once been a heartbreaker and relished every moment of it.

But Yan Shu was not! She was nothing more than a struggling, cannon-fodder supporting character. The title of heartbreaker had nothing to do with her—unless, perhaps, she was the unwitting mentor of someone who was.

Seeing Yan Shu’s silence, the woman laughed again and blew a breath into her ear. “Would you like to see which of them loves you more?”

Absolutely not!

But before Yan Shu could refuse, the woman laughed lightly, waved her hand, and suddenly the images of Xiao Jihan and Yu Wenche appeared before her.

It was as if she were watching a play. Every facial expression, every movement was visible, and their voices were as clear as if they stood beside her.

This would not have mattered—Yan Shu already knew Yu Wenche’s feelings for her. Hearing him say it aloud was no surprise.

Xiao Jihan’s conversation with Yu Wenche held nothing out of the ordinary either, but the woman’s commentary was another matter entirely.

“Great-grandfather and great-grandson. Little sister, you have quite the taste!”

Yan Shu: …

No, she certainly did not!

“Oh, that beautiful man is your disciple? Do you prefer teaching men by hand, little sister?”

Nonsense! That one was practically an ancestor—she had no desire to play any sort of cultivation game.

“And just a title between you, yet both are jealous!”

Jealous? At a favorability of six points? If that was jealousy, Xiao Jihan must be the reincarnation of envy itself.

“To wish to become your Dao companion—what a straightforward man!”

“And your little disciple is so restrained. Clearly furious, yet his face is as cold and wooden as ever.”

Yan Shu could see without the woman’s commentary that Xiao Jihan was indeed angry.

With every word Yu Wenche spoke, his favorability dropped a little. From six points, it soon dwindled to a glaring zero—mere acquaintance.

Yan Shu felt as though she were inflating a leaky balloon; any effort to fill it was in vain, for it was emptied in an instant.

Having already experienced several rounds of negative ninety-nine—the mark of murderous intent—she was now wholly unfazed by dropping favorability.

She turned to the woman, speaking sincerely: “Beautiful elder sister, those two truly are not what you think. I’m not particularly virtuous myself, but if I really had someone on the hook, I’d admit it.”

“On the hook?” The woman looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Yan Shu explained to her the concept of a heartbreaker and her ‘pond of fish.’

The woman burst out laughing, delighted. “That is all too apt. But perhaps the fish do not need to be raised—what if they leap into the pond of their own accord?”

“Impossible,” Yan Shu replied, glancing at Xiao Jihan, whose favorability now hovered at zero. “My disciple cultivates the Path of Emotionlessness.”

At those words, the woman’s smile faded, and her expression turned cold.

Startled, Yan Shu took a half-step back.

Noticing her movement, the woman scoffed. “What are you afraid of? I’m not going to eat you.”

Sister, how about you first rein in that demonic aura before you say that?

The words “Path of Emotionlessness” had clearly struck a nerve. The woman’s teasing vanished, replaced by an icy severity.

She gazed at Xiao Jihan’s phantom and snorted. “The Path of Emotionlessness? I shall see just how emotionless it truly is.”