Chapter 38 - Suicide!
Rather than immediately returning to Loong'an Temple, Yin Xu veered toward the back mountain, where Teng Yu had relocated the mountain guards in light of recent events.
Guided by his intuition, Yin Xu pinpointed the jade vein's location, seeking out the area saturated with spirit energy.
During his passage through Loong'an Temple once more, echoes of despair and mournful wooden fish sounds seemed to reach Yin Xu's ears.
One couldn't help but ponder Teng Yu's state upon witnessing these outcomes; tranquility would likely elude him.
Halfway down the mountain, Yin Xu cleansed the blood's scent from his person, burying his garments before hastening downward.
Returning to his tent, Yin Xu found himself trembling from the cold. Lacking a substantial furnace by his side, warmth remained elusive.
Clad in a thick fox fur coat, Yin Xu sat by the fire, contemplating until daybreak and rehearsing words of solace.
Dawn arrived without Teng Yu's return. Feeling desolate, Yin Xu retreated to bed, cocooned in layers of fur.
This scenario wasn't new to him. In the past, he had crafted a Soul Gathering Pearl of far superior quality to the current one, all to save a valued subordinate.
Yet, as a mortal now, he couldn't employ such powerful artifacts. This pearl offered the potential for complete fusion with its original owner's soul.
Recently, Yin Xu often sensed the original owner's emotions, especially in encounters with Huo Yiloong and the mention of “Huo Zhengquan.”
Despite its utility, the original owner's soul posed a latent threat. Severe injury or exhaustion might trigger a perilous backlash.
Initially mistaking approaching footsteps for Teng Yu's return, Yin Xu feigned slumber until realizing it wasn't him.
The unsteady gait hinted at a lack of martial training, likely belonging to a woman judging by the footfalls.
Shortly after, a gust swept through the tent as a fissure in the thick curtain revealed an entrance. Yin Xu, lying with his back to the door, felt a chill creeping over him.
Amidst a sequence of faint rustling, Yin Xu discerned the approach of an individual towards his bedside. He remained motionless, curious about the visitor's intentions.
As a hand gingerly lifted his cozy blanket, admitting a chill, Yin Xu couldn't help but rouse from his slumber. He fixed the intruder with a penetrating gaze and queried, “Madam, what business brings you to this young master's chamber at such a late hour?”
“…”, Clearly caught off guard by the alertness of the occupant, the visitor's movements froze, eventually resigning to remain sprawled on the bed, exposed.
“Your Highness…” Nonetheless, Yin Xu was no ordinary man. He promptly expelled the other party from his bed, disdainfully remarking, “Do you presume to occupy my bed? You lack the qualification!”
“Ah…”, The night sky still draped in darkness, with only a feeble glow emanating from the stove, the woman couldn't discern the figure on the bed clearly, but she paid it little mind.
“Your Highness…”, “What are you…”
“Silence!” Yin Xu extended his arm, his fingers parting slightly. Swiftly, a dark Demonic Qi ensnared the intruder's throat, silencing her instantly.
Retrieving his blanket, Yin Xu sat upright, his hair pulled back, casting a cold glare at the naked woman on the ground.
He had encountered numerous women seeking to exploit their allure. In the Cultivation World, where the strong preyed on the weak, female cultivators often found themselves vulnerable. Many sought powerful male cultivators as partners or even submitted as their subordinates, all for the sake of their own advancement.
Yin Xu saw no issue with this dynamic, as long as they harbored no designs on him.
This woman clearly pursued Teng Yu, yet Yin Xu found her attempts more infuriating than Teng Yu himself!
Teng Yu served as his exclusive source of warmth and the most valuable asset he possessed. Allowing others to lay claim to him was unthinkable.
“You invite death!” Ignoring the terror in the woman's eyes, Yin Xu snarled coldly as he directed the Demonic Qi to infiltrate her body, gradually consuming her.
Half an incense stick's time later, the woman vanished from the tent. Were it not for the scattered women's garments strewn across the ground, her presence would've gone unnoticed.
Yin Xu rose, tossing the clothes into the furnace. As they turned to ash, he clapped his hands, resuming his usual bedtime routine.
During the night, guards remained stationed outside the tent. He recollected encountering two of them upon his return last night. Despite their lack of vigor, they shouldn't have allowed a woman to enter.
Recently, they had made some commotion, yet no one investigated or inquired. Either the guards had been removed, or they had evaded notice.
Regardless, in his view, it spelled certain doom!
Yin Xu slept soundly, awakening to a bright sky. However, Teng Yu had not returned.
Stretching his stiff limbs, he summoned his servant girl to attend to him, treating her as his master without reservation.
Thankfully, Teng Yu had previously turned a blind eye to his actions. Otherwise, the superficial servant girls would have disregarded him entirely.
However, the sole individual to enter was Han Sen. Standing before him with neither humility nor arrogance, he conveyed, “Seventh Young Master, His Highness departed early this morning.”
Yin Xu comprehended Teng Yu's discretion and simply nodded, proceeding to have breakfast alone after freshening up.
An additional hour passed, yet Teng Yu remained absent.
Considering Teng Yu's current disposition, it seemed prudent not to interfere.
…
Wu Sheng: “Young Master, why do we seem to be fleeing? Have you offended someone?”
Yin Xu: “… No.”
Wu Sheng: “Then why not bid farewell to the Third Prince?”
Yin Xu: “He's occupied.”
Wu Sheng: “Ah, I foresaw the day you'd be forsaken, but not this soon.”
Yin Xu: “…”
Wu Sheng: “I warned you this path would lead to naught. Look, it's all for naught.”
Teng Yu: “Ultimately, who capitalized on the situation?”
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