Chapter 117: Many Years

　　Wu Chuan’s gaze moved between the pair. He asked in a lowered voice, “When did you two get together?”

　　“A few days ago,” Kong Hou said honestly. “The time you saw.”

　　“Wu Chuan: “…”

　　“Does Wang Tong Shishu know?” Thinking how importantly all of Moon Perching Peak thought of Kong Hou Shimei, if Wang Tong Shishu knew that she and Spirit Master Zhong Xi were in love, he feared… there would be a fight.

　　If Wang Tong Shishu discovered the matter of the dragon phoenix cauldron, the matter would be even more complicated. A stern expression on his face, many thoughts flashed through Wu Chuan’s mind. He turned to look at Spirit Master Zhong Xi and said seriously, “Spirit Master Zhong Xi, our Kong Hou is young. If she is not sufficient in some aspect, please have tolerance.”

　　Zhong Xi bowed back to him.

　　The two of them were in their honeymoon phase. They could swear all kinds of oaths. Wu Chuan did not want to hear the other say a promise he could not guarantee. He stood and said, “Rest early, and be more restrained in front of other disciples.”

　　Everyone was used to being single. If they saw some people attached together, wouldn’t they also become restless?

　　“Eldest Shixiong Wu Chuan, do not worry. I will consider the wider picture.” Kong Hou smiled and waved her hands. “Go back and sleep.”

　　She disliked him staying here and stopping her from admiring beauty?

　　Wu Chuan poked at her forehead and said, “All right, you two continue saying sweet things. I am going to meditate.”

　　Kong Hou laughed and burrowed into Huan Zhong’s arms. Huan Zhong hurriedly caught her. “Careful.”

　　“The stars seem exceptionally beautiful when seen from the flying palace.” Kong Hou looked up at the sky. The flying palace was moving rapidly, but the moon and stars were still high up, as though they constantly followed.

　　“None of the beauty in the world can compare to you.” Huan Zhong looked down, his eyes full of feeling and warmth.

　　Kong Hou reached to pinch his cheek. “Be honest—did you secretly read those romance novels?”

　　“No.” Huan Zhong’s eyes moved toward the side.

　　“Really?” Kong Hou put her ear to his chest. A heart was beating rapidly inside his chest. She lifted her head and shook it, her eyes half-lidded. “All right, if you say so.”

　　Huan Zhong’s face flushed. “Last night… I read a few.”

　　What did a few mean? Why did this descriptor sound so strange?

　　“So how many is a few?” Kong Hou laughed out loud.

　　“Just three or four… five or six.” Huan Zhong’s voice decreased in volume.

　　“Did you sleep last night?” Did he have time to rest after reading so many books? She took the opportunity to touch Huan Zhong’s face. “While us cultivators do not need to eat and sleep every day, sleeping early and rising early is a good habit. Do not do this next time.”

　　She reached a hand to Huan Zhong. “Give me.”

　　“What?” Huan Zhong’s hands froze as he held Kong Hou.

　　“The storybooks.” Kong Hou curled her fingers.

　　“Some of them were not good. I threw them out.” Huan Zhong took out two books and put them in Kong Hou’s hands. Both were new books, as though they had been bought recently. It appeared Huan Zhong had sneaked down the mountain to buy books when she wasn’t paying attention?

　　Putting out an illumination talisman on the table, Kong Hou flipped through the storybook. The protagonist was slippery of tongue. The fox demonesses, the celestials, the demonesses all liked him, as though no other man existed in the world.

　　Closing the book, Kong Hou turned to look at Huan Zhong.

　　“I didn’t buy them. Lin Hu mailed them.” Huan Zhong had a serious expression. “I usually would not buy these books. I’ve been on Splendid Cloud Mountain these past days—when would I have gone to the store to buy books?”

　　“You really did not go down the mountain?”

　　“No.” Huan Zhong shook his head determinedly.

　　“The cultivator in here is very powerful. And so many female cultivators like him.”

　　“My heart is very small and can only fit one woman.”

　　“Yes.” Kong Hou nodded slowly. She pointed at another book and said, “The protagonist in this book also said such things, and then turned to rescue a fox spirit before having an ambiguous relationship with her.”

　　Huan Zhong: “…”

　　Could these writers, when writing how fickle the protagonists were, not ruin such good sayings?

　　“Hahaha.” Kong Hou saw Huan Zhong being dumbfounded and laughed out loud. “I am teasing you. You and the protagonists of these books are not the same.” The protagonists of the books could not compare to Huan Zhong at all.

　　Seeing Kong Hou happy, Huan Zhong said seriously, “Do not worry, I will not be like them.”

　　Kong Hou did not doubt Huan Zhong’s words. He was so good-looking and had such powerful cultivation. If he really was a lusty and fickle man, he would already have countless women around him. How would he belong to her?

　　“I believe your words.” Kong Hou put away the storybooks. “Starting now, you are my man, and you are under my management. So these books… are all confiscated.”

　　“Yes.” Huan Zhong hugged her. Their foreheads pressed together. He said slowly, “I give myself completely to you.”

　　His voice was very gentle, like a soft wind brushing by and teasing Kong Hou’s heart. She rubbed against Huan Zhong’s forehead. As she prepared to speak, a light flashed across the sky. It was a message seal.

　　Huan Zhong received it and connected with it mentally.

　　Kong Hou saw Huan Zhong’s expression was both joyful and emotional. She couldn’t help asking, “What is it?”

　　“My master has sent this message.” Huan Zhong had a smile on his face. “He had a mental breakthrough and reached Transcendental Stage.”

　　“Transcendental Stage?!” Kong Hou couldn’t help but secretly calculate how far she was from Transcendental Stage. After that, she said reverently, “Sect Master Jin Yue is so great.”

　　“Master’s cultivation has been stagnating in recent years. It is great that he finally had a breakthrough.” Huan Zhong had been with Jin Yue for many years. Just like how Jin Yue worried for his cultivation, he worried for Jin Yue’s.

　　Looking at Huan Zhong’s excited expression, Kong Hou patted Huan Zhong’s back. “Everything is slowly becoming better.”

　　So they would slowly also find the medicines Huan Zhong needed. From now on, she had the most beautiful man in the world and would travel the mountains and rivers. Thinking how envious everyone else would be, she felt even better.

　　“What are you thinking about to smile so beautifully?” Huan Zhong woke up from his joy and saw Kong Hou smiling dazedly. He reached to brush her hair behind her ear and gently touched her ear.

　　Soft and smooth.

　　“Itchy.” Kong Hou laughed and grabbed Huan Zhong’s hand. “When everyone in the cultivation world knows that Spirit Master Zhong Xi became my man, many people will be envious of me.”

　　“They should envy me.” Huan Zhong looked down. “Celestial Kong Hou is the most beautiful, most adorable and most amazing in the cultivation world. I do not know how many men are envious you are willing to be with me.”

　　“The men envy you, the women envy me—this means we are a perfect match.” Kong Hou’s eyes were bright as she thought of the beautiful future. “This is so great.”

　　Huan Zhong couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I find your sect’s disciples have the same merit as you.”

　　“What?”

　　“You have optimism and confidence towards the future.”

　　Kong Hou: “…”

　　The words did not seem quite right.

　　Two people who just admitted their feelings and who could not be too close together when there were many people around would be very close together in private and felt interested in anything. Huan Zhong and Kong Hou only reluctantly parted when the moon was high in the sky and returned to their own rooms.

　　##

　　The next morning, Kong Hou woke up when the sky was bright. She pushed open the window and found the flying palace had stopped. She hurried to the banisters outside and found an enormous flying ship nearby with the insignia of Primary Luck Sect.

　　“This one is Shuang Qing and greets Elder Qiu Shuang.” Shuang Qing stood at the head of the ship in a black hooded robe that covered his large cheeks so his face did not look so rectangular. But from a distance, it was like a brick on a black cloth.

　　There had been many guests in the hall for Cheng Yi’s Mind Manifestation ceremony. Qiu Shuang, as a sect elder, only appeared at the ceremony briefly before leaving. She did not know which guests had come. Looking at Shuang Qing’s rectangular face, she thought of a young child who had wanted to join Splendid Cloud Sect five centuries ago.

　　That child had been seven or eight with pale skin. His head had been rectangular and unforgettable after seeing it. At the time, she found that child was narrow-minded and liked holding a grudge. So she had not agreed to him joining Splendid Cloud Sect. In the next five centuries ago, this child never appeared again and she gradually forgot about this matter.

　　When she saw the sect master of Primary Luck Sect, she suddenly thought of that child from the past.

　　“So many years but Elder Qiu Shuang is still the same.” Shuang Qing bowed again. “Have you been well these years?”

　　“Thank you, Sect Master, for your thoughts. Everything is good.” After Heng Yan took the position as sect master, Qiu Shuang rarely left Splendid Cloud Sect, much less interact with the leaders and elders of other sects. Hearing Shuang Qing’s tone, Elder Qiu Shuang was almost sure that he was the child who wanted to join Splendid Cloud Sect that she had refused.

　　“A meeting means we have karma. Could this junior and disciples have the good fortune to visit your honored sect’s flying palace?”

　　“Please.” Qiu Shuang glanced at him and used spirit power to build a bridge out of clouds between the flying ship and the flying palace. Shuang Qing did not hesitate and jumped onto the bridge. The dozen disciples behind him saw this and could only follow.

　　Kong Hou stood in the corner and pulled over Wu Chuan when she saw this scene. “Wu Chuan Shixiong, don’t you feel that Sect Master Shuang Qing is slightly strange?” Who would invite themselves to other people’s domain?

　　“Maybe… his face is different from ours.” Wu Chuan saw Huan Zhong look at him from afar and pulled his sleeve out of Kong Hou’s hand. He took two steps to the side. “If you are curious, I will take you over to see.”

　　“Yes, yes.” Kong Hou nodded repeatedly. Eldest Shixiong was a clear-minded person.

　　The two disciples went over with spirit tea and fruits. They heard Shuang Qing say, “Back then, this one did not have the fortune to join Elder’s sect. Now we meet again, and this one still feels regret.” He sighed pretentiously and took out several spirit fruits worth thousands of spirit stones to put onto the table. “Please.”

　　Spirit Master Shuang Qing had almost joined Splendid Cloud Sect in the past?

　　Kong Hou was shocked inside. She went forward with the spirit fruits. “You are guests. How can we let Sect Master treat us?”

　　The red fruits on the table gave off a faint fragrance, and outshone the spirit fruits that Shuang Qing had brought out.

　　Translator Ramblings: We finally get to Shuang Qing’s story!