120 Chapter 119: Blood Blades (1/2)

”Ugh…”

Tong Xue groaned as he flopped over in his seat, his eyes glazed. I raised an eyebrow as I studied him.

”Why are you acting as if you're suffering from a hangover? You didn't drink any alcohol last night.”

The reason for that was because we were underaged and not because Tong Xue had any semblance of self-restraint.

”Because it would have made for a more interesting opening for a new chapter,” Tong Xue replied as he suddenly sat up straight. I resisted the urge to sock him. Breaking the fourth wall was supposed to be my job and my job alone.

”What the hell are you two talking about back there?” Tang Qi Hong turned around from her seat in front to glare at us. ”We're going back to Tushan, so you should start being serious!”

”What makes you think we're not?” I asked, though I regretted it when Tang Qi Hong's glare intensified.

”Hangovers and something about interesting openings? What does that have anything to do with martial arts?”

”Nothing,” both of us chorused.

”You two…!”

Fortunately, before Tang Qi Hong could lunge at us, Lian Rou caught her around the waist and held her back.

”Relax, Qi Hong,” she told her best friend. ”That's their way of dealing with stress. The moment they return to Tushan City, they've to report to Elder Zhao immediately and begin the Blood Blades trial. They're trying to relieve some of the tension.”

”Thank you for understanding, Rou'er!” Tong Xue called out. ”You really are the best!”

”S…shut up!” Lian Rou blushed and she sank against her seat, refusing to look back at him. ”You had better pass the test!”

”We will,” Tong Xue assured her. He turned to me with a wink. ”Right, Wu?”

”I'll actually be surprised if Elder Zhao doesn't skip the test and automatically gives Fei Wu a place in the Blood Blades,” Lian Rou remarked thoughtfully. ”He is the finalist in this year's tournament, after all, having finished the highest among all Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciples in the academy rankings. I'm more worried about Tong Xue.”

”Aw…have some faith in me, Rou'er!”

”You make it difficult for her to believe you,” I muttered. Tong Xue grasped his chest in mock outrage at my supposed betrayal.

”Well, we'll see,” Tang Qi Hong said as the Phoenix Express began to move and take off. ”Good luck, the two of you!”

*

Back in Tushan City…

Within one of the private residences belonging to the inner sect disciples, one of them stood out, particularly because it was a small but luxurious and opulent house belonging to one of the core disciples. Ranked above even the inner sect disciples, recognized by the nine Spirit Engraved Pillars, Liang Shao Yang wasn't just an inner sect disciple.

He was one of the potential successors to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, the one most likely to become the next leader, second only to Tang Qi Hong. as such, he was given one of the most lavish houses to live in, one even more extravagant than the mansions that the non-elder masters of the sect stayed in, making him the envy of not just the disciples but also the masters.

Housed within that luxurious residence was an expansive chamber, the room being vast enough to be considered a hall in its own right. At the far end, there was a bed with rich, silky furnishings, the kind of bed only affordable to the rich and nobles. The room was dimly lit, with only a single tablelamp switched on, casting a meager amount of illumination on the long curtains that shrouded all sides of the bed.

”…ah…”

On top of that bed, the form of two silhouettes were visible, the two dark shapes behind the curtains moving restlessly and urgently as they merged into a single silhouette, creating one long shadow across the bed and room.

Zooming into the bed and getting past the curtains, it became clear to whom these silhouettes belonged to. Naked and locked in embrace, their bodies tangled together, Liang Shao Yang and Hu Mei Er moved with extreme passion and fervor. Sitting on the bed, Liang Shao Yang cradled Hu Mei Er's plump bottom and he continued to thrust into her from below, causing her to place one hand on his shoulder and wrap the other around her neck as she pressed her bulging breasts against his solid chest. Moaning, Hu Mei Er rammed down on him, taking his whole length into her in one stroke, and Liang Shao Yang shuddered with pleasure at the action.

”More,” Hu Mei Her groaned, her hips moving restlessly as she straddled Liang Shao Yang and continued moving up and down along his thick length. Their lovemaking juices mingled together, and they clasped each other in a heated embrace.

The qi around them swirled and thickened, their yin and yang essences merging together and solidifying.

This was the so-called dual cultivation (Shuang Xiu). While the main goal was obviously to enjoy intimate pleasure and deepen their bond, it also helped them both cultivate and reach new heights in their strengths. If I cared what realms and levels they were in, I could certainly tell you where they were previously, and where they were now, but all I knew was they were much stronger than before. Maybe they rose three levels?

Honestly, I didn't know, and I didn't care. All I knew was that I would be envious of them if I saw this scene. While I was stuck being a virgin (and I was a virgin for all thirty years of my life during my previous timeline), this bastard got to enjoy himself and have sex with a girl. It was enough to make any guy insane with rage and jealousy.

Fortunately, being an adult, I wasn't that petty, and I had gotten used to the idea that whatever happened would happen. If it was not meant to be, then it was not meant to be. I wasn't a horny, hormonal teenager desperate for sex and trying to throw away my virginity. Right now I had goals in my life that I wanted to focus on, whether it was this timeline or the previous one.

Anyway…

”Ah…”

Hu Mei Er convulsed as a new wave of pleasure struck her, reaching her climax. She tightened her grip on Liang Shao Yang's shoulders, clinging as close to him as possible. Liang Shao Yang grunted as he buried his face into her neck and rammed his penis upward, thrusting it as deep into Hu Mei Er's vagina as he could before he too surrendered to his climax and ejaculated. Around their bodies, which were tightly locked in embrace, the qi coalesced and shimmered more violently before as the two different types of qi merged and circulated through their joint bodies. Particularly at the place where their two nether regions were joined, the flow of qi was the most potent, swirling and raging violently to fill both man and woman with immeasurable power.

”That was amazing.”

Hu Mei Er purred as she leaned against Liang Shao Yang. The latter remained silent, but he lay down instead, bringing his lover with him. The two of them lay on the bed, their naked bodies still tangled and Hu Mei Er's leg rising to rub against Liang Shao Yang's hip. They were still connected at that place, with Liang Shao Yang's penis throbbing inside Hu Mei Er's vagina.

Even though the climax had been reached, the both of them needed to remain merged in order to allow the qi to flow and circulate around both bodies evenly, in order for them to maximize the effects of their dual cultivation.

”I hear that Tang Qi Hong and Fei Wu are returning to Tushan City…it seems that their school's tournament has just ended?”

Liang Shao Yang stirred at Hu Mei Er's provocative statement and slowly raised his head to gaze into her hypnotic jade eyes.

”…yes, I've heard about that too.”

”What do you plan to do?” Hu Mei Er prodded him. Liang Shao Yang scowled.

”What do you mean, what do I plan to do? Is there anything I can do?”

”Do you think I'm stupid?” Hu Mei Er snorted as she curled against Liang Shao Yang's body. She peered into his eyes, her smile curling sinisterly across her beautiful face. ”I know what you're planning. And I know what you've already done. Everyone knows you tried to kill Fei Wu.”

”Hmph…” Liang Shao Yang closed his eyes and lay his head back on the pillow. ”There is no longer any need to kill him. He's no longer a threat to me.”

”…threat?”

Hu Mei Er turned to look at him quizzically.

”That's right,” Liang Shao Yang nodded. ”I originally targeted him because he was getting too close to Tang Qi Hong, and I needed to get close to her in order to have a higher chance of becoming the next sect leader.”

”I'm glad you didn't,” Hu Mei Er nuzzled her face against his neck, humming happily. ”And now you have a higher chance than Junior Qi Hong to be the next sect leader. Everyone has high expectations of you now, my dear.”

”Hmm…” Liang Shao Yang didn't reply to that. He knew that Hu Mei Er was only clinging to him because of his current favored position. If he failed and was sent crashing out of the race, he wondered if she would still stay by his side.

Most likely not. If there were no benefits to allying with him, why would she? With her beauty, she could find another man to smooch off on. Not that she necessarily needed to. Given her own intellect and talent, she could more than stand on her own.

”Even so, Junior Qi Hong remains a great threat to you, Shao Yang.” Hu Mei Er's whisper had grown conspiratorial now. ”If she is not eliminated, she might continue to pose a challenge to your position as the next sect leader.”

”…you are right. But currently she's now protected by her master, Sect Lady Da Ji.” Liang Shao Yang sighed. ”Sect Lady Da Ji won't let me out of her sight. Even though she abides by what her husband says, she is still cautious of me.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. ”I believe Senior Qi Hong must have convinced her that I'm a threat.”

”Well, your own actions haven't ingratiated yourself with the sect.” Hu Mei Er pointed out. ”Even Sect Leader isn't convinced by you, especially after your assassination attempts and murder of Hao Ying. Only the elders have stayed his hand from punishing you.”

”Sect Leader listens too much to his wife,” Liang Shao Yang replied with a snort. ”Sect Lady Da Ji is too powerful…frighteningly so. If I can sway the elders to act against her…”

”But that will take a lot of preparations.” Hu Mei Er nodded in understanding, as if she had read his mind. ”I see. That's why you've decided not to strike yet.”

”That's right.” For the first time, Liang Shao Yang smiled, and it was a frightening expression that made even Hu Mei Er – who had an intimiate relationship with him – shudder. ”To ensure that I achieve the optimal results, I must be patient.”

”I see.”

”And about Fei Wu…it's not that I've given up on killing him. He's just not worth the trouble now. Sect Lady Da Ji and Elder Zhao have their eyes on him, especially after his achievements in the tournament. They will want to recruit him into the Blood Blades.”

Hu Mei Er gasped, and her hand, which had been lazily stroking Liang Shao Yang's chest, stopped.

”Isn't that bad? Given the relationship between Fei Wu and Junior Qi Hong…if Fei Wu gets into the Blood Blades, the two of them might become just like the current Sect Leader and Sect Lady! The most talented spirit engraver and strongest warrior! They might not individually seem like a threat, but when combined together…Sect Leader and Sect Lady might be more convinced of what they can achieve together rather than what you achieve by yourself!”

Liang Shao Yang clenched his fists and his eyes darkened.

”I'm aware of that,” he hissed through gritted teeth. ”But I'm also aware that Sect Lady is watching over them…and keeping track of my movements. It'll be difficult right now…”

Then he smiled.

”That's why I said you should have patience, my dear,” he said soothingly as he ran his fingers through Hu Mei Er's pink hair. ”There is more than one way to assassinate someone. I can't do it now, but that doesn't mean I won't have a chance to do so in future. After all, when Fei Wu becomes one of the Blood Blades…”

”You mean…” Hu Mei Er's eyes widened. Liang Shao Yang nodded with a grin.

”That's right. As one of the Blood Blades, he'll be sent out on missions…far from the watchful eyes of Sect Lady…beyond even Elder Zhao's protection. That will be the time when he's most vulnerable and most exposed to danger…in fact, it would be far easier to cover that up…”

”Yeah…no one can trace it back to you if Fei Wu dies in an accident or is killed by a monster or criminal outside of Tushan City…”

Hu Mei Er nodded fervently, her eyes glowing hungrily.

”Perfect.”

”I've to execute the plan first,” Liang Shao Yang replied dryly. ”Fei Wu has proven to be a much more formidable foe than I had anticipated. The people telling me that he was trash are complete morons. Even if he has a One Star Constitution, he has something that helped him compensate for his complete lack of talent.”

Yeah. I had plot armor, deus ex machina and protagonist-level cheats…wait, I only had plot armor, now that I thought about it. Where were my golden amulet, ghostly master, essence flames, alternate dimension/space, fated encounter and other forms of cheats?!

Well, I did meet and train under Master for two weeks, so maybe that was my protagonist-level encounter? But two weeks weren't enough to learn anything. That said, I couldn't deny that I had plot armor, having survived so many ridiculous situations that it had reached the level of BS.

”Don't worry…I'm sure you'll succeed.”

Hu Mei Er rose up and straddled Liang Shao Yang again. Placing both her palms against his chest, she began moving her hips and swaying gently. Riding Liang Shao Yang, Hu Mei Er moaned as her pace quickened, feeling his thick length move in and out of her. Liang Shao Yang reached out and cupped her bottom, thrusting powerfully from below.

Once again, the two moved in tandem as the thick aura of qi swirled around them, their male and female esscences flowing and melding together for the umpteenth time…

*

The Phoenix Express touched down in the interior of Tushan City, and the passengers filed out. Tong Xue and I followed Lian Rou and Tang Qi Hong, making our way toward the inner districts of the city where only the inner sect disciples were allowed entry.

”Elder Zhao! We're here…eh?”

Tang Qi Hong suddenly stopped, and the rest of us had to come to a stop to prevent ourselves from colliding with her.

”What's the matter, Qi Hong…ah?!”

Lian Rou froze when she saw the reason her best friend halted. In front of us was not just the familiar figure of Elder Zhao Shi, but someone was accompanying him as well.

”M…Master.”

Tang Qi Hong lowered her head. Sect Lady Su Da Ji…or rather, Sect Lady Zi Da Ji raised her hand and dismissed the formalties.

”How many times has it been now? I told you to address me as Mother.”

”Yes, Mother.”

Tong Xue gulped audibly and I stood rock-still, unable to figure out what was going on. My mind was in a frozen blank, unable to process what had just transpired.

”W…what…what's going on?” Tong Xue spluttered, his voice a whisper. I shook my head and shrugged.

”I don't know.”

”I've heard about your exploits in the tournament. Making it to the final and finishing second-place, huh?” Lady Zi Da Ji observed me for a moment before nodding in approval. She then turned to Tong Xue. ”And you…top fifty, making it to thirty-eighth rank eventually. Not bad at all.”

For a moment I actually thought Tong Xue made it to thirty-sixth, but he didn't quite make it there. A pity, otherwise I could start calling him Tong Thirty-six.

”Um…thank you!” Tong Xue tried to conceal his joy at being praised and bowed. Similarly, I bowed my head gratefully.

”Thank you for the praise.”

”No, you both deserve it.” she turned to look at Elder Zhao. ”I believe they'll be accepted into the Blood Blades, no problem?”

”Yeah…no objections.”

”Eh, Master…Mother, you're just going to let them into the Blood Blades?” Tang Qi Hong asked in surprise. Lady Zi Da Ji smiled.

”I thought you would be happy.”

”I…I mean, I am, but…!”

”Then it is fine, isn't it?” Lady Zi Da Ji turned to Elder Zhao. ”I suppose you'll be responsible for their training?”

”That's right, Lady Da Ji.” Elder Zhao cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. ”This old man will do his utmost best to raise them.”

”I don't doubt that. But I'm here today because I hope to reward them for their achievements.” Lady Zi Da Ji glanced to look at the two of us proudly. ”They ranked highly in their school tournament and did our sect proud. I'm sure they deserve a little something for that.”

”You mean…?” Elder Zhao's eyes widened.