My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 759 - 479: Being a Good Immortal (Parts 1 & 2 Combined)_2

Chen Yi stared straight over at Mrs. Yan, his thoughts unreadable.

Then he glanced at Yin Tingxue and, seeing her curious gaze, Chen Yi pinched his fingers to prevent her from hearing his inner thoughts.

"Why are you staring at her?" Yin Tingxue whispered.

"What do you think?"

Yin Tingxue thought of his amorous nature, and since Mrs. Yan was quite attractive, she suddenly got a scare,

"Do you like married women?"

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned, then deliberately teased her, saying, "Maybe I do."

Yin Tingxue heard this clearly and recalled the Lin Family Young Lady. Clearly, Chen Yi had some feelings for her, which made her even more certain.

She furrowed her brows, worrying that he might be tempted by beauty and commit deeds of abducting women.

If that's the case, it's best to extinguish the flames early.

"Don't look at her." Yin Tingxue tugged on his sleeve, "Look at me, I'm a married woman too."

Her pleading tone reached his ears, and Chen Yi couldn't help but laugh softly.

He released his hand and stopped pinching his fingers, allowing Yin Tingxue to hear his thoughts, and she suddenly realized.

Mrs. Yan quieted the noisy children and turned around as the Taoist spoke, "We must go now, can't stay much longer."

"Let me see you off." Mrs. Yan quickly replied, determined not to neglect the two of them.

So she carefully locked doors and windows, her hair still disheveled, yet her eyes had a clarity unseen before.

She was never truly insane, which is why she could pretend, bearing the burdens of a crumbling home. Women aren't born strong; the laments before her husband's death slowly built high embankments.

When the sky of her household caved in, she needed to hold it up.

As she escorted them to the alley entrance, the sky grew darker, the dusk deepening, giving the county town an ethereal haze, like a thin mist. The elders often said that at this time, the line between the living and the dead blurs.

At the alley entrance, the Taoist about to leave suddenly halted.

Mrs. Yan was perplexed as she watched him slowly crouch down, place the meal he was holding on the ground, and then stand two chopsticks upright in it.

"Xiao Qi is just a minor demon; lacks mana, it couldn't fool so many people just by pretending to be a spirit," he suddenly said.

Mrs. Yan didn't understand.

The next moment, she stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

The Taoist softly said, "I see him. He's still by your side, always has been."

As he spoke, she too saw something. The deep dusk enveloped the alley entrance, and amidst the indistinct shapes, a figure seemed to extend a hand, wanting to touch her, yet unable to.

His lips moved with a hum, and Mrs. Yan seemed to hear him say something, yet what was he saying? She couldn't hear anything. Her voice hoarse, she trembled as she asked, "What's he saying?"

"He said he's sorry."

An instant silence fell behind Chen Yi.

Looking up again, Mrs. Yan remained motionless, tears streaming down her face. The once tall embankment suddenly broke open.

She was already in tears.

The setting sun cast a warm, golden glow.

Chen Yi clapped his hands, "Once you finish this bowl of rice, you should leave too."

The steam from the hot rice rose along the chopsticks, lingering without dispersing. After a while, the rice cooled.

"Quickly go, don't return."

With that, Chen Yi pinched his fingers and began chanting a requiem,

"Merciful aid in time of great disasters, door of sweet dew in the vast universe, ten directions resonate, delivering all beings..."

As his words fell, the indistinct figure also gradually dissipated, vanishing between heaven and earth.

The alley entrance fell silent for a moment.

Mrs. Yan seemed to return to her senses,

"Thank you, kind sir!"

She knelt and bowed, intending to kowtow three times,

but where are they?

A breeze suddenly blew by, and when she looked up again, both Taoists had disappeared without a trace.

They didn't stay to accept her gratitude and thus disappeared...

...

With matters resolved, Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue stayed another day in the county before setting out to leave.

On the third day of the New Year, after settling the bill with the innkeeper, they saw the innkeeper's wife walking down with a string of well-dried cured meat, putting on a deliberately amiable smile, asking if they wanted to buy some for their journey. Chen Yi replied, "Yes," and she promptly went to the back kitchen, cutting and wrapping it swiftly, not giving any chance to change their mind when handing it over.

The cured meat cost Chen Yi one hundred and twenty coins.

"We're not overcharging you; ten jin of five-flower meat only results in six jin of cured meat, and there's the cost of salt and wine. Oh, and there's talk of war in the south, which will raise the price of salt again, sigh..."

As she kept talking, the innkeeper's wife felt she had sold at a loss, even wanting to take it back.

But Chen Yi had already tucked it into his pouch.

The weather was bright and sunny, the wide streets full of warmth. Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue, a tall and a short Taoist from Yin Sword Mountain, left the inn and found a path to walk out of town.

They hadn't walked long when a lark emerged from the forest.

It was Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi flew over, circling the two, and before it even spoke, Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Any news?"

"Yes, of course!" Xiao Qi called out loudly and then looked in the direction the two were heading, "Are you going further south? You shouldn't go."

"Why?" Chen Yi asked curiously.

"There's a Jengu over there!"

Xiao Qi shouted.

Recalling the mountain rat's mention of southern demons being driven off or killed, if it were just Xiao Qi's tricks, it wouldn't lead to such circumstances. This lark was likely just borrowing another's name as a front.

"We're not afraid of Jengu," Chen Yi glanced at Yin Tingxue, "it's a good chance for you to exorcise some demons."

"Suit yourselves then. I was just trying to help since you seemed like good people," Xiao Qi turned its head and flew off in another direction, "hmph!"

Even when "hmphing," this lark seemed to be singing.

After saying that, it flew into the woods, circling among the leaves, watching them from a distance.

Chen Yi didn't pay much mind to its words. Adjusting the sword box on his back, he thought it would be a good experience for Yin Tingxue.

The official road bore many ruts, wild grass growing on the sides. The path was flat, and as they walked out, wildflowers sometimes stood tall among the weeds, and Yin Tingxue would step on one.

She looked quite happy.

Chen Yi couldn't help but pat her back and ask, "Good mood?"

"Yes." Yin Tingxue replied quickly. She had been in a good mood these past few days, just because everything Chen Yi did pleased her.

Ah, Guanyin Bodhisattva, he used to be a scoundrel...

As they walked, Chen Yi went about slaying demons, and she didn't have to lift a finger, which was nice.

Chen Yi watched her walk briskly, her small waist swaying, suddenly wanting to prod her a bit.

Just as he reached out, Yin Tingxue quickly sidestepped and turned back, looking at him in confusion.

Chen Yi didn't hide it, saying directly, "I want to poke you."

Yin Tingxue shook her head, "No."

"You're so happy, won't you let me be happy too?"

His words were unreasonable, but Yin Tingxue thought of everything he'd done, reconsidering.

"You should reward me." Chen Yi pressed on.

It sounded a bit childish, but Yin Tingxue liked him, so it didn't feel immature anymore.

"Oh... so what do you want? Just a poke?"

Yin Tingxue stretched her waist, sunlight glancing on her side, the cotton jacket hinting at how tender.

Chen Yi looked at her for a while, then said slowly, "Not just the waist, the feet too."

Even though no one was around, Yin Tingxue's face turned red. She whispered, "Just that?"

Chen Yi blinked and teased, "Do you want to add more?"

Yin Tingxue was about to shake her head, deny it, but a peculiar thought emerged: if she got closer to him, would he be even better?

She took a glance at Chen Yi and, after a long hesitation, said, "Come here then."

Chen Yi, not understanding, moved closer.

Smack.

Yin Tingxue caught his sleeve and stood on tiptoes, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Chen Yi was momentarily stunned, lowering his head to see the slightly shy little fox, his mouth slightly open, unsure of what to say.

It was the first time she willingly kissed him.

Chen Yi was at a loss for words, his heart quietly racing, emotions hidden, strangely resembling Zhou Yitang's reaction.

Yet he saw the girl tilt her head with a smile, "Why are you... shy too?"

Chen Yi huffed angrily, "I'm not tsundere!"

Yin Tingxue paused, covering her mouth to chuckle; she hadn't even said that yet.

From its lofty perch in the woods, Xiao Qi watched, bemusedly thinking: I'm just a lark, why must I witness a pair of lovebirds?