Chapter 101: Partnering to Deceive Me?
(This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation)
Ji You wore only his inner garments as he ventured into the bamboo forest next door. After walking just a few steps, he was met with a tall wall. Hesitant, he glanced at Yuan Chen, who was standing not far away. The Direct Disciple of the Pill Sect nodded solemnly and gestured towards the direction within the wall, signaling for him to enter.
Understanding the unspoken instruction, Ji You leaped gracefully over the wall and landed on the other side. As expected, a smaller but far more potent Medicinal Pool lay within, barely large enough for one person to stretch their legs. Despite its modest size, the medicinal essence it exuded was extraordinarily rich, making Ji You feel a refreshing vitality before he even stepped into it.
“Of course, Yuan Chen comes through again!” Ji You murmured, removing his robes before stepping into the pool. Instantly, a soothing fragrance enveloped him, easing the soreness he had endured from days of refining his Spiritual Essence through relentless tempering. Though his physical body had grown considerably stronger, a persistent ache lingered, worsened by a fierce surge of energy coursing within him.
Now immersed in the pool, the gentle medicinal energy began to alleviate his long-standing discomfort. Soon, a faint spiritual glow appeared on the surface of his skin.
[This is the perfect chance…]
After some deliberation, Ji You closed his eyes and prepared to undergo his ninth attempt at Celestial Aura Manifestation. However, as his meditation deepened and the surrounding spiritual energy surged towards him, his spiritual consciousness involuntarily soared upwards. It felt reminiscent of the time he experienced Dao Enlightenment at the Heavenly Script Academy.
Trying to regain control, Ji You found his consciousness drawn into an endless, ethereal void. As he gazed upwards, a faint vision of a radiant Three-Legged Copper Furnace emerged in the haze, shining brilliantly.
Simultaneously, in the western bamboo pavilion, the flickering candlelight revealed Yuan Cai Wei finishing the final stroke of her painting. The image of a white-robed swordsman came alive on the canvas. Setting down her brush, she gazed at her work for a while, a satisfied smile playing on her lips. Then, she descended from the pavilion and entered the bamboo forest.
With a gentle tug at her waist, she slipped out of her outer robe, revealing a crescent-white inner garment. Her well-defined curves were accentuated in the dim light. This bamboo forest was her private domain; without her permission, no one dared to enter. Used to the solitude, she continued undressing as she walked.
Under the faint moonlight and the soft hum of nocturnal birds, Yuan Cai Wei approached the courtyard, wearing only her undergarments. To her surprise, she noticed faint glimmers of light emanating from within the yard.
[Could it be Xiao Die and Xiao Rou?]
Pausing briefly, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her gaze fell upon the small pool—and she froze in place. The sight before her left her utterly stunned.
The figures she expected were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a man, someone she recognized.
Ji You sat in the pool, his muscular frame exposed, the chiseled lines of his body glistening faintly in the glow of the pool’s energy. Usually cloaked in the loose robes of an immortal scholar, his imposing physique was a revelation. His chest rose and fell with each breath, and a mystical radiance shimmered faintly around him.
Yuan Cai Wei stared, her cheeks flushing red. She should have cried out, but her gaze seemed glued to him. Her eyes unconsciously drifted downward, and her lips parted slightly in surprise.
[What is this?]
“Yuan Chen!” she hissed under her breath. “You really want him to be your brother-in-law this badly?!”
Her face turned crimson as she scrambled to gather her discarded clothes. Yet, as her hand reached for the door, she hesitated. Her maids, who usually brought petals and essential oils for her bath at this hour, were likely on their way. If she left now and crossed paths with them, they would inevitably enter and see Ji You… completely exposed.
Moreover, the Jade Balance Hall currently housed numerous disciples of the Heavenly Script Academy, including You Bu Yu, whose Dao Fusion Stage surpassed Ji You’s by an entire major realm. Such a scandal would be catastrophic.
Taking a deep breath, Yuan Cai Wei bit her lip and turned back towards the pool. She grabbed a white silk cloth she often used to dry herself and timidly spread it over Ji You’s legs. Her face burned as she slipped into the pool beside him, her delicate jade-like feet stirring the water to mimic the sounds of bathing.
“Yuan Chen, where did Brother Ji go?”
“It’s fine. My brother-in-law went to have some fun; he’ll be back soon…”
In the adjacent Medicinal Pool, Yuan Chen’s voice carried an edge of nervousness as he responded. His entire body shrank within the pool, tension visible in every movement.
[Sister, oh sister, do not blame me. Although the young master appraiser acknowledges me as his brother, we are not truly related by blood.]
[You must seize this chance tonight. I can only help you this far.]
Ji You, deep in his meditative state, was utterly still, his spiritual consciousness drifting toward the vague, misty image of the Red Furnace. His thoughts wandered endlessly, oblivious to the happenings outside.
A sudden knock on the door startled him, pulling him back to the present. Slowly, Ji You opened his eyes to see a pale woman standing before him, speaking gently to someone beyond the door. Her soft voice, though calm, trembled slightly.
“Miss, your essential oil and petals.”
“No… not this time… You may leave; I’m nearly finished,” Yuan Cai Wei replied. As the sound of splashing water filled the air, Ji You saw her clearly. Yuan Cai Wei was gracefully kicking water before him with her delicate, jade-like feet, sending droplets scattering. She wore only a thin undergarment and a bellyband, her skin wet and glistening, glowing with a smooth, snowy radiance as she glanced toward the door.
After a long pause, the maid outside seemed to retreat. Yuan Cai Wei let out a sigh of relief, her delicate hand immediately reaching for the strip of white silk. She was acutely aware of Ji You’s reputation as a modest gentleman, someone who would never intrude upon her medicinal pool without reason.
[It must be my younger brother who tricked him into coming here.]
The maid had departed, and now all she needed was to remove the silk. Ji You would never know she had been here, nor that he had inadvertently witnessed anything.
Yet the moment she tugged at the white silk, she felt an opposing force. Before she could react, she was pulled into the pool, falling straight into Ji You’s arms.
Caught entirely off guard, Yuan Cai Wei instinctively braced herself, her hands pressing against his broad chest. Her soft, supple figure landed directly in his embrace. Frozen, she raised her head in disbelief, realizing Ji You had already opened his eyes. He looked at her with utter shock.
Only wearing her bellyband, Yuan Cai Wei had tried to retrieve the white silk covering her, but Ji You had instinctively held onto it to prevent her from acting improperly. To his astonishment, she had plunged straight into his arms.
Ji You’s mind reeled as he blurted, “Miss Cai Wei, are you and Yuan Chen conspiring to deceive me?”
Yuan Cai Wei hadn’t expected such a question. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she stammered, “Young Master Ji, you misunderstand! I didn’t mean to!”
“But I saw it with my own eyes…”
“What?”
“This is my medicinal pool,” she hastily explained, “and I have no idea why you’re here.” Her usual demeanor as the Eldest Daughter of the Pill Sect carried an air of pride, but now her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Despite her words, she didn’t struggle to leave his embrace.
Ji You’s mind was still in disarray. “I suspected something when Miss Cai Wei asked in her letter about whether my constitution could be inherited. I didn’t think… I didn’t think you’d resort to this. Even though such things are not uncommon in the Heavenly Script Academy, you can’t… can’t use such means.”
“I was merely curious when I asked about your constitution,” Yuan Cai Wei replied. “I had no improper intentions.”
“But you’ve sat in my lap for half the day… and that’s not free of charge…” Ji You muttered.
A spark of realization flashed through Yuan Cai Wei’s eyes. “It must have been Yuan Chen who tricked you into thinking this pool was open. He’s been wanting to make you his brother-in-law for a long time. That’s why he lured you into my private medicinal pool!”
[Yuan Chen?]
A scene replayed in Ji You’s mind: Yuan Chen urging him to come, his tone suggesting it was of utmost importance, his expression that of one preparing to sacrifice everything. So this was his true intention? Despite acknowledging Yan Shu Yi as his sister, Yuan Chen still schemed to deepen their connection.
Ji You noticed Yuan Cai Wei’s body heating up in his arms, her breathing growing shallow. Realizing the situation, he gently held her fragrant shoulders and slipped his arm beneath her slender legs, lifting her out of the pool.
Yuan Cai Wei’s tall, graceful frame felt surprisingly light in his arms, as though she were a delicate bird. Once she was free, her heart pounded uncontrollably as she said, “Today’s events are a misunderstanding. Please leave quickly, Young Master Ji. Let no one else discover this, and we’ll act as if it never happened.”
Leave?
That was impossible.
Ji You pressed his lips together, thinking, [I’m still a man. You’ve sat in my lap dressed like this for half a day. I can’t even straighten my back now.]
[Her feet are so fair… they rival those of that girl from Spirit Sword Mountain…]
As thoughts of that young lady surfaced, Ji You couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
Yan Shu Yi, oh, Yan Shu Yi, you truly disappoint yourself. After all this time, you haven’t even tried to pounce on me like a ferocious tigress. Now look what’s happened—I’ve been tricked by Yuan Cai Wei, and everything is gone.
Did you know, I intended for you to be the first to see me?
“Miss Cai Wei, you should leave first. I can’t move yet. I’ll need to stay here a while longer.”
“?”
Yuan Cai Wei turned her head, only to see Ji You wearing the expression of a noble gentleman, though his arm firmly pressed down on a piece of white silk.
Seeming to realize something, Yuan Cai Wei stood up shyly. Her snow-white jade foot landed on the edge of the medicinal pool as she prepared to step over and leave. However, in her panic, her footing slipped, and she tumbled downwards. At the critical moment, Ji You extended his hand and caught her by the waist.
“Be careful. If you bruise yourself, it’ll truly be hard to explain.”
“Young Master Ji, you are shameless…”
Yuan Cai Wei’s cheeks flushed as she whispered the words under her breath. With his support, she climbed out of the medicinal pool, hastily picked up her clothes, and left in a flurry. She nearly tripped at the door.
[Good heavens, handsome young men can’t leave their homes unprotected these days.]
Ji You watched her figure disappear into the distance before he immediately calmed his mind. After a stick of incense’s time had passed, he picked up his inner garments, leaped over the wall, and returned to the grand medicinal pool.
“Where’s Yuan Chen?”
“Yuan Chen left quite some time ago.”
Noticing Ji You’s serious demeanor as he approached, Bai Ru Long couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Ji, did something happen?”
Ji You sighed deeply. “Don’t even mention it. Tonight, I’ve suffered a great loss.”
“?”
Ban Yang Shu looked at Ji You with an amused expression. [This guy… it’s got to be him.] Sneaking around to bathe with the daughter of the Pill Sect, and then having the audacity to claim he suffered a loss… If that isn’t the work of a bold bandit, then what is?
Having reached the Dao Fusion Stage, Ban Yang Shu’s perception far surpassed Bai Ru Long’s. Earlier, he had already sensed a few things. Especially after Yuan Chen left, Ban Yang Shu had become even more vigilant. Though he didn’t hear everything clearly, he picked up on some secrets.
“Brother Ji, your brow seems a little green…”
As the evening deepened, Ji You and the others left the pool. Wen Zheng Xin and Pei Ru Yi also emerged, casting Ji You a peculiar glance before returning silently to the rear courtyard of the Jade Balance Hall.
You Bu Yu was in the courtyard, sipping tea with He Ling Xiu, Wang Yue, and Fang Lin Chao, discussing the mystical glow emanating from the Hall of Resplendent Glow on the mountaintop. When he noticed Ji You and his companions, his gaze turned cold. However, he was surprised to see Ban Yang Shu and the others looking at him with pity.
“?”
Meanwhile, Yuan Chen was kneeling in his elder sister’s bamboo cottage, curling up like a quail before Yuan Cai Wei, who looked as stern as winter frost. Her arms were crossed, her face still tinged with a faint blush, and she held a vine whip in her hand.
“Tell me, was it you who lured Young Master Ji into my medicinal pool?”
“Yes…”
“Yuan Chen, do you want to drive your sister out of the Pill Sect?”
Yuan Chen immediately lifted his head. “No, I would never.”
Yuan Cai Wei gritted her teeth. “Then why did you bring a man into your sister’s medicinal pool? Thankfully, Young Master Ji is a gentleman. Otherwise, how could your sister show her face again?”
At this, she couldn’t help but recall the sensation of his strong embrace, the corners of her ears burning red.
“I noticed, sister, that you seem to have feelings for him, so I thought I’d seize the opportunity.”
“W-When did I show feelings for Young Master Ji?”
Yuan Chen couldn’t resist raising his head. “Back at Qiling Ridge, I called him brother-in-law, and sister always rolled her eyes. But today, when I asked where brother-in-law was, sister, you blurted out that he was in the T-shaped chamber behind the Jade Balance Hall.”
Yuan Cai Wei’s face turned crimson as she raised her hand as if to strike. “You dare say more!”
“On our journey back to the Heavenly Script Academy from Qiling Ridge, I was delighted, thinking the academy would be filled with people like brother-in-law. But later, I realized I was wrong. There’s only one like him. Sister, you need to make up your mind.”
Seeing his sister suddenly fall silent, Yuan Chen’s thoughts raced. [Sister, oh sister, you’ve been caught. Don’t let that cool, untouchable exterior fool you. You’re great at getting close to brother-in-law.]
[In the future, you’ll have to compete with the Mirror Master’s sister for who gets to be the first wife. Spending all day sketching “Seven Swords of Brother-in-Law” in the bamboo forest won’t get you anywhere. If you don’t act now, the opportunity will be gone.]