Half a year without meeting, upon hearing "I'd rather," Chen Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Cry, because Zhou Yitang was still the same Zhou Yitang, her personality unchanged; laugh, because no matter what, at least she agreed.

Chen Yi took a deep breath and said fiercely:

"Then just wait, I will definitely kiss Tingxue first before kissing you."

The one-armed woman remained indifferent.

What followed was straightforward—Chen Yi asked Zhou Yitang about the movements of those female Taoists from Yin Sword Mountain. After learning they had all been pacified, he extracted Qin Peng's soul and searched it.

After the Soul Search, Chen Yi's expression changed slightly.

He gathered plenty of information, sorted through it one by one, all of it connected to the current political strife in Western Jin.

The Western Jin and Great Yu divided the world into two powers. The former rose from the Shaanxi region, stretched south to the Hanzhong Basin, and north to the Yin Mountain Pass, encompassing the former Xixia Country. How magnificent! Within the court, there were factions advocating eastern expansion and those preferring stability. The former was primarily composed of Han clans like the Chen Family of Western Jin, while the latter was led by Hu clans like the Wanyan Family.

Lifeng Pavilion had established its presence in Liu Feng County with the intention of reaping the spoils of war once Western Jin invaded Great Yu—a shrewd move of pre-war strategizing.

Aside from these revelations, Chen Yi also uncovered Lifeng Pavilion's structural details. Beyond that, there wasn't much else; Qin Peng was just a newly promoted middle-rank figure.

For him, it was a downfall in a moment of carelessness.

But Chen Yi felt that killing him was satisfying.

Avenging strangers and acting with chivalry—how could he not feel the thrill? Chen Yi wondered what Min Ning might think, but upon reflection, he found himself secretly pleased.

After the Soul Search, Chen Yi leaned against the stone wall, quietly waiting for dawn.

Zhou Yitang, on the other hand, stayed nearby, meticulously tending to Lu Ying.

Chen Yi looked on, feeling somewhat displeased, but he said nothing.

After all, to this master, aside from himself, the most important person was senior disciple Lu Ying.

Gazing into the distance, Chen Yi contemplated his upcoming trip to Shantong City and the chance to ascend Taihua Mountain to meet Yin Weiyin. His Heart Lake rippled with anticipation.

Especially the allure of this female crown.

It stirred his imagination into a cascade of fantasies.

.........

At the break of dawn, as the sky turned a pale fish-belly white, Lu Ying gradually awakened.

"Master?" Seeing Zhou Yitang, Lu Ying's eyes widened, then she threw herself into her teacher's arms, tears streaming down her face. "Someone bullied me!"

Chen Yi emerged and said, "Was it me?"

Lu Ying's pupils narrowed sharply, and instinctively she moved closer to the one-armed woman.

Zhou Yitang shook her head helplessly, giving Chen Yi a sidelong glance.

Chen Yi tactfully sat down, spreading his hands with a grin: "Let me explain. I... actually, my original surname is Zhou. But owing to family misfortune, I had no choice but to change my surname to Chen and seek another way to survive. Listen... Zhou Yi—doesn't that roll off the tongue nicely?"

Soon after, Chen Yi recounted everything that he and Zhou Yitang had planned the previous night.

Lu Ying, half-believing, said, "You're… Master's nephew?"

"Correct. Because of our kinship, she taught me swordsmanship," Chen Yi said, smiling bitterly. "So I also call her 'Master,' though she doesn't acknowledge it."

Lu Ying still harbored doubts, but upon cross-referencing memories, she found everything aligned.

Yin Sword Mountain had explicit rules that Taoists in training were forbidden from seeking Dao companions. As someone of Sword Armor rank, Zhou Yitang naturally wouldn't break such commandments.

Between an aunt and nephew, private instruction in swordsmanship seemed reasonable, and even hugging could be reluctantly justified.

Clearly, Chen Yi was walking the path of Taoist and Martial Dual Cultivation, and based on his talent, he was indeed worthy of being Master's nephew.

After some deliberation, Lu Ying sought final confirmation from Zhou Yitang: "Master, is this true?"

Zhou Yitang said nothing, but Lu Ying, knowing her well, understood that silence meant assent.

Lu Ying exhaled in relief and was about to stand when suddenly her body froze—the pain from below struck.

This nephew, when the Master wasn't around, had smacked her backside!

Lu Ying desperately wanted to lodge a fierce complaint, but upon second thought, saying it would be pointless—Chen Yi wouldn't be punished. It would only humiliate her. Better to swallow her grievance and keep it secret from Master.

Chen Yi blinked, only to see Lu Ying glaring at him indignantly.

He chuckled faintly but said no more.

Zhou Yitang, unwilling to let Chen Yi spend too much time with her chief apprentice, knowing full well his licentious nature, said:

"Lu Ying, go back now."

Lu Ying nodded and, before leaving, gave Chen Yi another venomous glare.

Not long after she left, Chen Yi and Zhou Yitang lingered in silence for a moment before he stood as well.

The two of them walked side by side out of the cave, strolling through the forested mountains.

"Ah... It's just a brief meeting, not even a full day, and we have to part again," Chen Yi said with a smile. "Will you miss me terribly?"

Zhou Yitang didn't reply.

Chen Yi was long accustomed to her silence. He continued leisurely: "When I reach Shantong City, I should be able to see Yin Luanhuang. She probably misses me. Afterward, I'll reach Taihua Mountain first and register my name there."

Zhou Yitang listened quietly.

"Don't worry about it; Lu Ying will be fine—I won't delay things to see Yin Luanhuang. Shantong City will be thoroughly inspected both inside and out." Chen Yi paused, then softened his tone, saying, "Is the little fox doing well?"

Zhou Yitang nodded slightly, still silent.

Chen Yi smiled. "As long as she's doing well. After visiting Luanhuang, I'll definitely come back to the mountain to see her."

Wife and cherished confidants scattered across different regions—it wasn't like the Capital City, where one could have both fish and bear paw at the same time. Imagining a gathering with Yin, he sighed deeply at the thought of the difficulty.

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