"Each of you go to the punishment hall and receive twenty strokes of the rod." Long Jue coldly uttered these words and said no more.
Bai Mo nodded in agreement to Long Jue, and the two left together.
From arrival to departure, not a single unnecessary word was uttered. The congregation inside remained in a state of astonishment; how could they have been discovered even though they had hidden themselves so well?
Why? This was a question Long Jue also wanted to know.
He was ordered to stay by Bai Dutang's side for two days. Strangely enough, he seemed to be able to sense any violation of discipline by this man immediately—he was practically a born dogmatist, and he couldn't tolerate the slightest deviation under his nose.
—How could someone like that have an affair? It seems Ning Xian's "love rival" is quite something.
"Brother Long, I haven't seen Ning Xian these past two days. Do you know where she is?"
They entered the main altar, and Bai Mo turned to ask. Long Jue slightly raised his gaze, looking at the figure who had clearly been in the main altar when they entered, but had leaped onto the roof beam as soon as he saw them return. He didn't speak, but only shook his head at Bai Mo.
It's quite rare for two people who both live in the Netherworld and whose places of daily life often overlap to never meet.
He glanced at Bai Mo and turned back, then leaped from a blind spot in his line of sight to the shadow of another roof beam. By the time Bai Mo continued into the hall, he had already slipped out the window.
Ning Xian, who had already slipped out of the main hall, turned around and scoffed in the direction of the hall. Want to find her to discipline him? He'd better have the ability!
Turning around again, she nearly bumped into someone and was scared half to death. Ning Xian exclaimed "Ah!" and looked up to see Feng. After catching her breath, she asked, "You walk so quietly! You're going to scare me to death! What are you doing here?"
"This is the main altar, not the Netherworld. Why can't I come here?"
"Whatever, I'm leaving." She wasn't going to linger here and risk being lectured by Young Master Bai. She turned to leave, but Feng suddenly grabbed her wrist—"I have something to ask you."
"ah?"
Before she could react, Feng pulled her away, leaving her no chance to break free.
"Where are you taking me? Let go—hey—"
Chapter 37 Where is the concubine?
After leaving the main altar, Feng stopped at a place that belonged neither to the Netherworld nor the Blissful Heaven. Ning Xian forcefully pulled her hand away. "Why can't you just say what you want to say? Why did you drag me here?" She snorted and turned her head away. "Ask me what you want to say. I have nothing to say to an ungrateful person like you."
Feng sneered, "Looks like you're trying to wash your hands of this completely."
"You're not my lover, so why should I get entangled with you?"
That's typical of Jialing—crossing the river and then burning the bridge, using the millstone and then discarding the donkey. Once he finds another lover, he's no longer of much use. "Who said that even if a lover doesn't work out, there can still be affection?"
"The past is the past, the present is the present. Treating a promising talent is different from treating an ungrateful wretch." So-called "affection" is, of course, reserved for someone who might become your lover. But this guy—he actually tied her up like a dumpling and threw her out in the middle of the night?
Seeing the obvious resentment on her face, a half-smile flashed in Feng Lengao's eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by her icy emotions. She asked, "I heard that your husband is having an affair. Is that true?"
"You heard everything the day you brought him back, and you still asked about it."
The day she rescued Bai Mo, she did have a quarrel with him at the gate. However, they only exchanged a few words. Not only would she not know what was going on, but even if she did, she would have to consider whether Ning Xian was deliberately contradicting him.
Ning Xian hadn't expected him to pay much attention, but even someone like Lian Feng, who wasn't interested in gossip, had heard about it. Was there anyone in the Netherworld Sect who didn't know about her trivial matters?
"What, did Mu Yuan, that big mouth, tell you?" She'd always thought that while Mu Yuan always deliberately spread gossip, she was actually quite discreet about other people's private affairs...
Feng shook her head. "Yu Lin told me."
"Oh, when did he become such a gossip..."
"Yulin is just worried about you."
"I know that without you telling me. Have you finished asking your questions? Can I leave now?"
"Wait!" Feng frowned slightly. Although he stopped her, he didn't even know what he wanted to do. What could he do? No matter what the truth was, it was just someone else's "family matter."
Ning Xian waited a moment, but he didn't speak—this was really unlike Feng's style; it felt strange… “If you're not going to say anything, I'm leaving.” She had just turned around when Feng suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back—it happened so suddenly that she wasn't prepared and bumped into Feng. She looked up at Feng's face, but couldn't discern his thoughts from it. He still held her wrist tightly, and the two of them were pressed together… Ning Xian hurriedly lowered her head. What was wrong? She had not only taken advantage of him that night, pinning him down, but had even… well, you know… given him her all, and she hadn't felt anything… Why did she feel inexplicably awkward now, just being pressed together?
Feeling the face above her move slightly closer, she looked up again and saw Feng's face slowly lower and gradually approach.
Thump, thump—was that the sound of her or his heartbeat, pounding like thunder?
"Cough—"
A tactless voice suddenly interrupted, and Ning Xian snapped to attention, shoving Feng aside and leaping two steps away. Feng looked at her, seemingly slightly taken aback, but it was unclear whether she was surprised by Ning Xian's departure or by her own actions.
Ning Xian wondered if the two of them were possessed.
"Hey you two... could you please stop ignoring me?" Mu Yuan stood gracefully a few feet away, a bewitching smile on her face. She tapped her cheek lightly with her folded fan, looking at the two people in front of her with amusement.
"Mu Yuan, mind your own business." Feng regained his usual cold arrogance, but his slightly furrowed brows betrayed a hint of emotion that even he himself might not understand.
“I naturally don’t care about your affairs, but in broad daylight, you’ve brought our Duanxian here… I wonder what your intentions are?” He was still smiling as he slowly approached Ningxian.
"This has nothing to do with you."
Mu Yuan smiled alluringly, giving him a seductive glance before placing her hand on Ning Xian's shoulder. "Unfortunately, Duan Xian'er's matter is related to me. She's under my protection now... Oh, Feng, who's usually uninterested in gossip, probably doesn't know yet, but this Left Envoy is now Duan Xian'er's lover—right, Xian Xian?"
Ning Xian forced a smile. "It seems that's true."
—Aren't you being a little too "responsible"? We made you our lover to impress Young Master Bai, you don't need to be this "dedicated" all the time, do you?
—Of course, you have to be responsible to be someone's lover. You need to cultivate your relationship and get to know each other better so you can be a convincing lover, right? Right?
—Whatever you want.
After exchanging glances for a while, Mu Yuan raised her head, smiled provocatively, and looked at Feng with amusement—it seemed she had stumbled upon a good show.
"Shall we go, Xianxian?"