Chapter 1096: Chapter 611: Heading to the Southern Border (Double-Length)

Yin Weiyin had always been cautious of Lu Ying.

Compared to the natural aversion he felt towards Donggong Ruoshu, as if their fates were destined to clash, his feelings towards Lu Ying were more akin to an undercurrent of hostility.

The reason was simple: although Lu Ying hailed from Yin Sword Mountain, she was more adept at Hidden Cultivation Dao Technique than swordsmanship. Being another Immortal Lady, peers are rivals, and her master was Zhou Yitang. Furthermore, she was Chen Yi’s senior sister, entangled with him as if with an invisible bond.

Old grudges and new enmities accumulated over time, yet Yin Weiyin outwardly treated people the same as always, though secretly he never had a high opinion of Lu Ying.

Lu Ying had visited more than once or twice, ever since Chen Yi was gravely injured. Initially, Yin Weiyin was courteous as a host, but as the visits increased, he grew distant. Moreover, she inquired about Chen Yi on every visit, sometimes meeting with him in person, which invariably irritated Yin Weiyin.

Now, as Lu Ying arrived again and exchanged pleasantries, she directly brought up the matter of Chen Yi.

"I thought his injury had mostly healed these days, so I came by to check on him. I have some elixirs for him; once he accepts them, I’ll leave."

"If that’s the case, then Fellow Daoist Lu, please leave the elixirs. I will pass them on to him. If there’s anything, he should ask me."

The initial contention began from these two sentences.

Though contention, it wasn’t overly antagonistic. It involved at most two or three sentences of veiled sarcasm. Both being cultivators, their temperament and demeanor were exemplary, unlike ordinary folks who might quarrel loudly.

Yet even so, the latent hostility in their words was something even Chen Yi could perceive.

"Back then, Mr. Yin once said that Yin Sword Mountain’s discipline was lacking and that my emotions should be severed with a sharp sword. This time, perhaps it’d be trouble worth troubling."

"If Fellow Daoist Lu wishes to trouble, why should I refuse?" Yin Weiyin paused, smiling: "I should naturally give you a hand."

Lu Ying raised her hand, saying: "Okay, then please."

"Are you truly willing?"

"Why wouldn’t I be?" Lu Ying lowered her eyelids, "Emotions are an obstruction; entanglements are endless. The path to the great Dao becomes as difficult as climbing to the heavens."

At this, Yin Weiyin contemplated fetching the Peach Wood Sword, to smoothly sever Lu Ying’s emotions, making it once and for all. But halfway there, he suddenly wondered... could this be a trap set by Chen Yi?

The punishment that day was still vividly clear. As the thought came, she shuddered, realizing it all at once, and became hesitant and indecisive.

Severing Lu Ying’s emotions would undoubtedly be beneficial, and the Sword Armor First Disciple seemed to have this intention. However, something seemed amiss and Chen Yi would definitely come to know of it. Even if the emotions were truly severed, with Chen Yi’s capability, it wasn’t certain that he couldn’t make those emotions sprout again.

Amid her hesitation on whether to proceed, Chen Yi timely emerged from the rear courtyard. Though she was reluctant to admit it, the female crown internally breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Chen Yi glanced at her.

With Lu Ying present, Yin Weiyin couldn’t appear weak. However, she couldn’t act superior as before. Thus, she maintained as calm a demeanor as possible: "Fellow Daoist Lu has suddenly paid a visit, asking me to sever her emotions with my wisdom sword. I alone couldn’t decide and intended to find you. Since you’re here, it’s just as well."

Chen Yi had already been listening to the dispute from the sidelines, and without Yin Weiyin’s explanation, he knew what had happened. He wasn’t concerned with Yin Weiyin’s current tone; Da Yin people always had two faces, and he had promised to maintain her dignity.

Senior sister Lu Ying was ahead; as Chen Yi moved forward to speak, unexpectedly, Lu Ying placed the elixir bottle in his hand and turned to leave.

Her departure was neither rapid nor abrupt, yet it was too seamless, too natural, giving no chance for persuasion.

Holding the porcelain bottle in his hand, Chen Yi was momentarily puzzled.

Aside from the confusion, Yin Weiyin caught an ineffable mystery, curling her lips into a smile.

"What’s wrong with her?" Chen Yi turned his face, frowning.

"What could it be other than a reluctance to engage further?" Yin Weiyin lightly tucked her sleeves, calmly and gently saying: "She’s realized the emotions within her heart, faced them directly, and severing them is not far off."

Chen Yi had always disliked the female crown’s tone, slightly knitting his brows.

Noticing his subtle gesture, Yin Weiyin lightly coughed, amending: "If one’s entanglements run too deep, they easily become a Heart Demon, obstructing the great Dao at every step. The closer they are to being overwhelmed by emotions and sufferings, the further they are from ascending to immortality. I think she’s understood amidst her repeated visits these days that she harbors a faint, uncertain affection for you and wants to sever it to settle matters. So today she deliberately provoked me to sever her emotions and help her attain the Dao, which could be considered a virtuous act. Why not do it cheerfully? Besides... husband, you don’t... have that kind of relationship with her, do you?"

Chen Yi neither nodded in affirmation nor refuted, but cheerfully repeated one of her phrases: "Why not do it cheerfully?"

Yin Weiyin instantly fell silent as though stricken by the cold.

As he slowly approached, her breathing quickened slightly but she ultimately steadied her mind, saying clearly: "Husband, my intentions aren’t false, yet I do listen to your instructions, don’t I?"

The words were pleasing, and Chen Yi didn’t take the opportunity to be harsh. Instead, he gently twirled the fine strands at her cheek, mocking: "You do understand."

"I am your Daoist companion, how could I not understand."

Yin Weiyin softly replied.

However, within her heart, she wasn’t as composed as she appeared on the surface. Since that incident, Chen Yi no longer treated her as he did before.

After the underworld and their marriage, since they joyfully tied the knot, Chen Yi became more tender; not to the extent of considering her in everything, but sometimes being verbally tough and soft-hearted, akin to ordinary lovers in the world with their intimate, whispering interactions. She didn’t cherish it then, assuming over time he’d become compliant. Unexpectedly, it led to the present day where he treated her with much less respect, more oppression, and subtly returned to the state when she was an alchemical furnace...