"Stop spouting nonsense."
Wan Yunting glanced at the girl, then at Chen Qiuyun's tent. He said to Lu Xiaodie and Gu Luotang, "Qiuyun and I are really not what you think. She's just thanking me."
"Thanking you?"
Lu Xiaodie and Gu Luotang looked at him with confused eyes and asked, "Brother Wan, what exactly did you do for her?"
Seeing that Chen Qiuyun was not around, Wan Yunting did not hide it from Lu Xiaodie and Gu Luotang. He simply told them how Chen Qiuyun was controlled by Sima Boyong with the seven-day poison and approached him with a purpose.
Gu Luotang and Lu Xiaodie finally understood, "So that's how it is. It sounds like she's had a tough time."
"If you ask me, she's just foolish, being used," Duan Yingying said disdainfully.
Wan Yunting glanced at her and said, "Weren't you listening to Sima Boyong back then?"
"I didn't know that old scoundrel Sima Boyong was so ambitious..."
Duan Yingying, reminded of that incident, exploded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Wan Yunting quickly admitted his mistake and apologized, knowing he shouldn't have brought it up. He returned to the main topic: "As for what Sister Qiuyun was like before, I don't know, but I personally believe in her now!"
Wan Yunting couldn't quite pinpoint what was so good about Chen Qiuyun that made him believe in her, but it was a gut feeling.
That's why he chose to bring her along with the other women into Kunlun Mountain and practice in seclusion at the bottom of the valley.
After all, the bottom of the valley was the inheritance of the Xiaoyao Sect, a secret. Currently, besides the six women around him, only Zhou Ruoxi, Chang Wude, Yang Jingyi, and Wu Weizi knew about it.
Of course, there were Zhong Hongmei and Li Shuyun, who had become disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect, but they did not know that the valley was the inheritance of the Xiaoyao Sect. Wan Yunting had not brought them this time, mainly due to concerns.
"They are all women with intentions."
Lu Xiaodie sighed. Gu Luotang and Zheng Rong nodded in agreement. Wan Yunting smiled and said, "Alright, hurry up and get into your tents to sleep. We have to leave early tomorrow, don't be late when I call you."
"Got it, we're going to sleep now..."
Gu Luotang smiled gently, gave the man a sideways glance, and got up to return to her tent to sleep, knowing they had to travel into the mountains tomorrow.
"Then you guard first. I'll come out to relieve you in the second half of the night."
Lu Xiaodie and Zheng Rong also got up, said goodbye to Wan Yunting, and went into their tents to sleep. Wan Yunting was left outside, wearing a thick coat and sitting by the fire. Unable to play with his phone due to lack of signal, he could only sit cross-legged and meditate with his eyes closed. However, he kept his ears open to all sounds, remaining vigilant at all times.
After all, in the wild depths of the primitive Kunlun Mountains, wild beasts roamed. Lei Laohu was killed by a brown bear, so Wan Yunting couldn't let his guard down. He constantly stayed alert to his surroundings to ensure the safety of the women.
In the blink of an eye, it was the second half of the night. Wan Yunting, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. He looked to see Lu Xiaodie unzipping the tent and coming out. She wore a down jacket, tidied her messy hair, yawned, and walked over. "Yunting, you go in and sleep. I'll guard."
Seeing that she came out alone, Wan Yunting looked at Lu Xiaodie with confusion. "Where's Senior Sister Zheng?"
Lu Xiaodie walked over with a languid posture, sat directly in Wan Yunting's arms, and even kissed his cheek. Like a woman acting coy in her boyfriend's embrace, she said in a languid voice, "I told Sister to keep sleeping. I'll guard, so you hurry in and sleep."
Wan Yunting was taken aback by her actions. "Sister Lu, what do you mean by this? Senior Sister Zheng is still inside, and you want me to go in and sleep?"
Lu Xiaodie, with her hands around Wan Yunting's neck, looked at him with half-closed, charming eyes. Seeing his stunned expression, she chuckled and said playfully, "What, you don't like my sister?"
Wan Yunting was speechless. "Can you stop messing around?"
Lu Xiaodie looked at the man's handsome, chiseled face with sparkling eyes. "I'm not messing with you. Actually, Sister has the intention to dual cultivate with you, as she's been stuck at the late stage of Hua Jin for five years!"
Wan Yunting's expression stiffened, and he looked at her suspiciously. "Sister Lu, did you deliberately tell Senior Sister Zheng that?"
"No," Lu Xiaodie argued. "She has that intention herself."
"Really?"
Wan Yunting looked at her doubtfully. Lu Xiaodie quickly got up and said, "Would I push you to her?"
Wan Yunting rolled his eyes speechlessly. "Your face clearly says so!"
Lu Xiaodie chuckled, then became serious. "So, do you want to help Senior Sister Zheng break through in her cultivation? After all, she's now one of us in the Xiaoyao Sect. When the sect is established, Senior Sister Zheng will be an elder. Are you willing to see her stuck at the late stage of Hua Jin forever, unable to break through?"
Wan Yunting gave her a sideway glance. "Breaking through in cultivation has its methods, but I can't use dual cultivation, right? If I meet someone who's stuck every time, do I have to help them break through through dual cultivation? What would that make me?"
"A stud!"
Lu Xiaodie said, then chuckled.
... Wan Yunting was utterly speechless, his face darkened with anger. "Stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and go sleep with Senior Sister Zheng. I'll guard myself."
"I'm not joking with you."
Lu Xiaodie's expression turned serious. "I don't care about others, but Senior Sister Zheng has treated me like a younger sister since childhood and has always taken good care of me. Although I think this is a bit improper, it's also Sister Zheng's intention. She's just too embarrassed to ask you herself."
"Of course, I'm not saying you have to help Senior Sister Zheng break through tonight. You go in and sleep with Senior Sister Zheng first, do nothing, just cultivate your relationship. Then, later, you can dual cultivate with her to break through. Isn't that fine?"
These words made Wan Yunting stare at Lu Xiaodie suspiciously. "Are you sure this is Senior Sister Zheng's own intention?"
"If you don't believe me, go in and ask her now," Lu Xiaodie said, pointing to the tent.
Wan Yunting turned to look. The tent zipper was open, and Zheng Rong could be seen lying on her side inside, sleeping. He didn't know if she was awake or truly asleep.
"Yunting, just help me, okay?"
Lu Xiaodie came forward, put her arm around Wan Yunting, and acted spoiled. But the man still had reservations.
Suddenly, Lu Xiaodie said, "Don't you like Senior Sister Zheng, so you don't want to..."
"No," Wan Yunting shook his head and said to Lu Xiaodie with concern, "I still think it's improper..."
"Oh, just go in and try. I'll wake you up before everyone else in the morning, so Luo Tang and that girl Duan Yingying won't see you sleeping with Senior Sister Zheng. Hurry up and go in..." As she spoke, Lu Xiaodie didn't give him a chance to refuse and pushed Wan Yunting towards the tent.
"No, hey..."
Wan Yunting wanted to say something else, but Lu Xiaodie pressed his head with one hand and pushed him into the tent. She then hissed at Wan Yunting, "Don't wake up Zheng Rong," and quickly zipped up the tent. After doing all this, a mischievous smile appeared on Lu Xiaodie's lips. She then returned to sit by the bonfire, guarding the rest of the night.
Inside the tent, Wan Yunting sat. The bonfire outside flickered, and the inside of the tent was dim. However, he could clearly see Zheng Rong's back as she slept on her side. He didn't know if she was asleep or if she had heard the conversation between him and Lu Xiaodie outside.
"Sigh..."
After sitting for two minutes and seeing no movement from Zheng Rong, Wan Yunting could only sigh helplessly, thinking that if it was her intention, he would help her out, as he wasn't losing anything.
So Wan Yunting lay down behind Zheng Rong and closed his eyes to rest.
After an unknown amount of time, a startled cry suddenly came from behind him, immediately making Wan Yunting open his eyes and turn his head. He saw Zheng Rong sitting up, her face full of surprise, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at Wan Yunting. She said nervously, "Yun... Yunting, how... how are you in the tent?"
Wan Yunting, still groggy from sleep, sat up and checked his watch. It was already five in the morning. Seeing Zheng Rong's surprised and confused expression, he said, "Sister Lu said that you asked me to come in and sleep?"
Zheng Rong's expression froze. She shook her head and said, "I didn't! Didn't she say she'd come out to help you guard with me in the second half of the night?"
These words also made Wan Yunting's expression freeze. He immediately understood that Lu Xiaodie had done it deliberately. He slapped his own head and was about to go out. "I'm going to find Sister Lu..."
"Don't..."
Zheng Rong quickly grabbed Wan Yunting's wrist as he was about to pull the zipper and shook her head. "Since you're already in, just keep sleeping. I'll go out."
Wan Yunting turned to look at her. Zheng Rong's face blushed under his gaze, and she lowered her head shyly.
She also said that although Zheng Rong was plain-looking, neither ugly nor particularly beautiful, her temperament was excellent, gentle and giving the impression of a virtuous wife and loving mother, which made Wan Yunting inexplicably say, "Sister Lu told me that you've been stuck at the late stage of Hua Jin and couldn't break through to Dan Jin?"
Zheng Rong slightly raised her head, gave him a shy glance with her eyes, and nodded. She felt inexplicably nervous and excited, and she also knew why Lu Xiaodie had deliberately let Wan Yunting into the tent to sleep with her in the middle of the night. It was precisely for this reason.
"Cough..."
Wan Yunting also felt a little awkward, but he still said, "Senior Sister Zheng, you should also know that Sister Lu only broke through to Dan Jin after dual cultivating with me. If you really want to break through to Dan Jin in martial arts, perhaps I can..."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Rong had already lowered her head shyly, her face flushed red. She fiddled with the sleeping bag with her hands, looking very embarrassed. Wan Yunting also looked at her cautiously, testingly saying, "If you're not willing, it's okay. I'll think of something else..."
"I... I can..."
Zheng Rong immediately mustered up her courage and interrupted Wan Yunting's last words. She nodded with her head lowered, indicating that she was willing.
Seeing this, Wan Yunting felt a sense of relief. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Then Senior Sister Zheng, after we get to the valley, I'll help you break through to Dan Jin."
Zheng Rong, who had been lowering her head and not daring to look up, her voice became as quiet as a mosquito's, "Mm..." she said, her face still flushed red, not daring to say anything more.
"Then you sleep. I'll go out and check on Sister Lu."
Wan Yunting was so embarrassed that his toes almost curled up to form a three-bedroom apartment. He opened the tent zipper and, before Zheng Rong could say anything, he squeezed out and zipped the tent shut again. Inside, Zheng Rong also let out a long sigh of relief, her face flushed red. She felt both excited and nervous, but mostly expectant.
Wan Yunting saw Lu Xiaodie sitting by the bonfire, resting her chin on her hand, propped on her knee. He went up and took her hand away. Lu Xiaodie jolted awake and looked up to see Wan Yunting with a calm expression. Instantly understanding what had happened, Lu Xiaodie forced a smile and asked, "Why did you come out?"